6/30/02
Of course, the Fairport article didn't get done Friday night--it got done tonight, actually, and that only after I blew off the latter part of what might've been a fun afternoon to come home and grind away at it. And to discover some factual problems in it that needed adjusting. But it's done, and I'm more or less happy with it; we'll see what my editor thinks. Today's other project was finishing the query letter for the dbc mass-produced/handmade singles series, and sending it out to a handful of bands that I really like to see if they're interested. There are at least as many bands/artists, actually, that I want to send it to but am too nervous to at the moment; in most cases, it's because they've done me plenty of favors already, and I don't want to be the guy who's always asking to borrow the car, metaphorically speaking. We'll see.
It's been a totally fun couple of days. Yesterday morning, we met up with Tara Needham, who's about to head off for two and a half months in western Massachusetts; we brought her some gorgeous photos Lisa had taken of her, and went out to brunch with her and her boyfriend. Then I went back to the Lower East Side, where Aileen and Aaron and Lauren and I attended the wedding of Chengwin and Chove. For those who haven't been initiated (as I hadn't been before this), Chengwin is a half-chicken/half-penguin, and represents Good; his nemesis, Chunk, is a half-chicken/half-skunk, and represents Evil. (Think: giant costumes.) The... drama? pageant? I don't know what you'd call it--started at Astor Place, and proceeded down to the church at 2nd Ave. and 10th St., where Chunk was supposed to marry Chove (half chicken/half dove), until Chengwin showed up to save the day and defeat Chunk (in a battle royal in the middle of the intersection). Chixon (half-chicken/half Richard Nixon) was also involved in some capacity that wasn't entirely clear. Chengwin subsequently married Chove himself, and the audience proceeded to Tompkins Square Park for a reception with wedding cake handed out to everyone. (Well, there was one slight snag: halfway between the church and the park, a couple of police cars pulled up to investigate the disturbance. It looked like Chengwin and Chove were going to be arrested, but everyone started chanting "LOVE'S NOT A CRIME! LOVE'S NOT A CRIME!," and the police made little what-can-you-do gestures and left them alone.)
Other highlights of the weekend: karaoke with Lisa, Sarah, Alexis, and eventually Jess; Lauren's plum cake; hanging out around various tables with food on them; flea-market shopping, in the process of which I dug up some great old comics and 12"s by Machine and Grandmaster Flash. And did I mention finishing the damn article?