Home and Homeliness

I never realized how ghetto my hometown has become until this, my most recent trip home. Seeing as how my parents technically live out of town (by 80 feet, if you want to get technical), unless I actually venture into city limits, I can go an entire visit and not actually see the town. But last night, when we decided to have family pizza and movie night, I went to the video store and realized I was surrounded by dirty, mean, and possibly high people. No longer do I recognize anyone (both good and bad...first time ever more bad than good) and I've noticed a larger than usual influx of St. Louis people for the summer, which tends to bring inflated gas and grocery prices as well as an increased incidence of opportunistic crime. This means that once I return to Murray, you'll see me locking things up like crazy...which will likely be nothing unusual. Tomorrow morning, I'm taking Grandpa out for a Chinese buffet lunch. It'll be interesting to see what home looks like in the morning, weekday light.

It's always interesting to look through my closet and drawers and the things on my computer to see what I was into/wearing/doing in the past. Going to my room is like opening a time capsule. So far I've remembered that back in the day I really liked Cool Water Perfume (but not the lotions that came with it), Nintendo Power magazines, and Isaak Asimov books. I'm also reading long-since abandoned message boards which are now...let's just say it's obvious why I abandoned them. I've found a bunch of cds and videos (I joined the dvd era long after leaving home) that I wouldn't mind taking back to Murray with me. But tonight, before it gets really later or before I find something to really be embarassed about...like all my Cher cds...I am going to my big, soft, plaid bed.