home sweet home

ah, i'm home! i missed my balcony so... and yet, an air conditioner appeared in my apartment whilst i was gone, and it's in the 90s outside, so the balcony is slightly less appealing than it was in my yearning. except, of course, at 4am, when i should be sleeping. i got back on sunday night, after nearly missing my desired train-- thank goodness it left 4 minutes late, and i wish i could've given the customer service woman at penn station a hug when she literally threw the ticket at me and pointed to the appropriate escalator and yelled RUN! i got there on time, i swear, and even had a great cab driver who took me to the correct entrance, but the line for tickets... let's just say i had thirty minutes to wish i still had credit cards, so i could've used the quiktrak machine. ah well. soon enough: i have only two more days to finish the paperwork and hand over a few more hundred bucks to the lawyer to get that ball rolling. anyhoo, this is the week i'm hosting P's niece, so it's a tentative homecoming, with a 15 year old houseguest, as well as a crusty layer of dirt, despite P's well-meant "cleaning." (it looks like he's been hosting mud-wrestling tournaments on my kitchen floor, but i expected that.) last night we hung out and watched bad tv, interspersed with her myspace wanderings... apparently her mom is a computer "hog" (though the girl has her own cell phone, ipod, etc-- egad!) so despite my logical brain thinking she must be bored, my memory says, "remember age 15: time away from parents with lenient relatives! sublime!" tuesday night we took her to the movies (batman begins)... not bad, though definitely not worthy of the spontaneous applause that broke out when the movie ended. wednesday night, approaching quickly, is all me, because P has to work. however shall i entertain her? without a car to go shopping, which is what *I* want to do? thursday i'm pulling for an r-braves game, but we'll see. and friday: back to the movies. johnny depp. and in a movie that i don't have to think twice about taking a 15 yr old to. thank you, johnny! more when i get back to grownup land...