September Part II
The Commission is Complete
9-15-02
I drew this today. I went to church then came home and downloaded music while I role played with the Annoyed Cockroach. I ate two sausages before I left for college group and then guzzled two cans of ginger ale when I got there. I'm very tired and I cannot think of anything more to say and I keep misspelling things like "is" and "the" so I'm going to bed. Goodnight!
Who Likes Homework?
9-16-02
So I finally got enough sleep but I'm still tired. I worked all day and nothing eventful happened. I restocked juice and this middle-aged man picked one up and said "Hey there are things floating around inside!" And there were, but they were in all of them...like cranberry bits or something since it's from concentrate. Ooo...the highlight of my workday. Gazing at bits floating in juice. I did talk to grouchy John a little about why we have so many car wrecks. He thinks it has to do with everyone being in a hurry. That's probably a good guess. All I do is clean, restock, and hum and whistle pretty much. I served either 200 or 300 customers today at my till. Wee. It passes the time.
The Shadow gave me a ride home again (this is happening pretty much all the time now) and I showed him the commission. He gave me some helpful advice and mentioned something about seeing a man climbing into a dark window elsewhere in my apartment complex the last time he was here. I wonder if someone got robbed. I wonder why the Shadow didn't make sure it wasn't a robbery. Oh well...guess it doesn't matter now.
I played a little with the Roach online. (Sigh) Now I must do homework. Stupid homework. Bah.
Actually, it's not so boring, but I don't feel like reading two chapters about HTML right now. I'd rather sleep. Aw foo, so is the life of a college student. Yes, I will be productive and academic.
Goodnight.
All the Kids called him Monkey Boy
9-17-02
Today was my early day. I had to get up at 6 (not 5:30 by jove!). I barely got out the door with no breakfast, but I did manage at least a peanut butter sandwich (which I ate half of right off the bat). I caught the bus and pulled out my HTML homework that I didn't get to finish. I read it while I waited, for it always takes a while to get to school on the pokey bus. I finished the last chapter and looked up to see a strange place full of murals and Spanish signs. I had missed my stop! Oh no! My first impulse was to get off, but, from past experience I've found that that is not always the best idea. I looked up the route on a bus book and found that it went over to one of the streets that is a crossroad for my school (though very much south of there). A nice lady was helping me, and asked the driver about what bus to catch on my street. He said that no buses went up that street (later I found that this could be due to all the gangs and murders in the area). The lady suggested that I get off immediately and catch the next bus going the opposite way and simply backtrack the whole way. I agreed and got off (thankfully, in a peaceful part of town). I caught the next bus, and put away all my books so as not to miss my stop again. As we drove through Gaudaloupe, I saw dozens of grown men standing around for no apparent reason. At first I thought they were homeless, but then there were more and more and I decided that that couldn't be the case. Why they WERE standing around in the hot sun not working is beyond me.
I resigned myself to being late for my first class, which was probably the worst possible class to be late for since the teacher emphsized last time how much she hated it when people walked in late and would hold little sympathy for them. As excuses and apologies ran through my head, I looked up to find that I had missed my stop once again. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! I got off at the mall and waited for the last bus that would take me to school. I was inevitably late, but by some miracle we were in the lab today and I don't think the teacher even really noticed. I went to my Psychology of Conflict and Violence class next and wished to work some violence on a few immature boys in the class who kept making fun of the instructor behind her back (she has a thick Ukrainian accent). It really made me mad. Then I ate the other half of my PB sandwich and went to my HTML class. I found Bing there. Bing is a kid with muscular dystrophy. A few days ago I was going through the messageboards for our college and found that he posted a message asking for people to help care for him at home and/or at school (to stretch his muscles and help him dress and such). He mentioned that he also needed a personal aide to help him shower and such. This produced a few crude comments from others, and nothing else. Those comments made me very angry, but I've learned through experience that to post an angry reply to someone like that does not usually help. So I grabbed this chance to talk to Bing about helping. I'm not sure why I volunteered - I guess because he needs help and no one else at the school has even talked to him about it. He would pay me, and he says it's not hard - I'd just need to help him stretch his leg muscles and feet and then help him walk around a bit. I think that would be just fine as long as I can do it...but my schedule is so cramped...and I don't have any reliable transportation. I wish I could be of more help.
So then I went to my Portfolio class and nearly had a panic attack when I found that I'd left the assignment at home. First the bus and now this? Where was my brain? Still asleep I guess. My teacher is really really nice though - she said I could bring it Thursday and it wouldn't be a problem at all.
I rode the dumb bus back to work and ordered a sandwich because I was absolutely famished. All day it hurt to smile (because I ruined my chapstick in the wash) and I had to pay for my sandwich with my debit card because I had no cash. To solve both these problems I rode like heck to get to my bank before it closed. I arrived 20 minutes before closing time and ran through the waiting ropes like that silly big-headed guy in "Shrek". I put my paycheck in and withdrew money, then biked to the 7-11 where I could finally buy some stupid chapstick. A homeless man wanted to tell me his life story with a thick Spanish accent, but I wormed my way out of it, asking him to watch my bike for me (even though I locked it up), then dashed in for chapstick. When I came out he was still there and continued to ask questions and tell me how forlorn he is. He asked if I had a boyfriend and I said, "What does that have to do with anything?" and then he asked for spare change and I said I only had a quarter and I needed that for the bus for riding to school and then said I was a poor college student and a starving - but not really - artist, and though my life probably wasn't as bad as his, I was barely scraping by and needed my quarter for the bus. I rode off saying something like, "Nice to meet you..." even though it wasn't. I don't know what posessed me to lie. It wasn't nice to meet him. I just wanted to escape! And yet I am tangled in this obligatory web of politeness...(argh). I felt like a jellyfish. No backbone at all (sorry Roach).
On a lighter note - I got home and found the Flogging Molly CD I'd ordered in the mail, plus a $100 check from that contest I won! I was so delighted - I had money, a turkey sub, chapstick, a check, and a new CD! It was like a birthday almost! What fun! *Grin Grin*
Guns and Explosions
9-20-02
Well...not much happened today, so I will write of yesterday. Nothing really significant happened until evening. I decided to stay at school after classes to finish my homework for the next day, but it took a very very long time. I ran into Bing again - or rather, he approached me at a computer in his wheelchair. We talked about church and college groups. Our school has no Christian group or club or anything. Plenty of game clubs and computer clubs, but nothing religious at all. We both are missing it - missing the idea of getting together with other Christians who are in the same situation and school as we are. We are considering putting together some sort of bible study - even if it's just us two. That'd be cool. I've never started something like that before.
So I didn't get out of there until 7 p.m. and it was already dark. Bad. Very bad. Riding the bus in the dark is not fun. I clutched my keys tightly, remembering my self defense techniques (Go for the eyes!). Nothing happened. At the mall people were taking pictures of a bus that was vandalized or something...it had these scrapes up and down one corner. I had to sit across from a fat man with a beard dressed up in black leather - cowboy style. He smelled soooo bad. Like a dead animal. I could faintly detect the leather smell amidst the stench, but that just made it seem all the worse. I think the smell may have simply been the dead cow skin...saturated by sweat and B.O. I missed my stop at Cousins because it was hard to see things in the dark. I had to trek back several blocks in sandals that hurt, but then I was finally able to ride my bike home. I was so exhausted. I collapsed into my computer chair and RPed with Roach a bit and made pudding. After he left I decided to drag out my old novel that I started writing in high school. I think I will continue to work on it and change it. It's been revamped more than a dozen times already and it's 50 pages long. It is not finished - not even close, but I keep going back and changing the first 50 pages so I never seem to reach a point where I am ready to move on. Perhaps that will change now...unless I lose interest. I'm not much for romance stories, and this is sort of one. Sort of. In a bizarre way. I still can't decide whether it should have a happy or sad ending. Oh well. I'm not there yet.
So here I was typing away when suddenly I hear this loud "BANG!" and then "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" My first thought was "Oh CRAP! Someone's shooting a gun outside in our courtyard!" I wanted to throw open the door, but then I thought I might be a target then. Curiosity took over, of course after only a few seconds of hesitation and a poked my head out the door. Nothing. I stepped onto the balcony. Nothing. Then doors began to open all over.
"What was that?"
"Were those gunshots???"
"Where did it come from?"
Lights came on and sleepy people looked out their doors and windows. Jeanie also came out and she pointed across the freeway saying something about a fire. I stepped down the stairs, barefoot and looked where she pointed. Sure enough there was a small column of smoke beginning to rise. That must be the source of the noises. But what was it? What happened? Did a car's tires all pop and it burst into flames? Did someone set off several small explosions? Jeanie and I both seem to have very inquisitive minds. "You want to drive over and see what it is with me?" she asked. "Sure! Let me get my shoes!" I ran up and got my sandals and we drove, high on adrenaline to the fire. We found it in a neighborhood and drove around the block, seeing people wandering around saying, "Holy $#%*!" and "@#$&!".
There was a police car already parked, lights flaring, empty. We wondered at how fast it got there - especially if the explosions are what started the fire because it was mere minutes after we heard them. Perhaps he was in the area when it started? We walked down the ally and asked some other people (two women and a drunk man) what happened and they said it was a trash fire and that maybe some person threw a match into a big pile of trash. We asked about the explosive noises and they looked at us dumbly. "We didn't hear any gun-shot-like sounds - it just flared up. Maybe we weren't close enough to hear." Jeanie and I looked at each other, "Well we live across the freeway and we heard it clear as day over there." The man laughed, "Well we didn't hear anything like that - I'm not THAT drunk..." We finally left, confused. We got back and told Andrew (one of the neighbors - a friend of Jeanie's who watched the cats after I did and Jasper threw up all over the place...) what we saw. We continued to debate and try to figure out what exactly happened. Jeanie insisted that it was too much of a coincidence that the fire and sounds happened at the same time and that those people were not reliable witnesses. I pointed out that the shots/explosions had sounded very close - as though someone were bashing the dumpster with a sledge hammer repeatedly. Jeanie agreed, but still felt it was the fire. Most of the neighbors agreed that it sounded like gunfire nearby - not explosions across the freeway. A police car came and they said someone had called them reporting gun shots being fired. Jeanie still thinks it's too much of a coincidence that the fire started at the same time and thinks the two are related (the police said that might be the case). I don't really think it was the fire, but I hope it was. I don't want to live in a place where people get shot out my window...
Malicious Neighbors
9-22-02
Friday night I went down to see Jeanie's cross stitching projects. She is very talented! And then she gave me one! She's so nice. We were discussing her work when her cat, Jasper came streaking into the apartment terrified and gagged himself when he reached the end of his leash (he has to be kept on a leash since her drug-addicted next door neighbor complained). We were both wondering what had frightened him so. Jeanie leaned down to quickly snap off the leash for him and found that he was wet. This made us both curious. I thought that perhaps the sprinklers had come on or there had been a sudden cloudburst. We peeked outside and found her next door neighbor walking back into his apartment with an empty cup instead. We were both furious! Jasper is one of the nicest cats I've ever met. He's a really big monster orange cat, but he's a big baby. He loves to just lie in the green grass after the day cools off and let people pet him. He doesn't streak around the apartment or claw people or bite or anything. He just purrs and likes his belly and chin rubbed. Jeanie said that the tree guy (she calls the druggie neighbor that because he seems to have a real afinity for vegetation) did that to Jasper because he doesn't like HER because they've had arguments over the cat in the past. Jeanie says she's always been considerate to him though (she did tie Jasper up, after all) and has just tried to avoid him. What he did was just malicious. It made me really mad. I petted Jasper for a good long time until he was purring like crazy and rolling around on the carpet with delight. I had a few choice words I would have liked to have said to that man, but he vanished into his apartment after that and posted a piece of paper on his door that said "Do Not Disturb. Thanks."
I spent Saturday working then made three dozen chocolate chip cookies when I got home. I've been eating them ever since and it probably isn't good for me. I need to buy more soap and vegetables. But I won't eat the soap.
I spent almost all of today at church and our pastor spoke on precisely what was on my mind - which I found coincidental. Ever since I spoke to Bing about being a Christian, I've been asking myself, "Am I really living for God?" I mean do I really do everything for God? The more I think about it the more I realize that, no, He isn't the center of my life. I don't wake up in the morning thinking about God first thing, or try to think of what Jesus would do in every situation I'm in. Now I feel like a complete hypocrite. I mean - I owe him everything. I started off my life in Phoenix at rock bottom, thinking I was going to wind up as some homeless person on the streets and now I have a computer and a job and food and...I just play and work and go to school. Sure I read my bible every day, but what use is that if that's the only time I think about God? If I'm a Christian, I'm a bond-servant to Christ. That's the whole idea. Giving your life meaning - a purpose. The ultimate purpose. I need to stop being so selfish and turn the steering wheel back over to the one who knows where I'm going. If I don't I'll just crash and have to learn the hard way that I'm not in control of anything. You'd think that once you realize every breath you breathe and every contraction of your heart (pauses to listen) is by the grace of God, that you'd be willing to trust Him with everything...
I'm going to really go after this bible study thing now I think. Really dig in and I don't care what people will think. I want to grow and learn and make a difference somehow...be a fighter. Bing's inspiration enough for me...going about every day in that wheel chair with a grin, having to get up every hour to walk (with no little effort!)and have someone stretch his muscles for him and all the while absolutely crazy about serving God and wishing to do something for Him with his life. He doesn't care what people think, so why do I? Why do I allow other people to control my life? I want to have something to stand for - something of significance and iron truth. Something unfailing that I can hold to with all my strength and grit. I know that what I have is real, I just have a hard time letting go of "what I wanna do"...which is totally self-serving. I'd like to break away from a self-centered life and go out on a limb...NO - live out on a limb. To say "Jesus is my hero" without feeling embarassed and to stick out like a sore thumb. OH yeah, I'm gonna be a rebel. An intolerant religious geek...how politically incorrect is that! Ha ha! So here I go - wish me luck!
Banzai!!!!!
(On a side note: Today I discovered that Alice Cooper and the owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks both go to my church. Crazy...)
HUZZAH!!!!!!
9-25-02
Oh I'm so hyped! I'm so happy! The Shadow sent me an email that Flogging Molly is coming to the Valley this SATURDAY! I'm going to do my best to get there and see them! OH I'M SO EXCITED!!!! I LOVE Flogging Molly and I want to see them! I want to meet them! Now if only I can get out of work early...
Perhaps I can work all day Friday since I don't have school that day and they can let me out early Saturday. I figure Flogging Molly should be playing around noon or so...maybe (hopefully) a little later...Oh I do so hope I get to see them!
Here's my cynical side now: This is probably some test from God in which I'm going to have to choose whether to help someone out who is in need or go see my most favoritest band in the world play live music...(sigh). I would have to pass the test and miss my band, but perhaps that won't be the case and I'll just be able to see them! Or maybe I will be frustrated and then after being disappointed the band will come to Cousins and order subs! It would be so cool to see them! I wonder what they'd think of my Spiderman comic...hee hee hee! It brings me joy just knowing they're here and there IS a chance I might possibly see them.
In other news, I think I'm getting fat. Yes. I decided today at the bus stop that I have fat thighs and I need to eat more vegetables and give the rest of my chocolate chip cookies to Guard dog Jake because they are too tempting and unhealthy. I will force myself to order only salads and soup at work and will buy lots of fruit (which I adore anyway) and veggies from the grocery store (fresh peas in a pod!). If only there were some sort of people kibble. Something that covered all nutrition areas that I could just open, eat, and not think about. That would make life so much easier.
I'm almost done with Crime and Punishment, and I am enjoying this book immensely, despite the difficulty I had getting into it at first. I like how detailed the descriptions are and how most of the book is comprised of the inner workings of a murderer's mind and the peoples' around him. With all these inner monologues and thought processes, it'd be next to impossible to create any sort of decent movie out of it. It's simply NOT an action story (even though there is an axe-murder, yes...).
I spotted a fellow class-mate leaving my apartments the other day and was very delighted because he had a car and maybe I could ask him later for rides so I wouldn't have to ride the bus. He is in my Professional Skills Development class and today in that class we played a game where we told three truths and one lie about ourselves. Mine were: #1. I have a tattoo of the Chinese word for "crazy" on my back, #2. I've held a grizzly bear, #3. I cleaned fossils at the Museum of the Rockies and met John Horner and Robert T. Bakker, and #4. I was born crippled in a small house in hillbilly country.
Nearly everyone chose four, but of course, number one was the lie. I have no tattoos. This fellow got up there and said, "#1. I play the guitar, #2. I was born in Oregon (the lie), #3. (one that I don't recall), and #4. I was almost arrested once.
My teacher asked him about the almost being arrested thing and he said he'd rather not say why. Thus, I decided not to approach the subject of carpooling with him. Because of that and the fact that he doesn't seem like a very cheerful fellow and doesn't seem to find it unusual or interesting that we live in the same apartment complex and go to the same school.
On the way home I was riding my bike in the dark along the sidewalk and spotted a woman walking quickly the opposite direction. Now Van Buren is notorious for prostitution, so I started to wonder if this woman was lost or one of them. She didn't look like one of them, but still...she was walking the street. After I passed her a car pulled off the side of the road with a toot of its horn and my curiosity was peeked. I craned my neck around to see whether she was going to stop and say "hello" and promptly rode into a thorn bush. I guess that's what I get for being nosey about such things.
*skips away singing*:
I called the wife,
an I said to her,
Will ya kindly tell ta meeeeeee
Who owns those boots
beneath the bed
Where my own boots should be?
Ahhhh! Ya drunk, ya drunk, ya silly old fool -
Still you cannot seeeeee?
That's some lovely geranium pots
me mother sent to meeee!
Well many's the day I traveled
A hundred miles or more,
but laces on geranium pots I never seen before!
Not So Starving an Artist
9-26-02
I worked all day and the Shadow was sick so I had no one to talk to about Crime and Punishment, concerts, or strange theories. And no one to drive me home either. It was a long day. I had a salad like I said I would, and then when I got home I went with Jeanie straight to the store to get groceries and soap because all my cupboards were empty. I spent over fifty bucks on food...and I feel terrible about it. But I need food to survive and I bought enough frozen stuff that it should last a good long while, and I bought a few portable small things I can take to school too. So now I hope I have enough money for the concert and my rent and bills. It's starting to cool off just a little bit now, though, so I turned off my fan and air conditioner. Maybe that will save me some money combined with my cold showers and "poor man's discount" I just received in the mail. I also received my phone/internet bill which is over a hundred dollars (yikes!).
I wrote a long letter to a kid in my Redwall role-playing club who is trying to kill some of my friend's characters for no particular reason. Just because he can. I explained to him in lengthy detail about why one should respect other people and not kill their main characters for kicks and giggles. I don't know if I'll get through to him, but at least I can say I did my best as a reasoning adult before I do something drastic like locking him out of the club.
Then I drew this picture of an Arizona bird. The birds around here really look like this. They are scraggly and their feathers are all falling out and messed up and they look like they're screaming all the time because they're always panting from the heat. It's kind of disturbing to be walking along the sidwalk and have all these scruffy open-mouthed birds gawking at you. Especially since with humans, someone holding their mouth wide open like that is in immense pain or terror.
Bing and I are going to try to get together as soon as possible to see if I have what it takes to help him walk around. If our schedules mesh, I might be able to help out somehow. If it looks too complicated, we can at least still do the bible study. We found another Christian guy at our college. He thinks the bible study is a pretty good idea too. This may take off yet!
The Shadow offered to drive me to the concert Saturday. He says he thinks concerts are pointless and doesn't know why I want to go to one. "It's not the sweaty masses" I said, "It's the chance to see the band and talk to them and maybe even get autographs! Yay!" Paul gave me Saturday off in exchange for working all day Friday. I need to find out whether I can bring a camera or not...
Next Saturday I will be painting the windows of the shop with leaves and pumpkins. This could prove to be fun. We shall see.
Oh yes - and the strangest thing happened. When Jeanie and I were driving to the supercenter, we stopped at a stoplight. I was jabbering on about nothing in particular when Jeanie said, "Okaaaay, Mister, stop staring." I glanced over at the truck next to us and this guy was staring at us - and not just looking, I mean LOOKING as in his eyes were wide and he was leaning forward and not smiling - just freaky STARING intensly and unabashedly. I looked away quickly and then the light changed, but man, that was really really weird. It felt like he wasn't human or something.
Ow My Neck Hurts
9-26/27-02
I thought I might leave early so I could work on homework before class, but I didn't. I caught the bus, then when I got on my second bus, I discovered that it had some serious problems goin' on. It was doing this heaving jerking hiccuping thing and just creeping along. I sighed, thinking I was definitely going to be late, but since I'd spent nearly 20 minutes at the last bus stop singing praise songs out loud for fun I wasn't so upset. I was all like, "Well this is an interesting little set-back God's given me..." and smiled. At one of the stops further down a lot of people got on and they all sat down like normal. Then the bus started doing its hiccupy jerky thing and everyone realized there was something wrong with the bus and they were most likely going to be late. This one fat man said "#@$%!!!" through his teeth over and over and "Let me off this #$@#& bus." But then he didn't pull the cord...he just complained to anyone who would listen. I got off at the mall and found I had 15 minutes to wait, so I went into the mall to look for Venom. I didn't find one, so I came back out, caught the bus, and miraculously got to school on time. I watched a movie on euthanasia in my psych class and now I'm supposed to write an essay on what my attitude is towards it. Hmmm. It bears a lot of thought.
So I did homework at school and Preston helped me a little with my atom project. I decided to do my atom in a jungle-like setting and to put monkeys swinging on the rings. Maybe I'll make one being zapped by an electron. So I left around fourish so I could for sure get home before dark and sat on the ground at the bus stop because that was the only place in the shade. I tried to read Crime and Punishment but ants kept crawling up my pants. I endured it until the shadow extended to the bench and then I moved there. When the bus came, I chose to sit up front next to this black man who seemed friendly. He pointed at my backpack and asked if it was full of knowledge. I patted it and said, "Yeah....that's it...knowledge..." then peeked in at the empty plastic salad bowl. I talked to him and found out that he used to be a policeman in Chicago and was shot several times. He even showed me some of his scars. I was delighted with this fellow because he was very nice and I have a strange fascination with policemen, so I will try to catch that same bus again next week so I can learn his name and chat more about things. Maybe I'll get a few good stories out of him. I love good stories. Preston tells good stories too, even if they're long.
So I got home after another bus switch and a hot bike ride (I wore jeans today), and immediately turned on my computer. I made macaroni and played around on the internet. Jeanie called and asked to come up to borrow quarters for laundry so I said sure and she brought Andrew too, so she could show him the cartoon of herself that I drew the other day. I forced them to listen to "Salty Dog" and part of "Seven Drunken Nights". I don't suppose they were too interested, but I had them trapped - ahahahahahahahaha! They left and I decided to try to finish my book since it had become even more interesting. I left my computer on since I still hadn't composed anything for this yet, and I planned to do it after I finished the book. Unfortunately, sleep caught up to me and I CRASHED. I woke up later at 6 A.M., left an away message on my Instant messaging, brushed my teeth, discovered that I'd slept on grape stems, then went back to sleep until 9. Now it is off to work once again. Tomorrow is Flogging Molly though - Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!
9-28-02
Jo is Moshed
Well I woke up early because I was excited. I read more Crime and Punishment, took a shower, and then fiddled around on the computer because I had lots of time. But then when I finally pulled myself away from the computer I did not have enough time! The Shadow knocked very loudly on my door and made me nearly jump out of my skin. I invited him in and then proceeded to jabber on about the book and how I wasn't ready and what I should take and how I should carry it since I couldn't take a backpack.
I must have delayed us for twenty or so minutes packing yogurt and carrots and fruit and making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and selecting which drawing utensils to bring. The Shadow said he was surprised that I hadn't been waiting out in the parking lot. I was certainly excited, but I guess I just have a thing against deadlines. When it's not crucial, I don't hurry...and then I'm usually in a rush right before I go because I start to remember things I need to do before I go. Anyway, I hadn't eaten any breakfast, but neither had he, so we decided to just get something to go since we were running behind.
We stopped at McDonalds and I tried to get something healthy (ha ha) and he got a burger and soda. I was surprised that he'd get soda after having an unlimited amount over all the years he's worked at Cousins. As we drove I told him about my sister, Merry, and how she's a really nice person who likes to ride motorcycles and how she is like me, but nicer and a little more extreme. We talked about funerals and tornados and then as we got closer he told me that he was worried that we might miss Flogging Molly. I asked him if there was anything we could do about being late and he said "Not really..." so I told him to stop worrying about something we cannot do anything about.
We got there and I laughed at all the funny people with mohawks and spikes while we were looking for a parking space. We parked and a lot of car alarms were going off. I carried a big blue walmart bag with all my food and my sketchbook and pencils and stuff. We bought our tickets (there was no line at all) and then got in line where the security guards were checking people through. Even though on the website it had said that you can bring your own food in a paper bag, there was now a big sign that said NO FOOD. We thought the guards might be lenient, but then when we saw how direct he was with the folks ahead of us, we did an about face and went back to the car to put away the food. We sat a bit and he ate his burger and I ate my yogurts so they wouldn't go bad, then we went back. The guards made everyone turn out their pockets and looked through their things, but they didn't really bother me much since all I was carrying was a see-through zip-lock bag and a water bottle and I guess I didn't look like a punk trouble-maker. They did, however, make me throw away the lid to my bottle which made me sad because I use it all the time.
We wandered around and checked out the stands for souvenirs and such, then went into the stadium. They had the baseball diamond surrounded by a fence and guards patrolling it as well as the rest of the place. We found the autograph booth and saw that Flogging Molly was to play at 4:00 p.m. and sign autographs at 5. So we had five hours to walk among the punk rockers and bake in the sun. It was a long day. There were several bands playing...two stages inside and a local stage outside. All the music was pretty bad in my opinion. The Shadow ended up buying two four-dollar slushies and a small souvenir for me (how nice is that!) I bought a $20 Flogging Molly shirt after much deliberation. I finally decided on getting it because there were only two left and I wanted to get it autographed.
We walked around and talked about the people around us and I drew a few of the different hairstyles, then tried to draw "your typical Edgefest rocker". I couldn't get it right until I made the guy a dog. Then it came out okay. Almost everyone had tattoos, piercings, and spiked up hair. There were some real weirdos. Every color hair of the rainbow, lots and lots of safety pins. Most guys walked around shirtless and those who didn't nearly all wore black T-shirts with something trendy on them (most were band names). One guy with a mohawk got his head autographed and there were some dudes walking around with signs that said "Free kisses...see details below..." and there was a girl who had "will flash for $5" written in marker across her collar bone. The marines had a stand where guys or girls could win free shirts if they (guys) did a certain number of chin-ups or (girls) kept their chin held over the bar for sixty seconds. The Shadow said he would have done it if he hadn't been recovering from the flu. He didn't want a relapse.
There were several bands we endured. The Shadow wanted to experience the environment near the stage at first, but then the lead singer of the band that was up there started encouraging people to spit on each other (in a respectful way) and he said he'd wait for Flogging Molly to go up there.
Finally it was 3:30 or so and the last band before Flogging Molly got up on stage. This big loud guy yelled a continuous string of profanities at the crowd, trying to get them excited. They raised their arms and it reminded me of those old black and white videos of people hailing Hitler. There was a lot of crowd surfing and people throwing bottles and balls and frisbees through the air. Someone started a fire and then some firemen put it out. There were people kissing and drinking and smoking everywhere and garbage blanketed the playing field. The stadium looked like a huge trash can, and I thought it was just because of the character of the people until I tried to find a trashcan to throw a little sample cup away in. There were none! I finally approached a stand and asked about it and the girl said she had one behind the counter and threw it away. But I had to go way out of my way to be a good citizen.
Then it was time for Flogging Molly! I peered up at the stage, but the band that was setting up was not Flogging Molly. I was disappointed and The Shadow trailed me over to the autograph booth to re-check the line-up. They'd skipped Flogging Molly! I was frustrated, but then after twenty minutes or so of the other band, I saw a man with black pants, a white shirt, suspenders and a black cap on the other stage setting up. I started jumping up and down pointing and saying - Oh oh oh! Look - he's part of Flogging Molly! It's Flogging Molly! And so we headed over to that stage and I strained to find all the different band members. I was so thrilled! And then I saw Dave King! Weeeeeee! I pointed them all out to the Shadow who stood silently behind me and then...well - I guess you can see what happened next in the comic.
I was just squished by a lot of people at first. Everyone wanted to be close to the stage. A few were annoying and very pushy, moving to stand in front of me. The Shadow and I were somewhat separated because the Shadow is a nice guy and let people in front of him without protest. Dave King shouted out his greetings and used many colorful words as he described how he was happy to be alive because their plane nearly crashed. Then they started playing "Drunken Lullabies" (I think...it's all a blur!) and suddenly all the people around me started fighting! Or at least - that's what I thought at first. Then I realized that they were just...moshing. Throwing themselves at each other and everyone was shoving everyone. I could only laugh helplessly as I was carried back and forth by the crowd. I remember trying to plant my feet so I wouldn't be clobbered by this big guy who was creating a vortex of sorts, but people behind me pushed me forwards and then people in front pushed me back. I was terribly uncomfortable with being touched all over on all sides, but it was a remarkable experience.
After getting beaned by something and then elbowed in the head by a crowd surfer, I wanted out though. I only had one arm (one holding the ziplock) so I couldn't support the people who came over my head so I kept ducking when they came. The poor Shadow was miserable because he too was caught up in the mosh and being as tall as he is, he ended up with every crowd surfer on his head. Later he told me that he was surprised that more people weren't hurt because he saw a lot of people getting hit. He said that he saved these two girls that fell down and were about to be trampled. He helped them up. I thought that was cool. Between songs we agreed that we wanted OUT! And so I started shoving my way through the pressing crowd. The Shadow didn't follow though. I think he was sort of stuck. I think I made this one girl mad because she pushed me back, but I kept going - I wasn't going to stick around - I was on a roll and I was going to get out of there! Finally I made it out. One guy bumped into me and said, "Oh excuse me." And it surprised me because moments before everyone was bumping into me. A completely different environment within a few yards...
So then I was out of the mosh pit and I could actually hear the music better. I decided to get in line quickly so I could get autographs as soon as they were done, but then as I stood in line I spotted this girl a couple of feet away from me who was on the ground hyperventilating. I thought I might run and get someone to help, but at that moment a medical guy came up and started talking to her and stuff. I spotted the Shadow out of the mosh pit. He was scanning the crowd worriedly and so I got out of line to go get him. He said he'd been worried that something had happened to me. I was glad that he was so concerned. I stood in line and watched the girl on the ground hyperventilating helplessly. I couldn't really do anything and it seemed strangely wrong that everyone was singing and dancing all around her. I saw a girl crying and asked her if she was okay. She said she was and I asked her if she knew the girl on the ground. She said she didn't, so I left her alone because she seemed to want to be left alone. The girl on the ground seemed to stop breathing for a second and then someone shook her arm and she started breathing/gasping again like someone who is panicking. They took her away on a stretcher I guess (so says the Shadow - I did not see).
We waited in line for an hour and were forced to hear "The Kottonmouth Kings". The Shadow hated it. He said it was the worst part of the entire day, having to hear them. One of their songs was called "Marijuana" and they were singing about how great it was. Then the guy started talking about Creation and God and how it was B.S.. I asked the Shadow what he said because I didn't quite catch it all. Then at that very moment - right after that guy said that God creating everything was B.S., a giant rainbow appeared in the sky. I found this ironic and amusing and explained to the Shadow that a rainbow is God's sign to all creation that he will never flood the entire earth again. That He will never destroy all creation like Noah's flood again.
Then I reached Flogging Molly - I scrambled to pull out my things for them to sign. I found that they were signing anything and everything people gave them - no limits - so I pulled out my sketchpad too so I could tear out a piece of paper so I could send the Roach their autographs. As I was flipping through, I found my Edgefest rocker and thought it would be cool if they signed that! Bridget kept asking where to sign and I was hesitant because I didn't really want them to sign the back of my "Swee" illustration, but then I decided it was okay and let them sign away. Dave King saw it and said, "Did you draw this???" and I was all happy and said "Yeah! It's a sketch of your typical Edgefest rocker!" he thought that was cool and signed it and I gave them my shirt and the Shadow had them sign my CD cover. The Shadow shook their hands and I didn't think to until the last guy - the drummer. I guess I felt for some reason that I couldn't. But then I shook the drummer's hand and he was really nice and I told him that he really made the band - that the music would not be the same without his beat. That's pretty obvious, I guess, but it made him smile. So we got the heck out of Dodge right after that because we were both pretty sick of being there.
We talked about the mosh pit and everything as we drove home, and then the Shadow's friend called on his cell phone. We ended up stopping at his house and he showed me his game, "Animal Crossing"...a real-time game that is based on a Sim-city-ish idea. We took off to go get something to eat. I ate my PB&J sandwich on the way so it wouldn't go to waste and I wouldn't have to spend more money. The Shadow showed me a comic store (but it was closed) and then we stopped at Tokyo Express. I ate raisins and we talked about nothing really, then they dropped me off at my house and I thanked the Shadow profusely for taking me to the show and all. He said, "It was no problem." Which I found bewildering. And that was the end of my day. I was exhausted and happy to be home.
9-30-02
Monday Bloody Monday
Today was composed of quite a lengthy string of unfortunate events, but because there were so many, I found it funny rather than stressful. In fact, I think I may have laughed today more than other "normal" days.
It began with my getting up early to that I could leave early and deposit my check at the bank before work. I left my apartment thirty minutes before I had to be at work so that I would be sure to have enough time for the deposit. As I rode away, however, I remembered that I forgot my hat. So I turned around and rode back. As I pedalled my bike back to my apartment, I discovered that my back tire was entirely flat. I would have to air it up. So I went up to my apartment and unlocked it with some effort. The lock was quite sticky. I fetched my bike pump, then tried to lock my door again as I went out. Jake the Guard Dog came up the stairs as I struggled with the lock and, after watching me fight with it for a while, he came over and forced it to turn as I had been trying to do. I thanked him, then smacked myself in the forehead saying, "Doh! I'm going to need back in to put the pump back!" Oh well.
So I went downstairs and started to try to air up my tire, but I couldn't get the plug to hiss...I couldn't get the pump nozzle on the tube dealy. Finally I just gave up because I was running out of time to just get to work (forget the bank!). I went back up to put the pump away and forced the lock open using the other keys on my keychain to brace against it. I put the pump in, then shut my door, then opened it again and ran in and got my hat, then closed it again and tried to lock it. The stupid thing wouldn't budge though! I tried the multi-keyed bracing idea again but to no avail. It seemed that the lock was rusted tight.
Finally in desperation I ran in and grabbed up my needle-nose pliers. I turned the key carefully, but I guess it was just not going to move because rather than turning in the lock, the key bent. I tried to bend the little teeth back with the pliers, but that didn't work. I didn't want to get my key stuck in the lock and I didn't want to leave my apartment unlocked either, so I finally just called the office and told them my situation. "I have to leave for work like...NOW!" I said, glancing with surprise at the clock which stated that I had ten minutes. They said they would send maintenance right over. I knew I had to at least wait on them, so I went ahead and called work, telling them I'd be a few minutes late and hoping that they wouldn't hold it against my character.
The maintenance guys came and decided to just replace my entire lock and give me the key to it. I raced to work and got there fifteen minutes late. I worked for a little more than an hour. It was time for the lunch rush, but there wasn't much of one in comparison to the typical to-the-door by noon line. The tables were pretty full, but we weren't being bombarded with multiple mobs of customers like usual. Paul noted this and asked if I had anything to do at home. I said, "Not...really...why?" and he said that they really didn't need this many people since there wasn't such a rush. He said it was a rare opportunity and that I could go home if I needed to. I asked him if that would be best for THEM - and he said yeah, it'd be better if I just went home. I said "Okay" and started to get my stuff and started getting all worried inside because I didn't know whether my being late and going to a concert instead of work had anything to do with me being the one chosen to leave. I started wondering whether I was in trouble or not. Paul waved me off with a smile, however, so that comforted me. Vicky asked me on the way out if I could bring the picture of her daughter when I came back. I said something about using a cardboard tube to protect it and that yes, I would, then took off for the bank.
I got across the highway and halfway past the post office when I realized I'd not clocked out. I just so happened to have my cell phone with me (a rare thing) so I called and told Fred that I'd forgotten. I continued biking home on my flat tire (a difficult task!) shaking my head at the wonderful string of unfortunate events that had occured in such a short amount of time. I deposited my check at the bank after waiting nearly a half hour in line, then biked home. I complained to the Roach about my morning and then decided to eat something. I opened a can of pineapples and then sliced my finger on the sharp-edged lid. This annoyed me and I went to rinse it off under the faucet but it kept bleeding and bleeding. I finally just stopped rinsing it and let it bleed, watching in facination as the blood spider-webbed out along the creases of my skin. It lookes so interesting that I wanted to scan it. I don't know why. I just like to record interesting things so that others can see what I see and so that I can look back later and remember. By the time I got it scanned, the pattern had pretty much vanished, but it looked a lot bloodier than it really should have (it was just a nick, after all).
So then I baked a pot pie and it got done just in time for me to inhale it and dash out the door. I flinched as I remembered my flat tire and regretted not trying to air it up again before I left, but I was out of time. I rode to work and then found Vicky standing out by the road to meet me. My heart sank as I remembered that I was supposed to have her picture with me. She seemed to sense this (could it have been the grimace on my face?) as I approached and was perfectly fine with it. She said I could just call her when I got off work so I recorded her number on my cell. At work I talked just a little to the Shadow, but not much. I wore a rubber finger protector over my bandaid and one of the customers commented on it asking "What's with the finger condom?" and I casually answered, "Oh I cut my finger." without even flinching. I think he was looking for a bigger reaction, hee hee - well I didn't give it to him.
I worked as usual, wiping things down and taking orders, then it was time to close. We close at 7 p.m. and it was 6:53 when these two guys came in and ordered pizza subs. I was a little miffed at this because pizza subs need to be microwaved and I'd just cleaned the microwaves. One guy asked to eat in and I said, "Are you sure? We are closing in five minutes..." And then he said no and started telling his buddy about how he understood how we felt on the other side of the counter and that people always seemed to come in at the last minute at the food place he worked at too. I was glad he understood.
Then as they were waiting on their subs, another man came in. He had a very pink face and the hiccups. I looked anxiously at the clock and saw that it was 6:57. This man ordered 7 fifteen inch subs and 7 chips. This was a very large order. Especially with three minutes left until closing. We realized we would be there longer than we thought. As I worked on his order, two more guys came in! And it was after 7, but we couldn't exactly tell them we were closed since I was in the middle of taking this huge order. At this point I started laughing and couldn't stop grinning and sniggering and chuckling because this was just too much. This never happens like this! Sure there's often one customer that gets in a minute before we close and orders something difficult, but not one after another after another coming in when we were supposed be be locking things up and putting everything away! I figured it was just the curse of the day and took their orders, laughing at the irony continually.
When finally it was just the red-faced man again, I went out to wipe tables down for the last time. The man, a rather good-natured fellow, inquired when it was that we closed. I looked up at the clock which read ten after and said, "Seven..." He looked surprised and then embarrassed and started apologizing and saying that we probably hated him for coming in and placing such a giant order when we were supposed to be closing. I only smiled and laughed. I couldn't help it. The whole thing was just ironically hilarious. Finally we got his order up and he left. I ran to lock the door behind him and turned the lock until it clicked and then tested the door and it was locked. I went back to wiping things down and grinning, trying to think of how to cheer up the Shadow and Carol who were obviously not happy about the way things had went. Then this guy walked in! Another customer! It was 7:30! Aaaaaaaa! He actually noticed that the lobby lights were off (unlike all those others before him) and asked if we were still open. I looked at him and said, "No. We close at 7." He saw that it was 7:30 and said, "Oh." and left. Then the Shadow went to lock the door behind him - de ja vu. Didn't I just do that? "How did he get in???" I kept asking. "I locked it! How on earth did he get in?" but I guess I hadn't locked it as well as I thought or something...even though I'd tested it. I looked at Carol and said, "I don't know why, but I have this image of rats continually crawling out of the sewer...Look, there's another one - I thought you plugged that hole up!" She smiled at that and then I sung a bit of Salty Dog to the Shadow which made him smile a bit too. After I finished with my jobs I tried to help the Shadow out some by putting garbage bags in the cans and offering to mop for him (which he politely refused to let me do). He finished and we clocked out and he drove me home and listened to my long-winded account of my day. He said I should mark this day on my calendar so I will be prepared for it next year, hee hee!
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