Wednesday, October 29, 2008

And After It Rains, There's a Rainbow

Bags grow on trees here. it's true.

I'm sure you probably get tired of me always showing photos and yammering away about my town, but I'm going to do it again. It could be the weather, or the trees changing or the fun I've had recently, but I'm feeling particularly crushed-out on Iowa City lately.

Here is a picture of some guys taking their copy machine for an afternoon walk.

I've always had a thing for this town. It's weird, and quirky and it wears its politics on its sleeve, or The Pentacrest or downtown... It's always been really sweet to me too. When Coadster got in that horse and buggy accident when she was almost five months old, or after Stinky got meningitis or when we got hit by that tornado, it seemed half the people here asked what they could do to help. Iowa City has been extremely thoughtful that way.

Iowa City has really strict leash laws. So, don't go bringing your tables and chairs downtown without tying them up.

Sure, we've had our issues. It can be on the pretentious side. If I have to hear another sentence start with, "When I lived in New York... In New York, blah, blah blah..." I might have to punch someone's face in. It's also a little young for me. It's always so concerned with college classes and working on its movie or novel or band. How about a little less talking about it and a little more working on it, huh?

The walls of Iowa City closing in.

Iowa City can also feel like it's suffocating me. Sometimes I just need a little room to breathe, you know? Don't fence me in and all like that shit there. I do appreciate how much it notices things, though. I can't go anywhere without getting sighting information on my girls. I know it cares about my daughters safety and that means a lot to me.

A guy walking a tightrope on the Pentacrest, just because.

Mostly, I love how Iowa City is never boring. I can be ready to gouge my eyes out with my letter opener after inputting hundreds of high school transcripts at work, and think to myself as I leave for my lunch walk, "Okay, someone better fucking entertain me right now, or I can't be held accountable for my actions." And Iowa City always comes through. There's either guys walking tightropes or crazy people having in-depth conversations with inanimate objects, or I'll see some of the regulars who used to come into all of the restaurants where I worked and I'll crack-up thinking about the nicknames we gave them. I could easily be the mayor of this town of freaks...Okay, I'd have to get elected for that and I'm too lazy to run for office. How about the princess? Isn't that something you just fall into? I could be from some hidden royalty, don't you think?

Who knew tightrope walkers had groupies?

Whatever. I'm going through a HUGE honeymoon phase with this town right now. I'm old enough to know that the honeymoon can't last. In a month or so, when it's twenty below zero out, and icy and Iowa City is exerting its control issues by not letting me run outside, I'll totally bitch to my girlfriends and wonder what I ever saw in it, but right now, we're all rainbows, and unicorns and butterflies.

So, how about you? Are you crushed-out on your town or are you living together in quiet, or not so quiet resentment?

21 comments:

Tera said...

Hey I love it when you post pictures and talk about your home town!!! And just where in the hell ARE those guys taking that copier to?

P.S. My word verfication was "chapple..." I do love it when those make me giggle!

-RM said...

I also love it when you post pictures and talk about your town. Fuckin' downright witty girl you are! I am living with a little resentment towards this hippie pretentious city. Sometimes I love Austin, but more than most times...FUCK IT!

How long have you lived in Iowa City? I just moved to Austin in June

Mrs. Hairy Woman said...

Love the pictures you share of your hometown.. it's nice to know that people there are helpful and friendly.. Having a freak or two kinda balances it out..

I have a quiet resentment of where I live.. This is not my hometown, it's a temporary 20 yr plus place I have lived in.

dmarks said...

I'm stuck and can't imagine ever leaving.

rel said...

Churlita,
My town loves me. They elected me mayor twice. They would have a third but I declined.
My mother said she was related to Queen Victoria.
Royalty has some cool advantages.
rel

Minyo said...

My town is o.k. for its size. I've been here for almost 15 years now. I know the mayor :), but have no political aspirations of my own. I enjoy observing the politics of the old ways vs. the new innovative ideas that are always sparring here.

Tara said...

I can safely say that I've never seen tightrope walkers out in public. Not even at a circus. So thank you for capturing the moment. :)

Anonymous said...

possibly my favorite post of yours to date.

As for my town-crush.... me and the Mini-apple are a little on the outs right now. Mostly because I've ignored the relationship. This inspires me to step up and put in the time, you know?

I'm sure I could find some copier walkers around here somewhere!

(I've only ever seen the tight rope walking down on a college campus in Northfield. fascinating though.)

Susan said...

These could quite possibly be my favorite pictures and subtitles for them in forever.

I love my little town. I hate the little men in it.

Dagromm said...

I wanna feel loved. Can I move there too?

My word verification is "pastpu". As in - Sometimes when I'm in the bathroom I think of my pastpu.

Brando said...

It is a great town and we miss it terribly. TLB and I hope we can move back some day.

Cricket said...

I've never even thought of Iowa City as a place to visit, but you make it attractive even.

I love living in N VA. The people are stuffier than I'd prefer, even the artists, but there's so much do to and so many other people to meet that it's okay.

It's great for kids, so much history and heritage. When I play tour guide, it's as if I'm playing hero, because people are so grateful.

Churlita said...

I have no idea, but sometimes I'd like to take our copier out back and shoot it.

RM,

From what I hear, IC and Austin have a lot in common - that whole scenester/pretentiousness is all over here too.

Mrs.,

Will you get to move somewhere better soon?

DMarks,

Are you happily stuck?

Rel,

Wow. Check you out. You definitely have connections.

Minyo,

15 years is a good long time. You sound pretty happy there.

Tara,

No problem. There out and about all the time here.

Not,

I've only visited in the Summer, but I love your town. If it didn't stay cold for so long, I might think about living there.

Susan,

We have that view of our towns in common.

dmarks said...

That first photo reminds me of one time there was a black plastic trashbag up in a tree in my town, and people gathered around underneath saying it was a bear.

Or so the story went. It was not in the paper and no-one discussed it. However, Keith Obermann on MSNBC did a piece on it and said what idiots we were for thinking a trashbag was a bear.

Churlita said...

Dagromm,

Where you been? Sure. Move up North and feel the love.

Pastpu - hee hee.

Brando,

...Or at least visit. I still haven't seen that beautiful baby yet.

Cricket,

Cool. I've never bee to that part of the US, but I've heard good things.

Churlita said...

DMarks,

I could totally see it. Bags look alive when they're blowing around in the wind.

laura b. said...

I have a little crush on your town just from your descriptions! But don't tell Glendora. We're still crazy after all these years.

booda baby said...

Santa Barbara's okay, but it's very much a bubble.

I still have a crush on Iowa City. And Budapest. And parts of Manhattan. And Hollywood. And ... no. That's about it.

It's easy to have a crush when you don't live in a place.

Lynnster said...

I hate Memphis with a passion these days... but then, you knew that.

I do remember when I used to feel about it more like you do Iowa City tho.

I'm just burnt out on Crime Central down here tho, really.

Now, my real hometown - which is a small town - I adore. It's neat to be somewhere where you can't go to Wal-Mart or out to eat without seeing someone you know, plus all the family history... I mean, my grandmother and I went to the same elementary school. And my family had a drugstore downtown for about 75 years, so downtown especially is really cool to me. I pretty much grew up on the court square there.

You really do take the BEST pics.

Churlita said...

LauraB.,

I'm glad you're still crazy about your town after so long. It's nice to know some people know how to keep the magic alive.

Booda,

Yeah. Sometimes its easier to have a crush from a distance where you don't have to smell its morning breath and stuff.

Lynnster,

Can you move to a place you like better, or do you have too much of an emotional investment with Memphis?

NoRegrets said...

why didn't I see this yesterday??

anyway, I think you're friggin' hilarious. the comments on the photos are great and I love hearing about the town.

I am back living in my favorite town. I had to move out of it when I got married. I'm sure it contributed to the divorce.