Here I am, posting at 11:22

when I promised myself I would be in bed by 10:30

so I could be up at 6:00

so I could go running before I catch the light rail to work

so I could burn some of those cubicle calories

so I could be energetic and positive during my workday

so I could carry on that energy as I head home

so I could perhaps meet an engaging young woman on the bus (ummm...chances of that...a billion to .01. I have a better chance of being hit by lightning and then robbed on the bus by Headsize Radio Man. On second thought, that contingency has quite good odds)

so I could ask her on a date Friday

so she could play it coy and say she's busy until to next week

so I could be cool and tell her next week'd be great except I'll be on a jet plane to Utah

so she could laugh chicly and tell me she's free on Thursday

so I could shrug my shoulders and mention that I could spare an hour or so

so she could sigh and casually mention that she wouldn't mind chatting over drinks

so I could suddenly remember that I found a Starbucks card in the dark sands of Huntington Beach with $8.10 still on the tab...but...not that a Starbucks card mattered or anything, because, after all, I am relatively wealthy

so she could smile, showing her Trident white teeth and glittering eyes and say, "sure, call me."

so I could pull out my phone and ask for her phone number

so she could start reading out the digits

so I could suddenly realize that I forgot to charge my phone

so she could say, "this is my stop! The Tempe ghetto! I do charity work here every Wednesday. Call me later tonight, David!" and then walk off the bus, leaving me up and biting my own tail

so I could come home, pieces of a man, bereft of even a spark of self-confidence and dignity.

No, Mr. Sandman. Not tonight. I'm staying up 'til twelve!

Give me a break

A guy and the three walls of his cubicle can get mighty tired of each other.

I think that's why we take water breaks at work.

"Water? Tea? Coffee?", someone in our TRE group asks, like KSL traffic updates, every hour on the 39's.

We stand in the break room with our red plastic cups, talking about love, and dreams, and bacon. Mostly, we talk about sports. And we plan.

We plan our next water break.

MMMBOP

Is MMMPop by Hanson the catchiest song ever released?

I think so.

If you don't agree, tell me what ditty has a catchier tune.

It's called reading. Top to bottom, left to right; group words and phrase them into sentences

I've mentioned in the past that I have book ADHD. I tend to end up reading snippets and chapters of many different books at a time.

My current reading list:

CPA Financial exam study guide: Gag me with an HP calculator. Ok, it's not that bad. What pulse does not quicken whenever the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles are mentioned? Sometimes I simply can't contain myself...

Bonds of Affection: Civic Charity in America--Winthrop,Jefferson, and Lincoln by Dr. Matt Holland: Dr. Holland's class made me sorry that I wasn't a political science major. The thesis of the book is that shared ideals of biblical, or "Christian (as some might call it) love played a distinct role in the formation of America's form of liberal democracy.

I lived with the Hollands for three months in England. I love the Holland family. Professor Holland is now president of Utah Valley University.

Walden: Thoreau writes about his experience at Walden pond. An American classic. I made good headway for a while, but the book started grating on me after a few chapters. Maybe it was because I was working 14 hour days for an accounting firm while H.D. Thoreau kept bragging about his year and half of pleasureful unemployment. I soon realized that, however many good ideas Thoreau may have had, if everyone lived like he did children would surely starve.

Christ and the New Covenant: Another book by a Holland. Elder Holland covers the Book of Mormon's testament of Jesus Christ.

Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life: I only started reading this recently. Once I'm through, I'm hoping to be able to gain a competitive edge in business, politics, and everyday life.

Henry V: Shakespeare was genius.

Oh...

I discovered the perfect combination last week. Cheerio's (sans the milk) and Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips.

But then I realized.

Wait.

Anything is good together with Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips.

"Things"

don't mean that much to me.

That being said, I do like




my new truck that I bought from my grandpa. It's a 2002 chevy silverado 1500 V8 pickup.

I'm also crazy about the new Japanese rice cooker I just bought. It can cook white rice, brown rice, cakes, beans,vegetables, stews...the foundation of any meal, I guess. It has a 15 hour time delay--I can (and will) literally wake up to the smell of freshly steamed rice.

Lunchtime

Anybody remember reading my post about tuna ?

I thought that once I left college, I would break free of my scrape-the-bottom-of-the-mac-and-cheese barrel lunchtime habits. I assumed that, as a working professional,I would have the means to experience exotic and exciting foods like Schlotzky's Deli, Paradise Bakery, and Chili's.

Boy was I wrong.

For the past five days strait, I've had a peanut butter and banana sandwich or microwave ramen (or both--I went a litle crazy on Wednesday) for my midday sup.

We Heywood's are frugal as a rule, but I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't at least mix in a microwave dinner or a Quizno's sub. For reasons that can't be explained (ok. They can be explained. Being raised where the only occaision that merited a trip to Wendy's or Taco Bell was a birthday or a family vacation), I feel guilty going out to eat.

I do, however, splurge occasionally in the morning when I order an English muffin from the cafe at the basement of our Tower. The muffin is always on the toasted-too-much-on-the-outside-yet-cold-on-the-inside side, but I keep going back because of the personality of the Asian couple who manages the establishment.

The man, who I've never heard say one word since I began my visits, stands near the back of the kitchen and silently surveys the operation like Joe Torrey in the 5th inning. His wife is the polar bear oppposite. She rushes around the kitchen/cash register/chocolate milk display case with grasshopper zeal. I think her smile was surgically stapled to her face--it's as wide as Montana and it never leaves. I feel like I complete her life's mission every time I order an extra item.

"I'll have an English muffin, toasted on the toasted-too-much-on-the-outside-yet-cold-on-the-inside side, please." (she smiles wider and raises her eyebrows.) "oh...and a...blueberry yogurt...I guess..." (she beams like she's just been knighted by the Queen).

Which shows once again that half the world doesn't know how the other three quarters lives. Or eats.