Ranting to /dev/null

Catching breath

Today is the first time I've woken up off of Manhattan since late August. It was a little strange for a bit there. Took me a minute to remember where I was.

Being out of the city is a little weird. First of all, my parents house seems freaking huge. Compared to American houses in general, it's a bit bigger than average, but compared to my studio, well, shit. My whole room would fit inside the family room. Almost twice, but not quite.

I drove for the first time since starting school this morning, and I remembered that I actually really like driving. But at the same time, having to go fifteen miles to get what I needed and having everything so spread out was kind of annoying. It would probably have taken me just as long to get to the places I wanted to go in New York, but it would have been on the subway, which makes things seem closer together, because you don't have to exert any mental effort to get around. Just jump on the train and don't sleep through your stop.

I saw more Bush 2004 signs in the hour or so I spent driving this afternoon than I have in the past two months on Manhattan. Central PA feels downright parochial. I don't even want to think about how the South must feel about now.

It's different being outside so much. Even when you're walking on the streets on Manhattan, it doesn't really feel like you're outside because everything is paved, and the buildings are such that there isn't much sense of the sky. The trees are changing now, and though they probably are in New York as well, you don't really notice much.

It's really nice being in a house that has food in the fridge. You know the joke about singles having a fridge full of condiments but no food? Doesn't apply to me, because I don't even have many condiments. Before I left there were a total of about four things in there. Kind of depressing, but it does help one keep those extra pounds off.

Things to remember: I am no longer the only one in my living space. This means that if I want to talk on the phone, I need to keep it down after about 11PM. Also, when I want to use the bathroom, there is a possibility that someone else might be using it. This is not really a problem, as we've got more than one, but it was strange to have the door be closed.

It's good to have a break though. This should give me a chance to catch up on a few calculus concepts I never really mastered (logarithmic differentiation and related rates are a bitch), and next week I take a road trip to visit a friend. Good times.

Oh, and one more thing: the baggage handlers at the Port Authority are assholes. Don't know why they're still employed, except for the fact that it's probably not particularly easy to get people for the job.

Posted by ryan at October 28, 2004 03:50 PM | TrackBack