I just made a bunch of old journal entries friends-only, and I may go back and make some of those private. Trust me, you don't wanna see 'em. They're embarrassing. I'm taking a hiatus from posting here too.

The cooking gas is back on tonight. It was out for over a week. If I actually had money, I probably would have enjoyed the excuse to order out.

My face looks almost normal, except for the cut. Face is still a little sore, lip is still a little numb. Skipped the Chic-A-Go-Go taping for cosmetic and other reasons. At least it was nice outside on Sunday.

I'm really freaking broke and it's more than a week till next payday.

Two agency recruiters called within half an hour of each other this morning. Unfortunately, one job was in Itasca (two hours each way via CTA and Metra, and that's if the company was anywhere near the train station), and the other one required experience in e-billing that I don't have and couldn't fake. Pfffft.

I would very much like to see Jonathan Coulton on Saturday, regardless of who I might run into, but of course I can't afford it. I emailed The Onion in an attempt to win tickets.

They moved Paul to the "shit seat" at work (a particularly undesirable desk location), ostensibly to be closer to the rest of the team since Dave's departure freed up a space in the area where they all sit, but I suspect it's because they know how much time Paul spent goofing off in the relatively isolated (but still plenty visible) area where I sit and he formerly did. I don't necessarily mind being by myself over there, but I liked talking to Paul, and I don't have Dave stopping by to chat anymore either. I just hope they don't move some loser from another team into that space.

... I just found out that the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's scheduled show on Halloween is now going to be a benefit for the band. So I'm going to that, Aaron or no Aaron, and giving away my Ponys ticket.

They've had to cancel all their 2009 tour dates, and since their new record just came out, there were a lot of them. It's so fucking sad. Mark (the bass player) is STILL in the hospital in serious condition. I don't really know him, but I sure hope he has a job with insurance. Exchanged a couple of emails with Alison right after the accident, making sure that her needs were being attended to. She painted a sweet, funny portrait of Elia in the Jasper County ER. Before the accident, she and I had had plans to go out last night. (No, I didn't give myself a head injury in some sort of misguided tribute. It's slightly ironic, though.) Guess I'll see her at the benefit, if not before.

Last night after work I had a tiny bit of shopping to do. It was raining, and I don't know what the hell I slipped on, but I fell on the concrete walkway of the shopping center and hit the right side of my face really hard on some sort of projecting rusty iron contraption you're supposed to fasten a bike to. It really hurt, and when I took my hand away from my face after getting up I saw blood on it, so I was afraid that I might have to "seek medical attention". Which of course, since I haven't had insurance or a decent income for almost two years now, I was anxious to avoid. I was near a store with a nice public bathroom, though, so I went in there to clean up and saw that it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I had a half-inch crescent-shaped cut over my right upper lip, but it wasn't that deep and I got the bleeding stopped, or mostly stopped, pretty easily. Since it was going to take me an hour to get home on the CTA anyway, I decided to complete my errands while I was there, whether I looked weird or not. Came home to find that the cooking gas is STILL off, which is more of an inconvenience now since I do usually cook for myself on the weekends, and I don't own a microwave or even a toaster oven. No omelets or quesadillas, or frozen vegetables even, for me. *sigh*

Today I'm still swollen, of course, and sore, and my right upper lip is still numb, which does concern me somewhat. It droops, too, but I think that's just from the swelling. But everything important seems to be in working order. I can smile, and chew, although I did bite the inside of my cheek last night when I was eating. I'm grateful that the thing didn't hit me any higher on my face, or I'd have a black eye at the least, and could have damaged my eye at worst. I need my eyes. My eyes and my hands.

I don't think it would have been a bad fall if I hadn't hit that post, since my only non-facial souvenir is a very small abrasion on my left upper palm. I used to fall, usually spraining my ankle as well, quite regularly -- several times a year -- until my yoga teacher identified that I was hyper-extending my knees and showed me how to correct that tendency. My balance improved as a result of her classes, too, and I've fallen very little since then. I had to give up the classes last winter when I could no longer afford to go, and I haven't had the discipline to maintain a home practice since then, but I think this is a sign that I need to get it together and start doing at least a short daily routine.

I have to go out again now, especially since I need to pick up some food that doesn't require heating, but my destinations are all in the neighborhood. After that I'm staying in. I'd planned to go out by myself tonight, and I thought I could afford to since I got paid on Wednesday. After paying rent and bills and buying the items on my small shopping list, however, I have almost no cash between now and the next paycheck on the 15th. So I'm kind of glad I have the vanity excuse as well. Sunday, however, is the probable last taping of Chic-A-Go-Go between now and next June, and I did want to go to that. If I look this lousy tomorrow, though, I'm going to skip it. I've got enough self-esteem issues right now without immortalizing my fucked-up face on camera.

www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/09/members-of-chicago-pop-band-injured-in-auto-crash.html
Everyone survived, and Alison's at home, but it sounds like Mark, Elia and Mary are pretty fucked up. The van and everyone's equipment are a total loss. They have a ton of gigs lined up in support of the new record... this sucks so much.

If any random fans of the band somehow blunder across this post, there's a link to PayPal for donations on this page:
www.bloodshotrecords.com/news/sygc-van-accident

Listening to Bradford Cox being interviewed on WFMU right now, prior to broadcast of a live set by Deerhunter. I thought I'd gotten over my highly embarrassing crush on Bradford Cox, but it is now back IN FULL EFFECT. Just so earnest and adorable. I'm recording it (yay Total Recorder).

I went to Chinatown again yesterday. I'd planned to be there for the opening ceremonies of the dragon boat races at 8:30 a.m., but being the lazy and disorganized ass that I usually am on Saturday mornings, I got down there more like 1:15. I've only been one other time, and had forgotten that it isn't really that much fun without a companion and a picnic lunch (there is exactly one food vendor, and not a good one - yeah, I came to Chinatown to eat a hot dog). Still, Ping Tom Park is a pleasant spot on a summer afternoon, and I watched the boats for about 45 minutes at riverside until the lame classic-rock cover band they had booked for some ungodly reason started up again.

It was still a good day to go, though, because as it turned out, the Chicago Temple was putting on a street fair in the square. I missed the dragon parade, but saw some nice traditional dancing and a performance by a martial arts school. Who can resist seven-year-olds demonstrating their kung fu moves? They're doing it every weekend between now and August 16, and I might be back every weekend. For some reason I have really been digging Chinatown lately. I don't know why, it's crowded and full of cheap crap and not even super friendly, although I should note that I had no sooner dropped my sunglasses in the square yesterday than no less than six people cried out to call it to my attention so I could retrieve them. But I feel... calm down there. I can't explain it.

Everyone was drinking those fruit drinks or bubble teas with the tapioca "pearls", mostly smoothies with the big black pearls that they give you a special wide straw to suck up. The appeal of those things still mystifies me, however. Yesterday I decided to try it again. Between the dancers and the kung fu students' performances, I ducked into the Chinatown Mall outpost of Tasty Place (I just love that name) for a bun and a mango smoothie. "With pearl?", the woman behind the counter asked. Against my better judgment, I replied yes, since everyone else seemed to be enjoying them so much. Um... the smoothie itself was delicious, and I finished it, but those chewy "pearls"... I still don't get it. :-p

Today there's a street festival a bit west of me at Clark and Morse, and Funkadesi's playing at 5. I saw Funkadesi at Chicago SummerDance in Grant Park a few weeks ago and liked them a lot.  As the name implies, they play a sort of funk/reggae/bhangra fusion, which is better than it sounds, even though I am not fond of reggae. The Indian vocalist is awesome, and hey, our President likes them. So I'll take a hike over there, and, if I get it finished, I might even be sporting the sundress I started sewing last night out of some awesome Alexander Henry skateboarder-themed fabric I bought years ago from Reprodepot and never made up. Because there is finally some SUN. And heat, even. Right now my fan is keeping the front room cool but I might end up running the AC later, for only the third time so far this summer.

From Myspace -- yes, I'm still off Facebook -- because I don't feel like writing an actual entry about Pitchfork right now. (I've substituted asterisks for my friends' usernames and my LJ handle for mine.)

Status and Mood

******* 11 hours ago
******* 10 hours ago ******* 8 hours ago
[dirty_chai] Just Now
  

Slept late after all, but feel much better. It's another nice day, windy. Made a feta cheese and baby spinach omelet and it actually came out perfect for once. I'm eating it here in front of the computer, with a cup of Ethiopian coffee (Metropolis beans). I feel like cleaning. Beach later if the weather doesn't go bad.

Eating pasta with oregano I "harvested" from the balcony ten minutes ago. That's fresh.