palmerpink

But let's see if it sticks. I've decided to quit smoking—I even got the patch and everything—but it's been difficult. Besides the usual "wanting a cigarette like all the time" stuff, today I'm feeling roughed up with irritability. What I'm not sure of is whether it's just my usual (high) level of irritability mixed with stupid, frustrating circumstances or whether it really is withdrawal irritability crossed with my usual (high) irritability mixed with stupid, frustrating circumstances. I'm thinking (read: hoping) it's the latter. Cuz it's bad today. I'm waiting in a library for Anthony; we're supposed to work on our writing—he, on his novel; I, on my short story —but my brain is too jazzed with the irritables to get anything done. Whence the decision to blog. I can't say this has gotten me anywhere (I'm certainly no nearer, I feel, to writing-writing), but, um, yay? In other news, I finally caved and bought a Nin...

Back in NYC. As lovely as ever, if a bit more confusing, but then that's mostly my own doing. See, I could catch a bus home tonight OR I could stay at my friend's place and catch a bus tomorrow. Seems simple--but naturally I cannot allow that to be!!

And don't you ever forget it. I actually like buses. Buses and trains. I know a lot of people who abhore buses of all kinds--from Metrobus to Greyhound. But I ain't like them fools. Buses are cheap and generally convenient. Like how this ticket only cost me $17. Like how this bus has wifi and power outlets--and its seats aren't that bad, really. Nicer than most carseats. ("No smoking or drinking of any alcoholic beverages...."  my bus driver has just asked me. Two things I could poke fun at here. First of all--I can't ever remeber jonesing for a beer or bourbon on a bus even when I was drinking. Second--"smoking...any alcoholic beverages..." Since when could you smoke booze!? Why wasn't I informed of this!? hoorah, syntactic ambiguity !) So, yeah; for a mere 17 bucks and 4.5ish hours' time, I'll be in NYC. Love it. Especially the part where I'll have a good 2 and a half hours to kill in Manhattan before catching my second bus....

This was a wonderful trip. At leaat a full day too short for my liking, but rewarding and wonderful all the same. I had worried at parts that I would disappoint somebody. Like Mani by not really sitting down and catching up, or the friends I was meeting up with being indecisive or overpaced & underplanned, or Parker by leaving him behind with Mani yesterday. But it actually turned out pretty alright. Parker had a blast palling about with Mani and his friends, and hanging out with one of my friends ended coincidingly with when my other friend wanted to hang. And everyone, it seems, came away happy. Parker got experience parts of New York he didn't back when his family used to live here. Mani got to enjoy (? :-P) hosting a pair of nutballs for the weekend. I got caught up with two really awesome guys I could totally see working closely with or otherwise keeping in much better touch with. Revisiting this old town, the memories it holds; taking some ownership and reliving a sli...

<p>So I'm partway on my way to NYC for the weekend. It's been a while since I had a real, solid visit though my last two--bookending a trip to Connecticut--were lovely and marvelous.</p> <p>This feels kind of last-minute; I'm still not sure what all we'll be doing when we get up there. It still feels like only last week when Parker reminded me, "You know our New York trip is next week, right?" Oh, wait, I guess it <i>was</i> 'just last week'.</p> <p>I like the way this (mini)roadtrip feels. I guess I'm just so used to the way my parents freak out and micromanage and overpack and yell at eachother (something they otherwise never really do...). I seemed to almost inherit some of that anxiety as the weekend approached--mostly out of worry for how/when/what we'd be doing.</p> <p>But then I let go somewhat, somehow. Like, I'd call my friends to check in and coordinate, and while they'd...