I Never Have Repented for the Wrongs They Say I've Done, I've Done What I Feel

The plan here is to do a day-by-day rundown of HeAthens Homecoming. I am optimistic.

I guess I can start with Tuesday. I worked a full day, went over to GI Garage to work on the website for a couple hours. Trying to explain that we don't have rights to the domain was a little of a struggle. Yes, we can get it. Someone put a credit card in my hand right here and I'll do it now. So I did. We were able to recover most of the existing content. When I left, we were waiting on Google to do its thing so we can put the site up and start editing. We got the company Venmo and PayPal back up and going and just as me and Stephen were wrapping all that up, Red Rocket brings me a beer. 

I went home and began to pack and finish the project I'd almost completed for the Nuci's Space auction. I don't think I bit off more than I  can chew, but I definitely should have buckled down sooner. That's okay, next year's is already in the works. By 10:30, I had gotten my zipper stuck in the needle of the sewing machine, bending the needle to a really strange 45-degree angle. It took entirely too long to remove the needle, still stuck in the zipper from the machine, then remove the needle from the zipper itself. I mean, how did it get stuck that hard? I'm pretty sure I sewed the pillow inside out about five times. I'm really good with a seam ripper. I finally got that finished at about 11:30 and I was all packed and ready to go. So I did. I forgot all of my meds. But I slid into Athens at 1:30 am and crashed nearly immediately. After posting in the various pages that I had arrived. Folks were still awake and commenting. Wild.

I only slept until about 6 and was wide awake. Too much excitement, not enough sleep meds. Whew, this Air BnB was questionable. But for the tiny amount of time I'd actually be in it, the bed was good and that was all I needed. I got up and dressed and took my laptop down to Jittery Joe's to work some before things got going. I had the most wonderful breakfast with my friends that I don't get to see nearly often enough. I was still wired and strung out from the scramble, surely all Appaloosa eyes and sweaty palms. I'm sure everyone noticed, but they love me enough not to care. I got to catch up a little and talk to honestly, y'all, some of my favorite people on the planet over coffee and a sausage and pimento cheese biscuit. For real.

I went back to my room and worked the rest of the afternoon. I'd washed my face because everything is itchy and I'm broken out like a teenager for some reason lately. Acne and sweating. I need the benefits of these androgens if I have to deal with this shit. So back on with the makeup and off to Flicker. When I opened the door and looked, I knew everyone. I would have given anything to see my face at that moment. Might have contained a scary number of visible grin teeth. It kind of makes me a little weepy with those moments. Just all that love and all the faces that turned to me and smiled and wanted hugs and catch-ups and introductions and more hugs.

The show time rolled around after some bevvies. I went across the street and had a quick pizza and a glass of wine with my wonderful friends from Arkansas. All over town, I bumped into people I know and love. I can't explain that feeling to someone who hasn't experienced it before. It's like a whole town of family reunions, but with people you picked for yourself. You'll see a smile you know or hear a voice or catch a glimpse or hear your name and when regular life makes that weird, your weird is one of your redeeming qualities here.

I went over and got in line. Right into the 40-Watt Club, sticking to the parquet and reveling in the glow of the disco ball and the bar lights. Feels real good. I moseyed up and found a spot that looked pretty good behind some of my friends one row back. It's a good setup. That night we Had the Dimmer Twins and Friends, acoustic, in the round (Don Chambers, Dave Marr, Claire Campbell) and wouldn't you know it, the woman stole the show. When she closed out her last round with "The Scotsman" and me and my friend wearing the  "HR Violation" tee shirt began giggling because we know that song, I knew I was right where I should be. They'd begun the set with "Heathens" and so I took the lyrics for my blog title today. "I never hear a word you say when you tell me not to have my fun. It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone."

It was absolutely glorious to hear how many people with me knew the lyrics to so many of these songs. It was basically a giant sing along, with the exception of the folks who came to an acoustic show to catch up and chat. It really did feel like home and I was so content. After the show, we all wandered back over to Flicker and I sat drinking hot chocolate and water before I fell fully off a barstool. Only I can do that sober. I kind of realized it was time to put myself to bed. And so I called my Uber and did just exactly that.

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