"and a black crow snuck through a hole in the sky" Tom Waits

I had a rather bad day yesterday.

It started out innocently enough, the usual Monday grind into work, coffee and too many morning cigarettes. Gave the boss back his radar detector I borrowed for the Woodstock, NY trip, and started work. Then things started going wrong. Perhaps it was the fact that monotonous work and me don't match, but I felt my stress level rising through me like a tsunami. After the third time I said "fuck it" and stormed outside and kicked the shit out of an old freezer in the back parking lot. I went back in and grabbed my boss. Our conversation was short, with me saying I didn't know what was wrong, maybe it was me, but I couldn't take it anymore. So he let me go, from the 10 hour dayshift. Granted, he did offer me part time, but I have to see if he's serious, and not just placating an angry employee. On my ride home, I felt the stress melt out of me, like the tide returning from the shore. I buried the speedometer at 120 and flew back to the apato. And called mom.

Her first words were "It's okay, I know you can find something else. I knew something was wrong. Did you read your tarot cards?"

No mom, I didn't. Thanks for reminding me.

So now I sit here Tuesday morning, awake out of habit, and wondering what I shall do. If the part time works out, that's cool, so I have to find a day job, no big deal. It just always seems that right before I have to commit to all kinds of plans, I do something to make it exponentially harder for me. Rent is paid for the month of September, and I can always track down my IRS check (it's being sent to florida as far as I know, I never called the IRS and told them I moved. (as I try to do so now..voicemail HELL)

My room mate was very cool about it when I told him. He said look at it this way, it's a new chance to find a job you like. So we proceeded to get hammered on cheap beer and some bad weed he brought back from Arizona. Right on.

(finially got someone voice at the IRS, and now listening to some classical music over the phone..how nice)

So i find out that my check is being mailed Friday, and I can't stop it. So at least when I pull into to Florida the week after Labor Day, all I'l lhave to do is hope that my ex-roomate is still living there, and hasn't tried to cash it herself (laugh).

The lady at the IRS was more than helpful, and very pleasant. To tell you the truth, I think the stereotype of IRS employees is all wrong. I asked her about the fact of all the Rebate checks that will be floating in limbo, and she replied:

"You have no idea. There are millions of checks that will never get cashed, or found, because so many people move around".

Imagine that. The average check is going to be $300. And to think, if even only 1 million checks aren't cashed. Our tax dollars, in the form of a rebate, floating in post office limbo, gathering dust in corners of unchecked post office boxes...

"Two pairs of paints and mohair vest-I'm full of bourbon and can't stand up" Tom Waits

Ciao baby