stalking:
the beat
bookslut blog
cashmilliondollars
dude. man. phat.
defamer
jane espenson
josh friedman
neil gaiman
tim goodman
molly ivins
listen, lady...
lj friends
mastodon city
pc petri dish
theo's gift
warm your thoughts
wil wheaton
xoverboard

doing:
SMRT-TV
los angeles
knitting
web design

writing:
bookslut
ostrich ink
HEARTtaker
screenplays

reading:
John Bowe (ed):
Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs
Gail Simone:
Birds of Prey
Sarah Vowell:
Take the Cannoli
Howard Zinn:
People's History of the U.S.

listening:
kcrw
woxy

watching:
The Daily Show
Prison Break
The Office (US)
Lost
Kitchen Confidential
Veronica Mars

powered by:
blogger
comments by:
enetation


Thursday, August 25, 2005

LET Days 12-14: New York to New Jersey to Chicago

This might be a placeholder, rather than a real entry -- it depends on how quick I am able to master Generous Host's keyboard, which is concerned for my ergonomic health and well-being and thus has me tripping over myself like a dumb person who trips over things.

The last several days have been people-oriented, not event-oriented, which doesn't make for the most exciting entries. I can write "Whitney and her sig-oth and I hung out and read comic books and watched TV and played video games," but does that really encapsulate it? The dizzy buzz of Katamari Damacy, the rush of words streaming out of Spider Jerusalem's mouth. The strange companionship found in a room where everyone is poking at something different, yet still connected to the others? The sheer media overload joy?

Enough post-modernism.

Sunday, my last day in New York, Stef and I met one of her friends from LA, one of the ones from the bar on Friday, and we had a long brunchy lunch in the Tick Tock Diner, lots of bad jokes and bad-only-because-of-subject-matter jokes. Afterwards, we went in search of an internet cafe to confirm information hidden on the web and/or back at the loft (a phone number for me, an address for Stef -- a dollar for internet versus four dollars for subway fare back to the loft: deal) before heading out on our next adventure -- Brooklyn! There was an apartment Stef wanted to check out there, so there was a slow walk through quiet streets, Stef timing how long it took to walk from the subway to the apartment, me trying to imagine living in such a place. Quiet, lots of families, parks and sunshine peeking through the shade.

I keep trying not to be weirded out by how New York really looks like a Woody Allen movie. I mean, it's a thought that demonstrates extreme mental damage. Yet I'm plagued by it still.

After returning from Manhattan, I took my time packing, then realized there was half an hour before I was due to leave for Jersey. So we fetched a slice of bonafide New York pizza, and I ate it on the rooftop of a penthouse as the sun slowly set. After six years of friendship and 3000 miles of travel, we were mostly quiet. We sat across from each other. Framed like a Wes Anderson movie.

The train to Jersey was uneventful; meeting Whitney's friends was a delight, even though they were leaving just then. And after laughing about video games on the platform until her friends arrived... Whitney and the sig-oth and I went back to Whitney's place and watched TV and read comics and played video games.

Monday, woke up late and showered quick, then accompanied my hosts to the Drew University library, where I did three incredibly valuable hours of research and reading for Play That Is About the Apocalypse, the new working title for which is "Crash Positions." Lovely lovely research. For one thing, I finally read the book of Revelation. Which is good for a person who writes about the Apocalypse to do.

And then I had salad for lunch (after two weeks of diner food, I CRAVE green vegetables) and hung out in W's office on campus (she's a student worker) and started reading Transmetropolitan. I'd read volume 1 a while back. There are ten volumes. I was determined to catch up. So when W and Sig-Oth and I hung out and watched TV and played video games and read comics that night, that was what I did. Stayed up until nearly 2, but GOT THROUGH IT ALL.

Reading Transmet in a day does things to you. Long-term effects are still being studied. It's just fortunate that I'm in no position of authority over anyone right now. They might take poorly to being called a filthy assistant.

Early the next morning, got packed up and left for the airport. Said goodbye to Most Generous Hosts. Bought more donut holes and coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. I should find another Dunkin' before leaving Chicago. Coffee, at the least, is necessary.

And then I was in Chicago. That's where I'll leave it for there.

| permalink