I've been trying to write a screenplay for a few months now. I wrote the first half in about a month, and it's taken me about three months to get myself to seriously start the second half. I know I'm really procrastinating when in order to avoid writing, I actually look for things I can do around the office. I actually just cleaned my desk. And I know I'm really avoiding writing when I post a blog.

What is up with this website, by the way? It changed a couple months ago, and now I sign in using my Google account, which makes things a bit easier I suppose, except I have to go through a series of logins to finally really get access to my own blog. I just entered the same password three times. And no matter how many times I click that "remember me" checkbox, it never remembers me. I shouldn't talk; I constantly introduce myself to the same person about five times before I finally remember that I've actually met them before, but computers are supposed to be smarter, aren't they? And why is that now when I post a blog or even a comment on someone else's blog, it takes about half a day to appear? Isn't this the age of super-speed in every facet of communication? I mean, I'm writing this entry at 10am, and no one will read it until at least 4pm later today. By then, my screenplay might be finished, and this entry will be obsolete before a set of eyes even falls on it. Doubtful, but still. Should I go ahead and post my predictions for what NFL team will go to the Super Bowl next year now, so that it will be relevant when these words finally appear in cyberspace? Okay, now I'm just being obnoxious. But seriously, the Steelers are going all the way.

Okay, now I'm going to attempt to write the scene in the supermarket. It will be long done by the time you read this. I bet it's way awesome.

I make a mix CD for myself three times a year. One for spring, summer, and fall, complete with a label on the front that I design myself. I cull the new selections from songs I hear on the indie internet radio stations I listen to at work, and in between those I pepper older songs from the past.

It can be a stressful process. It needs the perfect opening song, an even better closing song, the whole thing has to flow, and if even one song sucks, I have to live with it that whole season. (It's also all a bit ridiculous how much emphasis I put on running order, seeing as how I usually listen to it in random order in my car anyway.)

I just finished my Spring 2007 mix, and I'm very happy with it. Here is a track listing, along with my explanations for the choice of the older songs I've chosen to appear.

1. Brother by Annuals
2. Near and Far by Sarah Shannon
3. Tuesday Morning by The Pogues (This was the album The Pogues made after Shane MacGowan left the band. I had this CD a while back and this was the only good song on it. It makes me very happy for some reason.)
4. Someone to Love by Fountains of Wayne
5. Chris R. by The Swirlies (This was the first song on a indie sampler my friend Mike gave me. The whole CD is so early 90’s. I can’t remember if it was spring ’93 or ’94, which is weird because I’m usually so good at remember things like that, but in a way it’s perfect because it goes to show that that whole period of my life was kind of timeless.)
6. We're From Barcelona by I'm from Barcelona
7. Walkabout by The Sugarcubes (From Spring ’92. Nothing special, I just liked the song. It’s from the same album as Hit, which is an awesome song too, but kind of too well-known by now.)
8. A Sentence of Sorts In Kongsvinger by Of Montreal
9. Female of the Species by Space (This is to commemorate my ten-year anniversary of arriving in LA. I was so excited to listen to KROQ when I got here because it was famous, and this song was big at that time. I quickly grew to realize KROQ sucks, but I still love the song, even though it reminds me of a tough time, struggling to get my bearings.)
10. Hard Days 1.2.3.4 by Loney, Dear
11. No Place Like Home by Squeeze (I didn’t have a car when I went to college until my senior year, so before that when I’d visit home on the weekends, I’d borrow my dad’s and pack in as much fun as I could in a short time. There were still some old cassettes in the glovebox from high school, including Cosi Fan Tutti Fruiti by Squeeze. I'd ritualistically play this song because I was always glad to be home.)
12. Small Parts by The Oohlas
13. Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John (This is one of the first songs I remember hearing, ever. It reminds me of riding in the car with my mom, listening to AM radio. I didn’t know what it was about, and to be honest I still don’t really, but it just sounded so happy and bright. I loved that he said “Shine the light, won’t you shine the light.”)
14. Stolen Moments by Six Parts Seven

Time to start stocking and stalking songs for the summer mix...

Today was another long walk, thanks to the car. The mechanic needed to fix one more thing, so I drove it to the garage, then started the long walk to work. Five miles. I did the exact same walk on Tuesday, but today was better because it was cooler and cloudy, and I think all the walking I've done in the past few days has made my legs a lot stronger. Along the way I thought about all kinds of funny things. Like the twin brothers that used to live across the street from me when I was little and how we used to eat the wild clover in our yards because it tasted surprisingly good. And I wondered things, like why did whoever painted the metal gate guarding the parking lot I walked by pick that shade of green? Stuff like that.

I stopped and got coffee in a cafe that I normally drive to, and while I was waiting for the restroom, I read a flyer for some self-actualization thing. The headlines were like, "Who really are you? Do you know your full potential? Why do you feel the way you do?" And I thought, "I'm in my 30's. Those questions are no longer fun or interesting."

I got to work after an hour and ten minutes. A couple hours later the mechanic called and said, on second thought, what I should really do is drive my car around for a few days with the new parts they put in on Tuesday so that next week they can more accurately do the readings to see what maintenance my car needs. So not only was my walk today completely unnecessary, but it means I'll be doing it again some morning next week.

I can't ride buses. It's not a personal problem with public transportation, I don't think. I used to love the subway/trolley back home. But I've been in this town for 10 years and I've managed to completely avoid the public bus system. Not that I've never needed a bus, however. Today, for instance, I walked five miles to work after dropping my car off with a mechanic. And close of business for the day is quickly approaching without the repairs being completed, so it's starting to look like I'll be hoofing the 3.5 miles to my home. I'm sick of spending money on car rentals, so it's a necessary evil at the moment. Well, not that necessary I guess. I could just ride the bus. Except I can't.

I don't want to go into why I can't ride buses, because I would need to first explore that topic on my own, and I'm as against that as I am riding a bus. Maybe it's something to think about during my walk home, but I probably won't. I'll think about what ever happened to that crazy guy that used to be in my acting class, and I'll wonder if birds notice the difference in traffic patterns on Saturdays and Sundays.

Oh, and I've never been to a funeral. I don't think the two things are related, but it's interesting.