Hey. I have a note, check it out. In the notes section. Some girl named matt-i from the phillipines thinks my life is "cool." Whoooa. Her life must be really, really, really dull.

Well I wasn't expecting anyone to be interested in modern grapes to click on my thingo, but okay.

Sigh, I went to the Obon festival today. Which wasn't exactly the most fabulous thing ever, but it beat going to work. I think the shop was closed anyway, it wouldn't get any business because of the fest. I'd rather go to Ozzfest than sushi-fest anyway.

It was depressing because I was there with my dad. I'm always everywhere with my dad. that's all i ever am. All the other kids were with friends. Why don't i ever have friends to go with?

My ideal day is just having a bunch of friends to go out with. They all care about me and they talk to me. We just go around. Everywhere. WE just roam the streets on our skateboards. And since it's summer, there are so many kids out there on their skateboards it'd be easy to meet up with people. I wish I was out doing just that. I see other people and I get jealous. *sigh* I would be doing that if only Kathy was here.

Dammit I have to get on with having a non-Kathy life. But how do you live without ANY girl friends? You can't! They're like your basis, your foundation. All the rest of my friends are GUYS. And all the other girls around are just hopeless. I hang out with them and little things about their personalities bug me and then I think "well kathy doesn't do shit like that" and then I miss kathy and then i zone out while they blab about their tiny, unimportant lives.

My life, of course, is important. So important, in fact, that it is nothing short of fabulous. The fabulous life of Spike Taylor. Unabridged version.

Today I did so well in tennis I surprised even myself. I played my dad and he even said so. I was spectacular. The people in the court next to us were staring. If only I didn't get all scared during practice, if only I could hit like that against other girls.

My dad doesn't hit as hard as Tony does, though. Even when he grunts, it isn't that hard. I want to play Tony.

When I look back, I see a lot of guys that I really used to like. And now I think about it, and it's so funny. Like Brian and Brandon. I always kind of did just automatically want to get with an attractive guy who liked me. But I think now that I think some more before acting that even if Brian and Brandon DO still like me, I wouldn't get with either. Because I think we'd be better suited as friends. And Michael. Isn't that weird? I never used to think of any attractive guy as a gauranteed just friend. If they liked me enough, I was "hell yeah!" But I'm smarter now, I suppose. And of course I think Steven was actually kind of good because he was a learning experience for me. .....Don't get with a guy just because you're desperate and he likes you. And also another advantage of being with him...i saved face at the graduation dance. Being the only person without a date would have sucked totally. EVERYONe, even Samantha, got asked. :-> What, Spyke? Are you actually facing up to your past? Are you through being mad at yourself about Steven? Gasp!

At dinner today there was KOIT on, playing "soft rock." Backstreet Boys and celine Dion. Yuck. I was thinking about it, and going, "Why call it "soft rock?" Why not just tell it like it is? You know, the fearful three letter word? 'POP!'" And my dad said, "well, pop is for teenagers. pop for older people is called soft rock."

No! That's a disgrace to rock! WHy even bring rock into the picture! Stop it with the rock! Call it something else, then, make up another word. Like, "Smooshsmoosh" or "old fogey muzak" or something.

At the Obon festival I played kiddie games for the first time i ages and i got delightful kiddie prizes. A rubber bat, (bloodsucking kind) a little ball with rubber nubs sticking out all over the place, a golden mask, a fabulous necklace with plastic red beads and a root beer float.

We went to the library and I checked out this GREAT book. For all you readers-of-comix out there, this is an absolute must-have. Mind Riot. It's a compilation of coming of age storoes by various comix artists. Some relatively unknowns, and some pretty famous ones like Peter Kuper.

I think if I ever become a good comix artist in the future,and I'm good enough that someone interviews me, I'll mention it. They'll say, "What inspired you to draw comics, you fabulous sexy devil you?" and I'll say, "Well, Regis,I've been reading and drawing comics for as long as I can remember. But I really started getting into underground artists and started appreciating the work when i read Jhonen Vasquez's work. However, the real moment that I decided the comics world was the one for me is when I read Mind Riot. It was then that I realized, 'hey! These people are creating careers--SUCCESSFUL careers--out of doing what they do best. They aren't fabulous Monets or DaVincis. They're just putting into perspective what it's REALLY like to be a kid. Getting beat up and dropping out at 16, jacking off and getting yelled at by other people's parents. Not being the prom queen and going out with the captain of the football team. You know--angst. (And it must be pretty okay if a preteen in the far middle east is willing to call it "cool.") And I have plenty of that I'd want to get out and share."

That's not really what I'd say. I'll bullshit some totally fake but totally great answer. But when you hear that bullshit answer 10 years from now, folks, you'll know the truth!

I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure the cover illustration is by Art Spiegelman. Did I spell that right?