park avenue: the 3rd week

Jessie and me being awesome, or something.

Christmas Eve. I spent the morning at The Anchor: coffee and cigarettes are delightful on cold, rainy mornings. The early afternoon was spent reading and watching "The Last of the Mohicans". I jetted up to New Carlisle to celebrate Christmas with Dad's side of the family. Grandma cooked her usual kick-ass meal, and after gorging ourselves on a platter filled with deserts, we opened presents. I got a bunch of books on the War of 1812. We went to a church service at Grandma & Grandpa's home church, and after some guitar and ice cream, we headed home. I showed Mom a pic of Mo. "She's such a cutie!" she exclaimed. She sent the pic to Aunt Teri, who said, "She's just adorable!" They're great judges. Ams and I  spent the night at Mom & Dad's: Christmas tomorrow!

Christmas. Mom & I fixed a breakfast of bacon, eggs, ham and pancakes, and then we curled up with Sky to open presents. I got a bunch of cool stuff, most notably more books on The War of 1812 (plus one on The French & Indian War). Ams, Dad and I spent the afternoon tinkering on the cars, and Mom & I threw together a dinner of crock-pot chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. I headed back to Cincinnati just in time to see Blake on his way out the door to a fun-filled night. The night drew long and cold and I finally finished my laundry (I'm the worst at it). Mom & Dad stopped by to see the new place with Ams in tow. Mom & Dad left after opening their gifts from Ams and me, since she forgot to bring them to Dayton yesterday, and then Ams & I watched "Inglourious Basterds." She left and Blake returned, and we watched part of a fucked-up movie called "Rampage," glorifying killing sprees. A little too much following the past two weeks of mass serial killings and attempts all across the continental U.S. America's pretty fucked up sometimes.

Wednesday. Our first real snow fell overnight, about 1-2". Dave & I worked a short shift, 6:30-11:30, but I had to stay late waiting on the milk delivery. It finally came around 1:30, and I took Dave home as more snow started falling, and I made my way over to Northside to see Gabe & Emily. We had a few beers and the snow was coming down like a blizzard, so I left earlier than anticipated. Snow fell in torrents all the way home, but my brand-new tires handled quite well. I took a warm, cozy nap back home with the snow frosting the windows, and I woke to fix honey-maple pancakes paired with thick-sliced bacon and scrambled eggs (the eggs being cooked in the bacon grease). The night ended after hanging with Isaac and drinking some wine named after the Incas.

Thursday. Brandon was snowed in up north--they got 10", so Amos covered his shift. We closed the store early, and I spent the evening at Amos' playing Call of Duty II with Brandy, Amos, and John. Twice now they've had someone try to break in, probably crackpots three houses down looking for something they can pawn for a fix. Great neighborhood. At least Clover scares them off. 

Friday. I closed the shop down early due to scant customers, and I spent the evening hanging out with Blake and playing the solo campaign mode on MW3. I finished it in about four hours. Last night John & I played Cod2 for seven hours straight. Pathetic, I know.

Saturday. Four more inches of snow fell overnight, and I woke to an absolutely beautiful view from my balcony. I spent the morning running errands, cleaning around the house, and enjoyed a classic McDonald's breakfast. I spent the afternoon reading and watching TV, went to The Anchor for a bit, and then met up with Amos at his place. We played some more CoD2 and met up with Blake, Ams, and Isaac back home. We watched "Catfish" and then everyone parted ways.

Sunday. Jessie was in town, so we met up at The Anchor to enjoy coffee, breakfast, and catching up. I wish she lived closer, I really do, and I'm so thankful we've kept our friendship alive 'n kickin' amidst the undulating currents of life. I told her all about Mo, how things are going well, how I'm optimistic about the future. Day and day I fall for Mo a bit more. My evening as spent back at the house watching TV with Ams. We fixed pancakes, bacon, and eggs for dinner and watched Game of Thrones with Andy & Isaac. It was nice seeing Andy, hadn't seen him for weeks amidst all the holiday madness. 

12/28/12

It's 9:36 and the snow's falling outside.

They're saying we'll get 2-4 inches.

I'm sitting in our chair in the living room.

Chatting with Rob on Facebook and listening to Blake in his room.

This past week has gone by in a blur. I worked Wednesday through today, but all the shifts were pretty easy, and some quite short, because downtown's been dead. It empties out between Christmas and New Year's as the Suits go on vacation. The suburbs are probably crazy right now. This upcoming Thursday we're having a mandatory store meeting with complimentary beers at Rock Bottom afterwards; hopefully we'll be hearing who the new manager is going to be. There have been rumors, but there are always rumors, and so far as I know, the actual decision hasn't been made (though offers have been thrown out). The meeting will, I hope, shed light on this and some changes being implemented across the board in T.M. land.

All of that to say: maybe it's time I start looking for another job.

I don't need a career. Just something that helps pay bills a little more.

It'd be nice to actually make enough to have some sort of savings.

Therein lies a huge motivator for Grad School.

Mo has been in Michigan all week, won't be back until next Sunday. I've missed having her around, and I'm throwing together our "Day Date" for this upcoming Monday. I'm taking off work, and I'm going to treat her to a homemade breakfast, take her out to a nice restaurant, and lavish some gifts upon her adorable little head. I'm glad we've gotten back into the swing of things. That two-week break kinda brought me to my senses about a lot of things.

I've chugged NyQuil, so who knows how long it'll be 'til it kicks in.

Don't worry, I'm not addicted. 

I just don't want to be wide awake with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

Isaac's gone, and Blake's doing his own thing.

Sitting beside me on our little sofa table are two books: The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution and The Radicalism of the Revolution. I need to read both and write an essay on them for the final part of my Grad School application. Everything needs to be in by February 4 next year; January 1 marks the beginning not only of a new year (duh) but also of my required reading. In the meantime I hope to finish a good portion of Alan Taylor's American Colonies. It's a phenomenal book, and for Christmas I got another book by him on the War of 1812. Definitely looking forward to it.

I was reading 1491 in the cafe and Bob saw me.

He asked what I was reading, and I told him.

"Oh, it's historical fiction?" he said.

I told him it wasn't fiction.

"Oh, I only like historical fiction," he said. "I need a good story."

Well, that's what history is: story. It's an undying, unfolding story. 

I think that's what I really like about it.

All the stories, amazing stories, that most people don't know about.

It's like reading Tolkien, or Lewis, except it's real, and it happened.

What's not awesome about that?

Blake just found me.

"Where have you been?"

"I've just been in the living room."

"Oh, I thought you were gone this whole time."

That's me. Sneaky like a church mouse.

Now the NyQuil's kicking in.

So good night.

christmas '12

Isaac won the Ugliest Sweater Contest. He didn't know there was a contest.

Isaac knows a thing or two about Christmas spirit. 

I think we could learn a thing or two from him.

Christmas celebrations this year have been pretty fantastic. Saturday evening was spent in Lexington with Mom's side of the family. We did our gift exchange, Uncle Bill fixed a kick-ass dinner as usual, and we spent the evening playing trivia games and taking shots. Mom and I always take a shot together, it's our Christmas ritual. Monday evening we celebrated with Dad's side of the family: the usual unbelievable Christmas lunch followed by a desert selection that filled the entire table left me feeling more than bloated. We exchanged gifts, took pictures, and took a dark and foggy drive through the country to a backwoods church where we watched a dramatic reading of a children's book and lit some candles. This morning Mom, Dad, Ams and I celebrated Christmas together. Mom and I fixed breakfast, we cranked up the fire (Dad just redid the fireplace into a stone hearth, it looks like something straight out of colonial New England, so you know I'm a fan), exchanged presents yet again, and Ams & I spent the afternoon working on our cars, because that's how we roll.

Most of my Christmas gifts were things for my car (new tires, new windshield wipers, a selection of new fluids, a cool windshield drapery to keep the frost off in these cold Ohio mornings, and new brake and tail-lights). I did gather a few new books for my ever-lengthening train of reading material: most were on the War of 1812, a little-known war in American history, a sort of second "War of Independence" with Britain, and one was on the French & Indian War (it's surprising how few books exist on that fascinating subject). My bookcase is filling up: my goal is to have three shelves lined with books on early American history, from the settlement at Jamestown to the reconstruction era following the American Civil War. After that, things tend to get a little boring for me. Just being honest.

All-in-all, a damned good Christmas spent with beloved family and friends.

Tomorrow it's back to the grindstone, a wonky early morning shift with Dave.

Who knows what the weekend will bring? 

Monday night Blake, Ams, Isaac and I will be kicking in the New Year.

And as for New Year's Resolutions... Well, we'll put that concept to the test.

So to all who are reading this because they have nothing better to do today:

Merry Christmas!

Yeah. It's festive. 

park avenue: the 2nd week

Muh girlfriend!

Monday. I went to The Anchor before a swift close with Frank. Per usual, the evening was spent at the Loth House hanging out with the usual crew. We played video games most of the night. The Walking Dead can't return soon enough (hence this week's picture). I left around 10:00, met up with Mo back at the house. I introduced her to Bob's Burgers.

Tuesday. I took a nap after work, and when Mo came over we went over to Amos' to watch the newest Batman movie (The Dark Knight Rises) with Blake, Isaac, Ams and Amos. The movie didn't end till about 1:30 AM.

Wednesday. Isaac hitched a ride home with me. We spent the evening watching Youtube videos: Hurray for the Riff Raff & The Felice Brothers. I enjoyed a pound T-bone steak paired with mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese. Mo came over, and we watched some more Bob's Burgers. It's so nice that she's only six minutes away!

Thursday. I dreamt that Carly from waaaay back in the day was friends with all my friends but not with me. It made me sad. I miss her, but expectations for and an active pursuit of a renewed friendship are things of the past. I opened with Amos, and after a bout of reading at The Anchor, I met up with Mo back at the house. We had a quiet night talking about Heaven & Hell, judgment, the fate of the unevangelized, and watched a movie: "Seal Team Six." It's all about the raid on Osama bin Laden two Mays past.

The (Mayan) End of the World. Today was supposed to be the end of the world (or the beginning of a new galactic consciousness), but it wasn't. Jake & I opened together, and I spent the evening at Amos' playing MW3 before devouring a Mediterranean dinner with Mo polished off with shakes from Yagoot at Rookwood Commons. She got me a super-soft throw blanket and a 

Saturday. Blake, Ams, Mo and I enjoyed a greasy lunch at The Anchor before going our separate ways: Blake to Lexington, Mo to Michigan, and Ams & I to Paris (but not to the good one, like you want). We reached Jesse & Mandy's place by 4:30. Uncle Bill fixed a steak fondue dinner. Boozer's been fixed, has gotten fat and lazy. We did our annual Christmas exchange: Aunt Teri got me a $25 gift card to Amazon, and I got Ashley a UK Flag (but packed an England flag to throw her off). Uncle Don, Aunt Susan, Eric & Alex came up from Georgia. Alex has gotten into Georgia Tech, and Eric's 2 years into college. It's insane how time has flown; and on that subject, Kennedy's getting awfully darned big and cute (not that she wasn't before, of course). Grandpa was there, too, bitching about how hard his life is. Really? He abandoned Grandma and ran off to Florida to retire with his mistress (whose husband is a deacon in the Catholic church and paying her off not to get a divorce). Grandpa treats her like shit, not surprisingly. He expects sympathy from us, but he doesn't have it. All the cousins (and cousin-in-laws) shared a series of shots: tequila, coffee liquor, and Jesse and I opened a brand-new bottle of Woodford Reserve. Ams, Alex, Eric & I crashed at Jared & Mandy's place around 3 AM.

Sunday. Everyone 'cept Jesse and Mandy got lunch at Old Chicago Pizza on Man o' War. I gorged myself to the point of feeling sick. Buffets have that effect on me. Ams & I said our goodbyes and headed back to Cincinnati. I went to The Anchor for a bit, then spent the cold, quiet evening in my PJs, hanging out with Isaac & Ams. We watched "The King's Speech," a damned good movie.

park avenue: the first week

the view from one of our THREE balconies at the cabin

I know I vowed these would end, but let's be honest: I hardly ever have anything else to write about. At least this will fluff up my blog a bit and give me some breathing room when the posts just aren't coming. I'm hoping to change up the recap starting next week, but we'll keep it classic for now (what else can we do?).

Monday. I visited The Anchor before work, and then I headed up Vine Street to Amos' place for Monday Night Shenanigans. The Walking Dead is no more, at least until February (damned mid-season breaks), so we've been reduced to playing video games and watching ridiculous movies. Tonight's crew was rather large, with the additions of Dave and Mandy to the usual mash-up. We played MW3 and they started watching "Stuck On You" but it was late and I was tired, so I headed home.

Tuesday. I went to The Anchor before closing shop at T.M. Amos cleaned the roaster and got off about the same time. We headed over to Rock Bottom to meet up with Mandy, Brandon, Andy and Ams. We headed back to Brandon's place for a bit, and then everyone migrated to the new place. We spent the evening hanging out in the living room, talking and laughing and listening to jazz and eating Chipotle. Such a great crew together. Mandy's heading back to Portland tomorrow.

Wednesday. Sarah and I opened, our last shift together (she's off tomorrow and I'm off Friday). Mandy came into the cafe before heading to Dayton to jump on the plane, and I gave her a long hug and bid her farewell. It was pretty awesome seeing her.I spent the evening back home watching episodes of "Deadliest Warrior". The show's pretty awesome, but I've found them to be historically shoddy at times. The episode about Washington vs. Bonaparte was itself disconcerting, but their analysis of Cortes and his army was ridiculous. When Isaac came home we watched "Kingdom of Heaven" and called it a night.

Thursday. I worked Food Prep for Ana, napped back home, and then jetted over to the Loth House for a night of drinking and playing video games with John, Amos, Brandy, Isaac and Dave. We've started playing MW3 online. I'm not awful, have been getting anywhere from 20-30 kills a round. That's pretty awesome, especially since I don't invest a whole lot of time into the game.

Friday. I headed over to Amos' around 11:00, and we played video games until checks arrived downtown. We picked 'em up, cashed 'em, and headed south, through Kentucky and into Tennessee. We reached Gatlinburg around 7:30, and were nestled into the Big Timber Lodge by 8:00. John and Brandy arrived, and I was curled up in the corner and scared the hell out of Johnny. He loved the surprise, and an evening of drinking and playing games commenced. The cabin came decked out with foozball (sp?), air hockey, several arcade games, and billards. Amos brought poker chips and we played a few rounds when the other guests arrived: Josh and Edith, a fellow named Keith and his wife Emily. We were up until 4:30 A.M. The cabin across from us hosted a fraternity/sorority get-together (common during Christmas break). Lots of shouting, drinking, and naked people running around in the windows. They were quiet by 3:00, but we kept going. Those younger kids don't know how to party.

Saturday. All of us went to Flapjack's for breakfast. Biscuits and gravy, over-easy eggs, bacon and home-fries, paired with mop-water coffee and splendid orange juice. Everyone decided to start partying early, so I went to the Strip alone. I perused the shops for a while, and when I returned I did some reading out on the porch before people started waking up for naps. Brandy, Josh, Edith and I played a game of King's that got me pretty messed up. I invented a new King's #10 rule that will be sure to be in my repertoire: you must make the little green man do a double hop, followed by a cartwheel, then a huge jump, and end it with him parachuting down into the beer. Everyone loved it. I ended up passing out on the sofa till about 3:30 in the morning, as John and Amos were staggering about, trying to find their rooms. I crawled back up the bunk-bed and fell swiftly asleep.

Sunday. Amos and I made the drive back through driving rains. We got back into Cincinnati around 2:30, and we played MW3 at his place before I returned home to unpack and hang out with Ams and Isaac. Mo and I met up at IHOP for dinner--it's only five minutes away, and her apartment's less than ten minutes from mine--and we had "the talk" that lasted well into the night. We're back together and we're both happy about that. 

gatlinburg: post-script

This past weekend was spent in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a surprise birthday bash for John. Brandy set it up, rented a big-ass cabin, and a lot of us went down to surprise him. He was adequately surprised. I would go into immense detail, but I'll be doing that soon: I've decided to keep up with the weekly recaps, because several people have told me they like them for various reasons (and also because I'm often lacking in blog post ideas). Hopefully I'll have the weekly recap, albeit refitted a bit to make it a tad different, up in the next few days. Suffice it to say, for the moment, that the weekend was spent drinking, playing games, getting proper fucked up, and celebrating one of our best friends in the mist-soaked Smokies. Definitely a good time.

Everything at work is in a sort of suspension. Brandon's on his way out; he'll probably be gone the first of January. He just can't take the stress of the position, and I don't blame him: no one wants that job. Bob's looking for Brandon's replacement, may have already made a decision; honestly, we pity the poor fool who ends up in that position. Bob's goal is to hire someone and give them permission and encouragement to fire people. He wants someone who will be disconnected from the team. How does this make any sense? It doesn't. But that's how things work at T.M. Also, our espresso machine blew up on Friday. Apparently it was getting worked on late last night, we'll see what happens. 

Mo and I are back together. We broke up about two weeks ago, and I didn't realize how much I really liked her until she wasn't around anymore. So we went out to IHOP late last night and talked for a while, and we addressed some of our differences and are working to get through them. It's rare to find someone who accepts you as you are, is comfortable with who you are, is quirky and weird just as you are, and who is so compatible. And it's a plus that she's beautiful and I'm superbly into her. Maybe I'm afraid of commitment, maybe I have some issues to work through, but I can't keep surrendering to the fears and the uncertainties time and time again. That gets no one anywhere, just relentless circles, dog-paddling to nowhere. 

It's 9:45, almost time to pack up and head off to work.

I'm at The Anchor, of course.

The waitresses gave me a coffee cup filled with baked goods.

It's their Christmas gift to their top regulars.

Am I honored? Absolutely I am.

Now to get off here, close shop, and head over to Amos' for another night of partying. Some people hate Mondays. They're actually my favorite day of the week (minus the shift of work before the ritualistic festivities). 

from the loth house

Thursday nights have become official: party time at the Loth House! Tonight's guests include Isaac, Dave and me. Someone tried to rob the Loth House last night, but Clover scared him away. "I'll bet it was one of Erin's exes," Amos said. "Twenty percent of them at the least were pretty shady." Really, I think twenty percent is pretty conservative. 

The first week at Park Place (as I'm calling it) has gone pretty damned good. Tuesday night Cory and I had a bunch of our favorite people over: Amos, Andy, Brandon, Mandy and Ams. It was so much fun. Hanging out with Mandy just like the olden days made me pretty damned nostalgic. She's gone now, headed back to Portland. I really want to go visit her and take lots and lots of pictures. Portland's an hour from the desert, an hour from the mountains, and an hour from the ocean (at least according to Rob). Seeing Rob and Mandy and being in such a beautiful place sounds like a perfect vacation. Tomorrow there's a little party for one of our friends, a party that stretches all weekend. He doesn't even know it's happening. 

Life without Mo has been hard. I miss her so much, I really do. While I think the best decision was made (though that doesn't necessarily make it the right one), that makes it no easier. She was such a big part of my life, sharing in my life, and now she's gone. So much of me wants to call her up, to ask her to come back, but I can't. I've already put her through the ringer, and more than once. To do so yet again would just be cruel. I can't stomach that, can't stomach hurting her even more than I have. 

And because no post is complete without a picture:

hoos in the house: snapshots

the [final] week

may she rest in peace

Monday. I closed today and will tomorrow, a brief hiatus from opening. I hit up The Anchor before closing with Frank, and we were out by 4:30. I went to Amos', and we met up with Rob (who's in town from Portland), Blayne, Andy, Ams, and Isaac for a Dusmesh dinner. Rob just about orgasmed. The evening was spent at the Loth House playing video games and hanging out with Rob. Sooo good to see him. The Dusmesh crew plus Blake, Brandy, John and Brandy watched The Walking Dead mid-season finale. My heart was pounding, it was so good. Mo and I talked some more over the phone, trying to get some closure. It sucks, God it sucks, but it's for the best. I fucking hate hurting her.

Tuesday. I went to The Anchor before work. I've been reading up on the Spanish genocides against the Aztec, Inca, and Mayan natives. I grabbed Fusian for dinner (a tuna roll) and paired it with stir-fried Dusmesh leftovers. Ams came over and Isaac joined us for an evening watching Psych.

Wednesday. Sarah and I opened. Tiffany put up a Christmas tree decorated with coffee bag trimmings and a sculpted big-ass coffee filter for the crowning star. Ams was in my room when I got home, she locked herself out of her house. I went to The Anchor--"See you tomorrow!" Georgette exclaimed as I left--and Ams was still over when I got home. We hung out for a while and she went to Josh's, and I got Wendy's for dinner and watched episodes of "Deadliest Warrior" with Isaac: Aztecs vs. some African tribe, and Washington vs. Bonaparte. The reenactments of the cannon takin' off heads and cuttin' clean holes through people were spot-on.

Thursday. Andy made a midnight run to pick up Mandy from her family's place in Indiana, and they got to the Claypole House around 1:30 AM. I rolled out of bed to greet her, and so did Isaac, and we all sat in the living room and hung out for a while before returning to sleep. I worked 7:30-3:00, an uneventful but tiring shift. Blake, Ams, Isaac and I spent the evening hanging out. Isaac left for a poetry reading at 1215, and the rest of us met up with Mandy and Matt G. at The Anchor for a delicious dinner. Mandy & Ams split, and I did some reading before bed.

The Claypole House: The Last Day. Blake and I spent the whole day moving into our new place in Norwood (and we've still got more to do tomorrow). Dad delivered my homemade bookshelf (made out of Ams' old college dorm loft). He likes the new place. We got ice cream from the UDF down the street. Blake and I were tired sore, and after a pow-wow with Ams, Mandy, Andy and Brandy in Blake's room (truly the last of its kind), we crashed. Oh: it sucks moving shift in the fog and rain. But I acquired a crock-pot and wok in the move, not to mention our living room TV and its stand. Baller. Shot. Collar. Also: today's the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Can't forget that now, can we?

The Park Apartment: The First Day. Blake, Amos, Isaac and I spent most of the day moving our furniture and appliances to the new apartment. We went all-out and got a U-Haul, and I'm thankful it didn't rain (note: I love driving big trucks). Tyler came down and we grabbed Chipotle before Rob and Mandy's "Hi & Goodbye" party at the Loth House. So many great people, and of note: John & Brandy, Amos, Andy, Isaac, Blake, Ams & Josh, John & Matt, Jeff, Andrew & Megan, Suraj, and so many more (like TJ), not to mention Rob & Mandy (and, of course, Clover). It was a night of lots and lots of beer and vodka and laughter. Andy went on a rampage, we critiqued "Land Before Time" in the Education Corner on the steps leading upstairs, and there was only a little bit of throwing up by those inexperienced and hasty in making a point. Blake and I got back to our new place around 3 AM, and we were dead tired and fully satisfied: it was a party just like we used to have back in the high-livin' days.

Sunday. After a quick Dusmesh buffet with Amos, Andy, Rob & Les, Blake and I finished up our moving-in process, minus a few things Blake's grabbing tomorrow. 1-800-GOTJUNK is coming to haul away the rest of our shit. Blake and I swung by the Loth House to see Rob one last time before he leaves Cincinnati, and we spent the evening unpacking (with Ams' help). We kicked in the house with some Eastbound & Down and called it a night early. Such a long weekend.

Welp. That's it. Every week since moving into The Claypole House has been chronicled, and it's time to call this for what it is: an ending. These weekly updates will be no more, though I hope to make note of all the interesting and weird things that happen to me as I live my life. I'm sure there will be adventures at Park Place, and these will find their way onto this blog, but the day-to-day recaps have gone the way of the Dodo.

So long. And farewell.

moving day (III of III)

We’re finally getting settled in. Blake and I recovered from last night’s party pretty well, and after a few more rounds loading up our things, we were finally able to start unpacking. Blake and I unpacked our rooms, and Ams joined us in the evening and helped us knock out the living room and kitchen. Now we’re essentially waiting on the internet to access all the joys available at our fingertips (I have my own TV now, with Netflix!). The three of us kicked in our new place (our = Blake and me) with some LaRosa’s and Eastbound & Down.

This place is pretty decent. Simple and cozy. It’s an apartment, so we don’t need to worry about taking care of the yard, and we have far less to take care of (two people in a five bedroom house was a lot to take care of, but you’d have to talk to Blake for details on that). It’s a 2-3 bedroom (one bedroom, mine, is partitioned from the living room by sliding oak pocket doors). My room has a fireplace and balcony access, Isaac is sporting the bay window, and Blake has the far room with the “walk-in” closet (if you can call it that). The living room’s pretty big, and the kitchen will suit us well. The location is prime, too: lots of cool shops, cafes, and restaurants; we’re a hop away from Rookwood Square, Hyde Park and Oakley. Montgomery Road, riddled with shopping plazas and restaurants, is within walking distance easy (not that I’d ever walk it). It’s nice living in a nice place. Is Norwood nice? It has its spots, but we’re in the better area, surrounded by normal people (read: not ghetto). There are bikers on the roads, for crying out loud, and there are people running for exercise rather than to flee the scene, and the runners look like they know what they’re doing whereas those in my former neighborhood have to hold up their pants while they run (kinda like me; note: get a new belt).

It’s 10:50.

“It’s 11! It’s almost 11!” Blake exclaims.

He thinks it was more like 9:30.

The hours have been flying by, and I’ve gotta work tomorrow.

Ams is about to head home and Blake’s in the chair.

Ams’ pinky is just a nub of a finger.

“Like a finger that got chopped off,” Blake says.

Ams is trying to harness her nub.

And that’s as good a place as any to call it a day.

moving day (II of III)

Last night was our last night in the Claypole House.

“The End of an Era.”

Or at least that’s what I’ve heard people say.

But, no, I agree: the end of an era.

The Claypole House ran a solid 2 ½ years, 2 ½ years filled with amazing people, awkward and hilarious moments, memories that will never go, and tensions that couldn’t be cut with a knife. I was only there for the last 1 ½ years, but even the year before my time will live in mental infamy: those days living in Dayton, speeding down to Cincinnati after work, joined by Dylan, drinking and partying, hitting up yogurt shops with Mandy and participating in pipe club with Blake and Amos. Those were the days of the Classic Club’s genesis and my ascension to presidency, an ascension validated by my moving in and displaying my awkwardly uncomfortable life exhibitionist-style. That summer of 2011 is one of the best summers, if not the best summer, I’ve ever hands, hands fucking down. The autumn and winter remain special in my heart, those days skyping with the Wisconsinite and then jetting up to see her around Halloween. I frequently remember how she so excellently guided us into a closed room to escape a chainsaw-wielding cereal killer (no, not serial killer; this was a haunted trail, a reenactment and not the real thing, and the guy with the chainsaw struck me as the sort to pound cereal). Rob and Mandy moved out in February, followed by Amos and Ams. Andy moved in for a bit, lighting the mood, such an awesome guy. But then Andy moved out, leaving only two. And now there are none. The Claypole House has indeed fallen apart: Rob and Mandy in Portland, Jessie and Tony stuck out in Cahokia country, Andrew and Megan married and doing their own thing, Ams living with Chris and Sarah, Amos at the Loth House with John and Brandy, Andy living with his parents and working a kick-ass job teaching people about 2^nd temple Palestinian Judaism. Blake and I have bid the bitch our farewell as well, and now we’re relocated to the Hyde Park area, Isaac joining in the fray.

“The End of an Era,” indeed.

Today we rented a U-Haul and lugged out the furniture and appliances.

I love driving big trucks, I really do.

Amos and Isaac helped out, but Isaac had to jet to work.

And that rendered us, as you could put together, a skeleton crew.

(See, Ams? I included it.)

But at least it didn’t rain.

moving day (I of III)

What a shitty day to be moving.

The rain’s been incessant, not good for a car with bad wipers.

“When are you going to get new blades?” Blake asked.

“I’m getting some for Christmas.”

“You know they’re only like five bucks, right?”

I took the day off work and so did Blake, and we went to town on moving out. Room by room we packed up boxes, loaded them into our cars, and sped off to our new place in Norwood. We signed the lease and handed the landlord a fat wad of cash. We kinda felt like drug dealers. Or at least I did. We worked from 10 AM to 7:30 PM, and we were feeling pretty beat afterwards. The house had been gutted, top-to-bottom, with only the major furniture and appliances remaining (and countless loads of junk accumulated from us and the previous seven tenants). Mandy, Andy, Brandy and Ams came over for our last night in the Claypole House: lots of laughter, NBA Jam, and reliving those old winter nights of last year before Rob and Mandy moved to Portland, before the Claypole House began to tear apart at the seams. Damned nostalgia.

a foggy morning

Driving into work this morning was quite scary. The fog came so thick that my lopsided headlights could barely cut it (no pun intended; kudos if you got that). Fog covered the 8th Street Viaduct to such a degree that I could only see two or three streetlights ahead of me, and more than once a truck came barreling through the fog on the other side of the lane, shooting past me before I could even register its passing. My alma mater posted the picture above; thankfully once I got downtown, the blanket of fog completely lifted. You could even see the stars, it was so clear. 

This weekend should be pretty crazy: Friday Blake and I are packing up the whole house, and Saturday we're moving into our new place. Hopefully the move will be swift, for that night there's a Hoos in the House party at the Loth House: Rob and Mandy, back in town, a party like the olden days. I simply CAN'T FUCKING WAIT. And then next weekend... Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

December is busy.

So fucking busy.

Hopefully things settle down after Christmas.

The future at T.M. is looking quite convoluted at the moment. Brandon's on his way out, hopes this will be his last month. Bob said he's going to be looking for an outside hire, someone with lots of restaurant management experience, but we'll see if that happens: it'll be interesting to see if anyone with such credentials would be willing to work for what he's offering. The meantime could be a bit tricky: I've been trained on most managerial duties, to "fill in the gap" so-to-speak, and if this temporary situation becomes drawn out, well, I don't want to think about that. I don't want to run the store, not with Grad School *hopefully* starting this March.

Regarding Grad School, I'm going to be working on the first essay once we settle down in the new house. The essay is an analysis of two books regarding whether the American Revolution was a social or political movement. In the interim, I'm trying to nail down a survey of Spanish colonization in the New World. It's interesting, the stuff good--albeit sad--stories are made of. The brutality of the Spanish coupled with their insistence of Catholic conversion makes one wonder what benefit the natives had in conversion. Sure, there were benefits, mostly material and psychological; but the benefits weren't long-lasting, as the natives (especially the Pueblos to the north) realized that their lives were far more peaceful and harmonious under their "pagan" ways of living. 

On a sad note, and this is worth mentioning, Mo and I broke up. Sure, we didn't date super long. But it was a good relationship, and she's a great girl, but we just wanted different things out of life. It wasn't a matter of one of us "falling out of favor," rather it was a matter of us realizing that our lives are going in different directions and we'd best acknowledge that now, and suffer the pain, than to continue in denial and become traumatized, bitter, and resentful towards one another in the future. So, yes, I'm back on the market; but the price is high, unless you're Blake, and I'm thinking a good dose of singleness would be profitable for where I'm at in life right now. 

All that aside, I miss Mo. I really do.

Sometimes, with dating, this happens.

But that doesn't make it any easier.

Amanda's waiting for me in my room.

She locked herself out of her house when she came over to shower.

I'm going to close this laptop, gather my books, and head home.

"Where am I now?" At The Anchor of course!

Ta-ta for now.

(Tigger)

(from Winnie the Poo)

tazza mia christmas tree

Tiffany threw this together Monday morning.
The tree's coffee-themed, spotlighting our Brazilian #4 Select.
I'm not like a huge fan of Christmas trees, but this one's off the hook.
Cat took the photos; I stole them.

from mars

Check out that beautiful martian landscape.
It's been confirmed: water's been discovered on Mars.
And, from what Blake tells me, Mercury has it, too.
Seems that little "necessary ingredient" isn't unique to earth.
And just last week I was mocked for believing aliens to be possible.

the 76th week

heeeeeeere's johnny!

If all goes to plan, this will be the second-to-last "weekly update": we've found a possible place in Norwood, and Blake, Isaac and I may be moving in as soon as Friday this upcoming week. It's a great location, right next to the highway, just a hop, skip and a jump from Rookwood Commons, and only a few exits south of 1/2 Price Books. So, yes, it's prime real estate. Ok, here's the weekly update:

Monday. The Thanksgiving weekend came to a close with a 6:30-2:30. Blake, Ams and I checked out a house in Norwood. It's quaint and on a quiet street. We're definitely interested. We headed over to the Loth House for an evening of laughter, beer, and The Walking Dead. John & Brandy, Amos, Blake, Ams, Isaac, Clover, Andy and me: quite the crew. Mo made a surprise visit to the house to see me, but I wasn't there. I left the party early to meet up with her, and we watched Psych back at my house. 

Tuesday. Brandon and I opened together, a solid morning. He's looking for other jobs at the moment, is serious about it. "I fucking hate it here. The only thing keeping me somewhat sane is working with you guys." I cleaned my room after work and went to The Anchor to continue plowing through American Colonies. Dinner was Dusmesh-to-go at Amos' place, and we played MW3 and wrestled with Clover to the tunes of "Ugly Americans." Ams came over to do homework. I headed home to help Mo change her oil, but it was too dark and she didn't have the oil, so we postponed.

Wednesday. Sarah and I opened, and after a trip to The Anchor I met up with Mo and we went to the Loth House to watch documentaries and drink beer with John. We watched half of an amazing show on UFOs and then watched a few episodes of Blue Planet. Brandy and Sabrina came home after rock climbing in Blue Ash. Oh, and Brandon officially resigned from S.M. at T.M.

Thursday. I covered Ana's F.P. shift and ran our rental applications to the house in Norwood. I went to Amos' and we played MW3. Isaac showed up, too, and then John came home from work. We picked up Taco Bell for dinner, and Dave Adams, back in town after a long stint in Libya doing photojournalism, swung by, and I gave him a lift home. I knew him from the early C.C.U. years. He's been hired at 600, starts next week, should be cool. I headed home and Ams came by for a bit. We watched the Station Fire footage from the Rhode Island night club back in 2003. Fucked. Up. She went to Josh's, and I spent the rest of my night reading and went to bed early.

Friday. I didn't go in until 10:30, so after hanging out with Blake for a bit, I got some breakfast burritos before heading into work. Frank and I had a great close, and I spent the night hanging out with Blake and Ams before heading over to Amos' to play MW3 and watch the British "Office." Shit went down outside his house: yellow tape, canines, the whole deal. I crashed back home after some NBA Jam with Blake and Isaac.

Saturday. I went to The Anchor for breakfast and spent most of the day hanging out with Blake and playing video games. Mo came over in the evening, and we got Dusmesh for dinner. The rest of the night was spent hanging out with her, Blake, Isaac and Ams. We watched "Requiem for a Dream," always depressing.

Sunday. I went to The Anchor before heading downtown to do End-of-Month Inventory with Brandon. The back fridge shorted out over the weekend and we lost $1000. Awesome. I spent the evening hanging out with Amos, John and Brandy, and I rounded out my night playing NBA Jam back home with Blake, Isaac, and Ams.

the 75th week

hug me, blakey!

Monday. Ana's on vacation, so I did Food Prep all week. I worked 7:30-3:00, had a manager meeting with Brandon, and spent the afternoon cleaning around the house. We've gotta get it looking clean, as realtors will be tramping through here soon enough. Monday Night took place at the Loth House, with Ethan showing our house tomorrow afternoon, and we wanted to keep it clean and smelling good. John, Brandy, Ams, Amos, Isaac, Andy, Blake & I crowded the TV to watch The Walking Dead, and we dined on cheez-its, combos, and some of Brandy's kick-ass brown sugar glazed almonds. And we had a variety of autumnal beers, courtesy John and Andy.

Tuesday. I worked 7:30-3:00. James is working at the 21C Restaurant and Hotel now, and we have Frank from 1215 to replace him. A good trade. Work was slow, and I went to The Anchor to do some reading before jetting over to Hyde Park to see Mo before all the Thanksgiving festivities. She cooked me a dinner of turkey and potatoes and gave me a bag of delicious cookies to take home with me. I think she's trying to fatten me up. 

Wednesday. Work was incredibly slow, as expected. It was a decent last day before an extended weekend of traveling and dining. Amos grabbed some growlers of Scottish Ale from Rock Bottom, and our skeleton crew all but had them polished off by the tail-end of the lunch rush. Half the rush I was in the back drinking beer and singing aloud to Old Crow Medicine Show. If only every day could be like that... Amos and I played some MW3 after work, and then I hurried north to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with Mom, Dad, Ams & Josh. Mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, macaroni & cheese, stuffing, baked turkey and rolls. Mom & Dad visited Antietam this past weekend, asked if I'd ever heard of it. My eyes went global. "Did you walk the sunken road?!" My dad said they did. Am I jealous? It was only the bloodiest day of battle in American military history. 

Thanksgiving. I woke 'round 9:00. Blake and I hung out for a bit, and I went over to Amos' to play video games and to eat Thanksgiving leftovers from last night's meal. The evening was spent in New Carlisle with Dad's side of the family, and we enjoyed yet another amazing feast. "You two live to the beat of your own drums," Mom told Ams and me. We're sorta like the oddballs in the family. Matthew and Megan are both married; Megan already has two girls, Cate who's talkin' and Grace who's walkin', and Shelby's pregnant with a boy. Addison's engaged to a girl named Mandy. There were days when seeing the flourishing life and love of others made my heart bend in jealousy; but, for the most part, those days are over. Every now and then there's an inkling of that feeling, almost like an echo that hasn't quite faded. Call it wisdom, maturity, cynicism, what-have-you, but I prefer it this way. 

Black Friday. I got home late last night; Blake texted me, said he was over at the Loth House with Amos, John and Brandy. I was too tired, and low on gas, so I just went to bed. I woke to a cold morning, the warmth of the last few days being blown away by a cold front. Most of the day was spent hanging with Blake: watching TV, playing video games, even a trip to The Anchor (I got coffee and free toast). The evening was spent at the Loth House playing video games with Amos, John, and John's friend Josh and his wife.

Saturday. Blake, Amos, and Isaac crashed my time at The Anchor, but I didn't mind one bit. It was pretty great. I rushed up to Dayton to get my early Christmas present: four new tires, an oil change, and an alignment for my beat-up Celica. "You could get historical plates on that car!" Uncle Bill quipped; to which I replied, "I always drive classics, but not the kind, like you want." All day was spent with Mom's side of the family watching football, playing trivia games, eating $100 worth of Marion's Pizza, and drinking lots and lots of beer. This was Kennedy's first Thanksgiving, being only six months old, and she loved the dogs. I was home by 10:00, and Blake and I rounded out the night with some NBA Jam before I promptly passed out.

Sunday. Another cold, bleak, dreary day. My Anchor time was spent reading a new book, American Colonies. After running some errands and enjoying some McDonald's breakfast, I spent the afternoon inside and out of the cold. Ams came over once she woke up 'round noon, and Blake joined us around 4:00. The rest of the day was spent much like yesterday: video games and watching TV. A chill end to a busy week.

crashin' the anchor

My Anchor time has been crashed by Blake, Isaac, and Amos.
I don't mind. It gives me time to blow and wink. Amos likes that.

My original goal was to be done with my study of the French & Indian War before the beginning of December, to focus on grad school essays and such. However, I've got caught up in studying colonial American history prior to 1754, and I've been doing lots of study in the realm of English history, since the development of the colonies and the currents in English history of the time are integrally connected. The English Civil War, Restoration of 1660, and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 are fascinating. Equally intriguing is the development of slavery in the south, most notably in South Carolina, where the same type of slavery in the West Indies was replicated. I used to believe that slavery in the south was pretty much the same all across the board, but slavery differentiated in its practice and custom from colony to colony. Slavery in Virginia, for example, was much milder than slavery in the deep south. 

Isaac is sitting across from me in his Praha hoodie.

He's smoking an unlit cigarette, which is... Wait, no, it's lit now.

I'm really looking forward to Mo getting back from Michigan. I haven't seen her in close to a week, or at least it feels like it, and I'll be honest: this little koala heart is quite warm towards the girl. She's super cool, super fun to hang out with, mature, doing something with her life, and for some unknown reason she finds herself irrevocably drawn to me. That itself should be a red flag?

Mom & Dad went to Maryland this past weekend, and they visited Antietam. You've no idea the jealousy that flooded my veins. My top desired battlefields to visit include Gettysburg (for a second time), Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville (where Stonewall Jackson bit a bullet from his own Confederate pickets; his immune system was ravaged and he died of pneumonia). Perhaps next year I'll have (a) a decent enough car and (b) enough money to visit one or two of them? That's a happy thought.

waiting for blakey

you should see this movie

Thanksgiving celebrations have been gut-busting; I woke so bloated this morning. It's been well worth it, however. Thursday night I celebrated with Mom, Dad, Ams, and her boyfriend Josh. Thanksgiving afternoon I took a heaping plate of leftovers to Amos', and we played MW3, watched "The Office: Season 3", and stuffed ourselves. More stuffing happened later that night up in New Carlisle. Blake and I went to The Anchor this morning, but I stuck with coffee (and some free wheat toast). I was decidedly against eating anything substantial today, but Dusmesh has been nagging at my little heart for some time now. I may just have to break down and go get some. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving dinner with Mom's side of the family: we're just ordering a shit ton of pizza and drinking lots and lots of beer.

I have a substantial number of posts in the mental queue, but have yet to write them.

In time, in time...

My Christmas list is wholly comprised of things I need for my car: three new tires, new windshield wiper blades, new brake and left turn signal lights, an oil change. Winter's coming, who knows what it'll be like, and the last thing I need is a repeat of the Jeep incident back in 2006 that left me stranded without a car for nearly nine months. That takes priority over a PS3 with the new Call of Duty, and it takes precedence even over the build-up of my own "colonial history" library (that excites no one except me).

On our drive home last night, we were passing the Great Miami and I turned to Ams and told her "a little something about the war" (to put it in her words). Ohio's rather rich with history, more-so than I ever thought, and I told her about the French raid at Pickawillany in the 1700s, one of the catalysts for the French & Indian War, near modern-day Piqua, where a bunch of English fur traders and some Ohio Indians were butchered. The chieftain was torn limb-from-limb and cannibalized piecemeal. And this happened so close to our house!

On the subject of history, when Blake and I were at The Anchor this morning, we talked a bit about the "original" Thanksgiving. You know, the whole Plymouth Rock thing. The white settlers were quite fragile, having been ravaged by a variety of diseases that wiped out the majority of the colonists, and they were out hunting for food, firing their guns, and the nearby Indians heard them. Thinking they were preparing to attack them, as settlers tended to do, 90 of the Indians and their head chieftain gathered their war toys and prepared to counter-attack. Upon discovering that the settlers were simply hunting, they decided to form a sort of friendly alliance, and they had a big meal with all sorts of meats (deer, turkey, fish) to seal the deal. The Indians weren't too fearful of the colonists, but being engaged in constant war with their Indian neighbors, the Indians knew a peace between them and the settlers opened up trade for guns to be used against their Indian enemies. The settlers weren't too keen on the savages at all, their friendliness a mere charade; and it wasn't long before the settlers confirmed the Indians' fears and went about systematically murdering them. But that was the cycle of early colonial life in America. Funny enough, in Jamestown, 1622, Indians showed up with what looked to be their own invitation for a similar celebratory festival, but instead they slaughtered everyone they could find. 

Blake and I are going to go into the basement together.

We're going to try and organize a few things.

Step by Step, we're getting ready to move outta here.

from The Anchor

The internet's back up and running!
The Anchor went wire-less (and not in the good way) for a solid week.
But not it's alive and kicking.

There's a girl who comes here a lot, her name's Ana, she introduced herself to me some time ago. She asked what I did when I came here, and I told her I read, I write, I research. She said she's writing a novel. I didn't tell her that I'd written several, some of which sold very well. I don't really wear that on my sleeve, and I don't go around telling people about my accomplishments in that arena. Most people who know me have no idea that I've written zombie novels, or any sort of fiction. And I prefer it that way. Ana read me the first couple paragraphs of her book: she's a damned good writer, and if she keeps the pace up, it'll be a damned good read.

My "Anchor Studies" centered on the African chattel slavery in colonial America.

It's fucked up. Proper fucked up.

I saw the movie "Lincoln," by Steven Spielberg. It was damned good, albeit a bit misleading. Of course there will always be a slant when it comes to the study of history, and none more-so than with the study of the Emancipation Proclamation and the subsequent 13th constitutional amendment. Lincoln's acts to destroy slavery can be read in a variety of lights: some historians believe that his underlying motivation was political rather than moral in nature, that in the midst of Civil War he wished to bring European support to the Union rather than to the slave-holding South. Spielberg's movie seemed to take the route that the legislation was born out of Lincoln's conscience and desire to see no man enslaved. As with history in general, interpretation is key. What's interesting (and certainly not in Spielberg's movie) was Lincoln's support of a bill years prior to the Emancipation Proclamation that would make outlawing slavery constitutionally illegal. Interesting, is it not?

Tomorrow is my last day of work before Thanksgiving.

600 Vine will be shutting down for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

If tomorrow goes like last year, work will be excruciatingly slow. To remedy this, we managers have decided to get a couple growlers and to treat ourselves and our employees to more than a few drinks. Drinking on the job is definitely a perk at T.M. Tiffany is even having her husband drop her off so she doesn't have to worry about driving home inebriated. 

Tomorrow night, Mom, Dad, Ams and I are having a "private family" Thanksgiving.

Thursday night is Thanksgiving with Dad's side of the family in New Carlisle.

And Friday night is Thanksgiving with Mom's side in Dayton.

Three consecutive gut-busting dinners.

"I'll be so bloated this weekend," I told Tiffany.

I've gained more than a few pounds. Time to curb that.

It's 6:50 and I'm going home.

Good night.

the 73rd week

these took up most of my saturday

Monday. I worked 6:30-2:30 and went to The Anchor after work. Brandon and Jake came over for a bit, and when they left they were replaced by Amos and Brandy. Mo came over, too, and we made Doritos nachos with Velveeta, provolone, pepperonis and banana peppers (per Ams' request). Mo brought pumpkin liquor, and we mixed it with cheap Russian vodka. We crowded Blake's room and watched The Walking Dead. People started filtering out, and Mo, Isaac and I watched "Drunk History."

Tuesday. I worked 6:30-2:30 and finally got all my Worker's Comp from the incident in July of '11 finalized. I went to The Anchor for a while, and I finally got my FAFSA filled out for Grad School next year. The evening was spent hanging with Amos & Clover and playing MW3. 

Wednesday. Mandy K. surprised me at work. I was shocked and overjoyed to see her. A nice surprise, tit for tat. I took an extended break to catch up with her, and after work I met up with her at C.C.U. and she came back to my place, and we spent some more time catching up before she jetted downtown to grab dinner with an old friend. I spent the evening watching duck documentaries with John at the Loth House, and later in the evening Brandy, Ams, and Amos joined us, and we played video games and messed around with Clover till 'bout midnight. Isaac is crashing with Blake and me for a bit: he got robbed outside his apartment in Cheviot, and though he got away, the dicks may be looking for some payback.

Thursday. I worked 7:30-3:00, and Mandy K came in to see me one last time before continuing her journey westward. I packed for the weekend, and Mo, Ams and I got Skyline for dinner. The three of us hung out for a while back at the house, and I jetted north (after a pit-stop by the Loth House) to watch Mom & Dad's house and to take care of Sky for the weekend. The first time back home in months.

Friday. My Friday off went as follows: breakfast burritos from Mcdonald's, shopping at 1/2 Price, a trip to the library, reading about colonial New England at the Centerville Starbucks, dicking around with Sky, and watching movies: all the X-Men movies, plus Battlefield Los Angeles. Dinner was some damned good baked chicken paired with D.L.M. pine club pasta and gourmet olives stuffed with feta, bleu cheese, and almonds.

Saturday. I spent the morning watching Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto", and I went to Starbucks to read up on the colonial south. Mo came up, and we got dinner at Gyro Palace--their lamb gyros make me go weak in the knees--and saw the movie "Lincoln." We couldn't make the first show because it was all sold out. And why? Because the theater decided to give "Lincoln" one screen while the new Twilight movie got four. Ridiculous, it really is.

Sunday. Breakfast was pan-fried bacon, eggs sunny side up, and brick pancakes (I really fucked them up). Before heading home (or, rather, to The Anchor), I gave Sky a bath, but accidentally used food nutrients instead of dog shampoo, and so she's all oily. "Classic mix-up," I told Mom. After The Anchor I picked up some Rally's for dinner, and I spent the evening watching Psych and hanging out with Blake and Isaac.