•Saturday•

Yesterday was actually quite cool. With the usual rollercoaster that is my life ... I felt shitty after leaving Norm. I mean ... I felt shitty before I got there but the feeling sunk in and I was soaked by the time I left her office. We walked downstairs together and talked a little on the sidewalk. She did ask if I felt ok because I seemed down. I told her I was fine and we parted. I just didn't feel like getting into anything.

I left and went to see this guy I did a logo for to find out if he got my invoice. His partner was there. Turned out that he's sick and he hasn't checked his email in a while. I like 'em and I know I'll get paid. I'm not worried or anything. They'll work it out during next week.

I headed over to Eric's office to drop something off and there are these guys in the lobby in suits. Dark suits and .... ear-pieces? The kind ... secret service guys wear or at least body guards. One of the guy keeps checking the stair case. I figure "Well ... I'm on Madison ... some star must be in the building or something." I get to Eric's floor and there are a couple guys there too. Complete with dark suits, shades and ear-pieces.

"What's going on?" I asked Leann, Eric's co-worker. "Are they secret service?"

"Mm hm," she nodded. "Barbra Bush is in the building," she sorta rolled her eyes.

If I wasn't in New York City ... I wouldnt've believe her.

"Are you serious? ... Wow. That's pretty cool."

We chatted for a while about weekend plans. I suggested she check out Flavor Pill (because Husani works on the site and I think they rock) and a couple other sites. Something about just chatting with her made me feel a little better. That mixed with the whole secret service thing. I left there feeling ... better. When I left the office though ... there were two secret service guys waiting by the elevator. I was smiling like a moron about the whole thing ... just thinking that it was pretty cool. One of them got on the elevator and stood right in front of me.

"I wanna touch him," I thought.

My fingers extended and I touched his shoulder. Just like that. He had a little bit of lint on his suit and I brushed it off. I sort of expected him to spin around and slam me against the wall and yell "Who sent you? Who are you working for? Die spy bastard! Die!" .... but he didn't. He turned a little ... probably thinking I was insane and I explained my actions.

"You ... uh .. had some ... lint"

"Oh thanks. I got some on me while I was in the stairwell. Thanks a lot." He spoke in a slight southern accent.

"You're welcome," I smiled. And just then ... the elevator doors opened and I left. Outside I noticed at least three other guys in a car waiting outside. Same dark suits and ear-pieces.

"Only in New York," I thought.

I didn't have much to do. Actually ... I didn't have anything at all to do. I headed over to Union Square ... to Husani's. He wasn't there. I didn't feel like the big dope I usually feel like when I show up and he's not there. It was after 1 or so by then and I needed lunch. I figured I'd get something at the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble. I was determined to start ... I dunno .. being seen or something. Eat out more or something. Go out more. Do more. Actually start gathering a life. Standing there though .... I dunno ... Standing there at the counter staring at the sandwiches just made me feel weird. I'm not even sure why.

I could hear Ranger whisper ... "...The fuck are you doing? You know you'll feel uncomfortable here eating alone. And look at the prices anyway."

He just sorta washed over me and I felt my lips mouthing .... "You're ... right" I felt strange and sad. I spun around and left. Things just sorta filtered out. Everything.

And then ...."...elp feed the homeless. Just one penny. Help feed the homeless." the guy standing there with a large bottle with a UHO (United Homeless Organization ... I think) label on it. His voice was the first thing to filter back in ... then the whole city seeped back into me. I walked over to McDonald's and stood waiting in line. There was this guy in front of me. Dark hair, white with red and blue tee and blue jeans. He moved to the side and I stepped up, ordered, paid and got my 2-cheese burger meal. I walked downstairs and made to move over to where I usually sit but the space was invaded by some loud moronic kids. The only seat that was really empty was close to that same guy I stood behind earlier.

I sat and started to unwrap a cheese burger. That's when it happened. That's when there was some warp in time or something. Some weird cosmic thing I guess. I glanced over and the guy had his eyes closed and his head bowed. He's probably around my age. I'm not gonna lie and say I pray every time before I eat but I do sometimes. I found it fascinating that he did it. My mouth with a quarter of my burger in it ... I whispered a quick prayer.

Then there was a huge warp in the reality that I live in ... I had this urge to say something. To ask him if he really was praying just a while ago. I have an overactive imagination ... I saw Ranger float down the steps behind me ... without even turning around ... I saw him. I saw the black mist gather around me and time slowed down. I could hear Ranger tell me I was out of my mind for even thinking of saying anything.

If that moment had to be animated ....

.... The camera would zoom in on my eyes.

Then on the guy taking a bite of his Mcnugget.

Then Ranger.

Then my lips.

Then my eyes again.

And finally ... my mouth opening to speak

"I'm sorry .... were you just praying?"

He smiled and his eyes sparkled. "Yes," he wiped his mouth with the napkin and smiled again.

I sorta just nodded and said, "That's cool. I just don't see people do that often."

He asked me something like if I didn't pray or something and I told him yes, just not as much as I probably should. And just like that ... we both went from eating alone to having company. His name's Joshua. He's in the Navy and he was only here for a couple days with friends. He goes back to Virginia today I think.

After feeling like crap the night before ... I had proven myself wrong about not being able to make friends. We chatted for a while. Talking about the city and stuff. He said he really likes it here and he'd love to move here. We talked about school and stuff and I told him about the school in Miami that I really want to go to. He asked what I was doing after lunch. I had no idea what I was gonna do. I know I had to find a Kinko's later on to work on a business card design but that was about it. He was gonna see what his friends had planned.

I could've stayed there forever and chatted with him. Someone who wasn't hitting on me or anything. Just talking about life. It felt great. It really did. Ranger had completely disappeared. I wasn't that hungry anymore and after guzzling down the last of my soda I got ready to go. Joshua was still eating. I have a "Quit while you're ahead" theme I try to live by so we shook hands and I left. I walked out of McDonald's and figured I'd go to Utrecht and pick up a new sketch pad and see whatelse they had that I could buy. I mean ... I have sketch pads. New ones. Old ones that may have all but one page blank ... yet ... I just like buying new ones. Especially when I'm determined to start sketching again. It's sorta like I have to make a completely new start.

I stood on the sidewalk squinting my eyes from the sun and listening to some guy sell children's books. I stood there waiting for the light to change so I could cross and I thought about Joshua. I guess I didn't stop thinking about the chat after leaving. It was less than a five minute timespan from leaving him to standing on the sidewalk.

"I'll never see the guy again. I didn't even give him my email or anything .... I probably should at least do that," I thought.

The light changed and I started crossing the street .... and then I just stopped. Right there in the middle of the street ... I just stopped. Stopped ... then spun around and walked back to McDonald's. Back to McDonald's and back to the dark-haired guy in the white t-shirt with blue and red.

"I figured I should at least give you my email," I said.

"You're right," he smiled. "I should give you mine too."

I took out a notepad and wrote my name and email down, tore it off and gave it to him. He wrote his and his phone number so I took back the slip of paper with my email and wrote my number too. He said he wasn't sure about his email because he just got it a few days ago or so but he'd be sure to email me so I'd have it. We shook hands again and I turned to leave ... when he said he'd leave with me and go see what his friends were gonna do later.

We walked back to his hotel and shook hands again and said our goodbyes. Everything about those few minutes propelled me into this great mood. I headed over to Utrecht and got a spring-bound sketch pad. I like going there even if I don't buy anything. The workers are always nice to me. I sorta see myself in a couple years or so going there and having them say something like ...."See you later, Angel Boi." I asked the guy at checkout if he knew where the nearest Kinko's was. He asked this girl who worked there also and I was off again. I love walking in that area. I just love walking around in the village. Browsing over goods from street vendors.

I ended up at Canal Jeans ... but I promised not to buy anything ... and I didn't. I broke that rule when I went to H&M though. They had these really nice tees. I'm wearing one right now. Navy blue, 3/4 sleeves and white stripes around the sleeves. They only had like one XS ... so I got it and another tee that's like a short-sleeve baseball shirt.