24 August 2019, Saturday

Walk from West to East Village, pt. 2. We were ostensibly going to meet D’tin K. at or near his building, but when our path dipped south of E. 12th St., it became apparent our destination had changed.

BBG, E. 4th St. S’phen S. was still leading the pack and yet attempted to get in on the Bowery side, showing that he evidently had not been there so frequently with GA as the rest of us had. Lo and behold, D. was there along with friend Adam I’d met the weekend before. For a while, Br’ce G., Jon. M. and I sat on a sofa together while J. loudly declared he was feeling experimental that night and then made sure to retract the statement later. He also was describing recent personality conflicts among the cadre of organizers, and I was very blunt with him saying how, although I largely took his side, the other organizers would take him more seriously if he didn’t get so overemotional, even hysterical, in conversation. B’dy W. sat in the empty space next to me for a bit, and then later S. S. sat there too and bragged he had made out with a Mongolian girl. Overall, I must say I felt well liked by the bunch.

Walk to Union Sq. B. G., J. and I walked mostly up Fourth Ave. during which time J. kept telling B. G. how “wise” I am while I complained, as I had during the earlier walk, that others have longer legs than I have, and B. G. said it sounded like a social‐media bio: A wise man with short legs. The three of us went our separate ways at Union Sq.

F. “Sleep is the answer” (7186).

I hadn’t given the XL meeting much thought until I saw that an openly gay man with a surname that’s in my family (ליסאָפֿסקי) had indicated he would be in attendance, so I got ready in a rush to go downtown.

E (6542–44, 7187–95).

W. 42nd St. (6545). Late to XL at Pershing Sq. Sig. Ctr. As is it turned out, S. L. was not in attendance and the meeting overall did not exceed seven participants but it was pleasant enough. One of those present was a blind man Dominican man with the same name as someone with whom I’d socialized earlier in the day: B’dy. Also the man with the gravelly voice who was repeatedly afraid he might be interrupting someone. Ollie’s (6545). Only four of us wound up eating together. A’dy A.’s poor hearing along with the general din of the place made some of my jokes fall flat. I was very pleased when the party with the loud shouting baby left and was replaced with a party of attractive young men. After the four of us had left, L’rry M. and I bonded once we were the only ones still together as he walked me as far as the subway station entrance.

Trail mix from DR, 37th Ave. (21:25). The socializing continued as I ran into शेखर and he showed me photos of his offspring, and then I ran into B’ra who told me about some العرب المصريين family, some of whom live in her building, who have done some awful things. She also revealed that she is part سورية. D’vid and Wm. were there too.