please excuse me as i slip back into normalcy. forty e-mails waiting patiently, a pile of clothes strewn about my room (that, mysteriously, was clean when i left it, does anyone know how that happened?), thank you cards to be sent, bills to be paid, friends i promised to call right when i got home.

late last night all i wanted to do was sit mindlessly in the corner of my room, listening to a new mixed tape and catching up on websites i missed reading. today all i wanted to was eat, which required grocery shopping, and sleep (are you PMS? asked michelle. yeah, i think so, i said, crawling back into bed).

and now, i am back in the corner of my bedroom, which is anointed by the scent of melting melon wax and and lit by a dying halogen lamp, accompanied by my second cup of coffee and my wire basket of nail polish.

routines. i couldn't have scripted it any better. just last week, i was in the same spot, doing the same thing, except i'd painted my nails glittery silver (understated and classy, with a touch of schnazz) to match the trim on my webby sweater. this time, i've decided to go red, to match the streaks in my hair that gleam in the summery sun.

these are the little things a girl does to spice up her life.