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darien, IL: this is zeke. fuzzmuffin! illinois: sleep in, get breakfast with highschool friend - a threateningly large omelette, a zany gay waiter. call friend for coffeehouse recommendations, get intersections rather than addresses, no wireless at the only one i can find. have pornographic textversation while driving aimlessly up and down clark st, manage not to crash car. eventually give up on coffeehouse and settle for reading at a beer garden. drive to 'burb for dinner with another highschool friend and her husband, have way too much fun; also, there are cats! start overnight drive to minneapolis. wisconsin: "ABS: our bullpen is full of studs." this state *also* smells funny (and goes on forever) - manure and crops most likely. get caught in a serious and significant downpour, which is kind of fun; visibility is so bad i watch the gps to see where i'm going. lots of highly caffeinated soda. occasional lightning provides silhouette views of the treeline. minnesota: "and i lied when i said / i don't want your sympathy" - still the perfect song for speeding down I-94 over the st. croix (though i think last time i was going the opposite direction). sky lightening; sleep *so* close. dark trees, pale skies, clouds beginning to show, fog spilling out from the hills across the road, radio antennae blinking in the distance - i guess this place is kind of pretty. unload car, eat yogurt, drop dead in that-which-was-my-room / that-which-is-my-mom's-office, under the watchful eyes of a dozen pictures of josh groban. no, really.