Life & Writing: Okay, Will You Watch Me?

It doesn't behoove me to go on about the holidays except to say that they were cheerful but cold, with that kind of snow that sticks to the shovel when you try to move it, and now they are over. I was gifted with plenty of shiny new technologies to make my life easier and more dependable on machines so that the day when robots take over the world will be twice as devastating when my belongings revolt against me.

The highlight of this trip, besides that it brought me back to the wintry sunshine of California, was one of those freak chance encounters in the airport. My sister didn't want to see by other people in those crowded gate seats, so we sat a good distance off to the side at a different gate that had more room. Despite being placed that far off, we were joined later by a man at this diagonal from me.

Not an instant later: *ping*. I felt that particular itching feeling that I knew this face. Then, a second after that, I knew. Ballet of the Dolls. Romeo & Juliet. I knew him. Because I couldn't signal to my sister without being suspicious, and because I covet proof in these sorts of instances, I struck up some inane reason to be fiddling with my iPhone right then. Briefly, I was distraught by the fact that I had anally left the plastic covering on which meant my camera was blurred behind recognition. So I also carefully crafted a reason to be fiddling with, but not removing ( still anal ), the plastic enough to take a clear picture. Well, clear-ish.



After he got up - to board our flight - I, of course, shared the news with my companion. We speculated on the reasons, further so after I spotted him in his seat as I passed by to mine - but, as we were unable to catch him leaving the plane there was no further stalking. It shall forever remain an interesting mystery.

My return was, admittedly, at first very stressful. I couldn't remember how it felt to be comfortable at my job, I had to approach my landlord for the first time, and I couldn't legally park on my own street without paying out all of the precious quarters I'd been gifted over Christmas. Getting a permit seemed daunting because it required them caring that I'd sent a request into the DMV to have my car registration address changed, instead of kicking me to the curb until I got confirmation back.

This was all to be handled after my first day back at the office - I day I actually began to anticipate with some glee because, as it turns out, I was internetless the two days before that. The story there is about how I have no internet in my apartment and knew none of the companies that serviced my area. My research had to be conducted either on my phone, which I find inhibits much of my normal typing speed ( but none of my impeccable grammar, thank you very much, Adam ), or at the public library - conveniently located in the immediate vicinity.

In fact, a good deal of things are now in my immediate vicinity. I find it both awesome and doubly awesome because it means I get to walk around in this fine weather and feel good about myself for doing so.

Anyhow, the library has a wireless, but not one that will allow such things as mu*ing nor streaming episodes. So, a replacement had to be made.

A note, though, on the library's behalf. Until I cheat-y parked in its parking lot to avoid paying meters while I trekked to City Hall this afternoon, I hadn't really walked further than the front lobby. I hadn't, then, really quite been able to realize exactly how freakin' neat this establishment really was. I felt compelled to share. Showing here:











I'm going to make this shot of glancing down the corridor What Does This Remind Me Of?: X Marks The Spot. But I'm not really going to hold it against anyone when they don't get it.



Also - awwww. The mystery section is so cute, it knows exactly what I was looking for.



Hint: it's the DOY. As in Doyle. As in Arthur Conan. As in Sher... yeah, you get it.

Lovely though it is, the library has an evening replacement: this replacement is named Starbucks. After relieving me of five of my dollars, they've granted me access to an internet that does both of those things the library doesn't. They are, however, wickedly air-conditioned. I don't know. Fifty degrees? I'm not begging for a fan at that point, so. Not getting it. Also, it's a rather good thing they offer smoothies and, when they are out of bananas like this particular evening, hot chocolate or I might be forced to, I don't know, drink coffee so they wouldn't kick me out for not being a paying customer.

This is from where I will be making my blogposts from now on, most likely, however. Making me this:



In conclusion, this is the beginning of a trial week where I can see if I can survive a week without internet at my apartment with the aid of the public library system, the extensive Starbucks chain, and the iPhone I have henceforth named T-1000. It's gunmetal.


Peace out.



P.S. This is City Hall.



I'm pretty sure I've climbed it in Assassin's Creed.