I think I might be square.

Every morning I wake up at aproximately 7:40(and 6:40 on tuesday and thursday), five minutes before my alarm goes off. I'm not exactly sure why I was born with such an internal alarm clock, but I was. This "internal clock" is quite nice because I absolutely hate it when the alarm on my phone wakes me up, despite the fact that "It's Time to Party" by Andrew W.K. is the tone set to wake me up. Life is so much better when I'm able to wake up under my own power.

This morning, my phone woke me up.

Since I am a dude, it doesn't take long for me to get ready for school. I slow on some deoderant, some clothing, and I grab my IPOD and my backpack and I head for the bus stop.

Despite what Hannah might think, I do enjoy riding the bus. It's an experience to say the least and for some reason it makes me feel a little bit more like a student, even if its not exactly the type of student I want to feel like. The last time I rode the bus to school on a regular basis was in Junior High school...well over 10 years.

Since the bus stop is like a mile away, and by "a mile away" I mean a half-mile away. And when I say "half-mile away" I really mean closer to a quarter-mile. I've never actually measured the distance, I don't see the purpose in that. For the sake of storytelling, I'm going to say that it was miles away. In any case, I have realized that I have to leave at 8 a.m. in order to make the 8:22 bus. This is largely because the 8:22 can show up, I've learned, anywhere between 8:15 and 8:30.

Today I was about half-way on my journey to the old WordPerfect business park when I had a thought pop into my head, "Do I have my wallet?" I threw my right hand into my back pocket to find that my black leather "In Flames" wallet was not resting against my right cheek. I can't get on the bus without my wallet, it has my bus card. I immediatley turned around and sprinted towards home. My house is up a hill, which this morning felt like a mountain. I got there, found my wallet, and sprinted to the bus stop. When I got to the soccer fields, I remember thinking to myself that these fields are unusually ginormous this morning. I swear I thought I was going to pass out, where I'd likely be found laying in the grass by the old asian couple that are always circling the soccer fields that early in the morning.

I imagine that I looked pretty awkward. I did, however, feel a little bit like myself in junior high, desperately trying to move my legs as fast as I can while trying to keep my backpack from bouncing off my back in order to catch the bus to school. I would change between running while holding onto my straps tightly, pulling hard enought to try and keep the backpack from boucning off my shoulders and running sort of straight armed and awkward.

Sometimes the most unexpected things can remind you of your youth...

...and coincidentally remind you of your age.

By the time I made it to the bus stop, I was dizzy, my mouth had that sort of watery feeling you get right before you puke. I must have been running pretty fast because I still had a couple minutes before the bus showed up. Even with those minutes to rest, my lungs felt engulfed in flames. I seem to remember tasting an irony substance in my throat which made me think perhaps my lungs were bleeding even though I wasn't spitting up any blood.

I'm out of shape.

I think I might be square.