Since my last post I have grown another beard, and:

Sept 25 wkend
There was a bluegrass festival at work. One or two bluegrass bands is enough. 10 is too many. It’s bluegrass. I get it.

Oct 1
Left the cabin and moved into a regular apt. It’s old and kinda junky and in the worst nabe of NA. But it’s cheap.

Oct 15 wkend
Kyle and Julianna got married near Gowanus.

Esha had a birthday party at the Manhattan Inn.

Saw ‘Living as Form’ in the LES.

Halloween weekend
Went to an unlimited bar, 20$ at the door warehouse party in Williamsburg. Drank more than 20$ worth of alcohol. Bad hangover. I wore a hat from the dollar store. Esha was Black Swan. There were a lot of Black Swans and Steve Jobs.

Nov 10–18
Went to Chicago. Stayed with Beth and Sam. They bought a real house and they fixed it up in pretty quick order. Sam and I had tacos and talked about our careers. I walked Total a lot. Saw Adele play a rock show. Dave and Abby showed up and there was a nice little party. Beth still feels I should be clean-shaven with a tidy haircut, and was a good sport about watching us get drunk.

Then I went to KC. Matt Blume picked me up. We had a few hours of catching up. He was doing some leaf raking that day and Charles was helping him out. Mostly by identifying the various rakes (daddy’s rake, my rake). Matt was generous with his delicious homebrews and we all stepped in the dog’s shit.

Ted got married that evening. Catholic wedding. Real fun reception at Boulevard. Good beer of course and the band was fun. We all danced and went out to some bars afterward.

Went to Wamego for a few days.

Thanksgiving Weekend
Esha cooked a real nice turkey and we ate it at her sister’s with her family and a few friends. There was too many things of food.

Went to an early evening party at Nick and Jaime’s. Hung out with some people at some bars.

Dec 10 Weekend
Esha came up. The water in North Adams was off for a day and I am pretty sure we’re all [modern society] going to be fucked when something catastrophic finally comes around. Saw some boring dance thing at work, crashed a dinner at Maureen & Tim’s.

Holiday Party Weekend
Friday I met the gang at Diner for a couple beers and some soup. Went to a friend of Esha’s party. The crowd was kind of fashion / goth. They had lots of food and booze and candles.

Saturday was the famous cookie party. As always, many incredible little bites via Jenny and Dan. Later that evening Esha and I went to Bay Ridge for “reindeer games” at Christina’s. I sucked at these games but excelled at eating a lot.

Sunday we saw “The Skin I Live In.” Pretty good movie.

I started re-watching all five seasons of The Wire.

Christmas
Molly and David hosted a fantastic tamale party on xmas eve. More friends in town than usual. More little kids and kids to be than ever before. I drank too much, then went to Del Posto to drink more while Gino worked.

On xmas day Esha made a nice big dinner for her family, Gino and myself. Lamb, and curry.

New Year’s weekend
Back down to NYC. Friday night was a party in Jackson Heights for Esha’s Uncle “Mama.” Saturday night was NYE with a dinner at Laura’s (oysters, shrimp, hummus, black eyed peas, beets, salad, pork shoulder, green bean casserole, beer, wine, whisky) followed by a real swell party at Jenn’s with great decor by Sandman. Sunday night I had dinner with Gino, Helen, Mike, and Esha at Diner. Really gluttonous and enjoyable.