Bad influence

It's bee-oo-tee-ful outside.

You sound in a good mood.

Actually, I been feelin' kinda lonely today. And I never get lonely.

Or at least you won't admit to it.

Hey, what's that supposed to mean?

Oh, nothing. Go on, farmboy.

It's a blue sky. It's, like, 80 degrees. It's, like, people are out being social and athletic and drinking alcoholic beverages and eating nectarines and cherries and watermelon.

It's summer.

Four more days of work. Two days with students, two days working for next year. Then I perform Thursday and I perform Friday, and I go to a songwriters' get-together on Sunday. And the week after that I play a folk music festival. I should be worrying about money, and I am, but not to the extent I usually do. I have to decide whether or not I'm going to go to California and play some places and see family and go to my family reunion.

And now I'm feeling stressed because it's nice outside and summer's coming and I haven't made some plans and it's coming fast and...

And that's what you do. You stress out. Well, don't. Go get some nice alcoholic beverage and relax.

Funny you should say that, 'cause I bought beer and I hardly ever buy beer. I may not even like it. But I have it. It's not cold yet though.

But maybe I'll have some beer. It's not as much fun without fuckin' cigarettes to smoke and since I don't smoke any more...Well, I'll just have to have some beer without tobacco. We'll see. I'm actually not real big on alcohol. I'm a marijuana guy myself.

Do you ever do both?

You're being a bad influence!

You could use some bad influence sometimes. Always worrying, always questioning, always fretting about something. Go on vacation tonight. You don't have to drink, but I want you to settle down and stop worrying, farmboy.

What's for dinner tonight?

Supper's gonna be hot dogs. Turkey hot dogs. I bought a watermelon, I have beer, I have sparkling water...

It is summer!

Well, according to my refrigerator it is.

I think I'm going to go outside and read or play guitar for a while.

While the beer's getting cold?

There's that bad influence again. Should I go get a pack of fuckin' Marlboros to go with the beer?

No. I'm not that bad an influence. Just relax. No guilt, no worries...

Just beer and weed and hot dogs and the guitar.

I didn't mention the guitar.

You don't need to. There's always the guitar. That's a constant.

A constant what?

Just a constant.

Constant is an adjective. It's a modifier.

Okay, the guitar is a constant thing. Happy now?

See? I can be a good influence.

Thanks for the bad influence, by the way. I do need a bad influence in my life. I just didn't think it would be you.

Glad to be of service.

Should I read or play guitar?

Play a song on guitar. Outside.

You got it.

Then you can read if you want. What are you reading?

This book about taking a road trip with David Foster Wallace.

Is it good?

Yeah, it is.

You've got a lot of stuff. A book, a guitar, beer, marijuana...

I got rhythm. Who could ask for anything more?

You could ask for an end to loneliness.

I got everything but the girl. I could really, really dig falling in love over the summer and having some of that summertime sex.

Whoa! Farmboy talking about sex?

I'm kinda horny, I'll admit. But, fuck, I'd love to fall in love. I hope it's not too late.

It's never too late.

Yeah, but I'm so fuckin' neurotic. Seriously.

Don't think about stuff like being neurotic!

Okay. How about erotic then?

That'll work.

There you go, being a bad influence again.

And I need that. Thanks, amigo.

Now, let me see if that beer is cold yet...