WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH 2000
A whole damn year has passed since the night that Brad and I walked to Murray Lake in the dark to go fishing. It was such an experience that I decided, on the spooky walk back, to write about it if I survived. I didn’t get mauled by a bear or eaten by a wolf thus my first journal entry was born on the couch in Uncle Hal’s cabin in Montana.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 14TH 2000
Yesterday I woke up sometime in the afternoon and played drums, read email and listened to recordings until Brad came to pick me up at 3:30pm. We went to the University of Michigan for a Peace Corps meeting. I’m going to write about all of the hot chicks…I mean, pretty girls tomorrow being that I have no plans but to write in my journal.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH 2000
Before we went to the Peace Corps meeting we went to a brand new sporting goods store called “Cabella’s”. All kinds of dead animals were on display. A dude we graduated with was working undercover security. He’s getting married and is buying a house. I’m still a kid! I had never been to the U of M before. It’s pretty nice. I don’t feel like writing about it though. The meeting was interesting but I won’t be joining the Peace Corps any time soon. We tried to get the nerve to ask two girls out to a movie but of course we ended up watching “The Cell” by ourselves. I didn’t like it too much. We slept in the back of the “Aloha” with stinky feet then went back to campus to visit the Natural Science and History Museum first thing in the morning. Actually, the first thing we did was walk to a donut place in the rain. There were all kinds of dead animals on display at the museum. I tried my hardest to learn something but failed. They had neat stuff but I was hoping to see a T-Rex skeleton…and the planetarium was closed. Oh well. When I got home I slept until 9:30pm!!! I straightened up the basement a little then watched Al Gore on Letterman and Joe Lieberman on Conan. Did I say I’m going to vote for Bush? I’m undecided on the vote at this point. Ashley responded. No developments. I’m not going to respond for a while. I’m tired of having the urge to “log-on”. I watched “Cloak and Dagger” last night. Memories. Reese’s! By 5pm today I hadn’t done much but shower. I edged the yard and swept up the grass the way Dad wanted it done. My way is quicker and more efficient. Dad wasn’t happy that I had that opinion. Next time I’ll do it my way. I played a dumb video game across the street with Wes, Nikki, Kevin and Nick then we made a short film called “Must Be The Lousy Weather”. We each put an idea in a hat then Nikki would draw one out and we’d film it. Then she’d draw again and we’d film the new idea with the first idea incorporated. It was fun. Since then I’ve been bumming around this room here that still needs to be put in order. Why not now? Because I don’t feel like it. Got a problem?
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH 2000
Aunt Claude was here when I got up at two something. I only spoke a few words to her before she had to leave. Tennis with Kevin was my first activity today. We’re getting…not too much better. I shot hoops awfully for a while then played with Squirrel in the back yard energetically until it got dark. Brad came over and we ran my old Trick or Treat route. He finds out tomorrow if he will get into the Marines. I guess he and Vice went to college parties this weekend. Thanks for inviting me! Oh well, I wouldn’t have wanted to go anyway. I didn’t get tired at all considering how far we ran. I’m sure I’ll feel it tomorrow though. I finished Super Metroid! Next: Metroid 2 then the original Metroid. Why not? I sent a request to Siena Heights and Monroe CC for my transcripts. I might as well write about Ashley being that she is busy in my thoughts. I’m not sure what I should do. I’d really like to date her. I don’t want to be creepy and say something like that in a stupid email. The phone thing is my only option but I know how that works. Every time the phone rings I’ll think “Is it her?” accompanied by nerves. I really should forget about it but I’m retarded. I went to the cemetery with Mom today to put flowers on Grandpa’s head stone then we watched old family videos. I want to be stuffed when I die.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 17TH 2000
The Lions are 2-1 damn it! Damn Buccaneers! I talked to Carrie for a minute today. She wanted me to go out to “the bar” but I didn’t feel like it. I shot around at the park for a long time as it grew dark. Great weather! I talked to Ross. Situation normal. We didn’t have much of a conversation though. Ashley wrote that I am her best “email buddy”. Should I feel special? She wants me to use Instant Messenger so we can “chat” live online. I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of commitment. Kidding. I just don’t want to have the urge to “log-on” all the time to see if she’s “logged-on” too. Dan Marino was appreciated this evening.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 18TH 2000
Damn the internet! At 2pm I went to Michael’s and filled out paperwork. I start Wednesday…at 9am! Oh boy. I’ll be making $6.50 p/h but after 90 days it should be over $7 depending on my performance as a framer. Kevin beat me at tennis. Flying red ants participated. I think I got a handle on my serve so tomorrow should be interesting. As it got dark Brad and I ran at Wildwood. I’m feeling the progress. We went to Brian Ray’s then we all went to some sports bar and watched Monday Night Football.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH 2000
I should get to sleep so I can get up by 9am tomorrow. I wanted to get up early today to get in the habit but by 2pm I hadn’t opened an eye. Kevin and I didn’t get around to playing tennis today. Oh well, I ran by myself at Wildwood. I did good. I feel good. I’m beginning to lose my flappy. Squirrel ran through the screen door. Tonight I recorded a little something on my VS1680. My drums sound cool with the pads on. Kevin recorded some jazzy stuff then we took a long walk. Incredible weather! Now I’ll dream of the girl I saw at the grocery store.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 20TH 2000
Got up at 8am. Kevin dropped me off at Michael’s at 9am. I watched training videos for almost two hours then put frames together until 4pm. Time went by fast and the people there are nice but for some reason I dread getting up in 6 hours from now. Probably because I have so much more to learn. After work Carrie and I went to Wildwood. It started to storm so I didn’t get to run. We had fun playing in the rain. Then we picked up Brad and Vice and went to rent a movie. We got “Any Given Sunday” and watched it with Steve (Carrie’s Dad). Didn’t like it. When I got home there was a message for me to call Heather in Nashville. I had told her that I wanted to ask her some things about Ashley. Ashley answered the phone! Her southern accent threw me. We talked for a minute then Heather picked up. The rest of the phone call was basically a conversation between Ashley and I through Heather. If I moved back to Nashville there is a chance that I could have a very pretty southern girl to date. Carrie and I had a wet sock war.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH 2000
Three days have passed and not much needs to be recaptured. I worked. I’ve basically given up on the silly thought that I could ever have a relationship with Ashley. Brad and Vice are boozers all of the sudden. The Lions beat the Bears…not very convincingly. Kevin beat me at tennis…convincingly. I hung out with Tricia and Jamie Stampflmeier at their UT sorority house. I got my transcripts. I drove Mom to a campground in Michigan an hour and a half away. She got back this morning. I just got back from the Olive Garden where all the Aunts and Uncles celebrated Uncle Ed’s 60th birthday…then I watched the Simpsons. Now I’ll straighten up my room…maybe. [later] It’s been a long time since I just sat and did what I just did. I played guitar. The room is getting there. I have to get up in 7 hours for work. I don’t know if that feels worse now or when I am actually faced with it in the morning. Why can’t I just be positive about work? Or at least not let it make me negative? I’m not constantly miserable. Only when I stop to think that it is mandatory that I wake up by 8am. The job is probably the best I could have as far as retail goes. Well, since I commented on Ashley earlier I might as well go on writing about her as if I were a lonely, pathetic low-life who keeps a record of his most pitiful excuse for a “love life”. Now that I put it that way, I’m not sure I should write another word on the topic…but I will. When we spoke on the phone a few nights ago I didn’t really feel anything other than nerves. In other words: Sparks didn’t fly. She was a little flirtatious but I don’t know…I found it hard to flirt back. She noticed and wrote to me saying that I seemed “reserved”. I struggled to write a response and was reminded of my inability to communicate with her when we met two years ago at the Scoreboard. I imagine I’ll meet her again someday soon but it really isn’t that big of a deal.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 25TH 2000
Katie Holmes is a famous actress from Toledo. She’s pretty hot. Today I got her phone number! Well, her parents phone number. Her mom was the first frame sale of my career. I think I may have screwed up the measurements. In answer to yesterday’s question: It is worse of a feeling the night before. I played basketball by myself and took a nap by myself then I did a lot of email garbage. For the heck of it I was flirty with Ashley. I watched the first half of MNF with Brian Ray. When we went to take a movie back we came across the “Aloha” so we followed it. Brian Ray spotted it just by seeing its headlights! Turns out that Brad was on his way to a strip club…by himself. HA! He’s definitely going through a time. We decided to accompany him to the place where naked ladies dance. Luckily there wasn’t a cover charge. I spent my only dollar by giving it to a cute, flat-chested blonde by way of nostril. That’s right, I stuck the dollar bill up my nose and she dug it out with her teeth because her boobies were too small to use as a grabbing device. I felt bored a few times today. That’s no good. I just had a good laugh to myself about the dollar in the nose bit. Poor girl. I wonder if the moon really will land on Kansas someday? I need a good book to read. Video games just don’t cut it. I had many, many idiotic thoughts about me and Katie Holmes hooking up today. No need to worry.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26TH 2000
My back is killing me! Ashley wasn’t flirtatious in response. Oh well. I got in touch with Brad and we went downtown to work on his friend Ted’s new building. Actually it’s really, really old. For about four hours we smashed stuff with sledgehammers. That’s why my back is sore. I inhaled more dust and dirt today that the rest of my days combined. After I showered we went to Fricker’s to meet up with Vice, Mosqueda, Lisk and a bunch of Vice’s little “females”. The entire time I was…I guess I could say “mesmerized” by the hostess. My God! I knew I had to say something to her but of course I drew a blank. We shot pool at a bowling alley as Brad and Vice got more intoxicated. The last bar we went to put me in a weird mood. Stampflmeier and Shane were there and it was great to see them after so many years (about 4). The weird mood was caused by my favorite question that always comes to mind in settings as such: Why in the fuck do people need to smoke and drink in order to smile? I don’t see getting drunk as a “fun” thing to do. I act stupid enough without the alcohol. Smoking is stupid and ugly. It’s an excuse to make people feel like they are “doing something” so they don’t get bored. I hope the me that is reading this has never gotten “fucked up”. If you have then you have given up on one of your only beliefs. Lighten up? Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I’m upset. I had a really good time.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH 2000
Missed some days. On Wednesday I worked at Ted’s building again. First Brad and I took pictures and tossed the football at Wildwood. Then Kevin beat me at tennis before we went downtown to load all the stuff we smashed into a dumpster. I can’t recall anything after that. I know I did something though because I don’t think I’ve had a free minute in days. Thursday I worked until 4pm maintaining my reputation as the kid who doesn’t talk. Of course I’m the only one who calls me that though I’ve never actually said it. After work on Thursday I waited for a long time for Brad, Vice and Ed to show up so we could drive up to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Hal’s cottage to have a fire. We stopped at their house to get the key and stuff. I saw my Murray Lake painting! I don’t like it still. The fire was perfect. Damn good time! We ended up staying the night and driving back early Friday morning. We went straight to work on Ted’s building but luckily we were out of there in time for me to drive to Bowling Green with Kevin to pick up my last set of transcripts. After that I slept…and slept…watched a dumb Dana Carvey movie…and slept. I worked all day today. I got off at 10pm and went straight to Doc Watson’s for Lisk’s bachelor party. I spent the rest of the night being the DD. It was pretty wild. Luckily we couldn’t get into Déjà vu because Lisk was too “fucked up”. He didn’t puke until we finally got him to his apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment