A Tizzy of Excitement

Knowledge shall be promoted by, frequent exercise
Art polishes and improves nature
Fortune is a fair but fickle mistrefs
Yesterday misspent can't be recalled
Vanity makes beauty contemptible
Wisdom is more valuable than riches.
-Abraham Verghese
"Cutting For Stone"
Twenty-five years ago today

January 16, 1986
Thursday

I parked my car at a meter for the first time because I ended up getting a twenty-dollar parking ticket yesterday. I guess one could say I'm experimenting with new parking locales. It worked out. I paid eighty-five cents and then at noon I moved my car to the 370 Third Street parking lot. It only worked out because I started work at 7AM today. How often will I be doing that? I wonder.

Work was truly busy. I took seventy-seven incoming customer calls today! It's been one hell of a busy week. In fact the last two weeks have been extraordinarily busy.

Margaret Lai, Mary McTiernan and I made it to the Pizza Boat for lunch. It was fun. I had a spicy meatball sandwich.

Our office was supposed to tally one point per person in sales today to cause 'a tizzy of excitement' with Larry, our second-line manager. It didn't work out too well (mainly because Josh photocopied a dollar bill and put it on each person's desk). This act of counterfeiting caused confusion (not to mention the federal offense). I didn't know what to make of it. We all ended up tallying our sales the usual way.

After work (which was at 7PM for me on this evening) I drove home and it was pouring rain. The traffic conditions didn't allow me to get home until 7:45PM.

I telephoned Chad and learned that he has an Algebra test tomorrow. This meant that his visit to the gym tonight was not very likely.  Chad and I have such a good rapport at times.  Yet, once in a while I feel like a 'black cat' ready to claw.  He's insensitive to my feelings sometimes. Every once in a while he doesn't think before he speaks.  He more than makes-up for it later.  I must say I've learned quite a bit about the Sagittarius man in the last couple of months.

Chad doesn't want our relationship to end…nor do I. I feel we are getting closer at times.


PHOTO: Michael Joe Armijo, 1986
While at the gym on this evening Mark Landreth was there when I arrived. He left before I did.
Mark asked, "How you doing?"
"Tired," I replied with a smile.
He's a QBL (Questionable). I felt I worked out rather well, considering I had not weight-trained since last Monday.


After the gym I went home and wrote $801.00 worth of checks to pay bills. I hope my overtime pays off. The paycheck I received on January 23, 1986 compensates for the bills I just paid. It's funny how the more money one makes it seems like the less you have. I heard that on the radio today, too. Right now I can vouch for that statement. By 1987 that won't hold true. I'll be a 'saver vs. a spender'. My money management forecast for the future will get increasingly better.


It's time for a bit of sleep. It's true. I will be at work in San Francisco at 7AM tomorrow…once again.

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned invisible and carried myself to a place where I was completely alone and no one could share my thoughts.
-Abraham Verghese
"Cutting For Stone"