Spring Break is looking up now that I’m past sick days. Tonight I had no plan of what to do, but was determined not to spend another night cooped up here, so I took my own advice and ventured out in the night with adventure in mind.
I was reminded again how so much of life is made up of things that we already know but don’t follow - and when I follow, I remember why it is I knew that to be true. Tonight was rather an experiment on that thought.
My first attempt at adventure was to do my old plan that I’ve never tried of going to the supermarket and finding someone who looks to be in a similar situation, just waiting for adventure to happen, and then trying to start one. Unfortunately Haggen was almost completely empty at 9:30. So I thought about getting some groceries while I was there, and taking them back home to think of a new plan.
But I stopped myself and said “no, self, if you stop now you’ll never get out of your apartment! Turn back, man, and go downtown!” and myself said “Ohhhh, but there’s nothing to dooo, and nobody to do it wiiith! And there’s no busses, so I’ll just walk down there and half to walk right back, and my legs are tired from tae-booooo!” and I had to slap myself out of it, and say “No, myself, I will not be swayed by your whines - we will go downtown, and we will not give up on the quest for adventure until the clock strikes 12!” And since this sounded like a Very Dramatic Pronouncement and Plan, myself stopped its whining and went on the Quest for Adventure.
I got downtown a little after ten, and things were pretty calm. First people I came across were a few homeless guys who asked if I had any weed, and I told them I didn’t, because this was true. They asked if I had any change, and I told them I did, because this was also true, and since I had change, I gave it to them. Then we talked for a little bit, and I went on my way, thinking that this First Encounter was a promising start to my night of adventure. Next people I met were a group of what looked like high school students who looked as if they were leaving a bar not of their own volition. They too asked if I had any weed, and I told them, too, that I did not. I poked my head into the bar they had just left, and as it did not look to be the place to be, I mosied on.
I continued my path of Danger and Intrigue, passing on bar after bar, and telling a few more people that I had no weed (I do so look like a drug dealer, don’t I? It’s because I didn’t have the muttonchops on, I bet) until I came upon an Irish Pub I had not seen before. I thought that it was such a different place than all of the other bars that I had passed on so far on my journey, so I ventured inside. A cloud of pipe smoke filled my lungs as I entered (not really - smoking in bars is illegal up here, but I thought I should add that in, as I imagined that’s what SHOULD have happened) and I looked about at the Bellinghamsters masquerading as Irish Pub Goers. Most of the inhabitants of this pub were older - the young’ens of the group looked to be mid-30s, but I strolled through looking for a group of people to join, or a stool to sit on at the bar, and unfortunately found neither though I went so far as the very back wall. This was the most ‘place to be’ of the places I’d seen so far, but although it may have been the place to be, it was not the place to be for me. So I ventured onward.
Through more dark streets I searched, exploring alleyways and sidestreets I had never seen before, or which I had seen but were unrecognizable in the dark. As the night went on, the streets got darker and the people asking for weed got drunker. Police cars filled the streets, each one slowing down as it passed me in a “hey look at that kid - think he’s selling weed?” kind of way. I passed on a few more bars, went in a few more bars with the same results as the Irish Pub, very nearly resigned myself to paying the $4 to get into the royal until a couple of guys outside told me it wasn’t worth it in there (after they asked if I had weed). I kept wandering the streets, until I made myself to the tall white building which houses Nimbus, the only bar I had been to in Bellingham prior to tonight. I walked through the elegently appointed lobby and, after visiting the lttle boys room to make sure I looked dashing enough to enter such a plosh place as this, I took the elevator up to the 14th floor - as high as you can get in downtown Bellingham. When I got out of the elevator, a middle aged family with kids got in. I walked up the next small set of stairs to the bar, and saw inside a few groups scattered here and there, again, all in their 30s or older. I thought about ordering a drink and enjoying the view, but for reason there was no bartender, which I took as a sign that I was not supposed to have a drink at Nimbus, and took the elevator back down to the lobby.
I looked at the clock on my cell phone - 11:14. I had looked at every bar, pool hall, and entertainment venue in Bellingham, had come up empty handed, and still had 45 minutes to go. I sat down in front of the fireplace in the lobby to assess the situation. I started to bargain with myself - I thought, maybe I really meant that I can be HOME at midnight, not actually leave downtown at midnight, so I could really head home at 11:30 and not spoil my Quest for Adventure, and I very nearly bought it, although did not sign my name on the line of that agreement just yet. As I sat on the couches thinking that perhaps somebody would come in that I knew, I realized that I had to give myself a little pep talk to remind myself to Grab Life by the Horns and Go Out Into the World to Find New Experiences and New Excitements, so I grabbed my coat and headed back out into the Bellingham Night.
Because whiney self was still focusing on heading out of Bellingham at 11:30, this new Revitalized Quest for Adventure was all took place on roads between the Nimbus building, and the road back to my apartment. I started doing a few loops around blocks, going down ways I hadn’t gone on the first Quest, until I came upon a row of 5 police cars and a police SUV and a few ambulances and things, all with their lights on, all right in front of the Royal. I was a little disappointed I had listened to those guys earlier, as whatever led to this was probably some Excitement. I crossed the street to get a better view, and saw a couple less-than-sober gentlement talking to the police. I was unable to determine the cause of the massive amounts of law enforcement, but I was able to determine that the bar was now almost completely empty, and I walked away, and as I walked a found myself in a group of other people, and so we all chatted a bit of this and that as we walked, until I was given a sign to turn a corner (one of my experiments was Following Signs), and because of that corner turning, I ran into Kelsey walking with (who I assume was) her boyfriend. They asked where I was going, and I said to find Adventure, and they said that adventure was not them, because they were going to bed. I looked at my watch, and it had just a little past 11:30, so myself said that that’s what I would be doing too. But before we parted ways, Kelsey mentioned that a cool band was playing at a little club around the corner.
As I neared the street corner, myself prepared to turn left to go home, while I was still looking around for Signs to Follow, and as it happened I was given one which told me to turn right, in the direction of the music club, where the ‘cool band’ was playing. So, who did this cool band happen to be? The New Pornographers - as heard on my Summer CD! After showing my ID at the door I ran in and got a ticket and went in to see the concert, which was pretty awesome. I don’t know what time they went on, so I don’t know how much I missed, but they played till almost 12:30, so I was a happy boy. This was their first show in Bellingham, and as I took the walk back to my apartment I thought back on how many signs and opportunities I had to ignore during the evening, and if I had ignored even one of them, I would have missed it.
I had an awesome night, and the morals are: don’t listen to whiney self that just wants to sit around - life is out there with horns for the grabbing! Keep your eyes and ears peeled for signals, for they may just be there for a reason! Don’t close yourself off to meeting or talking to people, even if they are homeless people asking for change, or people asking for weed! The New Pornographers are a sweet band and you should listen to their music! I think that’s enough morals for one post.
Now it’s 2:30, and time for me to say goodnight, because I must have strength for tomorrow - Adventures Await!
And the hiding hole: 
