Somewhere in the Universe, someone is laughing very evil laughter.

I wouldn't exactly say that the world is out to get me but something on a much larger scale. Whoever is pulling the strings of my so-called life is having a grand time while laughing at me. I have not made up my mind yet on whether or not I believe in karma but I'm slowly leaning towards "yes"

Why? Let me tell you. Over the past few months, quite a few rather negative things have happened to me and these events have helped me decide that if Karma does indeed exist then I'm in for a world of greatness.

First, I am a coffee fanatic. I need it and cannot live without it. I'm not a big fan of corporate coffee but i will drink it if i have to. For the past 10 years or so I have haunted this little dive of a coffee bar, it has 2 tables, magazines from years gone by, old well read comic books and the best god damn dark roast you can have the honor of sucking down.

So anyway, a few days ago I was talking to one of the girls that work there and she seemed rather upset so i asked her what was wrong. Between the tears she was able to tell me that this coffee bar that she has worked at for several years and I had frequented for about 10 years is leaving. When a business goes out of business its not really a surprise, you tend to hear whispers about it.

Nope...not this time. The owner of the building came downstairs and informed the manager and employees that the building is going to be sold and modified for some type of clothing store and that the coffee house will be gone by the end of the month. This really sucks. This is certainly not the only place to get coffee in my town but it was the best. I knew everyone there and going there was part of my daily routine. That little hole inside my heart just got a little bigger.

Second. I am a sushi fanatic and finding good sushi in the area where i live is not an easy task. There is a great little place a couple of towns over called Sakura. Not only does Sakura have great sushi for not a lot of money but they also have great beef and noodle bowls, Pocky, Strawberry Kit-Kats, Ramune and UCC coffee...all off these things being part of my weekly diet.

Anyway, the rent on the building where they are now is rather high and they have been looking to relocate to a cheaper area but still close to where they are now. Well, they found a really nice building both larger and cheaper then where they are now however its 2 and a half hours away in the bottom of the state. I'm not a rich kid, I cant afford an every other day trip to the bottom of the state for great sushi...my gasoline budget just wont allow it. There are other little Japanese places in the area with decent sushi but its just not the same.

Finally, I have been kind of seeing this great girl lately and Katelyn is her name. We have the same taste in everything...she likes Japanese food, she drinks coffee, she likes to make fun of white trash folk and she reads comic books....this girl is a goddess.

She works at the local university studying the effects of fresh water on salt water creatures....what she does is much more technical but i just don't know the official term or job description. She loves what she does and I love hearing about what she does and starting next month i will only be able to hear about what she does over the phone.

The funding for her research at the school that she works at has been pulled but since the group of people that she works with are rather knowledgeable in the field that they are in, they have been given the option to transfer however the school that she works at is the only one in the state that has a program for what she does so I knew the whole "I'm moving out of state thing" was on its way. HOWEVER...what i wasn't aware of is that programs like hers are not at every college...in fact only about 4 major colleges have programs for what she does, all of which are a somewhat lengthy plane trip away. Her choices are California, Oregon, Texas or Florida...none of which are remotely close to where i live.

Katelyn chose Florida due to the fact that she has friends and family down there. We only have about a month together before she moves for good so we are going to try to make the best of it. We will talk on the phone and online and I will try my best to save some cash to go down and see her but like i said earlier...I'm not a rich kid.

Here's to you Puppet Master...i hope you are having a good laugh.

Congratulations Universe, you win.