All Star

I'm not much for these things THAT often, but I have to agree with this one. :-)


You are the Low-Fidelity All-Star. You were born
with your cool, and it's totally natural. You
run the gamut from Hipster Supreme (only they
can ingest as much coffee as you) to the geeky
hipster (Mario Kart, anyone?).


What Kind of Hipster Are You?
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The Future of Rock and Roll

I was beginning to think I had nothing to say today.
I don't, really.


I'm drinking lots of water
so I can drink lots of not-water later.


Is that wrong?


And am I the only one who still can't get Rain Man out of my head when listening to 97X?

Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines

This morning I thought may work-day post would be about the beautiful, wonderful movie I watched last night called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But I am poor at explaining my opinions about movies and hate to be the one to spoil the plot. I'm sure I will comment on it further before the end of the day, but I've found something I am much more excited about and I can't believe I've wasted so many words just to get to the point:

This is the coolest f**king thing ever. And I don't plan on swearing here that much, not that it's out of character.

Why didn't anything like this happen sooner? Someone had to be willing to fork up the cash, sure. And the Wright brothers started this whole train a'rollin'. But it's about time, anyway. The designs have alot of similarities, but my favorite is the Da Vinci project, which looks like a compact car and will be released from a HOT AIR BALLOON. What part of this sounds like a bad idea? They obviously got some help from The Fifth Element. Now, I've never flown before and when you reach an adult age without that experience, the idea's a little frightening. Let alone being in SPACE. But, Space IS the Place. I digress.
I don't know why this whole thing has my interest, it's just wild.

Really Good Driving Song: Mr. Blue Sky by E.L.O.

Honestly

I'm both a veteran and new to this, if that's possible, and I think every single one of us that's writing here is looking for some sort of recognition. You might say that it's for yourself, that you don't care if no one reads it and it just helps you sort things through, but our eyes all light up when 'Comment' says (1), and I won't pretend I'm not one of them. That having been said, I've browsed through a couple hundred personal blogs over the past week or so, and only really felt a connection to (and jealousy of) the honesty of two of them so far. One is Grace who just reminds me of myself when I was her age, and the other is Jack, whose list of 100 things (yes, I read the whole thing, too) would be beyond my soul-spilling abilities at this point. But I'm getting there. But you're both superstars in my book for being able to express your worlds like you do. And I feel like I'm doing something wrong and sneaky by reading it sometimes, but that's why it's there.

When I was around 15 my mother read my journal. HATED her. Maybe this blog is my own sick personal irony. More so if I let her read it. Which I doubt.

Lunchtime

Intruders

So the guys who work for us here are spread all over campus, which has its own zip code, so you understand they can go missing sometimes. One of the weirdest things I get to do at this job is use a walkie-talkie to get in touch if they have a phone call, etc. Let me just tell you how difficult it is to not take advantage of this tool from the perspective of a 6th grader.

ME: Calling Bob Smith, over.
BOB: This is Bob, over.
ME: Bob, we have an intruder in the west quadrant, over.
BOB: What?
ME: There's an INTRUDER in the WEST QUADRANT, BOB. Locate the target and capture him if you can. Secure the area, over.
BOB: Umm, who is this?
ME: 10-4.

Also, sometimes, when I turn on the walkie-talkie, the computer shuts down.

In other news, I really love when the Emergency Broadcast System alarm goes off for real. Ok, ok, its just flooding, but geez, these days you just never know. We can deal with a little soil erosion now and again. You can hear it yourself, perhaps, at The Lion 90.7 FM, which will allow you to hear exactly what I'm hearing at work EVERY DAY. Unless I'm not.

REM and Me

It's happened again; I woke up this morning at 4:30, which was tolerable since I usually get up by 5:30 anyway. I've read that when your body naturally wakes up like that, you should just get up, because when you try to get that extra 30 minutes of sleep you don't enter REM, and you'll be more tired throughout the day because of it. Seems to have worked so far.

Tom Waits and Darjeeling make a good morning.

Can't say the same for the Beastie Boys. In fact, in a rare move I have just turned off my radio at work. This will probably only last for an hour or so, but I'm enjoying the quiet time. I had some great prose about my cat running through my head last night and I wish it would return. Alas the words are like the Twilight Zone cartoon house when the kid wishes it all away, and his sister is upstairs without a mouth. So I'll Haiku the little buddha:

Bubba's a Cowboy
Without Spring Training workouts;
He's football with claws.

I will post a picture sometime soon, and you will see what I mean. So instead of going to the Skeller last night, we ate some more wings at Daniel's and I went to bed by 10. Just waiting for Friday...


Really Good Driving Song: American Girl by Tom Petty

I Hope You Can Entertain Me Today, Because I Don't Have The Energy To Entertain Myself

Last night was one of those wierd and horrible nights where I went to bed at 9:30 so as to get plenty of rest, woke up at midnight and did not fall back to sleep until somewhere around 3:00. And even then it was very light, thinking too many words in my sleep kind of sleep. Why does this happen? I ate a late dinner soon before going to bed, that could be part of it...all this sudden renewed writing has my head spinning with words and they were keeping me awake as well. I actually thought about getting up and writing them here, but our internet was down. Again.

I do not intend to write about such mundane things regularly, but I've not yet even had caffeine and the words are more awake than I am.

Disclaimer

Really Good Driving Songs are not suitable for everyone. Side effects are varied and may include speeding, daydreaming, speaker malfunction, open windows, singing, delusions of grandeur, especially those of being a rock star, feelings of superiority, inability to stop at intended destinations while mid-song, repetition, taking the long way home, unintentional highway traveling, and an overall feeling of euphoria and happiness. Exposing oneself to more than two Really Good Driving Songs within an hour is not recommend except for those with a high tolerance of music. You CAN have too much of a good thing. Though it is not necessary to consult a doctor before starting a Really Good Driving Song, patients may wish to add an additional 20 minutes onto their Estimated Time of Arrival.

Really Good Driving Song: All I Want by Joni Mitchell

Reconciliation Number One

Great party, successful surprise. 7 foot flames and little too much drink, soup, ribs, marshmallows and a couple cows for good measure. It is nights like that which confirm my inability to sustain happiness in a city.

There have been many things to learn from this week, and I think I like the idea of recording them for future reference. History repeats itself but perhaps I can slow the process.

1. Do not discuss politics with friends when you know the clash is inevitable. I mean, really, the discussion is fun but can go in the wrong direction too quickly. Some people can do it, and I think I'm probably one of them, but sometimes it's just not worth the risk. I can say nothing of discussing friends with politicians, but perhaps you know better than I.

2. The more fun it is, the worse you will feel tomorrow. That doesn't mean you can't have fun, just remember to drink lots of water and take your contacts out before you crash.

3. Three day weekends are really the way to go. If you have to chance to have them on a regular basis, I highly recommend it. Your personal life and your mind reap the most benefit, not to mention more time to do laundry. However, that doesn't mean you'll do it.

4. I kept a steady journal for nearly 7 years. Sometime around 22 years old I stopped. This is the not the first time I've tried to recommit myself to the task, but this is the first time I've had this much success. The audience part is a little wierd, but these words will never come out of my mouth. If you don't know it already, you will soon.

5. Thankfully, I am not nauseated by the sight of my own blood. Gravity is more often an enemy than a friend, especially when involving irons. (Not hot, don't worry, it wasn't that bad...)

6. I honestly have no idea who I'm voting for. It's not for lack of trying, but these things should never be easy anyway.

7. Natural disaster parties. Who knew?

I'm sure I am forgetting things, but "Save as Draft" is too noncommittal, even for me. And the laundry and dishes are calling my name. I will ignore them by going for a drive. Song later.

La dee da...

Alarm cat knows it's time to get up. We own the loudest cat in town and I'll fight anybody who says otherwise.

Today's the party...7:15 a.m. and I'm off to get ribs to smoke, and then make some Pumpkin Soup. Surprise party in the barn, so shhh.

Autumn,
morning,
fog in the valley,
barns and soup and fires and friends.

Martha Stewart, kiss my butt.

Good morning, all. Have a good Saturday.


Really Good Morning Song: Stir It Up by Bob Marley

Happy Little Prizm

Good trip:

Green lights
Spacehog
Guys on Harleys riding faster than me down the sunny highway
Emerging from fog into sunlight
Cute baby
Going off onto a road I've always wanted to go on but never had time
Amish
Scrapple

Bad trip:

Yellow lights (taunting me)
Exhaust
Trucks on hills
The full schoolbus pulling out in front of you...if I'd been one minute faster...
.38 Special
This is central Pennsylvania, not Texas. We do not need another country station.
Merging

But alas, Good has trimphed over Evil. Is it beer:30 yet?



Really Good Driving Song: In the Meantime by Spacehog

And The Walls Come Tumbling Down

Friday, and no work. Happy joy.
Walked into town for a breakfast sandwhich at the cutest little store in the Fonte. It reminds me of Vermont, because it takes a half hour for them to make a baconeggncheese. But no hurry...no work.

They've nearly finished demolishing the Academy. I'm really saddened by things like that, despite the slum it had been towards the end. But Dawn's family owned it and had been putting in so much hard work to fix it, its a shame to see history in rubble.

The Neanderthals that are my neighbors have begun another day of whatever it is that they do. The old man has begun another day of watching them. Sit-On-The-Stoop day # 1,563,348 has begun in earnest.

And I'm off to visit my friend and her new baby. How exciting! I love a good road trip. But Ted's got the CDs. Crap. Putting my roadtime happiness in the DJ's hands is sooooo risky.

Really Good Driving Song: Dirty Laundry by Don Henley, especially if you turn the beginning up REALLY LOUD.

Wing Nite

Sunrise

I get into work by 6:30 a.m., which means of course that it's pitch black outside when I get up. But sometimes, when it's clear, I start to see the sunlight through the fog as I'm driving in. There's a stretch of I-99 that goes through the Rockview prison land that's so pretty that early...trees with branches stripped nearly to the top from logging standing in the middle of a huge field, with pink and dark blue sky and wispy thinning fog behind them. Every morning I wish I had a camera and every morning I'm so rushed to leave that I forget it. Even the prison looks pretty in that kind of morning.

I also used to always see a red-tailed hawk, but these days it's just a little too early to see him. (or her). He used to be perched on top of the exact same light post every single morning, staring down at the fields on either side of the exit ramp, waiting for some mouse to get scared by a passing truck and dart into his view. I used to see another one on my way home as well, resting on the fence on the side of the highway, looking into the field and seemingly undisturbed by the traffic rushing so near him. I really love my drives to work and home.

Really Good Driving Song: Beethoven's 9th Symphony

Radio

I turned on the radio just in time to hear Styx and how appropriate. Blue Collar Man. I'm currently working a temporary job at our local college's maintainence office, and you couldn't get more blue collar than some of these guys. They're very nice. But it just makes me realize the kind of work I don't want to do. I always say my dream job would be a "Professional Driver on a Closed Course" and the best place to learn would be Bobby Ore's Motion Picture Stunt Driving School in California. But instead I'm sitting at a desk talking to you. It's even more lame when I read it back to myself. Are there many female stunt drivers, anyway? Maybe Daisy Mae Duke. I'll just practice in the snow till then.

Really Good Driving Song: Are You Out There by Dar Williams

Driving Fast

The only time I ever got pulled over was at least 7 years ago. It was on I-80 in Eastern PA near the Delaware Water Gap, maybe even at the point where we'd crossed into New Jersey. The speed limit was reduced from 65 to 55, and I didn't notice and was going about 72 at the time. The cop was hiding in the trees and pulled me over at a rest area. My friend Nancy had just been changing into her shorts or something...for some reason I remember her having to put her jeans on while I was stopping. I think the fine was around $150. But I LIKE driving fast. And it's the only ticket I've ever had.

Really Good Driving Song: Where The Streets Have No Name by U2