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11/03/97 - I had an idea for a guitar finish last night; in fact, I dreamed it. What if I took a clean finish and added food coloring... could I get a clear, colored finish? I think it may work. I'll test it on a 2x4 first. I was dragged to a party saturday night that turned out to be amazingly fun. My friends James and Melissa were in town; I was planning on having people over to my house for a cookout but James said his sister-in-law's fiance was having a similar shindig. Ok, I thought, I'll find some way out of this but as the time got closer I found myself too busy to plan an escape. Suddenly it was time to go; not wanting to look like a ninny I went, thinking I could creep away unnoticed after a little while... but Ted's place was fun. There was beer and foosball and spaghetti and this terra cotta thingy called a chiminea which amounted to a pot bellied flower pot fire place. We burned stuff and made smores and stayed up until 2:15am talking. Strange how much fun I had even with a bad attitude. Oh, well... live and learn.
11/04/97 - Election Day. I have to go WAY OUT to where I used to live because I forgot to change my address with the election board. Ok, "forgot" is probably not the correct word. Well, I'll be driving 25 minutes into Richmond's weird west end wilderness to face potential rejection as I try to exercise my democratic muscles. People like me probably shouldn't be allowed to vote. I take that back. I have a voting philosophy... laws are bad; I vote against anything increasing legislation. I'm actually angry with this whole repeal the car tax mumbo jumbo; how the heck can the State tell municipalities that car taxes can't be levied? The only way I can figure is a law has to be passed. See, now I hate the idea. Let's not even talk about how the revenue from the tax will be replaced... the way I figure it everyone will be paying it (not just the people with really nice cars). But all this car tax crap is no reason not to vote for the guy. I think he knows, as governor, he can't force the legislature to pass such a silly law thus it will never happen. You can cozy on up to your car tax so forget the idea of buying that nice BMW. May I stop now?
11/05/97 - I voted. It was a close call. I didn't leave work until 6pm then I had to run way out west but I got there, verified my identity (which, to me, was never in question) and voted. The voting process took 5 minutes. I got a chance to vote for my former middle school principal. Do you know how I remember the correct spelling of principal? A principal is your pal and, behold, the last 3 letters of principal spell pal... stupid, eh? Well, today is a new day and I got new boxers last night. I'm wearing older boxers today but I took the new ones from the dryer this morning. I look forward to wearing my new underwear tomorrow. Perhaps, if I feel really good, I'll cut the seat out of my pants and walk around like Prince but instead of showing off my butt I'll show off my new boxers. If that's not the stupidest thing I've ever written I'd be surprised... why would I waste a perfectly good pair of pants? Maybe I can buy a seatless pair.
11/06/97 - My pants are fully covering today. Still, I feel like running for a long time where the sights are beautiful and the people are scarce. I used to run on this long trail between Lexington, VA and its neighboring town Buena Vista. There was one stretch through a field by a river with mountains (ok, really big hills) on both sides that I'd really like to see right now. I'd also like to eat ice cream while running without getting cramps (oops, I forgot the "m" and thought it was funny enough to mention but not so funny that I'd leave it) or messy but everything in the wish was impossible to begin with so I thought I might as well shoot high... It makes for a better daydream that way. And since I am trapped in an office daydreams offer about the best escape I have. Run, Lee, run... and don't forget the pistachio in the chocolate waffle cone.
11/07/97 - My life has entered a hinterland. "Wait, Lee," I can hear you saying "isn't a hinterland a place bordering a populated region around a coast or river?" Why, yes it is but it's also any remote area. My life has entered washerless wonderland... my washing machine's motor, once engaged, doesn't stop until the machine is powered down. This sucks. "But Lee, plenty of people don't have washing machines; why is your washerless wonderland a hinterland?" Well, plenty of people live in the country but it's still the boonies. I choose to feel isolated because now I have to find some way to get clean pants by monday and I'll be gone all weekend long. See? It sucks! It sucks! It sucks! "All your pants are dirty?" Pretty much. "Will you come to work in shorts on monday?" Hmm, that's a good idea; most of my shorts are clean.
11/10/97 - Monday... that's today. I'm partially asleep. I stayed up late saturday and then watched the X-Files last night so I'm somewhat unrested and my partial unconsciousness is explainable. But my weekend was fun. And tonight I'm going to see the Ben Folds Five. Oh, I had a dream last night that I was in my car, in a parking lot when I was hit from behind. The impact woke me. I used to have this dream where I was walking from my friends sunken den up to his kitchen and would fall backwards. I woke up with the same feeling of impact. To my knowledge I never actually took the spill. I wonder how a weird car wreck ties into my unconscious mind? Perhaps when I awaken fullly this morning... no, I doubt it.
11/11/97 - Ow... my jaw is killing me. I hope it's just because I've chewed too much gum recently. My teeth feel ok and I haven't been hit is the last couple days. I still awoke in pain... ow. I pryed my jaws open far enough to fit two Excedrin and some Coke down the throat, so far that's done no good. I need a day without other people so I don't have to talk. Well, on the musical front I saw the Ben Folds Five last night. As I've told the people that have quized me on the show, It ROCKED!!! The great thing about music is its variance. While the band is not the first to play their style they are the only piano, bass drum trio playing viable pop music today. The harmonies are another strong point plus the punk attitude... you gotta love a guy that pounds his piano with his seat; Yes, he stands back about 4 feet and throws the stool (padded side down) at the keys. Cool. Too bad he can't throw the whole piano at an amp.
11/12/97 - Today is the day I admit yet another wuss quality. I like movies like 3 Men and a Baby. In fact, last night I watched the end of 3 Men and a Little Lady; except for the unrealistic ending it was pretty good. To me movies like that are easy entertainment... no work, feel good as long as your butt doesn't get tired of sitting ways to spend 2 hours (or 3 on TV with commercials every 5 minutes). Well, that's barely a journal entry. It might snow tonight. The DJs on 106.5 said rain will start later tonight possible as snow... cool. I have boots and it's only a mile to work. I say: BRING IT ON!!! I have no food in the house; that sucks, but I can walk 1/2 a mile to the grocery story. I do have things to do while caught inside... like watch wussy movies (top of my list: Breakfast at Tiffany's... never seen it).
11/13/97 - Green shirt day. My favorite color is either dark blue or dark green. Here I sit with a pretty cool green shirt wrapped around my rib cage. It also covers my radius, my ulna, my scapula and the other bone in the arm I can't remember plus my clavicle... all that and I'm not even a med student. I did take Health class in high school. I learned CPR back then, too; I really need to relearn the skill. What if I'm walking along and someone drops dead? I don't know if I'd be able to help. I saw a friend of mine (who is a former med student) help a choking guy once. My friend jumped into action just like he was trained to do. The sight was alarming and comforting at the same time. I know you guys can't see this, but there's a pretty cool diagnal line of space running down my screen between the words I've written. Doesn't Radius Ulna sound like a good name for a bad fictional character? "Oh No! The mall is on fire and all the Christmas presents are trapped inside... Thank God! Radius Ulna is here; He'll save the Holiday!" If Slim Goodbody wasn't Slim Goodbody he could have been Radius Ulna, too.
11/14/97 - I saw Stonewall Jackson yesterday. He looked exactly as I imagine him to look were he alive today. He wore heavy flannel, a construction equipment ball cap and drove a full sized, white, base model Ford pickup. I'd bet he had a fishing magazine on the front seat. Do you know how I know it was Stonewall Jackson? Aside from the full, dark beard and the serious, quiet eyes he waved back when I waved to him. I used to go to Stonewall Jackson's grave when I needed somewhere to walk and not many people went there. I just took off south through town and wound my way around to the cemetery. The statue on his grave looked friendly. Not friendly in the "let's drink beer, watch football and laugh about stuff" way but in the genuine "I'd stop and help you change a flat tire" way. Anyway, Stonewall waved back and might have even smiled but it was a slight smile so it didn't completely ruin my image. I'd like to speak to many of the people that came before me. It's hard to imagine men of his quality in a world so void of big problems lone men can fix.
11/17/97 - I turned an emotionally stressing sunday (all self inflicted) into a great aphorism but I forgot to write it down. Figures. I had a experience of great comfort this morning. I got up and walked into the kitchen. I didn't realize I was still asleep as I grabbed a plastic cup my left hand, moved it under the faucet and filled it with cold water. I drank. The water slithered chilly down my throat but it brought consciousness. Can water leave my stomach via my veins and move cold through my body? I felt it hit my elbows and my knees. I suddenly was aware that the floor was colder than my feet. I felt the ache in my shoulder and my aching knee caps but these pains didn't bother me as much as signal that I am the same me that had these pains yesterday. What am I going to do about myself? What this morning was a happy connection bridging the time I slept has changed. Suddenly, as I write this, yesterday's torture has returned... but so has my aphorism: Life is my trip but I'm not always driving. Ok, so it's not a great aphorism; perhaps it was better left forgotten. But it does pack implications, both good and bad, about that through which I live.
11/18/97 - Scraping cars is unfun. I think I could start it earlier and not have the problem, but then what would I wear? I get up, shower, dress and leave. There's no point prior to departure for me to go start the car... at least not for a dressed me to start the car. Ok, subject change. I passed this woman yesterday. She was running with a friend; I heard her say "academic". I'm not sure in what context the word was used but the event triggered the thought: I wish I knew her. I've logiced it out like this: She was attractive, she was running and she used a big word in a normal conversation. That's the woman for me. Well, now I'm sitting at work early enough to listen to Metallica. It always shocks me that these guys were so brutally whiney at one point. Their music is soaked in kerosene but they might as well get the Cure to write the lyrics... the result would be no different (ie whiney, sappy, drink some coffee with extra sugar and you might get over it music). Still, I like it.
11/19/97 - The normal morning routine hasn't changed in months. But I was weirded out this morning. When I got to the "leave" part I looked out over my house and a hot air balloon was drifting about 200ft off the ground and 400ft from me. I heard the burner roar as he lifted higher. I saw the guy looking around. I saw his eyes. The balloon was big and, with the roaring burner, not very quiet. For some reason it reminded me of a loping moose... as if I've seen loping moose. But it sounded living. It moved without an engine. It was big. But then it was colored like a field of flowers. I wonder how he'll get down? He was drifting toward downtown between Monument and Patterson avenues; I don't think there's a good field in there. I wonder from where the ground was left. I guess I'm full of wonder this morning... I'm full of something, right. But I did see the big, bright snorting, loping moose in the sky. Maybe this is how legends about dragons got started. But what looks like a dragon?
11/20/97 - A scientific discourse on duck feeding. Westhampton Lake divides UR's campus into halves (extra credit: How many halves?). Ducks hang on the lake like I hung at McDonalds in high school except there's no cop on friday and saturday nights telling the ducks to leave if they're not buying anything. And I bet ducks don't discuss where they can get beer. But, anyway, I've fed these beerless, uneducated ducks bread and crakers. Crackers are the cleanest snag from the D-Hall because, wrapped in plastic, they fit easily in a pocket. Bread just sits there being bready. Crackers come in many types. Ideal crackers are easily broken and can, in small fragments, travel a good distance when thrown. Saltines while easily seen against the lake's dark water are too frail to travel good airborne distances. Graham crackers are the bomb; even in pea sized pieces they can be thrown 20 or more feet. In conclusion use Graham crackers when feeding the Westhampton Lake ducks.
11/21/97 - I heard Governor Allen on the radio this morning. He was making football picks for the weekend's games. Why does this impress me? Here we have my favorite state's chief executive predicting football games and speaking about the sport as a knowledgable fan. That's just cool. See, Governors are people too. I bet he does about the same things I do in the morning... obviously earlier because he was on the radio at the time I'd been awake for 15 minutes. I would have rather heard him talk about baseball but this was entertaining and enlightening nonetheless. "Nonetheless" is a great word. It's 3 distinct words crammed into one but it doesn't mean anything different than those 3 words used used alone. It's completely superfluous... I love it. You know what else I love? The 1st line of Nirvana's "In Bloom": Sell the kids for food. Does that mean sell the kids so we can get food or does it means sell them to something that will eat them? Either answer is scary, but scarier is the implication that there's a market for kid burgers. In my fraternity we used to joke eack time a big slab of meat was served "Has anyone seen the cook's kids?"; uh oh, what were we eating? Whatever it was I'm sure it was cheap.
11/24/97 - My friend Steve recommended the new G. Love disk and, guess what, it's good. It only took me a month to purchase it. G. Love isn't the best singer but there is something about the warbling that fits the music... I dig it. The cops came to my house last night. It seems the last guy that lived there was less than savory. We had a cop at the front door, one covering him from the yard and another making sure no one left through the back. Once we were IDed all three cops came inside and things became more light... thankfully. The leader cop was named Officer Downer... I guess had I been the bad guy the name would have had a whole new meaning. Well, I'd have to rate my experience highly. No one was hurt. I got to laugh with cops in my home without worrying "This is weird; what's going on here?". Plus, I was distracted from my accounting homework. Next time the cops knock on your door with hands on their weapons be nice, quickly find your ID and you too might experience something new and interesting.
11/25/97 - Lee's Fantastic Non Diet, Non Exercise Weight Loss Program for Men. Yes, I thought this was fantasy too, but I've experience a miracle and I'll share it with you for the low, low cost of 2 minutes of your life. I know what you're thinking: "Lee, you're a mad man! You could charge money for this secret. You could make yourself a rich, rich man. Why are you giving this to us free of monetary outlay?" Because I care. Ok, here's how my method works. What is weight anyway? Most people don't care how much they weigh. The real concern is: How do I look? Healthy or Not? I've noticed the face is a telling indicator. And guess what guys can do to make their faces look fuller... grow a beard. And guess what happens when you shave a beard... your face looks thinner. And do you know what people think when your face looks thinner? Have you lost weight? Bingo. So there it is: the secret to no work weight loss... grow a beard then shave it; repeat as necessary. Thank you; good night.
11/26/97 - Ok, Here I am listening to the Beastie Boys in my office. I turned it down. But this is really what I wanted to hear right now. Last night I went and saw a Japanese percussion group... fantastic. There's a musical culture about which I need more knowledge. My highlight was twins playing these fretless 3 stringed instruments I can't name. First they played what I'm guessing is traditional music then they started dueling then one put his instrument down and played the left hand part on his brother's lute (we'll call it) while his brother played the right hand. Suddenly each was playing a harmony to the other on a single lute... as if things weren't weird enough they started playing "Oh, Suzanna". I must find a CD by this troupe... I wish I could remember their correct name and the link to their web page. I know they had an AOL web page. Their name was The Demon Drummers of Ondekoza. They rocked, plus they were distance runners.