Rocking Kitty

Isn't this the cutest kitty you've ever seen?  Lol.  I feel like it's trying to pass as one of the Beatles. 

I really want a kitten. 

The Cat Whisperer

Tori and I went to visit Jack.  We were there so that their two kittens could meet.  Tori needs someone to watch her cat now, and we were all hoping that Mocha and Feets would get along.
On the drive over, Tori told me that they have now secured all of her father's guns.  He had fifteen rifles and five handguns, which is a small arsenal.  Apparently it's normal for hunters to have about ten rifles.  I was just worried something walked off, which would be scary.   
We tried a lot of things to get the cats to like each other.  At one point, we just opened the carrier Mocha was in, and Feets tried several times to wander up to it.  And Mocha would hiss at him.  Jack tried to pet Mocha, and Mocha started hissing at him.  And then me after that, even though there was no way I was covered in cat fur.

Meanwhile, one of Jack's roommates, David, stopped by.  He was just dropping some stuff off before heading out.  He has a degree in music and women's studies, and I thought that sounded suitably hot.  And then I met him and he was sort of adorable and nice.  He plays music at a church, and was planning on doing stuff from the most recent movie version of Pride and Prejudice.  I was definitely going to swoon, but Jack told me after he left that David was gay.  Of course he was, I thought.  This happens to me all the time. 
"We should have some music," Jack said.  Jack started showing us the stuff on his I-pod, and I picked out the Beatles.  That was something everyone could agree too. 
Then Tori held Mocha and Jack held Feets facing each other.  And they both freaked out, but at separate times.  Mocha would hiss, and then Feets would get all riled up and start clawing the air.  And then Mocha would start hissing again.
Jack was cool enough to make us some food.  As we waited in the living room, I began looking at Jack's books.  He had a lot of stuff I was interested in reading.  Lots of Ronald Dahl and other classics of young adult lit.  And books on Wicca.  I was thinking the day before of getting back into Wicca, but this would take a lot of work and time, and I really don't have much of that right now.  I sang along to Yellow Submarine.  I used to love that song and album as a kid. 

It occurred to me as we were waiting that the reason Tori asked me to come was because Tori didn't really know Jack all that well anymore.  Out of this particular group of friends, Jack is actually the one I stayed best in touch with.  And since I was the matchmaker on this one, maybe it was best I come along. 
Jack, like Jimmy, is a great cook.  (Are all of my friends amazing cooks?  When did this happen and why have I remained mostly ignorant of it?)  Jack made us pork chops, beans and rice.
Some of you will recall I don't eat pork.  This is still true, but I ate Jack's pork because it was good.  Seriously, I usually despise pork, but this was excellent.  He told Tori and I that he had added some cinnamon to it, which was surprising.
We waited for the two cats to sort of meet cute and get it over with.  No such thing.  We opened Mocha's carrier, and waited for her to come out, which she never did.  Finally, Tori pulled her out of there.  And then she sat up against the couch, trying to get under it.  The couch was too low, and this annoyed Mocha deeply.  Every time Jack got too close, Mocha would hiss.
One of Jack's other roommates, Kim, was apparently good with getting cats to like each other.  So we were waiting for her.  
Eventually, I suggested that we watch Friends.  I figured that this was a good way to pass the time.  As Jack was looking at the episodes, I was struck by how attractive Jack was going to be, even when he got older.  I kept imagining him with graying hair and wearing his glasses down his nose.  I could totally imagine him wearing sweater vests and working as a professor.
I was struck by a similar set of thoughts about Daniel months ago.  I was watching him walk, and I realized that when he looked older, he wasn't going to be all that different.  Like, more hunched over than he already is, and with white hair and maybe even a bigger beard, but basically himself.  And, like Jack, he would be cute.  He would be adorable as an old man. 
I realized a while ago that I've been nursing a little crush on Jack.  I'm not going to do anything about it because he has a girlfriend and he's been with her for four years, which I'm really impressed by.  There's no way I could compete with that, and I don't want to accidentally ruin Jack's life by telling him.  He's a sweetie and deserves better than that.   
We first watched "The One with All the Embryos" which had the Mom from That 70s Show and the episode that is an alternative reality of what their lives would have been like.  We had a good time giggling, while Mocha sat there and hissed every time Feets tried to come into the room.
I joked that Feets was like a thirteen-year-old emo boy who really wanted to get close to the girl, but kept getting scared off.  And then would inevitably have to go and write sad little songs about it. 
Kim finally came home.  She sat down on the floor next to Mocha and Mocha didn't hiss or anything.  Kim just petted her and that was that.  Mocha was definitely going to be able to stay.  Kim really was the Cat Whisperer.
Tori, Jack and I got some extra cat stuff (scratching post, bowls, toys) out of Tori's car.  Then we parted ways.  I was afraid Tori was going to have a hard time leaving Mocha, but she seemed relatively all right. 

Sweets

I walked with Dan to the ice cream store.  We were going there to meet Justin.  I hadn't seen either of them in so long, but just walking with Dan made me feel like it was old times. 
We got there before Justin, so we waited outside for him.  When he appeared, he looked kind of the same, but all grown up.  He had on his lightweight frames and his black shirt and pinstripe pants.  He looked very fancy, but also very adult.  We exchanged hugs. 
We went inside.  I didn't really need ice cream, since I had already far too many sweets, but I agreed to get something.  I went with some peach ice cream.  I honestly hadn't been in this shop since I went with friends and my then-boyfriend freshman year, so I'm not familiar with what they had. Both of the boys got smoothies, which is what I should have had. 
Justin and Dan and I talked.  Justin talked about work.  He seems to really love his job and be really enthusiastic about it, which makes me happy for him.  He deserves those good things because he's worked so hard.
As we were sitting there, Johnson came in and went in the back.  I wanted to have a nice conversation with Dan and Justin, and sometimes Johnson can be a little much, so I was praying that he wouldn't notice us. 
No such luck.  Johnson called me from inside the store.  And he came down and sat with us. 
Dan's going to be moving into an apartment with an old friend.  Dan's a little worried, since the friend's only tie to the area is his girlfriend, that the friend's not going to stay long.  I told Dan, since I knew this friend, that he shouldn't worry because the friend wasn't the kind to stiff him.  This particular person strikes me as the kind to not always have long relationships, but the kind that would probably find another girl, and another connection, to make it work. 
Justin also mentioned his family a little, since his parents are celebrating their anniversary.  Justin sadly won't be around this weekend because he's hanging out with them. 
They also discussed another mutual friend, Nick.  They were saying what a jerk he might actually be, but that everyone liked him.  I really like him to.  He is kind of bitchy, but he also has this deeply honest thing going on that makes me like him more.  
Nate then texted me, asking me how I expected to get back to his place.  Okay then, guess that's my cue to leave, I thought.  I said goodbye to people, had more hugs, then I got in the car and we went back over to Nate's place. 
Back at Nate's place, we began to wind down for the night.  Nate worked on an online quiz for a class.  Megan got ready to go to bed.  I wrote in my journal. 
After Nate finished his quiz, we went out for a late night walk together.  It was really beautiful.  There was a crescent moon hanging low in the sky.  We wandered through mostly darkness, Nate leading me since he was familiar with the area.  We trampled through some rough parts, making me regret (just a little) wearing flip flops.  There was even one small spot that felt like a swamp.  But as we walked I thought about what an exciting day it had been and how glad I was to have come for a visit.  Spending time with friends like this always makes me so happy and both nostalgic and enthusiastic for the future at the same time.  As we walked, we spotted a small kitty darting by an apartment complex.