Let�s now recall that I was wearing a jacket until the end of June last year.

Argh.

Rates went up a quarter of a point on Thursday night, and my lender is being a dick. (On second thought, perhaps the lender is being a bitch. The middle name is Mae after all, so the lender is likely indeed a bitch.) Parenthetical notations aside, the lender�s dick-ness (bitch-ness) is now contributing to my mood.

I had a hunger that was something fierce yesterday afternoon, so I took off to see what it is that my stomach wanted. I truthfully wanted nothing more than a soy Tazo chai from Starbucks, but I figured it was just some delusion from the hunger giving me signals that I should have a $4 coffee-like drink instead of lunch.

I spent my four dollars on pasta instead, only to take three bites and push it aside. Usually it's good, but lately my taste buds have recognized damn near everything as slightly flavored cardboard. I shoulda just had the $4 chai and been done with it.

I also got a rude email yesterday from an Amazon buyer who apparently hasn�t received her DVD. When you want something done, sending an email that says, �Where�s my DVD? It�s been two weeks!� isn�t the way to get people to want to help you. (�I�d like to check the status of xxx,� gets much better results, FYI.)

I checked at home to see if her DVD was lying around, but no luck for her that I was just forgetful or disorganized. Because I�ve been keeping receipts lately, I pulled out the post office receipt from the day I would have sent her DVD off and asked if she had one of three zip codes. I don�t know the drill if the USPS lost her package, but I�m not going to be out the $17 if I have proof that I mailed it -- especially after getting such an initially rude email.

Lesson to everyone: Don�t be a bitch when someone else has your money.

So, yeah. In addition to being grumpy-grumpy-grumpy, I had the longest day ever. I was lucky and grateful that Benito wasn�t working too hard or attending a crazy number of meetings, as he kept me entertained for much of the day when I couldn�t bring myself to work any more.

I�ve decided that I�m going to have a poop-only bathroom in the new place. It�s just the second bathroom; but since it isn�t attached to my bedroom like the other bathroom is, I�ve decided that it should be the poop room so there�s no smell or anything wafting into where I sleep.

Benito is thrilled with this and tells people that I have a room specifically set aside or poop. (You know you�re jealous too!) Last night I shared news of the poop-only bathroom with my friends over a couple beers (them, not me), and they too thought it was genius. Apparently I�m onto something here.

No segue. Moving on.

Later that night I met friends in Bucktown for Lorinda�s graduation party. My little girl is now Lorinda, MPH. (Yes, initials after her name! So big!) There was quite a showing of people from all over. The bar�s gimmick was that they served beer in cans, so I obliged with a can of MGD. God bless the cheap-ass beers. I woulda had some Miller High Life, but they only came in bottles at that bar. Odd, yes.

I stayed out until after 1, had only that beer, and got a ride home from Happy. It made for a good night indeed.

This morning I woke up at 9, listened to a hilarious drunk dial from my buddy Nick (a.k.a. the BEST drunk dialer ever!), and wondered why my eyes felt like they had fuzz on them. I completely forgot about taking my contacts out last night, but there seem to be no ill effects from that. In fact, they came out easier than they�ve ever come out before.

I took a nice, long shower (yay for free hot water!) and moseyed around the house to clean things up. No sooner did I get the bed made than did my phone ring. My 11:30 appointment to see my apartment was early. No problem!

I met a law student and his mom from the southern Chicago suburbs. They looked around, petted the kitties, and seemed to think the place was decent. No big deal. Nothing too great to report.

No sooner did they leave than did my cell phone ring. My 1 o�clock asked if she could stop by early, and that was great! All I would have done was sit around until she showed up at 1.

I met her and her friend downstairs and took them up. Immediately they started ooh-ing and ahh-ing. The kitchen was out of the way! The bathroom was just right! The walk-in closet was so big! The windows -- ohhh the windows -- in the livingroom!

Ming approached one girl for petting, and Ham worked his charm with the other. The clincher of all of this (ya know, besides the kick-ass location, all of the things she mentioned that she liked, having no security deposit, and having rent be $100-200 under market prie) was that there was room for a litterbox in the bathroom.

She had other appointments for the rest of the day, but I�ll likely hear back from her. If not, there�s always the Reader ad that will have the place gone in a day and a half.

To prove even further that the stars are aligned for me today, Herbie�s (a.k.a. Angry Neighbor) apartment was silent the entire time I was showing the place. After dropping the girls off downstairs and then coming back up, when the elevator doors opened I could hear his angry white man music. What friggin� timing!

So now I�m about ten minutes away from Benito picking me up to go to the �burbs for some mall shopping. Here�s to me finding a pair of on-sale LEI jeans in my size and fit with an Aunt Annie�s pretzel in one hand and her fresh-squeezed lemonade in other. �