Drew Lazor

I've always had a bizarre vampiric sleep schedule, so I consider clicking into fully functioning adult human mode before noon a sincere victory. Today I more or less accomplished this! I know this is objectively pathetic, like trust me I get it. But when your typical circadian pattern comprises a sadistic mix of staying awake for 2-3 days, then passing out/being utterly useless for a commensurate period of time, getting (semi) up and at 'em alongside the productive Daywalkers I envy so much counts as a big fat W. Log it!

I had a bowl of my wife Michelle's incredible baked mac & cheese for lunch, then spent the remainder of the afternoon/early evening in an existential hell spiral of my own design*. This is my go-to shorthand to describe my "work" — laboring in earnest to make progress on writing projects I probably shouldn't have taken on due to my brain being the consistency of hospital cafeteria rice pudding. When people ask me how I'm doing, I've lately taken to saying "not thriving, but surviving!" This process here is NTBS in its purest, most elemental form.

* A few Thanksgivings ago I used this phrase when my extended family insisted on doing a "gratitude circle" around the table, you know where you say what you're thankful for but ours had to feature an additional "career update" prompt. It went over poorly!

Around 6:30 Michelle and I took a car over to Poison Heart, a bar on Spring Garden I've been meaning to get to. I thought it was lovely. I really like bars with small, easy-to-navigate menus that aren't trying to put on airs or do too much. They're a great example of that. The drinks were sick, my fave I think was Bitchin' Camaro, dope down to the pink cocktail umbrella. After that we walked a few blocks up to You & Me, the Japanese kinda-Target on 11th Street in Chinatown. Loaded up the rolly trolley with noodles and candy and chips and individual soft serve ice cream cones I love this place check it out y'all.

When we got home, watched a few episodes of How to Die Alone on Hulu which is a brilliant show. Then, around midnight — swear this wasn't pun-intended novelty stunt timing — my cat Riley decided to die, and I'm really glad he wasn't alone. Riley was 20 (TWENTY!) years old. I turned 40 this year so he's been with me half my life. I really appreciated how he held out till it was easy for me to do that math in my head (he knew better than most I'm not a numbers guy). He'd been slowing down recently so I knew it was just a matter of time. I got to pet him and tell him I loved him and he was my best buddy as he very peacefully peaced out. The next day I drove Riley down to my parents' house in Maryland and buried him in their backyard right next to Cleo, his best black cat buddy who left us during COVID. I'm really sad of course but I also feel lucky that I had so much time with such a great friend. My mom stuck a fistful of flowers right over Riley, followed by two cinder blocks "to make sure the foxes don't dig him up" (not pictured). 

You can find Drew on Instagram and Twitter at @drewlazor. Here’s his Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Lazor/author/B00Q74CDEE