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My day in Purgatory
Jan. 30th, 2002 05:17 pmPurgatory, of course, being my "home town," of Stockton. It's an odd, backward little town that seems to be shrinking. I don't think it's just a matter of me being bigger. There are so many more housing developments in the area, suggesting that it's actually growing, but the commercial amenities seem to be the same, if not fewer than when I lived there almost 20 years ago. I see businesses that my family used to frequent, some still there, in the same buildings; others closed and the buildings for lease. When I lived there, there were five or six movie theatres. Now, there are only two as far as I can determine. And these are the two "new," "big," theatres that were built in the late seventies or early eighties. By big, I mean one has four screens, the other has six. I just am confused how a city can have so many more people living in it, but an entertainment industry like the movies is practically dead.
Anyway, I had two written tests for San Joaquin County today, thus the venture into territories best forgotten. The first was done by 10 am; the second didn't start until 2:15, so I had a good deal of time to kill. I stopped by the old neighborhood to look at the house. It's also amazing to me that the neighborhood still looks like a good place to live. It doesn't seem to have fallen to neglect and crime like so many good neighborhoods do over the years. I considered stopping in on the mother of one of my close friends, but I chickened out.
Then, I went to the mall. Stockton has two malls. They're next door to each other. Yes, I do find that a bit odd. I started at Sherwood (aka the "New Mall"). I remember when it was first built, it didn't have much to offer, and most people still frequented Weberstown (aka "The Mall"). Some years back, however, I went with Chryste and the balance of power had shifted, so Sherwood was the cool mall. It's shifted back again, apparently. I had lunch at the food court, then crossed the street to Weberstown. There, I wandered about for a while, killing time in Kaybee Toys and Barnes & Noble.
I bought the coolest doll. She's called Yue-Sai Wa Wa and is basically the Chinese equivalent of Barbie, but naturally, she's better looking. The "story" behind the doll is that she's an Asian-American teenager who enjoys learning about her Asian heritage, and the boxes all tell a little bit about the culture. Apparently, they're a big hit in China. They were created by Yue-Sai Kan, who was dismayed when searching for a Chinese doll in China, to find that they were all blond-haired and blue-eyed, so she decided to do something about it. I think I'll be collecting these just as enthusiastically as Barbie from here on out.
I also bought a book at Barnes and Noble, See Jane Date that looks promising.
I'm bonding with the Land Yacht. Cruise control is nice. So is the bigger engine that actually picks up speed when you hit the gas. I don't want to give it back.
And finally, a warm LJ welcome to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gypsykevin. He has yet to write anything, but I know he's out there. :)
Anyway, I had two written tests for San Joaquin County today, thus the venture into territories best forgotten. The first was done by 10 am; the second didn't start until 2:15, so I had a good deal of time to kill. I stopped by the old neighborhood to look at the house. It's also amazing to me that the neighborhood still looks like a good place to live. It doesn't seem to have fallen to neglect and crime like so many good neighborhoods do over the years. I considered stopping in on the mother of one of my close friends, but I chickened out.
Then, I went to the mall. Stockton has two malls. They're next door to each other. Yes, I do find that a bit odd. I started at Sherwood (aka the "New Mall"). I remember when it was first built, it didn't have much to offer, and most people still frequented Weberstown (aka "The Mall"). Some years back, however, I went with Chryste and the balance of power had shifted, so Sherwood was the cool mall. It's shifted back again, apparently. I had lunch at the food court, then crossed the street to Weberstown. There, I wandered about for a while, killing time in Kaybee Toys and Barnes & Noble.
I bought the coolest doll. She's called Yue-Sai Wa Wa and is basically the Chinese equivalent of Barbie, but naturally, she's better looking. The "story" behind the doll is that she's an Asian-American teenager who enjoys learning about her Asian heritage, and the boxes all tell a little bit about the culture. Apparently, they're a big hit in China. They were created by Yue-Sai Kan, who was dismayed when searching for a Chinese doll in China, to find that they were all blond-haired and blue-eyed, so she decided to do something about it. I think I'll be collecting these just as enthusiastically as Barbie from here on out.
I also bought a book at Barnes and Noble, See Jane Date that looks promising.
I'm bonding with the Land Yacht. Cruise control is nice. So is the bigger engine that actually picks up speed when you hit the gas. I don't want to give it back.
And finally, a warm LJ welcome to
gypsykevin. He has yet to write anything, but I know he's out there. :)
