Slumber Greed

(October 25, 2003)

It's 4:55am. I just walked in, the usual "hey baby!" dying on my lips as I opened the door into darkness and heard the deafening silence. I always keep some lights, and usually the TV, on for Elvis. I didn't today. He always hears me in the hallway and comes to the door, then we'd see about food and litter maintenance.

I just stood for a moment, feeling his gone-ness. I'ma miss that little stinker.

I went to New York tonight. Unplanned. Tonight I was only going to my fave club, the Lizard Lounge, for Sparkola's CD release party and then to Joe's after. There was a party in Allston but I wasn't in a very "party" place. It was all moot anyway when Hub called from Buffalo this afternoon. He was up in Canada visiting Kelly, but he'd missed his connection and would have to rot around in bus stations and ride on busses until 8am. Unless someone could pick him up at Port Authority. Hey, I'm someone!

I got to the city with no problems, even found a parking space right across from the station. Hub was there in a few minutes and he drove back, happy about the animal crackers and fig newtons I'd picked up figuring he'd be peckish. We listened to Dream Theatre and talked about Elvis and All the Queen's Men and Kelly and Joe. "How are things with Don Juanski?" Hub asked. So I told him some of what's been going on. Joe was really sweet yesterday after I got back from the animal emergency hospital. It would have been harder to come back here with the empty cat carrier alone. I got my stuff and then we went back to his place and made dinner and watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I added, "He's probably happy tonight without me there. He claims I steal the covers but--"

"Oh you are SUCH a covers-stealer!"

"You lie! I am not."

"You so are! You don't know how many times I woke up like 'What the fuck, why am I cold?'"

This news of my intra-slumber greed was so hilarious that I just started to crack up. "Why didn't you ever say anything!" I asked between giggles.

"Because what's the point? You were asleep. 'Hey, wake up and stop stealing the covers while you're sleeping.' Duh."

"But you should have said something!"

"Why?"

"Because!" Thinking of Joe's already woefully inadequate bachelor-bought bedding (only two pillows and one ordinary comforter compared to the mounds of extra pillows, two extra-large comforters and huge piles of blankets Hub and I had) I nearly pee'd with laughing so hard thinking about what must have been a battle for him since it turned cold! "Because! Because I wouldn't have been defending myself so vehemently had I known there were prior incidents."

"Well you do. So many times I would be holding on to an edge desperately trying to be warm as you were rolling away with them. It's like you roll over in the same direction all night..."

By now I was laughing so hard I couldn't see anymore but I managed to stammer, "...like a..."

"Like a window shade."

"HA HA HA HA!"

"Then you're facing the wall, snoring, all wrapped up in them and I'm naked and shivering thinking 'Oh well I guess I'll just use this sad little blanket we have lying on the floor here...'"

"Oh my GOD. Anything else I should know?"

"I can't think of anything at the moment."

Oh my god.