Midwestern Bratz

Today instead of soup night, I'm hosting pie night. I'm hoping we can dye the dough and make the top of the crust into pie charts.

I'm secretly happy every time I need to buy something not available at the closer, more upscale grocery store McNally's (e.g. 2 pounds of Crisco) because then I am forced to go to the farther away Fareway despite their horrible business practices. I love going to Fareway for three reasons:

1. Developing nation prices! Today I bought a dozen eggs for $1.00 and 5 pounds of flour for 50 cents! I still think fondly of the time last spring when I bought 2 dozen bananas for 50 cents and then my friend Alex ate half of them alone on the 3rd floor of the library.

2. The only pasta sauce they sell is Prego!

3. Charming townie staff and clientele! While I desperately rifled through the frozen fruit looking for rhubarb, the cashiers discussed the best way to get their 25 year old friend to break up with his 48 year old girlfriend. As I came out of the store, an old guy with no teeth and a baseball hat looked my bike over and said, "You must look pretty smart riding that."

Riding back through the snow and against the wind with a huge plastic grocery bag banging against my wheel, I didn't feel too smart at all. I also failed a Neuroscience quiz, refuse to do my sculpture homework and don't have a seminar paper topic. smart smart smart!

All I've been thinking about recently is relationship stuff and boys. It's weird being single because there's no one to come home to and fall asleep with even when it's raining outside and that's all I want to do. Anand was at a funeral all weekend for his grandfather. The funeral reception served three kinds of Jello, one mixed with LETTUCE and MAYONNAISE. Please, Lord, when I die, let it be outside the Midwest.

Myself, my roommate and two friends ran away to Chicago this weekend. I feel like a weekend in any city moves at top speed, since every block is interesting and every foray outside an expedition.

Friday Saturday
cheeriosinthecar truckstopatthemississippi blastingdisco windowsrolleddownonhighway watertowers spanishradio skylinetraffic downtown jailinthecity officepeople suitsheelsstoplights 24hourrestaurant cheesyfriesbluemoon metalshow? barshapedlikeabarrel singingamazinggrace wearingfunnyhats makingconversation talkingaboutthefountainhead? rainbowstreetsigns citymorning healthycereal metrocard$2 ridingthroughthecity Pilsen greasyquesadillawalkingdownthestreet mexicanartchupacabras buyingburritos dunkindonutscoffee michiganavenuefurprotest calder'sworks widewindowedmuseums vanhomesunsetoverthecity playingNeverHaveIEver?

We stayed with a friend of mine whose parents work for the Salvation Army. I didn't realize how far the Salvation Army takes the Army metaphor - everyone calls her parents "Major" and they live within the walled compound of the Salvation Army officer's training academy. Everyone wears white uniforms to class.

Her sister lives there, too, with her 4 year old son. He has big eyes that you can tell are absorbing the whole world. He loves Bratz and no one knows what to do about that.