It's been a fun past couple of weeks, despite the craptastic temp job. Basically for three whole weeks I had nothing to worry about other than what I could possibly do with all the gobs of money I somehow find myself about to be making. So far, I've bought an iPod, a VW Beetle, season tickets to Giants games, several three day trips to Mexico, a rented apartment on Telegraph Hill, dinner at all the fab five-star restaurants I've never been able to afford, and a dog. Not to mention various day dreams involving the sorts of things one usually sees in rap videos. Why it's so much fun is because I can dream up all this stuff without actually having to do or deal with the things that'll get me all the money. Therein lies the rub.

Tomorrow (or more accurately, as you're reading this) it all begins. The job, the work, the money, the bling-bling. All those dreams and fantasies are about to become real. As well as the attendant job stresses- possible long-hours, tight deadlines, and oh so fun personality conflicts. See, the funny little thing about not having a job is that when you listen to everyone else bitch about their jobs, you realize how much having a job actually sucks, but not nearly as much as not having one. Luckily, my feeling is that unlike the last job, my boss seems emotionally stable. Not that I know her that well, but she didn't strike me as the type who starts off her morning by slamming the phone down on her co-worker boyfriend. Nor does she seem like the type who eavesdrops on conversations I have from around the corner. Still, there's gotta be something out there, something stressful, because there always is. And considering my recent job experiences, well, let's just say I have a couple of friends who have started a pool to see how long I stay at this job. Even my dad basically told me "don't screw this one up."

In some ways what's about to happen is like when you've waited in line for hours to check out the latest, newest, kick assingest roller coaster and are about to finally get into your seat. Or you could say it's like being an explorer and starting off on the big expedition, visions of gold and glory dancing in the head, not to mention slight anxieties about cannibals, falling off the edge of the world, and syphilis. Or like a baseball team leaving spring training to start the regular season, visions of pennant glory dancing in their head despite the fact they're the Brewers. In other words, it's all down hill from here.

Strike that. Let's just say this- here we go.