Just Dreaming |
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Saturday, October 18, 2003
Ways We Differ A few years ago, when I moved into an apartment for a little while, I bought an air conditioner from a co-worker. I went over to his house, way across town, to pick it up. Then he came back with me to help me set it up. Anyway, we talked quite a bit along the way, and it was interesting in that our lives had some similarities. Later on, reflecting, I was thinking about him, and thinking I really didn't want to be like him. Probably he somehow got the impression we were similar... I don't want to be though. There are lots of ways we differ, and I hardly the guy. That was the only time I'd really talked to him at length, and we never became close friends or anything. Some ways we differ: 1) He was 15 or 20 years older than me. 2) He was a bald engineer, standing a few inches shorter than me. 3) He went bowling as his main social outlet. (Ahhhhh! I am going bowling today, but it will *not* be my main social outlet. No way!) 4) His house was in a neighborhood with lots of low-income housing, and he had a locked gate at his driveway. In my short time there, I could see why. He was also a lot more paranoid than me about crime. I got the feeling that his paranoia had some basis in reality, the reality of where he lived. 5) I lived then in a good neighborhood, and live now in a house in an excellent neighborhood. No need for a locked gate at my driveway. 6) He smoked most of his life, heavily (and has since died of cancer.) I don't smoke, and know a few things about health, nutrition and such (although, I don't exactly do everything I "should" in that regard.) 7) He swore off women, having had such problems with them. First his ex-wife, then his ex-girlfriend.... Hmm, well, I've had some of that, and I've had a non-girlfriend girl friend disappoint me terribly. I'm not so sure I'm ready to give up on females yet, though. Plus, I've never had a bitter relationship with an ex-wife. He told me stories... I feel for people like that... I'm still debating exactly what it is I want. My "model girl/surfer girl who wasn't really my girl but a good close friend for a while" turned out to be not the model I was thinking of. So, it's not like there is someone I know intimately like that, who stands as some sort of ideal of what a girl should be. That ideal is more elusive. And more available to me, too. ;-) Still, I know there's a wide difference between the one who is wrong for you and the one who is right for you. How does one choose though?! The choices, to me, are kind of bewildering. Each one different from the other. Can one suspend their disbelief and disappointment, and think that next time, they'll choose better, or get luckier, or something? Hmmmm... Does one really want to give a whole lot of their time and life, to that person? It's just kind of scary yet. 8) I'm much better looking than he is. 9) I can't say if he had any interesting interests of hobbies, or if he appreciated music. I know I do. I didn't know him well enough to say. However, I do know he didn't appreciate air conditioning! He told me he would just as soon sit in a hot house and sweat. Ahhh.... Ha ha ahaha! Well I don't care, it's true. I'll never be like him. The man who owned the house I now do, almost just before I bought it, died about the same too young age as the fellow I knew. He too didn't get out much, except for bowling. Hmm, are we seeing a link there? Bowling causes early death for guys! No, it's not funny, but I swear, it's a little scary. I am just going bowling tonight, it is not my life, and I sure don't want it to be. (Edit: Note, these people today are real nice folks! I mean, they'll probably be fun to hang around with, even if we are bowling... Plus, I was sometimes good, in the handfull of times I have been bowling in the past... It's been years though!) Banking On Looks, & Some Other Thoughts "Redgrave's roommate is a cold-hearted and embittered woman, who banks on her good looks to get her what she wants out of life." - from a review of Georgy Girl, the movie. The thing is, that can work. At least, as long as she has her looks..... Things are changing fast. Right now, the days are getting shorter by 3 or 4 minutes, every day!... I've agreed to go out bowling late this afternoon with some folks. I haven't been bowling for many years. I hope it's going to be more fun than it seems like it will be... OK, so where does that day shortening lead? Well, taking into account the time change *next* weekend, by Halloween this year, the sun will set at 5:00PM. 5:00PM??!!! It seems like we lost four hours of sunny evenings, just like that. Summer flew by.... By the weekend of Thanksgiving, it will be getting dark at 4:30PM. How ridiculous!! ....I don't think I've ever been happy that I volunteered myself for some social event (like bowling today.) However, surprisingly, those things often turn out a lot better than I might think.... Still, right now I can think of a lot of things I'd rather be doing with my time then. I hate being locked into doing something like that, on my already too limited amount of free time. It's like you are giving up something, and you're not sure if you'll be happy that you gave it. Friday, October 17, 2003
Berlin Raining Eggs? Strange. Just heard a story on the radio about frog eggs raining down upon Berlin, Connecticut. Don't think I've ever heard that Berlin mentioned on the radio before.. Must be a lot of frogs around there. UB40 - Homegrown  Just remembered this evening to give UB40's new album (due for release in the UK Nov. 3) a listen tonight.... This feels very awkward, as a long time UB40 fan.... Let me say first, I like their version of Swing Low a lot. Vintage Ali Campbell.... However, the rest of the album.. Hmm, I believe it's the most computer programmed sounding thing they've ever done. I think I'll wait to comment more. 2003: "Emotionally, this year hits bottom. 2002 was good for relationships but 2003 is mined with dangerous traps. Marriage problems and loneliness are forecasted." Yeah, 2003 has been pretty bad that way... Although, 2002 contained the seeds of the 2003 collapse. Luckily, I had no marriage to hit rock bottom this year. Just a very close friendship. "Be calm." I am. In fact, I've been unusually calm. "Take refuge in religion and spirituality." A good idea. "Train a lot and divert yourself with entertainment." I think I would have lost my mind long ago, if not for diverting myself with entertainment. Matthew Thursday, October 16, 2003
I had a feeling Boone was going to hit that HR to propel the Yankees into the World Series, just before he hit it. Drown Them Drown your sorrows, drown your sadness....and again. Sure is windy here. I hope those power lines don't get blown over.... I suppose I ought to light a candle, just in case....... I'd like to have something I once had. Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Loving It!  I am so loving these playoffs.... You never know what turn they'll take! I'm rooting for 7 games for the both leagues' playoffs. Looks like the Marlins-Cubs series will definitely spawn a 7th. Yeah! I'm loving all these comebacks... (Again, it's so fantastic being able to capture them, after the fact, with TiVo. OK, not *too* far..) Never Let Go One of the lessons of life: "Never let a girl dictate your life, or even a part of your life...." Oh Lord, be yourself...It's a lot more interesting, and a lot more rewarding, again and again. Her charm is not worth abandoning your very spirit, your freedom, perhaps your marriage, the essense of your life. Never let a charming girl lead you astray. As good as it may feel.... Google's Better Google is better than AltaVista. Although, Altavista has a better search engine for images. For example, type in Al Franken (who I am finding increasinly hilarious) on both. Altavista comes up with books and articles about him, on it's first page of finds. Now, I *knew* that Al Franken has his own site, because I'd seen him shown as sort of a lone voice on the left, versus all the right wing talk show hosts out there. Anyway, so I go to Google, type in Al Franken. The very first result is his own web site, as it should be. (Hmm, no wait, it is second or third, a fan page is first. But still, it's right there on the first page of results, unlike on Altavista. Google is better.) On the other hand, Altavista seems to have a better method for finding images of stars. (Not as good as a good fan site with good galleries, but better than Google's image searches.) {Later, edit: OK, well maybe Altavista is pretty good. Google had nothing as usual (except perhaps her name in a school project listing from years back) for my favorite girl I don't know very well, as usual. Nothing. However, Altavista has an actual web page, complete with really pretty pictures, and a start of a blog, for her exact same name. Completely different girl, and different hair, but still. It's kind of cool! It's not a common name, and this "other" one of her is very pretty too - only in a completely different way, a blonde.... So Altavista comes through, sort of.} Monday, October 13, 2003
A Girl's Sweetness I've got a reggae song on a favorites cassette I made years back... Can't think of the title or the artist right now, but I can hear it in my head. One line goes, "Girl, I am addicted to your sweetness." Oh yes, a girl's sweetness can be quite addictive. It never grows old either, or gets tiresome. Only, when the sweetness stops, so does the addiction. Sunday, October 12, 2003
The Coolest Thing  TiVo is the coolest thing for TV.... Here I am, alternately choosing more ska tracks for my second Skatalites selections CDR, and watching the Cubs/Marlins playoff game. Just saw a 100 mph fastball from Beckett of the Marlins. Yesterday, we were watching when Pedro lost it (and Zimmer would have beat him if he'd had the guts to face him. ;-)) I recorded that part... You can choose to record something, or the last half hour of it you've *already* watched, or even, the last half hour the tuner happened to be, at any time. Pause it, while watching, relatively live. It's so cool. I'd say TiVo is to TV, what MP3's are to music.... The other day, when the Red Sox came back to beat the A's in the 8th, to advance to play the Yankees, I was watching that come back, and *after* watching it happen, recorded that segment. Makes some classic baseball watching. Fenway Park. I used to know a girl who really loved them there - I bet she's she's enjoying this.... Earlier today, I'd tuned into the last half hour of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. I can tell I need to watch the entire movie again (& having set the gadget to record it for me, next showing) I never-the-less greatly enjoyed watching and re-watching some of the best moments from the last bit of that Kazan classic this morning... Now, a few more riffs from the Skatalites... a bit more Sammy Sosa striking out (after he felt he was nearly hit by a pitch, and having been calmed by the other team's catcher, Ivan Rodriguez.) Yeah, this is the life. Stormy Spectacle I love it... It's raining beautifully on my window pane. Outside the storm is raging, trees swaying, as I sit, comfortably, privately enjoying the spectacle, Skatalites drifting through the air to my pleasured ears. Filthy Beast  Leslie Caron, in Father Goose (a very charming movie) to Cary Grant: "{You are} an undisciplined, self-indulgent escapist...." I love that! I mean, someone could say that to me. ;-) Only, she says it to Cary Grant, in the movie, then she marries that man she's referred to as the "filthy beast." I love it. Street Punk Pedro Martinez is a jerk. I can't believe it, but for the first time, I can kind of see why the Dodgers traded him away. Boy, in yesterday's game, Red Sox and Yankees, he acted like a street punk. Then got beat too. What would have been really cool is if Pedro and Roger Clemmens had the confrontation with each other, rather than Zimmer taking Martinez on..... Although, we found Zimmer very amusing. He's so crazy. |
