2002-01-09 - 11:15 a.m.


i want more than ever to learn stuff these days

too bad it's not the stuff i am supposed to do in school.

there is something particular that i want to do which i WILL do. this'll take some planning and it could turn out horribly wrong but that's ok. cheesy as it sounds, i'm taking the instantcamera that al's parents bought me (it's so cute, and they bought me a funny hat, too) and i'm going to take 24 pictures of what i feel epitomizes chicago and the eighteen years i've spent in it because i will be leaving it soon. i would take more than 24 but the process of choosing the right places and things and people (oh dear, that's already several cans of worms and um corn as well) that make me feel safe or accepted or happy will be very fun for me.

and i'm writing it here as a reminder, i guess:

* 1 my house, although i'm not sure what part of it.
* 2 the naturecenter at Peterson Park where i saw my first chipmunk and the place smells of rabbitcages.
* 3 my Peterson School asphalty playground and i would run around and smell things and feed bread to the seagulls as little girls circled the area like flocks of birds who were learning to gossip.
* 4 Kim's Mart with all the junk in the window (i'm buying a big ugly bronze sculpture one day, out of sentimentality).
* 5 Lawrence Fruit Market which used to be Miss Amiga's Fruit Market which used to be Park Food Market which used to be Sun Food Market
* 6 Albany Park Library kids section with the dusty kites hanging from the ceilings
* 7 Lawrence and Kimball train station, maybe with the korean minister who plays guitar and hymns to the streets and the cars
* 8 sandy at the Golden ____ (pick a diner any diner, probably the Golden Nugget or the Golden Apple because the Golden Bee doesn't exist ... yet) and a pyramid of half n half containers
* 9 Belmont and Clark train platform, because it's so busy and i like switching lines there
* 10 the inside of the traincar itself (oy thassa lotta train on this here list)
* 11 i will get chased by pidgies again and have someone take a pic
* 12 my old house at Paulina and Lawrence where i first saw those tiny little circles that float on your eyeball as the cement crackled under my stroller
* 13 school bathroom with the best words in it (before it gets completely faint)
* 14 al inside Jewel looking triumphanty at being al inside a Jewel
* 15 ren at Margie's eating icecream and white castle, mwahah
* 16 Carton's Restaurant (with richard, if he's around?)
* 17 lincoln square, the cartoon chef cut-out in the front of that restaurant
* 18 the "STANDPIPE" at belmont and kimball, which i sit on as i wait for the #82 bus.
* 19 the fishy fishful tankfish at Great Beijing Restaurant (they have bubble sacs over their eyes that i have the unhealthy urge to puncture)
* 20 laura at the candystore because there was that day we saw the sidewalk sparkle and it snowed and it was cold and good like ice in your drink
* 21 zee lake in all its rock-edged glory.
* 22 the secretgardeny fountaingarden by my grandma's old apartment on Magnolia Ave. that lights up at night
* 23 C&V's, where i once felt horrible in 2nd grade because i didn't bring enough money to pay (i brought a huge handful of change to them the next morning before school).
* 24 the japanese column rooms at the Art Institute [dummy plug system, that's all].

i'm so fucking busy these days and i love it and i hate it and i just want to sit around and make things for people and go dumpster diving.


<> - <>