the lehman house [34]

the first snow!

Monday. Mandy came over this morning and we drank coffee with Bailey’s and watched “Arrested Development.” She loves it. I told her all about last night. “Maggie’s really cool, I hope it works out,” she said. “In September I told her to chat you up. She was really against the idea, but just the other day she told me you two have been talking, and she said she was stupid not to listen to me before. She thinks you’re really cool!” Maggie came over around 10:30. She sucks at parallel parking (I had to park her car for her). She brought some meade wine, and we drank that and some Bailey’s hot chocolate and watched “The Office” and “Arrested Development.” She said she wanted to go to an empty park, but we were too drunk to do so. We were up until 4 AM, telling stories and laughing. I brought up the spare mattress and laid it on the floor, and I laid in my bed and she lied on the mattress, and we talked about our sexual histories. She asked where I kept my condoms and I told her I didn’t have any. A pure lie. I liked the idea of sleeping with her, but that’s not how I roll.

Tuesday. Maggie and I woke around 11:30. I made us coffee. I told her I was cold all night, and she said, “You should’ve come down and slept on the floor with me.” I followed her to her place, and I helped her clean the living room, the dining room, and the upstairs bedroom. She went to work and I went to Mandy’s, and we watched “Arrested Development.” Sarah, Ams and I went to Tri-County Mall and got free milkshakes from Ams’ work. We ate dinner at home and watched “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Maggie told me that she really likes me, but she doesn’t want to date: “I’m still fucked up because of my controlling, manipulative ex.”

Wednesday. Ams and I were supposed to be at Mom & Dad’s around 5:00, and Ams was going to see a movie with Chris at 2:45, putting us in Dayton between 7 and 7:30. I told her that wouldn’t work, and she said, “Mom will get over it.” She called Mom to tell her she’d be late, and Mom got mad and Ams was crying, and Mom called me and was yelling about Ams, saying, “She wants to choose that loser over us! Tell Ams not to come tonight.” So I ended up playing the referee, calming them both down to a level of decency. Ams eventually bailed on the movie, and we went to Centerville and celebrated Christmas with Mom & Dad. We had dinner at LoneStar Steakhouse; I had the ribs. We opened presents back home. Mom & Dad loved the edible lingerie I got them. I got some books, gift cards, workout equipment, and a toy hamster. Mom got a Wii and we played it for an hour.

Christmas Eve ’09. We celebrated Christmas with Dad’s side of the family in New Carlisle, enjoying both a simple brunch and a classic dinner feast. I got a book on Alaska’s Inside Passage as well as some gourmet coffee and a French press. Aunt Julie and I shared good conversation on smoking and pot from a biblical worldview. I gave a short devotional from Ephesians. I got Grandma a copy of my Romans exegesis, which she loved. Ams and I didn’t get back to Cincinnati until around 11:00, and we promptly went straight to bed.

Christmas Day ’09. We celebrated Christmas with Mom’s side of the family at Jesse and Jared’s. Everyone came except Grandpa, of course. Uncle Bill fixed an Italian feast for dinner. I downed three shots of tequila and then headed home. Ams followed on my heels, and then Chris came over. Maggie and I talked for a bit: she’s depressed because this is her first Christmas without Aaron. Reminds me of my first Christmas without Courtney: a pure HELL. I like her, she likes me, but we can’t date because she’s still PTSD from Aaron. But I’m not too worried: as much as I do like her, I’ve still got feelings for Sarah. I’d like to call them residual, but that’s just self-deception, and shitty self-deception at that.

Saturday. A quiet day at home: Ams worked, Sarah was in Wilmington, and so I passed the time reading and writing, and I watched a TON of “Arrested Development.” Freaking love that show!

Sunday. I dreamt that I started dating Genna again and woke up SO HAPPY that it was just a dream. Jobst came over a bit, and it started snowing pretty awful by the time he left. Maggie was going to come over, but the shitty winter-worn roads cancelled those plans. Sarah returned from Christmas celebrations in Wilmington, and we got Chipotle for dinner. Once the snow lessened I headed over to Maggie’s, met more of her friends: BJ, Annabelle, Melanie, Lacy. I left around 11:30 and the roads were bad. Maggie, so damned cute, wanted me to spend the night. I playfully declined, not wanting to impose on her parents. Down on State Avenue with the blinding snow swirling all around a hooker tried to get me to pick her up. It was cold, windy, and she was alone and splotched red with misery, so I gave her two cigarettes.