We parked further back than the usual lot. Out near the train track it’s an unfamiliar corner of graffiti and trash. (I’d been given two shots back in the kitchen before we even left the house so I had a start before the start.) I took several swigs from my water bottle of death, then we stepped out of the car.
It was around 3 or 4 I believe. It was cold and basically everybody was at Dublin Pub. That was where I wanted to go but this had been Rei’s idea and she said no to the D-pub.
The sky was overcast into a gloomy dark gray. The wind was a bitter breath down the back of your neck. I should have sensed this foreboding but instead I imagined this was what the weather must be like in Europe this week. The parking lot was full of pot holes and broken bottles. Oh Dayton Ohio my home sweet home.
Out on the street it’s cleaner and more familiar. Rei senses a letdown for the night. “Nobody’s out,” she complains. Determined to have some sort of St. Patrick’s Day outing we decided to hang out at Trolley Stop for a few hours until more people appear.
Greencoat was in the ER when we got there. His head was wrapped up in a very silly manner but I couldn’t laugh for the blood on the pillow and sheets was an unnerving reminder of how serious this could have been. He’d gotten a skull fracture and 19 stiches. He seemed more tired than loopy to me. In any case it was scary and weird to see Greencoat, my brother from another mother, in a hospital ER like this.
So we did what you do when someone you are close to is in the hospital. We hung out and talked. We talked about what happened, about family, about books and pets. Rei had snuck in the beer she got Greencoat to show him (Which made for some funny pictures). I had snuck in some cookies but apparently he was on a no restrictions diet so my daring purse smuggling adventure had been completely unnecessary.
I’m thinking about redoing the artwork for number six there…
So anyway now it’s Sunday and here I sit. I know I need to do all that homework I’ve been putting off. It looms over my head like a evil dark rain cloud. All these things I’d planned on doing throughout the week. All this procrastination has wadded up and rolled like an avalanche onto my one last true day of Spring break. I go back to work and school tomorrow. Back to the stress and consistent demands, back to the daily grind, back to getting up at five in the morning. Part of me wants to put it off for just one more day…
“He’s not a rockstar he’s an astrophysicist.”
Tuesday I sleep in because upon waking up I realize I really don’t want to wake up.
Eventually I do get up and as always first-thing-first I must have coffee.
Tyger shows up full anxiety. She’s on Spring break too. (Here I’d imagined myself getting so much done during this break…) We eat chips and salsa then throw the baskets that once held paper plates like Frisbees into the kitchen. Tyger started it, she takes no regard for the possibility of breaking my mothers glass stuff.
I work on Melancholy Evil Poptart as she watches TV.
Later I put in contacts then makeup and we all meet up at Swanky for a trip to Therapy Cafe. It’s free on Tuesdays and they play EDR. I will admit that I was looking forward to this despite being the designated driver. This is Spring break and it’s the only reason I’m not closing on a Tuesday night.
The universe however decided to vomit on me. This vomit is fluffy white and bitter cold.
My turn came up too soon. I zipped my Buzz Lightyear hoodie up all the way and pulled the hood down over my head. I sang quiet and even started nervously laughing at one point. I was reminded of going to karaoke with my own group of friends. Swanky would always cheer for me and they would all scream support when I started to lose it for sure. Instead I was up there all alone and had to pick it up and salvage the song all by myself. When it was done I only noticed the guy from the table behind us clapping.