when noon came around, there was still no word from client N as to whether or not i'd be leaving for birmingham tonight. in fact, i didn't hear from them the entire day, so i'm taking no news as good news. that left me with plenty of spare time on my hands to do my own thing. a week ago i discovered that brazil nuts actually have enough oil in them to burn like a candle. i wanted to see for myself and sure enough, i managed to get one lit. it gave off a unique odor, not bad or good. i also spent a good deal of time cleaning the bathroom again, scrubbing down the toilet and the tub. i actually had to unscrew the toilet seat cover in order to give it a thorough washing. i really should replace it but it sort of has sentimental value and it's the seat i'm most used to at this point. a new one just wouldn't be the same. not sure if my tired old ass is willing to break in a new toilet seat.

my roommate came come early and told me his friend was coming over. i casually asked, "is he spending the night?" figuring he'd say "no" but instead he said "yes." wrong answer. "i'll just sleep on the couch again," he continued, laughing. i rubbed my neck and prepared myself to give him the bad news. "actually, i don't allow people to sleep on the couch," i told him. he paused, having hit a snag in his weekend plan. "why? because it'd damage the couch? like the ottoman?" the ottoman by the way he broke and never apologized for and said it was due to inferior american craftsmanship (actually IKEA swedish, and i'm pretty sure they outsource to china). the reason why he can't sleep on the couch? because he's smelly - but instead i told him there was no reason, just something i don't allow. i said i was going to let him know the last time he did it but figured it was a one time thing (actually twice by that point) so i never said anything. i could see him trying to figure out this conundrum when decided to cut him a break. "i guess you do it for tonight, since it's your last weekend living here anyway." i also decided that i wouldn't be around when it happened, and dialed my father to come give me a ride so i could spend the night in belmont, away from my roommate and his friend. this was a battle i wasn't willing to fight, with just 6 more days left before he moves out. i told my roommate i was leaving and said he and his friend should make use of the living room, spend some quality time catching up. i even left him a spare blanket to keep warm.

in my lifetime as a amateur coin collector, i've only come across a buffalo nickel once. tonight my father showed me one he'd found recently. i didn't have mine so i couldn't compare the condition, but this one was pretty worn down, you couldn't read the date anymore and most of the raised surfaces had been rubbed smooth from decades of circulation. a small "D" mark meant this coin was minted in denver sometime between 1913 to 1938.