week five: shes cranky

A side note before I recap: people go on and on about how friendly Southerners are. Well miss me with that. I’ve been left on read by a couple folks here and it feels about the same as good ole chilly Seattle.

Anyway.

Week five has been quiet and sometimes lonely.

Monday the internet at home was futzy so I ran back and forth to the co-working space a few times. Tried to have a birthday call with the fam in the evening and gave up in tears after it froze for the third time. I texted my landlord and she was snippy about it. I heard her talking animatedly next door and felt so angry. Then I had an Incident in the kitchen with a possible rodent or big bug; I panicked, closed the door and got into bed, scared and tired. I didn’t sleep much. It was a really low point.

Tuesday I couldn’t sleep so got up and went for a walk in the heavy, muggy, gross morning. Saw a dead possum laying on the ground near my landlord’s trash cans, belly up and covered with flies. UGH. When I got back, I asked my landlord to come over and she did, with bug spray and news that her dog had dragged the possum inside and through her side of the house Monday night! That was the loud talking. Christ. I cleaned up and made it through a long day of meetings. Talked to a friend who may be coming to visit soon. May be. Maybe.

Wednesday and Thursday not much to report. I went for a couple of runs, bought roach traps at the hardware store, had delectable coconut cake from Bywater Bakery, tried the carrot bacon at Horn's (but felt discouraged by the neighborly chit-chat that skipped right over me), wrote, worked, missed my partner. I did meet a super nice woman who teaches CPR at my co-working space, we chit-chatted and she was so positive and encouraging when I said I was a writer. Got takeout from the Thai place on Royal but it wasn’t great,and got yelled at by a panhandler so I skipped a possible happy hour and went home.

Friday I worked and then got myself to a care facility on Elysian and assisted a documentary filmmaker with interviews with LGBTQ elders about the AIDS crisis in New Orleans. It was a privilege and also really fun to be on a set, arranging chairs, scouring the facility for pictures we could use for backgrounds, grabbing tissue when one subject wept, admiring another’s vintage diamond brooch. Afterward I helped move the gear to a storage area, got lost with the director on a rutted-out street, then relaxed and smoked a spliff. I’d thought we were going for a drink but the director was tired and distracted and the night was ebbing away so I unwisely walked in the dark down Franklin for home.

Saturday I’d hoped to museum hop but there were thunderstorms and a tornado warning all afternoon so I stayed in. Rain came down in buckets, and the wind picked up. The internet gave up the ghost at 1.30pm, not to return until 3pm Sunday. It was a long, quiet day. Friends had sent me a care package (heart eyes emoji) so I read a Neil Gaiman book and an old paperback and eventually went to bed around 9pm.
By Sunday morning, still no internets (ANGRY emoji) so I got dressed, messaged the landlord, and headed out. I walked in 70-degree sunshine to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, passing Saints and Raiders fans decked out in gear, glitter, body paint, and costumes. A twinge, wishing I was part of the fun, but the museum was quiet and packed with amazing Southern art. Afterward I checked out some galleries along Royal, including my old favorite Antieau Gallery where I picked up 2 zines, and then Mortal Machine and their punk rock art.
Then over to Fritzel's for an incredible Irish coffee and a jazz trio, average age probably 70. (Livewire says Richard "Piano" Scott but it wasn't.)
Still no internets at home so I went grocery shopping (Community Coffee was half off so I got more chicory coffee) and then to the co-working space. Felt very down and discouraged. 
This week: hoping to volunteer at a thrift type store and pull myself together. Until then.

*

I’m trying to stay positive and not get discouraged. Most of the friends who promised to visit have gone very silent. So I’m guessing I’m alone until mid-December. It stings. I’m lonely and miss my partner and fellow-adventurer most of all. But, I’ve been finding volunteer opportunities--there’s a film festival next week and possibilities at Habitat--so I’ll do what I do which is figure shit out.