The Original Blog

So here we are in 2012. The month of January has already past in this the year 2012. And I have myself a new computer. One with a ton of memory. Memory I can use to write, and write, and write some more. So I guess then that I should write. I used to love to write on this blog. The entries weren't long. They weren't profound. But they were consistent. I need to get back into the habit of regularly writing some shit down. Maybe, just maybe, the next great American novel is waiting inside me. Its just waiting to break out. I'm drinking a PBR and listening to Norah Jones right now. Its late at night and I should be getting to bed. My beagles are snoring on my bed right now. I should sleep. I've got a double ahead of me tomorrow. And then another double on Saturday. And then after that double, Julie and I are driving to Blacksburg to see her twin and watch the Super Bowl. Go Giants! It should be the Saints against the Pats and not the fucking Giants. But...

Let sleeping beagles lay. Unless of course they begin to snore. And then pick up sleeping beagles and move them to chairs. I want to get two chocolate labs, a brother and a sister from the same litter, and name them "Scully" and "Mulder." I also decided yesterday that I'd like to name my dogs after jazz musicians. I'd have Thelonious Monk, and I'd call him Theo. I'd have Dave Brubeck, and he'd be Dave. I'd have Miles Davis, and he'd be Miles. I'd have Stan Getz, and he'd be Stan. Then there'd be Herbie Hancock, and he'd be Herbie. We'd have a Wayne Shorter and a Chic Corea. A Johnny Coltrane. I'm going to have to have a lot of dogs...

Its been awhile. Just thought I'd write something down... you know, maybe get myself back into the habit of putting words to page/screen. Let's see what happens...

I guess I should write some things about what's been happening.  I'm actually quite surprised I haven't put "pen to paper," as it were, already, seeing as how that's my medium for expressing my feelings.... The trip to New Orleans was incredible.  Best trip I've ever had.  I left Raleigh on Friday, January 16th and finally arrived back (two days late) on Thursday, January 22nd.  I got into New Orleans around 10:30 am and Julie picked me up at the airport.  I hadn't seen her in something like 13 years, and it was like we had just seen each other.  Absolutely perfect!  Like we had just seen each other, just spoken.  It was very clear from that moment that she and I still had our amazing connection. So we head back to her house and then go to Le Bon Temps for some drinks.  And that was the beginning of my amazing weekend.  From Le Bon Temps we went to some little Po Boy joint and met up with Eleanor.  More drinks, then Eleanor's house, then Tipitina...

No cigarettes for 6 days now.  That was my big goal this year: quit smoking.  So far, so good.  Not all that easy, but not impossible.  Also going to quit going out as much.  Going out=spending money.  Money that I don't have.  And it'll be smoky as all hell, which I'm really trying to steer clear of.  So there's that. Had a security leak recently.  Have sense tightened things up.  Thought this was a "For Your Eyes Only" operation.  Found out otherwise.  Hopefully the necessary corrections have been made and the blog will once again be all mine.  Its not like I was writing this for anyone anyways.  This blog is for me and me alone.  I'm doing it because I like to type more than I like to sit down and write. So we'll see if I get infiltrated again...

Goodbye 2008.  Thanks for the giggles.  I'll be glad to see you leave.  But I must admit, you came on pretty strong there in the end and made yourself one of the most memorable years in quite some time.  I'm sure that when I look back, 2008 may well be the year where everything finally started turning around.  I've just got to keep the momentum going into 2009. A year-in-review is not needed.  A lot happened, but I won't go into it.  Suffice it to say, outside my own little world, it was one of the most turbulent years in memory.  The economy is in the garbage.  The housing market is about to crash.  There is serious unrest in the middle east.  Our nations political arena is still wobbly, even though we have a new man at the helm.  Yada yada yada. Tomorrow I quit smoking.  Tomorrow I quit drinking for a little while.  Tomorrow I try to  put myself on a path to gain some clarity and hopefully start moving in a new, positive direction.  Tomorrow is the beginning.  And so ...

"Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters" And now I know Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say I thought I knew But now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City Until you've seen this trash can dream come true You stand at the edge while people run you through And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you I thank the Lord there's people out there like you While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers Turn around and say good morning to the night For unless they see the sky But they can't and that is why They know not if it's dark outside or light This Broadway's got It's got a lot of songs to sing If I knew the tunes I might join in I'll go my way alone Grow my own, my own seeds shall be sown in New York City Subway's no way for a good man to go down Rich man can ride and the hobo he can drown And I thank the Lord for the people I have found I thank the Lord for the people I have found -Elton John

Ah, the nap.  The glorious nap.  Few things in this world are as special as the nap!  Sound a bit overboard, do I, friends and neighbors?  Maybe, yes.  But can anyone actually tell me that they wouldn't love to settle down for a nice nap during their day?  What a luxury to have the time to stop everything and close your eyes and sleep! I have valued naps more than most things since my high school days.  My boarding school was a tough one.  We were pushed from early morning until 11PM every night.  Sleep was a prized commodity.  So we slept at every chance we could get.  15 minutes?  No problem.  Lunch or nap?  Nap, damn it.  Bet your ass I'm going to grab some shut eye. Then came college and naps became important for different reasons.  Classes began as close to noon as possible, so getting up at the butt crack wasn't a factor.  Rather, the hang over became the enemy.  And the nap became the cure.  A two hour nap could recharge the batteries for a repeat performance.  And l...

I can't help but feel pains of nostalgia during the holiday season.  I have had some amazing Christmas holidays over the years.  I find myself thinking of my EHS days, in particular.  We would have crushing exams right before we left for break.  And my first year, we were still very much running under the old "rat" system that the school was founded on.  The day we were leaving for home, all the new boys on 2nd McGuire had to go sing Christmas carols to all the seniors on the hall, which basically meant that we had to walk into several lion's dens.  But more memorable than that was the fact that I was going home to see Alice.  We had met over Thanksgiving break, and in one short month I had fallen in love for the first time.  This was the first girl I had ever said "I love you" to.  We had an amazing break together.  I still have a picture of us together during those few weeks together and I cherish that picture like few others. Another EHS Christmas break w...