The Man in Me and other Major Esoterica
This has been one of the most eventful, exciting and miraculous weeks of my life. Time for a recap (warning, its a doozy):
Tuesday... Poster Day... Lisa gave me a bunch of posters... really good posters. It took me 4 hours or so, but I finally got all the ones I wanted up on my walls and ceiling. Where before my room was considered "Spartan" (a bed, a small end-table and a lamp - completely blank walls) it now has a much better feel. I've always wanted a room whose walls are covered in awesome posters, and now I have it. Thank you Lisa, you rock hard.
Wednesday... The Day Before... Colby and I went to go see Hitman. It was very entertaining and enjoyable. I also hosted a little kick-back with Tahl and some of his friends. It was a fun evening and an interesting preamble to the approaching Thanksgiving weekend.
I got a chance to talk to Taryn and she surprised me by telling me that her, Chantelle (her sister) and Sean (Chantelle's husband) are coming down from Sacramento for Thanksgiving. I was so unbelievable excited I couldn't contain myself! It was one thing to start getting closer to Taryn, but I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to get to know her better and spend more time with her. Which brings us to Thursday:
Thursday... Thanksgiving day... Poor Lisa hasn't been able to do her laundry due to various circumstances so I welcomed her to do it at my home. She came by around noon and hung out while her clothes were in our 1960's appliances. She confessed to me that she had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving; seeing as I couldn't have that, especially with a friend whom I care for, I forced her to join me and my family for Thanksgiving. She accepted and after my cousin and others showed up, we all left for my parents house. Thanksgiving was very good, tons of food, lots of people, good atmosphere. Everyone liked Lisa very much and I'm pretty sure she enjoyed herself... at least after she got comfortable with all the strangers forcing food down her throat and asking her deep probing questions. Anyway, we returned from dinner and chilled back at the Friar House. Taryn, Sean and Chantelle showed up and we all hung around, enjoying each others company till about 1am. I got to get closer with Taryn, I got to bask in the glory of Chantelle and exchange witty repartee with Sean. Lisa left around Midnight with (most) of her clothing and we called it a night.
Friday... Black Friday... Work was interesting, mostly dead then a crazy rush. The point is what happened afterward. Sean asked me to call him after work, I did and got the following:
S: "So, Ophir... Do you own a suit?"
O: "Yes, I do. It's most uncomfortable... and I need to go find it... but I do own one."
S: "Very good, go find it. I want to take you away."
O: "Take me away? Where?"
S: "To a magical place... a place... with a castle."
O: "What place might this be?"
S: "The Magic Castle."
O: "I'll go find my suit."
I rushed home, showered, shaved, got dressed all dapper and got picked up by Sean. We met up with Diaz, Taryn and Chantelle at Sean's parent's house. Apparently Sean's friend is a prodigal sorcerer at the Magic Castle and he got us in without a cover. Let me just say, the Magic Castle is by far one of the coolest places I've ever been... and I've been to Jerusalem. It was absolutely amazing, everything was so formal but all the people there were really cool. We saw a bunch of amazing performances, visited all 7 bars and the pub, drank and even sang Bohemian Rhapsody with a ghost that haunts a piano... she takes requests... hah! After that incredible evening we proceeded to Makoto Sushi, which is open till 1am, and had ourselves a midnight meal! I even got to smoke out with Brentan, the magician, while we were on our way over there. How crazy is that... Anyway, it was one of the greatest nights of my life as I got to go to a place I've wanted to go to since I was 12, I got to spend more time with Taryn and I made a new friend! I got home late and needed to go to bed since I had to be up in the morning... but I got ambushed by Orry, Jose, Nikki and Ian. They were in town and I had to blaze with them in order to meet my requirement of hanging out with them while they are in town. I went to bed late and woke up early for...
Saturday... more magical than Friday... I had to wake up early, why? Because today we were going to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. Alan, Kat and I went for breakfast then headed out for the place. It's this seemingly small building juxtaposed between a paint store and some other random establishment. Turns out its this amazingly cool and crazy museum about... well... you kind of have to go there to really get a feel for it. The website (go google it) doesn't do it much justice. Let's just say it's another of the coolest places I've ever been... and I'm definitely going back. I got to see most of the museum but there were at least 2 exhibits that eluded me. They also have a small tea house are where free tea and cookies are served. I really dug the whole place. I got to spend even more time with Taryn and well... things progressed... let's just say. Regardless, Alan, Kat and I ended up leaving before the rest of them as Alan needed to get home to work on game and I needed to spend time with Alyssa. We got back and I finally got a hold of dear Alyssa. We met up for coffee and caught up on life, the universe and everything. I adore Alyssa and was saddened that I couldn't spend more time with her. She is an absolute dream to chat with and I am fortunate to be on the permanent list of people she sees when she comes into town. Our time was cut short, but I was grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her.
New paragraph... same day... Taryn, Sean, Chantelle and Aaron (a friend that came down with them) came over to hang out one last time before they left for Sacramento. Alan and the gang were playing D&D out back while the rest of us chilled in the living room. We ordered pizza, smoked some giggly-weed and watched The Big Lebowski (most of them hadn't seen it! I know! Seriously!) Again, I got to be close with Taryn but despite all of our time spent together, we never really had much privacy. The night ended late and the Sacramento crew needed to be off as they had to travel back the next day (today.) And that's how it ended... almost as abruptly as it started... a wonderful breeze that seemed to fill my soul with joy had passed and moved on to the infinite. It left me with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and longing... as if I had just finished a grand adventure and now a part of my soul... my light... my happiness... has gone. Taryn and I parted with a hug and a promise to speak later. How I wish I could have had more time. *sigh*
They left and I planned on going right to bed. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to do it. I even tried vaping some more to help put myself in the mood for bed... and maybe help me put aside what my heart was going through. It didn't work. Thankfully Kyle came home at that point, around 1:30. We ended up talking till 3, went to get food, and then continued to talk till 5am. I still wasn't tired. I crawled into bed, set my alarm for 2:30 in the afternoon today and proceeded to be alone with my thoughts. I think I passed out at 5:30'ish to a night of strange and terrifying dreams.
Sunday... the day after... I woke up today at 11:30 in the morning. Nikki and Ian needed to pick up some stuff I bought for them. They came by, picked it up, and continued on their way to Santa Cruz. I imagine that Taryn, Sean and Chantelle had woken up relatively early as well and made they way back to Sacramento. Now I'm sitting here watching The Librarian and waiting for the time I need to start getting ready for work. Looking back on this whole week, I'm not the same person anymore. It's as if an awesome and overwhelming Tornado touched down in my life for 4 days and then passed, leaving in its wake a landscape foreign, beautiful and terrifying. My life felt so full, joyous and unbelievably amazing while everyone was here... and now that they are gone, everything seems darker, hollow and empty. It's as if I caught a glimpse of the potential for happiness and fulfillment in my life... something that can actually be... that this is what your life could be like... and just like that, it goes away; leaving me with a sense of longing for what could have been and could yet still be. Who knows where I go from here, I only know that there is a man within me who was found and brought out for a blink of the eye... a man who was always there, but it took something special to bring him forth. It's comforting to know that the man is there; I had begun to think that there was no hope for something like this... now I have been proven wrong. I take this sorrow and melancholy and embrace it. I have been lonely for so long I thought I would never feel love again. I was wrong... I asked for this, I wanted it it and I am grateful to have it. I am fortunate to be able to feel this loss and detachment, because it means there is something greater than myself out there which can make myself whole again. I need only pursue it.
I will forever associate The Big Lebowski with my experience with Taryn this past week. I have made the neural and emotional connections and that pleases me. Furthermore, not to be a sap, but I connected a song in that movie to her and how I feel. We embraced while it played and I felt a warmth and contentment I never thought I'd feel again. The music echoes in my mind, my heart and my soul. It reminds me of a time I couldn't have imagined and a week that truly was, one of the greatest weeks of my life.
Well, thats it. Thats the story of my Thanksgiving week... at least the abridged version. I didn't feel like going into more detail than I had to, just enough to hit the point and move on. All I can do is thank Lisa, Alyssa, Taryn, Sean, Chantelle, Diaz, Aaron, Nikki, Ian, Jose and Tahl's Crew for giving me a once-in-a-life-time sort of experience; as if the past 4 days were a nexus in all of our lives for something truly unique. Oh well, these are the times that make life worth living. I leave you with the words of Bob Dylan... which I can only thing of as "our song":
The man in me will do nearly any task,
And as for compensation, there's little he would ask.
Take a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
Storm clouds are raging all around my door,
I think to myself I might not take it any more.
Take a woman like your kind
To find the man in me.
But, oh, what a wonderful feeling
Just to know that you are near,
Sets my a heart a-reeling
From my toes up to my ears.
The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein' seen,
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine.
Took a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
Until next time,
Adieu~
Tuesday... Poster Day... Lisa gave me a bunch of posters... really good posters. It took me 4 hours or so, but I finally got all the ones I wanted up on my walls and ceiling. Where before my room was considered "Spartan" (a bed, a small end-table and a lamp - completely blank walls) it now has a much better feel. I've always wanted a room whose walls are covered in awesome posters, and now I have it. Thank you Lisa, you rock hard.
Wednesday... The Day Before... Colby and I went to go see Hitman. It was very entertaining and enjoyable. I also hosted a little kick-back with Tahl and some of his friends. It was a fun evening and an interesting preamble to the approaching Thanksgiving weekend.
I got a chance to talk to Taryn and she surprised me by telling me that her, Chantelle (her sister) and Sean (Chantelle's husband) are coming down from Sacramento for Thanksgiving. I was so unbelievable excited I couldn't contain myself! It was one thing to start getting closer to Taryn, but I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to get to know her better and spend more time with her. Which brings us to Thursday:
Thursday... Thanksgiving day... Poor Lisa hasn't been able to do her laundry due to various circumstances so I welcomed her to do it at my home. She came by around noon and hung out while her clothes were in our 1960's appliances. She confessed to me that she had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving; seeing as I couldn't have that, especially with a friend whom I care for, I forced her to join me and my family for Thanksgiving. She accepted and after my cousin and others showed up, we all left for my parents house. Thanksgiving was very good, tons of food, lots of people, good atmosphere. Everyone liked Lisa very much and I'm pretty sure she enjoyed herself... at least after she got comfortable with all the strangers forcing food down her throat and asking her deep probing questions. Anyway, we returned from dinner and chilled back at the Friar House. Taryn, Sean and Chantelle showed up and we all hung around, enjoying each others company till about 1am. I got to get closer with Taryn, I got to bask in the glory of Chantelle and exchange witty repartee with Sean. Lisa left around Midnight with (most) of her clothing and we called it a night.
Friday... Black Friday... Work was interesting, mostly dead then a crazy rush. The point is what happened afterward. Sean asked me to call him after work, I did and got the following:
S: "So, Ophir... Do you own a suit?"
O: "Yes, I do. It's most uncomfortable... and I need to go find it... but I do own one."
S: "Very good, go find it. I want to take you away."
O: "Take me away? Where?"
S: "To a magical place... a place... with a castle."
O: "What place might this be?"
S: "The Magic Castle."
O: "I'll go find my suit."
I rushed home, showered, shaved, got dressed all dapper and got picked up by Sean. We met up with Diaz, Taryn and Chantelle at Sean's parent's house. Apparently Sean's friend is a prodigal sorcerer at the Magic Castle and he got us in without a cover. Let me just say, the Magic Castle is by far one of the coolest places I've ever been... and I've been to Jerusalem. It was absolutely amazing, everything was so formal but all the people there were really cool. We saw a bunch of amazing performances, visited all 7 bars and the pub, drank and even sang Bohemian Rhapsody with a ghost that haunts a piano... she takes requests... hah! After that incredible evening we proceeded to Makoto Sushi, which is open till 1am, and had ourselves a midnight meal! I even got to smoke out with Brentan, the magician, while we were on our way over there. How crazy is that... Anyway, it was one of the greatest nights of my life as I got to go to a place I've wanted to go to since I was 12, I got to spend more time with Taryn and I made a new friend! I got home late and needed to go to bed since I had to be up in the morning... but I got ambushed by Orry, Jose, Nikki and Ian. They were in town and I had to blaze with them in order to meet my requirement of hanging out with them while they are in town. I went to bed late and woke up early for...
Saturday... more magical than Friday... I had to wake up early, why? Because today we were going to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. Alan, Kat and I went for breakfast then headed out for the place. It's this seemingly small building juxtaposed between a paint store and some other random establishment. Turns out its this amazingly cool and crazy museum about... well... you kind of have to go there to really get a feel for it. The website (go google it) doesn't do it much justice. Let's just say it's another of the coolest places I've ever been... and I'm definitely going back. I got to see most of the museum but there were at least 2 exhibits that eluded me. They also have a small tea house are where free tea and cookies are served. I really dug the whole place. I got to spend even more time with Taryn and well... things progressed... let's just say. Regardless, Alan, Kat and I ended up leaving before the rest of them as Alan needed to get home to work on game and I needed to spend time with Alyssa. We got back and I finally got a hold of dear Alyssa. We met up for coffee and caught up on life, the universe and everything. I adore Alyssa and was saddened that I couldn't spend more time with her. She is an absolute dream to chat with and I am fortunate to be on the permanent list of people she sees when she comes into town. Our time was cut short, but I was grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her.
New paragraph... same day... Taryn, Sean, Chantelle and Aaron (a friend that came down with them) came over to hang out one last time before they left for Sacramento. Alan and the gang were playing D&D out back while the rest of us chilled in the living room. We ordered pizza, smoked some giggly-weed and watched The Big Lebowski (most of them hadn't seen it! I know! Seriously!) Again, I got to be close with Taryn but despite all of our time spent together, we never really had much privacy. The night ended late and the Sacramento crew needed to be off as they had to travel back the next day (today.) And that's how it ended... almost as abruptly as it started... a wonderful breeze that seemed to fill my soul with joy had passed and moved on to the infinite. It left me with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia and longing... as if I had just finished a grand adventure and now a part of my soul... my light... my happiness... has gone. Taryn and I parted with a hug and a promise to speak later. How I wish I could have had more time. *sigh*
They left and I planned on going right to bed. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to do it. I even tried vaping some more to help put myself in the mood for bed... and maybe help me put aside what my heart was going through. It didn't work. Thankfully Kyle came home at that point, around 1:30. We ended up talking till 3, went to get food, and then continued to talk till 5am. I still wasn't tired. I crawled into bed, set my alarm for 2:30 in the afternoon today and proceeded to be alone with my thoughts. I think I passed out at 5:30'ish to a night of strange and terrifying dreams.
Sunday... the day after... I woke up today at 11:30 in the morning. Nikki and Ian needed to pick up some stuff I bought for them. They came by, picked it up, and continued on their way to Santa Cruz. I imagine that Taryn, Sean and Chantelle had woken up relatively early as well and made they way back to Sacramento. Now I'm sitting here watching The Librarian and waiting for the time I need to start getting ready for work. Looking back on this whole week, I'm not the same person anymore. It's as if an awesome and overwhelming Tornado touched down in my life for 4 days and then passed, leaving in its wake a landscape foreign, beautiful and terrifying. My life felt so full, joyous and unbelievably amazing while everyone was here... and now that they are gone, everything seems darker, hollow and empty. It's as if I caught a glimpse of the potential for happiness and fulfillment in my life... something that can actually be... that this is what your life could be like... and just like that, it goes away; leaving me with a sense of longing for what could have been and could yet still be. Who knows where I go from here, I only know that there is a man within me who was found and brought out for a blink of the eye... a man who was always there, but it took something special to bring him forth. It's comforting to know that the man is there; I had begun to think that there was no hope for something like this... now I have been proven wrong. I take this sorrow and melancholy and embrace it. I have been lonely for so long I thought I would never feel love again. I was wrong... I asked for this, I wanted it it and I am grateful to have it. I am fortunate to be able to feel this loss and detachment, because it means there is something greater than myself out there which can make myself whole again. I need only pursue it.
I will forever associate The Big Lebowski with my experience with Taryn this past week. I have made the neural and emotional connections and that pleases me. Furthermore, not to be a sap, but I connected a song in that movie to her and how I feel. We embraced while it played and I felt a warmth and contentment I never thought I'd feel again. The music echoes in my mind, my heart and my soul. It reminds me of a time I couldn't have imagined and a week that truly was, one of the greatest weeks of my life.
Well, thats it. Thats the story of my Thanksgiving week... at least the abridged version. I didn't feel like going into more detail than I had to, just enough to hit the point and move on. All I can do is thank Lisa, Alyssa, Taryn, Sean, Chantelle, Diaz, Aaron, Nikki, Ian, Jose and Tahl's Crew for giving me a once-in-a-life-time sort of experience; as if the past 4 days were a nexus in all of our lives for something truly unique. Oh well, these are the times that make life worth living. I leave you with the words of Bob Dylan... which I can only thing of as "our song":
The man in me will do nearly any task,
And as for compensation, there's little he would ask.
Take a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
Storm clouds are raging all around my door,
I think to myself I might not take it any more.
Take a woman like your kind
To find the man in me.
But, oh, what a wonderful feeling
Just to know that you are near,
Sets my a heart a-reeling
From my toes up to my ears.
The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein' seen,
But that's just because he doesn't want to turn into some machine.
Took a woman like you
To get through to the man in me.
Until next time,
Adieu~