ORIGINAL FICTION: "Sixty Days Next Year" by Chip Haynes (2005)

You'll have to excuse me, but I don't usually keep a diary. These events began before I understood what was happening, and where it was all headed. It was only later, after it was all going on, that I thought that maybe I should be keeping some sort of record--as if no one else was. We live in The Information Age, or did. Now it's just The Dim Ages. Welcome to my world.

June 14
It all started (for me) with just a small item on an Internet news page, "Trouble in the Kingdom". I thought they were talking about Disney World (the Magic Kingdom) so I clicked on it. Turns out they were talking about "the repercussions of curtailed social services in Saudi Arabia". (Insert a big yawning noise here.) So their kids don't get free day care? Big whoop. I scanned the article for any mention of M. Mouse and then went on with my life. My mistake. No biggie. Really.

June 15
Yesterday's headlines are still today's news? I guess those folks in the sand are really upset about something--it was in all the papers today. Sounds like the Saudi government is in for a tough time trying to rein in a runaway budget--and the locals don't like it one bit. Now their capital (Riyadh?) is a mess with people getting ugly in the streets. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no more subsidized housing. Deal with it, people. Get a job.

June 16
I saw the news today, oh boy. Three Saudi cities are up in flames, people with big guns are going nuts, and everyone that can find a plane is leaving that country in one big hurry. It's like Saigon in a sand box. (Not that I actually remember Saigon.) Local news guys are talking about what it means to us--and our oil. Maybe I'd better go fill up the car before everyone else does. I hate being stuck in long lines.

June 17
Almost forgot to top off my tank. Would have forgot completely if I hadn't heard the guy talking about it on the radio on the drive home from work. The gas station was busy, but not bad. Of course they'd already raised their prices. The creeps. Some people will try to make a buck off of anything. The radio guy said something about us sending in the Marines. Sure. Why not? How many countries can we invade at once?

June 18
No work today, so it's grocery shopping and errands. Good thing I topped off the car's tank yesterday. The gas station was mobbed this morning when I drove by--and I think the price was even higher today. Geez. Even the grocery store seemed crowded. What's with these people? Is there a storm coming or something? I bought what I needed and headed for home. The errands can wait. Who needs this?

June 19
Ok, ok--I get it now. The Saudis have the oil, we buy the oil. The Saudis get our money, we use their oil. Big circle of life. Yadada, yadada. Huge article on it in the newspaper today, and it was easier to stay home and read the paper than try to go out and fight the crowds. If I'm lucky, this will all blow over before I have to go back to that gas station and deal with it any more. I'm just going to settle in and read the paper.

June 20
Back to work today. Kinda edgy on the drive in this morning. What's up with that? We have Marines all around our embassy in Riyadh now, and everyone else is bailing out of that country like rats from a sinking ship. I guess a bunch of big companies are shutting down and getting out. What's that going to do to the price of gas? Nothing good, I'll bet. Glad I've got a small car, even if it was all I could afford. The evening news is really fixated on this one. Maybe I watch too much TV, but what else is there?

June 21
Ok, enough already. I don't mind having to work a little to ignore the news evenings and weekends, but now it's all my co-workers want to talk about. Please. There must be something else to talk about. Sure, it's a big deal--on the other side of the world. But we're over here. What's the problem, people? Don't we have our own gas? Why is this such a major deal? Suck it up, folks. Get on with your life! (And stop bugging