07/09/2002 - 5:31 p.m.

Broken hearted jubilee Part II

Today was... an adventure. (For anyone who hasn't read the first part, go here.) Since I realised that I have no clean or paricuarly warm clothes and no paint clothes whatsoever, I decided I had to find a Goodwill or die trying. Yeah, there's no one up there or out there watching out to make sure I don't do stupid things.

This time, I consulted the phone books first. Yes, the Goodwill was on University, but it was about nine blocks further than I had thought. So, I rode my bike to the College Square mall and found the land with no sidewalks again. I decided to abandon my bike and walk. Nine blocks. In the hot sun. In jeans and a black shirt. It took 45 minutes.

I spent a good long time in the air conditioning at the Goodwill, let me tell you. Walking back didn't take as long. Arriving back at the mall, I suddenly remembered that since I was at the mall, I may as well hunt up a pair of black shoes to wear for running shows. I went into Kohls hoping for a pair of black Keds or All Stars or something.

Nothing. So, I decided to find something that I could wear to look semi-decent as well, make spending the money worth while. I finally found some on sale for $20. This came as rather a shock to me considering at Goodwill I had just spent $15 on three pairs of pants, a long sleeved shirt, and a wool sweater. The girl at the counter pulls out a bag that even I can see is far too small for the box and sticks it in.

"Ohhh, sorry, it's a little bit small, isn't it?"

"Er, yeah."

I'm assuming she's going to get a bigger bag. Ah no, she hands it to me and says, "well, here, if you hold it like that, I think it'll be OK." She goes on to take care of the next customer. I glance at the bag, I consider my backpack full of clothes and wonder how the hell this thing is coming home with me. I can't even hold it properly.

So, I begin to ride back, the ridiculously small bag clutched between my aching fingers. I decide that there's no way I'm even going to try the real roads, and so I find a bike path. I know it has to go back to UNI sometime because I'd heard it did. So, I ride along and every so often the trail forks off to go up to roads, but I'm not paying much attention. Soon, I discover that there are no more of these forks, and the trail has become rather deserted and more woody. It winds down by the river and I think "hmmm, I didn't know UNI was this close to the river."

Soon, I pass the sign that points out the city limits. I swerve to a stop and go back the way I came. It has been about an hour and a half since I left the mall and forty minutes since I realised I was kind of off the beaten path.

At length, I found a park with a trail map. Bless those Boy Scouts. I discovered that had I not taken one turning, I would've ended up back at UNI ages ago, and I was extraordinarily stupid for thinking I was completely lost.

I'm absolutely disgusting, but at least I have lots of things to show for my trouble.

Next time, I am definately taking the bus!