My Non-New Year's Resolution:

When I run into people I know, I will no longer pretend that I do not see them.

I have a bit of a problem like that. Seriously, is it normal that my gut reaction when I see someone I recognize is to quickly bolt in the opposite direction, or, if I am trapped on the same subway car as someone, to either stare up at the subway ads as if they're the most intriguing things I've ever laid eyes upon or I pull out a book and literally buy my face in the pages...?

Ugh.

It's not even like these are people that I have beef with in some way, sometimes it even happens with people I consider friends...it's just this freakish instinct inside me that panics. Of course, the problem is then sitting there panicking even more in worry over whether they saw me see them and now know I am blatantly ignoring them...

My friends used to make fun of me in college because I would even do this with guys that I had a crush on. I would literally see the boy coming my way and start staring off in some direction- any direction as long as it wasn't his direction- until I was certain he had passed. My friends would be like, "Uh, I don't think he knows you like him. In fact, the boy thinks you HATE him. You ignore him every time you see him...not really the best way to communicate your attraction..."

The thing is, I am just hugely awkward with small talk, or at least I perceive that I am...and therefore am afraid to face it. I'd rather save myself the embarrassment.

The problem occurs when someone actually calls you out on your asshole behavior.

For instance, on Saturday as I was getting on the F Train to go meet the old Page girls for brunch and I saw this guy who used to work in my office. Before I knew it, I had quickly looked away, and fixed my gaze straight ahead at the opposite subway door. I was absolutely certain that he had seen me see him, but I had made my choice and so I stood there feeling his eyes blaze through me...until a minute or two later when he finally said, "SAM!" and I had to turn around with a big fake-surprised grin and pretend I had only just now seen him on the train. AWKWARD! Even more sad was that I then had a very lovely ride with him and his friend. We even got off at the same stop and walked to Union Square together...Now why couldn't I have said hello in the first place?? Actually, this guy was the guy that my coworker had really wanted to fix me up with for months and months when he worked with us-- I should have jumped at the opportunity to finally bond with him...although he was with what seemed to be a girlfriend even though he introduced her as "my friend"-- oh God, now I'm just rambling...

Anywho, you get my drift. I will at least attempt to from now on not be a total social spazz.

I'm totally exhausted right now because I had a very busy weekend...here's the ole recap in case you actually care for some reason...

FRIDAY night I went to happy hour at the Brooklyn Brewery with some of the ole Kitchen Sink soccer gang- we have our first game of the new season this coming Friday and needed some bonding time...and pizza and beer...Actually, speaking of running into people, I ran into this old improv classmate of mine there. I didn't ignore her because she actually had come up to ask us to borrow a chair...and she remembered my name and I didn't remember hers, but I didn't admit that...





Then I went to the Upper East Side, a land I rarely venture to, stopped by Stacy's apartment for a beer and basketball party for a while and then went to a bar to celebrate Janelle's Birthday. For some crazy reason I was still there pushing 4am...well, no, I guess it wasn't a crazy reason. I was having a lot of fun with people I rarely see. The CD player for the bar kept skipping, so the Irish bartender had to change the songs manually-- At the end of each song he would make a mad dash from behind the bar to the DJ booth with a look of sheer excitement on his face, yelling "You guys are gonna LOVE this one!!!"-- and we usually did! He was all about old Beatles tunes, and, to be quite honest, I can't even remember what else, but I remember singing along at the top of my lungs and dancing my ass off...Anyway, stupid me decided to go all the way back to Brooklyn on the subway and when I got off the subway I realized my keys had been lost somewhere along the way...so I had to wake up Andy at 5am to let me in. He was definitely not stoked about that one. Janelle, sorry about posting drunken pictures of you, but I think they are adorable. You were so happy!





SATURDAY I went to a free screening of Ice Age 2 with Meredith. Shut up. It was free. I never even saw the first one, but I must say, watching a kids movie in a theatre filled with kids is hilarious. I think that was actually more entertaining than the movie. I liked all the kid's reactions to things...they were funny. This is the point where I'm supposed to give you a specific example, but, unfortunately, i can't think of a single one at the moment...damn. Meredith and I were both starving and got the value pack. I have never seen such a large tub of popcorn. America is beautiful. The weird woman behind us decided it would be fun to quiz us on how much they marked up the price of popcorn. I felt like maybe I should give her a quiz of my own called "Why Are You An Adult Women at a Screening of Ice Age 2 By Yourself" but I held my tongue.

SATURDAY NIGHT I went to see the Arctic Monkeys at Webster Hall. I had a great time- it was one of those fun shows where you sing along to every word of every song and dance your ass off. I brought Stephanie along with my extra ticket, but I later found out people were buying tickets for like 200 bucks outside. Damn. I'm glad Stephy came, but man that is a lot of money. Can't say I know anyone I would actually pay 200 bucks to see...Elvis if he came back from the dead. Dolly Parton playing my roof...hmmm...Then I stayed out till 4am at a bar on the LES for some ungodly reason. The problem is that I get wired after 1am and if anyone else is into it, I stay till closing time...argh.



SUNDAY, after the already-mentioned subway incident, I met with the TV Night gals for brunch and then shopping around Union Square. Then Katie came and met me at an Irish pub to watch the George Mason bball game-- SUCH a good game! The Irish bartender clearly did NOT know how basketball works. When there were 17 seconds left in the game, he asked us "How long is a time out?" "30 seconds," we replied. "So why don't they just take a time out and run the clock out?" Hmmm.

What happened next is one of the reasons I like myself and my friends so much. Katie asked me to do her hair. There we were in an Irish pub, watching basketball intently and doing each other's hair into fancy updos. Classic.

Believe it or not, I still had one more stop- Kitchen Sink Music at Galapagos. It was actually a great show, but I literally was falling asleep at my table...By the time I got home last night I really felt like I might just keel over in the street. Thankfully, I didn't.

Whew!

Okay time to finish watching my favorite Monday night TV...Beautiful People- yee haw!!!