Becoming my Father
I drive a 1990, Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz. It is black on black on black. For the uninitiated, that means it has a black landau roof, black body, and a black leather interior. That was redundant. Of course, it has leather seats. And everytime you see the name Cadillac or see the Cadillac symbol, it's in gold. God, is it gaudy and ostentatious. And god, do I love that car.
I bought it a year ago. Prior to that I had a Nisssan pick-up. I got rid of it because it was boring, and besides, I'm too old to dumpster-dive anymore. That truck was constantly getting me in trouble. I'd see things much too heavy for which I had absolutely no use for, stop load it up, haul it home. I decided to get rid of the truck, but wasn't sure how to replace it. For one thing, I don't need a vehicle. I have a motorcycle which satisfies most of my needs. My neighbor has a car that I gave to him and can borrow for the rest of my life. No, I wanted a car. Need had nothing to do with it.
I had never owned a big, luxury type car, but in most things, my natural taste tends towards the extravagant, and I assumed cars would be the same. I was right. Did you know that Cadillacs lose about 80% of their initial retail value after about 6 or 7 years? I bought my 12 year old cadillac for only $5,000, a full 15 percent of what it cost new. Not bad, huh? And my caddy is exquisite.
I bought it from an older, Italian down in San Jose. He must have bought it as a retirement present to himself. He sure did baby that car. About a month after he sold it to me, he called me to ask how it was doing, the car, I mean. I told him we were doing fine. He sighed. "I don't know why I sold that car. I didn't need the money. I miss it." I promised to take good care of it. On my first anniversary of ownership, I sent hiim a note along with a picture of the car assuring him that I had kept my promise.
What's this got to do with my father? Nothing. I was just remembering and smiling with amazement at how much I'm becoming what I remember. Well, hell, who did I think I was going to become?
Saturday, April 05, 2003
Matthew Yglesias is SO Cute!
I have no idea who he is, but I find him adorable. Well no, that's not entirely true. By use of his blog, he's given us all a huge picture window onto his life. We know what books he's read or reading, his efforts to secure a position, his dissertation. We know he has a sense of humor, because for the past several weeks he's been summarizing another blogger who is rather long winded (Stephen den Beste). His effect gives new dimension to the word droll. And he's cute in a real nerdy sort of way. I'd adopt him in a minute.
Matthew interacts with his fanbase by use of Comments. Reading the comments over several weeks gives a picture of the readership, or his fan base. To my mind, they aren't nearly as cute and interesting as is Matt. You go, Matt.
Back to me
Well, it's just that I wanted to mention several other blogosphere entities whom I read on a regular basis. This week I've been reading the writings of a guy named Bill whose entity is called Bloviating Inanities. I have not gone back to read all of his blog entries to get his bio, so I only know him from this past week. I relate to him in an odd sort of way, like, maybe he's me over in Georgia or wherever he writes from. He sounds Southern to me. He writes about Cheetos, for god's sake, or as we say down South, bless his heart. Although he did write about a hot tub last week. Do Southerners have hot tubs?
I like reading the blog entity Max Speaks, also. I think he's someone a bit more famous than the rest of my favorites. Reading someone's blog entries gives an immediacy to the interaction which makes it personal.
"We are equal beings and the universe is our relations with each other. The universe is made of one kind of entity: each one is alive, each determines the course of his own existence." Thadeus Golas, The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment
Eventually, when I'm less lazy, have more time, take it more seriously or whatever, I'll link to the blogs mentioned, Right now though, because in my mind this is a SEMI-public blog, the etiquette requirements are more flexible. I'm not sure when I think I'll be ready to be a fully public blog, but certainly not until I have a better understanding of my writing voice.
I have no idea who he is, but I find him adorable. Well no, that's not entirely true. By use of his blog, he's given us all a huge picture window onto his life. We know what books he's read or reading, his efforts to secure a position, his dissertation. We know he has a sense of humor, because for the past several weeks he's been summarizing another blogger who is rather long winded (Stephen den Beste). His effect gives new dimension to the word droll. And he's cute in a real nerdy sort of way. I'd adopt him in a minute.
Matthew interacts with his fanbase by use of Comments. Reading the comments over several weeks gives a picture of the readership, or his fan base. To my mind, they aren't nearly as cute and interesting as is Matt. You go, Matt.
Back to me
Well, it's just that I wanted to mention several other blogosphere entities whom I read on a regular basis. This week I've been reading the writings of a guy named Bill whose entity is called Bloviating Inanities. I have not gone back to read all of his blog entries to get his bio, so I only know him from this past week. I relate to him in an odd sort of way, like, maybe he's me over in Georgia or wherever he writes from. He sounds Southern to me. He writes about Cheetos, for god's sake, or as we say down South, bless his heart. Although he did write about a hot tub last week. Do Southerners have hot tubs?
I like reading the blog entity Max Speaks, also. I think he's someone a bit more famous than the rest of my favorites. Reading someone's blog entries gives an immediacy to the interaction which makes it personal.
"We are equal beings and the universe is our relations with each other. The universe is made of one kind of entity: each one is alive, each determines the course of his own existence." Thadeus Golas, The Lazy Man's Guide to Enlightenment
Eventually, when I'm less lazy, have more time, take it more seriously or whatever, I'll link to the blogs mentioned, Right now though, because in my mind this is a SEMI-public blog, the etiquette requirements are more flexible. I'm not sure when I think I'll be ready to be a fully public blog, but certainly not until I have a better understanding of my writing voice.
War is Hell, Life Goes On
I have too much to do around the house to sit transfixed by the war on television. I sat through an hour's round up this morning while I drank my first cup of coffee. It's going to be a serious day for the men and women of our armed services on the outskirts of Baghdad. My thoughts are with them.
As for me, I'm going for a walk around Lake Merritt. It's a beautiful morning, a little on the cool side for California folk who seem to think it's cold anytime the temperature is below 60. Life is so tough in California. We may pay more for utilities and we may pay more for gasoline, and we may pay more for our government, oh hell, let's face the facts, we pay more for everything, especially housing, but, BUT, we make more money, we have much less need for utilities since the weather is so temperate, and we pay less for better food. So, I guess it's a wash. I have no clue as to how we're going to weather this recession, but we will. Right now my job is recession proof, but if the state suffers, we all suffer. I have several friends who are out of work right now.
I have too much to do around the house to sit transfixed by the war on television. I sat through an hour's round up this morning while I drank my first cup of coffee. It's going to be a serious day for the men and women of our armed services on the outskirts of Baghdad. My thoughts are with them.
As for me, I'm going for a walk around Lake Merritt. It's a beautiful morning, a little on the cool side for California folk who seem to think it's cold anytime the temperature is below 60. Life is so tough in California. We may pay more for utilities and we may pay more for gasoline, and we may pay more for our government, oh hell, let's face the facts, we pay more for everything, especially housing, but, BUT, we make more money, we have much less need for utilities since the weather is so temperate, and we pay less for better food. So, I guess it's a wash. I have no clue as to how we're going to weather this recession, but we will. Right now my job is recession proof, but if the state suffers, we all suffer. I have several friends who are out of work right now.