It's me again.
I never really went anywhere, just been sleeping a lot lately. But it's been okay.
But something tells me it might be time to wake up again. You know, I woke up last night and the winds were blowing - they were warm and sweet. But they were pushing on me. All those little air molecules saying "Hey, You" umm, sorry to interrupt your reverie here, but things might change,
I've known this for a while... There's an awkwardness about me being here.
It started when my house sold... one day I signed a bunch of papers, and got a bank check for more money than I've ever seen in one place... but only a hint of an idea where that next place would be. It was with my friend Paul, and he helped me move in, and he and his wife Dee are the sweetest and most gracious people ever. I was to inhabit the downstairs, and keep an eye on stuff for them, in exchange for $1000 per month - discounted based on how much work I did for them. Mostly, taking care of the dogs and the plants. And making sure ISIS doesn't invade the home rape the furniture, and plant a flag in the front lawn before torching the place.
Okay, so I had that figured out.
But as I knew would happen... there are forces calling me farther away. Specifically, Piscataway.
I don't know if you heard that properly... I used a daffy duck lisp. And you know what's really funny?
It's true.
I have a couple job offers in Piscataway, rent is less expensive there, and there are lots of tech companies Hiring in the area.
I also know that there will come a time when I need to leave this place. I'm not a permanent resident here, I'm being done a favor, but life goes on, and neither Paul nor Dee Nor I, know where things are supposed to end up. I've been saying I want to live in Brooklyn, but unless I took my car, and tent and camped out in Prospect Park... yeah, actually a tempting idea. I do lots of camping - But that's not a solution.
A solution is getting a long contract gig, with a company that has definite plans, places and ways of profiting like a damn ferrungue with the idea... and yeah, I want on that train. Not the L train to Greenpoint with faded hipsters, but some startup company where they have cats to piss away.
There's one other thing and it's something I so totally get. Paul has two daughters. Alana, the younger one, visits a lot, I think she camps out in her Mom's room ( Mom is on vacation ), and we are friendly. I pretty much stay out of her way, leave her alone to her friends and let her know if I found mail in the mailbox for her.
The other girl, named Zoe, doesn't know me. And I get the impression that she's a bit disappointed about my rather sudden move in here. I was actually given her room to move into, not the 'unfinished' one. But there was like all her stuff there, and it totally creeped me out that I was moving into some teenage girls bedroom, so I didn't move in. I watched the TV in there a bit, set my computer stuff up next to the washer/dryer, set up the grill outside to cook food with, and took the room that was packed with a bit of jumk, but has wires hanging from holes in the wall because it's not 'guest ready'
And I'm seriously good with that, it's a little piece of heaven my friends have here, and they are allowing me a cloud to dance upon, while I figure one which new version of my corporeal being to inhabit!
But Paul mentioned that his daughter Zoe might want to come back ( as Alana has ) and like I said, she's weirded out by my presence. I had the same reaction to some housekeepers who were told to clean house and babysit me when I was young. UGGH. Those big old ugly strange women!!! And yeah, I'm a guy. Even weirder, grosser. WHAT IS THIS PERSON DOING IN OUR HOUSE!? Now if I was a daddy, I'd do the right thing by my spawn.
Okay, so I had a moment with their mom, Dee, who I totally respect and hope will always be my rock and roll soulmate! I was in Zoe's bedroom, and feeling uncomfortable, and she walked in and started talking to me, and when the appropriate topic came around I told her - Dee, Zoe's mom - that I feel uncomfortable taking this room over. If I was your daughter, you know, honestly? I'd feel a bit violated! I don't want this room. Your daughter is way more important to you now than me, and I recognize that.
At which point I got a big hug, and a few little tears of relief from Dee. One love.
Now. almost six months in, I still love this couple, and they kinda love me, I want to go strolling around the east village with them and shop for hatbands or shout physics equasions to the hookers, or just walk into a shop and say "My Hovercraft is Full of Eels" just to see who laughs first.
More about Jacque ( the dog ) later.
I have to find a place to stay, even if it's in Piscataway, I didn't want that fate for a cat, so I pissed that little cat-a-way.
But I can't, can't explain the pain of having to say good bye to a friend, and that cat was the last thing that kept me sane,
Okay, rambling. Years later. I must move on. I'm being awkward by not moving along with the rest of the lemmings, you know, doing the right thing, abiding by the rules, and always moving forward to accomplish your goals and be a productive member of society.
What happened was, this summer I'm on vacation. I do what I want to do, what I feel like doing, and help a few other people do what THEY want to do too. It is coming to a close, and I have a few more festivals to go, but I need to plan for the winter. No more grasshopper.
When I moved in here at the end of the winter, it was cold. The basement ( where I now stay ) got flooded. I tried to help shed water off the part of the lawn attached to the front of the house that was letting all that water in, by putting a big plastic sheet over the foundation, and drip-area. So the flooding wouldn't happen.
It took a few weeks for my plan to sink in that it might help.
But I never got the go ahead, and didn't want to offend my friends by taking charge of that. I think that the politics go to a very viceral place in Paul, where Dee would say, hey, Leland did that, why couldn't you?
And I do NOT want to get into that conversation.
And I don't have to either. Just move on. Find where I pissed that cat away, pick it up and say hey, I missed you little boo.
It's tl;dr,
It;s tr
