G4Rock

Daily Aggravations and Regrets
and various random thoughts

January 15th, 2000. Saturday

I'm a pretty happy camper. Actually, now that I take a second and think about it, that's not true. I should be. But I think I'm coming to the startling realization that money can't buy happiness, that material goods aren't the key to life. They should be, but they aren't. Money isn't enough, see. I think in order for money to truly buy happiness, or contentness, I'd have to have enough to be financially independant for the rest of my life. And I can't say that right now.
    Regardless, I'm writing this on my brand new Apple Power Macintosh G4. So I'm happy about that. It really is a fantastic machine. I had to go through quite an ordeal to actually physically possess it, but that only proves my love for it.

    So before I was sidetracked by my new computer, I was discovering a whole new world. Last week, I finally, FINALLY, discovered something. I finally discovered the magic of READING. No, not my home town of Reading, PA, but the act of reading a book. Whuda thunk it? Reading has always been at the centers of many of the contradictions of my life. I love to write, but i hate to read. I love bookstores and buying books, but I hate reading books. Well, after Rodzilla's last visit, where we spent quite some time in bookstores, I decided maybe it was time to give reading another shot, after 15 or so years of despising it. So I perused a list Rodzilla had of the 100 greatest works of fiction of the pats century, and seeing that I had only read 4, and only remembered 2, I decided to should start there. So i decided to start with books I was supposed to read in highschool but read the Cliffs Notes for. I'd actually been meaning to read The Great Gatsby since this summer, but i never got around to it. While I was home last week, I turned on the TV, and the Robert Redford movie was on, so I took that as a sign. I finished it in two days, pretty good considering I probably type faster than I read. Much to my surprise, I couldn't put it down. from beginning to end, I was engrossed in it. i was up til 5:30 in the morning last saturday reading. Nicole was visiting and sleeping in my bed, so that contributed largely to my not wanting to go to sleep in my bed. But everytime i was about to stop reading, I kept going. i have to say, it was probably the best thing I've ever read in my life. I loved it. truly shocking. Who would have known that reading could take me to such magical places? Who thought words could form "sentences" and that these "sentences" could be so descriptive, imaginative, and thought provoking. Truly a marvel is the english language. I guess this is how your average year old feels when he learns to read. So I'm only about 18 years too late.
    Now I'm wondering how many other things I've discounted and discredited as crazy wastes of time might actually be worthwhile. Maybe I should give disco, metal-rap, bathing, and cleanliness another shot. Mmmmmmmaybeeeee...
    So anyway, shortly after I got my computer, I had to go to JFK airport. Nora is flying back to Germany, and she had a three-hour layover in NY. So since I had nothing better to do, I hopped on over.
    Lemme just tell you what a fucking ordeal that was. it took fucking forever, and the train was stopped so I had to get on a bus, and it's about 10 degrees out there, and I've been sacrificing warmth for fashion again. But it was good to see her. it was like I'd just seen her yesterday, really. There seems to be a sort of permanent familiarity, because it was like that last time after not seeing her for a year. So that was good. We just sat around and ate airport food, and looked at pictures and shot the shit. Just hangin' out sort stuff. I miss that chick. she's thinking abot moving to NYC next year. If that happens, I'll have just about every close friend from college in NY. That'd be groovy. Anyway, we took some pictures, and then she got on a plain for Munich, and a resumed my uncomfortable journey.
    Actually the only reason I didn't mind the long trip was because it allowed me to get a lot of reading done. boy, never thought I'd say that. but I finished half of Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle on the train and bus. And I finished Slaughterhouse Five a few days ago. That's pretty good for me. Two and a half books is the most books I've ever read in a week. By about 2 books.

    Anyhow, I'm fucking psyched about this G4. I can finally do everything I've wanted to do for the past 4 months. I downloaded my entire web page archives just now, so for the first time I have all my webpage files on one computer. And it has a DVD player, so I can watch the Matrix 24 hours a day. More importanly, i can maintain my webpage now everyday. in a very geeky way, I think my feelings of slacking off on my webpage added to my general feelings o axiety about my general laziness. So I'm hoping that this G4 is the first step to a more industrious me. I mean, quick-fixes are always sure-fire answers, right?

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