I was at the UH bookstore today, pricing some ScanTrons. Finals are right around the corner, and I need some fresh new ScanTrons. As I looked around for a price sticker or even some signage, my gazed landed upon some stacks of blue composition books. Upon closer examination, I noticed something...bizarre.

1. Roaring Springs Paper Products, the company that manufactures these blue books, has put a slogan on the cover.
2. The slogan is "Use Your Imagination."
3. It's been trademarked.
4. We're supposed to use our imaginations...on our examinations?
5. I have a really good laugh over all this.

In preparation for a new website feature, I've placed little notebooks and pencils in strategic locations: next to my bed, in the bathroom, in the glove compartment of my car, and on a chain around my neck. This is also a safeguard against my losing any brilliant ideas. I've also acquired a minicassette tape recorder in anticipation of recording some thoughts verbatim. I've noticed that in my dreams, I'm a literary genius. I realize that's not very modest. I just can't think of how to explain the way prose seems to get dictated in my head during a dream. It's frightening, memorable, perfect prose. There was one excellent example from a dream I had this morning, only I can't share it. It was so disturbing; I've been trying to forget it. I think the short story collection I was reading before bed, No Easy Answers, was a big influence.

Here's a excerpt from one of my notebooks:
As I stood in front of HEB's vast array of vegetables, overcome by a contemplative silence, I realized I was beginning to look odd to the milling pre-Thanksgiving-cooking crowd. The fact that I was scribbling all this into a small notebook which dangled from my neck wasn't helping matters. I eyed a shriveled batch of dry peppers and decided I'd better keep walking. I was decked out in my Harriet-the-Spy gear--backwards baseball cap, notebook and pen suspended from my neck. High-tech trendy duds completed the look, and as an added touch, I was wielding my minicassette recorder. Okay. I made up that last part. I left my recorder at home, not seeing any point in tape-recording vegetables. As an HEB rep hawked free turkey samples, I realized I'd wandered into the meat department. Oh well. Maybe I could get inspired by the meat. We'll see.

This has been a happy-sad month for me. Some sad things have happened (i.e. Stephen left Waldenbooks, Stephanie's moving to Singapore for sure...look at the similarity in their names. I wonder if they're the same person in disguise? Everyone's always leaving me), but some happy things have happened (I can't think of what they are right now, but I know I've been happy about a few things...hmm...well, there's been some darn good popcorn in my life lately...). And then there are a few personal occurrences that have been kind of bittersweet. Ouchies abound. I think...think...the time may have come. How's that for being cryptic?

Shoes. Shoes have been a concern of mine lately. Why does my mother have so many?

Even though the weeks have passed quickly, this semester has seemingly dragged on for quite a while. While I look forward to my semi-break at HCC, I'm not looking forward to the upcoming slew of papers and finals. It never seems to end. Well, I think for once in my life, I'm kinda ready to see some change. It's probably time to release my death grip on the past and to begin anew. No, everyone, this will NOT involve me cutting my hair.

Oh, yeah. The ScanTrons. I ended up buying them at HCC...I believe they're 6 cents cheaper there.

I decided to go ahead and starting counting A's for a second hash brown. I mean, why not?

Ah, my pretty hash browns...soon you will be mine! Twenty cents and counting...

Must have 5 to reach Second Hash Brown Goal: (two)

Helen