Ketchup 3: From Snail to Rockefeller.

DIARY

After the Mikvah, we hung around on the point for a little bit, and started to move inland. We decided to stop for food at the Snail, which is one of my favorite Hyde Park restaurants, and had one of the most invigorating political discussions I've had in awhile, periodically interrupted by the velociraptor chirp of Sam's new cel phone. Crazy ass cel phones. After that, we said by to Amber, and drove over to the Co-Op to pick up supplies for a Gothic Funk party that Sky had "thrown" together. We picked up pop, hot dogs and hot dog buns, various fishy meats, chips, and so on. We drove back to the point and decamped. We decapted with a frisbee.

The theme of the party was a barbecue to celebrate Sam's birthday, the arrival of spring, Jess and my visit, and above all Colin and Nora's impending marriage. Over a dozen people were there, though I didn't keep a close track. Many of them were members of FIST, and "Theo" from Fire-escape came to film the event for the Scavhunt documentary. There was, therefore, a lot of Cosby jokes on everyone's part, and getting-the-eyebrows-singed-off-in-a-lighter-fluid-fireball on Sam's part. Sean showed up, as did Lisa, and Hallie and Rocco. The event had started at about two thirty, so Jess and I only stayed for a couple hours before we had to leave for Colin and Nora's pre-wedding party. They'd invited us as out-of-town guests. Sean gave Hallie and Rocco a ride home, and me a chance to grab my coat, and then drove us downtown for the meal.

It was Chicago-style (I'd forgotten that one slice of Chicago style is a basic meal), and there was unlimited refills of pop and beer. Jess and I were late, but not as late as Colin and Nora. We had great conversations with Colin's brothers and cousins, with whom we sat, and then were lucky enough to catch the Brown line to the #6, which arrived just as we left the train. We got home around midnight. Hallie and Rocco had already gone to bed, and it didn't take Jess or me long to sleep either. Meanwhile, the Gothic Funk party had gone on for another five or six hours, and a number of first years had shown up, to be thrilled with (probably exaggerated) stories of derring-do by Sam and Milligan.

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The next morning, we left early so that we could meet Armand and Vivian at the Original Pancake House. I haden't seen either since my wedding, so I was really happy that we were able to meet up. They're both freshmen doctors, so this was their one day off between 36-hour shifts. While they would have met us later in the week, it was better for their fatigue to meet on Sunday, I think. We spent a lot of the time talking about various health-related issues, the effects of sleep deprivation, hypocondriac tendencies. Jess in particular had a lot to talk about with them since she is going into nursing. After a meal that almost destroyed me, we went down to Walgreens for a few errands, and then Armand and Vivian drove us back to Hallie's.

Hallie and Rocco were up and about, working on chores and writing, when we got back, and this gave us a bit of time to visit with them one-on-one. I was glad for this... we stayed with them for three nights, but this was the first time we could really just sit and relax awhile. I read the new beginning of Hallie's novel and we talked about it. A lot of the conversation turned to China, which she has visited, and which is deeply involved in her writing. So the discussion was educational for both of us.

Note: I am, right now, listening to "Be My Lady" by the Meters.

It is a song.

Eventually, Jess and I realized it was getting late, so we crushed ourselves together for the wedding. It was still warm, but a breeze was stirring and Rockefeller was about the closest we came to spending time on campus that day...

END OF POST.