Categories
personal

My life on repeat

The time I rode a mechanical bull

Probably not the best thing when you still have whiplash.

Had a lot on my mind this weekend so my friends dragged me out. It was a hella weird weekend.

Paul and I went to a total of five parties, all of which were vastly different than expected. I really needed a distraction. So Paul paid $10 to have me go onto a mechanical bull. Quick but fun.

Did I ever tell you that Berlingirl was here studying dance?

Here’s the thing: In the last party of the night, for the grey-eyed girl, I met yet another German girl studying dance here in the big city except she was from Köln.

What’re the chances?

I spent the rest of the night chatting with her and the grey-eyed girl until 3AM or so. And then we were gone.

Can’t tell you how many times these days that I daydream of running away somewhere.

Then the 2 train comes and brings me someplace I don’t really want to be but gotta.

———-

I’m at my parents place and my dad is singing to himself. It’s midnight. How cute is that?

Location: 21:15 yest, leaving office
Mood: exhausted
Music: Digging deep for clues on higher ground

Categories
personal

Sophie / Whatcha gonna do?

You can meet a fella like me

Some people said they found new musicians like The Wreckers, Camera Obscura and KT Tunsall through this blog so, I’d like to also introduce you to Sophie Ellis Bextor.

She reminds me of my very first girlfriend in this vid – beautiful, well-dressed, pale skin, big eyes…mean*.

Yep, that’s her.

———-

Was discussing my problems with a buddy of mine:

Him: So, whatcha gonna do?
Me: I have a cunning plan.
Him: Really?
Me: Well…I have a plan at least…

———-

I met a girl a while back that shot me an email recently and another conversation that reminded me that I should keep trying to get the three parts of my life in sync.

Me: You’ll like being single.
Her: Why?
Me: (shrugging) Cause now you can meet a fella like me.


*I should note that my first girlfriend is the only one I ever say anything negative about – mainly because of the pic in this post.

Location: 19:00 yest, in an office wondering what I’ve done
Mood: exhausted
Music: know I know I know About your kind

Categories
business personal

I’m in

I’m all in

 

Just took out this huge loan (@8.75%) to try to get my life back. I’ve never had non-education/home related debt before. It’s disconcerting.

———-

With nods to Kastinkerbell, who is making me a Subversive Cross Stitch cause she’s cool like that, we all have things we say over and over again.

Recently, this girl on the idiot box kept ending her sentences with “Y’know what I mean?” After ten minutes, I wanted to yell, “NO! I…DON’T…KNOW.”

Then again, I say the same things constantly:

  • Well aware. / What am I an idiot? (pointing to my face and drawing a circle)
  • Oh…my…
  • Whoa, whoa, whoa!
  • I know, I know, I know.
  • Or you could not.
  • Why don’t we just tell people we did, and don’t?
  • You’ve GOT to be kidding me.
  • Sheyeah, you wish.
  • Are you always so potty-mouth, or are you just trying to impress me?
  • Well, more or less.
  • No, I’m wearing a girdle.
  • That’n two bucks’ll get you on the downtown bus.
  • I promise to dress trampy. Oh, who am I kidding – I always dress trampy.
  • I’m in.
sigh
Yeah…I’m all in.

 

Location: 19:00 yest, Home Depot, buying a faucet
Mood: busy
Music: une société qui désarme La victime, et pas le voleur

Categories
personal

Marathon

Learning about the Mad Beast

The NY Marathon was this past Sunday. A marathon is 26.2 miles, which is about 26 more miles than I can run.

Bumped into someone from a while ago at a party on Saturday who’s a runner. I can’t relate to it because I find it painfully boring but she says she does it cause she loves it.

Then Sunday, I went to a celebratory thingy at 3PM at my local dive bar. Paul’s friend, Runaround Sue, ran the marathon in under four hours. That’s her in the pic above asking a DJ to play better music a few weeks back.

I’ve been so busy with the drama, I haven’t run myself. I keep thinking I’ll hit the road and never come back.

Just a dream.

———-

I saw GES this past weekend for another brunch. That may become our thing. Brunch on the weekend.

She runs too. I must be missing something.

———-

I’m meeting a lot of teachers these days.

Her: You never heard of the shiz? What about mad beast?
Me: You do realize I’m 34, right? (pause) Could you use it in a sentence?
Her: (thinking) Well, one student said, Yo Miss, you can’t give us all that mad beast homework. All the cool kids use it.
Me: Ah, there’s your problem right there; I’ve never been cool.
Her: Ever?
Me: Around 2004 I thought I might be cool but then I decided it was just something I ate.

Location: 6AM yest, in bed pretending it’s 7AM
Mood: puzzled
Music: I wanna be like you, just as strong as you are

Categories
personal

Happy Halloween

And so and now Somena

Went to a Halloween party I went to with Cain last Wednesday. Had to carry him home. So he had a great time.

Don’t know about you, but when I like a song, I listen to it a million times. Then, whenever I hear that song again, I think about that period in my life.

I listened to The National singing, And so and now I’m sorry I missed you – I had a secret meeting in the basement of my brain all the time during the fall of last year. I remember I kept thinking of my ex. I almost never think of her any more. Weird how that works.

I met my very good friend Somena a year ago on Halloween. She was a librarian. Who says you can’t have meaningful relationships from people you meet in bars? She liked to listen to Secret Meeting and pretend she was a spy.

I’d never tell her but, late at night, on those long walks home, I do the same thing.

Like I said, Venn Diagrams…

Location: 15:30-20:24, locked outta my #$#$@#$! apartment
Mood: just plain irritated
Music: Didn’t anybody tell you how to gracefully disappear in a room?

Categories
personal

Venn Diagrams

People enter and leave our lives like Venn Diagrams

Was talking to GES this past Sunday about Venn Diagrams.

You see, people walk around the world like 3D Venn Diagrams: we’re all in our own little worlds. Strangers, friends, family, lovers, acquaintances – all, for better or for worse, enter into your little world, do their little bit, and then leave.

Some people stay, some go. Sometimes they do something nice. Sometimes they rob you blind and leave you wondering if there’s someplace you could sell a kidney and how much you could get for it.

And sometimes they write you tell you everything’s gonna be alright.

Thanks for that last one.

Now…does anyone know the going rate on a kidney?

———-

Here’s Fiest again (with members of the National, more on that tomorrow), playing a guitar and reminding me of those teenage hopes.

Location: 16:45 yest, the 66th St. Post Office, waiting
Mood: grateful
Music: Sleepless long nights That was what my youth was for

Categories
personal

No Chance

 

I’m at my parents and my father’s playing a sad song on the harmonica. He’s never had a lesson in the piano or the harmonica in his life.

But he can sit down in front of either and just break your heart.

Went with Cain, Paul, and Paul’s roomie to a costume party on Saturday. I was gonna go as Kato but I couldn’t find a hat.

Him: Just wear what you wore last year.
Me: What if I run into someone from last year?
Him: (exasperated) Dude, it’s a totally different party, there’s no chance of you running into someone from last year.

I ran into two people from last year. How embarrassing.

Oh…like I really care.

 

Like last Sunday, I woke up just in time to meet the pretty green-eyed schoolteacher (GES) for brunch. We walked all over the UWS again, to the East Side, then back and finished up with some sodas in a Columbia cafe – five hours. We actually saw two weddings in Central park – one was of a Chinese couple and I said gong xi (congrats) to them. The bride smiled at me.

The weather was just as I like it: cold, clear and crisp.

Her: Man, we walked so much, I’m going to sleep so well tonight.
Me: Lucky you.
Her: (puzzled) You won’t?
Me: (shaking head) I never do.

Location: 20:15 yest, asking someone in church to pray for me
Mood: resigned
Music: Babe, I’ll walk the seven seas when I believe that

Categories
dating personal

Hug or Handshake?

On a first date, do you do the hug or handshake?

Me: Hi there. (pause) Ah, the awkward, Hug or handshake?
Her: (smiling) I’ll give you the hug.

Because of the craziness of various things in my personal/business life, I’ve not been dating at all. But, as I said yesterday, on Sunday I met up with a pretty green-eyed school teacher for a cup of coffee and we had the best time – the weather was killer and we just walked about the neighborhood. It was probably the most relaxed I’d been in while.

For a few hours at least, I forgot about my worries. I’m supposed to see her again this week.

It’s funny, even in my darkest hours, I can still find ways to distract myself with utter randomness. Case in point, I was queuing in the bank the other day:

Female Teller 1: (handing me receipt) Is there anything else?
Me: Yeah, (pointing to Female Teller 2) What’s her name?
Both: Lisa
Me: (turning to Female Teller 2) Hello, Lisa.

All three of us laughed and then I politely excused myself. The rest of the week sucked but I live for the weekend and these random bits of entertainment.

That and the blue sky, of course.

Location: 20:00 yest., on the 7 train, coming home
Mood: concerned
Music: rescue me lemme have a good time

Categories
personal

Monday

Walked with a woman I met on the train

 

Last Friday, Cain and I went to my friend Gshok’s housewarming. I was feeling a bit down and didn’t want to go but I’m glad I did. It was nice to not think about my worries. The Laura was supposed to come but she got into a car accident on the way there (she’s ok).

We played a rousing game of Taboo; we were tied when Gshok and I did a sudden-death round and my team won. My prize was what you see above.

Saturday, Paul and I made the Lower East Side drinking circuit. Crashed a birthday party, ate some cake (we didn’t wanna but the birthday girl insisted), and hit about five joints before calling it a night.

At 2AM, I bumped into a girl on the street and offered to keep her company on the long walk home, She smiled and said, OK so we walked and chatted for a bit. After we got where we needed to be, she said, Thanks for keeping me safe.

How did you know I’d keep you safe? I asked.

I could tell, she said and then she gave me a hug goodbye but not before I snapped the pic below. Another good deed.

Sunday, woke up just in time for a date with a pretty green-eyed school teacher (GES) I had been orbiting, but more on that later. Went to church and tried to make sense of everything.

It’s Monday. I don’t like Mondays.

 

Location: 20:30 yest., reintroducing myself on Broadway
Mood: thoughtful
Music: mother feels so shocked Father’s world is rocked

Categories
personal

I’m in

I need a weekend for my weekend

 

Him: All expenses paid. Interested?
Me: What am I an idiot? I’m in.

If I get it (or I don’t) I’ll tell you soon. Friday at the latest.

———-

Was out a lot this weekend. Hazel, Bryson, Gio and I went out till 4AM on Thursday night (when I met this girl) and then my brother was in town for the weekend.

I need a weekend for my weekend.

The Grey-Eyed Girl invited a bunch of us out to a party the other day. It was for an ivy league grad thingy and I assumed everyone there was from NYC.

So I end up spending some time with these two really nice girls. Here’s our conversation after we swap info.

Me: So if you’re 24, I’ve gotta think your friend’s like 18.
Girl1: She’s 28.
Me: (shocked) You’re kidding me.
Girl2: It’s the Asian genes.
Me: (nodding) Nice.
Girl2: So what are you? 24?
Me: (laughing) 34.
Girl2: (shocked) You’re kidding me.
Me: It’s the Asian genes.
Girl2: (nodding) Nice.
Me: So are you here for the birthday party?
Girl1: Oh no, we’re just in town from Boston for the weekend.
Me: (laughing) Of course you are.

Never a dull moment.

Location: underneath a ceiling fan in Queens
Mood: tired but hopeful
Music: been happy lately thinking about the good things to come
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