Sweat drained out of me just as quickly as burger grease and sauces flowed in and I can count on my fingers the amount of individual vegetable pieces I have eaten since last Wednesday but oh my goodness what a colourful life. Wednesday work was pretty brutal so because my campers are reaching the point in the summer where they grow restless during camp and have fiery outbursts at any given thing. It's funny really. One kid spent two hours cumulatively crying about not being able to play on his iPad because he forgot his charger. Another cried because the portrait another child drew was terrible. Kids are funny. Directly after work I tried doing some contract work spraying down staircases as usual, but once I swerved a time or two from dozing off mid commute, I called in and told my coach I'd do it the next day. I was also struggling with a hefty chest cold.
Thursday I woke bright and early- it's the day I was to go see one of my favorite people! Thank God, no seriously thanks God that was pretty dope of you, my sickness faded like night and day. As soon as I could manage it, I packed my things and set out to handle the contract. What is supposed to be five hours of work took me three and no sooner than a spout of water blew the cobweb off the last stairwell stair step I popped smoke and bolted out of there. I arrived before dinner time (shout out to my brain, I actually remembered how to get there without GPS help) and enjoyed a beautiful night with m'lady.
This night felt very different from others. I think we sometimes run into problems and obstacles with each other when we work up our expectations for our hangouts, but that night it was shed in another light entirely. No plans and no preference, upon arrival we spent a solid thirty minutes goofing around on the internet and baffling her poor mother trying to see what we could possibly find funny in all those dumb videos. Soon she left, and both tired we just enjoyed each others quiet company for some time. I mean duh we made out for a while but we really did just enjoy each others quiet, comfortable company. Moments like those are some of my favorite in all their simplicity. They make me feel... content? Yeah, that's the best word. Once her mother and aunt returned they joked around heartily with us and her father for some time. Opting for easier dinner options, we didn't want Taco Hell or anything like BJ's, so we shot the middle and winded up at Chic-fil-a. Sharing food bites and fries like a real couple. Too full for desert just yet, we went back to her house for some down time so we could digest enough to grab shakes later. Her family was just where we left them, chatting away and SO was absolutely not having it but I loved it, they were hilarious. The amount of times I awkwardly sipped at my drink to avoid answering awkward questions, not to mention the amount of refills and how bad I had to pee when we finally dipped out were funny little details in and of themselves. Having had her fill, we hit the road again in search of dessert and good conversation listening to the mixtape I'd made the week before. We jammed out hard to everything from Hey Jude to Come and Get Your Love, slowing down with a little soul from Elvis as we sucked down man's greatest dairy creation-- the milkshake. It was all so much fun. Not once did I sit there worrying about how much time I did or didn't have with her because I didn't even have time for those thoughts. I was way too focused on making the most of every moment, and we did exactly that. The night closed out with watching a movie and me absentmindedly combing her hair with my fingers as they always do before we conked out. We awoke lazily and I lingered long as I could before the winds began calling my name. I had a trip to Houston in only a few hours after all. Myself needing to make one last romantic gesture to tease out just a bit more of her radiance, I threw on a favorite Elvis song of mine, and we slow danced quietly before I gave her a quick kiss and left. I commend myself for my ability to concoct great goodbyes.
Friday was pretty cool. I couldn't help but have my mind stuck on [girlfriend's name], but a five hour trek to Houston provided ample space to properly do so and come back to the ground so I could goof around during the drive. It's only a month after all, not a big deal by any means. I guess it was just the distance that made things odd. Like knowing that if anything was wrong or went awry I was not nearly close enough to be able to zip over there and offer my aid. Eh, whatever.
Seeing my buddy on this trip, after not having seen him for five months was quite the relief. Picking up right where we left off, conversation flowed easily and his girlfriend enjoyed the happy noise, driving quietly with a soft smile. It was particularly nice when we took a painful stroll down memory lane. More down toward the middle school end.
The hotel was much nicer than I expected, which also means we paid a bit more than I planned, but eh. I figured I was paying for the experience so it felt justified. Two queens and a nice arm chair. And a TV that played terrible re-runs of Victorious. We began the festivities in the room with snacks and such as we took turns getting ready for the concert. We showed up pretty late because we took our sweet time walking and getting lost along the way, but I'd like to think it was perfectly timed-- Jon Bellion began only five minutes after we swiveled our way through the crowd and propped ourselves up on the ledge of the elevated bar/seated section. In all honesty, I'd never heard more than a song or two of his, but by ten minutes in and fully immersed in crowd zeal, I felt totally in-toe with all the rest. Plus his crowd participation debriefs kinda made the gap a little easier to close lyrically. Some kid came up to us a bunch and told me a few conspiracies involving skynet taking over in real life, and life is like one big hallucination. Oh and his friend will be the illuminati president.
Post concert was nice. We got a little slap happy, ordered some pizzas, and I gave them an hour of alone time under the ruse of "needing to poop somewhere I wouldn't smell it". During which, I went through each floor, dragging my half-asleep carcass with an imaginary arsenal of weaponry killing mercenaries. I think the security guy and girl who came up the elevator probably thought I was on molly, but hey in all honesty with a near dead phone, it was the best option to pass the time and a win-win for everyone involved. The fact that this actually happened and I'm not at all kidding is both funny and deeply troubling. What kind of twenty year old paces around swinging an imaginary sword in the wee hours of night humming neil young? But that's for my therapist to figure out.
Saturday after an early rise, we zipped back home where I then turned around and hopped back into an automobile to drive to my college apartment. My day, after a quick stint slaving away to move my crap and a comical trip through the McDonald's drive-thru, ended on our new couch with Perks of Being a Wallflower playing on a tiny television.
Waking to my roommate's mother offering me coffee I politely declined and began praying that the uh... mornings bounty I didn't quite notice didn't arrive until after she left, I sorted through my things and prepared for my family to check out the new home. Of course with parents like mine, complaints still found their way into the soundwaves but overall it went swimmingly. Which it kinda had to... Because we had already signed the lease. How serendipitous. The afternoon was then spent visiting my grandmother in the city before I drove back home to a friend's birthday party. I ended up spending the night there due to drama and lack of motivation.
Monday was odd but reminiscent. For the first time in a few months at an extreme I found misplaced, I had no desire to be in the company of any other living being, much less speak to one but I had to. It was sweet, kind, wild-hearted America's birthday so I had to put all that aside. After spending an afternoon in blissful isolation, I hopped up and made plans. A call with m'lady helped get my wheels rolling. Free firework shows shot up all around and with good company I watched them without complaint.
Tuesday through Thursday was then spent working tirelessly in a variety of ways and enjoying wondrous conversation with my girlfriend. She called the other day and after not having seen anything more than a still of her face, the Skype call was a God send.
Friday and Saturday were not so fun. Somehow I was wrangled in to playing in a 7's tournament an hour or two away from my house. The total cost of this venture was $45 dollars of my hard earned money with nothing but some losses and a sprained AC joint to show for it. But as far as silver linings go, I saw some old friends so it all balances out. Which reminds me, I also ran into a guy I hadn't seen since I was ten, and a more recent friend I hadn't seen since graduation as he signed on to serve a tour overseas for a year and some change.
Oh and also I watched the Fundamentals of Caring, that new movie on Netflix. Loved it. Paul Rudd was awesome. It was a very effective little dabble of reinforcement on something I've been working on lately. It really touched me. And I hate that phrase because it has been forever shed in a sexual light for me, but it's the best that I could come up with. Cut me some slack. It's relevant because sometimes it takes a dark humored movie or snippet of a book to be reminded of the wonderful truth that life has been so incredibly good to me.
So hey...
God is great
Life is good
And I'm okay
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