the 42nd week

Tiffany: "Are you taking a picture of my daughter and beer?"

Monday. Tori & I opened: a slow day, I was home by 1:30 after running errands. Blake, Corey and I hung out most of the afternoon, and after the usual Loth House shenanigans I cloistered myself in my room with my lanterns lit to do a little reading, and I got to talk to the Wisconsinite for a bit before sleep overtook me.

Tuesday. Tori and I opened together, and I went to The Anchor after work, then met up with Ams, Mandy, Kevin and Amos at Rock Bottom. Chloe stopped by, and I took Amos home and hung out with him for a while before enjoying another solid evening of lanterns, reading, and prayer.

Wednesday. Tori and I closed (and were out by 4!), so I had time to do some writing at The Anchor before work. Amos and I hung out for a bit at his place after work, and then Mandy and I watched the season finale of Revolution. I lit my oil lanterns and did some more writing, and then I Skyped with the Wisconsinite. It was great seeing her face--the first time in eleven or so months!--and we told stories and laughed like we always do. She's absolutely beautiful, inside-out!

Thursday. Brittany P. is back with Tazza Mia. After work I hurried to an interview with Walk of Joy, that nonprofit I applied with last week. The interview went GREAT, and Monday will be my first day! I'll be able to supplement Walk of Joy with Tazza Mia, so hopefully some of this financial stress will start to wean itself away. I'm ready to work like a madman, save up a bunch of money, and then GTFO. I went to The Anchor to celebrate (original, I know), and then I went to Amos' and we played video games. He was excited for me at the news. He should be getting another job here soon, especially since he was fired weeks ago. TM is a riot sometimes.

Friday. I ran downtown to do the food order and ended up working for 'bout an hour despite having the day off. I broke the news about the second job to Eric; he said I could still work part-time. Sarah had trouble with her car in Covington, so I went across the river and tried to jump it for her but no luck. I did some grocery shopping and headed downtown to do some reading at Panera (Cruciformity) before grabbing drinks with Eric, Tiffany, and the Tiblets at Rock Bottom. Ams and I met up back at the apartment, and she drove us back downtown for a night of shows at Midpoint Music Festival: Head and the Heart at Washington Park, a country-esque band at Taft Theater, and then--best of all--Damien Jurado at the Blue Whisp Jazz Club. After Head and the Heart I ran by work to pull a shot of espresso and several showgoers thought we were open and I shooed them away; "No, we're not open, I'm just awesome so I get free espresso whenever I want." I got to talk to the Wisconsinite between the country band and Damien Jurado; I sat out on the Blue Whisp patio and enjoyed our talks before Damien Jurado took the stage. Sheets, Arkansas, Nothing is the News, Cloudy Shoes, and of course Ohio (among others). We were right up front as close as you could get, closer than Blake, Andy and I had been when we saw Jurado in Nashville last year. The night, filled with great shows, was also filled with great people: Ams, Mandy, Amos, Andy, Gambill, Corey, and others. We ran into lots of people throughout the night: Dewenter, Jake, and the Coon-dog to name a few. Ams and I got back to the apartment around 1:30 AM and I passed out something awful.

Saturday. I went to The Anchor to write before running errands with Mandy. Andy and Ams came over, and the four of us went to Shaan Indian buffet in Oakley for lunch. Samosas, bhatura bread, naan, chicken curry and saag poured over a bed of basmati rice. SO GOOD. The afternoon was spent hanging out and cleaning around the house. Kevin came over for a bit, and I started watching a new postapocalyptic TV show since I just finished Revolution: BBC's Survivors. It's about the world after a flu-like virus wipes out 99% of the population. The highlight of my day was a trip to Wal-Greens with the Wisconsinite.

Sunday. I went to The Anchor before hitting up U.C.C.'s early service. Mandy made a french-press of Natural Konga and I did some work for T.M. while sipping from the cup. I ran by Amos' before heading up to Mom and Dad's to grab paperwork for my new job and enjoy dinner with them (Subway). I went back by the Loth House to round out the night with some Mario Soccer before heading home to (you guessed it!) light some oil lanterns and do some reading.