Just had a cup of this sleepytime tea. I think I could go to sleep now, but I want to be completely sure so I don’t keep waking Jennie up. The packaging for the tea has a bear holding a cat which I find completely absurd. The bear would definitely eat that cat. This week was especially blurry due to insomnia. After writing my last entry I didn’t fall asleep until around noon. Went to an art opening for Jennie’s boss that evening when I woke up and was supposed to go out with the team but was too exhausted. Friday went to some galleries in Chelsea with Kelly and Kristen to see some art. The best was this box with some videos in it. Saw a lot of work that I am sure I could create which gave me confidence. However I don’t want be people to be as bored as I was looking at that work (mostly lines and pattern paintings). We got a slice of cake at Billy’s Bakery, then headed to the Lower East Side to drink at Odessa where we were over-charged. Then on to Scenic to meet Bob, Liz, Peter B., and Frannie. Got some free drinks there and went across the street to another bar for one beer. We all split up and I met Jennie at Lit, when I had rather have gone home. She felt the same, so we had one beer and left. Saturday I went to PS1 with Mike and his brother. A good installation there with lots of tv monitors. I want an flat-panel tv really bad, but I can’t convice myself it is worth spending $900 when we don’t even have cable. That night met up with Kelly again to have dinner with some other graphic designers. It was an adultish meal. We all went out for drinks. Me and Kelly went to this party in Park Slope where most of the people there were in the literary world somehow. Lots of glasses and blazers and such. I made a goal of drinking every last beer in their fridge and did pretty well. I was very drunk and talked to most everyone there. I really enjoy parties where I don’t know anyone. Shared a cab home with some girls at 4am and it was snowing like crazy. I woke up Jennie when I thought I was being super quiet slipping into bed with some pretty intense hiccups. She suggested I sleep on the couch, which I agreed to only under the stipulation that she say goodnight to the blanket. Today I was completelly worthless.

Not as much response from the zine as I had hoped. I really liked it, but after I don’t get a flood of reactions I begin to think maybe it sucked. Been talking quite a bit about me and Sam’s book project and people seem to be excited. So I need to focus on that this week.

Tuesday night me and Jennie went to see Spamalot, The Monty Python Musical. It was my first Broadway play. It was funny. Basically an adaptation of The Holy Grail with some contemporary jokes in it. I got the tickets as an xmas gift for Jennie. She was happy. I can’t sleep again. Wednesday I didn’t get out of bed until 2pm. I was disappointed. I have a lot of plans and ideas, but I don’t get around to a lot of it. I lay in bed and think of what I should get done the next day, then I think that I should train my mind to stop thinking about the next day and think about going to sleep. The bed is for sleeping, not for thinking. The last 5 or 6 days I have been taking Tylenol PM so I can sleep, I finally looked at the bottle and it said do not take for more than 4 days. So now I am at my desk, thinking. It’s 4:30 am.

As soon as I start feeling a little less stuffy and healthier, I go out all night and ruin it all. Friday met up with Mike, Brooke, and Jeff at Mugs for some beers and burgers. Then to an art opening (which means drinking beer in a gallery rather than in a bar). Then to a couple bars. Saturday felt like shit, stayed in. Sunday, felt great, go figure. That night, go out til 3:30. Here I am again, totally stuffed up and unmotivated. I guess I put off some shit til tommorrow.

This is where the magic happens. It’s warming up, I am hacking up some pretty thick spit out of my lungs, I got some shit off in the mail today. I think maybe I am experiencing a new surge in productivity. I hope so anyhow. I was at the post office today which is always a diasaster. There is a TV mounted on the wall that was mostly transmitting static and breif bits of who wants to be a millionaire. After 10 minutes I reached up and turned it off and the place was much more peaceful. I expected the whole place to erupt in applause, but no-one even looked at me. Then I got home and showed my roommate the stamps I just purchased. She said this in response: “Ooh, those are nice, where’d you get those.” then, “How much did they cost?” I had to restrain myself.

Rented a car last Friday and went out to Ikea to get some stuff for the house, the main item being a new bed. After putting all that stuff together with tiny wrenches supplied in the boxes, we went out with some of Jennie’s crew. First to a bar, then to a party. It was in this loft and it was all decorated like a bad version of the Real World. It was lived in by some young corparte types, we spent most of the night making fun of their decorating choices, which probably made us more gay than them. We got up earlier than we usually would on Saturday and got all ready to go up to Palenville for NYE. A bunch of my people booked some rooms in this crazy “lodge” which was really a place that some Romanian family owns as a getaway for their friends and family. We figured that the paint had barely dried in the rooms we were staying in. I wish I could describe it better, but there was just too much happening and right now it seems undescribable. Now I am back home and of course I am sick.

I am not sure what the deal is but it seems that off and on throughout my life I have had trouble sleeping. Last night I was up til 5am. It is not uncommon for this to happen maybe 3 times a week. If it happens once and a while I don’t mind, but after a couple nights it kind of throws me into a shitty cycle of zombism. Anyhow, I got up today and was determined to finish this zine I’m working on and I go down to the local net cafe and try and print out my shit, the place is run by this carribean dude who always says shit like “my friend…” and goes on about being a musician or why American women don’t smile or some shit like that. Usually it is cool cause I just go and get my shit done and get out. Today his shitty printers wouldn’t spit out my handiwork. Everytime I was about to give up and leave, he’s all “my friend, it will work…” so I’d stick around. Anyhow I wasted 2 hours. Then near the time I was about to leave, this guy, who was wearing nylon jogging pants bends over and there was his thong hanging out. I was in shock. Why is this man wearing a thong? At what point in his encounters does he think that a thong is going to enhance his life? I am really confused.

Then at the pizza place there was this lady with her 2 kids and a baby. She was really mean to the kids smacking them in the face and being all “do you want some fucking pizza or not.” She scared me and the pizza guy. I was thinking, lady your kids are going to hit you back someday.

A short battle ensued, and Christmas won again after the 2005th year. After a week or two of holiday parties where most of the conversation revolved around the other holiday parties you have or have to attend, I flew home to KS. Scott picked me up and we stopped in Lawrence for some pizza and then home to meet Lorenzo the Italian. That night my mom invited my friends over to eat chili and cinnamon rolls. Friday night me and my brother took the Italian and a German kid to see Walk the Line. I asked them what they thought, and the German said “it was not the best movie.” I said, “you’re welcome.” Little shits. Christmas Eve I wrapped my presents and we had dinner and opened the presents. I got some dvds and household needs. On the 25th Scott and Lorenzo headed off to the airport and me, mom, and Paul the German went out to grandma’s. We ate, did the gift exchange thing. I got some hankerchiefs and a pocket knife. That night we gathered at Jakes for beer drinking. Everyone planned ahead for No Sunday Beer Sales and there were 5 or 6 cases of beer for 8 people. I made an effort to drink all those beers but gave up when I was alone at 2am reading a book. Went to the Cooker, then Sam picked me up and we went to Lawrence and went to Free State on the way to KC. That night we ate dinner at Matt Blume’s and went out on the town. Jumping from closing bar to closing bar. I think we ate a bunch of tamales at 3am. Tuesday I felt dried up and shitty. Sam took me to the airport, and I upgraded my seat to first class and got my ass back to Brooklyn.

Also I read A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, as recommended by Oprah last September. I’ve noticed a lot of middle aged moms reading this. It is about this dude going through rehab and it is really fucked up.

Well the stupid lousy subway went on strike this morning. At first I was a little bit excited. But after I realized I’d left my laptop at the office yesterday I got annoyed. So, I put on 4 layers and hopped on my bike for a little 4.5 mile ride in 30 degree weather. It wasn’t that bad though. I think maybe I might get some health insurance and try it more often. The next big annoyance will be trying to get to the airport on Thursday morning now that traffic is shittier than ever and cabs are in high demand.

Finally, someone took a picture of the sticker I made.

I’ve just logged on to delete the submit comment code from my site. I get about 10 e-mails every day asking me to approve comments for card games or some shit. It makes more sense because I don’t want your input anyhow! In other news: Nothing is new. Living with Jennie is good. At present I am pretty annoyed with our roommate, also named Jen. She has invited her boyfriend of less than one month to practically live in our apt. He is a nice enough guy, but there’s got to be some boundaries here. Dr. Phil has at least taught us that. Here is a list of things I have done that were on my computer’s calendar:

Arcade Fire concert
Darren visits
Sam visits
Sufjan Stevens concert
Weekend upstate
Gino got married
Halloween
Fancy dinner with Kelly
Thanksgiving
There’s been some other things I am sure.
I get a haircut this afternoon.

Brad came to visit for one night the other weekend. We saw a pretty kick ass band, Satanicide. Then we went out and got drunk. He left the next day, it was quick.

Went to a wedding in St. Joe Missouri this weekend. Arrived Friday night, went to the rehearsal, then dinner at Carlos O’Kelly’s (Mexican or Irish?), Josh refused to wear the sombrero. Then out to some shady bars. Josh and Anne got married by Anne’s priest brother Vince. Then Vince was the wedding singer! Amazing. The first jam was I’m a Believer by the Monkees (originally written by Neil Diamond). The band was actually pretty good and people danced. We swiped a keg and hosted the after party in my room. We were so loud, I can’t believe we didn’t get called on by the front desk. The next morning the housekeeper knocked on the door in the morning and said “oh Jesus.” Everyone got together for lunch at a joint across the parkiing lot called “Bandanas” I had a sandwich named the “Wet Bandana.” Then to Matt Blume’s, he just got cable and a dog. One night we met Tom and Stef out for a drink at the Cigar Box, classy place. I had Oklahoma Joes for lunch the next two days for lunch. A total of 3 bbq lunches in 3 days.

In other news: I am moving in with Jennie soon. I got some business cards in honor of the event. Mike is moving into my old tree fort. There was a snake in our apartment, but if slithered out and the neighbor caught it. I’ve listened to Sufjan Steven’s, Illinois 20 times. My mom has a foreign exchange student living in our house.

I really enjoy instant message chatting on the computer. This is what it is like:

matt: you can really tell it is friday here
sam: phoning it in?
matt: lots of chatter
sam: grab ass?
matt: i outta box your ears!
sam: i’m gonna go for a bike ride
sam: l8r