Army/Navy Surplus

Today was not a very good day as far as temperature goes.

I first noticed this when it was EXTREMELY FREAKING COLD OUTSIDE. Like extremely cold.

The next time I noticed this was when I tried to unlock my bike. Noting the failures of locking my bike up behind Smitty B, I decide I would lock it up outside the stairs that lead to Metcalf Hall so I can just get it when I'm leaving the dorm [Metcalf is connected to Andrews Hall]. When I timidly took my freezing, freezing hands out of my pockets to grab the freezing, black, metal lock on my bike, and put the key in the hole and tried to turn it... I noticed there was a problem. It wasn't really turning. I kept trying and, after a few tries, I got it. I put it on my handlebars and locked it back up and went to the Ratty for breakfast. I had even more troubled there, but got it locked. I noticed there was ice inside the metal workings of the lock.

The next time I noticed there was a problem with this was when I COULDN'T UNLOCK MY BIKE. It's stuck at The Ratty. When I came out after breakfast, stuck. Same after lunch. I suspect it will be even more stuck tomorrow. I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'll throw hot water on it after I steal some from the Ratty?

Well anyway. I also needed gloves because my hands are constantly freezing these days. I should also get boots, but those are way more expensive, so I just went for gloves. I went to the Army/Navy Surplus store on the east side of the north end of Thayer St. I'd gone there before, but like I said, I was dizzy and people were talking and it was weird and I didn't see what I wanted so I just left.

I went back in today. As I was walking in, I noticed a sign on the front door that said "Apartment for Rent," or something to that effect. I thought it was kind of strange that someone would advertise for an apartment on the window of an army/navy store. Anyway, walked in the door. Again, the first thing I saw were these little tiny green camo shorts with "BOOTY CAMP" written across the back, and I just thought to myself... there's no way this is legit army/navy stuff. This was confirmed as I looked through the store, and especially when I looked at the gloves. I was expecting something different, but oh well. I got a pair of $10 gloves and paid for them with my credit card.

Just as I was wrapping up, a guy walked in the door. He was slightly shorter than an average man, thin, white, and you can tell that he looked much older than he actually was. I remember noticing something about his eyes but I forget why now. He greeted the man at the counter who had just rung me up as if he was an old friend - I was actually under the impression they were old friends for a second. Then the man started talking, "Hey, my manager from CVS just told me to come over here to ask about an apartment." And the man at the counter said, "Oh, yeah, it's a three bedroom."

I couldn't believe someone was not only advertising an apartment at the army/navy, but actually looking for one there, and finally selling one there. I took a little bit of extra time getting my things together because I wanted to listen to this conversation.

The guy who was looking to rent said that it cost him $130 a week just to transport himself from his home [a town that starts with "A"] to and from work at CVS every week, so he had to move, because he only made $120 per week. He also mentioned that he worked at two CVSs. I thought that was really sad - that this guy who was probably 40 years old worked at two CVSs and was just $5 per week per store he worked at away from being able to ... not lose money by working. I don't know why, but there was something really tragic about the whole scene. Maybe I'm not communicating it. I guess it gets worse.

The guy at the counter said that the apartment was $1200 per month - which, doing the math, is what the guy makes in 10 weeks, not 4.5. There... just didn't seem to be any way it would work out. But he insisted he was going to buy it. He said he would be quiet, and he had a job, lots of money, and he had a roommate, so he'd be a good tenant. I think that made me really sad. That being quiet was something he used to sell himself to this guy. He said that he would come back on Friday to put down a deposit on the department - of $1200.

When he was asked if he wanted to see the place before he bought it, he refused. That was the last thing I heard before I left the store.

Peace out.