thanks for taking bullets

I was trying to explain what’s been bugging me lately… I have this open-ended feeling about work. I tried to explain it the other day when talking about how my perception of the post-vacation workload wasn’t quite accurate, but that’s just part of it. I have a lot to do at work, but I’ve been feeling kinda aimless. Last week’s vacation that wasn’t really “planned,” my non-travel this week (which was planned, and canned at my own hasty discretion), the March trip to Taiwan which, until today, wasn’t at all nailed down, etcetera etcetera. I dunno, nothing really tangible… I’ve just felt kinda “floaty” and undecided about things, and I guess I don’t like that. Today wasn’t a stellar day either, the morning started out crap… one of those stupid personal confrontation things I hate so much; lunch wasn’t any better… a mix-up left me stranded and eating a cheeseburger at my desk. Ugh. Whatever.

About a week ago, I got an e-mail from my old college roommate. It was unexpected, as we haven’t talked in a while. When I got the note, I immediately replied. I’d heard he’d gotten married, and I wanted to congratulate him, and mention how good it was to hear from him. After school, he joined the Army, went on to be a Ranger… y’know, the frontlines… the special ops… the intense stuff. Anyway, I know he’s done several stints in the Middle East… Afghanistan, probably Iraq, maybe other places… who knows. We kept in touch right after college, but after that I used to wonder where he was sometimes. Clearing caves in the mountains? Being the first on the ground during some critical mission? I kept up enough through other friends to know he was back safe, and had heard he’d got hitched. Anyway, he mentioned that he’s going back again… the 5th time. Hey Ton, I just wanted to say be safe man… take care and be safe. That you do what you do, is awesome to me… and not “awesome” like stoner-awesome, awesome like the worthy of “awe” kind. Thanks for it.

I alluded to it above, but my next trip to Taiwan has finally been finalized (“finally been finalized,” funny). I’ll be gone for three weeks in March, Sharaun won’t be able to go. I’m kinda bummed, as I was looking forward to taking her around. And although I actually am excited about being over there for that long – I’m again bummed to be away from Sharaun for that long. My two-week jaunt there was fine… but near the end I was more than ready to come home, I missed my wife, our house, and just good old normal American stuff. I’m hoping though, that I can make the most of the trip… experience-wise (work and personal). Some people I work with hate it over there… I don’t mind it much at all. The food is good, the people are nice enough, and I’ve made it abundantly clear in past entries that I feel “special” traveling on company money (it’s hard for me not to go back and edit that linked entry to sound less pretentious and self-important, ugh). Plus, if nothing else, it always makes for good posting.

I don’t even know what I’m doing up right now. I was so loth to get out of bed this morning, all because I stayed up late last night… for no reason. So why I’m here at half-past midnight… I don’t know. I think it has something to do with finally getting hooked on the narrative that is this Streets album. I wanted to hear the end of the story, wanted to hear about the girl and the money. I’m not much in the mood to write anything else. I wrote a huge thing, three paragraphs, about my confusion over telescopes looking back in time… only to realize I’d already written about it before. Crap.

Does anyone want my Gmail invites? Drop me a line and I’ll send ’em. Goodnight.

Also written on this day...

• stretch, read, cook - 2024
• pop a hands-free wheelie - 2011
• room for small luxury - 2010
• lamentations - 2009
• it all happened at the wolf parade show - 2006
• meth-bread - 2004