Do any of you know anyone who thinks invading Iraq and toppling the regime is really a good idea? No, seriously, do you? We�ve got a pretty strong republican contingent around here, and they�re even objecting. Kudos to my friends who�re actually writing their elected officials. I wish I were taking this time to do the very thing. Or to at least pay my bills.

Maybe tonight.

Do you really feel like it makes a difference? After several automatic (not to mention vague) response letters, I just feel guilty for wasting the taxpayers� money with the postage and paper for the unsuitably vague response. I can�t help but feel the address labels are being ripped off, while the letters are deposited in the trash.

In other news, I successfully slept in my own bed last night. And I had a drink at lunch. Does either of these events constitute improvement? Growth? Success?

Will I get to Chicago? Will I get to see the movie? Will I get to see the open mic night? Have I mentioned how much I like Neko Case and Kelly Hogan? Have you mentioned how much you do, too?

And you also like the Daves, don�t you?

I don�t think the little margarita counted toward my vow, do you?

I started the morning by reading a premium article on Salon this morning about the unfortunate suburbanite (I refuse to link�it�s that SaveKaryn.com girl) who got herself into tons of credit card debt and managed to get $17,000 by begging for help on the internet. Sigh. It sounds like she�s not the sort of girl who was also troubled by debt from putting herself through school or for having to buy a car to get to her post-college job. Or for having to charge groceries and gas for a full year, since her paltry salary didn�t allow for such frivolity. I think you can guess how I feel about her.

Yes, I�m preparing for war�a war against idiocy. Promise me you won�t buy her book, see her movie or anything of the sort. But if you want to send somebody money, I�ll sell you my sob story.

No shame at all.

And can you tell me why HR recruiters are so hard to get in touch with?

This is getting hard. I�m weak from all the work and lack of sleep. I love my apartment, my good pals in the area, my country life (even as I drip and sneeze and ponder mosquito bites and broken screens). Sometimes it does seem so idyllic, and we have Sundays like this past Sunday, which seem to stretch on forever, yet flash by in a moment of light so bright we all sit up and pay attention. Everything does seem illuminated and easy. But then there�s the real world of work. Remember that, because that�s every day.