Photo No. 30,001

So. . . When you go to openings, parties, concerts, dinners, fundraisers and events, and you always go with the same one or two people, you end up with about, oh, 30,000 versions of the same photo. This is Kristie and me enjoying a couple glasses of red at the opening of Matt Baumgartner's new club, Noche. The building that houses it is an old fire station. It's a great spot--very classy. We are standing in front of the centerpiece work of art, by Albany's own Tommy Watkins.


*Note to Kristie: I'm really going to count and see exactly how many pics like this we have. I don't know how, but I think we generally end up on the same sides in most of them. Odd.

More Birthdays

Kristie turns 26 today!

(Here she is with her dog Sage.)

Everyone be sure to call and say hello.

She's in icky Staten Island.

Goddamn...

I'm tense.

Rough Time for Kristie

Kristie's birthday is on Thursday (Dec. 22--she'll be 26), but she can't be in Albany to celebrate with her friends because she's taking care of unpleasant family issues in Staten Island. If any of you want to call to wish her a happy birthday or happy holidays, or to let her know that your thoughts are with her, e-mail me and I'll pass along contact info.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATE!

Kate P.

turns

26

today!

Happy

birthday!

Another 20-Something Bites the Dust

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY, BRODEUR!

This Just In . . .

We are expecting the first major snowstorm of the season tonight--they're saying 4-12 inches!
Now's your chance to stock up on hot chocolate and marshmallows.

Guys, Pay Attention.

This is a bit sad, but surprisingly brilliant.

Borrowed Post

My sweet, sweet friend Jan wrote the following post on his blog last night, and it's such a beautiful little piece of writing that I could not resist but to post it here as well (with his permission, of course--thanks, Jan!). Enjoy.

"It's funny how something so mundane can become so much more. For example, when I was with my last girlfriend we went to the grocery store. A simple mundane event. But when we went, we spent a lot of time there, we joked, argued about what to buy. These little things take on meanings, sort of rituals.

But all these rituals, whether you realize or perceive their roles within yourself, make up bits of you. Parts of your intimacy. They are your world. They are the places you frequent and slowly you share it with someone. Let them into the places you go and do the things that you do.

And when that intimacy isn't there anymore, then those trips, those small baubles turn back into the ordinary. Or even worse, they become a spot of pain, a reminder of rejection or a shot of indifference where there was once more.

Because you can't go home again. Things change, people change, evolve, regress, adapt or fall behind. Everyone takes bits and pieces of us, changes us around, turns us on our heads, makes us feel happy, sick and desperate. Even if you can't see it, or don't notice it, it's there. The minute I met the world, it altered me.

All that you can do is accept change. But sometimes you have the wind knocked out of you and you have to gasp for a little while. Find your bearings, straighten up and cop to your emotions. And sometimes people can ease your transistions through love and life, like a crutch.

Sometimes I feel really winded and other times I think that I'm really good at rolling with the constant flood of it all.

The truth is I'm probably somewhere in between."

--Jan Thomas

Yum!

We'll call this one

Photographic Evidence of My Re-Entry Into the Burger-Eating World.

Photo taken by Mr. Travis Durfee.