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Hello, my name is Judas Gutenberg and this is my blaag (pronounced as you would the vomit noise "hyroop-bleuach").

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   stolen Cold Fusion book
Saturday, November 7 1998
On an mission to find a bookstore, Kim and I went down to near where I work in Mission Valley. Despite its proximity to downtown, Mission Valley actually has the feel of a typical American fringe city. Everything there is new, clean and shiny, there's plenty of parking, and most of the businesses are either mall-like retailers or industrial-park white collar industries.
I got a copy of the Microsoft Visual InterDev Web Technologies Reference at a Crown Bookstore staffed by bitchy employees suffering through the final stages of terminal PMS. But Kim couldn't find the book she sought, so we continued on to a Borders. While Kim went inside I walked Sophie the Miniature Schnauzer in the large & dismal parking lot area.
I took Sophie into a dusty fenced-off construction area where yet another infectious shopping experience was in the process of being fabricated. There wasn't much there yet, just a few mobile offices and piles of switch boxes and electrical conduit (aka "pea shooters"). I could see all kinds of artistic possibilites in such materials, but Sophie was bored. Evidently there had been no dogs marking territory in here at all. For a dog this was a barren desert, unworthy of even the most cursory exploration. I thought I could find a more interesting landscape for Sophie out in the parking lot, particularly on the vegetated "islands" in the sea of asphalt, but apparently no dogs had passed through this area at all. She pissed once, but only because she had to.
Back in front of Borders were a number of tables stacked with discount books. I found one documenting (in all its deliciously embarrassing detail) the scientific fiasco known as Cold Fusion. I tucked it under my arm and since no one was keeping track, I never did pay for it. I really should have grabbed that Mondrian coffee table book which I also saw!
In Ocean Beach, Kim and I had barbecue on Newport Street and then walked up to Dog Beach, buying yard sale items along the way. I picked up an ancient little stereo amp and set of speakers specifically so I'd have sound on my computer. Then we paid $10 for a shelf system to a guy who promised to hold it for us until Thursday, when we move to our new place only a block away.

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