Last night was definitely a less than stellar implementation of the de-screening process, i.e. I played ‘Rampage’ most of the night. Did go to the gym and had a good weights workout, so I don’t feel so bad. But little reading done and no writing. However, I did get over 3,000,000 points and discovered that after Alaska, Fairbanks specifically, it switches to random cities. Oh, and there’s a cloud that shoots lightning at you after a while that I don’t remember from the old days. Not surprising since I never would have had enough quarters to get that far. Some of the later levels I was spending a virtual credit per level or so, and there were well over 100 levels before the randomizing kicked in!

My ‘de-screening’ process continues. I finally finished transcribing the existing text of the novel from screen to journal over the weekend. Also, I transitioned my ‘House’ projects from OmniOutliner to a (rather alarmingly tall) stack of index cards. At the same time, I decided to stop the daily HPDA cards, instead creating a ‘week view’ with important meetings, appointments, etc. Office projects remain in OmniOutliner (I just need to pull out Writing at this point) and all date-critical items go into ical for emailed reminders, which I’ve come to love over the popup monstrosities.

Weekly reviews become much more streamlined and efficient, daily at-home tasks are handled separately and unredundantly, and Roberto is a happier camper because he can not turn on his computer every night as soon as he gets home. (Contented sigh.) This will also ease the need to pack the computer on bike commutes, since I’ll just leave it at work overnight. And with TV controlled, I’ll be so much better able to work, write, and read at home. Be at home, and not trapped in the glow of a screen.

Lance Armstrong announced he’s retiring directly after this year’s Tour de France, which is bittersweet — good for him to hang up the bike when he’s still tops, but sad to see him go.

Also on the sports front, the Dodgers are 11-2 as of this writing. Earlier, they came back from 6-1 against the Brewers to tie it in the 8th, then Milton Bradley homered in the 10th, and they won 8-6. Nice. If this keeps up, everybody will be asking ‘Adrian Beltre who?’ And we’re still missing Gagne and Werth and Penny! Still, a long season to go.

I noticed in some pictures of journals posted online that a lot of people use every line, leaving no space between as I do. i got in the habit of double spacing a long time ago as it makes it possible to edit on the same page. It also opens things up if you like to add in a few flourishes now and again.

Really still struggling with the screen time. I need to get the novel material in the new journal and off the computer, stat.

My buddy Tom Bridge emailed me about an article he read by LA Times sportswriter Bill Plaschke, all about Irving Zeiger, 86 — a lifelong Dodgers season-ticket holder who is unable to afford to keep his family’s seats thanks to the new high-price section they’ve created at Dodger Stadium by pushing the stands into the infield. His $20,000/year tickets for seats right above the dugout would now be costing him $120,000/year. Irving voted with his wallet and stayed home for opening day. Good for him.

I feel sorry for Irving only up to a point. And that point is the $20,000 he was able to spend on season tickets every year. However the businessization of the Dodgers is a separate issue, and one that I think everyone who loves the team and its history can feel sorry about. As cries of team poverty are yelled, I think we know where the real Money Ball is played, and it’s not on the field or in the clubhouse — it’s in the stands.

(Continued on blogging.la.)