I've been doing EBay a lot lately - but SELLING not buying! It's actually very exciting. It has all the 'turn-your-trash-into-cash' giddiness, but none of the irritating 'be-nice-to-a**holes-who-want-to-bargain-you-down-25-cents-on-your-old

-van-halen-cassettes' pitfalls. Very little human contact is involved. They buy my crap, I send it. I've also learned how to collect money via paypal, which makes it a lot easier. I also get m money a lot faster when I use paypal. I'm very close to going to an 'only paypal' Ebay selling dogma.

I'll be honest too - I like going to the post office. All the rows and rows of stamps lend an ordered and calming feel to my perception of the universe.

Jill finished painting May's room today, so May is sleeping in our room on the inflatable mattress. This means I have to be super quiet when going to bed.

Tomorrow I'm going into Philly to lift weights and have lunch with a friend.

On Tuesday, we’re leaving for a drive to Chicago with an overnight stop in Pittsburgh, at Jill’s cousin’s house. My plan is to stay up late once we arrive in Pittsburgh and to take a long afternoon nap before we leave in the early evening. Then we’ll drive all night to Chicago. We’ll spend three days and two nights with Jill’s brother in Chicago before driving to Kenosha to spend until August 2^nd at my mom’s house. On August 2^nd, my mom, Jill, the kids, and I will take a flight to Bend, Oregon to celebrate Michael and Kelly’s wedding. The resort looks great and even has a childcare facility at which we can leave May while Jill and I do some bicycle riding on their extensive nature trails.

We return from Oregon the evening of August 6^th, and will drive from Ohare airport to Madison, WI. We’ll visit with friends and do some relaxing in Madison until August 15^th, when I will help Jill’s parents move out of their condominium in Madison and into their new house in rural Wisconsin. I hope to leave Wisconsin and begin the drive back to Philadelphia on August 19^th or 20^th. Jill will stay a little while longer with her parents and do some additional visiting with some of her friends.

If I survive this ridiculous and suicidal vacation, I start my second year of med school on Aug 27th. Good luck and god bless.