Random Ramblings...

I was scheduled to work this morning (I work retail in addition to my pet-sitting), but when I arrived I found out that there was no one to close the vault due to a sick call...so I offered to leave and come back in five hours to do the later shift. On the way home, I decided to drop by Mitsuwa, a Japanese marketplace in Kearny Mesa that I just found out about by reading Amy's blog. Funny how life works--Amy lives in Arizona and commented about her recent vacation in San Diego. I had no idea that a Japanese bookstore was in my own backyard until she mentioned finding craft books there. Go figure. Anyway, thank God I cruised by the shop today, of all days. The bookstore lost their lease, and today was their last day! The shelves were bare in places, but most items were 50% off! I told myself, "your car payment is due...just go in to look". Yeah, right. I managed to find five books. Even at the discounted price, it was still ouch, but how could I pass them by?! Oh my God, there are so many amazing and inspirational items. I'm not sure if they are all Japanese craft books (one says Korean patchwork), but as they are all written in what appear to be Japanese characters, I can't say for sure either way. All I know is that my creative juices are stirred and brewing. I'll post some pics later when I can go by my friend Tracie's house and borrow her scanner. The good news is that the new business moving in is another Japanese bookstore. The prices won't be like they were today, but they will be one third of what ebay charges, so that's something to look forward to. Speaking of working, I am on the road to reinventing myself. The retail gig is slowly tearing apart my soul bit by bit every day. I am hoping to do some more freelance writing, as I love to write as much as I love art, so I'm hoping to place myself into a more appropriate setting. I'm not afraid of change, even after having had this retail position for 21 years--it's more of not knowing where to turn or what is out there. All I know is I need to be inspired and appreciated and I need to work for a company that I can believe in. Any suggestions?