i suppose i should start by saying that i have worked at my current job for a/b a year and a half. it's a small, family-owned, italian restaurant where all the employees are treated as family. most of the employees are incompetent high school students, but there are a few high school drop-outs who are in their twenties. however, the oldest employee is debbie. she's been working at the restaurant for 22 years, and everyone says she will never leave. the 2nd oldest, though, is jason--who will be the subject of this narrative.

 
            jason is a 30 year old dishwasher with long, stringy hair and a pudgy face. his glasses are always crooked, and i don't think he changes his clothes very often. he always looks a bit greasy. he's much taller than me, though i suppose that's not very hard considering i'm only 5'3". but if i had to guess, i'd say he's a/b 6 ft. tall.

 
             the most accurate term to describe jason is a "slob." he lives in a tiny apartment and doesn't take very good care of his things (or anyone else's for that matter). he's unbelievably irresponsible and uncommonly lazy. he barely does his job, and frequently forgets when he's scheduled to work. i think the only reason he hasn't been fired yet is b/c the owner of the restaurant feels sorry for him.
jason loves to drink. he has several DUI's and has been in prison a few times as a result. his main form of transportation is a mo-ped which he's always breaking.

 
                despite his faults, jason has a congenial personality. he's very quiet and is naturally a nervous type of person w/ anxiety issues. his favorite things to talk a/b are movies and music. every time i talk to him, he recommends different movies for me to watch. however, b/c of his forgetfulness, he always ends up telling me a/b the same movies over and over again. i think he's told me a/b Becoming john Malkovitch at least 4 times, and The gods must me crazy 3 times. at least.

                                   about  3 months ago, jason was riding his scooter to work, when he got behind a truck. suddenly, the truck slammed on breaks, and not wanting to have a wreck, jason did the same. however, instead of using his rear brake, he accidentally put on the front one. jason's scooter flipped forward causing him to fly off the bike and break his collar bone. consequently, he was put in the hospital and given vicodin to help w/ the pain. however, b/c he was in the hospital, he missed an appointment w/ his parole officer. as a result, he was put in jail. w/ a broken collar bone. his pain medication was taken away, and b/c there was no medical help, his collar bone set wrong.

                   31 days after being put in jail, jason got out. he came back to work and things seemed to be as normal. except for the fact that he talked non-stop. used to be, he would barely open his mouth (except of course to talk a/b movies or Ben Folds), now you couldn't get him to catch a breath. it was a little weird. then, as time progressed, he began talking about this girl he had met named Kezbon. apparently, she's a hippie chick w/ long dreadlocks who lives in her van and is really into taoism or some new age religion. i don't even know what to call it. maybe just too many drugs? anyways, he was in awe of her. supposedly, she was overflowing w/ confidence and that's what he wanted more than anything. other than to lose his virginity. yes, 30 year old virgin here.

                    Kezbon. hmm. she seems to be a very interesting person. she reminds me a bit of Phebe from the TV show Friends. hitchhikes around, true hippie, loves animals. says weird things. u know. he told me she stayed the night at his apartment one night. when he woke up the next morning, she was gone. he was worried so he called her cell phone. she picked up, and apparently, was 3 counties away at a starbucks carving a pumpkin. she said the people working gave her a free coffee for carving the vegetable for them.

                   i asked jason what kind of a parent would name their child "kezbon", and he said that it wasn't her real name. he said when he had asked her the same question, she had picked up a catepillar that happened to be crawling by, and started talking to it. she said: "hello little catepillar. do u know what my name is? it used to be katie." then she let the creature go in the woods. yes, she seems to be a very interesting person.