I Suppose You are Wondering Why We are Here?
(20-29 August 2002)

29 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Lots of RMI stuff.  Lots of computer trouble.
-Today was just a day fading into another.

28 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Did some work at RMI today & I guess I'll even be getting paid for it in the interim before we actually move on to the Berkeley place.  So far I've been employed in the Great Search for the Missing File, a drama which has engulfed the office.  But I may end up doing accounting for a train company, which as far as I can tell is my uncle's dream job of all-time.  If only he'd move to Fresno.
-It's so easy to relax about stuff sometimes.

27 August 2002
[from Berkeley]
-We got the house!  I should say "the apartment", but it's more housey in format.  Small (they tell me), it's a studio apartment with a communal backyard, a door that opens to the street, hardwood floors, & a built-in bookcase.  We move in on 7 September, since they're fixing the place up a bit.  Whoo!
-Stina does indeed know where some mighty fine burritos are.
-Serendipity Books is across the street, & it's now officially my favorite design of bookstore ever.  Imagine your favorite used bookstore stereotype & triple the size.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be cheap.

26 August 2002
[from Berkeley]
-Told you I'd want the first place we saw.
-I, yet again, discover my unique view on the world.  This time, it's the size of things.  Why am I an alien?
-Que perfecto.
-Welcome to the Bay Area.

25 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-If she's out there, happy birthday to Sarah Brook.
-Fishy-pop reminds me that I could write a great book on creative break-up ideas.  Not that I really think people should use them, but they can be entertaining.  If this whole fiction effort goes belly-up, maybe I'll try that.
-I've got a screw loose.

24 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Happy Birthday Dad!
-Painting is approximately the most cathartic activity ever.  After inheriting a bookcase & dresser from various siblings of Emily's, we set to painting them in a vibrant array today.  The process of restoring something old & run-down (the dresser at least) to something new-looking in a more pleasing color is splendid.  Enough to reverse a lot of more difficult outlooks.
-I am extremely manic-depressive.  I'm all right with that, don't get me wrong.  Think of it as the "disorder" that is really feeling emotions.  I (clearly) don't see that as a disorder.  But whatever it is, I've got it.
-Assuming ADO is as long as Loosely Based, I am 4% done with said new book.  But I fear it will be much longer, & that it is going much more slowly.  But I can't complain.

23 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Communication is communication.  But not everyone agrees.  Not a big deal; just something to amuse me.
-Em & I are both getting much better at foosball (I think), as playing on her parents' table has been a primary activity here.  Also, feeding her llamas (& camels) today reminded me how much I miss having animals as a big part of my life.  But I don't suppose I can live on a farm & in a city when I'm not in ABQ, huh?
-We've also been preparing to loot this house for stuff to take to Oakland/Berkeley.  Mostly it's furniture, which I'm not positive my ideal living situation would have.  But I suppose some elements of furniture do make life a bit easier.  Dressers & couches & a desk (maybe).  There's rumor that there will be painting tomorrow.
-Does anyone know why anyone would ever make a computer with 64 megs of RAM, but 25 gigs of hard drive space?  Doesn't that seem like a mismatch supreme?

22 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Worst dream ever.  Not quite ever ever, but sure was the most vividly awful nightmare for some time.  I guess the nightmares for the week all piled onto last night, when I caught up for a week of averaging 2-3 hours a night.  No me.
-Issues of judgmentalism make me laugh.  Most folks think it's okay to be judgmental, as long as it's not about them.
-Sometimes I think that your president & mine, GWB (Note:  NOT the George Washington Bridge), would say, if pressed on his feeling of authority to make policy, that he just slept in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
-Actually, I very much liked what Lauren had to say about just not liking some people... it's what I've been saying for years.  I think it's okay to say that some people are not going to be the type of folks you want to date or be friends with or hang out with or whatever.  Fish thinks you owe it to people to give them a chance, but I think a lot more conflicts are started because people who should've just steered clear were asked or forced to try to get along.

21 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Dateline:  Santa Fe.  The La Fonda.  November 1996.  It's happening again.
-My kingdom for a goldfish.
-Tell me what the lesson is.
-No one's submitted to the Book List in ages & this makes me very sad.  Anyone?
-No need to worry about me... just the things that inevitably happen.  Mostly I've been busy & quite exhausted... though I didn't fully feel it till I tried sleeping for more than 3 or 4 hours.  There's things that could be better, but at least I'm not going back to school.  That makes up for more than you'd ever know.
-In other news, ADO may have a chance after all.  I haven't made progress on a book in a year till just lately.

20 August 2002
[from Clovis, California]
-Dogs jumping for food.  A white owl incoming.  Dogs howling at the gates.
-Sep's friend doesn't wanna be my agent on Loosely Based, which she somehow got the impression was titled Logical Proof.  But I understand her concerns (kinda), & I guess that's fair enough.  I don't really know if the agent route is right for me anyway.  But I appreciate Sep's contact & put this out as a subtle hint to those of you with agent friends (or anything vaguely resembling that) to, well, y'know, help out.
-Lots of revisionist history trawling about these days.

Introspection, My Worst Friend* (Current)
Ye Olde Archive (Past)
The Blue Pyramid (Source)

Tell me this is not the end...*


*-lyrics from an as-yet unreleased song, "The Same Old Frontiers", by SWClayton.