Saturday's All-Right For Fighting

People need to have snow ball fights. It's good for the soul.

After spending the last 24-hours within a 2-block radius, I needed to go out. I was scheduled to review a show at SubT on Friday night but couldn't due to an extremely painful tooth pain. I was scheduled to read at a monthly event at Mojoe's but didn't due to poor scheduling. I sat around all day with no plans to leave. Around 6 p.m., I decided to get the hell out of Oak Park. Since I hadn't showered in a few days and smelled like smoke, fat and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, I figured I should wash up. So I did. I got on the el around 8 p.m. and got to Mojoe's during the last reading. Oh well. I would have read to the same 8 people I always read to.

Chicago hasn't been hit hard by snow, but today was pretty bad. Since it's been a light season, the snow tonight was great. It was a steady stream but not enough to make driving or walking that difficult. There was enough snow to make the city look like a dream but not enough to keep people indoors.

Following the reading was a trip to a nearby Mexican restaurant. Eight of us sat at a table. Some tattooed, some with facial hairs, some with glasses, some Vegans, some carnivores. A typical mix of "zinesters." Since the person I was expecting to see wasn't there, I asked Lab Rat if I could tag along with him. He said fine. I had something to do.

Jeff has a car. So the three of us drove. Our first destination was a party on the edge of Boystown. It was not a good party. The place was packed with people that are usually at Lincoln Park parties. People that really don't care what music is on, well dressed, clean, in shape, made up in make up, etc. The kind of people that usually don't enjoy the company of Lab Rat, Jeff and me. A little unkempt is better. So we left. Though I invested $5 for a cup at the party and definitely did not get my money's work of beer, it was imperative that we leave. When Lab Rat told me the news, I went to the bathroom. I made my money back in dental floss and hair dye/hair gel. I got my money's worth.

In the alley on the way to the party was a computer monitor. I tried to smash it. I did smash it. I also fell. It was not as glorious as I had hoped.

The second and final party was in Bucktown. The place was about a fifth of the size as the first apartment. The stairs were uneven, the floor slanted and 3-people lived in a place the size of a normal studio apartment. It didn't matter. The party was great. Only 20 or so people were there. It didn't matter. 5 girls, 10-15 guys. It didn't matter. People danced, everyone had a snow-ball fight, there was enough alcohol and no one was trying to impress anyone else. Jeff blew a small ball of fire. Lab Rat tried to. It did not happen. To compensate for his failure he put some cap gun ammo on the stove.

Around 3 a.m., the Lab Rat, Jeff and I left to smoke a hookah. Lab Rat and Jeff fucked around on a keyboard, I played some weird 3-string instrument and Lab Rat free styled over some fucked up beats. It's a good time to note that Lab Rat had the most to drink. It was a good time.

Thanks to Jeff for driving me home. Much appreciated.

It was a good night. I visited two places I'll probably never see again, met some interesting people, got some more dental floss and saw people I don't see enough. Now I'm watching "Sealab 2021" and writing this little memory. It wasn't an exciting night, but one that I enjoyed. I played in a snowball fight on someone’s roof in Bucktown. I danced with no one in particular. I drank enough to maintain a buzz and only spent $5. It was a pretty good night.