the 70th week

WINTER IS COMING

Monday. I worked 6:30-2:30 and went to The Anchor right afterwards to study The French & Indian War. Isaac came over around 5:30 to fix some keish, and we gathered in Blake's room with Andy at our side and watched the first episode of this season's The Walking Dead (neither he nor Andy had yet seen it). When John, Brandy, Amos and Ams made it over (and Blayne too!), we huddled up in Blake's room and watched the second episode of The Walking Dead. It was pretty good, and I'm pretty sure they're still doing character set-up since (a) we get a totally new take on Rick, (b) Machonne didn't show up once in the episode, and (c) the behind-the-scenes interviews with the writers/directors boldly stated this season would be less of the "All in the Family" plots of Season  2 and more of the shoot-'em-up Texas Ranger that we see in Season 1. People filtered out, and those of us who remained watched football and "Shaun of the Dead" and ate peanut butter ice cream and Combos.

Tuesday. Amos and I opened together. Brandon was awfully sick, so we were down a person, and the usual early-week craziness was only multiplied. Still, I'd call the day a success. I listened to some Band of Horses back home before going to The Anchor and reading up on the Jumonville Glen fiasco where Washington all but started the first true world war, and Fort Necessity where he suffered the only surrender of his career. At 5:45 Ams picked me up and we jetted north up 75 to Red Robin and met up with Mom & Dad for dinner. My immediate family's so close, we have great relationships with our parents, we're absolutely blessed.

Wednesday. Brandon was still sick, but thankfully Amos came in to help us out. I got out late and went to The Anchor and read about Braddock's catastrophe while drinking coffee. The evening was spent reading, and Andy and I drank some shiraz, ate cookies, smoked hookah, and watched 30 Rock.  "Australians don't know shit when it comes to beer, but they make some damned good wine."

The Last Warm Day of 2012. I did Food Prep today covering for Ana, another crazy day. Brandon was still too sick to come in, and we were slammed for both breakfast and lunch. I spent the majority of my shift running from the counter to the kitchen keeping things together. I chilled out back home before going to The Anchor to read about the British victory at Fort Beausejour, and I treated myself to a western omelette, wheat toast, and homefries with onions and cheese. As only irony would have it, a group of old men smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee spent a good part of their dinner talking about the Revolutionary War and, you guessed it, the all-but-forgotten French & Indian War. I need to to be part of such a group when I'm that age. I packed up my things and went to the Loth House to round out the night playing MW3 with Amos.

Friday. This was one of those weeks when Friday deserves to be celebrated. I went to The Anchor and kicked off the weekend reading about the Seven Years War in Europe. The evening was spent hanging out with Blake, Ams and Andy, eating pizza (Digiorno, and delivery!), and watching "The Goonies." Ams spent the last two days with Mom, Grandma M. and Aunt Teri: they got a hotel downtown and went to see Disney's Treasure Cove on Ice (or something like that). The weather-dude said yesterday was the last warm day of the year, and that today's 53 degree weather is the warmest day we'll have over the next week. Awesome. -.- (it's an emoticon...)

Saturday. Sleets of rain fell all night, and the morning was cold and dreary, wet and bare. The winds had shaken all but a few leaves off the trees. The poor tree in our front year looks mangled and weak, and just down the street a tree fell and trapped two cars in its branches. I went to The Anchor to warm up with coffee and to read about the Battle of Fort Bull in 1756. Andy and I went to 1/2 Price Books, and I got two kickass ones: one about The French & Indian War, another chronicling the day-to-day events of the Civil War in a streamlined manner. We joined Blake & Ams for lunch at City Barbecue--ribs, hush puppies, and baked beans with brisket--and then I went over to Amos' to play some MW3. I picked up some tubs of ice cream from UDF and Blake, Ams & I enjoyed the spoils while watching Ugly Americans on Netflix.

Sunday. I had McDonald's for breakfast, ran some errands, picked up coffee at Carew (a soy pumpkin brown sugar latte) and went to The Anchor to read up on the Iroquois Confederation (there's a fascinating story and a twist to American history). Mo and I got dinner at Rock Bottom (Rocktoberfest & brewery nachos!), and I rounded out the night watching the movie "Black Swan" with Blake and Ams. It definitely wasn't what I thought it was, it was super messed up, and it's a phenomenal movie.

Also, it sucks only having a SKELETON CREW at work.

Subtle? No?