Why Do I Even HAVE Weekends?

I know I’m supposed to be the most miserable, unhappy person in the world, or at least that’s the apparent face that I show to the world, and I guess that to hear me tell it the Universe doesn’t piss in anyone’s Corn Flakes as often or to the same extent as it does in mine, but the thing is, I don’t eat Corn Flakes, and I honestly find the various mishaps and setbacks I have in life more amusing than depressing.
Most of the time, anyway.
Eventually.
Anyway, my actual point here is that while I’m presumably in a constant state of morbid despair, the fact of the matter is that it really doesn’t take much to amuse me, or to suffuse my entire being with moments – and they generally are only moments – of transcendent, and, frankly, child-like joy.
By way of example, last night I was eating a Popsicle. This particular kind of Popsicle has a riddle/joke printed on the stick, with the answer/punch line revealed only when you finish the Popsicle itself.
Before getting started on the task of actually consuming the Popsicle, I read the riddle/joke printed on the visible portion of the stick, and upon having the answer/punch line revealed through my efforts, I was inordinately delighted to discover that I had correctly guessed the answer.
(What did the breeze say to the screen? Just passing through.)
Seriously, it was the highlight of my day. Possibly the week.
I wasn’t as successful with the next one I had, though. After reading the question, I could not immediately come up with an answer, and said, “Hmm…I’ll have to think about that.” Sadly, my ruminations were not up to the task of solving this particular puzzle, but, buoyed by my earlier success, I didn’t let that get me down.
(What do elves use to make sandwiches? Shortbread.)
Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes the smallest victory can be the sweetest. Or, you know, the sourest; it was a sour apple-flavored Popsicle, after all.
Getting back into character, I have to say that I was annoyed upon waking up this morning and realizing that it was already Monday. I mean, sometimes I wonder why I even have weekends; they seem to end almost as soon as they begin.
Not much of note happened at work. One of the meetings I had ran a lot shorter than expected, which would have allowed me to actually go to another meeting with which it otherwise would have conflicted – if said meeting hadn’t been canceled (another little nugget of joy in and of itself).
There was something that I was thinking about doing tonight, but feeling kind of tired and just generally not up to the prospect of doing anything, I decided against it. Maybe next week.
I’m being deliberately vague about this “something.” It’s not anything terribly exciting or mysterious, but there’s a good chance I might never do it, so I’m reluctant to mention what it is, but I suppose it probably would have made more sense to not mention it all. Oh well.
Life is full of contradictions and less than satisfactory answers.
Especially when those answers can’t be found on a Popsicle stick.

Bonus Video Department:
While looking for a video for my theme song the other day – one that was “official” and not fan-made – I found this other interesting Nine Inch Nails video featuring a rehearsal of the song Just Like You Imagined.
Some of you may recognize it as the song in the trailers for 300.
I just find the video kind of fascinating to watch, as, no matter what you think of Trent Reznor and his music, you have to admire his attention to detail and his ability to bring his ideas to life.
See for yourself:

Down Too Long In The Midnight Sea

I never got around to posting anything yesterday not because I was busy, but just…well, because. For the most part very little of note actually happened.
Today has been much the same. I’ve mostly busied myself with some hard drive hygiene, backing up files I want to keep and deleting files I don’t in an effort to free up some space…so that I can fill it all up again and start the cycle over.
If I were still gainfully employed, I would simply buy some more hard drives, or maybe one of those Windows Home Server systems and some more hard drives, but I’m not, so it’s onto DVDs and CDs (or into binary nothingness) for the files cluttering up the drives I do have.
I’ve also done a bit of work on yet another picture that is now fairly close to being finished, but I haven’t felt terribly motivated about it.
Two entertaining things did happen yesterday when I went downstairs and turned on the TV. I was flipping idly through the channels and ended up in the 600s, which are the digital music channels. I was checking out the MTV2 Headbanger’s Ball music channel when the song Holy Diver by Dio came on.
I found this hilarious because a) it was Dio and b) when we spoke on the phone a bit ago, Kevin and I actually talked about Dio, and specifically the song Holy Diver.
(I know that most of you won’t understand why, but seriously, Dio and particularly Dio performing Holy Diver, is just inherently hilarious. Kevin, I’m sure, gets it.)
The next little moment of joy came when I changed to the generic Metal channel.
Back when they were still cool and were busy making good music rather than suing people for stealing it, Metallica had recorded a few strictly instrumental songs, my favorite of which is Orion.
It took a couple of seconds for my brain to wrap itself around the information it was being presented, but I soon realized that the Metal channel was playing a cover of Orion – performed Flamenco style.
This is obviously one of the most awesome things ever.
It was recorded by a Mexican acoustic/folk duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela.
Flamenco Metallica is possibly even more awesome than Metallica played on cellos (By a group from Helsinki, Finland, called Apocalyptica), though I’m not sure I’m willing to go quite that far (Mostly because Apocalyptica covered so many Metallica songs, as well as songs by several other metal bands. My favorite non-Metallica cover by Apocalyptica? Faith No More’s song From Out of Nowhere. For Whom the Bell Tolls is my favorite Metallica cover.)
Again, you have to know the song – and have a particular sense of humor, I think – to appreciate why this is awesome, but take my word for it. The only thing that could make it more awesome would be for it to be performed by Charo.
(And Kevin, you need to find a copy of it; you’ll dig it, I think.)
Anyway, that pretty much brings you up to speed on what’s been going on since my last update. I know you were dying to find out.