Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Long Day, With Stuff Afterwards

I hate having to do stuff after work. Unless I'm doing something fun, and how often does that happen?
I'm not discounting Riff Trax Night with Scott, which is fun, but that primarily involves just going home, which is all I generally want to do when I finish work.
Today I had to do two things after work. It might as well have been two thousand for as much of a drain on me as it was.
First I went to the Chiropractor. As mentioned, that involves going into "historic" Leesburg, which is to say the part of town where being a run-down hovel counts as having historic character, the streets were laid out for horse-drawn carriages, and most of the businesses fall into one of two categories: places that sell expensive crap to people who have more money than sense or old, just hanging on by their fingernails places that people go to as an absolute last resort.
Still, there's something to be said for historic districts.
And that something is, "Tear them down and pave over them."
Screw history.
(Okay, maybe I'm not exactly in a great mood.)
While I was being adjusted the doctor asked me about the Watchmen movie and what I thought of it. I said that I liked it, for what it was, but that my perspective on it was a bit different from most people's, given that the comic is my favorite book of all time. I added, "Actually, it might be my favorite anything of all time."
After that I had to go to the eye doctor.
That took way longer than it should have, and there were all these other tests and crap they wanted to do, and the whole time I'm thinking, "You're thieves. You're stealing my time. Worse, I'm paying you to steal my time."
Just because I waste a lot of time doesn't mean that my time has no value to me. After all, I'm the one wasting it. That's my decision. And quite frankly, I'd rather waste my time than give it to most people.
As I said to Scott earlier today while pre-complaining about the two things - yes, I do have perspective; I know it was only two things - I said that I can't even begin to understand the people who are constantly running around doing stuff.
This is among the many reasons I could never be a parent. My kids would never get to be involved in extracurricular activities.
"Dad, can I join the soccer team?"
"Will I have to do anything?"
"Well, yeah. You'd have to take me to practices, and come to my games, and-"
"No. Here, I'll order you a soccer video game from Amazon."
(This hypothetical exchange brings to mind one of my favorite scenes from The Simpsons:
Bart: Dad, can I have fifty bucks to buy a ticket to a rap concert?
Homer: Go to hell.
Bart: Well, if I pay for the ticket myself can I go?
Homer: Sure, knock yourself out.
Bart: I love you, dad.
Homer: I love you, too, Jerry.)
Anyway, as I was trying to get the hell out of there, I said, "You're all very nice and everything, but honestly, I'm tired and I just want to go home."
One of the girls made a mock offended sound and said, "But Jon, we like you."
I responded with, "Fine, then I'll just start randomly hanging out here all the time. See how much you like me then."
That got a couple of laughs, at least.
Finally, after over an hour there, I was free to come home and waste my time as I saw fit. That mostly involved watching last night's episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
And, eventually, writing this.
Tomorrow should be a better day. After all, it'll be Riff Trax Night, and I should be receiving my new - ridiculously expensive - toy.
So maybe by Thursday you'll see a post from a much cheerier Jon than is posting today.
Remember, I said "maybe."

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