Chicago is the single most bipolar place I've ever been in. In the winter it blows terribly. It's always gray. People walk around with their heads down, angry at everything, at the world, at you. No one is polite. It's dismal. During the summer it's the opposite. People come out in droves to exercise. They are friendly and excitable. It's almost too much for one to handle.

I went for a walk today from the corner of Chicago and State, out to the Lake and then all the way back south to Michigan and 8th. As I did I had a hard time remembering what exactly it was that I disliked about the city. It was beautiful and warm. I especially love seeing when all the boats are out in the harbor. The countless jolly rogers blowing in the wind along side the different flags for other yacht clubs.

Today has been mostly a homeworking day. Lots of catching up from my weekend at home for Ben and Kate's wedding. I did about twenty pages today. 10 of which I feel good about. The rest is just schlock I'm turning in for a grade. After a while that tends to be what happens. You do things, if only for a grade.

I'm starting to get through chapter two of The Center, and except for some minor changes, which I'll make later, I'm feeling really positive about the direction its going. It drives my teachers nuts when they start asking questions about things in it, and I can only respond with "I don't know." I know it's kind of a cheap excuse to say that, but it's also nice being completely baggage free while writing. If it's going to happen, it going to happen, if it's supposed to happen some way, it will, and if not, oh well, something else will happen. He's about to get some major payback against the guy who killed his wife. I get the feeling that it's going to take a sacrifice to achieve it. And then maybe I can actually start getting him West.