Backpacking Close to Home
Tango last night was way better than last time. They made the boys switch partners every few songs, so I didn't get stuck with the one guy the whole time. And even he wasn't that bad--either I'm getting better or he is, or both. Afterwards, some of the students were standing around outside making plans to go dancing--apparently there's a place on Madison that has open tango dancing every Tuesday and Friday night, and they like to go to get the extra practice. Cool! I packed my dancin' shoes in my backpack this morning so I can go after I leave here, which I think I will. I even got a free ride home from a couple fellow students, so that was loverly. Suddenly riding in a car is big excitement for me.
Speaking of being in cars, though, yesterday I was very glad I didn't have one. See, there was this big accident on Lake Shore Drive late yesterday afternoon. I don't know exactly what happened, but it must have been bad 'cause traffic was backed up even on the city streets by me at work, which was miles south of the problem and considerably off the highway (Lake Shore Drive), too. At 5:30, I got on a bus to go home, quickly realizing I was in the middle of a huge neverending parking lot. Over an hour later, I was less than halfway home and realizing I didn't have enough time to get home, turn around, and get to class. Little by little, people just started giving up and getting off the bus. Classic Office Space image of the people outside walking along, brisk as can be, leaving all the suckers in the cars and buses to suffer. So, being as how I was so happily unchained, I took my backpack and got off, too. Leaving behind the bus of despair, I wandered around through the nice park, saw all the people (lots of people running and exercising...What is this? What are we doing here? Why all the movement and effort? I know of no good reason), walked a good half hour to an el stop (which I happened to know where it was 'cause I'm all city savvy now), and took it straight to class. I got there at 7:45, class started at 8, done and done. What I love is that I had originally planned on going home and eating before I went to dance class, but, just in case, that morning I had packed my dancing shoes and skirt in my bag so that I would have options. Thus, as I was cheerily moseying to dance class without a care in the world (well, except for that I really had to go to the bathroom), my future self got to say to my former self, "Hey, gooood thinkin' there, self." Fun. It's much better than outsmarting yourself, like when you hide your money someplace no one will find it, except that then when you want to find it, you can't find it. I hate that.
I was working on a whole life-as-bus metaphor for a while there, but it's not quite done yet. Something about how sometimes you get on the wrong bus, but you're not sure if you should get off, because at least with the bus you're on, you're going somewhere--you just don't know where exactly you'll go or if you'll get there on time. But if you get off, who knows if you'll find another bus--it could be worse than the one you're on. But sometimes if you just get off the bus, everything works out.
Hmm. You know what I mean, Vern?
So I sort of got leaky red pen all over my finger today. I tried to wash it off, but it didn't work. It dried in a formation that looks an awful lot like I gouged my finger and there is blood dripping down and all around. And here I'd planned on going tango dancing tonight. Now I'm worried that my potential dance partners are going to think I have a hemorraging digital wound and won't want to dance with me. They'll see my finger painted with red and think, "Ack! What if she's got a bloodborne disease? Stay away!" Suddenly I'm faced with a dilemma. Should I cover it up? Should I put a band-aid on a fake wound? Is that dumb? Similar to a kid pasting the contents of an entire box of band-aids on his body just to feel special? I have never had this problem before.
If you have cats, you might enjoy this blog entry which gives a pretty accurate description of life with them and humans' feeble attempts to outwit them.
Big Event of the Day: Tango practice
Percent Chance: 70%
Speaking of being in cars, though, yesterday I was very glad I didn't have one. See, there was this big accident on Lake Shore Drive late yesterday afternoon. I don't know exactly what happened, but it must have been bad 'cause traffic was backed up even on the city streets by me at work, which was miles south of the problem and considerably off the highway (Lake Shore Drive), too. At 5:30, I got on a bus to go home, quickly realizing I was in the middle of a huge neverending parking lot. Over an hour later, I was less than halfway home and realizing I didn't have enough time to get home, turn around, and get to class. Little by little, people just started giving up and getting off the bus. Classic Office Space image of the people outside walking along, brisk as can be, leaving all the suckers in the cars and buses to suffer. So, being as how I was so happily unchained, I took my backpack and got off, too. Leaving behind the bus of despair, I wandered around through the nice park, saw all the people (lots of people running and exercising...What is this? What are we doing here? Why all the movement and effort? I know of no good reason), walked a good half hour to an el stop (which I happened to know where it was 'cause I'm all city savvy now), and took it straight to class. I got there at 7:45, class started at 8, done and done. What I love is that I had originally planned on going home and eating before I went to dance class, but, just in case, that morning I had packed my dancing shoes and skirt in my bag so that I would have options. Thus, as I was cheerily moseying to dance class without a care in the world (well, except for that I really had to go to the bathroom), my future self got to say to my former self, "Hey, gooood thinkin' there, self." Fun. It's much better than outsmarting yourself, like when you hide your money someplace no one will find it, except that then when you want to find it, you can't find it. I hate that.
I was working on a whole life-as-bus metaphor for a while there, but it's not quite done yet. Something about how sometimes you get on the wrong bus, but you're not sure if you should get off, because at least with the bus you're on, you're going somewhere--you just don't know where exactly you'll go or if you'll get there on time. But if you get off, who knows if you'll find another bus--it could be worse than the one you're on. But sometimes if you just get off the bus, everything works out.
Hmm. You know what I mean, Vern?
So I sort of got leaky red pen all over my finger today. I tried to wash it off, but it didn't work. It dried in a formation that looks an awful lot like I gouged my finger and there is blood dripping down and all around. And here I'd planned on going tango dancing tonight. Now I'm worried that my potential dance partners are going to think I have a hemorraging digital wound and won't want to dance with me. They'll see my finger painted with red and think, "Ack! What if she's got a bloodborne disease? Stay away!" Suddenly I'm faced with a dilemma. Should I cover it up? Should I put a band-aid on a fake wound? Is that dumb? Similar to a kid pasting the contents of an entire box of band-aids on his body just to feel special? I have never had this problem before.
If you have cats, you might enjoy this blog entry which gives a pretty accurate description of life with them and humans' feeble attempts to outwit them.
Big Event of the Day: Tango practice
Percent Chance: 70%
posted by Becky at
5:17 PM
3 Comments:
Health Club: final update
I went back to my health club today, and was positive that I would be able to gain access to Beckyland, Inc., as I have complained to the managment about censorship of your blog.
Well, not only is your blog still not accessable because of references to "drugs/alcohol", it is also now off limits due to references of "intimate apparel" and "violence/hate". We are going in the wrong direction here.
The "intimate apparel" ban must be from your reference to the "bra-wearingness" of tops. The "hate/violence" ban is beyond me (maybe your sister's threat to punch someone in the face?). I don't know.
Well, I tried.
By
Anonymous, at 4/28/2006 09:17:00 PM
Rude! Yeah, that one post where I speculated about the political views of the bus driver, after I wrote that I thought, "Wow, if you searched my site for forbidden words, you'd think I was a (notice trying to avoid more incorrect words) bad person."
I bet they didn't even take the time to read this. Oh, well.
By
Becky, at 5/01/2006 09:24:00 AM
I find it really satisfying when I find my way from one place to another without going home first. Usually (especially in the city) I only really am sure of ONE way to get somewhere, and if I change my starting point, it's all over for me. Finding my way makes me feel like I actually know the city, not just little parts of it.
Anyway. Way to plan ahead and have your stuff with you. That would have been my critical mistake.
By
Katie, at 5/01/2006 01:19:00 PM
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