Parts That Define The Edges Of Things

You know. Borders.

I went to Borders today for the first time in exactly six weeks. The one closest to my apartment is no ordinary Borders - it's like the super-deluxe, fancy version. I was a little disappointed the first time I saw it because I was hoping it would be just like my beloved Borders in Augusta and it turned out to be this two-story, sandwiched-between-Macy's-and-The Cheesecake-Factory, palm-tree-landscaped, upscale Borders. Maybe that's why it took me over a month to go.

Anyway, so I went in, had a shufti to see where things were located, and climbed their uppity (ha...ha...) curving staircase to the cafe. Five minutes later, I took stock:
Refreshing iced chai? Check.
Comfy leather chair? Check.
Oversized medical textbook? Check.
Witty, comic-book-reading, ipod/portable-cd-player-swapping, flip-flop-and-funky-glasses-wearing, guitar-and-drums-playing, music-and-entertainment-loving, Borders-addiction-initiating friend? Absent.

Moving 2000 miles away from all your friends is no picnic. Unless we're talking about a picnic where you get rained on and attacked by ants and later get food poisoning because your poultry wasn't properly refrigerated.

Anyway, long story short, while sitting there studying for my CMI exam, I ended up meeting and talking with a guy who, turns out, works at the same place I do, moved to Phoenix and started work the same week I did, and lives in the same area I do. Plus, his girlfriend is originally from Boston and he gave me some tips on places to go and things to see while I'm there this week. Small world.

Then I went to Target and found an awesome pair of shoes that cost me a very reasonable amount of cheddar.

Love.