Saturday, November 23, 2002
Wish me luck. And cover the ears of any small children, impressionable myna birds, and the easily offended. And hide all sharp objects, desk accessories that can be readily thrown, and high caliber weapons. And ready the thorazine. Jimbo is gonna try to get his wireless network back up and running after a six month, self-imposed hiatus originally required for his own sanity and the safety of others. Deep breath. And here we go....
Jim Parisi
Friday, November 22, 2002
Hmmm....no matter how many extra features they add to a "special edition" DVD, they just can't make a crappy movie less crappy. Can't even remember the last really good movie I saw. Maybe "Almost Famous". Maybe "Shrek". Seen anything worthwhile lately? I sure haven't.
Jim Parisi
Thursday, November 21, 2002
I've got ants in my pants. And my sink. My desk. My kitchen. My house plants. My roommates' home-made cookies. I have been in a fierce battle with the red devils for six months. Every time I beat them back, they regroup for a new assault. Every time I think I have closed off an area of entry, they find a new way into my home. I eradicated them from the kitchen, so they raided my living room. I wasted the little buggers there, so they attacked my bathroom sink. I spray the sink, they come in through the wall behind the medicine cabinet. Poison the wall there, and they find a way into my shower through a crack in the ceiling. It's the red menace! I'm winning the battles but fear I might be losing the war. They are inside the walls. I think I have a solution though. Gasoline! Yeah. That oughta do it.
Jim Parisi
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
I just checked. I have done 80 flights for American Airlines or their partners since January. Not including three United flights, two Delta segments, and one little hop on America West. That's about 150 hours in the air. Plus about 100 hours in various airport terminals and Admiral's Clubs. That's 250 hours spent commuting via the friendly skies. I have spent more than ten full days or six full work weeks of this year of my life either locked inside a cigar shaped tube of aluminum, or waiting to be locked inside a cigar shaped tube of aluminum. And I have between four and six more flights scheduled for the next seven days alone. I'm a sardine in black micro-fiber pants, hurtling through his life at 500 MPH.
Then again, I have spent hardly any time locked in a cube farm this year. I have visited more places than some people see in a lifetime. And I have been well compensated for it too. And every so often, I get to see something beautiful from that tiny little window at 33,000 feet.
Jim Parisi
I ran into an old friend yesterday. Hadn't seen him in a few years. He is a couple years older than me. He got into the tech world in the early 90's, and his timing couldn't have been better. As of today, he is young, financially independent, owns multiple investment properties in California, and has enough assets to afford him a conservative, comfortable lifestyle for the rest of his life. He recently left his IT position and is giving serious consideration to a job in forestry. A career that would put him in the mountains and give him the ability to ski or hike or climb or whatever every day. He's thinking of cashing out. Exiting the race. Turning in the khaki's for the...well...khakis I suppose. I just wonder....what's taking so long? Go goddamn it!!! He had long since caught the dream I have been chasing for years: To have worked hard enough and long enough and created a stable enough portfolio to allow for a comfortable exodus from the materialistic, stress inducing, cubicle dweller lifestyle. Buddy - sell the Porsche. Buy that cabin. And get the hell out. And then send me your instruction manual and the name of your broker.
Jim Parisi
I'm going through a whole heck of a lot of Kleenex lately. And no, there hasn't been a change in any of my personal habits thank you very much. The Santa Ana winds are blowing. This is good and bad in SoCal. It's good because it's in the 70's. The sun is shining. There is no fog, no clouds, the beach is warm, the top is down, and often the surf is good. It's bad because all the dust and allergens and particulates from the desert are now in my nasal cavities. Sniffle.
Jim Parisi
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Trying to write. Trying to keep eyes open. Trying to....ah f*** it. I'm going to bed. Went to bed too late. Got up too early. Worked out too hard. Can't seem to generate a coherent thought. I'll have someting interesting to write tomorrow.
Jim Parisi
Monday, November 18, 2002
Even more excitement. Three new submissions to Heather's brilliant Mirror Project. Here. Here. And Here.
Jim Parisi
Man, I spent a lot of time writing this weekend. Two new story posts. I feel so prolific. Finally found my muse. Below is another sordid collection for you to enjoy. Admittedly much of the content in this particular post began as ideas and thoughts and observations originally posted to this very blog. But they were too good to leave there. So I fleshed them out (so to speak) and turned them into a story: "Let's Talk About Sex."
Jim Parisi
Sunday, November 17, 2002
A rare poetic style shift for the not so mighty one. I suppose this is why I call it DigitalCatharsis.
Jim Parisi
