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

Good Morning, Kittens.   Yesterday was full of fun and excitement for sure!  I worked.  And had meetings!  and in the afternoon, some of my co-workers and I went to the grocery store, where I ran into K-Factors hunkahunkaburninluv, the Canadian.  Canadians are so friendly (at least the 3 or 4 that I know).   Then, I worked on activities for our Earth Day Month Events.  *w00t*   On the way home, I stopped by the Whole Foods.  I bought ingredients for Fruit Smoothies and Chili and Sandwiches.  Operation Stop Spending So Much Money on Eating Lunches Out is in full swing.  Once home, I washed the dishes, made a martini, and cooked some black bean chili.  I used pesto to cook the onions.  It added an interesting layer of flavor, fer sure.   After dinner, I took pictures of pottery.  The lighting is bad, but you can see them on flickr .   And, soon after, I went to bed.  Bed before 10!  It rocks!   In other good news, Mr. Fantastic's cat situation has been resolved.  I don...

Good Morning, Kittens.   It's Super Sugar Morning here at work.  The breakfast options are poundcake, cupcakes, Girl Scout Cookies (mother forkin' thin mints FTW!), or chocolate.  Oh, what to choose?  What to choose?   Pottery class was fun last night.  I trimmed a vase.  Then, I made a plate/platter-like thing and a bowlvaselike thing .  I also have four finished pieces.  Two which I LUVz and two which are kinda *meh*.  I haven't taken "official" photos yet, but here's a pic of one of the pieces I LUVz .  One of my classmates dinged the plate/platter-like thing.  I will have to figure out how to fix it the next time I'm in the studio.  Fun.   Not much on the agenda for the day.  I have 2 hours of training later this morning.  And I have to work on an SOW which was discussed in a meeting yesterday.  I think I made plans for happy hour after work today, but I will more than likely cancel them.  I need to go to the grocery store.  And I want to get t...

Good Rainy Monday Morning, Kittens.   Hope we are all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to take on the day!  At least, I hope you are, because I most certainly am not.  *yawnz*   So, Friday night, Mr. Fantastic and I had a movie night with Ray.  We ordered pizza and watched movies until late into the night.  Or, they watched movies until late into the night.  I went to bed around midnight.  Working five days in a row is totally for the birds.    Saturday morning, I metro'ed out to White Flint to meet a college friend for lunch.  We only recently reconnected on Facebook, learning that we have both been in the area for about 10 years and didn't know it.  We went to this yummy vegetarian Chinese restaurant, the Vegetable Garden.  Tasty!  Then, we did a little shoe shopping at White Flint Mall before she drove me home to Silver Spring.   I did a little housework and then headed back into DC.  Mr. Fantastic and I chilled for the rest of the evening.   Sunday morning...

Good Morning, Kittens. Behold. My first birthday cake from Mike (Who Makes Cakes): I was 37. Those were the days. Three years later, I still want to swallow his *ahem* cakes whole ... Mmm. Cake. May Mike (Who Makes Cakes) and I always be friends. As for my weekend, tons of excitement on the agenda. Today, after work, I'm meeting up with Ray and Mr. Fantastic for movies and Chinese take-out (I think). Saturday, I'm meeting a college friend who I recently reconnected with on facebook. And, Sunday, Mr. Fantastic and I are having brunch with my Fabulous Friend Barbara. I may head to the pottery studio afterwards, but that depends on how many mimosas I have. Have a wonderful weekend. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens.   I am reminded of the classic Shel Silverstein poem, Spaghetti :   Spaghetti, spaghetti, all over the place, Up to my elbows--up to my face, Over the carpet and under the chairs, Into the hammock and wound round the stairs, Fill the bathtub and covering the desk, Making the sofa a mad mushy mess.   The party is ruined, I'm terribly worried, The guests have all left (unless they're all buried). I told them, "Bring presents." I said, "Throw confettii." I guess they hear wrong 'Cause they all threw spaghetti.   Just replace "spaghetti" with "cake."   I brought a large portion of the cake in with me to work yesterday.  Most of that is now gone (hurrah!).  I have distributed cake to neighbors.  I have frozen several pieces.  And, last night, K-Factor came down and ate A LOT of cake.  Yay!   BUT, I still have plenty of cake in the fridge ... so c'mon over.  Have a piece. Or two!  I'm sti...

Good Afternoon, Kittens.   Not much to report other than I am TIRED.  Apparently, this 40-year-old body of mine can't handle the same crazy lifestyle that my 39-year-old body could.    Work has been a pill so far this week.  Is it wrong to be thinking about starting to look for another job?    I was exhausted when I got home last night, but had to futz around doing housework stuff.  The Spring Battle of the Shedding Cat has begun.  Cat hair. Everywhere.  Then, I was relaxing with a martini, I got into an extended IM discussion with Y regarding a mutual friend's relationship.  I ended up not eating dinner until after 9.  Around 10, Mike showed up with the rest of my birthday cake.  There is a LOT.  By the time we had sliced it up into manageable chunks and I delivered it to neighbors who were home, it was well past my bedtime.   5:15 came much earlier this morning than usual.  And so did 5:22.  And 5:29.  I could not get out of bed.  Once out of bed, I was moving extra ...

Good Morning, Kittens.   After a weekend of fun and excitement, I am now back to my regularly scheduled drudgery.  Work is work.  and, by that, I mean a hot mess.  A hot mess that is getting hotter and messier by the minute.  *ugh*    But, enough of that unpleasantness.   Yesterday evening, I went to pottery class.  Yay!  I trimmed 3 things - a vase, a bowl, and a platter.  And I glazed a bowl and 3 vases.  Then, because K-Factor is out of town and I didn't have a ride home, I metro'ed to Mr. Fantastic's apartment.  It takes about the same amount of time to get to either of our places from College Park via metro.  Plus, since he lives closer to my office, I can sleep for an extra 30-45 minutes.    PLUS, I can be all "Gah!  I'm running late.  Can you iron my clothes while I'm in the shower?"  And, he's all "Yes!" And, then, I'm all "I think I have found a keeper" as I get a kiss and run out the door in freshly pressed ...

Good Morning, Kittens! What a weekend. I am exhausted ... and not quite ready to go back to work. On Friday, I met the brother for patio margaritas at Lauriol Plaza. Then, while he and his friends got settled in the hotel, I walked over to Mr. Fantastic's apartment for a quick nap. After the nap, I met the brother and friends at the Front Page for happy hour. I went home early (because someone needed to Look Good for Saturday's Party Event of the Decade). Saturday morning, I did some final cleaning and shopping. Around 1:30PM, the always fabulous BOSSY arrived. We metro'ed into DC, dropped our stuff off at Mr. Fantastic's and headed to a fun little watering hole in Columbia Heights for beers and fried olives. Yes. Fried olives. Delicious. Eventually, the wonderful David arrived and we rushed around getting ready for the party. I am still gathering pictures from the party (I didn't take any pix), but here are a few highlights ... The Cake (by Mike (Who Ma...

2 Captain Morgan + 4 Maker's Mark + 1 Jim Beam + 1 Red Bull Vodka + 10 Rail Drink 2 + 6 Soda/Water/Juice + 1 Maker's Mark Manhattan + 1 Maker's Mark House Gingerale + 6 Dogfish 60min + 1 Abita Purple Haze + 2 Brooklyn Lager + 1 Anchor Steam + 2 Dale's Pale Ale + 1 Mamma's Yella Pils + 1 Rodney Sav Blanc + 1 Verget Chard + 4 Basil Hayden + 4 Blanton's + 2 Knob Creek Manhattans + 2 Seagram's 7 + 3 Crown Royal + 1 Macallan 12yr + 1 Glenlivet 12 yr + 1 Rail Vodka + 1 Bombay Sapphire + 1 Tito's + 3 Tito's Martinis + 6 Stoli Black + 6 Tanqueray + 3 Grey Goose Martinis + 14 Grey Goose + 6 Stoli O + 2 Bacardi + 4 Ambhar Silver + 1 Milagro Blanco Margarita + 6 Long Island Iced Teas + 3 Cosmopolitan + 7 St Germain Cocktails + 22 Specialty Cocktails + 2 Party Food = THE BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY EVER! Thanks so much for a wonderful night, kittens. Photos to be posted at some point (since I didn't take any, I have to wait for everyone else to post them somewhere...

Good Morning, Kittens. Well, it's almost time for 40th Birthday, Part II. My big party is tomorrow night. My brother and some of his friends are arriving this afternoon. Then, several other Very Special Guests will be hitting the DC area tomorrow. So excited. This party is going to be FAB-U-LOUS! Srsly. The DJ is booked. The food is ordered. Mike (Who Makes Cakes) is diligently working on my cake (we hope!). I can't wait! Yesterday was a day of preparation. I went to the grocery store. I did laundry. I cleaned and tidied parts of the abode. Around 3PM, SCGB and I walked up to McGinty's for beers and appetizers and to enjoy this gorgeous Spring weather. Mr. Fantastic joined us around 4. Then, we came home. I put the champagne on ice and began making a couscous salad for dinner. After eating, we watched I.Q. , the movie from the 90s about Albert Einstein's niece (Meg Ryan) and a mechanic (Tim Robbins). Today is Mr. Fantastic's birthday. I made him a H...

Good Morning, Kittens. As you may know, someone very important to us turned 40 yesterday (at precisely 12:34PM). And he had a VERY good day (with one minor exception ... which we will get to later). After waking up and opening my gift from my parents (gift cards to Whole Foods, Target, Barnes & Nobles, and Jaleo), I donned a fabulous Marc Jacobs floral shirt and headed into DC for my appointment with the Colornatrix. Sufficiently reblonded, I then went to Dupont Circle to meet Mr. Fantastic. We relaxed in the sun and then went to Luna Cafe on P Street for lunch. I had a veggie burger. And two beers! After lunch, I got a tattoo. It was expensive and painful. But well worth it. Then, I returned home, donned another (less sweaty) fabulous floral shirt and met some friends for a multi-cultural St. Patrick's Day/Birthday dinner at El Golfo. Good food. Margaritas. Sunshine. I couldn't have wished for a better day ... Except for the minor issue of not getting any birthday ...

Good Morning, Kittens. Guess what? I'm FORTY! Here's the First Photo of My Forty Morning Face: And I already received my first present ... from the Psychokitty. Yes, she sensed it is my birthday and gave forth the Vomit of Joy. Huzzah. I'm sure even more excitement awaits (including a hair appointment and a fun dinner with friends). I also will open my present from my parents later. And, Huge Hugs of Thanks to all of you who have made a donation to Food and Friends in my honor. (It's not too late to do that you know!) Have a great and happy Saint Patrick's Day! *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens!   OMG.  It's the Best Day of the Year Eve!  Aren't you excited?  I can't wait for the presents (and donations to Food and Friends ) to start pouring in!  Yayz!   Other than the excitement of the rapidly approaching Best Day of the Year, not much happened yesterday.  I cleaned the bathroom.  And I watched a DVD, Clockwork Orange .  I went to bed early, but I think the switch to DST has forked up my sleep schedule.  I tossed and turned all night, waking up about every 2 hours.  Not fun.   Today, I am going to a birthday lunch with my co-workers.  I also need to call El Golfo to make a reservation for my birthday dinner on Wednesday.  And, I need to do some work like thing, I guess ... since it's my only day in the office this week.   Have a great day!  *smooches*

Good Afternoon, Kittens! I was planning to post this morning; however someone (who shall remain nameless) *had* to have teh buttsecks ... twice ... before noon! I is a little tired. Oh, and I'm not at work (obviously). Today is my flex day. Tomorrow I am working. Wednesday through Friday I am off. I think I can handle a one day workweek. In my opinion, one should not have to work the week of their birth. Speaking of which, have I mentioned that my birthday is coming up (on Wednesday)? And that it's the big 4-0? and that if you want to send me a present, make a donation in my honor to Food and Friends ? I probably have mentioned that, but it certainly bears repeating. Anywayz ... This weekend was spent cleaning. As part of the Birthday Festivities, a couple of Very Special Friends will be lodging at Casa de Esteban. I wanted to make sure everything was clean and tidy for them. I cleaned the living room, reorganized the kitchen, and cleaned BOSSY's Guest Room. ...

Good Evening, Kittens! And here are my photos from the day ... On the way to the metro station, I thought that this kid was wearing cute jeans ... Metro Center ... Broken window at work ... Counting incandescent EXIT signs at work. So much fun ... My keyboard ... Crossing the drill floor ... Counting more EXIT signs ... I love this. EXIT/Not an Exit ... After work, I stopped by Macys to buy a new pair of jeans (I ended up buying 2 pairs ... GAH!). Anyway, some Strange Man followed me into the dressing room ... On the metro home ... And, then, the bus (because it was raining REALLY hard) ... A quick dinner of leftover pasta salad ... The rest of the night was spent drinking, watching movies, and having fun with Mr. Fantastic (no pictures *wink*). Have a fabulous weekend! *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens.   Happy Friday!  *w00t!*   Yesterday, my sponsor from my company came for a little site visit.  We went to Banana Cafe for lunch and gossiped about people at work.  Good times (even if calling her my "sponsor" makes it seem like I'm in some sort of 12 Step Work Program).  Everyone at work seemed Extra Cranky.  I wonder if it's the change in the weather?   Sometime during the afternoon, UPS delivered Shirt #3 (which is actually the first shirt I purchased) for my party.  Now, comes the big decision-making process ... Which shirt to wear to the party?  And, yes, I have already considered (and rejected) having a costume change.  I like all three shirts, so I guess it will mostly depend on my mood.  K-factor suggested taking a picture of myself in each one to see which shirt photographs the best.  She is so clever.    For dinner, K-factor and I went to Thai at Silver Spring.  It was Food and Friends annual Dining Out for Life event, so 25%...

Good Morning, Kittens!   In less than a week, I will be forty.  Like, whoa.  Crazy.  And, already the presents are starting to pour in ... ok.  One present: These very cool Whisky Rocks from K-Factor.  Of course, the best present anyone could give me (besides saying "you don't look 40") would be a donation to Food and Friends  (Click on "Donate Now" and put it in my honor so the lovely development people can keep track).  Yesterday, I put in the food order for my party.  Mac 'n' cheese!   Mini grilled cheese sandwiches!  Other exciting food items!  FUN!   Anyway, last night was chock full of excitement.  I did laundry.  AND, I made pasta salad, which was surprisingly delicious.  In addition to the usual suspects (carrots, cucumbers, olives, pine nuts, feta), I threw in a bunch of thinly sliced brussel sprouts.  Tastiness!  Then, I went up to K-Factors for a drink and some two-bite brownies.  Yumz.   Today will be pretty busy.  I have a couple of...

Good Evening, Kittens. Two posts in one day! How lucky are you? So, at the DCist Exposed Photography Exhibit, I took this photo: Does it remind anyone else of the end of The Blair Witch Project ? That is all. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! What a weekend. *whew* I'm exhausted. I kicked off the weekend at happy hour with co-workers on Friday. Boozy good times, for sure. Saturday, Mr. Fantastic and I hit the shops to find appropriately floral garb for my birthday party. We couldn't find anything. *sniff* ... Later that evening, we attended the DCist Exposed Photography Show opening (pictured). The Canadian had a photo in the exhibit. It was fun. $5 entry. Loads of beer and wine. Nom nom nom. The photos were nice too. Sunday, I headed over to the pottery studio. I made this . Then, I headed back to Mr. Fantastic's to help get ready for a small Oscar Party. That was fun. Mike (Who Makes Cakes) made a cake. It was pretty neat and I will eventually be posting a pic to flickr. I think there is one on my cellphone. Not sure. Monday, Mr. Fantastic and I walked to Georgetown. The weather was gorgeous. We hit Barney's Co-op, where we both found shirts to wear to my birthday...

Good morning, Kittens!  Happy Friday!  Yay!   And, on an even better note, it's an 8-hour workday, which means I am done at 4PM today.  *w00t!* But, on to the topic at hand ... Last night, I stayed at Mr. Fantastic's and we watched Inglourious Basterds . Here is my one word review:   Predictable.   And here is a more in-depth explanation:   I am the worst person ever at predicting movie outcomes.  Seriously, I can't even get M. Night Shamalamalamalan's lamest "twist" endings.  [Hello?  Anyone remember The Village ?  Didn't get it until the end.]   However, Inglourious Basterds was a simple (if not quite linear) connect the dots.  I hate that.  It almost ruined the movie for me.  I kept waiting for some twist that would surprise me or prove that my predictions were wrong.  That twist never came.  *sigh*   This is not to say that it was a bad movie.  It was fun to watch.  Had some tense moments.  And the acting was great, especially the guy wh...

Good morning, Kittens.   Yesterday was certainly fun and exciting.  At work, I wandered around counting Exit signs (LED?  Incandescent?  Working?  Non-working?).  About 3/4 of the way through the 1st floor, we realized there was a Better Way to do it (marking a color-coded map).  So ... guess who gets to start all over again today?   That would be me.  And, I'm not even sure if the whole Counting Exit Signs Thing is a good idea.  But, I need to get some figures in next week for projects for the next fiscal year ... and this would be an easy one.  How many signs do we need multiplied by their cost ... plus labor?  Or something else?  Hmmm.  Works iz hard.   Then, while at the Harris Teeter shopping with some colleagues, I saw one of my exes.  Actually, not one of my exes, the Original Ex - the first guy I dated in DC.  I dumped him after about 8-9 months and broke his heart (so I have been told).  He's the only ex with whom I have no contact.  And, I've seen him twice ....

Good Morning, Kittens   Congrats to gay couples in DC (and Mexico City ).  They can now get gayrried .  So who's rushing to the chapel this morning?  Anyone we know?   Not me, fer sure.  Isn't it interesting that these Gay Marriage Articles always focus on lesbians with decades long relationships?  Where are the menz and their 30+ years of happiness together?  Hm...   Lessee ... What's going on?  Hm ... I'm going to start sending out threatening "Why Haven't You Responded to My Evite" emails this weekend.  I have to put in the food order by March 10th (or 11th?).  I am very excited about the trays of mac 'n' cheese.  Mmm.  Mac 'n' cheese.  I will also be sending out information on how to donate to Food & Friends too.    And, how can it only be Wednesday?  *ugh*  Longest. Week. Ever.   Yesterday, I gave a short presentation at a very long meeting.  Fortunately, the meeting (a) had an agenda and (b) wasn't a clusterfuck.  Th...

Good Morning, Kittens.   Busy day here at the office ... big meeting, double-booked conference room, and missing projector and screen.  Fun!  I'm letting everyone else get all tense about it, whilst I play the "I'm new.  I don't know what's going on" card.  Yay me.  I do have a minor role in the meeting.  I'm giving a brief presentation (as part of a much longer presentation).   Last night at pottery was cool.  I trimmed a bowl and a vase.  Then, I threw this Platter-like Thing .   Other than that, not much is going on.  I'm trying to get everything organized for the big 40th Birthday Party: Men Are Flowers at 40.  Did you receive your evite?  Have you responded?  I'm also going out for dinner with a few friends on my actual birthday.   And, Mr. Fantastic wants to have an Oscar Party this year.   March certainly is Party Month.   Have a great day!  *smooches*    

Good Morning, Sweet Sweet Kittens!   It's March.  How the fork did that happen?  At least that means that Spring is Right Around the Corner!  And do you know what else is Right Around the Corner?  Do you?  Do you?   Can you guess? No?  OK, I'll tell you ...    My 40th Birthday is Right Around the Corner!  Yes, the Big 4-0.  When my father was 40, he had a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old (me!).  I have a cat, who may or may not be 9.  But that is neither here nor there since I have no desire to procreate whatsoever.  The thing that is Here and There is that this weekend I emailed out my 40th Birthday Party evite:  Men Are Flowers at 40!    Did you get it?  Do you want to attend?  Let me know!  Send me an email (and if you pass the rigorous screening process), I'll forward the evite to you.  Fun times will be had.  I've rented out the 2nd floor of a bar in Adams Morgan.  There will be food and fun and music and an open bar!  All I ask is that, instead of presents, m...