what i have to do:

-daily cafe manager tasks

-work counter every day so my payroll numbers stay at the right percentage

-attend class

-actually pay attention in class

-take last exam

-if final grade is below a B, take optional fifth and final exam

-pack entire house

-move into new house

-unpack into new house

-make sure dog doesn't stress out over the move too much

-hang out with out of town friends whom i haven't seen in a year

-hang out with friends who are moving out of town who i won't see in another year

-dinner with friends that's been planned for weeks (who knew i had so many friends??)

-register for fall semester

-get a haircut

-laundry? really?

-band practice

-write songs so we can actually have band practice

-walk the dog daily, to alleviate squeaky toy abuse

optional:

-go fucking insane due to stress

-drink heavily

-sleep

time i have to do it: 

one week, three days

begin panicking: NOW.

balancing act

sometimes Bucket sits only halfway on the couch; front paws on the ground, rear half on the couch. and she'll sit that way for a good amount of time, like it's no big deal. it's so strange, but i just found myself sitting in a similar position, most of me off the couch, but balancing precariously by my rear end, hunched over my laptop that's sitting on my coffee table. like right now, typing this. 

huh.

on birthdays

oh, dear blog, July has been the worst. 

amid the struggle to keep my mind focused and awake, my stomach digesting properly, i've recently had a bout with a staph infection big enough to repulse the surgeon's assistant. i currently wear a wound an inch long, deep enough to hold a full roll of gauze, that drips like a leaky faucet every time i get out of the shower. in fact, it weeps all day long, still. i'm at war in my own home with cockroaches as big as my hand. my current conundrum at work involves a friend on the brink of termination; a once decent employee who's now bringing the whole team down. i'm in love with someone whose feelings are mutual, but now is not the time for us to be together. and the icing on the cake, quite literally:  tomorrow is my birthday.

this is my agenda:

-take my antibiotics

-suffer through an hour of statistics in a class where no one cares to know my name nor understands what's going on

-go to two doctor's appointments

-forget whether or not i actually took antibiotics; recount every pill in the bottle to make sure

-probably walk the dog, maybe watch the last disc of My So Called Life

-attend a two hour statistics review session

-attempt to sleep (the harder you try, the less often it's successful, trust me)

oh, i suppose it'll be one of the better birthdays i've had.

i'll also be participating in my yearly ritual of avoiding all phone calls, listening to the messages, and feeling really old when my relatives tell me how old they feel that i'm getting this old. let it be known that i don't normally feel old, and won't the day after tomorrow. only my parents, brother, grandma, and maybe an aunt will call. my one aunt (mother's sister) will sing a terrible rendition of Happy Birthday on the message, and then laugh and laugh because she's such a terrible singer. this happens every single year. she's already called to assure me that she's been practicing. [for the record: one grandma called already today because she's in Las Vegas and will probably be "too busy to call" tomorrow.]

dear August, please hurry.