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9/3/2003 7:30 PM MST Okay, so here's a bunch of drivel for you. Names changed to protect the not-so-innocent. So, today was a better-than-average day at the airport for me. Usually, I have to spend a long time in line at the ticket check-in counter, get harassed by the security screeners because I requested to get my film hand-checked, have a miserable experience waiting at the gate, and have a pretty terrible flight. After parking my car in long-term parking, I walked to the shuttle stop and I had to wait a whole two minutes to get picked up. When I arrived at the check-in counter, there were only two people ahead of me. That is somehow better than the 20-40 people I usually have to put up with. As usual, I requested that security hand-check my film. I usually carry 1600 and 3200 iso film around, and I would hate to see it ruined by x-rays. Well, nobody sneered at me or gave me any crap about the check this time. In fact, the TSA employee that checked my film to make sure it didn’t contain explosives was a photographer himself. For about ten minutes, we geeked about our camera systems, the film we use, and our techniques. Last time, I had my camera rubbed down for explosives and everything else scrutinized… there was none of that this time around. Eventually, I made it to my gate. Once again, the smell of vinegar permeated the terminal. Weary, dirty, smelly travelers were all packed in a small space. I read a few chapters of Chuck Palahniuk’s new novel, Dairy, and then the boarding began. To my surprise, food now comes in a little blue bag you pick up as you board the plane. We’ve been reduced down to perfectly bland turkey sandwiches, Coca-Cola brand water, and kettle chips. The airlines must really be suffering after 9/11. Que sera sera. I did get to experience a rare treat on this flight… sunset from an airplane can be pretty spectacular. The sky turns this amazing washed-out hue of red, then fades into a deep purple. As the purple fades, little signs of civilization make themselves known as lights begin to litter the earth below. The sun dips below the horizon, leaving one of the most intense crimsons I have ever seen. Soon, everything fades to black. So, I had one of the best weekends, better than I’ve had for a very long time. It all started out innocently enough… I blew off the friends for a loner night that included pizza and a movie. Saturday, things took a turn. This is when I met Boston Girl. 9/4/2003 11:30 PM MST… the story continues. Yeah, it’s still technically my birthday in Utah time, and I am well aware that I am on the East Coast right now… bite me. Happy birthday to me. So, my writing was interrupted because my plane was on its final approach to Dulles International Airport. Make sure your trays are up, your seat backs are to their normal position, and your carry-on luggage is stowed securely. I dared not attempt writing in a journal during an aircraft landing procedure. If the process didn’t shove my pen through my spleen, a flight attendant surely would have done the job. Where was I? Boston Girl. I did have the privilege to hang around this girl for the better part of two days while she was staying in Salt Lake City. I only scratched the surface of this girl, and I imagine there’s a great deal to discover. Over the course of two evenings, I developed quite the affinity for her. Here’s where we depart from the regularly scheduled programming and get to experience some unfiltered romantic feelings. No bullshit this time, you’re tapping straight into the source. Lucky you, right? Normally when I like a girl, I have the standard feelings of attraction and appreciation, but here I felt something I hadn’t felt for over six years. For her, I felt this wonderful euphoria, this complete, unadulterated awe, respect, passion, admiration. On a scale of 1-10, she ranks at a 9 or 10. Only one other person has reached 9. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anybody so completely before. Alas, Boston Girl returned home on Tuesday and I returned to work. I didn’t realize how hard the sledgehammer had hit my heart until then. All day, my blood was boiling, my stomach churning, and I just wanted to scream out to the world at the top of my lungs, anything to attack the cruel injustice of it all. How’s that for melodrama? Yeah, I know. I’m crazy… two days and I had completely fallen for this person. It was never in the game plan. I’m a moron, I am weak, I was a bystander that did nothing to stop this from happening… not like I could. She lives on the other side of the nation, these things are never mutual for me. No, I don’t want this to be so, but nothing ever seems to work out for me. So, once again, game over, Robert. 9/5/2003 12:00 MST Another birthday has come and gone. I am now 24 years old. The sands of time are speeding through the hourglass, and the light at the end of the tunnel is fleeting. I am spending time with the family, and I received some nice birthday trinkets. Oh, at around 4PM EST (I know, I am jumping time zones), Mom slipped on the stairs and sprained her ankle. Well, we thought it was a sprain until dad took her to the ER for x-rays, just in case. At around 8:30, it was discovered that Mom chipped a bone in her foot. She came back in crutches and a temporary cast. After the swelling dies down, she’ll have to go see an orthopedist. Poor Mom, I wish there was something I could do. Heh, 24. Have I accomplished anything worthwhile in my life? Why am I still here?
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