The Trapeze Swinger

Current Location: Sugarcreek, Ohio @ Ted & Sue's house
Required Music (for reading this post): The Trapeze Swinger by Iron and Wine.

Home. A sweet sigh of relief. The feel of clean sheets and baggy, worn-in sweat pants. The smell of Folgers Coffee in the morning. The warmth of a hug from someone who knows the worst thing about you. The unwavering net below the swinging trapeze artist.
I am home.

Home am I.
I pull into my parents' driveway after driving 7 hours from Chicago with only my thoughts to keep me company. I turn the key, and the car heaves to a rest. My head falls back against the seat, and I let out an audible sigh.

I imagine my sigh must be the same sigh an acrobat lets out after his head falls into the safety net. At first, he is incapable of moving or breathing for what feels like days as the trapeze bar continues to swing above him. Finally, he releases a deep (grinning) sigh of relief, and reflects on how high he flew after his hands left the wooden bar...how he gracefully he soared...and how much he loves that damn net.

I come crashing through the door, dirty cloths in tow, and I fall into the big green chair in our living room. It's 9:30 p.m. and I find my mom snuggled under a blanket on the couch (as she usually is when I get home) and my dad sitting across the room with this feet up and his head titled back..."resting his eyes". They are my net (if you didn't already get the metaphor) and no matter how times I fall after attempting the death-defying, triple somersault through the flaming hoop, they catch me before the ground does and send me climbing up the trapeze again.

I am stupidly, without words, on my knees, face to the ground, grateful for my parents. They are both incredible people, incredible educators, great friends, and the most caring and helpful (sometimes annoyingly so...) parents to have ever raised a child. I love you guys - Thank you, thank you, thank you...I can't say it enough.

A Quick Chicago Recap....before bed.

Food: Fat and Happy.
In a series of gluttonous meals, I have discovered that Chicago is ground zero for America's growing obesity epidemic. Shannon took me (and Two Buck Chuck) out to dinner Wednesday night to an amazing Sushi place in Boy's Town and I ate till I was fat and happy. On Saturday Steve-o decided we should return to Hot Dawgs(Doug's) and I ate till I was fat and happy. Saturday night, I tried Falafel for the first time at this cheap and delicious Mediterranean place, which left me fat and happy. And then on Sunday, I experienced deep dish pizza and (say it with me) ate till I was fat and happy.

There is just too much good food in Chicago. Joining the clean plate club every meal would result in a pair of lovely love-handles and an early (oversized) grave.

Dance Par-tey: Bust-a-move.
On Saturday night, (post fat and happy falafel time) we headed over to Kent and Steve-o's friends house for some Brass Monkey's (40's of Old English and orange juice) and an impromptu dance par-tey for the ages. See pictures... enough said.




In This Week's Episodes...
During the next couple days, I am going to be home in Sugarcreek so call me, and while I am here I am going to write a couple short stories I dreamed up during my drive and post my rough drafts on here...

the teaser...Alcohol's Fables by Me.
Hazy recollections from an enlightening night. I become entangled with a Yoda-like, Hunter S. Thompson-esk drunken philosopher - to be played by Johnny Depp. Together we stumble through a night of fabled-misadventures with mystical characters, dark twists, and perhaps an eventual dawn.