This
morning, the only day I get to sleep in, besides Saturday and Sunday, I
had to get up early to make a 10AM appointment way uptown at 61st st.
I had to go get "processed," as they say, for my job with the Department
of Parks and Recreation. I didn't like the sound of that. When
I told
Jed, he of course said something like
"Processed? What's that? Are they Pasteurizing you?" Oh, Jed.
But I did have
to fill out all sorts of forms. Tax forms, identity forms, equal
opportunity stuff, drug abuse pamphlets, etc. I should really read
some of that stuff before signing it. It also turns out that I have
the choice of joining a union I think. But get this, through some
agreement between the city and the unions, even if I don't join a union,
my paycheck will be reduced by the amount equal to whatever the unions
dues would be. What's up with that shit? Wankers. Pinko
commie bastards. Anyway, I also had to get finger printed.
Sometimes I humor notions of disappearing from society, and removing all
trace of my existence from all records. Lately, I think I muse about
such things mostly because there's no way in hell I could ever do that.
I've been "processed" so many times now that there's no way I could ever
even get out of a parking ticket. When I worked that job in DC for
the Navy contractor, I got dragged down to the Alexandria police station
and got fingerprinted there. that was sort of funny. To be
there with the criminals getting fingerprinted, you know. It's the
same thrill I got when I was doing my police ridealong in Harlem last fall,
and I sat in the back of the police car looking at people I'd normally
be scared to make eye contact with lest they think I'm copping an attitude.
Back in the back of that police car, I gestured and nodded and mouthed
"what!?" to people looking at me from the street. All tough.
And in the police station, it was nice to march in, get fingerprinted,
look around, wipe my hands off, and walk right back out in front of all
the perps. Ah, freedom. Hope I'm never arrested. Anyway,
so I've got fingerprints on file in three states, I've had my background
looked into by the federal government to get security clearance, and I
think i had to take some sort of loyalty oath in there. Whatever,
not like I'd ever go on a killing spree and cut off my fingerprints, ala
Kevin Spacey in 7even.
So I've got my
first class of the fall semester in a few minutes. so i guess I better
get going to class. More after that, then.
After class now.
Class was ok. Not as bad as I thought it might be. So I'm now
sitting in my roon. listening to modest
mouse. By default, really. I'm sort of bored with my musical
choices right now. Need a new band. I'm liking what I hear of the
Folk Implosion lately. But I also have about 3 dollars in my pocket.
But several people owe me 14 bucks each for tickes to the Modest Mouse
show on the 22nd, so I'm looking forward to getting that cash. I
bought a bunch of tickets for Caryn, and of
course now she doesn't need them all. The last time I bought her
a ticket to something, also a modest mouse show, she bailed on me completely.
I hate buying tickets for people. Very early in my freshman year,
I bought tickets to the Pavement show in Charlottesville for me, Jed, James,
and Matt. Matt never paid me, and I
held that grudge for a long time. Of course, I never asked for the money.
Actually, I think I did once, and he just said like "Oh yeah. OK." But
he never fucking paid me. But that's all past now. Anyway, so of
course this time I have yet another extra ticket. I'm sure I'll be
able to find someone to take it, or that Caryn will at least reimburse
me, but it just irks me. Calm blue ocean. Calm blue ocean.
I think the fall
is starting to affect my mood. Not for better or worse, just changing
it. Maybe more pensive, but in a blank sort of way, if that's possible.
Just thinking, but about nothing in particular. After class, around
6:30, I didn't really feel like going home. It was a very pleasant New
York evening, so I just decided to go for a stroll. I've been taking
a lot of walks lately. The weather has been so temperate, and the
days are getting shorter, so i feel like I should take advantage of the
sunlight when I can. September is a pretty good time to be in New
York. I was walking around the Village, and the bassist for Pavement,
Mark Ibold, walked by. I didn't say hello or anything. This
was sort of weird, because last Thursday James and Jed were hanging out
at this little bluegrass concert at a park in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn,
and they ran into Bob Nostanovich, the second drummer for Pavement.
James said "Bob?" and Bob said "Yeah. You allright?" We found his
answer humorous.
So I sat around
in the nice evening and read a good bit of On the Road. I'm
almost done, and it's not been bad. Sort of enjoying it. Not
a journey I could ever take. But I like the antiquated language,
the sort of language that was casual back in the fifties that you wouldn't
read in novels today, like fag, colored, chinaman. Fun stuff like
that. I've been sort of tired all day, but I try to spend more time
out of the apartment these days. I'm not exactly sure why, but the
place isn't as entertaining as it used to be. Or maybe it is, but
I'm not so easily entertained by it. And I don't mind walking around.
I actually enjoy it. It's the same will driving. As long as
I don't actually have to go anywhere, I don't mind doing it for
hours. I can just walk or drive arbitrarily through the streets,
wherever my whimsy might take me. By the way, I've been trying to
use the word "whimsy" all day, and that was the first time I was even marginally
successful. Anyway, I anticipate more walks in the future.
And more drives. Planning a trip to DC soon. But for now, I'll
be sticking it out in NY, saving money. For instance, tomorrow I'll
be meeting the Home Team for drinks, but it's at the place where it's two
for one! how frugal! HA!