About that other post...

Y'know, where I said I needed to blow people off? Yeah. Whoever you are, it doesn't apply to you. They don't read my blog.

Aspirations

I am going to found an organization that's sole objective is the destruction of the moon.

drinking dilemmas

Man, I love drinking. I can be such a happy drunk. Friday night was great. I went out with my two brothers closest in age, an old friend Molly who just moved back into town, and Dan the Climber Man and his buddy Josh (both of whom attended the OCMS concert with Matt and I last friday). There was some rockin' group dynamics, it was hysterical. After the bars kicked us out we came back to our place ta drink some more, eat some pizza and play taboo. So much laughing! Wow, how I've missed laughing.

Buuuuut, with fun always come bleh. Dan and Josh didn't look good to drive, so they rode back with someone else to our place and crashed at my place. And we were having a lot of fun. So we ended up not getting to bed until around 5:30am or so, and then I had to wake up at 8am to drive them back to the bar for their car. Which was fine, and what I was expecting when I offered it. But here's the thing... between hangovers and minimal sleep, I require a good 12+ hours to recover and my days typically never go well after a night of drinking. And today at work clearly manifested that.

So whaddaya do? Quit partying? How dismal. Party less? How impossibly hard and party-pooperish to do. Sigh. And rumor has it, it only gets worse as you get older. Oh well.


As an illustration, I offer today's Car Rental Tragedy of the Day. A cripple came in to pick up his car and apparently Expedia (who booked his reservation) totally dropped the ball (again) and failed to mention he needed hand controls to be installed for him to operate the vehicle. We didn't have any cars with hand controls available, neither did the fleets in Chicago or Madison, or any of the other agencies in the airport. So he was stranded SOL and facing a $675 total cab fare cuz his hotel and the stadium in Green Bay (he was headed to the Packer game and had this trip planned out months in advance) are so far away. I was seriously considering driving him there myself, but between not having a functioning heater core and my recent car troubles it seemed imprudent. But then right after he left the counter it dawned on me that my managers might be able to authorize my use of a rental car on my own time to do it. So after a 10 min call in which I persuaded them into letting me do it, I tried to call his cell phone: his phone battery had died and there was no way to get a hold of him. Right. So I paged him on the airport intercom, but no go. Turns out he got a cab right away and I missed him. What a sucky-slow-thinking good samaritan I make. Sigh. I tried.

...But if only I hadn't gotten so smashed the night before and my mind was more alert to think of these things. Fancy that. There'd be one less down-trodden cripple in the world for a moment.

I really love...

Having the day off work on a cold, dreary day. It's so perfect for lying in bed reading books when you first wake up, and bubblebaths, and finally doing the laundry, and doing a little baking, and going to the library, and exchanging videos, and all those little things that you otherwise wouldn't want to do if it was a really nice day outside.

There are so many people in my life...

Who literally just need to be blown off. Forever.

I'm a coward and a fool for having tried so hard. It's like that one thing CS Lewis said in "The Weight of Glory"... about how the beauty and joy we remember experiencing with people wasn't anything IN them, just something that came THROUGH them. And just because you felt it with them once, or even many times, doesn't mean that what you're longing for is them. Because it's not.

Hey, Idiots...

...Ouch!
"no you ... you.... ." "what?" "I told ... nice..." "but I... and isn't it..." "no! ... you better ..." "OK, OK" [clears throat]
Dearest Readers,
          It has come to my attention that a number of you may have had some difficulty ascertaining the author of certain posts on our humble blog. In order to preclude the persistence of this regrettable misunderstanding I ask that you please direct your attention to the text immediately below this post on the left (the BIG FRICKIN' ARROW is of course a courtesy detail provided for those who may have difficulties with the concepts "below" and "left"). As you see, it is clearly stated that this post was created by me, phil. It is my hope that an increased awareness of this small detail will be of assistance in eliminating any confusion regarding the origin of future posts.
                                 Sincerely posted by phil
P.S. I still think you're frickin' idiots.

Old Crow Medicine Show

... was playing at the House of Blues in Chicago this last Friday. What an EXCELLENT concert!! It was a great time- violent rain, crashing thunder and lightening, swarms of people, free flowing beer, and fan-frickin-tastic music! Again, I had a great time.

There was a little difficulty getting things going (among which was forgetting our tickets, having to find our brother who lives in Chicago- and incidentally was already "Getting There Drunk" by 7pm- at some random bar to get the keys to his apt in order to reprint them, losing them after reprinting them in the two blocks from the parking structure to the House of Blues, coming a hairs-breadth from dishonestly obtaining some more, buying some more off some random chick for way less than they cost), but once we did it was freakin' crazy fun.

The next morning we had the pleasure of meeting up with my Crazy Asian cousin for a brief but pleasant breakfast. I then had to take off early to RACE back to Milwaukee to get back in time for work- a feat I accomplished against odds with 67 seconds to spare. I then ROCKED at work and had an impressively high sales yield to dazzle my manager with.

After work I spent Saturday evening finishing 'To Kill A Mockingbird"- a DEFINITE favorite of mine. I then went shopping today, got my Crazy Asian cousin and sister (and myself- Tee Hee!) a Christmas present, as well as a winter coat (FINALLY! I've been freezing!) and some bubble bath (MMmmmmm... bubblebath). I then went to Mass and then went over to my sisters to watch Desperate Housewives while we chatted and drank hot cocoa. All in all, a very pleasant weekend. I owe it all to the precedent set by the OCMS concert: It was just the pick-me-up I've been needing.

Also...

I've fueled a tank in my underwear. And that's awesome.

One, two, three, and four hey

I'm going, I'm going, I'm going to war hey

Disjointed thoughts... I think

So BDaly is going to be in town this week! It's been so long since I've seen anyone from TAC. And a girl! No more icky boys! I'm so excited.

I'm madly in love with CS Lewis. Granted, his novels have been giving me wretched nightmares that result in me waking up physically ill and having to go vomit, but that's a small price to pay for love.

REkeya makes me so joyful and intoxicated with the enthusiasm and passion of our conversations that I wake up feeling hung over the next morning after having had a long talk with him. Also, worth it.

My brother and I have been watching "Band of Brothers" lately. It's far different from our usual Scrubs and Arrested Development tastes, but my is it good. In my old age I've developed an appreciation for slower paced movies/shows. It allows for you to appreciate the profound and gives you time to ponder, and brood, and experience the full weight and meaning of actions. That show has moved me to tears many a time already.


I live in a world that's much like a fetus, always growing and developing, enveloped in a placenta of pure emotion that nurishes and enriches it. And Damn, is it lovely.

I've decided everything should be approached with the vigor, passion and intensity of a child learning the world.