the 9th week

Assassin's Creed III: simply amazing.

Monday. Frank & I closed, and we were out b 4:00. Monday Nights kicked off the mid-season premier of The Walking Dead. Rick's losing it, and shit's about to go down between the prison and the town. John & Brandy, Blake & Traci, Dave, Isaac, Andy & Amos: a good crew. 

Tuesday. Eric & I opened. The afternoon was spent playing Assassin's Creed III, and after a southwest quesadilla and stuffed mushrooms for dinner, I rounded out the night with Ken Burns' The War: Pelilieu and MacArthur's return to the Philippines, the failure of Operation Market Garden and the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge.

Wednesday. I opened with Dave, came down with something awful, and Amos was kind enough to cover the second half of my shift. I drove home amidst snow and spent the morning and afternoon recuperating with Netflix and naps. Mo came over around 6:00, and we ran to Kroger and fixed a surprisingly delicious meal: penne pasta with mushrooms, broccoli, and asparagus; and we paired it with a garlic loaf. 

Thursday. Today was a rough day, to say the least. Mo and I broke up. The incompatibilities were just too glaring, and it's one of those things where you try and make the best decision for both people involved and hope it works out. It sucks, it really does. I may have been the one to make the decision, but that doesn't mean it was easy, and as I write this now five days later, I can't deny that there remains pain and loss. She was one of my best friends, and by breaking up because of a distant future that wouldn't come to pass renders the present absent her presence. It sucks, it really does. But that's how dating goes, it's an awful thing, but it's part of the fabric of the American experience, I guess. I know she'll be okay: she has far more going for her than I do. I won't write anymore about this, because as I told Blake and Ams, I don't want to turn what happened into fodder for blog drama. She doesn't deserve that. 

Friday. I was sick all day: congestion, sneezing, clogged ears. At least the sore throat went away. These weather changes have been killer. I worked 6:30-1:00, left early because I felt awful, and took a long nap. I spent the evening playing Assassin's Creed III, and then hung out with Blake & Traci. Ams came over around 10:00, and a little bit later Brandy, John H., Isaac and Amos arrived. Brandy picked them up from downtown's Beer Fest, and they were already drunk off their feet. Amos passed out in the bathroom, gave himself a nasty bruise when he pitched forward against the toilet to relieve himself. Isaac stripped down to his boxers and John H. went stark raving mad. Ams left, and all of us minus Amos went over to the Happy Hollow. I had a few shots of whiskey and even more shots of pure, undiluted orange juice. Who else does that? Isaac went home to pass out, John H. started yelling "Fuck you!" to other patrons in the bar, and then (thankfully) he left. No one really felt like getting into a fight. Traci kissed me on the cheek, said, "I'm totally smitten by you!" and then she and Blake headed back to the house. Brandy & I chilled at the bar for a while, then headed back to the house where everyone was passed out. We stayed up till about 3 AM talking and listening to Of Monsters & Men. "You're so much like an old man in your mannerisms," she said. "Your forgetfulness, lack of observance, and general disconnect from the world around you doesn't help. It's weird, because I know you're brilliant, but you lack so much common sense!" Ha. I laugh because it's true.

Saturday. Brandy, John H., Isaac, Amos & I got breakfast at IHOP (pancakes and a fajita omelette!). Andy joined us, and then we hit up the Goodwill in Oakley before parting ways. I spent the afternoon cleaning and hanging out with Blake & Traci before The Anchor at 4:00 and Lothfestapalooza at 6:00: tons of beers, lots of snacks, so many great people. My favorite brews were the High Seas and Loose Cannons, but probably just 'cause I've been stoked about how my U.S.S. Constitution model is coming along. I didn't stay long, sleepy from last night's adventures, so I was home and in bed by 10:00.

Sunday. I went to The Anchor before hitting up the early service at U.C.C. Apparently the balcony is the introverts' section? On the main level, people are packed to the gills. But in the balcony, there's only about five or six people at the most, and we're spread out over twelve pews, no one in the same pew. Dr. Smith is usually up there, too, being the introverted type. It's how we roll. Amos, Andy & I met up for lunch at Dusmesh, and I spent the afternoon cleaning and doing laundry. Blake, Isaac and I went to the Happy Hollow (Isaac just got cranberry juice: "Recovery.") and Ams joined us.