Wednesday, July 11, 2012

it takes my pain away

If there is an app that would send me a text at, say, six p.m. and remind me that I vowed never to drink again, I would download it and install it on every device in my possession. Alas, though, I failed to remember this crucial vow...but more on that in a moment.

Today was mostly really productive; I got up at eight (shocker), messed around on the internet, made some eggs and coffee, and worked for several hours, with a break for lunch and multiple tiny breaks to check my sales rankings (as usual). Around two p.m., I discovered that I'd missed a call from my mother, so I called her back while taking a walk -- I ended up walking for about forty-five minutes, which was a good way to clear my head and get some fresh air (which is, strangely, sadly lacking at my desk).

After my walk, I came home, procrastinated, showered, procrastinated some more, wrote another page, and took a nap. Then I wrote until Terry came home, at which point I was promptly distracted, and I had a glass of wine with her while eating leftover chili and watching Aaron Sorkin's latest exercise in self-indulgence (aka "The Newsroom"). I was supposed to go out tonight, but I was well on the way towards bailing, since I was already in my pajamas (which I put on after showering at four p.m.) and feeling like I desperately needed to chain myself to my desk for another three or four hours.

But Chandlord knows me well, and she called to verify tonight's plans, and once she had me on the phone I didn't think to back down. So I put on real people clothes, swiped some bronzer on my pale and hermity cheeks, and went to Burritt Room (down in Union Square) to meet up with her. It wasn't just her, though - we were going out in honor of Chris and Priyanka, our two exciting new friends from last summer's German wedding. They were in town for a couple of days with Priyanka's brother Nikhil, and so we had drinks and food and general merriment for several hours. This may be the only time I have ever hung out in San Francisco in a group where a majority of people have been to Centerville, Iowa -- I suppose times when Katie or [censored] were out here and we were with one other person might count, but still. Priyanka and Nikhil grew up there, Priyanka for less time (the last two years of high school, although we graduated the same year and never met each other), and Nikhil for most of his formative years since he's six years younger than her. So, that was bizarre and amusing.

More amusing was that I had planned to have one drink and peace out, but it was so fun to see them again that I kept forgetting. So I had three cocktails at Burritt (two Strawberry Macaroons, which were delicious and tasted like strawberry soda, and one something else that involved egg white and gin and other deliciousness), and we ended up eating a lot (polenta, fries, dungeness crab tart, salmon, prosciutto, etc). Then we went to Big, home of last weekend's merriment, where I had one more cocktail - I asked for something not so alcoholic, and they delivered in the form of some amazing concoction made with wines, vermouths, etc. (still alcoholic, though). I left them around one, when they were still going strong, so that I could take a cab home and try to recover before it's time to get up and go to Berkeley in the morning.

But I must say (and yes, I'm tipsy if I'm saying this) that San Francisco is a wonderful city, despite all the weird people and overpriced drinks and fifty-five degree summer days. And I'm glad I'm here, even if the thought of trying to make a living as a full-time writer without any stock options to fall back on is enough to give me (multiple) ulcers. But I've just gotta have faith that I'll get there -- and if I don't get there, at least the bars are great and the drinks are strong. Goodnight!

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