Saturday, July 16, 2005
(Figuratively) High Adventure!!
Legal Disclaimer: Any illegal activities in the framework of this story may be entirely fictional.
The story of tonight's/last night's adventure must be told immediately. Right now it's three-something in the morning. I'm going to start typing now while I'm still "coming down," so to speak, and I'll finish and then publish this post later today.
The story begins with another Craigslist personals advertisement. I saw an intriguing post which was titled "we are the music makers. we are the dreamers of dreams." Most of you should recognize that sentence from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a wonderfully bizarre movie that helped shape (or should I say warp) the lives of millions of children born in the last thirty years. A new version of the film (or the book, depending on who you believe) titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory hit theaters last night. The personal ad in question was from a young lady (let's call her "J") looking to see the movie with a new friend. The twist was she was looking to see the movie "high" at the Magic Johnson Theater. In case you haven't figured it out yet, that's in Harlem.
I first responded to the ad on Tuesday night. The conversation hit an odd lull and I assumed that I said the wrong thing and she must have found a better offer. She had said in her initial response that she was looking for someone "adventurous enough" to come to Harlem and go to the movies. I had scoffed at this in my reply; I said, "I never thought of going to the movies as an adventure before." That may have put her off a little but then she replied two days later on Thursday night while I was out. Once I woke up yesterday we exchanged e-mails throughout the afternoon to arrange to meet near the Empire State Building at 8:30 and then take the subway to her neighborhood in West Harlem. She told me to visit her page on Friendster, a site I hadn't visited in at least two years. I logged in to my account and discovered that we were already connected; she has a friend who is friends with a friend of mine! How's that for coincidences? I took this as a sign that she was not going to murder me.
As the evening approached I walked over there in nasty, humid weather and easily undid every attempt I had made to look presentable; I was dripping with sweat to the point where I could feel it running down my back. I had used a ton of deodorant (both solid and spray) so I hope I didn't smell. We met at the arranged time and took a short walk over to the subway. Our initial conversation went pretty well; I managed to make her laugh a few times which puts me at ease. We rode up to 125th St where the Magic Johnson Theater is and I bought two tickets for the 10:30 show. The box office is on the first floor (nowhere near the lobby) so at first glance it looked like every multiplex I've ever been to. I had no idea what I was in store for (we'll get back to that later). Tickets in hand, we took a relatively short walk over to her place.
Her apartment was very nice and well-kept; her CDs were in alphabetical order even. We put on the soundtrack album for Grosse Point Blank and she broke out the four foot bong. It wasn't until I saw it that I realized I hadn't fully considered the logistics of using it. With a pipe that long, each hit would be positively huge. It was also a two-person operation; few humans have long enough arms to comfortably light such a device and remove the slide to inhale all the smoke. We only took two hits apiece, and that was probably for the best. After all, we were planning on going out in public in less than an hour. The conversation got a little strained because she got very talkative and I tend to clam up when I'm high, so all of a sudden she's telling me all kinds of stories and I'm just sitting there.
We left the apartment around 10 and walked to the theater. The humidity felt even more grimy in our new mental state. We were worried about being able to comfortably make it from her place to the theater (even contemplating a taxi) but once we hit the street we made the trip easily. Entering the theater, we enjoyed the welcome rush of air conditioning as we went up two flights via escalators to the lobby. I was very confused by this arrangement; the intermittent floors appeared to have nothing but grey walls and locked metal doors (not theater exits). What on Earth were they for? No matter; I didn't want to get distracted investigating trivial matters.
On the third floor I got the first taste of the theater's design. We walked down a hallway with lots of photos of black celebrities. Pretty much anyone you would expect; I can remember seeing MLK and X. I'm sure that tool Spike Lee was up there somewhere. Some I knew but many I did not. Not everyone was black, actually, but at this point I don't clearly remember who was up there. The point is I was beginning to experience unexpected stimuli and I was high.
The hallway led into the lobby. Oh my God. The lobby has a giant mural of Magic Johnson!! One side is just a huge portrait, the other shows Magic having fun with some kids. It was real megalomaniac action, the kind of thing you'd expect to see in Pyongyang. I don't care how much money Magic may have invested in the theater, there's no plausible excuse for that kind of extravagance. I mean, everyone jokes about Donald Trump's ego but he doesn't plaster his face all over the lobby, just his name. I tried to talk to J about this but she "shushed" me, apparently nervous about upsetting the other customers. I guess she was right but I was a little disappointed that she didn't want to talk now that I had something to say. We bought a few refreshments went inside. I got some Diet cola, she got some Peanut M&Ms and a very large drink.
The theater itself was a normal, stadium-seating arrangement with a traditional "flat" section in front. Rather than sit up in the back we opted to sit in the "flat" area, a good idea considering the "spectacle" nature of this film. At her encouragement I had a few M&Ms, my first chocolate in quite some time. Now that I think about it, that was also my first cola in a while. J actually jumped out during the trailers (which were all for kiddie films, oddly enough) to get some popcorn. I hope I didn't eat too much of her snacks; given the circumstances, I was trying pretty hard to control myself.
I'm not going to try and explain the movie experience right now; it deserves far too much attention that I can give it in this post. I will say that throughout the entire movie, some guy was sleeping in our row and snoring, loudly at times. Nobody was willing to try and wake him. That was just a drop in the bucket though; rest assured, I'll get back to that later.
After the film was over we walked back to her street (I had no designs on trying to go inside) where I got a crosstown bus over to the east side so I could transfer to a downtown subway that stopped in my neighborhood. Weekend construction meant I had a painfully long wait underground. Once back in my area I was still pretty high so I ate some pizza. I know, that's not good for me but I'm still mindful of what I should be eating: I had one slice with chicken and broccoli on it. Those who know my eating habits would be shocked; I used to avoid broccoli as if it was manure.
Bottom line: it was, as promised, an adventure and I had a great time. I still can't believe I met someone over the Internet, went back to her place in Harlem, got high and went to the movies, all without losing a kidney.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
The story of tonight's/last night's adventure must be told immediately. Right now it's three-something in the morning. I'm going to start typing now while I'm still "coming down," so to speak, and I'll finish and then publish this post later today.
The story begins with another Craigslist personals advertisement. I saw an intriguing post which was titled "we are the music makers. we are the dreamers of dreams." Most of you should recognize that sentence from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, a wonderfully bizarre movie that helped shape (or should I say warp) the lives of millions of children born in the last thirty years. A new version of the film (or the book, depending on who you believe) titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory hit theaters last night. The personal ad in question was from a young lady (let's call her "J") looking to see the movie with a new friend. The twist was she was looking to see the movie "high" at the Magic Johnson Theater. In case you haven't figured it out yet, that's in Harlem.
I first responded to the ad on Tuesday night. The conversation hit an odd lull and I assumed that I said the wrong thing and she must have found a better offer. She had said in her initial response that she was looking for someone "adventurous enough" to come to Harlem and go to the movies. I had scoffed at this in my reply; I said, "I never thought of going to the movies as an adventure before." That may have put her off a little but then she replied two days later on Thursday night while I was out. Once I woke up yesterday we exchanged e-mails throughout the afternoon to arrange to meet near the Empire State Building at 8:30 and then take the subway to her neighborhood in West Harlem. She told me to visit her page on Friendster, a site I hadn't visited in at least two years. I logged in to my account and discovered that we were already connected; she has a friend who is friends with a friend of mine! How's that for coincidences? I took this as a sign that she was not going to murder me.
As the evening approached I walked over there in nasty, humid weather and easily undid every attempt I had made to look presentable; I was dripping with sweat to the point where I could feel it running down my back. I had used a ton of deodorant (both solid and spray) so I hope I didn't smell. We met at the arranged time and took a short walk over to the subway. Our initial conversation went pretty well; I managed to make her laugh a few times which puts me at ease. We rode up to 125th St where the Magic Johnson Theater is and I bought two tickets for the 10:30 show. The box office is on the first floor (nowhere near the lobby) so at first glance it looked like every multiplex I've ever been to. I had no idea what I was in store for (we'll get back to that later). Tickets in hand, we took a relatively short walk over to her place.
Her apartment was very nice and well-kept; her CDs were in alphabetical order even. We put on the soundtrack album for Grosse Point Blank and she broke out the four foot bong. It wasn't until I saw it that I realized I hadn't fully considered the logistics of using it. With a pipe that long, each hit would be positively huge. It was also a two-person operation; few humans have long enough arms to comfortably light such a device and remove the slide to inhale all the smoke. We only took two hits apiece, and that was probably for the best. After all, we were planning on going out in public in less than an hour. The conversation got a little strained because she got very talkative and I tend to clam up when I'm high, so all of a sudden she's telling me all kinds of stories and I'm just sitting there.
We left the apartment around 10 and walked to the theater. The humidity felt even more grimy in our new mental state. We were worried about being able to comfortably make it from her place to the theater (even contemplating a taxi) but once we hit the street we made the trip easily. Entering the theater, we enjoyed the welcome rush of air conditioning as we went up two flights via escalators to the lobby. I was very confused by this arrangement; the intermittent floors appeared to have nothing but grey walls and locked metal doors (not theater exits). What on Earth were they for? No matter; I didn't want to get distracted investigating trivial matters.
On the third floor I got the first taste of the theater's design. We walked down a hallway with lots of photos of black celebrities. Pretty much anyone you would expect; I can remember seeing MLK and X. I'm sure that tool Spike Lee was up there somewhere. Some I knew but many I did not. Not everyone was black, actually, but at this point I don't clearly remember who was up there. The point is I was beginning to experience unexpected stimuli and I was high.
The hallway led into the lobby. Oh my God. The lobby has a giant mural of Magic Johnson!! One side is just a huge portrait, the other shows Magic having fun with some kids. It was real megalomaniac action, the kind of thing you'd expect to see in Pyongyang. I don't care how much money Magic may have invested in the theater, there's no plausible excuse for that kind of extravagance. I mean, everyone jokes about Donald Trump's ego but he doesn't plaster his face all over the lobby, just his name. I tried to talk to J about this but she "shushed" me, apparently nervous about upsetting the other customers. I guess she was right but I was a little disappointed that she didn't want to talk now that I had something to say. We bought a few refreshments went inside. I got some Diet cola, she got some Peanut M&Ms and a very large drink.
The theater itself was a normal, stadium-seating arrangement with a traditional "flat" section in front. Rather than sit up in the back we opted to sit in the "flat" area, a good idea considering the "spectacle" nature of this film. At her encouragement I had a few M&Ms, my first chocolate in quite some time. Now that I think about it, that was also my first cola in a while. J actually jumped out during the trailers (which were all for kiddie films, oddly enough) to get some popcorn. I hope I didn't eat too much of her snacks; given the circumstances, I was trying pretty hard to control myself.
I'm not going to try and explain the movie experience right now; it deserves far too much attention that I can give it in this post. I will say that throughout the entire movie, some guy was sleeping in our row and snoring, loudly at times. Nobody was willing to try and wake him. That was just a drop in the bucket though; rest assured, I'll get back to that later.
After the film was over we walked back to her street (I had no designs on trying to go inside) where I got a crosstown bus over to the east side so I could transfer to a downtown subway that stopped in my neighborhood. Weekend construction meant I had a painfully long wait underground. Once back in my area I was still pretty high so I ate some pizza. I know, that's not good for me but I'm still mindful of what I should be eating: I had one slice with chicken and broccoli on it. Those who know my eating habits would be shocked; I used to avoid broccoli as if it was manure.
Bottom line: it was, as promised, an adventure and I had a great time. I still can't believe I met someone over the Internet, went back to her place in Harlem, got high and went to the movies, all without losing a kidney.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Friday, July 15, 2005
Back to Debauchery (sort of)
Yesterday I was complaining about how dull it was to be taking care of myself instead of hanging out with people drinking and partying. So what did I do last night? Hung out with people, drank and partied.
The story begins, like most of my recent adventures, with an advertisement on Craigslist. I happened to search for "Japanese" and I came across this curious posting (link may be deleted soon) for "Japanese language practice partners." The event was a kind of informal gathering of Japanese and English speaking people at a pleasant Turkish restaurant named Maia in Alphabet City near Tompkins Square Park.
I was, of course, early and I was the first guest to arrive. I was greeted by the hostess, a very attractive young Japanese woman named Yuki. She suggested I wait at the bar for more guests to arrive. I had a glass of some kind of Red wine, remembering the suggestion of my nutritionist regarding alcohol. It wasn't long before people started showing up. I had a seat at a long table (in truth, an arranged line up smaller tables) and did my best to chat these nice folks up. The conversation was a little jerky, with lots of Japanese and English crashing together but I think most sentiments were expressed one way or another. Everyone was interested in my upcoming trip as well as my past visit.
The catch of the evening was the restaurant setting. There were frequent interruptions as the restaurant plays host to a kind of "art show," as the original ad put it. Short films were shown, poetry was forced upon us and improvised dances were flailed about. Each one of these "performances" ground all conversation to a halt; indeed, the MC would chide people who he could see speaking while he was speaking. This made it a lot harder to get to know one another.
The menu was quite varied and prompted a lot of discussion. In particular, I was called upon to explain what a hookah was. Some of them tried it, some of them just looked and laughed. Many of these people were new to New York, some of them having been in town for a month or less. One girl, Sayo, was visiting from Paris where she studies design; she occasionally used French pleasantries like oui or merci. I can't imagine how she juggles learning two foreign languages at once.
After several hours of talking, not talking, and eating some light appetizers (we were never offered any entrees, just lots of small plates) the restaurant cleared out. A small group of us opted to keep hanging out at a nearby yakitori place called やきとり大将, Yakitori Taisho. Apparently it's a pair of restaurants on St. Mark's Place, one of which I ate in a few weeks ago. Late at night they close one and just pack everyone into the other. They're open until 3:30 and we were there nearly until closing time. We drank a lot (I had mostly sake with a little beer at the end) and we ate a lot. We had a variety of yakitori (of course), a bowl of takowasa (octopus with wasabi, lots of edamame, some kind of grilled tofu and just a little bit of mentai potato. I know, I know, but that's the first potato product I've eaten in weeks. They're basically steak fries but the mentai is a "spicy cod roe sauce" that is easily the most delicious thing I've ever dipped a potato into.
At the end of the evening we all exchanged e-mail addresses or phone numbers. I don't know if I'll really see any of them again but it would be pretty cool if that were to happen. It's not like I'm busy or anything but it goes back to something my friend Scott told me; the notion that Japanese people tend to behave a certain way because they're expected to but inside they don't really feel that way. So maybe all the talk of getting together again this summer was just talk. Either way, last night was fun and I did it without embarrassing or abusing myself terribly.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
The story begins, like most of my recent adventures, with an advertisement on Craigslist. I happened to search for "Japanese" and I came across this curious posting (link may be deleted soon) for "Japanese language practice partners." The event was a kind of informal gathering of Japanese and English speaking people at a pleasant Turkish restaurant named Maia in Alphabet City near Tompkins Square Park.
I was, of course, early and I was the first guest to arrive. I was greeted by the hostess, a very attractive young Japanese woman named Yuki. She suggested I wait at the bar for more guests to arrive. I had a glass of some kind of Red wine, remembering the suggestion of my nutritionist regarding alcohol. It wasn't long before people started showing up. I had a seat at a long table (in truth, an arranged line up smaller tables) and did my best to chat these nice folks up. The conversation was a little jerky, with lots of Japanese and English crashing together but I think most sentiments were expressed one way or another. Everyone was interested in my upcoming trip as well as my past visit.
The catch of the evening was the restaurant setting. There were frequent interruptions as the restaurant plays host to a kind of "art show," as the original ad put it. Short films were shown, poetry was forced upon us and improvised dances were flailed about. Each one of these "performances" ground all conversation to a halt; indeed, the MC would chide people who he could see speaking while he was speaking. This made it a lot harder to get to know one another.
The menu was quite varied and prompted a lot of discussion. In particular, I was called upon to explain what a hookah was. Some of them tried it, some of them just looked and laughed. Many of these people were new to New York, some of them having been in town for a month or less. One girl, Sayo, was visiting from Paris where she studies design; she occasionally used French pleasantries like oui or merci. I can't imagine how she juggles learning two foreign languages at once.
After several hours of talking, not talking, and eating some light appetizers (we were never offered any entrees, just lots of small plates) the restaurant cleared out. A small group of us opted to keep hanging out at a nearby yakitori place called やきとり大将, Yakitori Taisho. Apparently it's a pair of restaurants on St. Mark's Place, one of which I ate in a few weeks ago. Late at night they close one and just pack everyone into the other. They're open until 3:30 and we were there nearly until closing time. We drank a lot (I had mostly sake with a little beer at the end) and we ate a lot. We had a variety of yakitori (of course), a bowl of takowasa (octopus with wasabi, lots of edamame, some kind of grilled tofu and just a little bit of mentai potato. I know, I know, but that's the first potato product I've eaten in weeks. They're basically steak fries but the mentai is a "spicy cod roe sauce" that is easily the most delicious thing I've ever dipped a potato into.
At the end of the evening we all exchanged e-mail addresses or phone numbers. I don't know if I'll really see any of them again but it would be pretty cool if that were to happen. It's not like I'm busy or anything but it goes back to something my friend Scott told me; the notion that Japanese people tend to behave a certain way because they're expected to but inside they don't really feel that way. So maybe all the talk of getting together again this summer was just talk. Either way, last night was fun and I did it without embarrassing or abusing myself terribly.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Routine?
Truth be told, I didn't really do anything today but I feel good about it anyway. I walked down to the local YMCA to investigate their gym. Unfortunately I got an all-too familiar response; it will cost hundreds of dollars and no, there is no free trial. So I decided that there is no better (or cheaper) solution than to become a "temporary member" at the same club where my Dad goes. I walked up there, got an even better price than the one I was quoted yesterday, and worked out again. I think in a few days I should increase my regiment, right?
After my workout I walked a few blocks uptown to try some of their falafel and get more veggie burgers. I ended up eating the same dinner I had yesterday. It's alright, I've got something special planned tomorrow night.
*sigh* Taking care of myself may feel good but it makes for lousy blogging. No parties, no drunkenness or overeating, bo-ring...
つづく... (Click here to read more)
After my workout I walked a few blocks uptown to try some of their falafel and get more veggie burgers. I ended up eating the same dinner I had yesterday. It's alright, I've got something special planned tomorrow night.
*sigh* Taking care of myself may feel good but it makes for lousy blogging. No parties, no drunkenness or overeating, bo-ring...
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Baby Steps
Dad went to his gym this evening and I went along. I spent 33 minutes on that "stepping" machine where your feet don't actually leave the pedals...I don't know what that thing is called but it felt pretty good. I inquired about what it would cost to come back to the club every day for the rest of the summer. It would be $200, more than I thought because it's a pretty small place. Maybe it's worth it. I need to get in on this exercise thing soon if I want to see any results.
For dinner tonight I ate a veggie burger from a local deli (no bun, of course) with a serving of cottage cheese for protein. Call me a pussy but it was pretty damn tasty.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
For dinner tonight I ate a veggie burger from a local deli (no bun, of course) with a serving of cottage cheese for protein. Call me a pussy but it was pretty damn tasty.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
やったぜ！
Got my Visa today and I just happened to run into Ryan from Albany over at the consulate. That's the third time this summer I've randomly encountered folks I know from school here in New York. What are the odds?
Not much progress on the workout front; I poked my head into this local "fitness center" which has an outrageous monthly fee of hundreds of dollars. For that kind of money it would be easier to just pick up a used bike on eBay and scramble around town. I don't want to bother with all that, I just want to go someplace with A/C, work out for an hour a day and go home.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Not much progress on the workout front; I poked my head into this local "fitness center" which has an outrageous monthly fee of hundreds of dollars. For that kind of money it would be easier to just pick up a used bike on eBay and scramble around town. I don't want to bother with all that, I just want to go someplace with A/C, work out for an hour a day and go home.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Monday, July 11, 2005
No Pleasure Cruise
Today started off very lazy but ended up being pretty intense, superficially speaking. I slept far too late while dreaming about getting a job. It wasn't a bad dream by any standards because it felt so good but when I woke up I realized it was all false. That's why I hate dreaming. It's always a nightmare or an extreme disappointment.
I tried getting some people from Albany on the phone to clear up my financial aid situation. It seems there's still steps I need to take to inform them that I am studying abroad this year. I'm not sure why they need me to tell them this but that's bureaucracy for you. The woman on the phone tried very hard to help me but eventually she took my phone number and said that a counselor will have to get back to me. I'm not thrilled about waiting for a callback but if this is what it takes, fine.
My sister came by this afternoon and we all hung out a little bit and talked about my new eating habits. Dad has now joined the bandwagon of extremely perceptive people telling me that they can "see" me getting thinner. Whatever the reality of my appearance, I am getting thinner and it occurred to me today that if I took exercising as seriously as I should, I could lose some real weight by the end of August. I mean, this could be a potentially life-changing summer if I put a little effort into working out. Salena and Dad both had the same great idea: walk around the neighborhood and take advantage of whatever "free trials" I can get. One week here, one week there could add up to a decent amount of free exercise!
We decided to see a movie because it was too hot out to just go for a long walk. Much to our mutual surprise, none of us had yet seen War of the Worlds so that was the perfect choice. We went to a local theater and caught a nearly empty afternoon showing. If I were to describe this movie in one word, it would be "gripping." This was not the usual summer fare; I was not expecting such a jarring, emotional film. It scared me, not like "Boo!" scared but there was an overall feeling of terror. It was easily scarier than 95% of the horror movies than I've seen.
The movie left me feeling tired, as if I had actually been doing something other than sit on my ass. We took our time going back to the apartment, stopping in a few local spots to go food shopping. I picked up some veggies to improve my diet. We stowed away the food and then went out for a late supper at Ariyoshi. Salena decided to try natto but like most white people, she wasn't into it too much. Everyone did like the pub though.
Tomorrow is Visa Day! I'm psyched to acquire this otherwise-trivial document!
つづく... (Click here to read more)
I tried getting some people from Albany on the phone to clear up my financial aid situation. It seems there's still steps I need to take to inform them that I am studying abroad this year. I'm not sure why they need me to tell them this but that's bureaucracy for you. The woman on the phone tried very hard to help me but eventually she took my phone number and said that a counselor will have to get back to me. I'm not thrilled about waiting for a callback but if this is what it takes, fine.
My sister came by this afternoon and we all hung out a little bit and talked about my new eating habits. Dad has now joined the bandwagon of extremely perceptive people telling me that they can "see" me getting thinner. Whatever the reality of my appearance, I am getting thinner and it occurred to me today that if I took exercising as seriously as I should, I could lose some real weight by the end of August. I mean, this could be a potentially life-changing summer if I put a little effort into working out. Salena and Dad both had the same great idea: walk around the neighborhood and take advantage of whatever "free trials" I can get. One week here, one week there could add up to a decent amount of free exercise!
We decided to see a movie because it was too hot out to just go for a long walk. Much to our mutual surprise, none of us had yet seen War of the Worlds so that was the perfect choice. We went to a local theater and caught a nearly empty afternoon showing. If I were to describe this movie in one word, it would be "gripping." This was not the usual summer fare; I was not expecting such a jarring, emotional film. It scared me, not like "Boo!" scared but there was an overall feeling of terror. It was easily scarier than 95% of the horror movies than I've seen.
The movie left me feeling tired, as if I had actually been doing something other than sit on my ass. We took our time going back to the apartment, stopping in a few local spots to go food shopping. I picked up some veggies to improve my diet. We stowed away the food and then went out for a late supper at Ariyoshi. Salena decided to try natto but like most white people, she wasn't into it too much. Everyone did like the pub though.
Tomorrow is Visa Day! I'm psyched to acquire this otherwise-trivial document!
つづく... (Click here to read more)
Sunday, July 10, 2005
(e)Motion Sickness
After going camping for the holiday weekend, my hometown friends were going to a party in Pawling this weekend and invited me to join them. So yesterday afternoon I caught a train to meet them. Once at Ben's house, his extremely kind mother told me she could tell that I was losing weight. While I have lost a few pounds since improving my diet, I think she was still being kind. After all, we're talking less than 3% of my total body weight.
So drove all the way to Pawling and we didn't get there until it was completely dark. It was at a relatively remote house in the "woods" where neighbors were visible but not close enough to be heard. The house was pretty modestly sized but there was a very large lawn which is where everyone was hanging out. Aside from a firepit and a few candles there was nearly no light at all. I doubt I could identify any of the other partygoers if you told me to pick them out of a police lineup.
The party was a mix of family, friends and total strangers. My sister was there with her boyfriend, Ben and his sister Kate came, as did Dave and Dylan. The biggest surprise was Cydney who was a childhood friend of my sister and Kate. I hadn't seen her in at least three years. We only spoke briefly though, I think I creeped her out; at one point, she was shining a light on herself (remember, it was completely dark out) and shimmying so I jokingly said "Keep dancing" in a guttural tone. She said something to the effect of "That's really creepy coming from you." What did she mean by that? I know was around a lot when she was growing up and hanging around with my little sister, but does that mean it's inappropriate to make an "adult" joke? It's not like I was coming on to her.
We drank and stayed up and Ben grilled steaks which were fabulously marinated in something or other. I overate (the wrong things to boot) and drank and smoke too much. Still, I never gave up and didn't watch the clock either. Eventually it came down to me, Ben, Kate and Dylan as the dawn crept up on us. I started to feel a little queasy so I made my way over towards the edge of the lawn. WHAM, I threw up nearly everything I had consumed. Thankfully it didn't turn into "dry heaves" which really hurt and break all the capillaries in my face, giving me a terrifying purple visage. Remember my Boxing Day experience? I do!
After vomiting I suddenly felt cold. I would later learn that the temperature had dropped below 60 degrees Fahrenheit but I shouldn't have felt so very cold in that weather. Don't forget, I'm a fairly heavy guy and I was wearing clothing, albeit a short-sleeved shirt. I wrapped myself up in a blanket and tried to enjoy myself as best I could. The other three were still drinking and smoking and then they were grilling some chicken. It smelled fabulous but I was in no condition to eat anything. I just sat there and drank water. Lots of water.
Sometime after six AM everyone else got the urge to leave (I'm sure I encouraged them although I didn't nag). The four of us got into Dylan's car and we headed south. I thought we were going back to Croton so I could just hop onto a train (I already have a multi-use ticket from Croton to New York). But the three of them wanted to keep drinking so we went to Dylan's house instead. I asked if he could drop me off at the nearest station so I could get some sleep. He oblidged and I returned to New York, falling asleep around nine AM.
I woke up shortly after two PM. I was in the bathroom when I got a surprise text from Hyde. She invited me to join her on a Circle Line trip around Manhattan. I immediately agreed and rushed into the shower so I could go across town to meet her at the pier at four PM. The walk took a little longer than I expected and the weather was much hotter than I expected as well. Still, the journey around Manhattan was wonderful and Hyde and I had a nice chat along the way. She called it "instant therapy" because it's a great way to relax and just take in this magnificent island. My sinuses seemed to clear up during the trip for the first time in days. Did you know Manhattan is connected to the mainland by twenty different bridges? I didn't know that but we went under (and through) every one of them!
Once docked, Hyde and I walked back across town talking all the way. Okay, she did most of the talking because she has better, longer stories than I do. Once we returned to our neighborhood we had dinner over at Blockheads. I hadn't eaten all day but I managed not to gorge myself. I didn't even chow down on the free chips & salsa. Instead, I went for a nice, big bowl of chili. We each had a few Margaritas and I walked her home. We're planning on taking in a museum this Wednesday. It'll be nice to hang out with her without any chemicals for a change.
Why the despondent title? I don't know, I typed this over a long period of time and I don't remember where I was going with that. I certainly didn't get sick on the boat. If there's any message here, it's that I had a hell of a lot more fun without alcohol in the sun than I did with alcohol in the dark. No disrepect to my friends but I'm starting to wonder if I can afford to keep going up to Westchester every weekend.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
So drove all the way to Pawling and we didn't get there until it was completely dark. It was at a relatively remote house in the "woods" where neighbors were visible but not close enough to be heard. The house was pretty modestly sized but there was a very large lawn which is where everyone was hanging out. Aside from a firepit and a few candles there was nearly no light at all. I doubt I could identify any of the other partygoers if you told me to pick them out of a police lineup.
The party was a mix of family, friends and total strangers. My sister was there with her boyfriend, Ben and his sister Kate came, as did Dave and Dylan. The biggest surprise was Cydney who was a childhood friend of my sister and Kate. I hadn't seen her in at least three years. We only spoke briefly though, I think I creeped her out; at one point, she was shining a light on herself (remember, it was completely dark out) and shimmying so I jokingly said "Keep dancing" in a guttural tone. She said something to the effect of "That's really creepy coming from you." What did she mean by that? I know was around a lot when she was growing up and hanging around with my little sister, but does that mean it's inappropriate to make an "adult" joke? It's not like I was coming on to her.
We drank and stayed up and Ben grilled steaks which were fabulously marinated in something or other. I overate (the wrong things to boot) and drank and smoke too much. Still, I never gave up and didn't watch the clock either. Eventually it came down to me, Ben, Kate and Dylan as the dawn crept up on us. I started to feel a little queasy so I made my way over towards the edge of the lawn. WHAM, I threw up nearly everything I had consumed. Thankfully it didn't turn into "dry heaves" which really hurt and break all the capillaries in my face, giving me a terrifying purple visage. Remember my Boxing Day experience? I do!
After vomiting I suddenly felt cold. I would later learn that the temperature had dropped below 60 degrees Fahrenheit but I shouldn't have felt so very cold in that weather. Don't forget, I'm a fairly heavy guy and I was wearing clothing, albeit a short-sleeved shirt. I wrapped myself up in a blanket and tried to enjoy myself as best I could. The other three were still drinking and smoking and then they were grilling some chicken. It smelled fabulous but I was in no condition to eat anything. I just sat there and drank water. Lots of water.
Sometime after six AM everyone else got the urge to leave (I'm sure I encouraged them although I didn't nag). The four of us got into Dylan's car and we headed south. I thought we were going back to Croton so I could just hop onto a train (I already have a multi-use ticket from Croton to New York). But the three of them wanted to keep drinking so we went to Dylan's house instead. I asked if he could drop me off at the nearest station so I could get some sleep. He oblidged and I returned to New York, falling asleep around nine AM.
I woke up shortly after two PM. I was in the bathroom when I got a surprise text from Hyde. She invited me to join her on a Circle Line trip around Manhattan. I immediately agreed and rushed into the shower so I could go across town to meet her at the pier at four PM. The walk took a little longer than I expected and the weather was much hotter than I expected as well. Still, the journey around Manhattan was wonderful and Hyde and I had a nice chat along the way. She called it "instant therapy" because it's a great way to relax and just take in this magnificent island. My sinuses seemed to clear up during the trip for the first time in days. Did you know Manhattan is connected to the mainland by twenty different bridges? I didn't know that but we went under (and through) every one of them!
Once docked, Hyde and I walked back across town talking all the way. Okay, she did most of the talking because she has better, longer stories than I do. Once we returned to our neighborhood we had dinner over at Blockheads. I hadn't eaten all day but I managed not to gorge myself. I didn't even chow down on the free chips & salsa. Instead, I went for a nice, big bowl of chili. We each had a few Margaritas and I walked her home. We're planning on taking in a museum this Wednesday. It'll be nice to hang out with her without any chemicals for a change.
Why the despondent title? I don't know, I typed this over a long period of time and I don't remember where I was going with that. I certainly didn't get sick on the boat. If there's any message here, it's that I had a hell of a lot more fun without alcohol in the sun than I did with alcohol in the dark. No disrepect to my friends but I'm starting to wonder if I can afford to keep going up to Westchester every weekend.
つづく... (Click here to read more)
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