A proper update: Life on the L and most recent adventures

There is a girl giving enthusiastic spoken word and song performances for small children in the next room. Up until a few minutes ago there was a girl sitting in this chair, using it as her home base. Which means just because it was empty doesn't mean she wasn't off somewhere collecting her next attempt at chapter book literature. But her Dad and brother are gone now, too, so it seems like it's safe to take over.

This morning I dropped off After Dark, Haruki Murakami's latest (translated, at least) novel. Good stuff! You can just count on it from him. That same surreal thoughtful feel. Chris and I were talking about this last night on the way home from Berkeley, actually.

We were there for the launch of MANGA: The Complete Guide, since we are both connected to Jason Thompson in one way or another. The after party was like a big spider web, in that respect, with Jason as the spider. We met a pretty groovy chick, though, in videogames, of all things. Was a producer on a bunch of Dreamcast stuff, but she's never played a Wii, so I said she should come over sometime.

After the party we took one of the last BARTs home and then I had to get on the N since I don't live up on the hill anymore. Then the 91 owl was running late or barely at all, so rather than wait 55 minutes for the next train I walked down to Taraval. This is from Judah...and the streets run alphabetically. So..not exactly what I wanted to be doing at the moment, although it's not a bad walk.

Lots of gas stations and lots of gated apts with parked cars out front. When I got down to my street the Hawaiian BBQ/Breakfast place was open as I had been hoping. It felt like the hike needed a more exciting end than "I went home for Cheerios and my comfy couch bed."

I was pretty impress with those guys running a tight ship. Even when a big drunk guy walked in and fell off his stool they just picked him up and pointed him out. Forrest Gump was on TV and I ate a Mahi Mahi burger which...is not what I had expected. More like fish 'n chips stuck between a bun, but it was good, and good for 2 am food, too. Of course, the prices are the type that reflect the huge menu selection and crazy hours, but that wasn't so bad. It was worth it.

Would've been more fun with friends! But my night owl friends in the area can't eat there unless they get the fruit dish or something...

So here starts the backlog of recent events:

I moved to this place on Taraval, on the L line which runs both downtown and to the Zoo. I also take the 28/91 to get between the L and the N after 9 pm because there is construction on weeknights...or something like that. The apt is pretty shitty and I should've paid more attention to detail when I was looking for the place, but I was most concerned about price and neighborhood is sooooo perfect.

It has everything, even my bank. A Walgreens, an all night Hawaiian BBQ (;p), an Asian dessert cafe on the corner, some other restaurants, all of which seem pretty hoppin'. There is also a Safeway just a few blocks down and an organic food shop even closer. Tennis courts and a library are directly across the street from where I live.

Which explains me at the library to steal Internet.

But yeah the apt is pretty crap. I can get neither my laptop nor my Wii to connect to the Wireless there so I haven't even bothered to pick up a card for my desktop yet. Seems pretty futile. There is also no heat.

Needless to say I am looking for a better place.

My roommate doesn't seem to mind any of this, not even the mold in the shower. She is super rare. You need like +20 luck to even spot her through a crack in the door.

I also recently started my job at IGN, where I freelance part-time from their office. This is pretty groovy and pays better than I've ever been paid before. So far I've worked on some Diablo riffs and I just started a Nancy Drew mystery (#17...something about a skull.)

I guess that's pretty much all I can think of at the moment. Otaku USA issue 4 is due for Monday, so I have a couple of articles to finish up, including one for a game I have barely played...so...

yippee.

Oh, and the boy and I aren't broken up, which I know is the question on everyone's minds. Nope. Haven't. Which only begs stranger questions, I'm sure, but whatever ;p