Groove is in the Heart: March 2005

Friendship

Like air, and water, like pizza too in fact, friendship is critical to my life. Maybe even a little more than pizza actually, and that's saying a lot. In four days I have alternately been drenched, sun-bathed, worked over, and imbibed more than I can say for the past two months. Coming down off of the push that was mid-terms this semester has been natural, pleasant and remarkable. Mostly because I didn't even realize the shit-stress-fucked-over-eat-my-own-brain for breakfast phase I'm just coming out of even WAS mid-terms until it was almost past. It took a classmate whining about how much mid-terms were kicking her butt for me to ask, "Are we in mid-terms right now?" Wide eyes and suspicion all around, believe me (oh he must not be taking a full load...)

At any rate, friendship. How do we make friends? Why? Once we are friends with someone, what perpetuates it, lets it continue to grow and persist in a way that few intimate relationships in my life haven't even come close to? Couldn't say really. At least not beyond reiterating the fundamental precept to how I attempt to conduct myself. That being that at each turn of life, I strive to be straight with myself and those around me. It isn't easy, and it doesn't always go smoothly. I make choices that seem considered and rational at the time, only to discover that in fact they were quite dumb and sightless later on. Hence the old hindsight cliche.

Point being that in life, I think, a friend is someone who not only understands this about oneself, but has experienced it and therefore can sympathize. Growing up is such a pain in the ass, and just when I think I may have got it at least partially right, wrenches start appearing in the works. I think maturity can be defined as how well one deals with the wrenches. Shave and haircut, that's my two bits.

Another Saturday Night

No, you should not believe a word Ted says....

Two if by Candle

Man of the house

Table for four please....

Katrina, Ted, Aisha

Awww...

Just a cool shot

Bunny Ears? Really?

Gaurav's Balcony View

Gaurav's Other Balcony View

Great Hands

Party Folk

Lovely in the darkness

Positively Glowing

Packed House

Oh God, Shots

Cheers!

Why I didn't do shots

Kitchen Scene

Very Nice...

Why I wasn't using the flash all night...

Cuties by Candlelight

Busy Man...

Masked and Dangerous

Parking in Crosswalks

Saturday evening found me much too quickly. After a day of prepping for the coming school week, I made my way home to find my Mom preparing another of her delicious meals. My god-parents and a friend of theirs from New York soon arrived, and we all shared a glass and conversation, some topics included Christo's latest, I wondered if Christina had seen it and what she and her fellow New Yorkers thought of it; Bacteria, Fruit Flies, Mice, Nematodes and their relationship with the Atkins diet (thanks uncle John); and a discussion on whether or not the soup was 'too leeky.' I love these people so much...

Shortly before the dessert was served I made my excuses and quickly freshened in the shower, dressed and was out the door to meet Jason. He just moved into a great 2BR place with Meaghan in Kentfield, and i say, well done. He is a lot closer now and despite our conflicting busy schedules I know this means we'll get to see more of each other. We met at the Silver Peso in Larkspur for a drink and so I could have a chance to twist his arm into coming to SF with me that night. Nothing doing... damn virtuous fireman. It was really, really good to catch up, however briefly.

Around 9:45 or so I pulled up to The Globe. Kirra and Sheila were cheek deep in yummy looking food but napkined up long enough for pecks all round. Scott, rockstar that he is, was mid-shift on a 12, nursing a hangover and fading energy but still on his craft. I had the presence of mind to grab the camera on the way out the door and was therefore able to catch the man in the act. Kirra and Sheila had apparently just been making out with each other, the kind of making out intended as a deterrent against the unwanted attentions of a bereft middle-aged guy's advances. Somehow I came a moment too late and missed their kiss, drat.

Katrina rolled in from her previous engagement and we promptly proceeded to clink and sip our way into the evening. Ever generous with his smile and pour, Scott had us under his wing for almost an hour, at the end of which he sent us, somewhat ruefully I must say, on our way. We headed up toward Gaurav's pad in Kat's rental (thankfully much smaller than my truck) and proceeded to not find a parking spot anywhere within 4 square blocks.

Hoping to hide beside it, we tucked her little Chevy 4-Door next to a big Chevy, just inside the crosswalk, and right in front of G's front door. Crossing our fingers, we rang and were buzzed in. Lovely I have to say... Gaurav had the fireplace going, the lights were low and little groups chatted all around. After breaking a glass within 3 minutes of having entered his place, I retrieved a plastic cup and Gaurav mixed up a VodTon for K. As you can see, I spent my time having fun with the camera.

Good gracious it was a gorgeous night. Gaurav's pad has a wonderful balcony with a great view in both directions. Late in the evening Katrina and I stood in the night air and admired the lights of what we'd decided a Saturday prior was definitely one of our favorite cities. For an early March evening, it was positively balmy.

I'm running pretty hard these days, moving in many directions all at once. I'm really enjoying it though. Somehow there is time for everything, even to sit and write this despite the pile of work I know is waiting for me. There are these times in life when serendipity dominates and everything just clicks and flows; when intention and presence of mind are all one needs to move with grace. It seems to be all around right now, betraying it's presence in the little things: simultaneous thought, coincidental phone calls, serendipitous meetings of friends long since last seen.

Life is not without it's travails, of course, but there seems to be a natural balance right now. Four dear friends, 2 couples, have lately and independent of each other decided that it was a good time for them to live together. Literally within 2 weeks of each other, Jeff and Karen found a perfect place for themselves in Berkeley, and on the other side of the bay, with perhaps months of no communication between them, Jason and Meaghan found their spot. I don't know that it means anything in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly fits with what I've been noticing is going on. It lends more nuance and depth to the beauty that pervades.

Growth is happening, life is moving apace and newness is all around. Some things need destroying before the next evolution can begin, and these kinds of things have also transpired. Friends going separate ways for now, long time lovers realizing their paths have diverged and can no longer be shared, an ocean and two continents separating me from my beloved, Sheila and my father have sold their house in OC and are preparing themselves for an enormous adventure whose end is not clear.

Et quoi meme? Je ne suis pas triste, j'attend mes affaires, je fait mes devoirs et suis mes cours, j'aime mes amis et ma famille, j'adore ma nouvelle amie et tous nos temps ensemble. Je crois que la future soit brilliant et heureuse. Alors dans ce moment, j'ai ni que l'amour et la reconnaissance pour tous. Chaque moment avec mes amis est jolie. Chaque moment dans ma vie est maintenant plein de bonheur.