Tonight also marks the unofficial end to arguably the best weekend that I've had in years. Lonely nights, long work days, boredom, exhaustion and general apathy have plagued my weekends for the better part of three years now as I've tried to forget the two before that. This weekend was different. I went into it all with plans for Thursday and Friday: I'd go out and have fun both nights, but on account of music work. Thursday I had a Paraphasia show in NE Minneapolis, and returned to Northeast the next night for a few reasons; to check out a band we'll be playing with later this month, as well as checking out the venue and hang flyers as we'll be playing there in late June.During the week, however, I got two invitations for Saturday night gatherings. The first was the birthday party out in the sticks for an old work friend that I hadn't seen in several years. While she didn't really expect me to accept her invitation, I figured I'd surprise her and make an appearance. We then proceeded to have a blast. As they moved the get-together to another bar up the road, I excused myself to attend a second gathering in Uptown. Before fleeing, i took the above picture with the Birthday Girl who looked extraordinary (Unfortunately, I missed out on a photo with her adorable younger sister).
Onto Uptown and another fun venue that we like to call home. It has a pool table, a jukebox and a patio, and comes packed to the gills with lovely people of every variety, make and model. We all moved around and chit-chatted with each other making the rounds with folks that we'd never seen but were dying to blow off. At first I hung with the two people I knew and their two companions, but then decided to venture out and see if I couldn't get coax a slap out of some young philly by making an ass of myself.
Well, I started with one who was very nice, quite enjoyable conversation, but she proved to be a pretty tough nut to crack. Then after we'd moved on from each other, an angel descended from heaven into the middle of the large room right there at the CC Club, the most stunningly and naturally beautiful woman I'd seen in several minutes. We didn't speak the whole night but she caught me looking on more than one occassion (at her eyes, she had eyes like laser beams). It was entirely wholesome, and fruitless as most wholesome things are.
Anyhow, I then made nice with a third girl, a friend of the first who tried to explain a strange romantic situation that she had found herself in. Half kiddingly, I replied that Girl #1 should ditch this other deal and open up to me. When she returned to the room from a phone call regarding 'the situation' I attempted to persuade her to grab the open seat next to mine where we could finish our drinks before they kicked us all out of the bar and the streets filled with intoxicated lovers and those trying to celebrate or forget or both.
In a rather quick turn of events SHE asked ME for my phone number and we proceeded to talk as we swilled cheap beer as the lights came on. I was so stunned that I probably wound up looking foolish as I kept my cool... as if this happens to me all the time. She left with her crew before my group was ready to go, and I bid her farewell and promised that we'd do this again.
Shortly thereafter we decided to follow suit and leave ahead of the crowd. On the way out I was struck again by the piercing eyes of Girl #2 which prompted me to try to make her feel good without any preconceptions or any of the unwanted drunken flirtation that us guys know that women cherish so much. I simply went up behind her and, without introducing myself, whispered in her ear that she was the prettiest girl I'd seen all night, told her to enjoy herself and take care, then I left with a quick wave.
As we walked out, I told my friend about it and felt proud. We had just completed the greatest three-day weekend I'd had in quite a long time. Much overdue, but entirely worth the wait. Thanks to all that participated.
Today's Music: "Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams
PXL