THE DAILY DIVERSION

I WAS RIGHT!!! FOR ONCE...

I said yesterday would be a wonderful day, and I hit the nail right on the head. It wasn't just one good thing either. I had a bevy of good things going on, so, where to start?

I'll start with the most boring, work. We're in the last week of a review we're working on, and I've been really behind on getting my stuff finished up. It seems like everything I've looked at has had something missing, or I've had to run down the loan officer to figure something out. Well, I've been working until 6 every night, so I can make sure to get my stuff done by Friday. It's not a whole lot of fun, but I tend to get a lot more done between the 5 and 6 o'clock hour than I do the rest of the day. I guess part of that is because Noisy van Noisypants (next to me) isn't usually here then.

Anyway, I got a bunch of stuff done yesterday, or almost done anyway. I'm simply waiting on some small stuff on almost all of the credits I'm looking at, and I've got two more to get started on and finished now. That means I was haulin' some ass yesterday and knocking 'em out the park. It didn't hurt that another one of my co-workers finished up her work already and needed some more, so I gave her a couple of mine to do. She just started doing the same function as I do (she was one of our assistants prior to that), so she hasn't learned not to ask for more work yet! She'll learn, no doubt!

Next... I said I'd try to get around to posting about the new Tool album last night, but obviously that didn't happen. I'll get around to why after this, so it's another one of the good things from yesterday. Anyway, the new Tool Album...

To say that 10,000 Days is superb may be an understatement. It's a different direction from Lateralus, which was a different direction from Aenima, which was a different direction from Undertow, which was a different direction from Opiate. You see where I'm going, right? The tracks are beautifully ordered so that each flows into the next, which is very similar to Lateralus. However, the sound is much deeper, where Lateralus was lighter and melodic.

Maynard's voice isn't overpowering in any of the tracks, and is even too soft in several of them. However, the lyrics are crisp and tight, as would be expected. I don't know how many times I've listened to it in the last 22 hours, but it's been several. I keep finding myself closing my eyes and just swaying to the beats, rhythms, and lyrics. Again, it's just a thing of beauty. Even if you're not a big fan of Tool, this is a must purchase album. It's not like there's a big excuse either. It's $9.98 at Target. I paid $12.99 at Tower, and it was worth every cent.

I almost didn't even mention the case the CD came in. With every album, sans Opiate, Tool has tried to make the packaging interesting. This time they outdid themselves. They put these lenses on the over flap, where you can look at the pictures inside the casing. There's a 10-15 booklet in there with two images on each page. When you look through the lenses it brings the pictures together to make a 3-D image. There are actual pictures of the band members as well as original artwork from Alex Grey. It's worth 10 bones just for the case and artwork!

Last but certainly not least... I got a huge, wonderful surprise yesterday at 6:30 pm. I was just getting ready to head out the door to go to the tanning bed when I heard someone in my apartment. It startled me at first, so I said "Umm... Hello?" Then around the corner is my Boo Boo Bear!! She set me up! She played me like a fiddle, much like I did her for her birthday.

I would've already have left for the tanning bed, but she called me and convinced me to take a shower and exfoliate, and then put on my lotion before I left, just to waste some time. It doesn't get any better than getting a surprise like that!

We went down to the tanning bed, then went and tried this new pizza joint out. After that we went and did a little shopping. I've been looking for a light colored suit lately. I need it for two reasons. First, I want to wear it to our rehearsal dinner. Secondly, it's nice to have a light colored suit for summer in Memphis. Wearing Black and Navy get to be a bit hot when the temperatures max out in the low 100's and the humidity is upwards of 80%.

Well, I found a light khaki colored Nautica suit at Marshalls for $129. The price was right. It fit. So, I bought it. I haven't bought a new suit since right after I moved down here, and those were purchased in Owensboro. Now I just have to find someone to tailor the pants for me. They don't have a hem in them, so they're a little long, thus unwearable.

We also found a couple more of my groomsmen's gifts. Yes, I'm still working on that. If it were any other time I'd be able to find exactly what I want for the guys, but since I'm looking for specific things I've been all out of luck. Luckily I've only got a couple left.

Now, onto this crazy dream I had last night. When I had time to dream it I have no idea. It seems like I was woken up more last night than I slept, but I slipped this gem in there, regardless.

My dream: Adrianne and I are in an apartment. I think it may have been the first one I lived in when I moved here, because the closets were very similar in the bedroom, which is where this entire dream took place.

I had been screwing around on my laptop, and it wasn't where (in a program) I had last left it, the last time I had been using it. I asked Adrianne if she had been using it and she said "No", so I just chalked it up to the computer acting screwy again.

So, we both crawl into bed and start making out. All of a sudden we get this feeling like something is just not right. It's like someone has been in our bedroom, and may possible still be there. I whisper for her to stay in bed and be calm. I get up out of bed and look around the room. When I make it over to the closets (there are two on the same wall, both have those folding doors, and are standing wide open) I immediately see a set of legs and feet behind some clothes.

Normally this would scare the shit out of me, but I do my best to act tough, so Adrianne won't be scared. I start yelling at the guy "Get the fuck out here!" I'm secretly hoping he's not bigger or badder than me, because I don't really want to die at the hands of some pissed off psychopath.

He steps out of the closet with his head down, ashamed of himself. He's an older guy, balding on top, with thick glasses. Once I see him I know there's no possibility of him taking me, so I get even bolder. I scream "What the fuck are you doing in my closet watching us?"

He replies "I've been doing it for months. Mostly I've just been watching her (pointing at Adrianne). I've been breaking in your apartment when you are not here. I've also been using your computer, so that's why it's never where you left it."

Now I'm on the verge of clobbering the guy. I think I'm just really pissed that he's been stalking/watching Adrianne. I ask him "Have you been watching me too?" He replies "No, that's gross! She's the only one I care to see."

I haven't tackled him and beat his brains in yet, because I'm thinking to myself "if I kill this guy then I'm going to jail and we won't be able to get married". I look over to Adrianne and tell her to call the police. Shortly thereafter the Coppers arrive. They proceed to tell me that this isn't the first time he's been caught doing this.

I ask the officers "So, will he be locked up because of multiple offenses?" A female officer responds "Well, after his second time it becomes a felony, so yes."

We both breathe a sigh of relief, but still start thinking about added security and getting one of those chains for our front door. However, that would help while we're there, but would do nothing for when both of us are gone, and I didn't want every time I come home to have to perform a "sweep and clear" of the place, just to make sure no one is there.

Then I wake up.

What it means? Well, parts can easily be explained. On Monday night I watched the last 20 minutes of "Medium" and the story was about this guy who was breaking into this blind girl's (Molly Ringwald) apartment and watching her all the time. The police didn't believe her, but the "medium" did, and they end up finding out how he kept getting in the apartment. He was sneaking in through a built in door in the closet.

My computer comes into play because I was messing with it right before we left for the tanning bed and when we got back it had restarted itself and was doing some other stuff. Personally, I think the thing is possessed by an angry demon that doesn't want me to use it.

The only thing I can't really explain is my anger. I'm not an angry person. I'm not even a jealous person. I'm sure if someone were trying to harm Adrianne I'd probably lose it put them through a wall. I guess I can see where I'd get pretty mad if someone were stalking her, and she didn't know about it. However, I controlled myself and never laid a hand on him, no matter how much I wanted to.

I have noticed that I've taken a much tougher stance in a lot of my dreams lately. I'm not sure what that's all about. Maybe it all relates back to facing fears head-on, instead of side-stepping them?

Okay, today is a new day. I don't really know how it could top yesterday, but we'll see what happens. I'm going back to listening to 10,000 Days a few more times today! Leave work now and go buy it! Tell your boss you've got important business to tend to, or make up some bogus excuse! Better yet, tell him/her that you were thinking about running to Starbucks (or some other highly overpriced coffee shop) to get them some coffee. That way it looks like you're actually doing something for them, when you're actually doing it for yourself!! Yeah, that's the ticket! (gotta love John Lovitz)