I have a few things to say

1. I just discovered the best book ever: "Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume." Kind of a clunky title, but I am in love with this book, a compilation of essays by female authors each describing a "Judy Blume moment" of her adolescence -- involving "the same social awkwardness and true-to-life experiences Blume conveys in her novels." Someone should have asked me to contribute. My life was straight out of the pages of a Judy Blume book from about 5th through 8th grades.

2. I am so confused by the way the post office works. I never know what they charge for, what's the cheapest way to mail packages, etc. I don't even know how much a stamp costs right now.

A couple of weeks ago I went in to mail something and said I wanted to send it "whatever way is cheapest." The woman at the counter told me that was Priority Mail. After I'd paid, she told me that sending things first-class is always the cheapest option but they aren't allowed to tell customers that -- customers have to know to ask about first-class. a) That is crooked! And b) Why wouldn't that woman just tell me that? It's not like it's more money in her pocket for me to send something Priority rather than first-class.

So today I went to mail an Etsy frame that sold (yay!) and I had already wrapped and addressed it and I asked to mail it first-class. It was too heavy so I had to pay for Priority Mail. And the guy behind the counter, Pete, who's notoriously grumpy but in a really likable way, told me, "You're taking recycling to the extreme, young lady. Priority Mail envelopes and boxes are free. It's our way of keeping you away from UPS." (I was re-reusing a bubble-wrapped manilla envelope.)

So I said, "But I was hoping to use first-class mailing. I didn't know it was going to be too heavy. I wouldn't have paid extra for Priority unless I had to." He said, "It's $4.80!" I said, "Are you calling me cheap?" He said, "Yes."

3. Everything about the military confuses me too. Ranks, etiquette, promotions, pins on uniforms, competition among the branches, the whole culture. I don't understand how it works.

4. Matt and I played racquetball for a couple of hours yesterday. SO much fun and I am SO sore today! He beat me five games to one. It was supposed to be best of three, then best of five (I kept extending it because I kept losing), then best of seven, except I gave up after six games. He was clearly much better, but it was a ton of fun.

5. I'm happy to report that Lauren R. has started a new blog to document her life in Omaha this summer, and Lauren G. is back on the blogging bandwagon. Check them out!