the 21st week

Ams says she doesn't like it when I recap my week. 

She can suck it.

Monday. The new hire started today. Emily, a chick with purple hair. Mandy and I hung out for a while when I got home from work, and Blake and Ams joined us for a quick trip to Roh's Street. The iced latte was delicious. Brandy came over for a little while later in the evening. When she went home a big-ass storm rolled through. The walls were shaking, the windows rattling, the kind of thunder you feel in your chest, hammering sheets of rain, tornado watch, all that. I used the time indoors in the treacherous weather to do some writing. As an aside, I REALLY need to get a game-plan for this thing called Life. Just floating along and seeing where it goes isn't all it's cracked up to be. There's no purpose there, and I just can't stomach that.

Tuesday. Visited The Anchor upon waking and then closed shop with Amos. The storms last night brought in a biting cold, and the rains fell all evening. Everything gray and dreary. Winter: ugh. I hate how it's pitch black outside by the time we're walking past Fountain Square down towards the river. Mandy and I got groceries at Kroger, and I made eggs and toast for dinner. I talked to Mandy K. for a bit tonight; I really do miss her. Ams went on a date with some tall guy named Sean, and she gave me and Mandy the inside-scoop when she got home.

Wednesday. HUMP DAY! As some might call it. The morning was about as miserable as all day yesterday, but by the time I got off work, it was absolutely beautiful: clear skies, the air warm, birds doing their thing in the trees. Isaac and I had some good Front Porch Times, and Mandy was so nice and bought me a clothes rack to hang my clothes. Amos and I shot zombies, and I went on a drive through Eden Park while listening to "Mumford & Sons." Eggs and toast for dinner yet again, and I passed out on the sofa while watching "30 Rock", and my little sister prodded me awake, saying, "It's time for bed, Anthony." So precious.

Thursday. Mandy made a chemex of our dark roast Mexican chiapis when I woke up. We both get up at the same time now, I like it. I hit up The Anchor before work and then closed down with Amos and Emily. She's really cool: punkish/indie look, scratchy-purple hair, weird tattoos, a whimsical sense of humor. She's in a band called The Apricots--folk music, I think?--and her fiance's this grizzly-looking guitarist in some other band. Amos and I shot zombies when we got home, and Ams and I joined Mandy for a trip to Kroger. Dinner: 1/2 a pizza, two cookies, and ice cream. Wow. Wholly enjoyable, but I gots to curb dat. Spent the rest of the night hanging with Mandy, Ams, Blake, & Amos. I left my phone at work.

Friday. Rob woke me up on his way out the door. I ran off to work. It was a busy morning and a dead afternoon. I trained Emily on closing down the salad bar, and then I smoked a cigarette with her and Blake. Deposited my check, went on a drive, and took a nap past sunset (which, really, is done by 5:45). I had a damned good salad for dinner, and spent the night hanging out with Blake, Amos, & Ams. Amos and I shot zombies, and Ams joined us. She likes shooting zombies, too. How precious!

Saturday. Woke to find Rob making a pour-over of Tazza's new Select Coffee, an El Salvador. He was kind to let me have some. It tastes like honey with apple and cinnamon notes. Baller. I did some blogging at The Anchor and then got Dusmesh with Rob, Mandy, Amos & Andy W. My entire evening was spent writing (or, rather, rewriting) parts of my zombie story. Blake and I had good one-on-one time, talking about our histories with girls: the comedic, the tragic, and the classic. We're eerily similar. Blayne came over for a little while, and I took one of my prized late-night drives. Amos and I grabbed dinner and shot zombies, and then Ams and I hung out for a while and joined Blake and Amos in Blake's room. We were up there for a long while, and I passed out on his bed.

Sunday. Rob and Mandy were gonna go hiking, but Mandy was sick from her last-night activities, so that didn't happen. I hit up The Anchor for coffee, and when I got home, Rob had some more coffee made, so I had some of that, too. I spent the morning writing, ran to the bank, and had pretzels for lunch. I made some chocolate chip cookies with vanilla cake ice cream and sprinkles, and it was damned good. Ams, Amos, Blake and I went to Rock Bottom, Ams' treat. Amos and I smoked out by the fountain, and I was shocked at how quiet it was. It was abandoned except for the fountain and the Christmas lights. For a fleeting moment I pretended there was a zombie apocalypse and we were striding downtown in the dead of night smoking our cigarettes and reflecting on happier times. The weird part is that I was happier in the pretend world than I am in the real one; but that's why fantasies flourish.