The intellectual equivalent of a ham sandwich.

Archive for October, 2009

The Obligatory Airing-of-Emotions-Post-Break-Up Letter

Dear College,

How have you been? I know we haven’t talked since things ended between us, but I just wanted to write and see what you’ve been up to. I heard from a friend the other day that you’ve moved on, that you’ve got someone now? That’s great. I’m really happy for you! I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ve got someone new, too.

Her name is Work.

She’s wonderful!

You know how you and I would get in little fights, randomly, all the time? Well, Work and I don’t have that problem. She’s really steady and I know, sure, she may stress me out sometimes, but she knows how to back off and give me alone time. With you … Well I just didn’t know when to expect problems with you.

But I didn’t write to complain. I’m sorry about that! I just wanted to talk. Speaking of talking, Work is great at talking. Sometimes you and I would get into these ridiculous, lofty conversations about total nonsense and I enjoyed them at the time but I also knew they were just … Anyway, Work’s not that way. She’s very practical.

And my parents love her! Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I know it might be a sore spot with you, because my parents never really approved of how long you and I dated.

I remember when I first told my Dad about you he said, “Son, that’s great, go ahead and sow your wild oats.”

They never appreciated you, College!

God I miss you so much sometimes!

Some days I’ll wake up in the morning and close my eyes and wish we were still together. Remember how that used to be? We’d wake up whenever! Some days we wouldn’t even get out of bed!

But Work isn’t like that … She wakes me up at pretty much the same time every day. And she would never take a nap in the middle of the afternoon like we used to do, College!

I was so crazy to move on!

It was my parents – it’s because of them!

My Dad hated how much money I spent when we were together. But we were just having fun! I think it’s because, when he was my age, he was with this really uptight girl from West Point, New York. He was just jealous!

I can’t believe I felt like I needed to move on to someone more “mature.”

Oh, Work’s more mature all right.

The last guy she was with – you’ll never believe this! – was an old man! She called him, “Boomer!” What a dorky pet name!

Work says she loves my “youth and energy,” but I know there are some days when she’s just thinking that I’m young and stupid, and that I’ll never be able to replace her ex.

Well, Work, you’ll never be able to replace College!

I can’t believe I’m writing this! I feel like I’m cheating on Work!

(I’m at her place right now, can you believe it? She’d be so mad if she found out I was doing this. She’s such a task-master.)

I can’t help but miss you! Remember how sometimes we’d go and get a pizza at three in the morning! Work would never do that with me. I’m lucky if I’m ever up past eleven.

I just don’t know why I’m writing you this letter, College. I knew from the beginning our relationship was a temporary one. It burned hard and fast … It couldn’t last forever (could it?).

I guess I’m just trying to be cathartic.

I’m sorry … I know you always used to complain about how you felt like I was “using you.” You thought I was just biding my time, waiting for something better to come along. Well, if it makes you feel any better, apparently there is some sort of cosmic justice (remember when we talked about that? That one night? We ate chips and sat outside and just talked and talked?). I say this because I have the definite feeling that Work is using me.

Sometimes I’ll tell Work stories about you, and I can tell she gets upset by it. She’ll start talking about her ex, then. “Boomer.” And she’ll tell me how “Boomer” never used to talk about his ex when he was with her! Well if “Boomer’s” so great, why did they break up at all!

Anyway, I hope things are going great with whoever you’re with now. Maybe I did use you, College, so maybe try not to let it happen with this guy? If nothing else – at least get a few good meals out of him! Sorry, that was a crude joke.
I’d better go, Work just yelled at me to go help her with something.

All the best,
Brad

About This Site

My name is Brad Stanley. I would very much love to have a book (or two even) published. Really published. So that if you asked a clerk at a store about me they would say, “uhh … who?,” and when they looked me up they’d find a book (or three even). This is a pretty tough goal. With this site, I’m hoping to drum up some fans to spread the word (fans OUTside my family).

I want you – whoever you are – to read this, and if you like any of the stories/poems/whatevers TELL YOUR FRIENDS! If you have helpful comments (not liking my writing is helpful if you have a legitimate reason why) email me or post a comment!

My hope with this is that you (odds are the ‘you’ reading this is my mother) will visit, and then you’ll get a friend to visit, and so on and so on until one of Ellen’s interns visits. And, maybe, just maybe, that intern will be drunk and fall in love with my writing. And then that intern will allow me to bribe him or her to talk me up to Ellen.

I have a few different categories below – check them out. It’s pretty safe to assume that everything on this site is pretty tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted, goofy, etc.

If you have any questions/comments (negative feedback is feedback, insults make me cry) please email me at: getbradstanleypublished@gmail.com

Hope you enjoy it!

Also, stop by regularly, I’ll be adding something new once a week.

De Jour of the Week (10/03/2009)

10/03/2009

This is how I picture an interview going with myself and David Letterman, if I magically became very famous from this blog.

Dave (tapping pencil and looking at card with information about me on it): Our next guest has a website. A blog. Paul, you have a blog?

Paul (loud laugh): Blog!

Dave: Blog. Blog. Sounds like something you’d catch during spring break. Hey mom, hey uhh … hey mom, I … I got the blog.

Paul (loud laugh) (singing): I’m siiiiick with the bloooooog.

Dave (stares at Paul silently, then): Anyway, let’s welcome out our guest!

Me (nervous and excited): Hi! Hi! Thank you so much for having me! Wow!

Dave: So uhh … you got this blog, huh?

Me: Yeah! It’s a website I started to try and get my name out so –

Dave: Was it worth it?

Me (confused): What?

Dave: Was it worth it? Catching the blog? Was the girl pretty enough?

Me: Oh .. ha … yeah …

Paul (singing):  I should’ve used virus protection .. but now I got!, now i caught!, now I’m wrought! … with! … THE! … BLOGGGGGG!!!!!!

Me (stunned silence)

Dave (angry silence, staring at Paul)

Paul (grinning for God knows what reason)

Dave (clearing throat): So what do you do? Work over at that damn MTV?

Me: Uh … what?

Dave: Hey uh … hey ma … I got the blog.

Me (fake laugh, followed by an uncomfortable silence):  Um … so … I really want to get published, but that’s very tough to do so I decided to put up all these goofy, fun little things on this –

Dave (crazy, hacking coughing):…

Me (scared looking): …

Dave: Well, I think I just died a little bit.

Paul (big laugh)

Dave (doing the fake stretching thing so his arms look too long for suit): Wanna know why I coughed?

Me: Sure.

Dave: Not enough pilates. Hear that Paul?, I’m doing pilates.

Paul (excessively happy): Pilate blog!

Me (no idea what to say)

Dave: Pilate blog. Ploggy. Plog. Bilates.

Me: That’s pretty fun. I think you just came up with the next new trend.

Dave: You don’t have this at the music channel?

Me: Um … I don’t work for MTV?

Paul: MTV’s annual pilate blog festival!

Dave: We got a clip?

Me: … What?

Dave: You want to set up your clip?

Me: Ah … I don’t have a clip? If people want to go to my website it’s dumbfunnery.com … so … please go!

Dave (hacking cough): The swine flu’s got nothing on this blog. After the break we’ve got “glass box monks” – they’re gonna play some song or something.