journal for 2003-05-10
maintaining interest
I need to do my best to maintain interest in the things that interest me. Or, more specifically, to continue to focus my energy on those things I’ve identified as things that interest me. Right? Right.
For example, keeping a journal. It’s not hard to do, I just need to do it. I must remember my fortune cookie:
Use recurring patterns to help design your life.
I need to focus on finishing the IF on which I’m working, too. I’d like to finish my micro-game, but I need a middle. I’d like to write my entry for SwashComp, but I need to finish the intro and write the intro-to-game segue. I’d like to write my personal projects, but I’m lazy. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
obtaining permission to learn
I got my permit application signed by a physician some time ago, and this weekend I finally decided that I should really go and actually apply for the permit. It was a bit of a major production.
First, we went to work, because I left my checkbook and application there. Then I realized my application was at home, so we went back home. Then we went to the DMV, and while in line I realized that I didn’t have enough ID. I had enough ID to prove that I was I, but not enough to prove that I lived in Pennsylvania. Gloria ran home to get some documents for me. Finally, I got assigned a number and waited a long time (very roughly an hour). I took my vision test, which took about thirty seconds, and then I took my knowledge test.
The knowledge test was cake. It took about five minutes, and I only missed one question. The question was: “If a lane has a flashing yellow X over it, what does this mean?” The answer, it turns out, was: “You can only turn left.” I have almost never seen the “colored X’s” signals in use, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a flashing yellow X. Whatever, though! The test allows for (I think) three errors, and I made one. In fact, it didn’t even ask me the last two questions, once I had enough right answers. Keen.
Then I waited in line, again, while the clerk who sent me over to take the test spent what seemed like ages doing what seemed like nothing for someone who’d come to her counter in the interim.
Again: whatever! I got my permit and we left to get ice cream.
food
Around dinner, I was feeling like I’d eaten too much. Around now, I feel fine.
We went to Hack’s for breakfast, and it was Good. I had the french dip, which is french toast dipped in pancake batter. It was excellent as always. I also saw Shannon, whom I hadn’t seen around in a while. (Shannon Brown, who sat in front of me in Creative Writing in high school, waits tables there sometimes.)
After Hack’s we did the DMV thing. Then we went to the Hedgehog and I had a cookies-and-cream shake. I’m pretty sure I haven’t had one of those since I used to get them at Nuts About Ice Cream in high school. It was good, too. We got a couple slices of pizza at Picasso’s, and that was good. I was surprised by how enjoyable the barbeque chicken slice was. I didn’t like it at Lehigh, but I was willing to give Picasso a chance to get it right, and they did.
When we got home from that, Gloria and I both napped. I tried to play some Xenosaga, but after only a few minutes of it, I as barely able to keep my eyes open. I saved and crashed. The Snooze had me.
Then we had Gloria’s awesome fajita salad for dinner, and it was good. I was feeling pretty full, but this goes to show: full of salad is a very good full. Now, after a few hours and some time at the gym, I’m feeling dandy.
On the way home from the gym, we stopped at Wawa and 7-11 so I could look for the new tropical Sprite. I didn’t find it, but I did find Mountain Dew: LiveWire. It’s a new flavor of Mountain Dew “just for this summer.” In actual fact, it’s basically Fanta, which is basically Minute Maid or Orance Slice. (I miss Slice soda.)
It’s not bad.
The thing that pisses me off (and it really almost does) is that it’s clearly not Dew. Mountain Dew is a very specific thing, and these “new flavors” of Dew are not Mountain Dew. Code Red is nothing like Dew. It’s much more like, say, Hawaiian Punch. LiveWire is, say, Fanta. Later this year, expect “Mountain Dew: Pitch Black” (aka Pepsi) and “Mountain Dew: Glacier Clear” (aka water).