What do you do when you don't want to work?

You blog.

It's Sunday, kids. And I'm here at the hospital because I have to catch up from the two days off for Thanksgiving. I was here yesterday too. *growl*

I should be hitting my work hardcore (I have roughly seven or eight hours of it to do by tomorrow) but instead I'm writing to you all. Why? (Do you really have to ask?) Cuz work sucks.

That's right kids, I'm still a child, and work sucks. I'm actually looking forward to that magical age of maturity (I'm still not sure when that kicks in, I mean, I'm 23 now... so what, 35?) when you get all this fun fuzzy satisfaction out of work, but I'm not really feeling it now.

Truthfully, I think that's all a sham, this "work bringing fulfillment" business. My father never looks fulfilled when he comes home from work. Just tired. Poor guy. Fred Jones, Willy Loman, and Don Quixote all rolled into one.

Anyway. Here I am. I'm gonna get started soon. But I wanted to chat for a while. It's lonely here, by myself.

So how are you. And the kids? That's good.

First on the announcement agenda: I want to offically name David Shook as my "Favorite Student of All Time." After a nice visit with Shook, Kevin, and Mr. Andrews (stay out of trouble, you), Mr. Shook gave me an autographed hardcover copy of "Sacrament (You Shall Know Our Velocity!)" by Mr. Dave Eggers. I had just finished reading it recently (tres bonne, as the French kids would say). So thank you, Dave. Keep writing, go to Columbia, and change the world. That's my last admonition to you.

Second item: I went to the River Oaks moviehouse last night (closest thing to an "art-house cinema" in Houston) and saw the amusing and well-done "BUBBA HO-TEP" starring Bruce "Don't Call Me Ash" Campbell as a seventy year old Elvis who, with a black elderly JFK, fights an Egyptian soul-sucking mummy who's dressed like a cowboy and killing codgers in an East Texas nursing home. (Really, it's too much to go into here. Trust me when I say that it's destined to be a cult classic, and if you see the video on the shelf in the future, rent it.)

Item Three: Did I mention I saw "Kill Bill"??? Dude. The most violent, blood-splattered movie I've ever seen. All I can say is "wicked cool." Nearly knocked off Pulp Fiction as my favorite Tarentino picture, after only one viewing. I'll be ready opening night for Volume 2 in February.

Number 4 with a Smile: Speaking of movies, I also pre-bought my tickets for Return of the King (seventeen days, man). My sister and I are going to the midnight opening of the film (her first midnight movie, my...ninth or tenth). I'm very pleased about this.

Fifth and lastly: I have mentioned this before, but I was thinking about it yesterday, so I thought I'd bring it up again. I've been keeping a list of all the books I've read this year. It's an interesting thing, to look back on what you've read and why. I'll post the list and my brief analysis, sometime in early January. As I said, I finished "YSKOV" a couple of days ago. Right now, I'm just getting into "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" by David Foster Wallace, and (in an ironic bit of juxtaposition) "The Sacred Romance" by Eldridge and "Not Even a Hint" by Josh Harris (who kissed dating goodbye, and now is married with two children--bravo him). "Not Even a Hint" is really really good so far--so I recommend that for one and all.

A side note. That post about the Angelika was the first original thing I've written in a while, as I said. I don't know what's happened to me lately, the creative well has been dusty these many days. But I'm now feeling like I'm on the verge of something creative. Those of you who pray, please pray for me in this. While not as monumental or world-changing as missions or evangelism, I still feel deep-down that literature is my calling, and any movement in that direction is one I'm excited and anxious about taking. Thanks.

Well that's it kids. I've wasted (not really wasted, so much as just *spent*) about twenty minutes on this. I have to get this bidness done.

Or as elderly mummy-fighting Elvis would say, "Let's TCB, baby. Take care-a business."

Peace to my homies.