Today, I revisited the mostly abandoned site I had first explored a couple months ago. This time, I looked more thoroughly around some of the areas I hadn't even bothered to venture before. The basement story of the burned down house. Some of the other crevices in the nearby shacks. Gradually, I began to entertain some of the truly outrageous thoughts that had been simmering in the back of my mind.

Why not just jump in and do it? Come out and squat for a night or two. Bring just a pack full of stuff -- blankets, sleeping bag, change of clothes, water -- and see what it's like. While I'm at it, I might be able to make the conditions a little bit nicer for whoever stops by next.

I went on to do some more exploring, and ended up taking a tour of another abandoned house less than a kilometer away. This one wasn't burned down. In fact, the structure was in reasonably decent condition. The hardwood floors, walls, and ceiling, all in good condition, actually made me wonder why no one was living there already. Many windows were boarded up. Others were broken. The front door was left hanging open.

The thing that made me feel utterly creeped me out were the flies. Hundreds of them. As I walked through, the noise of their buzzing surrounded me. They didn't bite, or even try to get in my face much though. They just buzzed everywhere.

Given that it had likely been abandoned not too long ago, and its obviously more in tact nature, I suspected this place had a higher risk of being surveilled by its owners. I probably won't try to squat there. Though dirtier and in much poorer condition, the burned out industrial buildings across the way appear to be much less attended to.

The biggest downside, as far as I can tell: the signs suggest my most likely companions there would be drunks, junkies, and/or wayward teens. Nothing I could see on the premises indicated revolutionary or constructive aims. Except, perhaps, the stray cat I had encountered. I believe that this particular cat was, in fact, cultivating a revolutionary spirit. Therefore, there may yet be hope.

I'm half-contemplating the idea of trying out my crazy idea, not at some point in the distant future, but tonight. What better place than here? What better time than now?

It doesn't mean I would suddenly be going into full time squatting mode. No, for the time being, it would just be an extra item on my list of possible places to sleep. Then I could maintain some semblence of routine, return to write code during the day, help scott put out fires, and continue to plot long term schemes for world liberation. I think I may do it.

If this is my path, then there is much to do in the coming hours. I must be going. My nuclear power plants in siberia await.