Recently in friends Category

On the Friends set in California, just missing a Frak. Where he at?

There he at! And check what he brought in (it's on the counter).

A few weeks ago, Alex and his band (read: Alex, his iPod and his guitar) came into town, so I, he, Samantha and Jessica traveled, naturally, to Staten Island and my apartment to hang out. As I was pulling up to my building, and parallel parking no less, they found The Lion King on Sam's iPod. Sam has put what happened on YouTube. We are dorks. No, wait, Alex is the dork. But a funny dork:

Note to self: Even a week after being sick, eating Moroccan food is a "silly panda" thing to do (thanks, Alex, for the descriptor). "I didn't have much!" I'll now whine, loudly. No difference.

Anyway, not to sound like a total robotic social calendar machine, but I've been systematically seeing people, night by night, since I got home from this two-week odyssey. It's literally the only way to make sure I see everyone - just fill up the schedule! It's horrible. I hate putting my friends and family on my schedule, or going down the list like this. But there are people I've missed and want to see, and the only way, now, to make sure I see them, is to make sure I see them. And that means scheduling. BAH.

On tonight's docket - Cheryl! (Yes, PotterCasters, HotttCheryl.) Miss I've Read Book 7 And Can't Say Anything About It. Miss I Know If Harry Lives or Dies. Miss I'll Smile Evilly While You Ponder Aloud. UGH!

That aside, I've missed her tons. I know, it seems like hanging with each other in this six-month period would be impossible, like two magpies whose beaks have been taped shut. Sometimes it is like that; I say something about Potter that I know she can't ever, possibly address, never mind answer, so I clap my hand over my mouth and wave my hands in front of my face and apologize. She laughs. We actually came up with an idea for PotterCast, that I hope I can make happen. We'll see. (Probably not.)

We ate the aforementioned Moroccan food and laid upwards on her bed, which is bizarre in her apartment because she has construction paper cutouts of trees on the walls, strung with paper clip garland and chains of used Metro-Cards. It was like laying on our backs in a painting of a forest done by a subway artist (or perhaps a subway itself). Anyway, we laid there and commiserated over our busy schedules. I told all my stories, and the conversation naturally led to where we'd be in 20 years.

Cheryl: "Introducing the Harry Potter books to our children."

Melissa: "Whoa. Yes. We will be. Oh, god, that's exciting."

Cheryl: "And I'll be like, your mother put that comma there!"

I mean. She's planning on announcing her punctuational contributions to her children. How can you not love this woman?

John is here visiting, and so we decided to be completely insane for New Year's. We're going to Times Square. Gotta do it once in your life, right?

Yesterday, though, I was lucky enough to get us up to see the NYE Ball at a viewing party, where we met The Killers, who are performing tonight in Times Square. We also saw the volunteers blowing up, BY HAND, the several thousand balloons that will be dropped on everyone at midnight. It was the awesome. Pics here:

Times Square pics
Ball Viewing Party
Chipotle (of course)

And those of you in Australia - take care of my sister please! She just got to Melbourne.

Have a WONDERFUL New Year everyone!