Busy

What. A. Day.
Having skipped T.O.P.S., I had breakfast and was out of the house (okay, apartment) by 9:00. Walked down Victoria, then farther to a store for rice cakes, grapes, and Parmesan cheese. Annoyingly, I forgot the latter, as I discovered after I took the bus home. Dropped my things off, then went over to Von's for cottage cheese and a few other items. I usually go out the side entrance for Von's; my clicker doesn't open that drive-in gate, but there's one for walking, too, which uses the same key as for my front door.
Only it didn't. I had gone to the office the other day to get the new key we were told was coming, but Bianca was busy and said she'd "send it over." Well, she didn't  and I didn't realize the locks had been changed already. (Luckily, a different key opens the mailboxes.) When I went to the office for the key, I saw a notice on the window to the effect that the office was closed on Thursday and Friday. And Friday was for "a holiday party." Now, we had holiday parties every year at Rider, but NOT DURING WORK HOURS. (I feel like Mrs. Scrooge for writing that/)
I wasn't so annoyed at the key thing or even the two-day closing, except why in the hell didn't they send out an email and let residents know about it? Bush league, if you ask me.
Anyway, after lunch, I walked again down Victoria and got a bus at Telephone. Went to Michael's and Pier One for some gifts. I then hopped a bus to the Transit Center, switched to another and traveled to town, went to the library, and picked up Stephen King's new book, The Institute, which I had put on hold about two months ago.
I immediately bused back to the mall and went to Trader Joe's to pick up some things I'm giving as smaller gifts--I won't say what they are yet. Betty called as I waited for the number 6 bus and we chatted. Got off and stopped at Von's for Romaine and parm cheese--I'll just have to write off as a loss the one I left at the other store. Now today, I have a hell of a lot of more things to do, but after I send off the gifts to Asia--which will almost surely not get there in time for Christmas--I'll have a little down time.
Just got up (6:15) and got my paper at the door. I found with it a lovely handmade card from Suzanne with a note saying how much she likes having me as a friend. Yes, I think I landed in the right place.