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Mar242007
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Ruston |
This entry skips Monday through Thursday. I just worked and went home each day of the week, nothing worth detailing. The only remotely consequential event was me watching my 900th movie, A Christmas Story.I took the day off of work today go drive up to Ruston to visit Bianca and Khadijah at Louisiana Tech. I packed some things for an overnight stay yesterday evening. Andrey arrived at my house to pick me up around 10 this morning.We took the most simple and probably fastest route; I-55 up to Jackson, Mississippi and then west on I-20 until we reached Ruston. The trip up really wasn’t bad at all, even though it was some five hours. I didn’t have to drive and no pestering immediate family members were present. I brought a book to read but I was largely preoccupied with conversation so I didn’t really get to it. We talked about several things, but my memory says mostly cars.We pulled in to Ruston sometime around three. We parked a little further than needed from Bianca’s apartment. Bianca greeted us when we arrived at her apartment. After talking for a while, we called Khadijah and Andrey and I went over to her house to pick her up. The directions she gave me were complicated to I just printed a map. With that in hand we didn’t have any trouble finding her house, although it didn’t have a number on it. It’s been several months since I last saw Kali, although we do speak regularly. Andrey hasn’t seen her in at least a couple years, though. Khadijah wanted Andrey to meet his boyfriend so we drove over to the red tables where Gerard was with some friends. I’ve met him before on a couple previous occasions. We sat and talked for a little while before leaving to head back to Bianca’s place. We stopped at a gas station on the way to pick up some beverages for the ‘picnic’ later. Not long after we got back, we loaded Andrey’s car with the food and people and went over to Hideaway Park where some of Bianca’s friends were waiting. In addition to us four, Bianca’s friends Quentin, Matt, Laura and her roommate Krystle were there. I’d met all of them before with the exception of Krystle I think.We didn’t waste any time partaking of the food. There was nothing overwhelmingly unusual about the ‘picnic,’ or whatever you might call it. There was food, drink, conversation, laughter and the occasional “game.” We were there for an hour or two before we headed back to Bianca’s place. On the way, we stopped at a grocery store for ice cream to go with the cake she already had. Bianca doesn’t have a freezer so she couldn’t have bought it ahead of time.I couldn’t easily describe the rest of the evening in any great detail. We had the dessert and generally spent the rest of the time sitting around and talking. On occasion I went outside. Bianca’s apartment has a great view of Tech’s baseball field. Their team was playing Fresno State tonight. Later on, Gerard showed up as well as two more of Bianca’s friends: Steve, whom I’d met, and Jeremy, who I had not. Kali and Andrey disappeared from the party a couple times. I’m sure they had a lot to talk about. I hardly felt deprived of company, however. As the late evening wore on, things quieted down, guests departed. I think the last holdouts left around midnight.Andrey and I stayed the night at Bianca’s place. I made some calls yesterday for a hotel room but the whole town was booked solid for some convention and a Grambling football game. So, we just slept on her floor. Andrey was pretty tired and was practically unconscious when he hit the pillow. Bianca and I were up a bit longer, talking while she picked out clothes for the next day and painted her nails. I finally got to sleep around two.