Monday November 30 2015

[i]

☼ ○ ▬

Inside a mall-sized facility. Crawling into a tight space behind a wall. It's underneath a staircase. I've got my gym bag in my hand. The only way to crawl back out is shoving my bag through first then maneuvering my body through. It almost seems impossible to fit but I manage to anyway. When I emerge out of the wall I discover the whole place is swarming with an Islamic terrorist group, maybe ISIS but I'm not sure. I was going to stay hiding behind the wall but decide to just face them. A couple of them notice me and direct their guns at me demanding I raise my hands. They take my gym bag and dump it out on the floor.

"Throw his possessions into the pit where they belong!" one of them commands.

Apparently, they dug up a big pit where they're tossing bodies and belongings of anyone American. I have to use the restroom. A younger Muslim girl, maybe a teenager, escorts me to the bathroom. We head inside together looking for an unoccupied stall. Finding one we cram inside. I unzip my pants and try to pee but nothing seems to come out. She doesn't really notice.

I strike up conversation, "So how do you feel about killing people? Doesn't it bother you?"

Her: "Yeah sometimes. But it's a job."

Her being so young I can tell it's hard for her to really accept the immorality of killing people. She's just being brainwashed into it. But I sense an opportunity to change her way of thinking. I get a bright idea to seduce her so she can help me escape. I bring my body close to her and start nuzzling her neck. She responds willingly. I pull down her pants and we start going at it. Eventually, other teenagers walk in to inspect what we're doing, most of them boys. They don't seem to be disturbed by us. One of them tries to inflict pain on me but I easily stop him. Leaving the bathroom we walk hand in hand as if we were a couple. I try to pretend I'm one of her kind. At some point I'm alone with a video game console in my hand. I march up the corridor unnoticed and walk right out of the Islamic group’s main entrance. Now I'm in the American sector of the mall. I don't know how but I managed to escape.

▬ ○ ☼

Waking up at 11:30 a.m. next to Ana.

Irish Oatmeal with Maca Powder, Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Strawberries, and Kefir. Yerba Mate Tea.

Business. Making phone calls. Sending emails. Dealing with life.

Scrambled Eggs. Toast with Non-Dairy Cream Cheese. Corn Tortilla Chips with Avocado and Tomato. Honey Green Tea.

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

Preparing a dinner for Ana and I.

Stretching and doing some light exercise in the living room.

Meeting with Elliott about a go-kart documentary he wants me to help him make.

Chic Peas with Kale, Carrots, and Pink Madagascar Rice in Yellow Curry Sauce.

Caitlin Hansen picks me up and we do a session together at Soul Haven Studios with Nigel for the ELO project. I had to finish up some vocal takes and she had to do hers.

Back home. Organizing. Enjoying Pineapple and Biscuit Bread Pudding.

Herbal Tea.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

---

[i] Dean Monogenis.

Sunday November 29 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11:15 a.m.

Steel Cut Oats with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Strawberries, Blueberries, and Kefir. Yerba Mate Tea.

Organizing.

At the Great Neck Rec playing a few rounds of full court pick-up basketball.

Grilled PB&J. Fuji Apple. Honey Green Tea.

Watching Dallas Buyers Club (2013).

At Soul Haven Studios off Witchduck recording vocal tracks for the ELO project with Nigel and Kevin (not Kevin Moore).

Picking up some groceries at Trader Joe's.

Stopping by China Wok. I felt the need to say hello to the old bosses and the girls. As well, I'm kind of in the mood for tofu with garlic sauce. They bought Janice a small keyboard to learn piano on. Ling asked me to teach her a little bit. There's a book with simple Chinese children songs. I show Janice how to play with both hands.

Back home. Enjoying my Tofu with Broccoli, Carrots, Onions, and Rice in Garlic Sauce.

Organizing sound recordings.

Cutting up Pineapple, washing grapes, and washing Kevin's dishes in the kitchen with Ana.

Talking to her about how I make my life complicated by always doing things differently or what I think is more logical, "I should just learn to follow the pack, then my life would be much easier. Cause I'm always swimming upstream, against the flow!"

Sleep 3 a.m.

---

[i] Image by me.

Saturday November 28 2015

[i]

☼ ○ ▬

Heavy dreams including one at a Ladada show where everything is going wrong – my cord isn't plugged in properly – people keep switching things around on stage – my tuner isn't even plugged in. It's a stressful situation.

▬ ○ ☼

Waking up at 10 a.m.

My dad drives us to Kathy's Kitchen, a local old-fashioned diner in downtown Goldsboro. We enjoy a classic southern breakfast of Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits, Hash Browns, French Toast, and Coffee.

After leaving the diner my dad pops in some chewing tobacco and I pop in some dried mango.

Me: "You chew tobacco and I chew mango."

He drives us through different parts of the city passing by rundown factories, mechanic shops, and houses.

Then, we ride to Dudley out on Pine Tree Lane, a dirt road neighborhood about 15 minutes outside of Goldsboro. I have many good memories spending my summers here as a boy. 149 Pine Tree Lane. My dad owned this property for 13 years. I used to hang out with the neighborhood boys – we'd build clubhouses in the middle of the woods and get into trouble breaking into the Eagles Nest campground up the street. We used to camp out in the backyard, have bonfires, shoot a basketball around on a dirt court, grill out, have parties, drive go-karts, basically everything country boys do. I led a city life during the school season and led a country life in the summer. 

We say hi to Evelyn, one of our senior neighbors and friends. Her husband died some years ago and she lives alone. We catch up with her and complain about the lack of upkeep on the Pine Tree house my dad lived in. Whoever owned it last let it get overgrown and rundown. We take a stroll through the yard and reminisce over the good times we had in the 90's.

Back at the house. I help dad hook up the sound for his TV into his Bose speaker system and try to troubleshoot the webcam on his laptop again with no luck. Snacking on Peanut Butter Toast and drinking Yerba Mate Tea. Watching the football game: NC State Wolfpack and NC Tarheels. I don't usually watch football games but it's nice to share it with dad.

Driving back to Virginia Beach after 5 p.m. It's already dark out. My steering wheel keeps leaning to the left ever so slightly. I'm really tired but I keep the podcasts and the old school hip-hop going on the stereo.

Back home. Kevin's playing an Xbox he just bought on the big screen. Elliott, Michelle, and Ana are in the living room working out You're Jovian tunes. Will and Zoe are around doing their thing. Buckwheat Spaghetti Noodles with a Salad for dinner.

Stuffing my face with the last of my mom's Sweet Potato Pie.

Herbal Tea.

Chatting with Ana in her room.

Sleep 2:30 a.m.

---

[i] Images by me.

Friday November 27 2015

[i]

Waking up at 10:14 a.m.

Irish Oatmeal with Strawberries, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, and Kefir. Yerba Mate Tea.

I hop in my car and drive down to Goldsboro, North Carolina. It's a nice quick drive. Listening to a podcast about the history of the confederate flag. Listening to The Beatles. Stopping in Emporia for a small lunch: Chic Pea Salad with Bread and Tomatoes, Corn Tortilla Chips with Avocado, and Grapes.

After 3 p.m. I arrive at my dad's house on Joscara Drive. His wife, Patty, went to Honduras for a couple weeks so he's all alone at home. I figured I'd take advantage of having some father-son time with him. He's mowing the grass with his ride-on lawnmower. First thing we do is fix up the basketball goal and shoot around for a little while.

He bought stuffed Salmon from Sam's Club. I help him prepare the Broccoli. We enjoy a delicious dinner at the table. Finishing off with some Sweet Potato Pie that my mom made.

We get into conversation about his time with Desert Storm back in 1990. Within the past year he was diagnosed by the VA with PTSD, not on the extreme spectrum of it though but enough to be considered officially disabled. In general he acts completely normal but there's an under current of anxiety and depression he experiences that causes him to not sleep well and get aggravated easily. I always just passed it off as part of his personality but according to the doctor he's got a form of PTSD. He describes the harsh conditions he had to endure being over there in Yemen in the middle of nowhere desert.

Dad: "I was there when we attacked Iraq the first time. When we attacked Iraq in January. Right after that’s when everything – sirens were going off – they were shootin' scuds. I mean we didn't have any hit where we were but we didn't know. I'd get up and put on my chem gear in the middle of the night two or three times. Wouldn't sleep. I was worried we’re gonna get blown up. They had us taking some kind of pill every day. They gave us a shot. We went out in the middle of the desert – I mean, there was nothing there but a concrete pad. That was it. We built a base, you know, out of tents. All it was was a runway."

Me: "So what was your job there?"

Dad: "I was a 1^st sergeant."

Me: "Did you ever go out on the field?"

Dad: "A couple times we went out in the middle of the desert. When the fighter jets would come back they would drop their ordinance before they landed. And we'd go out and blow it up before, you know, we didn't want anybody else to get it. In a Humvee we had C-4, you know, explosives. One day we were out there – it was like four or five of us – and we see these Arabs coming up to us on camels. We didn't know what in the world they were."

He starts laughing in suspense.

Me: "You didn't know if they were friendly or not."

Dad: "They turned out they were okay but we still weren't sure. But we'd blow the stuff out there in the desert." 

...

Dad: "You live in fear. Everything that happens, even in this house – I get worried about everything – I don't care what it is. And when you're in the military you're taught to react right then. Sometimes I get real angry cause that's how you're trained. You're trained to survive. Your reaction is to do something right then. We were trained like that. To react now! I mean, I worry about a lot of stuff – little things that happen around here, man, I get all worked up over it. I think sometimes I take it out on [others]."

...

According to PTSD symptoms you don't have real close relationships with your family.

Dad: "But you know I don't really have a close relationship with anybody in the family, to be honest with you, if you think about it. I mean, I don't know. That's probably why I don't sleep at night."

...

I start explaining to him how lucky I am that nothing drastic ever happened to him out there. I mean, he could've died and I could've grown up without a father even around. He tells me he almost went to Vietnam three times but didn't. I might not have even been born if he did.

We walk over to his neighbor Rex's house for a little fire pit gathering. I stay as close as possible without catching fire. The heat makes me sleepy. Meanwhile, the little dog roams the perimeter barking at ghosts in the woods.

"Enjoy it while you can," Rex says to me, referring to the struggles of being a senior.

Back at dad's house. We lounge in the living room. I help him set up Skype so he can chat with his, now official, daughter, Charlotte. His camera driver isn't working on his laptop so I troubleshoot it as best I can but no luck.

Sleep 1:30 a.m.

---

[i] Images by me.

Thursday November 26 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11 a.m.

A little bit of Greek Yogurt and Strawberries. Yerba Mate Tea.

Ana and I drive out to Portsmouth to visit with my mom, Myra, and Kenny. We were supposed to just pick up my mom and go to Ana's aunt's house but the Filipino family changed the Thanksgiving dinner time suddenly so we hang at the Portsmouth house.

Mom made three, not two or one, but three sweet potato pies from scratch. Ana and I didn't really eat any breakfast so we eat a slice along with Biscuit Bread Pudding I got from Handsome Biscuit.

As we're enjoying the goodness of the pie Ana says to my mom, "You know what I taste? Your love."

"Every moment in life only happens once," Ana blurts out. She's notorious for making up phrases like this that could easily be read on a greeting card.

Helping them install a new washing machine.

Around 4:30 p.m. we grab my mom and head over to one of Ana's aunt's house in Norview near the airport. Most of Ana's family is here, her cousins, uncles, aunts, and especially her 92-year-old thriving grandma (she lights up the room with her operatic voice and there's no stopping her). Ana tells me it's all the singing she does that has kept her alive for so long.

Ana's Aunt has us go around the room introducing ourselves and sharing the things we are thankful for. When it's my turn I put my arm around my mom and explain to the group how thankful I am for her and that she lives so close to me now. Then, I turn to Ana and put my other arm around her.

"And I'm thankful for this lady right here – she's a special joy in my life."

When it's my mom's turn she gives a thoroughly sincere reflection about her life. I'm glad I was able to get her over for Thanksgiving to meet Ana's family and everything. After we stuff our faces and bellies with the endless supply of Thanksgiving food we open the piano lid and pull out the guitar for performances and sing-a-longs. The majority of Ana's family is musical so everyone is singing.

Dropping my mom back over at the Portsmouth house.

Then back home. Ana and I are pooped out. I eat some leftover Veggies, Peas, and Biscuit Bread Pudding.

Herbal Tea.

Sleep 2:30 a.m.

---

[i] Images by me.

Wednesday November 25 2015

☼ ○ ▬

Stressful dreams at a DEJA gig.

▬ ○ ☼

Waking up at 11 a.m.

Raw Cacao Protein Drink with Banana, Strawberries, and Almond Milk.

Teaching a lesson at Music Makers.

Scrambled Eggs. Sweet Potato Biscuit with Cashew Cream Cheese. Potato Chips. Yerba Mate Tea.

Watching Soaked in Bleached (2015).

Teaching more lessons at Music Makers.

Picking up a washing machine out in Ocean Lakes I found on Craigslist for my mom.

Leftover Pizza. Salad. Grapes.

At the music space for DEJA Wall rehearsal.

Settling down back at home with Herbal Tea.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

Tuesday November 24 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11 a.m.

Greek Yogurt with Strawberries.

Teaching a lesson at Music Makers.

Running errands. Annoyed by the Thanksgiving crowds. I witness a homeless man walk into Whole Foods and snag a few grapes from the front then walk right out.

Chic Pea Salad Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato. Corn Tortilla Chips with Avocado and Tomato. Yerba Mate Tea.

Teaching more lessons at Music Makers. It's a long teacher shift today – all the way from 3:30 to 7:30. Snacking on an Orange in between.

At the Great Neck Rec using a cardio machine then playing a few full court basketball games.

On the way home I stop by a CVS for a couple things. As I'm preparing to reverse into a parking spot a lady across from me is reversing out of a parking spot and right into my driver's side. She gave me quite a dent. I'm upset but we're both nice to each other as we exchange information.

Back home. Ana makes us dinner: Tofu with Onions, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, and Pink Madagascar Rice.

While practicing stuff on the piano Ana walks in wearing her green silky robe wanting a hug goodnight. Staying seated on the stool I wrap my arms around her torso. I mention how early she's getting to bed compared to last night.

Me: "Your life is in constant motion. You're so alive."

Ana tries to convince me to let her sleep in my bed tonight. But I'm not going to sleep just yet and I need to practice undisturbed.

"You know me, I'll be like a log," she assures me.

And so she passes out in my bed and I continue on learning Pink Floyd and Zelda tunes.

Joining her in bed after 3 a.m. A little sexy time then sleep at 3:40 a.m.

---

[i] Daria and Trent.

Monday November 23 2015

Waking up at 11 a.m.

Raw Cacao Protein Drink with Banana and Almond Milk.

At the Seatack Rec with Ana stretching and shooting the basketball around.

Getting an oil change.

Grilled PB&J. Potato Chips. Yerba Mate Tea. Pear.

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

Back home. Making dinner: Peas and Quinoa with Roasted Cauliflower, Beets, Onions, and Carrots.

Finishing Focus (2015).

With Nigel at Soul Haven Studios off Witchduck Rd recording piano/keyboard tracks for the ELO project.

It's a brisk 35 degrees outside, an extreme drop from a few days ago when it was in the 70's.

Back home. Fulfilling my late night hunger with Pineapple, Applesauce, and Dried Mango.

Herbal Tea.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

Sunday November 22 2015

[i]

Waking up at noon.

Steel Cut Oats with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Maca Powder, Strawberries, and Almond Milk. Teeccino.

Kevin's knocking away on his crabs downstairs. He promises the house it's his last time bringing home crabs this season.

Learning songs from The Wall for a DEJA.

Chic Pea Salad Sandwich with Lettuce and Tomato. Potato Chips. Honey Green Tea. Navel Orange.

Watching Focus (2015).

At the music space rehearsing The Wall with DEJA. I've got a lot of responsibility to learn a bunch of new songs – it's not that they're complex but it takes time to get acclimated to new material.

Back home. Ana and I prepare dinner. She made a big pot of Tomato Sauce. I roll out Whole Wheat Dough for Pizza. It turns out satisfactory. Enjoying slices with a Mixed Greens Salad. Then, Pineapple.

Ana describes a fond moment she had at work where she ran up to a customer she was familiar with and gave her a hug. The lady who received it was really touched by the gesture.

Later on, practicing some old Christmas tunes with Ana on the piano.

Sleep 3 a.m.

---

[i] From Focus.

Saturday November 21 2015

[i]

Waking up at 10:30 a.m.

Irish Oatmeal with Strawberries, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, and Kefir. Yerba Mate Tea.

Teaching a couple early afternoon lessons at Music Makers.

Banana.

Playing pick-up basketball at the Rec.

Grilled PB&J. Potato Chips. Honey Green Tea.

Organizing.

At Back Bay Brewery near the south end of the oceanfront with Ana. Ladada is performing tonight with Arms Bizarre and The Lonely Teardrops. This place is packed to the brim with the local bar crowd and music fans – Back Bay has really come to life since the last show we played here. Enjoying a couple Beers with some Fish Tacos from Gringo's next door in between sets. I found a bunny head in the basement – everyone gets the chance to amuse themselves with it.

Back home at a reasonable hour. There's a weird pain in my left foot not caused from anything hitting it. And Ana's in a weird anti-social mood locking herself in the bedroom and watching Bob's Burgers. I break in easily and inquire why. I can't figure it out. She's off her period. I enjoy some Ginger Turmeric Tea and a piece of Melatonin Chocolate. Cooped up in my bed at 3 a.m. Ana joins me later after I fall asleep.

---

[i] Images by Ana and I.

Friday November 20 2015

[i]

Waking up at some point after noon. I slept well.

Steel Cut Oats with Strawberries, Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, and Kefir. Teeccino with Almond Milk.

Watching Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot (2014).

Practicing. Listening intently to ELO songs so I can make the correct patches on my keyboard.

Scrambled Eggs. Toast with Non-Dairy Cream Cheese. Corn Tortilla Chips with Avocado and Tomato. Honey Green Tea. Grapes.

Watching Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015).

Practicing DEJA songs.

Laundry.

Riding out to Hoss's in Newport News for a DEJA gig. Our first set is a mental overload for me. We've recently changed the order of songs – it feels like all the most epic selections are all together. I'm constantly switching from guitar to my two keyboards to lead vocals. Plus, my monitor keeps cracking from gain level issues. But it's John's birthday. Happy birthday to him.

...

Eating leftover Lentils, Kale, and Quinoa in between sets.

Back home after a long night.

Grapes.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

---

[i] From MI: Rogue Nation.

Thursday November 19 2015

[i]

☼ ○ ▬

Down by the ocean with a group of friends and mutual acquaintances. While we run along the shore and enjoy the crash of the waves things take a sharp turn. A girl of Asian decent, a part of our group, gets bunted in the head by another person falling back from a wave. She's hurt real bad. As we inspect it's apparent she's actually unconscious. She died. This ruins the rest of our outing.

▬ ○ ☼

Waking up at noon, basically. It's 70 degrees out. I've got my windows open and a fan blowing...in November!

Irish Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Strawberries, Chia Seeds, and Kefir. Yerba Mate Tea.

Organizing. Cleaning. Research.

Navel Orange.

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

Grilled PB&J. Roasted Potatoes. Grapes. Honey Green Tea.

Watching Blue Caprice (2013).

Teaching more lessons at Music Makers.

At the Rec for adult basketball. It's a live night for b-ball. I feel I have the same stamina and agility from last Tuesday. Maybe I've entered the next level of expert...even though I know I've still got tons to learn.

Back home to shower and warm up dinner: Mixed Greens Salad with leftover homemade Pizza.

With Josiah and Bobby at the storage unit off Tidewater for Ladada practice. We got a show this Saturday. Feels like I've haven't seen these guys in a long while, at least not since the last show. Josiah is excited to show us the final masters for the EP we recorded. It sounds dope.

Back home. Doing stuff in the kitchen – making almond milk, cooking chic peas, and slicing the fresh bread Ana just baked.

Herbal Tea.

Sleep 4 a.m.

---

[i] Blue Caprice Graphic Poster.

Wednesday November 18 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11 a.m. in Ana's bright sunlit room. She woke before me and tries to snap a photo of this rainbow that suddenly appeared on her ceiling.

"What? Why is there a rainbow in your room?"

Both of us are amazed.

She makes us Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes. I brew Teeccino to go with.

"You just get better and better at this."

Teaching a vocal lesson at Music Makers.

Chiro appointment.

Scrambled Eggs. Toast with Non-Dairy Cream Cheese. Corn Tortilla Chips with Avocado and Tomato. Honey Green Tea.

Watching Blue Caprice (2013).

Teaching more lessons at Music Makers.

Grabbing a couple things at Trader Joe's.

Ana and I consolidate and organize our pantry – getting things out of bags and into glass jars and containers and labeling everything.

Lesson prepping.

Ana made us another nutritious dinner: Lentils, Kale, Onions, Peppers, Mushrooms, and Quinoa. Splitting a leftover filet of Salmon.

Picking through the tone bank on my Juno Gi trying to match up all the keyboard sounds in these ELO songs. On Monday I have to help Nigel record all the piano/keyboard parts.

Grapes.

Chatting with Will for a while about his China Wok work experience (he took over my spot there as a delivery driver). It's funny to hear how similar his woes and hassles are to mine when I was working there.

Sleep 4 a.m.

---

[i] Image by Ana.

Tuesday November 17 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11:30 a.m.

Raw Cacao Protein Drink with Banana and Almond Milk.

Research The Wall tunes – getting prepared for the next DEJA rehearsal.

Grilled PB&J. Potato Chips. Yerba Mate Tea.

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

While teaching Kiran, the 7-year-old I've been teaching for over a year now, there are moments when he gets frustrated after making a mistake and he'll lift his hands up and lightly drop his head on the piano in a comical fashion. I try to get him to keep trying one take after the other so he doesn't lose the momentum.

"Don't stop! You're losing your momentum!" I tell him.

"I'm losing my mind!" he replies.

Navel Orange.

At the Great Neck Rec for adult basketball. Besides a couple of screw-up moments I actually killed it. I get called an MVP by the end of the night.

Back home. Ana made us dinner: Salmon, Zucchini, Carrots, Onions, Quinoa, and leftover Beans.

She got a fresh haircut, significantly shorter than normal.

Me: "Your hair looks good. I'd take you out on a date."

Later on, we chill together in her bedroom. I set up a movie for us to watch on my laptop. Mutually agreed on Dope (2015), a coming of age comedy/drama about a group of teenagers who are into 90's hip-hop culture and get involved with thugs. Sipping on a Beer.

Cleaning up the kitchen, more specifically Kevin's dishes. Adding another charge to his rent.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

---

[i] From Dope.

Monday November 16 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11:23 a.m.

Greek Yogurt with Strawberries.

Organizing.

Prepping a pizza dough.

Scrambled Eggs. Toast with Non-Dairy Cream Cheese. Corn Tortilla Chips with Avocado and Tomato. Honey Green Tea.

Watching Doomsdays (2013).

Teaching lessons at Music Makers.

Fuji Apple.

At the Seatack Rec shooting the basketball around.

Baking a Pizza from scratch – it's a pizza flag. Enjoying it with a Salad.

ELO vocal rehearsal in the theater room.

Grapes.

Spending some playful time with Ana in her bedroom. She's planning on getting her haircut and it's a big deal. I throw out a bunch of ideas but in the end she has her own style that she wants and only that style she will get.

Herbal Tea.

Practicing piano.

Sleep 3 a.m.

---

[i] Image by me.

Sunday November 15 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11:37 a.m.

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, Strawberries, and Yogurt. Yerba Mate Tea.

Watching Prince of Pennsylvania (2015), the complete story behind the Foxcatcher movie.

At Soul Haven Studios to record ELO demos with Nigel and the DEJA band.

Fuji Apple.

Grilled PB&J. Oolong Tea.

Errands.

I remind Kevin, "Don't forget, Kevin. You are required to clean the bathroom before you go to bed tonight! I told you about this and you said you'd have it done before the weekend is over."

He grunts and moans, "I can't. I have SARS!"

Me: "Here's the deal, if you don't do it before tonight is over with I'm charging you $30."

While Kevin starts to clean the bathroom, Will and I take notice to his uneducated methods.

Dinner with Ana: Barramundi Filets with Beans, Black Rice, Asparagus, Carrots, and Onions.

Sharing Pineapple.

Ana's running on empty after having to wake up at the crack of dawn this morning. I chill out with her in the bedroom.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

---

[i] Image by me.

Saturday November 14 2015

[i]

Waking up at 11:30 a.m.

Oatmeal with Kefir, Strawberries, Cinnamon, Maple Syrup, and Chia Seeds. Yerba Mate Tea.

I'm supposed to teach a lesson at Music Makers but it's a no-show.

At the Great Neck Rec playing baksetball pick-up games.

Scrambled Eggs. Wheat Toast with Non-Dairy Cream Cheese. Roasted Potatoes and Beets. Oolong Tea.

Watching Coldwater (2013).

Practicing piano.

As soon as Ana gets off work at 5:30 we hit the road into the dark night on US-17 in route to Albemarle Speedway, a little less than an hour from VB. On the drive there we spot a vehicle on fire right on 264...

Elliott's doing a couple races tonight. Ana and I decided to check them out. It's a whole other culture out here on the speedway.

"Welcome to Elliott's world," I say to Ana as we walk through the entrance.

There's trailer after trailer lined up with people working on their go-karts using loud tools. It's also freezing cold around 40 degrees out. In between races we stay warm next to a propane heater inside Elliott's trailer. He borrows the space with his buddy, Dennis. A couple Chihuahuas keep us entertained...

We brought heavy Salads and Fuji Apples for dinner.

Back home after freezing our butts off out in North Carolina and enjoying the races.

Pumpkin Tortilla Chips. Herbal Tea.

When Ana comes in to give me a goodnight hug and kiss I playfully refuse the second kiss. "I'm gonna bite your face off," she threatens.

Sleep 3:30 a.m.

---

[i] Images by me.