I realized that the reason I hadn't blogged in a while was that I had written this blog post a while ago, and then realized, "nothing good will come of that." I hate it when that happens, but since it was stuck in my queue, it kind of prevented me from writing anything else.

So, to get that out of my system, and in the spirit of completeness, here's that blog post that I didn't publish back in September:

Photos are up of the Cold Waves fest. First off, let me say that Test Dept. and Severed Heads put on a great show. But wow, ███████ ██ ███ ████ ██ █ █████████

Whenever we ████ █ █████████ ████ like this one, I often run into people I haven't seen in a years: people who used to be regulars and possibly even still consider themselves regulars. The conversation often goes something like this:

Them: Heyyyyy how's it going?
Me: Oh you know. Apocalyptic.
Them: I heard you were having trouble here, but it's all better now right?
Me: No. No it's not. I have no idea how this place is going to survive.
Them: Oh, that's too bad. Hey, how's that other place?
Me: Huh?
Them: You know, that place you opened. Down on, um, Folsom?
Me: We closed that place two and a half years ago. It was a disaster. Opening it was worst decision of my entire life.
Them: Oh. I think that place was the last time I saw you! Pretty crazy, huh?
Me: Yeah, it's been a while.
Them: So, everything is good now, though, right?
Me: No! No it is not, not even remotely!
Them: Oh, ok! great! See you next time! This place is awesome!

Conversations like this are the face-to-face version of someone hitting "Like" on your post about your cat dying.

11 Responses:

1. i10e says:

   3 months ago at 3:26pm

   I don't like or 'like' this, and I want to see more.

   "nothing good", maybe; nothing bad, probably. It's a respectable gamble.

   aside: I got here via the jwz.org feed, not social media.

2. o.o says:

   3 months ago at 6:46pm

   I realize this wasn't the point, but holy shit it's been over four years since you closed the other location? I have a friend who works remotely for one of the giganto companies out there and had him pick me up some of the Macbook stickers while he was on-site one time. That location was closer to his office, so that's where he got them. I had no idea it's been that long.

   • jwz says:

     3 months ago at 7:09pm

     Actually I guess it was 2 1/2 years ago. It only feels like a decade.

3. Jesse Mullan says:

   3 months ago at 7:22pm

   Me: "Omg, you're jwz! I... You're... Really cool!"
   jwz: "Uh, yes"
   Me: cries

4. dnasince85 says:

   3 months ago at 11:03pm

   I did view source just in case...

   i'll be there tomorrow night for dubstep and any chance i can to support the DNA.

   • ContextSans says:

     3 months ago at 10:15pm

     > I did view source just in case...

     You and me both. Oh well.

5. ChoHag says:

   3 months ago at 9:56am

   "How are you?"

   "Fine. How're you?"

   "Fine."

   That's how it's supposed to go. Haven't you figured it out yet? You can't lead with "Well actually everything that could be a disaster is a disaster and those disasters are having disasters and everything that can't even possibly be a disaster is already a disaster or threatening to become a disaster next week. How're you?"

   Sheesh. It's like some people don't even understand basic social etiquette.

   • ChoHag says:

     3 months ago at 9:57am

     Also for what it's worth I'd be more than happy to patronise your establishment but I am an entire ocean away.

     Do you do take-out?

   • jwz says:

     3 months ago at 10:05am

     "Hi!"
     "Hi!"
     "I'm really shallow!"
     "What?"
     "I'm really shallow!"
     "What?"
     "I said I'M REALLY SHALLOW!"
     "Oh! Cool! Me too!"

     • i10e says:

       3 months ago at 2:18pm

       Yes, though it may be... [re-thread]

6. i10e says:

   3 months ago at 2:12pm

   Yes, though it may be

   I'm being shallow in this shallow context of running into someone I haven't seen in years.

   Or, in the more specific context of September,

   That band has dropped out, that flight has been delayed, and all that other stuff has gone wrong. Maybe your regret is transient. Maybe I'll bring this up later --- or maybe I'll forget or change my mind --- but right now I have to go.