General: June 2004 Archives

I went to a specialist this morning and finally got my ears cleaned out. It took hardly any time at all. He had given me Cerumol, which contains paint thinner (seriously) to put in my ears for a week before he would take any action. Three uses of the syringe and boom! Done.

I haven't been able to hear most ambient noise for a couple of months. I always had to face my coworkers and often have to move closer to them in order to make out what they were saying. I would hear ridiculous things in place of what people were really saying. It was tough. And French! That was three times as hard. But now, it's all restored. I even had a test of my hearing which I thought I failed if you can fail such a test, but it turns out that my hearing is normal.

So life is grand. The Montreal Jazz Festival starts today. Do you have your plane tickets?

I seem to have a talent for knowing when Rose updates, especially considering I no longer check my buddies page at Diaryland, and she doesn't have a notify list as far as I know. She briefly goes over my heroic saving of a baby urban brown bird this past weekend. I have no idea what they are really called, but it was young, and wasn't doing so well.

They say that the devil appeared to Robert Johnson and offered the chance of an eternity: Be the King of the Delta Blues for the price of your soul. The "Crossroads" story is a blues legend. Robert eagerly jumped at the opportunity. I suppose he's burning in hell now.

Ever wonder how the devil would appear to you? What kind of offer would the devil be making you? What would you want to have so much that you would pay any price for? Would you sacrifice your soul for a family member's life? A spouse's? I wouldn't, because everyone must die sooner or later. Better to have a soul and live in mourning than feel nothing ever again. What about guaranteed prosperity for all? I wouldn't do that either. I don't trust people to maintain such perfect conditions.

A more interesting question is, what form would the devil take to entice you? For some, it would be a sexy member of the preferred sex. For others, it would be an innocent, ordinary-looking person, and for still others, the devil would look like, The Devil, horns and all. For me, I think the devil would look like an evil version of me. As badass and corrupt as possible. Physically perfect, with a look that would make a Nazgul flee. Swirling blackness would partially obscure his body, and light would shy away from him. Pure evil. Or pure self-interest. But I didn't need to say it twice.

One year ago today, I was paid off. That touched off the best summer I have had since I was a kid.