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I dreamed I went to Disneyland last night, but it wasn't Anaheim; the Disney people had acquired a long, thin section of downtown Los Angeles and had built a quasi-replica of the original park, but with the lands in sequential order down a long avenue. I sat on a park bench and had a lengthy discussion with strangers on the relative merits of this layout vs. the wheel-and-spokes approach in the original park. One of the strangers asked me where I'd gotten my produce. "At the produce stand," I naturally replied. He left and came back empty-handed. "You have to go farther down the avenue to get to the produce stand," I told him. He thought it would be in Fantasyland. What a maroon!
My first LiveJournal post as a Sixty-Something! Oh good lord. I never had a clear understanding of what being in my Fifties actually meant, and now I never will. I do have a clear idea of what being in my Sixties is: failing health, failing eyesight, grumpiness, irascibility, irresistable desire to yell at kids for getting on my lawn, etc. etc.
This is one of the reasons I no longer have a lawn. Last year I had the front redone to be all stones and bark, with one -- ONE -- tree to liven it up. Kids are no longer tempted. This year, I'm having the back done, and it's a much tougher process -- not to mention more expensive; I've had a number of back-&-forths with the landscaper before settling on a design, which involved -- wait for it -- rocks and bark.
Also tearing up all of the old concrete patio and walkway.
Which may or may not be related to the sewer line springing a leak. I have a water fixture!
Stupid "24-hour plumber" says that their name doesn't mean they're available 24 hours a day, it's how long it will take them to respond. Litterally, since the guy I talked to yesterday ("we can have somebody come out around 10am tomorrow") didn't enter the job correctly, and nobody showed up (girl I talked to today sez 2pm to 4pm; we'll see, Susan). Add to the landscaping expenses and the new car expense (oh, yeah, I got a new car), and I'm freaking out, but then I remember, I have resources now.
What I don't have is motivation. When I quit my job last October, I was making a "fate-bet" with myself (the concept is from a rather bad Truffaut film). If, after a year, I could look at what I'd done and say, "Well done," then I'd keep on being unemployed. If not, I'd get a job.
Halfway through the year. I've travelled to 7 foreign countries, seen a shitload of Verdi operas, performed in 2 plays (both characters being drunkards), and played the Nintendo 3DS game "Legend of Zelda: a Link between Worlds" to completion. Soooooo......
So, birthday -- time to take stock & see where to go. Novel? Screenplay? Volunteerism? Acting in student films? I need to fill up my time with something. Suggestions are being accepted.
[NOTE: the unwritten novel is from the viewpoint of a young merchant-class Russian whose schemes to escape his stultifying homeland and travel to Paris are interrupted by World War I and vampires. Also sex and cosplay.]
This is one of the reasons I no longer have a lawn. Last year I had the front redone to be all stones and bark, with one -- ONE -- tree to liven it up. Kids are no longer tempted. This year, I'm having the back done, and it's a much tougher process -- not to mention more expensive; I've had a number of back-&-forths with the landscaper before settling on a design, which involved -- wait for it -- rocks and bark.
Also tearing up all of the old concrete patio and walkway.
Which may or may not be related to the sewer line springing a leak. I have a water fixture!
Stupid "24-hour plumber" says that their name doesn't mean they're available 24 hours a day, it's how long it will take them to respond. Litterally, since the guy I talked to yesterday ("we can have somebody come out around 10am tomorrow") didn't enter the job correctly, and nobody showed up (girl I talked to today sez 2pm to 4pm; we'll see, Susan). Add to the landscaping expenses and the new car expense (oh, yeah, I got a new car), and I'm freaking out, but then I remember, I have resources now.
What I don't have is motivation. When I quit my job last October, I was making a "fate-bet" with myself (the concept is from a rather bad Truffaut film). If, after a year, I could look at what I'd done and say, "Well done," then I'd keep on being unemployed. If not, I'd get a job.
Halfway through the year. I've travelled to 7 foreign countries, seen a shitload of Verdi operas, performed in 2 plays (both characters being drunkards), and played the Nintendo 3DS game "Legend of Zelda: a Link between Worlds" to completion. Soooooo......
So, birthday -- time to take stock & see where to go. Novel? Screenplay? Volunteerism? Acting in student films? I need to fill up my time with something. Suggestions are being accepted.
[NOTE: the unwritten novel is from the viewpoint of a young merchant-class Russian whose schemes to escape his stultifying homeland and travel to Paris are interrupted by World War I and vampires. Also sex and cosplay.]
Writer's Block: A novel idea
Jul. 19th, 2011 07:31 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Moby Dick, of course! It's a guy story with a narrative that can open at any time for episodes of pursuit and violence, with the opportunity for all sorts of exciting side games. Trick a Frenchman out of his ambergris! Eat chowder! Rescue Pip when he falls out of the boat! Squeeze whale sperm! Snuggle with Queequeg!
That last Boss level is eff-ing unbeatable though.
Moby Dick, of course! It's a guy story with a narrative that can open at any time for episodes of pursuit and violence, with the opportunity for all sorts of exciting side games. Trick a Frenchman out of his ambergris! Eat chowder! Rescue Pip when he falls out of the boat! Squeeze whale sperm! Snuggle with Queequeg!
That last Boss level is eff-ing unbeatable though.
Writer's Block: A novel idea
Jul. 19th, 2011 07:31 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
Moby Dick, of course! It's a guy story with a narrative that can open at any time for episodes of pursuit and violence, with the opportunity for all sorts of exciting side games. Trick a Frenchman out of his ambergris! Eat chowder! Rescue Pip when he falls out of the boat! Squeeze whale sperm! Snuggle with Queequeg!
That last Boss level is eff-ing unbeatable though.
Moby Dick, of course! It's a guy story with a narrative that can open at any time for episodes of pursuit and violence, with the opportunity for all sorts of exciting side games. Trick a Frenchman out of his ambergris! Eat chowder! Rescue Pip when he falls out of the boat! Squeeze whale sperm! Snuggle with Queequeg!
That last Boss level is eff-ing unbeatable though.
