Boring Is Beautiful

By Friday night, I couldn't say much happened this week. My Monday was spent with Tara and her husband getting Mexican food and hanging around the apartment. I did not have the strength to do anything else. It's like being back in Ohio drains me entirely of all strength and alertness. I'm sleepy constantly. 

Tuesday wasn't much different, except I did have some drinks and appetizers while catching up with Liz (different one than Indiana Liz). It was short and sweet but we caught up and talked about how our lives were spiraling at the same time. Afterwards, I --- you guessed it! --- went right to sleep and I did pass go to collect $100. I simply fell on the couch and snored my way into oblivion. 

Wednesday was spent doing pretty much the exact same thing. But I did finish reading a book! #11 out of 12 for the year - I'm ahead of schedule. Overachiever mode. So there's that. 

Thursday, I packed up and went to stay in a hotel. As much as I love staying with Tara and appreciate them for allowing me to crash, there's not a good way to sleep in with two puppers! The little devils :) I ran a few errands, showered and got spiffed up and went to Nasty's for dinner. I got to see the crew that haunts the patio and get hugs and high fives where needed. I also believe I spent Zero dollars because everyone at the bar was buying my drinks for me. That was nice! 

Too many drinks though. I left early, I was only there for dinner after all, but I was welcomed Friday morning with a blistering hangover. It made the five hour drive from Columbus to Harrisburg terribly difficult. I chugged water, stopped too many times to pee, and was out of energy by 5pm. I pulled into a hotel and ordered some food. I wanted to shower and get a good night's sleep before spending the weekend with Alex. I was planning to sleep heavily and not get up early. My next stop, Philadelphia, was only an hour and a half away, so I didn't have to leave until at least ten the next morning. I was going to enjoy a Fast and the Furious marathon and some Popeye's Chicken to my heart's content and then some. 

I left Harrisburg early in the morning on Saturday and made it into Philly around 10am. My friend still hadn't left Jersey, so I had some time to kill. Parking was horrendous and on a normal day, my anxiety is through the roof with simple tasks, so I was beat. I found a parking garage near their address and parked for sanity and peace of mind. I stopped into Odd Fellows for a drink, read a little, and then went to meet Alex at his place. Our plan for the day: bar hopping. Just what I needed, more alcohol! 

Soju and Wings

I kid, I kid...but I was already working at half-mast. We agreed to head to a Korean bar that also serves Soju and started our Saturday. The soju was superb! The chicken was immaculate. We were starting strong and the soju was slowly creeping up on us. From there, the plan was a cider bar, but we had to avoid his ex apparently. On a quick stop by the house, we noticed there was parking farther down his street that could fit his Tesla which meant that I could save my truck from the parking garage and park right outside on the street. We moved both vehicles and off we went to bar #2 - the A Bar. Unsure why it was called that when the sign outside said AKA, but I digress. The staff was lovely and gave us some suggestions for our next bars. We hit a cool little spot called Oscar's and made our way to the Tattooed Moms. By far the Best bar I'd been to since Stardust in Phoenix. From floor to ceiling, there were posters and stickers and drawings. It was like what you'd expect an abandoned building with graffiti would look like, but somehow it worked. There was dim lighting, excellent music and young people congregating here and there. We got some drinks at the bar and made our way to sit in a little bumper car that was repurposed as a seat. It was phenomenal. 10/10 would recommend. 

My Mandalorian Punch

After what I think was four (probably) Mandalorian Punches (a bag filled with rum punch and bobo), I was ready for bed. I no longer wanted to stand up or talk to anyone else. I was started to fade in a big way. So we said goodbye to his roommates, whom had met us at the bar a little before, and walked back to the house. We made couscous and listened to a smooth jazz-ish and headed to bed. I had a blast. 

Said Car Thingy 

Not a lot happened this week, but at least that meant nothing Bad happened. Small victories. Honestly.. I loved that the week was boring and not a lot was scheduled or going on. I have been go-go-going constantly since last week's start in San Diego and I am exhausted! Bring on the boring for a few days!

I'm leaving Philly tonight and driving toward Maine. Tomorrow, I will be gainfully employed by a camp company where I'll be doing their night audits - basically running daily financials and handling late check-ins. This means I will have about eight hours each night I work of Nothing work-related, so I will finish editing my book (hopefully) and push it through publishing that much faster! I could also be less of a stickler for what I want to keep in it. Some things just can't be cut, you know?