Me in a cafe in Amsterdam -April, 1997. And, no, I'm not smoking pot.

I had bought the cigarettes in Paris. Everyone smokes in Paris (or so it seemed) so I wanted to when-in-Rome it. I remember not being able to find anyplace that sold cigarettes, which I thought was odd for Paris. I finally did, and the pack lasted me a month. As a matter of fact, I think I chucked most of the pack in a waste bin in Scotland.

I don't know why I posted that pic. Thought it was funny. Found it at the top of the box of old photos next to my bed -one of many that is looking for a final resting place. What do you do with old photos? Me, I want to scan them all, put them on a DVD, play it back for my kids years from now. I'm already planning the Dad Lecture Series: "Here's me being stupid again. Don't do this. I was lucky and got away with it. They should have put me in jail." And so forth.

Like I have time to scan all those old pictures. There are countless thousands of them, but I may just dive in one day. I know I always complain about the weight of tasks I have hanging over my head, but I do it to myself on purpose. Keeps the mind occupied lest the imagination becomes a stomping ground for my demons. As a result of all the projects, I haven't been bored in years. There was about 5 minutes of boredom one Sunday afternoon in August of '06, I think. I remember just opening a beer and sitting outside for a while. It occurred to me that it wasn't boredom at all, but relaxation. It was great! Now, sometimes, when I get home from a hard day of work, I get a beer and I just wander around the garden and check how the plants are growing. Look for bugs in the suburbs.

It's a far cry from Amsterdam.


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