The gauge is low.  Not on “E” or anything but it’s low enough to have me worried.  I’m watching it carefully, as if I can see that little red hand going down even though the movement is only noticable over a lengthy span.  I knew we should’ve stopped at that last place, the one amongst that forest.  What’s a forest doing in the middle of Arizona, anyway?  Isn’t it supposed to be all desert here?  Well it’s desert now.  And more desert.  And more desert.  And there’s signs saying when the next city is, but it’s too far away for this much gasoline, or at least the city who’s name I recognize is.  The other markings on the sign are vague.  Is “Cliff Dwellers” a town or a small grouping of people?  Would they have gasoline?  I try to conserve but it’s the middle of the desert and if you slow down too much people get frustrated.  I look from side to side, there’s cliffs and more cliffs.  I try and see around the corner, x-ray vision would come in handy.  I can see pretty far and not a thing indicates that petrol salvation is coming up any time soon.

It still hasn’t hit me.  I’ve walked across that stage.  Thank you.  Shake hand.  Thank you.  Shake hand.  Thank you.  Shake hand.  Receive diploma with other hand.  It’s all completed.  I have finished school, a week before the ceremony in fact.  But so far it doesn’t feel any different.  The day to day obligations are gone, there’s no where I have to be.  But I’m trying to be an adult, and I’m trying to be responsible, and that means I’m keeping busy.  There’s resumes to build, there’s people to get in contact with.  There’s things to write.  There’s lots of things to write.  And on top of all that, I’m trying to exercise.  Exercising almost seems to take up as much time as school does.  But on the plus side the running is giving me a sense of accomplishment htat’s lasting through the entire day.  After I’ve done that, it doesn’t really matter what else I do that day.  I’ve run!  But there already seems to be a dozen projects up in the air, and there’s a job out there somewhere.  I’m almost worried that I will get a job too quickly now.  How will I finish all this when I have somewhere to go?