In the Beginning

We're about one week into the new year and so far things have started out okay, I guess. This week has felt extremely long for some reason. I had a dream last night where I didn't know if it was still New Year's Eve/Christmas break or not. I quickly realized the holidays were over, which is a good thing. I just feel a little disorientated right now. It's the beginning of the year and I'm in the process of trying to upstart things and set goals and get things done. Of course everyone feels this way making resolutions and such. I'm also trying to see people I haven't seen before Christmas and catch up with them. I think the most bizarre thing is the smoking ban. It's nice to finally walk into a bar and not leave smelling like a chimney. I'm so glad I never became a smoker. Now you see all these die-hard smokers huddled outside in the cold puffing away. Suckers. Thursday and Friday I ended up temping finally making some money, but of course it isn't enough. Money has been my focus of late and I really want a lot of it. My friend and I were scheming how we could become rich but all of our plans involved criminal activity like robbing a bank. There's gotta be other means to get rich. I really want to be independently wealthy, like Hugh Grant's character in About of Boy who has way too much time on his hands and never has to work a job. I also really want to travel a lot more, of course. I hate how everything is wrapped around in money. Part of me just wants to somehow make a lot of money and just travel and get away with not having to have a full time job. I can dream, I guess.

This weekend felt sorta crazy and long but maybe that's because I didn't get much sleep. Friday night I went to my friends sketch show again. The show has been selling out, which is cool. They even thanked me in their program and that made me feel special. It's nice to be appreciated. I didn't even drink Friday night because I didn't feel like it. Saturday I certainly made up for it. My friend and I went to see this punk cabaret band The Dresden Dolls in concert. My first concert of the new year. Afterwards, we went to a cool little bar and drank a lot of beer. I met some guy who's very much into indie rock so we talked a lot about music. Those indie boys will forever be my Achilles heel. Then a couple of our other friends showed up and we somehow ended up at a 5am bar, closing that out. What I love about Chicago is its randomness. At the bar I of course ran into 2 people I know.

In the new year, I've been trying to catch up on movies and books and such. I watched Before the Devil Knows You're Dead with Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman and liked it a lot. Usually I don't like crime thrillers, but this on engrossed me the entire time with its twists and turns. I've also been watching "30Rock," a show I've never seen but heard good things about. I really like how smart it is. I really want to see There Will Be Blood. Hopefully I can download it soon. I've also been trying to catch up on music from the past year and listen to stuff I overlooked. I've also been trying to read some books, but I get so damn distracted it's hard for me to just sit there quietly and read. But I need to read because I have a long list of books.

I'm not sure how the week ahead will pan out but despite it being the dead of winter, at least there are things going on. Tuesday I'm going to another concert and this weekend I might go to Michigan. Might. Depending on the weather. I haven't really spent anytime there and since I'm all gung ho about traveling, it seems like a good idea.

Now if only I could get my financial situation straightened out a little, life would be pretty good. As already in the new year, I'm back to my bad habits. Or at least thinking about them--if you know what I mean.