On my last day at Dynamic Graphics, I don’t think I had been as happy since my first day with them. The latter just meant I was no longer un-/under employed, which I celebrated via a flyer featuring Babs Bunny. Stvee or Lazz told me it didn’t stay up long at GDW courtesy of either the alcoholic editor Dave Nilsson or douchenozzle weed junkie Steve Olle. Too bad I got along with the latter’s wife. Maybe I should’ve invited her to join me in Houston as soon as she divorced the loser.
It was great to go in and share my Austin offer being concrete. I’m confident there were those, namely this incompetent, territorial asshole named Celli Hott, who figured I would soon be living under an Interstate bridge after this day. HA! Her flunky was already positioning himself for my pointless gig, he could have it for all I cared. I went around to say my goodbyes to the people I liked, namely Christina (we’re still friends!), the nice ladies in customer service, the cool guys working on multi-media and wrapped up with a dinner with my friend Rad (still friends too).
There was nothing greater than seeing Peoria in the rearview mirror for the last time. OK, I would have to be back the following week due to my court date but this return wasn’t for a daily dose of soul-crushing drudgery. Having a nice gig in a better city made it all the sweeter.
When I was a kid, Peoria was a cool destination. My parents made it a day of shopping and dining out given that Macomb (our home in the early-to-mid Seventies) was an even smaller place. After living in several actual cities and becoming a young adult, Peoria seemed pathetic. To some extent it is. Caterpillar’s HQ moved away to Chicago while the residents keep voting for Republicans who keep destroying their jobs (or jerbs!) and public schools.
The victory I was feeling about getting the hell out were strong enough to suppress the stress and anxiety of packing my necessary belongings in the following days.