Sunday, July 6, 2008

A Day In Three Parts

What I Did Today

Today was spent in mostly idle pursuits and incidental errands. I woke, I chatted, I walked, I drank coffee, I listened to music (it was an Elvis Costello day), I watched a DVD, I slept, I read, I played guitar. Around about 2:00 PM I ran up to San Jose International to pick up my friend Tony who was returning from Colorado, where he had been visiting his sister.  We stopped at Flames on Winchester for lunch and conversation. I had a chorizo scramble (chorizo sausage, country style potatoes, green peppers, onions, jalapeno peppers, and eggs, all served in a ceramic skillet, topped with hot sauce.  It was good.  Then, because I felt like destroying my stomach with food groups that should never associate, I had the Boston Cream Cake for desert.  Conversation was as good as the food.

Afterward, I stopped over at REI to pick up a replacement for my Swiss Army wallet, but they did not have the specific model that I was searching for, so I resolved to check another sporting goods store.  I do get attached to the tools that serve me well in this life, and this particular model of wallet has given me good, secure, and durable service for seven years, so I am trying to replace it with the exact same model.  From there, I drifted home and tossed in two loads of laundry, which are churning away right now.  The only remaining errand is a trip to get groceries and there is no pressing timetable for that.  I prefer to go grocery shopping in the off hours, later in the evening, otherwise the grocery store can be a true zoo.

What I Did Not Do Today

I spent a good part of that quiet time trying to write.  As I mentioned before, I have several things percolating inside of me, waiting to manifest themselves as either short stories or poetry or prose poetry. I tried priming the pump by writing and wrote several thousand words that I ultimately threw away, as there was no discernable narrative flow to it.  For me, writing is often a process of writing and rewriting remorselessly and repeatedly until I get it right. Until the Muse kicks in and I feel the narrative flow start to work it’s way through the words. Today, I just could not get to the point of flow.  I will try again in a while.  Perhaps this entry into my journal will serve as the starting point.

What I Thought Today

Some days have a central thought that runs through them.  Something that is predominant.  Today did not.  My thoughts mostly rambled through the day, touching on each of the things I was doing.  That was nice.  It is nice not to have something overriding the other thoughts and pulling me out of the moment.

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