Day Twenty-Two   /   lettering by Jesse Ragan

Jessica Walsh

Did you see Timothy today?
Yes.

What did y’all do together?
We both teach class from six to nine PM at The School of Visual Arts. After class, Tim and I usually meet our friend Michael for drinks and hummus at The Bluebell Cafe. My class went a little later, so I met them at the restaurant where they were already eating and drinking.

Did anything interesting happen?
I was in a particularly good and energetic mood. My students did great work for our class, and I slept well last night. It was the first night in a month that I was able to sleep without sleeping pills, so I was feeling pretty awesome. Tim kept talking about how great my mood was, how lively I seemed, and how this made him feel closer to me.

He also said he really liked my outfit. I was wearing bright blue pants, tan boots and a loose sheer white tee. Usually, I just wear black or grey. When we were outside waiting for a cab, I tried to be flirtatious with him, but he seemed distant, and we parted ways.

Did you learn anything new about Timothy?
Tim can be sensitive and flustered. We explained the truth test experiment that we did to Michael. Tim became worked up about it, and how he didn’t enjoy it. I often feel as if I am walking on egg shells around him, which can be stressful.

Did you learn anything new about yourself?
I’m happy I’ve stayed in touch with almost all my ex-boyfriends. While we didn’t work out romantically, there was a reason I had a connection with each of them. After our “exes” project on day five, Tim and I asked them to write us letters about the relationships we shared. Here’s what I received:

JoelLetter
mario2
NickLetterNew4
Parsa-2
AndyLetterNew2
LetterEx7
KentonLetter-New

How do you feel about this relationship/project right now?
I’m feeling pretty great about everything today!

Is there anything that you want to do differently?
I’ve suffered from insomnia, on and off, since I was 12 years old. My doctor prescribed Zaleplon and Ativan to help. However, my mood is significantly better when I get natural sleep. I’d like to find a way to cut out the medication.

Additional comments?
Not today.

Day Twenty-Two   /   lettering by Grace Danico

Timothy Goodman

Did you see Jessica today?
Another day, another dollar.

What did y’all do together?
We hung out with our good friend Michael tonight. We all teach at SVA on Wednesday nights, and we usually meet up at a nearby restaurant after class. The place is pretty mediocre, but they do have really good hummus. We call ourselves the “Hummus Club.”

BluebellCafe2

Did anything interesting happen?
Jessie called me “sensitive” about five times during the dinner. This really annoyed me. If she was me, I think she’d be “sensitive,” too. Because of her headaches and insomnia, every single day I feel like I need to be cautious: it’s a different mood, a different attitude, a different problem, a different surprise. It’s become especially hard after she quit the project last week. I’m constantly on guard about everything I do now.

Did you learn anything new about Jessica?
Jessie was in tip-top shape tonight. She was full of life, talkative, energetic, and she looked good. Yesterday she was a zombie, but today she looked better and more positive than I’ve seen in a while. I love seeing her like this.

Did you learn anything new about yourself?
Last night, I was on my way to meeting some friends downtown when I randomly ran into a girl I once went on a couple dates with. This was the second time I recently ran into her, so I invited her to join us for a quick beer. She’s a smart girl, she looked great, and I found myself wondering “what if.” I couldn’t help but text her today. However, I felt guilty about texting her and I stopped the conversation.

Girl_Text

Actually, the story of how I met her probably represents one of the greatest assists by a wingman in the history of modern dating: I was having a beer with my friend John at a French spot after work one night. She and her friend were sitting at the bar, too. I noticed her right when I got there. The two of them were having a lively conversation. I never made an attempt to talk to her, though. She was at the other end of the bar.

After a drink, John had to get home to his family. I decided to stay for one more. As he was putting on his jacket to leave, he goes up to her, gently sets his hand on her shoulder, and says, “I just want to tell you that you have beautiful eyebrows.” He continues quickly, “And the only reason I can even tell you something like that is because I’m leaving right now and you won’t think I’m hitting on you.”

Before she could even say “thank you” he promptly exits, leaving her unexpectedly blushing, smiling, and laughing. What a move. I mean, who compliments eyebrows? (They were nice eyebrows!) And here I am, by myself, while they slide down to ask me who the hell my crazy friend was. An hour later, after a great conversation, I left having exchanged numbers. Two days later we went on our first date. Later that night he texted me saying, “You’re welcome.”

How do you feel about this relationship/project right now?
If I’m thinking about other women, then something must be wrong. I’ve been in four serious relationships in my life, I’ve lived with one girlfriend, and I’ve been fully committed and in love every time. I was never tempted. The last couple years, however, I’ve let all that go. Is temptation a result of this, or could it be related to my incompatibility with Jessie? Are all people like this as they get older? And if so, is wondering about other women healthy or is it only detrimental?

Is there anything that you want to do differently?
Jessie and I asked some of our exes to write a handwritten note about the relationship we experienced with them. Well, I wrote eight girls and ALL of them denied me! Gah! I don’t have the heart to write any more. I wish this wasn’t the case.

Email_02

Additional comments?
Hi, mom!