And the Hits just keep on Comin'....

I'll keep this short, as I could go on at length as to the consequences and reprecussions of having no car.
Yesterday I woke up. My car battery was dead. Tried to jump it, but it wouldn't work.
Got a ride from my brother to work.
Got a ride from my brother to home.
Got a ride from my cousin Michelle to Sears for a new battery.
Went to change the battery, but decided to try and get my keys out of the ignition (which had somehow gotten stuck in the ignition that morning) and to my surprise, the car started.
Took the battery back to Sears with my car.
Went home in my car.
Tried to go to the store to buy groceries later, the car wouldn't start.
Now there's a weird clicking/buzzing noise coming from under the dash. Talked to my uncle, he says it sounds like altinator. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L.

Oh, and for those of you who were worried about the health of that bird from the other day? Fear not. He is alive and well. You know how I know? Because he somehow found his way back into the basement.

So if you have no other plans for the weekend....

THIS SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!!

Mark vs. Mr. Blackbird
ROUND TWO!!!!

(Because I just can't deal with it today. Thank you, The Management)

Singin' in the Choir, Just Singin' in the Choir!

It always feels good to be a part of something, no matter how trivial or right or left wing it may be. Seeing as I'm the Jesus freak of my generation ( at least amongst the people I know ) I felt the need to be a part of a choir again. I don't miss going to church itself, because as you all well know, I don't believe that active participation denotes faith. Faith is what you make it, but a sense of purpose and a wanting to be a part of a growing process (ie. listening to the scriptures, the sermons, saying the prayers and devotions), it all helps me get a better knowledge of who I am, and who I want to be. Plus the new choir I joined is really good. They do have a certain penache (pronounced 'penash', long A) for wise-acre comments and goofy play. This doesn't bode well for me, since I have a really oddball sense of humor and might say something that offends more then entertains, but so far so good! It'll be a lesson in restraint I guess. :p They're already inviting me to retreats and parties for the summer. I highly recommend joining a church group if you're looking for things to do. Only nice people and well-wishers there.

New Look Blog!

Same great taste, with half the calories! And now I can get comments!! Woo! Plus it looks a lot nicer then the puke looking colors I had on the old one. Took me a bit to find out how to edit the settings so I could still have all my fun stuff on the side, but I got it now. So you'll be able to get your regular fix of the word of the day and all my other silly excentricities. If I've forgotten anything in the switch over, let me know. You can post a comment!! I'll read it! It'll be so much fun!! YAAAAAAYYY!!!! Now I have to go buy new shoelaces. I've broken off two different sets of laces from two different shoes in the last two weeks. Coincidence? I think not! Oh, and the bird problem got solved. I lulled it into a false sense of security (ie. it thought I was pansy and wouldn't fly away when I came near it today) and whacked it a few times over the head, giving it something of a horrible headache, then put it in a box and check it out into the woods behind the house. Not humane, I know, but the basement was already smelling like bird droppings after one day. Now way Jose'. Sorry all you PETA people. It's survival of the fittest with a broom in hand.

It truly can be said that I have a bird in my basement. Yup. Your typical, garden variety black bird has taken up residence at the Spalding household. Not the brightest thing in the world. Keeps ramming itself into light fixtures and windows. I've tried to entice it up the stairs so I can get it out the door, but no can do. I need bird seed!! All I have to offer it is some anise seed. Ever taste licorice? Yeah, that's the seed it comes from. So we'll see if mr. black bird likes licorice! Of course my brother said I should lay out a fare more favorable to our needs. Something along the lines of alka-seltzer, rice, or rat poison. For all I know the thing has already pecked at some of the poison we have around here. That'd definitely fix my problem of having to beat it into submission to get it out of here. I can just wait till it's dead, follow the stench, and dispose accordingly. *sigh*

It's been something of a crappy personal weekend. Nothing happened perse', just felt crappy all weekend and the week hasn't started off smashingly either. But I'm tired of being negative so I'll talk about the postives. The push toward a career in the art field (no matter where that might be) is a "Come Hell or High Water" affair. I may have a chance to work with the News Journal (the local newspaper) if the new Temp Agency I'm using gets me an interview. I've talked to the local Art College about teaching drawing classes and the person in charge has been nice enough to give me an interview. It may be just a nicety she's giving me, but maybe I can wow her with my depthless knowledge of the art of using a pencil!! And I've made a tear sheet of some of my best work to send to magazine editors. For the uninformed, a tearsheet is a way to let editors get a taste of your work, let them know who you are (by the large print of your name on the top of the page) and some text at the bottom that gives the website or phone number (in my case both) for them to contact you. So that's going out to a couple magazines in the next few days. Keep plugging away. Keep going after that prize. Keep making myself an artist people need to.....OOPS!! Iron Chef is on!! I have to go now! Must watch badly dubbed, asian cooking show!!

Oh, and it's self deprEcation, not self deprIcation. Figures the one time I don't make absolutely certain of it, a certain language lover would point it out to me. :p But it's better to know then not, eh? (I'm all Canadian now.)

I am down to 21o pounds, which is pretty good considering I was about 220 at New Year's time. I'm on my way to my goal of 185! (my college weight) The toughest part is not eating at night. I can handle it most nights, but some times I just need chocolate!! And now that it's getting hotter, all the ice cream joints are in full swing, so I have that to look forward to. :) Ah, summer. Now if I can just get my base tan going........

I have taken it on the advice of a couple people recently to stop being so self-depricating. To those of you who may not know what that means, it goes something like this....

Friend: "Hey Mark, How's it going?"

Me: "I'm boring, aren't I?! Why do you even talk to me? I'm just a fat, hairy, loathesome, pathetic excuse for a human being!! Why do I do this to myself all the time?!! WAAAAAAHH!!!!"

Friend: "Ok. Good talking to you." (walks away)

And so. I am now actively working on having a more postive image of myself. I mean, people say I'm cool and all. Right? RIGHT?!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

(be back when meltdown stops ..... )

I can't get it so comments appear on my blog!!! WAAAHH!!! So you have to email me if you want to compliment me on my wonderfully funny/witty blog! (Because I know I am, and my mommy tells me so).

OK. Now that I've recovered a bit.

My day consisted of going to play golf and getting outplayed by a man who is dying of enphysima, carrying a portable oxygen tank around with him on the course!!! Now I'm not saying I didn't have fun (basically because everyone else was playing like crap too), but it would have been a bit of a boost to know I can play better then a man with more then just a foot in the grave. :p And I got to follow it up with a nice pasta dinner at my grandparents! Of course, I payed for it by moving my grandmother's bed into another room, and moving furniture that's older then my mom! (She ain't no spring chicken) Add that up with moving my cousin into her new house yesterday, and we're talking some serious muscle soreness! I'm waiting for the cramping at 2 am. Ever been woken up by a cramp? It's about as shocking as the time when I woke up half way to the floor as I fell out of bed. It's a definite sinking feeling. The one good thing is that my cousin gave me $40 bucks instead of $20 for my efforts! I thought it was one bill, but found out today that it was two folded together! which means coffee for me to wake up this week!! Good coffee. Nice coffee. Happy Mark. :p

Helped move my cousin and her man into their new house today. That was a workout. Especially since we were trying to fit square things through rectangular holes half the time. But it's all in there and I got $20 for my efforts! Wooh!! I'm not completely poor anymore! And my aunt is treating me to a movie tonight! What movie you ask? Hell if I know, but it's free!! WHIPPEE!!! Ok. I need to crash now because I'm dead tired........**thump**

Woo!! I'm back!!! (Was I ever really gone though? Now there's a question for you. :p )

So I did my taxes last night. I had to wait till this week because Waldenbooks messed up my ss# when they filed my wages, and I wanted to make sure the IRS couldn't get me 3 years from now for less then $2,000. Of course, I still OWE!!! GAH!! I have $5 to my name and I just wrote 2 checks that are sure to bounce like a radial tire if I don't get some cash in my account before Tuesday! I did my best to find a way to get a return though. I tried the 1040EZ, the 1040 (which is a convoluted mess by the way), and finally, the 1040a. The last one was the charm. I only owed $27 to federal, which was a far cry from the $164. And Delaware slapped me good because Waldenbooks only took out $16 worth of Federal tax, and NO state tax! LoL! Whew. Oh, good times here. Good times. :) At least I have my health! And my womanly charms. :p