Another day in the life Nov. 16th, 2008

I had started to write out a blog about my life as of late a few days ago, but my Internet connection was shoddy at best. So now I have a few minutes to type out some stuff.

Well, it has been a turbulent time in my life the past couple of weeks. Let me start by saying I went to Mississippi a week or so ago, and it was a horrible time. All that searching I did for a friend to join me on the excursion, was to no avail. So I took my mom on the mini-vacation with me. I knew that taking her would not bring me down any, but I also knew we wouldn't be hanging out as I would have been if one of my poker buddies had joined me instead. It was a good start, went to the airport, got on the charter, hung out with my Mom and got on the flight. The flight went smooth, before I knew it we were in Tunica.

As for Tunica, it is a casino county in MS. I mean they own everything. There are cotton fields, and the airport is a one runway place. They shuffle you off the plane onto waiting chartered buses like cattle. I was waiting to get zapped with a cattle prod, that is how it looked and felt. We arrive at the resort, and it turns out that our hotel is like 2 miles from the casino. They run shuttle buses to and from the casino all day and night, but you are in the middle of nowhere. Harrah's owns everything, I mean EVERYTHING there. The nearest thing not affiliated with Harrah's is 4 miles away. It is crazy, it is like you are a casino slave/inmate. They seclude you away, charge you extremely high prices for everything, and then after two days send you back home without even a kiss goodbye!

I never made it to Memphis. The brochure I received before I planned the trip had all this marketing about Memphis, but after arriving, there were no buses or shuttles to Memphis. Friday night I found out I could have rented a car, but i would have had to go to the other hotel to do it. There just was never enough information. I know it is their plan to keep you in the dark, so you only gamble or spend money on their food/entertainment (there was no entertainment). So my mother and I ended up going to bed early on Friday night since we had done most of the sight seeing/gambling Thursday and Friday. The plane left from the airport the next day at noon anyway.

While at the airport, everyone is shuffled off the buses into this little tiny room where everyone awaits to board the plane. I got up to go have a smoke, and they wouldn't even let me out of the airport. I knew I would have had to go back through security to do it, but they wouldn't let me out of the room we were in! I swear I did not feel very American. I have come to the realization that the casino is not where I need to be anymore anyway! I made a good living playing cards throughout most of this year, shit I haven't worked in over a year. Anyway, the cards are good, but I have had no time to play regularly lately. I made a lot of money over the summer playing, but since this is my last semester at school before I graduate in 3 weeks, I have had to cut out the card playing. Since this has happened, it has allowed me to get back to the job market. I sent out a shitload of resumes to various media outlets in case I don't go to grad school right away.

So anyway, I get on the plane, we get back to Chicago, and it was cold! Yep, freezing last Saturday. So we drive home, and I get home to a rejection letter from one of the schools I applied to for the Spring start. It was SIU. They were my fall back school, and it pissed me off because they waited so damn long to send it. I wanted to go there as a back-up plan in case I didn't get into my first and second choices. It is funny that the fall back school ended up rejecting me. Oh well, I am not worried. I am graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.85 GPA. So I am proud of the work I have done.

This past week I was supposed to get back my license, and I went out to DuPage to clear up a minor traffic incident, got the paperwork to renew my license, went to Lombard to take the test, and wouldn't you know after waiting two hours and about to take my driving test, a supervisor came and told me that a speeding ticket from Arizona in 1996 has come up on the computer. They denied me my license until I pay it. I remembered it after he said it, but how come I was never suspended in 1997 or 1998? How come I never received any notification about this? The Sec. of State in IL gave me a list of things I was supposed to take care of, and I did. Four Thousand dollars later, and I still cannot renew the license. I got pissed went home, called Arizona, and found out it was only 112.00. BUT I would have to send them a money order (no checks, credit cards, etc.) to a small ass town in the middle of nowhere in Northern Arizona. Then after they process it and send me a receipt, then I can send that receipt to the Arizona Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Phoenix, then they will process it, and send me the proper paperwork to submit to Illinois. Can't they just do it themselves? NO! I have to be the middle man! It is the stupidest thing I have to deal with thus far!

So that was my last week, very depressing, and just one bad break after another. If I wasn't so busy with school and the play I would have just secluded myself away for awhile. Since this is not possible, I have been just grinding through it all.

On the brighter side, I have been seeing this woman Jen. She is awesome. She is an English Professor. We have gone out twice now, and both times have been a pleasant surprise. She is down to Earth and likable. I really do enjoy her company and keep trying to not fuck it up. You all know me too well...hahaha...Anyway, she is great, and hopefully it keeps going.

She came to see the show last night, we went out afterwards and ended up at this German bar in Lincoln Square. It was wild, we met this woman Connie, and this German guy Hans, and then this other Irish guy Jimmy Collins. They were all caught up in this love triangle thing and involved Jen and I into it all. Jen was a good sport and so I was and we had free entertainment with Connie making out with Hans, then deciding Jimmy was better looking etc. Well, Hans got too drunk, fell down outside on the sidewalk, so Connie and I helped him back inside. He was so drunk he just started smoking in the bar even though it is illegal. Then he fell down again except this time cracked open his head inside the bar. Blood was running down his neck from the back of his head. Everyone freaked out but me, so me (the sober guy) takes Hans home, tells Connie to keep Jen company, and I would return. I did, Jen was a bit turned off by the whole Hans falling down thing, and Connie had sent her other love interest; Jimmy; on his way. So Jen and I went to take off after I took Hans home, and wouldn't you know Connie wanted me to stay with her and ditch Jen! As if!!! Jen is awesome, and Connie had already been with Hans, and then Jimmy, and now wanted a third guy to entertain! What a night!!! Jen and I laughed about it on the way home. So all in all it was great release to go out and meet some new people, while also getting to know Jen better.

Well that was a little over 14 hours ago, and I just finished my third to last presentation in my Sunday class. I have three weeks until graduation, and I am pushing extra hard to finish. Oh and I am selling my car, decided to NOT take the Uber-long road trip because of the Arizona situation, and I am crossing my fingers that the other two schools I applied to for the Spring accept me into their M.A. programs. Otherwise I will be staying in Chicago until at least next Fall when the other schools I applied too actually start their new M.A. program schedules. If that happens, I guess Jen and I will be getting to know each other better...

That is all friends, and now I am off to find some new and exciting adventures...

Later
Kenny