I have a brand new very fancy desk. This means nobody can sneak up behind me and yell BOO or say, WHAT ARE YOU READING ON THE INTERNET INSTEAD OF DOING YOUR WORK or stand there watching me look at books while waiting for someone else or any other behind my back nonsense EVER AGAIN. This has meant, however, that I have been almost completely denied computer access since last Wednesday (here at work, I mean) and I am gleeful, just gleeeeeful, to have la computadora bonita back with me. Plus, I'm in air conditioning and since hell has decided to come take in the earthly vistas and breathe it's hot hell fire all over North Carolina, I'm glad for the cool library air.

Brittania has the most gorgeous baby EVAH. He's so cute and little and baby-like. He seems to enjoy lamps and Brittania, choices which speak to his absolute charm and intelligence, I assure you. He has long toes which are also extreme in their cuteness. He makes the loveliest cooing sounds when you feed him. It's nice knowing that my friends give birth to perfect creatures. I got good taste in the lady department.

We had mucho fun down there in Pensacola. We went on a boat out onto the bay and me and Jeff decided to be very brave and jump in the water and swim back to the island beach place. Jeff said, wait till we get a little bit closer and we spent several minutes psyching ourselves up and then I just jumped in. The water came all the way up to my knees! So not deep! But funny.

The best parts were just drinking beers and talking about all kinds of things out on the carport. Brittania is cool. So very cool. Her and Jeff are just big sex-talking flirts and I couldn't dig em more if they did back flips while talking about their parents' dirty sex lives.

Damn, Moriah (student) WILL NOT STOP TALKING. She needs to quit. Headphones engaged.

Bashi and Frank had, respectively, the best dogsitters in the entire universe. I do believe they would have liked us to stay gone. Except I missed them and I missed my own house, because I am the most homebodied, homesick person I ever met.

Our dream house in GSO is sold. Jeff was disheartened and me too--as if the gods were saying (quietly): stay where you are! Hold the line! Which, GODS, WE'RE DOING. HOLDING THE LINE. I'm so tired of driving. And the brakes are shot on the truck and we're broke until Jeff gets paid and I keep thinking of that William Matthews poem "Whiplash," which I would copy for you here except that I can't find it online, we don't have it at the library, and my copy is at home. So go find it yourself and then pray that my fate will be different.

Love from me to you.