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4:55 PM - FRI 2.24.23 Well, the plan was to go over to Jane's place tonight, to hang out, and watch some TV. But flash flood warnings across LA caused us to rethink that plan and instead "shelter in place" in our individual residences (Actually, the aforementioned plan was the hanging-out "backup plan" - We were going to go to a museum this afternoon, but pre-" flood warning" rain dampened our enthusiasm for the project). I don't really care much about the rain, except for 1) The possibility of losing power, and, 2) The fact that, according to forecasts, it's looking like rain for most of Jane's remaining time here (I don't like the idea of our remaining fun being "moistened"...or, more accurately in this instance, "waterlogged"). But as Jane and I like to say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemon juice". (So here I am, "squeezing those lemons"...) For the past couple days, per my most recent therapy session, I've been working on cutting down on Internet time. I'm finding it difficult - For a very long time now, I haven't had to think of "what to do with myself" and I'm seriously out of practice - but after just two days, it's already reaped one benefit... If you've been following along in here, you know it troubles me to have gone from the "voracious reader" I was as a youth to the "occasional reader" I am now. But in the past two days, I've finished Nobody's Perfec t (A layperson's guide to moral philosophy by Michael Schur, creator of "The Good Place"), which I'd been working on forever, and am 50 pages into Cinema Speculation, by Quentin Tarantino. What can I say? I just like me better as a regular "reader". (While "voracious" may be off the table at this point, I think reading should at least be a daily thing). Yesterday I also played guitar for a bit - It's a modest goal, but before I kick off, I think it would be nice if I could actually play and sing at least one goddamned James Taylor song from beginning to end without fucking up (Especially since I've had the sheet music for his "Greatest Hits" album for at least the past thirty years). While this is a somewhat more "passive" entertainment than reading or playing guitar, I also think it would be better for me mentally/emotionally if I spent less time on the Internet and more time watching movies. I am an "actor", after all. And the same way I feel "less good" about myself as an "occasional reader" than I did when I was a more avid reader, I think my taste in movies, over the past number of years, has gotten both too light and too narrow (That said, I do find myself wanting to see Ant-man; Quantumania. And Cocaine Bear looks like it could be fun). I used to "feed my head" with books and movies. And I suspect I was a more interesting person than now, when I spend the bulk of my time not really doing much beyond watching YouTube and TikTok videos and hanging out on Facebook. For the record, I don't count this as "time on the Internet", though of course, technically, it is. I imagine, since you also live in the modern world, you know what I'm talking about here when I write about having a problem with the Internet - I'm talking about when you're on the Internet all the time, not working or connecting with people or being creative, but just constantly, mindlessly "grazing", so you don't have to think of what to do with yourself (Or just have to think, period). I think I can do better. And this seems as good a time as any to stop, and see where the rest of this cold, wet Friday night takes me. Till next time...
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