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Monday, December 15, 2003
This is what I posted on the infamous Buffy board this evening. I wanted to put it up here to because, well, because I believe in power in number:
Okay, I don't think I mentioned this to any of you up until this point...
As you all know, I have two nephews who were born a few months premature. They've done really well, despite all the health problems they've had. They're VERY smart for their age, which is wonderful -- evidently they have no cognitive problems.
A few months ago Connor (the less rambunctious of the two) was diagnosed with cancer. As of day he's just over a year and a half old.
They found two cancerous lumps on his liver. The weird part about this is that because of his age there's a very good chance that they can remove the cancer. Unfortunately, because of his age there's a big chance that his treatments might do him harm.
Over the past few months he's been going through chemo and he's been doing really well. There have been a few complications here and there because the chemo really takes a toll on him. But he's really been amazing.
This Wednesday is the surgery to remove the tumors. Connor goes in at eight in the morning -- it's an eight hour operation. It's a major, major surgery.
I know that we're not a religious bunch, at least not so much that we talk about it. But I'm sure all of you have your own belief system and most belief systems have some kind of system of superstition. Me, I believe in a god -- simply a higher power -- although I don't follow any organized religion.
Basically, I'm hoping you could all do me the favor of thinking of my nephew on Wednesday and maybe saying a few prayers if that's something you do. I'd appreciate it and, well -- it couldn't hurt.
Thanks, guys.
Saturday, December 13, 2003
I'm in a really good mood right now.
I haven't been to work in six days which would, ordinarily, be a good thing. You'd think being able to stay home sick would be a dream come true to a man with my predilection for misanthropy. But I was so sick -- so tired -- that I lacked the motivation to do anything but sleep and watch TV. Thank GOD for the Season Five Buffy DVDs or I would have gone stark raving mad.
Besides the fact that I'm feeling much, much better, I'm also going home in a little over a week. It seems to me that I end up going home exactly when I need to the most, and this time is no exception. I'm also taking an extra day than I took last year at this time, which is nice. Between family and friends I'm pretty stretched as it is.
The collection of short stories is posing to be more of a problem than I thought it would be. Aside from my recent week long writing sabbatical, I've found that I'm not overly thrilled with any of my short stories. Part of the problem is that I haven't written a short story in over a year -- it's been all novel, all the time. So I'm basically looking at things I wrote a while ago. My writing has definitely changed over the past year -- I'd even like to say it's evolved. But it is different and these different eyes are looking at stories that don't seem done...which means I have to finish them before I put the collection together.
But with December being a lame duck month in La La Land, polishing these short stories is really all I have to do with myself. So I'm still hoping to have it all complete by the end of January.
God it feels good to not feel horrible.
Current mood:  chipper Current music: Thrice -- The Artist in the Ambulance
Wednesday, December 3, 2003
I'm huge in Finland, by the way.
So The Book is done. I'm currently working on the query letter for agents. If I land a good one, then there's the wait to find a publisher. If I get one of those, there's the wait to get published. Basically, the waiting has just started.
Does this mean everything's just on hold? Not really.
I have a crack team of professionals putting together a web site for me, so look for that in the (hopefully) near future.
I've also decided to self-publish a collection of short stories, something to get out there in a more immediate fashion. I think I'm going to go through www.cafepress.com for that, but if anyone has any better suggestions, let me know. I'm going over the various stories right now. I need to actually WRITE two of them, but considering I just finished a novel, two short stories should take me all of a five minutes to write. I'm hoping to have the collection together by January. Hopefully enough people will like it that the novel will actually be anticipated in some way.
It's all about brand building.
Saturday, November 1, 2003
So I'm enjoying the California vegetable medley, which consists of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. But I don't remember Ohio or Georgia ever having a vegetable medley. Is this true? If not, then what are they?
12:03PM
Sarah Jessica Parker: "I was born in a small town in Ohio called Nelsonville, which was on the outskirts of a large town called Athens, which was the home of Ohio University."
That cracks me up.
I'm in total dork mode today. I was Clark Kent for Halloween yesterday, basically because it's easy for me to pull off. I just wear my glass and put a Superman t-shirt on under my work clothes, then pull my shirt open and there you go.
So I still have my glasses on today and I still have the t-shirt on and I think I'd fit right in at the Golden Apple right now...not that I don't ALWAYS fit right in there, but I look the part all the more today.
I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when this book is finished. It's almost frightening.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
11:27PM
"Fuck Jesus!" God bless you, Eric Cartman.
Good Angel tonight, at long last. Next week should be even better, since it looks to focus on the coolest new character they've introduced this season. Spike still feels really out of place, though. They really need to give him a reason for being there. The one their using now is pretty weak.
Newsflash: California will, in fact, NOT fall into the ocean. It will evidently burn away before that happens. Shit's getting freaky out here. Some priest in San Diego finally sold his soul and Satan can, at long last, turn the West Coast into Hell. It was bound to happen eventually.
More updates more often, I promise. And I know you can't wait.
Thursday, October 9, 2003
Have I mentioned lately how incredible Kirby is? Because she just is. It's freaky. She's in Orange County to see her grandparents and to celebrate her brother's birthday and I'm missing her something fierce. She knocks me out every time.
You must buy the new Death Cab For Cutie CD. You must.
I hit page 50 of Section Three of The Book, so that's nice. It's getting there. It's not FOUR sections instead of the three that I'd originally intended, but I think that will finally do it. The stupid thing just never ends.
And the damn Red Sox lost tonight. I fucking hate the Yankees.
Sunday, October 5, 2003
I'm redecorating.
When I moved out here, I bought a computer desk because I needed some place for the computer that I HAD to have. Necessity.
When I moved into this apartment, I bought a futon because I needed something to sleep on. Necessity.
Some residents left the Villas and I inherited their entertainment center and end table.
I bought a twenty dollar bookshelf from the grocery store. Necessity.
This was the way I set up my apartment -- buy picking up things along the way whenever I really needed them. But no longer.
I got rid of the old entertainment center and bought one that actually fits my apartment. I moved furniture around. Kirby bought me a bookshelf for my birthday. I had an accent wall painted, for God's sake. And now my apartment rules. It's warm and cozy and totally sweet and I never want to leave. It's just about perfect.
But I didn't say that I redecorated, did I? I said that I'm still in the process.
Most of you have read things that I write and I'm here to say that I don't actually come up with metaphors. They just beat me over the head. They are around me at all times. I'm not creative enough to think of them on my own.
My apartment is a metaphor. It is my life.
When I moved out here I needed a job, so I got one doing what I'd been doing in Atlanta because I had experience. When I moved, I had to move someplace close to work because I didn't have a car. And when it came time to find some friends, I started hanging out with the people at work. They're all good people, don't get me wrong, but they became my friend by default because they were right there.
Call it an identity crisis if you want, but when I went to see the Fire Theft by myself last week and I look around the room, I saw a glimpse of what my life used to be like and it was extremely comforting.
There has to be a happy medium between old Kyle and new Kyle. I just don't know what that is.
So I'm putting myself on notice. It's time to figure a few things out. It could be bloody.
Saturday, September 20, 2003
I sold seven comic books on eBay for $150. I originally paid something like $15 for them.
I will gladly sell all of my fondest memories to the highest bidder.
Friday, September 12, 2003
7:57PM
I finally saw the video for Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" -- talk about eerie.
Tomorrow's the big night -- seeing The Producers with three generations of the Green family. In fact, it's actually DINNER and then the Producers.
Will my debatable social skills hold up? Bet early and often.
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
It's been a while, I know. But my life has been really good lately, with little time to update this.
But I have a story, one which should crack everyone up a bit.
So a few weeks ago I rented an apartment to a guy (and his mother, actually, but whatever). He's a bit odd, mostly self-important, but pretty much harmless in the grand scheme of things.
During the course of the tour he mentioned to me that he had been referred to the Villas by one of our residents, a friend of his. I asked him who it was and he told me that it was Kirby. I wondered if he had any idea who I was, but I figured it didn't really matter either way.
A week or so later Kirby hung out with him and he mentioned that he knew that we were dating (honestly, it's not really a secret and a monkey could figure it out -- the Villas is like Sweet Valley High in that respect). She asked him if I had told him (Kirby's a pretty private person, so she just wanted to know). He said that he'd figured it out and that he was going to "see how it plays out."
Kirby thought it was weird that he'd say that, since there really wasn't anything to see play out. I told her that the fact that anyone gave anything he said a second thought was what he lived for, and that neither of us should be concerned about it because it really didn't matter. She agreed and I figured I'd move the guy in and be done with him.
Anyway, over the course of the last few days I'd noticed that Kirby would mention things that only someone who'd read my livejournal would know. Now this is no big deal -- it's a public livejournal. I don't put anything up here that I want to remain a secret. Anyone who knows me or doesn't know me is free to read it. I'm not sure why they'd WANT to, but they can.
I asked her about it and she told me that she felt bad for reading it, but that she didn't go looking for it. I just figured she'd Googled me or some such -- any idiot can find this thing -- but that wasn't the case. It turns out the guy I rented the apartment to had SENT HER THE LINK. Evidently, he thought there'd be something incriminating in here that would upset her. I don't know. Don't really care.
How creepy is all of that? The kicker is that I pointed out to her that this has NOTHING to do with me. I'm just an obstacle. It's about her. And she knows that. She sent him an e-mail telling him that he needed to respect her and, by extension, me.
It's just amazing to me, really. I mean, on one hand it's HILARIOUS. On the other hand it's just sad. I mean, how do people who are so obviously socially inept make it through life every day? Then again, I've met (and rented to) enough rich kids to know the answer to that.
Oh, Los Angeles. You crack me up.
In other news, Kirby's going to go to the Thursday show with me tonight. I've even told her what she's in for and she STILL wants to go.
True love is putting up with your significant other's taste in music.
Saturday, August 23, 2003
9:19PM
Well, it's been one of those days.
Actually, I guess it hasn't. Things are no better and no worse than they were last night. I'm just exhausted.
I left work after an hour because there was no way I was going to pretend to care if someone's parking space was close enough to the elevator for them or if they had a really small dog that wouldn't bark at all, so it's okay for them to move in, right?
Coming home was probably the best thing I could have done. I called home and talked to my parents a bit, breaking down a little as I talked to my mom. I then called my brother, but they've stopped answering their phone since, well, everyone in the entire city is calling them now. It's a small town, so word gets around.
I spent the remainder of the day watching TV and puttering around in my apartment. I watched Harry Potter and the Socerer's Stone which really wasn't as good as the book by any stretch of the imagination. I'm kind of thankful that I hadn't read the first one before I saw the first movie. It's going to be interesting to watch the actors age, though.
I also watch Wonder Boys, which was on FX and happens to be a movie I enjoy. It did make me realize that I've spent a bit too much time trying to compartmentalize my life lately. I need to relax.
My favorite thing to say (or write) today was that I wish I were an aetheist because I hate being angry at someone that I can't hit.
Is the situation any better? Nope. Do I feel like I can deal with it? As much as possible and more so than this morning. And I guess that's pretty much all I can hope for.
10:23AM
My one year old nephew has cancer.
Renting apartments seems really fucking important right now.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
So a full one third of my total income is generated by commission, which is based upon how many apartments I rent every month.
I can almost guarantee that all of you who are currently reading this and currently rent your apartment received some sort of concession before you signed -- anything from one month free to money off your move-in amount. It's a pretty standard move to make in this business. People want to feel like they're getting a good deal, so you give them something -- you throw them a bone.
As of yesterday, we're no longer allowed to give concessions at the Villas. The reasons for this are stupid and annoying and I won't go into them, but it's safe to say that renting apartments will become substantially more difficult because of this.
Two days ago I was told that there's an assistant manager position open at another property. The manager at the property is going to call me about it tomorrow. Salary-wise, I'm sure it's more money, although I'd be surprised if it were THAT much more money. BUT, I wouldn't be so much the slave to commissions that I am now.
Of course I'd no longer be work at the Villas, either. The people I work with have been the saving grace of this job. I'd be sad to leave them.
And the sad thing is that I'd probably be doing LESS at the other place.
I've told Christian that I think I deserve a raise. He knows this. And he always tells me he'll take care of me, that my future is in good shape. But you know what? He doesn't make those decisions. I appreciate the sentiment but he doesn't control how much money I make or where my career goes. There are people above him who do and I don't trust them in the slightest.
I'm too old for this shit. I'm too old and I put way to much time into my job to balancing my budget once a week. I'm too old and I'm too intelligent.
So, yeah, today I'm updating my resume. I haven't made any decisions as of yet, but I'm rapidly approaching the end of my rope.
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
So Kirby told me to go to the show. She actually apologized for forgetting when it was and said she wouldn't have asked me about going with her parents if she'd remembered. In fact, her parents have decided to go another day, so I'm going to do both.
There's that.
Anyway, I think most people who know me probably know that my identity is something I wallow in. There are times when I probably like myself a little TOO much. But who I am and where I come from mean a lot to me.
It's like being a Metrosexual.
A Metrosexual is a straight man who has picked up the mannerisms of a gay man - like waxing, using styling products, etc. But, at their core, the Metrosexual is still straight.
I'm kind of like that. Except with Ohio.
Going to the show on September 9th is important to me because that's a big part of who I am. I go see rock bands. I've always done that. In the eighth grade I saw Great White and Tesla in concert and I've been going to rock shows ever since. I've only been to THREE since I moved to Los Angeles -- and bands play here CONSTANTLY. So being able to go to a show means a lot to me. It's a connection to my past, to who I am.
This is where things get tricky.
Ohio is almost a way of life. I'm different than Californians in a lot of ways, which is actually really good thing. But I do occasionally need some grounding -- some Ohio in my life. This was very easy to do in Atlanta because I recruited a load of people from Ohio down to the jewel of the South. And, honestly, Atlanta isn't so different from Ohio.
Anyway, my only REAL connection to Ohio out here is Dawn, who also happens to be my ex-girlfriend. But we've been broken up for over a YEAR now and we've managed to be friends since then. And I'll admit that it's important to me that she and I remain in touch. She's my only connection to Ohio out here. We joke that we call each other when we need some Ohio in our lives, and it's true.
Does that seem wrong? I don't think so.
BUT...
Kirby's having a hard time with the fact that I'm friends with my ex. She's having a VERY hard time with it, as I learned last night. She thinks that fact that I'm friends with Dawn still means that she (Kirby) isn't good enough for me. I don't quite understand that myself, but that really doesn't matter, does it? She feels the way she feels.
The question is: what do I do about this?
Monday, August 18, 2003
So one of my favorite bands is this group called Thursday. I like them a lot.
They're playing here on September 9th, and by here I mean right down the damn street from me. Since I discovered that they're playing here, I downloaded some songs by their opening band, a group called Year of the Rabbit. I like them a lot, too.
So last Friday night I went to a show with Kirby and while we were waiting for the opening act to go on, I told her about the Thursday show. I warned her that it probably wouldn't be the kind of music that she liked, but if she wanted to go with me I'd buy her a ticket.
Kirby called me from her parents' house tonight and asked me what I'm doing on September 9th. I reminded her about the show. Then I asked her why she was asking. She said that her parents had tickets for The Producers for that night and wanted to know if I wanted to go. This would be a chance for me to hang out with them.
So the dilemma is this: what do I do? I REALLY want to see Thursday AND Year of the Rabbit and I DID tell her about this last week...but this WOULD be a great chance for me to make a good impression on her parents...
Advice?
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
From the third (and final) section of The Book:
“You Californians – you have a problem, you meditate on it, you get a prescription for it, and you wallow in it – but you don’t do anything about it. You maintain it so you can have something to talk about at parties. It's fucking ridiculous and boring as hell."
Thursday, August 7, 2003
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Okay, kids. I know I've been MIA lately (this is what happens when I'm only on a computer at work...because I'm never in my own apartment). Kirby's picking me up in a few and tomorrow morning I'm off to Kent, Ohio! WOO!!
For those of you in the Ohio way, I'll jump online a few times to see what you're up to. For those who aren't -- well, have a good weekend! I'll be back on Monday.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
I'm feeling rather pathetic this evening, but I suppose it's in a good way.
When Kirby called me on Tuesday she gave me the phone number for the hotel -- 1-800-ATLANTIS. I tried that number last night only to discover that it's the reservation line and that it closes at eight PM -- five o'clock L.A. time. So I didn't get to talk to her last night.
Today at work I called the reservation line again and waited around on hold until I spoke to an actual person. Fortunately, that actual person was able to give me the direct number to the front desk at the hotel. So I left work with number in hand (and a message from Kirby on my voice mail, which was really nice).
Tonight I came home and tried to call her. Evidently, my cell phone isn't set up to make such calls. It can evidently RECEIVE calls from the Bahamas, but I can't PLACE them. That made me kind of angry. I miss her and I haven't talked to her since Tuesday...and I realize how sad that sounds, but I'm sure a number of you remember what this part of the relationship is like.
So tomorrow I'm going to do what any lovesick young boy would do -- I'm going to call her from work. I'm going to consider it my reward for every lunch break I've never taken -- which would be pretty much all of them.
Anyway, I worked out tonight and I'm sore and tired. And now I'm running the dishwasher and trying to work up the motivation to tackle The Book. I live on the edge.
Tomorrow -- travel plans!
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