Moderation in Moderation

Tea: Vanilla Lapsang

Music: Jayhawks, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"

Time: Night.

I'm trying to lose the phrase "It's the strangest thing," because -- well, really, how do you quantify that?

It's a strange thing, though: I'm becoming more efficient. I'm getting better at follow-through. I'm catching up on things I've been putting off for months.

Heaven help me, I may be growing up. Not that that's a bad thing, entirely. Has to happen sooner or later, I suppose.

It's not all bad, you know. Getting up early and staying up, for example, means I can get the routine things out of the way before they take over the day, thereby making me feel a little less guilty when it's time to slack.

What, you thought I was going all the way over to the Beige Side of the Force? No way. Sure, my inner child might have an earlier bedtime now -- but you can have my ratty Chuck Taylors, my cheesy monster movies and my rubber duck collection when you pry them out of my cold, dead fingers.

It's a balancing act, to be sure. Structure is good and necessary, but it can't take over my life. I need something of the random, the chaotic, the downright goofy -- or I'll die. Not physically, mind you, but the body is only a house for the self. And this self has to have the sparks, even if they must be a bit more controlled.

And now, time to hit the rack. Tomorrow, I get to organize the garage and make some calls on a shared story that's due next week -- and then I get to hang out with artists until well past dark-thirty.

I can live with that.

Tonight's scary story: Charles Collins, "The Compensation House"

I know it's been a while since I rapped at you ...

Tea: Mandarin Green

Music: War, "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Time: Night

Let's see.

Crappy car: Check.

Interesting employment situation: Check.

Insane slacker skills: Check.

It's official. I have become Jim Anchower (minus the stash).

So, anyway, today I took a break from writing and decided to spend a few minutes searching for new ways to waste time -- because, apparently, watching J-League matches on ESPN 360 just isn't enough. (Best announcer quote from Gamba Osaka v. Kyoto Sanga: "If Gamba can get a goal near the end of the first half, that will certainly be a detriment to the other team." Gee, ya think? The guy also called the goalkeeper "the custodian" a lot.)

First, I went to hulu.com, which promises hours upon hours of free "Lost in Space" and "Land of the Giants" episodes. (Yeah, I love me some 1960s Irwin Allen sci-fi TV. You got a problem with that?) Want "King of the Hill" instead? You got it.

Then, on another site, I found this. Cold War safety tips at their ironically hilarious finest. I know, I know, the specter of nuclear annihilation wasn't funny. But the turtle and the jingle -- not to mention the contention that a newspaper over the head will prevent radiation burns -- are unintentional comedy gold.

And best of all? There's always The Herculoids on YouTube.

Someone pass me the cold pizza, willya?