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This is my old weblog archive and is no longer actively updated. Please visit this link for my current blog.
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Michael's Diary -- 2001-2003 Archive
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4.12.2003
Kind of woozy and tired right now. Spent the day at the Cubs game. Kerry Wood pitched a gem in a shutout, striking out 13 men in 8 innings of work. It's good to see him back in form. My friend Suzanne had some free tickets one of her business associates had given her. They were way in the back of the lower section, so I went to Ticket Services and paid $24 to upgrade them to field box seats. Much better. But c-o-l-d. A pleasant enough day if you were in the sun, but in the shade at Wrigley with the wind blowing in from the lake, well, it was hard to keep score with my fingers going numb.
Thursday, had a customer all afternoon and so my free Cubs tickets went unused. Just as well -- they were trashed 7-zip. Came home and ordered us up some Thai food, then did some 3D work in Lightwave. I am doing something basic wrong in Lightwave and I can't quite figure out what it is. As usual I am trying to learn it all at once. I have a 1300 page manual to start reading, but I found a tutorial sample form a very expensive home study course and followed it, and kept having the same problem no matter how hard I tried. Very frustrating. I may invest in the full course to learn it from scratch, but I am going to tackle the book first and see how far that gets me in the next week or so.
Yesterday... to catch up, it was a busy day, customers from 9 am right up until 7 pm. Came home late and hung out for a bit while G finished a paper she's working on, then went to the local for food, drink and conversation with our friends Steph and Mark. Feeling kind of crappy today as a result although the wind and cold sobered me up some.
It's funny how you can do nothing except sit on your ass in the cold and it will really tire you out. I think your body is just expending more energy trying to keep you from freezing to death. Despite all that I'm off in a few to hang with a few of the guys at a bar. The ladies are out for drinkin' and dancin' tonight so us menfolk will just do the drinkin' part on our own. Not much for me, though -- not really in the mood for it -- and I don't want to feel crappy tomorrow and get nothing done. Plenty of interesting things to do.
Seems the www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com got so many hits it had to move to its own webserver!
9:08 PM
4.10.2003
Was just listening to Bach's 3d Brandenburg Concerto and, well, my golly.
9:17 PM
""It has been rumored that we have fired scud missiles into Kuwait. I am here now to tell you, we do not have any scud missiles and I don't know why they were fired into Kuwait." Turns out I'm not the only one who gets a big kick out of Mohammed Saheed al-Sahaf! This site is hilarious.
7:34 PM
A wretched start to my day. First off, I slept through the alarm clock. Usually G rousts me out of bed at 6 as requested, but today she let me sleep in; I assume I requested this when I "woke up" but I don't remember waking up to request it. The alarm went off at 7:30 and I thought I hit the snooze but I really turned it off. Woke of my own accord at 8:15. Well, at least I felt rested. Showered up and made breakfast, brought it out to the living room, went out the front door to get the papers; I was in my socks. Propped the snow shovel in the door to keep from being locked out. Stepped out to where the papers were, and the snow shovel fell down, and the outer door clicked into place. Locked out. In my bare feet.
No money, phone or shoes, no jacket, just me in my short sleeve shirt, pants and socks. Thank God it was a balmy 40 degrees outside. Tried all the neighbors (except, of course, for the scary old man who lives next door and hates me for some reason). No luck. Finally managed to get inside through a system so complicated I shan't describe it here. Suffice to say it involved me climbing a chain-link fence, a garden rake, and a length of wire. As much fun as it sounds. 'Nuff said. Was outside for probably an hour. Froze my feet off.
Came back in at about 10 am, discarded my now-soggy Raisin Bran, changed my damp, cold socks and started over, albeit quite late now. Grr. Had all manner of productive things to do this am. Oh well. Just goes to show the value of getting up plenty early.
Now to do a few useful things and head out to a customer.
11:24 AM
4.09.2003
Still no sign of my good buddy the Information Minister. What a character.
11:38 PM
A very productive day indeed. Right on schedule all the way. Right on time. Only missed about 2 or 3 things on the to-do list and only one of them an A1 priority. Got some flowers and chocolates for G as she had a rotten day, some fresh La Brea bread and Russian tea at Trotter's, groceries for dinner from three different shops, and a big sack of dog food for Boris in between seeing customers.
Only thing I missed today that irritates is meditation. Very hard to discipline myself to the morning meditation, and when I am able to do it, I really enjoy it and feel much better and less stressed the whole day. Problem is it's tough for me some mornings when I -- you guessed it -- haven't got enough sleep. If I am awake enough on such days to attempt it, I tend to drift a little, not quite into sleep, but into a kind of dislocated mental state rather than the calm focus I get when it's working. That's what happens when you don't do it enough. So it's bedtime now for me.
I have free tickets to the baseball game tomorrow. Might swing in for the later innings if my calls wrap up early enough.
11:33 PM
Must also mention that I will scream if one more CNN reporter pronounces "jubilant" "joob-yoo-lent." How can you get through college not knowing how to pronounce things? Ask the president . . .
Also would like to mention that I am sick of being mistaken for Michael Moore. Happened again at the ball game again yesterday. That's twice this week alone and the third time at a ball game. The fact that my name is Mike makes it even worse. People cry out, "Mike! Mike!" and approach me. "I love your work," they say. "Me too," I say, "but I don't think I am who you think I am."
I like Michael Moore. I even agree with him a lot of the time. But I don't want to take a bullet for him.
8:59 AM
Looks like the war is over, more or less. Marines today were fighting pockets of resistance on the outskirts of Baghdad, but downtown it's a whole different story as large groups of Iraqis seem to be rejoicing in the streets, back-slapping US soldiers, etc. Seems that there is nobody from the government anywhere to be seen, not even my buddy, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, that hilarious man. I was rather looking forward to the sight of hime being led away in irons, all the way vigorously protesting that the whole thing was an illusion. Perhaps it will happen yet.
Much as I am opposed to this war as a policy matter for our government, as a practical matter, since it's been underway, I have been hoping for the most positive outcome possible. I realize that this means an increased likelihood of the president being reelected -- well, maybe not; George I was swept out of office after his resounding victory in Gulf War I. Anyway, no right-thinking person can wish for anything but the establishment of a just and fair society in Iraq and an end to the torture and executions which have been a way of life there. Today I saw on television the first glimpses of hope that that might be possible. I feared the worst for our troops as they headed into Baghdad, and I fear the ongoing efforts against them which will still cause loss of life, in all likelihood. But it seems the bloodiest part of the job may be behind us. I only hope this does not embolden us as a nation to repeat such an action anywhere else on the planet. When the world's only superpower becomes a usurper there is much to fear.
I can't remember when I used the word fear so many times in one paragraph.
In any case, I predicted a long, bloody and costly siege of Baghdad. I can say without reservation that I am delighted to be eating crow today.
Have to get changed into my uniform, and then have some work to do before heading out to an afternoon full of customers.
8:46 AM
4.08.2003
Met up with David today. He had an extra ticket for today's Cubs game, postponed from yesterday's. I had some space on my schedule today so we went. It was cold. Windchill in the 20s. The Cubs were victorious, lashing the hapless Expos for six runs. Matt Clement pitched quite well and held the Expos to just two hits, one of them a just-outta-here homer. Good to hang out with Dave and talk movies and baseball. I will not be attending many games this season. Prices are up for everything. You wouldn't know our economy was in the toilet if you went to Wrigley Field. A large soda is $4.00, chock full of ice of course. Most outrageously, parking about two blocks away was $30. I have to have the "easy out" so I can split fast if I get a call. $30 is a new high. I couldn't believe it. Never again, sorry, Cubbies. The tickets were really good but also expensive at $40. I remember the days just a few years ago when for six bucks in the spring you could get a seat in the bleachers. Those days are past -- bleacher tickets are the ones eveyone wants, so the Cubs jacked the prices up absurdly high for, essentially, the worst seats in the ballpark. Seriously, there are upper deck reserved that are better and cheaper. Caveat emptor. Total price for today's game, parking, a soda and some peanuts: $77.00. Outrageous.
OK, well, tonight, I am going to bed early. Being out in the cold all day sapped my energy. Not a lot accomplished today but my calendar was light, and I got ahead of myself yesterday. Finally watched City of Lost Children so I can return it on time tomorrow to Blockbuster. Not that great. Fantastic-looking, and some really clever ideas. But the plot was muddled and confusing, to me. I didn't really "get it," and I think it's more the script's lack of focus than me. Or, perhaps, poor subtitling. Anyway, rich with ideas and worth seeing for the fabulous design work and some nifty camera ideas, but overall it didn't hang together for me. Jeunet is a really interesting director of the Terry Gilliam-by-way-of-France variety, though, and I am still going to catch Delicatessen.
OK. Time to hit the sack.
10:46 PM
Made a liar out of myself last night by not getting to bed until nearly one. Still, a good Monday yesterday and a good example of why I keep the diary. It's a reminder of what is possible given a little focus and positive attitude. Not a lot of specifics in there for the casual reader, if in fact there are any, but some useful reminders for me to reflect on when I'm having an "off day. . ."
I got a lot of things done that had been hanging around for weeks, and then watched Red Dragon, which was so-so, a big improvement over Hannibal, which I thought was appalling -- just unpleasant, and not in a good way. There are many movies I find unpleasant, even repellent, and enjoy a great deal (Eraserhead springs to mind) but Hannibal isn't one of them.
Late start getting into uniform, because I spent about an extra half-hour exchanging emails with people at work. Blocked off a little time this afternoon, going to meet David around 1:00 or so. It is cold and grey and wet outside. 35 with windchills in the teens. Great. Nice day for the Cubs to have their home opener.
So now I have a bunch of small tasks to tackle this AM. Then it's out into this dreary Chicago spring. It's gonna be like this most of the time for at least a month so I'd better get used to it.
10:08 AM
At least one thing has been making me laugh during the war, and that's Iraq's Minister of Information Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf. His press briefings, denying the US is in Baghdad even as bombs whistle paste behind him, are just so bizarre and incomprehensible that you just have to laugh. "They are silly," he said at one point, and I just guffawed; so many funny one-liners, and the amazing thing is, he looks so smug and self-assured about it, you get the sense he really believes what he is saying!
12:43 AM
4.07.2003
A good Monday. My work for the day is now done. Crossed many lingering items off my to-do list, one or two small things to do when G comes home.
Off to the White Hen to pick up some cursed cigarettes, and then dinner and a movie for me. Hoorah.
7:04 PM
Took a break for lunch, 2 steak tacos with the leftovers from last night's dinner, a few chips and some salsa. Got some things checked off the to-do list. Some more to go. So far, a good Monday. Almost a good thing the snow fell and the game was postponed. If I get some other important stuff done, I can watch a movie later. Hooray!
1:45 PM
ProjeKct 3 vibrating away as I work.
11:18 AM
Just returned from a customer. The weather has made driving around not only unpleasant, but dangerous, and so it's back home, slippers and project work on the horizon. Kind of feeling sleepy, no doubt as a result of staying up too late last night. Won't happen tonight -- I can feel it.
10:59 AM
Opening Day at Wrigley scheduled for today, and this . . .
. . . is the view out my front door. The Cubs have postponed today's game as have several other teams throughout the league. I despise winter. I have never loathed a season as much as I have loathed this past winter. The last time I enjoyed wintertime I was a very small child, and even then I thought it was a pain in the ass. As an adult I detest it. People go on and on about how beautiful things are when they are covered in new-fallen snow but I couldn't give a damn. If I were to never, ever see another flake of snow fall it would be far too soon. If I still lived in the Northeast I shudder to think of what my mental state would have been by now.
Yesterday was a lameass day. Pretty much an all-chores day, After cooking, finishing laundry and doing the dishes there was no time to watch the movie I had hoped to or get started on some project work. Spoke to my friend David who offered me a ticket to today's ball game. Oh well.
I played a little guitar. Got sucked in by CNN late-night as the tanks were rolling in to Baghdad and thus stayed up way too late. Surprisingly feel OK this morning after my oat bran w/banana, cinnamon and applesauce, pot of Earl Grey and lowfat toaster pastry, but in a surly mood because of the weather. Going to do my meditation now and try to clear some of this negativity off my mind.
7:43 AM
4.06.2003
"Survey participants commonly reflect that television has somehow absorbed or sucked out their energy, leaving them depleted. They say they have more difficulty concentrating after viewing than before. In contrast, they rarely indicate such difficulty after reading. After playing sports or engaging in hobbies, people report improvements in mood. After watching TV, people's moods are about the same or worse than before." Read it and weep. Then turn off the TV.
6:51 PM
A little more than two hours later, back from the store. Steak tacos for dinner; the Whole Foods was out of Napa Cabbage so the chicken salad tacos I was banking on are not to be. Switching laundry around. Not a fun Sunday but a necessary one.
6:45 PM
Michael's Word of the Week:
fell
adj.
Of an inhumanly cruel nature; fierce: fell hordes.
Capable of destroying; lethal: a fell blow.
Dire; sinister: by some fell chance.
Scots. Sharp and biting.
Idiom:
at/in one fell swoop
All at once.
Middle English fel, from Old French, variant of felon.
Makes character actor Norman Fell's name all the more hilarious.
Was looking back on the previous week, which was not really so great. Kind of off-the-mark in terms of time management and goal direction. Thought of the word fell, but it's a little strong. Want to get -- determined to get this week off to a better start. Well begun is half done, and all that. Anyway, fell is a great word. There's a line in Lord of the Rings -- someone mentions the Balrog and I think it's Gandalf who says, "Speak not his fell name again!" (The Balrog is so scary that Legolas later utters my favorite line in the whole book: "Aiieee! A Balrog is come!")
So. Webcam on, typing up a diary for today, doing my planning for the week, putting in some laundry, shopping for groceries. Awoke to the thundering pitter-patter of tiny, yet alarmingly loud, feet running about over our heads. Slept later than planned but staying in bed felt sooooo good, the stampede upstairs notwithstanding. Sometimes you just want some extra rest. Last night Genevieve and I saw Phone Booth, which I thought was quite well-done, despite some lapses in logic. Then we had dinner at a very nice little place called Glory which specializes in New England food of a high order. Plenty of fresh clams, lobster, Portugese sausage. Spoke with the owner a few times. She was very cool. The place is simply decorated and reminiscent of an Edward Hopper painting, slightly, in its lighting. Delicious stuff, fresh seafood that really tastes fresh being hard to come by in the Midwest.
Then we went to the local for a few pints and were joined later by our friends Michael and Gabi and had a typically uproarious and enjoyable late night. Home and to sleep not all that late, by 1:00 or so. Nice to get out of the house more, after last weekend's hibernation. Started today later -- thanks to that accursed daylight savings time, always screws me up for about four days -- and back to the pub we went for breakfast. Had to come home and get something for G, who's staying there with a freidns to get some studying done. It's a nice pub for that on a Sunday.
So here I am, getting ready to be productive at 3:00 on a Sunday.
So. Now it's time to do my planning, which if I didn't do each week, I don't know how far off my mark I would be. Worse than I am. Good time to focus on what I am doing right.
3:09 PM
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