We had the fire department check our condo for explosive gas tonight because our carbon monoxide/explosive gas detector kept going off (there was none, but this was the second time in two weeks, and we were tired of having the association tell us not to call the fire department because they would rather have the place blow up than pay a fee to have the fire department come out and make sure we’re safe, and after the second time, we were seriously starting to worry). How has your evening been?

Wedding season is bearing down upon me like…I dunno…like a bridezilla whose cake order has been screwed up?

Bad analogy, but you get the point. We have two weddings this year–one at the beginning of August (little sister) and one at the mid-end of September (hubby’s best friend). I’m the matron of honor, and the hubby is a groomsman. Then, in January, the hubby’s other best friend is getting married. Wedding no. 1 and 2 are in MN, and no. 3 is in SD. And we live in MI. You can do the mileage math.

Thank goodness for Amtrak.

As much as we love our family and friends, couldn’t you all just have waited one more year to get married? Not that one year will guarantee we’ll be any closer, but at least we could put off all this traveling until then. Or y’all could have spread them out more. Or something?!

Don’t get me wrong; I have no problem traveling great distances to reach family and friends, and we’d do anything for our loved ones, but seriously, three in 6 months? Oy.

I’d really like about a week off–so I can obsess and brood and just be a hermit. I want to watch chick flicks and read awesome YA lit. That’s all I want. Just a week with no demands, no calls, no…anything.

Sorry to be a drag. Just the truth.

I’m so glad this is my last semester.

Me: My account says I owe you more than $350.00 in program fees…for two classes.

Cashier Office Lady (COL): Well, it appears that the undergrad class you’re taking has program fees that are twice as much as your 600-level, final grad class.

Me: Huh. Superb. But $350.00 seems a little steep, even for an expensive undergrad class. My fees were never that much when I was taking three 500-level grad classes in a semester.

COL: It says on my screen that you owe $250.

Me: Why $250? You just said that the grad class would be around $77 and the undergrad class would be $144. If my calculations are correct, that comes out to around $220.00.

COL: Well, there is a $30-some-odd-dollar fee because you didn’t pay your bill on time.

Me: What?! I just got this bill late last week. It’s not due until the end of the month.

COL: Let me check. *click, click, click on computer behind bullet-proof glass (not even kidding)* You were supposed to pay the program fees for the undergrad class last December because you registered early in December (a.k.a. when I was supposed to).

Me: I never got that bill. Never. I was waiting for a bill to be posted.

COL: *in a somewhat threatening, condescending, I-don’t-think-you-have-$220-right-now voice* Well, I’m willing to waive the fee if you pay the fees.

Me: *pulling out my checkbook* How much did you say?

I’m glassesless right now. Something has been eating away at some special coating on my glasses. Because I use very little to no hair product, they don’t know what it is. They figure it’s just defective. Thankfully, it’s been less than a year since I purchased them, so they’re covered under warranty.

The bad thing is they have to send them out. And due to the holiday, it might take longer than the 7-10 business days they usually quote customers.

And we can’t find my old glasses. The hubby has turned the condo upside-down, and we can’t find them anywhere.

Which means I have to wear my contacts, which are the wrong prescription. And not bifocal. I’m starting to get used to them again, but I feel sick sometimes. I use “cheater” reading glasses for anything close-up.

I’m thinking I need a sexy glasses string for around my neck. Whatdaya think?

If I’m a little bit cranky for the next 7-10+ business days, blame it on the eyes.

*Warning: Overtired, Lonely Girl Rambling at 1 in the Morning*

I miss you, girls. More than you know.

I got lost looking for the off-campus bookstore the other day. I got upset because I couldn’t find my way, and then I thought, damn, this would be so much fun if I had my girls with me. We’d just laugh and find a restaurant and forget about the damn bookstore. We’d do it another day, but we’d do it together.

I got a parking ticket tonight, even though my G.A. parking permit was hanging from my rearview mirror. Apparently, it’s hard to see in the dark of night. Duh. My windshield is shaped funny, and I know the cop didn’t see it. Still pissed as hell, though. Have to go deal with it tomorrow before work, and I already have a three-classload worth of homework to tackle. But I still have to go. By myself. If I was with the girls, they would go with me. I was never alone if I didn’t want to be. There were there by my side. Hell, they would have made me laugh when I found the damn thing because I know they would have been there after the third night class in a row.

Now I realize how I made it through that last semester of my undergrad. Oh, I had senioritis really badly. But I had Erin or Angel or both in every single one of my classes. And I knew I would see Brooke at lunch.

I miss you guys. Terribly. Our conversations, our laughter, our friendship. I know I haven’t lost you, but the closeness is lost. And that is devastating. Campus is just not the same without you.

And now I’m considering picking up a second master’s, just because I can. Just because I don’t have anything better to do with my time (with the exception of the hubby, of course, but he has a real job, and I know I’ll see him every night, anyway; he is the light of my life, just so you know).

And I know I can do this. I know I can make it through. But life would be so much easier if I had my girls by my side. At the very least, there would be more laughter. And the laughter is what I miss the most.

I think the dryer is fixed. They didn’t leave a slip, so they might be coming back. I sure hope it’s fixed for good this time. Another reason in a long list of why I can’t wait until we own our own home. It would have been fixed correctly the FIRST time.

No more, please.

There are too many hours in a day, and too few I spend sleeping. So I try to make up for it by taking naps. Today, my nap, which I was looking forward to because I worked a double shift yesterday at work, turned ugly when I had one of my nighmares where I feel as if I have had what I can only imagine to be some sort of stroke. I cannot move. I am aware and awake, but I cannot move at all. I am alone, so even when I yell out (and I know I’m actually yelling in real life, as well, because during one such previous episode, the hubby had to wake me several times in the night because I kept screaming with my mouth closed), I cannot get help. When these dreams occur, I am somewhere between sleep and awake because, when I do finally wake up, I feel more tired than before, as if the past two hours, or half hour or ten minutes, has been a waste because I was never really asleep.

Now I am exhausted, and I want to sleep more, but even after two hours of being awake, I still do not feel like myself, and I want to sleep. But I don’t want to. I don’t want to feel like that again. Not ever again. But I know the dreams will come back again. I can’t help it. I just wish there was some way to sleep safely. Sleep safely and fitfully because I need it. I really need it.

Hate is too strong of a word, but I don’t care.

I hate the fact that he is having so much fun without me.

I hate that I don’t have any one here to have fun with.

I hate when I whine.

And I hate that I’m being such a bitch about it.

I’m going to go read now. Before I sound like too much of a crank.

I like my belly button when it’s naked.

I want to remove my belly button piercing. I got it when I was 18, and I’m honestly done with having it. The only problem is that I have developed a nasty infection. It hurts, and I know I can’t take out the piercing until I see a doctor. I will most likely have to get oral antibiotics. I really don’t care. I just want it out. I am going to see the doctor in a few weeks, so I’ll just talk about it with him then.

It’s strange, though, that I’m getting this infection now. I’ve had this piercing for three years, and I have never had anything this bad nor has it lasted this long. I would get a little infection (probably from my clothing rubbing up against it too much, or something minor like that) that would clear up within a few days. I’ve had this for over two weeks, and it shows no sign of getting better. I’m taking good care of it, but no such luck. I’m just done with this piercing. But I’ve got to wait, and suffer, until the doctor gives the okay.

I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I just feel like complaining.