>Breakfast

The first sip of hot coffee jump-starts the whole process. No sugar. No cream. It smells like chocolate.

MAIN PROCESSOR BOOTING..........

PRIMARY NEURONS INITIATING.

STARTUP PRIMARY CLUSTER..........

256 ACTIVE,

512 ACTIVE,

Chocolate Macadamia I think, then pause, surprised that I was thinking. I drink coffee, therefore I am. I drink the week old battery-acid oozing from the bottom of coffee pot if that's all I have, but this is much better.

1024 ACTIVE,

2048 ACTIVE,

PRIMARY CLUSTER NOMINAL.

PRIMARY DATA CACHE LOADING..........DONE.

Now a hit of nicotine. A cigarette comes out of its yellow box in a practiced motion. Flick, roll the thumb, and now I have flame. Inhale and the tip ignites with a quiet crackle that only I can hear. Snap! The lighter shuts, and back to the table it goes. The taste and smell of burning tobacco is distinctive - American Spirits - richer and milder than the big-brand crap.

I feel smug for a second and then remember that this stuff is killing me.

CORE MEMORY CHECK..........

1945 GB OK.

223 GB FAILED.....RETRY? RETRY.

ACCESSING..........

What was I supposed to do today? Oh yeah, volleyball tonight. Laundry as well; both the high-tech whisk-the-sweat-away shirts I have need to be cleaned. They worked great but smelled afterwards. That's sweat for you.

CORE MEMORY NOMINAL

BOOT OK.

WELCOME TO MIKE YANG 2001, version 34.3.2.22.6.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO TODAY?

I take another sip. It was sunny already. One of the benefits of waking in the afternoon. It was going to be a good day.

-= * =-
10/27/2001