Mets and Howard, Mets and Howard...

It feels as if the Mets and Howard Stern both know I have nothing better to do with my time but watch/listen to them. The Mets have played quite a few day games and The Stern Show has been pretty great of late. Of course, the Mets lost yet another extra-inning game to the Reds, so their generosity I can do without.

Today was one of those days that I truly enjoyed, but worry I can get used to too easily. Met up with someone who also isn't working (but, at least she's in grad school) and just chilled out. It's been frighteningly effortless to drop out of the real world and become accustomed to not having any daily 8-hour obligations. Of course, I do get a sudden dose of reality often enough when people want to go out on Cinco de Mayo (tonight) and I'm like, "Yes! No, wait, I have $300 to my name for the rest of my life..."

Well, hopefully not. The unemployment folks need to interrogate me next week before they gave me my hard unearned money. So, the earliest I can get some Obama Bucks is probably around this time next week. Fortunately, my last paycheck came through, so I was able to pay rent. Riveting stuff, I know. Aren't you glad you're following this, 10 followers o' mine? (Thanks, by the way!)

Also, though, I know that the inevitable feeling of losery will creep in when I realize that I really should be doing something with my time besides zoning out to various distractions, entertaining though they may be (for 9 innings, at least...stupid Mets). As I said before, my career aspirations are fanciful, but it does appear that now is the time to at least try and go for them. I need to get over the fact that they a) sound really delusional when you say them out loud (writer and/or musician [or drummer, for you people who actually can play notes out there]) and b) they require the kind of dedication and motivation I've yet to show on a consistent basis for the past 31 years. And then there's that: at 31, is this really the time to be trying your hand at what probably is a younger man's game? The game where the odds of success are laughable? My old man and some friends tell me I'm still young enough to take a few risks, though that time does seem to be rapidly dwindling.

Seriously, aren't you glad you're reading this? Will he or won't he? The suspense!

Well, what he will be doing is at least getting these two freelance projects done this week. Typical of me, these have been ready to be written for weeks and now and I've just spaced out on doing them. This week, for sure. Perhaps if I write it and people read it, I'll feel more obligated to do it. On another friend's blog, she wrote that no matter what has come up in her life, she has known that, at heart, she is a writer. That was at once inspirational and deflating. Deflating because I've spent most of the past few years talking a good game about being a writer, but with nothing much to show for it in terms of output and ideas. I guess that's where this comes in, something to keep me at least typing away on something not Instant Messenger or Gmail.

Anyway, folks, when those freelance pieces that I WILL be writing this week are posted, I'll link you to them here so you know I did, indeed, follow through.

Thanks again to the 10 Apostles!

Related media: