going "home" to my parents house is always interesting. first, because they move around, a lot. since i left for college, they have lived in augusta, georgia, two different houses in knoxville, and now a rather strange house in lexington, kentucky- so four houses in a period of six years. second, because now that i live in new orleans, leaving that city for one that, you know, functions is quite a shock. the parents live in a new-ish neighborhood that is absolutely strange. it's one of those new developments where there are six prototypes of houses, all of which are situated on the exact same spot on lots that are the exact same size. all of the trees are roughly six feet tall, and are planted in the exact same spot in the front right corner of each lot. all the mailboxes are the same style, and spaced perfectly even, so, when standing on the slight hill where my parents' driveway begins, the predominent impression one gets is of insane and intense monotony- it looks like it was built by legos. at first i hated it, as my mother hates it. but now i'm finding this strange attraction to it. i wish i had brought my camera, so i could take pictures of it. but me and my camera had a bit of a falling out, and i'm trying to think of how to bridge the gap now.

i just don't want to take pictures that much anymore. living in such a photogenic city as new orleans has my photographic sense on overload- everything looks amazing, but contrived. and i realize that i am not an official member of the new orleans club yet, so i don't want to push myself in. also, as a friend of mine said the other day, "really, you don't want to wander around new orleans with an expensive camera." for real.

never before have i had to think so much about a place as i have new orleans. i feel like there's going to be some sort of final exam i'll have to take before i move away. a thesis to produce. it doesn't help that any time you encounter someone from the outside they make you talk about it. how is new orleans. how is new orleans. depending on ones' mood, it's either better, so much better, they never talk about how much better is getting, or it is worse, oh man is it bad, you will not believe how fucking crazy this town is.

i never intending this to turn into a clearinghouse for what i think and feel about the city. but really, what i think and feel about the city is turning out to be what i am preoccupied with most of the time.