A Black Cat Ready to Claw

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"