Below are the most recent 5 friends' journal entries.

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
cafeteriatables	11:46p	dad held her today and just melted. i left the house monday not long past noon, driving to the hospital to await the final product of my sister's pregnancy and the beginning of her new life as a mother. i thought about mom before in my bed during a brief moment of silence in my day. i'm sure i was having a similar moment my other two sisters probably experienced sometime within the past several hours of this day, december 21, brooke's birthday! the doctors took brittany back earlier than expected, missing the chance to give her my well wishes and one last belly rub. but after charlie announced her arrival he immediately took me back to recovery to see her. i walked into the room, past a curtain to finally see this new person. she wasnt just a daughter, a sister, a wife anymore. for the first time ever, i saw my sister with a new primary role in life, and i was so overwhelmed and proud and just in awe of her. she saw me and immediately reached out to me and started crying. and i think we were doing the same thing, we were pretending, only for a brief moment, that mom was there too, seeing her precious britt britt for the first time as a new mother. i could feel my mom there in the room, and i know she would have been so proud to finally see her work being passed on. brooke lee odom was born exactly at 12:35 pm weighing a surprising 4lbs 5oz. she is currently 17.25 inches long and has a head FULL of pretty dark blonde/light brown hair. she is this perfect, petite little package with pretty lips, her mom's nose, her BIG eyes, and her mother's distinctive ears. brittany's belly really never got that big and i just assumed it was because she was just in good shape. i see other women due in january and their bellies are already twice the size of hers. brooke was born full term at 39 weeks. during the c-section they noticed that britt's placenta is a bit small and heart shaped, which is why brooke was breached and just so small. she's perfectly healthy, just sweet and petite. she keeps her little hat on and bundled up to keep her body temperature up so she doesnt get cold. brittany is healing great, taking the pain like a champ but i know this is only the beginning of her healing. she may be able to go home tomorrow! i'm so happy for them. (Comment on this)
Sunday, December 20th, 2009
cafeteriatables	9:11p	HUGE photo entry the weather is crispy cold out and i'd rather stay in for once. it's been quite the week and after finally finding the usb cable, i can finally post pictures of our trip to desoto st park in alabama and of franklin! this little monster man bear pig horse cow caramel candy is a nightmare but a total joy, my heart. i havent shown many pictures of him lately. ( click! ) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
cbmp	11:20a	My uncle that let me live with him when I first got out here died last week, apparently. My great aunt told me over lunch. She expressed the minimum of sympathy, but she's seen a lot of death in her 87 years. That imbues one with a certain stoicism. That's not to doubt that she loved him very much, because she did. His name was Colin Fong. He was a decent man. We hadn't talked for a while. Living with someone can put a strain on friendships. Especially someone like me -- I suck to live with. One odd thing: I may have to ask for a day off from work to go to the services. Problem is, a long time ago I was too fucked up to to work one weekend so I told them that he'd died and I couldn't make it. So now he really is dead. It could all turn into a dark bit of comedy, with me getting caught up in an embarrassingly sick web of lies, but of course I can give another reason for needing the day off. Even if I didn't, I doubt anyone's recall is so thorough as to call me out on it. Still, it just feels sort of fatalistic. The things we'll say when we're desperate for a day off! (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 11th, 2009
cbmp	10:50a	Pawn Stars There's a new show on cable called "Pawn Stars." It's a reality show based upon a family owned and operated pawn shop in Las Vegas. What would be a drab subject in another city is an engaging comedy in Vegas, as the shop's wares are full of oddities both large and small. Everything from a Civil War-era cannon to a barber's chair is brought in for appraisal. One assumes that gamblers desperate to continue their fix are the majority of the pawners, but it's mostly senior citizens and Mojave Desert eccentrics. Makes sense, I suppose. What gambling tourist has an airplane propellor packed away to be brought out when the chips run slim? One thing I like about the show is the proprietor's vast knowledge of so many items. Without pause, he gives an immediate reckoning of every rarity he sees. This is more than a dilettante's interest in quirky trinkets -- his is an encyclopedic recall of nearly anything of value. Rule number one of the job -- know everything, and bullshit through everything you don't. Still, I can't help but sort of hate the man and everything he stands for. I've lost too many instruments to the "golden spheres" to have any sentiment for pawn shops, mom and pop or not. Of course, it was ultimately lack of responsibility that lead to the contract expiring and my loss of, for example, a brand new Ibanez Soundgear bass. Or countless guitars. Or a saxophone. It's quite depressing, actually. So now I strum on my Wal-Mart issued First Act acoustic, which has had its serial number scratched off so that I can't pawn it no matter how desperate I get. I'd rather bash the damn thing into splinters than take out a loan for 1/20th its value or whatever sorry amount the lenders would give on it. Still, it's how they make their living. And on "Pawn Stars," it seems to be bored retirees, not fiending boochers, who are taking out the loans. But who knows, one day that guy might really regret losing his authentic 1942 mariner's clock. An item doesn't have to be used to be usefull, and if you ain't got the money to buy it back now, three months won't make a damn bit of difference. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
fairetaleending	10:05a	doctordoctor! I'm going blind... and the loss of my eyesight is catalyzing losing my mind. And the fact that it's Wednesday and I've already worked eight hours of overtime this week. Boxes, boxes, so much impermanence, like myself as the UNKnown author here, still tagging my initials, not consistent, never satisfied, always moving. Boxesboxesboxes. And misplaced interests and friendly resentment and too many loops of my soul; I'd like a physical rollercoaster -- OH yes -- but leave my emotions be, please. Kick the cliches. I refuse to be just another roadside attraction. All I wanted was a Pepsi. Current Mood: caffeinated Current Music: dollies in the office and trollies on the es-eff street (Comment on this)