Killer Android Blogasaurus

Don McCullen said “It doesn’t matter how hard you try as a human being, you will always get it wrong.” He was talking about ethical dilemmas related to photographing wars and death, but I suppose it equally applies to this steamer of a self-portrait: 

I’m driving a rental van from Omaha to Iowa City in the morning. When I picked it up this evening, the guy at Enterprise took a minute to show me all of the buttons in the van and what they do. Like, including the power windows. I don’t know if Enterprise primarily does business with retards, but I’m wagering they appreciate all the extra service.

As of noon, I’ll have my own room for the first time in nine months.

In four minutes, my new renter’s insurance policy kicks in. I took time to read the whole damn policy the other night at work, and it turns out that I am covered in the event of a spacecraft crash, but not in the event of an avalanche. Which one is more likely? My agent may be getting a call about adding some frog-rain coverage.

I am registered for fall semester classes

I managed to sneak into relevant photography courses, despite chronic procrastination, much to my surprise.

I am very excited to be returning to school, and terrified to the point of violent, uncontrolled in-pants bowel release over the projected figure of debt once I’m all done.

I am working for the city as a cashier in their parking ramps. It is great. I mean really, really great. It is in no way related to food service, and affords me the opportunity to read in my down time. Beat that. Everyone I work with has been talkative and interesting to the point of ridiculousness. People in this town are wonderful, and I say that without sarcasm.

The City also offers medical benefits, retirement savings nonsense and access to the city gym.

I have been using the gym, and have exchanged a little bit of bubblegum-ass for rippling muscle. I’m using my ‘$500 piece of paper’, which is the workout plan given to me by a trainer at Gold’s Gym, back when I signed up and paid all that money and never did shit.

My smoking has been cut drastically. I went cold turkey for a few weeks in May, and have been averaging two a week since then. The biggest challenge was separating the occasional cigarette from my self-esteem. Nicotine is nothing compared to the self-inflicted trauma of hating yourself for failing all of the time, which is what has been happening on a regular basis for the last two years or so.

Yohe and I are moving to a new apartment on the first of August. It is in a much better location, and is the result of a fairly intensive and surprisingly well organized search conducted back in February.

I am technically still a cab driver. I haven’t driven a shift since I starting work with the City in April, but I occasionally run into the GM of Yellow Cab and we discuss the gobs of cash to be made during football season. Literally fistfuls. It is appealing, but full-time schoolwork and a part-time job that I wouldn’t leave for the world will surely take precedence.

I have been listening to new music at a rate unmatched in recent memory. Part of this is because I can take my iPod to work, but also because I’ve been feeling curious again, and even more astoundingly- have been liking what I hear.

All in all, things are falling into place. More stories to come, as well. All I’ve blogged about for a year is how I plan on blogging more soon, and this is no exception. The difference is that now I have cab driving stories and that sort of thing.

If you’re reading this I probably miss you.

Keef and I just completed a project. He gets school credit for it. How awesome is that?

Keef’s official website describing the building process:

http://home.actlab.utexas.edu/~keef/project1/

Many more photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikemikemike

Never put Neutral Milk Hotel on a mix CD. It will make the listener want to listen to ‘In the Aeroplane Over the Sea’ more than they want to listen to your mix.