I write this from Lombard, IL. I am no longer accustomed to writing in this manner; using a pen and notebook rather than a keyboard. It feels slow and cumbersome. Messy too. My handwriting sucks. Especially since I'm so out of practice. Will our descendents even know how to use these antique devices known as "pens" at all? I wonder.

Back to the beginning. A very good place to start. How does it go from there? I forgot. Been too long since I've seen that film. Do Re Me Fa So La Tee Do.

Yesterday, when I left Colorado, I did not eat at the buffet as I had contemplated. This was partly because I was eager to get going, and partly because I realized I wasn't realrly very hungry. Instead, I nibbled at the spinach, apples, plums, spicy peanuts, bagels, and chili I had thrown into the back seat.

The "long, hard drive" to Lincoln was neither hard nor long. To me, a road trip such as this can easily be thought of as a handy excuse to spend some Quality Time with my music collection. The playlist for Saturday, which I dubbed "non-RIAA" day:

• Jenn Vix - 3
• Chiasm vs Threat Level 5 - Divided We Fall (the remixes)
• Dual Eden (self-titled)
• s.e.k.s. - Liyfe in Venus
• Sarah Fimm - A Perfect Dream
• Abney Park - Return to the Fire
• Regenerator - War
• Indicia (self-titled)
• Deep Red - I Live (maxi-single)

I arrived in Lincoln shortly after 20:00. (I wasn't quite so much of a speed demon this time, since the drive took a little longer than 7 hours, rather than a little less.) At the Humblik Zone, Yanthor, Linknoid, and Humblik were into a multiplayer game of Diablo 2. I was most amused to see that all their PCs were in the exact same position as they had been when I left the fest just under 2 weeks prior. I watched them a little while, and then read the first chapter of Dick's The Man in the High Castle.

From what I have read so far, I get the feeling that this will be (is?) the most enjoyable Philip K. Dick book I've read yet. It envisions an alternate history in which the Axis won WW2. Set in the 1960's, (present day for when the book was published), we get to see San Francisco under Japanese Imperial rule, in an America whose territory has been divided between the Land of the Rising Sun and the Reich. Fascinating!

Humblik decided that he wanted to try making stroganof. He didn't have all the ingredients on hand, but Yanthor did, so Yanthor walked across the parking lot to retrieve the items. I joined him, and took the opportunity to look through his movies. [6/6/04: Yanthor said I could pick the feature for the evening.] There was much to choose from, especially considering that I would only be there one night. Initially the idea of watching some more of West Wing Season 1 held appeal. But then when I saw his Battlestar Gallactica set and heard him talk about it, I knew this was what I wanted to watch.

We returned to the Humblik Zone. While Humblik made stroganof, we started the Battlestar Galactica pilot. I found it highly entertaining. (If the rest of the show is as good as the pilot, which it sounds like it is, then the fact that it was canceled was as much a travesty as Firefly. What is wrong with tv network execs, anyway?) If I can find it for $50 or less, I might procure a copy for myself in the near future.

When Humblik's stroganof was ready, all 4 of us munched on it while we watched more of the pilot. (Running time in excess of 2 hours.) Yummy, it was. Another recipe I might have to try making myself in the near future.

Afterward, Yanthor and I went over to his apartment, where we played for a while with the lovable Jaden and the regal Kira before going to bed.

Sunday morning, after eating Yanthor's cereal for breakfast, and taking a shower, I was going to try to watch one more episode of Battlestar Galactica before hitting the road. Just as the teaser was getting underway, my cell phone rang. It was mom. (She had tried to call me earlier in the morning, and I had tried to call back, but due to bad reception, we hadn't been able to talk.)

The latest news hit like a brick. "Grandma died last night. It happened at about a quarter to midnight. She stopped breathing and her heart stopped."

Despite knowing that this event was the very reason this trip was taking place, I couldn't help but feel a little shocked. I started silentely wondering if it would have been better for me to come earlier. Even though I hadn't said anything, mom must have known what I was thinking, and said that it wouldn't have done any good for me to come earlier. Grandma had been mostly unconscious and hadn't spoken for the past several days.

After fighting with crappy cell phone connections for several minutes, we got a few more wordes exchanged. Immediately after getting off the phone, I knew it was time for me to go. Yanthor walked me back to his apartment, I loaded my stuff into the car, and hit the road. Before I left, he said I would be welcome to come and stay for a couple days on the way back. I I just might... We'll see...

Still stunnedy by the emotional impact of the news as I left Lincoln, I turned to an old favorite, which never fails to act as a salve on my soul.

• Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

I stopped for gas at the first exit after crossing the Iowa border. I was greatly amused to think that Tobias had traversed the entire state of Nebraska on 1 tank of fuel. My previous stop for gas had been at the final station in Colorado before entering Nebraska. I didn't plan it that way, but it happened.

I dubbed Sunday RIAA day.

• System of a Down - Toxicity
• Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (disc 1)
• Amber - Naked

I encountered some massive rainstorms in Iowa and Illinois. I very rarely have occassion to use the maximum speed setting on Tobias's windshield wipers. Today I did. It was POURING like a wild badger on crack. No joke.

• Lords of Acid - Expand Your Head

At one point, a multicar pileup was narrowly averted. The car directly in front of me had literally slammed on its breaks, and I did the same in order to avoid hitting it. Tobias skidded for several seconds, dropping from 75 mph down to under 20 in the span of a few decameters. Other cars up ahead who had been following more closely veered into the median to avoid crashing.

Before long, the source of the brake lights became apparent: A fresh accident a couple lanes away. Very fresh. No cops on the scene yet. A car in the middle of the road had the door open, and some people were examining the driver, who may have been injured. Another person was out trying to put up a makeshift lane barrier in place, and directing traffic to merge at the same time. Had I been a few minutes later, I imagine I would have been stuck in the jam for quite a while. Had I been a few seconds earlier, I might have witessed (or been involved in) the accident itself.

On through the storm. Into Illinois. A rest stop, and back on the road.

• Alanis Morissette - So-Called Chaos
• Evanescence - Fallen
• Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing

The rain was pouring harder than ever in the town of Joliet. The streets were flooding. I stopped to call for clarification of directions.

• Enigma - The Screen Behind The Mirror

The storm began to abate as I neared the condo. Without further incident, I found my way there, parked, and...

(To Be Continued...)