Gambling in the Elevator

Home. :)

How good it feels. And how strange to find that this house, this town, this area.. is beginning to feel like home, after such a short time.

For the longest time, I had no idea where home was. But, for some reason.. this one is growing on me. Now if I can just figure out where *work* is, in this place that is becoming home.

Should be a nice weekend. J2 is up, with roomie in tow. My new student orientation at grad school is on Saturday, plus college kids we know are coming over for dinner in the evening, too. And Mass.. and church.. Busy! But that's good - a different kind of busy than the rest of this week. Whew..

Ran last night, in the oppressive heat, and made it through the mile loop! Not a bad time, either.. But as I was heading in afterwards, I noticed through the glass walls of the elevator this man and woman walking down my hallway talking. They seemed to know each other.

But then, as I got off the elevator, there was an exaggerated distance between them, and all of a sudden he pretended not to know her. "After you, Miss." he said as they got on. Hmm.. fishy..

Then, as I walked down the hallway, I turned back to look, and sure enough.. he had his hands all over her! She's facing away from me, but he looks up, sees me watching, and winks, as if to say: "Hey, buddy, you know the score, right?"

Yeah, I know the score. But I'm not sure you do.

You may think so, pal, but do you realize what a high-stakes game it is you're playing? Maybe you have nothing to lose, but if you're being furtive.. I'll bet you do. You really should think about not playing this particular game at all. Because in this one.. you're playing against the House, mister, and the odds.. they are *not* in your favor.

Sure, people do have streaks of luck, bad or good (after all, 3000 years ago, the author of Ecclesiastes talked about the wicked appearing to prosper and the righteous being hurt) - so a person may take risks and, with some good luck, for a while may have more than they came in with - but it's a rare person who *stops* risking before he blows everything he's gained and more besides, winding up empty-handed in the end. Nobody beats the House forever, friend. Nobody.

Anyway, home. :) It's nice. It's been a long week.

And brrrrrr.. is it cold up here! Ahhhh.. ;) Lovely.