And So, Before I Go On My Merry Way.

Leaving for DC tomorrow night. Expensive car picking me up at the office at five and taking me to O'Hare, and then, off.

I'm looking very forward to this trip. I'll see both AMF and her folks, both of which will be a lot of fun for me. It'll be a good time.

Tomorrow will be an early morning for me. I'm going to try to be in before seven again, and I have no idea when I'll get to sleep. All this- packing. And laundry, and other assorted sundry things. Kaitlin will be taking point on caring for Truman, for which she deserves big, as the kids say, "ups." She's a good girl, and I'm both pleased and proud to have her as a sister. Josh rocks, too. No worries, Josh- you rock.

And, all of you out there: Solid. Proper.

But- hey- quickly, before I go: I got a call from Ryan on my way home, my gargantuan fear-inducing rock 'n' roll fiend of a friend. And, he got engaged to the lovely and talented Alexandra, his girlfriend of many many many years yesterday. I'm proud as hell of the guy, the first of my good friends to take the "plunge," again, as the kids say. Ryan's one of my favorite people ever, and a guy whose friendship I truly cherish. I've known him longer than anyone I know outside of family, even though I couldn't quite stand him when I first met him in the seventh grade.

So, I say this: Ryan- you've done well, and you've done Right. You're a good man, and I know I'm a better person for having the privilege of knowing you.

I look forward to throwing rice at you.

A Little Rain Never Hurt No One.

And thank God for that. It's coming down something fierce right now. We can surely use it, though. The brown grass is thankful, as are the hordes of old people who burst into flames during yesterday's 105 degree spell. I love rain like this and am hopeful that it continues through bedtime. There's nothing quite as peaceful as falling asleep during a thunderstorm. A bit strange, that.

The weekend's left me a bit disheveled. I finally ended up finding some adventure on Saturday via a call from my boss telling me that the DuPage Country Symphony Orchestra was doing a bit of a sci fi show at the bandshell. It's a five minute walk to my house, so I was game, especially after reading online that there'd be stormtroopers there. Honestly, knowing that, is there any way I wouldn't be there? They played some Star Trek themes, some Holst, and a whole mess of Star Wars. I had a blast, helped in part by the fact that the French horn player looked strikingly like Palpatine.

Good times, good times.

I had trouble sleeping that night as a result of my several naps, so I was up reading and futzing around on the computer far too long. Sunday dragged, and I again had trouble with the sleep last night. I woke up this morning with a really fierce case of bad stomach, and it's still with me.

But- I've got my ginger tea, and I've got a nice thunderstorm outside, so I guess it's okay. I'll try to hit the sheets a bit early with my copy of Harry Potter, and hopefully I'll sleep soundly and wake up energized. Knock on wood.

I'm heading to DC to see AMF (and her family) on Friday and will be there through Wednesday. It promises to be a good time. I miss her tons.

Rock on.

So, Adam- Did You Have an Adventure?

YOU tell me.

A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.

I've been up since before seven this morning with plans to get in the car and head out for an Adventure.

What this Adventure should entail, I have no idea. It's just, you know- an Adventure.

Thus far, I'm coming up dry. I've just put on another pot of coffee for potential inspiration. I'll keep you informed of any updates on the Adventure front. Something has to happen.

But, the Money's No Good...

The song of the day is "(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)" by the Stranglers. For you iTunes sorts of folks out there, I say "give it a go." It's pissed off and snotty, just like you.

TELL ME WHO YOU ARE.

Please. Leave a comment and just say, "hi," if you will.

Another Day, Another Dime.

Long day at work, then to Target for gauze and bandages, then to my folks' to walk their dogs, and then home in anticipation of the blood and the vomit. I found neither, and was pleased to see Truman's neck looking a bit better. So- things are good.

I'm having a beer and trolling the Web, and that's pretty much the evening in a nutshell. Soon, to bed and a bit more Harry Potter, then up with the roosters for a busy work day.

But, I'm not complaining.

Sometimes, in spite of the nonsense static in which we encase ourselves, you can take a step back and say that life is good. It's good, folks.

A Frog Walking Stick From My Grandfather.

I Love the Big Trees in My Neighborhood.

A Rule of Cats:

It is impossible for a cat to vomit on hardwood or linoleum floors. Only carpet allows regurgitation to occur.

Truman has not thrown up since the two from last night and the one from this morning. I just fed him half of his evening's dose of antibiotics in the hope that splitting it up a bit will be easier on his stomach. My fingers are crossed. I spent a nice bit of time a couple hours ago trying to re-clean spots that still belied my cat's illness...

And, so it goes.

I got in some good reading time, and thus far, I'm enjoying the new Harry Potter. I've felt a bit unsettled and distracted today, though, so it's been hard to really give myself over to reading. It's probably just the whole Sunday night pre-work dread thing creeping up on me. Ah, well....

Family Guy's on tonight. That puts me right.

Back to my apple juice.

Sick and Ill.

Truman's not doing too well. I took him to the vet yesterday morning for some sores that have developed on his throat. Vet trips take a lot out of the both of us. He gets traumatized, has his temperature taken anally, and is generally made uneasy. I get covered in scratches and cat hair, and I die a bit hearing him cry.

They shaved down his throat, and gave me a bag of medicine: a wash for his throat, a cream for his throat, and oral antibiotics. They gave me a syringe to force the pills down his throat, but fortunately, I've been able to stick his pills in treats, which is easier for the both of us.

Unfortunately, the pills seem to upset his stomach. I've been cleaning up a lot of vomit. If this keeps up, I'll have to get him another set of pills and take another hit to the pocketbook.

(I don't really carry a pocketbook, folks. It's just an expression.)

Poor little guy.

After the vet visit I went to Costco and picked up the new Harry Potter book for myself and my mom. I dropped her copy off, then came home to medicate Truman. Following this, I went out for some beers, and then home for a nap. I woke up at seven, unsure if it was Saturday night or Sunday morning. What a drag....

So, now I'm getting ready for Mass, and I look forward to a nice day of doing nothing much at all. I'll open the windows and the front door and sit in the living room reading Harry Potter. There are certainly worse ways to spend a Sunday.

Hope y'all have a pleasant Sunday, as well.

I Am A Man of Dedication.

Went to the gym again. I think I wanted to make sure that I was just as tired tonight as I was last night. Keep me out of trouble, perhaps. Now, it's time to watch "Unwrapped" followed by some show on outrageous TV moments. I'm big on the outrage. And, time to think about dinner, though my appetite seriously wanes after a workout. I prefer to do what I'm doing, sipping ginger ale and doing nothing. That's it; that's my update.

A Good Old-Fashioned Bleeding.

Now I know what it is to be woman.

On a lark, I gave blood today at work. My conclusion? I might be too small a guy. I feel stoned. I think I'm going to sit, sipping ginger ale and orange juice and playing videogames. I'm good for nothing else right now.

I'm such a wuss.

Message to the Old Bag in Front of Me at the Self-Checkout Line:

After scanning each of your five items, you place them in the bag. Not on the counter. That way, the person behind you doesn't have to wait on you. Also- you don't pay entirely in change. Both of these things contribute to the fact that it took you fifteen minutes to purchase yogurt and candy bars.

Besides that, a fine trip to the grocery store. Salami, provolone, and potato bread made for a delicious sandwich, and there's two more packed for lunch. Mmmm-mmmm.

This is My Chill Out Time.

I'm beat again. Tired. And, I should have sucked it up and gone to the gym, but I've decided to cash in on a bit more chill out time.

The thing I need the most is a good night's sleep, but leading up to that, I'm going to chill out something fierce. I have Friday the 13th 2 to watch, as I didn't get to it last rental. I have Friday the 13th 3 for that matter, too. Maybe I'll chill out, as the kids call it, to the extreme. Additionally, should I wish to exercise my brain, the new issue of Discover arrived with a cover story on string theory.

So much to do.

I'll try to get in some laundry, as well. And eating. That's important.

I'll check back in a bit and let you know how it's going.

I'm Remiss. I'm in Remission.

For the folks who wondered: The weekend of the Fourth was fantastic. I tend to be really slack in updating such Events. Perhaps it can be chalked up to exhaustion, perhaps to laziness. More likely it's somewhere in the middle. That said, the weekend will go into my mental book of wonderful times.

AMF was in her glory, beautiful and charming to the very edges of her person. She dealt with the crowds and trials with grace, and put up with me when I turned into a four year old boy. She's truly a catch. I will pull the hook gently from her lip, but she shall not be cast back into the sea.

The Taste of Chicago on Sunday night sucked something fierce, but along with a pair of friends, we made a good time of watching the fireworks from Navy Pier. Monday night was even better, as we joined my folks and their friends for whiskey sours and fireworks at Naperville's Ribfest.

I smile thinking about both excursions, and for that I feel blessed. I miss AMF now, but it's hard to miss someone who's as much a part of you as she is. She's always there, in her way.

And, I'll be there, soon. DC jaunt at the end of the month. Look forward to a big lead up, and then a complete lack of follow through.

Until next time, loyal fans. I leave you with a belated firework.

This Leaden Boy, He's a Mystery.

Found crawling from the earth in my side yard. He must have a story; I don't have it.

And, We are Off, or, We Soon Will Be (Off).

We're meeting up with some friends downtown later on today for Taste of Chicago (Part II) and to see the fireworks. The BNSF train schedule's pretty great for today, meaning that there are a boat load of express trains running both to and fro. There will also be a boat load of riders, so it should be a tight fit. But, surprisingly, I'm looking forward to it, despite my legendary dislike of crowds. Despite your lack of knowledge on this subject, I stand by my diction: My dislike remains legendary.

It's been a great weekend so far with AMF. She's been a joy, and I've been very happy bringing her back by my folks' place for a warm reception. Everyone loves AMF, most of all me. To hell with that Raymond guy. AMF's where it's at, and the networks should take note.

Tomorrow night will be the Ribfest with my folks and their friends. I think we'll miss Loretta Lynn, but I can live with that. I can live less with the fact that we're missing, or have already missed, both David Lee Roth and Blue Oyster Cult, who I believe play "Don't Fear the Reaper" 16 times in a row. So it goes. We make our own fun.

Go Friday.

Just made some coffee, which I turned to "iced" through my mad kitchen skills. I need it; it's been a long week, and I'm heading out to the airport at some point to pick up AMF. I say "at some point," because it's looking like there's a delay. Her flight was going to get into O'Hare at 9:00, and now it will get it when it's damned good and ready. I'm very excited about our being able to spend the weekend together, but right now- damn, I'm tired.

On holiday Fridays, we typically get out of the office early. Indeed, most people in the office did. Not I. My boss is a pretty self-involved martyr of a man, and, as such, he stayed completely away from us for the entire day, experiencing his own trials and travails. I never got a "go home" from him, so when I finally split a bit after four, I was pretty pissed. I was there before eight and skipped lunch anticipating a two or three o'clock blowing of the whistle. That I left before he could come over at 4:30 or 5:00 and tell me to split a bit early will guarantee a nonsense talking to on Tuesday morning, but that's a battle to fight on another day. And, so it goes. I'm still getting emails from him, which means Tuesday's lecture will be wrought with tales of all the hours he works, and how everyone else has to step up accordingly. But, that's Tuesday.

For now, wake up, and try to revel in thoughts of a long weekend. Ribfest (there are ribs there), Taste of Chicago again, and hopefully some good old-fashioned "chill out" time, which is one of my favorite things of all.

Back to my coffee and back to my TV. More to come.