Happy New Year!

Yesterday, the 31st, I woke up around 11 a.m. or so. I went to Border's and, with the last of my Christmas gift card money, bought the last album of 2005, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards' Viking.

(The gift card was a present from co-worker Spookytooth, who has recently quit or been fired, depending on who you talk to. Spookytooth is a complex issue herself --- it seems somewhat apparent that she has set her cap for me, or at least wouldn't mind hanging out with me a lot. The problem is that she has a kid, more or less lives with her estranged husband [because of health problems, he won't leave her], I don't find her in the least attractive, and most important of all, I find her a little bit boring. She called to invite me to some New Year's thing, but like an asshole I ducked the call and didn't return it. Karma will bite me in the ass, I know --- the lonely nerd ducking the lonelier nerdier person --- but I actually do intend to spend some time with her in the future. Just not New Year's Eve.)

Anyway, I called the Friar and planned to meet for lunch. As I drove to the dive (the Friar has very lowbrow taste), the Maddening Angel called me and I invited her along. So the three of us ate lunch. The Friar gave me a Best of 2005 CD mix he'd made.

In the evening, I dropped by Aunt's house and tried to invite Cousin and his (oh so smokin') girlfriend to the soirée at 74 and his wife Zaftig's house. Smokin' girlfriend, being a bright and cheery person, was willing, but the protopathic Cousin claimed he'd rather stay at his mother's house and mingle with the Walking Dead of Haut Society, because last time he was at 74's house, "it wasn't very fun, and they're all smarty-pants." Meaning my friends and I discuss issues with mental content... Cousin doesn't like reading or learning. Oh well.

So I cruised on to 74's house. Their baby was awake and being very colicky. Still cute, though. The Friar didn't make it, but Muffin, her husband, and Anacreon and his wife were there. We just sat around drinking wine and talking.

Maddening Angel did not stop by. She stayed with her friend (a guy, of course --- she's one of those girls who has a vast number of guy friends) at a venue where they were putting on some Pink Floyd-themed show. She called a couple of times, and I offered to pick her up and take her home around 1:30, but she seemed intent on having her other friend take her home. God, I'm jealous of everything and everyone around MA if it's not me. (At Auric's show on the 30th, I found myself needing to come between MA and an arrogant friend of the Friar's whom I have a mild dislike for.) It's unhealthy and wrong, but what can I do? I can't stop the dog from barking up the tree, even if it's the wrong one. I think about her constantly, and vacillate between kindly, fraternal, protective feelings and unrequited, frustrated romantic interest. Ugh.

Speaking of relationship drama, I called or text messaged nearly everyone on my phone to say Happy New Year. On that list was Ram, a girl with whom I'd had a couple of dates and a real spark of mutual attraction back in Novemeber. Now she's with her parents in some small town, and has for many weeks ignored my more and more infrequent calls and messages. Yet last night, she immediately replied to my text, repeating good wishes and adding, "I miss you." As if we'd been talking all this time. All my friends think Ram is bad news. She's clearly got some social life down there in Grapefruit Moon Junction that she doesn't want me interfacing with. She says she's just busy, and I'm sure she is, but no one is too busy to reply to a text message or call back at the end of the night if only to say "I'm exhausted, thanks for calling, good night." I got nothing, total radio silence. Yet when she was in town with me, she acted very interested, asking things like whether my family would like her, and demonstrating affection as well. So there's some story here I'm missing, but frankly the lonely nerd Chance is finding himself not caring too much. If when she gets back in town, Ram's still into dating me, I'll almost certainly be there with bells on.

Meanwhile, I got Jonathan Richman on the stereo, and he's telling me that "to win in love, you must surrender." Easier said than done, Jo-Jo!

***

Later addendum: Karma from ducking Spookytooth indeed hits, as day ends with no call from anyone, let alone the Maddening Angel. Depressed to tears. Went and ate ice cream and played Boggle with Aunt, Cousin B and smokin' girlfriend.