Yes, a week is too long. I arrived on Monday. There was already palpable tension on Tuesday (though I am certain my own perception of that was skewed by my migraine). There was dissention on Wednesday that luckily did not interfere too much with the enjoyment of the actual Matrix premier. There was actual fighting and shouting today. I should be gone tomorrow before there are a critical mass of family present, if everything goes as I expect it will, but there may still be some intense friction and minor scuffles.
Except for those I saw The Matrix Reloaded with, none of the friends I tried to make plans with this entire week were seen, and most barely even spoken to. I kept getting voicemail, or worse – noncommittal answers from people I had been looking forward to seeing, to spending some time with. And then so few posts on the site… no email… nothing to look forward to going out to the whole week besides that one movie, nothing to look forward to coming back to besides escalating tension.
I don’t know. I was thinking about it, and there are at least as many residents and businesses within half a square mile of where my father’s house is in Phoenix and the entire population and businesses of Pine, AZ. Which is insanely different. I casually walk across Highway 87 and back in the middle of the day to get to the post office in Pine. There isn’t a stop sign or a red light or a crosswalk, and there doesn’t need to be. Here, about as close as Highway 87 is to my home in Pine is Bell Road. Crossing in the crosswalk with a WALK signal, day or even during the ‘quiet’ time of the night, you are likely to be putting your life at risk. To think of crossing illegally is only marginally more dangerous, but to reach that level of danger in Pine I’d have to stick my arm in a thresher or something. It’s just completely different.
So, I did manage to see The Matrix Reloaded twice, which was my design. I did manage to get out and buy a copy of Enter The Matrix, and unless something goes catastrophically wrong will be taking it and the XBox back to Pine with me tomorrow. I also managed to find a used copy of Joe Versus the Volcano on DVD, so I’m taking that of my ‘I Want’ list. We did that pysical meeting of the MEVBC, and I took a few photos but then Zoe managed to steal the camera and the copy of the book in question that Heath STILL hasn’t finished reading. I hope to get that back from him before I leave tomorrow if possible. I somehow failed to call him about it today. I didn’t get to a proper art supplies store, so we’ll see what direction my paintings take without the media I was hoping to work with. I have enough AOL CDs (thanks to Angela) to finally begin work on that project, and depending on how busy I am and how progress goes (and whether I get the camera back from Zoe), I may keep you updated with progress on it.
There’s something about one AM that makes the clocks around here tick louder. I’m going to go have another drink of water, maybe take another few ibuprofin for my aching knee, and go sleep on the couch again. Tomorrow night, back in the bed again. I’d like to look forward to staying in Pine as long as possible. Perhaps until I go to Vegas for Art’s wedding next month. I don’t know. Are more movies coming out that I can’t live without? I feel (this minute) as though a feeling of apathy about most of the summer movies has come over me. Maybe the Hulk… Probably 28 Days Later, but … what else? I can’t even remember right now…
