Ruby

Very undignified start to the morning. I got too carried away playing pool with Evan last night and naturally had 2 extra beers than I should have allowed myself. close my eyes but can hear Evelyn “Champagne” King’s “Love Come Down” so precisely in my head that I can’t possibly sleep anymore. 

Josie and I leave the house to run errands. We go to the Business Center on South and 8th. I’ve been taking Josie with me the last few times when I go to mail tee shirts out. The Business Center is wonderful. You can do anything at the Business Center. I first went in there to get my fingerprints scanned so that I could start my job at an elementary school. They have to make sure your record is clean and your heart is pure. They made it very easy for me to prove this. I knew I’d be back.

You can also get things notarized at the business center, should you have an important document that needs to be witnessed. If you need your dogs name engraved into a tag, they will do that for you at the business center. If you need receipts scanned or your passport photo taken, they’ll do that for you too. I once saw a guy in there applying for a pilots license. One-stop shop. It glimmers with bureaucracy. Mecca. They play SVU and Criminal Minds on the TV, mounted high on the wall above a trolley of greeting cards. 

I have this deadly quiet suspicion that I could be saving a lot of money on shipping if I just go to the post office. I’m not ready to abandon the Business Center so I’ve squashed the instinct to do further research. One day soon I’ll make the switch. 

I’m home from errands, and I change into something nicer to go meet Shao. The collar of my shirt has lingering perfume on it so I don’t bother spraying any more. I take the 45 to Blick. On the bus I use my phone, like magic, to buy tickets for Love Lies Bleeding. I look at eBay. I need a dress for Rose’s wedding. I get to Blick and wait for Shao to finish up work. I buy a couple of things. It’s so easy to spend $100. It’s not safe for me to leave the house. We take the elevator up to the ground level and go wait for the 32. We’re seeing Erin’s opening in Brewerytown, an area I keep hearing of but had never been to. The first person I see is Robert at the snack table. Shao and I sidle up next to him. I fill my plate with carrots, babaganoush, 2 chocolate covered strawberries and a tiny cannoli. It costs me nothing. 

Shao and I leave. Back to their house quickly to feed their rabbit, Winston, and then we go get cheeseburgers and Diet Coke. I spend $33 on the meal for both of us, which we both agree is a good price. When we’ve finished, I decide to go to Riverwards. I can’t seem to find a decent carton of eggs around my neighborhood but Jacob and Evie have both told me that Riverwards has what I need. So I pick up the most local looking eggs, I don’t even glance at the price, (it’s worth it), and some Persian cucumbers. I also snag rosemary crackers and frozen bananas. 

It’s freezing. Colder than I’m dressed for. I go to the 57 stop and then realize it’s not coming for 30 minutes. So I start walking. Walking is warmer than waiting. Women love walking. Walking is free and it can make you spiritual. In 30 minutes I’m home. I put my groceries away, I wash the day off, I crawl into bed. I watch Survivor. I sleep…!

Ruby makes tee shirts under @_mary_cave_