26 Holidays Poker Party…

What a week. We begin on Wedenesday, December 15th, the day that John
Fulton Mclane the III went around the sun for the 26th time. And thus
he was celebrated.

And thus the world rejoiced.

And thus, was my present.

And all was well. That was also the night I heard the full story of my
Cousin Stickney almost getting on John Gotti’s jury, in the trial in
the eighties.

Friday PS 260 had a holiday party.

We opened secret santa.

I got a tshirt that is on its way, new hot pink vans, and a photoshoped
picture of me with the famous George R. R. Martin, a fantasy writer I
very much respect.

Then we went out to a wonderful dinner.

I will post most of that on PS 260’s Blog, which I pen for here and there.

Then I gave Jenna her Christmas presents. She gave me hers on another
camera, so we have no visual evidence of my new journal, Mort Goldman
doll, and tickets to see Cake in January. But look at her action.

Saturday was Jenna’s last day before she left on vacation, ten days
back home in Arizona for Xmas. She just got her own blog, too. Check it.

I was very sad to see her go.

But I did get to see Derek and Liz’ new apartment for some good poker action.

It began with a bang, I went all in with two pair on the very first
hand against Derek, who called and beat me with trip queens. Then I
bought back and went all in on the very next hand with two pair and
made my money back against Derek, again, when the two pair held up
against his top pair. Then I cruised  losing here and there but
keeping even, until the end when I hit a string good flops with medium
hands, and took out Aaron (who claimed he had my number up to that
point) and Derek twice. Cashed out thirty up. MattSam took out 15,
matty and aaron evened out, and the two hosts, Derek and Liz lost the
money.

Matty was having a holiday party after, so I helped him buy a tree, and also gave him a hand setting it up.

Good spread and nice Nog.

Judith and I were the first ones there.

And I noticed the N'SYNC bobble head connection.

The lovely hosts, Matty and Mara.

And the friends.

And those of us with facial pubes.

And the baby.

Happy holidays.

Oh The Beauty Of It All...

So work has me busy in the day, and Season 4 of 24 just came out, so that has me busy at night. But i've been getting more of my art on. Check it out, cutesy flowers in original.

And full.

Units Of Parental Consent…

Les parents rolled into town for a bit of museuming and other stuff, like taking Jenna and I out for dinner.

Then I showed them Stickney’s newly painted tuscan wall.

And my dad transformed into a one armed man counting his change.

And the swordmen appeared.

A propo, now that the movie is soon coming, maybe I should mention that pops was a fencer at Munich ’72, crazy huh?

Next day dinner happened with the Linders.

Who are just a total nouveau telephonique couple with the double punch of treo and sidekick.

Is that my dad’s attempt at throwing down gang signs?

Or his belated Halloween… whatever.

Who’s that ball of fur?

Of course I had to check out their new digs. They rented out the top of the house to live in their basement.

And mary.

And sam’s uncle’s beer, decorated with Ralph Stedman drawings.

And then I got roped into another great Linder giveaway. Which of
course meant hamming it up as a model. I had to try it all on to make
sure it fit, right? This is before.

Pimp Suit number One.

Pimp Suit number Two.

Rocking it out casual.

Hipster disaffection? Check.

Concrete jungle explorer? That too.

And finally, British Dandy foh evah.

Oh the memories.

One More Time…

Jenna and I went out for a nice fancy dinner at Italianissimo, a
restaurant right across the street from her apartment. And it was
indeed as italianissimo as it gets. Look at the master flambé artist.

And just when I thought it would never happen, the Wesleyan friends
poker ring went at it. This time we decided for a slightly different
format: high stakes late night action. We started at midnight and went
all the way til four in the morning.

I went up early against a bluffing harris, then lost it all in a
terrible triumvirate: a huge mistake thinking I had a full house when I
really had nothing, getting trips taken down by higher trips, both by
Thayer,  and a hurtful pocket aces crack by dereks two pair.

But then I came back to cash out 50 with small top pair wins, a large
error in judgment by poor althea, thinking I had a flush draw when I
had already flopped the straight, and an incredibly lucky runner runner
full house to double up off thayer’s flush, which he had flopped.
Sometimes its better to be lucky than good. Elevator magic anyone?

As dawn began to settle in, we waded through the first snows of the season and felt poetic.

Hello winter. I wish I could say it's nice to see you again.

Cards And Concerts…

Played poker at Sean’s house on Thursday. Hadn’t happened it so long, this poker thing, but finally, cards were tossed,

And I played nice and tight for the first time, and got plenty lucky to
boot, flipping over the nuts a few times for a fifty dollar net win.

Then John Nick and I scurried through some trees, and tree lighting traffic.

On our way to the ZX and Princess concert at the Knitting factory. Unfortunately, we missed greg performing.

But we did see princess, who were pretty impressive in their costuming
and performance, not to mention their range on sound making.

Dave and Christina enjoyed the show.

As well as Rebecca.

Tim especially liked my moustache this time.

Alexis loved selling me the Princess CD.

Then really got dressed up.

As Michael explained the origins of the band way back when.

A beautiful night on the town.

Too Much Too Much…

Well, I promised that I would blog with tact… Last Wednesday, the day
before Thanksgiving, Jenna broke up with me. Again. Yes, she already
did it to me, for completely different and viable reasons back in the
secret days. And she popped it again. And I was sad. She broke up with
this.

Can you believe it? This!

So in my sadness, I had to leave, to John’s in CT for some T Day action.

Amazing food.

Amazing people.

Amazing dog.

I even got to see John’s crazy ass bottles filled with paint, plastered
into frame, shot with a shotgun piece. (he just likes to say he paints
with shotguns). Unfortunately, this picture does not do it justice.

And amazingly, upon my return, Jenna thought she had made a mistake, and I took her back gladly. Yes, I took this back.

Look, all happy again.

Then I went to court since the man threatened a grand fine or jail time
if I didn’t, because I had thrown away 2 jury duty questionairs.

And just last night, I went to the writers publishers nerve party.

Didn’t see anyone I knew, so I hung out with cardboard clinton as fake elvis.

Then I saw my favorite prefrosh, John Baker. (i had two frosh year, and they both came, so there).

And then I bounced because ten blocks away, The Graham Smith Shtick Experience played at piano’s.

Thayer and Graham of course rocked that shit.

As nate matty and a slice of matt enjoyed.

Then mickey leviton crooned my night out to a close.

Piece bitches.

Can you belive the holidays are here?

Sometimes This Is How You Feel…

I’m sick. And not the usual snotty nose sick, but something more
subversive, under the radar, quick nerve pains going down my leg,
slight chills creeping up here and there, the feeling of something
terrible to come. WTF?

God help me. Please.  

Happy Thanksgiving…

But I’m early on that, so lets recap the week. Friday, date night, dinner at the always satisfying Punch. Good ass tuna.

Then We Hit Harry Pooper, which I enjoyed, except that the direction felt different, like Hogwarts wasn’t as big of character.

Saturday, we hit the incredibly interesting Obsessive Drawing exhibit
at the Amercian Folk Art Museum. Them boys were fucking crazy! This
shit was like 25 feet across.

And these fill ins just looked like they hurt.

This was all tiny bubbles!

A whole quilt made out of wonder bread bags?

Or condoms?

Wozer, check out that pencil.

That night, I went to check out The Graham Smith and Stylofone at the
slightly shady Bar 169, but I got there too late and missed GS. Thayer
didn’t mind, and Derek was just chillin’.

Stylofone did its thing with Willie Beamin’ drumming it up.

In between sets, we went to get a beer and found a treasure trove of 88 Topps Baseball Cards just left on the street.

So we raided. Thayer and Derek got pocketfuls, I got a whole box, and Graham here took three, for his friend, he claimed.

When we came back, the crowd wanted some, these two kids went as far as
eating the 17 year old gum. And hit the curb spewing, too.

Then I got a random call that Joanna was leaving for New Orleans, and
tonight was her going away party. So I shuffle over there, and who do I
see but the one and only Tim Keiper. Still drumming (tamborine is not
pictured, but was present).

The party was hot. Lynn sisters and Seth.

The lady herself.

Briony and Melinda, so non chalant.

Georgia makes a first appearance.

Three fourths of the Lynn progeny.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Jampacked And Loving It…

Jenna and I went out and enjoyed New York to the fullest this weekend.
On Wednesday we checked out the Black Keys at Irving Plaza.

They fucking rocked, kicking ass in their duette way. But their openeing band was just basically glorified elevator funk.

Check out our new hats.

And happy veteran’s day, btw.

Friday we did the classic dinner and a movie. Rothmans Steakhouse
treated us quite deliciously, with a scrumptious desert special of
decadent chocolateness.

Then we checked out kiss kiss bang band which, if you just fully fully suspended your disbelief, was rather enjoyable.

Saturday, Rooney came into town once more.

So jenna and I sailed the seas of teenage girls, and lived through their siren-like screams in this musical odyssey.

Rooney rocked it, but damn, you forget how young you once were until
you stare in the face of the junior-high school crowd at its most
throngiest.

Saturday, it was time for my MOMA. Yup, I have not been since the
remodeling, so we figured it was about time to culture ourselves up.
And I must say, they have a mighty little collection over there. Les
Damoiselles.

Stary Night.

Some excellent Kandinskys (I think he is my favorite painter of all. There, I said it)

Shit, I don’t have time to post them all, but hot damn! Monet, Dali,
Cezanne, Klee, Calder, Miro, Matisse, De Chirico, Boccioni, Brancussi,
Magritte, Duchamp, That canny Mondrian…

Life affirming art. The real dilla.

And at night we attended the premier of “Walk the Line,” the new Johnny
Cash movie with Joaquin Phoenix and Reesy Witherspoon, which had a
sctrict non photo equipment policy, so no blogging there, have a macro
face picture instead.

Whew, told you it was jam packed.

My Penis Girl and Other Stories…

We went to see Michael Leviton with his ukulele again. He did his thing.

And who did we meet there but the other couple borne from working together, the almost edible Howard and Carolina.

Not to mention the young lady who inspired me to photoblog in the first place, Meredith S.

On our way out we treaded through Julie Taymor’s New York set:

She changed three blocks of the Lower East Side sixties psychedelic mayhem.

The next day my girl, maybe in an homage, who knows, dressed herself up as penis.

And
just yesterday, thanks to Sarah H over at Nerve, I got to go to the
premier of Sara Silverman’s movie “Jesus is Magic,” which was okay,
more standup special than movie. Afterward, we joined Noah Matt and
Althea at Patsy’s for some dinner.

And today, not one hour ago, I fulfilled my civic duty, followed the signs.

Found my district.

And pulled the lever to governmental participation.

On a side note, I have just found another amazing work time waster. Remember the wonderful random confessions of Not Proud? Well how about the same sort of deal for Wesleyan:

The Anonymous Wesleyan Confession Board.

They get catty, inane, smart… so much fun. I might even have to add post.

Who knew the English language would have a push toward gender neutral pronouns?