Journal entries in 'Dear Diary' for September, 2005

Sometimes when I get out of work at 6 A.M., I stop by the panadería down the street to get breakfast. Often there's a homeless guy sitting out front begging for change or food. Today the guy asked me for a cigarette, and I apologized and said I didn't have any, but offered to buy him something from the panadería instead. He said sure, and asked for a coffee.

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It's time to change my oil, so yesterday I stopped by Pep Boys to pick up the needed supplies. While browsing the aisles, I discovered that they sell used, "professionally cleaned" coveralls. They are stained with grease and oil and most had a hole or two in them, but they were cheap as hell; about $3-4. I was tempted to get some, but it scared me. The idea that some sweaty auto mechanic has spent days toiling under a hot undercarriage in them is difficult to get over, no matter how well certified the cleaners were. Still, now that it's time to go out and change my oil, I realize that I didn't bother to ship down my grease-stained coveralls when I moved to PR, so I guess I have to find my least-favorite jeans and t-shirt to sully. I kind of wish I'd spent the $3 on the hairy-man-sweat-laden coveralls at the auto parts store.

Last weekend I went to Charleston to visit Jessie. She was having a "Periodic Table Of The Elements" party. The idea for the party is genius, and I had an idea for a fun costume (the excitingly historied-Seaborgium", interpreted as a robotic sea monster) but I ended up not having time to put it together. Jessie took me to Party City and we settled on a Noble Gas. The day was saved.

Originally the plan was for Meg and Meej to make the drive from Clemson for the party, but Meej ended up having schoolwork to do, so they couldn't make it.

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In addition to the inconveniences of having to empty my bedroom and trying to sleep with jackhammering resonating through the house, we can now add disconnected water and intermittent loss of internet connectivity to the list of annoyances this remodeling has caused. I have to draw water from the pool in a bucket before going to the bathroom. Though it makes me feel like a character in a fantasy novel (or, you know, history), I'm eager for it to be over.

I apologize for being so silent lately. I've got a big list of seven or eight posts that I've been meaning to write, but friends and work have kept me busy and I haven't had the opportunity. Soon, soon, my little beasties.

Tonight I went to a Starbucks near work that I hadn't been to before, so I tried to write down the store hours for future reference, but they weren't posted anywhere. I asked the girl behind the counter what they were, and she said she'd write them down for me. While I waited, I thought to myself, "This would be a good way to give someone your number." But when she handed me the piece of paper, all it had were the store hours. Stupid girl. I guess it didn't occur to her. Ah well. I imagine minutes after I walked out she realized her missed opportunity and slapped her forehead.

Today I stopped by Borders to pick up the new Death Cab For Cutie CD and came out with five CDs and a book. Among them is the soundtrack for Battlestar Galactica season one. With this act, it is clear that my nerdliness has apparently spread throughout the brain and is now unresectable.

The Battlestar soundtrack is so good though! It's somewhat reminiscent of Gladiator's, except without the full orchestra. And anyone who can tell me with a straight face that the Gladiator soundtrack is not incredible deserves both my admiration and my pity for their ability to cling to their misguided position in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

I had the most wonderful experience last night. Andrés and I stopped by Michelle's house to see her before she returns to NYU. While we were sitting in the living room talking, we could hear her younger sister Gina and her friends shrieking in youthful glee upstairs. Her mom explained that it was Gina's 16th birthday and she had some friends over to spend the night.

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