Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Catching Up


I finally had a day off, and ran around like a bat out of hell getting my page-long list of "stuff to do" done.

One of those things was to pick up contact lenses I'd ordered last week when I got an eye exam. I'd gotten some news I'd been expecting for awhile-- that when I order new glasses I'm going to need bifocals. I know that a 46-year-old needing reading glasses is no rarity, but it's something that happens to other people, not me. Like getting older.

I guess I can salve my pain by the fact that a couple of days ago, a young co-worker thought I was in my early thirties.

The last week has been crazy-- I worked five consecutive shifts at the restaurant-- two doubles and a lunch. It was good, though-- I finally got my footing there, and made a butt-load of money. Whenever you start at a new place-- a new restaurant, school, office, whatever, it's crazy the first few days, learning all the procedures, practices and what-not.

The first week was interesting-- observing the different kinds of people working there. There was one guy who really floored me-- he was incredibly unhappy. After my first shift with him, when I was training, I realized that he needed to get out of the business. He was incredibly pissy. I started to avoid him-- he was very negative. Yesterday, he was fired. Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed that he was really unpleasant to be around.

Back to "Johnny Yen's Day Off." High up on my list was to go register for my first class. I got that done. It turns out that I should have put one item higher up on my list-- purchasing the new reading glasses my eye doctor recommended. When I got home and read over my material (with my new reading glasses), I discovered I'd misread the schedule and signed up for Biology 120, rather than Biology 121. I have to go Friday and fix that.

Other updates. On Saturday, the backlighting on my little Ibook started going schizo-- it would work after a restart, then conk out after a while. I ran it up to Nabih's, a Mac-friendly repair place in Evanston that fixed it this February. It's funny how we are about our comfort zones; I can post just fine from the household Mac Mini that sits on the 100-year-old desk in our dining room that my great-grandfather made, but I miss sitting at the counter in the kitchen on my Ibook. Plus, it's harder to download photos from my digital camera on the desktop. I've got all the settings for it on my laptop. So in addition to all the general work craziness, I have to be posting from a computer I'm not used to using.

Other miscellaneous stuff. I'm digging having reading time since taking the el to work rather than driving. I'll enjoy the reading even more now that I don't have to hold it out at arm's length. And I'll enjoy ride even more since I found a set of headphones that won't break. I loved the little Sony headphones I had that folded up, but I broke three sets of them. Today, I got a lightweight headphone set I like made by Phillips. The part that broke on the old ones is made of metal on this one.

Adam called me last night to discuss Karl Rove, and the Iowa straw poll. For what it's worth, he's a Barack Obama guy. You might want to get on that bandwagon now, kids!

It's weird-- I missed only a day of posting, but I feel like it was two weeks.

I've got the new earbuds on, listening to my big ipod (as opposed to the shuffle). It's hellbent on playing great songs-- The Velvet Underground's I'll Be Your Mirror, Elvis Costello's Two Little Hitlers, Aretha Franklin's Chain of Fools and Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues.

I mentioned that video last week, when referring to the Dylan documentary Don't Look Back. Seems appropriate to put it on this post, especially since Allen Ginsberg is in it-- I just read that On The Road, by Ginsberg's friend Jack Kerouac, is fifty years old now. Time flies.

14 comments:

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

You do more on your day off than most people do all day at work.

deadspot said...

Back when the Cellar was open every once in a while, I remember two girls doing Adam and the Ant's Never Trust a Man With Egg on His Face at one of the open mic nights. One of them played guitar (she borrowed it from one of the Zordanis as I recall) and sang, and the other stood behind her doing the Dylan thing with a stack of sketches to illustrate the song. I still have one of them somewhere.

...the sketches, not the girls. That would be wrong.

SkylersDad said...

I had my eyes fixed about 8 years ago and have been very lucky with the results. They told me after correcting my horrible nearsightedness, that I would probably have to have reading glasses. But so far so good!

Lasik is the best thing ever.

I miss my commute on the bus into downtown Denver. I never get time to read anymore.

Joe said...

Catching up...you're busy. I feel like a slugabed. Great video, by the way.

Cup said...

I hit the Bifocal Contact Lenses age a few years ago. Welcome, brother.

Tenacious S said...

I just hold things really far away from my face now. And I have reading glasses for the days that my arm isn't long enough. Missed you. Glad you got lots done. I'm off to organize!

Distributorcap said...

can i hire you to do my catching up? and do you do windows?

Barbara Bruederlin said...

You get to sit down on your transit system? Sweet! I don't think anybody has been able to find a seat on ours since 2003.

GETkristiLOVE said...

I missed you Johnny Yen!

bubbles said...

Readers... I needed them from the EXACT day I turned 40! I was sitting in a meeting on my 40th birthday and I looked at my watch... I realized that I had to move my arm out a bit!

I had a break for a couple of years... I had Lasik that was *almost* perfect, whick allowed for decent close vision... but that is fading now. (sigh)

Thing 3 just got contacts. I'll have to post about it.

Sorry about your Mac. I'm probably getting Thing 1 a MacBook for her 16th birthday. I can't bring myself to get another PC after having my IMAC!!

Erik Donald France said...

Busy, busy. Whoah! Good luck -- and cool post.

Okay, I'd better jumnp down the alley way. . .

Ciao!

Dale said...

I've been off all week and didn't manage to get anything near what you did done. You're really Superman aren't you?

Johnny Yen said...

Dr. Monkerstein-
With the new job, signing up for classses, etc., I had to get everything done on my sole day off!

The class I signed up for will be Monday and Wednesday, so I'll have Wednesday tied up too.

Deadspot-
That's awesome!

One night, in '87 or so, me and Rex the Scumbag went to visit some people down in Charleston. We got a bunch of people up on the stage at the Cellar and did "Suspicious Minds."

...the sketches, not the girls. That would be wrong.

Well, as long as they were still around on their own on their own volition and all. And it was all right with your wife.

Skyler's Dad-
I've thought about Lasik. My eyes keep changing, though. A friend of mine got Lasik surgery in a special plan that adjusts your eyes for life. It wasn't cheap.

Isn't it the irony that as we appreciate reading more, at our age, we lose the time to do it?

Bubs-
You've got two teenagers and work a bunch of overtime? You're anything but a slug.

The video has been "homaged" in so many things. A classic.

Beth-
Then I'm in great company!

TenS-
Yeah, I've been doing that for a while too. Good luck organizing!

Distibutorcap-
Jeez, I don't even have enough time to do my own stuff!

Barbara-
I'm lucky to be travelling at non-peak times-- otherwise I'd be standing.

Kristi-
I missed you too when you went on your trip. Maybe we can get someone to invent a satellite blogging system!

Bubbles-
Funny how those things happen. A couple of weeks before I turned 40, an old girlfriend called to tell me she was about to become a grandmother. It didn't make turning 40 any easier.

My Ibook is five years old-- ancient in laptop terms. I bought it for under $400 and got nearly two years out of it. I think I got my money's worth.

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

Erik-
Look out kid, better keep it all hid!

Dale-
Yes, but don't tell anybody. It's bad enough that I don't have any phone booths to change in!

I've been off all week and didn't manage to get anything near what you did done.

Yes, but isn't that the point of a week off? ; )

Dale said...

I should have at least been shopping for new neighbors or helping bus tables for you. I'm lazy.