Letter to a Stranger No.3

Shawn | December 28, 2007 in Journal | Comments (1)

Dear Girl Talking Way Too Loud on her Cellphone in the Elevator,

It probably wouldn’t do much good to interrupt your mobile conversation about how wrong your doctor is about your medical condition, to tell you how disgustingly rude and self-absorbed I’ve found you to be in the first 3 minutes we’ve ever been in a (very small) room together. You’d probably take pride in it. Maybe you’d categorize it unapologetically as a defining trait of yours. One you could brag and laugh loudly about while screaming into a cellphone in public.

Yours Truly,
Unwitting Extra in your Brown Street Drama.

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My Family Tree Pt. 1

Shawn | December 27, 2007 in Journal | Comments (0)

Tags: Genealogy

I laid in my bed trying to sleep one night. I thought of my family and all the endless local history conversations came into my mind for some reason. Being from a small town, or rather a closely knit cluster of small towns, everyone is pretty well versed in who’s who’s son or father or whatever. Each new name in the conversation would lead eventually to a new line of ancestors and stories about one or more of them. My mind raced through some of them while I tried to remember how someone (can’t remember who) is related to me.

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On Turning 34

Shawn | December 15, 2007 in Journal | Comments (1)

Tags: Journal

I’ve always liked celebrating my birthday. Some people find it too ego-centric once the milestone birthday years pass, but I don’t care. Everyone has the big holidays, this day is MINE. Ok, I suppose it is a little ego driven but you know, I don’t give a shit. I think I’m worth it. So suck it.

But yeah.. 34. Not a remarkable number, but it definately means something to me this year. Now that I think about it, I’m sure I would have found some reason to make it significant even if things hadn’t changed so dramatically for me this year. I would have drank my face off as per usual until the wee hours and felt like ass until about, well, now (the night after). So that’s different. And I actually worked on my birthday like a (pseudo)responsible adult. Granted I didn’t do a whole lot while I was there.. but I went, and you know, I didn’t really mind being there so much. That’s definitely different.

Some friends and I went out and did the whole Tapanyaki table thing for dinner and hung out for a few before heading home early because we were all tired and had to work early. And it was a good time. Thanks to Abe and Jarod for making it happen and thanks to all who came!

30 year-old Shawn would laugh at me, but I don’t really listen to him anymore.

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Visine Trick

Shawn | December 4, 2007 in General | Comments (2)

Tags: myth, Urban Legend

Upon watching Wedding Crashers again last night, I was reminded of the old Visine Mickey trick. I’d never heard of such a thing until a CSI episode. The idea interested me, not enough to google it and find out a little more I suppose until today. It turns out that this (tetrahydrozoline hcl) is a pretty badass poison to slip someone. It can cause coma or even respiratory arrest in worst cases. Not a very funny joke, and way too mean a revenge even for my taste. Check out the SNOPES entry about it.