Random Observations on a Sunny Saturday

Who knew staying up until 1 a.m. drinking would be so much like work? It’s amazing how quickly one can fall out of conditioning.

How getting bombed feels. What it really looks like
is another matter entirely.

I suppose I should be grateful that three beers is the maximum for me over the course of an evening. Four is a regular bender. I’ve known alcoholics whose personalities flipped Jekyll to Hyde over after one sip of anything with the remotest molecule of methyl in it. If they were going to drink (and they had to), they might as well do it in a cage so they couldn’t go out and do that special kind of liquor-stupid stuff that attracts the attention of local law enforcement and other strangers.

God, what a terrible way to be! If I had to give up beer I swear I’d kill myself. That’s the extent of my disease. Here’s hoping it stays that way. Salud!

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I slept like the proper dead until 7:30 a.m. This would normally be the time I’m driving in to work. Here, it was the sun and the cats meowing at the bedroom door for their breakfast that got me up. That, and my swole to aching bladder.

I went back tossed and turned for another 90 minutes. Then I got up, showered and made my way to my 11 a.m. appointment at the tire place. Forty-five minutes and $446 later I drive out on tires that ride smooth as silk. I’ve got to find a good place to get an alignment.

They’re snow tires, not all-season, and the best deal I could get for my Jeep. I’ve probably guaranteed it will not snow again in Colorado Springs for the next three years. These tires supposedly wear quicker than all-season tires, but they do ride nice.

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I came home, did not eat brunch. I lay down on the bed for another two hours. Slept well for most of it.

Now I’m at my keyboard, warming up my hands for the next pass at Chapter 21 of—no, not yet. I’ll announce the title on the 15th. I like the idea of saving the announcement for the Ides of January.

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Ever notice how gas prices go down just before Christmas? It’s as if the oil barons are throwing the retail barons a bone by letting consumers have that much more money to spend.

Of course, that’s just conspiracy theorizing. We should accept the break in gas prices for the blessing it is and shop ‘til it hurts. So we do.

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I was coming back into my neighborhood after making the 18-mile round-trip to pick up my daughter from work, and I realized that, for once, I was happy to see that so many people had left their Christmas lights up. We’ve got a couple of decent yard displays, but even the lights in the windows show some haven’t even taken their trees down.

Now that I’m working like real people again I appreciate the reasoning behind it. As someone who feels like he’s missed out on most of the season while on the job, I’m even thankful for it. I’m even confident you’ll get it all squirreled back away in time for Groundhog Day, because everyone knows that Christmas lights on Groundhog’s Day is plain sad. Right?

Seriously, though, I love those lights right now. Way to go, neighbors. Also, belated thanks for the fireworks show this year.

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I almost want to lie back down. I feel like I’m catching up on entire weeks without proper rest. I’m going to force myself to take a short walk down the greenbelt instead.

Then I’ll nap again. Might as well get my rest while I can. Monday is another week. Once I’m done I can fall out of that conditioning and back into working all night. 

Like a caught fish dropped back into the water, I’m outta here, man. Back into the cool dark.