go, go, go. as fast as your legs can take you.

After a full night's sleep, I spent a good day walking up and down hills, looking at colorful homes, checking out cafés, and walking along the bay. At first I just went up any street that was higher than the one I was currently walking along. I soon noticed how many people had well defined legs.



I hadn't arranged my plans for the next few days, so I did that while resting at the top of a hill in the shade of a large cathedral. Since I was just going to be in San Francisco for the day before heading to Santa Barbara overnight, I had nowhere to store anything, so I was carrying everything I had with me. It was exhausting, but felt good at the same time.



The weather was cool, but sunny, and I had a good time exploring the different neighborhoods that seamlessly butted up against eachother. I like the idea of a city that's so completely walkable, but doesn't feel small. The differences in elevation were crazy to me, giving a constantly changing view of the city.


I walked through Chinatown and North Beach and up through Telegraph Hill, then down toward the pier and watched some teenagers do tricks on bikes that would have left me in a crumpled broken heap on the pavement. I relaxed on the pier until the sun finally crept behind the buildings downtown before making my way to the bus station. I still had a couple hours to kill, but I was cold and exhausted and buried myself in a book until the bus came.




* Dinner with Brian last night "—so this old guy's scooting along the wall like a ninja. We get his gun, and he's got a glock. I mean it's nicer than mine. So I'm wrestling him to the ground, and he puts a voodoo curse on me. So now I'm cursed. And the guy was a Jehova's Witness."

watch this.

it's really well done.


Obama '08 - Vote For Hope from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

in the middle of the night.

Stopped for one night in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The train was late getting in, and I didn't have all that much time to look around, but there was plenty of time to meet a weirdo with whom I shared a hostel. Sweet.

The next day was another two day train ride which brought me into Emeryville, California, across from San Francisco. This ride was great, and we went through the Sierras.

I met some great people on this stretch – some musicians, a woman and her daughter visiting family, a guy heading back to school at Berkeley, a Native American named Yellow Horse, and a New Zealander who lived in Ireland and was vacationing in the States.

I spent a lot of time in the observation car talking with people, learning a couple card games, and making my way back and forth through the train cars. This two-day stretch was pretty special, and as we all talked and told stories, we got to know some of the people working on the train. The engineer was L.A. Walker, the conductor's name was D.C. Cannon though he went by Daryl, and the diner car guys nametags said "Curly" and "Johnny Rivers." I swear I couldn't have come up with better names had I written this part into a movie.

Heather and Kendall (the little one) behind me having a good time, and this nervous guy next to me was moving across country to go to school. It was interesting to learn everyone's story, and how they were all very different.

Lots of people just hung out in their regular train car seats, keeping to themselves and watching movies, reading a book, doing crossword puzzles, or just trying to get comfortable while sleeping. I was glad to have hung out in the lounge car instead. The girl in the green shirt was named "Cloud" (Claudia, but called Cloud since she was five,) and was heading home to Berkeley where she had a jewelry and hair wrap stand on Telegraph Ave.

This girl, Lea, was moving from Denver to the west coast. She was a singer/songwriter/guitarist and had a voice that could knock you down flat and pick you right back up again. She was travelling with another guitar player, and they were just sort of enjoying being transient for the moment and deciding where to stay for a while.


I don't remember this little guy's name, but he was a nice sort of fellow, though somewhat reserved.

The guy that was going back to school at Berkeley looked like kind of a jerk at first glance. Collared light pink shirt, strategically tattered jeans, club shoes, and a half frown on his face. Turns out he was exceptionally nice once I started talking with him, and he was in the middle of trying to get Amtrak to utilize a better recycling program. He was an environmental law student and one night after a few drinks it came up that he played accordion pretty well and had one with him.

Turned into a fun late night with him, Lea, and the other musician all trading off playing songs and entertaining about 6 of us on the lounge car. At night, on the train with guitars, and songs, and even one harmonica. It's either cheesy or pretty amazing, and I'm definitely siding with amazing on this one.

Bert, the other musician.

Look at all that country back there. There's just so much of it.

Three-plus days on the train put me into Emeryville five hours late, and I'd missed my transfers by that point. Decided to take a bus into San Francisco with a few others and figure something out, though it was a Friday night, and I soon found that all the hostels were full. Finally found a hotel and a shower, and spent the next day in San Francisco before taking an overnight bus to see Janice.


On the train, there was this girl in one of the back cars who was travelling alone with just a backpack and this oversized panda bear. She never seemed to leave her seat, and when I'd pass by at night, she'd be peacefully resting against his large expressionless head.

After several days on the train we all dragged ourselves onto the bus, a short distance from our final destination. I hadn't slept well since leaving Chicago, and I was exhausted, sore, and delirious. I collapsed into my seat and stared out the window for a while. When I looked up, I saw this silly little grin beaming back at me, and I just started to laugh.

foxtrot.

Trains are a lot of fun. Taking a train out west may be one of the best ways to see the countryside. At least that's what I've heard, and although I've never driven through, seeing as you can't really sail through and the fact that you don't see much from 35,000 feet, I'd say that a train ride is definitely in the top two ways to see the left half of the country.

I've never been on a real train before, so I was a little anxious and excited when I got to the station, wondering where everyone was going, who they were visiting, and what sorts of things might be coming up.


I saw one young woman struggling with two suitcases, a large bag, a backpack, and a bicycle. In fact, many people had ridiculous amounts of luggage. While waiting in line to board, I heard someone say my name, and it turns out that the girl with the bike was Sonia (David Morley's girlfriend,) and she was heading to California to visit family.


We shared the ride until I got to Glenwood Springs, my first stop, roughly 28 hours later. It was fun sharing the experience with someone I knew, and as it was her first time going out by train as well, we had a lot of fun together and spent a lot of time in the lounge car.


We shared snacks and stories, met some fun people, and ate in the diner car. A lot of the time we just spent staring out the windows, watching the scenery go by. We went through Illinois and most of southern Iowa the first night, and slept through most of Nebraska. The scenery wasn't as boring as I expected. It was refreshing to see patches of farmland, old homes and ranches, and small towns that sort of ran themselves.


We went past general stores, and people waved. Some stations looked like they had been there for a hundred years. Some were just slabs of concrete next to the rails. One was completely bare except for an elderly woman and an old yellow lab.


One thing I was drawn to once we were in a rural area was the old telephone poles. They were rickety looking, crooked, and chewed up. The lines were thin, and the crossbars all had the old-style glass insulators on top of them which the wires wrapped around. The insulators were different colors and all seemed to catch the sunlight, spilling out rays of green or red light. I wish I could have gotten a good photo of one of them, but it was tough to catch.


Colorado is incredibly picturesque, and I wish we had slowed down a bit once we got into the mountains along the river. It was more than a little humbling, seeing these massive natural structures jutting out of the ground at dramatic angles, scraping the clouds, with trees and other wildlife barely able to cling to the sides. I just wanted to sit and stare all day.


The town of Glenwood Springs is home to some amazing natural hot springs, and since they're visited by tens of thousands of people each year, periodically they will be closed for maintenance or cleaning. It was one of those days when I was there. At least there was a big red mountain.

this shadow weighs a ton...

one stopover in San francisco and an overnight bus put me in Santa barbara for a couple days with janice. Back to sf tomorrow night for a couple days, then another train north. This is being pecked away on my iPod, stealing a neighbors internet with hopes that it doesn't crash again, so please forgive gram and typo errors. Janice makes a great hostess, so come visit and she might let you borrow the car while she works.

Drove down the 101 to Ventura today where my parents lived for a while a long time ago. The drive was amazing, and I loved every second of it. I came back through Ojai on a winding stretch of highway 150, passing by ranches and citrus farms, and a picturesque spot called the Coyote River runoff basin.

We cooked fish on the grill last night, and janice told me how one of her friends doesn't even own an indoor table, just a picnic table outside since it never rains. It's beautiful here, but I'm doing my best to back Chicago because, hey, what good is a mild summer if you can never look forward to fall, right?

The mountains and tunnels and countryside coming through Colorado were breathtaking, and I see why people say the california zephyr is the best train in the USA. The observation car was packed and everyone's faces were glued to the windows, oohing and aahing and pointing out the landscape. I was pretty taken aback by the sheer size of the mountains on either side as we went through Glenwood Canyon, and the scenery as it unfolded in the valley below. I can tell you, I haven't had much in the way of religious experiences, but someone got that whole part just right.

I'll try to find a real computer soon, so I can post some photos.

lickity-clack.

I rode a train.
Colorado is beautiful.
As are the Sierra mountains.
Sonia is fun.
Trains are cold.
Lounge cars are for memories.
Schedules are for suckers.
I'm a sucker.
But I'm alive, in San Fransisco, and have a bed to sleep in.

single cells would swing their fists.

Andrew Bird stood there, alone, the first time in years. Almost insignificant, he was dwarfed by the stage, hiding behind his mop of hair. Looking out at thousands, he began to play, and all the chattering stopped. A single note pierced through the evening, followed by another, then more.

Layers upon layers were built, swished around, manipulated. Deep bass tones bled into playful higher melodies, lighted colors danced around the stage, and everyone sat, contentedly watching and listening.

We had blankets and sheets, throws, sweatshirts, and a tablecloth. Bottles and bottles and bottles of wine, snacks galore, and the best company you could ask for. Those who couldn't make it missed out, and were missed.

Leading up, the weather was a 30 percent chance of rain. Morning of was 60 percent. Before we left for the show, it was up to 70 percent. But not a single drop of rain fell the entire night, and it was a pretty amazing thing.

I'm looking forward to more nights like this coming up, as fall has made its appearance. Good music, great friends, and an even better atmosphere.

Whale fight.

I was walking through the hall when I overheard on the television that the United States is ranked 48th in the world in life expectancy. How in the world can that be possible? I understand that our health care system isn't up there in the top 5, but I never would have expected us to come in that far down the list.

It got me thinking about different aspects of our lives, and how much time is spent doing different things. Work, exercise, socializing, family, food, relaxing. Maybe somewhere along the lines we got it all wrong. Maybe our priorities need to be re-evaluated. Or maybe it just requires some simple modifications to the way we already do things.

*
Yesterday, we had a nice bbq at Nate and Kate's place, and damn, I don't know how, but Nate always makes the best pork chops I've ever had. We all sat around the kitchen floor and talked for a while, had a few drinks, and Kate broke out a deep fryer. It was its maiden voyage, and how better to christen a fryer than with curly fries? Oh, I'll tell you how.

Funnel-cake battered, deep fried Snickers.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "I'm completely, utterly repulsed. Yet I can't stop salivating..."

*
Andrew Bird at the Pritzker Pavilion tomorrow. 74 degrees.
Chance of rain: 30%
Chance of awesome: 100%

billish.

It's Friday evening, another beautiful summer night. I did some reading, watered plants, cleaned up a little, and now I'm relaxing. Watching people come home from work, playing with their dogs in the park, talking on the bench across the street. The air is still, and the rhythmic sounds of the cicadas are loud and sweeping, competing with the bird's lazy songs. I guess it can be nice sometimes to just appreciate what's going on around you.


*sigh*


If something doesn't happen around here soon, I'm gonna go nuts.

Well, Tim, you're not in college anymore...

Went to see my friend Zach play a show at Uncommon Ground tonight in Lakeview. I'd never been there before, and judging by the people I knew who went there and those who worked there I figured it was sort of a dark, hipster bar, full of bikers, PBRs, indie music, and tight pants. I was a little off.

It's kind of a nice restaurant, split into three parts, with an extensive wine list and expensive meals. They do have lots of local art, and music in the back room.

There was a good but pretentious violinist who played beforehand, and I thought it a little rude when he asked people to be quiet. Zach played next, piano and organ, plus one song that was a duet with a sultry blonde on guitar.

I met up with some old co-workers and we had wine and talked and listened to the music, and it was all generally pretty nice. There was a good mix of lighthearted songs, and heavier ones with really warm melodies.

The temperature was just about perfect tonight, and the bike ride home was cool, and refreshing. Fall is in the air. You can feel it, and smell it, and almost taste it.

making hash browns.

It's a rather beautiful summer night tonight. The light, a sort of deep, orangish pink, is turning all the greens dark and rich. The cicadas are singing, and there's a cool breeze. The clouds are low, moving swiftly, and people are active in the park.

It's pretty perfect, save for the crazy man who's been yelling in the park for the past hour and a half.
*
So I've decided not to teach the Earth Team this semester. It's been fun and interesting over the past year, and I feel like I've learned so much from so many different students. Teaching (sort of) high-schoolers has been an experience unlike anything I've ever done before, and I've gained a new respect for those who do it full-time. This summer was almost full-time, and I was taken to my limit several times over the course of the program. Granted, the students I worked with over the summer were different than those I would be working with during the school year, and much more difficult to manage.

– Been running a lot this week, and it's a good thing. Even on days I feel like crap, and I don't really get anything done that feels substantial, if I go running I feel like I've got at least one accomplishment for the day.

– Also biking a lot the past couple weeks, just for fun. To the lake, up north, places of the city I haven't been before. It's interesting, and introspective, and fun. I think I might make a hobby of it.

Ok, seriously, this guy sounds like a cross between a man calling his dog (whose name is just a repeating series of vowels) in monotone, and a zombie trying to sound like James Brown screaming.

things I get irrationally annoyed with:

1) Those stupid dancing avatars that want me to click to check my credit score, compare insurance quotes, and lower my mortgage. What the hell do you have to do with anything? Go away, you tiny animation!

2) This pop-up camper that's parked in front of our place. It's always there! I hate you pop-up camper!

3) Guys who take rec-league softball seriously enough to turn into a big jerk on the field and start yelling at people. I mean, come on. Really.

If a shark and a torpedo mated...

The offspring would still be slower than the U.S. men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay team.

Five of us, not exactly fans of swimming, stood screaming wildly at the television, shaking our fists, and cheering our heads off. Five countries beat the previous world record, the U.S. smashing it by nearly four seconds. It had to be one of the best moments in sports that I've ever witnessed.

Quote of the night: "The Americans? We're going to smash them. That's what we came here for." – Alain Bernard of the French 4x100 meter freestyle relay team.

racing like a pro.

The Museum of Science and Industry.

I remember going as a kid and being excited about all the hands-on interactive things one could do. There were buttons galore, levers and handles and ropes, that when pulled activated some sort of mechanism, usually to demonstrate how a certain scientific principle worked. I would get lost in different rooms, watching things light up, learning about energy and physics and how things work.

I spent hours in the space center looking at the capsules that were flown into space and landed on the moon. They looked like they were made with pieces of gold foil, tubes, pie tins, bits of glass, plastic, and light bulbs. I climbed through a giant head, learning how the eardrums interpret sound, and how the eyes transform the information we see into an image relayed to our brains. And I loved watching the mold machines work; the two metal blocks slowly coming together and a still-warm triceratops being scraped into the little bin below.

We took our kids there today for program and instead of making a big project out of it, we decided to just give them a free day. It was fairly relaxing, but those kids are starting to get the best of me.

The museum has a much different effect on me now that I'm older. The sense of wonder and awe is somewhat replaced with a strange longing. I found myself reading the histories of old cars and their development over time. I thought about what it was like to fly a WWII fighter plane, and about all the materials and technology needed to create something like that – a full ten years before the transistor radio was invented.

I spent a while looking at the model railroad, finding different locations in Chicago on a much smaller scale. I watched a miniature train going over Lake street, the bridge yellow and rusted. Little people went about their business and lower Wacker was full of traffic.

This stuff is all interesting, but sometimes I want to have that same feeling of being overwhelmed, overstimulated, and excited. Where do we go for that sort of thing when we get older?

The rest of the day was also out of the ordinary today. The bus ride home was full of the kids misbehaving. We fired one of our students that we should have fired three weeks ago. I yelled at a half-dozen others with the threat of also being fired. It's frustrating because it feels like their behavior is directly related to how well I'm doing my job. If I'm doing the best I can, I should be able to handle these kids, keep them engaged, interested, and entertained. When it goes south I tend to put the blame on myself. I re-evaluate what I should have done differently in certain situations. How could I have reacted better to that scenario? What other tactics could I have used? But sometimes I feel like my best — the best I can possibly do — is just not good enough to handle some situations.

It's a tough realization, but after considering for a while, I think I'm ok with it. I think it just might mean that I'm not totally cut out for teaching inner-city high schoolers. Other people out there are probably better suited for it. Which should mean that I'm probably better suited for something else. Which is cool.

Also:

– If your back wheel gets stolen, for fuck's sake, stay away from Rapid Transit on North ave.

– Tomorrow is my last day of work. woo.

– Vacation for a few days next week with the family.

– Cool evenings are the best.

– Cutoffs. They're everywhere. On cool people.

be careful out there.

Today I was running near the square, and at the corner of Milwaukee and Logan there was an officer directing traffic. Opposite him was a couple squad cars, a black SUV, a firetruck, and an ambulance. Near the ambulance on the ground was the mangled wreck of a gray bicycle and a yellow backpack. The front wheel, handlebars, and frame were all bent. Nearby, the owner was being loaded onto a stretcher, with bandages and a neck brace already in place. It made me feel pained and sick to my stomach.

The girlfriend, who works at Dunlay's, was trying to get the police to let her take his bike. He had asked her to get it for him, which made me feel better; at least he was conscious.

I thought about how violent the hit must have been for the bike to be that smashed.

There's a lot of people out there on the road. On bikes and in cars. Please pay attention.

there's a reason.

I got a text message today from a number I didn't recognize. It said, "good seeing you yesterday." I racked my brain, trying to think of who it could be, and who I saw yesterday. It also occurred to me that it could've been sarcastic, and that I forgot I was supposed to hang out with someone, and didn't.

I finally gave in and sent a "who is this?" Later came the reply that it was indeed Daniel. He asked, "how are u?" A couple more messages followed, as I was still trying to remember this person. Maybe it was the guy who got me drinks at the club.

Unfortunately for Daniel, I am not the girl he had a great time with yesterday. But at least the fake number she gave him provided me with some entertainment today.

you complete me.

Go see The Dark Knight. You won't be disappointed.

Yeah, but for how long...

Things have been happening. I just haven't written about them. It's not usually what I do. Some people can write pretty freely, for others it can take quite an effort. Some of our kids are that way, at least. I've found that in a classroom situation, providing journal prompts can be helpful in getting kids to write faster. Write about this. Write about that. Instead of thinking about what they should write about, they think about the topic itself. Anyway.

Humboldt Park is beautiful. There's wildflowers, and birds, trees, lagoons, marsh areas, and streams, and footbridges with all kinds of things to look at. It's the kinds of place I could have roamed around and explored for days on end as a kid. Now I'm working there, and I'm trying to get high school kids to enjoy being outside. When it's hot. And uncomfortable. And they're lazy.

We usually start out by walking them toward one of the lagoons, and wind up near a spot where there's plenty of room to spread out, and lots of trees for shade. I like giving them ten or fifteen minutes of time to reflect on things, think about the day, relax, or just zone out. I tell them to listen to the birds. Listen to the sound of the trees in the wind. Feel the grass under their hands. Watch how things move.

Mostly the girls try to sneakily send text messages, while the boys throw sticks at each other.

Then we talk about a few different things involving the ecosystems at the park, interaction between different forms of wildlife, why things are the way they are, etc. Last week we did an experiment that showed them that all the fall colors of a leaf are actually in the leaf year-round. We talked about amphibians, and one of the students told us a story about catching tadpoles. We also played softball one day, and football the next. One of the kids who barely said ten words the whole week came alive after our second play. He called plays, organized our team and positions, called blocks during run plays, and encouraged his teammates. It was kind of inspiring.

Today was rough though. No one was motivated. They were bored, angry, and aggravated. We tried to lighten the mood with some games. We even tried Duck, Duck, Goose, after some discussion on the rules of play. Apparently no one could remember how. That helped ease things up a little.

The rest of the day was filled up with lunch and a scavenger hunt, though everyone's attention was on the fact that two of the kids were supposed to fight after the program. And they're good kids. Well behaved, and smart. Just something over a girl. I tried to talk to them at the end of work today, but I don't think it did any good. And I don't really have any reign when the workday is over, as long as they don't do anything at the park where we work. I told them I didn't want to see either of them busted up in the morning. I hope I don't have to.

Yesterday was pretty great. We had some things planned, but ended up scratching them when the Greater Chicago Food Depository showed up at about the same time we usually start. There were 250 people waiting for a semi-truck full of food that needed to be unloaded, separated, sorted, and distributed, and the truck was an hour late. And they were way short on volunteers. So we helped with that for the day, and it seemed to make everyone feel good.

We unloaded assembly-line style, packed bags and boxes, passed out everything, and helped people to their cars. And no one complained. It was big success, and it felt really good to help out. Anyway, I hope that's the stuff that sticks with these kids. We'll see.

the weather outside is weather

Simone, Colin and I went to Lilly's last week, a bar north of Fullerton on Lincoln. One of my co-workers from the restaurant tends bar there on Wednesday nights, and I hadn't been there yet, so I roped my roommates into going.

It looks like a regular DePaul bar from the outside, but the inside more closely resembles an old dungeon with some furniture in it. The floor is uneven brick, rounded and smoothed over time and completely loose in several places. Concrete archways are scattered throughout, painted a dark blue, and the lighting is pretty low. There are a few mismatched tables with chairs and stools here and there, in no real arrangement, and seemingly purchased individually from thrift stores or taken from back alleys.

The bar itself is an old, "L" shaped wraparound, with the tap in the corner. The beer coolers consist of three different Rubbermaid tubs, half filled with ice sitting on the floor behind the bar. A selection of imports and domestics float inside, next to a lone bottle of Jaegermeister. A small sign above the register on the back wall reads, "cash only."

There was a band playing a mix of rock, bluegrass, and country on the small, raised wooden platform in the front of the bar, and when they were done playing, the bartender's ipod provided the musical entertainment.

Colin's eyes went all dreamy as Wilco, Modest Mouse, Spoon, and Kevin Drew poured out of the house speakers. There were fun conversations, Simone spoke in Spanish with a guy I work with from Guatemala, and we got a hefty discount when I paid the tab.

I'll be heading back, that's for sure.

how will you meet your end?

Yesterday was a day off, and for all intents and purposes, that's exactly how I treated it. I went to Ann Sathers for breakfast and had some of their amazing cinnamon buns, and eggs with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and avocado. Yum.

Afterward, I rode my bike for a while doing some errands. New toothbrush, mouthwash, stopped to look at some shirts. There's so many toothbrushes out there! I fought the urge to get one with a dinosaur on it and went with a slick new sonic one with a tongue scrubber. Weird, yet cool.

I got back, and walked around our park, checking on the progress of the new running track and tot lot. Construction workers were putting in the base layer of gravel for the track, leveling and smoothing as they went along. I think it's supposed to be an even half-mile, and has a nice winding flow through the trees and bushes. The playground itself is actually going to be a slightly recessed area containing several abstract sculptures for kids to play around, parents to sit on, or more likely, hipsters to gather around and drink PBR.

I went with Colin and Simone to El Cid for dinner and margaritas and eventually everyone on the patio was serenaded by the mariachis. Simone's friend Karyn met up with us, and Colin ordered more margaritas.

I was in kind of a mood yesterday. Quiet, observant, introspective. It was still really nice out when we got home, so I put some music on and we sat on the porch with some wine and just listened. It was a nice evening, and I really liked the mix of everything that was going on. Two girls and a guy in the park, playing ball with their dog. Low, strumming music coming from our front room through the windows. Conversation from upstairs that just blended into the background. The occasional rapid click, click, click, click, click, shuffling of cards coming from the same windows upstairs. And followed shortly by the quiet clinking of chips being bet.

It was nice to just sit outside on the porch, have some wine, and soak it all in.