11-24-01

So I'm back from Thanksgiving. Nothing spectacular. I got into the usual political arguments with her closed-minded right-wing brother who claims he isn't right wing, just right. We like each other, but we really butt heads.

The airports have been searching people pretty thoroughly, but if you've ever had an anal probe before it's really no big deal. Although they won't take you out on a date first. On the plane back from St. Louis, I sat next to a rather sad old man. He seemed a little simple minded but not quite Alzheimer's. He kept saying things to me, telling me about the weather in Phoenix, then the weather in Racine, Wisconsin where he's from, then wondering what was taking the plane so long. He seemed a like a pretty nice old guy. I've been to Racine; it's a really burned out town. There are some extremely wealthy sections where the executives from S.C. Johnson live, but the rest of the Racine looks like a chewed-up dog's toy. Lower class, blue-collar. A few bars. Broken-down homes. I felt guilty I didn't want to talk to him more. I don't know why. Then I saw him pull out an issue of Field and Stream magazine with a big gun on the cover. It was the "Deer Hunter's special" "We've used all the guns and ammo. Now we'll rate them for you." So then I didn't feel bad. Then later, he told me that he'd worked his whole life in a factory in Racine. He said that he had to work near hot acid and that wasn't very healthy. When he was 50 he switched jobs and had worked a night shift for the last 10 years. He said it was "his fault" he hadn't changed jobs earlier in his life. So, after that story, I felt bad for him again.

I started working on my painting again soon after I got home. It's always such a struggle but a struggle I love. Unfortunately, I'm feeling really exhausted so I didn't work on it for too long. I'll be heading to bed early tonight. Glad to be back in Chicago.