Chicago, and All That... Furniture

Pop quiz. Given reagents less motivated Terrence looking for teaching jobs and the upcoming start of the school year, titrated with indecision catalyst and processed through tired-as-hell filter, what pH (propensity to fulfill hoped-for-blog-output) can be expected? So let's do a rather whirlwind-esque rundown through the general lack of busking from the last month.

My train into Chicago arrived about three hours late, which by Amtrak standards for a long haul is actually somewhat early. Others were a bit bothered and worried by it. What with my extremely strict work schedule, however, I didn't care a whit. Brent found me inside and I happily complained at him until we reached his new flat in Hyde Park. I happened to alight at the start of the fourth of July weekend, which he happily whiled away buying kitchen supplies, playing Tesla Wars (both of us on one iPad makes it rather a lot easier), watching movies and generally not seeing much of the outside world. That suited me.

Tuesday happened, taking Brent back to work and me to my purpose of visiting him - to move him in. I'd spend the rest of the week researching and calling and visiting dozens of furniture stores, cookware shops, designing and printing coasters and placemats, and trying to get him internet. I'd say I succeeded in all of them but the last, which really was nothing I had any power over. In fact, in AT&T's great wisdom Brent had to pay to not have internet.

Another weekend swept Brent and me to a happy hour with Technori Unwind through a happy coincidence in a Starbucks. Back in Mountain View I stayed a night with my friend Michael Ma, and his roommate's girlfriend Val happened to be visiting at the same time. Three weeks later in Chicago she decided to wander into the same Starbucks I used for internet (see above), recognized me, and nicely invited us to this happy hour. This I loved as another objective of my visit, significantly more difficult, was to make Brent less lonely. Ultimately I needed to be dragged to the happy hour rather than my usual dragging of him. Suffice to say I drank half a beer and didn't need anything else. The next morning Brent displayed his characteristically frustration refusal to do anything he knew I'd do and made me buy and negotiate his bike for him.

Of course the highlight of this time with Brent centered around the things we love - food, games, and Battlestar Galactica. So I'll conclude this hilariously belated post with a list of the things we (I) made:

English muffin with over-easy Egg, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese.
Spaghetti with Spam, Green Onions, Soy Sauce, Egg
Mushroom Leek Risotto with Corn
Oven baked Salmon with Capers, Almond/Butter Rice Pilaf, stir-fried Cabbage
Kielbasa with Kale and Sauerkraut over Egg Noodles
Linguine Carbonara
Skirt Steak with Chimichurri marinade/sauce, stir-fried Chayotes, and Brazilian Rice
Stir fried Chicken with Bok Choy and Rice

Earnings: $20.00
Song of the Days: If We Had Two - Terrence Ho