NOTES ON THE HAPPINESS OF THE SUBURBS. WEEKS 51-55.

RICH GOLD -78

IN THE SUBURBS, EACH SUBURBANITE TRIES TO GET TO HIS OR HER IDEAL DISTANCE FROM EACH OF THE OTHER SUBURBANITES MOVING ONLY 1 BLOCK AT A TIME (BEST MOVE). THESE IDEAL DISTANCES ARE GIVEN IN FIG. 2. UNHAPPINESS IS THE SUM OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACTUAL AND IDEA DISTANCES.

FROM THE STARTING POSITION IT TAKES 52 HEX MOVES (WEEKS) BEFORE THE GEORGEO EPIC IS REACHED -- A CYCLE OF MOVES CD HEX WEEKS LONG. THESE NOTES LOOK AT THE WEEKS 51 THRU 55, WHERE THE PRELUDE JOINS THE EPIC.

FIG. ONE SHOWS THE MOVES DURING THESE WEEKS; FIG THREE SHOWS THE SUM OF THE UNHAPPINESS DURING ALL 5 WEEKS; FIG. FOUR INDICATES WHETHER THE ACTUAL DISTANCE WAS FARTHER, CLOSER OR THE SAME AS THE IDEAL DISTANCE (IN WEEK 53).

OVERALL, BRIDGETTE IS THE HAPPIEST (DURING THESE WEEKS) BEING AT ONCE CLOSE TO MAX, ONE OF HER FAVORITES, AND FAR FROM DALEK -- WHO SHE HATES. SHE ALSO KEEPS HER DISTANCE FROM HENRI, THE WOMAN SHE LIKES LEAST. ON THE OTHER HAND, HER TRUE LOVE ERNST REMAINS ON THE FAR SIDE OF JASON, WHICH CAUSES HER SOME PAIN.

ALI IS NEARLY AS HAPPY AS BRIDGETTE, THOUGH HER GREATEST HAPPINESS COMES FROM KEEPING MAX & ERNST, WHOM SHE FEELS SO-SO ABOUT, AT A PROPER DISTANCE. DALEK & SUZANNE GIVE HER SOME HAPPINESS BUT CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN. HER GREATEST SADNESS -- BY FAR HER BIGGEST PROBLEM, IS THAT SHE CAN'T GET HENRI OFF HER BACK.

ERNST (LIKE JASON) STAYS ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE AWAY FROM EVERYBODY, EXCEPT JASON, WHO HE LIKES A LOT AND IS VERY CLOSE TO. ONE OF THE BEST RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SUBURBS. HIS BIGGEST PROBLEM IS HENRI WHO IS A LITTLE TOO CLOSE, BUT NOT VERY -- HARDLY A PROBLEM. BASICALLY ERNST IS A MODERATE, WILLING TO LOOK BUT NOT GET INVOLVED.

JASON, WHO STAYS NEAR ERNST (LIKING THE ATTENTION BUT NOT HIM) IS VERY UNHAPPY, BUT JUST IN GENERAL. AND NOBODY GIVES HIM ANY HAPPINESS -- ON THE OTHER HAND, HE HAS NO REAL ENEMIES EITHER.

CONSIDERING MAX DOESN'T LIKE ANYBODY A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT (A LITTLE TOO SMART FOR THAT) HE DOES VERY WELL. HENRI, ALI & BRIDGETTE (HE LIKES WOMEN) LIKE HIM & HANG AROUND. THE ONLY TROUBLE IS THAT JASON & ERNST ALSO HANG AROUND.

DALEK IS A MAN OF LARGE EXTREMES (DESPITE HIS WEALTH & SELF-CONFIDENCE). HE LOVES BRIDGETTE, BUT SHE HANGS AROUND MAX. HE LOVES SUZANNE AND SHE'S ALL TOO WILLING TO BE BOUGHT UP. HE HATES ERNST SO MUCH THAT EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT REAL CLOSE DALEK SHUDDERS. HE LIKES ALI & SHE HANGS AROUND (CLOSE ENOUGH ANYWAY), WHILE MAX -- A CREEP AS FAR AS DALEK IS CONCERNED STAYS, THANKFULLY, FAR AWAY.

HENRI, WHO DOES ALRIGHT BEING BOTH SENSITIVE & AGGRESSIVE, HAS TWO REAL HAPPINESSES -- 1) SHE STAYS CLOSE TO WITTY MAX & 2) SHE STAYS NEAR ALI, WHOM SHE LIKES TO PROTECT. THERE IS SOME JOY IN KEEPING HER DISTANCE FROM DALEK WHOM SHE HATES FOR BEING CRASS AND RICH.

SUZANNE REAPS AS SHE SOWS. SHE LOVES MAX & HENRI, BUT THEY STAY FAR AWAY UNABLE TO TRUST HER. ONLY DALEK PUTS UP WITH HER AND SHE DOESN'T REALLY LIKE HIM ($ IS GOOD IS ALL). THERE IS SOME SATISFACTION IN THAT BRIDGETTE (A SMART GENERALIST) DOESN'T HANG AROUND.

THEIR GIVEN TRAITS: ALI: NARCISSISTIC, AGORAPHOBIC DALEK: RICH, SELF-CONFIDENT BRIDGETTE: SMART, STRUCTURALISTIC ERNST: ATTENDANT, APPRECIATIVE HENRI: ARTISTIC, SENSITIVE, AGGRESSIVE MAX: INTELLIGENT, CLEVER, POOR SUZANNE: INGENUE, DEVIOUS JASON: BEAUTIFUL, CHARMING

Typed by Cheryl Vega 8-8-95