Nothing Ever Ends
It was going to take a lot to get me out of retirement, but then the day of 3/5-3/6 happened. The plan was to see Watchmen late at night after the theatre closed because a friend of a friend was a manager at the theatre, but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men…
3/5/09
8:50 AM: Alarm goes off for class. I sit up in my bed and lean to shut it. I think to myself that I have my comics class at 10:00, I haven’t missed one yet, I just handed in a paper, and our midterm isn’t until next week. This would be the perfect class to miss, especially since I know I’m going to be up late. I snuggle back up and go to sleep.
12:30 PM: I’m awake in bed. I try to force myself back to sleep but it’s not going to happen. Any time my body is rejecting the chance at more sleep I know it’s time to start the day. I have one text message from Adam saying “I’m really sick, would you be able to pick up the Challah I ordered from the Union today and get me pepto bismol.”
12:35 PM: I go into the kitchen to begin preparing coffee. Adam’s door creaks open and a comically feeble voice beckons me forth. He reiterates his text message. I tell him I just woke up. As the dark room pleads for pepto bismol Kenneth comes forth and provides some from his room. He takes the shot of Pepto Bismol and chases it with coke. I’m skeptical about this choice but all is well for the moment. I shower.
1:00-2:00 PM: I complete my usual morning ritual of coffee, and internet surfing. I play some Call Of Duty before deciding I should do something productive with my day. In this time period it’s revealed that Adam has been puking in his garbage all morning, shuttling vomit filled bags to the bathroom afterward. He asks Ben if it’s dangerous to take Excedrin after having drank Pepto Bismol earlier.
2:15 PM: I talk to Adam about making sure that I can pick up the Challah even though he ordered it. He said he’ll talk to his friend there and tell them I’m coming. He adds I should get him Ginger Ale.
2:30 PM: It’s beautiful out. It’s sunny, warm, and amazing. A full week of dark, windy, frigid days makes a clear sky and 40 degrees feel like a balmy 75. When I get to the union I explain my plight to a cute blonde girl working the desk. I tell her to call Adam’s friend. There’s no response. I chat her up about the usual innane topics of conversation and she agrees to just give me the bread. Right on cue another girl comes by and overrides her. I plead my case a little further, not completely sure why a loaf of bread is being so intensely guarded, as if I hatched this elaborate plot to steal a $4 Challah. I walk away from this conversation empty handed, more confused than anything else. I do grab a couple of bottles of Ginger Ale before leaving because I’m a great friend like that.
3:00-5:30 PM: I’m back at the apartment. I explain my tale of sorrow to Adam who awkwardly reaches his hand through the crack of his door and tries to grab two bottles of Ginger Ale with only one hand. We work through this logistical problem without saying much else. For the next two hours I wander around the apartment spinning a frisbee around hoping for someone to volunteer to throw it around with me. No takers. I listen to the BS Report. I talk to Fudge’s girlfriend on his screen name. Somewhere along the way time passes.
5:45 PM: Elise and Alyssa show up for a planned Bubble Tea-Wendys trip. I hadn’t had Bubble Tea in years and remembered not liking it. As a general rule I like to keep solids out of my liquids (pulpy juices, sangria, etc.) but I was willing to give it another try. Adam calls me over to the door crack. He informs me that we need to be back by 7:30 to go on his behalf to a couple of student groups to give his presidential speech. (Adams running for SA president) This is met with laughter from the entire room. We pick up a couple more people and pile eight deep into a two door Ford Escort. We make our leave. Jeremy is in the backseat with five girls. I joke that Jeremy’s dream of drowning in women has finally been realized. I hear his muffled voice respond but I can’t make sense of the words. Ben hums circus music as we burst out of the car.
6:00 PM: The Bubble Tea place is sticky and moist. The smell makes me dizzy. It takes me a while but I eventually decide the smell is burning soy sauce. After stressing over/not understanding the menu I settled on Apple Tea, with sticky black balls. Excited to make use of a large syringe shaped straw I finally sit down after being the last to order.
6:15 PM: The Bubbles are werid and stick to my teeth. Ben spits one at me dead over my heart. It leaves a weird black stain of tea and Bubble goo. We run the gamut talking about Watchmen, relationships, the hilarity of us possibly representing Adam later and the general feeling of excitement for Wendys. Bubble Tea made my teeth feel funny, but it tasted good, like drinking an apple. I won’t go out of my way for bubble tea in the future, but I definitely won’t actively avoid it anymore. That alone could have made things a banner day, but this adventure had only just begun.
6:30 PM: As we pile back into the car I volunteer to give up my front seat. I am surrounded by women in the backseat. Jeremy from the front makes the joke about my dream being realized. I correct him by saying the actual dream involves being surrounded by both women and Wendys. We squabble about whether we should go in and take it out or drive thru since there are so many people in the car. Ben solves this problem when he pulls into a parking spot.
6:45 PM: At Wendys we debate whether Pooja could eat $30 of Wendys in one sitting (I say she can’t). We discover that Wendys provides its’ patrons with Wendys themed bibs. I text Adam letting him know that we’ll be back in time to speak on his behalf. He says he’ll send me the speech. I tell him to just print it. He says ok.
(This is taking forever to finish, but I will see it through. Hopefully this wets the appetite…things get better. For a sneak preview check this)
