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2001-12-19 - 8:11 a.m.
Today is my day off. I got up super early to steal newspapers. I am not a thief but my story appeared in yesterdays paper and since I have had requests from eighteen out of state people for a copy and since I don't feel like shelling out $9.00 for useless papers I decided to wait until everyone that wanted a Tuesday paper had gotten one and then go to the newspaper box, insert fifty cents and make off with all the papers that wouldn't have been purchased anyway. BUT...apparantly everyone in this god forsaken town decided to buy a paper yesterday and all the boxes are empty. And now I am without my eighteen copies. This is the karmic price I must pay for even considering such a heist. Today is my planned Christmas shopping day and I am already contemplating NOT doing it. I am thinking I might just opt for the less strenuous option of just getting people gift certificates. I've pretty much already blown the idea of getting presents for my Dad and brothers and sister out of state and getting them mailed on time so I'll probably just order some stuff on-line today and have them shipped directly. Christmas does not appeal to me this year. First of all there is no snow and I have no spirit. Second of all, my family is scattered and the one thing that has been a constant my entire life is having my Brother around on Christmas. And he is far away now with no intention of returning just to appease my need for him to be there Christmas morning. Last night I had to go with my Mother and little brother to get a Christmas tree. For some reason my Mother just couldn't fathom doing it alone. She had this convoluted idea that she needed a truck in order to get a tree and that she wouldn't be able to do this without assistance. I had a terrible sinus headache due to this unending fall weather and had to drag my face from its only comfort zone in a bowl of ice water to accompany her to this place that she gets a tree from every year. And I have to say that I am glad I went. This place was awesome, it is something I would like to have someday. It is a farm with many gigantic barns that all have that smell of ancient hay imbedded deep within the walls. Everything was decorated, they had hot apple cider and popcorn to eat while you were browsing around these barns that contained all sorts of wonderful countryish decorations, homemade potpouri, candles, jams and ornaments all for sale. It was so comforting and so festive even on a forty degree December day with knee high mud where the snow should be. I was happy for a second. Mother got her stupid tree, didn't need me or my car, (she insisted we put the tree on my car for fear of scratching hers, didn't occur to her that the tree could be put in the trunk.) and then she got us lost as I followed behind them. All I wanted to do get back to my bowl of ice water and stick my head back in. It better snow. This morning I woke up to find my neighbors cat asleep on my bed. This cat has been using my kitty door for over a year. She is very skittish and has always come in to eat and them rest for a while in the window sill. SHe never liked to be touched. Sometimes she would let me pet her, not often though. But today she was happily curled up amid the jumble of my cats. And she let me pet her and rub her belly, she even played for a minute. I think I have just acquired yet another cat. Why do they just move in here like this? Here is my investigative project for the week. I am wondering why gas prices are always a dollar and whatever cents and 9/10? Why not 5/10 sometimes? I just don't understand why the 9/10 never changes. Been making lists of palindromes this week. My friend Dan always calls me with questions that have been bothering him, he thinks it's funny to do this because if I don't know the answer he knows I can't sleep until I find it. So he calls the other night and asks what the word is for a word that can be spelled the same backwards and forwards. And I couldn't remember. I called FIVE teachers here in Michigan and none of them knew the answer. Then I call my Mother who tells me to call my brother, meanwhile my network of teachers are calling other people and those other people are calling other people, I'd guess about fifty people got involved in this quest before I called my brother who answers immediately, "Palindrome." So now in order to drill that word and meaning into my head I am making lists of words. If you know any beyond the obvious....noon, poop, bob, bib and so on, let me know. I want big words like racecar and madam.
Reason can answer questions, but imagination has to ask them.
- Ralph Gerard
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