Little trees of miniature details standing in for a forest of stories.

Life is a complicated son of a bitch currently. I will try to be brief.

Emily and I are doing well. We spent the weekend in Chicago celebrating the wedding shower of M&M. We got on freeways, alternate routes, lost, and finally found. Where we should be. They had chocolate-covered crack beans for us to nibble. The actual food spread was delectable. There was a literal flotilla of sushi waiting to be devoured. I shit thee not: I'm talking 40 plus rolls worth of raw fish and rice. That plus some Fat Tire beer and I was mighty happy. We did some games, went to our hotel room downtown, lounged around while she uploaded pictures and I watched the Simpsons movie. Then, later that night, we ended up criss-crossing Chicago to go to: 1) a korean karaoke established straight out of Lost in Translation, with a highlight being my 'awesome' rendition of Baby Got Back by Sir-Mix-A-Lot--rendered all the more poignant because my waist is small, but my curves are kickin'; 2) a series of dive bars. From #1 to #2, I quickly found out that someone's b/f who shall remain nameless is a raging dick to professional cab drivers. He got up in the guy's grill about where he was taking us, if it was the right way, the in fact right way to take, stuff like that. 3 out of 3 other people in the cab would have voted him off the island and onto the tip of someone's boot.

It was so vastly inappropriate I was compelled to apologize to the guy and explain that this near stranger in a 2-piece suit was snokered, throw some bones his way, and shake my head like I was about to drop off the guy at day care.

Other highlights included talking to an Obie alum, who is M's best-friend, where funny enough the guy who hooked up Emily with me via M also went to Oberlin. The world wears a size 5.

I can't believe we've been dating near around a year and a half. Excepting not being much into geek culture and related activities, it's been swell. I'm thinking she may stay in Madison for a little while longer after all. I wasn't really sure what I'd do with my free time otherwise.

The Inferno, writing, and seeing folk can only take up just so much time.

* * *

The trip to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior, then the Porcupine Mountains in the UP, was generally pretty good. 1st day near the islands in Bayfield consisted of setting up camp in Red Cliff on a nice site, having some tasty nut brown ale in town, and then seeing a bizarre musical tribute to Bayfield and the islands. It was kindof like "A Mighty Wind" meets small town self-pride. I mean they just really dug the hell out of this historical musical. It was cheesy at some points, but entertaining.

So we than kayaked 10, 4, and 16 miles for the next 3 days to various campsites on Oak Island or back to the mainland. We nearly got caught in a storm the first day and made camp near a plethora of mosquitoes. We were so sore that even the max dose of Aleve only moderately helped. The 2nd and part of the 3rd day were spent on site #6. It was like having our own private beach and forest, both halves literally 3 feet from each other.

Besides checking out the look-out point and reading, a wild young buck with 6 points came up to our site. I think of deer as prey animals; easily spooked. So naturally the deer ambled around the forest and beach, checking us out before moving away back into the forest. Thing is, the guy set up shop on the way to the port-a-john. As night fell, Emily needed to go but there the deer was, grazing. With the whole 'it's a damn prey animal' logic in mind, I boldly approached it. It counter-boldly lowered its head, hunkered down its body, and gave me a look. It approximated:

"I will charge your ass if you continue keeping me from nibble time."

I then realized a 300lb wild animal is just that. No port-a-john was had that day.

The Porkies were pretty: pretty brutal on my toes and quite lovely for every other bodily sense. I'd decided to buy and wear new heavy-duty hiking boots for the occasion. I'd read a review about toes slamming into the end of the shoe on downward inclines. That summed up 10 miles of hiking the first day. My right big toenail was just black. Still is. I almost saw stars every time I accidentally stubbed my toes on the trail. Even with Aleve (which was my constant companion throughout the whole trip), it was tough. After swaddling my big toes, though, the subsequent days got better. It was a beautiful time and Emily and I took a lot of scenic pictures.

I ain't gonna lie that I missed the hell out of a barbeque chicken sandwich with fries, though.

Oh, and beer. I seriously want to invent dehydrated beer. I think it will sell like a motherfucker.

* * *

I've got another year and 3 months or so 'til I get my Ph.D. Academia still seems like a good route to take. There's a mountain of bullshit hiding a field of gold, but damned if I don't spelunk a little farther down this rabbit hole to get at the good stuff.

* * *

Recently talked with Rachel again. She calls out of the blue every once in a great long while. It'd been over a year. I thought she might've died, to be honest, but I was gladly mistaken. Tops.

* * *

I've developed a small addiction to playing certain Facebook applications, mostly 'Knighthood'. Damn that is addicting. So much so that I will randomly invite most people I know to give me a leg up on the competition. It's only slightly sad.

* * *

Apparently the catalytic converter for my car failed on inspection. It'd only been installed 9 months ago. This was clear into the realm of the absurd. The mechanics at the place I took it to said they'd install the thing free of charge and not make me pay the 90 buck engine diagnostic.

I dig 700 dollar car parts under warranty.

* * *

Yeah that about covers it.

previous - next