The Day Jenny Bought A Ticket To Korea

I wake up this morning to Jenny's news that she bought a plane ticket to Korea and she's leaving in September with a return-ticket scheduled for March. It's startling news, the kind that's too heavy to contemplate all at once, yet simultaneously expected and unsurprising. Now it's real.

I'm at home when Mary calls to offer me a tutoring gig for her son who is just finishing 6th grade and has fallen a bit behind. His name is Garrett. We talk briefly on the phone and she asks me how much I would be charging and I have no idea, so we e-mail each other later and I suggest 30 per hour. If it works out just right, I'll finish my volunteer gig with PS7 by school's-end in early June, then transfer my free time over to Garrett. Mary wants a year-long commitment, which I can totally offer because I'll be going to Sac State for just as long, so that would work out rather well.

I'm wondering if I could just become a professional tutor for the next year. 

With Jenny leaving in September, someone will need to rent her room, and I'm thinking about it because the rent would be cheaper and I'd live with roommates I'd actually hang out with and my lease at this place ends in August, anyway, so the shackles will be removed. It's a high possibility at this point.

I talked to my dad, who sprained his ankle and is bed-ridden for the day, and he told me that his new girlfriend, Blair, will be heading up to Seattle in September for grad school. Weird little coincidence that both of our girlfriends are leaving in September. "That's the Fryer luck," my dad said. He's aiming to update the comics website I made for him, which is good, and I finally told him about my Sac State / Peace Corps plan, which he was excited about. "Why don't you call me and tell me these things?" he asked, to which I had no good response. I really am lame about keeping my family informed about my life unless they outright ask me. It's also my Grandma Fryer's birthday, so I called her and left her a little message. 

Spent all yesterday living the life I've dreamed of: waking up, writing, eating breakfast at Crepeville, writing, drinking coffee, going home, writing, biking to Oak Park for tutoring, getting dinner at Mr. Pickles on the way home, writing, getting a visit from Jenny, writing and spending the night with Jenny. 

Now I'm going to work early to grab lunch and write before clocking on. Not sure what's going on later tonight, but it's Thursday and it's summer and things are evolving and changing around me and I'm okay with that, encouraging that, and whatever may be will be. 

- Left to Fry

The Day I Had To Write Again Or I'd Explode

There were a hundred or so dead bees at the base of a telephone pole in the alleyway near the apartment building adjacent to my backyard, some of them still buzzing like electrical wire, unable to fly, crawling over the corpses of their comrades, just dead and dying for no apparent reason at all. 

Weird.

This seemed weird, too: 

It was weird to see not because I don't think he deserved it, but because that same day I went out to Oak Park to tutor the seventh-graders, and I realized that most of them were 2 or younger when 9/11 happened, the same age as my sister. I was in 9th grade when the Towers went down, old enough to understand terrorism and point to Afghanistan on a map, but I lived in California and was detached from the emotional connection to the attack. The eight years of Bush and war that followed became background noise. Obama said he'd clear out our troops, finally, and the last two years were spent sort-of patching up relations with the Middle East. Barely. So by the time these seventh-graders were old enough to realize that something bad had happened, 9/11 was a decade old and Obama's "change" had more to do with fixing the economy than finding the FBI's third most-wanted. Now Osama is dead and ashed into the sea and my sister and these other kids won't ever grasp the significance of this moment. But the funny thing is, after ten years, I don't think I can, either. 

It's been a year since I started this blog. 

It'll be a full year of Old Soul employment at the end of May.

Monday night's bonfire was pretty neat. Nothing particularly special about it, besides being able to cook hamburgers in the fire-pit, but the mood was good and the people were great. Some of the usual suspects showed up: Jenn and Nick, Juj and Murphy, Iven, Daniel, and Jenny, of course. Iven brought a friend from work, Kristen, and Brandon stopped by for a while with additional hamburger condiments and a few bottles of Session Black. Glad to have Brandon join us. Always good to see Iven, who I'm guessing has a crush on Kristen. We played Casablanca muted behind French music in the background, then switched to Cleopatra--which the group wanted to hear, so I turned up the video volume and we all turned to watch. People casually left for home with Daniel leaving last. Jenny and I got high by the fire and then slept like sardines on my small mattress. 

In the morning we greeted the summer weather with a walk to breakfast at Crepeville. I admitted to feeling strange because I haven't been writing much lately. She could understand. After she headed home, I slept for another hour before work, reluctantly clocking in at 1:15. 

Jessica told me that Joe's apparently still trying to get back together with her, even though the last time I saw him I thought he was trying to do the opposite and get that alone-time he never got after his last relationship. Funny to hear both sides of a conflicting story, but I don't tell Jessica what Joe says, nor vice versa. 

Kirsten's having some sort of emotional breakdown.

Drew got a job at REI and he already hates it.

It felt good to get back into tutoring. I missed the feeling. Some of the kids were curious where I'd been, which was neat, though my answer wasn't the most exciting. Mrs. Coates and Tyler were both feeling sick and Starlight wasn't there for the same reason. It wasn't the most productive day but I did my best to help kids stay focused and answer questions when they had them. Zion was loud and off-task, as usual. Troy was moping and stubborn, as usual. Kevin, quiet and diligent. Terrance, excitable. Kids being kids. The assignment was tough to monitor (Read the workshop and take notes), so I wasn't exactly sure how to guide them along. Mrs. Coates said they're doing STAR testing next week. 

Paid rent. 

The student loan people received my deferment request for processing.

I have this heavy stress in the back of my mind that I can't shake and I know it has a lot to do with finding access to more money, which isn't the easiest of tasks to accomplish. I've got an unhealthy craving for a fast-forward button. I want everything to work out and I know it will if I stay positive, but having just spent another full year of my life behind an espresso machine is nothing short of depressing. I'd almost prefer a desk job if I knew they'd allow a flexible schedule, not only for the benefits but also because I'm tired of dealing with people because I'm craving a career change and I'm impatient for mine to begin. Honestly I'd love to be a paid tutor. I need to make that happen. 

Soon.

Also my new schedule has me opening on Tuesdays starting next week, which screws over my Monday Night Bonfire routine and I guess maybe I'll switch the night to Tuesday or Wednesday instead. 

- Left to Fry

The Day A Garden Was Born

THE SACTO MOFO

First, let's advertise like crazy at restaurants, grocery stores, coffee-shops, farmer's markets and everywhere else locals go, and let's surround a small park with twenty mobile-food trucks and expect a poor showing. Okay. Forget about hiring anyone to maintain order. Forget about getting cones to help organize lines, because obviously there won't be any lines. Why not throw in the promise of a DJ, live music and a magician to entertain the children. Free bike valet? Why not? Who rides bikes? Set the thing from Noon to 6pm on a weekend, add sponsorship and GO! 

SactoMoFo wasn't a failure. In fact, it was probably a success. 

Certainly it was a mess. The park was absolutely full. We had people of all ages, all temperaments, all presumptions crossing paths and forming criss-crossing lines in the middle of a high-allergy afternoon full of wind and heat and random 80's hits. Fremont Park was a mecca for anyone with the slightest interest in eating gourmet food made in the back of a festively-decorated van. Italian food, Korean, Indian... Lime/Avocado flavored popsicles from Fat Face. The bike valet was theoretically convenient, but ultimately an unnecessary clusterfuck. The grass was full of bird feathers and children on leashes and tiny dogs and out-of-towners. People who came early and devoted, they got food. Jenny and I gave the place a quick run-through around 1:30 and then decided to eat lunch at Old Soul instead. When we came back around 3:30, it was still packed. We snagged a tamale each, then snuck Pabst in coffee-cups, waited in line for a pulled pork sandwich until the pulled pork ran out. Not the most exciting event of the year, but an interesting mob to watch form. Sacramento definitely needs to work on its line forming abilities. 

SactoMoFo

A celebration of gourmet mobile-food trucks.

Don't Come Hungry! 

Friday, John repaired my bike tire for 10 bucks. 

Friday night, Emma came to town after my closing shift at Old Soul and I held an impromptu barbecue/bonfire/movie night in her honor. She's been hitting up all the democratic conventions since stumbling into a political career. Good for her. She arrived sometime after we finished watching, but hardly understanding, Spirited Away. A beautiful movie, no doubt, making for some of the most obscure background imagery ever. Jenny, Paul, Iven, Jenn, Nick, Shaun, Shaun's brother (Joseph?), Kaitlyn and Jack passed through with Emma and her boyfriend, Addison, stopping by for a bit before leaving for the "Gavin and Gavin Party" at District 30. Putting Road Runner cartoons to techno music was fun. I don't like that I don't like that Jack knows the code to the gate. Is that bad? It's because I didn't exactly tell it to him, he once saw me punch it in. Hamburgers were tasty. Paul brought delicious goat-cheese-marinara dip and proper beer, the good stuff. Mosquitoes were a pain. Political talk was rampant with a gathering of vocal democrats, which I'm totally supportive of, and I think it's important for the young adults to knock heads about these things. A lot of stuff about High-Speed Rail. Joking about the royal wedding. I said the most inadvertently racist thing ever. Iven said he found some better speakers for me to use next time, we talked about hiking. Good to see Emma again, for as brief as that was and how little we actually got to catch up, but she's an old friend and I'm proud of her. Shaun got there after being forced-upon by the singer of some shroomed-out hippie band. Gotta say, Shaun's had quite the string of off-kilter experiences with women that make me laugh, but I hope he doesn't convince himself that all women are crazy and irrational. There are normal girls out there. I promise. Had a fire that no one really paid attention to until the end. Called the event done sometime around midnight, I think, and Jenny and I went back to her place. 

We both had Saturday off, so for the most part we were simply together. Sleeping in, getting lunch, walking around Midtown, changing plans, drinking and eating the best chocolate in the city at Ginger Elizabeth, people watching, making friends, job searching, planning life after the Peace Corps, exploring each other, listening to Arcade Fire on the record player, taking photos, eating ramen noodles in a cozy little ramen house, riding bikes, watching someone get a parking ticket, getting high, taking naps and sipping beers.

This morning started slow and built to full-hectic around ten:thirty. Jessica and I handled the shift well and listened to Ross' jazz guitar between The Strokes and classic rock. I ducked out of there as soon as Nick was in place with a pumpkin muffin and Cheerwine ready for lazy high afternoon. Next thing I know, Jenny and Daniel come back from the farmer's market with plants to start the garden with, and when I go out to see them in the backyard, Daniel's already shoveling into the dirt. For about two hours, we're setting up a garden in the backyard. Tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, romaine lettuce, spinach, basil and more. Jenny bought a hose and some flowers. I put on music. Daniel fixed up the fire-pit, as well, and gave us advice on watering the newborns. It looks pretty damn awesome. I made little labels out of stuff from around the yard and I can now cross "Start a garden" off my May Goals. 

Then it was dinner at Jenny's. French Onion Soup with deliciously soggy French bread and parmesan cheese, with an Oreo pudding for desert. A little gathering formed outside, despite the mosquitoes, which Jenn shooed away with a vanilla candle. Nick & Jenn, Nick & Ashley, Jenny & me, and Daniel, telling tales of either being a kid or being drunk, then reminiscing about our childhood fears and memories. Scaring ourselves while running upstairs. Interactions with wildlife. Are You Afraid of the Dark? The elementary school book fair. Our first scary movies. Then Jenn informed us all, "On a lighter note..." that Osama bin Laden had been caught and killed today. Nick verified. How strange it felt to lose a villain from our youth, ten years too late, but better late than never, I suppose. When the group transitioned to boisterous Wii in the livingroom, Jenny and I escaped up to bed to sleep, since she'd grown tired from a full, busy day and I was scheduled to open.

Great group of people. I feel lucky to be a part of this.

- Left to Fry