January 4, 2004

           I’m a little weary of “advanced” books and computer manuals. I read till noon and dropped over to see young JZ. He’s still a hanging shelves, and we spent a few hours over at Home Depot. Like myself, he likes to just stroll about seeing what America has for sale, and what the Cubans who drive the Miami real estate pyramid are actually buying. Oh, and my 41 year [safe-driving] history is wiped out – we are all just a broken tail-light from jail. For the first time in my life, I was stopped for a traffic violation. I forgot to turn on my lights when I pulled out of Winn/Dixie at dusk.

           Jail you say? Yes, there is no longer a hope that being pulled over involves just a recent traffic offense. You are now scanned and scoped through the national database of criminals. Statistically, only 29% of state and only 49% of FBI records are accurate, yet you are not presumed innocent. It’s practically your fault if the records are wrong (82% of convictions are based on stupid things said by the person arrested, because they did not understand being arrested!)

           [Author's note 2022: I believe this display of a gingerbread mansion is from Aventura mall. The picture was taken around this same date.]

           That’s when I went over to Quizno’s for a break. Business has slowed down, it’s not exactly tourist season. Alaine wasn’t there, and Cory is getting used to me being a fixture. Which reminds me, JZ’s birthday is in a couple weeks. He gets to pick the place, so I hope it is the church. I mean, if his dad gets hit for the $700 tab, it should be a place we can meet eligible women. As it stands, all I get is gossip, which depends on whether I hear it or say it. The gossip? That all JZ and I ever do is go booze it up at Churchill’s. (In fact, we only ever did that once, and we both left early.) Do the police have to ‘positively identify’ you? Actually no, they just prefer to do so.
           My favorite second hand store was closed, the type of error I am very apt to make. I did browse Borders again, and had this week’s lady check me out. I held back, and sure enough, no matter how interested she was in the magazines of the exact rack I was next tp, when I later cut across the street to feed the meter, she was arm-in-arm with a skinny man about my age. She originally looked out of place in the bookstore anyway. Sour grapes, man.

           [Author's note 2022: if I recall correctly, I beat that ticket by showing up. So my safe-driving record continues. Those were the days when JZ got anything he wanted on his birthday. It reminds me how my father never gave me no $100 total in this life and did not know when it was my birthday. There you have it, scarred for life! Yes, a few times we did run up a $700 tab, I confess.]

           [Author's note 2022: blogs of this period that contain pictures are often backfills, as digital pictures were rare enough back then and stored differently. These are here for color and often may have to connection to the editorial.]