Last night I finished my whiskey. I had this long phone call with Pat (we're long distance drinking buddies) about life, relationships and all sorts of other shit that guys only seriously talk about when they're drunk. Anyways, Pat was freaking wasted, I felt good too. And then I had one of those realistic dreams I have every once in a while. It was with my friend Alena, well Alena and I were friends. I haven't seen or spoke to her in years.

So the dreams starts in a parking garage. Alena is there to pick up a car she left there for a few days. Her total bill is $115 dollars. She goes to pay it when I say wait, that doesn't make any sense. After reading fine print on the back of her bill I find out she only has to pay half that amount. The guy in the booth is pissed that I saved her money. We get in her car and drive.

I come to find out we're in Cleveland. She was just driving through on her way to Chicago (she lives in Chicago, her parents live in Erie, PA). She wants her couch back (we lived together years ago, and when we moved in we bought this couch really cheap....well she bought and I gave her money for it). When she moved out I kept the couch.

We drive to another parking garage. and go up to the roof. The garage is surrounded by a really old church on one side, the shore line on the other side, and some old brick buildings on a third side. I remember vividly looking around and seeing graffiti on the church, metal link fences around the yards of the old brick buildings, and birds flying over the shore line. Anyways Alena gets out of the car and goes over to another car, which is hers too.

She puts some bags she has into the back of the car. I carry over a few bottles of wine and put them in the back seat. I look over at her and she's trying to drag the couch to her car. I have to explain how it has a slip cover now because I lost the one she made for it in my move to Cleveland. After trying we decide the couch won't fit in her car.

She says she has to get going. That she supposed to meet her boyfriend later that day in Chicago. She looks exactly how I remember her despite having not seen her in over four years. We joke and hug and say we should meet again some time. There is none of that anger or resentment that I would expect when we next meet. That I probably deserve for the last time we spoke.

I ask her if she's in any shows coming up. She tells she has this great one man (or woman) show she's doing, but its only one weekend and its next weekend. I tell her I'll make it. Its the least I can do. She is shocked that I'll make it. I mention its only a tank of gas and a few hours of driving, and I've got years of friendship to make up for. She says she will call me and let me know the details and gets in her car and leaves.

And I wake up. Like I said, whiskey dreams.