[i]
Alarm goes off dark, not bright, and early at 7:30 a.m. I've got to be at court this morning.
Instant Multi-Grain Berry Oatmeal. Coffee.
It's a gloomy, windy, rainy day. I'm here in small claims court to collect a check from garnished wages that I issued on Elisa, an old roommate. She's owed me a big sum of back rent from almost two years ago. In the waiting area outside the courtroom everybody is scanning the docket for their case/names. I'm surprised to see Elisa is actually here. It's awkward at first cause I really don't know what to say.
Me: "Hey Elisa. How are you?"
She doesn't look thrilled to be here. I would have preferred to avoid the legal system but she gave me no choice a while back. There was hardly any communication nor any assurance she would pay her debt. Either way, we're here now. Once they open the courtroom doors it's only a few minutes before the court clerk calls us to the bench. The clerk hands me a check for about 80% of the debt. Elisa is eager to pay off the rest of it to me. We talk out in the hall for about ten minutes clearing the air with each other and apologizing. We discuss a timeline for her to write me a check covering the other 20% of her debt. I leave the courthouse feeling vindicated and relieved. This whole thing between her and I has been hanging over my head for years. And now it's over...almost. Here's a shining example of the legal system on your side. It may take a lot more time, money, and hassle to use it but in the end justice can be served.
I'm not used to being out and about this early in the day. Since I'm on this side of town I decide to surprise Ana at work. I walk into O'Reilly's with a small pink flower I picked off a bush nearby. She's ecstatic to see me and without warning embraces me with a huge smile on her face.
Stopping by the garden center for some new clay pots. I end up getting another snake plant.
Grapefruit. A small bowl of Honey Crunch n Oats with Strawberries and Almond-Coconut Milk.
Taking care of business – paying bills – taking out the recyclables.
Grilled PB&J with Pumpkin Seeds. Olive Oil Potato Chips. Green Yerba Mate Tea.
Teaching piano lessons at Music Makers. Wednesdays are my packed days for lessons – 3.5 hours of teaching today. I'm running on empty searching for my second wind. Having to get up so early this morning is out of the norm for my routine. But I hang in there and continue on as usual.
Even with the lack of energy I head to The Escape to enjoy the sauna and a light workout. The hot steam seeps deep into my pores and in my lungs.
Back at the house. Ana cooks up dinner. I bake a Breaded Lemon Almond Encrusted Tilapia to go with her Curry Quinoa and Vegetables.
We hang downstairs on the stiff yellow couch watching In a World... (2013). It's a perfect movie to lighten the mood and make us forget about the stormy weather.
Whitney's gone for a week in California. And so I've been delegated to watch over Pumpkin. He's already found a comfy hidden spot in my closet to lounge in and sheets of paper make great bedding.
Kevin gets off work eventually. Later on when he goes off for a cigarette I decide to pull together another scare prank. I don't think this tops the time I snuck into his bed and lightly touched his chest scaring the living daylights out of him. But for this one I stay hidden in the back corner of his closet and watch him while I make creepy grunting sounds...
Later, lounging around in the bed with Ana. She keeps slipping these accidental accents when she speaks – it's quite cute.
Me: "Accidental accents. That could be a good band name!"
Sleep 2:30 a.m.
[i] Images by me.
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