Okay, hi. Florida was pretty great. I saw many animals and got to stare at them for a long time, and get paid for doing so, which was nice. After the first day my SARS seems to have gone away. I did wear the EarPlanes and they seemed to work, though I also took Sudafed so it wasn't an accurate scientific study. The heat was very oppressive. The last two afternoons I was there I ended up feeling dizzy and sick, and this was while I was taking it easy, staying out of the sun and hopping into air-conditioned buildings as often as possible. So I'd have to go back to the hotel and collapse on the bed for a couple of hours. I'm still recovering, really.

My boss's 3-year-old daughter was along for the trip (as was the child's dad) and she totally fell in love with me. She only calls me by my full name because that's what she's heard her mom call me. She would come up and hug me a lot, and we played some games, and I taught her what a monkey-bite was (she likes to have tickle fights). She also said "excuse me" a lot. A couple of times she said "excuse me.... I love you." So cute. I'd be all "oh, that's so sweet! Thank you!" because I'm not as free with the "L" word as she is.

So I may have found a place to live. It's kind of a right-out-of-college apartment, unfortunately, but I think I need someplace slightly shabby if I'm going to keep my dog. It's an attic situation and so the spaces are a little funky. The bedroom is normal but the other rooms have slanted walls and the like. The shower/bathtub is especially short and odd, as is what would be the dining area. And the walls are painted interesting colors, which I like, but they're all sponged on in swirly Trading-Spaces-like ways to varying degrees of success. But it is a month-to-month lease, and it's on a quiet street just two blocks from town. So I told them to go ahead with my application. Meanwhile I'll be looking like mad for something better (cheaper; with straight walls) in the next couple of days.