bit more than a week.

So. It appears that I fell asleep at a ridiculously early hour last night, only to wake up from 23.00 to 24.00 and sleep until I woke up with a start at 6.34. That's when I realized that I could sleep for another hour--so I embraced that with open, loving arms.


There is something about waking up, fully rested, on a beautiful spring morning to make you [me] realize that I actually will finally be in Dublin in a bit more than a week.

No curmudgeons can get to me today. No funny glass-eyed Classical Obsessive Listener can get to me today, no matter how close he leans to my face and swears we have maliciously condensed the Classical section. No age-denial old men who complain bitterly at me about the evilness that is the lower two shelves.


It's just beautiful out and the only thing that could make the day better would be if I could wear flip-flops to work.

excitement. !

I just found out that Rachel got her teaching position for the government of France(!!!!!). This means that two members of the Pimp Pad will be together in the same continent.

I don't know how to exactly express how excited this makes me. Another travel buddy. One more partner in crime.

Someone else who will know how to dance at the club. We will scandalize thousands.



In other good news, the loans are taken care of--in a fantastic way that makes me suuuper happy.
I began packing clothing today. Two things came of this:
1.) I didn't realize how long it really had been since I last did laundry, but the mounds of clothes pointed it out to me.
2.) I have entirely way too much clothing. When did this happen? And how? Well, the how might be answered if you take into account how much has been usurped from my sister. I will have to reevaluate exactly what I bring.

I won't even mention the shoes issue. I am a little less willing to budge on this one.



Friends, clothes, shoes! All that is missing is drink, dance and hot mens--and that will be taken care of TWO WEEKS from tomorrow. Holy shit!

Wealth consists not in having great possessions,
but in having the fewest wants.
Epicurus

sickly!

I finished another book, The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. I know. I know. I sold my soul and read a book closely tied to the Alloy company, which has to be the downfall of something big. Next thing you know, I'll be writing about the Gossip Girl books.

(The point is that missing friends made me read the book. Over vacation is when we watched the movie together--which would have been horrible if I weren't watching it with them.

It is weird to think about being so far away and not knowing when I'll see certainpeople again--it is also very odd to me that I won't be seeing the same @ people that have always been a part of my @ experience. So many people to meet!)

It wasn't bad. Not too dreadful--well, the writing was, but the story itself was not.
I was talking to someone yesterday at work about how upsetting American literature is right now. Really, the most popular things you cannot call literature. Although, I suppose I can't judge too much because there is something in me that becomes a snob and refuses to read something once it flies off the shelves too quickly.

The Kurt Vonnegut book is on the shelf waiting for me to read it, but instead I watched Derailed and was, yet again, captured by the raw manliness of Clive Owen. Can't say I liked the movie all that much though.



I am about to get up and "clean" my room--in other words, pick all the clothes off the floor, wash what needs to be washed, set things aside to be "dry-cleaned" and start putting them in that massive suitcase.

Time is going by so much quicker and Erica's entries about Rome are just pumping me up that much more.
It's getting hard to contain the excitement. I pull out the maps at work and point, then go, THIS IS WHERE I'LL BE!!! and get dirty looks from coworkers.

I will try to not bring too many pairs of shoes. I swear.


My cold is finally going away. Week after week, it has been something else. I haven't been to the doctor this often in years. Good news--I am completely immune to the mumps. I got new glasses (will look into perhaps getting more contacts).

Less than TWO WEEKS! Who would have thought that I'd be moving back to Ireland after planning such a short trip there?
Ahh, so much trouble to be had! (Although, no more surprise meetings with the garda for me. 'K, thanks!)

Rockford

Well, every trip begins somewhere. Last week, it began here with two travel companions:

My sister quickly became Co-Pilot Skippy, as she was delegated to giving directions and ensuring that I not fall asleep, sending us into a fiery and quite painful death in a rut next to the road.




The second was the dog. Sadly, this was the longest road trip I'd taken him on. Back when I was still wondering about what I would possibly be doing with my life, I figured that it would include finding a job in one of the Western States, getting a car and taking the road trip.




Obviously, this was not To Be.


Given that I'm moving across the pond, I had to find a nice family for the 'Ro to live with. Luckily, my pal, Erica, was still looking for a second dog. Now, Zero and Chani may live happily ever after (especially if he can keep himself from shoving his nose in her girl stuff). At least Erica will never have to worry about someone bothering her on a walk. 175 lbs of big, black dogs tends to do that.


















It'd been a while since I'd driven through the corn fields. This was the first time I'd ever come close to having an accident on the highway and that's thanks to deer flitting around. For the rest of the trip, Casidhe was forced to stay awake with both eyes on the road, watching for deer and cops. Obviously not in that order.

It happened sooner than I'd anticipated. I was hoping to find him a home a lot closer to June than the beginning of May, but, with Erica leaving for Italy (today actually), last weekend was the best opportunity to take him.

The hour between Ann Arbor and Detroit's east side was the worst.
One more reason to make this upcoming the best year yet. Obviously, it has more potential than any other. I simply cannot wait for those accents and pints.


It is very weird to be at home without a pet. It's the empty spaces that are difficult--the lack of window-shaking snoring. Lack of walks, which just seem sad now without the puppy.

The brother mentioned just yesterday on his fifty-millionth trip home this year that he may start taking allergy shots so that he can get a dog. I think Zero smittened him last time he was here for the Piston's game (when I discovered my rightful future husband: Carlos Delfino. A Piston and Argentine??) and he cannot imagine a life without a canine companion.

I don't see how anyone could live without a pet, especially little girls. Erica and I discussed how wrong it is that any literary piece about dogs is a boy and a dog. Ricockulous. Absolutely.

Our unique contribution to the world

I don't know how I got talked into being the one to post it...

akcbeast: informed consent right???
lets postpone it: yeah totally man
lets postpone it: there should be a secret sign you learn once you lose your virginity
lets postpone it: or like a tattoo, like a small marking
akcbeast: haha like a secret handshake
lets postpone it: exactly
lets postpone it: maybe we could spread one worldwide
akcbeast: wow, what would ppl call it? how about the arnulty
lets postpone it: the arnulty that's hilarious
akcbeast: definitely, that's what we'll call it
akcbeast: ooh, but ppl could abuse the system and lie about their virginities
lets postpone it: well that's why non-virgin CAN NEVER KNOW
lets postpone it: although, really, at OUR age, how often are we gonna run across virgins
lets postpone it: although. since i'll be in a country where you can go to the pub at 18, this might be a concern of mine
akcbeast: oh you'd be surprised
akcbeast: exactly
lets postpone it: dammit
lets postpone it: ahh we MUST start the handshake for the sake of the world
akcbeast: yeah put it on your blog as the new thing
akcbeast: let ppl start understanding the magnitude of this decision
akcbeast: DO IT COLLEEN
lets postpone it: hjahha ok ok i'll do it