And the exclamation at the beginning of this made me laugh.

Oh, Taylor Momsen. Why?

Also, I have a "service heart."

I'm very service-oriented; my problem is that I am in no way selfless, so I really need validation of my service. Nothing huge, but I do need to know that my service is recognized, and its use is recognized (as in, wow, what you did makes things run so much more smoothly around here, thanks!).

So I don't know if I can call myself service-oriented if I'm also all about getting recognition for it.

Crap. The landlord is here to do yard maintenance. I had really hoped the checks I was waiting for would be in the mail today, which they weren't, so I could just call him and tell him I had the rest of rent. But instead, I can't tell him that, and he's here, which means he's almost definitely going to stop by and ask for it. The best I can do is say tomorrow, and hope the mail doesn't make a liar out of me. He's already served me a three day notice, and accepted half the rent to keep from taking further action. I've been late a lot this year, and last month I couldn't pay rent until the 15th. I worry I've pushed his patience to the limit, and I'm going to get kicked out of here. I'm also a little worried that my car is going to get repoed, because I'm so behind. All the money I had when I got back from the trip (rent money and car payment money) went to getting my phone turned back on and my car legal and running (though I'm still driving on a donut spare). Oh, yeah... Thanks to a mixup getting paid by a gig before I left, a handful of five and ten dollar charges, and ridiculous bank fees, I'm almost five hundred dollars overdrawn. That's more than two car payments. And my best hope for help is still out of the country.

Yeah. Obstacles, not problems. But I sure have a lot of obstacles right now.

But you know, I was in Italy a few weeks ago. I think I'll go look at my pictures again.

{{{Sean}}} I'm sorry. On the occasion when I have had to pay a landlord a little late, I found it was best to be home as little as possible, but I hate confrontation of any kind.

One of the most frustrating things for me is that epiphanies don't magically bring about change

so true. Damnit!

You were in Italy. You flirted with a beautiful Italian girl on a sunny day watching a legendary horse race. You stood inches away from works of art you've only seen in tiny pictures in art history textbooks or maybe art posters in people's dorm rooms. You ate actual Italian gelato in flavors you'll never see in the U.S. You walked streets that were old when your great-great-great-great grandmother's great grandmother was a baby.

You were in Italy.

Also, banks are evil and their fees are soul-crushing and I stab them all on your behalf.

But, more importantly, you were in Italy.

You flirted with a beautiful Italian girl on a sunny day watching a legendary horse race.

That was awesome.

You walked streets that were old when your great-great-great-great grandmother's great grandmother was a baby.

Did I mention the door in Westminster Cathedral that's older than the Norman conquest of England?

In other entertaining news:

Pictures from the counter demonstration against Fred Phelps at the Sand Diego Comic Con. Full size picture links.

I like the guy dressed up in the Bender costume with the sign that says Kill All Humans!

I love GOD HATES KITTENS, with a helpful picture of a kitten with an emphatic NO! scrawled next to it, just in case you were unclear on the objects of God's wrath.

Bender was awesome. Since nobody seems to have taken any pictures of the other side of his sign, I'm just telling myself that obviously it's telling Fred Phelps to kiss his shiny metal ass.

Sean, I apologize. I clearly misunderestimapprehended the situation.

I'm tired of the ducks that seem to be following you around. so glad you got Italy.

And everytime I see a counter protest -I feel good. How ever horrid Phelps and his people are, they have brought together some amazing groups of people. I figure that is the only reason he hasn't been struck by lightning -the smiting is more subtle than we thought it would be.