Chapter 16: It's midnight and my baby's walkin' thorugh the door

Feels like, tonight, I'm blogging out of obligation. Blogbligation? There's a portmanteau not likely to inspire repetition. Despite working all day I am full of energy this evening and resolved to create something for the evening. I'm hoping that something doesn't turn out to be this entry; I intend on being up for several more hours anyhow. Plenty of time.

I was walking around this evening and all I could think about was the blog. They were idle thoughts but it was the primary subject of my internal monologue, which is funny since SWP basically is my internal monologue in transcribed form. I realized that SWP's premise is a crazy person talking to himself, and people gathering around to listen. I thought about how earnestly I started this blog four years ago almost to the day (I forgot to commemorate the date three days ago.) Oh how much has changed and yet how little has been altered.

At the time I was still involved with Randi, which thinking back, is sad since I haven't been in a real relationship since and that wasn't a very good example of one since there were three people in it. I had never had a job and was looking forward to an idle summer of boredom. Since then, I've moved, gone to several different schools, held a wide variety of jobs albeit on a very widely spaced timespan and never for more than a few months... I've gone on trips, I've chased girls, sometimes successfully (at least for an evening) but often not so much. I've written a lot and read even more. I've learned and I've grown and yet if I sat down and talked with the younger Scotto who had just helped direct Half-Past Eight PM - the stage version - I would probably find him quite recognizable, although he might be in awe of the comparative ease with which I handle myself in social situations. I have more refined taste in music than he did, too. But you learn, and you grow.

Last weekend, my aunt told me about a friend of hers from high school whom she had been avoiding for a long time. The attachment you see was somewhat one-sided. She explained that this friend had dated a boy in high school who died, and, in my aunt's words, "She lives in that moment." I found that wholly depressing and I suddenly became wary of letting that happen to me. The truth is though, I have yet to find a moment that I can snag on and look back and say "That was it." I keep growing and developing new friendships and moving forward. The last semester of Grade 12 was pretty substantial but a lot of it has faded over time as I've lost contact with people or moved on with others.

SWP is a recap of a day's events, with hints of opinions and philosophy. More than that, it's also what I don't say (surprisingly, there is stuff I leave out) and how I present my narrative. Stories about stories.

I woke up later than usual this morning. Paradoxically, this was because we were set to begin early at work; I was set to get a ride over there by Brandon. So we got on the road around 7:15. After stopping off for Tim Hortons, we got there on time and started with some ladder work by washing some high up window frames. We took turns going up while the other went to the top.

The bulk of the day was actually taken up by ladder work. After it was windows, it became threshholds and roof trim and the like. Having only one ladder, the work progressed slowly in this way and while there wasn't much to do it took the entire day to get done because we couldn't go much faster. Brandon earned himself a decent tip (which he promised to cut me in for for a little bit, which I barely even earned) by tightening some aluminum siding that was loose and made a rattling noise in the wind at night.

I actually didn't do much over the course of the day, if I'm to be honest. I feel a little guilty about that (there's that word again.) I did some priming and some painting and all that stuff but not as much as most everyone else, there just wasn't enough work and ladders to go around. Of course at one point we had three out - ours, the customer's (who noted I was in a better mood than when she'd last saw me, when I was waiting for a lift outside Sobey's,) and her neighbour's rickety wooden one which we used for lower destintions. Oh, and a stepladder, so lots of ladders.

After we got done taking forever to finish, we took another forever to clean up and leave, partially because they had to re-secure the ladder to the SUV. Kerissa took us to McDonald's for a bite, even though to some degree we were weary (Catherine and I anyway) and I won't speak for anyone else, but I kinda just wanted to go home and shower, since we were working with oil paints and I made myself a pair of gloves out of them.

But it was a nice gesture and we went to McD's. I had an Oreo McFlurry. Two of the others got meals and one other person got a McFlurry. I was kinda hungry, but kew there'd be plenty for dinner so why spoil my appetite? Plus, I have this thing about being kept somewhere I don't really want to be, even if it's a perfectly nice group of people. Eventually I got a lift home, although by then it was rush hour traffic (should've advised Brandon not to take the QEW but whatever.)

Apart from a huge timing issue (we thought we were gonna be done early afternoon, but didn't finish until 3:30 and I wasn't home until quarter after 5, after the cleaning and hanging out,) I thought it was a decent day. There was a fuck-up, but it had nothing to do with me and who knows how badly it will be come back.

So I got in the door and just kinda chill out the rest of the evening. I had an offer from Kerissa to work on her Uncle's yard for some decent pay, but working 5 days a week makes me cherish weekends, even if I usually do anything for a buck.

My brother Eric has been having trouble sleeping. He regales me on a near-daily basis with tales of his insomnia.

I suppose that's all for tonight, and I hope I've satisfied your need for random ramblings. Not one of my best goes, I'll admit, but after 975 they can't all be winners.

Keep on rockin'
Mangonel Scott Williams