I've Heard a Lot About You, Sir. Your Appearance is Exactly the Way I Imagined.

Dr. M: OK, are you ready, Dr. Kendall?

Dr. K: Yes, I'm ready. What tape number is this?

Dr. M: Um... Dave Wagner Blog Post #164. He's been trending downward in mood lately. Let's see how he's doing today.

Dr. K: OK, hit play and let's see... Oooh, nice picture!

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Saturday... ah, Saturday! With fronds like these, who needs anemonies?

Dave the Goof here, tossing my daily two cents into the pot... winner takes all! Man, if you only knew how often I was bluffing... Today was pretty mellow. I drove Daughter #2 up and down the hill to Ramona for a party at her friend's house. In between, there was some mall action (our home away from home), a chili-burger (split with wifey) and a Starbucks drink as big as a human head. Yesterday's ugly angst hasn't fully dissipated yet... some still lingers like a fart in the car... no biggie, really. We all have those days, right?

Played a little BF2 and Oblivion. Played a game of chess against the computer on the easiest setting - and got annihilated. Always nice to be humbled by the computer on "blatant newbie" mode... Watched a George Carlin DVD that I got in the mail from Netflix. Always good for a few laughs. I hate when he slams religion, but in a lot of ways, he makes valid points/observations. Plus, he's pretty crude... thank goodness for the ability to fast-forward, eh?

As you can see, I'm staying in the safe shallow end of the pool tonight. Light-hearted, vacuous fluff is the order of the day today. There are a couple different topics that, if I were to get going on them, would quickly turn into acidic rants, so empty crackers it is! I need to work through some stuff first before I can lay them out here for public inspection. Normally, when I go off half-cocked on something, I regret it. So I'll let them simmer on the back burner until the junk rises to the top, where it's easier to scoop off and discard.

So, yeah, I played chess, and a game of Scrabble too! Neat, eh? Eh?

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Dr. M: OK, stop the tape there... pause it. OK, now see Dave's face?

Dr. K: Yeah. It's subtle. Looks insincere.

Dr. M: Look around the eyes, especially between them... notice the furrowed brow, the sag of the shoulders, the way the corners of the mouth droop slightly... right out of the gate, he feels like he's floundering.

Dr. K: He's trying, though. You gotta give him that.

Dr. M: True, but toward what end?

Dr. K: What do you mean?

Dr. M: Why pretend?

Dr. K: Well, because he doesn't want to come across as a downer to his readers, I presume... you've studied him longer than I have, what's your summary?

Dr. M: Too soon to say. I need more time. Unpause the tape again, will you?

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So I got a paycheck in the mail today, which is nice. Of course, by the time I got it, my bank was closed for the day. No biggie, really. I'll drop it in on Monday and hope for the best. In the mean time, I'm trying to resist the urge to buy myself something nice in an effort to cheer myself up. Never works, really... well, sometimes it does...

Now, this kid can cheer anyone up! Let's see if it works...

Not bad... there's one question I'd like to ask that kid, though... How big is the whale?

Church tomorrow (well, it is going to be Sunday, you know! Sheesh!). I get to teach Sunday School again... last week was kind of a disaster. I had a lesson prepared on "the Potter and the clay" type of thing. But it felt dead on arrival, you know? There was nothing there, really, and I couldn't fake my way through it, like I used to be able to when things felt a little dry, you know? I'm hoping tomorrow will be better... thought I still don't really know what I'll be teaching yet. I'll crack The Book open after I get off here and nose around a bit.

Speaking of reading, I've been reading Sherlock Holmes before bedtime lately. After finishing Point of Impact, I decided to take a different track before heading back into Fantasy literature. You gotta love classic Sherlock Holmes. I watched the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes movie that is coming out, with Robert Downey Jr., and I have mixed feelings about it. I love RDJ as much as the next guy, but there seems to be something *wrong* with the way he seems to be portraying Holmes. I guess I'll wait until I see some reviews before deciding if I'll go see it or not.

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Dr. M: OK, pause it again there. Now, you see what he's doing here?

Dr. K: He's really all over the place tonight.

Dr. M: No, not so much that - he's usually all over the place. I mean the weak attempts to mask his lack of confidence. You can feel it, right under the surface of the words. The fire... it's just not there...

Dr. K: Do you think he's aware of it at this point?

Dr. M: Hard to say. In general, he strikes me as pretty astute, at least as far as what he's wrestling with. There are obviously some big issues he's chewing on.

Dr. K: Well, he admitted as much earlier.

Dr. M: True, in a way, but I think there are things that are deeper still, deeper than even he would want to admit to.

Dr. K: Is he afraid of what the bigger issues might mean?

Dr. M: Probably, but that's not abnormal. I mean, we all get a little shaken when we're taken to the edge of our comfort zone and shown a glimpse of the storm outside.

Dr. K: That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?

Dr. M: Call it what you will, Dr. Kendall. I just think this is a pivotal point in Dave's life development. I hope he doesn't do anything rash or stupid.

Dr. K: Time will tell, I suppose. Here, let's watch the rest; it's almost over...

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I'm kind of excited about the future, in spite of all the economic bad news. I hesitate to check Drudge anymore, since it's really just one woe after another. Kinda drags you down after a while. And when you're already kind of angsty, the last thing you need is a heapin' helpin' of ain't it awful. Anyway, the whole "internet marketing" thing I've been absorbing lately is pretty exciting. I think it's something not only that I can learn (to help the rug shop and other businesses), but that I could then teach to anyone else to do the same thing. Seems like the ideal "work-at-home" business. Meh, I want to chat about it more, but it's kind of boring, so I'll move on.

Funny Picture Time!

I've had the strong urge to write again lately. I think it's time to dust off the novel and dive in again. Maybe I'll post a sample chapter up here somewhere, so y'all can tell me what you think and give me advice. I've got so many ideas, not just for the current novel, but for other stories as well, it's almost a case of "paralysis by analysis." Too many options, and the fear of making a mistake, and so I do nothing. Well, we'll see if I can crush that and actually do something.

I'll let you know.

Anyway, I think that's it for tonight. Thank you for your patience and loyalty. Until tomorrow, remember, sometimes you gotta create what you want to be a part of.

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Dr. K: Not too subtle with that "funny picture" tonight. It wasn't funny, it was a subconcious message. Somebody's feeling a little "lost in the crowd" and invisible...

Dr. M: Well, look who thinks he has Dave figured out!

Dr. K: Man, looks like he's really fishing for approval tonight. "Thank you for your patience and your loyalty"? What does he want, people to pat him on the head and tell him everything is going to be ok?

Dr. M: Well, I wouldn't go that far. We all need a bit of encouragement now and then - nothing wrong with asking for it.

Dr. K: Except he's not really asking for it, he's kind of trying to manipulate it, don't you think?

Dr. M: No, not really. I think you're looking at it the wrong way, Doctor. He's just a little wrung out. Wrestling with one's demons is pretty consuming. He's just kind of reaching out in a way that's safe and acceptable. At least he's not turning to drugs or alcohol or anything destrucive like that.

Dr. K: Yeah, I suppose you're right. Well, maybe a good night's sleep will help him. And who knows? Perhaps church will do him some good tomorrow as well. We'll see.

Dr. M: When I get tomorrow's tape, I'll let you know.

Dr. K: Thanks. Seeya.