September 10, 1989 Sunday

Yesterday Alena and I took the subway uptown to MOMA, which was awesome, and an opportunity for us to hang out alone and get to know each other away from Daphne and the other roommates. We talked about our upbringings and families, and things we like. She’s very easy to talk to, not judgmental or critical. We wandered around the museum, checking out the Cubism exhibit and some of Picasso’s work, and some other now forgotten modern artwork. I enjoyed the Cubism pieces, but I’m not much for modern art I guess. I got bored and hungry and suggested we get dinner. We stopped at this Chinese place on the way home – lots of great food and we split everything. So good!!

Last night Jane and two of her friends, and Alena and I went to the Cat Club. All black walls, black stage, and black floors, very industrial looking and a bit bare bones in a New Wave-ish way. There were a lot of music flyers advertising upcoming artists I’ve barely heard of plastered to the walls inside the doors. The huge industrial-looking bar was on the left and then a few steps down was a cavernous dance floor only half-full of a menagerie of interesting characters. The music was awesome, but I had one drink and just kind of watched.

September 13, 1989 Wednesday

I got a letter from Charles, postmarked from Italy, telling me he won’t be home now until the 21^st or 22^nd. I guess I’m a bit disappointed, I don’t know.

Classes are fine – I really like my Human Society and Culture class, and the instructor is great!

I dropped off the phone deposit at Bell today for $100. Hopefully we’ll have a working phone in a few days.

Last night Jane took me to Veniero’s down 11th, oh my God! There’s this enormous glass case filled with Italian pastries, cookies, cannolis, little fruit tarts, and so much more. I think I died and went to heaven in there. The first order of business is taking a number, and waiting on line until it’s called, though good luck deciding what you want when you can’t get near the case until it’s your turn. The space inside is small and Old-World feeling; it reminded me of Greece and the pastry shops on every corner. The store is split in two: between the shop side for carry-out, and the seated side, with its copper tiled-ceiling filled with little 2-top tables pressed so closely together there’s barely room to walk between them.

We bought a box full of cannolis and cookies, and two coffees, and headed back to the dorm. I’m not sure its proximity to our dorm is going to be a good thing.

September 15, 1989 Friday

I’ve decided to go home tomorrow morning. I called Erikah on my lunch break and she said she and her mom would pick me up at 30^th Street Station.

I wasn’t feeling well last night so I decided to stay in and go to bed early. Well. Daphne and Alena were so loud coming in and out of our bedroom, flicking on the overhead light, in and out, light on, light out. I was so pissed. It was mostly Daphne. I have been trying to tolerate this situation but personally I don’t think I should have to.

Anyway, they went out for about an hour and then came back. Then Daphne’s friend Dimitri was with them, and he needs a place to stay – guess where? I didn’t get to sleep until after 2:30 thanks to all their commotion, and I had to get up at 6:30 for work. I was so pissed.

Apparently Jane had said no way to Dimitri staying over so she was pissed when she found out. She had a talk with Daphne while I was at work, so when I got home at lunch Daphne confronts me with all this drama the minute I walked in the door. Tried to blame the whole thing on Dimitri and everyone but herself. Like then I’m supposed to feel bad, which I absolutely didn’t because no one asked ME if it was okay for him to stay, or for HER to live with us for that matter. She said she “sensed hostility” every time she walked through the door. And now she’s never going to see her sister because of her “Greek Pride.” What a crock of shit.

Still, I was worried about Alena since she’s the one who actually IS my roommate. I was afraid she might be upset by all of it but everything is fine. She seemed unphased by it, even as Daphne moved out today.

Daphne’s parting words: “I’ll just have to commute every day an hour and a half now. But so what? I’ll just have to suffer.”  Yep, good luck.

September 20, 1989 Wednesday

This guy in my Human Society and Culture class sat down next to me on Monday, I mean right next to me, and all through class his arm would brush against mine while he was writing. Today he was right behind me coming into the classroom today, followed me all the way up to the second to the last row and sat down – out of a choice of, count them, four seats in the row – right next to me. I was dying. He has beautiful eyes. He was fidgeting a lot and tapping his pen on his desk, loudly. I was trying so hard to keep a straight face. If he sits there again, I’m going to have to talk to him.

Meanwhile, Charles sent a message through his dad to my mom that he ran out of money. He and his friend are in the south of France working in a vineyard picking grapes for a living. Well, at least he’ll have stories to tell his children one day.

I’m still amazed that I was so in love with someone for such a long time and yet now I haven’t the slightest idea of what it really is anymore. I’m not even sure I know what it is, I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. I hardly think of Rob anymore, and thank God for that. I do feel something for Charles, although I’m not quite sure what it is. Then, there’s this guy in my class that makes me feel giddy, even though we haven’t said a single word to each other. So weird.

Daphne has moved temporarily back in. Ugh. I knew it was only a matter of time. She’s already making excuses for herself. I do like her – she’s riot and we have great fun together – I just don’t want share a room with her. Or deal with the bullshit.

September 22, 1989 Friday

Nothing like a fire drill to end the day. The entire building – all three towers and 14 floors – evacuated. So we’re all standing outside on 11^th street in various states of dress, while the firetrucks pull up and the guys get out and go assess the situation, which is likely just a smoke alarm activated by something burning on somebody’s stove (we are an apartment-style dorm, after all) and some asshole opened their door and activated the entire building’s system.

Daphne started talking about going to bartending school, you know, to earn some extra cash. Jane glanced over at me and snickered. Under her breath, she muttered, “stupidity knows no bounds.” She’s not so fond of Daphne, methinks.