Stoo Is My Copilot

2002-07-25 - 2:34 p.m.

It seems like a long time ago, and I don't have a good reason for it.

My good friend, Stoo, and I used to do this thing. Let's call it "hanging out" for a lack of a better way to describe it. Basically, we would get together, and do nothing. Sure, sometimes we would have an agenda, there were shows to go to, records to buy, bottles to return. Primarily though, we would drive aimlessly around, and listen to music, not accomplishing anything other than spending a little time together. If we weren't driving around, we were at his place flipping channels, or my place changing cd's and playing video games, or at Denny's not ordering food and complaining about being at Denny's, but still not really doing anything.

Now we live in San Francisco. We don't have cars, but there's a decent public transit system here. For some reason though, we haven't done this idle mutual aging thing (or "hanging out" if you prefer) in a long time. I feel like we're both missing out. There's a lot to be said for doing nothing with an old friend.

Once we were sitting on the steps of the library in Manhattan, after walking aimlessly all day, resting our legs while some character offered us his sandwich in exchange for money or cigarettes or whatever (good thing we both watched G.I. Joe growing up and knew not to accept sandwiches from homeless New Yorkers, knowing is half the battle after all). This isn't an event of any proportion really, but I guarantee you Stoo remembers it too. Some of my fondest memories don't involve doing anything.

Before I get misty and start singing Whitney Houston, I'll go. We've made plans though, for next Thursday night.

What are we doing, you ask?

Nothing.