Wednesday, the 28th of October
Although I made it back to Anova an hour ago, I’ve spent that hour unwinding. Last night, contrary to my plans and my expectations, we didn’t have a session on account of a third of us being sick. I had a lot of empty space in my schedule which I filled by… not filling it. Which meant that after Evidence this morning I was famished (since on Tuesdays I’ve usually made or provided the lion’s share of the potluck). However, this allowed me to get lunch at Fogo de Chão with friends. The price point was surprisingly comparable to Rio’s back in the Lehigh Valley, at least for lunch on a random Wednesday. I also learned how to play a new card game, Durak (“Fool”), a delightfully, deceptively simple game where the goal is to be the first to discard your deck (or rather, to avoid being the fool who still has cards when everyone else already won). For a game I learned in the span of five-ten minutes I’m actually really good at it. I guess this is what happens when you believe in the heart of the cards.
Anyway, I ended up going to Spirit for some last minute shopping. All I could think at the mall I went to was that we used to be a country. We really did. Unfortunately this Spirit had a smaller selection of fake grimoires than the locations in the Valley, but I was able to pick up some options for tomorrow (fingers crossed for the contest!) and for the weekend.
Also at Spirit, I saw a man who looked like the second coming of Kirk, it was uncanny. I’ve found myself people watching when my mind drifts away from whatever task I have in front of me. Yesterday I went to the Board & Brew after Professional Responsibility (I did well on my mid-term!) and through the window I saw a woman walking west on Chestnut who looked like if you cast Elle Fanning as a Targaryen, the face of someone who remembers when green wallpaper was truly vibrant.
Sunday, the 1st of November
I would have posted sooner, but Halloweekend was going too well to interrupt. I’ve been very sleep deprived these past few days (mostly for the better, weirdly) and I fully intend to get some much needed rest after finishing this entry.
I woke up at 4:30 Thursday morning to prepare my costume. I went as Cobra Commander, the joke being that with the midterms coming up voters shouldn’t settle for the lesser evil. I handed out flyers (see above) detailing my very sensible promises to the public. People thankfully got the bit, although I couldn’t keep the bit up for too long. See, the helmet and mask fit me like a glove, which is a very bad thing when said glove covers one’s nose and mouth. Naturally, once I had the opportunity to head back to Anova I took it, changing into something sensible that wouldn’t suffocate me. That night we had the final Spelljammer session, and tragically Sir Tibere (my literal healbot) died midway through combat after disintegrating the Xaryxian Crown Prince/Emperor (self-proclaimed) with Guiding Bolt, so I was only in the epilogue (along with the others who died in the final battle) in a very abstract, 2001-esque sense. I ended up going to bed late and waking up early on Friday for Evidence, but my mind was admittedly elsewhere. I waited with one of my friends for their train, then prepared for the night to come.
Many of my classmates were invited to a party Friday night, and I was fortunate enough to be on the guest list. It was being hosted in the amenity space of a building similar to mine in quality but grander in quantity. Given that I could barely breathe in my Cobra Commander cosplay, I threw together a wizard costume (old reliable as far as I’m concerned). As with my costume on Thursday, it was a huge hit, and I enjoyed myself tremendously. The vibes were less claustrophobic than some of the parties I’ve been to, which I appreciated. The Jell-O shots also helped, thanks Tom Lehrer!
Surprisingly, although people voted for me in the costume contest, few people realized it was me, although many people told me it should have been obvious in hindsight. There are other tall people at Kline, and there are other sturdy people at Kline, but the overlap is… well, me.
As usual, I decided I’d rather walk home than call an Uber, since by the time I left the party there were no more trains until morning. The sky was ultramarine like bright ink from the city lights and there was a good, brisk breeze which billowed my cape as I walked. I figured Center City was a warzone this weekend (and according to my friends, I was spot on), so I tried to cut my way through the roads less taken. I ended up exploring, and although the few people I encountered complimented my costume, I was mostly left with my thoughts and the rhythmic clicking of my scepter against the sidewalk as I made my way back to Anova. Alas, I distracted myself by wandering and ultimately decided it would be better to call an Uber, so that I could get some rest.
When I woke up on Halloween, I was hungover. Considering my ancestors were Eastern European peasants (my patrilineal grandfather and great-grandfather being barkeeps at that), this was/is a rarity for me. So I spent the day relaxing and doing light chores. I didn’t have much of a concrete plan for the evening, mostly I’ve just balled and it’s all worked out for me in the end. I ended up deciding to go to a hayride/corn maze in Bucks County with a friend, but despite their website and the sign, apparently the farm was closed Halloweekend. So we ended up going exploring, mostly. I was still slightly hungover (it was a party to die for Friday) so it was an interesting experience. Fonthill Castle was incredibly cool, I should go during the day some time.
I ended up stopping at Wawa on the way back to the city to buy enough cherry-flavored sweets and sodas to give me a lethal case of red poisoning. I decided against going clubbing, mainly because by the time I got back to the city it was already the end of the evening and I needed actual rest.
But rest I did not! Because getting good sleep is for chumps, apparently. Granted, my sleep wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had, but the bar is actively taking a jackhammer to the floor as I write this. However, today went well for the most part, with similar chill vibes to yesterday. The highlight was seeing Laika’s Wildwood (dir. Travis Knight, 2026) late this afternoon. Yet again, I gave myself red poisoning. Worth it. The film was excellent; right now my Letterboxd review is sparse but I’ll get something more detailed up soon enough so stay tuned.
It was a good weekend. Act III of the semester begins tomorrow, very exciting. I’m going home some time after classes tomorrow- maybe earlier, maybe later. I have to Rock The Vote™. If I’m heading back to the Coal Region early, I’m probably gonna stop in the Lehigh Valley for a haircut on the way up since it’s getting to the point where maintenance is required, cleaning up the ends and layering and whatnot. I don’t really want any real length taken out quite yet. My mom would do it, but unfortunately the Plague hit her hard and she had to go to the hospital for a day or two because she had a fever of 106. She’s quarantining back at her place now, thankfully, but still. I have more to say, so much more to say, about everything going on in my life and in the wider world, but I’m tired rn. I’ll probably clean this entry up in the morning. Suffice to say, this will be a month of Happening. So much Happening™. I feel it, I see it in my dreams, bright like lightning arcing across the sky, or the sun at splendid dawn, or a full moon shining down on gleaming snow. And my dreams are usually right on the money; many such cases.
And I feel fine.
