Sigh. As long as I'm not getting any sleep, figured I'd blog-in right quick.

There's a maintenance man in my bathroom fixing the AC. It's midnight. I can't go to bed yet.

My AC has decided to start leaking all over the bathroom at odd intervals. It happened Tuesday, called maintenance, no one showed up, happened Friday, called maintenance, no one showed up. Happened again tonight. It picked the wrong time to happen, let me tell you. I had a headache, PLUS I was in a grumpy mood because I failed yet again to strike up some small talk with the waitress I see at Sonic three times a week (see more for below on that... it's not nearly as creepy as it sounds). So anyway, I come inside figuring on finishing my cherry limeade and hitting the hay around 10:15, and I hear the familiar drip-drip-drip coming from the bathroom again. Luckily, I hadn't bothered to put my rugs back down since the first incident on Tuesday, but still, 'twas flooded all over again.

So, yeah, I got a little testy with maintenance this time. They told me that since I hadn't filed it as an EMERGENCY, that it didn't get high-priority status. I said, "I've called twice this week. You mean to tell me five days is about the average for a maintenance call?" Um, yes. More like a week, apparently. "Oh. Okay. This is an emergency, then." Well, the guy shows up 20 minutes later, and now he's in there clanking around (the AC access panel is in my bathroom). Which means I can't go to bed 'til he leaves, and I'm ragingly tired. That, and I have to be at the kennel at 4:45 in the morning.

About this waitress at Sonic... actually, I guess the correct term would be "carhop", but whatever... I invariably stop by Sonic after I get done Thursday and Sunday nights, the nights I just do turn-out. Also, I'll occasionally pop in there on my nights off. I rarely get food, and if so just an order of tots... I get three or four big sodas and stash them in the fridge. Anyway, I ALWAYS get served by the same carhop. (Now, *maybe* I'm parking in the same spot each time... maybe.) SO she's always really nice, though I guess that's part of the job description, but... still... and she's seen me at least 50 times. No exaggeration there. But I COMPLETELY freeze up whenever I try to ask her, say, "So, how ya doin tonight?" or anything along those lines. I'm even nervous about asking her for a drink carrier. And every time, it just makes me want to bash my head into the steering wheel a half-dozen times or so. I don't understand it. Well, I mean, I do... it's a form of social phobia, but still... you think I'd be able to handle it by now. Blegrah. I'm not trying to ask her out to dinner... I'd just like to avoid sounding like English is my second language when I talk to her.

"C-c-c-could I, uh, possibly, uh, g-get a d-d-dr-drink carrier?"

Geez.

So, anyway, Thursday night I'll be over there again probably.

Maintenance guy just left. He said I was right -- the drainpipe from the AC was plugged up. (Well, I had THAT much figured out -- I just didn't want to go disassembling plumbing on my own.) He asked if I changed my AC filter, and I said I pick up a new filter from the office each time I pay the rent every month. (...which is another bone of contention... apparently most apartment complexes provide AC filters. Wow! I've been buying my own for three years in Tucson. Sunzabitches.) So he said it was probably the people before me, since I hadn't been here long enough for it to get that dirty that fast. So, hopefully, I won't come home to an Aqua-Bathroom again for a while.

In other, somewhat more perky news, I'm helping out at Coronado with the band this year. They've finally hired a director, and I've got to say I like her style already. Whoa, did I say "her"? Yes, 'tis true, Ms. Rich is the first female band director in CHS history. Anyhow, I spent much of last night making name tags, as nobody'd done it yet and camp starts, well, today (Monday). I got a couple of extra mornings off over the neext two weeks so I can put in a little more time with the band.

I put people's sections on their tags, but mine reads "NICKEL-PACKAGE CORNERBACK." Anyone care to take a stab at the meaning?

Anyway, I sure feel a lot better than I did an hour ago. I mean, things are still relatively crappy, but it's nice to be able to air it out and get it in print. But hopegully, volunteering at Coronado will be the outlet I need. The walls are starting to close in again, just a little bit.