the 12th week

Tomorrow's the first day of autumn.

Holler! (I really need to stop saying that)

Here's what the 12th week turned out being:

Monday. I hit up The Anchor with a pal before work: a chaotic morning and a sluggish afternoon. And I'm developing a cold, and that's no fun. Spent the evening listening to Damien Jurado and David Bazan while doing some cleaning. Brandy came over, and when Ams got home we watched "Frisky Dingo."

Tuesday. Tuesday the 13th: like Friday the 13th, only on a Tuesday. "Why?" I don't know. Did some writing at The Anchor before jetting off to work. A quick and painless close. Dewenter and I met up on the Square and had beers and pretzels at Rock Bottom before returning to my place for Mario-Kart. When he headed home, Rob and I hung out for a while on the front porch.

Wednesday. Another morning at The Anchor, where I finished a 20-page blog series on the quest for love in a cruel world (all handwritten, might I add). I was called in early after a chaotic morning, and Amos and I didn't get out till almost 6:30. Everyone but he and I went to a David Bazan concert somewhere in Kentucky, so we had a lazy night playing video-games. Heat weakens glass, duly noted. We tried some of his hookah-tobacco project, Anderson Ferry Cherry, but it was way too harsh. Isaac came over, and we enjoyed the cold and rain on the front porch.

Thursday. An autumn-esque day! Broke out the jeans and a hoodie. Did some scribbling at The Anchor and had toast, eggs, o.j. and coffee for breakfast. Amos and I did our thing, and then Gambill and I ran off to The Anchor to talk writing and theology. Cottage cheese for me, cinnamon with a bit of applesauce for him. And a shit-ton of Captain's Wafers and three cups of coffee each. When I got home, Mandy and I hung out in her room on the sleek black sofa--"I know it's not new anymore, but it feels so new, since I'm hardly ever up here"--and we caught up on what's going on in each other's lives. We've both been so busy that any sort of "quality time" is hard to come by. She's really one of my best friends. Amanda and Rob came up and joined up, and we were all hanging out like we used to do last winter. These friendships here in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Mozambique: they're the best I've ever had, the best I could hope for, and I'm going to start putting real and unfettered effort into them. Spent the wee hours of the night on the porch smoking and listening to Band of Horses. An occasional spurt of pain erased with laughter.

Friday. No Anchor trip this morning: packed for a weekend in Dayton. Had to put air in my tire, the dang thing has a leak. Amos had his camping trip this weekend to mourn a wedding that never took place (quite literally), so he opened and was off by 1:00. Cat and I closed the store. Rob was stuck in Louisville installing equipment, so training was postponed. I spent the night hanging out with Ams and Mandy.

Saturday. Helluva busy day. Had to dog-sit in Dayton--Mom and Grandma went on a mini-vacation to Amish Country, and Dad had a marathon--and I got there around 9:00. Tyler came over, and we made pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfast, and we watched a netflix documentary entitled "The Union." He left, and I met up with Leah--code0name "Elle" in earlier days--and we went to Caesar's Creek and went for a hike, and we got dinner at Frisch's and then went for a stroll through North Park. Some talk of a drive-in, but that never happened. "Don't be a stranger," she said, and we parted ways. It was good hanging out with her again, catching up. So much has changed in both of our lives, and it's good to be able to keep these connections alive. 

Sunday. Having spent the night at my parents', I went to the local Starbucks and did some writing: finished another chapter in my 2nd draft of "Dwellers of the Night." It's looking good. Went by the bank, then to North Park to relive the old memories of my high school days. I had to shit super bad so I went in the woods and wiped with leaves and there's no shame because I'm a beast. In the late afternoon, Mom, Dad and I went to New Carlisle to celebrate Grandpa's 75th. The dinner was spectacular, as it always is. Amanda came up from work to join us, and we headed back to Cincinnati around 9:00, getting in 'round 10:30-11:00. We hung out for a little while in her room, and then I passed out.