THE LIFE AND TIMES OF....
THE STUNMEISTER, AKA,
MARK EDWARD GARBETT, JR.

Journal Entry 1:  August 10, 2000
Wow, My parents anniversary and I am sitting at a computer desk typing this.  For those of you who don't know me, I am Mark.  I am what you would call a full-goose bozo.  I am 24, born April 25, 1976, and have lived in New Hope, Ohio all of my life.  I have been to California, St. Louis, Washington state, and the near states of Kentucky and Indiana in my life.  I am the older of two children, my younger sister being Mary Lucille, who is 12.  I am in the last semester of getting my B.A. in Secondary Education Social Studies from Northern Kentucky University.  I will be student teaching at Amelia High School this fall, beginning August 29.  Boy, am I nervous!!!  Anyway, today....Continued working at my "wonderful" summer job at the Muscual Dystrophy Association.  I am a telephone person, known as a Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator, or VRC.   I call us annoying phone people who I usually hang up on.  Also, we are whipping boys for people's frustration.  What I have to do is convince folks to give up one hour of their time to be part of an MDA LockUp event, or a jailnbail situation.  Most laugh, or we hear the ever popular, "I'll be on vacation."  IT has been a fun job, but today I saw a downside.  Claire, a sweet girl who I am secretly harboring a crush on (duh, fat pudgy guy crushing over gorgeous girl with great personality, imagine that) broke down in tears after a bad day phoning folks in Anderson, OH.  I work with two great folks in my little office cubicle Hell.  They are named Derrick and Gwen.  Derrick is gonna be an evangelist, I just know it, as he constantly has Good words to say.  By the way, I am a pastor on the side, as it were.  I took over for our former pastor about a year and three months ago, and have been giving sermons and conducting services.  Well, my fingers are tired right now, so I will not dwell on how cute Claire is, or how insecure I am, that will have to be for another time.  Until we chat again, remember:  if you aren't having difficulty getting what you want, you just ain't aiming high enough......

JOURNAL ENTRY 2:  AUGUST 13, 2000  THE COMING OF THE THUNDERDUCK
  Well, you ever get that feeling in the pit of your stomach, of unbridled fear and anticipation?  Got that yesterday when the 'rents and I went to a dealership and purchased what in all honesty (barring a '59 Cadillac) is my dream car:  a 1995 T-Bird.  I have wanted a Tbird most of my life, since I got into NASCAR, because that is what my favs like Mark Martin, Alan Kulwicki, and Davey Allison drove.  I never ever thought i would get one, especially since Ford quit making them a year or so ago, only to relaunch the tbird as a retrofitted monstrosity.   My previous car, a 1979 Buick regal, is on its last leg, so we needed a new vehicle....When dad and I went into the dealer's cubicle to talk, I was seized with feear...what if this turned out like my only other purchasing experience, when i purchased a 73 Cadillac that was nothing but trouble?  Also, the awesome responsiblity of taking care of something so awesome as this car was brought to bear, making me rethink my years of hard driving.....I did not want my family's co-investment to be for naught, and wanted to make sure this car remained as awesome as it is now...  However, I drove it well to grandma's and then well home...On Monday, I had to drive my Dad's saturn....Felt like a clown getting out of the little car in those...imagine a 6'4", 300 plus pound lardbucket waddling out of a little saturn four dour car....Well, thankfully, Wednesday, I was able to drive my new wheels to work....it was an instant hit.....However, things would not be that great the rest of the week.
JOURNAL ENTRY 3:  AUGUST 19, 2000
At this moment, I am very pissed off, to put it mildly....After a last week at work where two administrative b.s. types made my life hell, and I am growing a little apprehensive about teaching this semester; my family decide to be jerkweeds to me.  I dont know what I did, but it seeemed like crap on Mark day....In addition, I find there is a double standard in the treatment of the Tduck....As long as father is driving, he can spin the tires, slam the brakes, speed over the limit and burn the tires; then he is allowed to subtly berate me for guzzling gas....Great!  Well, in life, every association must come to an end, and soon, I think it will be best to get the heck out of this house.....I love my home, and my stuff, but my 24 year old mentality just does not sit well with their treating me like I am two, or at least like I am some type of nincompoop....I may not have a lot of sense, but I am one person who is tired of things the way they are....soon, when i am teaching, things will be better....Got some cool clothes today, it was awesome....Also, spent some great time with my fav Aunt, Mary Boyd, who helped me athletically and just is a living example of the Good Samaritan....She is very special to me....I am just a little bewitched right now, on a precipice of life, and no one seems to get that...At least not the people who I see when i wake up....Well, enough....I am eagerly awaiting duck season....Hockey duck season, that is.....GO DUCKS!!!!!.