I got a call from the store manager this morning. He was wondering why I wasn't at work.
I told him that I woke up this morning, decided to shave off all my hair, go on the Mediterranean Diet, become a Buddhist, and start writing a novel.
"So, you're not coming in today?" he asked.
"No, I don't think so," I replied.
The rain pounced on my windshield while I was on the freeway. It became hard to see and was very stressful.
I need the sky to clear.
I need to be able to see the road ahead.
I need to start working closer to home.
I want to write a story. I need an idea. I was thinking of starting very simple, and then slowly creating more elements. I was thinking about a mystery.
I don't know what I'm thinking.
Last week she texted me to tell me she had diarrhea. She said that she thought it was from eating too much fruit. Telling me about stuff like that is one of those odd things that my mom does. I want to tell her that it's not necessary to tell me these things, but I'm afraid it will hurt her feelings. I just allow her to do it and try not think about it too much.
On my way home, I was taking the bus toward the Max stop, and this woman was yapping very loudly in Chinese on her phone. I'm not sure if she knew how loud she was, or even cared. We ended up getting off at the same stop and waiting on the same train. She continued to yap the whole time we waited.
When the train arrived, I very deliberately chose a different car. On that car, there were a lot of homeless people camped out trying to escape the cold. I managed to find a seat toward the front near this man, and this punk rock girl. I was relieved to get away from the yapping woman.
Then I started hearing these noises. I thought at first, it was some strange announcement on the intercom. Then I realized it was coming from the phone of the man who was sitting near me. Suddenly his phone started blaring this very loud and obnoxious music that he started singing and dancing too, while looking at his reflection in the window.
At first, I tried to go with it, but after a while, it started making me feel very anxious. I was tired. It had been a long day. I got up to try to find another place to sit, couldn't find a seat, and ended up standing.
At the next stop, I got off and jumped onto the other car. It was much more comfortable, and I was able to find a seat.
The Chinese woman was now off the phone.
And I was almost home.
I have yet to see one car. I did see somebody trying to walk. He slipped and fell three times. I think that says something. I don't think I'm going anywhere today.
Today is MLK Day. I'm glad that we honor him. He was a great man. He had a positive message. He had a dream of bringing people together. I wish we had somebody like him today. I would feel much better about things if we did.
I was explaining that my soccer team had played a regional championship in Orange County. In the game, I blocked a goal with my face. It was very painful. We ended up losing. I didn't mention that detail in the dream. Then this very distinctive female voice spoke to me.
"What are you writing?" She asked, and I immediately woke up.
This happens to me sometimes. Not very often, but sometimes.
I'm pretty skeptical of the idea that there are ghosts hovering around us in the air, but her voice was very real. She was asking me what seemed a very legitimate question. In fact, if I were a ghost living in my apartment, and saw me tapping away on my laptop all day, I'd probably be wondering the same thing.
To be honest, I don't really have an answer.
Rules are rules, and there are clear rules against it. If I don't say anything, it can potentially come back and bite me on the ass.
I wait until he comes into the back room.
"Hey Dan, you're not wearing your earbuds on the sales floor, are you?" I'm trying to seem calm and collected.
"Not usually," he responds.
"You are aware that you are not supposed to, right?"
"Yes. I am aware," he replies.
The guy is fucking thirty years old.
God, how I hate parenting adults.
1. Have more fun
2. Visit my mother
3. Take a trip with Rose
4. Worry less
5. Set boundaries with Arlene
6. Be realistic with my writing goals
7. Spend more time with friends
8. Make peace with where I am
9. Find out what the hell happened to Wendy
10. Take up hiking
11. Drink more water
12. Work closer to home
13. Have a few flings
14. Follow up on doctor appointments
15. Eat better
16. Stop paying attention to Donald Trump
17. Start thinking about the future
18. Get people to actually read this blog
