Beat the Retreat

I've been meaning to write more but the words just don't seem to flow. I have, however, tried to catch up on notes.

I've got a CD from one of my readers playing right now. I am really beginning to get into Mazzy Star. And Hole's version of Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman" is good too. And I'm downloading more music right now. Some Genesis from '75, Bob Marley '78 from Madison, Metallica's Madison show from a week ago...Christ! Anyone want more music? I've got so fucking much that I can't listen to it all so I must share it.

I spent this weekend in Chicago. I got to meet an ODer - Vitafelice! We met at a tavern on Saturday night. An absolutely wonderful woman! For some reason, I thought she would be blonde but, instead she was endowed with long, black hair. I made the mistake of telling her about my misconception and I think she's gonna hold it against me the rest of my life. We had a couple brews and then found a Thai place for some dinner. Pad Thai is so tasty! (A little dirt on VF - she can really put down the curry.) From there, we went to her apartment briefly so she could put leftovers away and call her new beau. I was endeared to her upon seeing the box of chocolates on her nightstand. From there, it was off to another bar in the West Loop area where Oprah lives called Blyss. Her newest man-interest was to meet us there. When he did show up, I found him to be a really nice, funny guy. VF was totally smitten. The only thing curious about this fellow was how he was constantly looking around the bar. I got the impression that he was a bit nervous - as if he was afraid that he'd be seen by someone whose gaze he wanted to avoid. I don't know - maybe it was just his way of dealing with being on a date, of sorts. Or perhaps it was merely the Red Bull that he was drinking. When VF would go powder her nose, he'd try to glean some dirt on her from me. But I was pretty tight-lipped. However, I did give him some pointers: basically, she's a beautiful person, loves chocolate, and you're in so be good to her and don't blow it. For the cab ride home, I took the front seat so the 2 lovebirds could have some privacy. VF's entries don't do justice to the transformation she underwent from smart, confident woman to mushy little schoolgirl. I hope that things work out well for them.

She let me crash on her floor that night. I could be the only ODer to have seen VF in her pajamas. Got up at some point and we watched Beverly Hills 90125 for a while as we chatted. I called my brother but never got an answer. Around 11:30 I took off thinking that he'd be up. But I was wrong. I rang the buzzer but never got an answer. Luckily, a neighbor was coming home and I got in. I festered for a while before waking his ass up and showering. From there, it was off to my grandmother's place where we'd meet up with my mom, aunt, and cousin. We had lunch and talked afterwards, catching up on each other's lives. My grandmother recently had a new battery put in her pacemaker but she was as lively as ever. For an 89 year-old woman, she hasn't slowed down much. Her mind is perfectly fine, she gets around without any problems, and she looks like she's in her mid 70s. I swear. Of course, she complains about photographs showing her wrinkles but, fuck, she looks great. She's old. That happens to all of us human beings. But she has some miracle genes that retard the signs of aging and I am hoping that I have inherited them. If not, my mother is going to get a piece of my mind.

Not 2 minutes after walking in the door, my aunt approaches me with a problem she's having with her computer. Turned out to be a minor glitch with the BIOS. Usually she'll bait me with chocolate but she was unable to find the bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that she had procured for this. I'm such a fucking pushover. I'm like an alcoholic but for chocolate. I'll do anything for it. I feel like such a whore. People wave the stuff around like Scooby snacks because they know I'll instantly agree to do anything they want for a taste of that luscious brown goodness. Luckily there was chocolate cake for dessert.

After lunch, my cousin told me that she was being laid off by the state. She works at a juvy detention center west of Chicago. She also informed me that my bi-color Chuck Taylors had the same colors as those used by the Disciples. (They're a gang.) I think I knew a Disciple when I lived there. Definitely a Gaylord or 2. No Latin Kings, though. So I thought that I could perhaps be the Disciples' tech support specialist. Keep those databases of crack deals and killings running smoothly.

Afterwards, I went back to my brother's place and hung out for a while and, besides, my backpack was still there. His roommate Andy was back and their friend Jim stopped by. We watched the end of the Cubs game and shot the shit. Before I left, I snagged the DVD of The Horror Express. It's a classic Hammer film starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Telly Savalas. Lee is an archeologist who finds a 2 million year-old human ancestor and is shipping it back to England on the Trans-Siberian Express. Unbeknownst to him, it is home to an alien life force which goes around killing everyone. Evnetually, it inhabits one of the bodies of another passenger and they're trying to figure out whose. A police chief asks Cushing how should he know if it's not in him or Lee to which Cushing replies, "A creature in us? We're English." Fucking classic!

I spent yesterday morning at Toad Hill with The Caffeinatrix. I should probably stop spending so much time there because she never gets any work done - just crossword puzzles. I've gotten on good terms with most of the morning regulars and have begun bestowing nicknames on them. I found out that Decaf Guy is an artist and his real name is Mike. From him effeminate mannerisms, it has always been apparent to me that he's gay but The Caffeinatrix revealed that he finds me "charming" and is really attracted to her beau, Henry. Why couldn't the hottie from Coney Island Studios and whom I hitted on find me charming? Still, Decaf Guy is nice and funny too.

I can't remember what else I did yesterday. Read a bit, ran errands and lined up a 'puter fix-it job. Oh! I went down to Mad City Music as I needed to buy a blank tape so I could make a mix for my car. How I deluded myself that I could only spend $2 in a music store is beyond me. So I ended up buying a couple new discs - Tull's Minstrel in the Gallery remastered and an album by a local band called His & Her Vanities. Gotta support your local music shops and bands, ya know. I also chatted with Dave, the owner. He's a cool guy as well as a big Hawkwind and King Crimson fan. And he's the guitarist in a local band called The Waterdogs. They play 50s/60s rock'n'roll, surf music, and the like. Dave agreed to let me bring in my old tapes of bootlegs to give away as I just can't bring myself to throw them away. He also agreed to let me burn some shows for him. In exchange, I expect him to give me first dibs on a few discs should he come across them, especially The Bear's first album.

On my way home, I stopped in at CZ as it was on my way. Miss Jolene was there and I chatted with her a bit. There was also a new hottie behind the counter. When Jolene was busy whipping up my mocha, she'd come up and talk to me. Then Jolene was come back and hog my attention. I didn't know which one to talk with. I know they weren't vying for my attention but I can delude myself if I want to.

I am such a lazyass. I want to finish the rough draft of my Jethro Tull essay and start on another one about how the band Marillion have benefitted from the Internet and how they take a direct approach with their fans. Yeah, it's all stupid, inane stuff but I can ramble on about such things for hours or pages. Especially if it's related to music. For now, I'm going to shower and go pick up my new and improved business cards.