Drifting Towards 40 ~ Days of Future Passed on the Threshold of a Dream: Book One

Prologue: 9/28/07 – Fri "The Day Begins"
At I presume what my current employer would consider “almost at the last minute” I requested Friday off as an additional vacation day along with the ones I had already set up for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. According to what my Jaxians (fenian_timelord & his wife, HLJ) and TallyGirls (kaitlandSis, MamaBetty & SoniaSis) had last told me they were all, coincidentally, looking to take half days at their respective jobs and head my way. At least I’m thankful I took the extra day as I was in standard mode slowly puttering around my apartment making the public areas "presentable"...otherwise known as procrastinating.

During momentary downtime I made sure to shear the head and beard areas hoping to achieve some level of non-grizzled photogenic-ness. I had also toyed with the thought of bleaching either part, or all, of my goatee then coloring it red (like an Irishman kind of red, not a fire engine) but I wussed out. Heck, I even have some red nail enamel I had thought of painting on but was waiting for the Jaxians as I was going to ask HLJ to do the honors.

...and there I sat...

...time ticking by...

Ran some laundry to make sure I was all caught up before the extended weekend and packed a bit for the trip...


Sometime ‘round the five o’clock hour I received a message from my TallyGirls that they were now heading my way. Work held them longer than expected...

Still hadn’t heard from the Jaxians, so I tried touching base with them. Tried a couple of times through the evening – no answer. That had me worried a little bit...but I let it go thinking that they had opted to head up the next morning.

However, by the time I let that concern go the time had passed for me to leave to catch the midnight screening of Tron that was being held. So...no 1982 cyberpunky adventures from Disney for me.

I stayed up long enough to get word that the TallyGirls had checked in safely to their hotel room then went to bed.

Such an exciting day off, no?


Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colours from our sight,
Red is gray and yellow, white,
But we decide which is right,
And which is an illusion.
Pinprick holes in a colourless sky,
Let insipid figures of light pass by,
The mighty light of ten thousand suns,
Challenges infinity and is soon gone.
Night time, to some a brief interlude,
To others the fear of solitude.
Brave Helios wake up your steads,
Bring the warmth the countryside needs.



Chapter One: 9/29/07 – Sat "Lovely to See You"
Forced myself awake "early" for me on a Saturday (read "early" as pre-10am) and let my sleep-combobulated brain settle to discombobulation. Placed a call to my Jaxians and caught HLJ. Chatted a bit to check on them and tried my best to sound non-chalant. About an hour later she called back a touch befuddled and asked if it was the weekend of my party. Somehow they got the dates nurgled and thought the events were all to happen a week later than scheduled. Now knowing the most recent updates on what's been happening on their side of the world, I am not at all surprised that things slipped from mind.

Puttered with what little puttering there was left to do...packed what little there was left to pack for the trip (I already had my couture selected for traveling the next day)...and waited.

TallyGirls arrived mid afternoon with JimPuppy bounding along and gift bags in arm. To say that my TallyGirls spoil me would be an understatement. They’ve definitely taken me under their collective wings...always peeking in to make sure I’m taking care of myself. And, to make sure that would continue to happen, collectively the girls (and JimPuppy) bestowed upon me a small crock pot, cook books, candy (licorice and red hots), and piratey things.

A short while later, JD & Keith stopped by to spend some time for pre-dinner shots and relaxing and we’re all just having light conversation and sharing laughs. Compared to all of them, though, I felt underdressed. But...so be it. The boys were sweet and gifted me with a jar of loose-leaf herbal tea that smells just absolutely yumptious.

For a little while we had light conversation...the boys and I did a couple of shots (me, jaeger - they, tequila)...and generally hung out...

The six of us arrived at the chosen restaurant (Cowtippers) pretty much on time and found sabrina_pandora already there as she told me she would be. As we were shown to the set of tables set aside for our/my party she whispered to the handsome gents she was chatting with that it was my birthday. One of them came over, an eye catching muscle-cub, to personally wish me a Happy Birthday (with hug and kiss on cheek) and I think I made a boob of myself mistaking him for an ex of his. You see, they both used to work for Cowtippers on the waitstaff – having even both served another group dinner I was part of earlier in the year – and both had caught my eye then but I had found out through the bearvines that they were an item. Little did I know that they had split since my "In Town" social life is pretty dry and dusty of late. Guess the faux pas means that I’ll never taste him naked. To console myself, I have Sabrina's gift of an action figure of herself (well...ok...DC Comics' Zatanna) that she had a small inscription engraved on the base...and she gave me permission to remove Zatanna from the packaging and place her on display. (She's set up between Kyle Raynor-Green Lantern & Parallax in a DC trifecta.)

A short bit later timebear and his hubby, Doug, arrived. They also knew me a little too well...the dragon themed candle sconces speaks well enough to that.

They were also the last to arrive. On the eVite I set up and sent out, I received confirmations for 18 people. Allowing for flux, I requested seating for 24.

In the end, including me, there were only nine. It was clear enough early in the gathering that I wouldn't need the unsat table space and advised the manager-on-duty I was releasing them for her to use for other patrons.

I did receive addendums from a couple of people needing to request rain checks for one reason or another (which are all viable) and have promises of at least dinner being taken care of by these individuals a few times. But...while my outward face did its best to mask it, inside I felt let down a little...and it cast a dimmed light on the evening for me.

Expections and reality coming to terms in my mind...

As the night and dinner wound down we few retired to Suburban Clarkston and Doug & TimeBear’s home for light socializing. Sabrina was not able to partake having another evening commitment...and JD & Keith had to bow out as well.

For a night where I was looking forward to ribbing, loud laughter and alcohol-warmed cheeks...there was a quiet night with people I consider family...

And while part of me felt let down deep inside by the lack of turnout...I couldn’t imagine these people that were there at this moment not being with me whenever I needed them.



Here is JD terrorizing Keith in my kitchen


At dinner (l-r): Keith, JD, Sabrina Pandora, and TallyGirl-SoniaSis


On the other side of the table (l-r): TallyGirl-MamaBetty and TallyGirl-JessicaRoseSis


See...me = underdressed for my own birthday dinner


A pair of Joe's (l-r): TimeBear and JoeZer


A wonderful day for passing my way.
Knock and my door and even the score
With your eyes.

Lovely to see you again my friend.
Walk along with me to the next bend.

Dark cloud of fear is blowing away.
Now that you're hear, you're going to stay
'cause it's

Lovely to see you again my friend.
Walk along with me to the next bend.

Tells us what you've seen in faraway forgotten lands.
Where empires have turned back to sand.

Wonderful day for passing my way.
Knock and my door and even the score
With your eyes.

Lovely to see you again my friend.
Walk along with me to the next bend.