quite a bit has happened over the week-end. When we got to the gorge fri. night we found out that none of us had a flashlight so we walked the mile to the campsite in the dark. I was very impressed with nick's navigational skills as we found the site without falling off any cliffs. We reached the ridge point and started a fire. Nick told me where the edges were and I stayed close to the fire. We hung out and drank whiskey while we told stories. I asked the question of 'most pissed off' stories and was impressed with the diversity of the answer. I placed my broken glasses on my face and looked at the stars for a few hours. I passed out under the open sky and awoke to warmth and sun. When I got up I played guitar for awhile and admired the view that I had never seen before. After much taunting and harrasment we got Nick up and prepared for our half-days walk. right before we left cincy I remember that I had to wrok and that I would have to be back the next day. This rushed our adventure a bit but was acceptable by all.
We walked down the hillside to a cavern of sorts that was directly below our campsite. It wasn't more than a break in the rock but was sizable enough for us to climb through. We had native ritual on the cliff-face and I was scared about the climb back up to the top. We made it unscathed and got ready for our hike to the river. Not many leaves were out but so many flowers were blooming which made a carpet of color in some places. The splinter tree was about half-way down to the river and it was so interesting to look at. The sun was coming into the tree at such an angle that the whole inside glowed.
We released ourselves from the binds of shoes and enjoyed the cold water once we got to the river. I splashed a bit of water on my face and was instantaniously refreshed. I had Gina's camera on my hip and took some interesting pictures. Mostly we just enjoyed being outside and relaxed in the tree-filtered sunlight.
Work is getting better as I'm learning more about the functional workings of the place. The people I work with are so interesting and actually into the work. It makes it so much better when you enjoy the way you make money. This girl Monique was hanging out at and asked me what I was up to when I got off work. My only plan was to get a few beers and crash at Gina's. She's been a 'resident' of Clifton for only 2 weeks and she doesn't have a place to live. She told me that she was crashing at this professor's house so I figured she could come hang out with me for awhile and be on her way. I through in a Robert Johnson documentary and sat down. At that moment she dropped about 33 tons of complicated emotional shit on me. I basically just met this girl and she's telling me about sleeping with guys to get food. Shady. I can't tell if this girl is just emotionally disturbed or a compulsive liar because the stories she told me just do not match up with what she has told other people. Regardless... she thought that I invited her to come with me so that I could fuck her. I don't know if having a place to crash or getting laid was in her plans but she passed out on the couch and I realized that this is not the kind of person that I'm interested in finding out more about.
Sunday Nick and Gina and I went to Gina's parents house to do laundry and chill. THe sun was wonderful and we played frisbee. We ordered a pizza and waiting for the clothes to get finished. I was getting inpatient at the dryer because I wanted to go to an art opening. About that time I realized that I had to work at 8:30 and I might not have enough time to get to the show and make it to work on-time. We packed up the clothes in haste and headed to the museum.
We went to the art museum to see my friend Tony's graduation show. Seeing his work in a gallery rather than the basement of the studio is such a drastic change. His work often seems like commercialism covered with the grime of the streets. Actually the stuff being on a white wall helped me understand it that much better. I saw a few people I know and had a beer before we left. I made it to work on time and Monique was there.
I explained to her that I was not comfortable with her and the suitcase that she dropped off on Gina's back porch. I told her that I have enough emotional, economic, and spiritual problems to write a book (see: writings by Sean in the future) about and most likely will. I told her that I understood her situation but there is nothing I can do about it. She stayed at Sitwell's until we closed an ioanna kicked the staglers out. I'm not sure where Monique stayed but I know she was fine. It's nice enough now that anywhere outside that the cops won't fuck with you is a pretty good place to sleep.
When I got off work I called Dave and he came to pick me up. We went to a new firend Suzie's house. She is an opera singer and has her master's in music. SHe has the best decorated apartment I've been to in Clifton. We had a few beers and I went to Dave's to pass out.
I woke up and helped Leslie clean the house. I did the dishes while she cleaned the living room. Dave grumbled that we were being loud but we ignored him. After Dave went to work Leslie and I took Brandi (Dave and Leslie's pit bull) to Burnett woods to run around. We walked around the park and down Ludlow until we saw Nick. I hung out with Nick at the studio for awhile until I was ready to go back down to Ludlow. I called Melanie but she was with friends and planned on going home to go to bed so I found alternate excitement: skating. I skated around Clifton going to different parties/houses. I saw Ian today for the first time in like 7 months. He's living in Lexington, KY with his girlfriend the second grade teacher. He has a child with her on the way and seems like he has accepted the responsibility ahead of him. How well he will handle it I have no way to know but I wish the very best to him.
I stopped at the Mad Frog house to meet the kids and had an awesome jam session with two of the guys that live there now. All the old graffiti (see: Graffiti Minds, right hand column) is still up and they added some more to go with it. The rent is so reasonable and the guys are safe enough for me to be sure about moving in at the end of the month. I'll have a place to live and put my four boxes of stuff... YAY!!!
I'm looking forward to seeing Melanie tommorow and I know I'll have a big smile the whole time I'm with her. She's so liquid I feel like ice.