Hey there,
So...what's new with you?
The Boy got a car this week. He turned 21 in May and finally got his driver's license earlier this year. As a boy raised in SoCal, who was at the DMV on his 16th birthday and roadtripped to Westwood that night just to look at t-shirts and posters, him not getting his license until now was a hit to my sense of being. About a year ago, we tried to suggest he get a car, but he was indifferent at best, which when you think about it, that your folks are offering to get you a car and you don't care is astonishing. Since he has been stuck cause of the virus this summer, he became obsessed with getting one. Can't blame him...have seen articles where they say car sales are up as it is the ultimate PPE. He worked with us in figuring out the right ride for him and found a 2005 Honda Accord with 119,000 miles on it for $6,000. Betty and I are big fans of that particular ride as it is the last car what we bought new and loved it. The kids loved it too as the kids found the buttery leather seats to be perfect nap inducers. They both recall the deep sleep they got in the back seat of our old one. The one Boy-o found is identical in engine size, leather seats, even a sun roof, only it is black to our old grey. The plan is for it to be around (in good condition!) in 4 years so it can be passed along to Babydoll.
He was very chatty with us in the weeks leading up to the purchase, but since he has been liberated, not a peep. Whatevs...perfectly predictable. The real question for him, and humanity as a whole, is whether my Parking Spot Superpower has been passed down. TBD.
Babydoll just finished week 5 of her 6 week internship. Her thing is pretty damn great...working at one of the top research facilities in the world doing research on how to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Her group is run by a research professor and there are 9 graduate students alongside him. And her. B-doll reports a great working atmosphere where the people get along and have some laughs while they work. Her best friend is also working there and we were at dinner together and the friend's experience is almost completely the opposite. Her group makes no eye contact with each other and goes about their business in silence. Her mentor sounds dismissive and borderline abusive, and she cannot wait to be done.
I asked B-doll to explain to me what the friend is working on and she kinda highbrowed me saying that I wouldn't understand (it entails watching fish all day, so how hard could it be?). She asked if I knew what her project was and I said something like 'growing rhodium nanoparticles so they can test them to see if they can be used in reducing carcinogens in the atmosphere', and she goes (sarcastically), 'it's carbon dioxide, which is not carcinogenic." Or something like that, I really don't know to be fair, but I replied to her contempt of my knowledge in the only natural way possible. Luckily, I had a fart brewing, so I let it fly and tell her that "I've got a carcinogen for ya".
Betty is still grounded from her travel for work gig and she is starting to act like one of those birds that has its wings clipped; looking out the window at all the other birds flying freely while she gorges herself on seeds and poops all over her cage. I change the paper regularly, but sheesh. On the way to/from her work, across the river is the Songshan airport. It used to be the main international airport here until they built the modern one 30 minutes outside of town. It is cool in that it has 50's military junta style architecture and is located right in the middle of downtown, which is super convenient but highly unusual in this era. A bunch of domestic/short international flights still go in and out of there, and part of it is still military use, but I know the plan is to close it one day as it is gonna bring in a ton of cash as the real estate is worth a fortune. Anyway, when we're driving the planes take off really close by and every time we see one, she makes a little noise. Hard to write what it sounds like, but it is definitely a sad moan giving the feeling of longing and sadness.
As for yours truly, I am watching the calendar and by my calculation, we are at the exact halfway point of summer. Not calendar summer, but intense Taiwan heat summer. Starts in May and ends in September. I am absolutely not spiking the ball but have been so far successful in not getting diaper rash/crotch rot. Seriously, that is my absolute main daily concern. In the paper this morning was an article with the headline Hot, sunny weather expected for Taiwan over the next 7 days. It can't be good when even these guys think it is gonna be hotter than normal. I fancy myself an amateur meteorologist, and reading that article confused the hell out of me, but I think it says that the temps are gonna hit 100, but with some unusual convergence layers, the moisture (humidity) is gonna get trapped on the ground like a wet wool blanket.
Have been coaching a bunch of baseball with the kids ages from 8 to 16 a couple/three days a week, which is fun but devastatingly hot. One Saturday a couple weeks ago we started at 8am and we had different games and practice until 5p. I watch these laborers out there all day in this shit and it makes me sad that I am so weak and lazy. Or maybe not. I was buying my coffee beans at my local shop and the total was NT$840. I put an NT$1000 bill and NT$50 coin in the tray and the dude gives me my change and says I do math like a Taiwanese. Intrigued, ask him why he says that and he explained that I gave him money to reduce the amount of coins I received in return, which is a local trait apparently. First, having my math skills compared to a Chinese person by a Chinese person is probably the highest praise a white boy from the valley could ever get here. Secondly, I wanted to tell him that minimizing change is more efficient and that as a lazy human, I have built a career out of maximizing efficiency in order to be as lazy as possible. Working in Logistics for many years crystalized in my mind that is inherent in most people...move shit as efficiently and cheaply as possible. When you do that with your own ass, you get plenty of time to focus on the things you prefer to do rather than work. Or as the brilliant Van and Earl pointed out in the timeless philosophical epic film Tremors...
Earl: "Catch you later Chang, we got a schedule to keep."
Val: "Oh yeah...see, we plan ahead. That way we don't do anything right now. Earl explained it to me."
I really enjoyed that movie Palm Springs...in the Groundhog Day genre and while not as great as that film of course, lots of fun. I like to have a show that is mindless to watch before bed to make me tired, and the one I have landed on recently is House. Never saw an episode when it was on 15 years ago and probably avoided it cause it is a medical procedural and those give me the creeps. I don't really enjoy it now, but have become invested in the characters and will likely waste my time with it to the end. When it was on back in the day, a couple of people that did watch it said I was just like the main character House. Seeing it for the first time now, I get it...he walks with a cane and is a grumpy asshole to all the people that care for him. Guilty? He even wears rock and roll t-shirts under an untucked button down shirt, which is a style I thought I invented.
Lastly for today, one more article from the local paper...this one of a person sleeping at the 7-11 that appears to have no head. This apparent headless customer photo is an optical illusion cause if you look close, her head is actually tucked under the table.
So many redacted comments.
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