Today, Thursday, marks six weeks that I've been in Albuquerque this second time around. It's been a pretty awesome time, sort of to the point that I've started to take roots here. Doubtless, Robert considers this an understatement. This could be because I've taken over the dining table and converted it into my laptop desk, replete with pens, coins, receipts, and the like. And maybe the way I've unceremoniously tossed everything I have with me on the living room floor, in front of the television. Of course, since it has been six weeks that I've been here, I've ended up accumulating a rather shocking amount of things. There was the initial purchase of more clothes in order to not offend my gay sensibilities, of course. But in addition to that, I've managed to acquire some six CDs, nine books, ten DVDs, and a pair of flip flops. All of which I could no longer live without, and therefore had to purchase.

The challenge, I suppose, will be packing everything into my single suitcase and shoulder bag. Because, as I just noted, I can't live without any of this stuff, and so must bring it all back to California with me. Friday will be an interesting exercise of suitcase-packing mania. Probably I'll start packing and then get completely distracted by all the cool stuff I got, since despite my 24 years on this planet, I'm still not quite ten. And yet, if I really was ten, I'd love getting up super early. Take my word for it, but my 5:30 am zombie face is anything but youthful. It's more like 5,000-year-old rotted mummy.