Another weekend down...
"I'll stand for nothing less, or never stand again..."
- Chevelle, "The Clincher"
After a somewhat nerve-fraying last week, I spent this weekend luxuriating in the company of friends and leaving the homework board to rot on my wall (this weekend it could have burned for all I cared).
Friday night was spent out at the Beam at the first drag show of the new year. Somehow this was able to draw out more people than I've seen in that place in months. When I arrived with Justin, Leah and the other Aaron, I saw so many people that I knew just standing around inside. And every time I would turn around I would spot someone else from across the room. Old supervisors, current co-workers and even some gay boys that usually eschew trips to the Beam--everyone was there that night. Thus the first half hour or so there was spent ignoring the show and catching up with old friends. I was flitting around from friend to friend like a pro by the end of the night.
After the show finally got done (for some reason this one just wasn't all that good... as I told a friend afterwards, it was the crowd that really made it worth the price of admission) they opened the dance floor and I was at it. I spent most of the rest of night dancing with my friend Chris(tine) and Steph and just enjoying watching everyone else on the floor. It felt really freeing, somehow.
That feeling made me think back to the drag show that I went to with Mat several months ago and how, at that time, I'd thought it was Mat that had answered "the dilemma." Friday night I realized that it hadn't been him; he wasn't the answer (or at least not the whole answer). You see, that night had been very busy and friend-filled as well and I had spent a good deal of that night flitting around talking to folks that I knew. That right there is the true answer to the social awkwardness and "anxiety" (that's a poor word choice, but the closest I can come up with) that I feel when I go out to that place (or any other like it): friends. How simple is that?
At the end of the night--after seeing Chelsea Cronin do some fancy matchmaking with some of my friends and hearing about Aaron's interesting "encounters" on the floor--I made my rounds and said goodnight to all the people I knew that I could find (some, like New Year's Eve guy, Lea, Leah and Stacy, had slipped out the door before closing time). I was even able to catch Berret Gall and Ty, neither of whom I've seen in ages. Then it was time to sober cab Justin, Joe and Steph home.
Saturday was spent as most Saturdays often are. After recovering from my sober hangover (I really need to drink more water when I get out on that dance floor... these dehydration headaches are killer...) I got myself ready for a night out with the SAGA crew.
The SAGA social night was at Atomic Coffee. We all spent the first half hour or so just hanging around and, well, socializing (I hadn't seen Beth since before break, so she and I had some catching up to do) before we broke out the game "Apples to Apples." Now, while I've heard a lot about this game, I've never actually played it. The most memorable round for me was when the word "Easy" came up and people threw down such characters as Princess Di and Barbara Walters... Or the round with the "Lucky" grave robbers... :) Good game.
After we left Atomic we ended up back at Micah's place watching some episodes of House with his new roommate (another John... what's up with that?!). I promised Micah that I would bring over my Star Trek: the Next Generation DVDs the next time I came before Meridith and Beth took me home.
This morning I received a really odd call from my mom. Normally one of us calls the other each Sunday and we talk and catch up on the week for a good half hour or so. Normally she does most of the talking, but I do get a few words in edgewise about my own life and times. Usually I have nothing really newsworthy/that I want her to know about, so the arrangement tends to work out. This week, though, I had all sorts of news to share and things to tell her, but after about a fifteen minute report about her exploits at the casino this week, she got another phone call and said we would catch up again next week... I didn't quite know what to do with that (I didn't really feel hurt or offended by it, but still... I kind of figured she'd be interested in what was happening in my life, too...).
Anyway, after lunch I met up with Kyle over at the new coffee shop on campus (which, by the way, is designed rather horribly... it has nasty accoustics and the same crappy lighting design and color scheme as the LLC). I've been meaning to catch up with him for a while and little five minute chats when we run into each other at the copy shop really don't do the trick. I was really glad to hear that he's doing well and that his coming out is still coming along nicely.
Finally, after getting a bit of reading done to say that I did some homework this weekend, I decided (finally) to make my way over to the Wellness Center and make good on my promise to myself to start going again this year. It's been a long time since I've gone on a regular basis and I'd like to start again.
See, the thing is that I've had the mindset lately that, with everything else that's going on in my life, like friends and class and work, I don't have the time to fit the Wellness Center into things. After spending almost a full half hour on my bed today playing with my camera phone, I realized where all that time is going to... Maybe if I can try to be a bit more disciplined about my time I'll stop feeling so stressed out about classes and such...
So yeah, I went to the WC and I know I'm going to be sore in the morning, but it will be a good sore. I like feeling that particular soreness :)
p.s. So Friday night I drove on the interstate here in Fargo for the first time *ever*! The way to the Beam was the worst, when I had Leah, Aaron and Justin all yelling over the blaring music and distracting the crap out of me... but in the end we all survived the trip.
p.p.s. I got my new glasses on Thursday!! I would include a picture (the reason I was playing with my camera phone earlier), but I can't seem to send picture messages on my plan... I assure you, though, they look really cool!
- Chevelle, "The Clincher"
After a somewhat nerve-fraying last week, I spent this weekend luxuriating in the company of friends and leaving the homework board to rot on my wall (this weekend it could have burned for all I cared).
Friday night was spent out at the Beam at the first drag show of the new year. Somehow this was able to draw out more people than I've seen in that place in months. When I arrived with Justin, Leah and the other Aaron, I saw so many people that I knew just standing around inside. And every time I would turn around I would spot someone else from across the room. Old supervisors, current co-workers and even some gay boys that usually eschew trips to the Beam--everyone was there that night. Thus the first half hour or so there was spent ignoring the show and catching up with old friends. I was flitting around from friend to friend like a pro by the end of the night.
After the show finally got done (for some reason this one just wasn't all that good... as I told a friend afterwards, it was the crowd that really made it worth the price of admission) they opened the dance floor and I was at it. I spent most of the rest of night dancing with my friend Chris(tine) and Steph and just enjoying watching everyone else on the floor. It felt really freeing, somehow.
That feeling made me think back to the drag show that I went to with Mat several months ago and how, at that time, I'd thought it was Mat that had answered "the dilemma." Friday night I realized that it hadn't been him; he wasn't the answer (or at least not the whole answer). You see, that night had been very busy and friend-filled as well and I had spent a good deal of that night flitting around talking to folks that I knew. That right there is the true answer to the social awkwardness and "anxiety" (that's a poor word choice, but the closest I can come up with) that I feel when I go out to that place (or any other like it): friends. How simple is that?
At the end of the night--after seeing Chelsea Cronin do some fancy matchmaking with some of my friends and hearing about Aaron's interesting "encounters" on the floor--I made my rounds and said goodnight to all the people I knew that I could find (some, like New Year's Eve guy, Lea, Leah and Stacy, had slipped out the door before closing time). I was even able to catch Berret Gall and Ty, neither of whom I've seen in ages. Then it was time to sober cab Justin, Joe and Steph home.
Saturday was spent as most Saturdays often are. After recovering from my sober hangover (I really need to drink more water when I get out on that dance floor... these dehydration headaches are killer...) I got myself ready for a night out with the SAGA crew.
The SAGA social night was at Atomic Coffee. We all spent the first half hour or so just hanging around and, well, socializing (I hadn't seen Beth since before break, so she and I had some catching up to do) before we broke out the game "Apples to Apples." Now, while I've heard a lot about this game, I've never actually played it. The most memorable round for me was when the word "Easy" came up and people threw down such characters as Princess Di and Barbara Walters... Or the round with the "Lucky" grave robbers... :) Good game.
After we left Atomic we ended up back at Micah's place watching some episodes of House with his new roommate (another John... what's up with that?!). I promised Micah that I would bring over my Star Trek: the Next Generation DVDs the next time I came before Meridith and Beth took me home.
This morning I received a really odd call from my mom. Normally one of us calls the other each Sunday and we talk and catch up on the week for a good half hour or so. Normally she does most of the talking, but I do get a few words in edgewise about my own life and times. Usually I have nothing really newsworthy/that I want her to know about, so the arrangement tends to work out. This week, though, I had all sorts of news to share and things to tell her, but after about a fifteen minute report about her exploits at the casino this week, she got another phone call and said we would catch up again next week... I didn't quite know what to do with that (I didn't really feel hurt or offended by it, but still... I kind of figured she'd be interested in what was happening in my life, too...).
Anyway, after lunch I met up with Kyle over at the new coffee shop on campus (which, by the way, is designed rather horribly... it has nasty accoustics and the same crappy lighting design and color scheme as the LLC). I've been meaning to catch up with him for a while and little five minute chats when we run into each other at the copy shop really don't do the trick. I was really glad to hear that he's doing well and that his coming out is still coming along nicely.
Finally, after getting a bit of reading done to say that I did some homework this weekend, I decided (finally) to make my way over to the Wellness Center and make good on my promise to myself to start going again this year. It's been a long time since I've gone on a regular basis and I'd like to start again.
See, the thing is that I've had the mindset lately that, with everything else that's going on in my life, like friends and class and work, I don't have the time to fit the Wellness Center into things. After spending almost a full half hour on my bed today playing with my camera phone, I realized where all that time is going to... Maybe if I can try to be a bit more disciplined about my time I'll stop feeling so stressed out about classes and such...
So yeah, I went to the WC and I know I'm going to be sore in the morning, but it will be a good sore. I like feeling that particular soreness :)
p.s. So Friday night I drove on the interstate here in Fargo for the first time *ever*! The way to the Beam was the worst, when I had Leah, Aaron and Justin all yelling over the blaring music and distracting the crap out of me... but in the end we all survived the trip.
p.p.s. I got my new glasses on Thursday!! I would include a picture (the reason I was playing with my camera phone earlier), but I can't seem to send picture messages on my plan... I assure you, though, they look really cool!