Comfort Food - Short Story

I swung the door open with a bell jingling to my arrival. A few heads glanced back to see who was coming into our quiet little town’s roadside diner. Most of them went back to their eating while one or two of them nudged the person next to them, whispering. But that was all going to change, soon they would have something else to whisper about. All I cared about at that time was to satisfy a craving I have had for a long time. I made my way over to a booth and sat down into the plush cushy seating, wincing at the sharp pain coming from my rib cage. 

In mid-approach, I wasn’t sure if the waitress was either taken aback by who she was about to serve or the still pulsing bruise on my cheek. She continued making her way to me with an obvious discomfort “What can I get you?”  I tried to ignore her all but friendly attitude “What kind of Sundaes do you have?” 

“What was that?“ she leaned over closer to me “You’re going to have to speak up a little bit”

I begrudgingly repeated myself and she briefly paused to digest my question. I knew that pause, she was trying to figure me out. Just like the rest them, she gave up “We have regular, strawberry, and a banana split special” 

Just what I was hoping for “I’ll have a banana split” 

After a quick jot in her notepad and an “Alright then” she left, turned her tension away from me, and went to submit my order. 

Even with my head turned, gazing out the window, I knew people were keeping an eye on me. I knew that conversations shifted towards me. Always gossiping but never lifting a finger. It would have been a lot better if they just ignored me. At least that‘s one thing my Mother was good at doing.

“Here you go young man” my sundae slid in front of me.

“Finally” I thought to myself “a banana split sundae of my own“ A special treat someone went out of the way to make just for me. I overheard someone at school talk about how he had one for his birthday and how delicious every bite was.

Before I could grab my spoon the waitress placed her hand on my arm “Maybe you should wash your face before you eat” she gestured at my bruise “Some cool water might reduce the swelling” 

I glared at her wanting to tell her to mind her own business but I didn’t want to risk causing trouble, not with my sweet dessert so close to me. I complied and made my way to the restroom. The cool water splashing on my face felt good, refreshing. I looked in the mirror and realized how noticeable it really was. Afterwards, I sat back down and she nodded “There we go, I’m sure your mother" she hesitated at the word "would feel better knowing that cleaned up before eating” 

Mine would be too busy nursing a bottle to ever bother with me. I took my first spoonful and savored the sweet combination of flavors exciting my taste buds. Delicious, just like what that kid said. She was probably still in a drunken stupor, unaware of what just happened in her own house. Mmmm, strawberry jam mixed with vanilla. It wasn‘t the first time she heard banging and slamming from the next room. She never once tried to stop him. Next was the banana drizzled in chocolate syrup. Then again, he probably would have started swinging at her. Better me than her I guess. I dug into my sundae. He got what he deserved. When he wasn’t busy hitting me, he would rant about how I was just another reason things never went his way. Another bite. He was hitting me harder than usual. I actually heard one of my ribs crack. Another bite. I was so scared, I didn’t want to die. Another bite. So glad I kept that knife in my room. It was either him or me. Another bite. The blood trickled down the blade onto my hand. Another bite. No more hitting, no more yelling. Just heavy breathing with a craving.

“Young man?” I felt that same hand on my arm in mid scoop “Is something the matter?”

Just then I realized that my sundae was gone and I felt warm tears trailing down my face. I licked my lips inside my mouth to recall my last bite but failed to taste anything. “Can I get another one, please?“ Before she could reply back, she suddenly darted her eyes outside in shock. I didn’t even have to look back, I knew exactly what it was even without turning my head. The strobe of red and blue lights pierced through the diner windows. “Would it be possible to have it to go?”

Author's Note: I originally thought about writing something referring to the Barefoot Bandit, who I recently heard got caught. I did some research on some of his family background and then some. Eventually, I kept having an image of a traumatized boy desperately reaching out for a childhood experience. Since it's been quite hot lately, ice cream was the most refreshing thing that kept popping up in my head while writing this. In all honesty this is the first time I attempted to write something a bit darker so I'm sure it has quite a bit of faults. Not one of my best works but something I wrote nonetheless. Critical critique and blunt responses are appreciated. Thank you

Yellowstone National Park

Revered for it’s wildlife and landscape since the Lewis and Clark expedition, Yellowstone National Park continues to contain it’s natural environment. I generously thank Ferdinand V. Hayden, an American geologist, for the hardworking effort in convincing congress to make Yellowstone the first national park in the world which I had the opportunity to visit recently. Some would believe that they could experience the awe inducing wonders of the park with a click of an internet link but High Definition pales in comparison to the actually setting foot there.

Since I am accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the city, I was in for quite a change of scenery. I was free from the distraction of wi-fi hotspots and phone reception so that I could gaze upon the such glorious geological formations like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It’s hard to believe that so much natural beauty can be considered “natural” at all. The foundation of vibrant colors between lush plant life and rocky terrain are complemented by the brilliant formations around the park. Surveying the naked land will make you wonder why we litter the it with buildings and other monstrosities. I am starting to understand why artists would spend so much time painting one specific scene.

Knowing how meticulous a painter in his acrylic scented studio slowly counts his brush strokes on his masterpiece work, it’s no surprise that a park so full of vibrant colors took thousands of years for the Earth to create with the fresh Wyoming air mixing with the  pungent smell of sulfur and other deposits from the geothermal activities far beneath the park. It goes without saying that the ceremonial viewing of Old Faithful’s calculated eruption is a mandatory experience to behold. It is a bit unsettling to know that reports show that the geyser is becoming progressively weaker and does not spout as high as it used it. Since there are a good amount of springs and geysers around the park, it’s hard to determine which ones to go out your way for and stopping at all of them can end up becoming tedious. One that I recommend that you just can’t miss, aside from Old Faithful obviously, is the Norris Geyser Basin. The acidic based water within the basin helps encourages a particular bacterial growth and algae growth which can be distinguished between the various colors of the basin. The listening to the pulsing heartbeat of gurgling geysers caused me to reflect on how alive the Earth can appear to with natural wonders like these.
Coexisting with the heated bubbling water are the many wild animals roaming freely around the park. It is important to remember that we (humans) are the visitors in their natural homeland and we should remember to exercise caution and respect during our visit. Noticing all the telephoto lenses and animals from afar, I realized how ill prepared I was with my basic zoom lens. Luckily we had the misfortune to have a few up close encounters with the iconic wildlife in Yellowstone. The most memorable was a herd of buffalo grazing around the road near the Dragon’s Mouth Mud Volcano. One buffalo literally walked next to the car. I would have taken a picture but I admit that I was worried the sound of the shutter of my camera right next to buffalo would have agitated it.

Another encounter was in the form of a black bear foraging for food downhill from the road. I was filled with a mixture of fascination and fear with each step I took towards the bear who was ignoring a group of us shutter happy tourists. The self reassuring fact that I was more fit then most of the people in the spontaneously formed group, meaning I could at least outrun them if the bear decided to charge us, was what ultimately allowed my legs to move closer to the Ursus americanus. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to look into the very eyes of the these untamed beasts especially on a two day trip.
If I ever get the chance to return to Yellowstone, I shall be more prepared with a variety of lenses along with accurate information on the local hang out spots of the many other animals around the park.

I’m sure there are more astounding shots floating around the internet, but I take a lot of pride in the pictures I have taken. It is a testimony to my experience traversing the raw environment. I waded knee high in the Yellowstone River. I stood ten feet away from a hungry bear. I walked the same sun beaten trail that trappers and explorers from long ago helped create. I felt the cool spray of geyser water. Returning back to city, I start to question how many people will ever get to experience a fraction of what I have at Yellowstone National Park.

A Pilgrimage of 1-Ups and Evil Exes

His hair's a little shaggy...

When I first saw the trailer to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, I was enticed with a sneak peek of video game-esque special effects, colorful characters, and a simple storyline of young love which I later learned is based off of a comic book. What I actually got at the pre-screening was a blast of epic nonstop action, hilarity, and a whole lot of “WTF is going on?!?!” lost in a fit of laughter. Right from the beginning of this movie, I was at full alert trying to absorb video game references, characters with dynamically relatable personalities, and punch lines. Yes I am fully aware that my first three sentences all contain serial commas which is exactly what my brain was listing in every scene. I really don’t have anything to negatively say about this movie. Some could complain about the cast not being Hollywood enough. I say it allowed them to play with their characters more which made them more relatable as human beings. I can confidently say that this movie has somehow revamped the sentimental sub-culture of adolescence and garage punk gamers to create it’s style of humor and story-telling that I‘m sure other films will soon attempt to follow.

Just one glance at the lanky Scott Pilgrim makes you wonder how in the world he would stand a chance. I’ll admit, the actors/actresses aren’t the sexiest or most visually stunning people to look at. But I considered that a major plus in this movie. Each character stood out from one another and let you know right away their significance in the movie, even actors/actresses with the least amount of screen time were able to leave a powerful impact with their own unique style of speaking and interaction with the unrealistically outlandish video game influenced world they were in.

Cross counter!

Although I was unaware of the plethora of video game implications, whether it be subtle or full blown in your face “KOs”, I should have already had an idea what to expect with the first shot starting with an 8-bit version of the Universal Pictures opening. It wasn’t just one genre of action/adventure most would expect a video game influenced movie dabbled in, there were also RPG, guitar battling, and fighting elements as well. After watching each Ex heavily playing on a these genres, my appreciation for the almighty quarter has been renewed. I should not forget to mention the comic book style narration and presentations of "Thonk"s, "KROWW"s and ":O" Ranging from pee meters to Vegan psychics, I became thoroughly stimulated with the special effects the production team provided.

Speaking of which, just the production line-up itself should have indicated what to expect. The writer and director of previous memorable films, “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”, Edgar Wright, coupled with the cinematographer of the Matrix series and “Army of Darkness”, Bill Pope, clearly left their impression of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” with quirky quick cut dialogues bouncing around with back and forth point of views and pop up style visual comments allowed me to feel like the “quiet guy in the back of the group”, viewing all the inside jokes and mishaps that most people usually wouldn’t be aware of. I quite honestly can only remember half of the what was said in the movie due to the massively overwhelming stimulation of laughter I was experiencing, already giving me the perfect excuse to watch the movie again to rediscover the other half that.

Dare I risk over hyping this movie with such a praising review? It’s possible I could have been distracted by so many things happening at once like riding a high speed rollercoaster while reading a comic book. Regardless I can’t help but express my appreciation towards this movie on multiple accounts. This movie makes me want to get out there and epically seize whatever goals and dreams I want to achieve in my life. Whether button mashing my way towards a raise at work, solving a puzzle to unlock a new car, maybe even give in towards the temptation of using a cheat code. Without a doubt, I’m going to go watch this movie again probably even go buy the comic book it’s originally based off of simply because I lesbian it.