03.21.2002 -> 03.27.2002 - Time Well Spent

I've spent the last several days embracing the first stretch of more than three consecutive days off of work and school I've had since last Spring Break. While my break has involved neither fruity drinks nor tropical islands, much like a delicious plate of Roscoe's Chicken 'n' Waffles, it has definitely been fulfilling and enjoyable.

Before I could make it to my lovely five days off, however, I had to endure my last day of work. While Friday could have just been depressing and dragged on forever, a little secret I discovered made the day just fly right by. Work is much more fun when you're chock full of free sushi and beer.

My boss wanted to take me out to lunch for my last day, and even though he had just had sushi the day before, he agreed to satisfy my craving. After I posted my last at-work diary update possibly ever, we hopped in his luxury sedan and bumped some hardcore gangsta rap as we commiserated about our respective situations on the way to Davis. Several rolls later, we got back to the office where I mentally checked out. I barely pretended to do any sort of work for my last few hours on the job. As I debated about whether I should e-mail the regional managers to thank them for giving me an opportunity to work or if I should show them the same courtesy they showed me in not communicating with me, I got a call from one of them offering to give me some extra hours for a few weeks. While I normally would have told her to huff the man meat, I need the dollars. She's going to get back to me.

In the meantime, however, I have the business of some time off to attend to. Due to the pattern of recent events, I've refrained from making any concrete plans. I vaguely planned to spend most of my time with Katie or in bed. Mission accomplished. Kinda.

Although I was tempted to go recapture my late teens and see Slow Gherkin in Sacramento, the fact that I'm old, tired and I was still fat on sushi dissuaded me from doing so. Instead, I spent the night being lazy, comfortable and happy with Katie.

I spent my Saturday watching cartoons, napping through the Independent Spirit Awards and waiting for Katie to call back so we could go to Rodney's house for a dinner party. To celebrate the end of finals week, he and his roommates decided to invite some people over to share a meal and some wine. They're good people there. It's nights like these where I regret not hanging out with the Rodzilla more and earlier.

On Sunday, Katie and I planned to see Neil Pollack do a reading in Oakland. Although the McSweeneys website advertised the start time as four o'clock, we arrived to a nearly empty bookstore where the employees told us the reading happened at two instead.

It's a good thing we didn't drive over an hour to come to this or anything.

Bastards.

Left with nothing to do for the evening, we decided to bum around Oakland and/or Berkeley. On a whim, Katie decided to drive by a friend's apartment in Berkeley, though she wasn't home, we just happened to spot her as we drove away. The friend had to get to work, but invited us to join her at the Irish pub at which she works for dinner. Though the grilled salmon and pint of Bass were definitely good, I felt myself slip into a bit of a funk and kind of clammed up for the rest of the evening. I don't know why this happens, nor can I prevent it. I basically just have to let it wash over me and hope I don't seem like a total asshole.

Well, anyway, more of an asshole than I am on a day-to-day basis.

After finishing our meal, we bid Katie's friend thanks and farewell before walking across the street to the theatre where we saw Kissing Jessica Stein. Although it's slightly reminiscent of Next Stop Wonderland, a favorite of mine, I couldn't really get into it. This was probably more resultant of my mood than the quality of the film, but that's how these things go sometimes.

As she was surprisingly not sick of me yet, Katie picked me up on Monday morning to head out to the Thrift Store Outlet for Half Off Day the jam session was a success, as I got several shirts, a set of castanets on a keychain with a gold letter "J" glued to them, and Katie got two dresses. I then introduced her to the other Jewel of Woodland, the Grocery Outlet. We then planned on heading to Santa Cruz to visit a friend, but since Katie got back from physical therapy later than expected, we decided to just leave early the next morning.

Based on past experiences, I was under the impression that the sun didn't actually exist in Santa Cruz. Every time I've been there, it's been miserably cold and gray. As such, I dressed for colder weather. Of course, after the surprisingly short drive, we stepped out into beautiful, sunny seventy-five degree weather. After sitting in the car playing an, um, interesting card game, her friend walked up the hill, greeted us and showed us inside.

As UCSC's classes started back up this week, we dropped our hostess off at school before picking up some of Katie's other friends to catch up and walk on the beach. Although a turtleneck sweater isn't exactly beach attire, it was still nice to be able to put my feet in the ocean and wish I went to school on the coast.

We spent the rest of the evening me meeting and Katie catching up with her friends, walking downtown where we caught dinner and I marveled at the two art house theatres within two blocks of each other, and sitting in bed watching a rented tape of Sex and the City episodes. It was a nice change of scenery for a day.

On Wednesday morning, we hit the road back home. After a brief detour, Katie dropped me off and headed to an appointment. Although we agreed to do dinner, those plans were quickly cancelled when the news that a friend/roommate of hers who just arrived home from a quarter in Washington DC is getting married. Instead, I spent the day napping and attempting to find a ride to my first day of work.

When I drove home on Monday night, my car barely made it to the parking lot. All the interior lights went out, and the car puttered along, signaling that the alternator, which I just had tested, is blown. As I have no desire or time to spend any more money getting this beast running, it's pretty much officially dead. This poses a problem, though, as I need to be at work in West Sacramento on Thursday and I have no transportation. I would normally get a ride or borrow a car from Mr. Bestfriendinthewholewideworld or Jackson, but as they're both home for Spring Break, I've got no luck. Everyone else I know with a car and a possible desire to help a brother out is working tomorrow too, so I'm currently screwed, and uncomfortably at that.

Here's to hoping I keep my new job and find a way out there.

-- Jeffy