Long, journal-like update on life...

It seems I've been away a very long while; my apologies to my readership, but I've been busy. It's mostly been a good busy, or a not doing much of anything busy, but busy nonetheless. I can't say I've been much happier than I have been lately in a long while. Today was in fact the only real downer day I've had in about a month. Go me (and a certain someone who's been integral in that happiness). Let's begin...

I left off looking forward to a rescheduling of the date that was canceled. That happened a lot sooner than I could've hoped; that very weekend we went to the Carnegie Museum. I've never had such a romantic experience in my life...not saying altogether that much, considering the source, but I think it would've pretty much blown me away no matter what. We wandered into the dark, empty (and architecturally gorgeous) Carnegie Music Hall where we talked for a bit, enjoyed the view, and were startled several times by the painting in the hallway of some old museum director. There was more that made it romantic than just the scenery and the company, but those details are private and special (though most people reading this are close enough to me to find out anyway if they ask).

[from here down was added on March 28th, hence the disagreement on what "today" is between the two sections]

That weekend was also Jake's birthday and his family was in town (his mom, stepdad, brother, and sister). I met them for dinner after my date and later there were some mad video games in true Kemper/Townsley fashion. That Monday, officially Jake's birthday, he discovered a secret admirer with whom he has now grown rather friendly, more to come on that, I'm sure.

The week leading up to spring break was very uneventful. There was a test that went well enough, though I don't honestly know where it was because I was gone when it was handed back. Anyway, the fun part was spring break itself. I began my week off with a trip to Seattle to visit Rae; it was so much fun and the weather was actually nice! I got to meet Stoltz, finally, and lots of her other friends (mostly named Matt). We went canoeing on Lake Washington and checked out the locks at Ballard. We had some tasty food, though Rae complained that I'm too much of a pain to find food for just because I don't do vegetarian.

Ok...I'm going to just get over this and say it for those who don't know (not many who read this, I'm guessing): I'm gay. With that aside, my date's name is Bill. He picked me up from the airport when I flew back from Seattle and we went to a Gaelic Storm concert in Cleveland. In keeping with our record from the first date, Bill and I had a great time that night both at the concert and in transit between.

The next day I rode the 67A to its terminus and walked a mile or so afterward to get to work for the first time; they wanted to give me a tour and the other guy who was going to drive me decided to go the day before. It was good to check the place out and I got a free lunch in the bargain, but I got really sick of traveling and therefore didn't even leave the apartment for the rest of the break (2 days-ish).

I went back to school for a day of classes and then left the next day for yet more traveling...this time to Virginia for Grandma's funeral. It was nice to see all the family again, but it was really sad and a little uncomfortable for me. The funereal Mass was terrible; the priest didn't even know Grandma and worse, he didn't even seem to know how to go through the most basic of Catholic rituals. During the transubstantiation, he had to read from the fucking book!! I go to Mass once a year, maybe, and I know that much of it. Plus he kept going on about mystically interconnected levels of Heaven; he sounded like a Mormon. Disappointing, but Jack (my uncle) redeemed it a little with a commemoration at the end.

I pretty much just staggered through the week and a half after that, trying to catch up. I don't really think I'm caught up, yet, but I don't feel so overwhelmed (for the moment). I had another date with Bill last week on Thursday. I was really glad Jake and Marcelius got to meet him during lunch that day, which hopefully wasn't too awkward for him. We got a bit of a shock walking home with an arm around one another when some ignorant piece of shit yelled something about homosexuals out his window at us. It was new and unpleasant, but whatever even if Bill wasn't worth it (and he is!), being myself is.

This past week and weekend were both occupied by Humans Vs Zombies, a massive variant of tag that is being played on campus; I won't explain all the rules, but I spent almost all day everyday last week on campus for the game. Busy, busy, busy! The weekend also saw Jake's dad in town again. Friday night a big group of us went out to dinner in Station Square; Friday Night Improv followed and Cathedral Games after that (Patty went to the trouble to hide Easter eggs around the ground floor). We played some frisbee golf and hacky sack and other hippy games on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night also saw us attending the Redeye Theatre Project (8 plays performed after 24 hours writing/rehearsing/preparing them) and we decided the time was ripe for another go at our very own Redeye Writing Project. The stories were utterly ridiculous and will likely be posted on another blog sometime soon. Much to my amusement, my fiction teacher used the same principle to take up about 45 minutes of class yesterday.

Oh, and Sunday night Team Xzibit intramural soccer won a spectacular victory to land us in the playoffs!! First game's tonight!

As forewarned, 'twas a long update.