Sometimes, I get a little stressed out with things piling up like wedding dates fast approaching, finding a bridesmaid dress that fits five different people, finishing major projects, moving, (and packing/unpacking for said move,) and attempting to squeeze a month-long vacation into six days.

I'm not a fan of stress; it goes against my natural state of happiness and calm.

Luckily, my natural state of happiness and calm can usually be restored easily, like coffee dates with friends, or videos that incorporate some of my main loves. I haven't had this much fun since I got my corns removed.

My xanga has been quiet of late. I know that. But it's nice to know that friends notice, too. One such friend, young Fabes, asked me for a "real post". I, of course, am always more than happy to oblige. It's a little tricky at the moment since he's so far away, but this will have to do until he's back to come pick it up himself.

So it's not winter in Hamilton anymore. Know how I can tell? Because it's impossible to get anywhere due to construction workers *everywhere*. Seriously - these guys just come out of the woodwork. Kind of like those house centipedes, if you think about it.

In other news, poetry hastily scrawled on slightly used napkins is the stuff of legends. I'm pretty sure some of the best songs originated on a trampled napkin found in some seedy restaurant. You can well imagine my glee when such a slightly soiled napkin with said poetry found its way into my hands the other day. Not only that, but the poetry was about *me*!!  I've faithfully reproduced one of the gems here for your edification and delight.

Next week is my birthday, she said shamelessly.

I'm not that fond of parties, especially surprise ones, so don't even think about it.

But what you *can* think about is the fact that my hard drive crashed a couple of weeks ago, leaving me destitute, musically. Yeah, I own a lot of CDs, but I also had a lot of nice stuff that I *ahem* 'borrowed' from other people. Which is now lost to me forever. This caused no small amount of weeping and gnashing of teeth, as I'm sure you can imagine.

So if you feel like doing something nice for my birthday, send me some music. It can be legit, or just a nice mix CD of some of your favourite stuff. Anything you think I should own. I dare you.
 

So I'm not always entirely sure why I'm doing what I'm doing. I probably should have chosen a profession that doesn't involve people.

Following a particularly dreadful failure of a lesson the other day, I sent my little rapscallions off to the library. My associate teacher breezed in to see how I was faring. I dropped miserably into my desk chair, and said piteously, "Mrs. E, that was *worst* lesson I ever teached!"

  So much for my grasp of the English language.