The Workout

Upon arriving at the front steps of my building, I noticed that something was amiss. The well-lit front lobby was mysteriously dark and there were people standing around. Don't worry, I'm a quick one...I think I knew what was up. So I asked the lady who worked at the office when power would be restored. As expected, I got a vague answer. The thought of walking up sixteen stories in pitch black darkness wasn't too appealing so I took a walk and moved my car closer to my place. Ten minutes later, I came back and decided to go for it. For a few weeks last year, running up and down these stairs was a hobby. This would be nothing. So I followed a group of residents with a flashlight for a few floors. They reached their destination and I had ten stories to go. Luckily the emergency lights came back on and every other floor was lit. When I got to floor fifteen, I was winded and full power was restored to the building. What timing. I got myself up fifteen stories before my trip was rendered pointless. It's just another example of the kind of timing I've got going on in my world these days: Perfect.

Confidential to Jay-Z remix album enthusiasts: Download this album now!. My buddy Steve took New Black's debut album and made a hell of a re-mix album. It's good shit.

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I'll Feel This one In the Morning

I played kickball tonight. This was probably the first time I've played this since elementary school. My last memory of the game was spiking the ball on Danny's back from point blank range. I got the ball somehow, looked over my shoulder, and saw him begin his head-first dive towards second base. I was standing above him from four feet away. What is a 12-year-old boy going to do in this situation? Well...I wound up and threw the ball down with vigor. I remember the entire gym class let out a collective "ooh!"

Until next week, my last memory of the game is getting caught in dust storm while coming up short on catching the ball. Two runs scored and they won the game. Shug would be proud of that moment.

Parking was easier than usual to find tonight. Although my car is a few blocks away, I didn't spend more than ten minutes on this hunt. I guess the only times of the day where parking will suck are only between 6 and 10. That's messed up....

I checked my theory book for any theories involving the word 'kick' or 'balls'. None found. You are spared.

. . [~] . 0 (Grumble) Grumbles .

Fast as Lightning?

After a pointless visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles, I showed up at work at eleven in the morning with a foot-long sub and a pile of work ahead of me. Before I knew it, the time was 5:30 and I was leaving the office. I felt like I had just got to work. Woah...I haven't felt that in a long, long time. I don't know what that means...but for you readers, I think I'll cease typing about my job.

I just watched this movie for the second time ever. I thought I got it the first time...but thee years later I find myself seeing a brand new movie. Such fun. I need to view confusing movies more often.

A Brewer hit for the cycle tonight. That means he hit: (1) a home-run; (2) a triple; (3) a double, and; (4) a single. Not only that, my hometown team won the game on a home-run to end the game. The cycle happens every once in a while, but the TV told me that this was only the fourth time in the history of Major League Baseball (or NBL) that somebody hit for the cycle in a game decided by a "walk-off" homerun. My question is...who decides to keep these statistics?!?!

Could I get more interesting today? No....I'm going to mail this one in right now.

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Early Post by the Numbers

Time I woke up - 6:45 am

Time I usually wake up - 7:50 am

Time I got to work - 8:20 am

Time I usually get to work - 8:50 am

# of Times I have left the building today - 0

# of Times I have taken the elevator between the same two floors - 12

# of Meals consumed today - 1

# of Sandwiches I have consumed in that meal - 2

At What Time Will I lose my patience waiting for my boss to finish something? - 6:30 pm

Number of new Orkut friends in the last twenty four hours - 17

Level of Annoyance with Job on a scale from 1 to 10 - 5.6

Current level of Geekiness on a scale from 1 to 10 - 7.6

Moustache Shadow on a scale from 1 to 10 - 3

# of my bus - 136

Last bus to take me door-to-door leaves when? - 6:30 PM

# of wins needed to for the Bucks to win an NBA championship - 15

# of wins the Milwaukee Bucks will get after tonight - 1

What time is the Bucks game on TV tonight? - 6:00 PM

Current time - 6:00 pm

What's on the .mp3 player right now - Tha 446

...and everything seems a-okay.

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The Days between April 22 and April 26th.

Two days off of work...that's all it was. We still make observations. No unifying theme or wrap-up message required.

- These CD's are in heavy rotation in my living room:

Air - Walkie Talkie : I find the album to be pretty amazing. Unfortunately, I discovered this too late to get tickets to last Tuesday's show.

Cee-Lo Green is the Soul Machine - No explanation needed.

John Vanderslice - Cellar Door - I played with MOMN when they opened for this guy. Great music to be enjoyed in small doses.

Timbaland & Magoo - Welcome to our World : This album is six years old...still sounds new.

Redman - Ill at Will Mixtape Vol 1 : Great for fans of the one Reggie Noble

- I took work home this weekend and didn't get much done on the short term project. I'm punishing myself with a wonderful early entrance to work tomorrow. While not necessary, I feel the need to get in early to compensate for my waning motivation.

- After today's run (first since early March), I'm sore as hell. I didn't feel like riding the bike, so I did my athletic thing on foot. I didn't feel out of shape but it felt like I was moving in slow motion. That could be a good sign, but I'm probably just slacking at running, too.

- Most annoying thing that happened this weekend: Calf cramp on the bike. I jumped a curb and when I landed, my calf cramped up. I had to stop and let it takes its course while I stood in silent agony. These things used to never happen to me. I'm starting to think last year's marathon training attempt did some permanent damage to my legs.

- I drove my car a total of 1.5 miles today. It was the first drive in six days. Yep...I'm gettin' a lot of use out of this purchase. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my 'Check Engine' light turned off. Yay. Now I can find other ways to burn my money.

- Last night's show at the Fireside was damn good. It was essentially a variety show featuring my buddy Quinn. He played in three different bands last night. It was all for a good cause, too. I saw: Sleepout, Mt. St. Helens, The Ghost, some Alex White outfit, and Chin Up Chin Up. Good shit, indeed.

- I always make prolonged and smiling eye-contact with the pretty lady across the bar on my way out of the tavern. One of these days, that will happen as I enter a tavern...right?

- This show has been on my TV quite a bit lately. I can't quite figure out if its funny because of the humor....or if it's because my life is as pathetic as portrayed on the show.

- If you ever find yourself at an after-hours bar where the line for the men's room is about twenty people longer than the line to the women's bathroom...you should really cash your chips and go home. That's a disgusting ratio.

- I think I've watched more innings on the TV featuring the Sox than the Cubs. That's a good sign.

Okay...it's time to get six hours of sleep.

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More Sun?

Indeed.

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Sunshine Tomorrow?

I took another progression picture today. Unfortunately, it has been cloudy around 7 PM all week. It seems like the cloudy weeks are the ones where I take my scheduled picture. Luck of the draw, I suppose. I'll hope for better weather tomorrow and try the picture thing again. If it doesn't happen, the progression will have lost its fun.

In lieu of the sunshine progression, I give you: my lunchtime walk.



I started at the green star. I walked south into the *gasp* numbered streets, hung a left at Roosevelt, hung another left at State and headed back to the red star. Not too much scenery on this route...but a decent walk nonetheless. There was a lot of new construction going on along my route. That area will be pretty booming in a few years. Yep...downtown is still growing. Feel the Real Estate!

Other items of note:
- It was 'take your kids' to work today. I saw a very bossy 4 year old. It was cute.
- Occassionally, I'll play "beat the bus." Sometimes, I'll see my bus leave from the red star (see map) and head east. If traffic is really slow, I can beat the bus to the black dot (see map again) by walking really fast. Today, I needed to be quicker than that, so I jogged slowly through people and traffic. I didn't even lose my breath. Oh shit...I'm in shape!
- The IRS sent me a letter saying my taxes were calculated incorrectly. Yet, all of their numbers matched mine. What?
- Full Rack of ribs = good times.

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Public Service Announcement: Choose your Random Theory

My mind has been a bit diffused by work. I seem to get the writer's block on Wednesdays. Since I like to hear myself type, I offer you three random theories (not obscure ones...I'll do that eventually). Take one...pass it around...drop this knowledge at your next chance to sound smart. Break an uncomfortable silence with the girl/guy using the bathroom stall next to you. They all apply to everybody in some form or another....as for me? Not really...not today.

!. Interference Theory of Forgetting (1935) - Forgetting is caused by interference; interference being the process during which one set of information conflicts or interferes with another.

I know that physiological studies have superceded this theory...but I'd like to think this theory works for things I'd like to forget.

@. Overkill (20th Century) - Theory in military strategy which asserts that if a state has so much weaponry that it can defend itself, destroy any aggressor (and perhaps the world) and still have weapons to spare, it is capable of overkill.

It's like using a baseball bat to smash a thimble.

#. Reciprocity Principle (1896) - Social attraction is mutual; that is, if one individual knows that the other person likes him or her, then he/she will tend to like the other person.

David Lee Roth was once asked: "Dave, do you get all the women you want?" He replied: "No, I get all the women who want me."

This post seemed a lot cooler when I started it...but choose your theory and see if it's true.

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Bizarro Week With Bonus Tornadoes

The first two days this week have been different from the norm. I have been getting up before seven. I have been staying at work later than normal. I have taken two shorter lunches on consecutive days. What has gotten into me? I couldn't tell you. I feel good about myself, at the same time...this better not become the norm. I'm content with banging out production on a slacker-like schedule. I get to be the model employee without actually being a model employee...Catch my drift?

A bunch of Tornadoes tore through Chicagoland today. Nothing near my locale, but it made me think of a visit I once made to Palmyra, Wisconsin...let us flashback:

I was a kid and we were at a fiesta. I think it was one of those humid summer days where the afternoon started out warm and sunny. A huge storm blew up out of nowhere and the warning was sounded. Most of the women and children were huddled in the basement. I recall nuns being there and they were praying. Twenty minutes later we got the all-clear and we went upstairs. All the 'dads' at the party claimed to have seen a tornado from the backyard porch. They were laughing about it. I'm not sure if that was true, but I'll buy the stories.

The two scenes appear to be a funny contrast. On one end, you have nuns in the basement praying that their personal apocalypse won't happen. On the other end, a bunch of chain-smoking Filipinos are pointing and laughing at a Tornado. That seems like a better approach to life. Kneeling and prayer won't do the trick by itself. I'd rather laugh at danger and bail only when necessary. Life seems more fun that way, no?

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Watch that Wind

It was windy as all get-out (EDITED : SEE COMMENT) today. I was on my way back to the gauntlet after a short lunch and had to fight my way through flying sand, debris, and paper. Some guy stepped out of his office building covering his head. I thought to myself: "what's wrong? did he hit his head?" I got closer and realized the thruth. No, the man didn't walk out looking for some ice...he was holding his comb-over down. Think about this: you're trying to deny baldness. On a windy day you have to keep your hair strands across that dome. Why else would a person hold his hair down like that? Does that not give it away? Just go with what you got, dude...nothing wrong with a bald head.

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The Weekend that ends with me having to Wake up before 7am on Monday to Move My Car

Other than that, it was all gravy. No late nights. No nasty hangovers. No reasons to feel more worn out than I did at the onset of the weekend. I think I can finally clock back into work and get some stuff done this week. I won't kid myself, though. I find it harder and harder to be productive with the low morale around the office. Oh well...let us enjoy lessons from the chilled out weekend that was.

- It was Friday afternoon at 2:30. I looked around my 'pod'. One boss was in Toronto. My co-worker was at the Cubs game. My supervisor/peer (I'm not sure if I'm an equal...I can't tell) left town. I asked someone where the other boss was and found out that he was at the Cubs game. What does that mean for me? I gave myself permission to leave work early. It probably didn't look good to any of the big-bosses walking around that our entire group was out before 4pm...but I don't really care about that. I only care to answer to two people at my office, and they were out of the office. I'm starting to think I like my job for all the wrong reasons.

- Friday night featured us enjoying beverages in the front lawn of Fort Awesome on the corner of Addison and Beal. On a game day, the street is a carnival of hilarity. All the drunks in the cars (possibly the drivers as well) say the funniest shit as they drive by. That kind of setting is perfect for a people watcher like myself.

- Amidst all the traffic and people watching, we witnessed a domestic dispute contained in a white Jeep. This couple was going at it full steam. As they drove by in the westerly direction, we could clearly hear them shouting back and forth. They stopped a little ways down the street from us and the woman screeched: "I'm taking the train!" This was met with a very mature "Fine! Be that Way!" The woman got out of the jeep and walked east past us. We thought the show was over. Not by a long shot. Two minutes later, the Jeep circled around the block and slammed on its brakes on Beal street at the intersection (going south and just to our east). The guy was driving very erratically as he searched for his missing lady. Heh...he must have passed by five times looking for this woman. I'm guessing that the poor woman probably crawled back to him later on that night. A lot of people get trapped in these stupid cycles. If I ever get into an argument with a girlfriend that features someone getting out of the car and walking away...I probably have no business being in that relationship in the first place. Steve might have said that first, so I could be quoting him...but I wholeheartedly agree.

- Weather dot com said "82 degrees". I took that as a sign that I could enjoy my bikeride in a wife beater and shorts. I should have checked the wind direction. The wind knocked that temperature down quite a bit (upper 50's). I almost wussed out and went back inside after a mile, but I kept on. Note to self: Just go outside and see for yourself before riding.

- The hook to the theme song of Return of the Dragon has been a family inside joke for years. It is horribly corny and only fitting for a kung-fu flick made in 1972. My brother would occasionally start whistling the theme song at a random moment and we'd have a laugh. On Saturday, he called me up and whistled the theme song on my voicemail. Strangely enough, I was watching that movie just before I missed that call. Woah...what are the odds?

- As much as I liked Return of the King, it was a bit tedious to watch it for the third time in the movie theatres. I thought the prospect of getting sloshed at a Brew and View screening would make it fun. That wasn't the case. Twice was enough for me...two is the magic number.

- The "Check Engine" light turned on in my car. I successfully drove to Milwaukee and back today. I think putting tape on the dashboard should take car of it. Just kidding. I'm assuming it is a problem with a valve or something...but I'm reluctant to take the car in anytime soon. To me, that light says: "take car to dealer and bring lots of money." Until I have to drive a long distance again, I'll let that warning go for now.

- Did anyone see the Pistons destroy the Bucks today? Wow...they better bounce back. I smell a sweep otherwise.

- A bunch of relatives showed up at the house today. For some reason (perhaps by default), they were putting the pressure on me to get married soon. My answer: "uh...not in the next five years...wouldn't I need a willing wife for that?" My great-aunt suggested that I find a nice Filipina...I told her that I didn't want to marry a woman from the Philippines. For those unfamiliar, it is an elderly immigrant's dream to see their offspring marry natives from their country. I politely told her that anybody was fair game. Her reply: "ah, so you want to marry a foreigner?" Hmmm...by foreigner I think she meant 'White American'...but I could be wrong. I tried to explain that I, too was an American and lean in that direction. Two minutes later, my brother told her that I was gay. Her response to that? "just marry somebody"...ahhh.....classic.

I didn't think that much happened this weekend...but apparently, I can go on and on...I'll stop here. Wish me luck in not sleeping my normal schedule...I don't need my car towed on Monday morning.

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Tamales!

I've always ignored the nice men who show up at bars selling their tamales. Being unfamiliar with what the hell they were, I didn't pay any mind. The food they sell out of coolers could lead to some fun-filled bouts of food poisoning. I tried to stay away when possible. Tonight, I had the first one ever and I thought it was pretty good. Never again, will I turn a blind eye to the man selling Tamales in this city. They're not that bad after all. The next time you see the Tamale man, don't laugh...buy one. It's a good treat for a hard earned dollar.

This new warmth can only mean one thing. It's that time of year where I will visit the rooftop more than I have in the past year. Even if it's just for sixty seconds of breathing in the fresh lake air, I will have to do this every day....starting....tomorrow...ha!

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I got Nothing

I have no witty comments to make. I sat at the Cubs game today and decided that I'll root for the Sox. I just can't get into rooting for the fashionable team. Actually, these dudes sat behind me at the Cubs game and thought it would be funny to splash their $5.25 beers on each other after the game...and this was after they fought and swore at concession guy to sell them two beers each. Good work young men...I hope you kept your NASCAR hats dry.

I hope your taxes have been completed and sent. If my calculations and standard deductions were correct, the Federales should be sending me money. I'll just roll that into savings, for I am trying to work my way towards home or boat ownership. Here's to the government: their combination of deficit spending and lower per capita taxes on the upper class will sure make for a wonderfully successful fiscal year. Uh, Say it with me: "DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!! DE-FENSE!!"

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The Weekend Worth Three Posts of Entertainment (Part 3 of 3)

I'm afraid I'm going to let you down on this one. Not much else happened on Saturday and Sunday. Besides, I have other things on my mind these days. Some may include but not be limited to the following: Repotting plants before the spring growing season; Mister President stumbling on a question and then remarking that the question wasn't on the list of prepared ones; How much clothing to bring to Wrigley Field tomorrow; Parking closer to the curb in the morning; Finding a good copy of the new NERD album; Getting the Rolling Stone's 'London Years' compilation to go with the guitar book I've neglected for the past three years; and wondering where certain possibilities exist...yeah, these days I think about stuff.

Anywho, I looked at yesterday's post and realized that I've finally brought back the style I lost a few months ago. I used to talk about nothing. Then I started to talk about things. Now...I'm going back to classic Leftover Chinese...enjoy the random observations and pointless stories.

- Saturday morning featured me waking up on a sectional couch. The two pieces I had slept on were a few inches apart. Once I realized this, all the body aches associated with horrible sleeping positions shot through me. Then I realized...wait, I'm still kind of drunk.

- Baby Niece Emma greeted me with a smile and a cry this weekend. Once unfamiliar people show up...she kind of freaks out and wails for a few seconds...then she settles down and starts to play again. Fortunately, she's growing out of it. Sometimes grown women greet me this way...just kidding.

- Attempting to take a short nap was impossible. I was living on four hours of sleep, a big breakfast, and a two and a half hour drive. That sounds like a recipe for a nap. Unfortunately, the fact that the sun likes to stand just outside my window kept me awake. Damn you, sun. Also...the fact that my ethernet card was fried kept me awake as well. Damn you, internet.

- Stepping on stage once again for a quick song was just as fun. This time around, we were surrounded by wood paneled walls and Bobby Smiley. The show itself was better. The guys in the band were much looser and rocked the songs more than the last night. This does nothing to solve the debate about which night is the better night between shows on consecutive nights....or does it?

- I got home at 1am and sat on the couch to watch some TV. The next thing I know, it was 3:30 and the TV was on ESPN. That was the second time I have ever passed out. Like the first time it happened, I was drinking on a relatively empty stomach. Hmmm....there's an obvious lesson here. Oh yeah...passing out is cool. Just kidding...I know, I know...food is good.

- I thought I could visit my parents house once without ever stepping foot upstairs. That would probably have been the first time ever in my life where I visit the house I grew up in and didn't go up the stairs. I couldn't do it. I had to see the astronaut wallpaper one more time.

- Taking a vacuum to my car, I noticed a few strange stains and a lot of pet dander. That would explain why the car smelled funny when I got it. No worries...an air freshener and plenty of new stains should take care of that.

- Speaking of pets in cars, I've seen quite a few people driving with their dogs on their laps. Is that not safe? Maybe that kind of thing has been happening around me all my life, but I've been noticing this phenomenon everywhere. There are only a few things a man should have on his lap while he's driving. And a small, poochy dog shouldn't be on that list.

- After it all...I can still stick to my six hours of sleep a night diet. Well, I'm fudging closer to seven...but there's still hope that this experiment will work.

Okay...I've lost steam...this was the weekend that was. All in all this has been the craziest weekend In a long time. The scary part is that a bachelor party didn't happen this weekend. Woah....okay, let us go to the future.

. . [~] . 0 (Grumble) Grumbles .

The Weekend Worth Three Posts of Entertainment (Part 2 of 3)

Okay, the weekend was pretty intense and I've processed the events. At the same time, I've moved on and don't have many random blurbs about the weekend. So let's run through the quick lessons...Sunday style:

- Driving to work on Good Friday = surreal. You can't space out and stare at the lake. You pass the bus and instead of looking around so you don't get mowed down, you make sure you don't run any pedestrians off the crosswalk. I'd say that driving to work is a fun thing to do once in a while, but paying seventeen bucks to sit a car in a lot is not my idea of thrift.

- On a short visit to IKEA, I was in the mens room and heard two people in one of the stalls: a child and a man. The child kept on kicking his feet, and the man kept on saying "shhhhh!" While I know that it was probably a father potty training his son, it still made me feel uncomfortable...I also laughed.

- I took the gas tank dangerously close to the point where the light turns on. I don't mind that warning unless I'm on the highway. I'm still learning the limits of my car. Well, I got the gas and took a 12 mile detour through rural-ish Illinois. I guess not being prepared gave me a chance to see more flat land. There's a silver lining in every cloud, folks.

- Sometimes I don't even know if I'm being sarcastic (see above).

- Even though it was just one song, it was nice to get back on stage with an instrument again. I like to people-watch from the stage. Everybody is looking at you and everybody is thinking different things. Even back in elementary school, I'd people watch during band concerts. What do these people think about the crap being shoveled in their direction? Whether it's a smile, a frown, indifference, or a bunch of empty chairs...getting a reaction out of a group of people listening to sounds you help make just might be my favorite thing to do.

- Hanging out with former bandmantes is definitely a cool thing. I hooked up with Mike and took him along for the ride that was my Friday night. Mike and I routinely bonded while away from the other bandmates. We trusted each other musically enough to co-write the music for one of our few originals. Unfortunately, I was too drunk to even sink a ball on the pool table against him. We used to have pretty intense matches...but now it's just good time to reminisce. On the night before I moved out of Madison, Mike told me "we'll be back"...I think he could be right.

- Heckling former drummers is also a cool thing. I've never seen Scooby play the drums from a distance. He looks so fuckin' stiff and goofy while playing. He and I communicated musically without even talking or looking at each other...so I never really saw him play. He gives the singer and guitarist these puppy-dog eyes while concentrating on their beat. It was kind of scary. It was good to see him though. Good luck to his band.

- After four bars and a late night visit to Ian's Pizza, I wound up at an after-bar party. It was crowded, hot, and featured cheap beer. An afterbar is a last second shot for chaches of all ages to get more loaded and/or laid. I did nothing but sit back and observe. While I wasn't looking for a 'good time' (too drunk and too out of place), not one lady looked in my direction. Steve half-jokingly told me it was because I looked too old to be there. He was right...I should have thought about that before extending my night past 4 am.

You know...That's Friday. I don't want to weigh you down on this post with two more days of nonsense. The most interesting moments of the weekend were on Friday. I might continue this tomorrow...but there's not much else to say...stay tuned.

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The Weekend Worth Three Posts of Entertainment (Part 1 of 3)

After confining myself to train and bus schedules for the last 18 months, I find driving to be a very liberating feeling. I don't even mind circling around my block for 15 minutes to find a parking spot. In the last three days I've stepped foot in Madison, Chicago, Brookfield, and Cudahy.

In the last three days, some of what I've done has included the following things (in random order): I helped a band play two shows in two nights in two cities, hung out with a few former bandmates, enjoyed corned beef hash and eggs, drove to work for the first time ever, slept on a sectional couch, made some drunk dials, vaccumed my car, replaced my ethernet card, ate spam, threw super-bouncy balls in a stairwell and giggled while they bounced around, did my laundry, shopped at IKEA, visited my brother's in-laws, tried to take a nap but failed, and watched the movie Fargo. Good Times were had this weekend.

I think I learned more stuff this weekend but I don't feel much into writing right now, so let's table the Sunday conversation for tomorrow. I'm still enjoying this fun-filled weekend...actually, I'm still sorting it out.

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Week Ten: What is it about Progressions?

I don't know. I think it's nice knowing that the world moves around...we're not in control of everything. You sit in one place long enough, you notice things move on their own. I'll set the pictures in reverse order. Time adjusted for daylight savings time. This is the view a little after 7pm. The sun should be a little higher, but you get the gist of it. Enjoy.













Things around the world aren't going too well right now. There exists an 'escalation' in the middle east affairs and the public is watching the government hem and haw. Two candidates are trading barbs back and forth while nobody from the "West" showed up to pay respects to Rwanda for their genocide. I get the feeling that dominoes are being set into place right now and it's only a matter of time for something...and it better be good.

The world around me isn't doing too bad though...Like the weather, everything seems to be getting better as we move on.

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Just Like Way Back When

I've ridden 30 miles in the last four days. Strangely enough, the wind direction has alternated between north and south with each ride. This time around, quite a few more people were out on the lakeshore path. Speeding down the path is almost like driving in this city: you're constantly looking around to make sure you don't get mowed down and there are attractive (and distracting) ladies walking around everywhere. This will be my last story about riding my bike for a while. Since it will be a usual thing, I'll wind up boring you to death. It's been a long time since I've put this much mileage on my bike in a week. It's almost like the frustrating summer of 1998....

I've been lending my 10th grade trumpet skills to may or may not lately. This week, I've rededicated myself to actually practicing the trumpet. Aside from that week last summer where I worked on a 446 remix, I haven't played much trumpet in the last ten years. It feels good to be blowing the horn again. Seeing as I live in an apartment building, I've had to keep the piercing trumpet sounds down. The solution? The wow-wow jazz mute! It keeps the decibels down, sounds like sultry jazz, and it even restricts my airflow (thereby strengthening my lungs). Once I take that mute off, my tone should be better. Once a band nerd...always a band nerd.

Speaking of May or May Not. I told my mom that I was helping on out on two shows this weekend (see current calendar). She freaked out and asked me the following: (1) who's in the band? (2) do they do drugs? (3) is there a fire escape? She basically freaked out and assumed that I will perish this weekend in a club fire of some sort. Yeah...she's still way overprotective...but she honestly can't do anything about it. Thinking back on my life...I think she's stood in the way of pretty much anything I've wanted to do. Tennis Lessons in the winter? No...she doesn't want to drive in the snow. Basketball tryouts? No..she didn't want to give me a ride because it was winter time. Play with my friends? No...it's too cold out. Join a club volleyball team? No...they weren't going to drive me around the country. Go camping with my friends? No...there are bears in the wilderness. Lately this overprotectiveness has reached levels of: Ride Taxis around the city? No...taxi drivers are bad people. Move a few miles west? No...there are people walking on the street. Move out west? No...its too far and you don't know anybody there. I mean...c'mon...let it go.

I'm going to have to ignore these pleas from now on. I think back to all the successful actors, actresses, presidents, politicians....I bet they didn't have overprotective mothers.

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The Bizarre Day where I fired on all Cylinders

This morning was the earliest I've come into work since January. I managed to stay productive for most of the day. I even showed up to meet my friends for lunch a few minutes early. Not only that, I got back from my lunch break in under an hour. Man, I don't think I could do this every day...that would be depressing. Being very focused on tasks so people up the ladder can make more money is not a good habit to form. Fortunately, morale around the office is low enough to the point where nobody probably noticed my amazing day. Still, I'm not sure what the deal is...it could be the magic sleep formula.

After work I did my usual bikeride. In contrast to Saturday, the wind was gusting from the south. The first half of my bikeride was virtually uphill. When I turned around to head back, I drove about 100 miles an hour with the strong wind at my back. It was a good time. Again: productive day at work, nice ten mile bikeride....it's the magic sleep formula.

Spring is officially here. People at work will talk about the Cubs as if they're the greatest thing since sliced bread and the few Sox fans that exist in the loop will keep the secret to themselves. People will be skipping work during homestands, and baseball will be common watercooler talk. Not me...I don't really care about either team...I still bleed for the Brewers. Some people can't understand why I don't conform and become a Cubs fan like the rest of the northside. Well folks, its fashionable to be a Cubs fan these days...and you'd think I fall into line? Speaking of the Brewers, they won today...giving them their first record over .500 in two years. Enjoy it while it lasts, fellow Brewer fans, this will probably not last.

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The Fourty Seven Hour Weekend, or The Experiment Begins

Yeah, what did you expect? The sun sets a little later in the day and you get hungry earlier than you're used to. You don't really 'lose an hour' in this case. Those sixty minutes didn't go anywhere. You just have to make a one hour adjustment to your daily schedule. Folks complain that changing clocks are a pain in the ass. Well, I don't mind seeing the sun set closer to 8pm. So much more can be done after work. Here's to Ben Franklin...the guy who came up with this crazy scheme. Oh yeah, I usually talk about random things on a Sunday:

- The sun "turned the corner" outside of my window. Now I'm going to have to deal with blinding early evening sunlight for a while. It's good to see the sun again but it sure sucks to have to wear sunglasses in your house when the blinds are drawn. For some reason, I can already tell that this summer will be a scorcher in my apartment. Everything seems worse during this second year.

- The parade of good music coming though this city continues. On Friday night, I got to see The Secret Machines for the first time. As a live band, these guys blow their studio work out of the water. Listening on the headphones, you hear a band that sounds very calculated and relaxed. In person, you see a band that likes to blow the hell out of the room. The drummer had a John Bonham set with a marching-band bass drum and sticks as big as trees. Woah.

- At that same show, the sound guys played shitty nu-metal before Blonde Redhead headlined. I'm not sure what the fascination with nu-metal is. Everything sounds boring and uninspired. Every band has a pseudo-Eddie Vedder trying to emote his pain. Every band seems to have a crappier rapper with that crappy singer. My theory was that the opening band played such a kick-ass set that they needed to change the atmosphere by playing shitty music so people would get reved up for the headliners. They didn't dissappoint....Blonde Redhead put on a hell of a show.

- On my usual bikeride, I found myself at the halfway point in good shape. I thought I could hit my place at a faster clip. Well I turned around after an easy ride south and caught a gigantic gust in my face. Those five miles back to the homebase in this flat city felt and rode like a steep hill. I'm not complaining, just annoyed at the cold weather this spring.

- Yesterday I stepped on a tennis court for the first time in over two years. It was nice to get outside, run around and chase after a tennis ball like a dog with a tennis racquet. Since I don't know too many tennis players anymore, these chances are few and far between. It was nothing competitive...I gave a friend a lesson. Hmmm....I wonder if I could do this for strangers...think of the money.

- After wasting two planned chances to see Bowling for Columbine, I finally watched it in the comfort of my own home. Movies and books that paint ugly thruths about our country always get me to think about moving to Canada. I wonder how easy that could be...um, er USA GOOD!

- On both days this weekend, I have been pretty active yet feeling worn down or tired has not once crept into my mind. Both Friday and Saturday night, I've slept somewhere between six and seven hours. Perhaps all I really need is six hours. The more I sleep during the week, the more tired I am...This week, I'm going to train myself to work on six hours of sleep. Perhaps life will get better and I'll have more energy...perhaps I'm just nuts.

- I sentenced my False Siamese Algae Eater to death today. I don't feel good about it, but the fish terrorized my otherwise peacefull aquairum. I picked up a few more Guppies and a few Cory Cats. My last two Cory Cats and a few others were killed by the aforementioned Algae Eater. This aggression could not stand any more. Sorry, Algae eater...you didn't even keep my algae farm clean.

- Today's fish execution means I have gained some negative Karma. I wonder what tales of misfortune I can share with you readers this week..stay tuned.

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April Frools Day

I never really was the pranking type, so I have yet to pull any crazy stunts on anybody. The most I ever did was recreate a dorm room in the den of the floor by noisily moving furniture from an empty dorm into the common area. None of that today..so no joke for you.

Some apartment near mine has recently become occupied. I noticed that there was an occupant on Monday when I looked out the window and saw a shadow in front of their window. I thought it was strange because the shadow walked away from the window just as I looked at it. The other strange thing about this new neighbor is that only the bedroom portion of the apartment is lit up at all times during the night. I'm pretty sure the place is not a studio. I wonder if the feds are using that room to spy. Hmmm...something to watch.

I thought that I could use this week to recover from the weekend. I thought that I could spend a few weeknights at home to chill. That hasn't been the case. I've come home from work only to depart within two hours a few times this week. The spy must be confused. At least I'm getting out of the house...I suppose.

Parallel parking has become the new driving game. Forget weaving in and out of traffic or playing the 'Lets guess the location' game. Squeezing a larger than average car into a tight spot is an artform. You have to ease the thing in slowly and carefully without causing any damage to the surroundings. When you're safely in, you rock the club and be on your way. I hope I don't wind up completely parking somebody in. If it happened to me, I might be violently angry. I wonder what that could mean for me....hmmm.

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