Post Christmas Dreams
2003-12-30 12:28 p.m.
Strange dreams in the last couple of days. I�m usually not one to believe in the �dream dimension� where some get the special 4th eye to the world. Believe me, with the crazy stories my mother and grandmother have about premonitions and predictions in their dreams, they�re supposed to be pretty important to me. But they grew up in Poland and I grew up curbside Chicago, so our cynicisms have a different basis.Anyways my dreams were pretty much begging me to think of my current situation. For instance, yesterday morning, right before I woke up I was having a conversation with Uma Thurman. I don�t remember much of it, but I do recall that I was being a bit flirtatious (found that strange as I find her beautiful, but not attractive). The headline of it came at the end when she stated, �come on, you know you�re gonna be married within the next year!!� Before I had the chance to argue, I woke up.
This morning it had more to do with where I live and what I�m doing. I sense a short lived depression about my situation. Not that it�s terrible, but I�m not sure I�m where I want to be. Ok, well, I�m pretty sure I�m not. My girl is great and I enjoy my job, but that�s about the extent of it. And I�m still not ready to settle on the girl part. I�m making more friends and all out here, and making a life, but I�m just not sure that I want one here any more. Just gotta figure out where.
OK, enough serious shit. That�s just what�s been on my head and I like to get that shit out here once in a while. Christmas was dope, but became far more expensive than it should have been.
Two days before, I went to my old job and bought everyone a bottle of wine. It came recommended and 5 bottles was about $55. I was so excited to actually be able to buy gifts for people. Everyone was pretty surprised, and the day went on into hours of conversation, which is always fun. The spirit of that office just isn�t there anymore. Sad to see, and I�m glad I didn�t have to be there while it died out.
Then, we rented a car and headed to Chicago. I FINALLY got to finish off my cross country drive. It was my girl, L, her roommate D, and myself. I drove half, D drove half and L drove through the Chicago traffic. My girl T doesn�t drive ( like most of the people I know who grew up in Brooklyn or Manhattan ).
In PA, we actually saw the craziest landslide any of us have EVER seen. I�m talking what looked like 2 ton boulders sprawled all the way across both lanes and into the shoulder. The 2 trucks ahead of us were out moving the rocks so traffic could get by. When all was cleared, we saw the people who first discovered it. The van and pickup were a bit dented, but the truck� DAMN. The front axle was ripped all the way back to the trailer. It resembled an old man with no front teeth.
Chicago was incredible as always. My mom�s family is always really boring until my crazy ass mom shows up. Sticks in the mud until mom starts yellin� about this and that. 20 minutes in, everyone�s laughing and telling stories. I didn�t want to be there long. I can hang with mom whenever. Everyone else is just too damned phony or uptight for my taste, besides maybe my uncle and cousin, who I usually end up talking to anyways.
My dad�s family is very different, and we went there soon after. Here�s a bunch of fairly well off Mexicans who do a shot every time someone comes in, play charades and a crazy grab bag game consisting of the ability to steal gifts from each other. I look forward to hanging with these people every year. They make Christmas for me.
Everything else was playstation at my boy G�s and talking shit to him for still not having a job. I made a few other stops, but most of it was trying to tell G. to get on his shit.
As far as the overspending, my car got impounded. Check this out. I got a good rate at the Hyatt, right at the southern tip of the Magnificent Mile (on Wacker). Real snazzy place, so T and I would have some privacy. So When I went to park the car, I�m talking to the attendant.
�So how much for the night?�
�$35, sir�
�$35 What?!�
�35 Dollars�
�What about that spot across the street?� (pointing to an open parallel spot across the street - This is lower Wacker � which is like an underground highway sorta thing under downtown Chicago)
�Well, that�s ok, but the Hyatt��
�Great Thanks!!�
�The Hyatt��
�Merry Christmas!!�
So I park there the first night.. No problem. Grab the car at 11 am, all gravy. Only one sign at the corner for no parking in the other direction. Gravy. We go out Christmas eve eve for the whole day, get back at 2 am, park in the usual spot and knock out. Come down at Noon after checkout on Christmas eve, and the whole block is cleared. On the 20 mph sign where I was parked, a Strung up no parking sign. (yes, hanging by string). FUCK!!! I got a dinner to go to.
Guy at the lot says the impound is 4 blocks down. I call T and tell her It�ll be a while, and walk down to the impound. $160 and a $50 ticket. I�m as calm as the two girls who were already there for the same thing requesting a hearing, but as I was paying, some cat came in rowdy as fuck. Sounded like he was about to light the place up, and I didn�t feel like finding out. Paid and jetted. So I picked my girl up and all the luggage. They were all waiting calmly over some hot chocolate in the dope ass lounge they got. After loading up the car, we went to take a photo of the sign.
IT had to be about 90 minutes after I found out the car was gone. NOT MORE than 2 hours. We got down there.
A BRAND NEW MOTHER FUCKIN NO PARKING SIGN. Crisp and gleaming. No Parking. I KNOW it wasn�t there. I KNOW I would win in court. But it would have cost me more to stick around for a hearing, or even come back for one. So I said fuck it, $210 down the drain.
My girl was broke so I covered all her expenses. Food, etc.
Then I got back and after we unloaded everything, I got to Enterprise to return the car about a half hour late (1230 pm). Everybody gone. Next day, they don�t open til 3. So basically I�d have to pay for 2 extra days for being a half hour late. That at about $100 a day. (good weekly rate, shitty daily rate). So I went in last night talking a serious load of shit (all real shit, no bullshitting), and got a day knocked off. Still paid a shitload more that I needed to.
Other than that.. hmm.. I got a crock pot and a foreman grill. Bought myself a Rocawear jacket (basically a Northface with RW on it). About to get my self some nice Kenneth Cole shoes (impossible to find 14�s anywhere) and a pair of Tims, and maybe a good pair of sneakers. Yo, I haven�t bought shoes, sneakers or a coat in about 2 years. Time to splurge a bit.
Finally about to fill out my holiday cards. I like to write more than my name in every card so it takes me a lil longer. Been playing a shitload of Tiger 04 and Tony Hawk Underground. Both incredibly dope.
Alright, back to figuring out the whole life thing and planning for new years.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Halloween!!!!