This morning we encountered a trace of the dread beast THE JAGATOR. Jeff didn�t know what that was so I got to tell him all about its dragonishness, which includes its vestigial wings, it�s jewel like breast plate (which has sent many a poor fool into the mad house, for once upon a time before science killed wonder, the sight of the jewel encrusted breast plate made foolish women and men greedy and spelled their ruin. Though if ye possessed a true heart you would have good luck for eight years, instead), it�s preferred home (here, in the heart of the kingdom of god, the country parts of the piedmont), it�s current endangered status (so endangered that many don�t believe they exist even), and so on. And Jeff thought I was pulling his leg. He didn�t believe me about how alligators climb trees either. They going to get him one of these days.

At least the tales of the dread JAGATOR meant we didn�t dwell too much on our current lack of money troubles on the ride in. I mean, we got nuthin. And we got a flat tire on my truck, we got his truck which is just about dead, and we got the big truck which hasn�t got breaks right at this moment. We don�t even have the cash money to fix the flat tire. Tomorrow Jeff has to go to Winston for work, too. Pray for snow babies, so I don�t have to come to work. That�s my solution. Divine intervention.

I got a new student worker I�m training today. He�s a hipster kid, but one of them really really nice ones. Lois, who hired him, is blinded by boys�they can do whatever the hell they want and she�ll always hire them. This one here, who seems great and all, he�s graduating at the end of the semester. Damn and blast woman! So it takes about a month to do all the training and then poof! He�ll be gone. Super!

Yesterday was a lovely day�nothing like the cold we been getting. We made a delightful supper. I made cornbread that even Jeff liked and he don�t like the cornbread a-tall, and Jeff made awesome black bean soup. And then we watched Buffy and then we had Christmas because packages from his parents arrived. That was fun. Peaches loves opening presents.

I bet you folks out there have money, don't you. Like you have money in the bank for when your everyday spending money runs out. I got one hundred dollars and I don't get paid for almost three damned weeks. Plus we ain't got dog food or cat food or toilet paper or drinking water or smokes. Plus gas. Plus Peaches needs to get fixed.

But in the late night of December 31, 2003, I burned up a dollar bill (which I didn't know was illegal until after I did it) to show I was burning up my money worries. Doesn't do any good to worry about something I can't do anything about. Only thing it does is make me tense and miserable. Jeff burned up his biggest worry too.

So fuck the money. It'll work out just fine. Plus Brittania is going to have a baby boy. I'm so excited for that gal. Wahoo.