Today started off as a stressful, close to heart attack inducing kind of day when my landlord called to say that once again, my rent check was lost in the mail. My landlord is very old school and trusts no one so rent must be in the form of a money order, no personal checks accepted, and it must be mailed to his P.O. box. After my December 2013 check was lost in the mail, he threatened to evict me because I didn’t have another thousand dollars lying around to get another money order. The original order was purchased through the post office and they said they would refund it but it would take a minimum of 60 days. I had three days to borrow money for rent for December knowing that the money would be returned to me in February.

Ironically, I received my refund checks at the end of February and used the money to buy money orders for my March rent check, the one he was claiming was lost in the mail. But I had learned my lesson. I now send my rent certified mail and I drop it off at his post office. I couldn’t imagine the universe doing this to me again. I checked the tracking number and it said it was received and processed on March 1st but it had not been signed for yet. So I called and left him a message and made my way to the post office to find out what was going on. While talking with the agent, my phone rings. My landlord was calling to let me know that they just forgot to put the signature slip in his P.O. Box and that he had my rent check.

I should have been elated. I was relieved but I couldn’t shake the panic and sting of a cosmic slap in the face. I was too rattled. This is my life. Yes, things tend to work out for me in the end but I always have to endure a roller coaster ride filled with loop after loop after loop first.

So in an effort to calm my nerves, my mother (who is currently visiting me) and I decided to take the metro out to Universal Studios Citywalk. My soul started to relax the minute I saw all the new Despicable Me minion merchandise at the Universal Studio Store. But it was in the store “It’Sugar” where I found enough inspiration to literally brighten my mood. “It’Sugar” carries candy and gag gift style merchandise. This is the store where you would find all the bacon themed products. And much to my enjoyment, I found a USB Pickle Light.

I’m not sure if I can find the words to describe exactly how amusing I find this computer light that is “ideal for night blogging.” I can’t help but smile and giggle when I look at it, bent over my keyboard, illuminating my fingers with its green glow. Now my mom may argue that the Purple Haze cocktail from the Hard Rock Cafe may have been the source of my girlish laughter but I maintain that the pickle light is in fact my reason for smiling and laughing at the end of a nerve-rattling day.

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