Semi-Daily Scribbles

Gary likes his stuff.

Model airplanes, winged creatures under glass, notebooks packed with scribbles and clippings, and portraits of loved ones made from found objects. Don't even dare use the one syllable word that begins with the letter "J" anywhere near Gary. Everything has its place, and collections are arranged on the walls in a most methodical manner. Gary's got a keen eye for color and form. And to prove he can laugh at his idiosyncrasies, there's a special piece, mounted and framed, over his bed he likes to call (take a wild guess…) JUNK. It includes the diplomas of his advanced degrees in science and mathematics, his birth certificate, original SSN card, and a birthday greeting he received from a Guatemalan pen pal when he turned eight. In fact, if you stretch out on Gary's bed, with the-ode-to-his-interpretation-of-JUNK on the wall behind you, and look straight up at the ceiling, it's hard to miss the numeral of which Gary is so very fond. Painted right there in black, and really big.

Gary likes the number 8.