It�s 2 AM, just got in from seeing Mystic River, which was pretty intense. I've been on that parking garage that collapsed in Atlantic City today a few times, there is a great view on the depressing area that Atlantic City is.

I have this bottle of red wine sitting here that I�ve had since my grandfather died in the spring. I would take a pull off of it here and there throughout the summer, but it has since just sat there. I haven�t had the desire to taste alcohol aside from a beer here and there. I could imagine living the rest of my life without being completely drunk, or even really buzzed from alcohol. If it didn�t taste so horrible I wouldn�t mind, but it�s so strange that people can actually do it as much as they do without thinking. Thank God.

I am all about this mp3 CD thing now. I made a mix CD the other night with 79 songs on it. Once I get the stereo installed I will be able to pop a CD like that in and leave it in the car stereo for a week and it can be my redundant radio station.

Here were my plans for Wednesday��pay day�:

� Get up early, go to the big store with a B in both words and have them put a stereo in my car�after going to the ATM to get cash.

� Show up at work around lunch and buy marijuana off of someone at work

� Do some light shopping after work by myself, followed by an evening at home with a movie or whatever.

I recently changed banks so I could refinance my car yada yada yada, and my direct deposit would start going into this new bank in two more paychecks. I had no idea that it would stop going in my old account though. I was surprised to get to the ATM and find out my paycheck wasn�t deposited. A quick call to HR, and she told me I would be getting a �paper check� for two weeks. Unfortunately, I live 45 minutes from where I work. The car stereo installation place was 10 minutes from me. Someone was nice enough to lend me the money until I got the check later.

Off to the car stereo installation place. Unfortunately I have a �rare car�, and �we don�t have the wire for it� or something like that�Fuckheads�it�s now 10:40, a long time after I wanted to be rejected, and not in work yet. My car is from 2002, what the fuck? So I decide to buy the new Strokes CD, it�s $9.99. I hand the kid a one hundred dollar bill. He gets a little flustered and has to talk into a walkie talkie, and then disappear to get me change because as he stated, �It�s too early for hundreds�. Really? Is it too early for me to stab you in the face repeatedly with a sharpened spoon? Get my change and enough with the fucking commentary you hundred pound fuck.

I make my way over to the other big place that sells stereos and appliances, and has the same initials as me (oh boy!). Same fucking thing��we need this wire�. I buy the stereo anyway, and I have him order me the wire, and I have to go back next week now. So now I have this stereo sitting here that I can�t do anything with. What the fuck?

Now I need coffee finally, the drive up at this random Dunkin Donuts should be easy�

Me: Medium iced coffee, cream and sugar

Voice coming out of speaker: Cream and no sugar?

Me: Cream and sugar

Voice coming out of speaker: No sugar?

Me: Sugar.

I hand the portly young Hawaiian girl my dollar and some change, and she is evidently so enthralled by my dark brown eyes that she misses, and my dollar flies away into a puddle behind my car. Isn�t this where they�re supposed to say �It�s okay, here�. She looks over at it apologizing, I get out and then hand her the soaking wet dollar bill.

Now a man is tailgating me in a 25 mph zone, where I�m going 40 anyway. I get to the red light and do that trick where I don�t pull anywhere near the car in front of me, leaving about 20 yards in front of me as I come to a complete stop. He starts beeping at me. I turn the stereo up in my car just as they are about to get to the chorus of �Hot for Teacher� and turn away from him as he passes me and I go on my merry way not even looking in his general direction.

I arrive at work and a woman drops an envelope on my desk that says �CC $65� on it. Later on in the afternoon, a group of employees congregates outside to see the orange juice colored sky in all it�s glory.

before & after