The Michael Swayne Story V: King of his Castle

I stayed up all night again last night. I wanted to finish Hikaru No Go that way I could move on from it. I think it would have been best if it had ended at Episode 60. The episodes after it came across like they were just trying to satisfy the fans of the show by answering a bunch of questions that didn't need to be asked. But most likely, the audience felt that Hikaru needed a proper ending. I didn't. I felt that the show's main goal was to get Sai to pass on and go to wherever Go players who commit suicide go. When he finally moved on, the show should have just ended. It wasn't necessary to suffer through Hikaru's breakdown and not wanting to play anymore. But what do I know. The show was made almost ten years ago, so it's too late to complain about it anyway.

After that, I continued to stay awake and work on K-On!!. It is such a fun show, and it has me laughing in every episode. I am currently at episode 6 of 27 in the second season. After that's completed, there's only the movie left to watch.

While I was checking on how this week's paper turned out, I noticed a few things. First, it will have some big problems with it. Ads will turn out nearly invisible, and some are cut off. Second, they are hiring for the job I was removed from. Part of me wants to ask to do it, and part of me thinks that if they wanted me to do it they would have called or something. So, I am thinking of not even mentioning it. I will make it a point to remind them that I have been working there for seven years (tomorrow's the anniversary), and if the topic comes up I may inquire as to why they are searching for another new me. And if by chance they do ask me to do it, I will request more money than what I was earning before. After all, I was promised a raise in pay but never received it.

I continued playing Xenosaga Episode I today. Right now, the group is on their way to the escape pods in an attempt to get away from the Gnosis. Since I will be staying up again tonight, I will try and play some more and hopefully get off this murder ship.

Anyway, tomorrow is the start of this year's Old Timer's Day Festival. And also the 7th anniversary of my employment at the newspaper. Of the current staff members, I have been working there the longest. I am not the longest serving overall, because Larry and Freda, and Jim were all working there way before I started. I have delivered an estimated 273,600 newspapers over more than 7,500 miles (12,070.08km) on 7 bicycles (maybe 8, or more).

I remember that first week of delivering. Though I had lived in Peebles before, I never really knew how big it was. At first glance, one would think it's really small because there are only two stoplights in the place. Main Street is only 1.5 miles long (I checked in order to find out how many miles I had ridden), so if you aren't paying attention you may miss the place completely. Anyway, my years of walking to school back then were nothing to what I had to do to deliver. The 400 newspapers I had to deliver to the West side of Peebles took me until after 3pm to finish. That was total time for delivery and folding.

Eventually, I re-learned all of the shortcuts that I took as a kid. I was able to fold and deliver the papers and be finished before noon. Since that first week of delivering, I earned a few more routes. One that includes my house, which I gave up because it was too much for me at the time. And two that I still have now, the East side of Peebles, and the business route for Peebles, Locust Grove, and Sinking Spring. And with all the extra miles I travel, I still finish my route before the office opens for the day (usually).

And to think, I originally went to the office to complain that my house hadn't been getting a paper each week, and when we did it was usually in the cow field next to the mailbox. And now I have so many memories (some good and some not-so-good) and have met some people that I consider family. I was a 19-year-old kid that was getting a job to silence my parent's complaints of having a lazy son, and now I'm 26 and used that job to survive and make sure bills were paid when my parents were not able to do so due to their new living arrangements.

The best part of my job is to get to interact with the people. That is something I never thought I'd say. I am in a special world as the village's paperboy (I know I call it a town sometimes, but Peebles is actually a village). I get to experience things that no one else gets to. I see the residents on their best and worst days. I help celebrate the good days and cheer people up on their bad days.

The worst part is the dogs. So many dogs. They've all wanted to take a bite of me at some point in the last seven years, and only one was successful.

Anyway, I am glad to have gotten the chance to work there for so long. As much as I want to say I will work there forever, I know that one day I will no longer have the strength to do it. I just hope that when that day comes I have to stop doing it because I was forced to amputate my arms and legs. Otherwise, I will still be pedaling those roads.

Well, that's all for now. I hope to see you around the forums, and until then...

Later!

Michael