And you thought THAT sucked

Last night our house was broken into again.
While TM was here by himself.
Someone walked in our front door, silently, and stole my MOTHER F-ING COMPUTER, the backpack I use for work, which I had conveniently left on my bed when I changed to go to class, and a handful of jewellry off my dresser.
Then they left. TM never heard a thing.
Needless to say last night was not a good night. The police arrived at about 1:30 am, and inspired NO confidence. This is the second time they've had to come this month.
Last time they just rifled through my underwear drawer and didn't take anything.
Looking back I feel as though we should have seen this coming, should have been more careful. The first break in, the stranger who opened our front door and stuck his head in before I could get downstairs to respond to his knock... but then TM was home, the lights were on...
Needless to say I feel unbelievably vulnerable after this second traipsing of strangers through my room. The files on that computer were 4 years of intensely personal material, not to mention the whole of my university work to date. It's a great loss for me -- I almost feel as though I've lost a limb. I keep reaching for it, or thinking "I'll just..." and then I remember it's gone. Ironically I had been intending to back them up, but hadn't got the cds yet.
Today TM and I went downtown and bought a new doorknob for my door. One that I will lock from now on when I am inside the room sleeping, and out of the house, and open with a key. It's insane to think this is necessary in my own home, but I'm not sure I'd feel safe without it now. Not when people will walk into your house uninvited.
I'm reminded of Michael Moore's experiments in Canadian neighbourhoods, demonstrating that the doors are always unlocked, unlike their American counterparts. I guess we're finally coming to the point where we can't do that anymore.

Living on the wrong side of the bed

This is the second morning in a row that I've woken up in a bad mood. Yesterday, it was simply a matter of atmospheric pressure waking me up with an intense headache behind my right eye.

This morning however, I have woken up after approx. 6 hours of sleep. No, I correct that, I HAVE BEEN woken up by none other than my ever charming next door neighbour -- he of the constant loud music, loud phone calls, jam sessions, and laugh track which dominate the time I spend here in my room. Yet I have reason to believe that this morning, said charming neighbour is not in his room. I say this because his alarm clock buzzer has been going off AT VOLUME for the past 45 minutes (starting at 8:45) and no one has turned it off. So either he is not there, or severely passed out. I'm leaning towards the former, because the shrill and repetitive beeping would surely pierce even the deepest of comas.

To top this all off, a half hour after the alarm started, the telephone rang, and since I was awake anyhow, I stumbled out of bed to pick it up, only to be assailed for the 5th MORNING IN A ROW by a calm computerized voice saying "This is not a solicitation, this is an urgent message from (some bank or insurance company or something) requiring the immediate attention of Victoria Holland."
At that point I always hang up, because there is no Holland living here, and I'll be damned if I'm going to stand there and wait for her message just to tell the idiots that they've got the wrong number. I've got better things to do than to sit around on hold for someone else. I admit though, that the incessant daily phone call is getting a bit ridiculous. It will be interesting to see how long exactly it will take them to investigate WITH REAL PEOPLE why the people at this phone number keep hanging up and ignoring the calm robot. It can't possibly be that urgent if they're trusting it to him. He can't even swear back at me, as in this morning when I heard " - - - this is not a solicited message..." and yelled "Oh F- OFF!" into the phone before slamming it back into the base.

This is not going to be a good day.
Boy I hope that alarm turns off soon, so I can go back to sleep and block the whole thing out.

Coming up NEXT weekend (i.e. the 3rd)

Breathe in, and...

Wake up the blog.

Enter the new regime, new single lifestyle (? still wondering what that entails exactly, when do I get the perks?), new wind in my sails.
And what better way to start off on a new breath of air than with a federal election? HURRAY.

Tonight I made the pilgrimage (the only time I ever enter a church) to brave the poll line ups. The constant nightmare of student voting, constantly re-registering your new addresses. This year was particularly depressing because not only does it take FOREVER to finally get through to make your choice, but once you get there, there's really no good choice to make.

During my tenth minute waiting in line, one of the tiny chatty 1st years standing behind me said to another:
"Imagine if there were line ups like this to get into CHURCH!"
The other said enthusiastically, "Yeah! Omigoodness! That would be SOOO great!"

Believe me when I tell you, dear readers, it took all my self-control to stop myself from turning around, grabbing them each by a shoulder and demanding, "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

Hibernation

Going into standby for a few more days. Bear with me.

Bless the Yule Fairy

Oh dude, I must have done SOMETHING AMAZING last year because I just looked at my timetable for this semester and it is a blessing from the gods that I just had to share with everyone right away.
Not only do I have all my afternoons free so I will be available to work any shift at work they want me for --
I HAVE FRIDAYS OFF

Let me just repeat that, (in case, you know, you were momentarily struck blind):

I HAVE FRIDAYS OFF

"Somewhere in my youth, or childhood, I must have done something good."