November 26, 2006

Second Floor [journals]



Entry1_It's 2:07am on Sunday and I'm on the second floor of our building. It's a lobby of sorts. And by sorts I mean it's not like a hotel lobby. It's not even like the lobby of a seedy motel. The wood floors beneath are dirty, the walls have been painted many times over and the washed up fireplace to my left hasn't given off heat since the 80's. The building has no heat and the doors and windows behind me give way to the fire escape, which gives way to a chilly 50 degrees. The kind of cold that Michigan residents begin feeling in early September. Ahead of me are a stack of studio apartments inhabited by people who are probably still up like me. I'm wearing a gray winter hat, blue jeans from Buffalo Exchange and a long-sleeve t-shirt from American Apparel that I bought with Paul Kind in May. It was the last time I bought clothes. iTunes is churning out Blowers Daughter by Damien Rice, but if I had my other computer I'd be listening to No Need To Argue by the Cranberries. Next to my keys is a pack of cloves and I've smoked two of them in the last two hours...both times were preceded by nostalgia. They're called "Splash" and I smoke about a pack or three a year. I liken my cloves to the old man's cigar or the Indian's peace pipe. The non-inhaling kind that's good for the soul.

I came up here to catch up on the news, read my favorite Blogs and to research which countries we need visas in. Instead I'm thinking about Christianity. What I like about it. What I can't stand. I'm thinking about my friends outside the faith and those who are inside. I'm thinking about our trip around the world. How, in a few short months, I'm gonna board a plane to Hong Kong and have no idea what I'm gonna do when I step off the plane. I'm thinking about the book I've been reading this week by Douglas Coupland. It's called Microsurfs. I'm also wondering why the wireless network I'm on right now is called "Nigga Pancakes." And why this person would choose to capitalize the N and the P.

I really love that secret track at the end of the Alanis Morisette "Jagged Little Pill" cd.

9 comments:

Keith.Drury said...

I was sound asleep at this time.... but not long after I got up ;-) --coach D

Anonymous said...

Where do you smoke? I thought in LA you have to stay about 343 ft from any front door, and only then in special outdoor-yet-indoor smoking chambers. Or something like that :)

Josh said...

I walk out onto the fire escape. :)

David Drury said...

Loved Microserfs...

Might be my favorite Coupland.

-DD

Anonymous said...

I have "All Families are Psychotic" taunting me from the bookshelf, compliments of PaperBackSwap.com :)

Anonymous said...

It is interesting how I found your blog. I'm a student at IWU and started reading some blogs and before I knew it I found myself facing a bright orange screen with a man who shared my first name. Hello. My name is Josh.

I liked it when you were talking about the people outside of our faith, the people that don't know. I find it odd that some people think about them in a morbid kind of pitty and others still a Christ-like love. When you think about people that don't know Christ, what do you think about the most? Just a question.


feel free to read a little--I like your style I'll probably check in again in a week or two (that sounds like a mom calling her kid up at school)

josh

jlemons.blogspot.com

I tried to comment close to five times, if you have five comments from me I apologize.

Brooke Smith said...

i MISS YOU! k, that's all! :)

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Hey Josh, stumbled upon your blog-spot from your myspace. I like your thoughts, especially these: A) No Need to Argue by the Cranberries. What a classic, I think you've inspired me to pull out that disc. B) Cloves. You gotta love the taste they leave on your lips, whether inhaling or not. Very nostalgic! C) Christianity. I, too, find myself thinking EXACTLY that, a lot. The values I love about it and those I detest; those who fall inside Christianity, and those who are on the outs. And where do I fall?
p.s. I know I've heard the hidden Alanis track, but now I can't place it, and it's going to drive me bonkers all day.
p.p.s. I'm trying to revive the word "bonkers".
Megan

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