Here it is and here I am 48 hours after what is according to standards, the most depressing time of year in of my 365 day annual contribution to living, or in my case, surviving. Yet at this time, I am comfortable, not overjoyed, or thrilled with life, but I am content for now and for better or worse a bit happier than usual.
Thursday night was the annual I LOVE RICH RICHMAS party at a club up on Irving Park in a bar which left a little to be desired. I arrived with Greg and Blake after having a couple cocktails with Angie and Michelle. After the band ripped into their set, about 7 songs in, we split for NEO where it was packed as usual, and the first friendly face I saw was my hommie Afra. And he had a dark Hispanic hottie with him. We ran into Mike Girek who was pissed because he had not been able to get a message to me via phone for several weeks. Saw Angie and Michelle and I got them and my friends some drinks on my discount. Some others bought me belated birthday drinks and we sated till close and then met back over in Logan Square at Angie's pad. Greg took off about 6AM and I fell asleep with her cats. (All 4 of them)
The next day I dropped by my POB where I found 2 boxes. 1 was a shipment of films from porn valley, the other a nice Xmas box from Ron Marks and within it’s contents a killer black and formfitting sweater.
Christmas Eve was a pretty good time. We pigged out like gluttons and drank a bottle of Stoli even though the subzero weather was unbearable and we had just come in from a walk from Tony's, result of Ang’s Mercedes getting an unfixable flat, with no spare on Xmas eve, with no place open to repair it, or as we would soon learn, needed to replace it. We laughed and brushed it off because it could have been, and was not, worse.
Xmas day, her father picked us up in his Mercedes Coupe. Yes no back seat which made it a tight fit. She managed to pop into the are behind the seats and we were off. I had not met or even spoken to this man yet, and his Greek accent and sense of humor and manner of observation, and it’s translation amused me.
We were dropped off at her sisters house and Ang borrowed her sister Jessie’s Mercedes, (seems like the families preference of transportation mode….eh?) and I was dropped off at BH’s parents house for what would follow to be a meal of mammoth proportions. We stared off snacking on home made goodies and then graduated to JUMBO and I mean J-U-M-B-O, shrimp. This I could not get enough of. BH gave me a really nice new black leather blazer for my birthday/Xmas present and I was thrilled. My old blazer has seen and wear the effects of father time and many winters, rock concerts and floors of America. He insisted I needed it to make an extra special impression in as Vegas, and it will indeed help. Dapper Zander is coming home.
His fam had arrived and we had very rare prime rib along with a lot of other food, with delicious cheesecake, and then played a round of cards. Ang called and came by to pick me up to go to her sisters, and Timmy’s, both of whom I had yet to meet. We made the introductions and as the girls went upstairs I hung out with their father, Timmy (who is Jessie’s fiancé), Harry, Jeremiah, Angelo and Gaston. All of them were Greek with the exception of Jeremiah who is native of India. We chatted, drank and laughed and I was in the middle of interesting accents the likes to which I had not yet been treated, as well as some interesting banter to which I’m not accustomed to upon meeting someone’s family the first time.
Hell with it we all got along. (I think)
We joined the others upstairs and talked for what seemed to be hours. A couple of the guys drove the ladies father back to the city so that Ang and I would not have to leave so soon, we stuck around had some more drinks, talked music, Andrew Dice Clay and South Park, and a few hours later Angie drove us back into the city in her fathers car and I slept like a rock.
Upon waking the next day we had some laughs at the expense of the happenings of Xmas Day and thus another one was behind me. I feel like I made some new friends and after we picked up Angie’s father and he dropped us off, we took our aggressions out on the all you can eat buffet at Ranalli’s which they kept open for over an hour past, so we could fill our bodies with their unique concoctions. And you wonder why I keep going back over there.
It’s Monday and a few companies are open, I can get back to the grind, prepare for Brett’s Pre-New Years Eve event, and Mikes New Years Eve Ball, and then I prepare for Las Vegas with my Krue. And this years Expo will be unlike any ever.
Thanks to all of you who were there for me again. And those who didn’t make it out in person, thanks for your cards, emails, and phone calls of kindness. Those of you who may not care, no offense, I don’t care either.
A BIG SLOPPY WET TONGUE KISS for those of you who are decent. And you may pick who you want me to get you that kiss from.
See you in 2005.
CRAZY AZ
Off to play some Type O Negative songs now.