the 58th week

Andy & Blake at U.D.F. These are my friends.

Monday. Amos & I left the Claypole House around 5:35 AM: I opened at 600, he opened at Carew, covering for Isaac who's still in Portland but getting back tomorrow. Sarah was my opener, and we rocked it out with our Brazilian sidekick Ana. After work I ran some errands and went to The Anchor for a bit, and then Emily came over bearing gifts: some Raging Bitch Belgian-style India pale ale. We sat on the front porch and enjoyed the beers, and Tiffany joined us for a bit and then Brandon arrived. Amos & Brandy came over, and we all hung out late into the evening, and when Ams came home she came with her own gifts: Rally's for dinner. I ate on the front porch in the dead of night and then went to bed.

Tuesday. I opened with James, and when I got home Gambill came by to pick up his bike. We sat on the front porch and caught up; I haven't seen him since Mandy left, and now the drama's subsided. Some, those who know him least, may call me crazy, but I do miss our friendship. I went to The Anchor to read Rise to Rebellion, all about the events leading up to the American Revolution, and I ate dinner there, too: a western omelette with a side of biscuits and gravy. I went over to Amos' for a bit. Erin's sister is in town. We hung out with Brandy and Ams joined us later in the night. 

Wednesday. I went to The Anchor before work, and after closing down 600, Andy & I headed down into Florence for an amazing Cracker Barrel dinner: 2 eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, grits, fried apples, hash-browns, dumplins, and three biscuits and gravy for only $10! It's such a deal, we've got to take advantage of that more often. We talked about how Amos is moved out, how Ams is moving in with Sarah at the beginning of September, how Andy's looking for his own place. I don't know what Blake's doing yet, haven't talked to him about since I never see him during the week since he works 3rd shift. Nevertheless, I've been looking at apartments around Cincinnati, especially Northside. Part of me would like to stay at the Claypole House for a while more, but a change may be good for me. And, soon, it may be necessary.

Thursday. Brandon & I opened, and after work I took a long-ass nap and then picked Amos up from downtown around 6:00, and we went back to his place for an evening hanging out with John & Brandy, playing video games and eating a delicious impromptu meal courtesy of John: barbecue chicken cooked on the grill, paired with mashed potatoes and baked beans. 

Friday. I went to The Anchor before closing with Amos, spent my time there drinking coffee and researching apartments yet again. As of now I can afford anything at or below $500, and Northside has lots of options, not to mention it's not West Price Hill. If everything unravels according to plan, I'm looking for a move-in date around the beginning of October. It'd be nice having my own place, a grown-up move, though word is that C. Isaac is looking into the Claypole House if Andy & Blake both leave. There's the option of staying at the Claypole House, if that were to happen, but still: a change might do me well, rip me from this awful stagnation of the last couple months. After work I talked with Mandy over Skype, and Blake, Andy, and Amos joined us on the front porch for some classic Front Porch Timez (yes, with a Z), and Isaac was there, too. I got Wendy's for dinner and spent the evening watching British sitcoms with Blake and enjoying good midnight conversation with Andy on the front porch. Blake and I heard fireworks, and he exclaimed, in not-so-subtle but beloved mockery, "What is that? Antietam?" I love him.

Saturday. I went to The Anchor and then had Dusmesh for lunch with Andy. I took a three-hour nap and then went to Miami Whitewater down 74. It was nice and woodsy with a ruddy lake. My arms got tore up by bugs, but nothing comparable to Brandy: 100+ bites (she counted), plus a spider bite on her face. It was good to get out of the city. I smelled a skunk and liked it. Blayne came over, and we went to UDF for ice cream (Blake & I both got peanut butter shakes), and I did some more apartment searching before chatting with the Wisconsinite before bed. She'll be making a trip down here the last week of September, I look forward to it.

Sunday. I had McDonald's for breakfast and then ran to Carew to see Andy & Isaac and to get a drink. I spent the afternoon playing Grand Theft Auto IV, doing laundry, cleaning my room, and reading Rise to Rebellion. It's superbly good, I'm 300+ pages into it, just past Lexington & Concord. I went to The Anchor for coffee, hammering out some posts to be unveiled. This blog's really been hit-or-miss lately, and I'm seeking to remedy that. Once my coffee was drained, I returned home and hung out with Blake & Andy, and then I ended the night with some oven-baked pizza and Moscato on the front porch.

As mentioned above, I spent a considerable amount of time stitching together some posts to be published throughout this week. I haven't forgotten The Quest, have been thinking about it a lot, and I think it's time to get a lot of this stuff out of my head and onto the screen. I'm not promising anything good, great, grand, or even decent (after all, these are my thoughts, so they may very well be frightening). But the time for me to "catch up" with The Quest has come, and I hope these upcoming posts will be interesting for those who care enough to read. Koalabeast out!