2004-02-29 - 2:03 p.m.

i can't seem to get a good night's sleep. the weather is turning warm, everyone is out on the street all night long.

friday night many of my favorite girlfriends came over to my home for stitch 'n' bitch. wine was drunk, scarves were knitted, relationships were discussed, men were assessed. one of the evening's highlights was an enthusiastic sing-along to 'total eclipse of the heart'. i didn't realise until just then that i know every lyric of that particular song. i tried to give some crocheting instruction but at that point we were all a bit too giddy to really accomplish anything more than giggle and talk about sex. a stayed after with me and i tried and tried to kill a bottle of whiskey that just wouldn't die.

saturday morning, i picked d up in one of my favorite places, the union square farmer's market. despite my bushmills-induced hangover, the sight and smell of fresh flowers and ripe cheese cheered me immeasureably. d was in from dallas, seeing the sights. she and i spent a lazy afternoon at my loft, reading tarot cards and talking about kissing boys. we perused the local galleries, fortuitously ran into j on bedford ave, and rewarded ourselves with an incredibly sensuous meal at the sardinian wine bar. i sent her back on the subway with a promise of future european travel.

i had planned on staying in last night, but just when i arrived home, b messaged me to bitch about her date from the previous night. we agreed to meet for drinks in the neighborhood and strategise about dating. i needed something to take my mind off thursday night's date, because his soul kisses were lingering in my mind. after our third drink was consumed, b turned her lovely face to me and said: we need to talk about s.

s was the tall blond who kept me up all night after my housewarming party. i only found out after the fact that he and b were a thing. and felt bad because i really like b and i hate to be an interloper. b filled me in that she broke off her relationship with s after he hooked up with me. i apologised profusely. she assured me there was no need, she knew i didn't know, and that he was the asshole and not me. we agreed that his teeth ought to be forcibly extracted with out the benefit of anesthesia.

walking home at nearly 4a, i felt so grateful for the love and support of my girlfriends. the halfmoon glinted on the broken glass of the southside and made everything seem crusted with diamonds. hipsters mingled on the sidewalks, smoking and hitting on one another. my mind wandered back to thursday night's romance with c, i smiled thinking about his touch. i made a wish he'd call me again.

just then, hungry and drunk, i ran smack into empanada guy. i'm flat busted this week, but upon closer examination my miserly wallet yielded a dollar, enough for him to reach into his magical red cooler and produce a warm pork empanada. i considered it a good omen.

in the middle of a lazy sunday, my phone rang. i'll be seeing c again next week.