This weekend was totally awesome.
I didn’t really do much, but I had tons of fun. Probably had something to do with the company I’ve been keeping.
I went over to Matt’s after school on Wednesday, and I telecommuted from his place until we went to see Rashomon that night. We got in pretty early, had some Chipotle (orgasm!) and then went to this place called The Grey Dog a few blocks from the Film Forum and had some confections and espresso. They have really good coffee, although it’s pretty expensive. Like, $13 for a salad expensive.
It was really great seeing that movie again, I hadn’t seen it since the summer. the next day, after work, we went to visit my uncle in the hospital. It was just my aunt and I, and my uncle was very agitated talking about how he was constipated. He would be awake for five minutes talking and then immediately asleep again. While before he wasn’t in much pain apparently he’s in a lot of pain now. My aunt said they gave him liquid morphine today when they visited.
He survived the death sentence by five years
and now we’re basically just waiting.
We’re trying to think about positive things (my aunt Gail called me an hour ago and was so excited talking about these cheap vacation rentals in Wildwood they found for this summer) but there’s always this layer of impending horror layered over our interactions. It’s marching inexorably closer, and even though I never was close with my uncle (his personality made that impossible for anyone), it’s going to be heartbreaking to see my grandma have to put one of her children in the grave.
I’m not even sure how I’m supposed to feel about this whole situation. I’m just dreading it. I absolutely adore my grandma and I wish I could spare her this, but it’s just going to happen. She has the peculiar ability to let other people’s problems drag her down too, and I really hope that won’t happen.
I had so much fun yesterday though, Matt and I went to see Asobi Seksu at Le Poisson Rouge, this little venue in the Village. They recorded this acoustic version of a bunch of their songs and so this tour was all acoustic at small venues. I have to say, even though that bitch is like 4 feet tall she is an amazing singer. She was in this white dress with gigantic white heels just like on the cover of the album. I was expecting a gaggle of those wapanese fags, but it was actually not a bad crowd.
She did this rendition of “Layers” that made me weak in the knees. Imagine this, but only with vocals, glockenspiel, and xylophone in a very intimate venue. Matt and I were probably three meters from her, max. They didn’t disappoint.
After that, we went to this night called Trash at the Studio at Webster Hall (yes, I know, you’re thinking Webster Hall, ultra-douchey) but this was actually really fun. They played Blur, Gossip, Yelle, Cut Copy, and a bunch of other great stuff.
Today I wasn’t really in a big hurry to get home, because I knew my mom was up in bumfuck nowhere with her boyfriend. Matt and I watched the latest Kathy Griffin DVD (She’ll Cut a Bitch) and I went home. I did some work on Josh’s website, and then went downstairs to paint for a while. I think it came out pretty good, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow. I think I need another brush just for white—no matter how much I clean the brushes I can never get all of the old paint out. I guess it never occurred to me to Google that, I just got one of my most saturated brushes clean as a whistle, so tomorrow I’ll be attacking my new masterpiece with more paint.
Did I mention that I also scored Jorge Luis Borges’ Collected Works at the Union Sq Barnes and Noble? I have to say, Strand is great and all, but I never find anything there. I’ve read a lot of the ones that were published in Labyrinths, but since I lost that on the plane back from Oklahoma, I thought it would be wonderful to read every single story he ever wrote.
I’ve been in front of my computer for the past few hours but I have no idea what I’m doing. Well, for most of that time I was really painting and just using my computer as a jukebox, but I feel like reading Gizmodo just makes me want a Nexus One that I don’t really need (and would frustrate me with the lack of a good keyboard).
Sometimes I’m not sure what I’m doing. I’m feeling really apathetic about the school year. I suppose it’s because I’m probably going to have to delay graduate school for another year because of the smattering of classes that didn’t transfer. I’m going to apply anyway, and if I don’t get into any good programs then so be it.
In a lot of my classes my professors talk about finding our unique voice. I guess it’s impossible to step outside one’s writing and read it critically, but I feel like I’ve already found my voice.
I suppose I always considered school as just a formality. I’ve read more than they will ever make me read in college, I’ve written more than would ever be required (of course, not formal writing, but still).
I’m going over the guide for my major and getting quite confused. There’s this whole section for English electives, yet the online system has a bunch of things in that category and they aren’t counted towards my degree. Maybe everything your major has to be taken at the college that you matriculate from? I need to schedule a meeting with the English department chair.
I was feeling really apathetic tonight and I was looking at apartments in Queens and Washington Heights and Brooklyn—anywhere I could possibly afford. it’s really strange, the rents aren’t that much higher than Sacramento at all. I don’t understand why everybody doesn’t just move to New York. Usually when I’m looking for apartments I’m in my “sick of being so stressed out” mode and wanting to just go into a fugue state. I think it’s this whole concept of my life being in two places that’s got me feeling a bit discombobulated.
I did hang up my cloud painting over my workstation, and it looks very good. I had all these ideas of what I was going to paint over the clouds, but I actually kind of like the clouds by themselves. I think it’s the most upbeat thing I have painted in a long time.
I’ve been listening to the Smiths all night, mostly because it’s Matt’s favorite band and all. I always had a smattering of the singles, but never downloaded the entire albums before. I got them in Apple Lossless. I always loved Bigmouth Strikes Again, This Charming Man, and Pretty Girls Make Graves, but There is a Light That Never Goes Out is creeping up on my list.
It’s 1:00 and I’ve squandered my reading time. But I did hash out a bunch of stuff about my courses.
It’s 2:00 and I’ve squandered my reading time talking to someone that lives in the same building as me…but I did get a hilarious story out of it. I need to fictionalize it. ASAP.
2:30 and I found another cute Washed Out fan vid:
Categories: Ennui