This is my pops. He's 70 today. 70! Happy Birthday, Dad. And thanks for the pep talk.

BTW, he is smiling.

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I'm at Dollop again, and I think this place really is going to save me. The guys working on my building apparently don't take Saturdays off.

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I had yet another freak-out last night. When is this going to end? When am I going to adapt?

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I'm about to write a syllabus for Intro to Poetry Writing. I will be stealing many, many an exercise from Mary B., mentor extraordinaire. Unfortunatley, I won't get to use this syllabus for at least 2 more semesters. Gotta put in my comp-teaching dues.

Dollop

I think I just fell in love...Dollop, the cutest little coffee shop I've ever seen, has been hiding just a five minute walk away from home. The review on the website says:

"Dollop is a true “coffee home:” a coffee shop for those intent on setting up shop with laptops, newspapers, books and caffeine for hours at a time...The back wall contains an unassuming threshold that leads to a comfy cove with couches, library-like tables and bookshelves: seemingly designed for those who would go to the library if not for the anti-noise and anti-beverage laws."

If only I had found this place sooner! It's like they built this little cove for me. I hate working in libraries, but I've found that my apartment is just not conducive to hours and hours of studying time. Especially this week, since there's a crew literally hanging outside my window repairing the bricks and the balconies and making a lot of noise and dust.

An hour ago, I was ready to go awol, rent a car and drive to Ohio just to get the f$#% out of the city, but now, I think I can wait the two weeks until I'm supposed to be going home for my first visit in what feels like years.

Thank you, thank you Dollop! You may have just saved my life (or at least my sanity)!