What does one do on her last day in Chicago?

(1) Remember to lift with legs, not back.
Gotta remember, legs, NOT BACK! (Ow ow oweeeee...)

(2) Be the first one in line at the Post Office.
For once in my life, I was first for something! My last couple of experiences at the Post Office have offended my liberal sensibilities - every visit was another reason to ask for the privatization of postal services (yes, yes, Liberal Pals, I know privatization doesn't solve everything...I'm just sayin'...). Anyhoo, I was delighted to see that the postal worker assisting me was the Nicest Postal Lady in the History of Postal Ladies ("NPLHPL"), who makes my Friedman-esque tendencies about the USPS melt away like butter in a hot pan each time she helps me. NPLHPL is a southeast Asian immigrant and just the sweetest, most helpful person ever. Today, I commented that I was amazed to be the first customer of the day, because I'm never early for anything. Her response:

"No, that's good! And, well, I don't mean to be rude, but don't people say that being early gets you the bits of the worms?"

So cute! I'll miss you, NPLHPL!

(3) Wonder if God is trying to tell America/World something.
In Imperial China, it was an old Chinese superstition that natural disasters precede the fall of a dynasty. Locusts, earthquakes, monsoons -- that type of thing. It's sort of a silly superstition really, because doesn't it just give license for people to rise up against the rulers again, instead of actually being heavenly indication that the current regime sucks? In any case, I think it's one of those "Olds" that Mao failed to crush during the Cultural Revolution.

This Hurricane Katrina devastation gets the traditional Chinese mindset in me thinking. It's just an awful situation, and I know it sounds empty, but I hope that the folks stuck in the middle of it make it out all right. Beyond the whole "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" mentality that I have going about the US, I often listen to/read the news each morning and think, "Whoa, is God mad at us or something? Is there another tree that he told us not to touch, and somehow we missed that memo?" Damn you, NPR and The Economist, for making me painfully aware of what's going on in the world.

But at least the President determined it was OK to leave vacation early to tend to this Katrina business.

Bye bye, Pax Americana.

(4) Feel a little bittersweet about leaving work.
One of my few hyper-girly traits is my sentimentality (yes, I apologize again for generalizing about my sex). Yesterday was my last day. I think a lot of people would feel happy about leaving their job, but I'm sort of sad about it. I feel bad for not doing more, not helping out the new peeps more, etc. Lots of feeling bad.

Everyone was always really nice to me, and thus stepped up the niceties upon knowing I was leaving. I got a card! And cake! Oh, and bag of Lemonheads (along with some other nice things). It's always nice to move on, but - yeesh - I was one of those kids who used to cry when summer started because I wouldn't see my schoolmates and teacher again. OK, perhaps that was too revelatory. Anyhoo, I will miss my coworkers. And I'm not just writing that because some of them might be reading this blog now. :)

(5) Be reduced to eating contents of refrigerator/pantry.
Mmm, frozen waffles, corn dogs, natural peanut butter, and can of Mandarin oranges!

(6) Packing and cleaning some more!
Dear God, why am I blogging?!?!

...Perhaps more later...