Eventful Weekend

It started on Friday after a long day of work when I returned home for a brief reprieve before my plans that night. However, when I returned home and checked social media I discovered a friend of mine had passed away after a long battle with cancer. I didn't know him that well and we only hung out briefly at a mutual friend's birthday party once but in the time I spent with him I grew quite fond of his company. I saw so many who knew him better than I making posts expressing condolonces and I for some reason could not bring myself too. I think something about it felt to performative, y'know? Sort of like Dear Evan Hansen-y. So I didn't say anything. Just liked the post from his mother and moved on. Part of me then felt like I wasn't doing enough to acknowledge it. The world is such a cruel and confusing place and in my attempts to understand it it only becomes more perplexing.

I didn't really have a lot of time to reflect on it all in the moment though because I had a concert to go to that night. My first concert of the year since January was Feeble Little Horse and I had a great time. I've been a huge fan since Girl With Fish came out and have been waiting patiently for them to tour again and the day had finally arrived. It was one of my favorite concerts I've ever been to honestly. Fantastic crowd and atmosphere, great venue, good sound mixing, band had great stage presence (loved the banter between songs), and the selection of songs was great as well. Typically at the concerts I've gone to the artists really only play new material from the album they are promoting, but they actually played a great mix from their backcatelog as well. At concerts I go to alone I usually end up not conversing with anyone with the expection of the concert I went to immediately before this, but even there I never got the guy's name and he left halfway through the show unexplainably. However here almost immediately I starting talking to this other guy who was also there alone and we bonded over a shared love of movies and we exchanged letterboxd accounts. It was cool to be able to actually have something to say with someone you don't really know. Usually even with people I know somewhat well I'm never able to talk about anything, but here the conversation came naturally.

He ended up seeing some other people he knew and I thought all was lost when he went to talk to them, but in actuality he introduced me to them instead. Then, between the openers and main act he invited me back to his place to hang out with his friends and roomates. I have never done something like this before, but it isn't like my social life is particually good otherwise so I have to take what I can get. They were all really chill although it was very obvious I was the odd man out as everyone else knew each other. We played a round of Mario Party together, albeit one that was cut short by the game crashing. Many others were making a drinking game out of it, but I did not participate since I had to drive home afterwards. Everyone else understood and I was not the only one there who had to drive home so it was not as if I was the only one staying sober. I was only there for about an hour as I had to work the next morning but I do hope the friendship lasts beyond that night.

Saturday at work I put in my two weeks. I do not think my co-workers know yet. I'm uncertain when they will find out. Oh well. After work I drove back to my hometown to visit my family who was there for the weekend. Many of them were swimming but it was 120 degrees outside so I did not feel up to it. My great-aunt had her high school reunion so they had to leave soon after I arrived. I then went shoe shopping with my mom as I have been in the need for new tennis shoes and I am not one to turn down a free pair (free to me anyways). I then went to Chili's to eat with my Grandma and... Cousin, I think? I think she would be considered my first cousin once removed although in my mind she has always existed somewhere in the space between aunt and cousin. Anyways, it was nice to catch up with her and my grandma, who is actually my great grandmother if we are being techincal about it. She informed me that her friend's granddaughter is attending the same program I am this fall and I assured her I would remember her name, although to be quite honest I have already forgotten. It was quite a peculiar name so I am certain I will remember it if I hear or see it again.

After supper I planned on driving back home, but instead I went to see a performance of a Charlie Brown musical than many of my friends from high school were starring in. It was good, but standing there after the show talking to them was somewhat strange. As if I was lingering in a space I have long since vacated. Everyone was happy to see me but there was the feeling in the air that I needed to move on. I did discover one of my friends will be attending the same university as me so I hope that our friendship will not be one that is left in the high school years of my life. I talked to most of the cast who I knew well except for the guy who played Schroeder. I felt somewhat awkward as he was very close to the aforementioned friend who passed and I didn't know how to broach the subject. Not at all was probably the correct answer but alas I did not attempt. Regardless most of the cast was held up in conversation with a large group of Japanese teenagers who were there on some sort of field trip on what I assume was a part of an exchange student program. As for why they chose to attend this performance at a small local community theater (which is not even the largest in that town), is an enigma to me. I sat behind them so I ended up in their photographs. I have to assume all of their families back in Japan who will recieve the pictures will wonder who this strange man sitting behind their children is. Or maybe they won't even notice me at all.

When I woke up this morning I forgot it was Sunday due to the sheer eventfulness of my weekend thus far and was happy upon remembering I do not have work today. I plan to go watch the new Nicolas Winding Refn film today. I have heard mixed things but I am still excited. It will be my first Refn film oddly enough so I am uncertain of how I will take to it. I am quite a big fan of Sophie Tatcher and Charles Melton though so even if it is awful I will at least have them to look forward to seeing. My first exposure to her was a thirst trap edit set to the song "Princess Bubblegum", so everytime I see her in something I am reminded of that song. It is not a very good song but it is somewhat catchy I suppose.