7th Street

            I went to 7th street where Dan lived next. I don't know where on seventh street Dan lived exactly, but my experience there was really scary. I was taking photos of the street sign and a house when I saw this 40 year old looking man on the opposite side of the street. He was in a big hat and had a huge trench coat on. The kind of trench coat where I could definitely see him pulling out a huge gun and shooting up the street. It could have been an older version of Jimmie. So my observations on seventh street were cut a little short because I was pretty creeped out and wanted to get the heck out of there. Seventh street is really close to downtown and has a bunch of older style houses. I can tell that some are just being rented out since the yards are trashed. There were a couple nicer homes though. I tried to imagine Dan living in one of those houses with his dog hanging out in the yard. Then I get to thinking about the chapter where Allison comes looking for Dan on seventh street since he hasn't been into the diner in a couple weeks.

            This is a huge turn around point for Allison; it shows she actually cares about someone. All her life she never really has anything special with anyone. Her relationship with Jimmie was one that was shallow and driven by fear; Allison never really cared about him. What makes Allison reaching out for Dan such a turning point is Allison gets to see Dan in his most venerable state. He is a complete wreck and at a low point in his life. Allison knows what this is like since she seems to allows seems to be hitting low points in life herself. Dan's low point makes Allison realize that she isn't just the only person that has a difficult time with life. Allison helps Dan get back onto his feet in life again. Since Allison and Dan have both been so hurt in life they are perfect for each other.

            All in all, Seventh street is the place where Allison goes and turns her life around. She creates a relationship that is healthy. By having this she gives herself a will to live. 

The Cal Neva

            The next place I visited from Northline was the Cal Neva Casino where Allison spent a ton of time working at the Top Deck diner. I actually went here right after I ate at the Nugget so I didn't get to eat there. Getting up to the restaurant from the ground floor was fun. The elevator was the sketchiest elevator I have ever ridden in. Honestly it looked like a standard diner nothing special. To Allison it was nothing special either she worked there just to occupy her time. It was something that allowed her to get by without going insane. The most important part about the Cal Neva in the book is the fact that she meets Dan there. At first Dan seems like nothing special just like the restaurant.

            When Allison first arrives in Reno she is a wreck and by the end of the book she has some direction in life. The misdirection is obvious at first because she gets super drunk and depressed and misses work at the Cal Neva. When she gets re hired it is like life is giving her a second chance in life. It is very clear that she is hesitant in making any commitments to guys after her completely unhealthy relationship with Jimmie. Jimmie is a complete loser and probably the opposite of Dan. When Dan first makes a move on Allison he does it with a snowglobe in the Top Deck. Allison is very skeptical and has a hard time accepting the gift. Clearly, Allison is very timid about anything she does after leaving Reno especially when it comes to guys. As we see Allison's personality progress she begins to accept Dan into her life. This is a huge leap for her character because she is making changes and learning to trust people.

            All in all, the restaurant represents Allison getting back on track in life.  To me it was just a bland old place with nothing special, but sometimes something bland can turn into something really important for some people. It's all about who we meet and where we meet them. Dan just happened to go to that diner and not some other one. That is all it took.

The Little Nugget

        My adventure in mapping out locations from Northline led me to lunch at the Nugget. After going to spin class with my girlfriend Demi Cole we went to lunch at the diner. It was a pretty horrible day to walk down there because the wind was relentless. It cut through my body. It reminds me of when Allison felt the cold weather of Reno for the first time. Anyways the burger was great here is a picture of me eating it!!!

            I tried to imagine Allison and Penny eating dinner inside the Nugget on the little stools. Penny would probably almost break the stools. The burger was great and it definitely is one of the "greatest burgers" like Penny said. No one really strikes me as a Penny or Allison type in the Diner when I was there for lunch. Everyone seems like tourist going there to eat the Awful Awful burger which won some award on food network. The diner advertises the heck out of it. That burger is probably one of the main reasons the whole casino is still in business.

            The conversation that Penny and Allison have here is about relationships. Penny talks about here unfortunate relationship where she ends up horribly obese by the end of it. This makes it kind of ironic that they are eating the Awful Awful which is a pretty large burger. Penny hates what she has become but has just dropped into a rut of acceptance. I think that Penny acts as an example of what life can do to a person if that person doesn't fight for what they want. Penny encourages Allison to go get her GED and then go to college. To Allison college is almost unattainable. Yet Penny has no goals except to get fatter. Penny goes to food to make herself happier and cope with life while Allison goes to alcohol. It is clear that if Allison keep going to alcohol for comfort she is going to kill herself.  I can imagine Allison a super skinny girl that looks like she needs a good home and more sleep. Allison describes here awkward relationship with a video store nerd in high school. It seems unhealthy and not normal. This relationship demonstrates that Allison started dating on a bad note and was not hanging around the right guys, but it is not like her mom was a positive role model. 

Northline The Quad

            This is the first of four entries on the book Northline by Willy Vlautin. I began my journey by venturing into the quad on the campus of UNR. Although the book does not specify the quad, simply stating college grounds, I felt the quad was where Dan getting beat up would of occurred. It has the quintessential college feel making it the most appropriate for the scene. What is strange about standing in the quad during the daytime is it doesn't really seem like I would get beat up there, in fact it is inviting and a place I enjoy spending time at. The grass and trees are perfect place for a mid afternoon nap or reading a good book.

            The thing is campus is a different place at night. The shift from day to night completely changes how it feels. The quad doesn't feel as safe at night the long shadows from the trees make it menacing. I understand how Dan could of been completely terrified on that night walking home from the party. I saw a guy with long hair walking through the quad. He looked sort of like a hippy. That could have been what Dan looked like in this scene of the book. He describes himself as having long hair. To get beat nearly to death in the quad at night like Dan would make me hate that place. Honestly, I understand that these people went after Dan because he was somewhat different, but I don't see why anybody would have the reason to do that to me or anyone else on campus. Form the people I've met on campus thus far everyone has been super friendly. It is scary to think that things like this can happen and they do happen. Although not in the quad, someone working in the residence halls got stabbed a few weeks ago. College can bring out some crazy people from time to time. My friend Yuchen goes to USC and they just had a shooting on campus! That is really scary and this demonstrates that Dan getting beat up in the quad is not an unlikely event in real like and could really happen.