Why am I still up when it's nearly 11.30 and I have to get up at 5.30 tomorrow?

Actually, the better question is why I have to be up at the ungodly hour of 5.30: because, dear reader, I have an 8.45 a.m. photo shoot at Schmancy. You know how I said that they want to put the fellows' pictures up on their web page? Yeah. Nothing makes one look fresher and more glamorous than getting up at 5.30 a.m. on a Monday and then spending two hours in transit. And who said I even wanted my photo up? What I REALLY want is my goddamn stipend, people.

I'm still up in part because, well, I never go to bed before midnight (before 1 a.m. is hard enough), but also because I was on the phone first with my folks and then with my friend Victoria, who is interviewing tomorrow for the publishing job I just left. She's one of my oldest and dearest friends, dating back to our time together on the high school quiz bowl team (yeah, spare me the jokes), who's now in grad school out here in Major Eastern City. And I thought, who better to take over this sweet part-time gig? And to alleviate some of my guilt about leaving? So I had to give her the run-down on the people and the situation, and gossip about our respective friends and family members, and . . . the next thing you know, I'm looking at 6 hours of sleep at best.

God. Maybe I just won't go in on Tuesday. But wait: I'm already missing on Wednesday because I have jury duty. JURY DUTY. Kill me now.