Goodnight to the Rock 'n Roll era...

First post in a million years, not because I haven’t had the time, but because internet access is scarce. Getting DSL here next week, but in the meantime have to use AOL dialup from M’s horribly defective computer, which means even checking my email is akin to pulling off an elaborate heist scheme, one last score, which upon completion leaves me exhausted and bathed in sweat. So this I’m writing on Word, then will attempt to dial up and copy it, but I’m not sure what my odds are. At the moment I’m sitting at the desk in Our Apartment (though it stills feels like just Hers, with me visiting), next to a window what normally would give a view of nearby rooftops and a distant view of downtown Chicago, but today due to fog I can’t see more than a few blocks away.

But, much has transpired that you don’t know about. For starters, about my car, whose untimely (or, possibly, incredibly timely) passing has saddened us all. Though I had to take a weeks worth of buses, had to get up nearly an hour earlier than usual, couldn’t work any overtime my last week, and was generally in a surly mood, it did kinda work out, and rather quickly. Once benefit of working at the same insurance company that covers both your car and the senile lady who hit you is that things get done pretty fast. The claim was officially filed last week Monday, I had to call the old lady’s agent myself. Tuesday someone from my same building came to give me a small check to cover transportation, which far exceeded my one cab ride and 13 bus trips. Tuesday after work I got a ride to the towing place and cleaned out my car, salvaging the new Saturday Looks Good to Me CD and an umbrella. Wednesday the adjuster called to say my car was indeed totaled, and gave me money, which happened to be more than I was planning on selling it for, since they couldn’t tell how bad the engine was, or that the AC was broke. So, all in all, between the two checks I got exactly 9 dollars less than the price I paid for the car. Which of course doesn’t include the 1400 dollars in repairs, plus other maintenance. But, overall, it worked out ok, and my neck pain went away after a few days. So hooray for that.

So now I’m here, the move on Saturday went OK, my parents came that same morning and took some things with them, everything else barely fit in M’s car, which I think is a major accomplishment. How many of you can fit nearly all your possessions in a Hyundai? So unloaded quickly, got takeout from the great Thai place a block away, and quietly began our life of sin. Sunday we began to squeeze my possessions into nooks and crannies, right now my socks and underwear are still in a pile on the closet floor, most everything else is crammed somewhere until we get some nice bedroom furniture. Monday night M was on call, gone all night, so I assembled the extra wooden CD rack we bought (we have two, each hold 500!) and got to ‘The Great Reorganization,’ first combining all the CDs we own together (now THAT means commitment!) and then alphabetizing by artist, plus sections for soundtracks and VA/Compilations, and then arranging each artist chronologically from past to present. So between us we have about 600-700 CDs, not counting the 100 or so burned ones in my CD binder, plus some questionable tapes of hers. She has very sporadic taste in music, I’m welcoming some into my collection, like 4 belle and Sebastian albums, elliot smith’s “either/or”, the first neutral milk hotel record, and some early cat power and modest mouse that I don’t have. But, at the same time, on my newly assembled shelf, what sits between Tiger Trap and Tortoise but Mr. Justin Timberlake, and between the aforementioned Elliot Smith and the first Sonic Youth record, 1983’s ‘Confusion is Sex’, but a CD by one-hit wonders Something Corporate (‘I woke up in a car’). I did manage to convince her to get rid of about a third of her tapes and a few of the more questionable CDs. I may go sell some today, there’s apparently only one decent record store in my ‘hood, besides the awful borders which sells CDs for 19.99. I went to this record store, which sells new and used CDs and Vinyl (I now finally have access to a turntable) on Tuesday morning as it opened, in giddy, childlike anticipation of buying the Pavement “crooked rain, crooked rain” double disc reissue complete with 62-page booklet, all at a regular CD price, but of course it wasn’t in yet, it should have been in and the dude tried to call the distributor but no luck, should be in soon. Maybe it’s there now. I would’ve taken a walk there yesterday, but my knee was giving me problems, second time in a month. It just started feeling better an hour ago.

So I’ve been running lots of errands, did laundry and cleaned the apartment, getting up early when M leaves for work, yesterday I went back to sleep for a bit though. Looked through the Trib for job listings, found a couple things to highlight, but haven’t got my computer hooked up yet to print off any resumes. Yesterday with broken knee and nothing to do I felt kinda awful and bored, made dinner for M when she got home. Last night: fish and potatoes. Tonight, possibly pasta, though I haven’t decided.

Last night we went to a movie though, to an indie-cinema in The trendy neighborhood just north of downtown, which involved a 30-minute drive and finally finding a parking spot. Movie tickets were 9.50 each, which I guess isn’t that crazy. We saw “Undertow,” of which you can read a very positive review of if you click on Roger Ebert’s link to the right, I’m in no position to create one for you here. The movie was directed by David Gordon Green, who I admire very much, his last was last year’s ‘All the Real Girls,’ which I thought was the best movie of the year, hands down. You can rent it anywhere. Undertow is his third film and he’s only 29, I thought a bit of a step down from his last but still very good. Best usage of freeze frame shots I’ve ever seen in a movie, ever. Unfortunately for my girlfriend, there is a rather violent scene in the first half of the movie, which made her reluctant to open her eyes for anything the rest of the film. Her loss, though. After the movie I limped back to the car and we drove around downtown for a bit, tall buildings still amaze me, from my apartment they are too far away to gasp at. Home in time to watch the last two innings of the World Series, then to bed. Today I’ll test my knee outside in a little bit, eat lunch here and do some job hunting, I may get dragged for furniture shopping this evening, we’ll see. It’s been an interesting week.