July 1st

Yesterday was a very productive day! I finally went job hunting))))))

Right! Let's go in order)

Woke up at 10 AM, found out I had a day off, and fell back asleep))) Had some nightmare about A Nightmare on Elm Street))) But let's not talk about the bad stuff)

By the time I got around to things, it was already 4 PM) But I finally got ready, straightened my hair, and headed out to look for work) The weather outside was great) Not hot, just warm... a light breeze) Just a super day for bike riding)))

I started by riding down College Road, stopped by a couple of cafes, but it wasn't great, and then I turned onto Oleander Dr. and that's when I really got going) I was going everywhere))) Filling out applications everywhere))))) In one place, I got to talking with the owner; he heard my accent right away and asked where I was from) Well, I explained I was from Belarus))) He was surprised that I speak English so well) And for some reason, I don't know why, he thought I'd only been learning it for 2 years) Oh well, I didn't bother correcting him))))

I stopped by Chick-fil-a and couldn't resist trying the new spicy burger))) While I was eating, I watched a little girl's birthday party) And there was a clown there! Our clowns aren't scary, but in America, they're just like in a horror movie. Even his voice was scary!!!!))))))

Then I rode to the Mall and that's when I really went for it!!!! I'm a shopaholic, honestly) And it's not like I'm just throwing myself at clothes, it's a strange form of shopaholism - when I see 'final sale 80%' and a pile of clothes, I start digging through it and find such cool stuff for such a ridiculous price) The climax of these treasure hunts was a shirt I bought for $2.99, originally priced at 48 bucks))))) That's it!))) Such is life) On the way back, I stopped by various cafes too))))

At one Japanese restaurant, I met a guy behind the bar who works at a restaurant I had visited earlier)) We got to talking too))))))

And I also went into Friday's))) Now that is truly something American) I don't know how to explain it. These tables, the uniform, the bar, even the waiters. Just like in a cheap comedy movie) I didn't like it there, and the manager was kind of nasty with a forced smile)

I arrived home in the evening, it was so cool! And a thunderstorm was rolling in! I wanted to take pictures of the lightning, but it didn't work out at all) And the honking cars started to annoy me, so I headed home)))) And yes, I boiled some potatoes and for the first time in my life baked a chicken in the oven, though I overdid it with the garlic and for another 2 hours the house smelled like garlic, as if I were protecting myself from vampires))))

And today I chatted with my sister, mom, and dad for about 1.5 hours on Skype))) I miss them, to be honest) I just love joking with them, cheering them up) Oh, they'll be lost without me)))

Also, in one store at the mall, I had to fill out an application on a computer, and then answer 50 questions! I laughed so hard at that! About 25 of them were something like: "Is our store for you?", "Would you recommend our store to friends?", "Do you shop at our store???")))))))))))) ahaha))) it's just so endearing to me))))

And today I got caught in the rain! Huge puddles, warm, warm rain! I took off my sandals and rode my bike barefoot))) And as luck would have it, I was wearing a white tank top)))) And denim shorts))) And there I was, all wet, riding down the street))) oh, what a scene that was)))) hehehehe)))))

Also, there's this one traffic light here! It reacts to cars! For example, I'm standing at the light, waiting for it to turn green, but it doesn't turn green because there are no cars going straight! And it doesn't react to me, no matter what I do! So I have to take risks sometimes!!!!))))) Well, it's no big deal... there are usually very few cars there))))))