Sunday, January 28, 2007

Are YOU a Cheap Trick ?

In the past 24 hours, I have traveled from Boston to NY and back, got in some much needed R+R, diagnosed myself with SAAD, and an assortment of other abbreviations as well.

But more importantly, my worst nightmare came to pass. Let's examine....

To start, Jill's boyfriend's band played a show here in Boston and I got put on the guestlist to finally experience the magic that is An Albotross for myself.














All I can say is.....WOW. The band plays songs that are loud, upbeat, and no longer than 1 minute each. Eddie screams the lyrics at the top of his lungs, making them almost completely incomprehensible. Eddie is a wonder to watch on stage though, every single eye in the house was on him the whole time, kind of like how lions eye their prey just before pouncing. But knowing him as I do, I couldn't help but wonder that maybe the stage-antics are a big game, and believe it or not, we're all playing, and he's winning.














So Karen and I were a little out of place. Big deal. Over all it was a great experience. And Why??

Fear # 1: a club full of people who look like they want to eat me. Conquered.

Also this week, I hung out a few times with Joseph, Steve, and Maura, and we went to a bar and played a little darts.














With their help, I conquered another one of my fears. But I know I'm not alone with this one. This is a condition that affects thousands of frail but stylish boys around the globe EACH DAY.

That's right, I'm talking about SAAD:

Social Athletic Anxiety Disorder.

This runs much deeper than last pick for gym kickball teams. Common side effects include hitting people in the face with darts, kicking off one's sneaker on the soccer court, or "field", hitting a foul ball and running for dear life, swinging the bat and immediately lettting it go so it flies into the bleachers (always amusing), a general lack of knowledge of football in its entirety, bump, set, spike, death, or forgetting that the Hornets moved out of Charlotte after the 2001/2002 season to take up residence in New Orleans, only to be ousted again to Oklahoma City after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

SAAD makes darts in a bar very difficult, with so much testosterone swirling around at all times. But you know what? I sucked it up. I "shmeared". And I got through it. THANKS TEAM!

For more info on SAAD, visit here.















Fear # 2: Social Athletic Anxiety. Conquered!

Finally, I made a rapid-fire surprise visit to NY this weekend to drop in on my friend Spiro at his 21st birthday party. Mission: Accomplished.















Could not have pulled it off without my critical wingman, Brian.

Anyway, I had a great time meeting all of his friends, and staying up all night with them in their amazing duplex.

I met 2 other guys named Evan...who are featured here, in this photo titled 3xEvan:















And tracked down Brittany at Zanzibar which was crazy...














But, back to my story. It is always an interesting situation when you are introduced very quickly into a pre-existing group of friends, and you only know one of them. Like a new germ in an ecosystem. It wreaks havoc without even trying. So, coincidentally, since I was the only new face in the crowd, and because I traveled such a long way to celebrate my friend's birthday with him, and we're both amazingly good looking, someone awkwardly referred to me as a "new trick". And I think they meant it.

Ahhh, the liquor comes out, and so do the mean gays.

And people wonder why I speak out against this "lifestyle choice" with such fervor :) Come on...

I mean, chalk it up to experience, but I think it adds to my character, and is a great story to tell the grandkids. In the end, I had an awesome weekend and Spiro had the coolest 21st birthday party everrrr.

Fear # 3 (AKA my worst nightmare): Being mistaken for Amy Fisher...don't think I need to worry about this one too much.














I have never successfully pulled off any sort of surprise before, so the fact that this went off without a hitch is greatly satisfying. I look forward to pulling off my next great stunt. Maybe I'll go over Niagara in a barrel. Maybe I'll live in a block of ice for 9 days like David Blaine.

Maybe....


PEACE OUT
-Tricky McGee

Sunday, January 21, 2007

What's So Special About 22?

A few days after the new year, I celebrated my 22nd birthday. Since I was home for winter break, I had a big dinner party. Everyone brought food, and it was fantastic. Most of you were probably there, or have seen all the pictures from that night, so I won't post them again here.

However, Karen's 21st birthday was during the break as well, and while being at home with your friends on your birthday is the absolute best way to spend it, we were kind of bummed that in our 4 years of college, we hadn't once been in Boston for our birthdays.

So upon our arrival back to school, we decided to re-celebrate our birthdays Boston style. We figured, why not throw a sequal?? And so, "Evan and Karen and the Chamber of Secrets" was born. The pictures throughout this post come from this night.














For our re-birthday party, we headed to a bar called Common Ground, where every Friday night is "My So Called 90s" night, and the DJ spins Spice Girls, Real McCoy, LaBouche, Jock Jams....you get the idea: the greatest musical decade of alllll time.



























I soon got to thinking about what this birthday means to me. I mean, 22. Big deal. Double Deuces. Awesome.

Society has given certain turning points to just about every birthday, but no one seems to get excited about 22. It's like you mention certain years and everyone on Earth chimes in with one or more of the following:

1: Oh My God! You're 1!
2: Terrible 2s watch out!
3: Potty Training and Pre-school.





























6: You finally stop picking your nose and eating it.
7: Time for the sex talk...right? Oh man, what a day THAT was.
10: DOUBLE DIGITS!!!! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!





























12: Oh my god you'll be a TEEN soon.
13: Go buy some Stridex pads, pizza face.
14: My cycle started.... what... I was a late bloomer.





























16: "Heyyyyyy tell everyone you know to stay off the roads" -Everyone's uncle ever.
18: Lottery - porn - cigarettes - morning after pills (LIFE SAVERS, trust me)
20: NOT A TEENAGER ANYMORE
21: Car renting, here I come.

And 22. No one has anything to say about 22. It's after 21, and therefore will always be in its gloriously drunk shadow. And it isn't quite 25, which is when you have your first gigantic life epiphany/crisis. Can't wait!

Anyway, the re-birthday party was a huge succcess. Karen and I had such a great night, but it's really the people who came out to celebrate who made it happen. And the presence of Chumbawumba. I'm starting to think it should be my re-birthday every weekend.

Classes have started, and I'm taking some cool ones. I think this is what college is supposed to feel like. History of the Beatles, American Folklore/Urban Legends, Shoelaces. You know, the really difficult stuff.

I'm going to spend the coming semester trying to figure out what's sooo special about being 22. And when I do, I'll get back to you. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions. Until then.... BLING!















Peace out.

-ev

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

New Years reVolutions

Happy New Year!














For a minute there, I didn't think we were gonna make it...what with all the global warming and the gays marrying, Marc Foley and Tom Cruise...Beelzebub himself was sure to get us all in 2006, but we seemed to have dodged his mighty hand just a bit longer. Don't. Fuck. It. Up.

Anyhoo, I had a rather lovely little New Years Eve. Kim and I went to dinner and then a bunch of us went back to Will's Rutgers house, but I couldn't help but think that the night has lost some of the magic it had for me when I was younger. I think it has to do with the time. I mean, when you're 7 years old, midnight is LATE. But now, it's not so special. I have, like, dinner at midnight. Not even, I have lunch at midnight, and dinner at 5am. And then I get ready to go out to the club at 8am. Doesn't everyone? Jeez
































So I think for next year, we should push New Years back to like 3am, so that it feels reeeeeeaaaally late when the ball drops.

I guess the whole time thing reverts back when you get old though. I was watching Dick Clark give some New Years wisdom after the clock struck 12 and thought, "surely this was pre-recorded because it is WAY past his bed time."




























So this break has been pretty good. Last week we had a bunch of family and friends over to celebrate the holidays after the holidays, basically because both me and my brother were home, and that never happens. Brittany fell in love with one of my little cousins and we decided to keep him and start our own family.


















It turns out he's a triplet though, so we had to give him back to the other two. Ugh.

I also got to hang out with some really good friends who I grew up with, and who have all since moved out to LA. They keep telling me I'm going to move out there after graduation, but they can keep dreaming.














Karen finally turned 21 a few nights ago.














We had dinner in SPAIN and then went downtown for a Burlesque show. It was pretty fantastic, as she had the time of her life and there were just so many people we both knew there, from Boston, New York, Jersey, and DUBLIN.



























So here we are. 2007. For years and years, many of us have written 2007 down on paper work and forms and documents, the year of graduation, never expecting it to actually arrive.

But it has.

In a BIG way.

And while I'm excited and anxious to know what will happen in 5 months, here are some thoughts for now:

In 2007, I hope to make better decisions. In grade school, my teachers would tell me to think before I spoke, because usually I said whatever came to mind: some of it constructive, some of it useless, most of it absolutely moronic and insulting. And now, at 21, I still do this. But I also act without thinking sometimes. And that's a bad idea.

So while I learn to deal with these imperfections, and trust me, I am well aware of and sorry for them, let's all look forward to a bigger and better 2007.

Happy New Year. I love you all.