Actually, I have a lovely dental staff who genuinely seem to like me and my bro.
But I just hate going.
Blah.
That's neither here nor there, beyond the fact that I'M DONE FOR A FEW MONTHS!!! Yay! :D
I'm still awake after a dental checkup. BUT, I sort of feel that my weekend can begin in ernest now, lol.
And I've got a few things to do with that weekend! :)
First off, I'm about 40 pages into what I'm calling the "Sketch draft" of Brian's & my screenplay, so yay there. Proceeding better than expected!
If you're curious (like my sweet Gnomey, who seems (a) unendingly interested in my writing or (b) really talented at faking it so I don't know I'm boring her to tears, lol) I created the term "Sketch Draft" because "Rough Draft" is a term I learned and it sounds all important and official to me, and therefor intimidates me and blocks my creativity, lol. ;P If I write a Rough Draft and it's bad, then I've got a bad movie on my hands and I'll never make it as a writer and I'm a worthless human and I am, as I've always feared, unworthy to even call myself a writer.
But with the Sketch Draft, I'm just roughing in the script, like a painter who sketches his/her subject on the canvas before applying the actual paints!
So the parts that suck can be easily changed! No muss, no fuss! :)
And if I happen to sketch in some stuff that's actually worth keeping... BONUS!!!
Plus, in my mind (twisted little perfectionist thing that it is) a Rough Draft comes only after outlining and serious, important consideration has been given to how everything is going to fit together and play out... Whereas with a Sketch Draft I can figure it out as I write! :) (Like novelists do.)
Now you may ask, "Why can't you, as a screenwriter, just sit down and write the Rough Draft and figure it out as you go?" And my response would simply be that I've tried that, and all my create-as-I-write Rough Drafts have sucked, and therefor I am not able to do that and I am also a worthless human being, unworthy of professional employment in the Arts or even of love.
So the Sketch Draft seems to solve that problem (you know... allowing me to be worthy of love while still figuring out my story on the fly and all)
, and so -- for now -- that's what I'll use.
If, by happy accident, I only have to rewrite a few scenes to have what I feel is a worthy Rough Draft, BONUS! :D
(The Creative Mind... It's a scary thing sometimes...)
HEY!
While waiting at the dentist office -- and on my way home afterward -- I listened to an intriguing podcast from a new fave of mine Paranormal Podcast!!! It's about a book called Alien Interview and it's FASCINATING!!!
And at the end of the podcast the host, Jim Harold. asked me to tell 5 friends who are into the paranormal about Parnanormal Podcast.
He asks all listeners to, but he also specifically asked ME to... The moment I finished listening to the podcast he came to Austin (from wherever he lives), knocked on my door and said "Hey, Ray Jay! I LOVE the way you listen to the show! You listen like no other listener does, and when you're listening on your iPod I can just sense, from where I am, that you're REALLY listening. So anyway, would you mind telling 5 of your friends who are into the paranormal about the show?"
No, naturally, I said, "Sure, Jim Harold, host of Paranormal Podcast! I'd be happy to!!!" :)
And so I'm doing that here, now. :D
If you happen to be reading this, and also happen to be interested in aliens or psy or ghosts or any of the myriad topics that fall under the mainstream lable of "paranormal" (because many folks are sometimes too stubborn to admit that there might be more out there than mainstream science can quantify) give the show a listen!
You can go to the site if you prefer, or be lazy like me and just subscribe via iTunes.
But one of the things that I find sets this particular show apart is that Jim doesn't always agree with his interviewees, and says so during the interview. I mean, he's not a shock-jock, trying to create sensation or anything like that! But I point this out because he comes off like a very reasonable man who is obviously secure enough with himself and his world-view that he has no problem providing a forum for people with opinions other than his own.
Usually nowadays, it seems that mainstream (and even non-mainstream) media has a tendancy to either promote like-minded views or attack non-like-minded views. But Jim comes across as a cat who's like "I don't know if I can get behind that, but my opinion isn't the only valid one", which is SO REFRESHING!!!
So this isn't just a Believer providing a platform for other Believers to share and express themselves to the rest of the Believers. This is a thought-provoking exercise in exploring possibilities that are out there, beyond the "norm".
Plus, it's really well-produced. Not a dude in a basement with a PC mic, like so many I've stumbled across, lol.
(Although, to be fair, I suppose I have been discovering a generally higher quality of podcast lately...)
Anyway, if this sounds like your cup of tea, you should TOTALLY check it out!!! :) I don't believe you'll be disappointed!!!
And on the supject of the paranormal...
SPOOKY SOUTHCOAST IS BACK!!! :D
I have so missed those guys!!!
It's been an excrusiating couple of weeks, syncing my iPod and not seeing a new installment from them! But this morning I sync-ed (is that a word?) my iPod before going to the dentist and was SO EXCITED to see that I have a new Spooky Southcoast waiting!!! :D
If you haven't listened to them yet, you may not understand... These guys are like family!
If you've followed the blog for a while you know that my li'l bro and I used to have dinner with our mom every Sunday before she moved.
Well my weekly helping of Spooky Southcoast has become almost that NECESSARY for me, lol! When I go a week or longer without hearing the playful banter of Tim Weisberg and science advisor Matt Moniz (and the occasion -- OCCASIONAL banter of "The Silent Assassin" Matt Costa, lol) I miss 'em! Like not hearing from a friend for a while, lol!
Which is kind of funny, because, you know, I got into their show because of their very engaging and serious take on the pectrum of the paranormal. But now I'm actually sort of "invested" in the hosts and their wide range of "guest stars" or "extended family", if you will, lol.
You listen long enough, you sort of feel like the authors and investigators they regularly have on the show are buddies of yours, lol.
So I'm a happy Ray Jay, lol!
Now I have a serious delimma, though...
I usually listen to Spooky Southcoast on my way to work Wednesday night (my "Monday morning" if I kept Normal People work hours) to start my week off right.
But...
It's been a while! So maybe I go ahead and grace my weekend with my NE buddies, lol.
Hmm...
I probably will go ahead and listen tonight, lol. I have so little will power. ;P
But I'll wait till it gets dark...
That's more fun!
:D
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
"It Was A Dark and Stormy Night..."
Would you continue reading a novel that began with this sentence...?
"I smacked, face-first, into that oh-so-fateful day as I sprinted into the bathroom, gripped the toilet paper stand and the wall with white knuckles, sweat bulleting out every pour in my forehead, and I gagged back a scream as molten food poisoning violently rocketed from my searing colon."
Just curious.
I got to talk to my Gnomey Goddess after I got off work Sunday. That was super-cool, natch! :D And I got to IM with her a bit Monday morning!
Then I became a bum... I spent the rest of Monday in bed, sleeping too much and watching Alias Season 4. (One more season to go!!!)
Brian and I also worked some more on our alien script! I was just thinking that by August I will have written 2 screenplays this year! Not bad! :)
OH, HEY!!! My baby was thinking about me when she heard the following news item...
A UFO was spotted by a police helicopter in Wales!!! The BBC site even has webcam footage! She said that Britain is actually a hot spot for UFO sitings! (I know that their government is a lot more forthcoming and truthful about it than ours is!)
I was touched when my sweety told me that news story made her think of me, hehe. :)
Also, I was thinking that my Li'l Bro and I NEED TO take a road trip to Roswell soon!!! July would be a particularly cool time to do it!
Work tonight is completely relaxed (knock on wood) so I'm hoping that I can get some writing done within the next couple of hours. That would be cool.
So I should probably go now and see what I can get done.
PEACE!!!
:D
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Lazy Friday Night...
Not much to report. I have been blessed with an almost responsibility-free shift tonight.
I was hoping maybe I could find Get Smart or The Love Guru online, but no luck there.
I listened to some Monty Python on the iPod. Now it's charging because I've run it down. (On my way to work I listened to a paranormal podcast about demons.)
Um...
Last Sunday I found a cool Buddhist group in Second Life! That was groovy. Did some listening and meditating, then had an hour or so of groovy conversation after the meeting.
Also, probably Tuesday, I spent a large part of the day having a News Radio marathon thanks to Hulu.com, then when Brian woke up we watched a WHOLE LOTTA INCREDIBLE HULK! That was really fun. We watched the pilot, the 3rd TV movie "Married", then two of the late-80s TV movies, The Incredible Hulk Returns and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. I think we watched the new Hulk movie online instead of finishing Trial of.
Looking forward to a Young Indiana Jones marathon this weekend. I've got half of Season One coming in the mail tomorrow via Netflix. So that will be cool. :)
I also hope to get some significant writing done. But we'll see. This would be an EXCELLENT chance for me to write 30 or more pages tonight, but the creativity isn't flowing. (In case you can't tell from the blah-ness of this entry, hehe.) ;P
Um...
DUDE! If I had money I would SO go see Get Smart and The Love Guru this weekend!!! Those movies look SO FUN!!!
Ooh! Also coming from Netflix is The Andromeda Strain! I love Crichton's novel, and I enjoyed the 60s or 70s movie that was based on it, but this is a Sci-Fi Chanel miniseries, so this could be really cool.
Also, I have Season 4 of Alias waiting for me! But I've been putting off watching it for fear that I won't get any writing done.
But maybe I should go ahead and dive in... That would give me something to look forward to after work this morning... That could be cool. :)
Who knows, maybe instead of distracting me from writing it will inspire me to write.
That could be way cool!
We'll see.
Hope you have a rockin' weekend!!! (Even if you have to work, too.) ;)
I was hoping maybe I could find Get Smart or The Love Guru online, but no luck there.
I listened to some Monty Python on the iPod. Now it's charging because I've run it down. (On my way to work I listened to a paranormal podcast about demons.)
Um...
Last Sunday I found a cool Buddhist group in Second Life! That was groovy. Did some listening and meditating, then had an hour or so of groovy conversation after the meeting.
Also, probably Tuesday, I spent a large part of the day having a News Radio marathon thanks to Hulu.com, then when Brian woke up we watched a WHOLE LOTTA INCREDIBLE HULK! That was really fun. We watched the pilot, the 3rd TV movie "Married", then two of the late-80s TV movies, The Incredible Hulk Returns and The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. I think we watched the new Hulk movie online instead of finishing Trial of.
Looking forward to a Young Indiana Jones marathon this weekend. I've got half of Season One coming in the mail tomorrow via Netflix. So that will be cool. :)
I also hope to get some significant writing done. But we'll see. This would be an EXCELLENT chance for me to write 30 or more pages tonight, but the creativity isn't flowing. (In case you can't tell from the blah-ness of this entry, hehe.) ;P
Um...
DUDE! If I had money I would SO go see Get Smart and The Love Guru this weekend!!! Those movies look SO FUN!!!
Ooh! Also coming from Netflix is The Andromeda Strain! I love Crichton's novel, and I enjoyed the 60s or 70s movie that was based on it, but this is a Sci-Fi Chanel miniseries, so this could be really cool.
Also, I have Season 4 of Alias waiting for me! But I've been putting off watching it for fear that I won't get any writing done.
But maybe I should go ahead and dive in... That would give me something to look forward to after work this morning... That could be cool. :)
Who knows, maybe instead of distracting me from writing it will inspire me to write.
That could be way cool!
We'll see.
Hope you have a rockin' weekend!!! (Even if you have to work, too.) ;)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
SUMMER! Can You Feel It?
I'm about to hop in the shower and get ready for work, but I'm already having an excellent day! :D
After work last night I watched You Don't Mess With the Zohan on the Net, and when I woke up I logged into SecondLife and chatted with some of my friends.
And as I prepare to get ready for work on a Saturday (when everyone else is preparing to party and socialize and just straight-up have FUN) I realized that I am FEELING the summer! :)
I don't know why, but I feel like a teenager who has a summer job, who doesn't get to participate in the parties his friends are going to, but still feel festive anyway. You know?
I can FEEL the summer! :)
It's purely psychological, I'm sure. It's hot outside, there are more teens on the street because they don't have school, there are more blockbusters in the theaters because this is the time to release them...
But somehow, that translates to a boost in my own spirits.
The days I have off are the days when no one is really doing anything... BUT... Somehow, the knowledge that everyone else is partying makes me feel more alive, more festive!
Can you feel it?
If you stop listening to your mind's chatter, and listen instead only to your breath, can you extend your senses "outward" and sense the abandon and laughter and fun that surrounds you?
If you can, that's a pretty amazing gift, yeah?
When I "sense" the fun around me, I don't feel jealous because I'm not part of it; instead I FEEL as though I AM part of it, lol!
But I hope, as I write this, that you're not merely "sensing" the fun going on this Saturday night. I hope that you ARE the fun going on!!! :D
Because I'm feeling you, and I'm having a GREAT FUCKING TIME!!! Thank you! :D
After work last night I watched You Don't Mess With the Zohan on the Net, and when I woke up I logged into SecondLife and chatted with some of my friends.
And as I prepare to get ready for work on a Saturday (when everyone else is preparing to party and socialize and just straight-up have FUN) I realized that I am FEELING the summer! :)
I don't know why, but I feel like a teenager who has a summer job, who doesn't get to participate in the parties his friends are going to, but still feel festive anyway. You know?
I can FEEL the summer! :)
It's purely psychological, I'm sure. It's hot outside, there are more teens on the street because they don't have school, there are more blockbusters in the theaters because this is the time to release them...
But somehow, that translates to a boost in my own spirits.
The days I have off are the days when no one is really doing anything... BUT... Somehow, the knowledge that everyone else is partying makes me feel more alive, more festive!
Can you feel it?
If you stop listening to your mind's chatter, and listen instead only to your breath, can you extend your senses "outward" and sense the abandon and laughter and fun that surrounds you?
If you can, that's a pretty amazing gift, yeah?
When I "sense" the fun around me, I don't feel jealous because I'm not part of it; instead I FEEL as though I AM part of it, lol!
But I hope, as I write this, that you're not merely "sensing" the fun going on this Saturday night. I hope that you ARE the fun going on!!! :D
Because I'm feeling you, and I'm having a GREAT FUCKING TIME!!! Thank you! :D
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
BEST Tuesday EVER!!! :D
It started off like any other Tuesday...
I woke up with an agenda: Finish Snow Crash. My buddy Lothar loaned the book to me and told me I need to read it, and I've had it for a few weeks now.
So, me pursuing some form of entertainment isn't really abnormal for the last day of my weekend...
Then, at precisely 3:47 pm my time (9:47 pm UK time), I get a text from my baby!!! :D
And that was just the beginning of my greatest Tuesday ever!
Normally, a text is enough to shoot me through the roof and have me grinning like a crazy person all day. But that's not all my Gnomey Goddess had in store for me!
She called me, and we preceded to talk FOR HOURS! It was SO AMAZING! For the first time in a while we were both free for a long, casual chat!
Usually it's sort of "catch as catch can", and we catch up and share some love, and then one of us has to rush off and do something.
But this time we got to chill and converse and giggle at each other , and it felt soooo good!!!
No one gives love like the Gnomey Goddess gives love! :D
But that's still not all!
She managed to get SL working on her computer, and before she went to bed she made a date for this morning.
So I finished Snow Crash, then watched National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets and then chatted with Brian when he got home from work while my baby slept.
Then we met for our SL date!
We went to the beach, then went scuba diving, and we chatted and it was just AMAZING!!! Just ile old times, before life cranked up the drama and started making communication challenging for us!
Omg, I could die happy tonight, lol.
But I can't die, because there is SO MUCH MORE in store for us!!! :D
But I just had to jump on-line and vent my joy, which is bubbling over and threatening to melt me, lol!
Do me a favor and show your loved one some love today! Love her/him like you haven't seen her/him in a year! Drink in every moment like a fine wine!
You'll be so glad you did!
PEACE!!! :D
I woke up with an agenda: Finish Snow Crash. My buddy Lothar loaned the book to me and told me I need to read it, and I've had it for a few weeks now.
So, me pursuing some form of entertainment isn't really abnormal for the last day of my weekend...
Then, at precisely 3:47 pm my time (9:47 pm UK time), I get a text from my baby!!! :D
And that was just the beginning of my greatest Tuesday ever!
Normally, a text is enough to shoot me through the roof and have me grinning like a crazy person all day. But that's not all my Gnomey Goddess had in store for me!
She called me, and we preceded to talk FOR HOURS! It was SO AMAZING! For the first time in a while we were both free for a long, casual chat!
Usually it's sort of "catch as catch can", and we catch up and share some love, and then one of us has to rush off and do something.
But this time we got to chill and converse and giggle at each other , and it felt soooo good!!!
No one gives love like the Gnomey Goddess gives love! :D
But that's still not all!
She managed to get SL working on her computer, and before she went to bed she made a date for this morning.
So I finished Snow Crash, then watched National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets and then chatted with Brian when he got home from work while my baby slept.
Then we met for our SL date!
We went to the beach, then went scuba diving, and we chatted and it was just AMAZING!!! Just ile old times, before life cranked up the drama and started making communication challenging for us!
Omg, I could die happy tonight, lol.
But I can't die, because there is SO MUCH MORE in store for us!!! :D
But I just had to jump on-line and vent my joy, which is bubbling over and threatening to melt me, lol!
Do me a favor and show your loved one some love today! Love her/him like you haven't seen her/him in a year! Drink in every moment like a fine wine!
You'll be so glad you did!
PEACE!!! :D
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Um... Hello?
Yeah, sorry it's been a while... I've kind of been busy...
So when did I last blog?
Back in MAY! Yikes!
Okay, so I'm officially old.
I watched my 17-year-old daughter graduate high school.
Now, to be fair, she graduated a year early. ;P
And in all honesty, I could not be more proud of her! She's a really, really cool chick and she has worked her ass off to get where she is. And in some ways her journey is just beginning! She's planning to be a psychiatrist, so she still has years of college ahead of her.
But she knows when to take a moment and celebrate, too! And HOW to... LIAR'S DICE!!! :D
But I get ahead of myself...
Okay, so Brian & I saw Indy 4 a couple of Mondays ago, right? Well, that Tuesday morning I borrowed Brian's car to go buy the Dark Horse Comics adaptation of the flick ('cause I'm just that obsessive) and I killed his car. It died just a quarter of a mile from home. :( It overheated, which is a problem we've been battling for a while. (Btw, the reason I borrowed Brian's car is because he had to work Tuesday and my car has air-conditioning, so he was in mine. Neither here nor there, just clarifying.)
So it's looking like I'm going to miss watching Tisha graduate! :(
I went to bed, woke up, talked to Brian, and the diagnosis was that his car was indeed fucked-up.
He had to work last weekend, so I couldn't take our only car out of town!
I was bummed. I decided the best way to deal with it was to drink and sulk Tuesday night, then I'd start trying to look for an actual solution Wednesday (if one was to be found).
Well, I didn't even get to sulk for very long, because my friend Kathrine (Tisha's aunt/sister and my ex-sister-in-law... but more than that, one of my best friends since the late-80s) called. She quickly explained that I couldn't not be there, so she would give me a lift and help me out financially if I needed, and that was that.
I was still surly for another half-hour or so, but only because it all happened so fast and I rarely sulk, so it takes a lot for me to decide I'm gonna sulk, and once it's turned on it doesn't just switch off. But she kept me on the line until I was back to my playful self.
Thing is, we were leaving Wednesday.
I had planned to leave Thursday, then I thought I wasn't going at all, then all of a sudden I'm leaving the next day.
Bit of a shock to the system! And I'm a hermit whom is unused to leaving the apartment at all!
Oh... and did I mention that Kathrine has 5 kids, from 2 to 13?!!
Still, it turns out that her kids are like her (in their own, individual ways) and the 8-plus-hour trip was actually a breeze.
We get in early Thursday morning and crash immediately.
Which is fine, because Tisha was crashed when we get there.
And she was still crashed when we all woke up. (She started out crashed in her bed, then when we woke up, she was crashed in a chair in the living room.)
I see her briefly Wednesday night as she's leaving to go do pre-graduation things.
In fact, Friday night was the most time I got with my daughter this weekend, lol. She slept most of the day, then did stuff with her friends at night. (It reminded me of when I was her age, always off with my theatre buddies... which makes me feel old, lol.)
During the day, starting Thursday, I became the unofficial babysitter. There were 4 women in town (Tisha's 4 sisters/aunts) who each had 2 kids... except, of course, Kathrine with her 5. So at any given time I was sort of keeping an eye on 7 to 11 kids. :O
But mainly I was watching the 2-year-old. And he mainly wanted to be outside. In the heat. Where the sun and sweat and hot-ness was. All day.
Here's the deal: I have become a vampire recluse who pretty much only sees the sun set at the beginning of his day and rise at the end of his day. I live with my brother, who is also quite reclusive by nature. We enjoy each other's company, but we're also quite cool with our alone time.
Now cut to: Ray Jay the 37-year-old shut-in who lives with his bachelor brother, turning beat red in the sun as all variety of child yells and runs around me, climbing over me from time to time and starting fights with each other (loud fights, naturally) from time to time just to keep things interesting.
That's not really very accurate at all, but that's how it felt, pretty much, lol. I mean, I'm a guy who voluntarily went without a girlfriend (and the benefits thereof) for over a decade because I prefer quiet contemplation to emotional reactivity.
And now I'm surrounded by beings of pure, unbridled energy and emotion, lol.
Actually, I like kids quite a bit. When you're dealing with kids, you can't allow yourself to be neurotic. (I mean, lots of people do, but they really shouldn't.) Kids are like a Zen rock garden in that you get the most out of your time with them (and they out of their time with you) when you let all the blah-blah mental crap go and just focus on right here and right now.
Kid-sitting is a wonderful meditation! :)
Particularly if you're not a parent, and can go back to your adult roommate and self-created lifestyle at the end of the day, or the week, lol. ;P
But the point of all that is to say that I had a challenging and exhausting week.
And a deeply fulfilling one, as well! (There's a Daddy Ray Jay in here that is only ever fully alive when I'm taking care of young ones.)
While I was watching the kids (mainly the 2-year-old, honestly; the rest could take care of themselves and behaved themselves, thankfully) the womenfolk were doing... I don't know... But there was plenty of cleaning and cooking and shopping and arranging and organizing involved. Kids I get: Don't let them fall on their head or eat electricity. What the ladies were up to was ineffable and confusing, and seemingly unending. So I'm glad to have gotten the easy job.
Friday night was sort of "adult night". About an hour before graduation, Kathrine's 13-year-old took over Kid Duty and I got to dress up nice and hang with the adults.
I got to meet...
...hmm...
Okay, there's a kink in this narrative that's kind of strange to just sort of toss in right here in the middle, but that's sort of how it cropped up on the day-of...
Okay, I've talked about Tisha's eventful life and my rather abnormal relationship with her in previous posts. (You might have to go way back to find it/them, though.) But there's a wrinkle I haven't blogged about, because I fear it might make people's heads explode.
But Tisha makes jokes about it, so I'm gonna go ahead and include it in this blog entry...
Okay, Tisha was adopted by my ex-in-laws. So my ex-father-in-law is "Dad" to her, and my ex-mother-in-law is "Mom". Now, since my ex-wife's parents are Tisha's parents, my ex-wife is -- in Tisha's heart and mind -- her sister. (That's why I refer to Tisha's sisters/aunts above.) But I get the easier title: "Biological Father".
However...
There is another man who may be Tisha's biological father...
It's really, really sordid and strange, but it's Tisha's life and she's cool with it. She wants a test so she knows, just for her own curiosity, but she doesn't want the rest of us to know. She wants to be the only one. (The bonds we each have with her were created over years and years, and she doesn't want the relationships to be changed or tainted by the results of a blood test.)
In fact, Tisha's apparently so comfortable with the situation that...
Wait, wait... Let me hop back to where I was...
So after hearing about the Other (possible) Bio-Dad, Friday night I actually got to meet him.
It was a little weird at first.
I mean, I'm comfortable with who I am. Hell, I'm proud of who I am! :D I like me, and I love being me.
But...
Well, spiritually speaking I'm a really hoopy frood that anyone would be lucky to sazz (obscure nerd references not withstanding). But Other (possible) Bio-Dad...
He's got a couple of real jobs (both of which pay real money), military service, and some degrees!
Me...? Well, if you're reading this you know me...
So did I feel territorial and intimidated?
I'm a guy! It took every ounce of restraint I could muster not to piss on his leg and yell "Mine! Mine! Back off!"
Worse is the fact that if it weren't for some compelling physical similarities, I would really have to question who's DNA helped create the young woman who was graduating a year early so she could get her PHD and open up her own psychiatric practice a year sooner.
But it turns out he's good people. I couldn't dislike him if I tried. He and his girlfriend are smart, charming, fun, generous people who are willing to stay up all night playing Liar's Dice.
So...
Friday night, we adults got dressed up, piled in some vehicles and drove off to watch (well, 5 of us, anyway) our daughter graduate.
The ceremony was what you probably imagine: A lot of waiting.
It was held in the college auditorium where, it turns out, Other (possible) Bio-Dad received one of his degrees (show-off, lol). He told us that his graduating class each stowed a marble in their paw, and when they crossed the stage to shake hands with the dean and receive their diploma, they slipped the marble into his hand! :)
This tickled my fancy!!!
You're all geared-up in formal robes, surrounded by tons and tons of proud (and emotional) parents, trying to maintain this air of pomp and circumstance, and you suddenly find yourself with all these marbles that you have to find something to do with, inconspicuously so as not to let your audience know, and fast because here comes another joker with another frickin' marble for you! LMAO! :D
Tisha's clan was seated right up in the first row of the parent section, so we got to take pictures of her while she and her row were standing in line to go up on stage. At one point, I hear one of the ladies (possibly my ex-wife) ask her "What do you have in your hand?"
She showed us.
It was a yellow golf tee!!! :D
Apparently, the graduating class of 2008 (190 or so students) was slipping their principal golf tees!!!
(That's my girl.)
After Tisha crossed the stage (and deposited her tee) many of us slipped away to ready the house for Tisha's graduation party. For my part, I found myself digging through a huge shoe box filled with Tisha pics to cover the wall nearest the front door with, so that everyone who entered was assaulted with a gallery of both Tisha's proudest and most embarrassing memories, lol.
She hit her party first, then left us to party with her friends, then returned a couple of hours to finish up her evening at home.
But as soon as she was out the door, the adults got our drink on.
Immediately, my ex-wife hooked me up with some Rum Punch. ("What kind of pirate doesn't like his Rum?" she teased me.)
Then we broke out the Liar's Dice (aka "Pirate Dice") and the party was under way.
Probably the main reason I mentioned Other (possible) Bio-Dad is this...
When Tisha returned to her party, she had a dude I'd never met before in-tow. (A really groovy cat with an excellent Pauley Shore impersonation!)
When making introductions, Tisha said the following: "These are my dads, this is my sister -- she's my mom -- and my mom and dad are asleep in the house."
THAT is my GIRL!!! :D
Groovy Weasle-Dude looked like his head was going to explode for a second! ;P
I couldn't believe that came out of Tisha's mouth! I mean, how COOL is that young woman to turn a complicated lineage into THE BEST PARTY JOKE EVER!!!
That was also the highlight of my vacation! I mean, as proud as I am of Tisha's hard work and achievement, that's got to be one of the greatest lines ever imagined! And delivered impromptu in a real-life situation, no less!!!
I believe we all ended up calling it a night around 5:30 am.
Saturday and Sunday were cool, but Tisha was characteristically absent (either sleeping or busy with stuff), so the highlight for me was Friday night.
And the ride back, Sunday night, was actually quite fun! :)
Then Monday came and I had to take care of rent -- which was its own specially little hassle.
HOWEVER...
While taking care of rent, I bumped into an old friend named Greg! I hadn't seen him in close to 10 years! He took me out to dinner and we caught up, and then we came back to my place and made sweet, sweet love.
No, I mean we caught up some more, lol.
He gave me the basis for a character and situations that I think might become my "Tarzan". :D (Sort of... Burroughs didn't co-create Tarzan with anyone, as far as I know...)
Then Tuesday night my friend Traci bought me some Starbuck's and we caught up on her life.
Then Wednesday night at work I was WIPED OUT, lol. I am SO NOT used to having this much of a social life. Usually, when I take time off work to travel I take a few days off before the trip and a few days off after the trip. But things just didn't work out that way this time.
Not that I would change a single detail, though! (I mean, I'm tempted to say I wouldn't have burned up Brian's car, but that event is still fresh and we don't know what wild and wonderful opportunities Brian's car-less-ness might open up for either or both of us. So it's hard to say at the moment. If it results in Brian getting a better car, then I would hate to wish that away from him, ya know?)
But as fulfilling and enriching as the past 2 weks have been for me... I am SO GLAD my weekend is here now! I am looking forward to a whole lot of NUTHIN' for the next 3 days!
I say "nothing" but I'm actually planning to finish Snow Crash -- the cyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson which created the concept of a Metaverse, a virtual reality which is now realized in the form of Second Life (the amazing place where I met my beloved Gnomey-Goddess!!!). And if I finish it before Tuesday, I might start on Season 4 of Alias.
But as for socializing... I don't plan on crawling out of my jammies, much less making myself decent enough to actually interact with folks.
So when did I last blog?
Back in MAY! Yikes!
Okay, so I'm officially old.
I watched my 17-year-old daughter graduate high school.
Now, to be fair, she graduated a year early. ;P
And in all honesty, I could not be more proud of her! She's a really, really cool chick and she has worked her ass off to get where she is. And in some ways her journey is just beginning! She's planning to be a psychiatrist, so she still has years of college ahead of her.
But she knows when to take a moment and celebrate, too! And HOW to... LIAR'S DICE!!! :D
But I get ahead of myself...
Okay, so Brian & I saw Indy 4 a couple of Mondays ago, right? Well, that Tuesday morning I borrowed Brian's car to go buy the Dark Horse Comics adaptation of the flick ('cause I'm just that obsessive) and I killed his car. It died just a quarter of a mile from home. :( It overheated, which is a problem we've been battling for a while. (Btw, the reason I borrowed Brian's car is because he had to work Tuesday and my car has air-conditioning, so he was in mine. Neither here nor there, just clarifying.)
So it's looking like I'm going to miss watching Tisha graduate! :(
I went to bed, woke up, talked to Brian, and the diagnosis was that his car was indeed fucked-up.
He had to work last weekend, so I couldn't take our only car out of town!
I was bummed. I decided the best way to deal with it was to drink and sulk Tuesday night, then I'd start trying to look for an actual solution Wednesday (if one was to be found).
Well, I didn't even get to sulk for very long, because my friend Kathrine (Tisha's aunt/sister and my ex-sister-in-law... but more than that, one of my best friends since the late-80s) called. She quickly explained that I couldn't not be there, so she would give me a lift and help me out financially if I needed, and that was that.
I was still surly for another half-hour or so, but only because it all happened so fast and I rarely sulk, so it takes a lot for me to decide I'm gonna sulk, and once it's turned on it doesn't just switch off. But she kept me on the line until I was back to my playful self.
Thing is, we were leaving Wednesday.
I had planned to leave Thursday, then I thought I wasn't going at all, then all of a sudden I'm leaving the next day.
Bit of a shock to the system! And I'm a hermit whom is unused to leaving the apartment at all!
Oh... and did I mention that Kathrine has 5 kids, from 2 to 13?!!
Still, it turns out that her kids are like her (in their own, individual ways) and the 8-plus-hour trip was actually a breeze.
We get in early Thursday morning and crash immediately.
Which is fine, because Tisha was crashed when we get there.
And she was still crashed when we all woke up. (She started out crashed in her bed, then when we woke up, she was crashed in a chair in the living room.)
I see her briefly Wednesday night as she's leaving to go do pre-graduation things.
In fact, Friday night was the most time I got with my daughter this weekend, lol. She slept most of the day, then did stuff with her friends at night. (It reminded me of when I was her age, always off with my theatre buddies... which makes me feel old, lol.)
During the day, starting Thursday, I became the unofficial babysitter. There were 4 women in town (Tisha's 4 sisters/aunts) who each had 2 kids... except, of course, Kathrine with her 5. So at any given time I was sort of keeping an eye on 7 to 11 kids. :O
But mainly I was watching the 2-year-old. And he mainly wanted to be outside. In the heat. Where the sun and sweat and hot-ness was. All day.
Here's the deal: I have become a vampire recluse who pretty much only sees the sun set at the beginning of his day and rise at the end of his day. I live with my brother, who is also quite reclusive by nature. We enjoy each other's company, but we're also quite cool with our alone time.
Now cut to: Ray Jay the 37-year-old shut-in who lives with his bachelor brother, turning beat red in the sun as all variety of child yells and runs around me, climbing over me from time to time and starting fights with each other (loud fights, naturally) from time to time just to keep things interesting.
That's not really very accurate at all, but that's how it felt, pretty much, lol. I mean, I'm a guy who voluntarily went without a girlfriend (and the benefits thereof) for over a decade because I prefer quiet contemplation to emotional reactivity.
And now I'm surrounded by beings of pure, unbridled energy and emotion, lol.
Actually, I like kids quite a bit. When you're dealing with kids, you can't allow yourself to be neurotic. (I mean, lots of people do, but they really shouldn't.) Kids are like a Zen rock garden in that you get the most out of your time with them (and they out of their time with you) when you let all the blah-blah mental crap go and just focus on right here and right now.
Kid-sitting is a wonderful meditation! :)
Particularly if you're not a parent, and can go back to your adult roommate and self-created lifestyle at the end of the day, or the week, lol. ;P
But the point of all that is to say that I had a challenging and exhausting week.
And a deeply fulfilling one, as well! (There's a Daddy Ray Jay in here that is only ever fully alive when I'm taking care of young ones.)
While I was watching the kids (mainly the 2-year-old, honestly; the rest could take care of themselves and behaved themselves, thankfully) the womenfolk were doing... I don't know... But there was plenty of cleaning and cooking and shopping and arranging and organizing involved. Kids I get: Don't let them fall on their head or eat electricity. What the ladies were up to was ineffable and confusing, and seemingly unending. So I'm glad to have gotten the easy job.
Friday night was sort of "adult night". About an hour before graduation, Kathrine's 13-year-old took over Kid Duty and I got to dress up nice and hang with the adults.
I got to meet...
...hmm...
Okay, there's a kink in this narrative that's kind of strange to just sort of toss in right here in the middle, but that's sort of how it cropped up on the day-of...
Okay, I've talked about Tisha's eventful life and my rather abnormal relationship with her in previous posts. (You might have to go way back to find it/them, though.) But there's a wrinkle I haven't blogged about, because I fear it might make people's heads explode.
But Tisha makes jokes about it, so I'm gonna go ahead and include it in this blog entry...
Okay, Tisha was adopted by my ex-in-laws. So my ex-father-in-law is "Dad" to her, and my ex-mother-in-law is "Mom". Now, since my ex-wife's parents are Tisha's parents, my ex-wife is -- in Tisha's heart and mind -- her sister. (That's why I refer to Tisha's sisters/aunts above.) But I get the easier title: "Biological Father".
However...
There is another man who may be Tisha's biological father...
It's really, really sordid and strange, but it's Tisha's life and she's cool with it. She wants a test so she knows, just for her own curiosity, but she doesn't want the rest of us to know. She wants to be the only one. (The bonds we each have with her were created over years and years, and she doesn't want the relationships to be changed or tainted by the results of a blood test.)
In fact, Tisha's apparently so comfortable with the situation that...
Wait, wait... Let me hop back to where I was...
So after hearing about the Other (possible) Bio-Dad, Friday night I actually got to meet him.
It was a little weird at first.
I mean, I'm comfortable with who I am. Hell, I'm proud of who I am! :D I like me, and I love being me.
But...
Well, spiritually speaking I'm a really hoopy frood that anyone would be lucky to sazz (obscure nerd references not withstanding). But Other (possible) Bio-Dad...
He's got a couple of real jobs (both of which pay real money), military service, and some degrees!
Me...? Well, if you're reading this you know me...
So did I feel territorial and intimidated?
I'm a guy! It took every ounce of restraint I could muster not to piss on his leg and yell "Mine! Mine! Back off!"
Worse is the fact that if it weren't for some compelling physical similarities, I would really have to question who's DNA helped create the young woman who was graduating a year early so she could get her PHD and open up her own psychiatric practice a year sooner.
But it turns out he's good people. I couldn't dislike him if I tried. He and his girlfriend are smart, charming, fun, generous people who are willing to stay up all night playing Liar's Dice.
So...
Friday night, we adults got dressed up, piled in some vehicles and drove off to watch (well, 5 of us, anyway) our daughter graduate.
The ceremony was what you probably imagine: A lot of waiting.
It was held in the college auditorium where, it turns out, Other (possible) Bio-Dad received one of his degrees (show-off, lol). He told us that his graduating class each stowed a marble in their paw, and when they crossed the stage to shake hands with the dean and receive their diploma, they slipped the marble into his hand! :)
This tickled my fancy!!!
You're all geared-up in formal robes, surrounded by tons and tons of proud (and emotional) parents, trying to maintain this air of pomp and circumstance, and you suddenly find yourself with all these marbles that you have to find something to do with, inconspicuously so as not to let your audience know, and fast because here comes another joker with another frickin' marble for you! LMAO! :D
Tisha's clan was seated right up in the first row of the parent section, so we got to take pictures of her while she and her row were standing in line to go up on stage. At one point, I hear one of the ladies (possibly my ex-wife) ask her "What do you have in your hand?"
She showed us.
It was a yellow golf tee!!! :D
Apparently, the graduating class of 2008 (190 or so students) was slipping their principal golf tees!!!
(That's my girl.)
After Tisha crossed the stage (and deposited her tee) many of us slipped away to ready the house for Tisha's graduation party. For my part, I found myself digging through a huge shoe box filled with Tisha pics to cover the wall nearest the front door with, so that everyone who entered was assaulted with a gallery of both Tisha's proudest and most embarrassing memories, lol.
She hit her party first, then left us to party with her friends, then returned a couple of hours to finish up her evening at home.
But as soon as she was out the door, the adults got our drink on.
Immediately, my ex-wife hooked me up with some Rum Punch. ("What kind of pirate doesn't like his Rum?" she teased me.)
Then we broke out the Liar's Dice (aka "Pirate Dice") and the party was under way.
Probably the main reason I mentioned Other (possible) Bio-Dad is this...
When Tisha returned to her party, she had a dude I'd never met before in-tow. (A really groovy cat with an excellent Pauley Shore impersonation!)
When making introductions, Tisha said the following: "These are my dads, this is my sister -- she's my mom -- and my mom and dad are asleep in the house."
THAT is my GIRL!!! :D
Groovy Weasle-Dude looked like his head was going to explode for a second! ;P
I couldn't believe that came out of Tisha's mouth! I mean, how COOL is that young woman to turn a complicated lineage into THE BEST PARTY JOKE EVER!!!
That was also the highlight of my vacation! I mean, as proud as I am of Tisha's hard work and achievement, that's got to be one of the greatest lines ever imagined! And delivered impromptu in a real-life situation, no less!!!
I believe we all ended up calling it a night around 5:30 am.
Saturday and Sunday were cool, but Tisha was characteristically absent (either sleeping or busy with stuff), so the highlight for me was Friday night.
And the ride back, Sunday night, was actually quite fun! :)
Then Monday came and I had to take care of rent -- which was its own specially little hassle.
HOWEVER...
While taking care of rent, I bumped into an old friend named Greg! I hadn't seen him in close to 10 years! He took me out to dinner and we caught up, and then we came back to my place and made sweet, sweet love.
No, I mean we caught up some more, lol.
He gave me the basis for a character and situations that I think might become my "Tarzan". :D (Sort of... Burroughs didn't co-create Tarzan with anyone, as far as I know...)
Then Tuesday night my friend Traci bought me some Starbuck's and we caught up on her life.
Then Wednesday night at work I was WIPED OUT, lol. I am SO NOT used to having this much of a social life. Usually, when I take time off work to travel I take a few days off before the trip and a few days off after the trip. But things just didn't work out that way this time.
Not that I would change a single detail, though! (I mean, I'm tempted to say I wouldn't have burned up Brian's car, but that event is still fresh and we don't know what wild and wonderful opportunities Brian's car-less-ness might open up for either or both of us. So it's hard to say at the moment. If it results in Brian getting a better car, then I would hate to wish that away from him, ya know?)
But as fulfilling and enriching as the past 2 weks have been for me... I am SO GLAD my weekend is here now! I am looking forward to a whole lot of NUTHIN' for the next 3 days!
I say "nothing" but I'm actually planning to finish Snow Crash -- the cyberpunk novel by Neal Stephenson which created the concept of a Metaverse, a virtual reality which is now realized in the form of Second Life (the amazing place where I met my beloved Gnomey-Goddess!!!). And if I finish it before Tuesday, I might start on Season 4 of Alias.
But as for socializing... I don't plan on crawling out of my jammies, much less making myself decent enough to actually interact with folks.
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