Pete's Log: longer than a short stick, thinner than a rail

Entry #1195, (Life in General)
(posted when I was 23 years old.)

My tummy hurts. I've come to realize that at this moment, I really kinda miss having Mom around to make things better. Instead, I'm drinking ginger ale, which is helping some.

Today has been strange. I can't quite describe how. I apologize to use a term some readers may be unfamiliar with, but it's been a major plate of shrimp kinda day. There have been at least four incidents I can recall. But it's gotten to the point where the day just has that feel to it. It's become surreal, even.

I've been horrible about responding to email of recent. In fact, Rebecca sent me an email today which remarked on how I seemed MIA. I apologize. I'll try to catch up soon.

One of my fun new words I learned today was Antipode. I don't recall ever seeing it before. But now I'm reading some quotes at positiveatheism.org and I saw it used. I was very excited.

Emily asked me why I found my online journal to be inhibiting. One big reason is simplistic: I can't carry it around. My memory's not so good, and while I can generally remember my actions, I find it ever so hard to remember thoughts in order to record them later. It's delightful to jot them down as I think them. In addition, I try, to some degree, to keep my online journal inoffensive. I don't afford myself that luxury in my paper journal.

Anybody talking about lust and erections as much as Saint Augustine appears to have been has got to be hiding something. (So much for being inoffensive ...)

Arun has prepared a D&D campaign. So far Branden, Andy, Shelece, and I look to be the players. We created characters a few nights ago. It's all very exciting. I created two characters: a female elven fighter named Aghanashini (which means destroyer of sins) and a female half-elven magic user named Rohini (which means a star). Both these characters have chaotic good alignment.

Yesterday was interesting. Many hours were spent at the ND bookstore, though nothing was purchased. I wrote a bunch in my book (as my paper journal is called) and was able to talk to, for varying lengths of time, Andy, Pat, Doc, and Rosemary Gibney. But the best of it all was just watching girls. There were lots of them.

After the bookstore, Andy and I went to eat lunch at subways. On our way there, we saw an older biker type of guy standing on the side of the road with a sign that said "Need work or help. God Bless." We pulled over and asked him if he was hungry. He was. We offered to take him to Subways with us, but he declined, because he had forgotten the combo to his bike lock. He pointed to his bike in order to further elucidate his point. Whatever.

In contrast, after bw3's tonight, Andy and I were approached by a black guy. Andy asked if he needed a ride. Among other things, he did. So he got in the back seat and we talked with him. We were searching for the gas station at which he had left his family. He had just moved to town with them, as he was starting a new job. But they had to stay in a motel tonight, and needed $13 more in order to afford a room. So I ended up giving him $20. I like to trust strangers. I believe his story. He explained to us how he understood why people were uncomfortable when he approached them. After all, he explained, he was a black guy and it was dark out. He explained this as though that's just the way it was, there was no sense of anger or sadness in his explanation. I knew not how to respond. So I didn't. I suck.

Ack. I just now (3:53 in the morning) finally realized the greatest problem inherent in the argument by design. How on earth did it evade me for so long?

Today was the first day of classes. I had one class at 14:00. I did not go. I woke up to late to make it on time, and instead of showing up late, I played air hockey at Lafortune with Meagan. She beat me 7-6, 7-3, 7-5, if memory serves. It was fun. By missing class today, I've missed class for the entire week. I'm a slacker.