a day in the Winter of 1995

6am
Wake up. Turn on the stereo. Press play on the tape I’ve made for waking up. I made this mix tape by taking CD’s from the library and recording, both songs and TV themes.

My cousin suggested the TV theme interludes; I thought it was so… soothing? Like a nostalgic hug for a few minutes straight while I walk? Like, I’m McGyver, getting ready for my day?

I shower fast because I have to dry my hair or it will freeze and thaw in Math class.

630am
Put on a lot of clothes. Thermal underwear under giant ripped jeans my dad lost (I cut holes so the thermals underneath show) and a sweater my dad has lost that I’ve cut holes for my thumbs to go through. It’s fucking cozy and that’s my only reason for cutting those holes. I will never ever find my winter gloves. I try every day and maybe twenty percent of the time I can find them. I pull that giant wool trench I got at Value Village out and cover that sweater and pant set because it’s…

...700am and Dad is driving me. He won’t recognize the jeans, I’ve tailored and frayed the knees out, masterfully. I am happy I have parents that don’t always make me take a bus. Parents that might pretend they don’t notice when I steal their clothes and destroy them. My dad plays my music until we get to school, pops the tape out and gives it to me.

710am - 830am
Go to cafeteria. Get sugar - Coca-Cola, slushee, ice cream bars. Go outside. Smoke and talk to friends. Recap hours worth of gossip and information we haven’t shared since leaving each other at 6pm the night before. Day vibe is generated here.

830am - 325pm
I sit through classes painfully attempting to intake all the information I am being given, mostly thankful when it’s time to note take and the room is silent.
I spend most of the day waiting for the summary at the end of the lesson so I can complete the work immediately.
When I am finished the work I ask for any future lessons to read or work on. I do those projects in the library at lunch, every single lunch period.
I eat one chicken burger with iceburg lettuce a day.
Many drinks.
The library is where I finish projects and future daily lessons early so I can justify skipping school next week “Well, I might miss classes but I am maintaining good grades, so what’s the exact issue?”
The library is also host to all of my best paper friends who kept me company throughout childhood.

I like looking at the old yearbooks with Bruce from KIDS IN THE HALL in the pages, photos of him in this library. This library is where I lost my fluffy black cropped angora sweater my mom bought me from Club Monaco. It was really special to me, I know Anne took it. I think about this every day I go to the library. My dad would have his sweater if I weren’t for Anne!!

325-4pm
Loiter it up with my group of friends in the parking lot smoking area. Here we confirm the coffee shop, theatre or pool hall to overtake.

4-6pm
Socialize with friends while smoking indoors, drinking never-ending coffee refills and eating never ending fries with aioli.
We play pool until we are good.
We hang out at LaGare coffee shop with the guy who cut his own testicles off with a pizza slicer because he couldn’t deal with his emotions. He later moves on to different businesses in the area to regale the rest of the city with his noball pizza slice story.
We go for drives to high valley hills and slide our cars down uncontrollably, controlled.
I see PULP FICTION, NATURAL BORN KILLERS repeatedly at the weird dollar theatre near the COSTCO on the south side at 420pm for a dollar. This was a real thing.

6pm - 9pm
Mom makes a good dinner because she is now vegetarian and knows if she doesn’t make something tasty she will be a failure at vegetarianism. When it comes down to it, that woman is a carnivore. All of her vegetarian dishes are delicious. I don’t have homework, I did it in the library and in class. I then watch a Murder She Wrote or PBS Mystery! with Mom and Lauren.

9pm-11:30pm
Maladaptive daydreaming to books and music.