Hmm.... Am still in Boston. I flew in and out of Boston because otherwise my frequent flier restrictions would had me passing through Detroit with long layovers to get to White Plains, and this way, I could visit with Stephen if I had time and have Amanda pick me up, etc. (Thanks for the chauffering, by the way. ;)

Got to see Jillian and Nikki, too, as I, somehow, didn't manage to visit them since ringing in 2002 slightly more than a year ago. It was nice to see you!

Stephen and I wandered up and down Newbury Street today, window-shopping and stopping in all the (heated and not frighteningly windy and cold) stores that, in one way or another, resemble the Imaginary Store Alissa and I hope to have. They were all staffed by one "nearly-comatose-with-boredom" person, usually a young woman, who all said business had been really, really slow. After commiserating about the boredom working most regular retail can induce (which, as some of you may remember, nearly reduced me to a compulsive tshirt-folding, mentally Spanish verb-conjugating, "tights, panties and things" stocking zombie in the summer of '97), it occurred to me that we really do need to implement the Dial-A-Friend service that the character of "Nanny" dreams up in the "Nanny Diaries."

In this book, Nan- driven crazy by the incessant demands of her snobby and neurotic employers- fantasizes about having the ability to just call up a service and have them send over an Instant Friend, bearing a pitcher of margaritas and an 80s Madonna album, for companionship as she's stuck in Nantucket caring for their overstimulated, tantrum-inclined 4-year-old.

The bored, isolated retail workers needed this really badly. I myself could have used it in the early weeks of Miami. :)

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Liss and HEF (C.B.)!!

Okay, sorry it's been a while...

Since I wrote last...

I said good-bye to Stephen and got used to living alone again.
I negotiated a (slightly) higher salary successfully.
I said my goodbyes at the Merald.
I jumped out of my car and photographed people running from their burning apartment building with their pets. That was truly scary, to see people trying to put out a fire with a garden hose, realize they couldn't stop the fire and run for their lives.(No people- or pet, actually- injured or killed.)
I said my goodbyes at the Merald again.
I began to transition my thinking away from Miami as home.
I flew to New York, found a good apartment (maybe even a great one?), where both Bella and Fred are permitted. (RAH!- This is v. big, as I called SO. MANY. properties, landlords and realtors and heard- complete with Scarsdale/Long Island accent- who just said "no dawgs, no dawgs, no dawgs" over and over.
I realized I won't be the Daughter Who Lives Really Far Away for much longer...

All of these things were intensely more complicated than they sound. It was good to have my Big Sister along for the roller coaster. :)

This is good. This is very good.

Mmmm.... Tired. TI-red.... Spent lovely weekend lolling about with the boyfriend and playing with a baby tiger and watching TV and going to the mall... Of, course, I was in no way tired last night and couldn't sleep until 3 a.m. Stephen and I bought some Nerf weaponry and were "dueling" (start back to back, take five paces, then turn and shoot) in the driveway of the apartment complex at 1:30 this morning. It was fun... yawn.... but I need a nap. :)

Although, when we first bought the Nerf guns, we were both excited about them and had big plans to turn the furniture into forts from where we could shoot Nerf/suction cup-py arrows at the dog and cat (mostly the cat, because he's really dumb :). After purchasing them in the mall, however, Stephen opened and prepared one, hid it behind his back, and as we walked to the car, he shot me from behind, unfortunately hitting me on the cheek out of nowhere. Naturally, I screamed at the top of my lungs, because it scared the be-jeezus out of me. Also,the "arrow" stuck to my face, which made it even funnier for him. Arg....(grumble grumble) Revenge, revenge, I say!

Heh.