Cookies and Charlotte

Work is going well and I am learning a great deal more about bras and underwear than I had ever had an inclination to know.  Still, it's all very valuable as I, myself, am an avid bra wearer - ah, the curse/blessing of having voluptuous boobies to contend with!  I have met all of the women who work at the store now and I mentioned to them today that my girl friend bakes.  They anxiously await cookies and treats from my significant other.  I was worried at first that being open about my relationship to Hannah would cause them to mistrust me in some way, that they would see me as a 'man hating, vengeful lesbian eager to take over the world one boob at a time!'  But so far, I think they find me rather adorable and that's good because I am adorable.

In other news, I finally received a letter from Queens University of Charlotte.  They rejected my application and made sure to mention that due to the volume of applicants they were unable to give me any personalized feedback as to my writing sample.  Well that's just fine.  It reinforces my decision to attend Solstice and it keeps me from getting a big head.  Hannah and my mother were worried that it would upset me to receive the rejection letter but in actuality it will be the first of many to come in my future as a writer and I welcome it with open arms.  Perhaps this means I am settling, but other than PLU in Tacoma, the college that I talked about the most, the program that I felt most drawn to, was none other than Solstice in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.  I have already sent in my tuition deposit and all I have to do now is seize some plane tickets before Holiday inflation hits.  Thankfully my job has no issues with me taking time off to attend residencies.  In that I am very fortunate.  My manager's willingness to work around my needs and her patience with me on the work floor have definitely sealed the deal: they will be getting cookies!

Gainfully Employed

I have a job.  Finally.  I am a customer assistant (and cashier) at the L'eggs, Hanes, and Bali store, one of the few surviving shops in a little strip mall down the road.  It's a very relaxed atmosphere and the women who work there, so far, have been pleasant and patient.  Today was my first day on the floor and aside from aching feet, it was a very good day.  I learned the basics of the cash register, learned a bit about a variety of sales and discounts, got to know my fellow employees, and got to see how the store operates on a fairly regular day.  Of the six other women who work there (me being lucky number seven) three of them are management.  There is always a manager on site and it seems that there is usually three people in the store at any given time.  This is a huge relief because in the end there is always someone there to help me throughout the learning process.

I've met five of the six women I will be working with (one of them is the one who recruited me and she is very sweet), and already I like them.  They feel very much like a little family and when one leaves at the end of her shift, they say 'love you' instead of 'see you tomorrow.'  I can't help but look forward to the day when they fully accept me into their close knit group and demand 'hugs' from me before I head out from my shift.

The two cutest things I saw today: One) there was a young man - he was tall and chubby in a cuddly bear way - who came into the store and spent over half an hour carefully perusing undies and bras until he'd selected several things for his wife.  He just seemed so determined and while he looked a bit shy about the whole ordeal, he never seemed annoyed or embarrassed.  We thought he was just precious.  Two) a tall, slender Mennonite girl (extremely pretty!) came into the store and picked out three pairs of wild and lacy underwear.  She was so sweet and polite.  It just goes to show that you really can't judge a book by its cover.  I thought she was absolutely fabulous.