I woke up this morning in that “rested but don’t know why” kind of way. I could’ve slept a couple more hours, but I decided to get this day started earlier. Whenever I come down here to the coffee shop, I always end up writing better journals.

I was stuck in an airport in Newark, NJ, when a businessman in line in front of me managed a free ticket and an afternoon in the VIP Lounge. I took mental notes, and was ready to do and get what he did. But the ticket agent was a Real World fan, so I didn’t have to work as hard.

I soon joined him in the lounge and asked what he did for a living. He explained that he was a negotiation expert. I come to find out negotiation experts aren’t always fun to talk to, but he did have something to say. He told me the primary tool for negotiation is information. Information helps you know what to negotiate for, and how to get there.

My books on how to buy a house have been worthwhile—I hope. Everyone and their brother has a book about 101 things you don’t know but you need to know. They may or may not be accurate about their reader, but one thins is for sure: you can sell a book if they pretend they know more than others. The handful of books that I’ve read about buying a home have boosted my knowledge and given me more confidence. Now I have to apply what I have learned.

You know, I don’t like a lot of adults. It’s not adults, really—it’s people. As a Christian, I am called to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. That is why scandal will always surround Christianity, because wolves sneak into their circles. Anyway…back to the people I don’t like. There were kids I didn’t like in high school, and kids like that become adults. When I bought my car, three adults didn’t mind lying to get me to pay $3000 more than I should have. It was like three high school kids trying to sell me a speaker box off the street. But, I’m not trying to be the best friend of the car dealership, so I decided to become “difficult”. You can’t chase an uneasy feeling by making a quick decision. After two hours of prodding, they finally surrendered. It’s fun to make an adult look at you and admit they lied.

Columbo was the ultimate detective. I’d watch that show with Mom and Dad because he had messy hair and always cracked a case without anyone knowing what he was doing. He just played dumb and asked the right questions. Is Columbo on DVD now?

So my new thing is scooters. I road a scooter with my friend Jeffrey in high school, and I thought they were so cool. I saw an old scooter called a “Vespa” outside of a coffee shop near my sister’s dorm. That fascination passed, but only for a little while. Who needs a scooter in the mountains of Georgia? I don’t think anyone in the Phoenix area has as pretty of a drive as I do. It starts in a hip part of town, passes through parks, and ends in a well-groomed mountainside neighborhood. I cruise along at 45 mph because it’s the law and why hurry a pretty drive? But wouldn’t it be nicer on a Vespa?

So I am going to finish this journal and walk across the street to window shop for a Vespa.