12:30 am:

Check it: three loads of laundry washed, folded, and put away. I rule.

As I was stuffing my underwear into my dresser drawer, it occurred to me that I'd have more room if I went through the items in the drawer and got rid of whatever didn't fit. Then I opened the other top dresser drawer and noticed that it desperately needs to be cleaned out and organized.

You know how these things go, right? You start out by tossing the socks with holes in them and wind up wiping dust off the baseboards with a sponge at 3:00 am.

But there's a certain carpe-momentum going on, too. You're motivated; why not keep going?

In this case, the answer is that I'm supposed to be at the dentist at 11:00 and class from 1:00 - 4:45. And I can't find any justification for skipping these appointments, although believe me, I've tried. I'd like to stay home, get Verizon to turn my phone back on, organize my drawers, spend some quality time with the cat, and generally just chill out. But I can't.

So instead, I'm trying to convince myself that I'm sleepy. I'm certainly weary and tired, but sleepy hasn't happened yet. (I think I'm still in denial about being a Responsible Adult tomorrow.)

And, of course, as soon as we're off the ground tomorrow night, I'll be sound asleep. I'll wake up just in time to see the Pentagon below before we touch down at National.

Just the thought of it makes me sleepy.

9:30 am:

In the midst of the madness, a lucky break:

I called the dentist to reschedule again. I just couldn't face it today. When I called, I reached a desk clerk named Carlene who reminds me of the secretary in Richard Russo's Straight Man. She's unsure of herself and ends her sentences with an upward inflection, like a question.

Carlene checked the schedule and said, "I don't see you listed?"

"Are you sure? My schedule says Friday at 11:00," I said. "Replacing temporary crowns with permanent ones."

"Hang on? I'm looking for the appointment? (pause) Oh, okay. Your appointment isn't this Friday, it's next Friday? The 11th?"

Hallelujah! I thanked her and hung up. Even just one lucky roll on a miserable day like today can make everything better. Now I just need my photography teacher to send a mass e-mail canceling this afternoon's class...

(Not likely, but a girl can dream.)