August 31, 1999. Tuesday.

    So I didn't go to NY today.  I was supposed to, but the people moving out of the apartment haven't moved out yet. This complicates things, since I have to be at orientation at NYU at 4pm tomorrow.  And i have to get my car unloaded before I leave for Manhattan, cos god knows I'm not gonna leave a carful of my shit just sitting on the streets of Brooklyn.  And the car is filled to the brim.  I figure it'll take at least 2 hours to unload. That's if I can get a parking space right in front of the apartment.  Let's hope so.
    So my car is just sitting in the garage, waiting to go.  I'm sure I forgot something, so maybe this one day delay will actually be good.  In the meantime, though, I'm really bored.  I spent most of the time today in front of the TV or computer. I chatter with Mimi online for a bit.  That was probably the most entertaining part of my day. Luckily, I didn'y pack up my N64, so I had that diversion. I also took a trip to the mall for a slushy, for the second day in a row. While I was there, I ran into "them."  Well, i didn't run into them. I just saw them. God forgive me for feeling this way, but I can't help it.  I see them every so often, and I just can't look. It's one of those rare instances in life where you don't want to look at something, yet feel compelled to look, and actually don't look. Normally when I pass an accident or something, I kinda just hafta look, out of some sort of macabre fascination. Everyone does it. But this... was too much. Basically, there's these... siamese twins, I guess, attached at the head.  Right smack in the middle of the top of the head. I've seen them numerous times since I was a small child. In the mall.  It's two girls.  (By "it" I don't mean the girls. I'm not trying to make them into sort freakish creature. Just thought I'd clarify) One of the girls is pretty tall, and walks. the other one is shorter, and sits on this high-chair with wheels.  I feel so bad for them. And they face different ways too. So the one that's sitting is always facing backwards.  And I don't think she's ever walked, so her legs have atrophied to little sticks. really, I can't believe that the bones even have any marrow in them, they're so thin. They couldn't be more than 6 inches around.  I don't recal how many eyes she had. Maybe two.  I really couldn't look.  I wonder if they share a brain.  Guess that's why they couldn't be separated. What happens if one develops heart trouble or something and dies?  My god, would the other just have to live with a decomposing corpse? Do they share the same blood? I mean, their heads are connected.  What must that life be like?  It's things like this that really put things in perspective. "So... your girlfriend's going to France for a year?  You haven't moved into your apartment yet? You're gonna be $60.000 in debt in a year and half?  Well, at least you don't have another human being attached to your head!"  So all things considerd, I'm one lucky mo-fo.

    Out the window to my left, 5 year old neighbor is getting all cutesy with this boy. He's on his bike, and she was sitting on the front wheel facing him, and they're sitting there with their heads together.  Their little bike helmets are the only thing stopping them from actually touching.  Boy, back in my day, we didn't wear those fruity helmets. But oddly, I don't ever recall making out with any of my neighbors while they sat on my bike. sigh... I'll tell you this though: i really, really hope my first kid isn't a girl.  Well, honestly, I don't want a girl at all.  I know what that little boy was thinking. He's still thinking about it now. Sure, he's only 5 or 6. But I remember kinda thinking those things when I was five or six. Not those things, but flirty little first grade things.  God, I can't even imagine what it'd be like to have a teenage daughter. Nooooooo thanks.  I'll let the wife handle that. I'd much rather have a nerdy little socially inept dork-boy than a girl. That I can handle. Hell, i'm kind of an expert in the field.  I really wouldn't know how to handle some girl going on her first date. I mean,  really... what's the only thing guys really think about?  And you think I'd let my daughter go out with some strange guy?  Fuck that. Wait'll she goes to college and I can't stop her.  No crazed little man is stepping foot in my house.  Ok, I'm done with that rant. Boy, now I'm starting to get nostalgic for the days when my neighbors were my best friends. Not these little punks that run around today.

    Now I feel really old. I'm officially the "old neighbor." I remember when I was really little, there were a coupla families on the street that had kids in highschool and college or older. they seemed so old.  And there were here long before we my parents moved here.  We never really talked to those kids much. Now, I'm older than those guys were, and these kids are like me.  And I hate it. Man, we used to run this block. It was ours  I live in thise court, with five houses, and every back yard used to be my backyard.  Doug used to live next door.  Those were the days.  Everyday of the summer, we'd play baseball in the court. We'd watch What's Happenin' and Transformers and G.I. Joe.  Every fall day we'd play football and watch Ducktales or some shit.  Whenever I miss home, whenever I just want to go home, it's because of those days, really.  I mean, I love it here, and I always will, because it's home.  But whenever I'm away and I think about how much I miss cool spring Saturday mornings, or late summer afternoons, I think I'm always thinking circa 1988.  That's the home  I really miss.  I always think about how nice it'd be to just be home for the summer. Then I actually get here, and what do I do? Do i spend any time outside in the yard or anything? No. I sit here on this computer.  2 months ago, while Jason and I were playing basketball, the whole basketball thingy came crashing down. It nearly killed me.  We had that thing for 10 years at least.  It won't be replaced, cos who's really gonna use it. I mean, it was nice to have, but clearly the days of its most use were behind it.  Now there's nothing to do outside. This is the most lifeless my house has ever been i think. There was always some form of entertainment or recreation outside. A sandbox, a jungle jim, whatever. Now basically, my yard is what I walk through to get the garbage to the curb.  well, about time to grow up I guess.

    Who the hell am I kidding? The minute I upload this, I'll be back playing "Pod Racer" on my Nintendo.  You know, as lifeless as it is outside my house these days, there's never been more to do inside. We didn't have cable in 1988. There was no internet, no Nintendo 64.   All we had was Leggos.  Now, I've got all this cool shit. Hell, fuck outside...
 

DA&R home
Past Aggravations and Regrets
previous next
South Pole Home    Greg's main page
 

©1999 Three Match Breeze