Oh, AND...

I had to file a fraud alert because some of my files were stolen from the bank.

On the plus side: I went to the local liquor store on Saturday night to buy vodka. The checkout lady knew I was new when I asked where the vodka was; she replied, "See up there on the wall above the shelves, where it says..."

"Aah, yes--where it says VODKA... Thank you!" Off I went.

When I returned with the small bottle, Checkout Lady virtually refused to hand me a pen until I'd slid my ID across the counter to her. Then came one of my favorite comments of the week: "You're a bit older than I would have guessed..." It wasn't exactly a compliment, but it was a complimentary comment. Due to that interchange, I shared my vanilla-making secret with her: if you put a vanilla bean in a bottle of vodka and let it sit for a few weeks, it makes better cooking vanilla than you can buy in most stores.

It still felt strange to walk across the parking lot with a little brown paper bag...