well, I've really dropped the ball on keeping up with these postings, but I better try to catch up, because it's just gonna get harder and harder the further behind I get. I need to devote more time to this too, because it doesn't really work to rush it... but I'll work on that.

well I left of with wednesday intentions to scan the graphpaper sketchbook and I did that____ the image to the right is from that, although I haven't gotten as far as cleaning them up and putting them on the main site yet. when I do, I'll probably link to them from the "ramblings" page and maybe the "books" page, we'll see. the graph paper sketchbook is still in progress, there being quite a few blank pages left, maybe I'll start using it again. I've kinda gotten away from it.

we all got together for aliza's birthday at 'the other room' wednesday night. aliza called about a quarter to seven to say she was running a little late but was almost ready to leave. michelle came over to my place just before seven and we walked from here to the bar, and were the first to arrive. we grabbed a good spot and michelle headed to the bar to grab the first round. had a great time hanging out with aliza's friends, some of whom I barely knew, but all of whom I like and got to know better. drank and drank and drank and drank more. didn't count and don't remember details, but I know I had fun. walked michelle back to her car at some point and she dropped me back at the bar because I was still ready for more. I don't know what time that was and I don't know when I got home. I remember at the very end standing at the bar with daniel and jeff and looking for an opportunity to bail___ which I apparently found, but I'm not sure what it was... but I managed to make it home, one stumbling step at a time.

at 7:45am the phone was ringing and I couldn't remember who or where I was. my voice didn't work well when I tried to say, "hello?" but michelle understood what I meant and told me she was outside. it all suddenly came back to me that I was supposed to take her to the airport... I hadn't kept that in mind when I'd passed out. I got up, found some mysteriously damp clothes wadded up on the bathroom floor and an unexplainable sticky spot next to the toilet. puzzled by that, I pulled on some pants and grabbed a t-shirt, which I was pulling over my head as I walked outside.

michelle was much more together than I was and I began reconsidering (too late, clearly) my decision to return to the bar the night before. on the plus side, returning to the bar allowed me to give aliza her birthday book that night and she'd been very appreciative. michelle still had the cds which had been handed around, but went home with her because aliza's purse was too small. I'll admit, I was not yet hungover (i.e. still drunk) and probably not in great shape to drive, but it was the next morning and no matter what time it was that I'd gotten home, I definitely hadn't had a drink in at least six hours, so maybe I was sorta ok... nevertheless, after dropping michelle and reentering morning traffic, I couldn't wait to get home and had to really concentrate.

I made it back, but the car stalled when I put it in reverse to park and then wouldn't start back up___ I guess michelle's been having some starter trouble lately, that I didn't know about. I was able to push it into the spot__ small car and I had the incline in my favor, and get inside successfully. I called michelle and left a message about the car and then tried to get some work done. aliza called around 10:15 or so and said she'd gone to work, but felt horrible, like maybe she was getting a cold, not just hung over. I didn't feel like I was getting a cold, but I felt horrible just the same. she being a trooper, and not having many alternatives not only stuck out the day at work, but came home, popped a dayquil and went out to a photo auction she'd been invited to. I didn't hear from her 'til the next morning, although I did call and leave a message to ask how she was feeling.

I couldn't accomplish anything, went back to bed, tried to read, ended up bringing the computer into the bedroom and listening to an audiobook and laying with my eyes closed__ couldn't sleep and didn't really want to. felt like shit, but really didn't mind too much, but it was a rough day. by five, I was feeling a little better, went to the coffeeshop, found tim, hung out with him, 'til six, came home. ally called and said she wasn't up for an illustrator lesson, but did I want to walk to the video store with her? so I did and she rented pirates of the carribean and invited me back to her place to watch it. it was a nice evening.

as I mentioned, aliza called the next morning and was definitely sick with a cold, but had woken up too late to call in a sub, so was on her way to work. I got up and headed off to the laundromat, I'd rechecked michelle's car later in the day on thursday and it had started (reluctantly, but it had started) so I wanted to take advantage of it and use it to haul dirty clothes... much easier than multiple trips balancing duffle bags on handlebars. bought some pirate costume stuff at the 99cents store for ally's and my halloween costumes__ more on that later.

got home from doing laundry and found two messages from aliza. she'd left school early having found a sub and was home sick. I brought her soup, beet salad and a movie. aliza had borrowed three movies from cameron, but what she really wanted to watch was "kicking and screaming" which was by noah baumbach, who is the same guy that had done "the whale and the squid" which we saw last weekend. so we called the videostore and I rode over to pick it up, but they gave me a different movie with the same title (will ferrel and soccer somethin' or other) anyway, I had to ride back and get the one we wanted and they only had it on vhs, which once I'd gotten back to aliza's, wouldn't work because of tracking issues. we ended up watching one of cameron's movies, called "igby goes down" which was really good.

I came home pretty early and I think I just ate, read and went to sleep.

was laying in bed wondering whether I should get up or go back to sleep (7:30-8:00?) when aliza called, talked a bit, didn't make plans. she called again later and then later, we weren't really getting further than maybe she'd feel like going out for breakfast eventually. at last though she called to tell me she'd gotten "kicking and screaming" to work and to come over right away because the previews were on and she was afraid to pause it for fear it wouldn't work again. I hurried over and got there just as it was starting. it was good___ sort of east coast gen X coming of age/post college apathetic/angst thing, with well written dialogue, that made me wish my friends and I were that quick and sharp in conversation.

after that, we went to lilley's for lunch with a glass of wine, it was very nice. we walked back to aliza's. I rode up to rite-aid to get her some nyquil and then I went home. ran into ally on the way, but she had a birthday party to go to, so no illustrator lesson today, maybe tomorrow, although I don't know what's up with joe and aliza sunday___ seems likely it wont happen, if for no other reason than we've seen each other pretty non-stop the past few days___ which I enjoy of course, but that's another matter.

I ate a bit and started to watch a movie. aliza called and we ended up surfing internet porn while talking on the phone. michelle called while we were doing that and so, when I got off the phone with aliza I called michelle. she's in omaha, staying at her brother's place which it turns out is just 8 blocks away from where gerri and I used to live__ weird.

finished watching the movie__ called "walking on water", about an israeli assassin who develops a sense of compassion; I enjoyed it. and now I've finally got around to catching up on this. I'm sure I've left a lot out, but I've done alright. no word from susan on hopi... I've got to change the litterbox.