Interlude to a Prelude
January 30th, 2007.
Previously…
It was all about the new and the different. The first month of the new year was drawing to a close, as everyone was still figuring where they were and what they were doing. Well, that’s what I was doing, anyhow. I had a plan. The plan was quite simple. Get a job. That had to be easy, right? Not exactly. But that was neither here nor there.
In the meantime, it was the usual, hanging out with my mates, old and new. I spent some time getting back in touch with some people who I hadn’t seen in ages, and trying out things that I hadn’t before. And there was also the prospect of moving out of Orlando to somewhere out west. Seemed like a proper plan, to get away and explore another place.
And now…
I spent most of the morning taking care of my grandmother and dealing with Ciarra, my cousin Lisa’s daughter, a 4 year old dynamo. She ran circles around me the whole time. Being the type to let kids satisfy their curiosities, I pretty much gave her carte blanche to do what she pleased, except go into my bedroom. I had too many toys for her to lose. She did manage to lose my remote, though. Don’t know how she did that. Thankfully my babysitting gig didn’t last too long, and Lisa was there to pick her up shortly. They didn’t make kids like they used to.
Dreamscapes, that what I saw while taking my customary afternoon nap. Very strange and vivid dreams. The sort of stuff that I couldn’t remember, but could remember how weird it all was. That was probably for the best. There were too many other things on my mind to get even worried in the slightest.
A little later on, I gave Super Jenn a call, as there was nothing on television. I just needed to get out of the house to clear my head, and that was definitely something worth doing. There was a curious scene at Jenn’s, with David, Paul, Raff, Julie, and Austin already there, watching “Dune”! It seems that I wasn’t the only one with the idea of heading over to her place.
We chilled out to the flick, which I was happy to see. It had been a long while since I saw it, and it was still good every time. Sure, it missed out on some of how Paul Atreides fell in love with Chani, but all in all it was a perfect cult hit, and we all enjoyed it. There’s a sci-fi fan in everyone, as much as some are loath to admit it. Lots of sake flowed, as did copious amounts of vodka and whiskey.
After the movie, some of our number got quite hungry, so we made our way to Steak ‘n Shake. My favorite waitress there…and the only waitress working that night, Susan, took care of us. All I wanted was coffee, as the others vegged out on fries and whatnot. A fun night all in all, and so much better sitting at home stewing over how slow everything was going.
January 31st, 2007. I got up a little later than I wanted to, but that was to be expected. The day was uneventful, and that was most likely a good thing. No rejections from potential employers. That’s what most likely made my day.
Jenn wanted to go to the movies and catch a bite to eat, so I picked her up and we made our way to Cheesecake Factory, where we hoped to get seated in Kyle’s section. They thought he was outside, and we waited a good 15 minutes till they figured out that they had moved him inside and had closed the outside patio area. Typical.
Ken was there as well, with a few of his mates. I hadn’t seen him since that little get together at Daniel’s old flat months ago. He had been out of what was affectionately known as ‘the scene’ for quite some time. Jenn and I gave him a greeting, and we sat and talked about the future, and how this town was changing. Phoenix was looking good, but so was San Diego.
We made our way down to the Enzian. It was odd, living here for so long and never going there. Jenn was surprised, but it was the truth, and it was odd. For theaters, this place was perfect. Out of the way, nice little patio area out in front, and on the inside, tables and exceptionally comfortable chairs. We had our beers, and then the movie began. What movie? “Volver”, starring Penelope Cruz.
“Volver” would be difficult to explain, but let me tell you, the movie was fantastic! It had everything that I needed in a movie. It was one of those that could make you laugh, make you cry, and completely surprise you. I’m not going to reveal any plot points, and just say that it’s worth watching. Four out of five stars.
February 1st, 2007. It was a chill day. I spent most of the time getting sort of ready for the upcoming weekend. Time to play Army again, and have them beg me to reenlist, which was most assuredly not going to happen. June was so close, yet so far away. The finish line, the big white finish line. In another time or place, I’d be long gone and so far away from this situation. But I made the bed that I had lay in for the past 6 years.
As bad as things were, at least there were a lot of options in my favor. I glanced over at my clock radio, which was conveniently hidden by a stack of random paper. Was it a good thing to be oblivious of time? It was patience staring me right in the face. I was patient…and I would continue to be. Besides, it’s all that I had at the moment.
Next: A trip to St. Pete! Super Bowl Sunday! And how did I even run into Sam & Skittles?! It’ll all be explained…sort of. Plus, the dominos fall into place in a rather strange set of events, some of which could unravel a whole lot of my plans.