New bike. New job. New Sarah Mclachlan cd. New workout.

New wave of events that leave me clutching at my throat expecting to find my lost albatross.

The bike is pretty sweet, though.

My car is dead. I do not know if I will resurrect it. The expense is unwelcome but not insurmountable so I don't think that is the real reason I can't decide its fate. I have been riding my bike to work for the past two days. I enjoy it. I've had the bike for almost a month, actually, and I hadn't ridden it at all. I'm starting to think I don't do anything unless I absolutely have to...

My delightful roommates and I were doling out our daily requirement of jokes at others' expense earlier tonight. We mocked our friend for getting back together with a guy who didn't seem very nice at all. Someone said that guys never change and I laughingly chimed agreement. Now as I fulfill my daily requirement of pensively listening to Sarah Mclachlan, I wonder. There are times when I miss someone terribly and do not have the means of communicating with them. I mean, I could contact them, but doubt they would be very responsive. If someone chooses to forget you, allowing them to do so seems to be the polite thing to do. And if I'm nothing else, at least I'm polite.

And yet, somewhere there is a younger version of myself, perhaps scowling, maybe looking cold and aloof, or twisting away from an embrace. This me is locked in that moment, encased in the amber of someone's memory. I don't like it.

Not much I can do about memory. Memories can be true, memories can be false, but every memory is real, it exists, and it does have an effect. Thems the rules.

But if I can't change then why worry? Every memory of me is as good as any other. Same old Guillermo, every time. I guess I can live with that.

Netflix graced me with Joseph Campbell: "The Hero's Journey" last evening. It has been some time since I visited his ideas and it was refreshing to meet the basis for a lot of ideas I have now. I'd forgotten that Joseph Campbell had laid the foundation for the more optimistic ways I approach aspects of my life.

Campbell speaks abstractly about life, the universe, and everything, and despite my recent educational foray into the much more mechanistic chemical, physical, and environmental framework, I found no contradictions. He has ideas that could be further refined by studying biology, for instance, but hey, no one can study everything.

I'm enjoying my new position at the pet shop. A guy from the Arizona Herpetological Association brought in a gila monster. They're extremely protected round these parts, but he had a special permit to use this gila for educational purposes. Letting me hold the gila monster fell under the educational umbrella.

There is also a fireman that catches rattlesnakes that wander into homes (which is not uncommon in more upscale areas that nestle their homes up against the mountains) and he brought one in to show us. It was impressive.

I also ate a waxworm and a kingworm. We feed them to various reptiles and they're quite edible. I don't plan to make a habit of it, but I can now put worm-eater on my resume'.

Hello, Harvard.

I have returned from a long trek to the new home of my friend Tavy. We watched a French film entitled Jeux d'enfants (translated to "Love Me If You Dare.) I'm not sure how to describe it.

The director must have thought to himself "I really loved Amelie, but what if instead of using her whimsical creativity to help random people, she just tried to completely mind-fuck one person over and over again?"

If you've wondered that as well, then I recommend this film. The cover makes it look like a romance and the tagline claims it's a comedy, but don't be fooled.

* * * *

Last night I went bowling with Breanna. This afternoon, I attended my first class at bartending "academy." This is the way my life goes.

Her mother is opening a restaurant and asked me if I would like to bartend. I'd mused about bartending several times before but I hate being in situations where being friendly can be misconstrued as tip-mongering. But I can't say no to random opportunities that fall in my lap. I can say no to random opportunities that require long-term planning, but the best bet is to agree before I realize all the reasons I shouldn't be doing something.

* * * * * * *

As I was driving the long stretch of freeway home after dinner at Tavy's, I realized that I miss studying philosophy. I used to be all for crashing into the undergrowth of moral uncertainty and then using different compasses of reasoning to see where I'd end up. Completely hypothetically, of course. Er, mostly, anyway.

* * * * *

I must go and study my drinks. Let's see, a grasshopper is 1/2 oz of white cacao, 1/2 oz of creme de menthe, and 2 oz of creme. Strain through ice and serve with a smile so wide it could be confused with baring your teeth.

News news news news news...

My sister gave birth to her twins around eight o'clock last night. Boys, they is, and they go by the names of Joshua Remy and Ender...something. I forget Ender's middle name.

Being the literary family that we are, my sister named her kids after books. The most obvious is Ender from the book Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Joshua Remy is named after a character in the Bible and Gambit from the X-Men comic books.

They're pretty big for twins.

In other news, I now work in the reptile department at the pet shop and I am seizing every opportunity I can to be bitten by new animals. Mostly baby snakes have been biting me, but I'm pretty sure the Giant African Millipede nipped at me.

I feel odd when feeding the baby snakes. They eat baby mice, which are very similar to the pet mice and rats and other rodents I used to help people care for as pets. It's not a very good idea to feed live mice and rats to snakes because they can still bite and sometimes injure the snake. So it's my job to kill the mice.

It's not that I have any moral objection to killing baby mice. After all, it's them or me. A snake has got to eat. I know that if those mice were given the chance they would kill me and everyone I love. But I just don't like doing it.
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Horse-play, romping, frequent and loud fits of laughter, jokes, and indiscriminate familiarity, will sink both merit and knowledge into a degree of contempt. They compose at most a merry fellow; and a merry fellow was never yet a respectable man.
-Lord Chesterfield.

I heard the new single by Live on the radio as I was driving home today. I instinctivly rolled down the window as I felt the gorge rising in my throat. I managed to change the station before Ed Kowalzcyk could assault my brain with another chorus of "Dah-dah-da-da-dah."

The only prescription after the sugary bile drips out of my radio and rapes my ears is to listen to the 2 and 1/2 good Live albums at volumes loud enough to destroy the nerves in my ears that have been thus violated. It's like musical chemotherapy.

In this case, the aural bonesaw I chose was White, Discussion. A great song, nay, sonic journey that is just as relevant today as it was when it came out in nineteen schmifty-six. I am feeling better now.

But not much better. I've been reducing my consumption of meat for some reason and today I indulged in some hot dogs for breakfast. The effects have been reminiscent of a person who abstains from drinking for a month and then on impulse drinks a few shots of bottom-shelf vodka out of an ashtray. Unpleasant for all involved. Especially the vodka.

Kermit the Frog You scored 39% Organization, 63% abstract, and 67% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables. First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean. Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type. Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself. You are mostly organized, both concrete and abstract, and more extroverted. Here is why are you Kermit the Frog. You are both somewhat organized. You have a good idea where you put things and you probably keep your place reasonably clean. You aren't totally obsessed with neatness though. Kermit is also reasonably tidy. He'll even dress up for interviews. You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Kermit spends a lot of his time as a reporter collecting facts, but he is also the author of the dreamy song "The Rainbow Connection." You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course. You are both extroverts. Kermit gets along with everyone. Sure a few folks annoy him, but that's just because they are annoying. Kermit likes to meet new people when he does his job as a street reporter. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Kermit starred on Sesame Street years before The Muppet Show. The other possible characters are Oscar the Grouch Big Bird Snuffleupagus Ernie Elmo Cookie Monster Grover The Count Guy Smiley Bert If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also if you want to tell me your favorite Sesame Street character, I can total them up and post them here. Perhaps your choice will win!

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 13% on Organization You scored higher than 85% on concrete-abstra You scored higher than 65% on intro-extrovert

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test