the 49th week

Honesty is the best policy?

Monday. I woke at 4:30 AM, couldn't fall back asleep, lost in thoughts of the Wisconsinite. I went to The Anchor before opening the store with Eric. The ever present sadness drains my energy. I know the sadness will dissipate in time, but it doesn't make it any easier to bear. I went down to Louisville to see Mo. It was good catching up. We went to a local brewery and had honeyed wine and some quesadillas and walked The Strip and talked. Sleet came late, and she was kind enough to let me crash on her sofa.

Tuesday. I picked up a latte from Heine Brothers Coffee (a Louisville chain) before heading back to Cincinnati. Corey called, his car broken down, and I gave him a ride to Roh's Street before chowing down on Dusmesh with Amos. We went back to his place and watched the most recent episode of The Walking Dead, and we explored the woods behind the farmhouse: the ruins of the dairy farm's spring house, the winding creek, an old station wagon rusted-out and half-buried in a ravine. After some writing at The Anchor I went by the Bakewell House to see Mandy, and John, Mandy and I (plus Kevin, one of Mandy's friends) went to a quiet bar down the street called Dubb's Irish Pub (and there was nothing Irish about it). We drank beer and shot pool. "You've been so sad lately," Mandy said, "and my heart hurts for you." She's a good friend to have.

Wednesday. Wednesdays tend to be long days: I open the coffee shop at 6:30 and then work until 6:00 with Walk of Joy. Cindy from work told me, "Sarah and Brandon say you're a good soul, and they're right. I can see it." It isn't often I feel that way, though. I went by Rock Bottom once I got off work in Delhi, and I drank a pumpkin ale at the bar and took nachos-to-go. It was a quiet, lonely night, and I was in bed by 8:30.

Thursday. I woke early, unable to sleep, and went to The Anchor before working at the farm with Walk of Joy. I was half an hour late due to a seven-car pileup on 75. I ran down to Covington after work and dropped off first month's rent for the new place in Wallace Woods, and after carrying countless loads of heavy boxes of books up four flights of stairs, I was quite exhausted. Andy joined me at Rock Bottom for beer and ribs to wind down, and who sat across the aisle from us but my old friend Carly and her boyfriend Devyn? It was good seeing them again. It's been years.

Friday. Tori and I opened, and the afternoon was spent moving most of my things into the new place with the help of Brandon, Sarah and Ams. "This place is so cute and quaint!" Ams exclaimed; "It's perfect for you!" Brandon and Ams left, and Sarah picked up some whiskey and we sat in the apartment drinking by candlelight (no electric quite yet). Sarah's going to be living a few houses down from me, which is pretty cool.

Saturday. I woke at 5:30, sad and alone, and I went to The Anchor to perk up with coffee and scripture. I grabbed Dusmesh for lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing before working until midnight at a Sock Hop dance in Cleves.

Sunday. Corey, Mandy and I met up for coffee at The Anchor, and then I went to U.C.C.--"Spiritual Warfare in Ephesians 6"--before hanging out with John, Brandy, and Amos late into the afternoon. Clover couldn't stop shivering, bundled up in the guest bed's blankets. I did some writing at The Anchor and a series of awful storms swept through, sirens wailing and kids on the street shrieking that they saw a tornado (we were fortunate, but people in Michigan and Illinois weren't so fortunate). I worked eight to midnight with Walk of Joy and then crashed in the warmth of Park Avenue after a hot shower.