Monday April 7 2014

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Waking up at 1 p.m. It's raining outside. No sun. Just a chilly air settled throughout the whole house.

Wheat Flakes and Berry Cobbler Granola with Almond Milk. Orange.

Chores. Vacuuming.

Spending a lot of time in the kitchen – making the 5-Ingredient Granola Bars and cleaning.

Egg and Tomatoes. Peanut Butter Toast. Salt n Vinegar Chips. Black Tea with Honey.

Watching a documentary on Allen Iverson.

Rehearsing a little bit at the storage unit.

Picking up Ana at the house...

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I've got a gig at Chicho's Pizza with Mike Gombas. It's always such a casual atmosphere. I feel satisfied with my performance – Ana accompanies me on stage for our usual covers "In the Highways" "You Are My Sunshine" and "Proud Mary". For the last song I invite Mike on stage to do the guitar lead for the Pixies song, "Where is My Mind?" With Ana doing the "Oo" in the background. It turns out to be a real good time. Sipping on an Amstel Light and eating two slices of Pizza.

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Before we head back home for Movie Monday night we stop by Harris Teeter to pick up some S'Mores and popping corn supplies. There's a mild ordeal with losing my car key inside the store.

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At the house. Featuring Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider from 1969.

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Towards the end of the movie, Hayley shows up with her new German shepherd pup and some new faces. Sophie's reaction to the other dog is hilarious – her tail stands straight up and she emits some of the strangest growling sounds I've ever heard. Somebody clogged up the toilet big time. I try what I can with the plunger but this bowl of liquid shit will not be penetrated. I feel like I'm in that scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

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In the bedroom Ana and I lie around in the bed. I go on this idealistic rant about how difficult it is to achieve simplicity in life amongst all the over-sensationalism in modern day culture – maintaining our integrity as human beings – the dumbing down of culture and thought process. The theme of the film we just watched opened my eyes up to it.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em."

And then of course a big first world problem in society is stereotypes. We're all victims of stereotypes. Everyone accepts their association with a particular subculture, and its mostly involuntary, but then there are the distinct characteristics and traits that define us as individuals.

Before we really fall asleep I whisper in Ana's ear, "I have something I want to say to you...I love you...and I care about you."

I add, "And I'd like to ask your hair's hand in marriage."

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* Images by me. 
† Images by Ana.