10.714

That is the amount of time, expressed as a percent of the week's total, naturally, that I get to spend at my apartment. It’s a decent place. It came complete with a washer and dryer, cathedral ceiling and a pond view. It also has a large glass wall by which to enjoy the pond view. There are ducks and geese and storks and things that frequent my pond. I got busted trying to “talk” to one of the more adventurous ducks last night. I guess the site of a full grown, bearded, twenty-something Adonis quacking at random water foul from the balcony of his third floor apartment is not the norm in Novi. (shrug)

Weird happenings already this Monday morning. I’ve been floating around town, running some errands (Camera shop, Ski Shop etc.) It was at the ski shop (I’m in the market for a Swedish Rack for my Swedish car.) when a young girl, I’m guessing 3 maybe 4 years old, ran up to me and hugged my leg. I looked down to see this adorable, anime-eyed, blond girl look up at me and ask “Are you my dad?”. “Nope, sorry sweetie.” Was my reply all the while thinking there has to be something afoot here, right? This never happens to me. Kids think I’m great. Probably because for the most part I’m a six foot four inch version of them, and somehow they know this instinctively, but I’ve never had one run up and hug my leg, at least not one that was of no relation to me. Besides which, if I am lucky enough to have a child someday (please oh please) I would certainly never let them wander as far away from me as this girl was from her mother. “Oh.” She said, and then “Is your face soft?" If this is what Nic meant by “a beard makes you approachable", I’ll be getting rid of it posthaste. Mine is not really the sort of beard that will ever make me look stately or distinguished. Mine is the sort of beard that if left to it's own devices would be likely to house birds; perhaps the occasional squirrel. I love kids, but the owner of this one didn’t like me talking to hers and told me so. I don’t need parents thinking I’m trying to run off with their much too cute kids. I have enough problems.

Speaking of my Swedish car, here are some pictures of it:

Obviously it will look different once the windows get tinted and the rack is added. There will be room for 2 bikes or several snowboards should anyone decide that they would like to do outdoorsy things with me. It also functions well to get to coffee shops and retail outlets. It has a cavernous boot, so fitting groceries and luggage is a snap. Oh, and since it is a wagon, you can fold the seats down to expose the trunk and in the process create a make-out arena. Mint. Those clever Swedes think of everything!

Have to run. I’ll post again soon.

Music: "Crooked Teeth" --- Death Cab

Do you see what happens Larry......

It's Friday. It's October 13th. And what better way to start this day than to awake to that unmistakable "it's the Police" style knock on your door. You know that one, that sort of "sorry it's 5 in the a.m., but open the f-ing door" kind of knock? I got that one. Someone had decided that they were deeply offended by the fact that I am from Michigan and needed to puncture the sidewalls of all of my tires, smash out my rear window, and write "Go back to Michingan" on my car with some sort of marker. I'm not sure which part pissed me off more; being vandalized, or being vandalized by numb-skulls. For God sake, if you don't know how to spell Michigan, look on my license plate!


I spent the next 14 hours of my day oscillating between being bitch slapped by Ford's management, and trying to work through getting my car situation figured out so I can go "home" Sunday. Not a single redeeming quality has this day had....not one.

I hope you are having a better day.

Music: "Drain you" ---Nirvana

It's a gift.

So, what’s up? It’s another rainy, cool, delightful day here in Royal Oak. No, seriously. For as much as I like the sun and the blue sky and all that, with the exception of a few outliers, the days that have meant the most to me in my life have been rainy ones. I’m a pretty fun loving guy. I’m not afraid to go out and enjoy the weather. You may not agree with me that Frisbee golf is a good way to kill a sunny afternoon, but you’re misguided and eventually you’ll see the error in that judgment. You need only go once with Nic and Jay and I and you’ll be hooked, and likely drunk, but whatever. Still, there is something fantastic about sitting inside on a rainy late summer or early fall day watching great movies, or cooking up a storm or both. Or maybe just spending 12 straight hours playing crazy 8’s or Rumy or Go Fish with someone who doesn’t like cards, laughing the whole time.

At present I’m sitting in Beaner’s having another hazelnut soy latte and laughing at the events of the morning. It all started with my inability to eat a cranberry crunch parfait. It’s simple, right. It consists of nothing more than some plain yogurt, a handful of cranberries and a sprinkling of granola, and yet, as I sat there cleaning it off my pants for the third time, I started laughing at how hard this parfait was fighting my attempts to eat it. “C’mon yogurt, be a team player”, I said…..out loud. The girl sitting kiddie-corner to me laughed and asked if I always gave motivational speeches to my food. She raised her hand to introduce herself as Genie (spelled just like that I would later find out). Even with my monkey arms I couldn’t reach to shake her hand so I did what anyone would do, half stood up to take up the distance. Here’s where it gets ugly. I went to stand up and my foot became entangled in my laptop cord. I was stuck, caught between trying to look cool and not thrashing my laptop. In a frenzy of arms and legs and laptop bags I went down…..hard. I spilled my coffee, and hers, though not on either of us shockingly. I finished on my back as if I were prepping to make snow angels on the wooden floor. “That’s Awwwesome” I heard a guy say from the lounge chairs by the window. With precious little dignity left I did the only thing I could do, “So..…do you have dinner plans?” I asked her. It's a gift. If someone were to follow Matt and I around and chronicle our nearly daily public meltdowns, they could entertain future generations for years to come. (sigh)

I’ve got class in a few hours. I woke up early this morning to the sound and smell of the rain. No thunder, no lightning, just rain. I love it. Upon careful review of my class assignments I found that I had no homework to do, bonus. The rest of my day looks like this: tobacco shop and then to the bookstore on Main, hunting for film and some T-max developer (the developer only if someone offers the use of their darkroom……anyone?), quick bite to eat and school. I normally drive to Toronto after school but I can’t check into my hotel room until Tuesday so I’m going to wait and go back then. I hate that drive at night anyway.

Music: "Satan gave me a Taco" - Beck