What About Your Friends

A lot has happened to me this past week in regards to the development of my increasingly decisive plan for the future. It feels really good to know what I want finally and stop lying to myself for whatever ridiculous reasons. I'm still really content (happy?), which is something I'm making note of, because one, I don't think I've ever felt like this for an extended period of time, and two I don't want anyone thinking I'm depressed or anything and that's the reason I'm moving haha. That's silly. Okay, maybe not that silly. Anywho, my decision has been made and I'm making moves to be in the NYC vicinity by the end of November/ beginning of December. Woohoo!

Until I leave though there are many things I must do! I still haven't been to a lot of places of note and of course I must meet more people! People are fun. Well, some people.

I wanted this update to be epic considering I haven't written in a few days and I probably won't be writing while on my fantastical, splendiferous trip to NY, but now I can't think of anything insanely interesting to write about... boooooooo

Oh! There is something I did want to talk about! Friends.

Yes, friends. Wonderful beautiful surprising friends.
I can't get over what luck I've had these past few months meeting the people I have and really digging who they are and what they're about. Everyone I've met has been extremely generous and helpful, just plain fantastic. I never expected so many fortuitous happenings in so little time. So thank you friends =) There are a lot of crazies out there and for some reason I was able to avoid them... on the most part.

And to my friends for years I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support and your kindness. Ugh, this is getting too mushy for me. Time to end it. haha

I love you guys =/
you rock.

I can't freakin wait to leave tomorrow!!! AHHHHH!!! I'm like so excited. Okay.




I'm out.

It's up to you New York, NY

Alright. I've been bumbling around this city for a few months now and I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed what DC has to offer, but more and more I am wondering if spending a year here is what I really want.

I have met a ton of really awesome people. People with good hearts and great minds that have shared their lives with me =) It's good to know I have friends here!

However, there is this itching I can't ignore. This feeling buried beneath my happiness. A discomfort. An uneasiness. A question. What can DC offer me? As a "writer," whatever that means, NY just seems like the best place for me. Politics is what runs the district, hands down, and for a while I was trying to find a niche for myself amidst health care reform and various other significant political battles, but have been unsuccessful. I like politics, but having a career in the field does not stir up any awe-inspiring feelings. I'm a wayward soul haha I'm just restless here. I need my city. I miss my city.



So I'm going back.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen I am returning to the NYC after months of serious deliberation and an accumulation of amazing experiences. I have a plan. All I have to do is execute it! I even have a deadline! I'm so ready.

I'm not sure how everything just clicked, but it did. NY.



I love you.


I'm out.

Home is where the heart is....

Looking for an apartment aka my sanity has been slow going on account of my unbelievably hectic schedule. This whole 24 hours in a day thing is becoming a major problem.
More and more I am realizing I need my own space. There's this ceaseless, burning desire to have a place to call "my home," devoid of nagging, judgmental family members or arbitrary (antedeluvian) rules
-More on this later...
Because there are not enough hours in the day, I have to sleep now or I won't get any sleep at all.


I'm (passing) out.

shaken not stirred, please.

The G????N. (The Gibson. AKA Obnoxiously Elusive/Exclusive hang out)

Pea coat-J Crew cardigan-Diesel jeans-Calvin Klein tie-Michael Kors pumps. That ladies and gentlemen is the attire of the G????N, a tiny yet (almost peevishly) swanky hole-in-the-wall bar off of U street behind an unmarked door. For some odd reason they let us vagabonds in, of course, not before feverishly checking this "list" haplessly hanging from a clip board and going inside to make sure there was "enough room" for us. So, we go in and there's hardly anyone there...hm (awkward silence). We sit at the bar where there is a vast array of alcohol lining the walls. The bar tender gives us a rundown on the unique drink choices and tells us the drinks are ""hand made" -duhhhh- and that they have their own brands of alcohol. This place is known for its cocktails and as I looked at the drink menu I quickly decided I had no idea what I wanted. I know nothing about cocktails or martinis or anything of that nature haha so the menu could've been in Mandarin and would've been just as helpful. The bar tender asked my friend and I what we like and we told him, I like sour drinks that aren't too sweet, and my friend wanted something with pineapple. Within ten minutes he whipped up the best drinks for the both of us, unique to our different tastes. He had magic hands. The drinks were crazy delicious. It's a pricey place, but after having a cocktail there I understand why.

Wonderland.

What an awesome name. And what a good time. The place is cool. Bar downstairs, bar upstairs plus an awesome space to dance. Though I must admit the crowd was a little weird that night (I was accosted by a Russian man who went on a tirade about what I was wearing, telling me I was "hiding" behind my glasses and my beanie, then proceeded to compliment me numerous times- which I did NOT mind because I'm conceited haha- and then tell me about a Jamaican poet he was really into- I also think he was there with his wife and they were swingers). I had so much fun though, dancing wildly on the stage and downing yummy drinks.

I went some other places this weekend, but I can't remember the names of any of them! So, I'll hold off on writing about them.

Time crunch again. I gotta go to work. Uggghhhhhh

I'm out.

Linklater's My Homeboy

I recently saw Slacker thanks to the beautiful invention of netflix. I freaking love netflix. What a genius idea.
Anywho, I'm beginning to discover a trend in my (elitist) movie tastes. I am a polysyllabic word enthusiasts to the point of severe, possibly unbearable pomposity. I am an exuberant believer in substance, none of this inconsequential happy ending nonsense. So movies devoid of even the slightest bit of any intellectual thought, I hate. Yes. Hate. Okay, that's a strong emotion- dislike... ardently dislike. My movie tastes have evolved from Disney delusions to Linklater lunacy. Somewhere in the evolution something seemed to be lost. Innocence maybe? A sense of wonder and unimaginable possibility? Replaced by sweet sweet pessimism.

Pessimism is Richard (Pessimistic) Linklater's middle name. He thrives off of the idea of "hopeless humanity" and illustrates his disgust with society through these characters with huge vocabularies (which I am immensely jealous of) and anarchist and atheist ideals, completely anti-establishment. His movies are like stream of consciousness writing. He's like the James Joyce of film, shifting and shaping ideas with a chaotic complexity that arouses your senses and encourages thoughts of your own. However, in Slacker he does not delve into the privilege his characters embody while they curse the deterioration of society. I'm just saying education=privilege. He does get into though in Waking Life- quite possibly my favorite movie... okay, one of my favorite movies. So, I can't fault him for not putting that reality in Slackers.

Anyway, my point in this post was I need to stop being so snobbish when it comes to movies. Hey, maybe I should give that romantic comedy a try. Maybe rent a mindless feel good movie. Curl up and watch every Tyler Perry movie EVER. Nah, just kidding, ugh especially about Tyler Perry-- do not get me started about that hot mess.

I should stop being so mean, though. It's not like I don't have my guilty pleasures.
Yup, I'm about to incriminate myself. It's okay, I don't mind... I kinda deserve it.

My Best Friend's Girl
All the Scream movies
Loser
She's All That
National Treasurer Movies (yes both of them)
Never Been Kissed
The Glass House
Must Love Dogs (I have a thing for the Cusack)

Okay that's enough. I'm severely embarrassed.

Zombieland


I saw it the other night! I almost forgot to mention it! I really liked it and know it will be an instant cult classic. It hasn't even been out in theaters that long haha, but I am most certainly calling it now! The cast was great and of course the cameo was fantastic. Woody Harrelson was just so lovable and that adorably gangly Jesse Eisenberg, so cute. I hope we see more of him in the future. Oh yeah and the girls were awesome too, not annoying or whiny. That's been so overdone, so it was nice that they were bad ass.

I'm out.

Oh wait one more of my guilty pleasures...


JUST KIDDING!!! Never saw it. Never will.

All Work and No Play- NO WAY...well maybe

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what profession I want to pursue that's not going to ultimately ONE- turn me into an impenitent, soulless bastard, TWO, drain me of my fervor for life, or THREE bore me out of my mind. Those are my guidelines. I was thinking working for a nonprofit organization would be my best bet. Being at the gift shop has really made me realize that I am unfulfilled- excuse me- dramatically, cripplingly unfulfilled. I feel like I'm wasting away there, I could be seriously helping people, not telling them where they can get a "yummy" brunch in the area. Every hour I spend there I feel my brain cells disintegrating at a steady, rapid pace. So in order for me to spare myself impending ineptitude, I HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER JOB!!
I've been doing some research and there are quite a few organizations I would love to work for including, grassroots campaigns , fund for the public interest, or even environment america. Sigh. Yes. However, I know I cannot complain what with the seemingly doomed job market and the increasing rate of job loss, which is just devastating, but this is a step in the right direction... right? Maybe. I'm not sure if it will work either, and the fact that Eric (A-hole) Cantor was quoted in the article is exceedingly irritating. I'm not sure when I began actively disliking him, I just know I've never stopped since.

In other news, I am extremely happy that people are actually reading my blog! Thanks guys, it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside =)

I have finally finished reading this book:

I have been literally reading it for MONTHS now and it feels like an anchor, no FIVE anchors have been lifted. I was getting really pissed with the subtle messages of female subservience and necessary patriarchy- chauvinistic much? And thought I wasn't going to be able to make it through. I'm glad I did though, because it gave me fuel to unabashedly denounce the very existence of the author. No, I'm kidding, but he obviously had some issssues with women.
There were just so many different ideologies, sociological and philosophical inferences/suggestions in the book at some points it was a little dense. I found his theories on humor, religion and especially sex extremely fascinating, but there was always lurking behind his apparent genius, that little setback- HE WAS SEXIST. It's a shame because he had some really cool ideas, but I just can't get over some things he said, namely in one part of the book a woman is speaking and she says it's partly a woman's fault if she gets raped. YUP. HE SAID THAT. So, yeah. You understand my ambivalence. Ugh. I wish I could write more about it, but I have to get ready for worrrrkkkk. What else is new?

Hi, my name is Chris and I'm a workaholic.

ONE MORE THING

I'm OBSESSED with this song.

I'm out.

Town and Such

TOWN.
I wanted to dance, and boy did I cut a rug when I went there. It was so much fun!

It was late and I was in bed when I got that tempting phone call, "I'm going to Town tonight, just wanted to know if you wanna come?" My immediate reaction was to toss the covers back over my head and pass out until morning, but there was something telling me not to let this potentially awesome outing slip through my fingertips. So I went. Walking there in a dreamy haze, I began to question my sanity. After all, I had work at 8:30 am the next day. Whatevs. It was worth it. I danced like my life depended on it, like if my feet stopped moving so would my heart. Yeah, pretty intense. The drinks though were RIDICULOUSLY expensive annnd the bar tender totally liked my guy friend more than me and made him stronger drinks- ass. My wallet was not happy that night, but I most certainly got happy haha. The music was really fun and loud, I also really liked the smoking area outside. There were lots of interesting people out there just yapping away to anyone who would listen. Awesome. I also did not escape the conversation that usually emerges when people are drunk- race. Shit, I dread it. It's something I always expect to come up, though, for one reason or another. My friend was telling me I wasn't "ghetto." No, I didn't roll my eyes at his assertion, nor did I get upset at the obviously prejudice overtone, but I did listen. I listened to what he had to say and I responded accordingly, "I'm me." I've battled with what that meant for a long time, and at this point in my life I'm pretty happy with who I am. So, comments like that usually don't affect me, and by no means do I judge the people who make them. I've taken enough race courses, not to mention have numerous experiences of my own, that have allowed me to be objective and understanding towards other people's perceptions of race, because that's all race is- perception, at least I think so. However, don't get me wrong, sometimes it gets tiring hearing how "white" I am haha.
whew, anyway, did I mention, I was sooooo stoked to finally go dancing! FINALLY haha, Recap: I met some really fun people, had the inevitable (drunk) talk about race, and got groped by a stranger, all in all it was a fantastic night.

In other news...

Work still blows. I am looking for apartments, which is proving to be a lot easier than I anticipated. I'm going to see two today. SAWEEET! Plus, I'm still looking for a big people job. C'mon, college degree, don't fail me now.

I have been avidly reading other people's blogs lately and there's one blog I find absolutely hilarious called Dating is My Hobby, where this girl chronicles her dating (mis)adventures. I, for one, think dating is weird and scary and hearing about the awkward, downright uncomfortable situations she deals with cements my apprehension towards the strange process, but I also feel like it's kind of inevitable...?
I shudder at the thought of that date I went on a few months ago. I didn't even know it was a date until it was too late haha. Gah, I hope I'm not the only person bewildered by the subject. Someone out there shares my perplexity, I know it!

I have an annoyingly busy schedule next week, but I will not let work consume me!
I'm ferociously hungry right now, it's pretty out of control. My stomach is totally eating itself...ewwww.

Adams Morgan Day today, I'm going to try to go exploring and see what all the hoopla's about. Hopefully I'll make it out there at a reasonable time. Plus, it's beautiful out today! I LOVE FALL.





I'm out.

DC9/The Antlers.

DC9

Walking into DC9 you would never suspect that at the back of the bar lurking behind a fairly hidden door are stairs leading up to a modest, yet amazing performance space. I for one really like it because it's so intimate. The stage is barely raised so you feel like you're on the same plane as the musicians, the musical experience is more collective, universal, not solitary and cold. Big venues tend to drain the emotion from music. Maybe it's the endless echoing from one side of a huge stadium to another that the soul of the music gets lost in translation. I remember going to a Kings of Leon show at MSG and though I love the band and know their lyrics are more like rustic poetry and unrefined sonnets all of their passion behind the songs that inspired me was swallowed by the massive crowd and callous concrete. Venues like DC9, though give me hope that music will not turn into sounds, devoid of energy, intention, or zeal. A venue like this really makes you feel at home with music, meshing your reality with the musicians', becoming an active participant in the melody. The band I went to see last night embodied one of the many kind of experiences I love having at a show and only certain venues can provide that experience: Overwhelming feeling.

THE ANTLERS.


OMG. I mean, they were so mind-blowing. I went, first being warned by a few people that I would have an emotional break down a good fifty times before their set ended, which terrified and excited me. I had to see this band. Someone played before them, but as usual I had no idea who they were and wasn't in the mood to find out. The Antlers got on stage and I smiled to myself, these guys can't possibly cause any emotional dishevel... wrong. The album they performed, Hospice, is a heart wrenching album full of life, pain, relationships, love, and loss all based around one concept- a girl dying of cancer. It's a beautiful, persistent sadness in their songs that makes them so alluring. How could someone enjoy music so depressing? When it's done well. There are only three of them, Peter Silberman- dreamy vocals, Michael Lerner- comforting percussion, and Darby Cicci- mystical keyboards. They were a trio of delightful disillusionment. A threesome of cheery discombobulation. Triplets of hopeful consumption. It was a strange sensation listening to them, I almost felt guilty I was enjoying this painful music. I was so entranced I forgot where I was a few times. It was astounding. I would definitely go see them again.

Man, I love shows.


The Antlers @ the Black Cat.