First Forty

Today we played hockey in gym and we watched Escape From Planet of the Apes.

Preparing for JET interview; brief overview of Japanese culture and education system; no time to review TESL course notes; run to de-stress; make photo for my interview voucher; spend an hour ironing shirt and shining shoes.

Wake up feeling a bit out of it; finish“Barrio Boy”; play guitar; get the bike out; go running, make dinner; write short paper from AMST but can't find the motivation; too tired to concentrate so I go to sleep; Descartes would have done much the same.

Mom and Tom leave Warrenville after the old man who owns the house where they rented kept coming around a little too often. Patti and Lucy help them move to Elmhurst Terrace apartments.

St. Patrick's Day; buy college guide; consider Bradley and Millikin as possible future schools; call Beth; says she can't go to soccer game with me; Jim won't "let" her go...; Mom and Dad having another talk with Todd; while talking about schools, Mom gets the wrong idea about the classes she's taking.

At school we started our Social Studies report. I also went jogging 2 miles with my dad.

Get some things for Yumi at the bookstore; I have to go to San Jose to get me suit fitted but Marcel and Muria have the car; end up going on my scooter; Yumi made a cake for me at Kiyoko's the night before, as well as an origami bouquet; what a sweetie.

Good Philosophy discussion section; meet with Brook at Oakes after class; go to a couple of events that fizzle; I'm tired, but go to Redroom; upstairs this girl is throwing herself at me to make her boyfriend jealous; I'm out; spend $30!

"While You Were Away" part 2 (answering machine messages)

Think more about being "stuck in DuPage county"; feel that I'm being left behind; realize that I need to get away from Wheaton; maybe go to another school in Illinois with Grant?; Mom supports this decision, knows that Todd and I are aware that she and Dad are having problems; time to do something different.

Today when we got home from school we watched Planet of the Apes.

Grace leaves her wallet at Kuumbwa, calls to ask if we can help her out; Yumi and I have breakfast at the Silver Spur; Yumi studies with Kiyoko while I try to write; watch Japanese quiz show by myself as Yumi doesn't return home until after nine.

Started "Barrio Boy"; hot today; days getting longer now; took the long way home along the ocean; everyone outside enjoying themselves; call Meggin, she's not so up-beat; order new fuel lever for Vespa.

Move Case into new apartment (with Beau); we catch the bus north to Chicago, listening to Digital Underground; go to Blues Fest Saturday and Sunday; good vibe in Grant Park; ball joint on Todd's car breaks; mood turns sour on Sunday, people arguing; Case almost spills out of the car onto expressway; fly back to L.A.

Too much has happened today; Sessie tells Grants all kinds of things about Amy that we never knew before; neither of us have any respect for her; oddly, Amy calls me for consolation; see Ann at the library; stop by Papes' house and the situation is tense; talk with Scott Stone about North Central and realize I'm not happy there.

Me and Todd tried to make a Disney World but we couldn’t. So I built a big ship. Today Amy called us by long distance.

Breakfast with Ted at Zachary's; he and Yumi go to Yaohan while I try to write at the office; Mom says George mentioned something about a "transplant"; go to birthday party for Eisuke and Kiyoko; Ted and I the only non-Japanese there; misspell Kiyoko's name and everyone laughs; better get used to it...

Run into girl from Africa class at SMC; talk by prospective HistCon prof is both daunting and ridiculous; this is NOT what I want to become; skip meditation; Meggin is hoarse; I need to grip to somebody!; go for run at night.

Fly to Birmingham to see Casey; running and swimming; up to Vulcan; Adam Ant headlines "Doo-Dah Day"; small time event in park, but we don't care; crash car into median divider after show; Case wants to walk away, but we salvage car; lunch with Trish.

Today I got home and went for a ride; this machine is heaven; felt tired, though; Jim and Beth still seeing each other; thought a lot about the importance of committing yourself and not waiting around for things to happen.