In an effort to fill gaps in my housing history…

Chico (Fall 1998) – Some random apartment complex near the movie theater. (Right near East 20th)

I remember my brief time here really upset mi amigo Terry.  I had told him I would move in to a place with him in Chico, go to school, and get a job.  However, I had fallen for a girl a couple of months prior, and I eventually ditched him for her.  In retrospect, it was definitely a mistake on my part, and he had a right to be angry at me afterwards, and the girl is one that we all know became a major pain in my side for the next 2+ years.  Luckily, as time passed all was forgiven, and I was able to get back in Terry’s good graces.

This is only real significant memory that I can share while I lived there.

I had been living there for about a month, and I was enrolled at Chico State taking a few classes for a Masters degree.  I wasn’t really enjoying my classes, and I found myself wondering why I was taking them in the first place since.  I had graduated a few months prior, and I didn’t “need” them for anything that I was planning on doing.   I really didn’t know what the heck I was going to do at the time with my life, I had that weird feeling of excitement from graduating college, but at the same time having that fear of “what the heck do I do now?”

I had finally secured a job interview at a local photo lab, and was just hanging out for the night at the apartment taking it easy since I had the interview the next morning.  Terry was gone somewhere, I think Redding, so I was alone.  Some time around 7:00 PM or so I started to get a pretty nasty headache.  I took some aspirin, and tried to watch some TV, but my head just started to pound worse and worse, soon after I started to get REALLY nauseous, and the next thing I knew I was clutching the toilet seat vomiting profusely into the bowl.  This lasted for quite some time, I was sweating and my head was pounding even harder.  I eventually made it out of the bathroom into my bedroom and just plunged my head into my pillow for what felt like hours.  I couldn’t even open my eyes the pain was so unbearable.   I stayed up until about 3 AM thinking I was going to puke some more, and/or die.  It sucked REALLY bad, I don’t wish that type of pain on anyone.  Eventually I did fall asleep, I think mostly from extreme exhaustion, and the migraine faded.  I don’t think I woke up until about 11:00 the next morning, long after my interview was scheduled for.  I called them and apologized for not showing up, while explaining what happened. (I did not want to pull a “Todd” move and just say “F%&* em”) but I didn’t reschedule an interview and I believe a few weeks later I was back living in Redding.

The good thing about this incident?  It was the last time I’ve had a migraine. (knock on wood)