In my skin-tight jeans

It's about 10:30 in the morning, and I just finished a tasty breakfast of black beans, salsa, fried eggs and greek-style yogurt. All mashed and mushed up together in a bowl. I'm listening to a couple of Tom Waits albums, shotgunned together. Just finished swordfishtrombones and have moved on to Nighthawks at the Diner. It's gotten cold in the house over the last couple-a days, and I've got my brown stocking cap on, maybe until March or April. The mountain man beard is coming back in nicely, thank you very much.

I've got two days off in a row, which hasn't happened for quite awhile, and I have to say that I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do. I could definitely start sanding the door that I finished stripping the other day, or I could work on some music, or I could listen to Tom Waits and play Civilization III all day. I could go up on the roof and see why we still have water coming in around the chimney. I should probably brush my teeth. Take a shower. Who knows how the next 48 hours will roll by...

The Jerns has been putting in some serious hours at work for the last week or so. Haven't seen her a ton. But Jimmy Carter was there yesterday, and things went well, so she might get to come home earlier now. Maybe even get a day off here or there.

The J-Dog has gotten in the habit of listening to a radio station called 104.3 on the way to work, and 104.3 plays top-40 party dance fluff. She (J-Dog) says it helps pump her up for the work day, and then at the end of the day it helps get the work day out of her head. Well, in my car most of the buttons on the radio don't work, and as a result there are 3 stations that I'm able to park the receiver on, and one of the stations is 104.3. I have to say, I've gotten a little hooked on it. I swear to god, every time I get in my car, they are playing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." Every time. They also play a lot of Ke$ha, and a song called "I Like That," by Static Revenger and Richard Vission (ft. Luciana). As well as Rihanna, Eminem, and "Airplanes," by B.O.B (ft. Hayley Williams [from Paramore]). I haven't really listened to Top-40 radio since my public school days in, like 8th grade. It makes me feel good and bad at the same time. Much like eating 10 or 12 rolls of SMARTIES does. It gives some little buried part of your brain a little buzz, and makes the rest of your body feel like it is filled with ashes and mud and bile.

Anyway, the world is large, and there's definitely a place for pop music in it, but I think my diet needs to be based on other things. Eggs and rice and Tom Waits and wood and fire and gin.

I've been enjoying my new glasses. The Jeanners has been telling me she likes them (which I hope is true), and it's been really interesting seeing the world through clean lenses. Everything seems crisp and fresh and slightly wet. And it's been pretty nice having the prescription sunglasses, too.