Kevin and I finally found an apartment we like. It's livable and we're ready to sign for it. I was really excited about it (except for the $2400 deposit) until I got a text message from him today.

"You have a criminal record in North Carolina for fishing without a license," he typed.

"Are you kidding me!?" I responded.

"We're never gonna get an apartment in NYC," he jokingly texted back.

It really amazes me how a goody-two-shoes like myself could get screwed over for such a minor incident. Sure, we'll get the apartment, but the fact that this is even showing up on my record really bothers me! I'm a good kid dammit!! Shit, I have friends who do crazy stuff like rip up apartment complex mailboxes, get arrested for public urination, avoid registering their vehicles, and God knows what else. For goodness sake, even Kevin is constantly telling me infamous stories about his crazy high school and college antics and I'm in trouble for fishing without a license five years ago!! I didn't even want to fish in the first place. Here's the story:

Jay and I had just broken up. We'd dated for close to five years (a good portion of high school and most of my college time), but we were growing apart. I was hard on him in an attempt to motivate him into a good lifestyle. I constantly pushed him to get his education, better himself, and experience the world. He didn't like that and began to resent me. Most of the time he was more interested in playing video games than going out on a real date. So we broke up. And then we went fishing.

That's right. I begged him for years to take me on "adventures" and now that we weren't "together" he'd decided it was time to do something fun. I figured I'd take the chance. We headed down to a local lake with sushi packed for lunch (how fitting) and began to fish. Well he fished. I just sorta watched. He'd bate and cast one line and then put it down and bate and cast the other. Go figure that the one time I pick up the line (he thought something was on it) a ranger in a boat pulls up. Jay wasn't worried. He ran up to his car and got his fishing license, but I was caught. No license. Thanks Jay.

So now it's on my record. I was really upset at the time - mostly because I had a huge fine to pay, but more importantly because I was stressed about the record. Most of my peers wouldn't have given a rats ass, but I lost sleep about it. Would it hurt me when applying for jobs? Would it ever prevent me from progressing? Never did I imagine that I'd be sitting in New York city looking for apartments and wondering if they'd forgive my minor criminal record. My southern roots - fishing without a license. Go figure.

They better watch out. Employers and Land Lords look out!!! Hire me and you may find me fishing on the Hudson - sans license!!! I'm bad. Real Bad.