Saturday May 14 2011

Waking up around 3 p.m.

Breakfast: Plain Bagel with Cream Cheese. Orange Juice. Zinc.

Kevin walks into my room and plops down on my bed.

Me: “Get out of my bed! Oh man, you tainted it. Margot’s scent is there and now I got to smell yours.”

Kevin: “Oh no, Margot sleeps here? I’m gonna get spray-tan on me.”

Me: “Dude, you know that’s real tan right?”

Business—organizing—decorating—setting up the foosball table.

Lunch: Grilled Cheese with Tomato. Salt n Vinegar Chips. Honey Green Tea. Blueberry Yogurt.

Watching I Like Killing Flies [2004].

Work at China Wok—slow.

Watermelon.

Chris stops by to check out the new place—battling out in foosball and watching Musicplayer video footage from our last show at The Taphouse.

Eating Persian Cucumbers and Sweet Peppers with Ranch.

Carmen’s lies down atop the washer and dryer reading Animorphs, blending really well into the background of the room.

Anthony, being rambunctious as usual, knocks over boxes in the hallway. James compares Anthony to a cat in that they freak themselves out after doing something disastrous.

The queen shows up and persuades all of us to go to Kmart. While there, Anthony picks up a huge bag of rice, the bulk size, and tosses it up and down in the air, then of course breaks the bag making a hole, rice falling out everywhere.

Waiting at the checkout line—looking at Margot in her Harpoon Larry’s outfit: tight fitting orange t-shirt and black shorts. Gosh she looks so good. Those legs accentuated—a legitimate thing of beauty.

Pita and Hummus.

The Friend’s School around the corner had its prom tonight. Rachel and a few other people show up at the house. Anthony and I perform “The Paper Man” rap (full version) to the crowd, almost flawlessly.

Walking Margot out to her car. We get into a bouncy conversation about this and that, partly brought up on my end.

Her: “I feel like you’re just too focused all the time.”

Me: “Yeah I want to focus…but I’ve got all these people and distractions around me seeking my attention. And like, living with other people, it’s hard sometimes. But I know I need the community.”

Her: “Maybe you’d be better off without a girlfriend.”

Me: “Yeah but I have no choice in the matter because I love you.”

Her: “I feel like I worked hard for that.”

Me: “Yeah you did.”

Newspaper route—Calum drives the yellow Mercedes from the 80’s. This will be my last newspaper route—passing on the torch to Calum. Reciting the “The Paper Man” rap and teaching him the rhymes.

My little green tree frog friend appears again at the Rehab Center box. Calum discovers him on the ground by our feet—the frog jumps up on my pant leg then onto my arm. How appropriate. It’s as if he knew this would be my last time and he’s saying goodbye.

Stop at 7-11—I encourage Calum to try the blueberry donut. The addiction to them I also pass on. Eating a Blueberry Muffin with Iced Coffee.

The closer we get to the end of the route the sadder I feel. I mean, I’ve been doing this thing every day since January. I’ve become attached to this routine of just me and the lonely night, my coffee or milk and donut or muffin, and Coast to Coast radio. I’ve done a lot of thinking on these roads, sorted out many problems in my head, and philosophized. During my time here I’ve went through quite a few changes: got a new car, moved into a new place, experienced a stage of immense rejection (romantic issues). Through it all the papers would still come and go—the news never stopped. It’s strange this sense of loss. I guess I’m free now.

Sleep 7 a.m.