August 2002 Archives

August 31, 2002
Heather left me a message today, and I called her back when I got home. She asked if I'd like to go with her to her friend Patrick's cookout tomorrow, though she wasn't sure on the time. For me, I was planning to spend tomorrow working on that Flash project... (read more)
Right as I'm walking up Marshfield towards Justin's apartment, I see Alex heading the opposite way. Talk about synchronicity. We knock, but there's no answer. So, like the two good Indiana boys that we are... we naturally take to a bit of curb squatting and chat. Within a few minutes,... (read more)
Puttering isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind. I made a rather indifferent lunch of rice, tofu, green peppers, mushrooms and onions. Eh. Didn't really get all that much done, to be honest. I was to meet Justin at 2:00 PM, to help him... (read more)
August 30, 2002
Not too bad, not too bad. Came home drunk, but not violently so. Had about 3 drinks with Ed before we called it a night. Caught up some, and relaxed with the sun as the day turned into nighttime. Oddly, the same guy was sitting at the bar from the... (read more)
Ah, good old, overpriced Leopard Lounge. The running joke, back when all of us ImageCare/Axiom people used to work together, was that we were only going in for one drink, that's it. Of course, it typically turned into some horrific bacchanalian outing where we each spent roughly $50 each. But... (read more)
This was a short day today. I got in around 9:30 or so... and got a medium coffee at the Starbucks downstairs. Though I hate to go there, it's the closest place (unless I decide to switch to Dunkin Donuts coffee). A chain... but whaddyagonnado? I spent the morning watching... (read more)
I decided to grab a picture of the building that I work in, the Merchandise Mart. I heard from Justin that it's bigger (if you're measuring square footage) than the Empire State Building. I'm not really good assessing things on this scale - but let it be said that the... (read more)
August 29, 2002
Even this morning - walking to the train, I was filled with joy and happiness and a sense of self-worth, mingling with the crowds, pushing my way onto the train platform. Something about it made me feel a part of the city, doing my little bit to keep the factory... (read more)
About a week ago, Ben mentioned how much he likes Unreal Tournament. :D Today, UT was among the applications that I installed onto that iMac. Looks like tomorrow, me and Ben are going to have a few Deathmatch games. Little does he know... hehehehe. We're both, I feel, trying to... (read more)
Today, Justin and Ben split off; Justin worked with Matt and Ben took me under his wing. We had an early staff meeting with Rey to discuss department goals and timeline stuff. Standard business fare. Since the computers were still delayed, Ben decided that I should get moving on a... (read more)
This morning is a prime example of why I should be in the habit of carrying a camera around at all times. Not just carrying it tucked away in a bag, mind you. I mean - out, in my hands, lens cap off. Ready to go. Whether it's art... (read more)
August 28, 2002
I watched the Spanish version of Dragnet for almost 20 minutes.... (read more)
when you find a good, old, pulpy movie like Dragnet, it's on the Spanish station? How come they get to have shows like that on a Tuesday night? Shows like this are either on late, late at night, or in another language. There's just no winning!... (read more)
iSketch. Sorta like Win, Lose or Draw... but online, and with 300% more nerds. Actually, I was heading to bed, and decided to log back in and grab a picture for the blog. See what lengths I go to please you? As it turns out, the trash talking (bottom... (read more)
A bit hectic today, but I'm guessing almost all the days are going to be like this. :) I got in around 11, as per Justin's instructions (to give him some time to get settled, and get a few things underway). Due to some red tape, Matt (the other contracted... (read more)
August 27, 2002
Talked with Justin a bit tonight. Tomorrow is going to be my first day! Woohoo! Well, maybe not a full day (I'm heading in around 11), but I'll be getting the rundown from him. I'm a little (alright, a lot) nervous about what's expected of me. But I know that's... (read more)
Most of my day is spent on the couch, napping away. I call Heather to see if she was still interested in the Chinatown thing... but the call was more out of obligation than anything else. I don't feel like doing much today, and caught up on reading. I'm not... (read more)
August 26, 2002
Around 8:30, I show up at Heather's place for a pre-bar drink. The other people who were to join us haven't called, so we wait a bit and see what happens. She's got a really nice apartment, and some very cool cats. She also lets me see a few copies... (read more)
Around 10 AM, I start to think that maybe it would be good for me to get out of the apartment. Walk around some - maybe go downtown, and just take pictures. Learn the streets more. Go to a museum. But then I start overthinking things... by the time I... (read more)
So I wake up early enough to catch the cartoons that come on, around 7 AM. Oddly, I've become rather fond of the Jackie Chan Adventures. It's all rather silly, and surprisingly funny. It might also be some of the vector artwork - I'm also incredibly curious about the ways... (read more)
August 25, 2002
So... sometime today, around 6 PM, I remember that Kent and Christine had their house warming party last night. They had just moved in nearby and, though I got to see their place some time ago, they were still in the process of getting things in order. Last night was... (read more)
August 24, 2002
I let myself get excited. Probably shouldn't have. Fuckit.... (read more)
jverbal and I played a few games tonight. I don't really know the rules, but this was a pretty good introduction. The bulk of what I know of backgammon comes from snippets of James Bond movies. The rest of what I know is folklore and hearsay: It seems a really... (read more)
I was going to add this image to the WH thread, but decided against it. It's practice, and I don't want to put it over in the Battle Dome. I know everything over there is for fun, and people just posting images back and forth for inspiration. But the idea... (read more)
With no context, I have little to make today seem any different. I wake up, I make coffee, I putz around on the computer. This morning was overcast, as it's been for the past two days. Around noon, though, the sun's broken through the clouds some more. It's almost becoming... (read more)
August 23, 2002
Inspired by this thread on were-here.com:... (read more)
Turns out, I just have a shitty phone. I called and spoke to Heather. She mentioned another "cousin" she had to take to the airport. Cousin. Not husband. Cousin. Heh. Don't I just feel like a complete idiot now? Unfortunately, when we talk, I find out that she was hit... (read more)
The alarm is set for 6 AM, with the hopes that I will go jogging. When I wake, blearily... I notice how dark the sky looks. I roll over and go back to sleep. Gifted child that I am, I smack the snooze for another hour. At 7 AM, I... (read more)
August 22, 2002
Perhaps I'm jumping the gun here, but I decide that I'd like to call Heather tonight, and see what her plans are for Friday. I dial, the phone rings a few times, and she picks up. I say it's me, and qualify that with "The guy from the train." She... (read more)
Shortly after I get home, Alex buzzes downstairs. He pops in, we check a site he's been working on on my PC, and start surfing a bit. We talk about various Flash-based photography sites, and what we like and dislike about the various interfaces we've seen. When I show him... (read more)
At the Q101 office, I sit down with Justin, Matt (another contracted hire, who is a programmer) and Joel (I think that's his name). Matt is wearing a slick suit, and with his six foot plus frame, combined with his blonde dreadlocks... he looks both incredibly intimidating and incredibly professional.... (read more)
As I'm waiting for the train, a woman steps next to me and we start talking a bit. She tells me she's from San Diego, and has just moved to Chicago recently. Today, it turns out, is her first foray using public transit. We compare maps, and determine that she's... (read more)
This morning, I'm working on refining a CV for a week-long teaching stint I'm going to be doing at the University of Alabama in October. It should be a wonderful opportunity, as I get to teach Flash MX to a group of graduate students, many of whom are writers to... (read more)
August 21, 2002
I got a verbal ok from Justin today, as to the possibility that I'll be hired on a contract basis to help out at his company. No details yet on starting date, but it looks like either the end of this week or early next week. It's going to be... (read more)
Got a call from Alex and we had lunch at the Hollywood Grill. The food was alright, but nowhere was their hamburger platter worth $5.50. But we both really dug the diner coffee, and debated the reasons why diner coffee had its own distinct flavor/taste. Something to do with either... (read more)
So this morning, after Dustin's prodding (along with encouragement from Ben after yesterday's interview), I get up and hea to the local Unemployment Office. They open at 8:30, and I'm able to find my way easily and quickly. Given how little time I've spent driving around the city proper, I'm... (read more)
August 20, 2002
On my way back to the Blue Line at Clark and Lake, I stopped to take a few photos of the bridge and the Chicago River. There is a side Flash project (nonpaying) that I'm working on that is embarrassingly overdue... and I decided to grab a few images of... (read more)
Had an interview today, with my friends Justin and Ben. Their company has been looking to hire on some more people, and Justin's been excited (as have I) of the prospect of us working together. The three of us met, talked a bit about the specifics, and got a bit... (read more)
Something of the pessimist in me always assumes the worst from people. My writing doesn't reflect this (I've looked over my poems, and I feel that many of them look to the positive qualities of others). But still, I walk around as though I expect people to be on their... (read more)
Even when it's in Spanish, you can tell when someone is nagging another person. It's not about language or translation, it's about tone of voice.... (read more)
Woke up early, which is good. At least my schedule isn't degenerating, turning me back into a nocturnal creature again. Way back when, I used to be able to work all through the night - writing, reading, studying. I seemed to do better after the sun went down. If I... (read more)
August 19, 2002
Ah me. Today was another waste. I think the lack of structure is adding to my uneasiness. Tonight was fun - I played around, and goofed off. But during the day? Nothing accomplished. I think I need some outside force to either act with or react against. Without it, actions... (read more)
Back when I was visiting Columbus, Juliet and I spent a part of a lazy Sunday trying to find the recipe for Hasenpfeffer. We are both big fans of the old Loony Toons / Bugs Bunny era of cartoons, and tried to track down a recipe for this supposed "meal."... (read more)
Settling into the day. Made a big pot of strong ass coffee (ask my old coworkers about how strong I like the stuff), and am looking forward to a day in front of the box. We'll see what today holds. Hopefully, I'll get a bit of work done. No more... (read more)
Alright. Sorry for that rant yesterday. Apparently, not a good day for me, overall. I'll be damned if my unemployed days are going to be like yesterday. Shaking it off today. UT not fun? What the hell? Did those words actually come out of my mouth?... (read more)
August 18, 2002
I did nothing positive. I did nothing constructive. At best, I did a load of laundry. At best. Last night, I got on a weird sleep schedule. Conked out early, and woke up around 3 AM. Now answer me this - why is it that they save a gem of... (read more)
Mr. Grumpy sent me a tape of the fight between Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward. Holy crap. I'm not someone who's into boxing, but this fight was in-friggin-credible. I mean - the punishment both of these guys took was amazing. And on top of that, they surmounted it and continued... (read more)
Inspired by an installation piece I saw back in Columbus, by Julie Taymor. A bright, shiny penny to anyone who figures out what it is.... (read more)
August 17, 2002
Doing my bills this morning, and balancing the accounts. I've paid dearly for neglecting to keep on top of finances, and this morning was set aside to do just that. FUCKING hate it, but it's got to be done. I always get so stressed out over money stuff. As I'm... (read more)
At the end of August, I think it'll officially be a year since I've had sex.... (read more)
Yesterday, I was watching the news and a piece about prostitution comes on. As I'm watching, I realize that the live report is coming from North and Hermitage, about a block or two away from where I live. I recognize buildings in the background, behind the newswoman. I was fairly... (read more)
juliet: okay, i want to confess a small but odd thing to you Portnoy: I'm here - shoot juliet: okay, you know how you reproduce some IM conversations you have into your blog? Portnoy: yes? juliet: well, i'm always sort of conscious of that, and if i fail to see... (read more)
August 16, 2002
She called me up out of the blue about 2 hours ago, and we've been hanging out since then. A bit weird, since she and Alex have been working things out, but still fun. We had a good long conversation about relationships and work and friends while sitting on the... (read more)
I've putzed around the house, mainly. Updated the blog (which took an exceptionally long time), and listened to Norah Jones' Don't Know Why repeatedly, looping over and over about 50 times. This has been my day so far. I need to get a poem to Matt. We agreed a week... (read more)
I no longer have an excuse for not jogging in the mornings. Oy!... (read more)
Oddly, I made some fantastic time driving to and from work today. Go figure. Went in early this morning, and started packing. No one else at work (the few that were there early) knew what was going on. The weird thing is that I was really happy the entire morning,... (read more)
August 15, 2002
My boss called me tonight, around 9:50 PM. It was a very quick conversation, and he let me know that they just went through the company's budget. No money for me, and sorry - but they had to let me go. I've been trying to figure out why they notified... (read more)
Finally. Money. I went to the bank to cash my check, and make deposits into my (nearly) empty checking and savings accounts. Turns out... a few charges slipped in, the past few days. I'm down almost $75 more from late charges and whatnot. At this point, it can't get much... (read more)
At the train, on my way home... I wondered whether or not I could take a good picture of the moon with my camera. I now know I can't. Experiment complete.... (read more)
Every Thursday, there's a "Farmer's Market" by the train stop. A handful of stands, including fruit and bread and cheese and whatnot. But this guy has some old knife sharpening machine, and I decided to grab a quick photo. Hard to believe that people once walked the streets, sharpening... (read more)
August 14, 2002
... (read more)
UT
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August 13, 2002
Poor Melissa! She left to catch her flight, and as it turns out - they canceled it. They scheduled her for a flight the next morning - and so she came back to crash for another night. While she was gone, I accidentally met up with my friend Mike -... (read more)
The one nice thing about "New Chinatown" is the statues depicting the various animals of the Chinese Zodiac. These things are fantastic, and were a blast to photograph. I've tried to take a picture of each sign, along with its description. The only "extra" picture in here is a close-up... (read more)
Most of the stores in Chinatown are geared towards tourists. They sell crap, and a lot of it is kitsch. But I guess that's what makes it so fun. This store had a "Cash Only" policy. I wanted to buy this for Justin's birthday, whatever it was! But no such... (read more)
Dim Sum (I forget what the actual translation is) is a really cool meal. My family used to travel up to Chicago from Indianapolis on occasion, and we'd eat at a place called The Three Happiness. For Dim Sum, there's not any one main course; it's composed of a TON... (read more)
I decided to take the day off of work. Called in sick around 6 AM, and played hooky. Even though there was a good chance of rain, Melissa and I headed down to Chinatown to have lunch and to take pictures. A quick shot of Chinatown, from the main entrance... (read more)
August 12, 2002
Melissa showed up, and we talked well into the night. It was a good conversation, and I felt my stress fall away as we chatted more and more. To top it off, she got me this: What a fantastic gift! And to think, I was getting antsy and nervous before... (read more)
Melissa's going to crash here one more night, before her flight back to California tomorrow. In fact, she should be calling at any minute. I can feel myself getting a bit tense, and I really hope I'm not jerky when we're hanging out. I think it'll be good, though -... (read more)
Signs No Left Turn Pretty... (read more)
August 11, 2002
When I talk to Shari, she's decided on having an early dinner. Her flight leaves at 7, so we're going to meet at 4 at Leona's, in Rogers Park. I plod around the house for a while, and end up at Leona's a bit early. After waiting a good long... (read more)
Earlier today, on our way to breakfast, Alex asked if I was agoraphobic. It's an interesting question. I don't tend to be someone who accepts "social" type diseases. Alex mentioned medication, but that thought is so far from my mind it's not even funny. If I'm uncomfortable in public, I... (read more)
I get a call from Justin this morning around 11 AM. He invites me to breakfast, and I pick up Alex and Elissa en route. Everyone else was up until 4 or 5, I think... and Justin is surprisingly perky. Everyone is talking about going to the beach, white dunes... (read more)
I've got this weird thing about walking around at night. I don't like doing it. I'm not sure where this comes from, but it's been with me as long as I can remember. Maybe the movies have leached themselves too heavily into my subconscious. Maybe it has something to do... (read more)
August 10, 2002
After living together for a long, long time.. Dave and Justin are getting their own places. Tonight is the big, BIG final farewell party. I'm planning on making it until breakfast. I'm not usually one to stay late, but I'm gonna try and break out of my hiding mode. It's... (read more)
Dave showed up here right at 8 AM, and we went to work. I've been trying to put shelves on my walls for some time, but seem to only make this rather large gouges into the wall. Dave is here to help, in exchange for me helping code his Flash... (read more)
Dave also needed to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art today, to pick up a mobile for his kid. Like me, Dave is practical and strives to be as efficient as possible. He asked if I wanted to go with, and MaryAnn and I tagged along for the ride.... (read more)
August 9, 2002
MaryAnn and I talked a bit, when I got back to the apartment. We were surfing sites together for a bit, and I ended up calling it a night. Before bed, I got a call from Justin (who was a bit tipsy), as a reminder to burn the gallery photos... (read more)
Rob and Jake are having a closing party for their work tonight. Since I passed out and missed the opening, I sure as hell wasn't going to miss this. All in all, a very cool evening. Jake and Rob both spoke about their work, combining speech, poetry, music, you name... (read more)
... (read more)
Right before I left work, I was talking and tipped over a full, cold cup of coffee with the phone cord. It spilled onto my keyboard a bit, but soaked my pant leg, making it look like I lost control of my bowels... but only on the left side of... (read more)
Yin
Got an e-mail this morning: Dear Felix Jung, Don't know if you're still on this address which I got off the web some while back. Anyhow, I'm planning to quote one of your web poems in an article in the NYR and they asked me if I could supply just... (read more)
Actually, work went really well. We're doing a fancy survey-type site, and Brian and I got a lot of ground covered regarding the navigation. We trimmed down what used to be a rather unwieldy interface, and now... instead of bombarding the user with a gazillion options to do everything, we've... (read more)
They're doing construction along Cortland Ave., and have been paving over the road the past few weeks. Near the train stop, I discovered that the road used to be paved with brick. It made me wonder how long the brick had been waiting, underneath all the crap we'd thrown on... (read more)
August 8, 2002
Melissa and I talked today, and set up a time for us to hang out next week. As it turns out, she'll come down to Chicago on Monday night, and stay here and leave sometime Tuesday. I have to admit... at first, I was a bit wary. I think a... (read more)
Pacific Cafe. This was a place that Chelsea and I used to go to a good deal, and it's still one of my favorite places. Right on Damen, and the front doors open out onto the street when it's warm enough. Reasonable prices, and just good vibes all around.... (read more)
Instead of taking the train home today, Tracy drove and offered me and Jenny a ride. It felt nice, hanging out in the back of Tracy's car... and just watching the world go by. On top of that, I got to ride with two really hot girls, and it made... (read more)
As I was walking to the train this morning, I crossed paths with a woman who was walking her dog. It was the cutest thing in the world, a small little puppy on a leash. And she was super cute to boot. Part of me was suddenly overcome with the... (read more)
August 7, 2002
MaryAnn signed a lease today on an apartment! That was really, really fast! I'm glad she found a place, and that the whole "searching" process is now over. After work, I went to Home Depot and Ace Hardware. Got some supplies in anticipation of my coworker Dave's visit. I've been... (read more)
At lunch, I checked over the phone to see how much money I had. Surprise surprise... I was about $375 overdrawn on my checking account. fuck. I run to the bank, and go over my transactions with a really nice teller. Turns out, I wasn't keeping track enough of my... (read more)
August 6, 2002
My friend MaryAnn arrived today! She went to school at OSU with me, and is a fiction writer. She knows Chicago so much better than me it's not even funny. She's been in NY for a while, and is moving back to the windy city. She's staying with me a... (read more)
Matt continued my asskicking during the day. While I was at work, he IM'ed me several times, yelling at me for not writing. I decided, during lunch, to go out to the Barnes and Nobles in Crystal Lake and purchase a copy of Poets Market. That's right, kids. I haven't... (read more)
August 5, 2002
Work. Tired. Cranked out a CD for a client. Yadda yadda. Driving home from Kenosha last night, I could barely stay awake at the wheel. When I got home, an ex-girlfriend of mine (Ann) was in the process of leaving me a message. It was near 11:00 PM when I... (read more)
August 4, 2002
It is a rather bleak morning, with us waking up around 10 AM. Melissa is still battling her flu-like symptoms, and is in and out of the bathroom all morning. It hits noon, and we realize we're not going to make it to see Dustin's apartment before dinner. I talk... (read more)
August 3, 2002
Melissa arrives! We meet, shake hands, and start chatting about her trip. As we walk down to the luggage carousel, we're both sorta taking stock of one another. It's a bit weird at first, as we're essentially two complete strangers. The talk goes over the usual topics, the boards, WH... (read more)
When I arrive back at the checkpoint, I look up the schedules. Delayed some more. The flight is set to arrive at 12:30 AM, so there's even more waiting. For a while, I sit at the base of an escalator, positioned directly across from the metal detectors. I see a... (read more)
So I have no recourse but to wait. When I check, I see that her flight is delayed until 11:50 PM. I spent most of the day cleaning, and realize I'm ravenous. When I ask the security guy if anything's open, he tells me that I need to travel by... (read more)
Ah. The apartment is presentable, and I head out to catch the Blue Line to O'Hare at about 9 PM. Moonie is due to arrive at around 11:15 PM. I checked airline's schedule, and everything looks good (Melissa called earlier, to say there was a chance the flight would be... (read more)
Mopping the floor, putting crap away. I live like a slob and the only times I clean are when I have visitors. I woke up at 6:30 this morning, and went to the grocery store to get supplies. If there wasn't a mop in my hand, there was a grocery... (read more)
August 2, 2002
Interesting cycles. I'm updating again at, what is almost 12 hours to the minute from my entry this morning. Woke up early, did some cleaning of the front rooms, and left the kitchen and bathroom for tomorrow. Decided to veg on the computer for a bit. I've finished a big... (read more)
I know a lot of people by their usernames and handles. I know a few by their actual names. How will I refer to the people I meet? I'm thinking first names, but that suddenly requires a pretty substantial mental shift. Saying "Hey Melissa" seems a bit strange, as I'm... (read more)
Melissa (MoonDragon) is visiting tomorrow evening, and I'll be picking her up at O'Hare. Sunday, we're heading to Kenosha to meet up with other WH folk... and we're going to see Dustin (a3dmofo) before the dinner. At least, that's the plan... I have some concerns about us waking up in... (read more)
August 1, 2002
Walked in the door about 30 minutes ago. Working on my first drink of the night/day (Edit: Make that second). I've been at work since about 8:30 this morning. Er... yesterday morning. I got direction on what to do, finally, at around 8:30 PM. Ah well. These hours come with... (read more)
-----Original Message----- From: a3dmofo Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 11:44 AM To: Felix Jung Subject: Re: Version 8.6 : A big day for the NTF oh and....you know what i think i'm gonna have for lunch today? mcnuggets. bastard... (read more)
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