Damn it!

I met a great girl.

Its hard to write when you're all stoked about someone. She's 3 weeks deep and I haven't flipped out or sabotaged anything. I've made more of a commitment than I have in well over a year. Still not a total commitment, but enough of one to alter my day to day. I'm currently working on a list of rules for her that spell out how to remain totally aloof while dating someone. I'll probably post that next.

Its been so long since I actually gave a fuck, without already seeing the demise in the near future. It's refreshing, awesome, and great, but really counterintuitive at the same time.`

2:47 am blog o clock

This morning's 3 am is different that the usual morning. I have been re-evaluating my relationship with alcohol of late.

I've never been one to drink at home, alone or otherwise. Unless friends are over, or maybe 1 drink if there's leftovers and I just cooked myself a nice dinner.

I do however go to the bar almost every night. I work late not many options. I really don't want to go home right after work. I don't like television, I live alone, most of my friends are fucking their significant others at that hour. I like to shoot the shit with someone, and (not unlike like buying a lottery ticket) I'm optimistic about what females I have the possibility to meet if I go out, as opposed to the none I will meet at my apartment.

Some nights I drink a lot, some less, some I puke. In the past several months I've tried to keep my tab under $20.00. Which means nothing when it come to consumption, I know a lot of bartenders. In recent weeks I have tried to limit my number of drinks: no shots, less than 4 beers. Tonight I had 2.5 beers. I don't want to give up the companionship that I get from going out, but I also don't want to turn into a crappy drunk that no one wants to know.

House cleaning, balance, and content. That's what I'm working on. I'm not even buzzed right now, but I had a good time tonight.

Check yourself before you...

I have developed a loose checklist of things in my life that are out of line, or not as they should be. Over the next year I plan on rectifying as many of them as I can. It started with weight loss 20 lbs, thank you, then smoking 80 some odd days, then less weed, blah blah blah. The point is: one by one I'm taking the necessary steps and knocking them down. I really am. I have 3 beat and 2 underway, 5 or 6 remain, some are more long-term.

The method that seems to be working is:

I dwell on a point of change, let it rattle in he back of my brain for a few weeks. As time passes my usual lucid wandering inevitably leads to whatever it is I've been obsessing over (this is how I always wrote papers in college). It gets to the point where I get so completely annoyed with having to think about it, that it needs to be amputated.

I read somewhere, in terms of human behavior it takes about 21 days for us to adapt to a change in our lives eg. new work schedule, exercise routine, not smoking. I'm not certain if it's true, but the placebo effect works well for me on this. So, I take the leap of change one at a time. After a few weeks I feel like I have a grip on it and begin to pat myself on the back. Maybe go buy some new kicks to celebrate. I ride out my gold star award for a time and let myself feel pretty good about it. Then I go back to step one to plug the next hole in my bucket

There are some longer term items that simply cant be handled this way. Like my credit card debt. I deal with it though. I make a bigger payment on one every month. It'll take a while.

I'm waking up from a long period of unconscious living. When I initially knocked the crud from my lashes morning's bright light nearly drove me insane. My life was laid bare past and future, and it looked bad naked. Instead of a walk of shame, I put my clothes on and made breakfast so I could think about how to make it work.

I'll write about chicks soon, I mean there were 2 blizzards for crying out loud! I wasn't about to be alone for those.

my pint glass is empty

I mentioned that it'd been a while since I felt sobriety. Tonight is the night.

I'm having a pretty good day off so I'm willing to take my chances with a breakdown.

I went to the chiropractor, my back feels amazing (its been jacked for like 2 weeks). I think people that poo-poo chiropractors either went to a bad one or never went to one at all.

I also had a coffee date... I'm aware I said no more first dates, but I thought the coffee date was an acceptable loophole in my resolution. Plus this girl doesn't drink so there's not a ton of possibility for a casual run in. I also mentioned that I exchanged blogs with a girl, so I gotta watch my footing. I'm breaking rules like Electric Boogaloo. It went better than expected. I think its the first time I met a new chick without having a few beers first (a trick a southern girl taught me).

Third I started a painting I've been procrastinating on, that has a deadline coming up. I actually made decent progress, listened to jams and enjoyed it. Weird.

I made slamming veggie eats, watched LOST, and read.

Cut to the chase. I actually started to freak out a little. When I was staring the painting. I began losing my shit about my decision to be a working artist years ago. I pictured being toothless and destitute at age 50 because of how precarious it is to make your living creatively. I started doubting my ability. I couldn't help reminding myself of how lazy I am, and how it'll never work, I will fail.

FUCK!

I talked myself down. Sat. Concentrated on the painting. I felt better. I have to make art. Good art. That way I won't fail. I started good art tonight.

PS.

I'm calling Southern Girl "Cousin Fucker" from now on to see if she still reads my blog.

HA!

This modern world

There have been events, antics, introspection, epiphanies etc. en masse since my meltdown. I have just not allowed there to be enough downtime to "pen" them all down here. I have a fear of downtime since the collapse. I worry it will lead to another collapse. So I have been running the tank on empty for at least 40 days or so. One of these nights I'll get back to it and spin some of my self absorbed yarns of heartbreak and intrigue, but first I have to get over the fear of my own reflection. I think its coming soon. The body is beginning to object to the abuse, and the brain is hungry. The next stage of self help is quickly approaching, getting healthy in the exercise/diet dept. I am happy to report I am 75 days cigarette free, and have 95% stopped smoking weed.

On a humorous note: instead of exchanging numbers with a woman at the bar, we exchanged blogs. I'm not certain what that says about being single in an urban setting, but I can't help but marvel at the absurdity.