or Big Sexy as he's known in the biz
who took me out on two major activities, both on Saturday because we are bad at budgeting our time. First thing, which is pictured above, was a long, rambling and largely directionless hike around/near scenic Dow Lake in Stroude State Park, the nearest large body of water to where we were. It was quite pleasant, but the high point for me was the similarity to the shady, underbrush choked woods of my youth
Add Tang powder and some half-burned flares we found, and I'm eight again
After aimlessly wandering in the wilderness for a bit (literally- a couple hours in Chris admitted that he had no idea where we're going or which direction the car is in), we stumbled across the parking lot, and headed out for Activity Number 2: a University of Ohio FootBall Event. OU, where Chris went to grad school, was playing Marshall, a school known for losing it's football team many years ago in a horrific plane crash, an event frequently cited by the OU fans heckling the current Marshall team.
The marching band was my favorite part
This was only the second college sporting event I've ever attended (not including the REC sports dodgeball team I was on that one term), and it pretty much mirrored the first; a large, loud even that I wasn't nearly drunk enough for, with a tall, scraggly blonde guy telling me how cool it was (Tyler, I'm looking at you). The best part, hands down, was the fact that the ROTC fired a cannon whenever OU scored. Also, Chris took my picture with Rufus the bobcat
Judging by the quality, Chris was either mad at me or epileptic
That was the conclusion of my Athens adventure. Chris, because he's a good friend with no life, agreed to drive me to Pittsburgh PA the next day to catch my train to the Big Apple. We got up early Sunday, packed my stuff up, and hit the road.
And then this happened
Sometimes, the road hits back
That is Chris' cherry 2001 Dodge Stratus, minus two functional struts. Soooo, we shacked up for the night in a Motel Six, and waited for parts (they only had one strut at the Firestone shop, I guess because breaking *two* struts is just unheard of).
The photographic embodiment of a night in Washington PA
After waking up bourbon-hung over in a cheap motel with Chris, a circumstance that, while not planned, is certainly one that I always vaguely expected to arise some point in my life, we rolled back down to Firestone and finished the last twenty minutes of the drive into Pittsburgh, where I had traded my train ticket for a cheaper and more time-table accommodating Megabus ride.
Final Thoughts: Athens.
Athens is, as mentioned, a small town with a population matched pretty evenly by the enrollment of the university there. The place is very pretty in a comfortingly familiar way, although I'm told that later autumn and winter are vastly different, as the leaves actually fall off out there. The night life is very active, and the history of the place is quite enchanting. I can understand why my friends have stayed there; if I was looking for something different than what I currently am, I could see myself sincerely enjoying living in Athens for some time. As it is though, Athens is too much like a distillation of the UO campus area in Eugene, a tincture of my early twenties, and I am specifically looking for a sharp departure from that life. So Athens, it's good to know you're out there, and I will return to visit, but for now you're mainly a reminder of what I don't want.
Currently typing this out in a cafe/bar in the cheap but livable part of Brooklyn, where I'll be staying 'til Monday. I'll catch you all up on that later though.
right, thanks. fixed it
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