I just went by the new apartment. I have to admit, I was rather disappointed as I climbed the stairs. It seems that somebody had dragged a bag full of oil down the stairs, leaving quite a stain. It looked worse at the top.

That's when I noticed the beach chairs, ashtray, and pack of Marlboro Lights.

There are two good ol' boys living next to the apartment. They were on the balcony when I walked by later, smoking and drinking beer right in front of what would be my living-room window.

I'd rather stay here.

For starters, I'm quite allergic to cigarette smoke. It makes my sinuses shut down. Completely. I cannot breathe through my nose and have a hard time through my mouth.

Secondly, I'm moving to get away from noise. Somehow I don't get the feeling this would solve that problem.

It's too bad. I would have been moving into Apartment 8 on 8-8-08.

Last week, I had an awkward encounter with somebody from my past, who clearly wanted to engage me in a conversation that I knew wasn't going to end well. Her energy was aggressive, and unlike the rest of the party goers, she wasn't there to celebrate a friend's birthday (even my friend, the birthday girl said so).

So I was cool and aloof. I answered politely, but distantly, with no easy way to re-engage after each answer. I didn't ask her any questions. And this surprised me. I wondered why I was so cool and aloof? Why wasn't I warmer and more compassionate? Was there a way to be warm and compassionate without violating my boundaries or lying?

I went over it in my head, looking for a way I could have done it better.

I was talking with an executive coach, who is also a client, and she said that under those circumstances, she recommends that her clients, "observe the courtesies." Be polite, but don't engage. Then she said that I handled it pretty well.

The reason I couldn't think of a better way is because that might have been the best way for me. It allowed me to be me without getting dragged into something I didn't want.

It was 98 degrees when my car decided that it needed a cool-down. No idiot lights came on, it just said no mas. So I spent about an hour sitting in a Starbucks, in a comfy chair waiting for a 5:30 call with a client. The reason for this decision was 30 sun-baked minutes of going less than my speedometer records as moving on a major freeway. When I finally got off the freeway to get gas, she was limping.

She let me move her away from the gas pump and across the street, but she wasn't happy about it. I wish she could have spent more time sitting in the shade, but at least it was a nice parking lot. Meanwhile, I opted to sit in an air-conditioned Starbucks, listening to the girls behind the counter talk over the jazz that's played above my head. Not exactly what I wanted for this call, but it could be much, much worse.

There must be a reason for this. Sometimes I wish the Universe would say, "Dude, I'm helping you avoid this..." or "Look for the pretty girl in the blue top, she's your dream girl." Instead all I get is sputter, sputter... cough, cough...

*sarcasm alert! sarcasm alert! sarcasm alert! sarcasm alert! sarcasm alert! sarcasm alert!*

Does this man have a single ethical bone in his body?

Today, GW Bush said, "With its actions in recent days, Russia has damaged its credibility and its relations with the nations of the free world. Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century."

After I stopped the coffee from coming out my nose in a spit-take, I wondered, has this man ever heard of hypocrisy? Then I wondered if there was a more appropriate (and stronger) word for this?

Are we really that far removed from 2003? Something about still having troops dying in Iraq tells me that we're not.

In other news... "The United States will, in all likelihood, drop out of annual naval exercises with Russia to express disapproval of the country's war with Georgia."

Are you serious? Did they really say,"in all likelihood"?

Who needs staff writers at The Onion these days? The current administration is the greatest spoof of itself.

By the way, did anybody notice who will not be attending the Republican National Convention? VP Dick Cheney (though that might have been by request), Ted Stevens (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Bob Schaffer (Colorado), Roger Wicker (Mississippi), John Sununu (New Hampshire), Elizabeth Dole (North Carolina), Gordon Smith (Oregon), John Kennedy (Louisiana -- not that John Kennedy), and Steve Pearce (New Mexico), and former Senator Larry Craig, who has issues with the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport it seems.

I actually feel a bit sorry for John McCain. The Republican party is falling apart. Want more proof? Weekly Standard editor, Bill Kristol is claiming that former Secretary of State Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama. He could even give a speech at the Democratic National Convention (something Colin Powell steadfastly denies).

Can you say "bandwagon"? I knew you could.