day of the dread

Today, I was supposed to be on an early morning to the City of Lights; the U.S. version, not Paris. I'm talking about Las Vegas. I'm supposed to be there, right now, celebrating my birthday with my friends. They're there, but I'm not. I'm here. Stuck in Tucson, with packed luggage. Stuck in Tucson, with the hope that by some chance, a miracle would occur. Stuck in Tucson, with absolutely no money, a frozen bank account from a bounced paycheck, and an unpaid bill that has found its way to a collections agency. I couldn't let my situation stop my friends from having fun, since this was their vacation too, so they flew off...off into a weekend of unforgettable shenanigans. It's a situation I never thought I would find myself in. I never thought my life would ever reach such a financial low. And I know I can't rely on anyone to bail me out, since I'll probably end up more in debt owing someone for a problem I got myself into. I just have to pull myself out of this disastrous funk.

I just wish I knew how...

the pushover

It's official! I'm moving to Milwuakee, at the beginning of next year! As I type, a two-bedroom apartment is currently being found for me and my friend Gwen, who will accompany me on this move. She will be the manager and I will be the clothing buyer for a new store. It's all still very new, but very exciting. The only thing is...I've told everyone but my boss, Alice.

Things have been kinda tense at the shop, lately. This Friday will mark the fourth paycheck that I have not received from her. That's not even counting the two un-cashed paychecks I have at home from earlier this year. I don't know what's going on with her or her money managing skills, but she keeps telling me that when everything clears, I will be paid in full, along with any late fees I inccur. It sucks when your manager is your friend, because lines become crossed and what should be an easy answer or solution to a problem, well, it isn't.

I like to think of myself as the kind of person who has faith in people, no matter what, believing that somehow the good will always overcome the bad, in all and every situation. And I'm a very supportive person, which is one of the reason's I've stuck around. I knew my boss Alice would be going through a hard time, after her husband landed in jail and she was several months pregnant, but I never thought I would regret my decision so much.

It's made me lose respect for her, and even worse, it's made me lose respect for myself.

that's what you get for partying up in vegas

As some of you may or may not know, last Monday was my birthday. Twenty-friggin-three years old! God. Practically, middle-aged. And it was actually one of my first birthdays that I didn't freak out over. Usually, when I get older, I can feel it, emotionally and physically. But this past one...well, it kinda just swept over me. No biggie. Maybe it was because I don't look like I'm in my 20's, that I didn't freak out. Or maybe it's because I didn't celebrate my birthday.

This year, I chose not to celebrate my birthday, until the end of the month. The reason? I'm going to Vegas!

It all started a couple months back, when my friend Hadassah and I were on our way to a party and that Elton John song, Tiny Dancer, came on the radio. I casually mentioned that someday, I would love to see him in concert. I knew all his songs, since I grew up listening to classic hits of the 50's, 60's, and 70's, thanks to my dad, and to see a living legend like Elton would be just beyond awesome. Hadassah, remembered that little piece of information and gave me two tickets to see Elton in Las Vegas for Halloween. I was so ecstatic!

From then on, a motion was set forth to carry out a party held in my honor in the city of lights and sin. Halloween weekend would be my new birthday. There would be Elton, dinner at Tao, dancing at Pure, and a guarantee run-in with at least a costumed celebrity or two! And though it all seems to be coming together, one part of my plan seems to be falling apart.

Originally, I decided to get a suite at the MGM Grand Hotel. But as more people decided to come, a condo seemed like the best thing. I found a listing online using Craigslist. The ad listed a three-bedroom condo, behind the Flamingo Hotel for $100 a weekend night and $50 a weekday night, which made our four day, three night trip come out to a grand total of $250, taxes and all included. It was almost too good to be true. At such a ganga of a deal, I immediately contacted the seller and we arranged payment through Paypal. Everything seemed to be fine, until about two weeks ago, when I tried contacting the seller to ask him more questions. He was unresponsive.

I left voicemails, emails, and if we still used telegrams, I would've sent him one too! But nothing. I was constantly checking my iPhone to make sure any and all voicemails/emails were still coming through. They were, but his wasn't. And just as I was coming to the realization that I may have been scammed and that I would have to start looking for another place to stay, the seller called me, this past Friday. He explained he was at the airport and had to leave on an emergency trip and apologized for any inconvenience he bestowed upon me and my "Las Vegas birthday entourage" (his words, not mine). He had been extremely busy and had absolutely no time to get in contact with anyone but he assured me our reservation was still active and that he had placed in the mail, a room key and brochure, along with any information I would need during our stay. It relaxed me just a little bit, but just a little bit.

I still haven't received anything in the mail and although yesterday was a holiday and no one in the U.S. got their mail, I'm not sure whether or not I should remain freaked out...