This day has been filled with so many friends, so many wonderful experiences and I’m so far removed from my miserable daily drudgery that I had to write this short post.

That’s it.

I don’t think I’ll be able to do live blogging this weekend like I did last. I’m headed to Rehoboth (in Delaware, like last weekend) for sunshine, seafood, cocktails and a great time with about 15 friends. Most of these people I know pretty well, some I’ve met a couple of times and there are some newbies thrown in there as well.

We’re all staying at my gracious friends Jeff & Christopher, the same dudes who own the pHabulous pHierce School. They throw a Memorial Day theme party, dubbed “Tiki” and that will the main event on Sunday, but we’ve got a couple days before then to spend some time in the sun and attend happy hours and laugh and eat and sleep-in. Is it okay for the unemployed to take a vacation?

2:42 Passing one of those new Kia Cube cars, or whatever they’re called. It’s white and looks like something off of a Space:1999 set.

3:32 Lady Gaga on the system.

3:53 We just caught some air going thru an intersection. The bike is still safely secured to the roof, in case you were wondering.

3:57 We’re stopping at Elmer’s Produce to pick up a watermelon!

4:13 Quote from Eddy: “Disco is the shit!”

4:53 We’re here!

6:48 Everyone has arrived, four cars. We’re having a cosmo here at the house before heading to Aqua for happy hour before sundown. Cheers!

8:30 Quote from Lana: “Dont be a stranger with that vodka.”

10:26 At Finn’s, just finished a fabulous seafood sampling dinner. Mussels, clams, oysters and shrimps. All fresh from the bay/ocean, the preservatives had not killed the fresh taste of mercury.

1:26 Reliving the nights fun and giggling. How many people are in this car?

3:03 Nite.

Received in yesterday’s mail:

AN IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package) included additional benefits as a part of the money received by Virginia. Unemployment Compensation benefits will increase by $25.00 per week. The first week for which $25.00 can be paid is the benefit week ending February 28, 2009.

The virginia Employment Commision (VEC) will be issuing you a lump sum payment, if you were paid at least $1.00 for the week ending February 28, 2009, and any subsequent weeks. After the lump sum payment has been issued, the $25.00 will be added to your regular weekly entitlement.

This would explain the $225.00 deposit into my account a couple of weeks ago. I was assuming it was an error and would be retrieved at some later date. My weekly benefits go from $340.20 to $362.70. Hello, beach money!

9:54 Up, and yawning quite a bit.

10:15 Franklin is queueing up the SNL with Justin Timberlake on it, I think this is from a couple of weeks ago.

11:11 Breakfast? No. Instead, leftover Chinese from last night.

11:36 Now we’re going to watch Role Models. I’m still in Franklin’s fold-out sofabed and he is lounging in his big chair. After yesterday’s running around all day it’s nice to lounge around and chill a little bit.

1:28 Time to shower and get packed up.

2:04 Packed and ready to go to the train station, leaving in ten minutes or so.

2:30 At the train station. Train 145 leaves at 2:37 on Track 3.

2:44 Goodbye Wilmington! Thanks to Franklin and Johann for a great weekend!

8:28 Horror: waking up in a strange room. Relief: remembering you’ve left town and are staying at a friend’s.

8:45 I hope Franklin stays asleep for a while, as I’m not ready to get out of this cozy bed yet.

8:49 Twittered and Facebooked. Now it’s back to dozing.

9:01 A distant church bell has just rung 28 times on a Saturday morning. What is this, the 1300s?

Q: How do you ruin Star Trek? A: Lots of white wine on an empty stomach. Oof.

9:06 Franklin has the perfect covers for throwing them over your head; no suffocation here. #zzzzzzz

9:39 Franklin is up and that means it’s time for breakfast! Going to the Post House? Chop House? I’m ready to chow the eff down.

10:06 At the Chop House for breffus. Special: 2 large eggs, home fries, toast & coffee, choice of ham, sausage, scrapple, or bacon. $4.50.

11:11 Body wash dilemma: mint ice, walnut shell or olive leaf?

11:20 I love an iron with a retractable cord.

11:30 Digging the chill Pandora station that’s playing.

11:31 These ibuprofen are biohazard orange.

11:51 Bday card and h2o secured. That took a lot of energy out of the both of us. Now we’re thinking bloody marys are in order once we pick Johann up and get to New Hope.

11:54 Tattooed hippie poseur boy getting out of a Prius. What a dolt.

11:56 Franklin says “Pennsylvania drivers never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” We are in Delaware.

12:00 New for 2009: Appliques!

12:57 We have picked up the birthday boy, had a cocktail and are headed to New Hope.

1:03 There is a lot of giggling happening in this car right now.

1:10 Johann: “Tweet it, Ivan, tweet it!”

1:27 Johann is giving us a history lesson on Trenton, NJ.

1:35 Heavy discussion about Twitter and tweeting to the choir.

1:37 Johann: “I don’t like to talk business unless I’m spending money so I can write it off.”

1:45 NJ needs more signage. That governor is definitely not going to win the out-of-state absentee vote come November.

2:15 A casual lunch at Hamilton’s Grill Room. Outdoor courtyard seating. How fabulous.

2:28 No liquor license for restaurants? Mercy. Cocktails will have to wait. And I’ve never waited for a cocktail in my life.

3:12 Desert: grilled pineapple & seasonal fruits with brown sugar and rum. Meanwhile, Franklin pitches his pyramid scheme.

3:51 If you don’t get it you don’t deserve to get it.

4:05 It’s cocktail time. New Hope is a cute resort town.

4:12 Apparently, it’s Gay Pride weekend here in New Hope!

4:15 Sketchy is catchy.

4:34 Looking up caipirinha recipes.

5:29 After walking around the quaint little town for a bit it’s time for another cocktail. Now we’re at Mother’s Restaurant & Wibe Bar.

5:44 In the Navy, makin’ gravy love to do it love to do it.

6:20 Twisted Arm Syndrome? Sure, if you say so.

6:23 Now we’re at The Landing, on the Delaware River, where George Washington (allegedly) crossed.

6:34 Drama in New Hope is the middle bun of the Big Mac.

7:18 I am my own Shazam app.

7:24 We are leaving town without a police escort. Thanks for a great day, New Hope!

7:33 Created a Depeche Mode station in Franklin’s iPhone. First up on the decks: a-ha. A-nice.

7:45 Crisp!

8:20 Just bought tickets to Star Trek in the car on by iPhone. Fucking sweet. Technology rocks. Let’s hope during this viewing of ST I don’t hit a wall.

8:51 Dropped the birthday boy off at his house. Such a great day with Johann, he cracks me up. The three of us have laughed so much today. Now we’re headed back to Delaware to chill for a bit and then Star Trek.

9:52 Had a quick dinner of Chinese takeout. Rushing to the theater now. Afterwards I think we’re to chill and watch SNL, and giggle about all the giggling done today with Johann. Who knew someone so smart could be so funny? He’s probably imagining Sandy Duncan in a wheatfield right now and loving it, loving it.

12:34 Star Trek was pretty cool. The incessant lens flares started to annoy mr after a while but that’s minor. The set design and cast is *gorgeous* though.

1:06 At Franklin’s, gonna have a one o’clocktail and watch some SNL.

1:50 Franklin is showing me his Sims 2 characters and house. He has a massive monitor to play it on. #jealous

3:07 Zzzz

Apparently, trying to add a picture over a moving train over AT&T’s suckyass whatever network will hijack WordPress’s ability to retrieve the post, so here we go.

7:55 In Balmer, hon.

8:00 I’m thinking of the friends I’m going to see and how them and others have reached out to me and I love them for all their efforts.

8:08 Maybe time to watch a SATC ep? These rail lines in Maryland aren’t smooth.

8:16 Wow. The woman who is now sitting in front of me is traveling to Wilmington too and talking g about her sister’s medical history and how she is coughing up blood. She’s not using her inside voice either and all of us around are looking around aimlessly.

8:38 Wilmington is coming up close. After Franklin picks me up the posts might get scarce! We’re planning ok seeing Star Trek and them cocktails. You know how *that* rolls.

8:46 Here in Wilmington a minute early!

9:17 First glass of wine spilled/broken: my fault.

9:21 Franklin cannot two thumb his iPhone.

9:31 Having wine with Franklin.

9:51 We are going to see Star Trek!

11/25 Star Trek is very violent.

12:27 Apparently, I am not a good movie patron right now.

11:35 There may be a photo shoot happening soon.

12:51 Photo shoot in full affect.

1:11 Now we’re working on our depth of field as Franklin plays with the flash.

1:30 Photo on!

1:38 whew!

To sum everything up for this evening, I feel really bad to have walked out on ST but Franklin was a total trooper even though he is a big ST fan. Yet another incident of how my friends take me on regardless of how low my life can be.

1:52 Goodnite y’all. It’s time to slumber now.

1:59 Franklin’s guest sheets smell like lavender. #bliss

6:07 I always hate being rushed for a trip, especially if I haven’t packed everything beforehand. So what do I do? I wait until 5:00 or so to pack before the 6:01 bus picks me up for the 7:10 train. And I’ve got laundry to do and everything. Luckily the laundry started earlier this afternoon but I still had to middle thru and see what I wanted to take with me. A little bit of a hectic rush but I’ve made it out to the bus stop with 70 seconds to spare. It will be some waiting at Union Station but at least I don’t have to walk in the mild facing-the-sunset heat.

6:24 I’ve made to The train station which is holding some kind of “event” in the front hall. Thish forces all the stoopid “lookatthat!” tourists back into the functioning part of Union Station, that which is an actual functioning train station. Get the fuck out of my way. Did I mention that it’s like 88 degrees in here?

The woman sitting next to me at Gate E is on her third phone call saying she has missed the 6:00 train and is catching the 7:10. Hello, Twitter that shit. Done in one swoop. Reminder: do not sit next to her annoyingly loud phone voice on the train. She looks the type that will talk on the phone the entire trip.

6:34 People are already starting to line up for a train that doesn’t leave for another 30 minutes. Fools.

6:37 She’s called six people now.

6:43 I hope there are electrical sockets on this train, I’m getting low on juice. The spell check just put in “electrical soviets” and I kind of like that.

So far, the train is scheduled to leave on time. That’s always nice and somewhat of a rarity on Friday evenings when commuter trains battle with destination trains. It’s a battle with those trying to get out of town instead of merely commuting to Olney.

6:53 On the train, and it has outlets. Yay! The loudtalker is at the other end of the car, which hopefully will be okay. I hope she doesn’t have to call all those people again to tell them she made this train. And I got a seat on the east side of the train car which means I’ll be away from the heat of the sun.

6:57 Currently the seat next to me is empty which is always nice. There is a woman behind me on the phone and let’s face it, women talk more on the phone than men. Especially on trains. Trust I know. She’s going off on her professors and, apparently, the mom of a friend of her. And she’s talking 90 miles an hour. #gossipgirl And this is over the noise of my headphones, currently PSB “Love, etc” remix.

7:09 The train is pulling out a minute early! Now I can relax and feel the excitement of the trip. The last time I saw Franklin (Wilmington) was during his birthday last Fall and the last time I saw Johann (New Jersey) was about three years ago. It’s Johann’s birthday tomorrow.

7:17 Good thing I brought these cocktails on the train. #unemployment Next up on the dex: Chromeo. The woman behind me has finished her phone conversation and not started another. Thank you.

7:19 Alongside the New Carrolton Metro.

7:29 Train travel is always so relaxing. Even if there is someone in the seat next to you, which I have open right now. Maybe it’s the leg room, maybe it’s the fact that you know you’re not going to plummet five miles out of the sky.

7:38 The cuties across the aisle from me.

Out of the next 24 days, I will be in town for seven of those days. This weekend is a trip to Wilmington, DE, “A Place To Be Somebody”, Memorial Day weekend I’ve been graciously invited to Poodle Rehoboth Beach and the following week I am going to be gainfully employed as an au pair.

Of course I realize this as I’ve already make a trek to the grocery store. I’m thinking of things I should consume at home that are already cooked or produce that will spoil, so this trip is a stocking-up of items that have a shelf life or that I can freeze: chicken ($0.99 per pound—bargain!), boxed & canned goods. I even used the self-checkout. I am a man in motion.

Purchase: $29.16
EBT Card Balance: $193.25
Club Card Savings: $12.25 (30% of purchase)

It’s 1994. Kurdt has just offed himself, Blur’s Parklife and Orb’s Live 93 play continuously in my CD stack while The Twins™ sunned themselves on the brick courtyard in front of my lovely little garden house. I motored about in my 1977 VW Beetle at 25 mph, filling the tank on Friday evenings on the way home from work and giving her a wash on Saturday mornings. I never locked her doors.

I had recently purchased my first computer, a Performa 630 CD. Yes, it had the “CD” in the name, pushing the new-fangled technology of CD-ROM. Fancy. One of the underlying reasons for this purchase, aside from the fact of not wanting to go into the office to mess around with Illustrator and do side projects was to play some games. SimCity 2000 had just come out and I was embarrased to have my boss finding me playing on my work computer on a weekend, so I figured I needed to move it home. Another game I desperately wanted to try was Myst, a game played with a CD and Mac-only at that point.

Myst was really a revolution when it came out. It featured wonderfully rendered 3-d images, almost unheard of at that time. The interface was simple, static point-and-click images to turn, navigate down a path, etc. The game put you on a mysterious island and you had to figure out what to do; it’s intrigue was in its beauty and simplicity (and once playing, complexity) and wondering around, figuring out how to work the elements on the island and puzzles contained within. I remember it came with a blank notebook where you could jot down things to remember, sketch out maps of the puzzles and basically doodle what was happening around you, as several “books” in the Library on the island showed you as you read them. The game also featured QuickTime movies embedded into the gameplay, which again, was unique for gameplay at that time.

During this time I was also dating Mr. Shipman who was currently working for a client in Chicago and would return to Houston for the weekends. On weekends we would have our together time, going to dinner and having beers and doing dating things. Once I had a big outing planned and Mr. Shipman, after learning I had Myst and being the computer geek he was, said “Why don’t we stay in, order a pizza and play Myst?” Heaven.

Last week Cyan, the creators of Myst, released the iPhone port of the game which is identical to the original from 1993. I think I still have the original booklet that I diligently wrote all my clues in 15 years ago but I’m not sure where it is. It may have been discarded before the last apartment move, I’m not sure. What I do know is that I’m immersed in a world that is oddly familiar (sometimes blatantly) but feels primitive, exciting and full of nostalgia.

I haven’t had to diagram much this time around and back then finding a solution to a tricky puzzle was to sit there and figure it out, whereas now a simple Twitter question or using a provided “hint” link will eventually lead you online to the answer you’re seeking. Trying not to use the hints I’ll still be through it in a week or so now, because I know what to look for, opposed to the couple of months it took me to complete it back in 1994. It’s still fun.

I’ve been thinking of suicide lately. Not actually performing the act, but the reason for the act itself and what it means to everyone involved.

What does it take for someone to get to the point where they take their own life? And what kind of courage (we’ll get to the cowardice later) does it take to make one go through with the performance?

Sure, my life is in the shithole right now. I can’t really think of any one facet that’s any kind of a positive. Am I going to kill myself? No. Like most things in my life, I’m too much of a pussy to really act on anything, to bring it to fruition.

One of the Netflix discs I have now is of 80s New Wave videos, which has arrived to me unplanned at this time. I don’t even remember putting this in my queue and it doesn’t have any hard-to-find videos on it so I’m at a loss to why I added it. Regardless, it’s here. But while watching it I realize there are actually some music videos that I’ve never seen.

One is Soft Cell’s Tainted Love, which I was surprised to know there was even a video for. I remember driving around in my old 1973 rusty Vega listening to this song, Charlene singing along in her beautiful alto. I remember this so definitely her singing this and at the time thinking “Hey, I really like this song”, because of that moment.

Afterwards on the DVD Big Country’s In A Big Country comes on, a song that was (surprisingly) always a favorite of my brother’s. I recall that Big Country’s lead singer, Stuart Adamson, had also killed himself. The Wiki shows a desperate attempt to locate him in his final days. I tend to think Char was in a similar state, if not physically but emotionally. And while she was not directly in front of me, I wonder if I still could have found her.

Was the mishap of me & Dana being left behind by Char and her husband during our 2002 reunion, and the ensuing arguing and distancing of our friendship playing over in her head? Was this another loose thread in her life that finally unraveled her? Was she thinking of our high schools days, dancing to 45s of these video bands and disillusioned with the future that actually came to be, disappointed by the promise of those videos, the ones I’m watching right now? These are some of the questions running through my head. One thing, one thing leads to another.