NOTES OF A DIRTY OLD MAN

Life is so strange.

I was looking at a picture of little Zeph Rainey and thinking about how much he has grown. Suddenly I felt very old. Even my friend Joanne (who was at Borders today) said I have stopped being cute and started to look "dignified".

I ain't buying that for a minute. I'll be dignified when I get the hell out of the bookstore and get a job more suited to a man of my advancing years & (apparently) ever more geriatric appearance. I'll be mature when I get a solid pension scheme, stop smoking (once and for always), spend more time doing things I enjoy, and get some money saved. I'll be mature ... right now.

Yeah, that's the ticket!

P.S. The following books were recently loaned to me by a friend (Brian the guitar guy):
Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Journey to the End of Night by Celine
Ask the Dust by John Fante
Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoevsky
The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll

I have also taken up the old Russian practice of sitting and being still for a moment before going on a journey. I haven't gone on any long trips in a while, so this is still just a practice in theory, not a practice in practice.

My old roomie, Lee (who has always been my surrogate brother), wants me to start doing yoga with him and his fiance, Judith. They are also going to start training for an iron man/woman competition and would like me to join them.

I may.

My schedule this week:
Close Monday, Open Tuesday.
Tuesday night - dinner w/Leia.
Wednesday - off. Desperate last minute preparations for Harry Potter. Possible movie with Cute When Sedated.
Thursday - off. More preparations. Panic sets in. Dinner with Aunt Sally?
Friday - the book release party. Gilderoy makes his final appearance. Total mayhem. Folks in town.
Saturday - hang up the golden coat and fancy trousers forever. Close at work. It'll suck.
Sunday - close again. More suckage.