Elise flew in from NY on Good Friday. This was on April 12, Easter Sunday:
Me: How did we meet?
E: Marcie.
Me: But how?
E: You know the story better than me. I can’t remember shit. Remember?
**
I am not sure what day this was:
Me: Tell me a story.
E: Echk. I don’t like telling stories. I like open ended questions. I don’t think I’d be a very good blog entry.
Me: You don’t know.
E: I need to take my medication. (And she walks away)
Me: Tell me something that happened that involves us. Can you remember a fight we got into?
E: No. Probably to do with me eating off your plate. Not doing the dishes. Not wanting to go out.
Me: We got in a fight about that (not wanting to go out)?
E: No. I’m making stuff up.
Me: What are some things we did together?
E: Canoed. Some things that I can’t say. No. I can’t say that – that sounds really nasty. Especially after you said you wanted to *F* me.
Me: That’s not what I SAID. Fucking facebook. Ok. What are some things we did together?
E: We studied.
Me. I don’t remember studying. Ever. Oh. We did art projects together.
E: Yeah. Remember when I typed your paper as you dictated? On a typewriter, no less. That’s old school.
Me: I also used to write stories at your parents’ house on their computer.
E: Really?
Me: Yeah. You don’t remember?
E: I remember you making my dad do stuff.
Me: Ruby! GET DOWN. (Ruby ignores me and stays on the bed.) That sounds nasty.
E: Your art stuff.
Me: Yeah, we built a tree house. A mini one. With a crape myrtle branch.
E: He was really proud of it.
Me: He was? How do you know?
E: He gets this glow. (hysterical laughter breaking out.) It’s true. You know you just know your parents?
Me: I was proud of that thing too.
E: What else did we do? We would go to The Bayou. We would go hear music. We would go on obscure trips that G. usually orchestrated. We went backpacking and camping. We would hang out at the Institution. We had a nice porch on State Street. And a crazy landlord.
Me: Remember that glass mobile?
E: A crazy racist landlord.
Me: I have to get ready for swimming. Bleh. Any final words?
E: Is this the end of our blog?
Me: No.
E: You can stop and breathe anytime you need to. Come up for air.
***
This is the night before she leaves, or rather, the early morning of the day she will leave (2:55 am, April 17):
Me: Elise, what was your favorite part about this trip?
E: Uhh, canoeing.
Me: Was there a favorite meal you had?
E: Today’s was good. (Soup and sandwiches at The Woodland. And we ordered pie - 1 chocolate peanut butter and 1 coconut cream - that we brought home to eat.)
***
12:35 pm, Sat. April 17:
Me: Do you have any final thoughts before you head home?
E: I don’t like being interviewed.
Me: I’m not interviewing you. I’m asking you simple questions.
E: That’s a misrepresentation. It makes me self-conscious. I can’t just be in my natural element.
Me: How do you feel about Ruby right now?
E: She’s okay. She’s learned that she has to be calm around me… She’s gotta mirror my essence. Calm.
Me: That sounds so Austin of you.
E: It’s true. Hip.
Me: No. I think it’s more new agey/hippie.
E: I think you should dred her fur. At least Basil’s. Chris, you don’t have to shave Basil. You could just dred her.
Me: How many white dreds did you see while you were in Austin?
E: 18. 19 if you count the one on TV.
SONG: Soothe, Luscious Jackson & The Crystal Cat, Dan Deacon (cause this is the show e., c. & I went to in Austin)
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