Cruisin For Quarters

Last Thursday I saw my family for the first time since April. Considering my parents and youngest brother live in Ohio, I usually only see them once every few months (just the way I like it). Usually it's not very exciting to see them, but when they offered to take me on a cruise at their expense, how could I say no? 3 days off of work.... food everywhere (and you know I love food).... spas.... unlimited gym and party time.... It was definitely worth my while.

Between Thursday and Monday, I cruised with my parents, youngest brother, aunt, uncle, and my eleven year old cousin from New York City to Saint John, New Brunswick. In theory, the idea of being locked up on a ship with only my family and a bunch of random people I don't know is pretty scary, but after experiencing it, it's not really that bad. You can do pretty much whatever you want. Me? I ate, I sat in the hot tub, I ate, I sat in the hot tub, I ate..... You get the picture. By the time I got back to campus, I was in desperate need to adjust my diet and visit a gym, but four whole days of gluttony and sloth was worth a little too much cholesterol and possibly putting on an extra pound.

Now, I'd been on a cruise before, but this particular cruise was pretty unusual. For one thing, out of the 3500 passengers on the ship, over 700 were Indian. It was really bizarre. Of course I realized it was strange that there were so many Indian passengers, but I just sort of assumed it was just a really big family reunion.... with 700+ attendees. Hey, some people have huge families. It was only when I got back to New York when I found out that the group had come from a special program called Masala Cruises featuring famous Bollywood entertainment on board. If only I would have known....

When I got back from the cruise, I took my car (that's right, my parents finally pulled through and brought me an old Volvo!) and visited the supermarket to fill up my empty refrigerator. I'm assuming you've seen the shopping carts that make you deposit a quarter in order to use it? Well, you know your life is sad when you run around the parking lot collecting stray carts and taking the quarter deposits out of them in order to pay for your groceries. I was actually thinking about going out all day Saturday and making a side job out of it.

While at the supermarket I made sure to get all the deals. I bought a few 30 cent cans of beans on the reduced rack, but wheeled my cart away when I realized that Stop and Shop was trying to sell a half eaten box of cereal for $1.50. Are they serious? How can they think they are going to sell that? Sometimes I think that half the stuff that goes on over there is a joke.

After checking out with my Stop and Shop card, I also got a coupon for 10 cents off each gallon of gas next time I use the Stop and Shop gas pumps. Now that's what I call a deal.

Unfortunately, my latest horoscope mentioned "financial upheavals" and wouldn't you know it, the Vassar Post Office put my paycheck in someone else's P.O. Box and the payroll office still hasn't gotten me direct deposit even though I signed up for it in May. The horoscope also mentioned that things are bound to get worse after the full moon on the 29th, so as far as I know, those happenings are omens. If things over here get any worse, I just might become an Astrology believer.....