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Waking up at 11 a.m.
Honey Bunches of Oats with Almond Milk. Banana.
All day shift at China Wok.
Maple Leaf Cookies.
Delivering to a regular in the trailer park. He leaves me with a New Years caution, "Don't let none of the drunks run ya over!"
Peanut Butter Pita. Popped Potato Chips. Cranberry Honey Green Tea.
It's a slow pace day at The Wok. Deliveries here and there one at a time.
I get a delivery for The Flagship motel on 5th Street, the building with the great big jet mural painted on the back. I've always taken a liking to this place and it's historic character – Virginia Beach chic at it's finest. On the top floor. The girl answers with a smile and signs the credit receipt without a tip. Whenever I know I'm not getting a tip my cordial jovial face turns to a face of disapproval. And whenever people knowingly don't tip but say, "Appreciate it," I can't help but respond to them with, "Well actions speak louder than words." I wonder what would happen if I just started speaking out loud what was on my mind.
...
This leads me to ponder on the fact that this time last year I was doing the same thing, working at China Wok. I just want to be on a path of progression – you know achieve goals and shit.
Back at the house a very small New Years gathering is brewing. Will, Elliott, Michelle, Ana, and my old high school friend Mike Joyner are here. Ana's busying herself in the kitchen making Black Bean Burgers and baking Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillow Cookies. Sharing good eats with everyone. I set up a live stream from Times Square on the TV – pouring plastic cups of fine Champagne – countdown to 2014. Card games in the dining room, "No Way Dude". Leave it up to Elliott to provide fireworks. We light them up between the Chanticleer buildings, dropping some in the sewer. BOOM! It sounds like a bomb is going off underground. We react like little children running into corners to escape danger.
After everyone leaves Ana and I talk in the bed about this and that – the phases in one's life – growing out of naivety – relationships – jealousy. I fear she takes mild offense sometimes whenever I speak my mind about certain things, like taking things personally. But she's also very self-aware enough to not let things get the best of her, smart enough to step aside from the emotional. I admire this in her.
[i] Patternoftheday.com
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