Today started out alright, though my stomach felt strange. My scheduled time for work was at 4. My mom had plans, so she wouldn't be able to give me a ride, so she said she would drop me off at the nearest bus stop and I would have to take the bus the rest of the way. She even planned out what buses to take and at what times, since I had to stop by the bank and deposit my check. Well, she drove me to the bus stop at Spring Creek and it wasn't cold so I wore just a t-shirt on my upper body. I rode the bus to the bank and got it set up so my next checks would go directly into my account instead of being given to me, and also $90 would to into my parents' checking account, which is what they charge me (I get paid bi-weekly). I now had 15 minutes to catch the next bus, or I could wait 45 minutes for the next one and still get to work on time. I decided to go to Arby's across the street since I was hungry and I hadn't eaten there in a while. I got a beef and chedder, a medium curly fry, and a medium vanilla shake (before learning they served eggnog shakes). After that it started getting cold, and I already wasn't feeling well. I waited for a while for the next bus, and the rain fell harder and it got colder and was very uncomfortable. The bus was warmer, but not warm enough. I had brought along "The Fellowship of the Ring" to read on the way since it's sort of a lengthy bus ride and I had stopped in the middle of the book for a while and I wanted to start reading it again. On the bus my stomach really began to feel upset. It came to the Eugene Station and I had to wait for the bus to Wal-Mart. Did I mention it was cold? And I already felt cold in temperatures that would normally be fine for me. I was also tired. I almost fell asleep on the bus to Wal-Mart, which let me off at the closest bus stop which is about a quarter mile from the store... in the rain. Dark clouds filled the sky and it was dark enough to be dusk.

Inside I lingered until some carts HAD to be gathered. I used the leather gloves provided to stockmen to keep my hands warm and dry. Inside, I passed Carly, who made an obvious effort to stare straight ahead when I passed. Amanda (who's name on her name tag is spelled "A manda") said she was tired, too, and not feeling too good. After lunch the carts desperately needed gathering (since my lunch is an hour of no stockmen) and it was pouring down rain, plus it was dark. Patty, the people greeter, said I really should use a jacket, and I went along with it this time, since I'm not THAT crazy. I wore a red pancho with a hood and the gloves. I looked like Jack the Ripper from "The Last Action Hero". I also gave in to using the motorized cart-pusher to maximize comfort in the bad weather conditions. Once I filled it inside, my gloves were soaked inside and out. I traded them for the pair of snow gloves, which got soaked after one use. Inside, Amanda noticed my necklace with half a heart hanging from it that when put with the other half it says "Best Friends" on the front and "Friends: Apart but always together" on the back. The shirt I was wearing had a large neck hole so my necklace was visible. She also commented on how my chest went in a little in the middle (basically saying she can see my cleavage with this shirt). I said it was because I have muscle, lol. She wanted me to flex my arm and she pulled up my sleeve for me. I did and she was impressed (well yeah, muscles look defined when someone has no fat). She confirmed with me that I've had no girlfriend before, and then asked how that's possible with my muscles.

Blake is still hanging around Wal-Mart even though he quit to move to Texas for a while before he moved to Florida. He decided not to go to Texas so now he has to wait here until December when he moves, and he already quit. He may try to get hired again. I sat and talked with him during my break. He said something about how he and Mike weren't getting along anymore. He had asked Carly for some advice with a girl, too. I wonder why 3 people have mentioned Carly to me today when I haven't said anything about her. Maybe it's just coincidence, plus they were topics unrelated to our mishap.

With 2 more hours of my shift to go and the rain slowing to a sprinkle to no rain at all at times, I discarded my pancho and roughed it with my t-shirt. I was no longer cold outside, and was feeling a little better. The only gloves left were cotton ones. There was no way I was wearing those and touching wet cart handles. It's like stepping on water with socks on. Icky! Patty and I came up with the idea of wearing the cotton gloves to keep my hands warm, and putting a plastic bag over each hand with a rubber band to keep them dry. That worked great! After I finished the carts, I went to where Amanda, Nate, and some other people were and showed them. Nate started cracking up about the bags on my hands and then turned to the clipboard he was holding and said, "Okay, 'Baghands' gets some points deducted." Lol. And that's how my newest nickname came about.