Don't ever work 15 hour days. I feel like road kill.
Yesterday, I worked from 5pm-12am at The Gap after completing an eight hour shift job at my regular job. Yes, I got a part time job working at The Gap. Just for the holidays, mostly for the discount. I am getting a $79 velvet blazer for $25! GAPTASTIC! The store is huge. Enormous. The size of a department store. I had to go from the first floor to thrid floor like 80 times. I took the stairs because "Thanks to Bethany's Workout Plan, I'll be the envy of all my friends!" I unpacked boxes. I stocked coats on the sales floor. I folded shit. With a bunch of burly dudes and 2 dainty divas. The time crept at first, but once the store closed, it just flew. I went home and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
I am working two more 15 hour days next week.
Pray for me.
So, this weekend will be somewhat low-key. Tonight, I am going to Durkin's to hang with my Dorm compadres. Our good buddy is moving next week, so we are all trying to spend as much time with him as possible. It's so sad. He sent us all a letter today that made me a bit teary eyed:
Well, I guess the time to say goodbye is here, I leave Tuesday for MI to spend thanksgiving with my family and when I get back I leave for Miami two days latter.
I want to tell all of you that in one way or another you have all touched and enriched my life. The days at the Dorm. What can we say about them, we tell the stories about those days and people look on in horror, or envy, both really, those are days that as long as I live I will never forget. We did and experienced so many fun and amazing things living there, and somewhere there are the photos to prove it.
I feel so lucky to have lived in the Dorm and to have all of you as my friends, the experience of living there was a once and a lifetime event. I�ve been in Chicago for 7 years and nothing comes close to what we had there and I believe nothing ever will.
My friendships with all of you have been great, all of you at one time or another have been there for me, wether you know it or not, you have been. There are so many good times I've had with all of you, far to many to try and list, but when I think about the times we've had I smile and I laugh.
Saturday night my friends, it was, and as much as I don't like to think about it like this, it was a goodbye, it was the end of a very long and very good chapter in my life and I�m glad that all of you could be there to share it with me.
Over the course of the last few weeks, I've been dealing with moving from a place I love very much and leaving great friends, but a very good friend of mine gave me a book called The Purpose Driven Life, and one day while thinking about all that was going on in my life I came across this passage:
There is no growth without change; there is no change without fear or loss; and there is no loss without pain. Every change involves a loss of some kind: You must let go of old ways in order to experience the new. We fear these losses, even if our old ways were self-defeating, because, like a worn out pair of shoes, they were at least comfortable and familiar.
This one passage made all the difference for me, nothing could have summed it up better.
Now, I could leave you with that profound thought, and I'm not really sure how profound it is, but I won't, that's not my style. I leave you with what I think I'll most be remembered for:
Line them up again!!
That last line refers to one Sunday two years ago when a hungover group of us staggered into Sports Corner, only intending to eat. What transpired was an all-day shot-fest predicated by our dear friend who is moving away. I think we initially did a shot just to feel better, and intended on keeping the shot count at one... but he slammed his hand down on the table and proclaimed "LINE 'EM UP AGAIN!"
So they did. And we did. And this went on and on. It went from light to dark. From hazy to clear to hazy again. New friends were made. New bonds were formed. It was just a prototypical day in the Dorm, but nevertheless, a day that will live in infamy.
A graphic I made to put on a t-shirt that never came to fruition. Luckily, I saved it.
We are attempting to re-create the merriment made on that day, but usually things that spontaneous can never be re-created. It only serves to sully the memory, usually. But I think one last hurrah at the bar attached to our building is fitting.
Alright. 3 updates in one week! Great googaly moogaly!
So go forth and enjoy your weekend. I know I will.