Gob's Magic Act Over and Over -or- Death by Parenthetical Expression

Do-do do dooo, dodo do-do-doo...it’s the final countdown. You know the song, by Europe (not a collaborated effort by the continent but the name of the band)? It’s been in my head for nearly a month whenever I start irrationally counting the days (23, 24, 25…26) until Todd comes as if I can accelerate time.

Since he left 14 months ago, I have stopped and started biting my nails six different times. I use Burt’s Bee Lemon Cuticle Butter compulsively, which gets me to stop biting because it instantaneously makes your nails look fantastic (no matter how mangy they are) thus deterring your desire to bite them. Of course it eventually runs out and in the short period before getting to the store to replenish my supply, I decimate (10 nails, what an appropriate word) my month or so of effort. I guess in all honesty, I don’t actually break the nail-biting habit I just replace it with an applying-moisturizer-to-my-nails habit, which is healthier but you wouldn’t congratulate a heroin addict for taking up the more wholesome option of weed would you? OK so not the same thing and in fact, maybe you would (totally pathetic, I just Googled “what is the worst drug?” to try to make my analogy accurate). Nevertheless, once I'm off the wagon, it takes some mustering (uh yeah it's a word) to get back on.

So here I am in yet another nail-biting slump, reflecting on what I have done in the past year without Todd (writing this blog is not on the list...being a huge slacker is). I said goodbye to the Windy City (and most of my belongings) in May of 2007 and stayed at my parents for a couple weeks. I even managed to convince some Chicago friends to come to Omaha during the College World Series (I promised hot chicks...I did not deliver). In June, I left to Seattle and moved in with Liz and Chris for a couple months to do a little figuring about you know, life. Basically I reverted back to my time in France by drinking lots of wine and reading in the hammock. Oh well and actually Chriz (haha, get it?) took me on several adventures in nature so that was excellent, and I did in fact land a REAL job. My first full-time job...at 25...and I’m not a lawyer or in any other profession that requires copious amounts of schooling. And guess what? It’s in Boise, Idaho. So I moved again. One car ride from hell over (Liz and I somehow got cholera. Or I had just watched The Painted Veil the night before and I was overreacting to what was probably just an adverse reaction to some fish tacos), and I suddenly live in the most unlikely place I could ever imagine I would.

Now I’ve been in Boise for over 8 months. Words that describe Boise in a nutshell because this post is already too long: high desert foothills, lots and lots of Caucasians, NPR, Northwest style houses, longboards and cruisers, rednecks, every outdoor sport imaginable, hip married couples, BSU football and geographical isolation.

I hope to get back on track with this blog so if anyone is out there, keep me on point!

Talk to you soon,

D.Riggs

Small Thing: Being self-checkout savvy.


Climbing Mt. Shuksan with Liz and Chris.


Betsie and Rob of Boise. My favorite people to be a third wheel with!


Haley. My bitchy roommate.