Ellipsis...

That curious punctuation of which I am so fond. Those three little periods that tell you things aren't over. That there is a chance to continue where you left off. It's a pause... A break... A place to rest and think about the meaning of the sentence before.

Sometimes we all need an ellipsis.

This week my life changed in a way I never thought possible. So this weekend, unlike last weekend, I got out of the house. I had to. During the entire three days -- and not counting sleeping -- I may have been alone for only two hours. I surrounded myself with great people and it has helped me so much.

Friday I saw Serenity at the West Nursery theater with Scott and Kevin. After, we caught some tacos at a place by BWI I never knew existed. The menu was exactly the same as a place in Annapolis called El Toro Bravo. A combination number 10 -- two tacos, rice and beans -- is the same as a combination number 10 at El Toro. It was mildly bizarre since they are in no way related.

After we ate we ended up in Fells Point. Trying to get into a place called Max's we decided it was too crowded and headed over to a place called Friends. It was a good night. Drinking, playing pool, reflecting. The movie was good. The tacos were good. It was a good night.

Saturday Jon took his LSAT. He called me when he was done and we spent the entire day hanging out. He picked up the Capcom Greatest Hits Collection for Xbox and we played some of the classics for a while. It felt good to zone out to some good ole' fashioned mayhem. I however, still suck at Street Fighter. Some things never change.

We decided to grab some dinner in Annapolis at El Toro Bravo. Yeah, two nights in a row for me. This was around 4:00pm. We sat and ordered a pitcher of margarita, a pitcher we would soon realize we couldn't finish. I got my usual, a number 10, two tacos, rice and beans. Much like the evening prior, I was only able to eat one taco.

We spent an hour just catching up and trying to get our moneys worth out of the pitcher we were so eager to order. Later we decided to walk around and found a little shop I'd never noticed before, we spent some time in there and then went back to the appartment to wait for Dennis to get home.

Dennis strolled in around 9:30pm and after some deciding about where the night was to take us we headed off to Baltimore. We were meeting Kevin at Brewer's Art which later changed to Club Charles about half way there.

It all started out normal enough, drinking, talking, bar-hoping, but it was the end of the night that proved to be the most, different.

We closed a bar called The 13th Floor at the Belvedere Hotel. It's, get this, on the 13th floor, clever I know. They were playing some great Latin music and a Scottish wedding party was there dancing it up. Not something you see everyday, men in kilts dancing, doing the merengue.

That's not the odd part though.

After we left we were walking back to the car and I remembered there was a late night sushi place right around the corner. I had been there once before a long time ago. It's just a nice place to put an end to the evening. It's chill, they play techno and you can relax. Anyways, I felt like something was pulling me there. That there was something there I needed to do or see. So, I made the suggestion that we go and we did.

Now, I'm not a sushi eater but it's been something Kelly has always wanted me to try. She told me that I'd like a spicy tuna roll and when I saw it on the menu I ordered it right away. This weekend was not about forgetting.

So there we were, me, Dennis and Jon, ordering sushi at 2:30am and sitting at the bar when suddenly I look up and on this little 24 inch TV right in-front of us is the tail end of a movie called Garden State.

This movie holds more meaning for me than anyone knows. In this movie is a song that I will only associate with one person for the rest of my life. If there was a movie that was 'our' movie, this would be it. And I came in right at the end, during the speech about the ellipsis. About how people need space and time to think, to reflect. About how lives have been changed in such a short period of time that it becomes too scary to bear but if you can face it, things can only get better. Roll credits.

Why this movie? Of all movies, and of all parts to come in on, why here? Why now? I couldn't help the feeling that I needed to see this again. That I needed to be told this, to be reminded.

Saturday night -- enjoying a spicy tuna roll at a late night sushi bar in the middle of Baltimore -- I was reminded of something greater than myself. That something is going on, there are things in this world that don't just happen. Things that are to be, will be, and vice versa. It was somewhat of a comfort.

The ride home was quiet. Dennis drove and I peered out the passenger window. It was foggy and just above us the street lights reflected what I could only describe as an ocean. It's waves rolled over our heads and for a moment I lost myself to it. It's upside-down world reminded me of my own. The mist had turned into a phantom blanket that covered our little town with an iridescent, undulating calm.

What will happen, will happen. And that's okay.

This weekend was not about forgetting, sometimes we all need an ellipsis.