I had another nice, laid back weekend. Called in hang-over sick on friday. Slept all day. Hurray! That night I saw In the Realms of the Unreal at the Dobie Theater. Too hard to describe, but you should check it out.

Umm, saturday? Finished Kingdom Hospital which I thoroughly enjoyed. It got less creepy but more interesting as it went along. I'll watch the von Trier one eventually although if it's anything like his other stuff I'll watch halfway through, get bored and move on to something else. I also caught Hero and my judgment is a firm "eh". Nuff said. Ended the night bar hopping with Joe. Well, really it was only three bars but it was cold and rainy so it felt like more of a trek than it actually was.

Sunday was spent reading, listening to Nuggets, buying and then listening to the Deadly Snakes and finally at a BBQ/Oscars watching party where we all got really full/drunk.

I've been watching more of Kingdom Hospital. Joe says it's hokey, I say it's kinda creepy. Granted, I've only watch two episodes so far.

After pacing around the house yesterday evening going nuts because we don't have cable anymore, I called up Hope and went over there. We ended up at the G & S Lounge drinking beers. When I used to live down the street from it, I thought it was the scariest looking place and it kinda still is. It's connected to a real seedy liquor store and is an old dirty white building. Little did I know that it's really a college kid bar. Also, they don't have Lone Star and get all beer-snobby when you ask for it. We played pool with some guy named Poncho and his super cute sister. Poncho, it turns out, is going to jail this week for his first of three such weekends for a DUI. According to him he was drunk and went into his car in the driveway to sit there and listen to the radio, according to the cops he was passed out in his car in his neighbor's yard.

Also, I think I may have bounced out rent check which was three weeks late anyway. I'm a champ.

I just now finished off Henry Green's book Doting while on break. I came across his name while reading something about K. Amis and just happen to find one his only works that are still in print at the bookstore. I really enjoyed it. It was his last work written in the 1950's sometime. It's all about middle aged husbands and wives and friends and 18 year old daughters of friends, etc. There's hardly any narrative, it's mostly in dialogue which sounds pretentious and arty but actually works rather well. I'd like to get more of his stuff but I'd have to order it online which is something I don't like doing but I suppose I will this time.

Brighton Rock is tomorrow @ 7pm. Who is with me?

ps While finding links for this entry I found this article about green. I've yet to read it but it certainly looks impressive.

I posted on one of those internet social networking sites about the renewed movement/proposal to ban smoking in all public places in Austin. As of now, it's almost everywhere but there are a few bars/clubs that still allow it. I wrote about how I think it's a bullshit, nanny-state, do-gooder, run your life for you kind of thing. I don't smoke. It makes me cough and my eyes get all watery but, dammit, if I have any kind of political convictions, this is the kind of thing that I can't abide. People running other people's live down to the minutest details. But even past all that personal freedom crap - it's a fucking bar! You're supposed to smoke there. And drink. And watch rock and roll bands. The fact that people get so fucked up they puke on themselves is ok but damn you if you make me a bit uncomfortable. If you want smoke-free environment, go to the mall or something.

The point of this being, I got a number of messages back from my friends on there pleading the case for the smoking-ban. I just don't know what to think about this. I feel bad for them if a smoky bar is so awful that they can't go but I just can't see it. Yes, better ventilation would be great so as to clear some of it out of there but I always come back to the fact that we're talking about bars. If I wanted smoke free bars I'd live in LA or some other hell hole where they run your life for you.

This is just a concrete example of the political ideas that run a place like Austin. It's that fake-ass progressive bullshit thing. It's the "I know what's best for everyone" mentality. It's the people who protest the wall-mart going up because it's an ugly box-building, they're shitty to their workers, they bully competition, blah blah - bottom line is they know what's best and damn the people who would shop there anyway because they probably watch nascar and listen to Toby Keith.

I'm totally off ranting. Don't look for a whole lot of logic in this. Fuck it. It doesn't matter. They'll always win shit like this. Because they're well educated. And influential. And they know best.

Austin Anti-Anti Smoking website - http://www.keepaustinfree.com

I tried to go see End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones last night but, alas, it was sold out. Who knew a documentary about the Ramones would sell out on a monday night? Well, I guess it was $1 night. Maybe next time.

We ended up walking down to the b-side and having a few drinks instead. How come I keep ending up at that place lately? I like it well enough, I guess, but not that much. Bad luck, I suppose. I had a nice time hanging out with some new peeps.

Work is slow and is making my head hurt. Whine.

I started watching Kingdom Hospital last night but fell asleep about 20 minutes in. I like what I've seen so far. It also begs the question, how did a show like that get on network tv in this day and age?

Sometime within the next few days I am going to put up a blogroll of the stuff I read over in the left margin. If you'd like to be included leave a comment or if you're someone that knows I read you and you DON'T want to be on there tell me so and I won't put that shit up.

Did you know I had yesterday off work? I didn't know until late sunday night. I slept a bunch this weekend and didn't really do much else. It was nice nice nice.

Yesterday was impossibly long but awesome. I left work as planned and hit the b-side to read and have a drink (it was chosen for its proximity to the drafthouse). Before I even sat down I ran in my old high school friend Kim and her husband who were also killing time before going to the movie. After chatting a bit I found a nice leather chair with a lamp behind it and settled into it with my book and a glass of homebrewed barley wine. Yum. It was a much better way to spend 45 minutes than sitting in traffic.

So Joe met up with me and we went to catch The Third Man at the alamo. I've seen this movie probably three times before this but always on dvd. Let me tell you, this was 1000x better. I always thought of this as a dark movie, you know, all noir, which it is, but it is also a damn funny movie. There were all sorts of things I never caught when sitting at home but sitting in a theater full of people drinking beer it was killing me. Freaking great. They're showing it as a part of British film noir series put on in conjunction with UT. Next week is Brighton Rock, then I forget the next but in three weeks is the awesome Get Carter with Michael Caine. Sweet.

After the movie ended was the flicker film fest that my friend Cory runs. Everyone was there. I went more as a show of support than for my love (or lack of) short films but as it turned out the films were much better than I had anticipated. Several of them had me cracking up. Good shit.

Ok, by the time this was over I had run into yet another old high school friend, Tracey, who now goes by Lynn but whatever. Anyway, she and her boyfriend were going to stay for the Buffy musical tv show sing along. Joe was also going to stay and meet some friends some work so I decided to stick around. This was some fun shit. We'd all been drinking for a while by then (it started at midnight and I hadn't been home after work) so everyone was being as geeky as they could. I'm losing my voice so I must have sounded like Tom Waits but it was great fun all around.

We didn't get outta there until after 2am. I left my home in the morning at 8:30 and got home at 2:30am (7 hours at the alamo). I'm exhausted and woozy-headed today but it was totally worth it.

The evening schedule. In case you're keeping track.

5:30 get off work
5:30 - 5:50 traffic
5:50 - 6:45 go to the B-Side for drinks. bring book.
6:45 head to alamo drafthouse for screening of the Third Man
7:00 - 8:45 watch movie
8:45 - 9:30 wonder around, maybe get more drinks
9:30 back to drafthouse for flicker film fest
9:45 flicker starts

Yep. Uh-huh. I wasted my money on a cd by the clientele last night. It sounded good when I listened to the songs online. Here's hoping I kept the receipt.

I never realized how much meaningless television I watched until we lost our cable these past few weeks. I don't know what to do with myself without it. I pace the house. Maybe, just maybe, I was zoning out on it a bit too much. Now I make up for that lost time by dragging people out to dinner and/or to bars at 7pm.

I need to get my car's oil changed. That's my lunch hour today. I figured when the "check engine" light came on it might be time. Jiffy Lube, here I come.

Jeez, I am so damn tired of feeling like this. Occupy my mind, please.

According to my blogger profile, I've written 47,988 words over the last 2.5 years (not including these.) Maybe I was meant to be a writer after all. Or not. 47,988 words is a small novel, right? Maybe I should stop this and put this effort towards something creative. Nah, because then I'd have to put some thought into what I wrote.

Blogger, you're my only friend.

Played a impromptu game of poker last night and did pretty well. The best I have done in a month or two anyway. Walked away with $14 extra but I was up by $20+ for awhile. Tried to catch the Green Line at the carousel but arrived too late.

Slow work day so far. Met Jennifer for lunch at chango's. Ate a burrito the size of a cat (well, most of it anyway.) Caught up on gossip.

I'm looking forward to catching The Third Man at alamo drafthouse tomorrow night. I love when I get to see revivals on the big screen. Afterwards is the Flicker Film Fest so I'll probably stick around for that as well.

Picture time. Here are some from casino last week and here are some more from the tx rollergirl awards party on sat night. Enjoy.

All the talk around my office for the past week has been "What are you giving up for Lent?" People take that very seriously around here. It's completely alien to me, though. I always want to say something very biting and witty but all I can come up with is "self-denial."

In celebration of Valentine's Day, Amy and I went to Casino el Camino to eat things with chili and cheese on them. I had the chili/cheese dog, she the chili/cheese fries. This ensured each of us going home alone.

After dinner, which was eaten with wrestling on the bar tv (with BJ providing appropriate commentary,) some more peeps showed up and we all went over to Emo's to watch BJ's new band, Tokyo Nites. They were good, had a kinda standard rock & punk thing going on. Mostly we sat outside on the benches and talked a never ending stream of bullshit.

For all its everyday-ness, this was a very nice, pleasant way to spend the most evil of holidays. Nothing much could top the snowball fight of last year (except, you know, spending the day with someone you love, I guess,) but this ok.

There is a great interview with Neal Stephenson up over at Reason. Read it. Then read his books if you haven't already.

Really, I can't be the only one that's sick of this shit, am I?

Hmmm. What to say about the weekend? I must confess, I'm stumped.

Apologies all around to those who received drunken phone calls around 12:45 am saturday night. If it makes things any better, I passed out within minutes of hitting the call button.

Maybe more later.

I lost big time at boggle. If I remember the score correctly - choo:91, dan:90, me:33. I am not giving up, though. I am going to hone my skills by practicing day and night. I am going to be the Uma Thurman of Boggle.

Yesterday I tried to bid on something on ebay for the third time ever. I lost. I just don't think I have the heart for the cut throat world of online auctions. Who needs an M-Audio Firewire 410 anyway.

Went to the Parts & Labour one year anniversary party last night at the whisky bar. It was rather crowded (for a bit anyway) and made for a pleasant evening. Whoo-hoo. I don't know what else to say. If I was on livejournal it would go like this...

listening to: Dusk at Cubist Castle by Olivia Tremor Control
reading: Kingsley Amis in Life and Letters edited by Dale Salwak (amazon linked to the wrong book, a biography of Amis by that editor)
anticipating: Boggle game this evening
mood: indifferent

Three things.
1) Choo gave me the most awesomest sharpie tattoo last night. Pics are forthcoming. Thanks, chick.
2) Impromptu Junior/Senior dance parties on the car ride home from a bar a great.
3) Freaking Paul Newman is playing on Friday. I had forgotten about this until a moment ago.

Work. Bleh. I'm listening to Cardinal which I haven't picked up in probably 3 years or more. It holds up surprisingly well. Good, good low key pop with lots of trumpets and minor chords on guitars.

I'm tired.

Score! (Regarding the new low-top chucks) I only had to hit three stores before I found 'em therefore making my mall lunch visit mercifully short. The old kicks got tossed into the dumpster as soon as I got home last night. It may sound like I'm making too big of a deal out of this but for me it is. I'm one of those people (like many guys, I suppose) that only wear one pair of shoes. And I wear them until they fall apart. Sure, I have a couple of pairs of stylin' going-out shoes but those don't get worn more than 2-3 times a month. (spellcheck just tried to replace "stylin" with "Stalin")

Last night Joe and I renewed our long dormant monday-night-get-drunk-at-lovejoy's habit. I really had more than I meant to but, hell, they had sabbath vol 4 and hawkwind on the jukebox. I played Atomic Punk off of Van Halen I.

I woke up early this morning managed to take a shower before work. This is an almost unheard of event. I feel weird now. I also was able to check my email, etc before leaving the house (I can't check web email at work - firewall and all).

I have sneezed no less than 15 times in the 1.5 hours I have been at work so far.

Also, I have a small hole in the sole of my shoe and since it was raining this morning I now have a wet sock (and inside of shoe). The hole had previously been covered in electrical tape but I guess it just couldn't take it. I'm going at lunch to buy some low top converse. They're stylish, yet cheap, much like myself.

A very uneventful, but nice, weekend. Friday night was well on its way to being an anxiety filled, depress-o-fest but then I met up with Hope and drank beer at her house before going downtown (braving the austin pseudo mardi gras) to see her man Matt do his comedy thing. Matt and the other comic were suitably funny (it helped that my cheeks were nice and rosy by then). While walking back to the car I decided that a last beer and some whiskey at casino would be a good idea. That perhaps wasn't the best decision I've ever made but I made it home in one piece. Eventually.

I was having trouble waking up on saturday (I can't imagine why) but, thankfully, Andra was taking up the slack by calling me several times before noon to get me to go to the crown and anchor with them for lunch. I finally dragged my ass out and went down there but was able to eat half my burger before running home with a squirrelly stomach. The rest of the day was like this - nap, watch episode of the Wire (season 2), try to eat, nap, etc. So 10pm rolls around and a couple of drunk girls who have been at crown & anchor drinking for the better part of the day show up at my house. Haha, fun times and drunken video games followed quickly by passing out.

Sunday was like this: laundry, more of the Wire, reading, the Wire, Superbowl, poker.

I wish I had more to say on here. I am slowly but surely adjusting to the work mindset. Mostly I'm just tired as hell all the time. That'll even out soon. I may even work some overtime tonight and tomorrow. Through out the spring we're usually in way over out heads around here and get offered tons of OT. I don't usually do much of it, maybe 5-10 hours a month, but I am going to attempt to get in as much as I can this year so I can pay off outstanding debts like a chump. What's all this "financial responsibility" bullshit, anyway?

I've used my brain today more than in the past few months combined. It hurts. Also, I did it without much sleep and with a lonestar hangover. I am a trooper. Amanda and I were talking last night about how the hell we survived last year. For a good three, four, five months we were painfully drunk twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Before and after that we were out 3-4 times a week but for a bit there we were in complete overdrive. That might explain why my brain hurts when I have to use it now.

I'm reading The Anti-Death League. Excellent so far.

Last night I got to see myself on national television. Multiple times. I happened to catch the Pixies on austin city limits which I went to the taping of a few months back. There I was in between every couple of songs bobbing my head - I was two or three people back from the front on the floor. I think I should get my own show now.

Work is slowly turning into, well, work instead of waiting around for work. I am quickly getting very broke, though, as I don't get paid for another two weeks. We come back to work, work two weeks, then have to wait an additional week to get paid for those two weeks. In the meantime, of course, I have to pay for gas to and from work everyday and buy lunch everyday which are expenses that I didn't have before. I guess this happens to everyone but it sure is a pain in the ass.

I'm thinking of moving. Not out of town, just to an apartment by myself. The more I sit in traffic on the way home the more I'm considering getting a place closer to work. A lot closer. There are some decent apartments across the street actually and since this will be a rather temporary fix (no more than a year), I don't really care where I go. It sure would be nice to walk or bicycle to work everyday. We'll see what happens. Nothing for a few months anyway.