MONDAY HANGOVER: "I'm Doin' All Right, The Best That I Can"

Okay! So I’ve finally returned. I told you not to expect much from me, being I was in the midst of finals and all. In fact, I’m still not done. I’ve got about two or three pages to write, and some footnotes to tweak tonight and my paperage/academic career will finally be complete. So yay me.

Yay me, and my $1350 in library fines. Yes, folks, apparently the books I took from the library last semester are “lost” (lost? They’re right over there, in my bookcase, by my bed..) and now I owe the University of Pittsburgh like 1300 bucks in overdue fees, replacement costs, and re-stocking fees. Needless to say, apparently their online renewal system doesn’t work as well as I thought it did. Obviously, I’ll be having an interesting discussion with the circulation desk tomorrow. They’re charging me like, $200 in “replacement fees” for $12 books. I’m a little angry.

And, you know, I can’t graduate until I pay the fines. Or at least receive my diploma. Awesome.

My overtly “dramatic” ramblings about my library fines aside, (Carolyn called me “Mr. Drama” this morning, then tried to argue that I shouldn’t be offended) let’s talk about my Super-Deluxe-Bad-Ass-Friend-Filled-Weekend-of-Spectacularness.

Okay, so it wasn’t that awesome, but I did get to see some great friends.

On Friday I traveled to Baltimore where I got to see my little Nicolitta and my Dream Girl Heather. We had all sorts of fun drinkin’ with Nic’s work-friends, and I ended up crashed out on some guys sofa. I vaguely remember waking up thinking, “where am I?” and not in a “where am in Baltimore” kind of way, but a “where am I on EARTH?” sense. Nic should be proud to know that 2 of my finest hangovers have taken place in Baltimore. So yay Nic.

Highlights of the trip included getting a ride to Nic’s friend’s place with Ty, the fast-car drivin’, urban-music blastin, seat-backin’ man-about-town. We made a stop to pick up his ex-girlfriend (and apparently, luckily, not to do anything illegal) at which point he called me “homey” and asked if I’d kindly move to the back seat. Little did he realize, I’m the Whitest Guy in America. Saturday I ended up having a highly-vegan smoothie/sandwhich brunch with Heather and The Girl Who Had Crashed At Nic’s House, and then hung out with Heather and got my ASS handed to me in Dr. Mario. Yes, folks, the Gaming Pro lies defeated. I think I’m in love.

Oh, but love comes so quickly to the melodramatic, for upon surprising Ang with my arrival at her going away party in DC Saturday evening, I fell in love all with a very very special girl, Kelly. Kelly, it came to be known, was so hazed by her father in the rites and rituals of baseball as a child, that she not only knows and understands the Infield Fly rule, but ALSO what a “Double Switch” is, and why someone would institute said maneuver. After asking her to marry me, I found out that she’s a SOX fan, and I instantly divorced her. Such is my fickle heart. She was pretty cute, though…

The party was swellness, and I got to bond with Long-Lost Morganite and my failed Tag Team Partner Rob Steele. “Bobby the Brain,” whose Dickinson email address awesomely reads “steeler,” and I go way back, and it was cool to reminisce. Good times, and good food.

I capped off the weekend with the splendidly boring drive home, a pitstop at the Knor Hacienda to give my love to my mommy, say hello to Penny and Gooder, and bring home some homemade stuffed shells. MMMMMMmmmmMM! My mom can cook! Then, I met up with the KGBeast, Kevin Lanouette, who was in town for business. I treated him to an outside tour of PNC Park, and where we enjoyed an Outback dinner on his company tab. A short jaunt up to Mt. Washington later, and we both turned in. I, tired from a long (but great weekend) and he, exhausted from the thought of getting up for work at 5:30 in the AM.

All-in-all, it was great to see three very special friends in three very special days, and you should all be jealous of me. Also, the Bucs won 16-2 yesterday. They’re awesome, and have a better record than the Yankees.

I’m off for now, by the time I next post, I’ll be officially waiting for graduation…or scraping pennies together to pay that fine.. don’t be surprised if I’m charging admission to the Kingdom by noon tomorrow.

Your Song of the Day is “Jacob’s Ladder” by Huey Lewis and the News, just ‘cuz. And the LINK will take you to EW’s Star Wars poll. Share your answers, and I’ll share mine :)

Be good to each other. And yes, I just used a smiley. Could I be any lamer?

-apk