About the Blog

Webhostess (Nicky): Well... I did this because of the fact it's for my Fiancee.. And one of his favorite characters from Babylon 5 is Michael Garibaldi. I figured that I'd try to give him something that he'd enjoy working on. Waves cutely from behind the safety of her muses To tell the truth... This one sorta scares me. Or maybe it's just the fact this is a non-anime set up....
Or it's the fact this is the second lay out I've ever done... Hm... I think it still needs something though. Rambles on while she putters around with the blog to work the bugs out.

Donny:Looks up from a wrestling site to figure out what she's going on about and figures it's safer not knowing....


Staff File

Name : Donny, Don or D.
Well known as: Colossus, Ranger_One (Koi to Nicky)
Sex: Male
Age: 25
Birthdate/Sign:9/22/77 - Virgo
Location: Georgia, USA

E-mail: Gold Channel only

Likes:



Gets crazy about:


AndAlong a few friends...

Quotes:
"Bottom line is even if you see 'em comin', you're not ready for the big moment. No one asked for their life to change. But it does. The big moments are going to come, you can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts." - Whistler, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"

"D, you're the only man I know who can take rushing in where angels fear to tread and perfect it to both a science and an artform." - Duncan (A good friend)


What's in the Zocalo: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 08:34 a.m.

Quiz Kid Donnie Smith: And the book says, "We may be through with the past, but the past is not through with us!"
- Magnolia


Just a quick update, for those of you who have been harrassing me about doing so - There will be a new redesign in the next couple of weeks, courtesy of my sister, the HTML Goddess that she is. I will also post one massive mother of an update that will cover the last year. Originally, it was going to be called Six Months On The Edge, but that's because it was supposed to have been posted six months ago.

Procrastinate? Me?? Well, maybe when I get around to it.

For those of you keeping notes at home (yes, both of you), this Friday will be the one year anniversary of the TIA. That means that I've gone five months past the expiration date that was stamped on my forehead and there's no sign of trouble. In fact, I'm in the best shape I've ever been in.

Okay, so that's the update. Happy?

Be cool, eat fruit.


Stopped at the gates:

What's in the Zocalo: Wednesday, April 9, 2003 10:55 p.m.

And so it begins - Again.

Live - Heaven

You don't need no friends
Get back your faith again
You have the power to believe
Another dissident
Take back your evidence
It has no power to decieve

I'll believe it when I see it, for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive

I sit with them all night
Everything they say is right
But in the morning they were wrong
I'll be right by your side
Come hell or water high
Down any road you choose to roam

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive, yeah

Darling, I believe, Oh Lord
Sometimes it's hard to breathe, Lord
At the bottom of the sea, yeah yeah

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I don't need no one
Ohhhh
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
To tell me about heaven
I believe
I believe it, yeah


Limp Bizkit - Crack Addict

3... 2... 1...

Here we go again
Right now
Let’s go
Me and you
Toe to toe
Let's make it rock
Make it roll

Here we go again
Right now
Let’s go
Me and you
Toe to toe
Let's make it rock
Make it roll

You see its one for the trouble
And two for the time
One for the trouble
And two for the time
One for the trouble
And two for the time
Come on y'all and let’s rock

Now I'm gonna full up my lungs with some butane
Turn the mic into a flame
Damn that shit's hot
Super heavy
Build like a Chevy
and I ain't really mad at the "hey hey"

Round two
You ready for a break?
You keep on talking I’m gonna
break you up something like this
Full throttle
Better be prepared
Coming with the kick and the snare
Apocalypse now
Who's talkin' shit now
Gimme the countdown

3... 2... 1!

Here we go again
Right now
Let’s go
Me and you
Toe to toe
Let's make it rock
Make it roll

Here we go again
Right now
Let’s go
Me and you
Toe to toe
Let's make it rock
Make it roll

I want to throw you
Tell you to your face right now
Not really sure right now
Not really sure I know how
Gonna try
Gonna try
Give you a piece of my mind
Gonna try
Gonna try
And I hope you don’t mind
I’m a crack addict
That’s right I’m a crack addict
You heard me I’m a crack addict
I’m addicted to crackin' skulls who cause more static
It’s time to panic
I’m addicted to crackin' skulls who cause more static
It’s time to panic
I’m addicted to crackin' skulls who cause more static

Here we go again
Right now
Let’s go
Me and you
Toe to toe
Let's make it rock
Make it roll
Here we go again
Right now
Let’s go
Me and you
Toe to toe
Let's make it rock
Make it roll



Stopped at the gates: First Step Upon Victory Road

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, April 1, 2003 12:50 p.m.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

I'm gonna fight them all, a seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off, taking their time right behind my back
And I'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind behind the cigarette
And the message coming from my eye, it say's leave it alone

Don't want to hear about it, every single woman's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it, from the queen of england to the hounds of hell
And if I catch you coming back my way, I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear, but that's what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bone, it says find a home

I'm goin' to Wichita, far from this opera forever more
I'm gonna work the straw, make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin' right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me and I will sing no more
And the stain's coming from my blood tell me go back home



Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns & Money

Well, I went home with the waitress
The way I always do
How was I to know
She was with the Russians, too

I was gambling in Havana
I took a little risk
Send lawyers, guns and money
Dad, get me out of this

I'm the innocent bystander
Somehow I got stuck
Between the rock and the hard place
And I'm down on my luck
And I'm down on my luck
And I'm down on my luck

Now I'm hiding in Honduras
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
The shit has hit the fan



Stopped at the gates: Initiating Plan: Alpha Tango Foxtrot

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, March 31, 2003 11:07 a.m.

Adm. Reigart: The United States wants its boy back!
- Behind Enemy Lines


Rolling Stones - Highwire

We sell 'em missiles, We sell 'em tanks
We give 'em credit, We even call the bank

It's just a business, You can pay us in crude
You love these toys, just go play out your feuds

Got no pride, don't know whose boots to lick
We act so greedy, makes me sick sick sick

So get up, stand up, out of my way
I want to talk to the boss right away
Get up, stand up, whose gonna pay
I want to talk to the man right away

We walk the highwire
Sending the men up to the front line
Hoping they don't catch the hell fire
With hot guns and cold, cold nights

We walk the highwire
Sending the men up to the front line
And tell 'em to hotbed the sunshine
With hot guns and cold, cold nights

Our lives are threatened, our jobs at risk
Sometimes dictators need a slap on the wrist

Another Munich we just can't afford
We're gonna send in the 82nd Airborne

Get up, stand up, who's gonna pay
I wanna talk to the boss right away
Get up, stand up, outta my way
I wanna talk to the man right away

We walk the highwire
Putting the world out on a deadline
And hoping they don't catch the shellfire
With hot guns and cold, cold nights

We walk the highwire
Putting the world out on a deadline
Playing Capture the Flag on primetime
With hot guns and cold, cold nights

Get up! Stand up!
Fire!

We walk the highwire
We send all our men to the front lines
We're hoping that we backed the right side
With hot guns and cold, cold nights

We walk the highwire
We send all the men up to the front lines
And hoping they don't catch the hellfire
With hot guns and cold cold, cold, cold, cold nights

We walk the highwire
We walk the highwire
With hot guns and cold, cold, cold nights

With hot guns and cold, cold nights


Sit tight, boys. Help is on the way. Our prayers are with you.


Stopped at the gates: Here We Go Again

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, March 3, 2003 11:02 a.m.

Lewis: People want leadership. And in the absence of genuine leadership, they will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership, Mr. President. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand.

Shepard: Lewis, we've had Presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty, Lewis. They drink it because they don't know the difference
- The American President

Matchbox 20 - Unwell

All day staring at the ceiling
Making friends with shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something

Hold on
Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown
And I don't know why

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be...me

I'm talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train
And I know, I know they've all been talking about me
I can hear them whisper
And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinking
Somehow I've lost my mind

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

I've been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah, they're taking me away

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

Yeah, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I'm just a little unwell



Stopped at the gates: One Moment Of Perfect Clarity

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 08:36 a.m.

Maximus: On my signal, unleash Hell.
- Gladiator


Sister Hazel - Sword and Shield

Just when the sky runs out of rain
Just when the sun runs out of light
Just when the earth is ill with pain
Just when your body is out of fight
I will be there
I will be the smallest piece in everything
And I would give my life before I break this promise to you

Melt in to me
Don't you want to be the ones that last forever
I'll be your everlasting
And enemies they take your will but they won't last forever
I'll be your sword and shield and
I'll be your sword
I'll be your shield

Just when the ocean starts to dry
Just when the air is sick with smoke
Just when the statues start to cry
And fallen angels they lay broken
I will be there
I will be the smallest piece in everything
And I would lose my life before I break this promise to you

Melt in to me
Don't you want to be the ones that last forever
I'll be your everlasting
And enemies they take your peace but they won't last forever
I'll be your sword and shield and
I'll be your sword
I'll be your shield

I'll be your gracious angel
I'll be your favorite stranger
I'll be the mortar holding your walls
I'll be your army

Just when the sky runs out of rain
Just when the sun runs out of light
Just when the earth is ill with pain
Just when your body is out of fight
I will be there
I will be the smallest piece in everything
And I would give my life before I break this promise to you

Melt in to me
Don't you want to be the ones that last forever
I'll be your everlasting
And enemies they take your peace but they wont last forever
I'll be your sword and shield and
I'll be your sword
I'll be your shield
I'll be your sword
I'll be your shield
I'll be your army



Stopped at the gates: Gathering The Troops

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, February 17, 2003 10:16 a.m.

"When I come for you, don't try to run; you'll just die tired."
- Unknown


Busta Rhymes & Ozzy Osborne - This Means War

[Busta Rhymes]
Just make sure them, them drums is smackin'

This, means, WAR!!

I work hard to take care of every one of my people
Feel the love and appreciation from all of my people
When I think meditate and contemplate for my soul
watch the truth manifest once the story unfold
Disloyal motherfuckers I'ma BANISH you all
and celebrate all in your absence once I get rid of y'all
Sometimes I can't describe the wicked shit I feel in my heart
Break my silence and sporadically tear you apart
Strike with a serious vengeance and before you die
Put you through the worst and make you take a look in my eye!
So you could witness the extreme damage caused by betrayal
Make you sorry for the fact that you attempted and failed!
Make you eternally suffer, you was one of my mens
Turn your back on me, and I'ma make sure you get it back times ten
Stay TRUE -- now that's the one thing I religiously pledge
If you ain't wit' me I'ma throw you WAY over the edge
THIS MEANS WAR!!

[Ozzy Osbourne]
Take a look inside
You can run and you can hide
If you cross my path
I'll make sure you feel my wrath
Give and you receive
Cherish every breath you breathe
Scriptures on the wall
Those who betray all must fall

[Busta Rhymes]
As I cherish every blessing and I greet you with hugs
You my peoples when I see you I embrace you with love
Yeah I be the one to come and get you out of the hole
Yeah you be the one to run and leave me out in the cold
So amazing how many times you plot and you scheme
But what you don't realize, you'll never conquer my dream
Though devilish karma can't penetrate the steel in my armor
Time passed, my oppression got you living with drama!
Paranoid of my retaliation, living in fear
Disloyalty will have me kill my brother, sheddin' a tear
Such a shame how you could easily get trapped in a zone
And have to go to war with FAKE bitches standin' alone
Until I get with all my loyal people goin' the length
Don't matter how hard you try you never weaken my strength!
Now I'm with all of my loyal brothers, breakin' the bread
And if you diss the code of honor we takin' your head;
THIS MEANS WAR!!

[Ozzy Osbourne]
Take a look inside
You can run and you can hide
If you cross my path
I'll make sure you feel my wrath
Give and you receive
Cherish every breath you breathe
Scriptures on the wall
Those who betray all must fall

Nobody helps them
Now he has his revenge

[Busta Rhymes]
Whatchu gon' do? Whatchu gonna do?
Where you think you can run, or you can hide?
Where you think you can run, or you can hide?!!
Where you think you can run, or you can hide?!!!
Where you think you can run, or you can hide?!!!!

I'ma BE the best to show love let's co-operate
Disloyalty is somethin' that we won't tolerate
Deal with these, let's put them where they properly go
On the Island far away in a place where NOBODY know
So long fightin' the bullshit for so many years
Watchin the danger and friends double crossin' they peers
Yes I always fight for what is right and put my foot down
Disrespect my love, I'ma be LAYIN' YOU DOWN
THIS MEANS WAR!

[Ozzy Osbourne]
Take a look inside
You can run and you can hide
If you cross my path
I'll make sure you feel my wrath
Give and you receive
Cherish every breath you breathe
Scriptures on the wall
Those who betray all must fall



Stopped at the gates: Cleaning House

What's in the Zocalo: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 07:34 a.m.

"Those people are still my family, but, sometimes, family just can't live together anymore."
- Tod Gordon


John Mayer - Why Georgia

I am driving up 85 in the
Kind of morning that lasts all afternoon
just stuck inside the gloom
4 more exits to my apartment but
I am tempted to keep the car in drive
And leave it all behind

Cause I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life

Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why Georgia, why?

I rent a room and I fill the spaces with
Wood in places to make it feel like home
But all I feel's alone
It might be a quarter life crisis
Or just the stirring in my soul

Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life

Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why Georgia, why?

So what, so I've got a smile on
But it's hiding the quiet superstitions in my head
Don't believe me
When I say I've got it down

Everybody is just a stranger but
That's the danger in going my own way
I guess it's the price I have to pay
Still "everything happens for a reason"
Is no reason not to ask myself

If I am living it right
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why Georgia, why?



Stopped at the gates: Goin' Home

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 08:57 a.m.

"When you think you've figured out the answers, you know I'll just change the questions!"
- Roddy Piper


Blues Traveler - Hook

It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel that I'll convey
Some inner truth of vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks

Because the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook brings you back
On that you can rely

There is something amiss
I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this
Still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer
To familiar heroes from long ago
No matter how much Peter loved her
What made the Pan refuse to grow

Was that the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook brings you back
On that you can rely

Suck it in suck it in suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
Make a desperate move or else you'll win
And then begin
To see
What you're doing to me this MTV is not for free
It's so PC it's killing me
So desperately I sing to thee
Of love
Sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self
And I can't keep these feelings on the shelf
I've tried well no in fact I lied
Could be financial suicide but I've got too much pride
inside
To hide or slide
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died
And only then shall I abide this tide
Of catchy little tunes
Of hip three minute ditties
I wanna bust all your balloons
I wanna burn all of your cities
To the ground I've found
I will not mess around
Unless I play then hey
I will go on all day hear what I say
I have a prayer to pray
That's really all this was
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck
I don't rely on luck because...

The hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook...
On that you can rely



Stopped at the gates: No Power In The 'Verse Can Stop Me

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, January 13, 2003 08:39 a.m.

Charlie: How do you do it? You're a hobbit, bitch. Straight out of the Shire, you are!
- "Something Funny Happened On The Way To Real Life: The Unbelieveable True Stories Of Information Super Highway Road Kill" Chapter 34, 'Infinite Possibilities'


Don Henley - Everything Is Different Now

I hate to tell you this, but I'm very, very happy
And I know that's not what you'd expect from me at all
I'm not the kind to smile and bow out gracefully
I always wanted to take it to the wall

But I found somebody with a heart as big as Texas
I found an angel with the golden wings
She saw me down here in the dark somehow
And everything is different now

Yeah, I miss the old crowd sometimes
And the wild, wild nights of running
You know, a starving soul can't live like that for long
You go around in circles that just keep getting smaller
You wake up one morning and half your life is gone
I got so tired of that; I got so lonely
I dropped down and I called out to heaven
Send me someone to love.
And heaven shot back, You get the love that you allow.
And everything is different now

Oh, and it's sweet to know
The wisdom that living brings
Since I got a telegram from the god of simple things

She said, "I don't care what you do for a living."
She said, "I don't care what kind of car you drive."
All I want to know right now is what do you believe in
And what it means to you to be alive
Will you stand here in this fire with me?
Are you ready for another life?
So I bit that bullet and I took that vow
And everything is different now
Everything is different now



Stopped at the gates: Reset

What's in the Zocalo: Sunday, January 12, 2003 02:21 a.m.

Sister Hazel - Change Your Mind

Hey, Hey
Did you ever think
There might be another way
To just feel better,
Just feel better about today

Oh no
If you never want to have
To turn and go away
You might feel better,
Might feel better if you stay

Yeah yeah
I bet you haven't heard
A word I've said
Yeah yeah
If you've had enough
Of all your tryin'
Just give up
The state of mind you're in

If you want to be somebody else,
If you're tired of fighting battles with yourself
If you want to be somebody else
Change your mind

Hey hey
Have you ever danced in the rain
Or thanked the sun
Just for shining, just for shining
Or the sea?
Oh no
Take it all in
The world's a show
And yeah, you look much better,
Look much better when you glow

Yeah yeah
I hope you've heard
Every word I've said
Yeah yeah
If you've had enough
Of all your tryin'
Just give up
The state of mind you're in

If you want to be somebody else,
If you're tired of fighting battles with yourself
If you want to be somebody else
Change your mind

Hey hey
What ya say
We both go and seize the day
'cause what's your hurry
What's your hurry anyway

Yeah yeah
I hope you heard
Every word I've said
Yeah yeah
If you've had enough
Of all your tryin'
Just give up
The state of mind you're in

If you want to be somebody else,
If you're tired of losing battles with yourself
If you want to be somebody else
Change your mind



Okay, this is where we have a little "Come to Jesus" time.

I fully expect people to stop talking to me after this, but that's alright. Confession is good for the soul and I need to get this out.

Game's over, gang. "What game?" you ask. The one I've been playing with everybody under the sun. I've grown tired of it. The whole "woe is me, does anyone still care?" bullshit act has finally gotten old. Oooh... I can feel the shock and dismay from here. Well, buckle up, snookums, it's about to get serious.

You see, guys, for the last few months, it's probably seemed like I was so out of it, I always needed to have someone to tell me what to do. Well, the fact of the matter is that I was so worried about making mistakes and I was so afraid of what you'd think of me if I screwed up, I overcompensated and ended up making things worse. I tried to involve everyone in everything, which was a bigger mistake than any other I could have made. I have come to realize just how ridiculous this all has been. I don't need anyone to hold my hand, but I sure as hell made it seem that way, didn't I? I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to put that on you. It was a game, like I said. Not that I didn't feel like I needed help at the time, but I should have been stronger and not brought other people into it, but I did.

The whole point of this is to say that I know I should to trust myself. I don't need to have constant counsel, as it has seemed lately. You are my friends and I love you dearly, but I guess it's gotten to the point that I don't need anyone and, truthfully, no one needs me. We're just here. And I'm cool with that. If my friends can't deal with me making mistakes on my own, then they probably weren't really my friends to begin with. After everything that has happened since Thanksgiving, that point has been driven home pretty hard.

I am going to be my own person. And for those of you who have known me for awhile, that's probably a relief. For those of you who have just joined the cast, that's probably a shock. I'm not playing the game anymore. And what happens after this is going to be a hell of a lot of fun.

Yeah, shake it up.



Stopped at the gates: Deconstruction of Falling Stars

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, December 24, 2002 06:25 p.m.

Jim Johnston - You're Gonna Pay


You've done it now
You've gone and made a big mistake
And I can't allow, you to think you can just walk away
So turn around, and face the piper you're gonna pay
'cause the end is now
This is gonna be your judgement day

A cheap shot
That's the way that you play the game
I was blindsided, things will never ever be the same
Nice guys, it's said they always finish last
But badasses, always kick an asshole's ass

Kick it!

You're gonna Pay, You're Gonna Pay
There's no forgiveness this time
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
It's my business, you're mine
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
I'm burning these walls to the ground
You're gonna pay, You're gonna pay
I'm gonna bring you down

You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay

No more chances
No more excuses, no lies
Your story's ending, time to say your goodbyes
Nice guys, it's said they always finish last

Asshole,
Kick it

Kick it

You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
There's no forgiveness this time
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
It's my business, you're mine
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
I'm burning these walls to the ground
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
I'm gonna bring you down

You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay
You're gonna pay, you're gonna pay



It is said that you should be careful of who you trust. If you make a single mistake in those choices, you could pay for it for the rest of your life. You would think that I'd have learned that lesson by now. But, no... someone always has to bury that knife a little bit deeper the next time around, just to see if they can get your attention.

Damn, was that ever a mistake.



Stopped at the gates: Boom.

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, December 24, 2002 07:35 a.m.

"When the Apocalypse comes -- I'm gonna ask him for his autograph." - Unknown

So, this is Christmas? Doesn't much feel like it. This isn't the typical Charlie Brown, "Oh, Linus, I don't see the point. Christmas has become too commercial" blues either. This is deeper than that, and I don't much care for it.

You know, I used to love this time of year. The lights and the decorations and the time to spend with loved ones... it was perfect. Keyword: Was. This year's different. I get to experience the cold, hard truth of this time of year: The Holidays are for those who have people to spend them with. I don't have that anymore. I knew that it was going to be bad this year, because it's my first Christmas without Nick. But, that's the tip of the iceberg. Everyone has flown the coop. Grandmother? Staying at the Nursing Home. Mom? Living in Florida. Brother? Living in Florida. It's just me this year. No tree. No dinner. No gifts. No music. To hell with it. All of it.

Oh, I'm sorry... was that too bitter for this joyous, magical time of year? The holidays exist for one reason: To remind those of us who don't have anyone of just how bad our lives suck. Well, I don't need the reminder, thank you all the same. You can fold it five ways and tuck it under your rumble seat.

I just want this to be over with.

Note to self: Tomorrow, sleep in. There's no reason to get out of bed anyway.


Stopped at the gates: Bah Humbug

What's in the Zocalo: Friday, November 29, 2002 11:02 a.m.

Simon: To drive free. To love free. To court destruction with taunts. To feed the remainder of life with one hour of fullness and freedom. One brief hour of madness and joy.
- With Honors


Sarah McLachlan - Hold On


Hold on
Hold on to yourself
For this is gonna hurt like hell

Hold on
Hold on to yourself.
You know that only time can tell

What is it in me that refuses to believe
This isn't easier than the real thing

My love
you know that you're my best friend
You know that I'd do anything for you
And my love
Let nothing come between us
My love for you is strong and true

Am I in Heaven here or
am I...
At the crossroads I am standing

So now you're sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
that you'll be strong tomorrow
and will see another day
and we will praise it
and love the light that brings a smile
across your face

Oh God
If you're out there won't you hear me
I know we've never talked before

And oh God
The One I love is leaving
Won't you take them when they come to your door

Am I in Heaven here or
am I in Hell
at the crossroads I am standing

So now you're sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
That you'll be strong tomorrow
and we will see another day
and we will praise it
and love the light that brings a smile
across your face

Hold on
Hold on to yourself
For this is gonna hurt like Hell



Billy Pilgrim - Insomniac


I can see you, don't even know you
Falling into the sheets at night
I place my hands flat on my chest
I feel the heart beat back the night
I try counting sheep, and I talk to the shepherd
And I play with my pillow for ever and ever
I sit alone and I watch the clock
I breathe in on the tick and out on the tock

I can hear your bare feet on the kitchen floor
I don't have to have these dreams no more
Cause I've found someone just to hold me tight
Hold the insomniac all night

Dig my head down deep so I can't hear the cars outside on the street
And the stars are laughing
They get a kick out of my misery
I tried everything short of Aristotle to Dramamine
And the whiskey bottle
Pray for the day when my ship comes in
I can sleep the sleep of the just again

I can hear your bare feet on the kitchen floor
I don't have to have these dreams no more
Cause I've found someone just to hold me tight
Hold the insomniac all night

I can hear your bare feet on the kitchen floor
I don't have to have these dreams no more
Cause I've found someone just to hold me tight
Hold the insomniac all night



Do you remember that?

Nobody's going to like what comes next.



Stopped at the gates: Long Nights, Bad Dreams

What's in the Zocalo: Thursday, November 28, 2002 10:24 a.m.

Jo: Boy, new job, new truck, new wife. It's like a whole new you.
- Twister


Have you ever had your life change so much that you're not entirely sure that it's still your own anymore? That's where I am now.

Where to begin... Well, first of all, I've moved into a new house. The place is great. Four bedrooms, all hardwood floors, three fireplaces (including one in my bedroom) and a spare room to use as a game room or a computer room (AKA: Mission Control). The bathroom, though, is cracking me up. It's an antique bathroom and it still has the original fixtures and tub from the 30s. That means the tub is up on legs and there are seperate fawcets for hot and cold water at the sink. That's taking some getting used to, but it's cool.

I started a new job this week. The people there are awesome. It's a company full of comic book and wrestling geeks! I am with my people! And I'm making more money than I ever have. Can't beat that, right? I'll go into more detail later...

Finally, as my friends know, I've been overweight virtually my entire life. Well, as of yesterday, I'm down to 195lbs. That's still heavy, but considering I was around 240lbs at the beginning of the year, I'm pretty proud of myself.

It all sounds great, doesn't it? There's still a problem... I have no one to share all of this with. The truth of the matter is that if I could go back just one year, I would. I would trade all of the relative good fortune... the house, the job, the lost weight... all of it, just to have my old life back. I know that change is supposed to be a good and healthy thing, but I'm not feeling that today. I don't know who I am anymore. I feel like I've lost my way and somehow, I ended up in someone else's life. It's not a bad life... it's just not mine. *sigh*

Someone set the Wayback Machine for 2001.



Stopped at the gates: Atypical Days

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 11:17 p.m.

Angel: It's not like the world is gonna end right this second.
- Angel, "Apocalypse Nowish"


Jimmy Buffett - Take Another Road


Seen the false horizons fade away like bisons
Headed for the jungle, cowboy can't endure
Never look back, that's what he swore
I'll take my pony to the shore
Somewhere, somewhere

Take another road to a hiding place
Disappear without a trace
Take another road to another time
On another road in another time
Like a novel from the five and dime
Take another road another time

Follow the equator, like that old articulator
Sail upon the ocean just like Mr. Twain
Never look back, this is my plan
Run my pony through the sand
Somewhere, somewhere

Take another road to a hiding place
Disappear without a trace
Take another road to another time
On another road in another time
Like a novel from the five and dime
Take another road another time

Leave my cares behind
Take my own sweet time
Ocean's on my mind

Take another road to a hiding place
Disappear without a trace
Take another road to another time
On another road in another time
Like a novel from the five and dime
Take another road another time

Take another road to a hiding place
Disappear without a trace
Take another road to another time
On another road in another time
Like a novel from the five and dime
Take another road another time



Yeah... nobody's going to like what comes next.


Stopped at the gates: The End Of The Beginning

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, November 18, 2002 02:07 a.m.

Lex: The road to darkness is a journey... not a lightswitch.
- Smallville, "Ryan"


David Gray - The Other Side


Meet me on the other side
Meet me on the other side
I'll see you on the other side
See you on the other side

Honey now if I'm honest
I still don't know what love is
Another mirage folds into the haze of time recalled
And now the floodgates cannot hold
All my sorrow all my rage
A tear that falls on every page

Meet me on the other side
Meet me on the other side

Maybe I oughta mention
Was never my intention
To harm you or your kin
Are you so scared to look within
The ghosts are crawling on our skin
We may race and we may run
We'll not undo what has been done
Or change the moment when it's gone

Meet me on the other side
Meet me on the other side
I'll see you on the other side
I'll see you on the other side

I know it would be outrageous
To come on all courageous
And offer you my hand
To pull you up on to dry land
When all I got is sinking sand
That trick ain't worth the time it buys
I'm sick of hearing my own lies
And love's a raven when it flies

Meet me on the other side
Meet me on the other side
I'll see you on the other side
See you on the other side
Honey now if I'm honest

I still don't know what love is



Stopped at the gates: New Days Always Start At Midnight

What's in the Zocalo: Friday, November 15, 2002 02:40 a.m.

Stopped at the gates: Beauty

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, November 4, 2002 03:29 p.m.

King of Swords
President John Sheridan
The Phoenix


Suddenly I realize that there's no escaping who you are. You can run as much as you like, but there's no getting away from what is inside your head.

This calls for a change of plan and direction.

As good ol' JR would say, "Business is about to pick up."


T-Minus: 6 months, 8 days.


Coming Soon: Six Months On The Edge


Stopped at the gates: Moments of Clarity, Moments of Transition

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, November 4, 2002 01:47 p.m.

FIRE OF AIR. Serious and intellectual, you live in the world of thoughts and ideas. You grasp things quicker than most and are a master debater. Your verbal skills are unparalleled; your conversations are stimulating. You are concerned with issues of justice. Your standards are high, so there is danger of becoming too moralistic. While truth is generally an honorable thing, chew on this: "Why Yes Herr Strudel, my neighbor IS hiding Jews in his basement!" You're Christopher Walken in Suicide Kings.
Quiz created by Polly Snodgrass.

Stopped at the gates: Pop Quiz The Second

What's in the Zocalo: Sunday, November 3, 2002 10:00 p.m.


Congratulations, you're John Sheridan, war hero, commander of Babylon 5, and president of the Interstellar Alliance.
Which Babylon 5 Character are you?
Take the Babylon 5 Quizby Paradox.



You are a phoenix.
What legend are you?. Take the Legendary Being Quiz by Paradox


Stopped at the gates: Pop Quiz

What's in the Zocalo: Sunday, October 20, 2002 05:46 p.m.

David Lee Roth - A Lil' Ain't Enough


Empty pockets never stopped
Me from singing a blue streak

And I don't think the devil
Ever gonna give me back

And stayin' 'round here takes
Patience
It's like a full time occupation

I've become a diplomaniac

Hey mean old gal you know the cross-town
Bus just rolled
Yeah I'm the same old number
But we still got time to go

Oh I say mama living ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama and a lil' ain't enough for me

Yeah I'm believing that you needin' your
Relaxation
But honey tell me can you tell that
Story twice?

Cause there's a function at the junction
I think ya better get it all ready girl
See I was born without a silver spoon
But I'm gonna make a stir

Was vaccinated with a phonograph needle
One summer break
And then I kissed her on her daddy's boat
And shot across the lake
And was singin' it

Oh I say mama living ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama and a lil' ain't enough for me
Oh I say mama living ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama and a lil' ain't enough for me

Was vaccinated with a phonograph needle
One summer break
Same summer that I kissed her on her daddy's boat
And shot across the lake
Yeah!

Oh I say mama living ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama and a lil' ain't enough for me
Oh I say mama living ain't a luxury
Oh I say mama and a lil' ain't enough for me


Coming Soon: Six Months On The Edge


Stopped at the gates: Change of Scenery

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, October 14, 2002 08:50 p.m.

Hamish: Where are you going?

Wallace: I'm going to pick a fight.

Hamish: Well, we didn't get dressed up for nothing.
- Braveheart


Fight

I, I know your every move
I've heard your every word
I know you well
And I've got nothing left to prove
Your threats I find absurd
I am your Hell

Everytime you think that I'm done
I come back stronger
Everytime you that you've got me
I will fight you
And I will put you in the ground

I will fight 'til there's nothing left
'Til my legs are gone
You won't forget me
And I will fight 'til my final breath
Just to see you fall
I'll make you fear me

Everytime you think I'm done
I come back stronger
And everytime you think that you've got me
I will fight you
And I will put you in the ground

I will fight 'til there's nothing left
'Til my legs are gone
You won't forget me...

And everytime you think I'm done
I come back stronger
And everytime you think that you've got me
I will fight you

Everytime you think that I'm done
I come back stronger
And everytime you think that you've got me
I will fight you
And I will put you in the ground


Now... now you're messing with a son of a bitch

Stopped at the gates: Don't Start What You Can't Finish

What's in the Zocalo: Sunday, September 29, 2002 05:28 p.m.

Ser·en·dip·i·ty
n. pl. Ser·en·dip·i·ties
1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.


You know... it's true. Everything can change in one night.


Bap Kennedy - Moonlight Kiss

I can feel my heart
And it's fit to burst
I try to clean it up
But I just get worse

Wish I could fall
On a night like this
Into your lovin' arms
For a moonlight kiss

I thought I saw your face
In the evenin' sky
On a lonesome cloud
That was driftin' by

I wish I could fall
On a night like this
Into your lovin' arms
For a moonlight kiss

You got someone else
Maybe it's for the best
Since I took the cure
For happiness

And I'd trade it all
On a night like this
For your lovin' arms
And a moonlight kiss

For your lovin' arms
And a moonlight kiss

Lovin' arms
And a moonlight kiss


Dean: They should make pills for this.
- "Serendipity"


Please, God... Please don't let it be too late. One more chance, that's all I ask.



Stopped at the gates: Set The WayBack Machine For 1996!

What's in the Zocalo: Friday, August 9, 2002 03:31 p.m.

Sebastian: How do you know the chosen ones? No greater love hath a man, than he lay down his life for his brother. Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame - for one person, in the dark. Where no one will ever know or see.
Babylon 5, "Comes The Inquisitor"


Blues Traveler - The Gunfighter

I'm taken aback
But still I let it ride
No sudden movements
I ease my hand real slow
Then my hands are like lightning
And the bullets start to fly
I was almost in the clear too
With just inches left to go

And if it's the fool who likes to rush in
And if it's the angel who never does try
And if it's me who will lose or win
Then I'll make my best guess and I won't care why
C'mon and get me you twist of fate
I'm standing right here Mr. Destiny
If you want to talk well then I'll relate
If you don't so what cause you don't scare me

Time comes when I'm older
And a new kid hits the street
They'll say he's fast and he looks for me
And he says I'm going down
And though I try to avoid this man
Eventually we'll meet
He draws faster than I can see and knocks me to the ground

And if it's the fool who likes to rush in
And if it's the angel who never does try
And if it's me who will lose or win
Then I'll make my best guess and I won't care why
C'mon and get me you twist of fate
I'm standing right here Mr. Destiny
If you want to talk well then I'll relate
If you don't so what cause you don't scare me

So I'm lying in the street there
And the lights are getting dim
Preacher man comes and tells me
Repent it's time to pray
You only have to lose once
But you never always win
I smile at him with my last words
And this is what I'll say

Well if it's the fool who likes to rush in
And if it's the angel who never does try
And if it's me who will lose or win
Then I'll make my best guess and I won't care why
C'mon and get me you twist of fate
I'm standing right here Mr. Destiny
If you want to talk well then I'll relate
If you don't so what cause you don't scare me
C'mon and get me you twist of fate
I'm standing right here Mr. Destiny
If you want to talk well then I'll relate
If you don't so what cause you don't scare me


Londo: I saw my death in a dream. I was an old man. How do I know I won't survive this? Perhaps this will pass and I will get better. The dream is prophecy.
Vir: Prophecy is a guess that comes true. When it doesn't then it's a metaphor. You could put a gun to your head tomorrow and pull the trigger and then the dream is just a dream. That prophecy is just a metaphor and so are you.
- Babylon 5, "The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari"


Van Halen - Dream Another Dream

I see the power
Changin' hands
Risin' from the streets
A self made businessman
Knows how the system can be beat
Oh, we're the lost generation
Have no place to go
The road to destruction
Is all we need to know

Cause it's a rip off
We're stripped, drawn, and cheated
We're flat stone cold lied to
But we're not defeated
Easy money
It's your way out
Join the Family
No middleman
No I.R.S.
Your ticket out of poverty
Oh, we're the lost generation
I hold fate from a string
Lookin' for direction
Reachin' out for anything

Dream another dream
This dream is over
Dream another dream
This dream is over
Dream another dream
This dream is over
So dream another dream

Oh, it's a rip off
We're stepped on an' cheated
Flat stone cold lied to
We're not defeated

Dream another dream, this dream is over
Dream another dream, this dream is over
Dream another dream, this dream is over
Dream another dream
Dream another dream...


Sheridan: My father taught me to live each second as though it would be the last moment of my life. He said: 'When you love, love without reservation. When you fight, fight without fear.' He called it "The Way of the Warrior."
- Babylon 5, "The Coming of Shadows"


Stopped at the gates: Next Verse, Same As The First

What's in the Zocalo: Saturday, July 27, 2002 02:29 a.m.

G'Kar: G'Quan wrote, 'There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future, or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.'
- Babylon 5, "Z'ha'dum"

Bruce Springsteen - Countin' On A Miracle

It's a fairy tale so tragic
There's no prince to break the spell
I don't believe in the magic
But for you I will, for you I will
If I'm a fool, I'll be a fool
Darlin' for you

I'm countin' on a miracle
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle
Darlin' I'm countin' on miracle
To come through

There ain't no storybook story
There's no never-ending song
Our happily ever after Darlin'
Forever come and gone
I'm movin' on
If I'm gonna believe
I'll put my faith
Darlin' in you

I'm countin' on a miracle
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle
Darlin' I'm countin' on miracle
To come through

Sleeping beauty awakes from her dream
With her lover's kiss on her lips
Your kiss was taken from me
Now all I have is this...

Your kiss, your touch
Your heart, your strength
Your hope, your faith
Your face, your love
Your dream, your life

I'm runnin' through the forest
With the wolf at my heels
My king is lost at midnight
When the tower bells peal
We've got no fairytale ending
In God's hands our fate is complete
Your heaven's here in my heart
Our love's this dust beneath my feet
Just this dust beneath my feet
If I'm gonna live
I'll lift my life
Darlin' to you

I'm countin' on a miracle
Baby I'm countin' on a miracle
Darlin' I'm countin' on miracle
To come through



Simon: When it comes to relationships everybody is a used car salesman.
Monty: Is that your philosophy: Don't trust anyone?
Simon: No, you gotta trust people. You just can't believe in the warranty.
- With Honors


Well, that was good for, what... two weeks?

I feel a rant coming on...



Stopped at the gates: All My Dreams, Torn Asunder

What's in the Zocalo: Thursday, July 18, 2002 12:32 a.m.

Aerosmith - Back In The Saddle

I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again

Ridin' into town alone
By the light of the moon
I'm looking for ol Sukie Jones
She crazy horse saloon
Barkeep gimme a drink
That's when she caught my eye
She turned to give me a wink
That make a grown man cry

I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back

Come easy, go easy
All right until the rising sun
I'm calling all the shots tonight
I'm like a loaded gun
Peelin' off my boots and chaps
I'm saddle sore
Four bits gets you time in the racks
I scream for more
Fools' gold out of their mines
The girls are soaking wet
No tongue's drier than mine
I'll come when I get back

I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again

I'm riding, I'm loading up my pistol
I'm riding, I really got a fistful
I'm riding, I'm shining up my saddle
I'm riding, this snake is gonna rattle

I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again
I'm back
I'm back in the saddle again

Ridin' high
Ridin' high
Ridin' high already


Kenny Loggins - I'm Free

Looking into your eyes I know I'm right
If there's anything worth my love, it's worth a fight
We only get one chance
But nothing ties our hands
You're what I want
Listen to me
Nothing I want
Is out of my reach

I'm Free
Heaven helps the man who fights his fear
Love's the only thing that keeps me here
You're the reason that I'm hanging on
My heart's staying where my heart belongs
I'm free

Running away will never make me free
And nothing we sign is any kind of guarantee
But I wanna hold you now
And I won't hold you down

I'm shaking the past
Making my breaks
Taking control
If that's what it takes

I'm Free
Heaven helps the man who fights his fear
Love's the only thing that keeps me here
You're the reason that I'm hanging on
My heart's staying where my heart belongs
I'm free

I wanna hold you now
And I won't hold you down
You're what I want
Listen to me
Nothing I want
Is out of my reach

I'm Free
Heaven helps the man who fights his fear
Love's the only thing that keeps me here
You're the reason that I'm hanging on
My heart's staying where my heart belongs
I'm free


Kid Rock - You Never Met One Like Me

Yep
I've been on the cover of the Rolling Stone
I met the president when I was half stoned
I been so high I've gotten confused
I been beat down, broke and used
Motherf'er
I drank with Hank, talked blues with Billy
Rocked with Run, sang with Shotgun Willy
Went from small time Philly to big time Bobby
From 3 day old chili to saki with wasabi

I'm home hey I'm home
You never met one quite like me
Not like me, dida dada like me, hey like me

No more bein' poured drink specials at Winners
Or being ignored by the think straight sinners
I used to smoke pinners while my moms made dinner
Now I smoke bombs and rock with Lynyrd Skynyrd
No beginners here I'm a seasoned vet
Educated on jazz by my man Amed
Heard again, my friend, I been the world and back
But I'm good ol' Georgia boy, can you feel that?

And I'm home
You never met one quite like me
Not like me, Goddamn like me, hey hey like me

Never thought I'd go as far in life as this
Never made par and I could give 2 shits
Never wanted sell cars cause my dad was a dick
Never wanted a guitar 'till I heard a lick like this

-begins playing a riff from "Free Bird"-

And from the depths of dixie to my northern spots
You know its time to rock when ole glory drops

I pimp through town with the top laid back
Black hat, fine blonde, cold pabst in my lap
I'll adapt
To any and all situations
That's why the call me the pimp of the nation
You best believe I live in the woods not your world of greed
Might, a little weed, might, a little yeah
I'm so proud to be living in the USA

You've never met one quite like me
Hey hey like me, da di da da stay like me, hey hey hey like me
You ain't ever met and you ain't never gonna meet
You never met a, never met a, never never never never met
One quite like me
You ain't never met a mutha like me
Hey you ain't never never never never never met someone like me

Megs:Hey! Hey!

Never met like me,

Megs:Hey!

Never met a mutha like me

Megs:D, c'mon! Hey!!

And you never, and never gonna never gonna meeeeeet

Megs:Hey, enough already!

You never meeeeeeeet

Megs:Stop!

What?

Megs:D, there's more to life that just you.

...bwahahahaha!


Stopped at the gates: The Defense Department Regrets To Inform You That All Your Bases Are Belong To Us

What's in the Zocalo: Sunday, July 7, 2002 03:34 a.m.

"I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith."
- IITimothy 4:7


Stopped at the gates: The Long Night

What's in the Zocalo: Friday, July 5, 2002 10:27 p.m.

G'Kar: 'Some must be sacrificed for all to be saved.' First I took that as a revelation for the future. Now I see that it is as much about how we got here as about where we are going. I think that one sentence is the greatest burden I have ever known.
- Babylon 5, "Ship of Tears"

Sheridan: What I want... is to stay alive, to be with you. But you were right before: This is about more than what I want. So I'm going, even though I know it's almost certainly a trap. Finally, I heard what you said when I left, and I want you to know... that I love you. Goodbye.
- Babylon 5, "Z'Ha'Dum"

Sheridan: It's getting darker.
Lorien: I know. You're close, friend... very close. It's easy to find... something worth dying for. Do you have anything worth living for?
Sheridan: I can't see you anymore.
Lorien: As it should be.
Sheridan: What if I fall? How will I know if you'll catch me?
Lorien: I caught you before.
Sheridan: What if I die?
Lorien: I cannot create life. But I can breathe on the remaining embers. It may not work.
Sheridan: But I can hope.
Lorien: Hope... is all we have.
- Babylon 5, "Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?"

Lorien: You heard?
Sheridan: I heard.
Lorien: They need to believe.
Sheridan: Not in me.
Lorien: You can't save them all.
Sheridan: I can try.
Lorien: You'll fail.
Sheridan: We'll see.
- Babylon 5, "Falling Toward Apotheosis"

A New Found Glory - My Friends Over You

I’m drunk off your kiss
For another night in a row
This is becoming too routine for me
But I did not mean to lead you on
And it’s all right to pretend
That we still talk
It’s just for show, isn’t it
It’s my fault that it fell apart

Just maybe
You need this
And I didn’t mean to
Lead you on

You were everything I wanted
But I just can't finish what I've started
There’s no room left here on my back
It was damaged long ago
Though you swear that you are true
I still pick my friends over you
My friends over you

Please tell me everything,
That you think that I should know
About all the plans we made
When I was never to be found
And it’s all right to forget
That we still talk
Its just for fun, isn’t it
It’s my fault that it fell apart

Cuz maybe you need this
And I didn’t mean to
Lead you on

You were everything I wanted
But I just can't finish what I've started
There’s no room left here on my back
It was damaged long ago
Though you swear that you are true
I still pick my friends over you
My friends over you

Just maybe you need this
You need this
And I didn’t mean to
Lead you on

You were everything I wanted
But I just can't finish what I've started
There’s no room left here on my back
It was damaged long ago
Though you swear that you are true
I still pick my friends over you



I'm sorry... I am truly sorry. But, only one person has the right to ask me to do that. And as much as I may care for you, you aren't her.


Stopped at the gates: Leaving On A Jet Plane

What's in the Zocalo: Wednesday, July 3, 2002 02:15 a.m.

Ladies and gentlemen
Hobos and tramps
Crosseyed mosquiteos and bowlegged ants
I come before you to stand behind you
to tell you something I know nothing about.
As next Thursday is Good Friday,
There will be a Fathers' meeting for Mothers only.
Come if you can't
Wear your best clothes if you don't have any
Admission is free, pay at the door
Pull up a chair and sit on the floor

One fine day in the middle of the night
Two boys began a fight
Standing back to back to face each other
They pulled out their swords and shot one another
A deaf policeman heard the noise
and beat the life from the two dead boys
Now if you don't believe this story to be true
Just ask the blind man, he saw it too.

Our next meeting will be on the four corners of the round table.


In a world where five months becomes three days, this actually makes sense.


Stopped at the gates: Dancing To a Song Without A Chorus While Rearranging The Deck Chairs On The Titanic

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, July 1, 2002 08:55 p.m.

Chess - Nobody's Side

What's going on around me
Is barely making sense
I need some explanations fast
I see my present partner
In the imperfect tense
And I don't see how we can last
I feel I need a change of cast
Maybe I'm on nobody's side

And when she gives me reasons
To justify each move
They're getting harder to believe
I know this can't continue
I've still a lot to prove
There must be more I could achieve
But I don't have the nerve to leave

Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side
Better learn to go it alone
Recognize you're out on your own
Nobody's on nobody's side

The one I should not think of
Keeps rolling through my mind
And I don't want to let that go
No lovers ever faithful
No contract truly signed
There's nothing certain left to know
And how the cracks begin to show!

Never make a promise or plan
Take a little love where you can
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never stay too long in your bed
Never lose your heart, use your head
Nobody's on nobody's side.

Never take a stranger's advice
Never let a friend fool you twice
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never be the first to believe
Never be the last to deceive
Nobody's on nobody's side
And never leave a moment too soon
Never waste a hot afternoon
Nobody's on nobody's side
Never stay a minute too long
Don't forget the best will go wrong
Nobody's on nobody's side

Better learn to go it alone
Recognize you're out on your own
Nobody's on nobody's side


Londo: It is good to have friends, is it not Mr. Garibaldi, even if only for a little while?
- Babylon 5, "Acts of Sacrifice"


Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arm

Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms



Stopped at the gates: Kobyashi Maru

What's in the Zocalo: Sunday, June 30, 2002 07:20 p.m.

"Tell me about a female pilot. Twin Suns Leader. She has a
nice voice. Looks to match?" Janson asked.
Wedge struggled to keep from laughing, exchanged a glance
with Tycho. "Well, yes, she's nice looking."
"Married? Attached?"
"Attached I think. Recently attached." To my nephew,
Wedge added to himself, no matter how hard
they try to keep others from noticing.

"So who is she?"
Wedge frowned as if remembering. "Jay something." He turned
to Tycho. "Isn't that right?"
"I think so." Returned Tycho.
"Jay, Jay..." Wedge let his expression clear. "That's it.
Jania Solo."
Janson's face went pale. "The Jania Solo?"
"I'm sure that's the name."
"Sith Spawn. I was flirting with a nine year old."
"Nineteen," added Tycho, "and she has more kills at that
age then us three combined."
Janson sighed, defeated. "I guess I'd better go apologize
to her then throw myself on her lighsaber."
Wedge shook his head. "No, just ask Han to shoot you. It
would be more merciful and it is his right as a father"
"You're still a nasty commanding officer, you know
that?"
Wedge merely smiled.
- Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Rebel Stand

Note to self: When the phone rings after 1am, it's either bad news or someone wanting something. Either way, don't answer the frapin' thing.


Stopped at the gates: Going Home

What's in the Zocalo: Friday, June 28, 2002 12:10 a.m.

Garibaldi: Sometimes people walk out, because they want to be alone. Sometimes they walk away, because they want to see if you care enough to follow them into Hell. I think I went the wrong way.
Babylon 5, "Shadow Dancing"


Eilerson: Where are you going?
Gideon: To follow a friend into Hell.
Crusade, "Memories of War"


Ivanova: All love is unrequited, Steven. All of it.
Babylon 5, "Rising Star"


Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - The Rising

Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile of line

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Left the house this morning
Bells ringing filled the air
Wearin' the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire I come rollin' down here

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

There's spirits above and behind me
Faces gone black, eyes burnin' bright
May their precious blood bind me
Lord, as I stand before your fiery light

I see you Mary in the garden
In the garden of a thousand sighs
There's holy pictures of our children
Dancin' in a sky filled with light
May I feel your arms around me
May I feel your blood mix with mine
A dream of life comes to me
Like a catfish dancin' on the end of my line

Sky of blackness and sorrow (a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness (a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear (a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow (a dream of life)
Your burnin' wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight



Stopped at the gates: From the Ashes

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 12:18 p.m.

Garth Brooks - If Tomorrow Never Comes

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face the world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes



Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird

If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
'Cause there's too many places I've got to see.
But, if I stayed here with you, girl,
Things just couldn't be the same.
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can't change.

Bye, bye, its been a sweet love.
Though this feeling I can't change.
But please don't take it badly,
'Cause Lord knows I'm to blame.
But, if I stayed here with you girl,
Things just couldn't be the same.
Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you'll never change.
And this bird you can not change.
Lord knows, I can't change.
Lord help me, I can't change.



Meat Loaf - Heaven Can Wait

Heaven can wait
And a band of angels wrapped up in my heart
Will take me through the lonely night
Throught the cold of the day

And I know, I know
Heaven can wait
And all the gods come down here just to sing for me
And the melody's gonna make be fly
Without pain, without fear

Give me all of your dreams
And let me go along on your way
Give me all of your prayers to sing
And I'll turn the night into the skylight of day
I got a taste of paradise
I'm never gonna let it slip away
I got a taste of paradise
It's all I really need to make me stay

Just like a child again
Heaven can wait
And all I got is time until the end of time
I won't look back, I won't look back
Let the altars shine

And I know that I've been released
But I don't know to where
And nobody's gonna tell me now
And I don't really care, no no no
I got a taste of paradise
That's all I really need to make me stay
I got a taste of paradise
If I had it any sooner you know
You know I never would have run away
From my home

Heaven can wait
And all I got is time until the end of time
I won't look back, I won't look back
Let the altars shine
Heaven can wait, heaven can wait
I won't look back, I won't look back
Let the altars shine, let the altars shine



Stopped at the gates: Last Rites

What's in the Zocalo: Friday, June 14, 2002 07:55 p.m.

"When I pass on to the next world, I know I won't go to hell because I'm living it now." - The Undertaker

Jars of Clay - Boy On A String

The marionette has your number
She's pulling your arms and legs
Till you can't stand on your own
Dragging your conscience on the stage
And your heart gets rearranged
And you cannot tell you mentor
From your Maker
Look at the crowd bleeding with laughter
Over the way you entertain at beckon call
They don't see behind the lights
Or the painted background
They just like to see you fall

But you don't really mind
And you're just wasting time
You don't feel anything
You're a boy on a string

I feel a sadness like Gapetto
Watching the life that he created run away
Seeing the puppeteer's intrusion
And holding the remains
Of puppets that had rotted away
One day the curtain will not open
And all of the crowds will go away
Someday those strings will choke you
But until that day

You don't really mind
And you're just wasting time
You don't feel anything
You're a boy on a string

You don't really mind
And you're just wasting time
You don't feel anything
You're a boy on a string


Well, that retirement lasted, what, a week?

Some things simply cannot go unanswered.

I have spent every free moment I've had today talking to my friends, getting their feedback and opinions on how I should deal with this. And everyone reading knows what this is. How do you respond to something like that? Well, I guess the best thing you can battle exaggerations with is the truth. But, before I get to that... I've got something to say to everyone currently involved in this little greek tragedy. I'll only say it once for everyone up in the cheap seats. Ready? Okay, here goes... KNOCK THIS SHIT OFF! I mean, Sweet Holy Jebus Harold Crikey on a bowling pin, this is getting about ridiculous! At least I made an effort to keep some things private and personal, but screw it... if we're going off into Jerry Springerland, we might as well take the whole tour while we're here.

First of all, I'll assume Nichole is reading this.

Nick, I'm sorry. I didn't know what was happening until it was already done. If I could change it, I would. And I mean that. The truth of the matter is that I don't blame you for what has happened to me. Ultimately, everything that has happened can be pinned on me and I make no bones about that. I accept full responsibility for what happened between us. I should have done better... I should have done right by you and proved that I loved you more and just said "I love you" less. I should have trusted you more. But, you know... I told you, when you get screwed over enough times and lied to enough times, you come to expect it. You can't believe anyone, as much as you want to. When you told the first lie to me... that broke me right then and there. I just did a piss poor job of explaining it. That's my fault.

Here's the problem... I was taught, at a late age, that if you treat everyone equally, they will respect you and they'll always be there for you, because you will have always been there for them. And you know that, because I told you this more than once. So, what happens when you meet someone that makes you feel more for them than you do for anyone else? It's hard to show it... and you still try to make time for everybody and sooner or later, something has to give. In this case, it was Nichole. And for that, I'm sorry. I honestly thought that you knew me better than that though... I took for granted that you knew how much I truely loved you. That's my fault. Mine. And I accept that.

For the record, no... I have never loved anyone more than I love you. Not Kim, Lauren, Amanda, Heidi, Katy or Ana... even though I said otherwise when I was so incredibly angry with you. I shouldn't have said it. I shouldn't have thought it. But, I did and I can't take that back either. Again, this is my fault.

Now... as far as Liza and Paul go... I know this is going to be difficult to believe, but they didn't listen to me about anything. That is painfully apparent by their reaction whenever I take the blame for what happened. If they had listened to me, they wouldn't have written what they did. The truth of the matter is that I didn't have to say anything. What they reacted to is what you posted on your blog and what you wrote to Liza. I didn't have anything to do with what you wrote. As hard as it may be for you to accept, that was your own doing. Don't blame me for that. You also shouldn't blame me for whatever rift there is between you and your friends in Alaska. Did you know that Chip and Lisa are moving to Atlanta after they get married? Did you know that Lisa made Liza swear not to tell you that they were going to be in the same area code as you? That didn't have anything to do with me either.

Finally, you need to learn when to knock off the exaggerations. Three years of abuse? Now, you have had quite the time dragging me through the mud, and I was willing to accept it. Up to a point. We have gotten past that point. And now comes the part that you didn't want to deal with.

Truth is a three edged sword. This is mine.

Did I tell you that I didn't want you in the chatrooms? Absolutely. Why? Well, when you first moved in and I was still working at the paper, when I came home, you told me, on many occassions, that you had guys hitting on you and flirting with you. I could only deal with that for so long. I had a major issue with that and you should have been able to figure that out, because it certainly isn't a secret that I've got the self-esteem of a field mouse. Especially after the whole Ana debacle. After awhile, yeah... I said you couldn't do it anymore, but here's the important part... you agreed. You said I was right. You don't say that if you don't mean it, but you did. At that point, I thought it was settled, because we agreed that it was. I didn't force you, I didn't bully you. We simply agreed.

Did I object to you wanting to go out to the dance at D*C? Yep. Did we end up going anyway? Yep. But the wait was too long and you decided that you wanted to go back to the hotel and sleep, even after I asked you half a dozen times if you were sure. If you don't believe me, you can ask B and Megs about that too. Or Brian, while you're at it. And here's the thing that you forget... I said that the dances were for single people. That was pretty much borne out to be true, because the next day B and Megs told us all about how they were hit on by the "con*crud" and how Kelly was trying to kiss them and all that. You forget, I have been to D*C for seven years. I know what the dances there, by and large, are like. And, there again, you said I was right.

And as far as the difference between being bored and depressed... well, you don't go to the doctor with a broken neck and tell him you've got a sinus problem, do you? You didn't seem depressed when I was around, but admittedly, I was worried about moving and my job security (or lack thereof) and how we were going to afford anything if I did lose my job. I didn't want to put that on you because you were stressed out enough and I didn't want to add to it. But depressed? No... and if you had told me, which you would have had to, knowing full well I was preoccupied with possibly going to New Jersey and everything else that was going on at the time, I would have done something about it. You were right, Nichole... for a time, I didn't put you first, but it wasn't because of the gang. And that's my fault and I'm sorry. But, dammit... you should have told me.

Finally, you complain about how you couldn't use the computer while I was home and I was keeping you from the gang in #The_Bronze, because they were never on when you had it. Nichole... I have talked to Paul, Berta, Megs and Liza practically everyday while I'm at work. The objection I had was when you were, by your own admission, flirting and being hit on by people that I didn't know. Do you honestly think that I was intentionally keeping you out of #The_Bronze? -sigh- As far as the time on the computer... you had the thing for 12 hours a day (7am - 7pm) five days a week. I used it on weekends and the couple of hours a night I was home and awake and not doing something else. Oh, but I'm the bad guy because, y'know, I actually wanted to enjoy something that I had bought.

I'm not trying to be mean here... I'm just stating what happened. You make it sound like you were a prisoner at home, but you could have gone anywhere you wanted to go if you had only asked Robbie or Mom for a ride. And let me guess... you didn't have any money to spend? Y'know, there has to be some communication somewhere. If you had told me you were going out, I would have given you money or my bank card. God knows I didn't do that during Christmas, right? Hell, I didn't even give you my atm card before I left Alaska just to make sure you had money, right? Of course not, because I'm the bad guy. I never loved you, right? I never thought of you or looked out for you or tried to take care of you, right? I was just an overbearing, jealous prick who held you hostage for three years.

You know... you told Paul that he didn't know what it was really like at home. Apparently you don't either. I wish I could be like you. I wish I could just remember the bad things and tailor fit memories to my specifications so it would make it easier for me to move on and despise you as much as you do me. I wish I could hate you as much as you hate me. But, I can't. I can't forget the good things. I can't pretend that every minute with you was misery. I still remember the good times. I still remember the way you would rest your head on my shoulder when you'd hug me when I came home. I still remember what it was like to hold your hand when we were watching a movie. I still remember how it felt when I held you during a thunderstorm and the look on your face when we went to see Springsteen - your first concert, my first concert with you. I can't forget those things or a thousand other good memories. And what hurts the most is that, according to the doctors, before the end of the year, I may not have those memories anymore. I honestly may not even be here. The truth of the matter is that, if I could spend my last bit of time as a normal person with anyone I wanted in anyway I wanted, I'd spend it with you, doing whatever you wanted to do. But, you don't want to hear that... I doubt you'll have even read this far. But, it is the truth, whatever little that may be worth.

As for the people who ask why I am doing this? The people who keep telling me I should just let go and be with someone else. I'm sorry, I don't work that way. When I love someone... when I truely love them, it doesn't stop, no matter how angry I get or how hurt I am. I have forgiven everyone at some point... and if you don't or can't understand that, then I'm sorry.


Butch Walker - My Way

So you grew up in a town where everybody's all the same
Like a city full of zombies going by the same name
Saying eat this, wear that, think ya know just where it's at
When every body's just alike, now tell me how you deal with that
This much is true, so here's a finger let me say it

There's the right way, then there's my way
There's a highway, if you don't like it you can take it
So just talk away, I don't hear a word you say
I'll be my way, if you don't like it you can take it

You got the ultimate song, but you're fuckin' up the words
And you're fallin' from the bridge that goes straight into the verse
They're saying do this, do that, tell ya how to wear your hat
If everyone was just alike, I don't think I could deal with that
This much is true, so can you hear me as I'm saying

There's the right way, then there's my way
There's a highway, if you don't like it you can take it
So just talk away, I don't hear a word you say
I'll be my way, if you don't like it you can take it

I don't want to, be the one who
Does everything like I'm told to
I don't want to, be the one who
Does everything like I'm told to

There's the right way, then there's my way
There's a highway, if you don't like it you can take it
So just talk away, I don't hear a word you say



Stopped at the gates: In Other News, Andre The Giant Is Still Dead

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, June 3, 2002 03:47 p.m.

Han: How're we doin'?
Luke: Same as always.
Han: That bad, huh?
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi


I've tried to write this several times, but I always find that I'm leaving something out or I have to go back and explain something. All and all, it was pretty frustrating and I had pretty much given up. Well, as much as I give up on anything, I suppose. Then I remembered the advice of an old friend: "Start at the beginning and when you get to the end, stop."

So, in the beginning, God created man...

What? Too far? Fine, but let me tell you, I had some great stuff lined up for the crusades.

This will also probably be my last post for awhile. If people want to check up on me, you can e-mail me. I won't bite, I swear. Thing is, I don't want this to turn into a Pity Party and I could see it perilously close to becoming just that, so I shall spare you that ordeal. My life is a soap opera. It's getting great ratings in Hell. This would be the season finale.

Wednesday night, I went to see the premiere of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones at the midnight showing. I had been planning to see this movie for the better part of a year, and even though I was in a lousy mood, all things considered, I was still going.

If you want a movie review, you're barking up the wrong tree.

Anyway, I got out the movie theater and ran into an old friend. Charlie and I talked about the movie and I went over to his place for a little while, just to unwind and talk more about the movie and whatnot. I had work the next morning, but I wasn't too concerned with that. I have been trying to make more time for my friends these days. While I was at Charlie's, I was in the middle of sentence when I dropped right to my ass. I had lost all semblance of balance. When I tried to speak, it came out as jibberish. What I was thinking in my head made sense, but I couldn't verbalize it. Charlie was pretty quick on the stick and started asking me questions like what was my name. I couldn't even get that out right. The big man, all 5'9" and 130lbs of him, picked me up and stuffed me into his car. He kept asking me things like what was my name, what movie did we just see, what was his name, what was my address... I couldn't tell him. This went on for about five minutes. By the time we got to the ER, I was fine. I was a little disoriented and had a headache, but I was still pretty much okay.

Physically.
The doctor explained what had happened... I had suffered a TIA. A TIA is basically a mini-stroke. It's a warning sign that a real stroke is coming. They usually occure in older people or people who have suffered strokes in the past. I had basically the same chance of experiencing a TIA as I did of dying in a plane crash.

I knew I should have bought that lottery ticket.

So, the doctor explained to me what had happened and said that because of my various health problems, the odds were not with me and there was a very good possibility that I'd have a real stroke before the end of the year.

You know... I said before that there is only so far that a person can be pushed. In the last six weeks, I've lost my soulmate, I've lost my home, I've lost my uncle, I almost had to have my foot amputated and I've just had an expiration date stamped on my forehead. Man, all I need is to get a dog so it can get run over and my life is a country song.


One Last Breath - Creed

Please come now I think I'm falling
I'm holding to all I think is safe
It seems I found the road to nowhere
And I'm trying to escape
I yelled back when I heard thunder
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say

Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down

I'm looking down now that it's over
Reflecting on all of my mistakes
I thought I found the road to somewhere
Somewhere in His grace
I cried out heaven save me
But I'm down to one last breath
And with it let me say
Let me say

Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down

Sad eyes follow me
But I still believe there's somthing left for me
So please come stay with me
'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me
For you and me
For you and me

Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
Hold me now
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking
That maybe six feet
Ain't so far down
Please come now I think I'm falling
I'm holding to all I think is safe


Thing is, I'm not afraid of this. I'm not afraid of dying. I've had a theory about life, and death... God has a grand plan and we are all apart of it. There are certain things we have to accomplish on this Earth before we can get into Heaven. If we die before we accomplish those goals, we're sent back to live our lives over again and this continues until we get it right. It's the Super Mario Brothers vision of reincarnation.

At this point, things have gotten so screwed up and I'm so far away from where I'm supposed to be, it seems that the only way to get back is to start over from the beginning. That is not a prospect that I fear. In fact, I've come to look forward to it.

Of course, I tell my friends this and they try to snap me out of it. They tell me that I've got too much to live for. That cracks me up. I'm 24 going on 70, I'm alone and I've been told that I've got six months or less left to spend as a normal person. Yeah, guys... I've got a great life. It's a thrill. Honest.

The truth of the matter is that I don't want this. Not anymore. I don't want what I have left. It hurts too much. I don't care what happens to me anymore. I worry about my friends and my family... I worry about what it will be like for them after whatever happens, happens. Quite frankly, I feel that I've been more of a burden these last few weeks than anything. But, I just can't find my way to leave. There are times that I could just toss my phone and computer out the nearest window and be done with it. Become a hermit, like I was before Nichole. It'd be easy. No connection to the world... you work, you eat, you sleep, you wake up and repeat. That doesn't sound so bad, really. I've come to believe that anything, would be better than this. And you know what the worst part is? I've got one person to pin this all on. There's one person who made my life into this living hell. There's one person who has ruined my life and made me crave an end to it.

I see him everyday when I look in the mirror.

Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush
Peter:
In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail
No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face, I've changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

Kate:
Don't give up
'Cos you have friends
Don't give up
You're not beaten yet
Don't give up
I know you can make it good

Peter:
Though I saw it all around
Never thought I could be affected
Thought that we'd be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn
Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground

Kate:
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up
We don't need much of anything
Don't give up
'Cause somewhere there's a place
Where we belong
Rest your head
You worry too much
It's going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don't give up
Please don't give up

Peter:
Got to walk out of here
I can't take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river's flowing
That river's flowing

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

Kate:
Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not the only one
Don't give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up now
We're proud of who you are
Don't give up
You know it's never been easy
Don't give up
'Cause I believe there's a place
A place where we belong


A funny thing happens when you realize that your time here is finite. You examine your life in all of its intricate details. You think about all that you've done wrong and wonder what you could do to change it. Then you have to think about what you want to do with the time you have left.

When I told my friends about what had happened, I said that there's still a lot that I want to do before the fork gets stuck in me. I had had a lot of time to think about what Nichole had said before she left. The person she saw me as... that's not a person I want to be. I want to show her the person that I can be, if only for this last little while. But, I don't think I'll get the chance. All I can really say is that I tried. I know that I'm supposed to be the villian... I'm supposed to be the bad guy in black, the tyranical egomaniac. I'm sure there are people counting the days 'til I have a real stroke. I can't change that. And I can't say that I don't deserve it. I know I screwed up. I know that I have this coming. But, believe me when I say that I never wanted any of this. For all my faults and all my mistakes, I wanted nothing more than for us to be happy.

The Best of Intentions - Travis Tritt

I had big plans for our future
Said I'd give you the whole world somehow
I tried makin' good on that promise
Thought I'd be so much further by now
Never could build you a castle
Even though you're the queen of my heart
But I've had the best of intentions from the start

Now some people think I'm a loser
'Cause I seldom get things right
But you make me feel like a winner
When you wrap me in your arms so tight
Please tell me you will remember
No matter how much I do wrong
That I had the best of intentions all along

I gave you a ring
And I promised you things
I always thought we'd do
But my best-laid plans
Slipped right through my hands
To show my love for you
And if you could read my heart
Then you'd know without exception
It was all with the best of intentions

So here I am asking forgiveness
And praying that you'll understand
Don't think I take you for granted
Girl, I know just how lucky I am
Though you deserve so much better
You won't find devotion more true
'Cause I've had the best of intentions
Girl, I've had the best of intentions
Yes, I've had the best of intentions loving you


So, that's it. Not with a bang, not with a wimper... some could argue it's with a whine, but screw those people. Should the time come where I feel the need to share some massive event with the world, I will. Honestly, I don't have the ego to believe that much of anything I have to say is really worth the bandwidth I'm taking up. I just thought that this would be a fitting closure.


Who Wants To Live Forever - Queen
There's no time for us
There's no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams, yet slips away from us

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever

There's no chance for us
It's all decided for us
This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever
Who dares to love forever
When love must die

But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever
Forever is our today

Who waits forever anyway?

The End

Stopped at the gates: Rant 2.0

What's in the Zocalo: Monday, May 13, 2002 01:33 p.m.

My name is Donny. I honestly didn't think that I would be using the blog Nichole set up for me in this way, but since she has posted her rants online, I feel compeled to do the same. I don't really know if anyone is going to read this, other than my sister who is posting this for me (Thanks, Berta), but it was important that I have this out there... I guess as some sort of living document of the last month. You will have to deal with my posting style. I will drop in quotes or songs lyrics where ever I feel it fits. Sometimes it's entire songs, or just a line or two... It's just the way it is. So, let's get into it...


Seein' Red - Unwritten Law

I'm seein red
Don't think you'll have to see my face again
Don't have much time for sympathy
Cause it never happened to me

You're feelin blue, now
I think you bit off more than you could chew
And now it's time to make a choice
And all I wanna hear is your...

So follow the leader down
And swallow your pride
And drown
When there's no place left to go
Baby, that's when you will know

And foolish lies
Well, can't you see? I try to compromise
Cause what you say ain't always true
And I can see the tears in your eyes

And what you said now
Can't stop the words from runnin' through my head
And what I do to get through to you
But you'd only do it again

Oh, I'll confess
I don't know what to make from all this mess
Don't have much time for sympathy
But it never happened to me

You're feelin' down now
I don't know where I'll be when you come along
When now it's time to make a choice
And all I wanna hear is your voice


A month ago today, Nichole left me.
Nothing has been the same since.

I should have seen it coming. The couple of weeks leading to the disaster were horrible. Quite frankly, I couldn't stand living with me. I had been under a lot of pressure at work and as a result, I was impossible at home. The fact that we were moving out of the only home I had known for a quarter century was also weighing heavily on me. The house was shit... it needed new, well, everything, but it was my home. I had hoped to one day have enough money to repair all that was wrong with it, but through a series of bad decisions made by my family, we were losing the house and had to move in with my aunt who had just moved to Georgia from Florida. I was so angry about the fact we were losing the house, I refused to have anything to do with moving. I spent more time away from home than I did at the house anyway, so I wasn't in any mood to deal with packing and whatnot in my off time.

Sounds childish, doesn't it?

Well, that's because it bloody well was. I wasn't backing down though. I was committed to a course of action, when, in truth, I probably just should have been outright committed.

The thing is, the move really wasn't even necessary in the first place. I could have put in some extra money and we could have kept the house. But, Nichole didn't like the house... there was too much wrong with it. So, rather than saving my home, I gave it up to move into a new place to make Nichole happy. Well, that was a brilliant plan on my part.

The Friday before we were to move to the new house, I called Nichole just to see how things were. She told me that she was talking to her dad. I asked how he was doing and how things were. She says that she's going back to Fairbanks. Now I'm really afraid that something is wrong with her dad or her brother, but that's not it at all. She begins ranting about how she doesn't have a life and how she's miserable and it's all my fault.

I'm speechless. And I'm pissed. And I'm out for blood. "Well," I say in a low voice, "if that's what you want to do, I'm not going to stop you. I deserve better than that."

I think you can easily rank that in the ten stupidest things I've ever said in my life. Probably even the top five. And trust me, that is, indeed, a statement. It just got worse from there. I stayed on the phone for the rest of the afternoon and realized that, no, she wasn't screwing around. She was seriously going back to Fairbanks. I began to physically feel my heart break. I couldn't believe this was happening. I thought that maybe we could work things out when I saw her.

That was another mistake.

She was with my Uncle to pick me up from work. She was snappy, bitchy, hateful and impossible to talk to.

Just like I had been for the last two weeks before this nightmare.

I'll spare the ugly details of what happened, but suffice to say, we fought. Badly. Physically. I've got the scars to prove it, even a month later.

The sad truth of the matter is that I deserved it. Everything... I had it coming.

I fucked up. I should have known better... I should have paid more attention to her. She shouldn't have felt how she did, justified or not. I should have done more to make it better for her. And at the time, I had promised myself that once the move was over with and once everything was squared away at work, I would make it up to her. I had planned to take a few days off, check into a hotel somewhere and let it just be us. We needed to recharge our batteries... set things back right. I had assumed that I'd have the chance, but I assumed too much.

You know, in the days after she left, I thought about the promises we had made to each other. She said that she'd never leave, no matter how bad things got. She said she'd always love me and she would never let me get hurt again. And I had promised her the same thing... we had both broken those promises. We hurt each other worse than you can imagine.

You see, no matter how much you love someone, there is a point that you can't be pushed passed. I had pushed Nichole so far passed that point, it couldn't even be seen in the rear view mirror. By the time I realized that, it was too late.

I didn't go to work for a week. I couldn't deal with people. I had tried to go in on Wednesday, but I could only stay for a couple of hours. It felt like the whole place was collapsing on me. I didn't feel safe. I just wanted to go back home. I wanted to go back to the way things were. I wanted to go back to Nichole and feel her arms around me again so I'd know that everything was going to be okay. I had to settle for going to a doctor's appointment.


Mack: "My mother used to tell me, 'God knows the age of every tree, and the color of every flower, and He knows just how wide your shoulders are. And He'll never give you anything to carry, that's bigger than you can handle."
Bo: "Then maybe that what this whole place is about. Maybe that's what you have to do to get by in a place like this."
Mack: "What's that?"
Bo: "Grow bigger shoulders."
Babylon 5, "A View From The Gallery"


The appointment had been made a week earlier. I had had an infection in my foot for about six months, but I didn't want to see a doctor about it. I figured it'd just get better on its own. (Definitely not one of my finer moments). The doctor checked me out and sent me to a specialist about the infection, but before that, I had to go through the usual blood pressure and blood sugar checks. My blood sugar was around four times normal and my blood pressure was in the neighborhood of 180/120. Well, yeah... that kinda thing happens when you stop taking your medication for a week. The Doc changed my prescriptions, tacked on something extra for the blood pressure and sent me on my merry way.

The specialist took a look at my foot and freaked. She asked how long it had been like this and when I told her, she outright said that I was an idiot for waiting as long as I did. I had to have four shots of novacaine pumped in and the doctor promptly removed the nail from my foot where the infection was. As she was doing so, she said that I would have to have some tests and X-Rays to insure that the infection hadn't reached the bone. If it had, the only way to stop it from spreading further would be amputation. She said it so cooly and calmly that I had almost missed it. I was given a prescription for some high powered antibiotics and told to come back in a week for tests.

I went back to the house and sat on the bed and cried until I couldn't do it anymore. I was scared shitless. All I could think was how badly I needed Nichole here... I was afraid that I wasn't going to be a whole person anymore. I went online that night and told my friends the news. I was starting to take a gallow's humor approach to things. It couldn't get any worse, right? In an odd sort of way, I was starting to feel a little better. Just being with my friends and talking to them helped.

I went back to work the next week. My friends there were coming to check on me, patting me on the shoulder, even hugging me when I needed it. They just wanted me to be okay. I was starting to feel a little more human as the week went on. On Wednesday, I got a call from Uncle John. John was kinda like my guardian angel, hence the Uncle part. He looked out for me and went to some extreme lengths for me when I had been having girl problems in the past. He and his girlfriend had just moved to Seattle from Chicago about a month earlier when his job transfered him. I'll never forget his reaction when I told him what had been going on. "Hey, you want me to come down there? Or maybe you can hang out here for a few days. You need to see the new place anyway." I told him that I had missed too much work as it was, but soon, yes I'd come visit.


Chicago - Ingram Hill

If you ever want to come home from Chicago
And leave the things that habit made you love
I’ll be there to await your arrival
To give you a life you’ll never know

Streetlights blind my eyes through a shade that’s halfway pulled
Cracklin’ right side interrupts the radio in my head
Speeding through a familiar town I don’t know all too well
I find a glimpse of you outside my home

If you ever want to come home from Chicago
And leave the things that habit made you love
I’ll be there to await your arrival
To give you a life you’ll never know

Sometimes I get the feeling that I’m not the only one
Somehow my silence speaks for itself
As I stroll on down this street I pray for a chance I’ll see you there
This time I think I’ll share my life with you

If you ever want to come home from Chicago
And leave the things that habit made you love
I’ll be there to await your arrival
To give you a life you’ll never know

Sunday night, around 4am, my phone rings. I hope that it's Nichole, but it isn't. The voice isn't familiar at all and I'm thinking that it's a wrong number, but she knows my name. She introduces herself as John's girlfriend. There had been an accident on Saturday with a drunk driver... John had passed away.

Just when I thought I was out of tears and I couldn't hurt anymore, God proves just how much He loves to screw with people when they're down.

There wasn't a funeral... there was just a wake. I couldn't go, of course. I had been out of work too much. I didn't even tell the people at work. I didn't want to deal with it. The entire course of the month was beginning to resemble a prolonged nightmare and I was afraid of what was going to happen next.

That day, I found out that I was going to be able to keep my foot and that the infection was finally starting to heal. I didn't care. If I thought that losing a part of myself... a literal pound of flesh would somehow make up for what happened, if it would atone for all I had fucked up, it would be worth it.

The more I thought about it, the better shuffling off this mortal coil began to look. If this... this... is what I had to look forward to, I wanted no part of it. I couldn't see it getting any better.

Marcus: Wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair and all the terrible things that happen to us, come because actually deserve them? So now I take comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the Universe. - Babylon 5, "A Late Delivery From Avalon"

"It's a sad man, my friend who's living in his own skin But can't stand the company."
- Bruce Springsteen, "Better Days"


I asked for this. I'm getting everything I deserve. If I hadn't been so demanding, if I hadn't let the pressures of life get to me, Nichole would still be here. I should have told her that I loved her less and shown her more. I should have trusted her more than I did. There are so many things that I wish I had done differently.

I've had to go to a doctor every week since she's been gone for one thing or another. I'm taking three different things for my blood pressure now, because the lowest it has been in a month is 160/100. This thing... it's slowly killing me by inches. But, let's look at what I've done... try to tell me I don't deserve it.

You know what the sad part is? We could have such horrible fights, I wanted nothing more than to never see her again. That's how angry I would be... but, when we were at our best, no one could make us as happy as we could each other.

I still love Nichole; with all my heart. She says she still loves me... I want to believe that. Some of my friends say that's she just playing me. I don't know what hurt worse: the fact that they're putting that thought in my head or that they may be right. I want to believe that there's still a chance for us. But, she won't talk to me now. I know she won't. I also know that, given the chance, I could prove to her that we can make things work. I don't know if I'll ever get it. Honestly, I probably won't... but that chance is all I've got to hold onto to get me through the night.


Maybe It's Me - Ingram Hill

On the radio this morning
They played our song
Thought about the good times
And I wonder what went wrong
Miscommunication?
Or ‘cause you had no faith in me?
Lack of inspiration?
Or maybe, maybe it’s just me

There’s life that surrounds me
But still I cannot see
I just can’t make my heart fall for beauty endlessly
I don’t know what I’m feeling
It’s not right, it can’t be
I try to find someone to blame
But maybe, maybe it’s just me

Maybe you were right to find your way out of my life
You found comfort elsewhere while I held on way too tight
But I find no reason why I can’t be satisfied
Perhaps ‘cause I can’t have you

On the radio this morning
They played our song
Thought about the good times
And I wonder what went wrong
Miscommunication?
Or ‘cause you had no faith in me?
Lack of inspiration?
Or maybe, maybe it’s just me

Maybe you were right to find your way out of my life
You found comfort elsewhere while I held on way too tight
But I found the reason why I can’t be satisfied
Perhaps ‘cause I can’t have you


Stopped at the gates: The Other Side of the Story...

What's in the Zocalo: Tuesday, April 2, 2002 09:23 a.m.

You're Spike. An English badass. At least you were until they put that stupid chip in your head. And then you fell in love with the slayer... Snap out of it, man!
Find your inner vampire.

Stopped at the gates: