Sunday, April 26, 2009

For Lack of a Better Title: "BAH!"

I know I should be slaving away on my computer and I had no intentions of writing anything new till the end of this week, but I'm thinking this is note worthy. Other than the last 2 days slaving inside the AA building with little interaction with the outside world, I only got "SO MUCH" done. Though, I think I've set up the foundation for a quicker pipeline; lets hope so.

The last couple of days felt like Spring, which made the days a little easier to bear. Though, it still doesn't stop the firing of a thousand ideas.

Lately, I felt like I've been stuck in a rut, not because of just one thing, but the accumulation of many other little problems becoming the megazord of all conscious thoughts. Luckily, they haven't manifested themselves into some strange dream that will only lead me to more confusion. Maybe after all this, I can look forward to a strange dream.

Today, as I was working, I didn't know if it was frustration or excitement that I was feeling as I was clicking away on my computer, I think it was a good mixture between the two, as there was drastic pushing and pulling from each end.

As I thought, all this clutter calls for a lunch break. Who would have known coincidence would work in such a strange way; god always want to slap you in the face when you least expect it. What I was hoping to be a lunch where I sit and think of methods, and techniques of approaching my project. I was stuck thinking of "feelings", as I was eating. I guess I would not elaborate anymore about this.

Got back to the lab, and working on the project seem to have been working in my favor. I got a lot of things the was being funky to work. Though, at the end of the day I only manage to get 20 seconds of footage into the render farm. I hope they turn out alright.

As I was leaving, the Spring wind and the fragrance in the air made me realized I sacrificed a nice Spring day on my laptop.

As I was waiting at the bus stop, I saw my cousin-in-law Ken making deliveries on campus. I stopped to talk to him, as he was offering me a ride home, the bus approaches. I asked him to drive me down to Taylor, so, I won't disrupt his deliveries. As I got out, the bus was approaching, and I was on the street, the bus driver pointed me to go wait for the bus on the corner. I got on, and got a lecture, but the driver was probably the nicest driver I had encounter. She was chatting with the passengers as they got on. I guess, that was nice to see on my way home.

Anyways, sleep deprecation will probably start tonight. I hope I'm conscious as I meet el mayor tomorrow.

-David M.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Target: Easter

I was planning to go to the local Target (The one on Roosevelt) today to get some a tube of Neosporin for a cut that I got from my xacto on Tuesday; I know is a bit late. Also, some fabric glue for my dad. When I entered the parking lot, I found the lot to be desolate. It seem almost apocalyptic, even though society was still functioning outside. The empty second floor lot made it seem like scene from a Fast and Furious or Transporter film; I wished I had a camera on me, it was a rare sight. Other cars, entered the lot only to be confused.

The bigger question is, Why is Target closed on Easter!?

-David M.

Odd Dreams...

Last night I had a dream, it was bit odd. No, it was not a strange as my normal dream, does that make it more odd than previous dreams?

Regardless of such, I had a dream about someone I haven't consciously thought about, or at least I would like to think about it that way. Though, it wasn't anything noteworthy, it was still a good dream. It was just a conversation, though parts of the dialogue has become extremely vague at this point; it was still reminiscent of something familiar (Yes, I'm being vague here for a reason too). It was pleasant however, that rarely happens.

Though, there was a strange flip in channels afterwards. I ended up being in a room handcuffed to someone in a room with 6 other people cuffed in pairs, and one person watching over us. Turns out it was a zombie scenario, and when the siren went off the people cuffed somehow broke free, and I stayed behind. No relevance either, but probably should be mentioned as well.

I wonder what will I dream about tonight?

-David M.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Memo:...

I don't know who reads this now. Though, I'm aware my last few posts have little of interest to do anything, and mainly more or less some negative thoughts I've been harboring in my mind. If you're reading, I guess the most I can say I'm thankful, you care to read at least, if not a little. I do apologize, if it is a side of me you're not use to associating me with.

Though, little by little I find the words I have to say today loses its relevance by the next day or so. I still need to get my thoughts out somewhere, somehow. This blog is an odd therapy, but I'm aware people will read this. I'm aware perceptions of me will changed.

Just saying...

-David M.

Friday: A Case of Strange Happenings

Upon returning yesterday, besides the overall poor reception of the new history of design, the day was a bit off; in all kinds of way.

I found yesterday's arrival on campus to be a strange a return. Though, I've only been gone for 2 days it felt like I have not been present for a while. The "welcoming", was also strange (for lack of a better word for welcoming and the word strange). I felt strangely disconnected from a lot of people yesterday; odd to say I was hoping to find better footing on my last post, but it feels like I've completely fallen of the horse. A few people that knew asked, "How are you?" stimulated a strange after thought, how am I? Of course I'm still fine, but the tonality of it seems detached. Everything seems detached. Strings are cut, to say the least. I wonder if Monday, is going to be any different?

After all my classes, the campus seems emptied, and barren. I took my trip to the Home Depot to get a 2x4 to build my stretchers for painting. On the way down on Roosevelt , I saw a blind lady arguing with a homeless man (the one's that peddle by the expressway); the blind lady actually instigated the argument. It was strange to see a blind person argue. Though, I did not pick up the start of the conversation, I heard the argument arose. The lady was crossing the street with her dog, the homeless man telling her to move a little to the right, the lady stopped to tell the homeless man, "mind your own business and let my dog do its job." She stood in the middle of the expressway arguing with the man, as the light turned red. I watched to see if she made it across the street.

After I dug through a bunch of 2x4s with promising fronts, but rotted backings I found one; not the best, but it'll do. On my way back to campus carrying 7' 1/2 long 2x4 I saw the blind lady coming back in my direction, the homeless man was no longer at his post.

I spent the last hour and a half working on building the stretcher only to be done with the frames; Monday, is going to be another work day.

EDIT: On the way home on the bus, I was looking out the window, I noticed some girl with terrible make-up that from far away it looks like she's wearing sunglasses with the polarized shades. Up close, it was just make up.

As I got home, my friend Teng decided to fix up his old yellow bike. I told him of a bike shop Nik mentioned to me a while back; I might as well check it out. We were off to Nearly New Bikes.

Taking the scenic route on Halsted we slowly made our way up north. [Edit]As we passed Harrison at UIC, we saw a group of people enjoying live role playing with padded swords and all. [/EDIT] On the way up north, we saw a man on his horse and carriage traveling south in front of the northern project building. Strange, no?

In the course of waiting for the guys to finish changing his tires, the guys at bike shops were pretty good and friendly. The guy Jim, seems like a very hard worker and a great father, as he was telling us stories of his kids when he was working on the bike. They had good taste in music, as I walked in I heard Todd Rundren's, Hello Its Me playing in the shop as I lightly sung the chorus; one of my favorite songs.

By the time we got back (around 8), we decided to take his bike out for a spin, I went to grab my bike and we took my short route around. The center point of the route was Ping Tom Park, and by the time we reached the end of the park, I was telling him stories about my little biking trips. I told him how one time I was biking through the end of the park, and circling back, there was a couple that was making out, and how awkward it was to circle around them just to get back.

Making back to the other side of the park, which is the playground I normally circle through there when there aren't kids around. As I came around the corner, I see two people on the slide making out; speak of the devil. When we got out of the park we just laughed about it. NOTE THIS PART if you're reading.

As we came to the end of the route, Teng gets a call to see Fast and Furious, and so we put away the bikes, and waited at the gas station. The hypothetical 4 minutes turned out to have been much longer. While, at the gas station the owner son's was making fun of Teng; it killed some time.

When Henry finally arrived, we got the reason for the delay. He was dropping off Phil's girl. [RECALL THE NOTE] Henry was angry at Phil for making us late, and even more so for not telling him where he was to pick him up. He waited 15 minutes after agreeing to drop off his girl in front of his house. Only to call him to found out he was in Ping Tom. Guess who Phil saw at Ping Tom? Teng and I. So, those dam teenagers was Phil and whoever that was. We were laughing at what a small world it was. Henry was mad that we were late.

Fast and Furious was probably the worse of the franchise, not to say the franchise was the best to begin with. I was expecting as much, as everyone would be revving their cars and driving fast shortly after. Heck, two cars were dragging when we were gassing up.

Friday, was a strange day...

-David M.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Funeral...

The Wake and the Service occurred during the events of the last two days. As abrupt as the date was chosen for the wake and the service, was abrupt as the events in itself. Coordination was poor, and again I question my criticality on people. As the wake started at 2PM yesterday, a couple tears shed in the family and we sat down. Waiting for visitors, they were far between.

A few things (and I'll just keep it to a few), My mom and my aunts have no idea on what to do during a funeral. The bratty granddaughter still a brat during the whole event; is it so hard to not run around the whole funeral home when your grandfather is dead?

Today, during the service I have never seen so much chaos in organizing as I did today. My aunts didn't know exactly what they were doing, so did my mother. Organizing the service to happen around 9-11, and having a luncheon around 4:30? Traditionally, from what I learned today, is you give a red envelope to those who attended to the service during the meal following...however the meal was a good 4 hours between the service, and by that time they would have eaten or gotten on with the rest of the day. On the way back from the service, there was also a lack of directions given to the people attending. Apparently, people were suppose to stop by the home, but a lot of people did not know where to go.

Evidence being, one person would say something, and another would say something else. Confusion pursues...I know such an event usually consists of a lot of silence, but in the end there was nothing, but noise. I would describe my mother and aunts as being a bunch of headless chickens, because they were wandering aimlessly. I was not the only one that was frustrated with the arrangements, all the in-laws were too.

Over the course of the last two days, I have been reviewing actions of certain members of the family (mainly my generation), and they seem to not have put much thought into the magnitude of such a day. Maybe, I have been to hard on myself, and on others I really don't know.

This closes another chapter in my life, I hope that I can find a better footing in my own life now.

-David M.