I just finished watching the last half of Just Friends on HBO and if your better judgment fails you the way mine did me today then keep flipping if you ever see this one come up on your program guide. Though I will say the closing credits hit a funny bone really close to home that made that wasted hour seem almost worth it. So if you ever find yourself struggling to make it to the end of this one so you can score another notch in your Ryan Reynolds cult-hit-or-big-miss bedpost belt, know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. (And that light will shine really bright for anyone who videotaped themselves lip syncing to 90's pop songs.)

It's Day 2 of my fall vacation, also known as what is becoming an annual tradition of my fall Do Nothing Week. The question that inevitably comes up when I tell people I'm on vacation this week is "well where are you going?" and I have to disappoint them with a "nowhere" response. In defense of my laziness though, the Do Nothing Week is a product of my employer's culture of not carrying vacations over, strongly encouraging week long vacations, and the impending "peak season". But as I've just explained to Daniel on Google Talk, the week is not entirely pointless: Yesterday was my veg day, today is my reading and writing day that will include a visit to the gym, and the rest of the week will have fun tasks (or "goals" as he described them) assigned to them that will keep free of handcuffed idle-handedness.

I'm in Kinston, NC tonight. Before I arrived at my sleeping location, I found myself on Highway 70 (Business) having a hard time identifying & avoiding joggers with reflective vests, cyclists without helmets crossing 5 lanes of fast approaching traffic, and pedestrians with shopping carts. Apparently the nightlife in Kinston is lacking in excitement and the residents here have to create their own thrills.

I bought a new chair for sitting this weekend. I mention the specific function of sitting because the chair is intended for my bedroom and I am determined to pursue sitting as its primary function - as opposed to impromptu, yet convenient clothing exchange or place where lost things are found. Yes, I bought a chair and I intend to sit in it and sit in it as often as it will allow me to. In fact, after bringing it home Sunday and putting it together, I found myself trying to find excuses for skipping work the next day so that I could sit in it all day. I guess you can say that having a bedroom chair has been a life-long dream of mine, a dream I could no longer stand to be left unfulfilled and had to savor in the triumphant moment for as long as I possible. And so here I sit.

Occasionally I find myself among the lingering patrons just before closing time at any one of a number of my neighboorhood Arnes & Oble Ookstores. And like my fellow patrons, I am often without a time keeping device that alerts me in five minute intervals that the Arnes & Oble closing time is drawing near. Fortunately, the fine folks at Arnes & Oble have assigned one of their friendly customer service representatives the oble task of Evening PA Announcer. "Attention Arnes & Oble customers," the PA Announcer begins with only a slight hint of urgency, "the time is now 10:45 and the store will be closing in 15 minutes. Please begin bringing your items to the front to check out. For your shopping convenience, the store will open at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Thank you."

But wait a minute. Back the truck up there for a second. Did you say for my shopping convenience? Because it seems to me that my shopping convenience would be for you to let me take as long as I'd like to pick out my selections now, because I'm here now, and you are here now, and I don't want to leave and then come back to finish this transaction. You see, that is inconvenient for me. But I understand that it is inconvenient for you to stay and wait for me to make up my mind, do I really need to buy America: The Book or can I wait? Should I just put it on my Christmas list or drop subtle hints in a blog post? Do I want paperback or hardback? No, Mr. PA Announcer, it really is not convenient for you to await my decision but nor is it very kind of you to suggest that it is my convenience to, by coincidence and coincidence only, quell your inconvenience. No, no, no. Your suggestion of the confluency of our competing conveniences will not stand.