If you wait too long

2004-01-01 - 12:38 p.m.

This morning I slept in until past nine when my mom came in and got me out of bed. "You can't sleep through the Rose Parade!" she said. And of course, one should never do that. I always thought it was a little unfair, those people on the east coast can sleep in 'til 11 and still not miss the parades, while here we have to get up so early. On the other hand, does anyone even watch the Rose Parade on the east coast?

Yesterday I decided to wear my new hiking shoes on a walk around my neighborhood. We went about two miles (1.9 according to my dad), and it wasn't until I was about halfway around the loop that I realized wearing new shoes on such a long walk was a big mistake. I could feel the blisters forming. Only to me it felt like worse than blisters. By the time we got home I was imagining that my shoes had worn away the skin on my heels clear through to the bone and that each step was agush with blood. It wasn't so bad though. I have blisters and they're bigger than quarters. What a dope I am to do that to myself!

Today's weather is very similar to the weather we were having Monday when Flik and Tigger were here. It's rainy and really, really windy. According to weather.com, we're having sustained wind at 39mph and gusts to 48mph. I can't even imagine what it must be like to live through something like a hurricane. Looking out my back window I see a squirrel hopping around in my backyard. He acts as though there's nothing miserable about this weather. He makes me want to quote James Stewart and say, "Say little fella, you worry me. You got someplace to sleep?" But it's probably a pretty rough ride up there in those trees right now anyway, maybe down on the ground is the safest place to be.

And a scary thing happened to me last night. It had recently passed midnight and I was in the bathroom. I decided to lean closer to the bathroom mirror for a better look at my face. Holy shit, I have wrinkles.