The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind in never weary; The vine still clings to the mouldering wall, But at every gust the dead leaves fall, And the day is dark and dreary.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Rainy Day

All it does is rain here!!!! For the fourth time, High River has evacuation warnings. Four times in maybe three weeks. High River really has nothing to do with me, but still.... it'll rain, and then there will be a couple days of intense heat. And then it will rain again. Why?!?

So the new job at the dry cleaning place is going pretty well. I've been there just over a week and already I'm working on my own --- which I like. It means that they trust me, and rightly so. Still, it's not the greatest job. It isn't too busy for the majority of my shift but then, in the manner of all bastard customers, they all come at once and bring about a gazillion clothes each. And THEN, I have to tag them all in before I leave. Hey you guys, I've a bloody idea, try coming more than a frickin' half an hour before close!!!! There wasn't too much to learn which kind of sucks. But at least it means that I don't have to think too much, which means I can read a lot or maybe start writing.

That's life here. I work. And then I come home and read. But I ran out of books, so I have to go to the library tomorrow. Stupidly, I took out the same book twice. In my defense, they did have different titles. In Canada, one of Will Ferguson's book is called Generica. However, in the States and the UK it is called Happiness TM. My friend Becky from school recommended Happiness TM. to me. Every time I went in it wasn't there though. Generica was. I took out Generica, and read it. I remember thinking that the book could have been called Happiness itself, and figured that perhaps Happiness TM. was about the same characters. I'm a goddamn genius. So I took out Happiness TM. and just got around to it yesterday, only to realize that I'd already read it. I was actually really disappointed. I didn't have anything to read today at work. Brutal. As usual though, I got through it unharmed.

One last bit of news, not all that thrilling but I feel that I should share it. I have a mosquito bite on the back of my ankle and it has made it swell. Now it is mildly painful to walk and stand. Crappy. Just reminds me of when I was younger and my limbs would swell up to twice the size when I was stung by the pesky little buggers.

Okay, one last thing. Someone should buy me tickets to the Foo Fighters concert here in August. I heard an acoustic version of one of their new songs on the radio and it was incredible. Now I really want to go to see them. My birthday is coming up.... Of course, I would settle for their two disc cd as well.

outie

I'm seriously t-oed with my landlord at the moment. It's a longish story but, hell, I have the time and you're probably trying to waste some. So here goes....

Some man who works for my landlord came to the door yesterday morning and asked me if I could mow the backyard. Naturally, I said yes. After all, I do realize it's my responsibility. Still in my defense I'd like to add that I am not used to doing yard work of any kind. If anything, I helped my mother in her garden. (And that I avoided like the plague because I hate all bugs. I'm a wimp regarding them.] In fact, I've never mowed a lawn in my life. It's not really something that comes up on my to do list. Which is exactly why I hadn't done it: it never occurred to me. In addition, I never go to the backyard, so I never see how tall the grass is growing.

I didn't mow the lawn yesterday. Despite it being my day off, I had had two interviews earlier in the day (one of which I actually got the job for, hurrah! -- though I have a sneaking suspicion that I was the only person to drop off a resume) and I was incredibly tired when I got home around 3:00. I took a nap. Well, I slept for close to five hours and when I woke up I didn't feel much better. So, I didn't mow the lawn.

Well, I woke up this morning and found a SECOND NOTICE in the mailbox. And I will mention, in all pettiness, that whoever wrote it had horrible penmanship.... and they should be ashamed. If anything though, at the time it just made me feel more guilty. I resolved then and there that I would mow the lawn before work, but after I attempted to drop off another resume. (Unfortunately that whole trek was a complete waste of time as the receptionist gave me the wrong office hours, unhurrah! -- also unhurrah, I found out later that the place doesn't allow their employees to have piercings expect for on the ears... because god knows that people with facial piercings are horrible people who eats young babies and children and sometimes sacrifice virgins and elderly people to their pagan god Trom Kor) I arrived back at home around 1:30 and with a begrudging sigh I went to change into something more appropriate -- if you know what I'm saying. I had no more than begun removing my belt when I heard a lawnmower start up in the backyard. "You have got to be kidding me." So I ran to the door, threw on some shoes and ran to the backyard where I near accosted my landlord trying to get his attention. "I was just changing my pants so that I could come out and mow the lawn," I said with my belt hanging open and limp from its hoops. "I'm so sorry [which I wasn't], but I was really busy yesterday [another lie, but a white one, no point in hurting his feelings]." Blah blah blah. Conversation over. I walk away mildly relieved that for another week at least I don't have mow the lawn.

Anyways, what I'm angry about mostly, is that he didn't even give me 24 hours. He was almost finished mowing the lawn by the time I got home. And THEN... he was going to charge me 40 bucks. But if you don't even give me the opportunity to do it...... urgh. What a joke!! I should at least have been given a couple of days.... and besides the guy who came around the first time said that I just needed to mow it before it rained again. Well, guess what? It hasn't rained yet. So , technically, I still have time old man.

So I haven't been up to much lately. The weather is getting nicer. In fact, it's gorgeous out at the moment. For some reason I've yet to come up with, I'm inside. I was suffering from cabin fever all weekend, and now, it's nice enough to go for a walk again and I've locked myself inside.

Still, there's nothing much to say.

So, adieu