I have been looking mostly, of course, at pictures that I also am in. One year ago in time, one year ago and arriving upon now: Oh, this is my quest, and so let's begin in those heady days of that year of our Lord two thousand and seven, & let us begin at July, at our July third party, this party was the favorite of my life. Here is the exemplar of the evening.
I have here seized hold of Curt, while Jane goes skulking in the background. Note the crazed look in my eye. Note Curt's clear inebriation.
July 3rd, 2007. A Tuesday night, if I recall. I would have taught class that day, taught Faye and Eugene how to do math -- Or rather, I would have sat with them, given them worksheets (which they actually enjoyed for the sake of familiarity, not that I ever so much as succeeded in teaching them to consistently add 1+1), taken them out for a cigarette; Faye or I would have brought goldfish crackers and Arizona green tea. This all only just started feeling like long ago.
The party began, I think, at seven. So early! we played boccie ball in the yard, and more and more people showed up. I remember that I kept asking what time it was, and it kept being So Early! that it was awesome. Then suddenly it was 4am and we went to bed.
Flash forward. It is October, and look!
My hair is too long, but I have continued my program of seizing! Here I have grabbed hold of my old roommate Mark. It is, it must be October 5th, 2007 -- I tell you it must because it was a First Friday. We have arrived at the house on Penn Avenue. I have disappeared inside to drink a considerable amount of alcohol. This is the first First Friday I do not live there anymore; I have moved down the street in with Rachel and Pope and Pope's horrific mangy dog. My job has ended and I am embarking upon a month of unemployment. Or, as some would have it, Funemployment.
After a while it was Thanksgiving. Man Thanksgiving is a good holiday, and Megan had everybody over at her house for turkey and other traditional foodstuffs. Here is a shot of the table I rather like:
Descending down the table are Weird Guy, Robert Smith, Boyfriend, Me, and Megan. Robert Smith's name is Penelope, and when I told her she looks like Robert Smith she was totally charmed/angry. Note that I have cut my hair a bit.
Let's linger here a bit. This is my favorite picture from that night:
An empty dish of pie and a pack of camel lights linger between two bottles of Dead Guy. This picture was taken by accident -- I think it was the Spirit of Thanksgiving foretelling life in Oregon. Later on the couch,
my face seems to have exploded. That's Robyn, Megan, me and Leigh. I miss them because they are nice. Megan is in India now; I'd post a picture she sent me of her at the Taj Mahal but that's really for her to do. At this moment in history I am working at Del's restaurant. I am a waiter and rather good at it. Jay and Jim have moved into their house in Lawrenceville and I rather enjoy being able to stroll over there mid-day and drink Jay's double-caffeinated coffee. I seem to remember them somewhere around this time having their own party at which a turkey was present. I don't remember anything else of that evening. I bet Jonas was there. I bet Boette was too. Maybe it was the night on which this occurred:
This is me fighting Boette and Sarah. I love the look on my face. I am pretty sure Sarah won.
But where are we now, oh now, o Son of the Eastern Sea?
When I arrived in this far cloudy country I looked a lot like this:
There I sit in Portland, photo taken by my brother, drinking (feel free to be shocked) a beer. Nor am I anything like happy. That was February or March, one of those months of nightmarish unending depression.
But look, a new era has dawned. Here is my favorite illustration of its nature:
...I can't remember if we are saying "Look, we cut our hair!" or, "Yep, I'm gay!" It was one of the two though.
Look, Stephen, how far we have come and, you know, What we Look Like now.
What a long,
What a long,
What a year it has been. So many convulsions, confusions -- so many friends and haircuts! But here we sit and eat an apple, we have just called our new Associates to tell them "I give you the job," and I think, and I think everything just might be all right.
No comments:
Post a Comment