....like it's 1999

Last Friday I did something that I haven't done in about a year and a half: went to a house party. It wasn't a huge, elbow your way to the beer in a damp basement with a five foot ceiling kind of party, but a lot closer to that than most of the parties I've been attending in the past year. Most of those parties have dips and assorted snacks. Real parties don't have snacks, because all the stoned people would eat everything. Real parties just have alcohol, and lots of it. This one featured 5 dollars for all you can drink, which included both a keg and an admirably stocked bar. I went to this party with my roommate, who seemed to know many of the people there. I had planned on spending my friday watching the packers and keeping to myself, but after a horrible martini (too much vermouth) my roommate arrived and tried to teach me how to mix records on his turntables, and persuaded me to go out. I did so since I just haven't done anything like that in so long, and at 10 pm was surprisingly awake yet. So we took a bus to the center of town, then walked a block in the rain to the house, which had a pool table in the middle of the living room. That was cool, 'cept my roommate, Paul, and I both sucked that night, losing every game we played. But it was still fun, and i chatted with some cool people.

The problem is, with going to a party, especially without knowing anyone, is that while I used to frequent parties of this nature in the past, my main reason for attending is no longer relevant. Meaning, uh, I have a girlfriend, and am not looking for a replacement. When i was 19 (and 20,21,22, 23, and part of 24), parties were spent checking out girls and plotting something natural but sinister while I idly chatted and drank up courage. Time flew by when this was happening, and regardless of the end result I often had a good time. Now, however, its all just idle chatter. While I met some people and talked for a bit I knew that I wouldn't be seeing any of these people again, and if I did we wouldn't be able to pick up where we left off. So, as I realized this I soon became rather tired of it. I had had two drinks before we left, then two gin and tonics and then started on beers, passed (almost arrogantly) on pot, and didn't flirt back. Around 130 or 2, I started getting pretty tired and ready to go, but Paul was chatting up some chick. Paul, by the way, knows nothing about women whatsoever, he's the classic nice guy who will talk to someone and do everything they ask for months, and then finally reveal his feelings in a long email and wonder where he went wrong. So i'd check to see what he was up to, and then have another beer to pass my time. Worse yet, was somewhere around this time the stereo was switched from it's good mix of indie rap (blackalicious, the roots) into a jam band festival. As i mentioned there were a few people passing around a joint and stuff earlier, but all of a sudden some Phish kicks in and nearly everyone starts doing that lame noodly hippie dancing. Wha happened? I think I spent the couple hours after this arguing about music with a couple people, but it was no use. I even tried to find some decent music myself when the stereo was unoccupied, but all the good music was hidden, and only countless CD-Rs scribbled with names and dates of horrible live shows. So finally the chick my roommate was talking to split, and we caught a cab home. He made some awful breakfast (eggs w/ carrots anyone?) and I threw up. Got in bed at 5:30 am.

Saturday I saw a matinee of "Garden State" down the street. It was pretty great, awesome soundtrack (the Shins, Coldplay). Kind of a funny/sad movie about the early to mid-20s identity crisis everyone goes through, and I'm still going through I think. But I highly recommend it. This saturday I think I'm going to see the newly released Director's Cut of Donnie Darko. Rad.

Sunday I rode my bike for an hour, worked at the ramp til midnite, and wrote a cover letter for a job at the Art Institute of Chicago, in the Film dept. I still have to finish updating my resume tonight, I'm having trouble describing what I currently do.