Opening Ceremony

While it rains on Saturday evening Mooney and I go to his, where I pick up the new QuarterSnacks black back Snackman tee in XL. It feels Amazing on me, like a dream come true. I have on an all black kit. We listen to Future and I text all the sexy girls I know to see whats good. Eugenie gives me 57 Walker St address of art opening which means free drinks so Mooney and I prepare to leave his. The Snackman graphic on my back looks so good that I leave my backpack at Mooney's to show off the Snackman on my back. I leave my Clash Skateboard too since it's still raining. We walk downtown in the drizzle and listen to Future on my phone, then get to the art show where there are two floors and the alcohol choice between Brooklyn bottles and Prosecco so Mooney and I pull bottles from icey tub then I pop the caps with lighter and find Eugenie in the back sitting down. In the year after knee surgeries I am always down to take a rest so we do some talking and see some other people. Mooney says he is developing a taste for Brooklyn beer since we keep having it at openings but he will still not pay money for it. Sandy Kim has taken many photos of breasts in situations and some other cool things. Eugenie is not holding a beer and I ask if she drinks and she says Not beer and I tell her there is prosecco and she goes up for a glass. The beer is in no worry of running out and we are six bottles deep, well on the way to 100+ ounce goal, by the time we make it downstairs, where Nolema is with her friend Ira and we talk to them all and pick up one of Tyler Healy's print outs and see Egg Yolk's melted popsicle corner, all blue besides one orange. Mooney hypothesizes this is a race discussion. I talk to Sage and Marin for a minute, then see them later with Carly Mark and we talk about how much Roctakon likes the treats she brought him from Paris. She tells me to make sure to have Roctakon pass her along a Dollar Story. She can also pick them up at American Two Shot. Thando comes, Valentine comes, Jorge is there, Maggie Lee has video art, Riot Chris is still straightedge. Kosta arrives right when things are ending, in a tan Lands End rain jacket very much like the one I used to wear before a black Krink marker busted in the pocket years ago. I should sew a different color pocket over that jacket since I have it in Indiana and we follow Thando's suggestion of Patriot Bar en route to the Wang Party. On the way I stop to introduce myself to a girl who has found a resting position on a window ledge that suits her angular body very well so I stop and tell her things. She is rolling a cigarette then I see she is rolling herb into it as well and I ask if I may share and she says sure. A true SF girl, smoking loud in public 8 years into New York and she runs a literary journal so we have plenty in common and she lets on that she has a boyfriend, which is considerate. She encourages I smoke the first half of the joint myself, also considerate and she asks who I'm listening to on my phone as I say Future, the song Astronaut Chick and she says she'll have to download it when she gets home. When we say goodbye she remembers my name and even though I don't remember hers I have the courage to ask what it is again, and I just take her full name into my phone to play it safest even though I feel like we'll see each other again too even though I haven't found her on Facebook yet. I meet up with the team again at Patriot Bar. A beer there, cheap prices, Ty comes through, friendly bartenders, I pick up like 5 buffalo wings from a tray someone was done with and the team goes in. Valentine doesn't realize they are leftovers and says that they are cold. I have one dollar on my person and have to save card money for rent so could not have bought an order of wings even if I wanted to and we explain the situation to her. Then we go check out the Wang party but don't bother trying the door as Mooney's connect is slow to respond and people are only getting entrance when people leave, but why would anyone leave, so we head back northwest. We pass the smoking crowds outside Tribeca Grand and stop at Soho Grand where Thando and I go up to check out the party on the second floor near where I met with Arnaud for Carhartt interview for which I should have worn looser pants and entertained Arnaud's offer of breakfast. Thando points out how well our outfits work tonight, since I am white and wearing the black Snackman tee and Thando is black wearing the White Snackman tee and some Supreme Dunks. The black doorman looks at Thando in this weird way then Thando tells the white door girl the deejay's name and we are in. We walk through and wish it was open bar because the decor is nice but the scene is not too crowded so we can't just cruise up on a bottle so we meet back up with Mooney Kosta and Valentine outside then start walking toward Jane. Thando supports my buzz with a street beer from the deli by where Liz used to live. Valetine grabs her bike and rides off to Night People at Le Bain then Kosta turns around when we're about to be at the Jane. Inside at Jane we pass the line and go to Grandpa in the dj booth and he gives us drink tickets. I use mine on Vodka gimlets. I use my last cash on first round tip and cannot go to my card tonight. Then later I tip change from my Anti Hero coin purse which I know is worthless to the bartenders but feel better about myself at least giving them something as the 13 dollar drinks go down very nicely/potently. Buzz Lightyear. I don't come up on any babes at Jane as usual but have a fine time as usual and talk to Miyako which is always a pleasure. Thando leaves at some point and this is when the night gets hazy. Mooney and I split a whiskey shot on our last drink ticket and then i bet we left and headed toward the Fish though i don't remember. I do remember being so fucking tired on the subway home and kinda feel like I may have taken two trains somehow and had to stay awake so I didn't miss my stops. I do remember getting off the subway at Halsey to morning light and running home so I could go to sleep sooner. I had taken off my knee brace at some point and was carrying that. I woke up to my Computer as an alarm, so I must have realized before I went to sleep that I didn't have my phone. When I skated with Roctakon earlier Saturday he had told me I drink too much, later in the day Mooney disagreed with that statement and I wonder if me not having a phone is proof of that. THe front of my Flip Cam is now missing the Battery protector but the video machine still works despite that, even though I have to tape the batteries in place now. Then I wake up, make sandwiches for work at the house, also pack an orange and some carrots along with water in a Gatorade bottle then take the bus to work my shift very well off 4 hours sleep. You have to be very mindful when moving product while on a ladder since that shit can be dangerous, then I head home and hit up Mooney on twitter to see where I should meet him that night. I text with Michelle on Ryan's phone about her plans for the night since I may go to Montreal with her the next day. She is saying Fish. Twitter looks like Mooney's at a y3 party though I don't have an address and I talk to Eugenie on Facebook chat as I wait to hear back from Mooney on the situation and chomp a carrot. Eugenie is mentioning Opening Ceremony thing then Mooney tells me to go to Webster Hall so I split a spliff with Ryan and take the Snackman cruiser and my red Supreme backpack out the door. I'm wearing two new Polo shirts and polo Tennis shorts and white Nike indoor soccer shoes with hair in ponytail and bobby pins. If I was Mooney I would tell girls I am a pro tennis player. I have a nice seat on the subway which is good for my knee but then the train gets crowded and I help the aged to offer my seat to an older woman, since if you don't do it, nobody else may do it either. I get off at 1st Ave to be on Manhattan streets ASAP and skate around to hit Webster Hall from the West. The block is hot and I step off my board and scan faces then see Austin Peters walking in with his girl. I yell his name and he hears me but he is being hurried in as door men keep shuffling me along another way so I loop around and approach the door like Austin did but with Snackman cruiser on my arm instead of a babe. Some worker calls me young man and tells me I have to move away as I'm getting my bag ready and I tell him I'm going in so he says okay. I walk to the door and girls younger than me with iPads are confirming names. I say Austin Peters and she says okay enjoy your night. The entry is crowded and the crowd shuffles in slower than I would like but progress happens. I walk into the bigger ground level room and loop first floor looking for Mooney. I see Benny Zooted and Mike Avedon, who says he went to high school with Lauren Piven so now I know she grew up in the city and Mike and I talk about Matt Avedon for a minute and we talk about the US Open. Zooted and I talk about the sweaty Triple Six show then I see Jenny Correa who says she saw Roctakon and encourages me to get a drink so I head toward a bar. I see Austin Peters and tell him how I got in then he tells me it's open bar and I get a beer like he has. Ashasi poured from bottle into plastic cup. I see Amir beside me at the bar wearing a black collared shirt. I see Sky and we talk about our approaching court date, then I suggest we head upstairs even though I saw Zooted and Avedon go downstairs I had heard a girl's voice say "upstairs" earlier. The second level is the main stage standing roomspace with DJs up front, a balcony area up and around. I see Roc and Carly in the middle back of floor, Roc in Camo, having fun dancing. Roc takes my photo first and it's good to know I look good. I can talk to Roc anytime but talking to Carly is a rarer treat but the space is so loud it is hard to talk though we make effort. The most effective way is to speak right into someone's ear. "To be famous is so nice. Suck my dick. Kiss my ass. In limousines we have sex. Every night with my famous friends." Harsh Euro Barge was my introduction to Miss Kitten but Roctakon knew about her before then. I kinda dance but dancing is kind of tiring and my heart isn't in it though a wandering dancing babe gives me attention. I twirl some circles and see Josh Zickert and I wonder if he knows I am the person who wrote the Natty K review on QuarterSnacks. I wander up to the third level and it becomes apparent there is a new party in every different room of this entire Hall, like 20 parties in the whole building and one room filled with roses and comfortable chairs and if I had my phone I would text Valentine, instead I film footage since flowers looks dope on flip cam footy. I grab another beer and head back to the second floor where a fast paced remix of Video Games draws me to the Dance floor until that song ends too soon and I head toward the stairs where I see Sage and Marin, both looking as fine as ever for the second night in a row. It is so loud that Marin doesn't hear me say hi, so I stand beside Marin for a second as she looks into her phone then she senses my presence and we talk about how good the Rap CDs she donated to friends were. Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, Diplomatic Immunity, Lil Jon and 20 other discs of similar quality. I worked too late before they were gone. How many girls do you know know who have bought rap like that? Marin and I talk about what we did last night after we last saw each other and I admit I lost my phone. Marin says she is sorry, that she lost her phone in a cab at the same damn time last night probably but got hers back today. She has eye make up with lines going up at the edges of her eyes and I wonder about her eye make up and if she will do that in five years. I hope that at least on occasion she will. This Opening Ceremony 10 year anniversary party will never happen again and the open bar will go till last call. I have not broken my 20 that I withdrew because Mooney advised me to never withdraw more than 20 from the ATM at once is the best way to be responsible when poor or anytime. Marin announces she wants another drink as I say Me too and we head to the bar with Sage and Sammy, Claude's friend. Marin is drinking pineapple and vodka something so I place her order and my beer. I show her a clip of the room with roses. I ask if Sage wants anything while the bartender is around but Marin says Sage doesn't drink. As I am standing at the bar I see Katy standing eight people to the right from me, white, blonde, older than my memories. I have not seen her in like 3 years and she doesn't see me yet, but she is standing beside Daria who does and who smiles and waves. Katy and I do not make eye contact but I bet Daria identifies me to her and then Marin's and my drinks come and Marin invites me to come along so I walk away without making eye contact with Katy and no effort at further approach from me. I tell Marin how I got in using Austin Peters' name and she says she and Austin used to date years ago. I tell her I just saw my ex-girlfriend across the bar who I hadn't seen in four years and wonder if I should have said "an ex-girlfriend" to sound less attached. We walk as Marin texts with Carly to find out where she and Roc went. I see Marin's phone's Hello Kitty background so show her my Hello Kitty key holder. She asks me if I found the keys and I point to myself to show her they are mine. She likes. It is so loud. We dance some as Dave Moche and Deering are there then Princess SuperStar starts rapping with a dance troupe and i start to wander again. Catherine's white face stands out to me and I walk toward her then realize she's standing beside TJ Carlissimo closer to me so I say whats up to him first, hug since we haven't seen each other in over a year and I have a Snackman cruiser in one hand and drink in the other. TJ is wearing dark clothes and I try to make out his shoes. We do our best to talk over the sound. He has no drink and I ask if he is drinking these days. He says he's waiting on drinks then Clark Hassler arrives with four drinks for their quartet. There are few sights more pleasant than Clark arriving with the handful of drinks. I give him a cheers with my beer, which is easier than hand shakes, especially since I have a scrape on my palm and point to my ear to signal how difficult talking is and he agrees. Someone hands Deering a colorful plastic eggs that he twists open to reveal a smaller egg. Inside that egg is a small square box and inside that a folded silver plastic package which Deering tucks into his breast pocket to move our minds. Another beer and I wonder about work tomorrow. I go to the basement where there is some ASAP sounding rap playing and I see the oldest man I have seen at the party looking at me and think about talking to him but keep it moving. The restroom downstairs has an attendant who keeps the paper towels flowing and I get another two beers at the bar since I had to wait so long to order. I go upstairs and see Danielle sitting down so talk to her and use her phone to text Michelle where I am. Michelle says she's going to Sway and I say maybe I'll go there in an hour though I'm feeling less like I'll leave this place and I still haven't seen Mooney and I don't know how Michelle could get in here. Danielle tells me there are free cookies up at this Magnolia stand so I go up there and pick up two and am also given a petite cupcake that I give to Danielle on the way back and she's smoking her e-cigarette and i try two hits and she talks about all the drugs she is on and we tell stories for some time. The girl who danced with me at first sits down beside us and I tell Danielle that girl danced with me. Danielle asks if I want to dance and I tell her no and tell her how I didn't want to dance with the other girl either so it isn't personal. My left knee surgery story is kind of wild and she hadn't heard it. I grab some more cookies from Momofuku Milk bar and put them in my backpack and there is coconut water coffee that I put bottles in my bag too, just loading my bag up to capacity for the future, the house and work tomorrow. Fully stocked, I go for a beer but they are now out of beer so I switch to vodka and juices with caution. I go upstairs and see Fat Bill in an Adidas tracksuit with Chloe Sevigny but they are talking to other people too and I figure I'll see them later again. There is a room that is a recreation of Sway, long and Narrow and Ben Cho is there playing the Smiths of course since it is Sunday and I wish I could get Michelle into this party and wonder what it is like if she is actually at Sway. I see Maggie Lee by a bathroom line in an adidas track jacket too and we wait together and talk about Ryan and Sydney and her work with Bill and how we both have backpacks. We go into the one private bathroom together when our turn comes and Maggie shoots a photo then I turn away while she goes, then I go and we are washed, then kiss on the lips then she puts her tongue in my mouth then someone knocks at the door then we head out, where Maggie changes her film and she starts talking to someone else so I keep it moving. Allen Ying is there now in Sway room of course and he says Paulgar got him in. I see Paulgar a few minutes later with Bill and Chloe and it is a great treat to see Paulgar though of course conversation is still difficult but it's better outside the sway room where you take a right like you're heading to party ledge, which is where I talk to Chloe for a minute. I ask her if she remembers when she and Roctakon went on a date to Grand Central Station Oyster Bar and she says yes, that she loves Andy and we talk about him being there tonight. Chloe kinda is looking into her phone and I wonder if she knows my name. She announces that she cannot find her date and I say "You should make me your date" but it is too loud for her to hear me and I do not repeat myself and leave her looking into her phone. I head to main floor while Lil Kim is rapping and people are waving large flags. The last time I saw Kim was with Gucci Mane at Stadium. I see Roctakon and Carly have taken good sitting perched vantage points with Ross One and HVN http://www.myspace.com/realtoughcrowd looking lovely and happy to see me, haven't since her birthday girls. Then I say Hello to Ross, which is the most we can say when it is this loud and then all these silver balloons in the shape of stars fall from the ceiling, like one thousand or two thousand of them, and hands bounce them for a while in strobe lighting then people stomp them and I wander through the crowd and stomp them and I wonder if someone in heels will twist an ankle or knee on the less stable surfaces. Back on the entry level I dance to No Diggity walking around and it's nice to hear Money Power Respect and All About the Benjamins. "I'm trying to cop those Colossal sized Picassos" is one of the best rap lines. I pick up a rose and have it sticking out of my backpack. Then back up by Roctakon I see Thando and Ty and some babes. Since Thando and Mooney are roommates and co-producers of 21 Sprung Street I know I can go home with Thando and pick up my things. He says Mooney left already. People are giving out colorful lights to strap on our fingers and I get Thando and me a few more drinks. I talk to a girl in Jordans who says she is waiting on her boyfriend but she is still down to talk and I end up selling her a Dollar Story, then sell a Dollar Story to the downstairs bathroom attendant then give one to one of the bartenders who was nice. Then Ty and Thando and I walk downtown and Thando convinces me to not go to Montreal the next day with Michelle since I should not leave the country when I have less than 100 dollars to my name, especially considering how I have the opportunity to make money if I stay in New York for two more days until the US Open ends. As Cam'ron says, "I'd rather do business than pleasure," so I text Michelle the next day and know she'll understand and I'll go to Montreal in the Spring when my knee is even better. I wonder if my next phone will be Clay's old iPhone when he gets the new one. I kinda want to go to phone Cex and pick up a blackberry so I can have two phones like a dope boy. I pick up my bag and board from Spring Street so now I have two boards and two bags at 4:15am. I blast up first Ave on Snackman cruiser and get to L and see two police right in the station. I see the next Brooklyn L is coming in one minute. I swipe my metro card but the turnstile stops my stomach and I see the reader says INSUFFICIENT FUNDS. I hear the train coming and if I go to the machine to buy another card I'll miss the train and the next one is 28 minutes away and it is 4:20am already and I have to be at work at Flushing Meadows by noon and I need to go to Grand Central in the morning before that to pick up a check and deposit it so I can pay rent 10 days late. The police are not looking at me and I do not have any drugs on me so I duck under the turnstile, but the turnstile opens my backpack so Dollar Stories, cookies and coconut water bottles spill along the ground and I still have my wallet and metro card in hand as I frantically try to place everything onto my Clash board as a collection plate, which I somehow do, and carry bags, boards and it all downstairs and onto the train, where I put all the goods back in my bag as I ride the ten stops to Halsey again and at least it is still dark when I get off the train this time and go to sleep for 4 hours again before waking up with my computer as an alarm clock. I leave my house at 10:17 in the morning which is obviously all you need to know to know that today was going to be a good day.