I am almost done, Friday Nov 10.

Friday I borrowed the familial Geo Tracker to drive up to Cincinnati.
In case you've never seen a tracker, it is a trar that is based on those pull back toys.
Pull it back on the kitchen floor (don't make it click too much, that's bad for the spring) and let go.
HILARITY ENSUES!
At least it had a cd player in it.

Part of the day was seeing some architectural sites around town that were new since my last visit.
Some other time was spent at my old job during lunch.
It was funny how many people are still there 4 years later, especially the people I wanted to see.
They showed me a retirement video for my favorite old dude, the man who is totally responsible for me not getting fired after two months at my first real job, and therefore responsible for me not going back to carpentry.
The beginning of the video pans over an old photo of me flipping double bird at the camera.
It made me wonder why he ever gave me a chance.

After saying goodbye to old friends, I gave myself a short tour of what's new in Cinti.
Part of what's new is Sasha's house. I used to work with the mad Ukrainian, and he's who taught me how to drink for reals. Shots. Brews. Shots. Cursin'. Using your hands to imitate sexual positions. It's all there. All from him.
He bought a house in a nice part of town, then tore it down. Built his own house. It's a modern monster, towers over the neighbors bungalows, the pitched roof steals their lunch money, and then pukes in their yard. The cedar siding commits adultery with their wives, and ignores any pretense of landscaping. In case the New Yorker wants me to be their new architecture critic, I must also comment that the slate kitchen lacked pretension, but the kit-of-parts stair abandons all connection to the bourgeoisies.
Him, his wife and two kids live with his inlaws. He is currently in hell.


Later, I stopped by to see an old friend.
Shake It. www.shakeitrecords.com
104 dollars later I had some new music that I had missed from Cincinnati bands.
Then I went next door to see Evil Leslie http://www.alisboutique.com and she gave me the lowdown on not only what happened to old friends, but what was going on with the bands that I bought.
Next I had to have dinner with Good Leslie, Evil Leslie's sister (yes, that's their real names, except for the good/evil part, don't ask).
She's my ex-girlfriend, but I don't mean 'had to have' like a bad way, just it would have been a loss to not see her.
Good Leslie and I had a very productive breakup. I got out of the relationship with minimum tears and fighting, she doesn't have to date me anymore. Win win.
It was nice to catch up with her. She's really nice, and she ended up meeting The One.
She gets married next year. Will I be invited? I hope so, we had some hilarious friends and she seriously could get amazing bands to perform at the reception. Yeah, she should invite me. I'd even get up and make a drunken toast.

The night goes on. Poker at Adam's.
Adam has been my best friend for long time now.
Except for when he wanted to kill me, or when I refused to talk to him.
Otherwise, BFF.
The only bad part was Adam had sent his little one, Sofia, off with parents, so she could get a good night of sleep. At least that is what I was told. Sofia paossibly may not exist, and Adam's wife simply collects baby pictures of other people's younguns.
I had never played TV Poker before, it's not as fun. It's less about strategy and counting cards as it is about bluffing.
Of course I could be wrong, one night probably isn't a surefire test to base an entire theory on.
But I've formed lasting prejudices on much less information than that, so I'll stick with it.
Sasha showed up later, so did Kevin, driving all the way from Indy to see me. Very nice.

Sasha and I bid adieu, and hit the Comet. www.cometbar.com
Our old hang out from years gone by. Best jukebox, best free bands, best bottled beer, best/worst bartenders, and worst pool tables in the country. Very nice to see Shannon behind the bar still, but then seeing Dale with a Highlife, Tony walking in drunk, Dave asking me about hockey, C drinking a Chimay, Rob shooting pool, Cap'n Jane leaning against the payphone, Paul waiting for the pisser, a Pogues cover band yowling away in the other room…it was like I never left. 4 years is a long time to feel like you've never left. Kevin had finished poker night and showed up later, Sasha went 'home' after getting fooled on brew, Kevin drove me back to his mom's house, then made me stay up until 4:00 playing pool.
I have good friends.