Volume 11: Part 4- Vierdestad: Tuesday, October 25th, 8:55 A.M.

Tuesday, October 25th, 8:55 A.M.

I stared at the door to the hotel room for a good long time.  As I did so I was coming up with dozens of possible outcomes from my conversation with Rinoa.  The only outcome in my mind that was anywhere close to good was the one where we had crazy animal sex.  At least I think that was good.  When I finally did knock on the door to the hotel room, what unfolded was not any outcome I thought.  Most certainly not crazy animal sex.

When I finally knocked on the door, Rinoa quickly answered it.  She looked beautiful, as she always does.  Rinoa's beauty, combined with me not knowing what to say, left me speechless.  Thankfully Rinoa filled the void.

"I heard you out here, you've been standing here for a while.  Is there something you want?"

There was hostility in what Rinoa said to me but I could also sense a little bit of hope there.  I knew that if I wanted to cultivate some kind of relationship with this woman, or at least take a shower, I needed to take advantage of this hope.  "Captain Ushtar sent me up here to ask you about going clothes shopping."

"Is that it?  You've been standing out here waiting to ask me that?"  If Rinoa's hostility toward me was clear to me from her last statement, her cynicism was just as clear with that one.

"I also need to take a shower."

"How is that a problem?  Don't you have a room of your own to shower in?"

"No.  Captain Ushtar said he tried to find me a room but he wasn't able to do it."

After I said that, Rinoa looked at me, almost as if she was trying to see if I was being sincere or not.  "Okay, you can take a shower, but I'm going to stand in the hall as you do so.  Also, when I'm taking a shower or changing or doing anything in here, you have to stand in the hallway too."

I didn't really want to put up an argument, so all I said was, "Okay."  With that Rinoa stepped into the hallway, allowed me to walk into the hotel room, then pulled the door closed.

I took a shower, or at least I tried to take a shower.  Sure this place is cheap, which explains the postage stamp towels, but come the fuck on.  If they're going to supply us with shampoo, give us more than just a tablespoon size container of it!  I'd have made more progress in cleaning myself with the bottle it came in than I did with the half dollop of gunk that was provided.

When I was done showering and not getting myself clean, I left the hotel room I guess I now "share" with Rinoa.  As I did so, I asked Rinoa about going clothes shopping.  Rinoa said she wasn't up for going but that I should pick something up for her.  When I asked her what she wanted, Rinoa found a pad of paper, a pen, and scribbled something down.  Rinoa folded the paper, placed it in my hand.  "Pick what you want, don't go overboard."

As I was heading back downstairs to Ushtar I looked at what Rinoa wrote.  After reading the paper, I felt a bit better about my prospects with Rinoa.  If she didn't think at least a little bit well about me who would she let me know she's a 34C?

Later.

Hato Shurtleff

Moving In Slow Motion: 46.9% Complete

It's that time again.  Once again payday has come, and time has come to see how much money I've earned, how much of what I've made gets eaten up by bills, and how much money I have to not spend in the pursuit of Project Buy A House.  The calculations are in, and the amount I have to not play around with is...

$228.39.  Okay, that is a nice amount, and will make a significant contribution to my goal of buying a house. Now, let's see the things that I could buy with the amount $228.39, which I'm not because I'm trying to be a responsible adult.  Note that I said trying

Coming up within the next two weeks is the annual celebrations of blowing things up, also knows as Independence Day.  This is a day where Americans, in the immortal words of not-Apu, 

celebrate the independence of our country by blowing up a small part of it.  In years past, I would have eagerly driven up to (Redacted to not incriminate the writer) and come back home with (Redacted to not incriminate the writer).  In this time where I am trying to be economically responsible, this expense may seem to be unnecessary.  However, since I am short sighted in addition to being borderline legally blind, I do not see it this way.  There is another reason why buying a big cache of explodables is not something I will do this year.

I have a neighbor who, in the past couple of years, has bought a big supply of illegal fireworks and set them off in a highly spectacular fashion.  This neighbor of mine puts on a better fireworks display than anything I've seen at the community sponsored events.  And, since the West Valley City Police Department is fucking incompetent, I expect this illegal display to continue on this year.  So, $228.39 left to not spend.

The Last Of Us is a recently released video game that I've heard a lot of good things about.  Artist and sexymotherfucker Ted Bracewell said of the game, "I'm only 4 minutes into The Last of Us and it's already my Game of the Year." And you can buy The Last Of Us on Amazon.com for $50. That's right, you can buy it. I'm not going to because of this project I'm currently pursuing, but, for the purposes of this essay, let's say I have. So, $178.39 left to not spend.

Looking over a list of recently released movies on DVD, there's nothing that I feel particularly motivated to buy.  Even if I wasn't trying to save for a house, I would not buy any of these movies.  So, $178.39 left to not spend.

Looking over the Utah DABC Price List, there is currently a special on Aberlour 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.  The alcohol store is selling this scotch at $39.99.  This is a good price on a Scotch Whisky like this, and Aberlour would look great sitting next to my half finished bottle of Johnny Walker Black, and my sixty percent finished bottle of Tanqueray.  If I was to buy this bottle of whiskey, I would also be buying another bottle of Radio From Hell Red As Hell Ale for $3.96.  So, $134.44 left to not spend.

Speaking of Radio From Hell, it was recently announced on that show that the X96 Big Ass Show is going to be held on August 24th at the Gallivan Center.  $134.44 sounds like a good amount to spend on a show that is always fun to go to.  This would be a good amount if I was for sure going to this show.  As it stands, I may have to go through some spectacular financial gymnastics in order to go to this show, but that is what happens when you pursue a goal in a masochistic manner.

So, there you have it.  I took $228.39 of money that I'm not spending and made a list of things that I will not be buying with the money that I'm not spending.  Don't worry, next week I will not have rent to pay, freeing up more of the money that I have earned for me to not spend on things that will make me immediately happy.

Volume 11: Part 4- Vierdestad: Tuesday, October 25th, 7:10 A.M.

Tuesday, October 25th, 7:10 A.M.

After a night spent not sleeping in the hallway, I went down to the lobby of The Redford to see if there was a free breakfast in this place.  As I took the elevator down, the thought of seeing Ushtar came to mind.  When this thought came to me, I closed my eyes and prayed that wouldn't happen.  My prayers weren't answered.

When the elevator doors opened at Lobby level, Ushtar was sitting in his full military uniform on a bench directly in front of me.  For a moment, I hoped Ushtar wasn't there to see me.  Those hopes were dashed when he saw me, stood up, and slowly started walking my way.  I was in full apology mode by the time he got to me.  "Look, Ushtar, let me-"

"Hato, you've had a rough couple of days.  Between the plane crash, evading someone you thought was out to kill you, waiting, waiting, and waiting, you were probably way strung out and tired and at the end of your rope.  I get that, I've been there.  Let's just forget that you said what you said yesterday, and just start fresh."

Ushtar extended his hand to me after saying that.  I let out a sigh of relief as I mightily shook it.  "Okay.  Now, what is there to do around here?"

"Commander Lider wanted you to report to him today, but I got him to push it back untill you get more situated."

I thought about asking Ushtar what he meant by report, but instead I decided to be funny.  "Okay.  Now, what is there to do around here?"

Ushtar looked me up and down and said, "You look like you haven't showered in a couple of days."

I shrugged and said, "I haven't."

"Did you not think of it, is Rinoa monopolizing the bathroom, or?"

"I actually haven't been in the room you got us."

"Why not?"

The answer to this was so obvious to me, but it took me a moment to find it and then say it.  "I haven't talked to Rinoa since she shoved us aside and closed the door on us.  I'm kind of afraid to do so because, in my limited experience with her, I've never been able to adequately handle Rinoa when I've pissed her off."

Much like I had no sympathy for his stupidity last night, Ushtar had no sympathy for what I had just said.  "Hato, that is not a good excuse.  You need to go upstairs and talk to Rinoa, now.  I can't arrange another room for you, I just spent the morning trying to do that.  Also, you are not going out with me untill you get showered.  So, go up there, convince Rinoa to at least let you take a shower, ask her about going to get clothes, and be back here in an hour."

I didn't really question what Ushtar was telling me to do, I just turned around and started doing it.  It wasn't untill the elevator doors closed that I realized what I was doing, and questioned why I hadn't done it before.  Yet, I continued doing it.  Maybe that's why Ushtar Alie is a Captain.  He can get people to do what they are absolutely dreading doing.

Later.

Hato Shurtleff

Volume 11: Part 4- Vierdestad: Monday, October 24th, 9:22 P.M.

Monday, October 24th, 9:22 P.M.

After Rinoa and I were done with Commander Lider, we spent about fifteen minutes waiting for Captain Ushtar to take us to our hotel room.  We only waited about fifteen minutes but it felt like for-fucking-ever.  At this point, after waiting at the medical facility, waiting for Commander Lider, then waiting in the exact same fucking place for Ushtar, I am done with waiting.  Done.  Fucking done.

I haven't been to a lot of hotels, so I can't say if The Redford is a good one or not.  What I do know is that The Redford is one tall building.  I bet if you dropped something from the roof of this place, I'd be a long time before it hit the ground.

Captain Ushtar drove us to The Redford and took charge of getting us checked in and situated.  Thankfully, that process didn't take long.  That didn't stop Rinoa and I from complaining about stuff.  There was a clear sarcastic element in my voice when I said, "This place looks real nice."

Rinoa continued with the sarcastic conversation.  "Yeah, you can tell the time and effort that was put into making the cracks in the linoleum look realistic."

"And look at that wallpaper.  I haven't seen anything like that since they bulldozed my great-grandma's house."

"And the air here smells like an old person's house.  Either that, or their intake sits next to a chemical waste facility."

After Rinoa's comment I took a quick whiff of myself.  "Actually, I think that's me."

After my comment, Rinoa took a whiff of herself.  "Yeah, our clothes smell pretty rank.  It figures since we've been in plane crashes and the forest of the past two days."

"I could use a shower."

"Yes.  Not only could I use a wash, our clothes could use one too."

"I wonder if they have a laundromat in this decrepit old building."

Rinoa looked at me with a disgusted look on her face.  "It has better be a private facility.  If it's public, no way."

I didn't understand this, and my face showed it.  "How come?"

"Hato, these are the only clothes I have.  In order to wash these clothes, I'd have to take them off, and I am not hanging around in a public place in my underwear."

In hindsight, I should not have asked this question.  "Don't you have to wash your underwear as well?"

In response to that, Rinoa punched me.  Hard.  As I was grimacing in pain, Captain Ushtar came up to us.  "Okay, I have you two checked in.  It'll take a couple of days to arrange actual housing for you, so for now you're staying here."

Rinoa asked, "Do we have to?  I mean, this place might spoil us."

Captain Ushtar didn't take to Rinoa's sarcasm well.  He showed this by not even responding to it.  "Here are your room keys.  I'll show you up, follow me."  Captain Ushtar handed us each a credit card looking thing and started walking away from us.  We followed Ushtar into an old elevator, the state of which matched the linoleum and wallpaper from the lobby.  As if to distract us from thinking of the very real possibility we could fall to our deaths in a tin box older than our parents, Captain Ushtar tried to strike up a conversation with us.  "I heard you two talking about clothes."

Rinoa was appalled.  "You heard us?"

Ushtar seemed to treat this like a matter of fact.  "Yeah.  Say what you want about the hotel lobby, which, from what I heard, you did, the acoustics are phenomenal."

Finding out Ushtar could hear her was embarrassing to Rinoa.  She closed her eyes and withdrew from the situation, leaving me to carry on the conversation.  "So, what about clothes?"

Talking to me, Captain Ushtar said, "If you're interested, my fiancé has a store with plenty of nice clothes for you and your girlfriend."

I was puzzled by what Captain Ushtar had said at the end.  "Girlfriend?"

"You know, Rinoa."

I looked over at Rinoa after Ushtar said that.  She was now turning away from us with her eyes cast straight downward.  I looked back at Ushtar and said, "We don't have that kind of relationship."

A look of embarrassment came over Ushtar's face when I said that.  "Oh.  Sorry, I didn't know.  It's just I heard you talking and bitching about things, and it reminds me of how my fiancé and I talk, so I-"  This is when, mercifully, the elevator doors opened.  With evident relief in his voice, Ushtar said, "Hey, look, we're here," as he quickly exited the elevator.

Rinoa and I followed after Ushtar untill he stopped just in front of a door.  Motioning to the door, Ushtar said, "Here's your room."

Being the one closest to Ushtar, I asked him, "Which one are you talking to?"

Ushtar got that same embarrassed look on his face I had seen in the elevator.  "Uh- Well, both of you.  I thought you two would only need one room."

There's making a series of honest mistakes and being a general dumbass.  I generally assume people are the latter and have no patience for them.  "What the fuck, man?  You get us checked into this glorified rat infested cardboard box without asking us a basic fucking question like how many rooms we'd need?  How did you get to be a Captain?  Are your subordinates dumber than the bedbugs that surely have infested every fucking inch of this fucking place?  You know what?  I bet-"

This is when Rinoa pushed past me, came to the door to our room, shoved Ushtar for no real reason, opened the door just enough for her to get in, then strongly closed it behind her.  After this happened I looked at the door, stunned at what just happened.  Then I looked back at Ushtar.  Before I could say anything, Ushtar said, "Goodnight then.  I'm going to go back home, assuming my stupidity doesn't prevent me from operating the elevator.  By the way, the button that points down means down, right?"

As I watched Captain Ushtar walk away from me, I felt that I had just fucked things up again.  Not only was I standing in a hallway, unsure if it was okay for me to enter the room I was supposed to sleep in, but I was just rude to someone that was nothing but hospitable to me.  Hopefully the rug in this hallway is more comfortable than the wall I'm leaving against as I craft this entry.

Later.

Hato Shurtleff