This is it. The most beautiful evening of the year so far. After work, I drifted home, where I enjoyed a nice phone conversation with my mom and sisters and a dinner of salad, blue corn chips and hummus. (I’m a bachelor, what can I say…) Then I put on some shorts and a tee, grabbed my gym bag, strapped on my skates and rolled off for the gym.

It’s the kind of night in the city where the temperature and air feels just right. Not muggy and not chilly even in workout clothes. Just the city streets, everyone smiling because it’s spring and the fresh freedom of not being bundled up.

I skated yesterday, too. Up to Sam Ash in midtown. Two of the clerks followed me out of the store to ask about my skates. I was worried at first they thought I took the keyboard stand I was carrying without paying! But they were just taken by the sight of me carrying the wheel frames to my Hypnos. We chatted about them for a while. They seemed to be in good moods, too. Maybe it’s the springtime.

It’s been a while since I journaled, so let’s turn back the clock to Thursday. I took the train out to Long Island and hung out with David. Turned out he lost his job that day. He seemed in relatively good spirits about it. Hopefully, it’s one of those disguised blessings. He had been working in a windowless office. Not where you want to be in the spring, or anytime really.

We played guitar. I played his electric, a Telecaster. I haven’t played electric that much in years and it was a lot of fun. It’s almost a completely different instrument. I got too into playing “Tangled Up in Blue” in the manner I’m accustomed to on my acoustic, and ended up breaking his high E string. Whoops.

Dave lent me a drum machine, too. A 1989 model MIDI-capable Alesis HR-16. After the aforementioned trip to Sam Ash on Sunday, I got it hooked up to my computer along with my keyboard and did some recording. Pretty cool stuff. I’m enjoying messing around with the keyboard, dead keys and all! I think tonight, though, I’m just going to sit and play some guitar. Play some other people’s music. Some Grateful Dead, some Dylan. Maybe some Beatles. Seems like there’s a danger in all this technology in getting too far away from the simple stuff.

I had lunch with Snappy the Clam on Friday, over at Veg-City. Had a TLT (Tofu Lettuce and Tomato). I’m still getting a kick out of it! That night, Anthony and I did some volleyball strategy on the white boards at work (Monday morning comment: “Who let John Madden in here over the weekend?”) and had dinner and several margaritas at Benny’s. I had the BBQ Tofu Burrito. It’s such a wonderful place and time to be vegetarian!

Speaking of food, my project of last week (no refined foods) went pretty well. The hardest part was not eating pizza at Lombardi’s and my failing was a white flour pita in my late-night falafel from Mamoun’s.

I feel like I’m a regular brand placement operation tonight. This blog is brought to you by Lombardi’s. Author’s musical instruments provided by Alesis, and transportation for participants provided by Hypno.

Anyways, I’m rambling again and my guitar’s calling. Required updates: Work is good; currently drawing lots of pictures in Visio. Ankle is doing great. Mac OS X is my favorite technology of the moment. Single. Happy. Healthy. I have a new song. I’m not that happy with it yet, but it’s got potential.