RJK 5000

it’s early.  i’m already in my pajamas and in bed, except i haven’t brushed my teeth yet.  I’m drinking tea.  i’m still deciding whether i want to drink a glass of wine.  i think i’ll pass (and just double up tomorrow.)

nothing new to report.  i feel pretty good right now.  kind of weird, but good.

i’m going to read now.  it seems wrong to go to bed this early, but i might as well try since i’m pretty tired.  once in high school i called my friend at 10:30 at night (on a “school night”) and her stepmom answered.  when i asked for my friend, the stepmom sounded really annoyed and said, “she’s not here.  and we’re in bed.”  i didn’t understand why she told me they were “in bed.”  it was creepy to me, so i was just like, “uh, that’s nice.  bye (weirdos).”  and was my friend really not there?  i suppose i should have apologized for phoning so late, but that was before i knew better.

i’m going to read and sleep now.  it doesn’t feel as wrong anymore i guess.

i took today off.  went out to lunch with marco.  then i supervised the fabrication of the kickstand for his antique moped.  i sat in the sun and read a novel while he drilled and welded.  later on we ate lemon cake (that i baked the night before) and then went to the german tavern for some german beers in the haider.  i’m thinking we had a nice day.

i’ll sleep now.  charlotte will wake me up soon.

my spinning bike totally took a dump.  the knocking noise got even louder and now the resistance knob won’t turn at all.  i should have gotten one made by a reputable or at least a normal manufacturer like dr. terry did, but no, i had to be low budget and get the one nobody (not even the internet!) has heard of.  it might be impossible to repair this cycle because replacement parts don’t seem to be available.  it makes me sad because i really liked the bike while it lasted.  and it was a birthday gift.  from me.  ugh.

man, i’m so glad it’s friday (saturday).  I want to sleep in, even though lately i’ve been trying to convince myself to attempt getting up early.  maybe tomorrow i’ll sleep in, but get up early for a saturday.  we’ll see what happens.

i had lunch with jonny today.  all was good.  i’m proud of myself for being able to maintain positive relationships with people i’ve had to sort out complicated matters with.  i met lots of girls in college who didn’t get along with their roommates.  i’m always suspicious about people who aren’t wise or levelheaded enough to be courteous to someone they’ll be sharing living space with for a year.  i’ve also met lots of people who don’t get along with their exes.  it just seems like people in serious relationships should treat each other with decency even if things don’t work out in the best way.  i always stayed away from the mean college girls and the boys who hated their moms.  if i’m going to live with someone or ride airplanes with someone, that person better be one of the good guys.

after work i ate “vietnam noodles” with my mom and brother.  i ordered a diet coke at the pho joint.  i don’t know why everyone thinks it’s weird when i order a diet soda, but they keep saying, “you ordered a soda?  weird.”  i told my mom it helps my digestion, and you know what she asked me?  …  “you have digestion problems?” 

i watched some television and ate cocoa puffs.  when was the last time you ate cocoa puffs.  they’re really good, but too sweet so i mixed them with rice krispies.  it was the bomb.

i will read and sleep now.  i do love the weekends.

i just got home from wednesday night dinner.  my brother made these awesome pork chops with a really delicious spicy orange sauce.  i liked it.  i kept calling it coq au van even though he told me it’s nothing like coq au van.  and then my mom started calling it coq au van.

they liked the toolbox.  i guess they weren’t in awe, but they were definitely impressed with the work.  my mom asked where all the dents went.

i relaxed there with a crossword puzzle and guinness.  my brother saves the puzzle from the sunday paper so we can work on it together.  wednesdays are fun.

according to the forecast, it seems like today was the last of the great warm weather.  i’ll want to stay in my shell until the next “heat wave” or “scorcher” hits.

tonight we made enchiladas.  they were good.  i like them more without cheese.  like how i like veggie burgers more than beef burgers.

i’m excited.  tomorrow i will get to reveal the new and improved toolbox to my mom and brother.  marco thinks they will be like, “big deal, you just cleaned and painted it.”  but i think they will be in awe.

not that this is very interesting, but the magnetic letters you see on my refrigerator — my aunt (richard’s mom) gave them to me when she was cleaning out richard’s closet, like 25 years ago.  she was going to throw them away!  also, the weird yellow magnet on top is from christine chen’s garage sale.  i paid ten cents for it.  it is also very old. christine chen and her family were really good people.  that day richard’s mom also gave me an underdog puzzle, which i really wish i would have kept.  i think it was missing a piece though, like every jigsaw puzzle.

the vegemite was a gift also.  not from 40 years ago though.

the weather was terrific again.  drank lots of margaritas and ate shrimp cocktail (not in santa monica).  it was fun.  marco came over and we watched a biker gang movie on television.  kind of a boring movie though.  no characters with character.

toolbox update:  marco viewed the blog photos and wasn’t happy with the dent on the front of the box.  he insisted on hammering it out, even though i barely even noticed it.  you can hardly see it’s there, the camera flash makes it look worse than it is.  but you really should have seen it way, way before, when the thing was brown and covered in rust, dust, and tar.  it’s funny that richard remembers that toolbox, because it always reminded me of him.  didn’t you have one too or something.

because we love “before and after”:

also, unphotogenic charlotte says good night:

i had a nice weekend.  i slept in and relaxed.  today i ate a most delicious veggie burger with avocado at the original bob’s big boy.  then i made mojitos with the mint that marco grew (planted) in his yard.  today was an excellent day because the weather was warm and for the first time in a long time i felt like myself.  i didn’t have to wear my parka and gloves when i went into vons.

on easter sunday when i was letting charlotte pull me on my skateboard in front of my mom’s house, i saw my mom walk towards the trash bin with our old toolbox. the rusty, old, dented, smashed-up toolbox that i grew up with.  the one my dad used when there was even a picture for him to be in.  after thirty years of having it around my mom finally said, “hey look, i’m throwing this away.” i told her no! because i am a packrat and i hate discarding things from my childhood, and also because i needed a box to store my awesome tools in.  she asked me if i wanted it and she laughed at me for actually saying yes.  even my brother was like, what are you going to do with that junky thing.  i told him i’ll have marco paint it or something.

i showed marco the toolbox today.  i realize a professional blogger would have a “before” photo, but i really didn’t know the toolbox would turn out so radical and blogworthy.  marco banged out most of the dents, stripped the old paint, grinded and sanded, and did a bunch of other stuff before he painted.  i wish you could have seen it before.  i really cannot wait for my mom and brother to get a load of this:

i told marco i would pick us up some more junky toolboxes from the flea market, but he said no.  haha!

so much depends on a red wheelbarrow for sure!

went to see the dodgers tonight.  marco got us pretty good seats.  the first few innings were exciting and eventful and then it got mellow, i ate lots of cracker jack and drank lots of miller lite, then a little more excitement, then slow again, then it was time to go.  and that’s all american baseball for you.  i like it.  marco disapproved of my red hoodie.  sorry dude, but my blue jersey was at the cleaners.

afterwards we went to the best ramen for japanese appetizers and more beer.  i’m tired but thursdays are like fridays so i’m satisfied with my fun-loving behavior.

i had a nice wednesday night.  i liked showing up at my mom’s house and walking in to the smell of home cooking.  we had plans to go out for dinner again, but she and my brother always change plans which made me glad because eating at home is my favorite.

then my brother and i watched some mma fights and i kept saying how gross the ears of some of the fighters looked.  i also alleged that some of the fighters are on steroids.  the deltoids just looked too fake, like implants.  also, i really hope gina carano’s ears stay nice and pretty.  and what a smile that lady has.

afterwards i practiced hanging, flexed arm hangs, and pull-ups.  it is really tough to hang on a bar with just one arm.  when you see nonsuperhero people in the movies like mary jane watson hanging out of helicopters or off building ledges with just one hand, you better believe you shouldn’t believe it’s that easy to hold on.  it’s okay to believe in movie magic though.  it’s weird when things are harder than they look.  grab my hand!

i want to tell you some more stuff, but i’ll tell you later.  i need to sleep.