what March was like.

MEGAN ROGERS IS IN TOWN-YAY-drinks at Commonwealth. Preceeded by dinner at Miriam's and dessert at The Chocolate Room with Shaun and Rach. Lots of Blockbuster rentals. The brilliant Michael Cunningham reads at Brooklyn College. Enjoyed and admired from an artist's standpoint Vantage Point. Androooo and I at Joe's Pub watching Ronin (think soundtrack to Akira Kurosawa's Dreams and "Twin Peaks," all at once; eerie, inventive, gorgeous, haunting), then talking about absent fathers and family drama in Starbucks. Five Guys eaten on Brooklyn Heights promenade on the first springlike day. Too much blogging. Making brunch with Shaun, Rach, Wife, and Davey at home, having shopped extensively at Fairway for beautiful food. Revelling in doing the "touristy stuff." Hitting Katz's Deli, and their Reubens really are better than anyone else's but their cheesecake sucks. 10,000 B.C. is laughably bad. Elaborate home-makings of soups. Daytripping through Chinatown. Lombardi's for lunch. Tried Pinkberry for the first time and liked it. Some old-school Rip Van Winkle style naps. Couch shopping! Brunch at Great Jones Cafe with Laura, where we finally found a Bloody Mary that can kick her ass, then tasting Germajestys ("a field of flowers in your mouth" or "tastes just like lychee!") at The Dove, then The Other Boleyn Girl (poor Dave, but I loved it!!). A St. Patty's day party at The Irish Rogue keeps little ole me out till 4am, with the drinking and the schmoozing and the attempting at befriending and the drunken pizza eating. Phone dates with Jenjen, whom I miss very much. Lunch with Shaun who attempts to explain to me about superdelegates. The Bank Job kinda rocks my world, and I love that purty Saffron Burrows. Wandering through Chelsea. Grimaldi's pizza date with Dave's co-worker from Japan, followed by hot chocolate and omiyage shopping at Jacques Torres. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Attempt to exercise for the first time in too many months, because if you get winded climbing your damn apartment stairs you know that (a) you should have moved to a lower floor and (b) you better start exercizing--and the attempt is pathetic. Date at Cafe Swish on UWS with beloved former writing teacher, Susan Thames, and it is delightful to see her again, to share lunch, to thank her for writing recommendation letters, etc., but less delightful to hear she is now having the same difficulties holding onto her Columbia teaching job that she had at Sarah Lawrence. PEOPLE! Susan may not publish as often as you deem necessary, but she is a life-changingly good writing teacher. And that is more rare than someone who publishes. UGH! Sake-tasting party at Shinbashi with my Auntie Mila and Uncle Chris. Get my nails did. The Dove + Momofuku + Angel's Share with my dear sister Tracy and her friend Elise, bookended on either side by escorting them to and from the Craigslist apartment they rented that ended up being in a MENTAL HOSPITAL--poor girls got lied to by a PRIEST! At Angel's Share I have a cocktail called something like Serenity or Honesty or something nice with a "y" at the end, and it is--areyoureadyforthis?!--Earl Grey infused vodka plus other stuff that also tasted good but the vodka is the important part. Some laying low. The amazing Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus east coast reunion luncheon, plus shopping with Auntie Diane and two HYOC alumnae sisters, plus Starbucks and gossiping. Dessert date with Davey at Max Brenner Union Square. Some stressing over the MFA. Some celebrating over the MFA. Some stressing about how to pay for the MFA. Some stressing over which MFA program to pick. A wonderful suggestion by Wife that the MFA programs in question should jello wrestle over me (although I have plenty of modesty enough to doubt myself, and wonder if they will be revoking my acceptance or asking me to jello wrestle over them!). Oh and also my computer semi-dies, I consider getting an Apple, but instead I get another Dell but at least it's Granny Smith apple green. I start some new stories. I read some books. I attempt to stay on top of my New Yorkers, but instead they pile by my desk, unread. I read blogs all day and blog way too much.