Ultimate Fighter

This is what I feel like at times...we headed to Savalas to see our friend DJ (though I guess that really makes no sense). Jessica was busted, since the guy she hadn't texted back just happened to be there, WITH HIS FRIENDS. From what I understand, some of them were part of BKKB Team Prison and universally hated. It was pretty hilarious, and eventually I was chatting with one of the friends visiting from New Hampshire. He sounded Canadian, which is always a good sign.

What I couldn't understand was why he kept smiling and gesturing to his drink, saying, "zero calories!" I asked, WHAT IS UP with this "zero calorie" bullshit, and he excitedly told how he was training for the "Ultimate Fighter" reality show tryouts in Florida within the next couple of weeks. I shit you not. What do you say to this information? It's kind of awesome in so many ways I'm not accustomed to considering, but I still can't tell the story without cracking a smile...I just picture those multicolored playpens, Tarzan ropes, giant hamster balls, etc.

UF then wanted to know how old I was, and was pleased with the answer. "I love older women." Yeah. That sounds familiar.

"why are girls dating him if there are euros to be had?"

This was the quote we came up with the day after last Friday. Which makes it Saturday.

We began the evening at Matchless for the free Hopewell show...you know how you can count on some bands to consistently draw a good-looking crowd? This is one of those bands.

After a quick detour to a friend's place, we then headed to Savalas to see/hear Jason and his DJing prowess. Somehow, we gathered two Euros and whisked them away to Union Pool. Actually, they said they wanted to be "someplace like here but with more people" so UP was the logical choice. The four of us mingled, and in the meantime I was hanging out with a guy who had done time for dealing, but was quite engaging. He was wearing a hat of some sort, and when Jess and the Euros came back the three of them had decided we were all going back to their place. She took me aside and, over the music, screamed, "YOU HAVE TO DITCH THE HAT."






He didn't need to hear that at all, and I may or may not have left him gracefully before we headed to the crazy Euros' commune by the river. They showed us various paintings, but none could compare to the illustrated diary etched on a napkin...drawings of their naked Indian guy neighbor, the other guy who wanted to get into the blond's pants because he was "the opposite" physically (the blond Euro had a 'fro, and the interested party had a black one. Ah, language barriers...anyway, I think one was from Barcelona, and the other Milan. I had to pee, and was unnerved by the space-age minimal "bathroom" with screens basically in the middle of the room.




Jessica and the blond guy were getting along nicely, but I was just really, really tired. I think the other guy and I were just both mutually not into it, despite the fact I was loving their weird energy. I was really really tired, and took a nap until 6am. My goody bag (from the aforementioned volunteer event) and I trekked home so I could wake up in my own bed, and not awkwardly encrusted in eyeliner next to some reluctant Euro.

Oh yeah, the quote...we were discussing the recent breakup of two people, and we can't fathom why the guy part of this former couple is currently a "player." Jessica said, "Why would chicks go for __________ when there are Euros to be had?" My sentiments exactly.

Saturday night a bunch of us went to a friend's deep fry party. Later, a few of us took a car service back to Williamsburg, and I just wanted to go home. Jessica scoped out UP and then Royal Oak, and ended up running into a cute boy who had had a crush on her during the summer! She's been on 3 dates with him this week. I guess it's a sign that RO is definitely on the upswing again.

Ok, I'm now leaving for tonight's festivities...I won't be so lazy in posting the next time.

"volunteering"

(trying to catch up before the official beginning of this weekend)

You know when people bitch and whine about never meeting anyone and being "sick of the bar scene?" Someone inevitably replies you meet "quality" people in the park, produce aisle, riding bikes, sitting around all day in coffee shops, and of course volunteering. Of course you will see hot boys doing these activities at one time or another, but who is really fit to determine what constitues a "quality" person. Exactly.

Let's talk about this volunteering thing; it usually conjures up do-gooders in soup kitchens, but it can be somewhat glamorous, depending on the situation. I volunteered last week for an event. There were a lot of celebs and a few hotties at the event, and there were definitely two smokin' babes alongside me.

I've been kind of swamped

for the past few days, or just plain lazy.

kind of an amazing Saturday

I finally had the chance to check out Crash Mansion for the Holy Fuck CMJ matinee. I've heard people bitch about this place profusely, and while the scene is most likely much different during the evening I had abslolutely no complaints. When you're about to see a few skinny hairy Canadian kids with epileptic fits playing some of the best noise rock I've heard in a while, in a crowd of only 25 with an excellent "raysh," you're thankful to be alive.



Next my friend and I went to a totally forgettable showcase at a place called Annex on Orchard. I wasn't too crazy about the crowd.

Later I met up with some friends for the Vice party at KCDC in Williamsburg, There was plenty of looking to do, not to mention a fun band in the rafters. It seemed like the whole neighborhood was there, and after the open bar was finished a bunch of us headed to Union Pool. Yes yes, I'm going to go on yet again about this place...but I want to reiterate that if a girl ever needs a serious ego boost she should head directly here. I got a few shouts of "you're beautiful!" and the source of one of them came from a face resembling Johnny Depp's younger brother (he later got me in a lip lock). This kind of behavior is pretty uncharacteristic of the neighborhood boys, and I suspect Union Pool is a nexus for out of towners.



For whatever reason, we ended the night at Royal Oak. This place had been going downhill for a while, but I think it's making a comeback (because it's winter? The boys seem to multiply here in the cold weather, go figure).

here and there

The goal of last night was to hit two CMJ shows and catch up with some friends. The first destination was Union Hall in Park Slope. One of my friends books this place, and I was finally able to check it out.

When you enter upstairs, don't be frightened by all the aggro-yuppies with wool sweaters on the indoor bocce courts. Just head directly downstairs to the venue, where you'll be greeted by the Slope brand of cute indie boys. And, if you can believe this, one of them actually smiled and asked my name! While this neighborhood is known for SUV strollers, lesbian couples and just couples in general, it seems that if you can find where the guys are hiding, you'll be rewarded by actual manners.

After this, I boarded the F train to Arlene's Grocery on the Lower East Side for the next show. This is one of those places not on my radar untill CMJ season rolls around. The crowd? Although it was a specific cross section of industry out-of-towners and the "blatantly trying too hard old-school rock style" kind of Manhattanite, I think it's still fair to conclude that the dudes here on a given night are going to be kind of yuckola.

I discovered the main disadvantage of dressing up as a conjoined twin (attached at the butt cheek) for Halloween night...location, location, location. After attending our friend's birthday party at Black Betty, we headed to Zablozski's to visit Lisa. We sat upon two bar stools pushed together, facing forward. After about 15 minutes the people on each side of us had started talking to both of us as a unit, but in order to talk to the opposite twin it was necessary to shout. By default, Jessica was able to talk to the crazy Israeli, and I was stuck with the nice but way too intense "regular" (nothing against him, but I was too tired for his particular questions).

The Israeli had a friend named "Happypill" who sat silent until his introduction, then grinned as he offered us Tic Tacs. We briefly entertained the idea of moving ourselves between them, but both of us had to rise early the next day.

I keep meaning to make some little pics to represent the kinds of guys we see on a given evening...if I had one now, I'd insert a Eurotrash (in the good way) icon.