beautiful day - i slept a full 8 hours, ate pizza in bed with my coffee and then finally unpacked and cleaned the apartment. I threw a couple of beers in my messenger bag, met my Nola friend, and we walked to the park. We sat on a bench in the shade and drank our beers. At first there were a few people in their twenties playing bluegrass, but they wisely faded away as the three older men set up their drum circle and slowly more and more people came and joined. That Sunday drum circle is one of my very favorite things in this city.

we went down to the museum to see an ai weiwei exhibit (meh) and for dinner and a drink. Old friends. I am so grateful that moving didn't take that away.

My friend walked with me most of the way home and then grabbed a cab and I walked the last few blocks by myself, feeling happy about my decision to live near a pretty populated area so that I feel safe walking alone at night. I swear, I had *just* thought that when I noticed that a young guy who had been behind me for a while was still behind me. Took a turn, he did too. No big deal, he was still there. Turned left. Okay, he turned left too. Another turn, he's still there. I crossed the street, now on a pretty dark stretch because it's my quiet residential street, and he fucking crossed the street too, which is a bit weird because i purposely crossed in the middle of the block to give myself some space, and then i hear him calling me, "hey - where are you going - can i come home with you?" and i of course don't stop, i keep going but i smile, say "nope, i'm going home, good night, i have to work in the morning", and he asks again, and again and again, do i want to hang out, where am i going, why don't I go home with him and every time i'm all, "nope, i'm good, thanks for the invite, i'm cool" and mostly i'm just looking around, there's no one anywhere and there's my house but it's still a block away and i'm walking fast but not too fast, but still joking and smiling and i have the key in my hand and then up the stairs and i'm quickly in the door but i walk up my stairs in the dark because i don't want to turn on a light because i don't want him to know which apartment is mine, and now i'm typing this in the dark in case he waited and i just find it all really fucking infuriating.

10:57 p.m. - 2017-09-10