Home Again

The drive back was fairly easy.I managed to nick over to Allerton Park while we were going through central Illinois on the way home. I hadn't been there in at least eight years, and I always threaten to show it to the b.h. but somehow never get to it. I seem to be having trouble uploading photos right now, so I'll have to try again later. Damn you, Blogger!* Anyway, I spent a lot of time out there during my college years, often alone and writing and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Never did figure it out, mind you, but it was a beautiful place to try.





The one thing that tends to be diffficult on these long hauls is finding anything to eat. Being a vegetarian, there is almost no fast food that I can eat, unless I want french fries (which would probably be cooked with some animal product anyway) and soda to sustain me for twelve hours. In light of that problem, the b.h. and I usually pack plenty of snacks and whatnot in a cooler. Not so this time.
This time, we stopped in Southern Illinois on a Sunday night at almost 9pm. Remarkably, there were a number of places still open. Unremarkably, all of them were fast food chains. We sucked it up and went to a Subway. Normally, I would rather eat french fries and a coke for dinner than what passes for a vegetarian sandwich at Subway (Two very small slices of cheese, split in half, stuck to a piece of bread that, when all the air is squashed from it, would fit into a thimble, covered in rusty shredded lettuce with a couple very pale and very thinly sliced tomatoes and slathered with mayonaise). Having just stepped on a scale before leaving my parent's house, however, I decided that some vegetables, regarless of quality or lack thereof, were in order. So we waltz in, and the girl behind the counter is very obviously cleaning and closing, and being service industry people, we ask politely "Are you closed?" And being a remarkably responsible and awesome person, she replied in the negative. We not only got sandwiches without nasty looks or complaints or shitty attituide of any sort, we got good sandwiches. It was stunning. She must have just finished prepping for the next day, because all of the vegetables were fresh and crispy and tasted like- wait for it- vegetables. It was amazing. So if you're listening, guys in suits at Subway central, the night shift girls at your store in Benton, Illinois just won you back a potential customer. Seriously. I'm not gonna start getting lunch there everyday or anything (that would be insane considering the number of independently owned and very tasty restaurants we have to choose from here in town), but hey- now we know where to stop when we drive up at Christmas.

So now we're home. Nothing's changed, really. Except of course, that I officially weigh more than I have ever weighed before in my entire life. I usually pride myself on not paying attention (or at least giving a shit) about that sort of thing, but after a total lack of any physical activity over the last six months (I used to take martial arts, and I fully intend to do so again SOON, as soon as my ass is small enough to get back into my uniform) and having had pizza at least four times in the eight days I was home, I was silly enough to step on the scale ("devil box") at my parent's house. So now that I am back at home, I am scarfing up every beer and sweet thing in the fridge and cupboards, and officially getting on the wagon just as soon as it is all gone. (At the current rate, I imagine that should be about twelve or thirteen hours from now.)
You see, if I don't get rid of all that stuff first, it will only sit there and mock me. I know myself well enough to know that my self control only goes so far, and that the power of Lindt dark chocolate is not to be underestimated. So here I sit, Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale in one hand, genuine Italian bakery cannoli in the other, watching Bridget Jones (cliche', anyone?)and being alone for the first time in TEN DAYS.
That's the thing about vacation. You always run the risk of being twice as exhausted and insane when you get back.

*Obviously I was able to remedy the problem. Below is a picture of me attempting to cartwheel across the Fu Dog Garden. This is not nearly enough to express my joy at finally returning to Alelerton. Above is an actual Fu Dog.