2023

I have this aversion to odd numbers. I'm not sure why. I think it's because they don't divide evenly.

2023 was not a very eventful year for me. In fact, I can't really say I accomplished much of anything. 

They raised my rent and utilities for my apartment. I tried to find another apartment but failed miserably.

I managed to get a week off of work and came down with Covid. It was bad timing, but at least it spared me from having to call out.

When I wasn't working, I spent most of my time writing. Nothing I wrote seemed to amount to much.

I bought a video game console for Rose for her birthday. I ended up playing it more than she did.

In November, I started this blog. I guess that was something.

TATER

"I call a potato a tater, and the next thing I know, I'm reading a news article about a dog named Tater. This kind of stuff happens to me over and over again. At a certain point, I wonder how much I'm being controlled," I say to Linda.

"Interesting concept," She says.

"It would make a good story," I say.

"Perhaps you should write it."

"But would I be the one actually writing it?"

"Write it anyway."

I take a moment and ponder the idea. Then I place my hands on the keyboard and my fingers begin tapping away.

THE SYSTEM

I have a job that I go to five days a week that takes up most of my time and energy. At work, I try to be a good employee and do all the things that are expected of me. Sometimes it's quite a lot.

But at the end of the day, I don't make enough to cover my expenses. I'm not even living that extravagantly. 

In a couple months, I will get my review. There's always going to be something I will be told I need to improve on. Hopefully, I will get a raise. Whatever raise I get, will never match the increase in my cost of living. 

It's all a bad joke when you think about it.

THE GIANT

When he would return, the first thing he would do was complain. He would get so fired up and angry. He complained about everything and everybody. He would yell at me until my face turned red. I think he enjoyed it.

He acted like he was so much smarter than everyone else. He believed that there was no possible way that Trump could win the election in 2016. That's how much he knew.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and saw him stacking cans of tuna. There was part of me that wanted to say hello, but instinctually, I avoided him.

He was bigger than life.

He will be difficult to continue to avoid.

HANDWASHING

My father imposed handwashing on me at a very young age. He was always asking me to wash my hands. I now find myself doing the same thing with my daughter. Sometimes when I ask her to wash her hands, I can hear my father's voice in mine.

As a result, we go through a lot of soap.

I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'RE FROM IDAHO

The couple live in a big, yellow house with two orange doors. She lives on the other side of the door on the right, and he lives on the other side of the door on the left. I don't know why they have separate doors.

Her door leads to a big front room with large windows. I'm not exactly sure where his door leads.

They both seem to be in their mid-thirties and are similar in height.

He is clean cut, with dark hair and mustache. Sometimes I see him picking up trash outside with a grabber and bucket.

She is tall, blonde, and very beautiful. She has a little dog. I think it's a Chihuahua. Sometimes she puts a gate up and lets the dog run around on the stoop.

They both drive little Japanese cars that are fuel efficient. Hers is a dark gray Toyota. His is a black Nissan. Because the cars are small, they have a parking advantage on our crowded street.

Everything I know about them I've observed from my window.

I'm pretty sure they're from Idaho.

BAND-AID

Somehow, while putting away a case of potatoes, I managed to scrape my knuckle on the wall. It started bleeding, so I put a Band-Aid on it. 

At a certain point, the Band-Aid got wet and started coming off on the side near my knuckle.

On my lunch break, I went into the bathroom to replace the Band-Aid and managed to rip open my skin where the adhesive was still sticking. As a result, my hand started bleeding profusely which required more Band-Aids. I spent the majority of my lunch break applying Band-Aids to my hand. 

When I went back to work, I noticed the Band-Aids were darkening as they continued to absorb my blood. I wasn't sure what to do. If I took them off, it would just make it worse, so I kept applying more and more Band-Aids. 

As the afternoon moved along, it was hard to conceal the collection of Band-Aids that had collected on the back of my hand. Some people expressed concern, and I managed to explain it the best I could. 

I was very anxious for my workweek to end.