A Walk Uptown
Tori and I left work early on Wednesday. It was 3:30 p.m. when I arrived in Athens. I decided to take a walk uptown.
First, I go to the Blue Eagle Music Shop to buy guitar strings. Frank, the owner of the store, greets me as I enter. The Blue Eagle has a luscious wood interior adorned with folk guitars and a wood burning stove in the center of the room - the kind of place you love to step into out of a snowy, winter day. I ho-humm over the type and gauge of strings to buy and eventually decide upon .10 gauge Martin 80/20s.
As I leave the Blue Eagle, I am unsure what my next move should be. I had thought of eating a slice of pie at the Dinner, but decide against that in favor of going to Donkey, the coffee cafe. At Donkey I see Christine and Hannah, two friends of mine who are coincidentally sitting next to each other. Christine has in front of her a practice GRE book, which she is studying. She has already taken the GRE - about a month ago - and is now reviewing for the psychology GRE. I often see Christine when I perform the Wednesday open mic at the Baker Center, but we know each other from a much broader - and richer - set of times and spaces.
Hannah and I spent close to a week with each other and about ten others exploring Appalachia Ohio a few years back. The trip was wonderful - it encouraged my love for this region's nature and inhabitants. Hannah is curious what my Halloween costume could have been. I am pleased to recount my Halloween story to both she and Christine (see: "Fidel Castro, Osama Bin Laden, or Saddam Hussein").
I bid both Hannah and Christine a fond farewell and am again on my way.
I considere going to a favorite bar of mine, O'Hooley's, as I leave Donkey, but I do not feel compelled to do so. Instead, I walk to the Front Room (another coffee shop) in the Baker Center to check the open mic sign-up sheet. As I sign my name for a spot on (Friday, November 10 at 11PM, if you're interested), I notice Kevin approaching.
Kevin is a super-duper senior (OU slang for a six year undergrad). His education has taken so long for two reasons: 1. he majored in music for three years before adding a degree, and 2. he spent a year studying in Korea. Kevin also has a wicked gotte, which he does not plan to shave until the end of the school year. I enjoy my conversations with Kevin very much for he is an honest person. Kevin and I chatt about a his schedule for the rest of the school year when Danny appears next to me.
Daniel Schwartz is a local musician. He plays the drums in a band called 'The Princes of Hollywood.' Danny tells me of the many gigs he and "the boys" have played lately. The Princes will be releasing a record soon, and Danny hopes to do an east coast tour for the release. Danny and I leave the Front Room and walk for a bit before we each turn our separate ways. I am headed for the music building (a.k.a Glidden Hall).
I spent much of my undergraduate career in the music building (I was a music major for a half of that career). Today, I am there to utilize the copy machine in the music library. I will be performing at a wedding soon (Tori's wedding, in fact), and I need to make copies of the music for the cellist to practice. However, I soon discover that I have no money to make copies. Unperturbed, I leave the library and meet Kevin - a different Kevin - in the stairwell. Kevin and I met about a year ago in a dressing room. We immediately had a cordial relationship and since then have seen each other around the town quite frequently. He is a deep thinker.
Kevin and I talk about how our bodies are adjusting to the changing of seasons. We both seem to be abnormally tired as of late.
Kevin and I part, and I once again head uptown, this time on an errand. Sam Flores - a modern day intellectual from my hometown, Lorain - has requested a copy of my CD (which I released last June). I've been carrying around her copy for about a week, and today I decide to deliver it to her apartment. At her apartment building, though, I cannot remember in which apartment she resides. So, I am unable to deliver the CD.
Luckily, Sam's apartment is very near to Casa, another favorite bar of mine. It has been some time since I've been to Casa. When I became ill a few weeks ago, I stopped drinking, and since I normally only drink at bars, I stopped frequenting Casa. Today I am thirsty for a pint of 90 Shillings Ale (brewed by the Columbus Brewing Company). The ale is delicious. I drink my beer and listen to the buzz of employees.
By this time it is about 5:30. The sky begins to darken; the air begins to chill. So, I hasten on to my home.
First, I go to the Blue Eagle Music Shop to buy guitar strings. Frank, the owner of the store, greets me as I enter. The Blue Eagle has a luscious wood interior adorned with folk guitars and a wood burning stove in the center of the room - the kind of place you love to step into out of a snowy, winter day. I ho-humm over the type and gauge of strings to buy and eventually decide upon .10 gauge Martin 80/20s.
As I leave the Blue Eagle, I am unsure what my next move should be. I had thought of eating a slice of pie at the Dinner, but decide against that in favor of going to Donkey, the coffee cafe. At Donkey I see Christine and Hannah, two friends of mine who are coincidentally sitting next to each other. Christine has in front of her a practice GRE book, which she is studying. She has already taken the GRE - about a month ago - and is now reviewing for the psychology GRE. I often see Christine when I perform the Wednesday open mic at the Baker Center, but we know each other from a much broader - and richer - set of times and spaces.
Hannah and I spent close to a week with each other and about ten others exploring Appalachia Ohio a few years back. The trip was wonderful - it encouraged my love for this region's nature and inhabitants. Hannah is curious what my Halloween costume could have been. I am pleased to recount my Halloween story to both she and Christine (see: "Fidel Castro, Osama Bin Laden, or Saddam Hussein").
I bid both Hannah and Christine a fond farewell and am again on my way.
I considere going to a favorite bar of mine, O'Hooley's, as I leave Donkey, but I do not feel compelled to do so. Instead, I walk to the Front Room (another coffee shop) in the Baker Center to check the open mic sign-up sheet. As I sign my name for a spot on (Friday, November 10 at 11PM, if you're interested), I notice Kevin approaching.
Kevin is a super-duper senior (OU slang for a six year undergrad). His education has taken so long for two reasons: 1. he majored in music for three years before adding a degree, and 2. he spent a year studying in Korea. Kevin also has a wicked gotte, which he does not plan to shave until the end of the school year. I enjoy my conversations with Kevin very much for he is an honest person. Kevin and I chatt about a his schedule for the rest of the school year when Danny appears next to me.
Daniel Schwartz is a local musician. He plays the drums in a band called 'The Princes of Hollywood.' Danny tells me of the many gigs he and "the boys" have played lately. The Princes will be releasing a record soon, and Danny hopes to do an east coast tour for the release. Danny and I leave the Front Room and walk for a bit before we each turn our separate ways. I am headed for the music building (a.k.a Glidden Hall).
I spent much of my undergraduate career in the music building (I was a music major for a half of that career). Today, I am there to utilize the copy machine in the music library. I will be performing at a wedding soon (Tori's wedding, in fact), and I need to make copies of the music for the cellist to practice. However, I soon discover that I have no money to make copies. Unperturbed, I leave the library and meet Kevin - a different Kevin - in the stairwell. Kevin and I met about a year ago in a dressing room. We immediately had a cordial relationship and since then have seen each other around the town quite frequently. He is a deep thinker.
Kevin and I talk about how our bodies are adjusting to the changing of seasons. We both seem to be abnormally tired as of late.
Kevin and I part, and I once again head uptown, this time on an errand. Sam Flores - a modern day intellectual from my hometown, Lorain - has requested a copy of my CD (which I released last June). I've been carrying around her copy for about a week, and today I decide to deliver it to her apartment. At her apartment building, though, I cannot remember in which apartment she resides. So, I am unable to deliver the CD.
Luckily, Sam's apartment is very near to Casa, another favorite bar of mine. It has been some time since I've been to Casa. When I became ill a few weeks ago, I stopped drinking, and since I normally only drink at bars, I stopped frequenting Casa. Today I am thirsty for a pint of 90 Shillings Ale (brewed by the Columbus Brewing Company). The ale is delicious. I drink my beer and listen to the buzz of employees.
By this time it is about 5:30. The sky begins to darken; the air begins to chill. So, I hasten on to my home.
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