The Diary Project

I have a beard of sorts in this picture, or at least, I am not shaving, the background is library books from the business section, random

A New Year

The joke goes that Employed Programmers look Unemployed. Whereas, Unemployed Programmers trim their beards, cut their hair, and actually wear decent clothes. I'm Semi-Retired (and have never been much of a Programmer), so I do what I want, which at the moment means a mixture of the two.

For those not familiar with The Diary Project, as follows are short observations, regarding those moments in the day, which I found worthy of comment: i.e. about which I felt compelled to comment. They consist overwhelmingly of those times when I wished to make note of reality, through habit of time and space or peculiarities of the moment.

Oddly enough, understanding (at least, accurate understanding of the reality of the moment) is not important. Truly, it is the recording that counts... and the remembering.

Don't ask me what another can get out of such entries... perhaps a little voyeuristic pleasure... perhaps a bit of boredom or relief of same... or mayhaps, a bit of perplexity as one wonders what in the world such entries are all about.

But then, as to that last, I hope I have already explained: I am doing what I want.

No relationship to reality is intended. After all, I am not a particularly astute observer and this is more about my subjective experience than anything else.

White marker paint on a glassy black background topped by three pinkish splotches of reflected light, this is graffiti, which reads... Thank You Chicago

Bonfire.

A wonderful way to start the year.

I saw a face in the Christmas Tree.

I can't decide whether it is happy or sad.

It's time to change the boxes in the freezer.

From the ones my Christmas Presents came in last year.

To the ones they came in this year.
- {A few days later, I changed my mind and changed them back.}

I got a new Drivers License, today.

I passed the vision test with semi-readers.

My glasses go far, near, reading.
- {I have three main pairs.}

And I showed up at the DMV intending only to get a State ID.
- {So, I was wearing my near pair.}

But, why not?

Let's see if I can pass this vision test.

And I did while wearing a really crappy pair of glasses.

Residency has its privileges.

I'm off to the Planetarium.

Free Day!

Chinese Rap for lunch.

Hot & Spicy!

Though, this image is selected based on the text which follows, none of these pictures, as yet, correspond to the moment, this is an iced over pond, very nice, the sun reflecting off the ice, a ring of leafless trees surrounding, blue sky above, a nice day, the end of the winter, this was

Snow Walk.

I should make note of it.

That hour long jaunt through the snow (fresh, newly fallen) represents the entirety of my outside time today.

And almost all of the time not devoted to Screens or Dreams.

That last being a turn of phrase I just came up with.

But I'm really liking it.

In my sleep, rather than dreaming about The Other, I dreamt about myself.

I was The Other.

Like a Time Traveller, I played both roles.

Important, as I am very-much sick of dreaming about The Other.

I'd be OK with the cast of characters in my dreams being downsized by a person or two.

Rags.

That is what I am calling the bunny...
- A stuffed rabbit, lovingly carried about by the ears.

Why have one lunch when you can have two?

Mexican.

Then, fake Chinese.

To be fair, the Mexican was probably fake, as well.

He's dying.

He's poor.

Even a penny will help.

Too bad he's not getting any help from me.

Walk in the snow.

Nice fluffy snow.

Ice.

It's a little bit more hazardous.

It's so cold the automatic doors are sticking.

I'm at the library.

They have a fire.
- {It's in a fireplace and burns all winter long.}

I turned down a Free Lunch.

I assume I would have gotten meatless spaghetti, fake grilled cheese, or a deli hero sandwich if I were lucky.

Though, it might have been a networking opportunity.

Still, the sales pitch would have been more church activities.
- Pass.

Meat is on the stove.

I sit, book in hand.

Smelling the fat fry.

Domestic bliss, in a nutshell.

I negated to buy a train ticket for the 'morrow.
To summarize the day, I would not use cheerful words.

A day was spent.

Pleasant moment to moment.

But clearly at the end, in this moment, I find something lacking.

Just now, I was thinking if I were to compose a poem reflecting on the day, what would I say.

And I found the day lacking...
- Unworthy of the words.

Train station at sunset, the lower half of the picture shaded out, colorful sky, crossing guard to the right, tracks drifting off into the sunset and whatever metaphor that image alludes, the reflected sky shining on the tracks is one of the most pleasing parts... after one has stared at the image for awhile

Celebrity Sighting!
"Some consider this his greatest work."

"Sorry, my mistake."

"That's an Emergency Exit."

Marijuana is legal.

Let's find out what that means.

A Pleasant Evening at the Museum.

All the Politically Correct talks.

I did not learn much.
- Closed mind, I guess.

Fun crowd.
- The crowd makes the event.

Mule was the word.

Mescal was the clue.

In one of those family word games.

Das Boat

The movie was better than I imagined.

Bailed on Ground Hog Day.

Slept in, instead.

Surf & Turf.

Living large.

The old and the new, The Hancock Building, or what used to be called The Hancock Building, standing behind the water tower, peaking between two towers, a nice blue sky, so a stone buidling in the foreground and a glass steel tower in the background, I was downtown on the day that follows, but nowhere near this local, in fact, this image is from almost a year ago

Now, that's a burger.

Er, slider.

Fantastic.

I've been here once before.

The shakes were glorious that time, as well.

But it's too cold for that now.

Digital binoculars might not be a bad idea.

Of course, that was one of the appeals of a zooming camera.

Fast food got it wrong.

Undercooked.

Tsk. Tsk.

Shouldn't have rushed the timer.

Oh, well.

Oh, hey.

I went to the Aquarium, today.
- And watched a Dolphin Show, earlier.

Maybe, that's my karma (the reason) for the undercooked fish sandwich.

Odd how things work out.

Also, I just discovered, a surprise meal is waiting for me at home.

I'll really be pissed if that one bite does me in.

Not that I wouldn't be, anyway.

And now you know what drives me to write.

To make note.

And then, once I get started...

The guy at the fish place (so, I am ruminating, obsessing) did a crappy job of swiping my card, as well.

So now, I've got to check my statement.

And yet, I'm in a good mood.
- As it all gives me something to both talk and write about.

I'm angry, again.

It's unfortunate.

Maybe, facing the anger will help.

Yep, this is anger.

It is.

Can I rejoice in the pain?

Or have I simply been in pain long enough...
- And can no longer be bothered to look for a solution.

This is a fingerpainting that I did a few years back, it is on my todo list to do a few more, but not yet, this is a picture of a distorted pink faced monster, yeah, that is a pretty good description of it, it reminds me slighly of a Technicolor Close Up of Where The Wild Things Are, yellow eyebrows, jagged tooth claw, sparkly eyelashes, weird nose, total distortion,

I've discovered Hard Style.

Electronic Dance Music.

I really like it.

Pinapple Upside Down Cake.

I'm unmotivated to start another Year In Food list.

But such a dish should be mentioned somewhere.

So, here.

I am very much looking forward to the treat...
- And the next treat after this.

He owns a house.

He has a squatter.

Um, this is why I'm not a landlord.

I look forward to his phone ringing.

Good eavesdropping.

We went to The Greenhouse.

It was like a trip to some Tropical Paradise.
- {Please see the _ALPHA_CENTAURI_ Rant for complete details.}

It was nice being able to step outside and cool down in the snow.

Taken from State St Bridge or so, just a few weeks ago, looking west towards the junction, up the river, the sun is setting, but the real trick is the reflected light off the buildings, which cause streaks on the water below

Wind rippling across the river.

Making pretty patterns.

I've enjoyed Winter.

I'm now ready for Spring.

I may, also, be ready for Death.
- Eh, not quite.
- I suppose that's always the case.

And now, the sun.

Cold turns to a pleasant day.

Plenty Sunshine!

Though, I think I stepped in water.

My shoes are getting old.

Fish!

Big Fish!

But in truth, they are getting old hat.
- {The Shedd Aquarium was free for the month of February.}
- {I went three times, which was enough.}

Stiletto is her name.

She is a cat.
- 5,000 miles away.
- And at the same time, nuzzling my face and wedging her head under my arm.

Turtle!
Deer!

Two.

Meh Korean Food.
I'm going to call this the first day of spring.
{And if the pictures were in any way representative of the text, this is where the Snow Day image would be inserted.}