I slowly see myself turning into one of those grouchy old men.  You know… the old geezer whom the neighborhood parents warn their kids to stay away from because he eats children.

I had class this morning.  Next week is the last week, then I’m done for good.  I’m more than ready to be through with it.  It’s taken me four years to get a two-year degree in a field of IT that I have little interest in.  (I’ve moved around some, and also have about half of a bachelor’s degree.  Long story.)  Anyway, I woke up this morning at 4:30 to finish all of my homework from the past six weeks of class (because that’s how I roll).  I went to class, turned it in, did my stuff, and left.  On the way home, I was hungry, so I stopped by the local Arby’s to get some lunch.

I always go inside when I go to Arby’s.  That’s because I like to put their spicy three-pepper sauce on my chicken/bacon/swiss sandwich, and for some reason, they don’t have it in the little packets.  You have to get it from the dispenser things inside.  *grumble*

As I was ordering, I heard a commotion behind me.  A few moments later, I glanced back to see four 12-14 year-old girls carrying on like fools.  I positioned myself at a table as far away from them as possible, hoping to avoid listening to them.  My efforts were futile.

You know the type.  They giggle uncontrollably at everything, and every sentence ends with a question mark, regardless of whether or not it is an inquiry.

“SO… um… we were in biology the other day?  And we were like… dissecting a frog?  And it smelled SO bad?  I was like… UH… EEW?”

“UH… I KNOW, right!?!?” responded her friend across the table, gesturing dramatically with one hand and drinking her soda with the other.

This went on for some time.  As annoying as it was, I couldn’t help but smile to myself, and think of what might have happened, had my fiancee been with me.

Julia tends to be “one of the guys.”  A lot of girls get on her nerves.  That especially includes teenaged, loud-mouthed girls who can’t put three real words together without collapsing into laughter.

When in the presence of girls like this, she tends to (loudly) strike up conversations with me.

‘SO… UM… MIKE?  YA KNOW… I GET SOOOO TOTALLY PISSED OFF AT STUPID PEOPLE?  ONES WHO ARE, LIKE, SO LOUD AND GET ON PEOPLE’S NERVES?”

She makes my heart smile.

“I’m anti-prissy,” she’s informed me matter-of-factly on several occasions.

Things like this concern me, though.  I ate my lunch as quickly as possible in order to avoid being stuck in the same room with them any longer than necessary.  There’s no way I could have one of these girls living in my home.

What if Jules and I have a daughter one day?  She’s going to grow up and become a teenager eventually.  If she ever starts talking like that, I’m afraid you’ll find my name in the newspaper.  It’ll be under the heading, “Local Parent Arrested For Beating Child.”

Anyway, my sandwich was good.