27/02: Cara's last day... recap.
In so many ways I figured Cara's last day at the 'Box would be something crazy or full of bullshit like the night before, but in anything it provided perfect symmetry for when I first met her there oh so many years ago. Of course this all might residual emotional coloring for crying like a lost child after watching the final three episodes of the last season of Babylon 5. I did not miss that odd coincidence as well.
Read on if you want the run down.
As I said I was watching the the last three episodes of B5 - the last two in particular ran me down like a truck in LA. The specific whys and what fors are not particular interesting for this story, but the fact it was a story about friends leaving was not lost on me.
After composing myself I strapped on my birthday chuck-t's and disappeared into the cold windy night about 11.30p. I figured Luke would be up there, Scoot as well, Paul the Cookie, and probably Mattie (if he wasn't busy cheating on the bar). To my surprise all I found was a petulant and pensive Matt (totes not drunk), a fairly animated Keith, and that's it. No Luke, no Paul, no Scoot, or anyone else. Odd. Super odd.
The crowd was light and some guy was damn near humping keno. I chit chatted with him, he had a giant wad of money from winning, and bought me a shot for, I guess, talking to him. Matt was reeling around trying to fight who ever was playing the "shitty music" (I believe the keno guy was), Keith was picking on Shanna, and eventually both were armed with wet towels snapping them at the girls like.. well like third graders. Laughter all around.
Paulie and I were chatting about NASCAR car shapes and the rules involved and occasionally talking with the keno hound. After some time the jukebox died down and the dynamic duo secured their list of substantially harder rock with a good dose of 'Georgia Clay' country. A good laugh by all at less than stellar music being compensated with more shitty music. Bwahahaha..
In my last ceremonial attempt at having Cara win *ME* some keno all I got back from my two bones was a quarter. I think breaking the five year streak would have just made things less authentic.
About this time my music kicked in; I thought I just wasted a fiver, but no it made kicking out the stragglers and cleaning more enjoyable. No surf'n bird - it didn't seem right. Matt had his thousand hugs and left. Shanna was done and was escorted to her car.
With the lights down, the money counted, and Cara flopped on a chair we had a small chit chat about her three month stint, where it will go from there, and if she's already packed. At that early in the morning I find it is always nice to just sit and talk with a good friend in a familiar place. Low lights, the general hum of ice boxes... Be it the 'Box or the days long ago at the Eclipse I always find myself content at those hours and settings. Some nights you can hear the layers upon layers of conversations and emotion embedded in those walls. The good times, the drunk times, the angry/fed up times, and connected times. Strata of finger prints left behind by thousands of people through out the years.
One last look around out we went. A hug, a thank you, a good bye and that was that. I let my car warm up and tried to file away those last moments seen a thousand times before. Cara running the numbers for the night, getting keno squared away, and matching up credit card receipts. A solid worker to the very end. No half-assing that final job.
I reflected how many of my good friends I've seen repeat those tasks and lock that door for the last time - never to return from their new adventures. A growing domino chain of triggered memories for those before as well as Cara now.
Over all a good sum representation of all those Cara Saturday nights past.
In theory I should be quoting my Lawyer quoting 'Good Will Hunting' about "the best part of the morning/you disappearing" bit, but to keep the symmetry, I'll throw in some Babylon5.
"I figure it's about As you continue on your path, you will lose some friends and gain some new ones. The process is painful, but often necessary. They will change and you will change, because life is change. From time to time, they must find their own way and that way may not be yours. Enjoy them for what they are and remember them for what they were. " - Sheridan
Read on if you want the run down.
As I said I was watching the the last three episodes of B5 - the last two in particular ran me down like a truck in LA. The specific whys and what fors are not particular interesting for this story, but the fact it was a story about friends leaving was not lost on me.
After composing myself I strapped on my birthday chuck-t's and disappeared into the cold windy night about 11.30p. I figured Luke would be up there, Scoot as well, Paul the Cookie, and probably Mattie (if he wasn't busy cheating on the bar). To my surprise all I found was a petulant and pensive Matt (totes not drunk), a fairly animated Keith, and that's it. No Luke, no Paul, no Scoot, or anyone else. Odd. Super odd.
The crowd was light and some guy was damn near humping keno. I chit chatted with him, he had a giant wad of money from winning, and bought me a shot for, I guess, talking to him. Matt was reeling around trying to fight who ever was playing the "shitty music" (I believe the keno guy was), Keith was picking on Shanna, and eventually both were armed with wet towels snapping them at the girls like.. well like third graders. Laughter all around.
Paulie and I were chatting about NASCAR car shapes and the rules involved and occasionally talking with the keno hound. After some time the jukebox died down and the dynamic duo secured their list of substantially harder rock with a good dose of 'Georgia Clay' country. A good laugh by all at less than stellar music being compensated with more shitty music. Bwahahaha..
In my last ceremonial attempt at having Cara win *ME* some keno all I got back from my two bones was a quarter. I think breaking the five year streak would have just made things less authentic.
About this time my music kicked in; I thought I just wasted a fiver, but no it made kicking out the stragglers and cleaning more enjoyable. No surf'n bird - it didn't seem right. Matt had his thousand hugs and left. Shanna was done and was escorted to her car.
With the lights down, the money counted, and Cara flopped on a chair we had a small chit chat about her three month stint, where it will go from there, and if she's already packed. At that early in the morning I find it is always nice to just sit and talk with a good friend in a familiar place. Low lights, the general hum of ice boxes... Be it the 'Box or the days long ago at the Eclipse I always find myself content at those hours and settings. Some nights you can hear the layers upon layers of conversations and emotion embedded in those walls. The good times, the drunk times, the angry/fed up times, and connected times. Strata of finger prints left behind by thousands of people through out the years.
One last look around out we went. A hug, a thank you, a good bye and that was that. I let my car warm up and tried to file away those last moments seen a thousand times before. Cara running the numbers for the night, getting keno squared away, and matching up credit card receipts. A solid worker to the very end. No half-assing that final job.
I reflected how many of my good friends I've seen repeat those tasks and lock that door for the last time - never to return from their new adventures. A growing domino chain of triggered memories for those before as well as Cara now.
Over all a good sum representation of all those Cara Saturday nights past.
In theory I should be quoting my Lawyer quoting 'Good Will Hunting' about "the best part of the morning/you disappearing" bit, but to keep the symmetry, I'll throw in some Babylon5.
"I figure it's about As you continue on your path, you will lose some friends and gain some new ones. The process is painful, but often necessary. They will change and you will change, because life is change. From time to time, they must find their own way and that way may not be yours. Enjoy them for what they are and remember them for what they were. " - Sheridan
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