A lot has changed since my last post, but I made it to the next natural step of every bike tweeker, which is to more or less screw off your whole bike. In my case, this means losing the rear wheel in its entirety, losing the front quick release pin, actually finding a brand new expensive-ass frame in the garbage and then tying it to a pole with a string as if to say, "steal me"!, and, of course, going back to moving around on foot.

I think a lot of what slowed me down was just realizing that I really don't know shit about bikes. I mean, I know a little bit, but I still have a lot to learn. Lately I haven't been so motivated, especially since yesterday when I started showing symptoms of this weird stomach bacteria/virus thing. I've noticed that I tend to come down with illnesses more often when I'm staying indoors as opposed to staying outdoors. Something about the fresh air, I guess.

Come to think of it, I've been meaning to call the health inspector with regards to air quality control at the shelter, due to the fact that I had to take an un-excused night out from the place just to breathe clearly for a while. Since then, that night out has been excused, and I've been trying to monitor my own cleanliness before looking like a hypocrite in front of Richard Lee, the air quality inspector.

Unfortunately, I allowed myself to give into the will of my mother; she doesn't understand the concept of living outdoors. Since moving into the shelter, my bike has gotten fucked off, I've come down with some unidentifiable illness, and I've been having to deal with more social drama and peer pressure than I'm normally used to. On the upside, I bought an mp3 player, finally. It has been YEARS since I've owned an audio player that didn't skip every time I decided to shift my weight. I still don't have a working pair of headphones, but I probably have a pair in storage somewhere.

I’m so tired right now compared to how I felt when I wrote my last story; this really makes me wonder if the shelter is really doing me any good. I’m a bit cleaner, which is great for everybody around me I’m sure, but I’m not too sure if I feel any more comfortable or not. Maybe I just don’t want to give the shelter any credit. I generally carry around a ‘do-it-myself-or-die’ sort of attitude, and although it can be useful at times, I guess it might also trip me up here and there.

I finally made it to the shelter’s Day Labor program today; I was surprised at how easy it was. I didn’t feel like I was working at all, other than just keeping myself together through this hamburger-induced sickness. I’m glad I have a family that understands all my weirdness, because this year, I sure as hell won’t be eating any meat during thanksgiving dinner!