Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I am not one of the beautiful people


It isn't the obvious that I'm referring to, nor is this some depressing emo shit. I look around where I live, that bastion of the uberfabulous. The young and fashionable shop Melrose at 2:30 on a Tuesday, spending money and I with no idea on how they get it. Do they work at night, have an odd schedule where Tuesdays and Wednesdays are their weekends? How many of the beautiful people are there like this? It confuses me to no end.

I had Subway for dinner, stopping on my way home after another day at work. Front of me stood a tall fit couple, their affection (more likely uninformed lust) clogging the air like Cairo smog. The non-ironic multiple use of the word "bro" when addressing the guy behind the counter. The 5th grade humor of the woman, thinking she's more clever than she'll ever be. The attractive becoming ever more repulsive. These Eloi, these beneficiaries of God's lottery, flittering away their existence on counting carbs and cracking jokes about "breastesises". Never leaving the shallow end of the pool, not afraid but simply unaware of deeper waters.

Los Angeles is a town of many faces, with bodies to match. A jagged mosaic where the seeds are sown for what Wells' Time Traveller witnessed. Not yet prey, these beautiful people have already turned into cattle. Call it Grass Is Always Greener, say there is nothing perfect in this world, but in the choice between beauty and truth, I choose truth every time.

It is the ones who escape Plato's cave that become the Morlocks, for they have seen the world and found it real.

(This is what happens when I listen to the new Muse album on the way home from work).

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Recap of the last six weeks.

- I got laid off.

- I went back home to Alaska, where I saw old friends, tackled a chore list for the folks and grandfolks, drank some very good beer, had my first ever visitor from college, and generally pushed the RESET button on the ol' grey NES that is my life.

- I came back to SoCal, in the midst of enjoying my temporary retirement, my meager savings dwindling but I didn't really care. I played a lot of video games, went out with friends, and relaxed.

- I got a new job. Beginning of this month, I started work. Dumped into the deep end, and it's either sink or swim. I am dog-paddling at the moment, still learning the ropes but succeeding. Busy work makes the days go by faster, and thank Jebus I have normal fucking hours again.

- I went to Las Vegas over Labor Day weekend. Funny thing that Labor Day - holiday invented to encourage people to work now inspires people to be as lazy as possible. Anywho, I gambled, came up, got a bunch of shit for free, and had the cheapest Vegas excursion ever without ever a reduction in the amount of good times.

- I saw AC/DC on Tuesday. They fucking rock. Awesome awesome awesome.

- I got my first paycheck from the new job today. Gainful employment, meet Cory. Cory, meet gainful employment.

-This weekend I'm off to the AZ to visit my parents who just bought a little house there for wintering purposes. A quick trip, but a hell of a lot closer than Alaska.

So why did I write this list down? Well, during my temporary retirement I purposely changed up my routine. To take the metaphor further, I took Super Mario Bros. 2 out of the NES, grabbed Ducktales, blew the dust out of the end, and restarted my life. I was ready for a change, and I got it.

Minus Gizmoduck (unfortunately).