September 25, 2002 - 9:15 a.m.

simon and i went to ikea yesterday but found ourselves faced with too many choices. i'd even dog-eared the catalog prior to our visit and studied it so there would be no confusion. we just couldn't decide. we did pick some other sundry items that came in handy, like a $2 sugar dispenser, some amazing and amazingly cheap lamps and a shower curtain.

and since we were in the area, we went to jb hi-fi, which is probably closest to best buy in america. we bit the bullet and bought a micro hi-fi stereo and a turntable, both of which we needed desperately. i would've preferred a new couch, i'm sure, but only until sitting on the couch and thinking, "boy, some music would be nice." i guess i'll have to learn how to build furniture myself.

since it's the middle of my second week off from work and i don't have a new job lined up yet, the modeling agency is sending me to a casting for a japanese tv commercial today. should be interesting. i'm going to spend the rest of the day doing laundry because i can. then i'll write some thank-you notes and work on my grant application for a photo project i've got in mind.

did i mention that sherry's wedding gift was a set of stationery with "simon and erin" written in silver at the top? as if her trekking all the way out here and wearing a really uncomfortable-but-sexy dress for my wedding wasn't enough, she managed to find something amazingly thoughtful on top of that. a good bride probably would've had thank-you notes and stationery made at the same time as the invitations. i suppose it's a bonus that - even though we're far away - sherry still knows me so well.