I'm currently half-way through a giant ceramic mug of Earl Grey tea, and sleep seems like a thousand miles away.

Tomorrow is finally my Friday at work, which reminds me that I need to get new shoes. My current ones finally decided to retire when I was walking across the front lawn (which has been replaced by little white and rusty red rocks), stumbled, and bent my left shoe out of shape. It was only a matter of time before they would break considering how much use I get out of them. Besides, I got a size bigger than I should have gotten - I forgot that leather stretched.

Anyway, I'm ready for another vacation. I wish I could go somewhere this summer, but I can't since I have to start school. Originally, I was planning on going to Brazil next month, though as soon as I realized that I have to wait to get a visa, I decided to go next year. I knew I would be cutting it close with having to get a new passport, plane ticket, and the visa. What I didn't understand is why the Brazilian consulate insisted that I buy my ticket to prove that I was planning on going. What the hell? What if they denied my visa application (highly unlikely, but still a possibility)? That would be wasting $1,000 of my money. Plus, the arrogant bastards wanted $100 just to process the application because of a reciprocation made especially for Americans; Brazilian citizens have to pay to get a visa, so they decided to slap a fee on theirs. I never went through this kind of trouble when I went to Europe. I wish it could be like the old days where you could just get up and go somewhere.

There is always next year and the rest of my life, I keep telling myself. Thus far, I seem to be going to Brazil, Italy, Poland, Spain and Fiji in 2006. I know. Good luck. Maybe I should go with the most realistic one. Justyna and I want to go to Italy together after stopping in Spain to visit a friend of hers. On the other hand, Fiji sounds awfully tempting with your cliché palm trees, white beaches, and turquoise water. Hehe. I could see myself now, sprawled out on a forgotten beach watching the rhythmic waves rolling in and out. An umbrella drink served by my Polynesian butler would definitely complete the picture!

Okay, you can stop gagging now. I'm going to make myself another mug of tea (because the remaining 1/4 is now a gross cool temperature). Before I go, I'm leaving some of my short thoughts. I remembered to include them now...

The Return of the Bunny Suicides is the sickest and most hilarious book I have seen in a long time. I highly recommend the one where a Harry Potter book crushes him - my supervisor and I were laughing to the point of being a public distraction. I want to see Constantine, but my stupid brother won't go with me to see it. I really should start reading one of the six or seven books I bought from work.