Jumping Ahead, Not Looking Back
December 31st, 2008 / No commentsSaying a big goodbye and a big hello within just one minute. Always an amazing moment for me.
UPDATE: the party was a GREAT time. I did so much dancing and laughing. Me and Mike were partners in crime, whooping it up and screaming our lungs out. Karen was letting loose, getting her dance on with all the gays. Even Jessica had fun, despite wishing she was at another party (sigh). I found myself just so happy to be around old friends and new friends and be sharing it all with Nick. He ended up staying later than me but got himself home soon enough. I got my midnight kiss with him for the 2nd year in a row so I’m very happy.
Holiday snack spread @ Greg's!
What a year 2008 has been. I’ve spent so much of it smiling. I cannot wait to jump forward now.
Watch Yourself, Gusty
December 30th, 2008 / No commentsSo we met up w/Patrick and Co. @ Urge Lounge last night around 10pm for drinks and Money Wheel! Holy shit that was such a great night out. I haven’t really gone to Money Wheel since the Randy era, maybe once with Pedro, and never with Jeff, so I was eager to go back again. None of us won any money but the drinks were cheap and good, and our drag hostess Gusty Winds was fun (altho still not as fabulous as Cashetta). She also had a little crush on Nick, kept talking to him from the stage, calling him Sweden and asking if he was uncircumsized. Whore. We stayed there for a good while and then wandered around the area looking for the next place to hang, stopped into Sin Sin really quickly (walked out), and wound up @ Detox. It was some drag queen’s birthday there so Gusty Winds stopped by and sang her “Miss Celie’s Blues” from Color Purple (I was in Heaven). By the end of the night it was just me, Nick, Patrick, and Carrie. We didn’t break up our party until nearly 4am. Nick had a ton of vodka redbulls, which made him sloppy and hyper — at one point he grabbed me and started dancing! Dancing! Nick does not dance, not ever. It was adorable. The 4 of us had a blast, it was one of the handfuls of times I’ve hung out with Carrie and Patrick w/o our common denominators (Mike & Jess) around… and I was surprised at how much we had to talk about. It was fun getting their opinion on stuff I’ve never asked them. I’ve actually known those 2 for nearly 10yrs now and only really started getting to know them over the last few. We all shared a cab uptown. I really hope we hang out and do stuff like this more often, it’s been fun hanging out with friends so much lately.
"Drink us," they said. So we did.
Today I slept in, dead to the world. Was so nice. I may or may not have trekked out to Chili’s for dinner. And if I did, I assure you it was a very healthy meal.
Last Weekend of 2008
December 30th, 2008 / 3 comments »It just occurred to me that this past weekend was the last weekend of 2008. Glad I made it a good one.
Saturday afternoon after work I wandered around Soho and NoLita, just aimless and looking for something to do. Did some window shopping and stuff but the truth is I was dying for a cocktail hour. The fact that I was desperate for a cocktail @ 3:45p should probably concern my slightly, but truth is, I just wanted to chill. I had no plans for the evening, just knew I didn’t want to head home so early the day b/c I’d only end up stir crazy by 8pm. Ended up meeting Karen for Cocomo’s @ YumYum Bangkok, which lead to more drinks @ Vlada, then Posh, where I caught glimpse of a bitter exfling who went creepy psycho on me once way backw hen (to this day still the only sex I totally regret), at which point I grabbed my shit and left promptly. Karen and I when went to Therapy where we metup with Patrick, Laura, Greg, his bf Pete, and a bunch of straight girls. Yes by 10pm I was trashed. Then Nick joined us after work and we all went to Tonic, that awful sports bar in Times Square where I did an actual shot of Baileys and nearly threw up the chicken tenders I was eating. We called it a night after that… but man, what a fun night. Very New York, in that way that it happened w/o anyone planning it.
Sunday Nick and I slept in blissful gluttons and eventually started doing housework. The apartment was so spotless last week when we had Karen over for Christmas Eve dinner that it’s inspired us (ahem, him) to be better about keeping things tidy, dishes washed, and shit put away for the New Year. We also reorganized the kitchen/dining area so it feels more open. The fridge has been way too big to fit into it’s actual space in the kitchen so for years I’ve just kept it in the dining space, but now it’s back in the kitchen. We’ll just deal with the inconvenience of it’s size. Style always wins out in the end, mmkay?
Later that night we went to grabbed a bite @ New Wave (I love the Bananas Foster Waffles), then stopped off @ Crumbs for more glutton fuel — we’ve gradually tasted every flavor of cupcake at this point and have discovered what we like and don’t care for. I’m all about the Raspberry Swirls and Nick loves the Snickers/Caramel Chew. We lugged our many cupcakes with us to the 10pm of Slumdog Millionare, which was so beautiful and moving that I still keep thinking about it. The story was very heavy and emotionally exhausting but still simple and the end was uplifting — the end credits were my favorite part. Every movie should end with a group Bollywood number. Shit, every day in real life should too.
Monday we went to see about getting a storage unit in the basement of our building. Nick had the idea of just renting one ($25 a month) to put shit we need but don’t want clogging up closets, like the air conditioners and summer clothes and the Christmas tree, etc. We started the paperwork and everything so I look forward to reorganizing a lot. I think once we do a big purge and storing away, we’ll be ready to bring in a housekeeper in to get to work on our floors & surfaces. I never thought I’d pay somebody to come in and scrub my floors but dammit, I’m just not willingt o clean them myself and so if we can find a nice little Dominican lady in the Heights who will work cheap, let me floors shine. It’s my final grand step in becoming one of those New Yorkers I hate.
Monday night we trekked down to meet a bunch of friends & folks for Money Wheel @ Urge Lounge, where I’d taken Nick after dinner on our first date last year. Everyone had fun and got drunk as hell, I recall many cocktails, and Gusty Winds our drag queen hostess was flirting all night with my boyfriend. Slut. Nick was so cute, he’d been drinking voda redbulls, which had him drunk but hyper. By the end of the night we’d made the neghborhood rounds, wandered in (and quickly out) of Sin Sin Leopard Lounge (home of some dancefloor scandal once upon a time), and closed down Dtox next door and finally cabbed home around 4am.
Tonight we hopped the bus to Chili’s in Paramus. I haven’t been there in FOREVER and damn it was just what I was in the mood for: chicken fried steak, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, and unlimited refills of mango iced tea. That grub was some sexual orgasmic sensation in my mouth, no joke. Afterwards we came back home and I made a quick trip to Target to get a few storage tubs for the basement space we’re getting. I seriously can’t wait. A new year is coming up and it’s time to clear out some room, methinks.
What a wonderful, random weekend; a great close to this year of ecnomic stress and political scares. And I got to spend it all with Nick and friends. I’ve been very very happy this year, I don’t think this happy in a long time. My heart is full.
Slumdog Drunk
December 28th, 2008 / No commentsYesterday afternoon I was done with work at like 3pm and I instantly wanted a drink. Is that insane? I felt weird about it. Happy hour doesn’t really start till 5pm but damn, I was ready to start boozing it up! I wandered around the LES for awhile and eventually made my way up to Hell’s Kitchen where I got to meet Karen for dinner @ Yum Yum Bangkok. She was cat-sitting for a friend right around the corner so it was perfect. We had a few CocoMo’s and then decided to have another round someplace else (I’m telling you, I had THE THIRST), although it took some convincing cuz Karen wasn’t in her usual Done Up Look and was scared of being seen (or be seen as Ugly) by cute boys. My solution: gay bar! So we went to happy hour @ Posh and WHOA those midouri sours were amazing. And strong. We got a little slaphappy and ended up making a video.
While we were at the bar (or sprawled out on the sofa) I looked up and spotted a certain bitter ex-hookup who I rolled around with once or thrice years ago. He had just walked in and was talking to somebody, but I don’t think he’d seen me. We’d had an ugly parting of ways when I broke it off way back when (I think my email to him actually said something like, “Never get in touch with me again”) and I could feel the chunks starting to rise in my throat, so Karen and I grabbed our coats and made a drunken run for it. More drinks were needed so we metup with Patrick and Co. at Therapy. So much fucking fun. Karen eventually left and Nick met us after he got off work. I don’t know who was calling the shots (I was sloppy and paranoid by that point, not a good combo) but we somehow ended up at some mega-sports bar in Times Sq that had a boxing ring in it. I ate greasy chicken fingers and took a shot of Bailey’s or something and it was pretty much all over from there. Nick gallantly threw me into a cab and got us home, I’m sure I laughed my head off all the ride home. I tend to get hysterically giggly when I’m drunk as hell. Nick always tries to re-enact my behavior (he says I “cackle”) but I think he’s totally exaggerating. I also blame the Midouri Sours.
So tonight we got some more Crumbs cupcakes and went to see Slumdog Millionare. Wow. Not sure what to say. Just wow.
Boy Stuff
December 27th, 2008 / No commentsWhy can’t the Young Designers Market carry more cool stuff for guys? I would drop so much cash there. Probably for the best.
Specs
December 27th, 2008 / No comments
I splurged today. Merry Christmas to me.
I’ve been wanting a pair of solid white, chunky frames but haven’t been able to find anything good. I did a google image search for “white eyeglass frames” and on the first image I discovered the Bed Head Eyewear Collection, which is EXACTLY what I wanted. Finally found a dealer who sells them and, thanks to their Live Sales Chat agent Veronica, got an amazing deal on three pairs WITH prescription and freebies tossed in. That last pair at the bottom is actually white and clear. I’m so excited!
Didn’t have much luck with the rest of my shopping endeavors. I read all these articles and blurbs that today was supposed to be some big day of monster sales and bigass discounts, especially @ Circuit City cuz they’re going bankrupt, so I ran like hell with my CC in hand only to find hardly anything marked down. LIES. Absolutely NOTHING amazing about the sales today, dammit. I was hoping to get a cheapass laptop for us to use @ work, something I could buy and then sell to the hotel. No luck. Did get mom a really cute red jacket from Pearl River, tho. Her bday is next weekish.
Not much else, it was a lowkey night afterwork. Came home, laid around, caught up on some back episodes of “The Mentalist”. Simon Baker is sexy.
Christmas Button
December 25th, 2008 / No comments
It was so nice to see Mike & Jess today, and have them all to myself to hang out with. I’m so used to sharing them with groups. The 3 of us made a bloodpact to go on diets and get fucking skinny next year, starting with first giving up soda. Meanwhile they got me a $25 giftcard to Crumbs Bakery.
I got Nick a mini 250GB external drive for his laptop and an appointment for appointment @ Devachan Departure Lounge. He’s never gotten a facial before (heh) and they do amazing work there. I tried them out recently and it was heaven, so I think he’s going to love it there. He got me Eureka: Season 1 and Casino Royale, despite his unhappiness with my crushes on Colin Ferguson and Daniel Craig. That’s real love, yo.
Stan
December 20th, 2008 / No commentsIt’s always interesting and funny to think that other people out there in the world beyond my life and my computer might make it a point to log on and actually check my blog. They email me from time to time, often leave comments on my entries that they relate to, and probably wish me well… which I believe helps me out on days when I’m down. The idea that grownass strangers I don’t know come to this page, and have maybe been coming here for years, to follow up on what’s up with me and mine… I forget about this little reality a lot, and when I’m reminded it’s always bemusing.
Stan is one of the bloggy folks who’s been checking up on (and sometimes checking in with) me for years. Actual years! I got an email from him today and instantly recognized his name in my inbox. I was happy to see he’d taken the time to shoot me a few words — then I read the first sentence and saw words I didn’t like. STROKE. Hospital. Can’t move right side of body. Worst of all: FACEBOOK blocked by the hospital network! What the hell?! The good news is that Stan’s spirits are up up up and like Britney, he’s motivated to bounce back. He’s not having this bullshit take him down, he’s going to be OK. It just makes me kinda sad thinking about anyone having to deal with this situation, much less be stuck in a hospital over the holidays.
Stan, I’m thinking about you, sir. You’re gonna push up from this situation. You’re going to have hard days too, and if you have trouble finding your joy or hope, here’s something that used to keep me motivated back when my own health situation was scaring the hell out of me. Hang in there.