Monday, January 02, 2006

Tuesday, September 20, 2005: First Meeting of the Olympia Badminton Revival Society

Dcfc0003_3Ok, so it's Carrie's birthday today.  She's 27, and very pleased about
it.  As I understand it "the 7's" are especially fortuitous.  I expect
a lot of Chinese people would agree with that.  Though 27 seems more
like an example of the "9's" to me.  But I guess that's just the
frustrated mathematician in me talking.  The one that never really
applied himself to Calculus, that is...  Anyway, here you see my co-clerk Marcin Grabowski.  Taking a smoke-break at the Temple of Justice.  Marcin is famous for pointing out how important it is for our esteemed elected representatives to look out for the puppies.  Well, Marcin.  Goes to show someone's on the case.





Dcfc0002_1 In any case, Carrie's having a
badminton birthday party at her friend Chris's house (different
Chris).  With certain costume requirements.  Namely "hat or tie."  A
curious standard, but one I managed to satisfy, as you'll see later.
So, I told Carrie I'd meet her at the party "after 7."  When the
workday ended, I headed home to write that review again.  Then got
frustrated.  And went out to meet a couple friends for drinks at the
Brotherhood.  No pictures, there sorry.  But at 7:30, I rode my bike up the 5th
Ave. hill to the "shitbox" (I swear, the moniker Carrie used for the
house in question... or maybe that was the one next door).  The hill
was steep, and it was dark.  So it took me awhile to find the right
number.  But eventually I did.  The party was still pretty quiet yet.
Apparently things don't generally get going here until 10pm or later.
Much like NYC, I guess.Carrie introduced me to her good friend Theodora (pictured here) shortly after I arrived.  Carrie produced Theodora's film Order, which is still in the works.  Theodora is currently working on a film about Joss Whedon, creator of Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Or rather, a documentary about the people obsessed with Serenity, his new feature-film version of Firefly.
Dcfc0016I soon got dragooned into the badminton game.  Here's Julia lunging for the birdie.  She was on my team, playing against Carrie and Lisa.  I'm frankly not quite certain who won this particular game.  Nor am I clear that we were actually playing a "game" in the formal, rule-bound sense of the term.  But it was fun anyway.
Dcfc0022_3Shortly, I went inside to get a drink, and met a lovely girl named Laura (pictured here), who reminded me a bit of Jane O'Brien from Law Review at NYU.  They had the same smile, anyway.  I met her boyfriend too.  I think his name was Dan.  Haven't heard from Jane in awhile, but I've been thinking of her ever since the new Bluebook came in.  I wonder how she feels about that...?  I've never known of anyone else with a quasi-erotic relationship to a citation manual.  Only in law school.
Dcfc0024Pictured here is Aaron, a fellow Californian (from Napa!), who very generously offered me a glass of his Bombay Sapphire.  One of my favorite gins!  I took it with ice, as usual for me.
Dcfc0027_2Somebody got a fire going, which was really nice.  Even though the wood seemed a little green, and tended to kick up a lot of smoke.  Just gotta dodge the plume, that's all...
Dcfc0033_2So then, back to badminton.  And a series of action photos, featuring Carrie...
Dcfc0034...smacking the birdie...
Dcfc0035_1...and waiting for the return.









Dcfc0040






So, I tired of badminton after awhile.  And sat down and talked to a
girl named Sam for a little while.  Who was very nice, and wearing a
charming tie.
Dcfc0041Then the elusive Christopher Brown arrived, accompanied by his friend Tracy.  We talked about art school, &c.  And I admired his hat.  Which had enigmatic red stencils on it.
Dcfc0050He admired mine as well, pictured in the photo here.  A floppy wool SF Giants hat.  Always a favorite, as I very much consider SF my home town.  As absurd as that might sound.  I'd just purchased it that afternoon at Dumpster Values.  Carrie got a great woolly pink hat, and I got this one.  In any case, Christopher and I shortly traded.  I think I got the better of the deal.  But then so does he.  Giving economists everywhere that warm fuzzy feeling they get when a market transaction is efficiently consummated.
Dcfc0061Eventually, I migrated inside.  Along with everyone else.  And Aaron was in there, DJing.  He was pretty good, I thought.  And it was rather nice of him.  I'm dying to replace the turntable I sold when I left NYC.  Shortly, I swear it.
Dcfc0065Then I noticed Arrington, the guitarist/singer of Old Time Relijun on the other side of the room.  He came over to say hello, and we talked about my old guitar, which I told Jamie about.  It's a ratty old Japanese one, with a crazy lo-fi quality.  And it's just like the one Arrington's got now.  Which is on it's way out.  We settled on him taking a look at it when he's in NYC on tour.
Dcfc0067Ok, so the night was getting pretty late at that point.  And cold.  Carrie nicked my jacket.  Which I didn't really need anymore anyway, after several glasses of wine.  Here's she's bussing her friend Tyler.  Whose birthday is approaching as well.  We left not so long after, on foot, and pretty damn happy.  Olympia is really lovely, late on a Tuesday night, with a beautiful, laughing birthday girl on your arm.

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