Last fall, I found an old journal that I got from a teacher of mine when I had graduated from high-school. I had tucked it away for four years and there wasn't a word written on any of the pages. Since then, I've tried to carry it with me most places that I go, just in case I get inspiration at a strange time and feel the need to splash it on some paper. I still haven't filled much of it, but occassionally I'll write down little phrases that strike me as interesting at the time without writing any explanation. In this piece of writing, I'm going to pull out a few of them and expound on them a bit. It will inevitably be more interesting to me than to the reader, so please bear with me.

"icicles on eyelashes" - I specifically remember writing this down one night after coming in from jogging. It was the middle of the winter, and although there was no snow, the temperature was about -10 with the wind chill. I was wearing a ski mask and soon after exhaling, my breathe rose into my face causing this phenomenon. I literally had a tiny icicle on each eyelash and it felt really cool for the few moments before they melted. If only I could find a way to market it as a fashion accessory.

"delight in holes through flesh" - I wrote this one down while on the phone to a friend who was contemplating getting another piercing. They were asking my opinion on the subject and I told them that if they weren't positive about it in the first place, they shouldn't be getting it done. Body piercing definitely has its roots in masochism.

"forgotten sun blurring vision" - One day this winter after it had snowed all day, the sun came out in the early afternoon and melted everything that had accumulated in the morning. By the time I was driving home from work, the sun was at just the right point on the horizon to reflect intensely off all the new puddles it had just created. Even with sunglasses on and my sunvisors down, I could still barely see to drive. It felt like my retinas were melting into my irises.

"architecture of discarded furniture" - Driving by someone's house during the afternoon, I saw a rather large pile of chairs and what looked to be a sofa or two sitting by the curb. Although they were haphazardly arranged, it still looked as composed enough to be a piece of modern architectural design. Too bad everything looked so worn, or I would have taken a piece for my apartment.

"crooked arm fallen tingling" - Everyone's had this sensation more than once. After waking up from an after-work nap one Friday evening, my arm felt like it wasn't even attached to my body. I had fallen asleep while laying directly on top of it and after I whacked it into the wall a couple times, it started to regain normal feeling again.

"inattention cause of twisted metal" - While driving home from work one day, I came upon an accident in the turn lane of a four-lane road. Just 100 feet ahead in the right lane was another fender-bender. I figured that the accident on the right was caused by someone glancing too long at the accident on the left. I know it almost happened to me.

"screen returns blank stare" - This happens to me all the time. I'll be sitting and looking at the flashing cursor, wondering what I'm going to write about. The next thing I know, I'm looking at my reflection in the screen and drool is running into the keyboard (okay, so not that bad).

"thin metal solution" - One night while really having to use the restroom, I fumbled through my keys about 10 times before finding the correct one to my apartment. This is what I jotted down after relieving myself.

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