may tomorrow the land be anew.

This month seems to be flying by.

I've been making some attempts at getting together some work for ID, developing my sketching, and relearning what I actually went to school for. So far it's going alright. I'm more motivated than I have been in almost two years, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.

This weekend is going to be legendary, as our good friend Brian is getting married to Liz, all of the out of town friends will be together, and I'll be donning a tux for the event.

Last week the most exceptional thing in my lifetime happened, and I only had my phone to document it. I know we've all been saturated, but I guess I just don't want the feeling to go away yet. It was great to be there for something so incredible.

What got me is how everyone was so excited to be there, and happy. I got a little lost from our group and meandered closer to the front for a while. I was on the phone trying to find out where the group was when we got Virginia, then moments later when the giant screen showed that Obama won. The roar from the crowd was one of those that was so loud you could feel it from your stomach to your ears. It was like a drowning noise from cicadas, twisting up inside my head, becoming a single tone that almost made me cover my ears.

Next to me, an elderly black woman with whom I'd been chatting grabbed my hand, sort of raising and shaking it, and said, "We did it, baby. We did it!"

I almost lost it right there.

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Halloween was fun, and we carved pumpkins this year. Simone roasted the seeds, and in avoiding the usual GDP, she just salted them and they were great.

With the help of my new lady-friend, Jen, the carving of Walter happened. His look is somewhere between surprised and trying to look innocent, I think. Maybe he's singing. Christmas carols.

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Last night I went to see A.A. Bondy at Schubas. He's kind of a folk-country-rock guy and last night was apparently his first headlining show, though he's been playing for quite some time. It's great music to get you through the winter, soulful and raw. His playing is precise, but not labored, and on several songs he changes the tuning of a couple strings to give a lower, bass-driven sound, smooth alongside his somewhat gritty vocals.


He's no amateur, and although his album American Hearts was recorded in his barn, it sounds great. You should check it out if you like good music.


I got to have a drink with him after the show, and he talked about touring, sleeping in his car, and Obama-Chicago coolness. The coolest thing was that he asked me for my phone number when he was trying to figure out a place to stay for the night. So he almost crashed at Palmer Hall. Would've been neat.

Anyway. I'll try to do this more regularly so things aren't so jumpy-aroundy.