squamous | (no subject)

Back from Chicago, and back to work. The short version is that the weekend was a lot of fun, and I am back in NJ and back in the routine now, which is OK. I did find myself thinking maybe I should move back to Chicago someday after all, once I am done here that is. But we'll see. Anyway, more details below if anyone is curious, or bored.

I had lunch with Crista, Cooper and Eliot Friday afternoon, then Crista took Cooper back to school. Not long after that she and Eli gave me a ride to the Metra station. I felt a little sad to leave them so soon... they wanted me to stay, I wanted to stay, but I had other plans already, of course... the whole point of being out there. On the way to the station Crista was playing the Yo La Tengo CD Fakebook, and Eli kept requesting songs that she liked off it. Her favorite was "Griselda" which I thought was cute.

I got back to the city OK and met up with Shawn. He has already started his new job. I was encouraged (not to mention very glad for him) that his period of unemployment post-layoff was so brief. He seems to be OK with his new job. We went back to his apartment and I helped him take out some trash and move some stuff around so that he could better accomodate visitors. We also walked to a nearby grocery store and got some liquor.

Brett arrived, then Katie, Shawn's fiancee. Some other folks showed up as well, then we went to the Alice Peacock concert / album release party. Shawn had free passes for us to use, as he is friends with Alice. I have talked to her a few times myself, and it is cool to see her on the roll she is on now. I was pretty impressed with the show - it was more "rock" than I had expected. The opening guy was good too although not really my sort of thing. Always good to start a bachelor party weekend with a female singer-songwriter kinda thing though, you know?

I saw a lot of people that I knew - friends of Shawn's - at the concert, then we went to the bar he used to work at afterwards and there were even more familiar faces, some people it was really good to see. We went by another bar after awhile then back to Shawn's place. Shawn went to bed and Brett and I stayed up and talked to Mary Jo and Hartz. Mary Jo is a really good storyteller and she gave us the full treatment talking about the time she was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show. Pretty funny stuff. It got very late and everyone was tired so the ladies departed and Brett and I went to sleep.

The next day was the official bachelor party. Let's see. A lot of guys showed up at Shawn's apartment, then we went to get fitted for tuxes. We had a really good lunch and some drinks at the Local Option / Local Shack... I really like the food there. Then we went back to Shawn's and eventually downtown to the W on Lakeshore. Brett wanted to check this place out so we had rented out this suite for the evening. Hrmmm... I would say... I dunno. Nice enough place, functionally your basic hotel but kind of self-consciously funked up. Things like "do not disturb" doorhangers that read "leave me alone (please)", that sorta thing. It was good to see what it was all about it and it kind of added to the experience of the weekend.

After loitering there some we went to Joe's Seafood for dinner. There were around 14 of us I think... Shawn has some friends that I really like, and his brother-in-laws to be are very cool and personable, and the food was great, so it was just a good, relaxed time. Once we were done there we did some other bachelor party stuff then went to Kelsey's, where a basement party room had been rented out, and various other friends of Shawn's were to be found there.

We hung out there for awhile and drank, a few hours I guess (I didn't drink that much, I dunno I am just not much on being drunk anymore) then Brett and I went back to the W. Shawn visited another bar, Jake's, then joined us. We lounged around and watched TV and talked. Shawn and Brett are two of my favorite people so it was a nice way to end the evening, just relaxing with them. I really am glad that they are both doing well in life and are happy. I think this marriage is actually going to do some good things for Shawn, too... I dunno, allow him some new experiences in life I guess.

The next day we went back to Shawn's and watched parts of various DVDs. When Shawn put in Joe Dirt he announced we would want to get our flights changed so that we could see the whole thing. Alas, it was not to be. Again I had a good time talking to those two. They managed to get me feeling better about myself, unsolicited... actually got me unexpectedly thinking I had been way too down on myself the last many years. Hopefully this chance to improve my attitude and opinion of myself will develop further. Shawn told me I had some files on a computer he had bought from me 6 years earlier... I was surprised and got it out and looked, and sure enough I had stupidly left some personal stuff on the thing. The computer is worth like $40 now so he said he would just ship it to me. Man I have to say I hate looking at my old writing. Well OK any of my writing. Shawn also showed me some things he had written lately. I wish he would apply himself to writing outside of his job more often.

The flight back was OK... there was a lot of turbulence, more than I recall experiencing previously. I didn't realize this might happen, but somehow it made me aware of this sort of falling / hurtling sensation... how incongruously and brashly we were just plunging through space. I wasn't afraid, but I did find myself pondering how much one would feel in a jet crash death. I assume whatever violence occurs is so fast and overwhelming that your brain can't really process it. I wonder though.

The worst thing was that once the plane landed, they kept us on the runway for close to an hour. I hate being cooped up in the plane so this was just torture. I know, I know, there are many worse fates, but I was seriously festering in there. Finely I got off, got to the baggage claim, got my luggage... then had to wait in line to cram myself onto a shuttle bus with a bunch of crabby travelers, to get a lift back to "economy" parking. Once I found my car, I had to wait in a long line to pay to get out of the lot... of course some clever fuckers couldn't just wait in the rather clear lines but had to try to fuck their fellow man. "If I had a rocket launcher...". Finally once I escaped the airport all was well. I am distressed that I have three more trips that will involve lots of flying coming up this year though.

I got a few things done back at the office, and am starting a big wiring job now. The new tenants are slowly moving into our space, and will be there officially October 1. So, back to sharing the bathrooms and stuff... kind of a drag really but we knew it was coming. And now I am doing laundry. That's about it.