this is no longer a dream

I think my gums are receding past my molars, because it feels as though I can touch the bottom of the tooth with my fingernail - you know, the sharp, scratchy part. This is the beginning of my worst nightmare, realized.

I'm 5. I do what I want.

I don't have time to update. Kindergarten is difficult. I think I bored the kids to death. They also didn't feel the need to listen to anything I said. I think they believed their sole purpose in coming to school was to ignore me and do whatever they felt like.

Who is this lady? Why does she keep talking so loud? Can't I just play with the freaking blocks already? I think I will.

I'm keeping the name tag

This whole thing started as a way to entertain myself at work. And now, it has come full circle. I have worked at the Chapel for the last time ever. I have congratulated my last bride there, chased out the last bird, filled the last oil candle, cleaned up the last poop, mopped up the last leak, called building security for the last time, answered my last phone call, done my last cartwheel, climbed up the bell tower for the last time, ignored the last groomsman, and locked the last door.

Wow. That's kind of sad. Oh well, you can't do the same thing forever. I'm ready to move on, and it's fitting that on the last day of work, I welcomed my good friend Christina/Nina to her rehearsal. And that her wedding was the first I had ever attended there as a guest. I like full circle things. I like completion.

Goodbye, Memorial Chapel. I will miss you, and all your crazy stunts.

the day's just begun

You ever have one of those days? Where your full-length mirror breaks on your floor, bringing you not only 7 years of bad luck, but tiny shards of glass all in your carpet, then you wake up the next morning to find that your car's been towed, for the second time in a month?

Okay, so it wasn't really towed, but I specifically parked in one of the lots they told me I could use, since they would be repaving mine today. Then they decide to start with a different lot, instead, and moved all the cars there. Can they legally do that? Pick up and move my car with no permission? I should sue. Instead, when Laura and I believed our cars had been taken, I made an angry call to the management. It went a little something like this:

me: Hi, I'm calling because my car has been towed, because of the repaving. I parked at building 9.
calm lady: Okay, let me see. Today they should be working on buildings 6 and 7.
me: That's what the paper you gave out said, but they are working on 9, and my car is gone.
calm lady: Okay, well we didn't know about that. A lady called about this yesterday, and her car was just in another lot.
me: Well, I guess I'll just go wander the lots, searching for my car.
calm lady: It will probably be there.
me: I thank you for the information, but I am still a little angry, because you should know about that. They should not be doing anything you don't know about.
calm lady: I understand, but sometimes they have to make a quick decision.
me: Oh yeah, I'm sure it was very quick when they had to take the time to tow every single car that was in the lot before getting started. They must have been so busy, that they didn't have time to make a call to your office. It must have been truly necessary for them start on that lot instead of the one they had ACTUALLY AGREED TO. And by the way, this happened YESTERDAY TOO? What kind of screwed up operation are you running here?

Okay, so I didn't say any of that last line. But I should have.

can't wait for the season premiere

It feels like somebody took my heart and dropped it into a bucket of boiling tears... and at the same time, somebody else is hitting my soul in the crotch with a frozen sledgehammer... and then a third guy walks in and starts punching me in the grief bone... and I'm crying, and nobody can hear me, because I'm terribly, terribly... terribly alone.

you know you miss the turtle

It's been a long time. I'm surprised you are still here, reading this thing.

Excuse #1: I was away at the shore with a friend's family this past week. It was wonderful. I cannot, however, show you any pictures, as I have no internet access on my computer, which brings me to excuse #2.

Excuse #2: I have no internet access on my computer.

Yes, I am now in fact using Laura's computer. She is picking up wireless from somewhere in the building. I hope the neighbors don't mind. Especially if it's the neighbors downstairs. They left us a slightly cordial, run-on-filled letter this morning after banging on the ceiling last night. Apparently walking around quietly in slippered feet and setting two bottles of lotion on a dresser translates through the floors to "walking around heavily...and also moving things around."

Boooo.

Usually, any place is home to me. For the past five years of my life, I have moved every year. And every place qualifies as home. Suddenly, I have found myself in a place that is not home. Maybe it's because I feel like I have to tiptoe around and can never truly relax. Maybe it's because I have only one roommate, instead of many friends or family members surrounding me. Maybe it's because Columbia held my community of people, and College Park did also, but Greenbelt does not.

Maaaayybe it's bad karma to just air this all out, and I should focus instead on making this into a positive experience. In that spirit, we have a cool balcony, new carpeting and appliances, a large living room, a dishwasher, a responsive maintenance crew, good-sized bedrooms, lots of closet space, and Mr. Poopers.

Wow, this place sounds good. You should totally come visit. And if you plan on staying past the hours of 11 pm on weekdays and 12 am on weekends, please tread lightly.