3:44 p.m. - 2002-01-01
I wonder what the tooth fairy would have paid for them.
First things first, it is three in the afternoon and drifting in from the next room is a sound that really, no sarcasm here, gives me hope for 2K2. The theme song from Charles in Charge. I don't even want to watch it really, but just hearing that song, the one that I can sing by heart even though I probably watched a total of three episodes in my whole life, I don't know�it just makes me feel okay.

Nextly, Happy New Year!

I think this is going to be a good one for me, and I hope for all the people I know of and who know of me, everyone else can suck it.

I really do feel more hopeful than I have in a while, few things clicked into place for me. One of them is that I gave myself permission to leave Janie and start thinking about my own interests. That little thing may seem odd to most people, but I have an over inflated sense of loyalty and responsibility. I wouldn't change that about myself but it does make for difficulties when it is time for me to move on. One of the main detriments comes in the form of me feeling angry and disrespected when others don't live up to my impossibly high standards either.

Oh well, forgiving myself for it frees me up to forgive a lot of other people for it.

It's nice.

I worked on new years eve. It was fine.

I don't really have a lot to say presently but I did want to relay one little story.

At work the other night I was negotiating the labyrinth of hallways that run beneath the fa�ade of fine Italian dining. I was delivering a large load of wine and liquor carcasses to their morgue when I happened upon a new sight that was odd enough to wake me from my state, which could only be likened to a zombie movie on fast forward in your VCR, the living dead in a terrible rush.

There before me were three bussers dumping out the enormous bags containing dirty linen napkins in the hall way in an obvious mad attempt to locate something within them that was not a napkin.

"What could it be?" I wondered. "Rolex watch? Diamond earrings? Cell phone?"

None of these were the item in question, yet the monetary price of the lost piece could exceed them all, not to mention the personal value to the owner.

"Teeth!" Cried the busser.

It took a second for my ears to register it through his thick Chinese accent, but a little part of me had known before he even said it.

"He put teeth in napkin, cost five thousand dollar."

I laughed. We all laughed.

Then I resumed an even quicker pace. I had to hurry and finish my work because if anything could make this story better, it would be diving into the disgusting, dirty napkins myself and being the one to hold the dental trophy above my head in victory, high fives and cheers all around.

That honor was not to be mine that night, but I think we can all share in the wonder that we live in a country where such a scene is possible. We are really very lucky.

My new year resolution is stolen from a good movie I just rented.

"Hold on tightly,
let go lightly."

Happy new year all. Yes, even the strangers.

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