My "Chille Tid" story

The episode "Chille Tid" is a pretty indisputably weird one. It is both one of the funniest and one of the most disturbing episodes ever made. And this might be partially because Lauren Zuke and Lamar Abrams, its storyboarders, both have a pretty weird sense of humor, and this was the ONLY episode where they were storyboard partners.

But let me tell you about why my life circumstances when I watched "Chille Tid" for the first time made it so much weirder for me.

"Chille Tid" is the final episode of StevenBomb 2. I had been excitedly watching it with my friend every day after work until Thursday, but Friday would be different. I was flying to Canada (from Florida!) to attend a conference where I was a speaker, and I was gonna miss the damn episode.

You'd think a supposedly grown-up person who has Important Work to Do would be able to handle this and catch it later when there was time, but yeah, I was pretty broken up about it.

The night before I had to leave for the airport, my mom came over and suddenly dropped terrible news on me. She said a doctor had told her she was probably going to have to have surgery very soon or she might lose her leg.

And if my mom was going to have to have surgery, there was really no one but me to take care of her during recovery, which is very hard to do if you don't drive and can't do errands or whatever. (I don't have a driver's license.)

So basically I was already irritated about not getting to watch the last episode of the StevenBomb at its air time, a little nervous about traveling to a foreign country and having to be in unfamiliar surroundings (I get lost ALL the time, so it's much worse when I travel), not incredibly well prepared to give my speech (but it doesn't matter that much because I can generally do talks on this subject in my sleep) . . . and now I'm facing the prospect of my poor mom having to have surgery and me having to probably take emergency driving lessons to be able to help her.

So I went to Canada. The episode aired while I was in the sky. I got off the plane a couple hours later and found the train terminal. Took a train to a bus station. Found the right bus to take me to the campus where someone was supposed to collect me and show me where I was staying. On the bus ride, I pulled out my phone and my earphones and I watched "Chille Tid."

I had had to modify my phone plan slightly so I could get international access to the Interwebs. Guess what. Since I was not on any Wi-Fi, I burned through my allotted time watching a dang cartoon on the bus because I just couldn't freaking wait like a mature human.

OKAY SO.

You know how there's that one part where Steven talks about dreaming that Lion was driving the van? I always think about the emergency driving lessons I thought I was going to have to take when I got home when I hear that line.

(It turned out that doctor was alarmist and nothing happened to my mom's leg. I still haven't learned to drive, but a few years later I did take driving lessons for a different reason--but not because I was being forced to by an emergency, thank goodness. I hope someday soon I'll get my license.)

Imagine having a bunch of ridiculous stress, watching THAT EPISODE on a phone on a crowded bus in a foreign country.

Seeing the slumber party. Seeing Steven's dreams, especially Lapis with water pouring out of her face. Seeing Pearl's dreams. Hearing Malachite named and seeing Lapis's desperation. It's such a SURREAL episode, and it was happening at a time in my life that felt surreal.

I had to stay on Wi-Fi for Internet access for the rest of the stay in Canada because I let this cartoon eat my data allottment. What a jerk.

The conference went well though. My talk was well received.

And when the place I was staying had a fire alarm and I was standing on the sidewalk in my Steven Universe sleep shirt, someone else staying there asked me about the show and I got to convert them to becoming a watcher and then a fan of the show. :)

On my way home I watched a bunch of reaction videos in the airport because I'm that much of a dork.

And now you know why "Chille Tid" is an ESPECIALLY weird episode for me. For a little while, every time I watch it, I feel the way I did then, with this weird dread hanging over me. I don't like it. But I love the episode anyway.

Also, StevenBomb 3 was announced that night and my friend and I were texting a bunch about what Sardonyx might be. :)

#chilletid