10/06/2002 Entry: "not in jail!"

Finally hung out with John and Westy tonight. Which, of course, meant that we came very close to being arrested. Much to close for comfort. However, some quick talking and clever distraction managed to convince the cops that Westy was just peeing in the parking lot (which he was) and that we were not, in fact, aquiring new decorations for my room from a certain fast food chain. I hate to say it, but as smooth as we are, I'm going to have to chalk getting out of this one up to luck. It's rare I get that close to being caught when I'm actually doing something wrong. The adrenaline rush is pretty tasty.

We also watched a pretty good fireworks display in Waterloo. It was pretty strange, I was sitting on a parking ramp ledge with Westy's 2 year old in my lap. I felt strangely adult and fatherly, and I was getting a pretty neat kick out of his kid's reaction to the fireworks. I can't wait to teach that kid how to set fires.

I've did a whole lot of thinking today before I went out and did stuff. So much of being happy is convincing yourself that you are happy with what you have, and that you don't need more. That is easy until something reminds of you of things that you don't have, and then you become unhappy. This is the basis behind advertising. They show people in commercials ecstatically happy with certain things in order to convince you that you are not happy, and will only be happy if you buy their crap that you don't need. A happy, content person will never by crap they don't need. The purpose of advertising, therefore, is to depress America so they waste their money. How do you fight this? Turn off the fucking TV. Unfortunately, it's not that easy for my situation.

Fear and adrenaline do well to clear my head though. Maybe that's why I do/did so much stupid risky shit... Tonight just added to my amazement that I'm not dead or in jail yet.