The Way We Were
In June of 2000 I turned 21. At that time I was working as a secretary for a lawyer named Jack. Jack was an alcoholic and this was his schedule:
9:00am- arrive at office, drink coffee and talk to me about what he saw on television the night before.
10:00am- consult with people about possible taking their case for a fee of 100+ dollars.
11:00am- bullshit with different people and change another 100+ dollars.
Noon- leave for a three hour lunch.
3:00pm- return to the office smelling of gin or bourbon and chat with me about what I did while he was out, bullshitting with more people, another $100+
4:00pm- maybe update a prior client and charge anywhere from $100-$400
5:00pm- drive home still drunk, safe in knowing no police officer will touch a lawyer in a new BMW
The memory of this same period in my own life was very, very different. I too was an alcoholic however I was a much younger, newer alcoholic, and this is how I lived those days:
5:50am- wake up, take shower, dress nice, apply make up and head out.
6:45am- drive to BART, find parking and catch the
7:05am- train to SF
7:35am- arrive at Embarcadero station and walk to Battery St.
8:00am- open the office, make coffee and wait
9:00am- greet Jack, make small talk, smile
10:00am- greet clients, escort them into Jack’s office.
11:00am- greet more clients, escort them into Jack’s office.
Noon- make reservations for Jack at an exclusive SF restaurant
1:00pm- walk down the street to the Sushi place and pick up some California rolls
2:00pm- head back to the office and wait around
3:00pm- greet Jack as he stumbles in, hand him a few mints and a glass of water
4:00pm- deal with more people
5:00pm- close up the office and walk back to BART
6:00pm- arrive at North Berkeley BART, and drive home
6:30pm- pass out on my bed
9:00pm- wake up, change into a cute, flirty outfit, confirm plans with Monique
10:00pm- pick up Moe and drive back out to SF
10:20pm- arrive in North Beach, bar hop, drink and flirt shamelessly the entire time
1:00am- end up at Steps of Rome, eat pasta and dance on some tables, just for kicks
2:00am- drive home drunk, drop Moe off and pray to God I don’t get pulled over
2:30am- miraculously arrive at home, pass out
4:??am- yack into the garbage can next to my bed (so glamorous)
5:50am- wake up and do it all over again
Two alcoholics, two very different lives… and I can’t help but wonder: how did Jack spend his nights at home? How the hell did we survive for a year on less than 4 hours sleep a night? What the hell were Monique and I thinking? And will we ever have the opportunity to relive those days ever again???...
I should call her up.
