Cancer reared its ugly head again. I have already lost family to it. Most recently my dad went through it. In his case it was rapid growing but they caught it in time.

Sometimes life just doesn't let you breathe.

I am in the airport waiting for my checked bags to come out and I get a call from by Dad. My uncle, my dad’s youngest brother, the uncle that always got us cool presents for Christmas when my parents didn’t always have money for that… Passed away unexpectedly.

Finals end, I say my goodbyes for real this time and I fly back to LA. California here I come right back where I started from.

I am getting better at living with one kidney. In spite of the fact that New York is not a place that makes it easy. Its a low salt, low sugar, low red meat, low drinking diet. This city provides a bountiful variety of award winning pizza and beer options.

Yux comes to visit. I end of getting Covid right before she arrives. She has a blast hanging out with LL and her NYC friends she haven't seen in a while. I am ready for life to stop kicking me in the nuts.

There are a lot of things that can make living with a bunch of people incredibly difficult. But.. A house full of people you like feels like home.

Shu ends up extending his Japan trip. So I essentially have my own place for a semester. After living with 4+ roommates most of my life it was interesting to live alone. Something I never thought I would do. I am glad I was able to knock it off the bucket list but ultimately I think its not for me.

...But a lot of former Babycastles folks have started their own projects and spaces. Its bittersweet. In a way there are even more interesting inclusive collectives now for those folks who are interested in games, art & activism but not stereotypical capital G Game culture. Its just more dispersed.

Babycastles, the arcade art gallery I put most of my energy into during my tenure in NYC is gone. So there is no real hub where everybody knows your name any more.