wow! a whole new year! think of all the people you’ll meet and places you’ll go!
i rang it in the living room of my best friend’s house in north carolina, swaying to auld lang syne and watching the new years celebrations in new york. then, after the required sing-along to sinatra’s ‘new york new york’, ennis and i went to the park to drink and discuss the year ahead.
we had not wagered on the playground still being slippery from the rain, but climbed to the top anyway. post-beverage, we realized our mistake, and had to spot each other coming down.
we were okay though, and the next day we went ice skating, which ennis is good at because he plays hockey and i was decent at because i watch hockey. what’s interesting about ice skating and maybe life is if you think you’re gonna fall, you’ll fall. if you relax and think you’re gonna be fine, you’re gonna be fine.
we also went record shopping and got a bunch of cassettes which was fantastic, though one record store had a bunch of manson family sing a longs, which begs the question— where? why? and how?
ennis took me biking, and i was excited for a breezy, leisurely ride and it ended up being a nine-mile expedition. it was all fantastic, though, and i learned maybe i should move more so i don’t have to take a million advil every time i stretch my legs even a little bit. he also taught me bass, which was so great ‘cause we could play together, and there is no high like playing music with someone.
ennis is very cool in all senses of the word. thoughtful, hip, measured, good at everything, deliberate. not much gets by him but he’d never let you know it. incredibly funny in an offhand kind of a way.
i am not so much like that, so i find him very good company. i have him as “the sundance kid” in my phone ‘cause we seem to be quite a bit like those two in demeanor and dynamic. i am not blond or good at cards, though.
we also went to bojangles, which is like manna for north carolinans. i don’t eat meat so i was kinda locked out of paradise there, but the biscuits rocked. i also dragged ennis to a highly-rated coffee shop called summit, which was fine, and knowing my deep love of delis, he took to me to the common market, which had more options for sour beers than i’d ever seen in my entire life, as well as all kinds of stickers and candy and soda and postcards— i was mesmerized.
anyway, after that, i went to la and had a grand old time. it was raining and i had the beach to myself and i was so happy.
if moving there is the only thing i do this year then it’ll be a fantastic year.
Sounds like a wonderful trip. Part 2 with your time in LA?