Vibrant.(Still) Unrepentant. Badass. Old. Queer

3:55 Update : C'est arrive!

It's the last day of the year! *w00t!* And, I would like everyone to know that as far as my budget is concerned, I'm taking a mulligan for December. The do-over will be called "January 2008." I don't even want to think about how over-budget I was this month. So I'm not going to! YAY! So ... the weekend. It was fun. My date on Friday was nice. We had good martinis and good conversation at Firefly. Then, we parted ways. He to a dinner party, and I to my home. However, on my way home, Y called, saying that he and a friend were in Silver Spring and wanted to go out to dinner. I met them at the Burmese restaurant, Mandalay. Ginger salad. YUM. Saturday, Eric from Baltimore came down for a crazy night on the town. SCGB, Eric and I enjoyed a pre-dinner drink at my abode before heading to Alero in Dupont Circle (where Y joined us) for a couple of pitchers of margaritas (and cheese dip! and spinach enchiladas!). After dinner, the four of us headed over ...

It's been a SuperFun Weekend (thus far). Someone is a leeeeeeeeeeetle overhung though. So, here's a picture of my Cranberry Cordial :

Slowest Day Ever. OMG. So bored. I think I'm going to dismiss the staff around 2 or 2:30. My weekend plans? So glad you asked :-) Tonight is the hot date. Tomorrow, Eric from Baltimore is driving down. I'm going to get a group of friends together to go out to dinner and bar-hopping, I think. Sunday, I will need to clean and shop. SCGB and I are co-hosting a New Year's Eve Champagne Tasting on Monday night. Should be fun times. But, probably, since we waited so late to email out an invitation, not many people will come. I'm ok with that. Have a groovy weekend! *smooches* Updated: For those of you with a *thing* for Mormon Missionaries, this calendar is for you ! [OhEmGeeLOLZ!!!1!WTFBBQPONIEZ!!!111!]

And other times it's complete and total crap. Remember on Sunday how I had the opportunity to hook up with this really hot guy, but Y's inability to show up on time threw a giant monkey wrench into the deal? Yes? Well, Really Hot Guy (RHG) called last night. He was nearby. He wanted to come over to watch movies (and we all know what that means). So, I was all calm, cool, and collected and was like "sure, ok, whatever, let me give you directions." Then, I went into Total Panic Cleaning Mode because my house was a disaster. He arrived about 25 minutes later, and ... um ... RHG was cute-ish, but -seriously- people, if you're going to send out a photo of yourself, how about using a current one? Would it be that much trouble? RHG was about 20-30 pounds heavier than his photo. Not a complete turnoff, mind you (because sometimes I likes my men to have a little meat on their boneses), but I felt mislead. Which is not a good way to feel. He came in. We watched a movie. Th...

Take a look at the screenshot from my homepage this morning: Obviously you will need to click to embiggen. See what's wrong? Do you? Do you? No? Here's a hint: It's not 83 degrees right now. Meanwhile, my evening was uneventful. I did laundry. I drank martini. I cooked dinner. I drank beer. I watched movie. I drank cordial. I vomitted. Ha! I jest. I didn't vomit. My plans for this evening include an exciting rental car trip to Target ($25 gift card! woot!) and maybe Trader Joe's! And, that's about it. I really need to start cleaning and tidying. SCGB suggested that we co-host a New Year's Eve Party. If we decide to do that in my apartment there is some serious cleaning that needs to be done. Gah. As far as I know, my date for Friday is still on. I need to find a good place in DC for martinis. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. And now, here's the third and final poem of mine from Colonnades (1990). Try not to get too excited, there are still...

Yesterday, at the Christmas Potluck, I turned to Y, who had brought a salad, and asked, "did you already dress the salad?" Y, and the rest of my dining companions, stopped all conversation and stared at me as if I had sprouted another head. "What?" Yet again, my confidence in my mastery of the English language was shaken to the core . Isn't "dress the salad" correct? Is it a Southern-only saying? Or simply part of my family's weird conversational style? Is my family the only one which dresses a salad ... as opposed to "pours on the salad dressing" (or something else as equally linguistically awkward)?* Speaking of dressing, do you call the herbed bread you eat with turkey stuffing or dressing ? I've always rationalized it thusly: If the herbed bread is cooked inside the dead bird, it is stuffing . If it is cooked separate from the bird, it is dressing . I have no idea if that's correct, but it makes sense to me. And that's ho...

For some reason, I thought of that word on my walk to work this morning ... not because I am feeling particularly lugubrious. Rather, I like how it is pronounced, and -sometimes- when I am being silly, I say it to myself slowly, stretching out the second syllable to the point of ridiculousness. Luguuuuuuuuubrious. Unfortunately, it doesn't mean quite what I remembered it to mean. Oh, well. I hope everyone had a SuperHappy Holiday yesterday. My day proceeded thusly: I woke up. I drank lots and lots of coffee. I opened a few Christmas presents. [Big hugs and thank yous to Only Me (I can't wait to try the most rockingest one).] Then, I filtered the goop out of the Christmas Cranberry Cordial and mixed it with some leftover simple syrup I had in the fridge. The cordial? It is yummy. I took a picture, but forgot to upload it. Sorry. A little before noon, I headed over to Mike's for his Christmas Potluck. Yum. I made White Trash Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. It's always a ...

Java asked awhile back for a photo of my purple tinsel tree in the daylight. So here it is: Purty, no? My friend in Boone, Lori, gave me a special present while I was visiting her, the 1989-1992 editions of Elon University's literary magazine, Colonnades. My copies had either been lost or destroyed during my many moves. And I thought I should share with you the joy of reading a young VUBOQ's bad poetry (and short stories) from long, long ago. Since it's the holidays and most people are out and about and not reading blogs, not many people will be harmed by the exposure. For those of you that dare to continue reading, here's the first poem (of many): Old Woman Old woman -- Why do you sit there Knitting your life away? Spin the yarns into quilts and mittens and scarves of words and pictures. Fascinate us with your life. Not your death in brightly Colored Afghans. Weave the tales of the golden age. A shawl to keep us warm on Cold winter nights. The needles flashed in the...

The lovely and talented Java tagged me for the 7 Deadly Sins meme. Oh, joy. Oh, rapture. I promise not to hold it against her. 1. If you could kill someone (or injure them egregiously) who would it be and why? Bonus points for 'how'. I can't think of anyone I despise so much that I would want them dead. What can I say? I have a very forgiving nature. 2. You have been given 25 Million dollars and you have to spend it all (no donations to charity or investing). What do you spend it on? But I want to invest it. And give it to charity. Sorry. I guess I'd spend it on traveling. And I would travel in style. 3. You have the opportunity to steal anything in the world without getting caught. What is it and why? I'd steal the heart of Brad Pitt from that evil temptress, Angelina. Wait. Maybe I'd steal the heart of Angelina. Hmm ... can I steal two things? 4. You have the opportunity to pawn off one facet of your life to someone else forever. What is it and w...

Dooby dooby do ... I'm back at work. It is full of teh suck. I'm taking a break from the working on the stupid weekly report to give you a rundown (sans pictures) of my exciting Pre-Xmas NC VayKay! Saturday morning (12/15), I got up well before God intended anyone to wake up, loaded the car, and hit the road (ow!). I drove pretty much non-stop from here to Boone, NC. It took about 7 hours. I arrived at Lori's house and we headed into town. Running errands and stuff. We ran into one of her friends, who joined us for a very late lunch. This friend is CUTE, gay, single, from the DC/metro area, and did I mention CUTE? Unfortunately, he is also very very young. Oh, well. What can I say? I'm an ageist. After lunch, Lori bought me a cute hat for Xmas. Then, we bought booze and headed to the homestead for a night of drinking and telly. Who says VUBOQ doesn't know how to Par-TAY? Sunday, it snowed and we shopped. At Blowing Rock's outlets, Shoppes on the P...

Here's a little photo essay from my trip. Details to come tomorrow ... possibly. I like to call this one OMFG I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE : (which is somewhere along the NC/VA western border, I think). Christmas Lights in a Boone Snowstorm. Sorry for the blurriness. It was cold. and, sorry for the friggin' WHITE-OUT!!! GAH!!! Stupid wind. My parents' Xmas Tree. Not as cute as the Purple Tinsel Tree but, at 8 feet tall, it's slightly taller. What tree isn't complete with Dried Okra Santa? SuperFantastic Cousin (and Cousin-Once-Removed) Cuter than Baby Jesus, bitches. One neighborhood in Greensboro has this weird habit of tossing lighted chicken wire balls into trees. EVERY TREE. Isa models her new Never-Ending Afghan of Doom The End. More later. *smooches*

Greetings from Durham! I'm on the last leg of my 2007 Pre-Xmas VayKay! All the exciting photos and details will be coming up next week. For now, to tide you over, here is StickSteven 2007 Year in Review: SuperFuntabulous Edition! Please save your applause for the end. Click to embiggen.

I am alive. I haven't had a drink in DAYS. Other than that, all is well. *smooches*

BONUS VUBOQ POST!!!!!! w00t!!! I managed to finish all my assignments: updating the contact and referral list merging that list with another list answering about 12 email proofreading 10 email creating and coordinating the phone schedules for the next two weeks AND picking up the rental car! OMG! I rock. Speaking of rocks, I'm not getting enough pottery lurve so here's the exact same photo from the previous post, only BIGGER: Behold the Glory that is Vase 6! Now, if I can only get everything I need done tonight. GAH.

I have a hard time sleeping at Y's. He stays up late, studying, clicketyclackclicking on his computer, talking on the phone, leaving the lights on. When I mention this, it will change for one or two times before reverting back to the norm. I don't sleep well. I'm irritable. I'm not getting any sex out of it. And he ends up saying things like, "I find myself getting more and more attached to you." And I end up saying things like, "Huh?" and "Whatever." Of course, I know "Y" I did it this time: Hot water. And it was good. Fortunately, I think hot water has been restored to my building as well. Yay. Besides the comforting goodness of a nice, hot shower, I also had to pick up my last piece of pottery for this term. This: Became this: Worship My Pottery Goodness, Kittens! Procrastination. I have boatloads to do today. And to have done by the time I leave tomorrow. Enjoy this post. It may be the last you read for awhile [unl...

I'm headed over to Y's tonight after work. Yes, I know. But, whatever, I needs the hot water, and he has it! Plus, I want to swing by the pottery studio to see if my final vase is out of the kiln (esp. since it is a potential family Xmas present). Plus, Y and I have not had teh sex (no matter how you define it) in quite some time. So, perhaps, this relationship has successfully transitioned to friendship. In other news, does anyone know the correct pronunciation of "quinoa?" I like to say "kwai-NO-ah." A friend told me it is "KEY-nwah." I suppose it could also be "KWIN-oh-ah." Or perhaps "shut-the-FORK-up-already-and-just-say-it-however-you-want." The reason for this mentioning of the KWEE-noh-AH! is my mother emailed about a recipe she wants to try while I'm visiting that includes it. And she doesn't think they sell it in remote mountain villages. Imagine! A world without KWEEN-oh! That's ... that's just ...

The plumbers visited my building yesterday. When they left, we had no hot water. We still don't have hot water. According to one of the board members, we *may* not have hot water until Friday. This is not making VUBOQ very happy. Not very happy at all. VUBOQ does not like to boil water so he can take a relatively warm sponge bath. VUBOQ does not like feeling all gross and grimy and skanky at work. VUBOQ does not like it at all . Top that all off with the fact that I spent the entire day yesterday playing the evil and addictive game and you get a super-busy, stressed-out, stinky, greasy, unhappy VUBOQ who really just wants to go home and get under the covers for the rest of the day. BLAH. OMG. I'm leaving on myt Pre-Xmas North Carolina VayKay in 2 DAYS! AUGH!

So, here are my 12 of 12. Um. Be warned: They be boring. Here is a shoe I passed on my way to work this morning: oh. em. gee. Not another shot from your cubicles window?!? Unfortunately, yes. But, the clouds are neat and I was feeling all Amelie: Jade bracelet. A gift from PAB (remember him?): Salsa at Whole Foods. I really should work on holding the camera still: Astroturf. Shitty Palace Mall. And the Cinema. The astroturf was supposed to be a cute little park with a fountain and ice skating rink. Stupid Silver Spring bowed to pressure and has kept it like this. BLEAH: EEK! 'nuff said: Pay on Foot, bitches. I cut through this parking garage all the time. Apparently, because I'm not retrieving a car I could be incarcerated or something. Whatever: This is the entrance to my office. Doesn't it look soulless? And depressing? I like this house with its green door. I wonder if they have rainwater runoff issues on the roof: New speed cameras! Y has already b...

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. -- King James Version It went well. And, in other news ... there is no other news. I am being inefficient with my use of time. I am unable to purchase the Kiva gift certificates for my parents for their Christmas gifts. Frustrating unresponsive website. GAH. I wonder if I should just buy them a llama or something from Heifer International ... My apartment is a disaster, the flotsam and jetsam of my life are scattered about the various rooms (except the spare room, which is staying remarkably clean-ish. Perhaps, because I haven't formed the habit of using it yet). Since today is laundry day, I will attempt to clean and tidy and organize. And, I'm still having difficulty finding appropriate boxes for some prezzies. If all goes well, I should be able to finish that tonight and mail the last of the goodies tomorrow. *crosses fingers* I'm thinking about participating in the 12 of 12 photo thingy today. I snapped ...

This is what VUBOQ looks like when he hasn't had enough sleep: My date tonight isn't 'til 8:30 ... so maybe I can take a quick nap beforehand. Naps are the most rockingest things ever. EVER. Oh. And if you haven't seen this game , be warned: It's Evil. And Addictive. [and, surprisingly, not blocked by the Evil Firewall of Doom].

Before I regale you with stories of my exciting life, go vote for my latest blogcrush, Puntabulous , in the GayBloggies . OK. Now that that's out of the way ... Yesterday, after work, I ... (wait for it) ... finished my Xmas Cards!!! YAY! Well, except for my brother's. I don't have his new address. I need to call him, not only to get his new address, but also to coordinate one leg of my Pre-Xmas VayKay Tour of North Carolina, which will -hopefully- include us visiting our NC-based SuperFuntastic Cuzin, his wife, and SuperCute New Baby First Cousin Once Removed. So ... after finishing my cards (have I mentioned that my Xmas Cards are FINISHED? YAY!), I went to DUN's apartment for a holiday Craft Night! YAY! My first beverage of the evening was a Gin Alexander (like a Brandy Alexander, but with gin). It was surprisingly delicious - 1.5 oz gin, 3/4 oz cream, and 3/4 oz creme de cacao. I thought it might be icky, what with the juniper/cream combo. But, no! 'Twas yummy! ...

Tonight is my co-op's board meeting. I am still undecided about whether I should attend or not. First, I don't want to get involved in a long, drawnout discussion concerning the fee increase. I believe I made my feelings about the increase and possible solutions known in a previous email . Second, several shareholders and I have emailed the Board requesting a separate meeting for all shareholders to discuss the proposed fee increase prior to our January Annual Meeting. And, third, I have a Christmas Craft-Making Gathering to attend. I learned on Friday at a neighbor's holiday party that the board did not propose this increase. It came directly from our new (and, supposedly, better) management company. This raised several questions (and a few more emails to the Board) about the efficacy and responsiveness of this new management company. It's very easy to propose a drastic increase in fees when you don't have to pay them yourself. Finally, I know, and consider...

Can we just pause and say "ACK!" ... as in "ACK! I leave for NC in 5 days!" and "ACK! I still need to do my Xmas Cards!" and "ACK! Parents' Christmas Present!" and "ACK! Christmas Packages that still need to be mailed!" ACK! Other than that, I'm calm, cool, and collected, and I had a fun-filled weekend. Friday, one of the Across-the-Way Neighbors hosted a Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun. Except for the really horrible hangover on Saturday (and, I didn't think I drank that much ... I guess I drank more than I thought ... or I didn't eat enough ... or something). Then, on Saturday afternoon, Tomoko and I went to Y's Channukah Party, which was also fun. We returned home around 7 to watch Project Runway! YAY! PR4! *woot* Sunday, my movie "date" never called to confirm, so I didn't go to the movies. Instead, I went to the grocery store, knitted, addressed Xmas Cards, finished the StickSteven let...

It is the purple tinsel Christmas tree!

I've been looking forward to seeing the movie adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass , even though the reviews have been fair-to-middlin'. Today, in WaPo critic Desson Thomson's chat, a commenter said: Maybe you can explain this. Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books are just better than the Golden Compass Trilogy: smarter, incomparably better written, genuinely imaginative (polar bears in armor shows a deficient imagination). So why does the Golden Compass get the big movie treatment and LeGuin gets a cheesy made for TV flick? Can someone please explain to me how polar bears in armor show a deficient imagination? Does everyone imagine polar bears wearing armor? Is that a common theme in adolescent fantasy literature? I dunno, but the book seemed imaginative to me ... Does that mean I'm unimaginative? And, now, I'm off to buy booze! This deficiently imaginative VUBOQ needs a DRINK.

1. Address and write meaningful messages in holiday cards (pity the people at the end of the alphabet). 2. Finish StickSteven 2007 Year in Review. 3. Clean. 4. Decorate. 5. Buy more Xmas Lights. 6. Get all packages ready for post office. 7. Burn remainder of the Alphalist CDs. 8. Attend Friday night Holiday Party (*woot*) 9. Attend Y's Saturday Chahnooookah Party (*woot*) 10. Go to movies with date guy from several weeks ago. 11. Possibly attend my graduate program's end-of-semester potluck on Sunday. 12. Make plan of action for next week (including, but not limited to, organizing for trip to NC, planning my new career in prostitution, and investigating various get-rich-quick schemes). 13. Knit. 14. Watch DVDs.

VUBOQ received some vurrry bad news yesterday. His Co-Op's Board would like to increase his monthly co-op fee by over 30%. Unfortunately, the money tree that grows in VUBOQ's apartment died last year, so he has NO FORKIN' IDEA where he will be able to get that sort of extra fundage. I mean, srsly, my annual pay increase, if I'm lucky, is about 3-4%. So, next year, if this blog turns into a diary of all my encounters with strange seedy men, you'll know why ... In the meantime, for your reading pleasure, here's the email I sent to the board this morning [with company names redacted]: Dear Board Members: This email is in regards to the proposed 2008 budget and the "substantial" fee increase. I realize that hiring [redacted] as our management company would increase our fee, but I was unaware the increase would be so … substantial. What is [our management company] doing to justify the increase? As our management company, shouldn't they be working to ...

Remember when you were a kid and you had those toy cars that you would pull backwards and then release? And, they would go speeding off? That's what I thought of when I was replaying these videos ... The Invisible Hand of God is all "eeeeeeeehhhn, eeeeeeeeeehhhn." And the salt truck is all "VROOOOOOOOOM!" And this plow truck is the same, 'cept it's all "VROOOOOOM!" then, "eeeeeeehhhn." Yeah, I was bored at work yesterday. What of it? I'm going to upload some photos to Flickr in a minnit.

Yesterday was the Cheese and Carbtastic Office Luncheon. Mmm-mmm. During my afternoon break, as I was leaving to buy something for dinner at the Whole Foods, I had the following conversation with a co-worker: Co-Worker : What are you going to get? vuboq : I dunno. Maybe a sweet potato. Co-Worker : Is that it? That's all your going to eat for dinner? Vuboq : Yep. Co-Worker : I wish I could do that, but I love to eat. How do you do it? VUBOQ : I drink a lot. And, that's when it hit me! Alcohol is an appetite suppresant! (Isn't it?) So DRINK LOTS and STAY THIN! ZOMGz! I am so a forkin' GENIUS! I'm going to write a book and make MEEEEEELLLIONS! Get out of the way deceased Dr. Atkins , the VUBOQ Diet is coming soon to a bookstore near you!

December has barely started and I'm already tired of my Xmas music ... so I went to Borders to get some new CDs (I bought CDs! How Old School!). I was really wanting to buy Barbra Streisand's Xmas Album (You know I have a thing for Jews singing Xmas Music), but, in the end, purchased the following: Josh Groban's Noel , Harry Connick, Jr's Harry for the Holidays , and The Most Fabulous Christmas Album Ever [Ann-Margaret's " Santa Baby, It's Cold Outside" sealed the deal] Blah blah blah. That's about it. I have some fun pix and video on my camera, but I can't upload them at work. Stay tuned for a final, well, final for this Snow Event, Snow-Filled Post later on this evening.

My mom IM'ed yesterday evening to say this: "I hear Silver Spring is getting Snow Flurries." Now, I know living in the NC Mountains can sometimes skew people's definitions of snow ; however, I responded: "If you define flurries as over 4 inches and non-stop snow since early this morning, yes, we are getting snow flurries." Meanwhile, I was overcome by a burst of cooking creativity last night ... in between loads of laundry, I ... (1) Made Mush's cranberry cordial . The recipe says it takes 4 weeks, which means it won't be ready by Christmas. I am hoping to sneak a taste then anyway. (2) Made Sweet Potato and Red Bean Soup. Here's what I did: Bring approx. 4 cups of water to a boil. Add chopped onion, sliced garlic, veggie boullion cube, and lemon slices. After about 10 minutes, remove the lemon. Add one diced sweet potato and a tablespoon or so of red curry paste. Once the potato is nearly tender add a large can of red beans (no need to drain,...

For DC/MetroAreans: Bone Marrow Drive for a Member of our Community (Cheek-Swab Test — you do not need to give blood) Saturday, December 15, 20073 pm – 6 pm Location: Janney Elementary School4136 Albemarle St. NW, Wash. DC (intersection of Albemarle St. and Wisconsin Ave NW, across from Best Buy and the Tenleytown station on Metro’s Red Line) A local parent of South Asian descent is battling CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia), a form of blood cancer. She is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. Because there are so few South Asian donors in the national registry, finding a match for her may be very difficult. By registering with the National Marrow Donor Program, you may give the gift of life to this special person, who is a friend, daughter, wife, and mother. We are most in need of donors of South Asian descent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, East Africa, Guyana, Afghanistan). Donor registration is free for these individuals as well as those of African-American, Hispani...

Vuboq is tired of teh snow. It's all pretty and stuff ... but, ugh, I hatez going outz in it. And, at some point, I have to brave the madness that will be the grocery store during snow . GAH. I feel like a big ol' cliche because I need to buy milk. Of course, that's if I make mac 'n' cheese. And, I think I've OD'ed on cheese. My company bought lunch for my office from Maggianos. The things I could eat were: salad (with blue cheese), cheese ravioli, fried cheese, fettucini al fredo with broccoli, and cheesecake. And garlic bread. Cheesy carby goodness. I need a nap. And a session in the vomitorium. So, if I skip out on the mac 'n' cheese. What should I make? Hmm ... perhaps a baked sweet potato.

This is the view from my cubicle: It is very snowy out. This morning, I woke up and thought, "Hm. It's dark outside. I wonder what time it is." So, I put on my glasses, looked at the clock and *GAH* 6:24. The alarm usually goes off at 6:20, but I had forgotten to set it last night. Oops. Good thing I woke up, huh?

Talk about foreshadowing, kittens! Yesterday, we had a taste of the snow flurries. Today, it's a BLIZZARD!!! Well, not exactly "blizzard" more like "light snow showers," but the Weather People are saying 1-3" of accumulation. I dunno, but December the 5th seems too early for snow. Forkin' Climate Change. In other news, I finally had an idea for StickSteven's 2007 Year in Review ! Yay! It should only take a couple of days to get those ideas sketched, drawn, and copied! YAY! I also got my first Christmas Holiday Card! Thanks, Sassy ! Oh, and a little note to people who want to choose "all of the above" on the Best Blog in the Entire Universe EVER. I'm sorry, but that's not an option. It's a cop-out. You have to make a choice! Also, you shouldn't have to enter your email, just hit "skip" and all should be well. So, vote now. Vote often: I guess that's about it. Today is laundry day. I want to mak...

1. We had snow flurries this morning. Snow flurries = good. Snow storms = bad. 2. My building's stairway REEKED of teh pot yesterday after work. I think my cranky pothead nextdoor neighbor forgot to open a window or something. The smell of teh pot makes me queasy.

ZOMG. I leave on my Pre-Xmas VayKay in 11 days. Have I done my Xmas Cards? Have I drawn StickSteven 2007 Year in Review? Have I bought/made all my Xmas Presents? GAH! Because I have to work on Christmas Eve (bah! humbug!), I'm taking off the week before (yay!). Rather than fly (and deal with icky amateur holiday travellers and have no way to transport all my X mas Loot!), I decided to rent a car. Which if you think about it (and consider how much I hate to drive), it's kinda funny. And, perhaps, a disaster in the making. I mean, I drive a car maybe 2 times a year. *woot* Let the above map serve as a warning to all of you in the affected areas, you may want to stay off the roads on the following dates: Dec. 15th . I gets up realz early and drives 7+ hours to Boone , NC to visit my college friend, Lori. Dec. 17th . I drives from Boone to my parents' home in Waynesville , NC. Dec. 20th. (if I can last that long at my parents' home). I drives from Waynesville to my bro...

I watched Elizabeth last night. Let us have a moment of silence to ponder the glory that is Cate Blanchett. *moment of silence* Ah. That was nice. I made Carribean Black Bean Soup last night. OMForkinG, are you ready for the super-complicated recipe? Are you? Do you think you can handle it? OK. Here goes: In sauce pan, heat one can of coconut milk and one can of diced tomatoes with chilies . Once hot, slowly add one package of Fantastic Foods Instant Black Beans . Add water if it's too thick. You can also add some corn (my people call it maize ) and/or cooked rice if you want. Serve. Eat. Enjoy. *whew* I hate it when cooking is so difficult. OH. I also put together my frames for the two paintings I bought several years ago. I ordered the frames from americanframe.com . Cheap! And Easy to Assemble! I highly recommend it. The two paintings I framed are 7 1/2" x 10" and 8 1/16" x 10". Total cost (including metal frames, mounting board, UV and a...

ZOMGz! 15 comments on the totally true story about my teddy bears ! You like me. You really, really like me! The only time I get more comments is when I break up with Cheating Cheaters who Cheat. Cheatfully. So, let's see ... in order to get lots of comments on every entry, I either need to break up with more hot menz ... EVERY DAY [My torrid affair with that totally cute Starbucks Barista ended when he handed me my grande no-whip non-fat mochafrappalottaccino with a sprinkle of nutmeg and kicked me out of the store without even saying GOOD-BYE! I saw how he was looking at the customer behind me. WAH!] or MORE HOT BEAR LUVIN' (NSFW*) with MUHAMMAD and JESUS!!!! The people have spoken ... stay tuned, my pretties. *I'm kidding. Hot Bear Luvin' is tewtelly work-safe.

Happy Monday, Kittens! Not much happened this weekend. On Friday night, Peter and Tomoko came down for drinks. We watched Project Runway Season 2 on DVD. I stayed up way too late. Saturday, I dug out my Xmas stuff and (yay!) discovered I *did* purchase Xmas cards on sale last year (yay! again). Of course, I didn't bother decorating or anything. I just put the box in the middle of my floor. Motivation. I'm all about it. I can't decide if (or where) I want to put my purple tinsel Xmas tree. And, I discovered I need more Xmas lights. AND, I was feeling lazy and didn't want to do anything. OMG. I have so much to do in just two weeks. GAH. Of course, instead of doing anything that truly needed to be done, I knitted. And finished (!) the Never-Ending Afghan of Doom! See: It's huge. But, I bound it off too tightly so one end is all wonky. Whatever. Who cares? It's finished (woot!). One Christmas present down ... like, a gabillion to go. fork. I cast...

As you may know, I have two very special bears living with me. This is Buddy: He was my brother's teddy bear. This is Buzzy: He is my teddy bear. Buddy and Buzzy are good friends. We've had them for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, my parents could not afford to keep two ravenous teddy bears, so they moved in with me a few years ago. Buzzy is the studious one. He reads all the time. I think Buzzy may need glasses. Buddy is very neat. He is always cleaning the room. Last weekend, I learned a shocking secret. I was cleaning out my files and found their birth certificates. "Buddy" and "Buzzy" are only nicknames ! Buzzy's real name is Jesus Christ , and Buddy? His name is actually Muhammad . I know! I hope the Sudanese government doesn't find out ! Because what I'm about to disclose next could really tick. them. off. Muhammad? Jesus? It's time to come out of the closet. Yep. Muhammad and Jesus are gay bears. Gay bears with no shame, ...