1) A customer service person roaming the second floor at Dick Blick’s walked over to Julie and I and said “I like your coat.” (My coat?) “Yes.” (You’re the only one.) “I was looking at it and I wondered where I could find coat in that color.” (L.L. Bean. That’s where it’s from.)

2) I went to a Chinese New Year party with McComas and the gang, complete with bubble tea, dumplings and karaoke. I sang Hey Jude with Alex, although no one could hear me because I wasn’t close enough to the mic even though I felt like I was screaming at the top of my lungs. It was pretty great, probably about as great as a good dance party.

3) On the way back we got disoriented and walked 11 blocks in the wrong direction along Fullerton, which is easy to do because as McComas pointed out the stores along that street keep repeating themselves. Finally at Pulaski it became clear that the block numbers were going up and that the visible train tracks were not the Blue Line but Metra Milwaukee District North. Crap!

4) Caught the second to last bus home. Only had to wait 10 anxious minutes in the frigid 3F “feels like -9F” air. I wonder why the bus doesn’t run later on Saturdays? Decided that the bus is way preferable to the train at this time of night — almost half full, with a friendly female driver, and no homeless people stretched out across the streets.

Chicago is so cold. This is definitely the coldest winter I have ever experienced. I didn’t think it could be that different from New England. Supposedly this winter is especially bad; according to Wikipedia the average low for January is 18F – I wish! On Friday it got up to 30F and that was balmy!

tags: chicago, friends

The 4th of July: America and Katie’s birthday!

We went to see fireworks in South Kingston. They were canceled in Providence.

We didn’t even get to the field where the event was officially held. As soon as we exited from the highway we saw people setting up folding chairs in parking lots and on the sidewalk. We found a grassy spot next to an intersection. Bonus: the Tim Horton’s right behind us had a bathroom open to the public, and doughnuts.

I failed to get any decent photos of the fireworks, so here are some from last year in DC:

tags: celebration, friends, photography

Did you know that Dan is a published music critic now?

tags: friends, music

Graduation was May 25. It was a very hot day. I walked in the procession with Katie, Sarah Faux, Andrew, Patrick and Henry, and barely recognized anyone else. Ruth Simmons spoke repeatedly in awkward Latin, and Robert Redford talked about his uncle who went to Brown but then died in X military conflict when he was only 40-something. Photos will come once I dig out the appropriate USB cord.

Monday I had to move everything out of my dorm room, and pick up a bed. I moved almost everything to the attic of the apartment I am subletting this summer, including two car loads of stuff Sam hadn’t had time to move himself before he left. My computer and some clothes went with me to Katie and Patrick’s apartment, and I’ve been here ever since. Even though I have still been working at CDI every morning, it feels like vacation, which is really nice. I needed it. Katie and I walked around everywhere, bought groceries, cooked, went to Roger Williams Park to take a Swan paddle boat ride and go to the tiny Natural History Museum, went to Newport with Patrick and Dan, went to the RISD MFA Graduates exhibition in the Convention Center and salvaged a dresser and a IKEA Stefano swivel chair from the curb.

Tomorrow I move into my apartment and Monday I start my new job.

tags: friends

I recently discovered MorphThing thanks to McComas and became fascinated with morphing the faces of my friends. Here are Sam, Peter, Me, one of Peter’s future roommates (forgot his name), and James Stout. I thought that together they might evoke a certain Jessie-ness but I am not sure if I see it, except in me — and perhaps that is because I am most familiar with my own face and so the contrast of the morph stands out. Also could be that I should have tried using more girl faces.

tags: friends, photography

Patrick is visiting his sister who lives in Manassas. Today we met up in DC, just like last year. We went to the Spy Museum which was expensive and silly. Then got lunch in Chinatown and went to see the Modernism exhibit at the Corcoran, which was very cool. I have painful museum legs now.

It was good to see Patrick. It hasn’t been that long since I let school but seeing school people at home is always a trip in a way. He feels the same way as me about summer, so we commiserated.

Then I had dinner with Maurie and friend-Greta and sister-Abby, and we watched Grease. A very enjoyable experience.

Class starts Monday. I don’t have my economics textbook yet. I am a little nervous.

tags: friends, movies