it's been awhile, my faithful readers (all three of you?). the best job in the entire world has gradually diminished into the job from hell, so by the time i finally get home i'm in the mood for nothing more than a couple quick games of canasta and bed. but yesterday was the last day at the park, today is the horrific all-city carnival, and tomorrow i work an hour and get paid for eight. then it's all over, glory glory hallelujah.

i don't know how i have the gall to complain about a job where i get paid to play with kids, and at times to just sit on my butt with a good book. i have to be out of my mind to complain about that. but there's a point where you can no longer take eight kids sitting around a picnic table, each screaming at the top of their lungs simultaneously. most of them are the worst sports in the world - they complain about every game we play, and quit or become mean or violent when they lose. when they get bored, they become annoying on purpose, which sets all the other kids off, like they're having some kind of obnoxious contest where the winner is the first to make lauren want to gouge out her eyeballs with a soybean crayon. and i don't know when kids got so mean - they can be downright cruel to each other, and it makes me sick. i can't stand the fighting, complaining and disrespectfulness anymore. i don't know why it is so difficult to just get along and have fun. oh well. maybe i'm not as good with children as i thought. maybe i can't stand to do the same thing for longer than a month. i'm just glad it's over.

but now that it is over, i have three weeks with no plans before school starts. i'm sure it will be nice to just relax and pack at a leisurely pace, i'm sure i'll find things to fill my time, but my hunch is that i'm going to be bored out of my mind. i suppose this is not an original thought in the thosepeople corner of diaryland, but i cannot wait until august 25! it's been a good summer overall, i don't want to leave the impression it's been three months of uninterrupted hell. but i'm ready to get back to the grind of college and, more importantly, see all of you guys again! i miss you all so much, especially since the beach and the concert didn't work out. josh, i'm totally with you - packing starts now! :) i can't wait to move into honors 201!

but first, i have to move out of 427 victor. we've got a new place all lined up, the divorce is moving along as it should. asshole wants visitation with at least steven, which makes me want to laugh and vomit all at once (probably a very gross and messy sensation in reality). he keeps making ridiculous comments like 'ohh, i guess there's not going to be another christmas here...' i just can't believe that after everything he has done to the three of us, he has the nerve to act like the one who's hurt in all this. he didn't lose anything - he destroyed it. and i guess there's not much else i feel like saying about all this except that it will finally be over.

so, soon i'll have all the time in the world, and you can expect a goodly portion of it to be devoted to diaryland again. till then, love you all! i'm counting down the days.

:) lauren