Spring-time blues

It's been a long time, again.

I've been working a third job at a restaurant. There is much that I like about it, but much that I don't. The biggest pain is that I can tell it's taking away from other very important sections of my life. And, frankly, it doesn't pay as well as the other jobs. And, frankly, when I'm in a bad mood, it's hard to be nice to people. Especially if they don't pay you enough for it.

There'd be a lot to talk about, but recently it's been tough to feel myself interesting. I'm plugging away at jobs, at marriage preparations (not as much as my hot future wife, granted, but lots of talking about us every Thursday over in Georgetown with a priest and other couples), at biking. Biking is the absolute best thing to happen in the past few months. I haven't been paying much attention to new music, or even a ton to politics. And what's the blog good for if not that?

I do want to mention this, though. Smoking at the Library of Congress is no more.

In order to protect the health of staff and visitors the Library has revised LCR 1817-7 to make all Library buildings and vehicles smoke-free. This regulation goes into effect at the close of business Friday, April 15, 2005, and no smoking will be permitted thereafter anywhere in the buildings or near the exterior entrances or air intakes or in official Library vehicles. The smoking restrooms will be cleaned and painted first, after implementation. Thereafter the smoking lounges will be closed and cleaned. Signs will be posted at all entrances indicating that smoking is prohibited. Visitors and guests who violate this policy may be removed from the premises, and employees who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action.

Yes, at this moment from my desk a smoke break is closer than the exit, the cafeteria, and the credit union. The central Blue Core bathrooms are smoking-permitted for only a few more days. The ashtray locations are amazing--above the urinals are great-- and if one were on the proper cell phone plan, he could pee, smoke, and talk on the cell phone all at once. It's bizarre and unexpected, and now it's leaving us, which is for the best. Those bathrooms are pretty disgusting. Stale, lingering cigarette smoke reminds you why people who do smoke often don't do it in their houses or cars. This isn't smoking as cool social activity; it's smoking as desparate addiction, saying that you'd rather smoke in a smelly bathroom than take the time to go outside.

Now they'll be forced out there, to join the enormous amounts of cars queing up to try to get on 395 or find their way to some cherry blossoms. The air's pretty now, but summer is coming soon, when it'll be healthier to be inside. Maybe they should have waited until after summer to do this to the smokers.