Leroy's Before 2:30 a.m. (including Flat Top part 1!)

Wednesday/Thursday, 26th/27th Jan

Double O called me at 3:30 p.m. to see what was happening. I grunted a lot and comunicated somehow that I'd call him later that night. I made a LOT of oatmeal and went back to sleep until 8:30 p.m. I then woke up, called him, and went straight over to his house to find out that he had, indeed, lost his mind. We all have heard about that, so we'll drop it.

After eating some of Julie's terrible chocolate cake Doubles, a bit tipsy off of ONE beer, and I drove up to Flat Top. We didn't know exactly where we were going until we got there, but I don't have to explain that to YOU guys. Y'all understand. It was warmish up there at the parking lot. Chilled air, but not much uncomfortable. After some e-brake fun in the parking lot we hiked up to the viewing area where I took lots more pictures. I really hope these come out. The sky was perfectly clear, the moon was nearly full, the city lights were bright. Surprisingly, with all the ambient light, the stars were STILL brilliant. We were quite thrilled. Something began to quiver in Double O's brain up there. The fresh air and the recent day's insanity was melding into a certain culmination and we felt it coming. Double O prepared me that the kind of venting he felt coming on had only come to the surface once before and he had been alone at Beluga Point when it happened. I reassured him that if there was anyone in the world he should feel comfortable venting around it was me, so when the time came, he let it come out naturally. It still scared the hell out me.

At the top of his lungs, and with no comedy mixed in, Double O railed against the night sky: "I beat you, you fucking bastards! I told you I would! I told you I would never submit to your bullshit!"

I don't know who the bastards are, and I didn't ask. But for the rest of the night, Double O was remarkably clear minded and his wit was the sharpest I had ever seen it.

We drove down the mountain and listned to radical rock and roll, emotionally heavy riffs and the bass and drum beats that furrow your brow. We parked out at Woronozoff point and listened to the rest of the Mogwai CD ("Come On, Die Young" [C.O.D.Y.]) in total silence. When it was over, I took a few pictures of Anchorage from the Point and we decided that, yes, it was midnight, and yes, it was time for Leroy's.

When we arrived at the place, Mary was already sitting there at her booth, looking at the paper. PrettyLiz was behind the counter, running the coffee pot down the line of regulars. I said hello to everyone I knew, went to the bathroom, and joined Double O and Mary at her booth. We spent a good hour or so drawing beards and scar marks on the faces of people in the newspapers, altering the cartoons to make them discustingly funnier than they already were, and then doing the cross-word puzzle. As I said, Double O's wit was remarkable, and he was able to solve almost every sinlge clue very very quickly. Faster than Mary and I, to be sure. It was a sight to see, guys. I was very impressed. He was doing the cross word in total hard-core Grandma Style, dudes.

Mary told me she was sorry we didn't got to Soldotna and reaffirmed our plans to go next Tuesday. Solidified that one up. Then she told me an interesting story about what had happened to her later that day after we decided not to go. Her alternator belt broke and, in line with cause and effect, her car died. She was stuck on Minnesota with her little roommate, Melisa, and they had to push her car up to Spenard. There were lots of funny details to the story, like Melisa being in high heels on the ice and then the big burly trucker guys that helped push the car for the last 20 feet. But essentially, she didn't get too upset because had we taken our trip to Soldotna, she estimated the belt would have gone out somewhere around Portage. Then where the hell would she be? That would suck.

PrettyLiz had some exciting news she kept trying to tell me, but the night was busy and she kept having to run around with toast and plates covered with gravey. Finally she told me. She said,

"So, right after you left I ran inside up to my apartment, Right? And I tried to find that song, "Alias" on my roommate's computer, but it was there. I was pissed! I made myself some breakfast and tried to go to sleep but I couldn't get that song out of my head. So I went out to the bus stop, rode out to Metro Music, stood in the cold for an hour with some homeless woman waiting for them to open, finally they opened, I bought the CD, and a remix of Cure songs on CD, took the bus back home, and listened to both of the CD's all day. I got so caught up with them that I forgot to sleep until right before I had to come in an only got about a 20 minute power nap. Ah! Do I look tired?"

That's a cool chick right there.

Finally, around 2:30 a.m. I told Double O it was time for us to go. I did have to work the next day and I wanted to try to get some more sleep. One more time, Mary and I arranged our Dairy Queen Run (DQR) and then said our goodbyes, complete with 10-step secret hand-shake.

Once back at the Romazof Half, Double O came in and watched a movie with RoomieJulie. I went straight to sleep.

Peace and Love,
Mungo

Song of that day: "Christmas Steps" - Mogwai