Bored

Today I will write the petulant complaint of a bored twentysomething avoiding a day's work without pay. My kids tested poorly, but I cannot bring myself to finish grading them. I woke up hours ago looking for any distraction: college football wrap up, online poker, an irrelevant book about the horror of fatherhood and a back massage tool that can only be used for the chest and stomach when alone.

I am hungry. I would like to eat a heaping plate of Allen & Son barbecue while watching Carolina Rewind with friends. I could do something resembling this if I finish all my work before 6:30 p.m. We'll see. First I'll have to stop writing and shower.

I wanted to go to the Cat's Cradle alone for the first time on Halloween. That might sound like an extension of boredom, but flying solo at the Cradle is not unusual. Instead a friend connected me with a free ticket and his sister. The Everybodyfields were my best MySpace whim yet.

Saturday I finally went to Fuse, a nighttime lounge for people like me in Chapel Hill. I avoided it for years because of its proximity to Nightlight, a kind of crummy music hall that recently changed ownership. The music was folksy. I will go again soon.

The Tar Heels are No. 19 and the highest-ranked ACC team. Whoa. It means nothing unless we win out.