October 5th, 2008

I'm afraid I have little to report today.

My brother has developed an infection where they cut him open. How big or small a thing that is has yet to be seen.

I'm having a "the one time I need it" moment with my birth certificate. I need it to get on state insurance, and I can't find the damn thing.

It might be at my mom's, but she's been to busy with my brother's stuff to worry about it.

I think she's pretty much there to keep my sister-in-law from strangling a doctor.

Carla has very little patience for "we'll just have to wait and see."

Currently reading : The Granta Book of the American Short Story

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October 3rd, 2008

So, almost had a freakout today.

My reasons were valid.

The paycheck I got earlier in the week was taken back ny my employer. I thought I'd just owe them for the vacation days I didn't earn.

Thank God for anti-anxiety medication and an awesome family.

Filled out my state health insurance application today. May not need it, if I'm employed in the next month, but it's a good safety net.

One perk of the unemployment thing is having so much time to read.

Goddamn, I love to read.

Currently reading : Plainsong By Kent Haruf

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February 11th, 2008

Call in the search party, I'm still right here with my laptop perched on the arm of my couch.

What have I been doing?

I started a music blog. I found myself in the unexpected position of being tired of writing about myself.

Check it out:

Words and Guitar

Currently reading : The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl By Timothy Egan Release date: 01 September, 2006

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December 6th, 2007

Ok, so I took my knockout pills about 20 minutes ago. It's a race against time. And modern medicine.

You say, "Mike can't beat hundreds of years of scientific study."

Fuck you, champ.

I remember this one time I was in my favorite bar and I had a painting of a monkey holding a human skull a la Hamlet with me.

Oh, who am I kidding. I lose. See you tomorrow.

Currently listening : Dance Party in the Balkans By Alaska in Winter Release date: 07 August, 2007

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September 3rd, 2007

Today is the last day of a mini-vacation for me.

To say that I'm looking forward to going back to work would be a lie, but at least I don't dread it like an oncoming hurricane anymore. It's kind of funny, the transition from "Fuck it, it's just work," to "It's something I have to do, so I may as well do it as best I can."

Never saw it coming.

I'd kind of assumed I'd rack up a long list of entry-level jobs during my lifetime, and not much else. Not to say that I've moved up in the company I work for, but the potential is there. And I'm tired of moving from job to job, each more mind-numbing than the last, with little to show for it.

Does achievement at work equal success? Fuck no. But the better I do at work, the better I feel when I leave for the day. And the less I want to jam a pencil in my eye when I get there in the morning.

It's funny that I used to whine about wanting to write instead of have an office job. Shit, I still want that. But I've been doing more writing since I've been putting effort into work than I was before.

Whining takes a lot of energy.

Currently listening : Crystal Days: 1979-1999 By Echo & the Bunnymen Release date: 17 July, 2001

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Sat. Aug. 4, 2007

I am downloading way too much music. I'm running out of hard drive space. But that's ot the biggest problem.

I'm not giving these albums a fair listen. Between being able to get any music, any time, and the shuffle feature on my iPod, I probably only "know" half the songs I have. I feel I'm being disrespectful to the artists.

"Hey, not only am I not oing to pay you for your work, but after I ge it, I'm essentially going to throw it away." 

That said, I'm going to go download like eight CDs.

Such is life.

Currently listening : This Is Hardcore By Pulp Release date: 31 March, 1998

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quick question

Short entry, for download ideas:

What have you been listening to on your iPod/CD player/gramaphone lately?

Currently listening : The Very Best of Elvis Costello By Elvis Costello Release date: 17 April, 2001

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My education

What my English Education Has Gotten Me...

First, let me set the scene. Probably about three years ago. I'm at the height of my "I should really quit my job and finish school" phase. To counter such a frightening idea, I drink. This night was one in which I decided to get "balls out," meaning that I'd be puking and calling in to work the next day.

I was bar-hopping with my friend Ian. Not razzle-dazzle bar-hopping. Not ging from one hotspot to the next. We preferred the dives. The places people go specifically to NOT see and be seen.

We ended up at the Rogue. For those of you who are familar, know that the Rogue has changed a lot over the years. Now, it seems to be a bar trying to pander to the indie kids(which, of course, means the indie kids are "too cool" to go there). But back then, it was a punk bar. The Misfits, kids callig themselves anarchists, and fifty cent Pabst Monday(incidentally, a buddy of mine once drew Jesus riding a giant cock on my back while we were there. It was Christmas Eve).

Anyway, Ian and I were at the Rogue. He seemed a little uncomfortable as many people who claimed to love punk, but were afraid of tattoos, were in the bar. Not being a big fan of punk, I had no worries of being called out on my fandom.

Drunk Guy started talking to me. At this point, I was drunk Guy , too. 

"What do you do?"

"Collections. Finish school, eventually."

"What're you goin' to school for?"

"English. I know, pointless."

"Naw, man. I like English. You ever read The Caterbury Tales ?

Do jaws actually drop? In real life?

"Umm, yeah. Pardoner's Tale and shit."

"Motherfucking Canterbury Tales ! Dude, I've got these VIP passes to Skin. Wanna go?"

Because of the thousands of dollars and countless hours I spent on my English education, I got into the strip club free with the guy from the punk bar(Ian said he had words tatooed on his knuckles. I was too drunk to confirm or deny this). Got so drunk I had to ask a stripper to take my dollar by hand. Could hardly stand, let alone aim for a G-string. 

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cue the band
Category: Parties and Nightlife

One of the advantages of my new place is that I can listen to loud music again.

It's not just the new apartment. Until last week, my only options were to listen on my laptop speakers(too quiet, horrible sound quality), or on my iPod. Don't get me wrong. I love my iPod. What, you want my iPod? That'll cost you your firstborn and a carton of American Spirit Lights.It's just that I'm kind of weird about my music.

When I first buy a CD, or download it, I like my first listen to be as background music. Something that happens to be on while I'm cleaning, or dicking around on the internet. This doesn't work well with the iPod, as the music is right in my fucking ear.

You might ask "Why is this guy such a freak about his music?" Well, I'll explain(even though that will make me seem even more the freak).

Here's how things go if my first listen is on headphones:

"Wow, that guitar line is propulsive as hell...enough snare, Jesus...did he just say..."

At this point, I've wasted a good third of the song thinking about the song, rather than enjoying it. Listening on the stereo first lets me get into the music without getti ng all analyitical.   

Oh, yea, so my point: The highlight of myday so far has been moving my new speaker setup from one end of my living room to the other so I can hear it better.

I felt the backstory was an essential part of the speaker-moving story. 

Currently listening : The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse By The Besnard Lakes Release date: 20 February, 2007

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checking in.

Hey, y'all. Been gone a while. What's new, you ask? Well, I shaved my beard. Constantly hearing "Wow, you look waaay younger" makes me wonder just how old I looked before.

Gotta say, I'm glad I've never gotten sucked in to any MySpace drama. Pretty sure anybody who starts that shit could be found weeping while they masturbate on any given Friday night.

Yea, today's blog is more the style of my old ones on LiveJournal. I don't have the energy to stick to one topic today.

Oh, yeah. My birthday's Saturday. I'm switching from "mid-twenties" to "pushing 30." Think that means I have to invest in a Bill Cosby sweater and pretend I'm not amused by dick jokes.

Lately, I'm been getting all nostalgic for the mid-nineties. Not sure why. I split my time then between band practice, nurturing an internet addiction, and self-loathing. And I still had an urge to be "cool." Never even got close. Thank God. I can't even imagine how boring I'd be if I spent time worrying about what the cool kids think about me.

Go see Grindhouse.

Currently reading : Radio On: A Listener's Diary By Sarah Vowell Release date: 15 December, 1997

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