tapped out

Sometimes things get a little tight, push comes to shove and it is necessary that you switch to survival mode: focus on the task at hand, block out everything else and concentrate on getting by. But if you stay too long in top gear you find you no longer know how to downshift. Having put all your energy into surviving, you find you no longer know how to live -- you merely exist. And by "you", I am of course referring to me.

Everything is shades of gray again. If it weren't for the dog I need to walk, I would not see the light of day, nor breathe fresh air. Former interests have taken a dull hue. I'm still ranked #1 in my trading game, I like a few new shoes on Zappos, and -- on friends' recommendations -- I'm currently exploring the musical works of Rob Thomas and Luther Vandross. The iPod has reordered my downloads in such a way that MatchBox 20's "Back 2 Good" (sic) is followed by Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me", which feels a bit schizophrenic.

The "Kill Bill" series, which Patrick and I never caught, is on TV this weekend. I'm also holding "V for Vendetta" and "Full Metal Jacket" from Netflix.