Things are busy here--for good, bad, or indifferent. Yesterday morning I walked out my front door to find that someone had smushed a bag of dog shit on the hood of my roommate's white 2000 Honda. It had rained hard the night before, but that hadn't prevented the poopy from caking and sticking to the car. Since she is out of town, I was obliged to clean it up. Unfortunately yesterday was one of those days that I had to be out of the house until dinnertime. So there I was, pouring buckets of hot water over my roommate's hood. It took four trips up and down the stairs. What animal would do something like that to somebody? I left a message with the homeowner's association about it, and all I got back was a snide answering machine message saying that "my roommate must have a problem with somebody" and that I should take the car to the car wash. Asshole! If I had the KEYS to the car, I would take it to the car wash. I just wanted to report it in case there had been a history of pranks or something. In any case, they were no help. Along with that message (which I picked up at 7pm, right before I went on Poopy Patrol) was one from the realtor, telling me that the condo was being shown this afternoon. So along with cleaning up dogshit, I had to clean the kitchen and make sure my dirty clothes were discreetly hidden under a towel in the laundry basket. Argh. Add to that the fact that I have an appointment with a new gynecologist today, and you have a rather stressful situation. But don't get me wrong, things are good. I had a great voice lesson yesterday--I get to pick out new music (which I LOVE to do), now that my auditions are over, and I have some awesome stuff to choose from! All these crazy tough arias that I thought I could never sing--well, they're in my Fach! Apparently I'm sounding like a lyric coloratura these days (which means I can sing legato, and really high and fast)--plus the size and color of my voice, and the fact that I can sing low, make for some real fun. Violetta, here I come! (In a few years, anyway--but I can at least look at the arias now...) And this morning I had my employee review--everything's good, and I'll be getting a (small) raise in April. Yay! So what if it's only fifty dollars a month? Plus everything with Mark is rosy...but you knew that... :)

The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbinson singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside
Darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking
That maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers
And study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers
Throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a saviour to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero
That's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl
Is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window
And let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open
These two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back
Heaven's waiting on down the track
Oh-oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
Oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
Oh Thunder Road, sit tight take hold
Thunder Road

Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back
If you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride ain't free
And I know you're lonely
For words that I ain't spoken
But tonight we'll be free
All the promises'll be broken

There were ghosts in the eyes
Of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
When you get to the porch they're gone
On the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers
And I'm pulling out of here to win

--Bruce Springsteen

I finally have Internet access at home, courtesy of MSN. Last night I spent over an hour reading up on Tammy Lynn Michaels. She played a really evil rich girl on the former WB show Popular (it was on at the same time as Will and Grace, which is way too bad since it was a good show), and has been dating Melissa Etheridge for over a year now. What kind of hole have I been living in that I missed hearing this? I only found out because I was leafing through my roommate's November 2001 GLAMOUR (though I do vaguely remember her being in that video with Jennifer Aniston...) And here they are, the most high-profile lesbian couple out there. I've been wallowing in my heterosexual bliss, I suppose. Not that I have any reason to complain--as long as I get to be with Mark for the rest of my life, I don't need anybody else. (Awwwwww...)

Last week was kind of a sucky week for me mentally--my job was getting on my nerves, and I think I was coming down from the audition anti-climax. (I found out Friday that Florida State doesn't want me--which is fine since I didn't want them, either. My only regret is that I won't be able to tell them to kiss off.) Plus I had major PMS. Why is it that, regardless of how early or late my period is, the PMS always starts at, like, day 21? So this month, when I was almost a week late, I had like, two weeks of crabbiness and various cramps and ailments. That is so not fair! I'm going to the doctor next week (hooray), and I will ask her whether this is normal.

Okay, guys, you can come back in the room now...