12/14/2002 Entry: "john"

Having John back in town kicks so much ass. I'd almost forgotten what hanging out with him was like. Some crazy-ass shit happened. I'll recap the weekend in real fast, short hand style:

Friday night we walked around Walmart trying to find cheap things to use to smash things. We weren't really sure what we wanted to smash, but we figured once we found the tools we'd be able to find stuff to smash eventually. We have a long history of smashing things. So... we didn't really find anything, but we did find 2 squirt guns for 88 cents, so we bought those instead, with the intent of driving around squirting people with our massive 4 foot range.

We then went to Macdonalds at around 11pm, where we proceded to eat the food sitting on my tailgate in the parking lot, playing with sparklers, and talking about the our good 'ol days of hoolaginism and eventually debating the Civil War. A employee came out after getting off of work so we asked him "Hey, do you know anything about the Civil War?" to which he answered "Which one?" This answer officially defined him as a pompous, over-educated smart-ass, so we played with him some. The end product of us playing with him was we convinced him to give us his socks. We squirted them with our squirt guns to wash them off, and then tied them to my hitch. Then we squirted each other with the squirt guns and pandamonium broke loose. Once the pandamonium ended we drove around some more, and eventually picked up Emily (his wife), made a few sparkler bombs, and then went and had a bonfire with 14 pallets and some cardboard. It was big. End Friday Night.

Saturday (today) I hung out with Ozzie and Kevin, and eventually Bree during the day. Having nothing to do, I came up with the idea of putting a table and chairs in the back of my truck and playing Skip-Bo ((a card game) in the Walmart parking lot. So we did that, put on some music, and chilled in the bed of my truck all set up with tables and chairs from about 7pm to midnight-ish. An interesting guy came up who was doing a yearly bike to every bar in cedar falls thing with some friends. He played cards with us for awhile, we waved at other people, etc etc. It was a good time.

I met up with John and Emily again midnightish and went over to Westy's house. Westy had to go to Walmart and get some shit to stop a leak, so in the meantime John, Emily, Angie (Westy's wife) and I hung out, with John and Me setting fires in their alley. Awhile later Westy called to inform of that his car got stolen from Walmart. (let me say that again incase you missed it) HIS CAR GOT STOLEN FROM WALMART! So... uhm.. yea, we laughed for a hell of a long time about that, 'cause his car is a piece of shit. It was covered in magnets, half covered with duct tape (layered with it), and had a screw driver for an ignition switch. That probably made it rather easy to steal, since all you had to do was turn the screw driver. But, still, who the fuck would steal a crappy old suburu wagon? You can't even put the damn thing into 2nd or 4th gear without yanking up on the stick. It's crazy.

So, John and I went driving around aimlessly with the hope we'd find the car (nothing else to do) and eventually gave up and bought hot dogs at kwik trip instead. We then drove around some more and about an hour or two later Westy called and informed us that the cops found his car. Apparently the guy who stole it got in a fight with his g/f and she kicked him out around Walmart. The guy then asked Westy for a ride and Westy said something like "Sure, after I come back out." I guess the guy misheard that as "Hey, Asshole, please steal my crappy car," 'cause that's what the guy then did. He drove it to his parents house who, apparently, weren't to down with that and called the cops on him. The guy got nice and arrested for grand theft auto. Nice parents, eh? Apparently the guy had a pretty long record, though, so his parents were probably just sick of that shit. I guess I can't really blame 'em.

We all then went back to Westy's house to meet up, where we continue burning in his alley. We were going to have a bonfire but the whole car being stolen thing kinda messed that up. While burning his neighbor walked up and asked me for a ride 3 blocks up the street. I must of looked skeptical so he further explained that he didn't want to walk there 'cause he was carrying a "pistol" and didn't want to get stopped. He said he had a car waiting there.

... right...

Ok, so, at the point I had two competing voices screaming in my head. One voice was saying, "OOh, look at me, I'm all intimidated by the scary looking guy with a gun, do what he says and don't make him angry, it's just a ride," and the other was saying "Holy fuck dude, you don't want a gun in your car, much less a crazy dude who's obviously walking around at 3am with a gun for a reason."

So, I listened to the second voice and told him something like "No, sorry, I don't want to get involved," and he, luckily, walked away without pushing the issue. *insert sigh of relief here* Boy, am I sure glad Westy and his two kids live in a super slum part of Waterloo, yesiree, where the neighbors walk around with guns. Jesus...

Anyway, so we go back to burning cardboard, styrofoam etc, and eventually a garden hose. The garden hose really liked to make smoke. So much smoke that people starting driving through the alley wondering where all the smoke was coming from, 'cause apparently you could see it going over the highway and down town. We all noticed this about the same time and with a collective "oh shit" went to grab the hose. But, alas, it was too late, Mr. Police officer pulled up as we were putting it out. Luckily, he didn't really care, he had thought our garage was on fire, and was relieved it was just us deliquent kids.

We called it a night soon after that, and I just got back. I don't think I'll be seeing John again now for another buncha months or years unless he can come up to Ames this next week. That really sucks. The crazy conversations we have driving around and just hanging out are unreplicable. Both of our personalities became what they are due to each other's influences when we were growing up. I guess that's life though, eh? I'll just have to enjoy it when he is around.

Hmm... on a similar note, it's going to suck when Josh graduates in December this year. I'm sick of my best friends moving away. Buncha Wankers.

Thank you, please drive through.