The Windows on the World

Cleomes; triffids, herald an August apocalypse, Broad Ripple dissolves in it's own foam. Our backyard's all about tender stalks and pom poms, bashful shiso, lemongrass bragadoccio, scarlet runner, neon sweet potato, chiles. Blinding, the evening sun resolves around street lamps just-coming-on; cheap backlot UFO's snagged in oaks. The light is beautiful.

I'm decompressing into the first of my first three days off in a row(vacation) since I began work at The Fresh Market, Indianapolis.

I've gone from clerk to assistant manager to "gold star" cook/trainer in a year-ish. Last June they flew me out to open a Philadelphia deli. I'll do the same in early September, this time in Normal, IL.

If I wanted to learn foodwork, I've eaten my fill.

One Chicago friend visited overnight. His mere presence reminded me of what I miss; new restaurants, the sheer bare knuckle throttle of exploration in odd neighborhoods, parties where anything goes, and my words taken, parsed, reconfigured in tones I once dismissed; I used to hate Chicago.

I'm a Texan.

My family's been in Texas forever.

And I lived in San Francisco...and went to school in rural Ohio and yadda yadda yadda

I wonder what I'm after; my favorite Indy restaurant closed(L'Explorateur), there's no there here(pardon me, Alice); you could google a local LTH-ish site, but the programming's shit and, really, who needs a hundred reviews of pad thai?(could be a good band name, right?...A Hundred Reviews of Pad Thai)

I passed a birria joint accreted over an abandoned gas station in one of the desultory, historic downtown neighborhoods. I didn't stop.

damn

And I lived in San Francisco, and went to school and yadda yadda whatever

At the Windows on the World I'm looking out at tourists, bastard drivers, asshole nouveau riche, "here's your fucking prosciutto," if I snap my fingers what'll I get?

at these windows on the world I see my Chicago self, my San Francisco self, hell, my Ohio self smeared across more banal urban glare, I say, as I tap on the glass, I say, I tap on the glass, I say...the glass shivers, stroked by the wind; I say hello

I don't think this was your intention but the title of this post and reference to Windows on the World are a little jarring and bring back some painful memories.

All the best on your few days of vacation.

Without getting into a debate re: political correctness and/or good taste...the reference is intentional...see, also: AMC's last album

thank you for your kind wishes on my vacation...I'm actually looking forward to getting back, c'est la vie

Christopher Gordon wrote:...the reference is intentional...see, also: AMC's last album

Sorry, didn't realize that, mostly because I didn't see you talking about NYC (that's why I thought it was an unintentional reference). I enjoy your writing by the way.

Thanks for the musical tip--I've heard of American Music Club but as far as I know never actually heard them, so I'll check that album out.

I feel your pain. I got back from Vienna
a couple weeks ago, leaving behind this:








Not a decent pastry to be found in Indy.
Drove around the other day, at least 20 miles
or so, in search of ice cream (not even "gelato"…)
No Ben and Jerry’s anymore. Two fucking
generic frozen yogurt places about a block
apart in Broad Ripple. Ended up at “Chris’s”
in Nora; now billed as "Mexican Food and Ice cream"
– hopefully their Mexican food is better.

The only recent bright spot was encountering
“Mr. Stripey” tomatoes just down the road
(54th St.) from your store at the roadside
farmers' market. So I guess there's that.

SCUBAchef: your Wien cheese counter foto slays me...grr...argh

as per Chris's...I've been intrigued by that signage for nigh on two years(and not just because of the namesake): Chris's ice cream AND mexican food...(it just has to be good!)

grits: thank you for the compliment...I could've been less hermetic

AMC(and Mark Eitzel solo) are some of my favorite music...try the new album which is oddly Steely-Dan'y...or previous albums like Everclear or Mercury

one of my favorite albums period is Eitzel's solo 60 Watt Silver Lining
he even penned a track nailing Chicago's own Myopic Books on a subsequent record

one of my favorite concerts was him and a guitar(me and several PBR's) at Lounge Axe long ago

the Windows On the World song is on AMC's The Golden Age

back on topic: one of my favorite AMC songs is "Sick of Food."