Friday, August 25, 2006

(manson, ia) could one hypothetically find unsecured wireless in jeremy's hometown?


(this would have been such a great photo had it turned out. right there on the gravel road in front of me as I was driving home: a deer.)

Yes. Don't think just because it's a town of ~1850 in the middle of nowhere in Iowa that it's completely backwards. One does hypothetically feel a bit more conspicuous about parking one's car and availing oneself after finding a signal, however, than one hypothetically feels in a larger municipality. Especially if one is hypothetically typing away right in front of the police station.

The Cambridge to Madison to Manson trip was long but fine. I've already told the family there's no way I'm making this trip again at XMas; it's too far to make at a time when it is only going to be daylight a few hours anyway.

As predicted, Mom's first statements upon my arrival were to (1) comment about my weight (this time, calling me "skinnybutt") and (2) asking me if I wanted anything to eat.

Also, thanks for recommending Sarah Vowell's Partly Cloudy Patriot for the drive. I listened to it and not only thought it was hilarious, but decided that Sarah Vowell will one day be mine. (Good to have that settled, especially so now I'll have a ready answer if anyone at the family reunion asks if I'm getting married. "As soon as I convince her," will be my response, omitting details about my first needing to meet her and, for all I know, break up existing marriages and/or change existing sexual orientations.)

Anyway, more later.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Family commenting about weight, how shocking! I wish one day I'd get that reaction. The comments I get are usually in the other direction, and I don't seem to be able to do anything about turning that around.:(

dorotha said...

don't break your mother's heart! go home for christmas!

also, you will have to fight my friend carole to the death for sarah vowell. seriously. one of you will die. i suspect it will be you.

Anonymous said...

.... as though Sarah Vowell is such a twit that she just stands there? I don't think so .... give the lady a break.

jeremy said...

Dorotha: I've met Carole and am unafraid. And, my mother's heart will not be broken if I don't come home for Xmas.

RWS: Reports of broadband turn out to be exaggerated. I'm disappointed with the speed of my parents' connection, which is part of the reason for me skulking about my hometown. Works for my mom's purposes, though, especially as she is more patient than I am.

Absolut: It's ridiculous that you'd have comments about your weight "in the other directoin." In any case, you could always have a sex change and move to rural Iowa. Either one of those would probably do, actually.

jeremy said...

Sarah Vowell could surely be counted upon to intervene on my side, except that I don't need any help vanquishing Carole.

jennifer said...

Okay, you've made me homesick... :(

Anonymous said...

"Skinnybutt" is totally something my mom would say. Cute.

Anonymous said...

I'm currently reading 'Assassination Vacation' as I've already read The PCP and fallen in love with Sarah Vowell. I highly recommend this one as well.
-Kathryn
p.s. Does this mean Pat will be getting the new Taylor Hicks cd for Christmas?

Anonymous said...

I assumed the animal is a cow. I still don't quite see the deer, but I'm happy to take your word for it. (You'd think in a place with probably little-to-no traffic you could stop the car safely to take a sharp picture.;)

jeremy said...

Eszter! If I would have gotten out of the car, the deer would have run away. (As it turned out, when this deer ran away, two more came out of the field and followed it.)