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Grouplove came out with their debut album with a handful of new songs that weren't on the EP and, so far, the album is fantastic. This is a rewarding feeling. This is even more impressive than Of Monsters and Men, and that album is pretty solid. There's a small chance that I could find a way to see Grouplove play in Belgium on my birthday, possible only if I get my Turkish residency permit within my first week in the country. That would really be something though. I wonder how much tickets are.

Today felt like a Washed Out song. Iven woke up with a whiskey hangover on the floor of my room and I finally got up to get ready after he took a sobering shower and I suggested we go get some coffee. It was early enough that I saw the morning group at Old Soul and I didn't say hello to all of them, but to Richard and Molly and Ross. Looks like everyone's doing good. Iven's headache dissolves with the caffeine and aspirin. We walk over to 58 Degrees but it's still a few minutes before opening and there's no sight of Kelly or Jesse, so we take a walk around the block. Windy, sunny, crisp winter day. We talk about what Iven thinks he might do with the future. It's neat to see all the options he has and it'll be interesting to see what he winds up doing while I'm away. Then it's brunch with Kelly and Jesse and we cheers to Kelly's 27th and small talk with the bartender, Aaron, who tells me about the Grouplove album. Jesse tells us about his New Years peyote experience. With a mimosa to wash it down, I order the stuffed French toast with mascarpone cheese and it's delicious. Aaron gives me half a second mimosa for free because I used to serve him coffee. Gotta love that. Next, Iven and I head back to my place to wait for Andy to get home and text us. We listen to a few tracks from the Grouplove album. It's a nice day for walking and Iven and I get a little stoned and pack up some supplies for a walk to the river. Andy lets us in to his place and we reformulate the plan to include Rite-Aid and a bottle of wine as we venture down the alphabet toward the B Street Theatre. Over there, we ascend the levy to follow the train tracks east, looking for river access, but instead we decide to stay on the tracks because we're just in the mood for train tracks. Eventually we pass the freeway and realize we're far from the river and Iven wants a place to lay out in the sun and so we realize we're a few blocks from McKinley Park. An hour later, we've played two games of backgammon and drank half a bottle of wine. We leave our bench in the sun for a walk to Mexican food, where we eat too much, and a grocery store, where we buy a Nerf football. An hour later, we've played catch and backgammon and smoked weed and nearly finished the wine and the wind picks up as the sun goes down, so it gets cold and we decide to leave. Quite a long walk unravels before us as we meander through Midtown to my house. We spend the last minutes of daylight in the backyard smoking with Brady and embracing the joy of a worry-free weekend, then head to the warmth of my room to watch Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. Iven and Andy head home and I've got the night to myself. 

Yesterday started with coffee at Insight with Kelly and a chance to see Lucky and congratulate him on the coffee-shop. I got to catch up with Kelly after her road trip to Taos. We make it over to Tower Theatre just in time for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which was totally captivating but ultimately confusing, requiring a second viewing to catch all the details. Around this time, Andy sends out invites to a show at Harlow's. I get a call from Iven asking me if I'm going and he says he'll head down soon to pre-party beforehand. Kelly and I go to Old Soul and meet up with Jake, who goes with us to Mondo Bizarro for lunch, but the girl at the register is awkwardly inept and it's hard not to snicker, but eventually we get our things ordered and after a few games of backgammon, Jake leaves for other plans and Kelly and I walk back to her car to say goodbye. I take a couple hours for myself before Iven arrives and we smoke and get snacks and head over to Andy's. After quelling our appetite for munchies and dubstep, we three venture to Blue Cue for pool and, eventually, pizza. It's empty when we arrive but the place gets packed quickly and soon there are people waiting for pool tables to open up. Two girls challenge Iven and Andy to a game after we finished our first and, content as the permanent wingman, I took a seat as they played and bantered and got to know each other. Kim and Raquel were their names, and their friends arrived a while later with the intention to leave again for The Mix. Two games were played. Iven and Andy downed a few shots of Jameson with Pabst chasers and though Kim had proclaimed to have a boyfriend, she seemed to be bonding with Iven while Raquel was focusing on Andy. I was happy with my margarita pizza and having fun just being social and meeting new people. After some debate, we wound up joining their plan to go to The Mix because they had free passes and no interest in going to Harlows. I'm intrigued because I'm having fun supporting the guys' pursuit of these girls, curious to see where this detour could lead, and plus I've never been to The Mix and can't pass up a free pass. Next thing, Iven and Andy and I are in a taxi and we make our way to my house for a quick smoke and a quick wardrobe change before heading over to The Mix. Raquel loans us her special-access token and the doorman tells us we're not wearing the right kind of shoes, but still lets us in. I'd never been, so mostly I'm here just to say that I've at least been here, and the long staircase with its dark blue walls leads us up to the dance floor, which spills out into an open patio with tons of couches and fire-pits and a view of the stars and the nearly-full moon and the swaying tops of trees lining 17th street. There are a lot of people here. For some time we hang out around a fire where a few middle-aged professionals start chatting up the girls. Iven's pretty toasted so it's fun to hear him ramble so openly and Andy tries to flirt with Raquel. Our group moves around and ultimately ends up at the dance floor, briefly, before another trip to the bar and some idle time under the heat lamps. The other two friends are older, one of them married, one of them Hungarian, all of them from the same state-worker position with HP. Suddenly Kim and Raquel leave, which leaves Iven and Andy without a girl to pursue, so the energy of the night fades quickly and we say goodbye to the ladies and head back to my house. We're all really pleased with the unexpected turn of events and the amusement of meeting new people and going to new places, letting destiny steer the wheel. I can't help but ramble about how good a wingman I was and how good it feels to be in love with Jenny, to feel that confidence and security and passion, and how I can still have a good time without pursuing the situations that my single guy friends will undoubtedly pursue. Instead I can give them advice and laugh with them and watch them and wish them luck. Well despite their best efforts, the good gentlemen of Andy and Iven did not get together with these girls any more than the exchanging of phone numbers, but it was still fun. Iven stayed the night on my floor. These are the photos I took the next day: