Tag Archives: party

birthday

Leave a comment | Posted by Patrick Calder on in friends

Yup. I definitely should have written yesterday. Yesterday, everything was clear and ordered in my mind. Even after playing video games. But today? Today, while I have a million things to say, I can’t think clearly enough to do any of them justice. Today, you get the lobotomized me. But that’s still probably better than the tomorrow me, when I have pack for Texas and wrap up as much work as possible.
Tonight, I had my movie night. I finally had people over, to watch City of God, and subject them to my first attempt at Pineapple Upside Down Cake. My mother had shipped me all the ingredients for my birthday, but they’d slowly been collecting dust until I had people to share it with.
My actual birthday party was about a week ago, I think. The Friday following my birthday, since too many people had trouble with the actual date. Dinner last year was nice, but everyone had seemed to expect more. So I wanted something more fun — more interesting. We went to Buffalo Billiards, to play pool, shoot darts, eat greasy food, and watch big screen TVs. It’s the first time I’ve played with friends since college, and while I got my ass kicked numerous times, I don’t suck as much as I remember. Was a lot of fun, and very relaxing. I may have to go back on my own, when I need to get away. My friends took me out for sushi, followed by more pool. They still bitched that I didn’t give them enough to do, but really, they can bite my ass, since it was my birthday, and I should have been the one being entertained. Where were the strippers, damnit?
Yeah. That’s about it, for tonight. Maybe I’ll find some peace and clarity when I’m all packed tomorrow. But I wouldn’t bet on it. My “normal” method of packing involves not finishing until well into the early morning hours.

Please keep in mind that this post is more than 6 years old. Who the hell knows what I was thinking back then?! Damn kids... get off my lawn!

a little bit of work… a little bit of fun

1 Reply | Posted by Patrick Calder on in design

Slowly catching up on work. I’ll still be busy through at least the end of the year. And I’ve had two potentially lucrative referrals in the past week, which won’t kick in until after the holidays. And still a dozen jobs on back burners.
No… I don’t have a personal life. Why do you ask?
I think I will have to institute some news rules, for a couple clients. I still very much want to be available whenever and wherever my clients need me. But some of them seem to take more advantage of that than others. If you call me at 11:30 PM, it better be a major deadline. If the only time you call me, it’s after 7 PM on a weekday or before 9 AM on a weekend, you better be paying me well, on a regular basis. I can deal with the occasional or irregular call or email. Hell… email at 3 AM on Christmas for all I care. I can ignore those. But I think I’m going to have to set thresholds for proper communication, and when a client exceeds those limits within a specific range of time, I’ll stop taking their calls at unreasonable hours. You can leave a message, and I’ll get back to you at the next possible chance. I’m not trying to punish the clients. The major benefit will actually be keeping me from cringing every time my phone rings, and getting snarky with clients who are paying me good money.
And god’s honest truth… if you’re going to hire someone to do work for you, you should really be AT LEAST as prepared as you expect them to be. Really nothing irks me more than to have clients repeatedly come to me, completely unprepared, needing rushed work, with specs that change every couple hours… and come back again, and again, and again,… in the same manor. Do you have any idea how much money and time you could save; how much better the quality of your finished product would be… if you simply planned ahead far enough? I’m not asking anyone to be anally organized. But don’t tell me you need an ad in 3 hours and expect me to write it and design it. Don’t tell me the black and white tri-fold brochure we abandoned weeks ago now will be an 8-page letter-sized booklet in full color going to press tomorrow. And god… if you really can’t help yourself… don’t balk when I charge you less than any other respectable designer would for half as much work. I want to do the best work possible for you. All I ask in exchange is enough to live comfortably. And my standards for comfort are pretty damn low.
Eh.
I had a good weekend. Holiday dinner with friends on Friday night, followed by ice cream cones in 20 degree weather, and the biggest love sac I’ve ever seen. (It may have even given Kier a back injury). It’s nice seeing friends from school. Just wish we got together often enough to be able to talk about things other than college. (We do stray into the occasional geekiness, but…)
Finally found that last Christmas gift on Saturday. After the usual awkward apartment building party that night, I went to Chiaroscuro for their closing night. Talk about a complete blowout. Over 500 people showed up. It took 5 minutes just to find somewhere to sit at one point. But the music was great, and everyone came out. So many people, that I didn’t even get to talk to some of those I knew. Took off at an “early” 2:30 to catch the last train home, though I hear the party went ’til at least 4 AM. I can’t complain about any night that ends with a kiss on the cheek from a beautiful woman, though.
Sunday was incredibly lazy, though. Really… don’t think I can point to a single productive accomplishment, outside of some text edits to a catalog I’m working on. Never touched the painting. I still want to work on it. I’m thinking if I can get enough work done during the next couple of days, I’ll cut out in the evening and paint. Or at the very least, draw.
Am I really an adult?

Please keep in mind that this post is more than 6 years old. Who the hell knows what I was thinking back then?! Damn kids... get off my lawn!

How to catch a taxi, influence friends, and pick up a hooker

2 Replies | Posted by Patrick Calder on in friends

Juuuuuust when I thought I was out… They draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag me back in. After finally having ripped all my cassette tapes to MP3, Autumn goes and gives me a new stack of tapes. These however, I may be able to finish in 1 or 2 nights.
Note to anyone coming to the District: Do not lean through a window and talk to cab drivers. Get in the fucking car. If it turns out you don’t have enough money, you can always get out again. But once you’re in the vehicle, they’re required by law to take you wherever you wish to go, within the Metro area. There is no need to question them from the curb as to wether they will take you somewhere. And if they do simply roll down the window and ask you where you wish to go, you’re better off telling them to piss off. Besides coming damn close to being illegal, it means they’re looking for a passenger going one specific route. The likelihood that you’re going that route is pretty bad. So shut up get in the fucking cab. I’ll thank you, and they 15 cars backed up behind the taxi will thank you.
We now return you to you’re regularly scheduled Sunday night stupor.
So I went out with friends to various places Friday night. (Pictures now available from your local gift shop or in the snapshots section of this very website.) When we started out at The Black Cat, I was depressed to find out that Rainer Maria will be playing there this coming Friday. Depressed, because I will be in East Bumpafuck at the time, watching the utility truck bucket rides. But if you’re luckier than me, go see them. The few songs I have of theirs are great. Sort of a female-fronted, intelligent, hard rock band.
You know… as Kier would say, any night not spent in front of the TV alone is a good night. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t wish to cause serious bodily injury to one of my friends before the night is through. It would be all fine and well, but for … well… a complete lack of knowing what we were doing. I’m all for spontaneity. But to me, that’s the ability to make quick decisions with little or no supporting facts or information. What we had was a complete lack of decision making. We had 45-minute committee discussions followed inevitably by the least successful of all possible outcomes. The cutest moment of the night did come, though, from Autumn’s boyfriend, (a seemingly nice guy), somehow deciding he had enough testosterone–despite his metallic, zebra-pattern, club shirt–to order 7 people–3 of whom are over 6 ft. tall–into a sports car, so we could go to Adams Morgan. (A place you really must experience at 3 in the morning on a Saturday to appreciate sobriety and good footware).
It’s been a while since I got home at 4 AM.
Did I mention the call-girls have been evicted? Right. The day after they had one man in their bed, another waiting in the hallway, another downstairs trying to remember their apartment number, and one more show up just in time to see them all locked out of the apartment when she forgot her keys. This is the point where we find out her pimp had the doorlock changed without telling the rental office. After a brief interlude with the last contestant on The Price is Always Right in the laundry room, everyone was seen leaving the scene in a yellow taxi cab.
And I bet they didn’t ask the driver if he was going their way.

Please keep in mind that this post is more than 6 years old. Who the hell knows what I was thinking back then?! Damn kids... get off my lawn!

Women, women, women, and cameras

1 Reply | Posted by Patrick Calder on in friends

My friends all suck. Some of them do it very well. I finish up weeks of work on a tedious, mind-numbing project. Every other day, someone was asking me to go do something, or help them with this, or do that for them. But now that I’m free of that yoke, and ready to party and let off some steam, they all bugger off to god-knows-where. I even had an honest-to-God party on my schedule for Sunday night, and that got cancelled. So my party mood is all revved up, but God I hate going out alone.
So yes, I broke down and bought the new camera. Went with the Digital Rebel, because I’ve never been good with that peer pressure thing, or turning down pretty things that want me. And oh my God, it’s amazing. Reminds me what I’ve missed since I stopped using my Minolta so much. The optics on an SLR just blow away anything on a fixed-focus camera.
Okay… it hit me the other night when I was running to FedEx… the Presidential Inauguration here in DC is like the prom. A great big show with no real meaning, attended by a bunch of people who normally wouldn’t spit on each-other. The sheer number of limos that flood downtown cause their own little localized ozone hole. All the cool kids are here. Haven’t seen so many out-of-town visitors since … since nothing. Not even the Cherry Blossoms bring in this many people.
We went out to celebrate Autumn’s birthday a couple weeks ago. It must have been a Saturday, because Autumn and I spent the day doing the tourist thing again. We met up with everyone, though, for dinner at Tuscana West. I knew we’d be under-dressed, just by having walked past that place frequently, when I used to work on 15th Street. But when I walked in there, it was the whole prom thing again. All I could say to my friends was “This must be where yuppies go to die!”.
We went up to the Russia House afterwards. Had never been to that place, and only heard intimidating things about it. Which really, upon reflection… is all crap. One of the girls we were with had a cousin, sister, or roommates-cousin who once dated the owner or bathroom attendant, and got us past the doorman. But unless you go to the dining room, which we didn’t, you’re simply crowded ass-to-ass in this narrow, furniture-packed, red-velveted bar which would easily fit in my apartment. (A feat some restaurant’s bathrooms can’t manage.) There were many cute girls, and I even talked to one or two. Thankfully Kier fell for the girl who interested me most, so that he became the one heartbroken when we found out she was married.
Probably left there around two or two-thirty, and hopped on the subway before it closed. As usual, I was headed in the opposite direction from everyone else, and ended up waiting alone on the platform. It wasn’t such a bad wait though, because I had the chance to fall in love. This girlslashwoman, more drunk than awake, became annoyed with her friends and came over to talk to me. A beautiful dusky redhead with a grin that inspired feelings in its recipient. And half-cocked, we still had an amazingly intelligent conversation for about 10 minutes, as her friends–all male and full of hateful testosterone for me–looked on. A smart, beautiful, interesting, world-traveler wanders over and talks to you… how do you not fall in love?
Yet again, I fall in love by stepping out the front door.
You know… as a creativity and activity booster, I’m seriously considering setting some standards for myself. Ie… I must take at least one photo a day. I must write something each day. I thought about saying I had to paint or draw something each day… but that’s a more serious time commitment. What else could I do?…
I have to get up in the morning and go take pictures of the Ronald Reagan building while the sun is facing the correct side. I convinced my client to use a photo of the building, but don’t know of any cheap stock photo sources for the building. Sounds like a job for… dum da da dum… the Digital Rebel!
God I need to get out more often.
Three weeks and counting to Visqueen.

Please keep in mind that this post is more than 6 years old. Who the hell knows what I was thinking back then?! Damn kids... get off my lawn!

Parties and Pictures, and Pictures of Places

2 Replies | Posted by Patrick Calder on in friends

I realized after posting that last entry that I hadn’t said anything about New Year’s Eve. Not that I traversed the timezones and followed it around the world or anything, but still…
Went to a party hosted by A, Kier and Aaron. Spent much of the night torturing Kier’s little sister, as mentioned previously. She was being way too quiet in the corner at the start of the party, and I’ve never been one to let someone suffer alone. If they’re gonna suffer, it will be because they’re listening to me.
Several threats were made on my life and general well-being regarding the frequent use of my camera. I think I’m lucky I didn’t wake up to find it inserted somewhere uncomfortable. But as usual, post-party, many people were much happier that I’d taken pictures, if nothing else than for blackmail.
I met other women, and the occasional man, as well, that night. Probably couldn’t tell you any new names, because I’m bad like that. I either tend to come home with someone, or come home with no one. Not much in between. Only once have I ever left a party with something so simple as a phone number. (This could all go well towards explaining the tragic comedy that is my love-life).
Fun was had by all, except for the piñata, which was eventually decapitated by a sword. Only my friends would give economy-sized cutlery to drunk people, blind-fold them, and ask them to keep swinging until something breaks.
I really want a new camera. My Mavica does okay. But nothing improved my 35mm photography as much as having a good quality SLR camera. And I wouldn’t mind getting away from mini-CDs that I currently use as film. They’re really cool looking, but they’re slow, unreliable, and easy to damage. When the camera was new, the amount of files you could fit on them seemed amazing. But now you can easily find 1 gig Compact Flash cards, which outstrip it by 7 or 8 times the capacity, and run a lot faster. They’ve been dropping in price like stones lately. And I gotta believe any camera that doesn’t use a CD-burner to store it’s files would have better battery life than mine.
Blah blah blah.
Lady downstairs was showing off pictures from her trip to South Africa the other day. Made me a little jealous. I need to travel again, and see newthings. It was a little poke in the side to remind me to seize the day, and not create grand plans that never blossom. Starting my own company is a pretty good daily reminder. But a little nudge now and then doesn’t hurt.

Please keep in mind that this post is more than 6 years old. Who the hell knows what I was thinking back then?! Damn kids... get off my lawn!

Club, club, club

Leave a comment | Posted by Patrick Calder on in friends

I should be too old for this. But I don’t care. I’m having fun, despite myself.
By 10:30 tonight, I was ready to go to bed. But that’s when Kier called to let me know they were headed for the Black Cat. Aaron was celebrating his birthday with a crawl down 14th Street, finishing the fun at the club during their Brit-pop night.
It’s obviously going to be a good night when you walk in the room and see your friends surrounded by beautiful girls.
And sugar. Lots and lots of sugar tonight. Candy on the tables. Cheap sodas at the bar.
God help me… even though I’m a skinny white boy with no rhythm, I danced for the first time since college. Danced terribly, no doubt. Probably the person people nudge their friends to look at. But it was fun, and who cares what people say about you when you’re having fun.
Got my ass pinched twice, too. Never saw exactly who did it, but I’m fairly certain it was guys both times. You know… no one has pinched my ass since I was in Puerto Rico.
That’s this week.
Last Saturday, a really fucking-cold night… we were at Chiaroscuro; a one night Goth club down in Southeast. Didn’t dance, so it wasn’t as blood-pumping. But I was surrounded by hot chicks in fetish wear; so it had it’s benefits. Cool clothing shop on the premises, where nothing is over $20. But the best attraction was probably the really hot, freaky lesbians making out in the back. Straight out of really cheesy porn.
If only I didn’t reek of cigarettes when I got home. Not even cigarette smoke… just cigarettes. Tobacco… filter… paper.

Please keep in mind that this post is more than 6 years old. Who the hell knows what I was thinking back then?! Damn kids... get off my lawn!