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2 August 2002
In case you needed to see my dog after playing in the creek this
morning, here ya go. As for me, I have the whole weekend off to do
as I please.
..........
3 August 2002
What could be a better way to start your day than with my favorite
one hit wonder? Katrina
and the Waves' Walking On Sunshine. There is none. Today
though, I must replace a watch that has a lot of sentimental value to
me. Some years ago at work, we had some folks in from LA (a bigger
franchise than us by the way) for some training. This was a normal
part of my job. This guy, Oggie, rode with me for a couple of days
and I fell in love with his watch. I commented on it several
times. Anyway, we had a good time and I learned a lot about him
and his very inspiring history. He told me about growing up in
Mexico and how he came here, and how his life has changed so much since
those days. He is hard working and very successful today and an
inspiration. When he left, I didn't get a chance to say good-bye
to him because I was out of the office or something that day. He
left me his watch. I'll never forget him. The watchband
seriously broke yesterday and I must replace it or the whole watch
today. Either way, it won't be the same. Maybe Janice Robinson will
take my mind off of it.
..........
3 August 2002...Later
Spent the day replanting flowers by the mailbox, trying to understand
why they seemed to die overnight. Same with my squash. Maybe
I haven't been watering them enough. I don't know, it's really
kind sad. However, the day did end good with a trip our favorite
Mexican joint and then seeing Arrogance
at Regency Park.
..........
6 August 2002
I must admit, I like the "new" (yes quotes) Elvis song. I also like the
idea of Mary Tyler Moore and Elvis together. I don't know
why. I could just hear her saying a little less conversation, a
little more action baby. Did you know I love Mary? But not
as much as this
one. So until he returns from Alabama, I will sooth my
loneliness listening to old sitcom themes.
..........
7 August 2002
It's the beginning of the end. The anti-perspirant I have been
using for years seems to on the way out. For years, an acceptable
scent on a stick was getting harder and harder to find. Finally,
last time I went to find it, the shelf was not only empty, there was not
even a place there for it. The Dry Idea web site no longer exist. It points
to Gillette which gives no hint of Dry Idea's existence. Today I
hit the bottom of the stick, (I will not use a roll on or that gel crap
which are both still available) so I guess tomorrow I will start on my
new Degree. It's body heat activated ya know,
which I may not see today because we are expecting record lows tonight.
..........
8 August 2002
Blondie was
great tonight. Deborah Harry was my first little boy crush on a
singer. I remember sitting in my room listening to Parallel Lines over and over. I knew every
word to every song and I learned tonight that I still remember every
word to every song. I think I still love her. Deborah Harry
rocks and Blondie was surely rocking tonight. They didn't sing Atomic
or The Tide Is High, but they played every other song without
stopping not even for a costume change. I must sleep now, but I
know my dreams will be sweet.
..........
16 August 2002
I guess I'm one of those people.
Just haven't had the time or inclination I guess to update.
Yesterday and tonight, it was storming so bad, we really couldn't turn
on the computer. I hear too many stories during the day from
people whose systems are damaged by lightning. One good thing
about this week is I got all my medical bills paid.
Total $1750. Thank God for insurance. Otherwise, my savings
would be drained.
Elvis,
never knew you, still miss you.
..........
18 August 2002
My mom for the last several months has been telling me that my dad is
having trouble remembering things. I didn't think a whole lot
about it at the time, just thinking it was time for little things like
that to start happening. It wasn't until yesterday during a visit
that it really struck me. We were just sitting around talking and
he asked me how school was going. I had to tell him several times
that I was done and working full time now and that he came to my
graduation in June. I kind of just blew it off but it did bother
me. He had gotten depressed about the situation earlier and the
doctor put him on Paxil which really seemed to help his attitude but you
can tell it is bothering him as it would anybody. Later in the day
we went out to eat. We had a very pretty waitress. She
dropped a receipt as she walked by and my dad said I should pick
it up and bring it to her. I could earn some points with
her. I'm thinking to myself, oh my God, he's forgotten the BIG
thing. I just looked at him and said there is really no reason I
need to earn any points with HER, after all, it is a her. Thin I
just grinned. The next thing he said just blew my mind. But
first a little history. My mom and I have talked extensively about
the whole gay thing, hell, she just likes to talk. Both my parents
have been pretty accepting about the whole thing but I have never really
talked to my dad much about it. OK, back to my story. The next
thing he said just blew my mind. You know I read in the paper the
other day that being gay was just the way you were born, you didn't
choose it or anything. (No fucking duh) I'm just sitting
there thinking, I really don't want to talk about this right here,
right now. but I guess he did, so we did. And I guess, I should be
happy for this one trivial realization because Duncan's mom thinks it's
something he picked up in college. Maybe he picked it up off a
toilet seat or maybe he picked it up from you.
Physically, for their age, dad 80 next month, mom 77 in three months,
seem to do OK except for a set back every now and then. They still
do stuff and go places and my mom is still as sharp as she ever
was. I'm also seeing over the past several years how strong she
is, something I never saw growing up because my dad was pretty much head
of the household. But actually, my mom probably ran the house and
made most of the decisions because my dad was out of town five days out
of seven. That's the reason I really never got to know my dad
until about 15 or so years ago. Since then we have talked a lot
and I have learned much about him. He's actually a pretty decent
guy with a lot of sense. I hate to see him start to go down hill
like this. I hate thinking about the things I now have to think
about. I also have started thinking about the fact that I'll never
have any kids to worry about me.
Hummm...
I have also started thinking about the Golden Corral
Breakfast Buffet.
..........
21 August 2002
A long time a ago, I was this kid without a care in the world. There
were all kinds of racial tensions that a little kid like me didn't know
anything about. It was around 1971 or 72. It was the second year of court ordered busing in
Charlotte Mecklenburg and my first year of school.. I grew up in
desegregated schools, learning to accept all people. Never gave a second
thought that some people weren't just like me and there were years which
I had to ride many miles to attend school. When you're a kid, you're on
a bus having a good time. Throughout my secondary education, I had all
types of friends and I don't understand the lack of understanding of a
few people who only want the best for their kids and screw all others.
This week starts the first year of a totally new kind of system in
Charlotte Mecklenburg. Charlotte has grown tremendously over the past
couple of decades. People coming from everywhere to live there all of
which have different ideas about how to do things. This is good but
however, much history has been lost. When one new parent did not get to
go to the school of their choice a few years ago, it begin a battle that
would change the way kids have gone to school for more than 30 years.
They sued the board of education to end court ordered busing. The courts
would not give a clear decision without going to court. The next year
the same people moved to California but continued the suit. The board of
education would not give up after they lost. Appeal after appeal, they
finally gave in. Four of five years later begins a new way of life for
kids today. Affluent kids will get to go to school with affluent kids,
poor kids will get to go to school with poor kids. Sounds like a brilliant plan
to me.
That said, my new
inferiority complex. Incoming freshmen at NC State
University have an average GPA of 4.01. I don't even want to say
what my GPA in high school was.
And now I need you. The background on this website is a picture
of our driveway. It can be hard to read I realize. I am
thinking of changing it to a dark off gray. Let me know hat you
think when you see it.
..........
24 August 2002
A few years ago, my folks gave me an old clock they got for a wedding
gift but I have never seen it in working order. A few weeks ago I
knocked it over and broke the glass cover. I decided to get it
fixed and brought it to Clock Works Again in Carrboro.
Instead of the several hundred bucks I thought it might take to get this
fifty plus year old clock in working order again, it's only going to be
eighty or so dollars. It'll be a few weeks but worth the
wait. For now, a little Taxi while we wait on Michael to arrive
for the weekend but we won't be going here.
Oh yea, it's new. Hope you like it. It's what I did
instead of wandering out in the 98 degree weather today and the big 103
from yesterday.
..........
25 August 2002
I sit here tonight watching my boys watch their WWE Pay Per View. I
must say I am quite entertained.
..........
28 August 2002
It's raining again this morning. We started on our walk and
about half way home, (in my mom's words) the bottom fell out. I
kind of enjoyed getting soaking wet but I don't think Kaleb was so enthused. She must now
spend the next hour licking herself and cleaning up. Now watching
Good Morning America, they are talking about the Fayetteville
evacuations because of the floods. They then mentioned that there
was also flooding in North Carolina. Fayetteville is in North
Carolina. Now, off to work I go.
..........
30 August 2002
Where can you find two queens sitting on the couch dying laughing
watching the Mary Tyler Moore Reunion Special? Right
here. Scary how much Cloris
Leachman looks like Rod Stewart.
Gotta go, time for a prostate check.
..........
31 August 2002
Day eight of rain, and nobody dares to complain about it
either. The drought is really bad in some cities. Some of
the smaller towns have started hauling in water and handing it
out. Another is going to get a train of tanker cars and stop it on
a trestle and drain them in their reservoir. I would not mind
seeing the sun just for an hour.
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