Monday, December 17, 2001

Grrrr... pics not showing up, links not working... I may have to take my blog (and my site) to another ISP. Anyone care to hook me up with a site I DON'T have to worry about?

Sorry I haven't been active here (or anywhere net-wise) in the past week, but I've been busy either moving stuff from my house to Kathy's in preparation for our big move-in, or working at the newly-reopened Mike's Seafood in Boone. The new restaurant is only a block and a half away from me, so it's convenient for me, at least until I get a better job *crosses fingers*.

As I said, Mike's reopened this past Tuesday, and we've packed them in every night since. A lot of people have been anticipating the reopening, and it's made for busy and profitable times. It's been a bit confusing at first, with everyone looking for supplies and equipment as if we had all been employed in the restaurant business only yesterday, but so far we've managed to survive. Hopefully soon we will have neough people hired to make sure that we all receive a break once in a while.

Kathy and I went to a "goodbye" party up on Howard's Knob tonight, for Loretta, who is moving to the Marshall Islands. Pretty cool shindig, and we met several interesting people, like Joann the retired theatre reviewer, and Isani, who sat in on guitar with us as we played for the huddled masses. I just wish the huddled masses had been a bit more responsive. I wasn't asking for a Bruce Springsteenish outpouring of affection, but a little applause wouldn't have hurt. :(

I really need to get back into contact with people soon. I feel as if I am losing touch with so many people online, and it worries me that I can't seem to maintain those ties. Hopefully, soon I will be able to move my own computer here to Boone, and I can check my e-mail, etc. with impugnity.

Wow, that's a nice bit of typing. Perhaps soon I will be able to contribute more to the cause. *blows kisses to those dear friends who need to hear from me* Back soon, I swear.

Friday, December 7, 2001

A couple of piccies to share:



This is my "new" car. As Han Solo once said about the Millennium Falcon, "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."



And this is my Christmas tree. Nice, eh? In any case, you guys have a good weekend. I hope to. :|

Oh, and by the way...



Take the What Cat Are You? test by webkin!

Thursday, December 6, 2001

If I were a work of art, I would be Edvard Münch's The Scream.

I express the subconscious troubles and anxieties of the world. I hold my head and let loose the primal terror of my innermost fears, surrounded by a lurid landscape which reflects my feeble grasp on reality.

Which work of art would you be? The Art Test



Innnnteresting. I wonder how Dr. Elliott, my Art History teacher in college, would score on this?

Spent the night with Kathy last night. Nothing happened Judah-wise to her yesterday; hopefully the first couple of days of the week'll be the end of it.

She has her jury this afternoon, and she's doing it with a head cold (which I think she's given to me). Wish her luck, everyone.

Wednesday, December 5, 2001

Apparently my last posting to the blog last night went down the tubes, so I'll try again. *grrrrrr!*

Kathy's ex-roomie continues to do his damndest to do... whatever it is he's doing. Monday, he got her phone disconnected, and Tuesday he managed to convince the cable company to disconnect her service. She's reconnected both with password protection, but she's nervous about even letting Heather out to do her business. kathy's thinking of taking out a restraining order, but I'd like to suggest using a .357 aimed at his jewels and the words "Knock off the crap!"

In any case, my parents and I went to ASU to see Kathy perform in a Guitar Ensemble recital. She looked beautiful of course, and sang equally so. Mom and Dad met her mother, and she even invited them to come to her house Saturday night to have dinner.

Yesterday at work was... ummmm, it was. We close Mike's at 2pm to give everybody a break between lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, we had someone come in at 1:58 yesterday. This would not have been that bad except for the fact that they were there until 3:30!!!!! I had to run the register that night, so I had to take the half-hour trip all the way home just to change my shirt and run back in time to be there for dinner. In any case, the Boone restaurant should be open next week *crosses fingers*.

Everybody have fun tonight. Everybody Wang Chung tonight.

Sunday, December 2, 2001

An interesting weekend, to say the least. Kathy's (now) ex-roommate finally left Friday, but not before putting another hole in the wall of her trailer. For a while, Kathy's mom was giving her grief about the timing of Judah's leaving and my impending moving in. At one point Kathy said that if it came down between being with me and completing her MA-voice, she'd take me. Fortunately for all involved, her mom relented and agreed to let me move in, for an increase in the rent for both of us.

My parents came up today and brought a "present" with them: a 1985 Chevy Impala. A BIG damn car! lol Fortunately, it gets better gas mileage than the Corsica, and it goes in reverse; that puts it TWO up on the ol' Rusty Rocket.

However, tonight proved that the ol' McGuire luck is as strong as ever with me. I took the Impala to work to see how she runs (diagnosis: delightful!), but when I began to leave the restaurant tonight, I found out that the left rear tire was flat. A couple of people from Mike's helped me to change the tire, b-b-b-but wait, it gets worse! :P

After the tire change, they left and I got ready to head back to the house. Fortunately, I had put on the emergency brake to keep the car from slipping and killing anyone. UNfortunately, however, I discovered that the release for the emergency brake was missing. *sigh* I called my dad to come and help me, but about 5 minutes before he arrived with my uncle in tow, I found the string that the previous owner had apparently used to release the EB. When Dad pulled up, he proceeded to tell me about the string, to which I replied "One step ahead of ya, Dad!" LOL

Needless to say, we're getting new tires put on this thing (I need a nickname for this car now) tomorrow morning. Then it's off to Boone tomorrow night to see Kathy in a Guitar Ensemble recital, and hot cocoa and brownies a la mode afterwards.

Much love to Crink, my dear friend who I haven't been able to talk much to lately. Hope to see you online soon. :X

Friday, November 30, 2001

I found out a little while ago that George Harrison passed away last night. He was the same age as my dad, which makes it even more poignant. I knew that he was stricken with cancer, but for some perverse reason I was hoping he would be able to hang on a little longer. I guess I'm just selfish.

Here's hoping that he and John are catching up on old times and writing new songs together. Me? I'm gonna work on learning a new song on my guitar.



Peace to all.

Thursday, November 29, 2001

Okay, after a couple of days of beiing unable to access my internet, I amm back. BTW, I have a new e-mail addy. Write it down 'n stuff. It's...

clintster@apptechnc.net

Anyway, I have an announcement to make. As of January 1, I will be moving in with Kathy. This is because she's having some troubles with her present roommate Judah. He's been scaring the pets, smoking what he shouldn't have, playing LOUD, LOUD music, and the other day he put a hole in her wall. All of which spell E-V-I-C-T-I-O-N. In any case, I'll be there at the beginning of 2002. I'll probably start moving stuff over there in the next couple of weeks, since I'll also be transferring over to the new Mike's location, which is only 1 1/2 blocks from her place.

I'm doing some redesign stuff to my site. Hopefully, I will come up with a whole new design for this page as well. We'll see. :) I'll also finally add a column or two to the site, and maybe even some photos. <> Anyway, that's my life in a nutshell. More later on this blog.

Monday, November 26, 2001

sometimes i worry about you clint :P ...i changed it back to the layout that is on your geo server *coughs* which you could have done too? ;) lol *hugs* glad you had a nice thanksgiving..make sure that you tell the mrs. we all said "hello" :)

Saturday, November 24, 2001

Testing...testing...is this on?

Hey all. I need a little feedback here. Can you see the blue background on my blog? I can see it on my computer, but it's totally gone on my girlfriend's comp. Let me know via my "comments" link at the end of the post.

I had a good Thanksgiving. Kathy and I went to her mom's house in Blowing Rock and joined her, Kath's brother, his wife, their son, Kath's friend Loretta, and approximately 3,274 dogs, most of them Westies. Of course we had the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and some of us even managed to take the requisite post-dinner, Triptophen-induced nap.

Patrick (Kathy's brother) and I managed to do some bonding over the NFL's offerings, and we (the couples) ended the evening relaxing in the hot tub. I didn't have any swimwear with me, so I had to borrow a pair of Carol's (Kathy's mom) cutoffs. I don't know who was more unnerved that I could actually fit into them: me or her.

Still no snow here yet. I don't know whether to be glad or sad by that. At least we have some rain here tonight. It's good to have some of the dust around here beaten down for a bit.

Wednesday, November 21, 2001

I am 35% ADDICTED TO THE INTERNET.



I could go either way. Deep into the madness of nights filled with coding CGI-Scripts and online role playing games, or I could become a normal user. Good luck!


Take the INTERNET-ADDICT Test at Fuali.com!


I AM 33% GEEK.



I probably work in computers, or a history
department at a college. I never really
fit in with the "normal" crowd. But I have
friends, and this is a good thing.


Take the GEEK Test at Fuali.com!



I won't even put up the result of the punk test. Dammit.









I am 63% Grunge.



I am pretty dirty, all right and, I reek of teen spirit... I would sell my own children for a moldy hotpocket, man.

Take the Grunge Test at Fuali.com!




In any case, today is the day before Thanksgiving, and ina little while I'm gonna head to Boone to be with Kathy for the next 48 or so. Her brother and sister-in-law are coming in from Knoxville, so we should have a pretty good time. This is only the second T'giving I've ever spent apart from my parents/family. The first was in 1997, when they were up here, and I ended up having to celebrate with Brian Holloway, a turkey breast, and Tammy (the girl he was most crazy for at the time).

Kathy finally got through her recital "Hell weekend", and seems to have survived with her sanity intact. Mind you, she did get a bit peeved at me Friday as her Opera Workshop recital was coming to a head, but I brought it on her. And for that, I must say "I'm sorry, sweetie." :X

In any case, you guys have a happy Thanksgiving Day, wherever you are.

Friday, November 16, 2001

*waves* blogback code fixed *poof*

Thursday, November 15, 2001

Well, well, well, I finally get to update my blog. How's that for a kick in the head?

Things at work are okay, I guess. Business is really starting to slow down. That, and we're getting ready to open up the new Boone location combine to put just the slightest edge on the working environment at Mike's. I'm still trying to find a new job somewhere else (so I can have my evenings free) but so far, no dice.

Kathy is stressing big time right now. She's been in rehearsals all this week for the night of scenes that her Opera Workshop class is presenting tonight and tomorrow. I went Monday night to watch a rehearsal and all I can say is "clusterf*@k". Figure it out for yourself. In any case, she's asked me to come see it Friday rather than tonight, so I can see the best show possible. Other than that, she has to worry about a Collegium Musicum recital Sunday and her juries next month, and papers, and all sorts of stuff. *kisses Kathy on the forehead* Poor baby.

As for myself, today I'm "hermiting it"; I'm taking the day to clean up my place, do laundry, spend quality time with the pets, etc. Man, this place is a mess! Hopefully, I'll get to where it's in a somewhat presentable shape by this evening.

I've decided not to buy Loretta's car. It's nice (nicer than mine, at least), but she wants $1000 down. I'm having trouble holding onto $100 right now, so I think I'll have to pass this offer up. :(

Saturday, November 10, 2001

Ah, another fulfilling day at work. Not really, but I thought it'd be more interesting than writing "work sucks" for the 528th time.

While at Katy's this morning, her friend Loretta came over. She is moving to the Marshall Islands to take up a position at a (the?) university there. Meanwhile, she is divesting herself of many of the things she cannot cart over there, including her car.

I'm considering buying it from her. It's a 1990 Dodge Laser, and it appears to be in good shape. She's asking $2000, but Kathy says I may be able to talk her down to $1800 and make payments to her. I'm going to test drive it tomorrow after church to see if it meets my demanding specifications (ie it runs, goes in reverse, is relatively quiet, etc.). Seriously, this could open up whole new worlds for me, if it runs well.

Friday, November 9, 2001

At Kathy's now, listening to the opera Jackie O, which is about- well, if you need me to tell you... ahh, never mind.

I have an idea for a genuine column for the site, but I need to gel it into some kind of readable form first. In the meantime, my friend Aerik has begun a new installment of the 18th Dimention Chronicles. If you're curious as to what the heck I'm talking about, just click on the hotlinked title above. There you can read the original story, or start on the new one. There's also a nifty rendering of me as my character in the story.

Went to a recital tonight. I'll tell you about it later; right now, I'm being pawed at by my kathykat. Did I mention she has *shiver* cold handdds? Br-r-r-r-r-r!!! It's kinda nice in a way, though. Biiieeee!

Tuesday, November 6, 2001

I had a pretty good evening last night. First, I went to ASU to see Kathy sing in her master class. She did two numbers, and did very well on both of them. She also looked fine, wearing a nice red dress that got her an unexpected compliment from one of her professors.

After class we went to eat at Pepper's, where we split a French dip and I had a bowl of French onion soup. No, we didn't have French fries or French dressing, so just put those thoughts out of your head. :P

Then we went out to the movies, to see Monsters, Inc. Cute movie, nice animation, and I even came close to crying at one point. However, the BIG news (at least for me) came before the movie started. They ran a preview for Star Wars Episode II beforehand, and when it came on, I tightened my grip on Kathy's hand ever so slightly. I won't wait in line to see it like I did Ep. I, but I will see the movie when it comes out in May. Oh yes, I WILL see it. *WEG*

Monday, November 5, 2001

Sorry I haven't updated in the past few days, but I've been preoccupied.

Crink, e-mail me and lemme know what's going on.

Eva, hope things are going well; hurry back.

Anyway, neither Kathy nor I placed in the Twig's costume contest. The winner turned out to be a giant blue bong. Yep. I would've taken pics of my mad scientist and Kathy's flamenco costume, but again, I was, ummmm, "preoccupied".

I went to church with Kathy yesterday, and the guest speaker was Rev. Jimmy Creech, the Methodist minister who was disbarred from the church for performing same-sex marriages. It was a very good sermon(?) on the power of love to change the world. We went to lunch afterwards, and Kathy and I ended up talking to a couple from the church about grad schools. A few good ideas came to mind.

Mike's continues to grate on my nerves, but what else is new? I waited tables each night this weekend. Tips were good Friday and Satueday nights, but last night was awful! I had one table that got $40 worth of food, and they were very nice, and conversational. Yet, when they left and I went to get the tipo off the table, I found out they left me a dollar. A DOLLAR!!! I'd almost prefer that people not leave anything, if they're gonna be that (pardon my French) SHITTY about it. ANyway, I made less than $30 for the night.

On the other hand, I can't seem to keep excess change from coming into my hands. A few days ago, I filled up on gas (which is $1.15 here) and got $12 worth. When I went to pay, I gave the cashier a $20, and he gave me back $12. I corrected him, of course, and got the right change back. Then this morning, I went to pay my phone bill, and was given an extra quarter back for my troubles. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that I gave the cashier CORRECT CHANGE. Again, I pointed out the error, and it was rectified. Now, if only I could pay for something and get $1000 in erroneous change. LOL

Wednesday, October 31, 2001

I got off work early tonight, and right now I'm at Kathy's house, waiting for her to get her costume on so we can go to Twig's in Blowing Rock. They have a costume contest and Night Train, a Guns-n-Roses cover band, tonight.

My football costume was a big hit at Mike's, even though we had few customers. Of course, when I changed into my mad scientist mode, people liked that too. Piccies will be up soon (I hope).
Ahhhh, Halloween! One of my favorite holidays. And what am I doing for it, you may ask?

Well, first, thank you for asking. I am WORKING a DOUBLE SHIFT for Halloween. :P:P:P *sigh* Costume-wise, it looks like I'll be wearing TWO costumes this Halloween. First, at work, I'm dressing up as a football player. It's all part of some kind of theme for the restaurant. Many of the other waitresses are dressing as cheerleaders, another waitress is dressing as another football player, and we're trying to convince someone else to come as a coach. We'll see.

Then after work, I'll head to Blowing Rock, where I'll be dressing as a mad scientist and seeing a band with Kathy. Actually, the mad scientist get-up is Kathy's, but she wants to go as Carmen Miranda. The only problem is that she hasn't been able to get in contact with a woman who has the skirt she needs to make it happen. If she can't get it by this morning, I'll have to go to Boone on my break and take the mad costume to her, and go as the football player.

Shakespeare of the Day:

Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.


Macbeth, Act IV sc. 1

Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Just put in a few new bloggers to my daily reads over

<----------

There. I hope so, anyway. They aren't showing up on my IE. Maybe it will just take some time. I spent 3 hours last night getting rid of deadwood files in my computer, and it still isn't done yet. *sigh*

If you see more than three listings under "daily reads", please tell me so.
Got Possum back from the vet late yesterday; surprisingly, she had already awoken from the anesthesia, and HATING her pet carrier. I picked up some moist cat food to treat her (I normally feed her Meow Mix), and put her in the guest room to give her some peace and quiet.

She seems much happier this morning. Possum's even playing at my feet as I'm writing this. I wish I had some cat toys for her to play with; maybe I'll break down and buy some soon. In the meantime, Bailey doesn't seem to notice.

My Shakespeare calendar quote of the day:

Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that low'r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.


King Richard III, Act I, sc. 1

Hopefully, when I get home from work tonight, Uncle Wendell will have brought home some stovepipe for the wood-burner. I'm hoping that we can get some wood together for the winter, also. God, I LOVE being a mountain man! lol

Monday, October 29, 2001

ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!! I just broke the top E string on my guitar! And just when I was going to learn some new stuff, too! *bangs head against wall* Okay, I'm not gonna panic, I'm just gonna go out and get some more strings (when I can afford 'em). *sigh*
We-he-hell, I just got back from taking Possum to the vet. I'm getting her fixed as part of my "don't need no more kittens before I get married" campaign. I'll be picking her up at 4:30, and I hope she's more sedate than she was when I took her over. I thought for a while there that she was gonna tear her pet carrier apart when I put her in this morning.

This weekend has been one of strange dreams. Last night I dreamt that I was at dinner with several of my friends and family, celebrating mine and Kathy's upcoming nutuals. Only Kathy was nowhere to be found. Suddenly she shows up, wearing equestrian gear and apologizing for her lateness. I asked her to get changed, and she disappeared for a moment, only to reappear in a while Chanel-type business dress. Don't remember much after that.

In any case, this pales in comparison to the dream I had Saturday night at Kathy's. I dreamt that a bunch of people were gathered at the church down the road from my house, when we heard that we were being invaded. Suddenly a yellow mist fell from the sky, and I saw a bunch of characters from "The Simpsons" die. Then groups of Nazi-esque people came riding up and demanding our surrender. We fled and scattered, and the rest of my dream was split up between hiding from and attacking the fascist invaaders.

I'm still trying to figure out what it all means. If you have any ideas, just post 'em in the comments box below. :)

Thursday, October 25, 2001

Something I need to talk about here. Just a little story.

There is this waitress at Mike's whose life is like a Jerry Springer episode. She's recently separated (I think) from her third husband, who has turned out to be a drug dealer, a thief, AND a bigamist. Of course, she herself has been known to dabble in illegal narcotics herself, and her Camaro has been cited by both the Banner Elk and Newland police departments for its shabby condition and broken windshield. Imagine, a car in worse shape than mine. *shudder*

Anyway, we were working together (along with 4 others) Tuesday night, and closing the store down for the night. We had everything done but the vacuuming, when all of a sudden this couple waked in the door, 10 minutes to close. They brought cups in with them, and let me tell you, they weren't sippin' Kool-Aid.

Anyway, Waitress X went to serve them, and the rest of us tried to look like we weren't staring right at them, waiting for them to haul their drunk tuckuses out of there. They stayed 'til 9:30, sipping out of their "go cups", and eating the flounder that W-X brought to them; she spent some time talking to them too. They finally finished eating and left, only to each come back in after several minutes and use our bathrooms (which HAD been meticulously cleaned an hour before.) Finally, they left the parking lot at 9:40, but not before the drunk woman nearly drove their Jeep off the embankment by the restaurant.

I found out last night that the reason W-X was talking so much to the couple was that she and the drunk woman had spent time in jail together. *shakes head* I don't really know the point of this story, other than to say "customers SUCK!"

PS, thanks to Cali for putting in the comments box on my blog. Good webmistress! :D

Wednesday, October 24, 2001

you're welcome clint @ comments ;)
I'm fine, how are you?

One thing I neglected to mention last post is that Kathy and I had our first major arguements during our trip to Knoxville. Mostly over money and responsibilities. We both argued and we both felt awful. Things are better, but I am assured that there will be more arguements in our future together. Hopefully they will be few and far between.

I'm looking for a new job as we speak. Preferably one in an office-type setting. Much preferably, one where I can actually use my creative talents to some use. In the best of all possible worlds, one where I can act in the Boone area, and be paid well, while still having time to spend with my beautiful girlfriend (yes, YOU Kathy! ;) )

I rearranged the CDs in my car's disc changer this afternoon. While going through my collection for something to put in, I came across Hootie and the Blowfish's crackedrearview. I put it in, and you know...

I like it.

*pauses for Crinkle to scream in agony*

No, seriously! Okay, the singles were WAY overplayed on radio back in the mid-90s, especially where I lived at the time, being a stone's throw away from their hometown of Columbia. Yeah, they weren't particularly innovative or challenging to the cultural landscape. If I were to describe them in terms of cuisine, HatB might be considered "comfort food". But in times like these, it's nice to have a little "comfort food" music to listen to and *wait for it* sing to.

Yes, Crink, I actually sang to "Let Her Cry" on my way home from work tonight. Whatcha gonna do about it? :P You know, you could send me a 25 Ft. Stanly CD to remind me what Columbia's BEST band sounds like *poke*. But I'll leave that up to you! lol

Monday, October 22, 2001

Kathy and I went to Knoxville this past weekend to visit her brother and family. Patrick seems cool, if a bit preppy. His son Ben is 18 mos. old, and cute as a button! :) We all (Kathy's mom and stepdad included) went to a hayride in the middle of nowhere Saturday, while we young couples (me and Kathy, Pat and Julie) had dinner at the Macaroni Grill Friday night.

And then there was Kahy's Ahab-like quest for the Moby Dick of dress shoes. lol I swear she tried on or looked at every pair of silver dress shoes to be found in the Southeast, before she decided on a pair she found in a JC Penny in Johnson City. To celebrate, we went to a restaurant called the Crazy Tomato, and split a couple of calzones.

My parents went back down to Georgia yesterday, so I didn't get to spend much time with them. However, I shold be seeing them in a few weeks for Thanksgiving. I'm trying to convince them to come up here, as well as the rest of the family. Maybe we can all have one big celebration here at the homestead.

Monday, October 15, 2001

I told my parents this afternoon. Mom and Dad both cried, and so did I. All the siblings are very happy for me, as is everyone I've talked to on the phone today. My friend Steve Palmer accepted my offer to be my best man, and both my brothers have offered up their services as groomsmen.

I took the "Princess Bride" personality test today. My scores are as follows. These are the characters I am most like, ranging from most to least:

# 1 Fezzik
# 2 Inigo Montoya
# 3 Wesley
# 4 Buttercup
# 5 Max the miracle dude
# 6 Prince Humperdink
# 7 Count Rugen (6-fingered guy)
# 8 Vizzini (or short bad guy)

If you haven't taken it yet, go to the link above.

*big voice* ANYBODY GOT A PEANUT?

Sunday, October 14, 2001

Ahem...

I suppose I should put this into my blog, seeing as how it's, y'know, a significant milestone in my life.

This past Thursday, Kathy and I were talking about grad school, and the fact that if/when I go somewhere next fall, we will be separated by the distance from there to Boone for a year (well, 9 mos. from August '02 to May '03). Anyway, she said she wanted us to get married before I left, so we could be connected while we were apart.

So we agreed to get married. I'M ENGAGED!!!!! WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! *does happy dance all over the 'Net*

We plan on being married in May of next year. She wants to wear a purkle dress, and have lots of music. She also wants to see a marriage counselor beforehand, to find the potential weak spots in our impending betrothal. I still need to get her a ring, but that will come in time (and after I pay for the GRE). Still in all, the thing I never thought would ever, ever happen, but always wished I could do, is happening. :)

Sunday, October 7, 2001

Spent a nice weekend with Kathy. We went to her mom's place Saturday night, and after having a fantastic dinner, we all went out on the Blue Ridge Parkway to look at the changing leaves. Absolutely beautiful. I wish I had my camera, but Kathy's mom brought hers along. I took a few shots, and I hope I cna post them here or on my main site as soon as possible.

Afterwards, Kathy and I came back to Boone and she bought me an early Christmas present; a practice book for the GRE. I hope to take the test in December, and then move on to grad school. Kathy and I have been discussing the possibility of the two of us going to UNC-Greensboro, me for an MFA in acting, and she for her doctorate in voice. I hope we can do that.

Friday, October 5, 2001

Turns out that the parents aren't coming up today after all. Dad's not feeling well, so they're gonna wait. In the meantime, mine and Kathy's plans for tomorrow have changed from going to Knoxville with her mother, to me and my parents joining her and her mom in Blowing Rock for lunch, to Kathy and I going to her mom's for a cookout.

Hopefully I will be inspired to write for my site soon.

Thursday, October 4, 2001

Spent the night at Kathy's last night. She made me steak and potatoes when I got there from work, and believe me, it was a welcome dinner. After a late morning, I made my way to Lenoir to get my speeding ticket taken care of.

I got the ticket Labor Day weekend when I was driving Kathy's mom's truck into Lenoir. I was talking to Kathy, and we were going down a steep hill. I lost track of my speed, and got pulled over. I got a $115 ticket.

Well, I went to the Caldwell County courthouse today to see if I could get it reduced. I ended up paying $100 and being charged with a 64 in a 55 mph zone, instead of the 70/55 originally on the ticket. A little more than I thought it would be reduced to, but I'll take it instead of the $115.

I finally heard from Steve Palmer the other day. He called me at 2am (!), and we talked for about an hour, catching up and talking about life matters. I'm hoping I can go see him sometime soon.

My parents are coming up here tomorrow. I don't know how long they're staying, but Kathy's mom has invited us all to have lunch at her house Saturday night. We'll see if my parents are up to the challenge. lol

Monday, October 1, 2001

A quiet day at home today. I might have gone in to work (in Lucia's stead), but it turns out they didn't need me on the lunch shift. I'm pretty sure that Mike's will be closed on Mondays and Saturday lunches by the end of the month.

I miss Kathy. I mean I really, really miss Kathy. I spent most of the weekend with her this past weekend. Friday night was good, but I screwed up Saturday. I ran out of gas, and called her for help. She wasn't in the best of moods, and I felt like a dog for running out (when I could have easily gotten gas before I ran out).

When I finally made it back to her place, I started crying, mostly because I was afraid that she was angry enough to break up with me. I'm still kinda new to relationships, and I've been burned by enough angry women in my life to genuinely worry about what would happen in this relationship. However, she assured me that though she was angry at me, she was still in love with me.

I have a few ideas for a column update to my site, but I can't get myself motivated to put them to the screen. Hopefully I can unblock myself and write them down tonight.

Friday, September 28, 2001

Last night at work sucked. No surprise there, but it sucked for an entirely different reason.

Usually, on Thursday nights we have a bus person (usually a high school girl) come on to clear tables, since we waiters are usually too busy trying to serve customers. Last night, however, our designated bus person, Stephanie, didn't bother to show up.

This is not the first time she has done this. Last Thursday she pulled this stunt as well. Yet she will probably be there tonight without any sort of punishment or disciplining. Our emplyee manual (such as it is) states that anyone who doesn't show up for even ONE shift without calling or making arrangements will be fired.

The problem is that Stephanie's mom is best friends with Sheila, our head waitress. Nothing was said to her (to my knowledge) last week. It's crap like this that makes me want to just run off screaming and get a cave in the hills to live in.

Thursday, September 27, 2001

I went to work this morning for lunch, but I was told I wasn't needed until tonight, so I'm here updating my blog.

The leaves are beginning to change here in the mountains, and fall is here with a vengeance. The night before last it got down to 29 on the mountain. Luckily, I was at Kathy's, where it only got down to the mid 30s. She's still sick, and I can't kiss her because she has a cold sore. I am really starting to jones for a kiss REAL bad!

Junior Ward brought the Jeep back from his place yesterday. The good news is that it has reverse gear, which puts it one up on the Corsica. The bad news is that it's difficult to shift, the brakes are damn near nonexistant, the steering wheel has way too much play in it, and Junior wasn't able to fix the tailgate. I wish I had a REAL job so I could get another car, pay off my student loans, save some money for a change, etc. etc. etc.

Bailey and Possum are doing well. It's so cute when I feed them in the mornings and they both now go to their respective bowls automatically. I also notice they hang out together a lot, at least when Uncle Wendell's dog Molly isn't around. Maybe I can post a piccie of them some time.

Tuesday, September 25, 2001

Another banner day at work tonight. It was slow as Hell, and I made about $25 in tips. Oh well, at least I was able to get out of there before 9:00 tonight.

I have the next two nights off, and I plan on spending at least one of them with Kathy. She finally seems to be getting over her bronchitis, although she tells me she still has her cold sore. I can't kiss her until it's gone, for fear of catching my OWN cold sore. :( I just want to be able to be with her without being afraid of getting sick in one form or another.

Applied for a few more jobs today (online). I really hope something comes along soon. I am so tired of not being able to do NOTHING with my degree.

Much thanks to Cali for the redesign on my blog. Hopefully I will be able to get the rest of my site updated in the near future. I have talked with someone here about doing a photo shoot, and I hope to be able to post those pics on the site soon.

I also have a column idea or two, but I can't seem to motivate myself into writing them. Maybe soon. Maybe soon.

Tuesday, September 18, 2001

I finally got rid of the headache, but not before two Actifed, four hours of sleep, and a hearty dinner of pot roast leftovers and sweet tea. I'm still coughing a little as I write this, but I think whatever it is that I may or may not have will blow over soon.

I really need another job. Tonight, as I was talking to Kathy, she reminded me of my responsibilities to my pets and their well-being. Bailey needs to be on heartworm medicine, and I haven't given her any since I got her from Diona back in February. Of course it costs money to get her examined and to give her medicine, and she needs rabies shots, and I feel guilty for not having taken her to the vet, and... <> I just feel absolutely awful emotionally right now.

I really want something funny or cool to write about here.

Monday, September 17, 2001

Feeling lousy today. I think my allergies are catching up with me. Or maybe Kathy gave me something; she's been feeling kinda poorly the past week. We'll see.

I went to Kathy's mom's to have dinner last night. She made Yankee pot roast and salad. It was pretty good stuff, and of course the company was fantastic. :)

More later; I have to get rid of this headache.

Saturday, September 15, 2001

Obviously the events of the past week are weighing on everyone's mind, and I am no exception. I have tried to come up with some words to express my feelings at this moment in history, but I can find none.

Of course, I am greatly saddened at the untimely loss of so many people in one fell swoop. But beyond that I have a jumble of mixed emotions over what we as a nation should do next. I AM angry at the perpetrators of this action, whoever they may be (and it seems we are getting close to confirming that it was Osama Bin Laden). The baser instincts of my soul tell me that he should be hunted down and killed, as should his associates.

But then I think "and then what?" Will it bring any of the people back to life that died this past Tuesday? Will it restore the missing chunk that was taken out of the Pentagon? Will it magically rebuild the World Trade Center? Unfortunately I don't think it will. I don't even think killing Bin Laden (or whoever is responsible) will stop other terrorist groups from attempting similar plans for whatever nefarious reasons they may have.

So what is the answer? I don't know. All I know is that I am sick and tired of people at work and on radio talking about turning Afghanistan into a "glass puddle". I'm sick of people thinking that this will turn into World War III. I'm tired of being told that Americans' moods are going to be permanently changed by this. Let's just find whoever's responsible, bring him before the World Court, try him, convict him, and send him to Antarctica.

Monday, September 10, 2001

Good news from Davisboro, by way of Boone. I called the house down yonder, and my brother's fiancee Sionan informed me that the tests came back negative. As in, the blockage has disappeared. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I'm chalking it up to a miracle.

In other news, I got the tire changed on my car this morning. $70. Yech! To pile onto the early morning surprises, the driver of the tow truck that picked up my Corsica was part of a 3-person party I waited on last Saturday at Mike's. He asked me if I would talk to the owner about adding shrimp Scampi to the menu. Not if I keep getting $1 tips from you people, I thought to myself.

After that excitement, I went to get my hair cut. Alecia talked me into getting highlights in my hair. I'm still wavering on whether it looks good or not. I'll post a picture soon, and let you be the judge. That's all for now. Stay tuned for a very special episode of "Blossom".

Sunday, September 9, 2001

I suppose I should mention right off the bat that as I type this, I am sitting in the Appalachian State University music library. I'm here with Kathy while she completes a research assignment for one of her classes. The reason why is that I had my second flat tire in three days' time this afternoon. Allow me to explain:

Kathy spent the night at my house Friday night. While there, I suggested that we go out to Banner Elk to eat dinner. Well, when we got into town, my right rear tire blew out, and I had to call my uncle Wendell to help me out. We managed to get the car to an Exxon station, where I spent $50 to get a new tire put on.

Then this afternoon, after spending a few quality hours with my girlfriend, she was going to show me the music dept. building at ASU before I headed for home. However, when I got in the car, it felt really rough as I pulled out of the parking place. Turns out that my right FRONT tire went flat as well. *sigh* Well, I guess I have to wait to get it fixed tomorrow.

In the meantime, a few interesting notes. First, I had a bit of excitement as I was driving home from work last night. I was giving a waitress named Tiffney a ride home, and we had stopped to get some gas. As we left, she noticed a car behind us. I looked, and the car had no headlights on. As we turned off the main road, the car followed (without using a turn signal).

At one point, there was a wide place in the road, and I pulled to the right, hoping whoever it was would pass me on the left. Instead, he kept pace behind me.

Suitably weirded out, I turned off at the entrance to a subdivision. Naturally, the car followed me. However, I doubled back and headed back onto the road. As I did, I heard the driver shout something at me, but I paid no attention to him. I just kept going down the mountain.

Then there was church this morning. I went down the driveway from my house to Beech Mountain Missionary Church for the first time since I moved back to NC. It was my family's home church for several years, and in fact I was baptised there 25 years ago this week. I felt the need to go there for reasons I will go into in a few paragraphs. Anyway...

I went there, and of course people were glad to see me back there. The thing that struck me the most, however, was the fact that there was a guest preacher there. He was a West Indian (didn't catch his name), and preached a good sermon. In any case I didn't get to hear all of it. Here's why:

My dog Bailey followed me down from the house to the church, and despite my
best efforts to shoo her back home, she stayed and hung out at the church entrance. The preacher even made a note of it, saying that instead of the old hymn There's a Stranger at the Door, Let Him In, we should sing "There's a Dog at the Door".

Well, the preacher went on with his sermon, and I listened to him. However, in the middle of the service, Bailey began to vocalize. She wasn't barking or howling or whining; it's kind of hard to describe the noise she did make. Suffice it to say, she made it often and loudly enough that I was compelled to leave theservice and take her home, like I was taking a whining 3-year old home for crying in church.

The reason I went to BMMC today was that I found out that my dad is going in for an angioplasty tomorrow. If he's lucky, that's all he'll have to endure. If not, he faces the possibility of open-heart surgery. I'll be honest, I'm kinda nervous for him right now. I really hope everything goes well for him tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Well, I had a rather eventful weekend this Labor Day. Kathy and I went camping in Savannah GA. We took her Westie Heather with us. We were going to camp on Skidaway Island, but when we got to the state park, there was a sign saying it was full up. We then went in search of a hotel that would take us and our little dog, too. Finally found a Red Roof Inn that would satisfy.

The next morning we got hooked up with another campground, on Tybee Island. We made camp and all was well, until I started getting a sinus headache. I think it was from Heather, but I can't say for sure. Kathy and I went and got some Thai food for lunch, but my headache (and subsequent nausea) kept me from enjoying it or even finishing my entree. We went back and Kathy began to practice guitar, but then the skies opened up and we huddled in the tent. We tried getting romantic, but I was too sick, and tired.

The next day was better, as my allergy/flu/whatever subsided, and we tooled around Savannah for a while. We went to Churchill's downtown and had some authentic English cuisine. Forget what you may have heard jokingly said about British food, this stuff kicked ass! Churchill's get's my enthusiastic thumbs up.

Sunday night we went to my parents' place in Davisboro. The whole family was there (except for my nieces Heather and Tiffany), and we sat around singing and telling stories. Everybody seemed comfortable with Kathy, and vice versa.

We came home Monday, and nothing spectacular happened to us. Oh, I did forget to mention the $115 speeding ticket I got in Lenoir on the way down. I'm going to see the DA there ASAP to see if I can't get it reduced. This was my first speeding ticket in almost a decade.

Kathy's sick right now, and at home at the moment. Hopefully she'll be well enough to come here to my house this weekend. She's promised to give shots to my dog and kitten when she's here.

Thursday, August 16, 2001

This is my so-called life. At the moment, I am being visited by my parents, brother and his fiancee'. I just got finished working at Horn in the West, and am working as a waiter at Mike's Inland Seafood. I have a girlfriend in Boone, NC, and friends all over the place. I have a dog and a cat, named Bailey and Possum, respectively. I have a crappy car. And here I am, about to set down my life on the 'Net. At least the stuff that won't completely shock people.