The Z Factor

I'm afraid that I'm not of much use to you, this evening, dear readers and read-ettes.

For the last three weeks, I've been getting less than five hours of sleep a night. Don't ask me why. I tend to go through long stretches where I have trouble getting to bed at a decent hour, due to various distractions in my apartment or because I just get caught up in other things.

As I write this, I look like absolute shit. I'm starting to lose color in my face and my eyes are so red and bloodshot, I look like I just walked off the set of the sequel to "28 Days Later." In terms of energy, I'm drained.

And yet, I feel up. Happy "up." I mean, lack of sleep aside, it's really been a good week.

I had a nice Passover Seder with my family and friends on Monday. The food was great and so was the company! Plus, when mom gets so drunk on kosher Manischewitz wine that she can't do anything but lay her head on the table and let out the occasional cackle toward no one in particular, you know it's bound to be a grand evening for the books.

Tuesday, well, you know how that went. With the power of my cooking--and the whiff of a free meal--I reunited two long-lost friends!! Does it get much better?!

Well, yeah...actually, it does!!

Wednesday was even better!! As I mentioned in one of my previous entries, I went over to my friend Christina's house and cooked her dinner. Unfortunately, I had a (former) stoner moment and forgot to bring the movie (Yes, I know what you're thinking: You?! Forget a movie?!), so we went to the bar our friend Nichole works at and had a few drinks. As a result of Wednesday night's fun, Christina and I have decided to make Wednesday night a regular thing: Cook together and then go to the bar. Not only is that exciting news because I love hanging out with Chrissy, but because it's one more night I'm not mooching off my mom for food. Baby boy is really growing up!! Top o' the world, ma!! Top o' the world!!

Seriously, though, there are times when you start to question who your friends are and, even worse, you start to have doubts about yourself as a friend. Wednesday flushed those insecurities down the toilet because it proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that there's a helluva lot of magic left in my friendship with dear ol' Booty Pants (Christina...not my mom. 'Cuz wouldn't that would be weird!!!).

Thursday, well, OK...Thursday was kind of shitty and nondescript, but at least I got work out with my dad!!

That brings us to tonight. Well, OK...not much happened. But hey...ya can't go wrong with Chinese food. Tai Chin Chicken and Shrimp!! YUM!!

Yeah, obviously, with its inevitable grammatical and spelling errors (this is the one entry I will not sift through with a fine-toothed comb. THAT is how tired I am!!!), I need to get some sleep. But I will leave you with this uplifting, after-school special-ish message: No matter how tired you get, no matter how weary and overwhelmed and insignificant you feel, there's alway room for even the smallest hint of a smile.

That's how you win.