Chronicles Of Mark

Not much new in the last couple of days. Slowly getting my bedroom put back right. I started painting it two weekends ago. Instead of just doing a plain old paint job, I decided to do something “fun” since it’s taken me four years to finally paint the room where I lay my head each…

Came home from work today determined to get in some outside time and exercise. I really feel like spring is coming just because I got to wear shorts outside! It was a little cool with the wind, but after ten or fifteen minutes, that feeling passed. While I was home, it was close to 80…

Sitting in traffic this morning, it occured to me how much the traffic in Atlanta has to say about the lives we lead. Even in the short five mile commute to work, there are people constantly jockeying for position. People who can’t wait their turn at the light, cut through parking lots to get ahead….

I awoke this morning to the site of a sprinkling of snow and ice on the cars and grass. I was not expecting this to say the least. While pretty in a way, I’m so ready for spring that it sort of crushes the hopes. It also started me thinking. In writing, water is always…

This is the last week of my writing class. I’m definitely going to miss it. The structure of having to produce something for class will be gone. I want something that will keep that requirment to produce there. I’ve been hunting around rather aimlessly for a website that needs freebie authors to produce regular content….

Sinus infection is finally feeling under control. Saw the doctor a couple of days ago and got checked out. It was a sinus infection, as I suspected. Funny how I made it though around 27 years without ever having one of these, and in the time since I’ve moved to Atlanta, I’ve had four… still…

Okay, this was a craptastic weekend. About mid-way through last week, I felt like my cold was improving. In fact, by Friday, all the sore throat was gone as well as most of the stuffiness, but I had a THROBBING sinus headache all day. It felt like baby elephants were trying to erupt from my…

Wow, I don’t feel so well. Sore throat, slight cough. Woke up at like 4:30am and couldn’t get back to sleep… I felt like I had enough, but I knew it wasn’t true. I felt practically asleep all after noon – i.e. trouble focusing on anything. At least I went to work early (since I…

Had my first creative writing class tonight. Was quite enjoyable. We have several assignments to work on for the next class – some reading, some writing exercises, as well as an ongoing assignment to keep a journal of observances, thoughts, etc. I guess to a degree some of what I put in here fits the…

I am so tired today. I sat down after getting home from dinner last night and proceeded to go through the pictures from my trip. I selected out about 100 pictures that I felt like others would enjoy and gave a good flavor for what I saw while I was there. Believe it or not,…

This is from the “Yes, I am insane – thanks for asking” department: Sitting at work during lunch today I was checking out airfare to various places. There was an awesome fare to Australia listed at Clark Howard’s site – with tax $1,070 – which I’ve never seen from Atlanta. I’ve seen under $1k only…

Long few days… Friday started out with such promise. It felt like a good day. Got up on time, no traffic to speak of… Hit the last stop sign before work (well, not literally, but it felt like I did…). Immediately after that stop sign, the Blazer had an odd feeling of slipping on ice……

Long day. Tried to get to work a little earlier today because I knew that I was going to hang out with some friends from work who all leave earlier than I have been lately. Of course, this was destined to not be fun. I sat in much more traffic than I have later in…

Wow, I haven’t posted a thing since I’ve been back! I think I’m getting close to being back to normal here. I spent time with the parents back home my second weekend back. I was entirely lazy. Normally, I tend to go home and work on some project or do something that requires getting off…

Today was a subdued Christmas. My Mom has a little tribe of outdoor kittens. Their momma had them here last Spring and left after awhile. Most of the kittens remained behind plus we had a couple of others show up (perhaps helped by someone over the fence into our back yard). A few of them…

Got home last night (Wednesday). It was on the late side. Got off of work early, and ran home and tossed everything in the car. But when I got to the comic shop, comics were late… I’m already missing two weeks between Christmas and travel. So, I waited, and waited… A large crowd gathered by…

Think I’m ready… I’m done packing. I’m done wrapping Christmas gifts. I think the house is ready for its near abandonment. And yet, that typical feeling of I must be forgetting something is washing over me by the minute. Am I really ready? After all, I am the person who has gotten a half hour…

Christmas is nearly here and I’m almost too caught up in preparing for my trip to notice. Today, I met up with April for our annual Christmas meal and gift-exchange. I’d suggested using the gift certificate I won at the office Christmas party for Ray’s Killer Creek today. Wasn’t aware that they have a Breakfast…

Family Time Spent the evening over in Lilburn with Brian (my cousin) and Kelly (his GF). This was our nearly annual Christmas get together. This year I brought along National Lampoons’ Christmas Vacation. For me, this is tradition. I don’t know when I began watching this each and every year, but eventually I had to…

Making it Happen Well, I’ve spent enough time talking about the possibilities of the New Year. I just registered for a writing class that’s part of Emory’s Lifetime Learning program, i.e. continuing education. I waffled back and forth. There were a couple of classes in which I was interested. I was going to choose a…

Here’s a paradox. I took a day off work today to get my first annual physical. I had a very detailed check-up last year, but it was in response to being sick. I observed at the time that I never went to the doctor unless I didn’t feel well, and my doctor suggested it was…

It’s been a long year of travel mixed with some consternation. I have left the borders of my own country twice already in 2004. I had always dreamed of travel but it somehow always seemed out of reach. I’m not sure if I placed it out of reach or if it truly was. After my…

Growing Old Is Hard To Do A long week for me. I began it by going to see Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers at Smith’s Olde Bar Monday night. I stayed out much too late, but it’s rare that I do these things, so I guess I deserve some slack. I had a great time…

Childhood I’ve been reflecting on childhood in the small town versus what it must be today in a place like Atlanta. I guess all things are relative to what you experienced. If you had asked me as a teenager if I would ever look back on life in a small town as something positive, I…

Long weekend. I spent much of it working on my yard. I think the beds in front of my house look much better at least. For the most part, it would have been a good if tiring weekend, but Monday evening, my Mom called me to inform me that her car was stolen. It was…

Another weekend is here and I’m being so lazy. I woke up at 8:30am and all I’ve done is read the paper and a little hand pruning of my garden. I need to finish cleaning the house. I’m in the midst of refinancing my house (of course after all the best deals have passed by)….

Spent the weekend with the folks for Mother’s day and so that I could retrieve my cats. Took Friday off, so had a three day weekend with them. Worked on painting the trim on the back of the house. It’s looking good for a house in the realm of 100 years. By the end of…

“Remember your childhood and pass it on…” For around three years, I’ve been hearing about Herobear and the Kid. This story was written and drawn by Mike Kunkel, an animator who from an early age had the itch to draw. Although he chose to scratch this itch first as an animator, this personal project has…

The Con has Come and Gone I thought I would give a blow-by-blow account of Atlanta Comicon 2004, but you’ll have to settle for an after-the-fact and perhaps sketchy accounting. …but only after I load the dryer, which was what I came up here for half an hour ago…. Okay, and after that episode of…

Nicest thing said to me in awhile Yesterday as I was getting ready to head over to Atlanta Comicon (more to come on that after it’s over), the neighbor’s grandkid, who I’d guess is right about to hit his teen years or just has, asked me if I was a college student…. Now, I’m guessing…

Real Work Speaking of overheard conversations, here’s one from yesterday that I was outside of and found rather interesting. Co-workers were complaining about the recently published salary of our CEO and the other officers. They are, needless to say, many times that of the peon workers. And they were upset about it in the wake…

Weight Watchers Zealots For over an hour this morning, I listened to co-workers behind me preaching the gospel of weight watchers to another co-worker. I don’t believe that I will ever understand the fanaticism that some people feel about a life style that works for them, be it religious or otherwise. I’ve been on an…

The Month that was just too much I hope that this isn’t any kind of portent for my trip to London next week. The week prior one friend was dealing with the loss of her home and belongings by fire. I went home and spent some quality time with the parents and dropped off my…

Belated Condolences What a week… I haven’t had the energy to post or the ability to form a coherent sentence. Sunday was a restful day for me. I did laundry and I pulled out the can of paint that I had for my guest room/office. I’m taking the slow and easy approach to painting it….

Footnote Very cool news that last night’s concert at Smith’s Olde Bar for RCPM was indeed sold out!!!! YAYYYY!!! Good news for the band!

Ah Sweeeetttttt Met up with Brian & Kelly and saw Hellboy! Very awesome movie! Totally enjoyed it. Awesome work by the director and actors in understanding the source material and the characters they were playing. Really a very entertaining two hours! We also got to survey the movie and I gave it the highest marks…