Life Stories: October 2004 Archives

I'm still around, it's just been a crazy couple of days. Work is really busy, and I've been trying to leave early because there are tons of errands to run to prepare for my annual Halloween haunted house. Believe it or not, every Home Depot in the western US is out of the black plastic sheeting I need to build the walls of the maze... apparently they shipped it all to Florida because of the hurricanes. Fortunately I've found another supplier, and I'll spend most of this evening trying to make that acquisition.

Last night was beautiful. We got a dozen or so feet of rain and I sat at home reading about vampires, playing Evil Genius, and talking on the phone. EG is really fun so far; it's similar to Dungeon Keeper, except that you get to send your evil minions out into the world to wreak havoc, steal money, and execute nefarious schemes. Meanwhile, you build an underground island fortress to defend yourself from the various secret agents the world governments send after you. The perfect game for a Republican.

I've got a few things to write about, but I don't really think I can contribute much to the political discussions beyond making easy observations that other, more popular writers are already making. I'm on pins and needles over the election, and I'm planning to spend Election Eve at a Bear Flag League party in Westchester. I've never been to an election party before; this is the first Presidential election that's happened since my church moved our kids' program off of Tuesday nights, and I'd been working there for years and years. It's all very exciting, and I'm really looking forward to the price of oil dropping and the market improving once the votes are finally tallied (whenever that is).

I'm sick of having to deal with all the people who apparently despise the Establishment but have no problem living fat, lazy lives afforded by same. I met a communist at a party who said he hated money, but then refused to open his wallet and give me his. Why? He then said he didn't need money because he could come to my house and steal food any time he wanted. I invited him to try, but advised him that I'm heavily armed and that I'm not likely to get many opportunities to shoot a communist.

So yeah, I'm pro-Establishment. I know which side my bread's buttered on, and if you're smart you do too. Is the Man perfect? Nah, but he's easier to change from the inside than from the outside, and it's sure a lot more fun to take control of your destiny than to just whine and complain all the time about how unfair life is.

I'm just another brick in the Wall, and I'm proud of it. The Wall holds out all sorts of nasty evil things that want to kill me, my family, and all my friends.

I just had lunch with Leslie Dutton from the Full Disclosure Network and we talked about politics and the art of blogging. FDN is trying to get connected into the blogging community and is in the enviable position of having a huge library of original content that will probably be of interest to Californians of all stripes who want to know, as they say, "the news behind the news". There was also talk of doing a show with me and some other SoCal bloggers, and I'll let you know if anything develops.

I stubbed my whole entire foot this morning on an axe handle while I was running. I don't think it's broken, because I can move my toesies, but it still hurts.

I just replaced the five-gallon water bottle on the cooler at work that was empty before I got there. During the process, the bottle slipped and crushed my right index finger, making me bleed my own blood. Nevertheless, I refused to surrender to my aqueous adversary and completed the dangerous operation with minimal further casualties. Was it worth it? Someone else would have surely replaced the bottle eventually, and I could have been spared this grievous injury. Fortunately for humanity, my kind and generous nature is irresistable. I've been informed that my Purple Heart is in the mail.

Oooo, it might rain tomorrow. How exciting! Good thing I didn't wash my car two weeks ago.

I just got some comments from my advisor on the most recent draft of my dissertation, and he was very positive! Among other things, he said that this draft didn't put him to sleep like my earlier ones, so that's a definite improvement. I've still got to come up with a few extensions with significance, but it sounds like I'm getting pretty close to being done. Yippie!

Working on the weekend is weird. I feel like I'm in one of those zombie movies where everyone is gone but me, and any moment the living dead are going to pop out and eat my brain. I just took a walk about the industrial park where my work is, and it's got a very post-apocalyptic vibe. No one's around, lots of heavy machinery sitting idle, flocks of pigeons everywhere, ruling the roost for a couple of days while the humans are gone.

It's a bit depressing, but on the plus side I thought of a great name for a band: Apocalypso! Unfortunately, other people thought of it a long time ago... just like most of my ideas. Oh well. Time to go home.

I'm in one of those moods where I don't want to do any of the things I can think of doing. I don't really want to call anyone, though I'd probably go out if someone called me. I want to read, but I just finished The Grim Grotto and so it's hard to switch gears and read something else. I want to work on the new novel I'm writing, but the words aren't coming as fast as my brain is working. I want to just sit and stare at the wall for a while, but then I get jittery and can't stick with it. I'm not hungry, and I had to force myself to eat lunch. I got an Ultimate Pollo Bowl from El Pollo Loco; it's pretty tasty, but it left me feeling bland. The message light on my phone is blinking, but I think I'll wait till Monday to check it. There's no one else here, so it can't be urgent, right?

I want something exciting to happen. Exciting, yet not depressing or challenging in any way. Something that's not a mixed blessing, but just a plain old straight up blessing. Something that I didn't plan for myself. Like, it'd be cool to find a treasure map. If I had a GPS I might go geocaching, but I don't. I could go buy one, but that would violate rule three. I could start an Action Squad, but I'm more in the mood to just join one. Starting things take energy, and would again violate rule three. I just want something to happen out of nowhere, is that too much to ask?

Let's see... I could get a grail diary or some other important package in the mail, that would be nice. I could get a mysterious phone call, or even a call from someone I haven't heard from in a while, or even a telegram. I could get a letter from a publisher who wants to buy my last book... that technically would violate rule three, but since the work has already been done it's practically like finding treasure. Hmmm... what other kinds of surprises are there besides phone calls, letters, and finding things on the street? Well, someone could just walk up to my door, but that rarely happens.

Anyway, I bet lots of people want surprising and exciting things to happen to them. I could try to surprise someone else, but I don't have any good ideas at the moment for doing so. If anyone out there wants to be surprised, let me know what kind of excitement you want and when you want it and I'll do my best to make it happen.