45 Cents and Price of a Few Drinks Richer

I feel so strange right now.  It's 70 degrees and it's mid October.  The past couple weeks have been kind of cold and tomorrow it's going to drop 20 degrees again.  This creates an issue when I'm traveling back and forth between locations because I pack wool sweaters and am currently in a heavy thermal and velour sweats.  Another factor of strangeness is my hangover.  It's not a bad one but I don't drink in large quantities often enough to be familiar with hangovers.  I just feel like I have a forcefield around my head and every time I turn my head the forcefield rattles a little. I suppose I could have just said I have a little head throbbing but that's not nearly as animated.

Last night was a great time.  I went out with Gina, Jenna and one of Jenna's smart LECOM friends, Julie.  I love referring to them as med students.  I just feel smarter by association.  I hadn't gone out with Gina in SO long.  I don't think we ever hang out unless we go out.  We're those kind of friends (?).  Anyways we all went to see The Romantic Era play at Cougar's.  They had a great turnout and we had a lot of fun.  Well, I did, and I'm just going to assume they did considering they were both very smiley and laughy the last time I saw them in the night.  Granted, they were with their lover boys so that was probably a large factor.  At the time I definitely thought their happiness was thanks to me providing them with a great night.  I sort of succeeded in my goal of not spending "a lot" of money.  I only paid for my first few drinks.  I forced my friend Rakim (basically like my big brother) to buy me a drink and then I'm hoping it was him who handed me the other beers during the show.  It was really dark and crowded in there... I did get a drink from this older bald man with glasses.  He somehow managed to ask me by mouthing and acting out drinking a beer from across the bar, if I indeed wanted a drink.  I grabbed the two drinks on the table I was sitting at, held them up like I was already double fisting and shook my head no.  He still bought one and came over and set it in front of me.  He didn't even say anything, just pointed at me and left the bar.  Thanks...

I did manage to escape the cover charge by spotting Connor and telling the bouncer man dude anything to get me out of the few dollars it took to get in the bar.  Life of a college student in financial crisis.  Dramatic, I know.

Bouncer: "Do you have a college ID, miss?"  

 Ali: "Yes.  Well, not on me.  I am in college though I swear."

 Bouncer: "Ok.  It's still three dollars..."

Ali: "OH WAIT! I'M DATING THAT BOY!"  

I enthusiastically point to Connor who I spotted standing a few feet away, who like, waves at me.  Thanks babe, that's really going to reassure the bouncer we've been a hot commodity for over a year and a half.  He let me through anyways, sans a payment.  I pride myself way too much on getting these little successes.  When I manage to get free honey mustard at Sheetz with my soft pretzel I literally celebrate when I get back in the car.  I have this technique that usually works and I'm willing to share.  Apparently they're supposed to charge you extra when you ask for a dressing sauce but it never comes up on the computer self order screen.  OR ELSE I'D PAY FOR IT THE RIGHT WAY, SHEETZ PEOPLE.  So once I pay for my pretzel at the register, I go back to pick up the actual pretzel from the food person and smile sweetly, and hesitantly ask for honey mustard like I need it to survive.  The food people know it's a hassle for me to go back to the register person and ring up 45 cents for an extra dipping sauce, so they're awkardly like, "Ermm...yes."  Free dipping sauce.  BOOM.
Sidenote: This only works if the workers are younger men.  When the older woman is working I know I'm royally screwed out of my free honey mustard.

Best Text I Received Today: From Gina at 10:52 am "Sorry I'm a little nasally."

xxxx
A