lawnrrd | Something

I haven't updated in a few days because I'm in an odd mood in which I need to write either everything or nothing, and I don't have time to write everything. But I want to write, so I'm telling my mood to take a hike.

I came home from Dayton for the weekend. The week itself wasn't the most efficient use of my time, but I learned something about the new software I'll be working with.

Maybe the highlight of the week came on my ride back from Dayton to the Cincinnati airport, where I pulled off the interstate to check out a Hustler store. It was big and well-lighted, and someone had clearly taken time to design it, if tackily. There was a front section, where they carried t-shirts and other Hustler-branded clothes, plus some toys. In the back was a large selection of badly-overpriced porn videos. The clientele was interesting, though: aside from the usual assortment of creepy guys, there were a few couples, and even what seemed to be a family, with a father, mother, and their two college-age daughters.

All in all, the place was like a big version of The Pleasure Chest, for both good and for ill. I bought a t-shirt.

I got home on Friday night, about 90 minutes earlier than I had planned. Lauren was home with a longtime friend who had just split with her live-in boyfriend and needed consoling. The two women went to a late show of Love Actually. There were no more tickets to be had, and I was tired and entirely uninterested in the movie, so I didn't go.

Saturday I slept late. I spent most of the afternoon doing laundry and failing to clean up my desk. That evening we went to the Upper East Side, first for dinner at a restaurant owned and operated by a guy who is my cousin and Lauren's longtime friend. With the help of a surrogate mother, he and his wife are expecting twins soon. After dinner we walked a block to the home of another friend of Lauren's for a party.

We left that party late, then I dropped Lauren off at home and headed for a karaoke bar in the East Village. When I got there, I joined

tacologic's birthday party, already in progress. I stayed a good deal longer than I had expected, because I was having lots of fun, but I didn't really get to talk to anyone. That will happen at a karaoke bar.

I got home really, really late. Lauren woke up when I came in and growled about it. Serves her right for sleeping with the fan off.

Sunday I slept even later. I ran to the store while Lauren was at the gym and surprised her with breakfast when she got back. That's just the kind of guy I am. After breakfast, we had a guest: our 8-year-old ex-roommate was dropped off at our apartment. For some reason, Lauren had agreed to take her to see Elf. For some other reason, I decided to come along. That evening, I dropped by Essex for happy hour, which then turned into a trip to Rose's, one of my few non-Thursday visits.

And now, after all that, I'm back in Dayton. The training schedule was changed so many times that I lost track, and it turns out that we had nothing to do today. Thing start tomorrow afternoon, and tomorrow night I'm having dinner with Lauren't old pen pal, who lives five minutes from here.

I'll be back home Thursday night. I already have weekend plans that I'm looking forward to. And Lauren won't get mad at me for coming home late because she'll be in Mexico.