Once Again
Due to some unforseen circumstances, I find myself in Dallas AGAIN, and my departure date is indefinite. The timing is a bit inopportune, because my life was in the process of unraveling some pretty exciting plot threads, which will now hang for a few weeks while I enjoy 100 degree weather daily.
I came prepared, though, possessing the foresight to slip a copy of Final Fantasy Tactics, all my Netflix DVDs, and a few books into my suitcase. That should tide me over until the next Ice Age.
I didn't think my life could get any more mellow and relaxed, and yet here are some of the things I've been up to: leveling up my characters in FFT, dispensing ant poison, selling my college textbooks (for $65!), watering plants, buying cashmere sweaters, hanging out at Costco, donating old things to Goodwill. I also found this photograph, and thank goodness the developer timestamped it, because there was actually some confusion as to who (among myself and my brothers) is posing.
Some updates:
The Pillow Crisis is a day or two away from completion. Our project management software indicates that this milestone is over 90 days late. What can I say? The job was harder than we thought. But the story is in quite good shape, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the studios make of it.
A couple days before I left Los Angeles, I had the unique experience of pulling out of my garage, and swerving to avoid A HORSE. Some cowboy had pulled up his trailer, and let a white pony prance about in the street. Despite the fact that it was late in the evening, the dude was absolutely mobbed with young children, stengthening the case for ponies (over candy and trips to Disneyland) as the ultimate pedo bait.
The Los Angeles Metro has recently unveiled a new service for air travelers. The Flyaway bus provides nonstop, 24 hour service every half hour between downtown's Union Station and LAX, which allows me to hop on the subway and be at the airport in less than an hour. All for the mere pittance of $3, which is an astronomical savings over Supershuttle's asking price of $22. As if I needed any more excuse to visit Union Station, one of the most picturesque locations in all of Los Angeles. I was talking to a girl on the ride over, and she told me that the shuttle also provides service from LAX to Union Station. I said to her: "I think this bus is my NEW BEST FRIEND."
Fall is on its way, and that means it's time to rock some layers. I was in the store looking at sweaters, and noticed the last cardigan in my size was displayed on a mannequin. So I asked a sales clerk if I could try it on, my curiosity piqued by the issue of removing the garment from the display. The salesperson walked up to the mannequin, grabbed its arms, and with a kung-fu-like motion, dislocated both shoulders, peeled off the sweater, and handed it to me. It was a very sudden and surprising act of violence, one you wouldn't expect fo witness while shopping.
My favorite book store in Dallas is Half Price Books, which unfortunately does not have any branches in southern California. A couple reasons why I love this place:
- 1) They pay cash on the barrelhead for old books with the speed and justice of Amoeba Records.
- 2) I found a beautiful first edition copy of one of my favorite novels: Haruki Murakami's The Wind Up Bird Chronicles. It was sitting on the shelf with a sticker price of $10. I've been looking for this book for ages, and let me tell you something: you simply don't find this book for less than $100, and the prices go as high as $1500 for a signed copy.
- 3) As I was paying my purchases, I noticed that the sales clerk was wearing a very unusual necklace. Oh wait - it wasn't a necklace; it was a Konoha forehead protector from the Hidden Leaf Village. Now that I'm into Naruto, I can't get away from Naruto. So me and the clerk talked about the Nine-Tail Fox, and she's clearly a bigger fan than myself, because she's seen more episodes than me, and downloaded them all over DIAL-UP.
