Tuscon.

Tuscon is actually kinda nice for an Arizona city. It's - the parts I know - an academically oriented city more so than Phoenix.

It's cooler than Phoenix too. Not that most everything in the desert isn't leaned to having air conditioning and, from my perspective, you adapt to finding a warmer average temp comfy.

Mostly it reads to me (having never actually lived there) as a more academically oriented city. Not that it skews to college kids, but that the academic world matters there and is a big part of the social structure.

Not that any of this means you'd be happy there. But it could be worth thinking about.

A friend moved there about 10 years ago and he really likes it. From what he's said, it does have a university town feel, with added snowbirds and California refugees. Tucson apparently sneers at Phoenix.

Oh, Tucson SO sneers at Phoenix. I'd chose Tucson over ABQ any day, and I'm a NM girl. It's definitely an academic town.

I'm going home for a day tomorrow. (Don't worry, any Buffistas on which I am working on jobs -- they are progressing nicely, and I'm taking the trusty laptop on continuing working. DK, your res should be done Sunday.)

My bday was the most depressing ever, because of our money sitch. I feel like I just got started in what I really have to be, and want to be doing, and now I'm going to have to take up a PT job to take up the budgetary slack.

In theory, I'm ok with this, expected it...but hoped to hsve more than a month to work FT freelance.

And we're so broke my birthday dinner was frozen meals. I got a lot of greeting, which were wonderful, but I was in the depresso doldrums all day, and it had nothing to do with turning 39.

I am trying to break out of them; I applied for PT secretary job, a make-up artist job at Macy's and (no shit) a job as the Tooth Fairy.

So...despite friends, this was pretty much the Worst Bday Ever. My diamond shoes are bedazzled, and the glue is falling off.

I will pick myself up, and lay about with my root, but I am the bummed girlie in bummerville tonight. It's still better than the slough of despond I was in yesterday.

Sorry for the poor little me, when I know other have much worse problems, but I had to get it out, lance that nastiness, and not lay it on Dan, since he feels bad enough about my birthday.

Usually, I love it. This year, it really sucked.

/whine

Erin, sorry about the birthday crudiness, totally sucks, as does the PT work (although Tooth Fairy sounds like it could be maybe fun?) Oh don't forget to send me the invoice, I need to pay you!!!!

Sail, congrats! It's always nice to get some recognition (fingers crossed for the salary boost too!)

A job as the Tooth Fairy?! Macy's makeup would be kind of fun, depending on how much of it was commission.

I went to an alumni event tonight--almost forgot it was happening, but made it in time. It was to send off the new students. Holy crap they're young! And they're the class of 2015! OMG I AM OLD.

Tucson has drag kings!

I found the Pinball Hall of Fame in Vegas. They had the old machine we had in our basement growing up (not same one, just same model). Ahhh I miss playing pinball. Too bad I suck at it. But I had fun!!

Yep, the Tooth Fairy. Wearing scrubs and a pair of wings, and teaching dental hygiene to elementary-school kids.

Pros -- Dude, I'm a melodramatic fool when it comes to teaching. And I could get paid to wear glitter and wings to work!

Cons -- Some days, I could easily see myself as that cynical type of cigarette-smoking, flask-sipping anti-fairy: "Bitches, brush your motherfucking teeth. It ain't hard. Up down, all around. Now bring momma a bucket of fries and a martini."

Make-up would be fun, though; I worked for Lancome in the 90's, and I'm a big ol' make-up ho who does liquid liner with a steady hand and a kick-ass smoky eye.

Dear god, why am I up so early?

Cons -- Some days, I could easily see myself as that cynical type of cigarette-smoking, flask-sipping anti-fairy: "Bitches, brush your motherfucking teeth. It ain't hard. Up down, all around. Now bring momma a bucket of fries and a martini."

I would have paid folding green money for this when my kids were little. But then, I'm not exactly winning any parent of the year awards any time soon.

Make-up would be fun, though; I worked for Lancome in the 90's, and I'm a big ol' make-up ho who does liquid liner with a steady hand and a kick-ass smoky eye.

I need you to teach me how to do liquid liner.

Dear god, why am I up so early?

You have to get the teeth while the kids are still asleep.