I spend a lot of my spare time putting people’s names into google and trying to find them. I never really know what to say to them if I do stumble across them in a new life of whatever they are doing now, which is always radically different than what they were doing ten years ago. I have an incredible problem with looking into the past and thinking it was a wonderful time, hence my first book and other web projects. So I always find it amazing when I do run across some piece of the past in the form of a person or some old news posting or whatever.
Lately, I've been having more people find me first, which is always great. It makes me think the permanent 34.216.9.77/ domain is starting to pay off. I just heard from an old friend Alana who I thought was forever lost. And a few weeks ago, I got a message from Brian Smith, who even had a very small bit part in Summer Rain, although I didn't tell him at the time.
I'm thinking of having a contest for the book where if you send a picture of yourself in a strange place with the book (or just the book without you in the picture), I'll send you a dollar or something. Then I will put all of the pictures on the web. I don't know if this is the sort of thing reserved for stolen garden gnomes, but I think it would be fun. Too bad I don't have any copies yet, or I'd take some of my own pictures in Vegas and Colorado later this month.
I can't believe a year ago I was in Florida. I sure wish I was sitting in the pool down in Treasure Island right now. I’d love to have some kind of canoe or small boat down there, where I could go to a public launch and then just circle around all day, do nothing, take a lot of photos. It’s such a relaxing thought, especially considering that New York is pathetically hot right now, and I had one of those days where every single fucking person on the sidewalk was in the exact wrong place in front of me. There are times I think about buying some kind of aircraft landing strobe so people would get the fuck out of my way. My doctor keeps telling me I should go for walks more, but if I can’t walk ten feet without someone tripping me up, I don’t think it will help my cardiovascular situation. I sure miss being able to hop on my bike and ride across an empty cornfield for 20 miles.
Okay, I think the AC is getting fired up now…