  I've had some ... interesting experiences in the past week or so. I've already told you all about what a "safe" area of the city I live in. Let me add a couple of other events, just to fill in any holes in that perception. Yesterday, upon arriving at Union Station, I got off of the train, and walked to the front of the station to call for a taxi.
When I got out there, there was already one there, so I asked if he had a fare or not. He asked where I was going, and I said "Kirkland. " (Although my mail goes to State St., and my building is on Plant St., to get to the parking lot of my building, you go to Kirkland Ave.) He gave me a weird look, and says, "Let me check on the price for that. " I wait while he radios in, and then proceeds to tell me that it will be $15. My jaw drops to the ground, and I was like "Um... it was $4.75 to get down here two days ago..." He gives me a weird look and says, "From what part of Kirkland?
" "The corner of Kirkland and State St." Then it's like this light bulb is going on. "Oh! You mean Kirkland *Ave* not Kirkland, NY! " After a good laugh from both of us, he drove me back to my apartment and charged me $4.75. Then tonight, I went grocery shopping. First of all, the bus system in Utica sucks. There is no time schedule. The buses just do loops all day.
So you know when the first and last trip are. In between? Yeah, good luck. So, I must have just missed it when I walked out to Genesee St, because I sat there for almost an hour waiting for the bus to bring me to Price Chopper. (Please note, it only takes 25 minutes to walk there, but I was certain that if I actually started walking, the bus would then pass me by, merely out of spite. ) Just to add insult to injury, it was about thirty degrees out. That good ol' consistent Utica weather just can't make up it's mind.
One day it's 83, the next it's 25. Yeah. So, I'm at Price Chopper doing my shopping. I'm about three-quarters of the way through the store, and a guy approaches me. He goes, "Would you like to get your groceries for half price? " I look at my cart, which is fairly full, and I'm a little confused. I look at him, and slowly as "Why? " thinking that this just seems too good to be true. "Well, I'm stuck here, and I need some money to get home, but I just have my food stamp card. I would pay for your groceries on my food stamp card, and you can give me half of the cash. " I looked at him, and just said "No thanks.
" I saw him walk up to four other people and make the same offer as I was finishing my shopping. Of course, when I got through the line, and heard my total, I almost wished that I had taken him up on it... Now, it's 1:00 in the morning, and I just put a batch of brownies in the oven.
Why am I cooking brownies at 1:00 in the morning? Because I'm such a great employee. There's a bake sale tomorrow to raise money for one of the residence hall associations, and I'm such a nice person that I am making brownies for them to sell at... 1:00 in the morning. 
