Tuesday, June 15, 2004
12:46 AM
How about a recap of my rather uneventful day, shall we? I awoke before 8 and had all the intentions of going to church. I wanted to start the week off on the right foot versus just sleeping in for no reason. I hopped in the shower and thought I had time to spare. Once in the car en route to church, I realized I wouldn't be there in time. I turned around and came home, but was now ready to begin my day.

I played on-line for a while, surfing the Web for some local book publishers and then chatted with some people I wouldn't normally call. From about 9-12 I watched a college campus Q & A with Kevin Smith, director of Mallrats and Chasing Amy. I figured maybe his genius would inspire me to do something outstanding. When he said that he wrote Clerks at 22, my 29-year-old ego was damaged further than it was just by watching the movie on the floor of my 18-year-old sister's room beside piles of her wet towels and new underwear. Yuck.

I then re-heated some leftover pizza and folded my laundry. The pie was great, thick and comprised of sausage, green peppers and onions - my favorite trio of toppings for pizza. I sifted through some mail, opening something from the state. It said my license was suspended if I didn' get my emissions tested. I thought about putting it off 'til tomorrow, but then figured I would at least feel somewhat productive, so I went. First I had to stop for a medium Arctic orange shake from McDonald's, a killer treat on a hot June day.

It was around 3:30 when my car passed and I had an hour 'til PTI came on. I stopped by the library on the way home to take advantage of the high speed connection that the dial-up bullshit prohibits. I had hoped to get a humor column written, but since the backspace bar was too small and frustrated me, I surfed for airfares to San Francisco to see the Cubs in August. Fares should cost about $275 when all's said and done. A guy I went to grade school with worked the desk directly behind me and kept talking to me above a whisper. Had I been the other people in there I would've told him to shut his yap. I left at 4:15 and arrived hom just in time for PTI.

I almost fell asleep from the exhaustion of being bored and non-productive. Our new dog felt compelled to hop on the couch and wrestle with me as I watched the blurry living room TV. Then my shirtless step-dad came in the room to talk sports while a sports show was on the tube. The hosts paid tribute to a comrade who had died from a heart attack and my step-dad talked over them both. I returned to my room to read a bit of David Sedaris' new book and then took a 45-minute nap.

I rose from the frameless bed around six and once again got on-line. I began writing the column I didn't write at the library, completing it in about 30 minutes. Good, efficient work. The Cubs came on at 7 in a game versus Houston. Prior was against Clemens in a can't-miss match-up. My sister was at work so my using her room wasn't a problem luckily.

And here I am now.