(no subject)

[aether8m]

I wanted Boston to be a break from the routines, routines of routines and routines within those routines that I've found myself settling gradually into....

...something to jar my senses back, to help me again fear and appreciate life for itself rather than for its variances from the ordinary.

So:

• My train caught on fire. I rode home from Boston on a burning train. Apparently something underneath the rear car got hot enough to ignite, but the crew poked around for a bit and determined that it was harmless enough that we could carry on to the next station, so we kept travelling, leaving a eerie-red and smoky plume behind the train for several miles. (Eventually the conductor drew the conclusion that even though the fire was mechanically harmless, be that as it may, it was by and large freaking the fuck out of the passengers. The average sunday traveller apparently is underwhelmed by the prospect of slicing through the night on a chariot of iron and fire. We ditched the last car somewhere south of New Haven and proceded the rest of the way without incident.)
• My folks are splitting. My little sister is more than distraught at the prospect of choosing between parents, or worse, having someone choose for her. I'm taking her up to DC with me next week, in hopes of giving her a break from the situation. Me? I was rooting for them. They are the most unlikely married couple I know, but their staying together for all these years was for me almost a wierd badge of triumph for relationships that stretch the bounds of intimacy as its traditionally understood. I still refuse to accept that the situation can't be resolved by a few mutual apologies....but the problem is that I've never known either of them to apologize for anything, much less to eachother, which will make the whole situation so much sadder if that ends up being all that keeps them apart.
• So many friends talking about, planning, and looking towards marriage! Congrats to all, even the one's where congrats are pre-emptive. Congrats just for getting to the point where you're with someone who you can think of as a lifetime companion.
• St Paddy's day in Boston, plus a couple of friends, plus $300 in booze equals a (amazingly) somewhat functional Aether after only 36 hours of recuperation. Still got it in ya, old boy!