I have a date: May 12, 2011. That’s my last day of chemotherapy. A solid target.

I’m taking aim.

–Reid.

I got a haircut at Floyd’s today–my third since being out of the hospital. They’re extremely nice and well humored in there and they do a consistently good job with my ever-changing head of hair. I highly recommend them for any Denver-area folks. Though, I guess they’re all over, according to their website. What do I know? I was shaggy in New York for the last six years.

I’m fascinated by the name “Floyd’s”: this was the name of the iconic early-1960′s Main Street barbershop from The Andy Griffith Show. This modern Floyd’s, however, features loud music, several teevees that seem long stuck on ESPN, and pictures of rock ‘n roll legends plastered to the wall. Not a bad thing, certainly, just the kind of weird thing that rolls around in my head while getting my hair cut.

Those thoughts that float around in my brain during haircuts are never really important and then I always focus on them for a longer time than I should. For instance, how come when I let my hair grow out, more of it seems to fall out from chemo (balder with more hair), but every time I get it cut, my chemo-induced male pattern baldness seems to go away for a while (more hair when cut)? Today, our conversation turned to magic while I was in the chair. I can, therefore, only imagine that magic has something to do with it.

I also found myself wondering whatever happened to the Populist Party that managed to win several states in the presidential election of 1892^*. That’s the election in which Democrat Grover Cleveland handily defeated incumbent Republican President Benjamin Harrison, thus allowing him to serve the only non-consecutive term of any U.S. president. Four years previous, Cleveland had won the popular vote but–hey! Where are you going?!

Get back here! I need companionship!! I promise I won’t even talk about the Teapot Dome Scandal!!!

–Reid.

^*I can tell I’ve spent way too much time on Wikipedia because this is true.^†

^‡Made you look.

After not playing for nearly a year, I started reforming my guitar calluses yesterday. I got in some Beatles, some John Lennon, some Dispatch, and of course some Machines. I’m intentionally playing one of my dad’s acoustic guitars in order to form the calluses back up since the strings are wider than the strings of an electric guitar. That said, I did get in a little time with the electric guitar Joe built me just for the sake of playing it.

The beautiful guitar Joe made me (and a lot of friends signed) sat in my hospital room unplayed the whole time I was there, and has been similarly unused since I got home. My fingers haven’t been up for precise maneuvering for a long time and playing the guitar has been very difficult. They also just haven’t been strong enough. While they’re a little more dexterous and strong now, I discovered that being out of practice makes everything harder, too (so my piano teacher was right after all!). I’ll get it, though–it’s just like riding a bike, or something (not like riding a horse, though).

I played for a few hours. My dad played some drums along with me, and was quite considerately playing very slow.

I’ve been playing the piano in place of the guitar since I got home from the hospital, but a number of factors in NYC pushed me back to the guitar. Namely, hanging out with Matt, Christina, and Chris and being jealous of their musicianship. unLEVINed had two songs in it! Two!!

Needless to say, it’s a big deal to me, even if I’m not, you know, a rock star.

Yet.

–Reid.

—————-
Now playing: Ben Folds – There’s Always Someone Cooler Than You
via FoxyTunes

I just finished filling out my mail-in ballot! I feel good knowing that, having done my civic duty, I can complain about the state of the country for the next four years if my guy doesn’t get elected. Or hey, (who am I kidding?), even if he does.

While I was filling out my ballot, it occurred to me how downright weirdly some third parties name themselves. Why do they do this? It makes it a little hard to take them seriously. Sure, there are some respectable-sounding third parties like the Constitution party or the Independence party, but for every one of those, you have two or three Marijuana parties or Modern Whig parties. Many voters may have a difficult time even considering the Marijuana party. And those who you’d assume would consider a Marijuana candidate never seem to be able to turn off Animal Planet and get out of the house to do any voting.

On this year’s Colorado ballot, my favorite silly third party name was listed simply as “Boston Tea”. Thus, of course, making them the Boston Tea party. As there was no “Birthday” party, the Boston Tea party was clearly the best silly name for a third party on this year’s ballot.

On the other hand, the most confusing party name on the ballot was, unquestionably, “HeartQuake ’08″. What exactly is a “HeartQuake”? Should I love it? Should I fear it? And does the “’08″ in the party’s name mean they will only run candidates in 2008 and never again? If that’s the case, why not run again, and give voters a better chance to experience HeartQuakes for themselves? This would seem reasonable to me. Or perhaps deadly, depending on what exactly a HeartQuake turns out to be.

Even the so-called “Bull Moose” party created by Theodore Roosevelt was officially called the Progressive party. TR knew that although the Bull Moose was a great image for his party’s combination of strong financial reform and forward-thinking social policy, he needed a name for his party that did conjure up images of horrific chimeras (the Griffin Party of 1908 having failed to garner even a single electoral vote) . Mirroring TR’s unique style of diplomacy, the party’s motto became “Walk softly around the whole Bull Moose thing and carry a big stick with a ‘Progressive Party’ banner attached to it”.

What could the HeartQuake ’08 party’s motto possibly be? “Vote HeartQuake ’08: It’s like a freedom-loving earthquake in one of your vital organs!” or maybe “Vote HeartQuake ’08: The Richter Scale of American Freedom is at a 10… in your chest!” Maybe the “’08″ part of the name implies that they know it’s a silly name and intend to change it in 2012. One can only hope for the WaffleBenderTunaFish ’12 party’s motto: “Vote WaffleBenderTunaFish ’12: Continuing the tradition of combining unrelated words as a political party name.”

Anyway, I have a good feeling about my selection for president this year. I think I’ll finally be part of the winning team. Go Dance party!

Make sure to vote, even if you think your particular candidates or issues are shoe-ins where ever you’re registered to vote… and even if there’s a marathon of that show about meerkats on Animal Planet.

–Reid.

—————-
Now playing: Rooney – Blueside
via FoxyTunes

The trip comes to an end with some final reunions and good byes.

Awoke
Fancy/Crappy Breakfast
Goodbye, Cousin
Z Lunch
Z Music
Overdone
Rest
Airport
The Flight
Half Awake/Asleep
Landed
Home?
Bed
Sleep

Thought For The Day: Wherever I am, I’ll just be happy thinking about you.
–Snail (Zalewski)

Final Thought: This trip was as perfect a definition of me as I imagine I will ever experience. All of you–my friends, my family, and my city–you make me who I am. You do more than make my life worth living; you make my life worth fighting for, and you give me the strength to fight for it.

Thank you.

–Reid.

—————-
Now playing: Eisenhower – Clementine
via FoxyTunes

Rested after last night’s excitement with friends I haven’t seen in a long time and family (Cousin Lauren) that I haven’t seen in a longer time.

Awoke
Only 9 AM
Back 2 sleep
Awoke II
Only 11 AM
Back 02 sleep
Awoke III
Only 1:30 PM
Supermac!
Restin’ Writin’
Locked Out
Man or Reiman
Cadet Glass
Pomodoro’s Posse
Sleepy Party
SNL Letdown
Sleep?

Thought For The Day: I don’t need you to like my friends, but it sure makes me feel good that you do.

–Reid.

—————-
Now playing: Spoon – The Underdog
via FoxyTunes

(A gift from Jamie Furterer.)

unLEVINed was amazing. It was the first BTTM show I’ve ever seen, and I have to say, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen–it was tight, it was fast, and it was very funny. It was an added treat seeing it with Rachie and Bec. Anything I had helped write was immeasurably better, and anything I hadn’t helped to create was far beyond my expectations. Any jealousy about how much fun it seemed was overridden by a feeling of graciousness for having such great and talented group of friends dedicate such a great show to me–and then invite me up to be a part of the group at the end of the show.

The number of people who had seen it before who came back to be with me was a wonderful warm feeling of being loved unlike just about anything I’ve ever experienced before.

Awoke
IHOP, we hop
Amy hops right outta town
Room 1611
Great Wall
Great Paul
Work
3Rs <3 NYC
Tick Tock BTTM+ Reunion zzZZzz
Lobby Talk, friends zzZZzzZzzZ
unLEVINed (Recharge!)
Together we are Better Than The Machine; individually, we are... Paul, Carlos, Christina, Matt... and Reid!
Party
Flood of Friends
Bed Time: 5 AM

Thought For The Day: I think I'm just about as happy as I've ever been.

--Reid.

----------------
Now playing: John Lennon – Imagine
via FoxyTunes

A day of rest after yesterday’s travel.

Awoke
Alone
Short 4 Block Walk
Bodega $ zz
Short Walk, pt. 2 zzZz
Fat… igue zzZzzZZzzz
Fruity Pebbles ZzzzZzz
Phone a Friend(s) zZzzZZz
Sleep
Shower
Phone a Friend(s)
Work on their time (EST)
Eat on their dime (PBJ)
Sleep
Black Gypsy $$
Riverdale Din(n)er
Zen Sarcasm
White Gypsy $$$$
Teevee ZzZzzz
Sleeprobably?

Thought For The Day: Whether 1800 Miles or 4 Blocks, this body’s not built for traveling. It’s built for partying… ehm… tomorrow.

–Reid (asleepy).

Watch this video to see the kind of hate that is alive and well in our country today.

The fact that Al Jezeera reported this is sort of insignificant, except that CNN and MSNBC and the major networks kind of seem to leave this stuff alone. Scary stuff.

–Reid.

—————-
Now playing: Smashing Pumpkins – The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning
via FoxyTunes

Awoke
Fruity Pebbles
Driven
Check in
Wheelchair
Security
Golf Cart
Quizno’s Tuna To Go
JettingBlue zZzzZz
Newsweek zZzzZz
Quizno’s zzZZzzZz
Airnap zzZZzzzzZz
Fishsplosion! (in bag)
Land-ho!
Wheelchair 2, the sequel
Taxi
Bronxhattan
Amy!! ~<3
Ferrets
Nip
Nap
Pizza
Sack (hit the)

Thought For The Day: Dad was right, traveling’s tiring. ZzZzZzzz

–Reid (asleep).