Guess where? Panera's at 4:00 in the afternoon, sitting by a sunny window. It's a quiet time of day here, one that I'm not usually privy to. I brought Em to her friend's house after school and this shopping center is practically right next store. Why rush home? I'll tell you about my day in backwards order. I went to Sam's Club before coming here. Their gas is $3.15 a gallon; much less than anywhere else. I went into the store thinking I might buy a $20 GO phone to put my SIM card in while trying to find a new phone that I'm ready to make a 2-year commitment to. The salesguy highly recommended the Backberry Curve 8310. The price at Sam's was ridiculously low, like $40-something dollars. I came here and checked it out on cnet, but of course can't make a decision. So, it looks like I'll holding onto Em's old phone that I very much dislike. (I made myself not say hate, Andrew!) I think I research stuff too much. Most people that know me would agree. I think there's really no consumable that doesn't have a 'con.' Anyway, I came this way after going out to lunch with my mother at our favorite Chinese restaurant. I had shrimp and broccoli and she had shrimp and lobster sauce. Their shrimp is always extra-large, not what you usually find in these dishes. I finally stopped ordering spicy dishes 'medium' and go with the heat the dish demands. It's much better that way. As usual, I was finished way before my mom and had to act content just sitting there. She asked if she ate slow. I said yes, but I eat fast, so it's OK. I don't really think I eat fast--my mother is slow as molasses. That's OK. Before lunch I went to Macy's while my mom read in my car. I went to buy my Estee Lauder cream blush that they apparently don't make anymore. I went with the powder formula, and tried to use a $25 Visa all access gift card that I've had for a while. I called from the sales register when I realized I had to activate the card. I needed to read the last 3 digits off the back of the card, and each time I gave it, I was told the number was wrong. I left my glasses in the car by mistake (I was wearing sunglasses) and couldn't see too well. The cashier tried her best to help but no number we gave worked. Then the person on the phone told me that I had been charged a $4.95 fee each month after the first 6 for an inactive account and that I didn't have any money left on the card, but she would make an exception and take all the monthly fees off. Great, but...I had to give her the 3-digit code that we couldn't read. I said I'd call back later. Geez! When I got to my parent's in the morning, I thought I'd go through the old recipe box. Since her stoke, my mother doesn't cook, and the box is crammed full. I thought I'd find the old family recipes and enter them into Word documents. It was like taking a trip down memory lane. The bittersweet part was seeing my mother's beautiful handwriting. She was left-handed, and the stroke affected her left side, so her right-handed writing is like chicken-scratch. Anything I see in her old script is a gift. I got most of the recipe box cleaned out. Most of the recipes were ones she'd cut out or been given, but never made. I need to do the same with all my recipes. (Will you prod me on Mo?) I stopped by the lodge on my way to my parent's this morning. They offered free shots of espresso as part of their Welcome Spring week. I had a small skinny caramel latte. Three shots. In my book that's a great way to start your day. And here I am, in Panera's drinking a diet caffeine-free Pepsi. Wishing it was 8:00 AM again. If this was LOST, it might be.