Sleep deprivation

So naturally, I can't sleep. Even after a full hour's workout at the gym when I left the office and falling asleep at 10:45 or so. It didn't help that you could hear the damn sanitation truck picking up outside our building at 1 a.m. Jesus.

Had a few nice e-mails between Chris and myself yesterday; he's updated the website a bit and it looks so much better. It seems more in touch with The Punch Line right now as opposed to last summer, when we were first up and running again as a band entity. I'm also relieved that the links have been changed for continuity and non-alignment with overtly political organizations. As Bob rightfully pointed out at Maxwell's during one of our meetings:

a) it isn't a good idea, thanks to the new order of censorship
b) we don't wish to offend anyone
c) we all know where we lie politically and socially

Chris also linked the site to this blog page, so that's a cool thing.

So this is all very good, to restructure and re-shape the website for the oncoming year. It should be filling up fairly soon with new Punch Line happenings.

Getting back to the gym, I have to admit I was surprised that I was able to make my first full hour of treadmill/elliptical trainer with such ease (for lack of a better word). You'd think that after a long day, it would have been a chore, but no (hurrah!). NOT impressed with the weight room at the B'way NYSC, so I didn't do any lifting. Felt terrific afterwards. A good shower down and head home for an evening of warmth and laughs with Liz on the couch. If I was bummed by anything, it was not finding any decently priced items at Bloomingdale's Soho. I know I can blow my gift card on anything I want but $149 for Diesel jeans? Fuck you. I'm not THAT ridiculous (and the mid-life crisis hasn't started...yet). Okay. Back to square one. I'll check back there this afternoon and if I see zilch again, then I'll head up to the real Bloomie's sometime next week.

So far, my musical mode is, seemingly, what I always called "warm grooves for winter frost". Zero 7, Noonday Underground, Massive Attack, Jamiroquai, etc. A modern funk/soul brigade. Add to the mix last year's stunners from Norah Jones (sweet and soothing) and Joss Stone (Christ, that girl is vocally gifted...and she's easy on the eyes) and it makes for decent ferry rides to and from work. At the gym, I have my cassette player in my bag with a magnificent tape that my dear friend, the glorious Reamann O'Gormain (once of the splendid That Petrol Emotion), made for me of Northern Soul--if it's anything that can keep me going while working out, you can bet on the likes of N.F. Porter, Luther Ingram Orchestra, et al. "Northern Soul Overkill"? Indeed not!

I'll probably sit down Thursday night or Friday morning and try to write out my thoughts on 2004; it's been one of the more eye-opening years in my life and certainly one filled with lows and highs. Fortunately, for me, it will be ending on a calm but sweeter note than which it started.

Hopefully, now I can at least get 2 1/2 more hours of sleep...off to the couch.