"This is a song about a monster."

It's been a good weekend here, I suppose. Kelli and the kids went to Corsicana yesterday, while I stayed behind to attend my stats class.

They spent the night, and I had a whole day to myself.

Class ended at 2pm. I had some lunch, then went to find my shoes so I could mow the yard. Walking past the bed, it all but reached out and grabbed me. Boom, down for the count again. It was after 5pm when I woke up.

I was seized with that strange restlessness again, and once again, I dealt with it by going to a mall.

Maybe I'm finally losing my mind.

I spent all evening wandering around Grapevine Mills Mall. I bought clothes for the new job. I poked around in the Virgin store there (where I found nothing), had a good meal at Chili's, then hit Wherehouse Music, where I bought a copy of Jellyfish's SPILT MILK (my previous copy was stolen).

I stayed up until... I don't know, maybe 1 or 2am working on a cool lullaby CD for the Zavalas, who are expecting their first child in early May. After that I hit the sheets and had full-blown insomnia. The house was so quiet it roared, and I just could not get used to being in that bed alone. I got up and watched TV for a stretch. Mattress ads, Girls Gone Wild/Wild Party Girls ads, and some sort of mixed martial arts infomercial hosted by Roy Jones, Jr and a blonde in a bad wig. I was surprised to see Jones doing that.

It was about 4am when I finally managed to get to sleep.

***

At 10am I woke up. Kelli and the kids were on the way home, and I'd accomplished ZIP on the yard work I'd wanted to do all weekend. So I choked down some breakfast and did some mowing.

I was pleased to see the pants I bought last night advertised in today's paper for $10 more than I paid for them.

***

Looks like Thursday THEBOY and I will go down to Angleton/Matagorda to see Dad/Charlene and, with any luck, Amanda and her kids. We'll hang out at the river house until Sunday or so, then head back. It'll mean skipping my stats class Saturday. No, I did not cry when I typed that.

***

I've got this short story floating through my head, one I've meant to jot down for the longest. But you know, now that I have time to do it, I'm just not sure I want to commit to it. It's a pretty messed up idea, and I can't make myself spend the time to write something that would shock Kelli. I'd really like to write a nice love story for her someday, but that stuff just doesn't come to me much. The characters and scenarios that manifest themselves in my imagination are tragic, flawed.

I should do it, I know.

***

On the fourth Sunday since I sodded parts of my yard, it is finally raining.

***

I'm really looking forward to the Matagorda trip though. Kevin will get to fish, maybe do some crabbing, ride in a boat. He's excited about it too.

***

THEBOY was watching THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT this evening. As the band bumbled their way through the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" in rehearsal, THEBOY turned to me and said, "This is a song about a monster."

***

Have a good week.