Friday, December 07, 2007

Friday, and I'm in an IHOP.

Greetings readers, from the title of the entry, I'm sure you've realised that I'm in an IHOP. That's "International House of Pancakes" to my out-country readers... When my Lady first arrived in the States, she saw the IHOP sign, and was flabbergasted. She had seen one of these places in an American film, once upon a time, and thought that it was 'pretend.'

Well... Nope. It's real. The pancakes are horrible. They are 'international' only in that they serve crepes as well as American-style pancakes. Well, 'crepes' is too nice a word for the gunky-doughy mess that they serve here. The food leaves quite a bit to be desired, and I'm not feeling that well, after finishing my breaky.

Why am I here then??? That's a very good question. It's certainly not for the haute cuisine.

My car is being serviced at the garage. The closest place to sit an drink coffee (and have free-wifi) is IHOP. End of explanation. I'm currently sitting across from the famed Mall of America, and surrounded by an entire passle of tourists from all over America. It's perhaps not the "INTERNATIONAL" House of Pancakes, but at least in this case, it's definitely the NATIONAL House of Pancakes.

I'm still in shock, that people come from all over my country, and the world, for that matter, to go to the Mall.

I mean...

Have a life, much?

Gah.

Anyhoo...

It's been really cold here, in Minnesota. We're having unseasonably cold temps, and quite a bit of snow. I can't say that I'm enjoying it all that much, at the mo'. It's -13°C (8°F) right now, but unlike the UK... It's rather sunny. That's the only thing that Minnesota winter has over Europe. It may be fridgid, and frightfully dire when it comes to the temperatures. However, the sun DOES shine at least half the time. Not that it warms one up very much, but at least we don't suffer from S.A.D. here.

Speaking of depression... I had a musing on my way home on Wednesday this week.

I was driving down University Ave, from N.E. Minneapolis to St. Paul. In the far distance, I caught a view of the Witches Hat Tower in Prospect Park. (Strangely enough, the photo that appears in that Wikipedia article is just about the view I had, except it was dark when I saw it... But I digress)

Anyhoo... I saw the tower in the distance. It was illuminated simply by the 'typical' city light-pollution. Clouds were moving slowly behind it, and the wind was whistling through my leaky window-seal on my car door.

I almost had to pull over. I was gripped by this feeling of pure aesthetic bliss. I'm not exaggerating... It was a realisation of a crystal clear moment of beauty.

And I thought to myself, as I recovered... Wow, I think I understand depression now. I think that what depression actually is, is the inability to SEE something like that and SEE the beauty. See the absolute 'rightness' that is the world, and one's life, at JUST such a moment. Depression, is a closing off. A place of darkness, where one has lost the ability to see the light.

And I realised also, that no matter how crazy my life is. No matter that I may be chucked out of my flat due to making TOO much money (which yes, I find ironic), no matter that money will always be a problem, or that I'm not finding enough time to make my artwork... Or that due to our busy schedules, My Lady and I rarely see each other...

No matter what...

I can still see the beauty.

I'll be okay.

Smiles, folks...

-- Tucker

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