DOARS- Day 8 Dates and Contracts

Dear Diary,

I woke up this morning around 7. The first thought that entered my mind was that I did not want to spend the whole day with toddlers. Then I remembered that today is Sunday, and I have the day off. So I got out of bed feeling much better, and very relieved. Which of course led me to remember that my house is a completely different place now. So I went on a tour.

Which started, obviously, with the room that is immediately attached to my bedroom, also known as the main room. It had a kind of beachy feel and was a thousand times better than yesterday's rotting wood.

 My stomach and the fridge (and possibly my chaotic mind) distracted me and instead of finishing the tour of my not-so-hovel-like-house, I fixed breakfast.

Which was quite tasty and I ate it at the now paint covered table and chairs. It would take a little getting used to, but thus far the changes in my home were much easier on the eyes. Even if I'm not really all that fond of blue. Though I can't say that I thought the previous look of the table and chairs really needed to be redone. Oh well, whoever changed things around certainly thought so.

After I finished breakfast I remembered that I hadn't finished my tour, so I went into the bathroom and looked around. More blue. BUT! It wasn't rotting wood, and I could deal with a color that isn't my favorite as long as it didn't look like it was falling apart, right?

Well, of course, even though everything looks different, it isn't really and the shower is in fact falling apart. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

Would I have dealt with the shower right away if my phone hadn't rang? It is likely, but my phone did ring. Turns out, people have been noticing that I'm hanging with a slightly famous crowd (I do work with professional athletes, you know) and my 'manager' (I have one of those?) thought it would be good for me to work out and get a little more toned. As my plans for the day already included working out, I readily agreed, and hoped this 'manager' was trustworthy.

I spent a little of my free time cleaning up around the house, I really did like to live in a clean place, even if I didn't particularly enjoy being the one that cleaned it.

Next up was the dastardly shower that pours icy water over me every day. I doubt that my showers will be any warmer now that I've fixed the shower. In fact, I'm not even sure I have a hot water heater here. I mean, have you seen one? I certainly haven't.

Fixing the shower naturally led to mopping up all the water that had covered the floor. After all, I wouldn't wan to slip and bump my head and die, or worse yet drown. That would be awful, it's best to take care of things when they happen, you know.

And then I noticed that I have a dishwasher now. Which made me pause before loading it with dishes. Of the things I had complained about (loudly) I had most of them now. Sure I paid for them, but I didn't actually acquire them myself... and I was constantly washing someone else's laundry. I made the conclusion that I'm sure you have already reached. The gnomes were hacking into my funds and purchasing the things I needed, they also had used their gnome powers to change the appearance of my house, and in return for them taking care of me, I was to wash all their laundry. It seemed like a fair deal, really.

As it seemed appropriate to do so, I immediately started some laundry. Hopefully the gnomes will take that as agreement of the contract on my part.

 Feeling satisfied that I had mystical ceramic creatures on my side, I left the door unlocked and went for a jog around down. I jogged for a large portion of the day. Now, I may not like birds chirping, but that isn't to say that I don't enjoy the wonders of nature. In fact, the sunset was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and I began to understand why this place is called Sunset Valley. I must say the marvelous views and the overwhelming beauty of my jog left me in a peculiar mood. I was much more amiable than usual and I was feeling high on life.

So when Cyclon3 flagged me over, I obliged him and went to hear what he had to say. Now, let me be clear about this, Cyclon3 and I were not friends. We have chatted a few times, I've visited his house a few times, but we were still only acquaintances. Or, on the cusp of friendship, you could say. Just to be ever more clear, I felt no obligation to come over, I merely did because I was in a very good mood.

He asked me to dinner, to which I agreed. Free dinner? I'm all there, you know. After we got to the restaurant he started mumbling and doing calculations on his fingers. Yes, he didn't really have the money to take me out. I felt bad for him. I mean, two days ago he peed his pants in front of me and we weren't even friends, and now here he was (embarrassingly) unable to buy me the dinner he promised. You know, sometimes I can be nice, and I decided to demonstrate that here. I bought him dinner. Turns out my fame is getting around town, and I got it half off. Score!

It was the oddest thing, we were outside eating, laughing, having a good time, cracking computer jokes and it hit me. Cyclon3 was the only person that I wanted to be hanging out with at that very moment. I wouldn't have even rathered to be eating with Monika Morris (now Hart, as she married the town loon), which is really saying something as Monika is my best friend and until this point I had thought that everything would be more enjoyable with Monika around. Obviously, here at dinner I realized that that was inaccurate.

After dinner I invited Cyclon3 back to my house to show me some of his "wicked hopscotch skilz" as he put it. The oddness of the day continued and as I excitedly pointed out one of my favorite constellations I looked back to him, and realized that he had only been looking at me the whole time I'd been ranting about the stars. It made me a little uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. I think I might have blushed, but I'm not really sure why. I mean, Cyclon3 and I are just friends, and really just barely friends, at that.

I did the only thing I could do, which was clear my throat and hand him a rock, declaring that he could go first. That was the hospitable thing to do, right?

Eventually he won the game. That was quite surprising, usually I am the master of hopscotch, but for some reason I just couldn't get into it today. My game was off and I kept messing up. Despite my innate love for the game, I honestly enjoyed watching him play it more. I don't think I need to say that that was unsettling, but I will anyway. It was unsettling, at best.

 Around 2 am, we were both exhausted and hopscotch'ed out, so I called it a night and he called a taxi. I watched him leave and almost wished that he didn't have to. We really did have a fun time hanging out, and it would have been nice if we hadn't been so tired, we could've danced or worked out together, or something.


No matter, it was a good day, although a little confusing, and undoubtedly the strangest day yet, here in Sunset Valley.

Unable to stop smiling for no apparent reason,

Lynn Winslow