So here I am, chillin' in Illinois, in The P, as the C.T.M., or the Chi, or Chicago, Town Mafia, calls it. Or something. People are so weird with their acronyms and abbreviations.
We flew into Chicago and hung out with Aaron's drunkass friends, one of whom flirted with me incessantly, as Aaron said he would, an event that occurred much to my delight. We headed up to Peoria (the aforementioned P) on Wednesday and hung out with Aaron's mum and Aaron's other friends for a bit and Aaron made everyone watch the O.C. because he said that I had to watch it, but really, he wanted to see it. I'll be a scapegoat when it really matters, like maintaining one's masculinity. I spent this evening with my grandparents, and in the course of the past six hours we have managed to passionately discuss everything from rites of passage to donuts. Aaron's mum explained how she gave Aaron a traditional Indian sweat (since Aaron is 1/8 Shawnee) when he turned thirteen, and my grandpa questioned the validity of it and how those types of traditions are outdated in today's society, and I countered with the fact that we still have those stepping stones to adulthood through school, from middle school to high school to college and the like paving our way towards successful adulthood. Ideally, anyway. In regards to donuts, spudniks or something are the best, even compared to Krispy Kreme. I'll have to eat it to believe it. We also managed to throw in a few debates about an appropriate, if any, drinking age and Bush's proposal with the immigrants. We were up until this time with my Grandpa reminiscing, and I have to give him credit for never once using the term "the good old days." He talked about how he quit smoking, how the only time he ever kind of got in trouble in college was when his pride got in the way of his good sense and he raced someone on a highway and that someone turned out to be some political figure, but nothing ever happened with the legal recourse.
Tomorrow we're eating at my uncle's cafe, Cafe 401, and my grandma wants to take me shopping and then there's a shindig at one of Aaron's friend's house, to which I am bringing my cousing Jaclyn so I'm not the biggest outsider.
At one of Aaron's friend's house there lives a very cute baby whom I tried to befriend. He was sitting on the floor, so I sat on the floor and scooted up next to him, and he seemed ok with the situation, so then I touched his hand and he absolutely burst into tears. I felt horrible. I guess he got used to me later on in the evening because he let me hold him and we got a few cute pictures of us, but still...babies hate me.
I've been reading The Bell Jar during the traveling periods of this trip, and instead of reading it like a story I'm reading it like a college student -- between the lines, and all that annoying shit -- and it's kind of freaking me out. Anyway.
I'm spending the night at my grandparent's house and Aaron is at his mum's house, to avoid any weirdness with the grandparents and the sleeping in the same room and stuff, and I miss him. His surgery is scheduled for Monday and it's going to be another three weeks or so before he'll be back in San Francisco and I'm not so sure how I'm going to cope. I'm up so late trying to avoid climbing into an empty bed. It's really very depressing, in one of those annoying relationshipy ways.
On the drive down here Aaron explained to his mum that we play the slugbug (some of you may know it as the punchbuggy) game, but instead of punching each other, we kiss. Aaron said, "It's so we don't hurt each other unintentionally." I said, "No, it's because we're annoying in love." Awww.
Oh! And on the plane, the pilot announced: "It's a clear, sunny day in Chicago, and it is 0 degrees. Yes, folks: that's 0 degrees farhenheit." What the fuck? I could never live here. And no wonder Aaron's so hairy; you have to be to survive in this hellish weather.
I'm typing on my Grandma's $3000 Sony Vaio, and it is fucking crazy. I don't know what she uses this thing for, but it's a g33k's wet dream.
one year ago today: "SEXUAL. FRUSTRATION. GAH." two years ago today: "it's 10:23p and i want freebirds." three years ago today: nothin.