Thanks for coming

Forgive me for being away so long. I know you're dying to hear news about my birthday. Well, the wait is over!!

I went home to Tulsa Saturday night, and my birthday was Thursday. 16 members of my immediate family showed up at my house Thursday night to celebrate ME. It was oh-so-nice! I even saw my Aunt Linda and Uncle Harold, who have been estranged from our family for quite some time (almost 8 years). Later that night, I met up with Sarah (college buddy and astrological twin), Phillip (her fiance), Dave (ex-boyfriend), and other Sarah (friend of Dave's) at a bar in the trendy Brookside district. We drank beer, listened to bad karaoke, chain smoked, and relived old times. Actually, most of the old times we left in the past, which is where Sarah and I both wanted them. What we really talked about is how eerily similar we are--you really wouldn't believe it. It's actually amazing that we met up at all, because one of the characteristics that we have most in common is the inability to put energy into relationships. Perhaps that's why we're drawn together, however; we don't have to worry that the other one will judge us for flaking out, not calling back, not writing back, etc. We'll understand.

I got back Friday night and slept at the Flea Motel, then returned home in the morning to clean my entire apartment for hours and hours. I was worried there would be an after-party at my place (that didn't happen) and I had to clean up for my houseguest (El Jefe). Yes, Jefe came all the way down to Austin just for my birthday. He seemed to enjoy the evening's festivities well enough, though perhaps not enough to have been worth a terrible drive both ways. Also, he refused my hospitable offer of breakfast yesterday morning, even after I carefully listed all of the breakfast-related contents of my refridgerator and pantry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Jefe--it makes you less grouchy when you encounter bad Texas drivers.

So...Saturday night. I met a few of the gal pals before we went to the bar, and let's just say we got the party started early. Then we went on to Opal Divine's and sat in the middle of what I can only describe as an absolute circus. There were roughly 35 people on the guest list, and I think most of them ended up coming at one point or another. I couldn't keep up with everyone, and I felt like I missed talking to a bunch of people, which was unfortunate. I admit my "partying" left me mostly incapable of human interaction, so I apologize to all of those who expected me to be more coherent for my own birthday celebration. However, I can certainly say that it was the grandest birthday party I've ever had, since I finally combined all the little pockets of friends I have around Austin. They all seemed to get along, too--perhaps I seek out the same kind of person wherever I go.

Today I'm working at a temp job answering phones. I answer the phone. For 9 hours. Every day. That's my only job. Wow. Want to hear more about it? Well, there are over 40 extensions just on the phone itself, and then--

[blog readers cover their eyes and scream]

Okay, I'm stopping. Have a good night, all. I heart you.

For those about to rock, we salute you!

Keep your calendars clear, my darlings, for my birthday is more important than anything else you have to do. Saturday night I am having some sort of party. It will either be at my house or at a bar, but you should definitely come. 24 is a very important milestone, and you don't want to miss it. Jefe, I think this should be motivation enough for another trip to Austin? And "Dylan," I expect you to bring me some Whole Foods cookies for my birthday. Preferably those raspberry ones. You get a discount, don't you? :)

Unfiltered truth

Had a funny little moment the other night. On the way to Showdown to meet up with Gavagirl, Oubliette, Sarah, Greg and others, I passed a few homeless guys asking me for change. I told one of them I didn't have any cash, but would he like a cigarette? He gratefully accepted, but as I dug around in my bag, I realized that I had left my cigarettes at Gavagirl's new apartment.

"Fuck! God damn it! Shit! I can't believe this; I can't go to bar without cigarettes. This sucks my ass!"

The two homeless dudes were very sympathetic and comforting, and they told me I should try to have a good night, anyway. I continued to the bar and bummed cigarettes off Sarah and Shelly all night, which will have to repaid in the future, of course. Walking back to my car later, I passed the bums again who asked where I was going.

"Home, where my cigarettes are."

"Here, I'll roll you one," one of them replied. I plopped down beside them on the sidewalk and introduced myself while he was rolling the cigarette. One was named Chris, and the other was named Spencer. We were soon joined by more bums whose names I can't recall. Chris was disturbed when he discovered my name, since it was the same as the name of his girlfriend who had broken up with him, kicked him out of her house, and left him in his current homeless state. Spence didn't really care (he'd probably heard it before) and continued concentrating on the tobacco. It was at that point I realized he was rolling me a cigarette WITHOUT A FILTER.

No, no, no. "No way, dude, I can't smoke without a filter. That's too hardcore for me. Once you do that, you're over the edge." Spence was insistent that I take the cigarette and that I would "get used to it after the first puff." He was right about that, although I still think I caused some serious damage to my lungs. It seemed to burn so slowly, only going down whenever I took a drag. I had to surreptitiously blow a few mouthfuls of smoke out without inhaling just to get through the damn thing. I don't think it was really that bad, of course, it was just the association I have with unfiltered cigarettes and really scary, nicotine-addicted freaks.

It was nice, though, to sit there and talk about nothing with those guys in the middle of the sidewalk at 1:00am. When I worked in Houston, all of the homeless guys hanging out at the church were my buddies, so I got used to striking up conversations with people on street corners all the time. This kind of things makes a lot of people very nervous, or at the least uncomfortable. Me, I say be friendly to the homeless, because you might be one of them someday. Of course, when I say that, I'm thinking of myself in about two weeks when I run out of money.

Beware of the Scare of the Ricki-Ticki Bear

[Insert obligatory apology about not posting lately here]

The apartment has been a bit lonely since Gavagirl left, but fortunately I'm only here about 1% of the time. The rest of the time I'm at the Flea Motel (Lorne and Judith's), or out until all hours of the night at various bars, coffee shops, and friends' houses. My life is both incredibly active and uninteresting at the same time.

For the entire summer at work, we have eight of our students who just graduated working for us down at the high school. Every day, one of us has to go down there and baby-sit them while they do their jobs. This sounds fairly easy, I know, but I'm just not one of those people who can surf the internet for ten hours a day. I don't have any work that I can take there to do, because all of my work requires many important files on my computer at the office. It's mind-numbingly boring and an enormous waste of my time to sit at the school all day. My other co-workers have apparently been taking it seriously, because when I'm there the kids ask me questions all the time and expect me to be an authority figure. I finally made it clear to them that I had no idea what they did there and that I tried very hard to keep from knowing. "I don't care what you do," I told one kid, "As long as it doesn't annoy me." They finally figured out I didn't give a shit and spent most of the day screwing around instead of working. I could not have cared less.

I am a very harworking person, believe it or not. Those of you who know me well know why I've turned into the supervisory equivalent of a deadbeat parent. As a VISTA, I am NOT supposed to be working with the students--that's not what we do in this program. I'm supposed to be doing my job while volunteers and/or paid coaches deal with the students. But all year, all of my time has been sucked away driving 25 miles down to the school several times a week to teach class or help the little brats with their applications. This summer employment thing has just been the last straw, and so I've decided to just let them run wild. I hope they set the building on fire.

In other news, it's been a while since I've showered. I'd better go do that before my "date" tonight. I'll try to post more in the next few days, I promise.