Of Bricks and Chicago
Working at the LEGO store has been a blast so far. The crew is great, and the kids have all been well-behaved. All of them. I think it has to do with the type of kid that likes LEGO, more pensive, more considerate, more creative, and (apparently) better at sharing. Two weeks ago, we had the BrickWorld festival in Wheeling, IL, where I got immersed in the other world of LEGO, the AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO). Guys who build scale models of Chicago filled with Mel Brooks jokes, Futurama sets with custom minifigures, a quarter-size Samus blasting Metroids, giant Blacktron armies (if only I still had my M-Tron armada), and even custom plastic pieces to turn minifigures into Roman soldiers, Elves, and Halo space marines. It's a new world that I am happy to be apart of. I don't think I'll ever become a custom builder of that scale, but I have started collecting again--I have most of the new space series, Mars Mission, and just picked up the VW Beetle that was such a huge hit with AFOLs when I was showing it off at BrickWorld. The only issue I have found so far is that I am now way, way behind on my reading...
Today was supposed to be an unpacking day, but the weather was too fucking nice. This past weekend,
necklessone and
furin helped me move up here. There were tons of issues: U-Haul didn't have the truck I reserved, so I got an even larger one to navigate around Chicago, packing the truck took three times as long as I thought it would, and we ended up leaving my old apartment in a sorry state. The unpacking process could not have gone smoother, really, but dropping off the truck was a lesson in curb jumping in a 26' truck. Not something I recommend. I am eternally grateful to Jake and John for helping me out, though I have made one decision--next time, I'm using movers.
Anyway, as I said before, today was supposed to be for unpacking, since I have hardly unpacked anything, but the weather was perfect. Mid-seventies, clear skies, nice breeze. I hopped on the 'L' and wandered around Chicago for the day, starting at Wrigley Field and working my way back to the Taste of Chicago. The Taste was great, until it started to get packed, so I ducked into the Art Institute to talk to the little girl in Seurat's La Grande Jatte. That may sound crazy, but many people have artworks they talk to--just go to the Lincoln Memorial to see what I mean. Tonight was the night it all sank in; I am in Chicago. I live in Chicago. I can drop by to talk to her any time I want. I can go to Wrigley to see games. I can walk down the Magnificent Mile on a whim. I can take a few hours just to stare at the lake. I can do whatever I want in Chicago, any time I want to do it.
This would have seemed impossible a few months ago, but getting laid off is turning into a wonderful thing. I was lucky to get out of Borders before it sunk too far (there have been more layoffs, and the economic downturn could easily spell the end). I stumbled into a job with one of my favorite companies. I stumbled into a beautiful apartment that shares an alleyway with two of my best friends. Everything has turned out as well as I could have possibly hoped. Even commuting is working well, because it lets me think in a way that I only usually think in the bathroom. So, to anyone looking for a big change in their life, I recommend getting laid off. Did wonders for me.
Today was supposed to be an unpacking day, but the weather was too fucking nice. This past weekend,
necklessone and
furin helped me move up here. There were tons of issues: U-Haul didn't have the truck I reserved, so I got an even larger one to navigate around Chicago, packing the truck took three times as long as I thought it would, and we ended up leaving my old apartment in a sorry state. The unpacking process could not have gone smoother, really, but dropping off the truck was a lesson in curb jumping in a 26' truck. Not something I recommend. I am eternally grateful to Jake and John for helping me out, though I have made one decision--next time, I'm using movers.
Anyway, as I said before, today was supposed to be for unpacking, since I have hardly unpacked anything, but the weather was perfect. Mid-seventies, clear skies, nice breeze. I hopped on the 'L' and wandered around Chicago for the day, starting at Wrigley Field and working my way back to the Taste of Chicago. The Taste was great, until it started to get packed, so I ducked into the Art Institute to talk to the little girl in Seurat's La Grande Jatte. That may sound crazy, but many people have artworks they talk to--just go to the Lincoln Memorial to see what I mean. Tonight was the night it all sank in; I am in Chicago. I live in Chicago. I can drop by to talk to her any time I want. I can go to Wrigley to see games. I can walk down the Magnificent Mile on a whim. I can take a few hours just to stare at the lake. I can do whatever I want in Chicago, any time I want to do it.
This would have seemed impossible a few months ago, but getting laid off is turning into a wonderful thing. I was lucky to get out of Borders before it sunk too far (there have been more layoffs, and the economic downturn could easily spell the end). I stumbled into a job with one of my favorite companies. I stumbled into a beautiful apartment that shares an alleyway with two of my best friends. Everything has turned out as well as I could have possibly hoped. Even commuting is working well, because it lets me think in a way that I only usually think in the bathroom. So, to anyone looking for a big change in their life, I recommend getting laid off. Did wonders for me.