So I have some time, and I like to write, and I want to get better at writing, which only happens from reading and writing, writing, writing - so here I am, fingers tapping away, producing the first sentence (running on), and ending here, at the period, lol.
That’s the perfect way to begin a piece of writing - a little introspection, with crystal clarity, no? Anyway, I’ve got electronica (global underground miami) bopping in the background, also from my computer, and I’m just back from a dinner (alone) at a nearby Thai restaurant I’d never been to before. I had pra kra thom or something. Spicy basil chicken on white rice, with a thai iced tea. $25. Too much, maybe. It was good, though. Tuk Tuk thai is the name of it. They actually have a tuk tuk inside (like a golf cart taxi thing). So I’m fat and happy. I walked Kaleb for an hour this morning, and worked up a sweat, so I can check off the daily exercise box. The gym closes early on weekends, now. Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death, 3 years ago. He would have been 80.
I have so much I want to do. I have thousands of trivia cards. I like to look up the stuff I’m unfamiliar with, instead of just memorizing answers, so my process eats a lot of time. Trivia cards with ChatGPT / Wikipedia / Google. Good times. I have my Kindle with the daily NYT and the weekly Economist. I get like 30+ emails, every day. And my room has so many unread books. They’re organized by subject, so, for example, I have a pile of books in spanish, and a pile of David Foster Wallace, and another pile of Thomas Pynchon, and a pile of joke books, cookbooks, dog-related books, and martial arts books. I have piles of philosophy, psychology, spirituality, and short story collections. I kind of want to immerse in each pile, one at a time. My Chambers dictionary is always fun to surf, anytime. And maybe before I read anything, I should do 2 things: Read my “how to read a book” by Adler and Doren, and also, Speed Reading. That’s logical, no? I have another book, called “how to make it stick”. Maybe that should be book number 3! I’ve been sleeping in, lately. It’s nice to have the freedom to do so, but I want to get my shit done, so I’m motivated to be disciplined, efficient, and productive. I want to lose 20 pounds. A pound a week is what the doctor ordered. I’m holding steady at 240 for a couple months, now. It’s harder than it seems. I did 250 push-ups yesterday, in 5 sets of 50. So that feels good.
But enough about me. My landlord and his parents are back from Mexico. One of my (12) roommates (Irineo) has caught 17 rats. He asked me for money to buy more traps. I gave him $20. I’m hoping Edgar will pay me back. Mike has a nasty cough, and I’m debating whether I want him in my room tomorrow night, for our weekly Hearts of Space listen (from 10p to midnite, Sundays). The folks in the back go through an awful lot of beer bottles. I suspect alcoholism. I should be drinking only water, but I do like my juice. Today I finished a bottle of mango nectar, from Trader Joe’s. Back to me, then. I watched a YouTube video of Neil Gaiman, called “Make Good Art.” Good stuff. I’m re-reading his American Gods. It’s a longer version, this time around. I got a haircut, yesterday (short). I want to visit Portland again. It’s been awhile. Hugo is talking, and Augie just got back from summer camp, and Sara and Pierre are some of the few friends I’ve got. My circle is small. Big enough, I think, but still.. Anyway, I turn 52 next month, soon. I’m feeling healthier of late, in terms of mental health / less David. Let’s hope it goes away, entirely. If I lose my weight, too, I imagine I’ll feel like I’m on top of the world!
I’m having lunch with Julie and Miette next week, at Afghan Burrito, here in Berkeley. She has a gift for me, which will be fun, too. And Karen is back from North Carolina, where her 92 yo mother lives. I’m hoping Snoopy has figured out how to use the new dog door without scratching his nose. I don’t see my nephews much - I hope Greg and Liz give me more opportunities to bring (another pile of) gifts for the boys. That’s the latest. More of an actual personal journal than all the God stuff. Signing off, - J
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