Crawling by...

I have been unemployed now for a few days, and even though they have been full of adventures... it still feels like weeks or months.

I am so ready to take this step that I am emotionally removed from this place and most of it's inhabitants. Probably not a healthy thing.

The next week will be crowded with events and I want to enjoy it, fully engaging myself in the here and now.

Despite the emotional distance that I am inserting to protect myself, I have still enjoyed my time. Here are a few of the events of the last few days:
- My first visit to Bald Head Island! I accompanied my brother to the elite vacation destination I have lived only miles form my entire life. (For those of you who do not know you have to make a certain income to own a home on the island and you would be neighbors with the likes of Tom Cruise.) He had to go over for work and I was feeling spontaneous. First of all, you have to take a ferry... no cars on the island. And, big surprise... it costs $15 to get to and from the island. Once you there, unless you want to walk it's entire length you must rent a golf cart for, you got it... $40 for two hours or $60 a day. We were lucky enough to borrow a friend's cart and save the expense. We found where it was parked and where on our way! I watched my brother do his work on the pool at Timber Creek (the 'ghetto' of the island). My sudden burst of spontaneity had left me unprepared. I looked awful funny next to the pool in the suede pointy shoes. I got more than one strange look. It took him longer than expected and we rushed off towards to ocean to get a glimpse of it before we had to get back to the 5:30 ferry. We were not warned about the inhabitants of this cart. We had to share space with a colony of black ants who seemed to like me. Swatting off the little creatures and holding on for dear life, Alan tries his best to fling me off the cart we search for the sea. We finally gave up trying to find an access point and I switched over the the drivers seat (who doesn't want to drive a golf cart every chance they get?). As we made our way back towards the port I noticed the cart losing momentum. You guessed it, on a particularly steep (well, steep for the flat NC coast) section of road the cart stopped completely. Multiple attempts to revive the engine failed and we began to push the cart towards the parking lot at which we found it... all in brand new 'kitten' heel shoes while swatting ants and trying not to die in the heat of the day. Parking has never been my strong suit, much less when you must maneuver and provide the force of motion simultaneously. Thankfully, it only took us 7 attempts to get it in the proper parking space, semi-straight. Immediately we run towards the ferry is an attempt to get off this island as fast as possible. Thankfully, we were spared the extra hour we would have had to wait for the next one. Spontaneity? I will think twice next time.

- Mom and I went shopping in downtown Southport. Not something I get to do often, we spent our time browsing the antique stores and boutiques. I was particularly drawn to a flea market in which I found a wonderful black blazer which I was determined to make my own. I approach the cash register and the thought crosses my mind... "Do you guys accept credit or is it cash only?" ...did I even have to ask? I should have known that something would stand in the way of me and my $4 blazer. I reached for my wallet secretly hopping that two dollar bills would magically appear next tot he two I knew to be in there... no such luck! But I did find two quarters, a dime, two nickels and eight pennies. A dollar fifty to go... I call my mom's cell (She is at the store across the street). She doesn't carry cash either but between her purse and the car we scrounge up another $1.03. I pilfer through he back seat and find another quarter and two pennies... only $.35 to go! I consider begging from strangers but mom encourages me to walk into the Newspaper office two doors down and ask Daniel for the change. So I oblige... "Is Daniel Chaffin here?"...no luck, he left for lunch with a plate of hoagies. Hmmm... "Well, would you guys happen to have $.35 I could borrow... that's the real reason I needed him." I am the proud owner of a $4 black blazer.

- Momma Mia? Um, Pierce Brosnan should never sing, ever again.

- My favorite part of the Olympics Opening ceremony? "You see that girl... she is a stand-in. The girl originally supposed to go that part messed up in rehearsals a few days ago and the executed her." Haha, very funny Guy.