Weekend Grab-Bag - Thrice

No, not the mediocre modern rock/punk/ band. This is the third version of the Weekend Grab-Bag. And since I have yet to come up with a better alternate title, it shall remain as the Weekend Grab-Bag. Iite? So here was my weekend, and as always, this is not chronological. . .

- The family left me this weekend. They left on Friday afternoon, and do not come back home until tomorrow afternoon. It has been quite quiet around here, that is, for the time that I have been home. I wasn't home very long by myself. Besides my sleeping time, I had maybe 6 hours by myself in the empty house. Honestly, I wouldn't want much more. I'll be home tomorrow morning for awhile until they get back, though. The nights are harder. I hate the dark.

- A brief, free lesson in freeway driving: Just Drive! As I was coming home from Long Beach (that would be Saturday) I got behind some of the most ridiculous drivers ever. I've often wondered about traffic. The concept has become lost to me. Is it really the case that there are just too many cars on the road? I don't think so. If people would just keep their right foot on the accelerator and their eyes on the road, I think that traffic would flow quite nicely. Also, decide when you merge onto the freeway if you're going to drive fast or slow. I hate the car you get behind and they are just crawling along. I try to pass them, but then all of a sudden they decide to speed up and make it impossible to pass. This competition can go on forever! I'm not a perfect driver, but I do feel like I know what I'm doing on the big 5 and 405, so everyone just take heed. The dirty look is not me looking at you angrily. It's entirely pity. I'm sorry you don't know how to drive right. It's just that simple.

- I worked Friday night and Sunday night totaling over 10 hours. Turns out that several AM Hosts quit this past week, so we are all gonna start getting more hours! This is good news. More hours means more money. It's just that simple. Friday was nuts! We were on a 1.5 - 2 hour wait at one point. That is crazy! Just the opposite was Sunday, where we were off our short wait by 1930 and I stood around til 2100 when I finally got cut. O well. Standing around on the clock is still getting paid.

- Hung out with George after I got outta work on Friday. He came over to my house around 2200 and left around 0030. We spent the time watching a TIVO'd episode of THE OFFICE, watching SPORTSCENTER and talking about basketball, (I quite enjoyed the Lakers loss that night - we saw Kobe's missed last-second shot about 5 times!) and also the prospects of collaborating on a screenplay. Now, I know it's been awhile for me, but we were talking on Thursday about movies and screenwriting and such. I told him that I had begun a screenplay about Sophomore or Junior year of high school. I won't divulge the plot (top secret, my friend) but he definitely took to it. I showed him what I had and we discussed different ways to take it. We are talking about working through it and trying to pull a Matt Damon/Ben Affleck (you know, GOOD WILL HUNTING?). We'll see. He's a good friend, and it's nice to have a friend around since Cy has been gone.

- Saturday was Long Beach day. Unfortunately, I had to start 2 hours later than I wanted to because of a mandatory all-staff meeting at JOHNNY CARINO'S that I found out about on Friday night. It was from 0900-1100, and all of the "over-21's" looked perfectly hung-over. We made it through the meeting (it consisted of safety discussions and a recap of the most simple aspects of our orientation). From there, it was off to Long Beach. I made great time and was down there by 1220 or so. Pretty much as soon as I got there, Heather, me, and Barbara (that's her mom, who had gone down there on Friday night to stay the night) left for Seaport Village in San Diego. The traffic (gahhh!! I hate traffic) was ridiculous! We finally got parked at Seaport Village around 1430 or so. We walked around a bit (this was our second visit there as a group - we had gone there a year or so ago when we were in the San Diego for one of Heather's piano recitals) and then ended up in the same restaurant that we went to the last time. It was pretty good again (I had rock shrimp tacos - o dangit! - which were quite enjoyable) and then we walked off our filling lunch. We stopped in their favorite little store, SOAP OPERA, one of those bath sudsy/lotion/oils/fragrance places. They went nuts and I just supported from a distance. It started getting dark (and a bit nippy) so we headed back to her apartment. Barbara left not too long after and not long after she left we put in TITANIC. We had dessert while watching it and enjoyed the movie despite it being yet another viewing for both of us. It's such a grandiose film, that it's hard not to find it interesting. My favorite moment was the part where Jack draws Rose. Now, before you go all "Pervert!" on me, let me finish. As good ol' Rose dropped the robe, I turned my head and looked at my beautiful girl sitting next to me. She told me it was ok to look, but I told her I didn't want to. I was sitting next to the most attractive female on the planet, so why would I wanna gaze upon another woman on a screen. I told her this and got a kiss out of it :D . . It's not just shmoozing though. Seriously, this girl of mine is like no other woman out there. I, Justin Gott, am the most fortunate and blessed boy (not man yet) on the planet Earth. There it is. I had to leave around 2300 like usual, not too long after the old Rose dropped the Heart of the Ocean back in the Atlantic. Sad movie. Sad goodbye. Sad times.

- Thanks baby for a great day :D

- After work on Sunday night I watched the SNL: THE 80'S retrospective thingy on NBC. Funny. Well, the second hour was funny. Interesting how it all happened, though.

- I cleaned my room a bit. I DO have a floor. I didn't know this.

- Now, let me tell you the funniest story I heard all weekend. It is from the lips of my dear Heather, who had an unfortunate run-in with a very angry man on the streets of the big LB. As she was heading home (or to class, but it doesn't really matter - she walks to school by the by) a black man with a trench coat ("angry looking") approached her from the opposite direction. As he neared her, she smiled at him, as she does to every person. This is Heather. So, the man, obviously upset at someone, or everyone for that matter, responded in a surprising manner. As he passed her, he angrily said the "N" word in her direction. That's it. That's all he did. Now, can someone explain this to me? This derogatory comment offended only African-Americans I thought. Now, I have heard many black people call each other this. These were not respectful black individuals though. Two of the greatest men that I have gotten the chance to know are Mr. Devin Thomas and Mr. Robert Howell. Mr. Thomas was my basketball coach and Mr. Howell was his assistant for my last 2 years of high school. These highly respected men are two of the most upstanding men that I know. These men are black. These men would never say such a thing like this man in LB. Woe to the world. It's all going downhill. Furthermore, in my defense of calling this situation funny: Of course I was pissed that someone would do something angry in the direction of my woman, but her recollection and assumed facial response made this hilarious, and Barbara and I were rolling with laughter.

Holy crap it's late - it's actually 105 in the morning on Monday right now. I don't have to wake up for anything though. Sleepin in sounds great. I think I will.

- - - "You're the most amazingly astounding girl I've ever known. . . You're amazing. And I know I have nothing to offer you, Rose. I know that. But I'm involved now. You jump, I jump, remember?"
- - - Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) to Rose (Kate Winslet) in TITANIC . .

I LOVE YOU HEATHER!!!

Zzzzz,

JUSTIN