A Nightmare on Cypress Circle

I drove by my childhood home the other day. It's always amusing how you hold onto this perfect image in your head about the way things were. Seeing how the home I grew up in had transformed was a little bit startling.

Backstory: After my dad passed away in 2004, we moved into an apartment in Philadelphia. It was a fresh beginning for my family and an easier commute for my brother to get to High School (20 some mins vs. an hr. +). Our house was purchased by a married couple in their late 40's. I believe they had one child. Well, rumor had it that their marriage ended about a year ago. A month or two after the news of their split, my old house went on sale. I mused about purchasing it with Monopoly Money (I don't believe student debt can be consolidated with a mortgage?) but I had a nagging feeling that it would never be the same as it was, I should quit desiring to live in the past, etc. Now here is where the creepiness ensues. So my father passed away in the house at the young age of 52, due to a heart attack. Well, after his marriage ended, the new owner of the house called it quits and hung himself. So that's 2 early deaths in the house that also contains my childhood. Bogus. Screw re-purchasing THAT place.

Present: When I drove through my old neighborhood last weekend, I swung by my old house. It was the only house on the street without a manicured lawn. The brick walkway was hidden amidst the overgrown shrubbery that was once kept so neatly each season. The roof of the house was stained with moss. Nobody had purchased it and it now resembles only a shell of what it once was. Memories are so much more darling than reality. I can only imagine how it'll look the next time I swing by...

Permanent Scowl

I'm not quite sure what's up with it, but I've been noticing more and more that my facial features have been finding comfort in a strong and resilient scowl. The source of this new-found appearance might be directly related to the fact Don Draper scowls and so must I. Yes, I have a passion for the show Mad Men and everything Draper. Scowling definitely makes one feel a bit more in control, and I can see why Jon Hamm, the actor portraying Draper, uses it so effectively. My scowl's dialogue may sound like "How DARE you walk within my gaze? Out of the way!" It's fun, I highly suggest taking it for a whirl. My scowl typically takes shape on Market St. between Noon and 3 pm. There are no attractive people on this street. There are few attractive people in Philadelphia period. My scowl seems to add about 5 yrs to my life as well. There is a 30% increase in the likely hood that I will be referred to as Sir, when I am wearing my scowl. Wearing a scowl...has a funny ring to it. It almost sounds like wearing an angry scarf. Alas...I have devolved into stream of consciousness writing. ::Scowl::