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

Morning, Kittens! Or... um ... Afternoon, I suppose. I think I'm coming down with a cold. I'm self-medicating with coffee, tequila, and frequent napping. *woot* I have a 'low-key' date tonight. Possibly. So I need to be rested. Relaxed. And not coughing and hacking and sinus-draining. I think I can postpone the onset if I get lots of sleep. Stupid busy schedule not allowing me to get enough sleep and lowering my resistance. Resistance is futile. In the meantime, happy hour last nightw as a hoot. Tomoko got to meet fellow journobuddy Jerry. Much talk about politics and elections ensued. *woot* You know how I get off on that shit. I'm actually thinking of a post for EnviroWonk . The idea has been playing around in my head for a few days. I need to mentally stabilize my argument. Then, I get to bust some EnviroHeads. HOTness. God [Are you there? It's me, VUBOQ], when was the last time I updated the Wonk? I have been a bad EnviroBuddy. I'll pro...

And sleepy. Must. Stay. Awake. On the WaPo Celebritology Blog, there is an interesting thread about movies you can watch again and again and again and again ... Here is my list (alphabetized, so I don't play favorites): Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon A Fish Called Wanda Harry Potter 1-4 Legally Blonde Lord of the Rings Trilogy Moulin Rouge The Mummy Singin' in the Rain Spice World Spider-Man There are others that I *could* watch again and again, but I don't own them (yet). Feel free to leave your choices in the comments. *smooch*

OMG. I am so fucking looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. I have not been sleeping well recently. I am not nearly as cranky today, but I feel like I am on the brink. It won't take much to push me over. Tread softly around me. Speak in hushed tones. Ply me with coffee and chocolates. And all will be well. Last night was laundry night. *woot* I ran into a couple of neighbors. Always fun to chat with them. I found out that the reason my side of the building never gets mulched is because the co-op only pays to have the middle section of the lawn mulched. Quoth the subject heading of an email from one of my neighbors on the Board: "Full Frontal Mulching." The Board will reimburse us for the mulch if we do it ourselves. Which we will, because it looks like crap. And, next year, the co-op will pay to have that bit mulched too. As god as my witness, I will never mulch again! (after this time) Also, one of the Upstairs Neighbors is going to take the sewing class with Mike and ...

My final short story writing class was very good. There were cookies. COOKIES, people! COOKIES!!! However, I missed my usual bus home. The next one was late. I didn't get home until after eleven, and didn't get to bed until midnight:30. A very special note to the people who were waiting at the bus stop almost directly under my bedroom window: It is possible that the reason you have whiny, cranky, crying children is because you are making them stand in the cold at a bus stop at midnight:45. And, sometimes, oddly enough, people who have a bedroom window which overlooks the bus stop are trying to sleep at that time. Not very successfully though. Thus, VUBOQ is a tad cranky this morning. I'm sure it will only get worse as the day progresses. I am such a joy to be around. Really. Love me. Love my crankiness. *smooches* Mid-Morning UPDATE: I've been asked to choose my favorite blog post. I've been scrolling through my archives all morning, and, what can I say? THEY AR...

At the happy hour last night, I mentioned to a few of my neighbors that I didn't sleep well that night because of the creepy "someone-is-in-my-room" dreams. Moving Soon Upstairs Neighbor said that he, too, had been having very vivid dreams recently. We wondered if it had something to do with the change of the seasons? Psychedelic Pollen, Kittens! Last night, I had, yet another, weirdly vivid dream. I meant to remember the whole thing; however, when I woke up this morning, I promptly forgot all of it, except for one scene: Mahatma Ghandi stepping into a pink cake and continuing to walk, dragging pink cakey chunks on his sandaled feet, to the banks of the Ganges. Anyone care to put forward an interpretation of that?

Robins Candy-colored trees Vernal Equinox These are the signs of Spring, for some. Me? I have been too heavily influenced by my upbringing to rely solely on these signs from nature. For me, Spring has truly begun with the celebration of one of the most important events of the year ... The Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour, the Shirtless Soccer Player. Yea, verily I say unto you, the first Shirtless Soccer Player was spotted yesterday evening at approximately 6:30PM. And, there was much rejoicing. Spring has SPRUNG! *schwiiiiiing* Meanwhile, on my way to my departing neighbor's happy hour in beautiful, happenin' downtown Silver Spring, I stopped off at Border's to buy Mika's CD, Life in Cartoon Motion . I know. I'm overbudget for March, but I blame GayProf and Scott-o-Rama , who won't shut up about (or quit stalking) Mika. Fortunately, I could use some of my Borders Rewards Certificates. So, technically, I paid $1.54 for the CD [or $1,001.54, if you want to i...

I just realized I have like 5 stories to read and critique for our last class tomorrow. How many have I read and critiqued? Um... Not 5. Meanwhile ... I ate the rest of my chocolate. It was SUPER-YUM. I want more. Must. Resist. *resistance is futile* The weather's really nice and our office stinks of paint. I may have to venture outside for awhile. I could read some of the stories then, but I am uninspired to do anything other than resemble my favorite vegetable. Maybe I'll wander around the Borders for awhile ...

I kept dreaming that someone else was in my room last night. Very disconcerting, and not conducive to restful sleep. I wonder if I should blame the chocolate? I ate a little over half a bar of Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate with Crystallized Ginger Pieces (on sale now at Whole Foods - 2 for $5). Total YUM. But, maybe it was the additional caffeine that lead to the disturbing dreams? Hmmm... Also, I determined that yesterday's cold-like symptoms - sore throat, scratchiness, etc - and additional woozy light-headedness had two causes. 1) Pollen (stupid trees) and 2) my office was painted while I was on vacation. In other news, I'm going to a happy hour tonight for my upstairs neighbor. He is moving to California on Saturday. *sigh* I hope someone nice [and not too clompy, since he lives above me] buys his place!

Hm. March was not as kind to me budgetarily as February. Alas. I figured that, since it *is* my birthday month, I deserve to treat myself. Today, I bought these from the site I linked to earlier: Cute Belt in Orange Cute Wallet in Purple Love me. Love my things made out of recycle juice boxes! AND, I decided to make pasta salad for Meat-Free Monday. AND, buy myself some nice chocolate. Even though I have no money left in the budget. That's what savings are for :-) The pasta salad consists of tri-color twisty pasta, crumbled feta, kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes, with a dressing made from lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Hopefully, it will be YUM. Photo forthcoming (after it chills for a bit in the fridge): Verdict: Hm. It needs to be colder, and probably could use a bit less feta. but other than that. not bad.

Saturday. The upstairs neighbor's birthday party was FUN-tastic! Lots of good food and booze and interesting people and fun conversation. I think she liked her present: a super-cute purse made out of Strawberry Tea Juice containers from the Philippines (like CapriSun containers). So. Very. Cute. I got home around 2:15. Was a little intoxicated. Tripped in my bedroom, ripping off a toenail (ow) and hitting my shoulder pretty hard (ow). It still hurts a little. Inspired by Mac 's sewing adventures, I have purchased a 1950s Singer Sewing Machine from another upstairs neighbor, who is moving. $30. It comes in a cute little hideaway table thing. I'll try to find a photo or take one at some point. The funny thing? I've never sewn anything before in my life. But, I have this desire to take some of the sarongs I bought in SE Asia and turn them into curtains, or funky blinds of some sort. I'll get it when he sells his place and moves out the rest of his furniture. I also tr...

Last night was fun. Drinks at Halo with Darryl, Mike, Robert and Tomoko. We met one of Darryl's friends, Chad, who as it turns out is from a small town in NC near where my family lived for awhile. I also tried a drink as suggested in my comments once by The Sean Show - a dry manhattan with a twist. YUM. I think I may like that better than a regular manhattan. Mmmm ... After Halo, Tomoko, Mike, Robert and I went to Thai Tanic for dinner. Vegetarian drunken noodle. Very Yum. Then, Robert ditched us and we went to Omega. Fun times. I was briefly stranded at Ft. Totten on the way home. They took the train out of service. AUGH. Fortunately I was on a call with Darryl and Mike, so they entertained me. Got home. Was drunk. and a little depressed. Blogged. Went to bed and started reading the book my cousin gave me for my birthday - I Like You: Hospitality under the Influence . It's very funny. And practical. And it made me feel a lot better. Escapism is a wunnerful wunnerful thing. Pla...

Y'know. When I think about it, my life is pretty good. I have some of the most fantabulous friends EVER. And I have a home ( 2 bedrooms! 1 bath!). And I have a job (which is uninspiring, to say the least). And I have parents who love me. And a brother who is cool. And superfantastic relatives. And blog-readers, who I have never met in person, but who I know are the most AWESOME peoples ever. And a superfurry, always shedding psychokitty pussy for affection. When I think about it, life is pretty damn good. But why is it ... well, why is it that it doesn't always feel that way? Why do I get sad? And why do I feel lonely? Why does that happen? Why do I think something is missing? And what can I do to fill that missing piece? Life. It's such a fucking pile of shit. But, at least, I can spread the shit around, and beautiful things may grow. Watered by my tears.

I haven't posted my thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes and greetings and cards. So, THANK YOU. And *BIG HUGS* I really appreciated all of them. Special thanks and *smooches* go to Sassy for the gift card (I'm still trying to decide what to buy ... decisions decisions decisions) and to Chelsea for the wonderful present that I received last night: Plans for my last day off: Laundry (which is almost done). Shopping in DC. Deciding what color to paint. Happy Hour with Da Kittens. And possibly sex with some random guy.

Today, I met Mike and Darryl for lunch. It was lovely. The food was good, and the weather was divine. After lunch, I knitted on the AU campus until they finished work. Then, we went to Dupont Circle to enjoy the sun. We walked to Halo. Mike left. Tomoko joined us. We drank. We ate dinner at Logan Tavern. Darryl shared some information, which even when filtered through the lens of "Darryl Loves Drama," I still do not understand. It involves Mike ... of course. And my residual feelings towards him ... and how he may have residual feelings towards me. I need to move on. Yet, I feel stuck. UGH.

I am seriously contemplating shaving my pussy. The cat hair. It is everywhere. I brush and brush and brush and brush. And then I brush some more. But there is still the cat hair. It is slowly driving me c.r.a.z.y. Especially b/c Isabella likes to rub all up in my face as I am working on Eugene the Laptop. GAH. Meanwhile, I accomplished a lot yesterday. I took the two pieces of art I have from London to be framed. The big one that I bought on my last trip there will be about $140 to frame. It's a signed and numbered lithograph (?) of chili peppers. The smaller one was a present from my friends. It will be about $60 to frame. It's similar colors, but an abstract painting called "Golden Glow." I also emptied all the junk out of the spare room. Of course, I just piled it in my bedroom, but whatever. Now, I can go to the paint store and pick out paint and supplies! YAY! I may not be able to paint though, because it's supposed to rain on Friday and Saturday...

Well, except for the "All Nude" part, here's a rundown of my birthday weekend ... Friday night, I met the kittens at Jaleo for dinner. I got there about 6:30 for a pre-dinner martini. YUM. Robert, Tomoko, and Mike got there around 7. The weather was crap - sleet, rain, snow - but I was newly reblonded, so I didn't really care. Darryl didn't show up until after we had paid and were heading out. That's a long story that I may save for another day. Then, we wandered up to Mike's house for yummy pistachio pink cake and bellini's. Mmmm ... Here's a picture of the walk: Here's another picture of the super delicious cake [This is the "homemaker Vuboq" pose]: Saturday morning [My BIRTHDAY!], I got up at 5:45AM, still a little drunk, showered, threw a few more things into the suitcase, and caught the 6:37 bus to Silver Spring station. I got to the airport in plenty of time. The flight was uneventful; I was over hung. The wonderful cousin, Suza...

Greetings from Ann Arbor, Kittens! Just checking in for a few minutes to let you know that all is well :-) I'm having a fantabulicious time - lots of booze, good food, and fun times with the cuz and cuz-in-law. I'm heading back to DC tonight. And will eventually upload pics from my funtastic birthday celebration with Robert, Mike, Darryl, and Tomoko, as well as some pics from Ann Arbor (if I take any, that is). *smooches*

I must go pack. *smooches*

OMG! Can you stand the friggin' excitement?! It's is *almost* my birthday! My day! The BEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!! When it's all about me ... wait ... isn't it always all about me? Hm ... ANYWAY ... my birthday! presents! cake! booze! cards! *woot* So. Excited. And "how is Vuboq going to spend his birthday eve?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you. First, Vuboq is working. BUT, only until 12:30. Then, Vuboq is leaving. FOREVER. [ha. I wish.] Second, Vuboq is metroing into DC to visit Leah, the most fantastic Colornatrix, so that he will look amazing for his birthday. Third, Vuboq is returning to his home to CLEAN and PACK and ORGANIZE for his exciting BIRTHDAY TRIP TO DEEEEEEEEETROIT, MICHIGAN!!! Fourth, Vuboq is metroing back into DC to meet some of his kittens for dinner at Jaleo followed by cake at Mike's house. YAY! Jaleo! Cake! JALEO! CAKE! JALEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEO! CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE! Then, Vuboq is going home, even though his kittens may try to drag him o...

Hey, guys, it's not just teh gays checkin' out yer package ... via the lovely and talented Mac comes a link to this article, Eyetracking points the way to effective news article design . Towards the end of the article, we are *shocked* to discover: "When photos do contain people related to the task at hand, or the content users are exploring, they do get fixations. However, gender makes a distinct difference on what parts of the photo are stared at the longest. Take a look at the hotspot below. Although both men and women look at the image of George Brett when directed to find out information about his sport and position, men tend to focus on private anatomy as well as the face. For the women, the face is the only place they viewed. Coyne adds that this difference doesn’t just occur with images of people. Men tend to fixate more on areas of private anatomy on animals as well, as evidenced when users were directed to browse the American Kennel Club site. " Moral of ...

Have I mentioned that my birthday is Saturday?

Need a few things to do to while away the hours on Vuboq's Birthday Eve Eve? First, repeat steps 1-4 of yesterday's entry as needed. Second, take a few moments to read this article to see why several "power" bloggers have temporarily misplaced their senses of humor and have gotten their collective panties all in a knot: Stating the Obvious by Garrison Keillor Check out Famous Author Rob Byrnes' blog for his commentary and links to "the knotted." Seriously, shouldn't more people be pissed off about Marine General Pace's hate speech than a -rather boring- piece of obvious satire written by a well-known humorist? Which brings us to the subject of humor ... How do we know what is funny and what isn't? As I read my story to the class last night, there were several instances in which everyone in the class laughed. As I was writing the story, my intention was to be witty and clever, not laugh-out-loud funny. Maybe it's funnier read aloud ...

1. Ask yourself, "Have I mailed Vuboq's birthday card yet?" 1a. If no, get thee to a post office pronto, kitten. 1b. If yes, have a celebratory martini! 2. Ask yourself, "Have I ordered Vuboq's expensive birthday present yet?" 2a. If no, for god's sake, kitten, what are you waiting for? The grass to grow? 2b. If yes, have a celebratory martini! 3. Ask yourself, "Have I emailed Vuboq an e-birthday card yet?" 3a. If no, do it! Now! [They are FREE, you know, and they show that you care] 3b. If yes, have a celebratory martini! 4. Ask yourself, "Have I sent the million dollar money order to Vuboq yet?" 4a. If no, um ... why not? 4b. If yes, have a celebratory martini. Hell, Vuboq will personally deliver your celebratory martini. Things Vuboq is Doing on His Birthday Eve Eve Eve: 1. "Working" 2. Going to Class, where he is going to premiere his latest short story, which isn't quite finished yet, which is making him panic just ...

Today's lunch: vegan tunafish* sandwich on whole wheat with spring greens and CHEETOS. Mmm. On my way back from Whole Foods, where I purchased: vegan tunafish* salad spring greens roma tomatoes mushrooms tzitziki (tsitsiki?) whole wheat bread spiraly pasta and paper towels [all for a bargain $19.10], I remembered this weird dream I had last night: I had a job interview, so I ran into the hair salon 30 minutes before the interview begging Leah, the Colornatrix, to cut my hair. She did. And, fortunately, the office where I was to interview was right next door . Isn't it neat how dreams do that? I walked into the interview and the first thing the Office Assistant tells me is that the man interviewing me is Japanese and doesn't speak good English, so they communicate in ... wait for it ... fluent Latin. da-what? I'm all, like, uh, OK. I had Latin in high school for two years, but it's a little rusty. And, then, the interviewer came out and spoke to me in perfect-...

The harrowing tale of my experience as a drug mule has been turned into a film: After making "the drop," Robert, Mike, and I went to Cobalt for 1/2 price drinks (*woot*). Then, we had dinner at Luna Cafe ($5 pasta!). Unfortunately, someone on the 3rd floor of the building Luna is in was rubber cementing things to the wall. By the time we left, I had a little buzz going. *whew* Robert headed home, and I walked back towards Mike's house, where I caught the 70 bus. I got home around 10:40. Not too shabby. No real plans today. I actually have some work to do (ugh). Then, I need to enter some expenses into my budget, work on my short story, and make my grocery list. Fun times, kittens. Meanwhile, as some of you may know, the Most Important Day of the Year is rapidly approaching (SATURDAY! SATURDAY!). I've put my email address in the comments section if anyone would like to send me an e-card ... or a million dollars.

Vuboq is a little tipsy, so you must wait until tomorrow to hear the story of Vuboq Full of Grace and my trials and tribulations as a prescription drug mule. Until then... enjoy a few videos from Sunday: "Bad Touch": You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals So let''s do it like they do on the Discovery Channel Do it again now You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals So let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel

Anyone else lose an hour somewhere? So very tired this morning. But, I had a very good weekend. Not only did I finish the Never-Ending Sweater of Doom (see pictures in previous entry), I also vacuumed the living room, tidied the kitchen, and spent loads of quality time with friends. Saturday evening, Mike and Robert picked me up. We got take-out Vietnamese (yum!) and watched The Departed at Bob and Bernard's house. Mike was dog-sitting for them. I was not expecting to like The Departed , because I normally don't enjoy mob movies. This one was very good though. Highly entertaining. Although I found the final shot -of the rat on the balcony- to be a bit contrived and unnecessary. I kept thinking "How did the rat get up there?" Sunday, I spent the morning blobbing around the house (and recovering from the red wine hangover). Mike picked me up around 3 and we hung out in Dupont Circle, meeting Robert and running into Steveandbobby. Mike, Robert, and I went to Alero for d...

The Never-Ending Sweater of Doom is FINISHED!!!! *WOOT* Well, it needs to be washed and ... um ... blocked, but it's done! DONE!!! And it only took a little over a year. I am amazing! Here it is (with flash): and again (without flash): So the arms/shoulders seem a bit wonky, and the neck is too big, but whatever... IT'S FINISHED!!! WORSHIP ME, KITTENS

Good news, kittens! My federal and state refunds were deposited today! *WOOT!* I'm going to deposit most of the money in savings and use some of it to get some artwork framed. YAY! Here is a list of things I need to have framed (and how long I have owned them): 1. Lithograph of chili peppers (less than 6 months) 2. Golden Glow painting by Greenwich-based artist (3 years) 3. 2 paintings by Mongolian artist, Damba Tsolmon (at least 4 years) [My paintings are similar to this one .] 4. 2 paintings by Chinese student artists (purchased while I lived in Beijing, so ... um ... 8 years ago?) My weekend plans, thus far are: Friday - Happy Hour at Halo followed by dinner and possibly more drunken debauchery Saturday - Seaming my sweater, cleaning the apartment, getting the chili pepper painting framed Sunday - Meeting pab In other news, I think there is a homeless man living under the bridge near my house.

This afternoon, I made ice. Later, when I opened the freezer, several of the ice cubes looked like the one pictured. Can anyone explain how that happened? [and if the picture makes no sense, the ice cubes had these little frozen peaks. totally weird]

In the end, the snow stopped. The sidewalks and roads were clear, or at least clear enough. So, I ate dinner and headed to class. It was good. However, it would seem that I have volunteered to read aloud another story for next week. The problem? I don't have another story. Well, I have a story idea floating in my head and about 3 pages of scribbled notes to myself - written on the metro, written in the middle of the night, written when I had an idea that I didn't want to forget. Starting today, I will attempt to pull together those ideas into something more cohesive. *egh* I told the instructor I would email him about my progress on Sunday. Deadlines. Deadlines are good. The problem I have with writing is that I come up with some -IMHO- interesting ideas, yet I can't translate those ideas into an actual story. I feel like I am writing a scene, a snapshot of someone's life. And, whenever I attempt to continue the scene, I fall into the Land of Bland, where every...

The snow is still falling, but it doesn't seem to be sticking to the roads and sidewalks. It makes me wonder if my class will be cancelled tonight or not. So far, the website says the Writer's Center will be open. Class doesn't start until 7:30. I finish work at 4:30 (or 5), so I usually go home first to eat dinner. Then, I leave around 6:15/30. If the snow continues, I will more than likely not feel like leaving the house. I would rather not miss a session, but venturing forth in the cold and snow is not my idea of a fun time ... I'm crossing my fingers that class will be cancelled. On the bright side, if I don't go to class, I can do my laundry tonight. Which means I can participate in Dining Out for Life tomorrow.

It's snowing. The weird thing about watching snow fall is this: If you focus far away, it looks like it is casually slowly drifting downwards. However, if you focus closer to you, it looks like it is pouring down in sleety sheets. Anyone care to explain that? This is the view from my cubicle window:

Yesterday, the Mega Millions lottery drawing was for $370 million. Everyone in my office chipped in a buck and agreed to split the cash payout (There are about 12 of us here now). We didn't win. In fact, it hasn't been announced if anyone won. If no one did, we'll probably play again on Friday. It's only a dollar. And we only play when the payout gets ridiculously enormous. The way I look at it, at least, is that I'm paying for a chance to dream, to dream about how I would spend the money. Sure I could still dream about it without paying the dollar, yet -holding those numbers in my hands, while gazing out the window, somehow makes it seem more real. Like it could actually happen. And, just in case it ever does, it's always good to have a plan of action. For one thing, I hope I never win the gigantic lump sum all by my lonesome. I think my brain would explode simply thinking about all that money. $20-25 million dollars seems easier to wrap my head aro...

And the whistlin' wheat sure smells sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain. Does anyone have a copy of The Grapes of Wrath I could borrow? Preferably paperback ... and with that old paperback book smell. Thanks. Meanwhile, VUBOQ is bored ... maybe I'll make some videos. Oooh. That's it. If anyone has any video suggestions, leave them in the comments and I'll try to oblige. Unless, of course, if they are pervy. Then, I'll definitely oblige. ha. I jest. *smooches*

Do you think, if I gave pab a box of Rice-a-Roni without saying anything, he would understand? Or maybe some other lovely parting gift?

I started another hat last night. So, now I have three (yes, THREE) projects on teh needles. The diagonal rib bib (*heh* Eight Lives Left), the new hat, and the Never-Ending Sweater of Doom, which is almost done! *woot* Once those three projects are finished, I will start on a scarf. And, then, I will take stock of my stash (which isn't much) to see what I can make out of the bits and bobs of yarn I have lying about. I did absolutely nothing last night, except for knitting. Even my Meat-Free Monday meal was uninspired (penne pasta in a tomato, mushroom, spinach sauce). No photo, I wouldn't want to induce narcolepsy in anyone. In other exciting news, it is friggin' freezing here. The walk to work was ... *brisk* ... what with the 40mph wind gusts. I have to venture to the Post Office later this morning. *geh* It might snow tomorrow. Why isn't it Spring yet? WHY? I haven't written anything for my class in weeks. I do have an idea I'm playing with tho...

I'm using up some leftover yarn and decided to figure out how to do a diagonal rib. It actually was not that difficult. Yay! Of course, now I don't know if I have enough yarn for a scarf, which was the original plan. Maybe it will become an oddly shaped/sized placemat or something. I'm bored. And could really use a nap.

I can't decide if I'm still a little drunk this morning or if I'm only unpleasantly hungover ... or possibly a combination of both. We met at Beacon for brunch around 1. Ate loads. Drank lots of champagne. Then, we walked up the street to JRs. $2 Skyy cocktails! Bad date Carlos was there, the one who kept ogling the waiters when we went out. We chatted for a bit. I think we had 3 rounds there. Then, we staggered across town to Halo. 2-for-1! We drank. We talked. We laughed. Robert took pictures . My right nipple is really sore. We left. My bus came, so I ditched the friends. I think they went to Luna for half-price pizza. I'm not really sure what time (or how) I got home. Or what I did when I got home. I possibly went straight to bed. I woke up at 6, unsure if I had set my alarm. I had. Fun times, kittens. But the word of the day is *oog* *smooches*

... is filled with a lot of songs which I don't understand. Stolen from GayProf [Long May He Be the Most Desired Man on the Blogosphere!], apparently you hit the random shuffle button on your iTunes and use those songs as your soundtrack. Here's mine: Opening Credits : “ Heli Meli ” by Hamid el-Shaeri from the Arabic Groove CD. I have no idea what they are singing, but it’s peppy. Like me. No one knows what I’m saying, but I’m peppy … after my first 3 cups of coffee. Waking Up : A song in Chinese by Taiwanese Pop Star and Super Cutie-Patootie Jay Chou [He was in Curse of the Golden Flower ]. The problem with my iTunes library is that it has a lot of songs in languages I don’t understand. The problem with this song in particular [Track 4 of Jay’s second album] is that it’s slow and soothing. Not conducive to me getting out of bed. First Day of School : “Bridge of Dreams” by Mario Frangoulis. At 17 the bridge of dreams can reach across forever … I really think this song is about...

Sooooooooo ... last night was Chocolate Decadence at the Ritz-Carlton. 3 hours of chocogoodness. OMG. I was so bloated. But the chocolate was (as chocolate is) so very very good. My favorite? Had to be either the yummily rich and smooth pie/fudge-like wedge that reminded me of the super-rich melty goodness of the only-sold-in-Winter Japanese candy: Melty Kiss. Chocorgasm. OR ... the odd, yet surprisingly delicious, chocolate cake, coated with bitter bitter dark chocolate and filled with a surprise - basil cream filling! Seriously. Shocking. Tantalizing. Oh, so good. Mmmmm ... There were over 200 different chocolate items. I think I may have tried them all. *oog* Today, I spent the morning and afternoon drinking coffee and knitting. I have seamed the shoulder of the Never-Ending Sweater of Doom and knitted about an inch of the neck. WOO HOO! I left the house around 2:45 to meet pab at Eastern Market. I had to go to the yarn store to buy more yarn. I started a hat for a friend, but under...

or at least here's a few fun tidbits I learned by hitting the "random page" button. 1. Israel (and Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin are 2000 years old). 2. Unicorns were on the Ark. 3. Bill Clinton is the devil incarnate . 4. The Federalist Party was killed in the War of 1812 . 5. Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan ! OK. That was an entertaining hour. Only 50 minutes left until Go Home Time and the trek to the Chocobuffet! CHOCOLATE ! *drool*

A few moments ago, I purchased my birthday (March! 17th!) trip tickets. And, what exciting locale do you think I have chosen to spend the BEST DAY OF THE YEAR? Previous birthday trips have included: London (a couple of times) and Puerto Rico This year, the city where I will turn the most glorious age of all (37!) is .... Drum roll, please ... DETROIT! *woot!* Actually, I'm visiting the most fantastic cousin and her equally fantastic husband in Ann Arbor. But, I'm flying to Detroit. And, hopefully, we will get to spend some time galavanting around that city as well. I *heart* the Gritty City, Detroit. Seriously. Love. It. I'm flying out on the morning of the 17th (my birthday! woo hoo!) and returning on Tuesday the 20th in the evening. That way, I won't miss my Wednesday class. AND, since I'm taking that entire WEEK off, I can do homo ... er ... HOME stuff! YAY. And, I will look fantastic, because I have a hair appointment on the 16th - cut and color and...

Once again, VUBOQ has put the mystery solving abilities of Fred, Daphne, and Velma to shame! Earlier this week, I noticed that my water had a strong, distinct chlorine bleach smell to it. I asked several neighbors if they had also noticed it. They hadn't. After conducting a little research online, I came across this on the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's website: Why does my water smell bleachy or musty? Due to rain, ice and snowstorms, river conditions can produce strong bleachy odors and musty/earthy odors. The strong bleachy odor is not an indication of increased chlorine. The odor is a result of the combination of the chlorine used to disinfect and ammonia in the runoff water (rain, melting snow and ice) producing chloramines. Chloramines are not harmful and in fact are used by some utilities as the primary disinfectant. However, under certain circumstances, chloramines produce a very strong bleachy odor. There are no adverse health affects from the odor. I am a...

I've been watching Season 1 of Extras ... Episode 6: Patrick Stewart : You're not married. You don't have a girlfriend. And you don't watch Star Trek . Ricky Gervais : No. Patrick Stewart : Good lord. Trust me. It was very funny.

Busy day here at work. I've been playing with the Sherwin-Williams Color Visualizer. During my birthday (March! 17th!) vacation week, I am hoping to spend part of that time cleaning, organizing, and painting my spare bedroom cum study/office. *heh* "cum" I've been thinking about a pale green with chocolately brown trim and accent wall. Here's what it would look like (ignore the bedroom furniture, I chose this room because the floor color is similar to mine): Colors: Walls - white mint, accent wall and trim - bitter chocolate, ceiling - antique white. Opinions?

Class. It ran late. I didn't get home 'til late. Then, I wanted to make a few edits to my story. I didn't get to bed until after midnight. I. Am. Ti-RED. Class was good. We critiqued two stories. Next week, we have to critique three. *geh* I think if I decide to take another course at the Writer's Center , I will look for one that has a bit more structure to it. I'm not saying this course is bad. I enjoy reading other people's work, but it's not getting me writing as much as I want. I think I need more direction ... at least at first. I have ideas which I think are pretty good story starters, but I don't really know where to go with them. And when I "free write," carrying the characters I've created across the page, they tend towards sappy, melodramatic, cliche moments. Y'know: Boy meets Boy. Boy loses Boy. Boy gets Boy back, kinda things. Meanwhile, how about some more people take the poll in the previous entry? Hmmm? I'm a little ...