Black Friday

I guess I'm just satisfied that I got to put money towards something that I'll actually remember on this, the biggest shopping day of the year.

You: Shitty plastic Chinese electronic noise-making crap fucker.

Me: Parking, Pocket Wizard rental, four drinks, and the best goddamn right hand man that a guy with little money could ask for.




The painted women were just a bonus.

To do, or not to do.

I'm not exactly in a financial position to be running out and dropping $200+ on an air rifle right now, but look at this fucking thing!



It may be an early x-mas for me. My gift would be a German-made, rodent killing machine par excellence. I could go into the specifics of this weapon, but that would be dorky. Also, it would distract from the real meaning of such a purchase. That meaning, of course, is not about killing squirrels or satisfying some sort of deranged blood-lust. Oh no. Its about community. Its about keeping our children safe. Its about a more prosperous future. We should consider it an investment into our commonwealth. An investment... in mankind.

The High Ground

What do you see when you see this picture?



A large, sprawling tree? A typical NE alley yard in fall? Just a standard-ass neighborhood... nothing stands out?

Well, I see a neighborhood that, an hour ago, was made that much safer for it's residents.



If you look back at the first photo, you might also see an advantageous sniper position. Its actually taken from a screenless mini-window in my closet! From here on out, I'm referring to it as Mount Olympus. I shall stand upon it, alone if I must.

The Physical

On Monday the 16th, I had my physical to see if I'm healthy enough to donate a kidney, and sane enough to know what I'm doing and what is involved. Its an involved process that they put non-directed donors through. When I say non-directed, I mean people like myself who want to donate a kidney but have no specified recipient of which they want to donate it to. The physical lasts 9 fucking hours.

Except for one last heart test, I passed.

I was going to see a lot of this over the corse of the day...



Blood tests up the arse.







Here are two of the many professionals that I established a relationship over the day. I haven't a bad thing to say about one of them.



Hiding my fear and pain behind a smile is one of my specialties. As is peeing into a cup.

Kneel!

Far too long have I been without a blender. Over a month ago, mine crapped on me and thus, no sauces, soups, or salsa verde has been made through the best season of the year to make said food stuffs from scratch.

One trip through the Unique Thrift Store can change lives...

BEHOLD!! The 850 watt, $9 beast blender that shall henceforth be know only as Shit Rock!

Lost kidney blog.

My 2 readers may remember a while back that I said something about donating a kidney. They may also remember that I said that I was going to blog about the whole process in hopes of bringing more attention to it and perhaps causing others to consider doing the same. Ah, those were the days...

Well, the plan is still in effect. Things have changed since then, though. At the time of that blog post, I was purely a non-directed donor with nothing but good intentions. With that post, I started telling people of my decision, and soon after started asking around to see if anyone I knew might know someone who needed one. Its at this point when things got, well, less romantic.

I could go into what has come to pass in great length. Instead, this e-mail that I just wrote will probably summarize it as well as anything I could now write. Its my second piece of correspondence with a man who is searching the country for his friend... a friend who needs a kidney that matches mine. It starts with me referencing a book he is writing about the process, as well as his desire to use a perspective of mine about 'playing god'.



So there, still in effect. The last thing I feel like I need to say is that I appreciate everyone who has had an opinion thus far on my decision. As for the Negative Nancys that I was referring to above? they're all friends and loved ones, and I think I know where their skepticism comes from as much or more than they do.

Ketchup

Oh ketchup...



Many years ago, my friend Mike and I made a mutual declaration. As fellow ketchup lovers, we both asserted that we would gladly forgo 5 years of our lives if the alternative meant living a life without ketchup. As I get older and the sand at the bottom of the metaphorical hourglass which is my life ever gets deeper, I've changed my perspective some.

I'll say 4 years. 3.5 max.

Exhibit B-1

So its Saturday. Beautiful day... flawless. Woke up early, got some work done on my computer, took my car to my parents and washed it under the perfect fall sun. I was even fortunate enough to eat a delicious, nutritious meal at the Modern with a good friend. Wow, everything is great, huh?

Yeah, thats until I attempt to top off this perfect day with a nice warm salt bath. I round the corner, and I see this...



Can you imagine the look on my fucking face?!?! I understand that a woman's hair falls out the same as everyone else's I even appreciate the effort taken by the offending party to keep this from clogging the drain. Neither of those notches on the yardstick of my rationality could prepare me, though, for what I assumed was an animal of shit-mongous proportions. Could have been a goddamn badger for all I knew. Or worse, that scandalous-ass creature who's name I shall not speak at the moment...