I'm all settled in at last and life seems to be picking up. Ate at humble house today, which was not really all that humble at all. The pork ribs were tender and delicious, but over-generously portioned. Also, they served the exact same spinach tofu that I had at club chinois on the first night of my return. I was much better prepared for it this time, though, and hence found it slightly more enjoyable. I've decided that esplanade should be pronounced es-pluh-nayd, rather than es-pluh-nahd, because I say so. I'm always right, anyway. Fuck everyone who contradicts me. Pah.

I've finally gotten used to the ridiculous heat. It's actually been surprisingly pleasant these past few days; I've grown quite comfortable in this state of idleness. Every day I play some quality playstation, ensure that I play a key role in the younger siblings' development, then try to attend to all those little matters which require my attention. I've made a few inane resolutions which I intend to try to keep, such as 'spend more time with increasingly senile grandfather' or 'improve japanese', and these please me greatly. All in all, I should say my life has been relatively peachy. There was a brief period when I thought I was getting bored of this holiday living, but I was terribly wrong. Life is awesome, especially when you're idle.

I've been thinking a lot of domestic thoughts recently. My family is far more endearing than I remember. The long absence really did wonders for our relationship, I think. Sometimes I just want to give them all a big hug. I love being home. Gush, gush, gush. I am happy. Hurrah!

Cruel Minor Change

If I believed in those ridiculous emoticons, I'd have a scrunched up face and the word distraught under my mood column. I need to dig my ear and it's driving me fucking insane. These little things always fucking irritate me and make me want to kill people and decorate rooms with testicles. Where is the fucking ear digger? Where the fuck is it? I will go mad.

Currently waiting for D disappeared to get back to me so that we can go buy tickets for Japan. The fact that he has mysteriously disappeared annoys me somewhat. Coupled with my itching ears, I'm ready to explode. I get annoyed easily.

I have cut my hair. It looks different. Yesterday I spent a good ten minutes looking at myself in the mirror. To be honest, I spend at least ten minutes or so every day looking at myself in the mirror, but yesterday I was specifically looking at my hair. I've decided that I think it's ok. My ear still itches. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. This is really fucking annoying. Fuck.

It's strange running my fingers through my hair and realising there isn't much of it. It's strange not getting annoyed by hair on my neck. It's nice not to have hair on my neck, but it's strange. Where's my PS2? Those fuckers in the shop are taking forever with it. I'm so fucking annoyed. I think I'll change my opening statement. Oh wait, no, I'm too lazy. If I had an emoticon now, it'd be annoyed. It'd be a little round face with fucking burning ears; burning ears and knives through its head. Damn it all. Fuck.

I think my hair looks like a cross between Alex James in the poster on my wall and perhaps Adolf Hitler. I did a project on Adolf Hitler once. I bet he didn't have to deal with itchy ears. Fuck.

Ah, I've found my ear digger.

Relief.

Now when the fuck is Darryl calling?

Eating is awesome. Heat sucks my balls. I am glad to be back, but only to an extent. Actually, screw that. That's bullshit. I am, in actuality, fucking thrilled to be back. It's awesome. That being said, though, I could be doing a little better; it could be slightly colder than 2000 degrees celcius, and I could have not smashed up my dad's car (yes, within hours of touching down; I'm just THAT awesome). I just got back from what must have been one of the best lunches I've ever had; I ate at least half of the things I've been thinking constantly about since what seems to be forever. Needless to say, that was awesome.

Like I said, it's good to be back. Ish.

The Joys of Suburbia

Today 423A took a little trip to skokie. Yes, that's right, skokie. We took the red line all the way to Howard, waited for the yellow skokie swift, watched as the train whizzed by trees and little suburban houses with their suburban people and suburban living, and got off in a bizarro-worldo of jewish middle America. The Druce and I, in our last days as roommates, hopped, skipped and jumped along skokie boulevard, waiting for non-existent pace buses, watching suburban cars whiz by along suburban streets, and took pictures of the glorious suburbia that surrounded us. Sometimes, everyone needs a little trip to the middle of nowhere, just for the fuck of it. The Druce, it seems, was made for trips to the middle of nowhere. 423A went to a little deli by the name of Kaufman's, which is home to arguably the best corn beef sandwich in Chicago, and bought a couple celery sodas for the arrival of the Druce's folks. The elder Druce loves his celery soda, you see.

So a whole day in suburbia, all for a sandwich and a driving permit. Not to mention the age-old favourite, Hot Doug's famous dogs. Travelling insane distances for good food is always such a pleasure.

All Dressed Up

It's been a long time coming, but everything is finally winding down. It's time to bring out the boxes, start packing up the rubbish, ship what needs to be shipped, take down the decorations. Finals week was torrid as usual, but everything is finally over. I can't really say I'm sad, either. I've been waiting a long time for the summertime laziness. It's time to take pictures of everything and everyone, just to remind me of all the familiar faces over the long summer. The next three months are full of promise, though. I'll be home at last, maxing, relaxing, drinking myself retarded. So much to do, so many other faces to see, so many familiar places to reacquaint myself with.

My heart is bursting. It leaks onto my face and I smile as I hit enter and click post.

I like food. I like comments. I like comments and food, and funny television. I like cats, but not as much as I like people, and also good food. It's all ordered, one through seventy-two, or perhaps ninety-four. What does the number matter? It's just an arbitrary index, a cipher, a mark on the long pole, a cross on the big x-y graph. It never signifies anything, but it means the world to everyone. It's a convoluted snake crawling across the sky with its newfound legs. Its an enraged gorilla, rubbing its back against the empire state building. It's a 25 year old acid flashback. Actually, it isn't, but it was induced by one. It's a scratch on the bumper of forever. It's coming. Coming down the street. Coming to where you live. It's not taking no for an answer. It's today. Tomorrow. Three days ago, when you stepped on that ant but never found out about it, because who gives a shit about the ants. It's the dawning of a new era. It's one day in a series of similar days, blending into one another because you can't really remember what made them special in the first place. Who knew? Who really?

It's all over the place. Every face on every billboard on every highway calling your name. It resounds through the silence. The one word reverberating through your being. The three words you never meant to say.

It's here. It's now. It's gone. Forever.

It's time to pick up the pieces.

I'm so fucking pretentious.

The End of the Druce Saga

So it's been decided. The Druce saga is ending. It's been fun living with the kid, but seeing as to how I'm soon changing roommates, I find it a little pointless to continue recounting Evan's daily escapades. If it hasn't shown, I've grown a little attached to the boy, but I'm confident that the Druce will abide, and I take comfort in that. I doubt there'll be a series on the adventures of the Goldenberg; my prospective roommate is cool, but I think there's a certain quirkiness about Evan that's much better suited to prose.

That being said, it's back to boring old me on this, a mundane monday in a string of mundane mondays. I spent the weekend watching back to back episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and trying to get to sleep before 1. I find that the lower you set your goals, the easier it is to achieve them. It's true, too.

Today I got an email from CUSA asking me to write a short scene based on the prompt 'character(s) going to see a movie'; I doubt I can write anything awesome in a day, but I figure I'll give it a shot right now:

A cinema. Two guys are watching a movie. They have popcorn. It looks like popcorn. They are eating it. They start a little whispering conversation, you know, in the middle of the movie. Everyone does it now and again, don't look so innocent you little fuck, I bet you've done it too.

A: So who's this guy again?

B: He's the bad guy.

A: He doesn't look like the bad guy.

B: That's the point; they never look like the bad guy. That makes them more evil.

A: Who thought of that idea? That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard.

B: No, it's clever. That way you're always thinking.

A: Thinking about what? How society is going to shit?

B: Why would you be thinking that?

A: Because if all the bad guys look like good guys, it's pretty obvious society is going to shit.

B: Well, that's not what you're thinking about. You're wondering who the bad guy is.

A: No you're not.

B: Yes you are, because he looks like a normal guy. You can't tell if he's evil or whatever.

A: But you just told me, he's the bad guy.

B: I've seen it before.

A: So you just spoiled it for me.

B (getting a little upset): No I didn't.

A: Yes you did. You just told me he's the bad guy.

B: Didn't you know that by now?

A: If I'd had known, I wouldn't have asked you.

B: What, haven't you been watching the movie?

A: Eh, I've been floating in and out.

B: I don't believe you.

A: It just isn't that good a movie. Besides, you spoiled it for me.

B: How did I spoil it for you?

A: Now I know who the bad guy is. The whole moment of truth in the middle of the movie? That's not going to work for me now. I'm going to be, like, yeah, that's the bad guy, move on.

B: If you'd been watching the movie, you would have known this dude is uber evil.

A: He doesn't look very evil.

B: He really is.

C (turning around): Do you mind?

A: We're having a discussion here.

C: It's a fucking movie. It's not a fucking discussion, it's a movie.

B: We're whispering.

C: Just shut the fuck up, alright?

A: Hey, fuck you.

C: No, fuck you!

Everyone around them goes shhh. They all pipe down. C turns around, disgruntled. A gives him the finger and makes a face.

A (under his breath): Asshole.

B: Hey, hey, pay attention.

A: Oh my god, what's he doing?

B: He's killing her.

A: Fuck, he really is the bad guy, isn't he.

B: That's what I was telling you.

A: Wow.

I've been watching too much Curb Your Enthusiasm.