HopRock / Hopleaf Saturday

Was Rocky's b-day celebration. In a bar in Andersonville called the Hopleaf. Used to go here all the time - not a regular, but often enough. Nice place. Expensive, but they have cider. Beautiful crowd.

Got there well late. Well late. Immediately, there is O.R.F., sating "they're all pissed @ you because you are late". Then Gallo, screaming @ me to kiss GF. Then, in a blast from the past, Anton grabs me and asks the usual questions :"So, hows it going? What are you doing in life?" etc... So, me looking for a seat in the back to gather myself, but Immediately I am assaulted all sides.

A Chair. A Chair. My kingdom for a chair.

First off - Anton. She was a girl back in the day. She dated Vito for a bit, and I must amidt that I kinda had a negative attitude about her back then. It wasn't a happy relationship, and they were young. I took Vito's side. Didn't hate her or anything, but..... So, it was great to see her nowadays - all that negative stuff - to my rendering - was gone. She was now an adult. The vibe she gave off was very good. Her interest in others was genuine. It's nice to see the positive aspects of adulthood. I liked talking to her and it was good to see the changes in her.

There was a girl I used to make kissyface w/ there as well -Sauerkraut. I'd been @ the same place w/ her last summer, and somehow didn't talk to her. This time - didn't talk to her again except for the absolute last moments before we left. But the next time ?? I dunno. I don't know if I want to undergo the punishment again that the terrible crime of dating a girl fifteen years ago brings upon a criminal. Though that sorta deal died w/ Q. Certainly sucks. So I guess it was nice to see her, if being in the same room w/ her wasn't as bad as the Holocaust. So, I guess, it really really sucked being in the same room with her. Not Saur Krauts fault. Not my fault. A real drag by now.

Man, Gallo was way out of control. He must have been drinking heavily by the time I got there- but he was in the 'Vincent' mode. It's always interesting when it come out. His great line from the nite was "Oh -I'm the bad guy? I'm the enemy?" Fantastic. ORF, not used to these outbreaks, tried to convince Gallo he'd defended someone for murder a few years back. ORF was sure, but Gallo hadn't. That lead to "I'm the enemy?" 10m later, in a totally unrelated incident, the line came up again "I'm the enemy?". Oh, I'm not complaining - it's interesting when iyt come out. Telling the different stories from that nite to Vito - I was interested in telling him about his old love and her changes - he rerelated another glorious 'Vincent' story. Funny.

Talk of Klaus. Processed was showing excitement @ the upcoming Klaus show, and I was roundabouting about one of my pieces I'm gonna do. But it was there. A serious artist saying "Dude - can't wait to see what you come up with" and I'm feeling the same. It'll be hard to put myself out there for the performance art piece I'll be doing, but it will be met w/ disgust and delight. I feel good about it. And then there is the music piece of my 10m or so. That's ahead. But, talking to Processed, the feeling of "Whatever - these are yr frenz - put up any sorta shit on stage - and mean it - and they'll dig it.

It was a real long ride home. I was a criminal. Didn't I know that I'm not to have ever dated anyone ever never never never never? I guess I am supposed to have known.

Well, I know now.