7-08-02
One would think with the amount of sleep I have been getting I would be exhausted by midday. Okay, I do take 15 minute naps at work, but those are choppy seconds and it is unconscious sleep (meaning I'm trying to read but the words are all blurry, hmmm I wonder what that word...zzzzzz *drool drool head bob wake up*). But here I am. Three days in a row where it has come time for me to lay down in my air conditioned room curled up in my comforter and I'm just wide awake. Crap.

7-07-02
Taking a walk at 5 in the morning on a Sunday is interesting. It allows you to actually see the city in a sleep like state without the hidden repressed fear that the night brings. I saw only three people: a guy riding his bike without holding the handlebars, which has always bothered me in some fashion, an elderly lady watering her garden, and a man with a fanny pack. Busy streets were empty as far as the eye could see. The stroll gave me the solitude I've been yearning for. For the last few days I've been looking for a bit of quiet.

I'm not sure why I got up at 4:30 this morning. I wasn't too tired when I went to sleep, and I was definitely not tired when I woke up. I should go back to sleep because I'm going to crash around 3:30 this afternoon. I should actually say what is on my mind. I shouldn't spill water all over a 2 and a half hour board game ending it before a winner is declared. I shouldn't consume as much humus as I've been eating.

God, I can be such a doofus sometimes.

7-03-02
Major changes in one's life need to be made when they find that the little cup of hope that was on their key chain breaks.

Yesterday walking home from work with plans of driving to my new Nite Owl bowling (more on this later) league I just joined I was met with a sad predicament. Grimmie, my car, had a flat tire. Since I have been able to escape changing a tire for 24 years I figured now is the best time to change one. A challenge, and it will be met. So I started fiddiling around with it. Only problem was I couldn't get any of the lug nuts off. Okay, I understand I'm not that strong of a guy, but I should be able to do that. A few friends tried and also failed. An older gentleman came by with an air compressor and a pipe but neither were able to accomplish said purpose of removing my tire. Finally a large Polish man came across the street from working on his car and was able to remove 4 of 5 lug nuts, but that fifth one just ended up pissing him off. He tried and tried, used a plethora of tools in a vain attempt to remove the final nut. Defeat settled in and the large Polish man finally admitted defeat because the nut was stripped (he looked so sad that he couldn't do it). I offered him a beer which he refused.

But I was able to make it to my bowling league night besides the fact that I didn't have my car. One of my team members was unable to attend since I was going to be his ride home (we surely could have used his monkey power too). I would like to say that bowling for two hours for only 10 bucks is a fantabulous idea! I'm not there to win the big trophy (and from what I heard everyone gets one, even if you come in last), but to have loads of fun, and maybe, just maybe make a fool of myself, which doesn't really take that much work. I put up some respectable numbers, 109, 124, and 154, but our team walked away defeated in each match. But it is all about the cheering anyways, that and I have a chance to redeem myself next week. 10 weeks of bowling fun, here I come. I'm also taking team name suggestions.

So onto happy holidays with half days and days off for fun in the sun. No major plans are made and that is all right by me. My car is fixed by some kind mechanics who actually talked to me about what was wrong with my car instead of just telling me. My nieces are at my parents, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to see them. Fireworks will be shot in the air in the next few days. People will be happy. So smiles to you and the life. Sleep well everyone!

6-29-02
After three failed attempts at seeing Bottle Rocket played at the Music Box (due to issues way beyond any of our control), Marc and I were able to succeed in viewing it. Even though I tripped over some steps spilling half of my popcorn and then I elbowed a girl in the boobs. "Who dat man?" Overall - a good night.

It had to happen. We all knew it was coming. Even that guy who walks around downtown Chicago preaching how the government is out to get me and you. I finally did it, no matter how long it took me. I will be seeing the inside of an airplane for the first time in my 24 years of life. A ticket to visit my friend Scott in Omaha late July has just been purchased by none other than me. Now, you may ask how one has not been able to taken a flight in this day and age. Well, the loyal readers will know that I'm all about car trips, and when I have a chance I would gladly drive for three days straight instead of fly there in three hours. But that all changes in less than a month. More as the date approaches.

I got me a whole day of sitting around planned for tomorrow.

6-26-02
I should have written everything yesterday when things made more sense. At least before lunch when happy go lucky me was flying around with a bunch of quirky silly ideas. Such as elves fixing the internet, and when I said thanks they would respond in very high pitches with a, "No problem." and walk away with pickaxes in hand.

No one even returned my Bears button. What jerks! I bet that guy from Michigan took it. Jerk.

Sun. evening I drank way too much apple juice. I understand one should not consume the amount I did, but I was at the beach, and the beach made me thirsty. It was all like, "Come on, aren't you thirsty? Look at all that water, makin' ya thirsty huh? Sure is hot out here, bet you could use a nice tall cold one right about now?" So in my drunken like state I purchased way too much apple juice and chugged it down. Man was my stomach pissed off at me for that. But I did have fun at the beach, so it all comes out even.

Not fair to the man who made my apartment 20 degrees warmer than outside. I mean, it's comfortable out there! Here comes the rain! Now cool me off!

Picked up some new comics again! Highlights - new Powers trade paperback. Sweet tits! Finally happy with Grant Morrison's ending to a comic book story. Sam Keith is still the man. John Romita Jr. and Mark Bagley and Spider-man. Sweet.

6-23-02
I lost my Bears button at a show this weekend...sniff.

6-19-02
My head received a haircut yesterday by a large Ukrainian man wearing suspenders and slippers. He asked me "What do you want?" in a hearty Ukrainian accent. "A haircut." I replied. Where he proceeded to raise his arms and say, "Yes! Now, sit down." You don't argue with a large Ukrainian man, so sit down I did.

About a week ago I entered my bathroom with the normal expectations one has when they enter a washroom. I'm going in there to do my business, and I expect nothing to interrupt the natural steps that I have been trained since I was a toddler. This one time I was wrong. I looked into our toilet to find something in there. It was a long skinny brown thing. Now most people might be thinking, "Your roommate may have just forgotten to flush. No big deal. Why the hell are you writing about it on your webpage?" The thing is that I could tell the long skinny brown thing was wiggling. Wiggling I say! Something was in my toilet wiggling! Step 1 is now been ruined beyond all belief. I looked closer having B-horror films flash through my mind. This skinny brown wiggler is going to come up and eat my face. People will find my dead body with my half eaten face in the toilet. The children will think it is an old wives tale. But with closer examination (just visual, no touching here) I was able to find out there was a worm in my toilet. (No, I do not have worms. That is just disgusting.) An earthworm has worked his way up into my toilet. No good. I'm not a big fan of things crawling up into my toilet. Things are supposed to slide down. With a quick flush the worm left my bathroom, and has never returned. That does go without saying, I check now to make sure I have the all clear sign before I…take a smash, as my co-worker may say.

And that was my story...

My cousins keep calling me Peter Parker.

6-13-02
This is the first concert in over a year that I have felt alive.. I can't believe it. More after the drunkenness slips away.

Sucks for me that I have to wake up for the US World Cup soccer game. Then the Soxs/Cubs game. My life is tough. Not really, as long as I realize that I have to learn how to live in a social society.

6-12-02
A Failed Mission. There is a Toys R Us closing downtown Chicago. I ventured down there in an attempt to pick up the wonderful spledorific game of Racko. Hours would spin pass me as we played at work. Instead I was met with 30% off Britney Spears notebooks and a My Pet Monster! You can find the theme song to My Pet Monster televison show here.

What the hell is up with a four hour test for a job I may or may not have an interview for? I got shit to do! Okay, it was fun to show up at work and a half hour later go to lunch, but four hours can really turn you off to a job. Of course it just may be the case that I'm turned off by the idea of most jobs.

The funk is slowly leaving...

6-11-02
A neat little Transformers movie!

Holy shit! Did I hear that correctly? I have a what where? It was time for my yearly check up, so only about a year later I made an appointment to see an eye doctor. I wanted to make sure my eyes were not dead. I have been hearing rumors. It is what they are saying on the streets. The doc went to inform me that I actually had something in my eye. There was a bump, meaning something is lodged in my eye. Crap, something is in my eye, and my eye has grown over it. What kind of weird crazy idea is it to have my eye grow over anything? And who said my eye should be growing? The doctor informed me that at least it wasn't anything metal, and then suggested I have it removed. Whoa whoa whoa. Maybe you didn't realize who your dealing with. I have no insurance let alone any real cash, and you expect me to pay for a surgery that I don't really need. Simple answer, to that one. I told him if I actually experience any pain, I will then come back and talk to him. Until then though, my eye and what ever it is hanging out will continue to get along.

I have procured an air conditioner for my apartment. Thank the lord. The only time I hate the heat is if I'm just sitting there not actually being productive in any shape or form and I start to sweat. Let's be serious here. I'm not exerting myself sitting here watching television, am I?

I need a new hobby. Any suggestions? And no, I will not clean your apartment or collect porn for you.

6-09-02
Walking home from work I was greeted with a young girl shaking a flag shouting, "GO BLASOOGHEK!" (at least that is what I heard) Me being an ignorant American unable to notice nations outside of the U.S. such as other leaders of different nations, let alone what their flag looks like, inquired what country the flag represented. In a slightly confused look, she said Mexico. Therefore I rooted whole-heartedly as I watched Mexico win a game in the World Cup.

I'm not quite sure how the amount of food consumed today fit into my stomach. But it all tasted so good going down.

Walks at night are quite enjoyable.

I'm slaphappy now, without the aid of any alcohol or caffeine. Just the usual staying up late with little sleep the night before fix.

My new job can still rule every once in a while. Besides the fact that I finished reading two books last week because I had so much time at work to read, I have also been informed of a company trip to see the Chicago Cubs play against the Chicago White Sox's this Friday. An extra bonus is that I get paid to boot! Every once in a while I'm able to ignore the meager amount they are paying me and forget the simple minded jobs they ask me to perform because I get to go see a free inter-league baseball game.

6-05-02
Boy am I tired.

I gave Vanilla Coke another try. It was the least I could do. Okay not the least. The least could have been sniffing Vanilla Coke through a straw so that I would only one drop, but I still felt I could do more. The second one tasted a little bit better, but not anywhere close to what I feel a vanilla coke should taste like. But that is just my opinion, and it does not mean more than 2 quid.