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

Good Morning, Kittens! It's the last workday of the year! YAY! And, there are only two of us in the office today. YAY! All I have to do is pound out my monthly report for December and, then, I am surfing the internetz for the rest of the day. SUH-weet. So, last night, I had a first date with this guy, R, who I met on OKCupid. He seems nice enough, but he, like the few other guys I have met on that site, has the slight whiff of desperation about him. Or something. Or a tinge of the crazy. I'm not sure what it says about me since I am also on the site. Or maybe I am sure, but I am unwilling to admit it. ANYWAY, we met at the Clarendon metro station (in Arlington ... where I did see some guy wearing brown flip-flops (um? hello? it was 30 degrees outside. Put on some fucking shoes and sucks, douchebag!)). On the way to the little coffeeshop place, I unexpectedly ran into my friend, Carolyn. So totally random! She got a new (and awesome) job in Pennsylvania and is only...

Good Morning, Kittens! As 2011 draws to a close (hurrah!), I thought it would be fun to take a quick minute to list the books that I've read this year. Most of them were very good. A couple were truly awful (I'm looking at you, "The Lost Symbol" and "The Land of Painted Caves."). Without further ado, in (close approximation of) the order in which I read them, here are the Books of 2011: 1. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin 2. I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell 3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas 4. The Surrendered by Chang Rae-Lee 5. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown 6. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #1) by Rick Riordan 7. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2) by Rick Riordan 8. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #3) by Rick Riordan 9. The Land of Painted Caves (Earth's Children #6) by Jean M. Auel 10. The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and...

Good morning, Kittens. It's a lonely morning here at the office. Where is everyone? I have no idea. Possibly still sleeping off their holiday hangovers ... which is where I wish I could be. Oh, well ... Anyway, I had a pretty good weekend in NC. My flight on Thursday was uneventful and on time! Yay! So, I arrived around 9:30PM. My parents picked me up. We went back to my brother's house. I ate a sandwich and went to bed. Good times. Friday, the highlight of the day was meeting several college friends at the Village Tavern. It was great fun to see them, catch up, and hang out. In the evening, the brother, his GF, and I went to a Christmas Eve Eve drinkfest at some bar. Good times. Saturday, I cooked dinner - Winter Vegetable Sheperd's Pie. I posted the recipe on Facebook a few days ago, I think. Anyway, it was quite tasty. Then, we went to an evening Xmas Eve service. Yes, I went inside a church ... and SURVIVED! Xmas morning, we all opened our presents. I ...

Good morning, sweet and peppermint-flavored candy-coated Kittens!   After work this evening, I'll be heading Home for the Holidays (I'm a home for the holidays Superhero).  Except I sort of consider Silver Spring "home" ... so I'll be going to that other "home" - North Carolina.  And, once there, I won't even be "home," I'll be at my brother's house.  In fact, I'm not even sure where "home" would be in North Carolina.  My parents' house doesn't seem like "home" either. Nevertheless, I will be going "home" to Greensboro, NC.  Good times.   Whilst there, besides the usual Xmas festivities (a.k.a. my family bickering with each other), I will be meeting up with a group of my college friends.  That should be fun.  I'm looking forward to seeing them.  And, hopefully, I will be able to have drinks or something with my Greensboro Fan Club.  And the food and the cookies and the games and the...

Good morning, kittens.   I would like to thank the Congressional Republicans for f**king me over.  They say they are all for cutting taxes and blah, blah, blah.  I guess we all know that is a big ol' pile of poop, since they have all gone on their Happy Holiday Vacations while letting the payroll tax cut lapse.   I guess when you make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year that tax cut doesn't matter.  Well, it mattered to me.  Without the payroll tax cut, my paycheck is going to drop about $100(ish) a month.  Add to that that with their Congressional Inaction, my metro benefits are also being cut ... which means I will have to be paying about $25-50/month more for public transportation.  AND, (although I can't really blame Congress for this ...), my mortgage interest has increased, so my monthly payment for that is going up about $30/month.   So, in total, I'm getting a $150/month pay cut.  $1800 less this year.  Way to spur the economy.  Fingers crossed my co...

Good Morning, Kittens! OMG! It's the week before Xmas (and I still haven't drawn my StickSteven Year in Review letter ... ugh). Anywayz ... I had a mostly fabulous weekend. On Friday, after work, I had plans to meet up with my friend, Eric (Not From Baltimore). However, I got out of work at 4 and we weren't meeting until 6:30. So, I did the most natural thing I could think of ... I went to a bar and had several drinks (and read a book). Once we did finally meet up, we had dinner at the Heights in Columbia Heights. It was pretty good. I had the side platter - mashed potatoes, butternut squash, and brussels sprouts. Nomz. It was a good time. We parted ways - He to meet up with his bf, and I headed home. And, that's when the fun really started. As I rounded the construction at Silver Spring Metro Station, I was texting and misjudged the curb. WHOOOPS! And there I fell, arms and legs akimbo. Fortunately, my phone survived with just a few scratches on the sides. I h...

Good Afternoon, my Fine Young Kittens!   I had my post-op doctor's appointment this morning.  And, it was the fastest freakin' doctor's appointment I've ever had.  My appointment was at 9:30AM.  I got there around 9:15.  Before I had even settled in to the waiting room, they called me back.  Doctor came in.  Talked.  Left.  Done. and, I was running to catch a 9:30 bus to the metro station.   As for the actual appointment, there was much good news.  No cancer.  Very low chance of future cancer.  Healing nicely.  Huzzah!  Someone is having a martini (or two ... or, y'know, seven) tonight!  Let's hope that we are done with this mess for a long, long while.   And, my bloggy gift exchange recipient received his package yesterday.  AND, it arrived in one piece ... as opposed to several pieces, which has been known to happen when I have shipped the breakables in the past.  *whew*  I wonder when I will be getting my package?  And what (or who?!?!) will be in it?...

Good almost afternoon, kittens!   The longest week ever (a.k.a the first week back after being off) is slowly grinding towards a close.  I was supposed to have the morning off to go to the surgeon for my post-op follow-up, but the doctor changed the appointment to tomorrow morning.  I was really looking forward to sleeping in this morning.  Oh, well.   Last night, I started some Candy Cane Vodka.  so easy to do.  Crunch up about a dozen regular size candy canes and let them slowly dissolve into a fifth of vodka.  Pepperminty goodness, fer sure.  It tastes a bit like peppermint schnapps when it is finished.  I'll be hauling that shit up to Philadelphia on Saturday for Lora's fabulous (so I've heard) holiday party.   I talked to my BFF from college last night as well (while I was doing laundry).  We're going to meet up while I'm in NC for Xmas.  It looks like I'll be able to see several other college friends as well.  Yay!   And, that's about all th...

Good morning, kittens.   I am one v. tired v.uboq this morning.  I woke up at 3 this morning to go to the bathroom, but I couldn't fall back asleep.  I am blaming recently giving up the night-time Percocets for this calamity.    So ... lessee ... what has been going on in Vutopia?  Hm.  On Sunday, I ventured out of the house to attend a social event for the first time since the surgery.  The German and His Wife held a yummy holiday brunch.  It was fun.  Interacting with people after prolonged solitude was difficult.  and weird.    After brunch, I met a friend for a late lunch at Alero in Dupont Circle.  That was fun as well.  At the end of lunch, he offered to drive me back to Silver Spring.  Huzzah.  Except we spent over an hour walking around trying to find his car.  He couldn't remember where he had parked.  I was tired and my butt hurt, so I took the bus home.  He texted later to say that he eventually found his car ... we had walked by it at least twice.  Srsly.  Ug...

Good Afternoon, Kittens. Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I would have blogged more whilst in Recuperation Mode; however, I didn't really do much other than sit on the sofa, take Percocet and have Very Weird Dreams. All of the days of the past week have sort of blurred into one big, very long day. Fortunately, the PWS was not nearly as horrible as last time. I don't know if that's because the surgery was not as invasive/extensive as last time or if I took more Percocet. Anyway, can't complain about less PWS, that's fer sure. I did manage, in my drug-fueled haze, to get a few things done ... I sorted a huge pile of papers into Shred, Toss, File, and Taxes piles ... and then filed and tossed the File, Tax and Toss piles. Shred is still sitting there waiting for me to borrow a neighbor's shredder. AND, I created a HUGE mess trying to get several packages ready to mail: AND, I finished knitting the Panda Scarf for my BFF from college (except I still n...

Good Morning, Kittens! As you may remember, I was surgered on Friday. Everything seems to have happened as planned. I spent most of Friday and Saturday and Sunday popping pills and sleeping. On the plus side, this surgery does not seem as bad. So, fingers crossed that the recovery will happen more quickly than last time. During the times I was awake over the weekend, I managed to spend lots of money! Yay! I registered for the Spring semester of pottery class. And, then, I bought a bus and train ticket to Philadelphia to go to a Holiday Party (I'm hoping I feel better by then, but if not, I should be able to exchange them for later dates). And, then, Mush sent me a Barnes & Noble gift card so I went shopping for Nook Books. Yay! And, that's about it. Other than sleeping. Eating. Drinking. and Slightly Painful Pooping. Great weekend. Have a wonderful Monday. I'm off all week! *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens. And, just like that, it's December. As some of you may know, there is a group of Bloggy Friends that put together a calendar each year. This year, it was a swimsuit calendar, and I am December! Swimsuit by Hugo Boss. Body by Genetics (and Carl). Awesome Photoshopping by Michelle M For next year's calendar, I get to wear a lot more clothes. Yay! Have a great day! Send me good vibes as I get surgered (around 10AM). *smooches*

Good afternoon, kittens!   Sorry all has been quiet on the Vuboqern Front recently.  Not much exciting has happened since the Weekend and the Day of the Giving of Thanks.  I've mostly spent my days working and my evenings drinking and running errands (not always in that order).   Tomorrow morning, I am having *another* surgery.  UGHZ.  According to the surgeon, one in ten people need a follow-up procedure.  Hurrah.  I am lucky.  I have to be at the hospital at 8AM.  The surgery is scheduled for 10.  Hopefully, I will be back home and in some sort of Percocet Haze by around 1.    I have taken all of next week off to recover.  The surgeon also said that the follow-up surgeries usually aren't as bad, so I may not need the whole time.  We'll see.   I am hoping that I will be able to do a lot of the following:   -Blobbing on the sofa -Watching lots and lots of DVDs (I now own all 8 Harry Potter DVDs) -Knitting (I have 4 projects that I need to get to work on: finis...

Good morning, kittens!   What a wacky, booze-filled weekend I just had ... So, on Wednesday, we got out of work early (3PM!). Yay!  I went home.  Blobbed and did laundry.  Who knows how to have a rockin' good time?  Oh, yeah.  That would be me.   On Thursday (aka Thanksgiving), I gathered with a group of friends and neighbors and we ran a 10K through downtown Silver Spring and Sligo Creek Park.  It was a lot of fun. The weather was awesome.  We finished in just under an hour, and, then, after cleaning up, we had brunch at K-Factor and the Canadian's place.  There was much mimosas.   At 1PM, I had to leave the brunch and quickly cook brussels sprouts for dinner at Brian's house in DC.  They said to meet at 3.  I figured we would have drinks and appetizers followed by dinner around 5 or so.  I arrived at 3:30, and everyone was sitting at the table ready to eat.  srsly?  I was still full (and a little drunk) from brunch.   After dinner, we watched a movie, Crazy Stu...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Since I last updated, not a whole lot has happened ... Pottery class on Monday night was uneventful.  I glazed two bowls.  I still have three more which haven't been bisque fired. Hopefully, they will be before the final glaze firing (which is now next Tuesday).  Last night, I called my BFF from College to wish her a (slightly) belated happy birthday.  And, I blobbed around the house.   My building has also been without hot water since Sunday afternoon.  That was *finally* fixed yesterday.  Huzzah.  Hot showers are a beautiful thing.   Today, I am hoping we will be granted an Early Release.  And, then, I will do laundry.  And, as we all do on Thanksgiving Eve, I will snuggle warm in my bed while visions of sugar plums dance through my head ... or something like that.   As for the long (four day!) holiday weekend, I don't have a lot planned.  For Thanksgiving, my neighbors and I have organized a 10K run, followed by brunch.  We have t-shirts . ...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Terribly sorry for the lack of posting ... I'd say I've been busy, but -actually- I'm just lazy.   So ... let's see ... where did we leave off ... last Monday's penultimate pottery class was good.  I trimmed 5 bowls.    Tuesday, I did laundry (a day early, because ...)   Wednesday, I had an after work happy hour with my company people.  I left work early (around noon) to have a visit with the surgeon.  And, guess what?  I get to have surgery AGAIN!  YAY!   Or, well, not yay.  Because PWS*?  Not Fun.  I've scheduled it for Friday, December 2nd.  Woo hoo.  Which means, I will be missing out on lots of fun Holiday parties.  Boo.  But, hopefully, I will be recovered enough to not be Super Mr. Crankypants while I'm at my brother's house over the holiday.   SO, after receiving that wonderful news, I went to happy hour.  Since it was a work-thing, I try to limit my alcohol consumption.  No one likes to get ubersloshed in fr...

Good Afternoon, Kittens! Happy Monday! I am so glad that I am not working today! Yay me! My (extra-long, four-day) weekend has been SuperAwesome. Thursday, after work, I had my hairz did. Then, I met Mike (Who Makes Cakes) for dinner at El Guapo. Spinach! Enchiladas! YAY! Then, I went home. On Friday, I mostly blobbed about all day. K-Factor and I had boozy lunch at Adega. I took a nap. That evening, I had a date with V. You may remember V as the guy from a few weeks ago who I went out with, had four cocktails on an empty stomach and ended up having a little too much fun in his car in my building's parking lot. WELL, this time, I thought to eat. And still had a cocktail or two. But, had enough sense to bring it inside. We had some good times *wink wink nudge nudge* On Saturday morning, I did a little (very little) cleaning and tidying. Around 3PM, my former neighbor (who used to be referred to as DUN, but isn't diagonally upstairs anymore) and her brother, SCGB, c...

(I also have a tapeworm, named Carl ... but's that a story for another post) Good morning, Kittens. As you may know, I am not really dating anyone seriously right now (b/c, y'know, a certain someone is in Las Vegas and the other guys I have been seeing have not been panning out). BUT, I do maintain a couple of profiles on a couple of "dating" sites. I realize that the majority of men do not use these sites to date. I do. I have met several fun friends and gone on some cool dates with guys off these sites. Recently on one of them, I have received a flurry of emails (OK, 3 emails, spread over about a week) from a man in Baltimore. Now, (1) Baltimore is too far for me, and (2), while this guy said in his profile he is 40, he must've had a hard, hard life (and not moisturized regularly). Anyway, he seemed nice enough, but I am not at all attracted to him or interested in meeting him. I could only see the emails continuing, so, after the third email, I sent him the...

Good morning, Kittens. Guess what day it is? WEDNESDAY!!!! duh. But, it is also some sort of charity day in the DC/Metro region called "Give to the Max Day." Now, I know a Max, and I wouldn't suggest giving him any moneyz (I won't say why, but it rhymes with "Bot Brustworthy." It could also rhyme with "Bill Bonly Bend Bit Bon Brostitutes." No judgment, just sayin'). However, if you have a few pennies to throw at some local charities, you might want to consider it. There is a cute story about how I came about learning that today is "Give to (not just any but) the Max Day" ... A friend of mine (who happens to be a well-hung 26-year-old ex-Marine) mentioned that he is wanting to volunteer to help the homeless. And, I just so happen to have two very wonderful and generous-with-their-time neighbors (K-Factor and the Canadian) who volunteer with a local organization, Miriam's Kitchen . So, I shot them an email to get the contact i...

Good morning, Kittens.   Last night was pottery class.  Some days you throw the clay.  And other days the clay throws you ... I was out of clay.  Even though there are only 3 classes left (and just 2 before the final bisque kiln firing), I bought a new bag.  $25.  I like new bags of clay better than recycled clay.  New bags of clay are clean, heavy cubes.  Recycled clay tends to be soggy and lumpy and sometimes has non-clay things in it (bits of sponge and shredded rubber tools).   I won't use all of my new clay in the next two weeks, but there is always next session. Right?   And, so I took the new bag of clay and wedged three pieces.  The first one was 3 pounds.  The second and third were between 2.25 and 2.50 pounds.  I turned three pounds of clay into a fairly decent bowl.  And I turned 2.25 pounds and 2.50 pounds of clay into wetter, blobbier blobs of clay.  The clay threw me.  And, after the second failed pot, I knew that I wasn't going to accomplish anything else ...

Good afternoon, Kittens.    I'm a little late on the post-weekend update because I had to wait for the plumber this morning (and by "plumber" I mean "my friend, the Nuge").   So, Friday, after work, I made mashed potatoes and sauteed red kale and quorn chik'n cutlet w/ gruyere.  NOMz!  And then I watched DVDs and drank too much.   On Saturday, I was uberproductive!  I got up and went for a 6.2 mile run (checking the route for the Sligo Co-op 10K and Brunch, which takes place Thanksgiving morning).  I took down my Halloween decorations, and I broke my kitchen sink ...   Well, in trying to fix my kitchen sink, I made it worse.  Drippy McDripsalot!  Fortunately, the Nuge provided some over-the-phone guidance to staunch the flow of water.  Yayz.    And, then, I divvied up my Habenero Hot Sauce into cute little jars to give away to people who like Habenero Hot Sauce.   And, then, I ironed 10 shirts and 2 pairs of pants.   And, then, I blobbed on th...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Yesterday was uneventful.  After work, I went for a short run of about 2.5 miles.  Then, it got dark.  I ate leftover chili.  Went to bed.   My life has been so exciting lately.   And to prove that it has been so exciting, here is a list of my planned weekend activities:                     ...   Yeah.  See?   I am only sort-of kidding.  I do have *some* plans, but they all involve me being single/solitary/aloooooooooooone.   Tonight, I am making mashed potatoes.  Yum.  I am not sure why I find that worthy of being recorded in this blog.  I guess it is a testament to the mundaneness of my current state of being.   Tomorrow, I am going for a 6.2 mile run.  I thought I should give the Sligo Co-op 10K route a test drive before I finalize it.  And, I need to clean (from the party), undecorate (but the motherfucking decorative gourds stay put 'til after Thanksgiving), iron, and -maybe- I can find someone to hang out with on Saturday nigh...

How did that happen, kittens?   And the month certainly started off with a bang.  A co-worker returned from his (very late, very long) lunch around 4PM completely schnockered.  And proceeded to go on a full-force profanity-laced rant about the incompetant people with whom we work.  I was in and out of the office during this time (some of it was avoidance), but apparently he dropped the c-bomb in reference to a female colleague.  He left the office around 4:50.   Now, I understand the need to rant about this job, because -honestly- some of the people here are not very clever.  And, by "not very clever" I mean "dumber than a box of rocks."  and the move at the glacial pace of a government agency.  So it can be frustrating.   However, it has not yet driven me to drink (during working hours).  And, one would hope that if it ever does, I will have the sense to go home after lunch rather than return to the office and show my ass to my co-workers.   To my drunke...

Good Morning, Kittens!   I had pottery class last night.  And, it's beginning to look like it won't be a Merry Christmas for some of my family and friends ... another piece of pottery has bitten the dust: the mug on your left in this photo .  I understand that things get broken in pottery class (not everyone is as careful as I am - haha). However, my feeling is that if you break a piece of pottery, you should at least have the common courtesy to leave a note.  This mug did not break on its own (unlike my bowl that cracked last week).  Someone had to knock it against something.  Grrrr ...  but, oh, well.  There are still 3 more weeks of class left.  Maybe I can make a replacement or something.   In other pottery news, the studio manager is out with some sort of surgery, which means no one knows when anything is going to get fired.  *sigh*  Maybe it is going to be a pottery-less Christmas for everyone.   Not much else is going on here in Vutopia; however, you should click...

Good Morning, Kittens! As you may recall the Marine Corps Marathon and 10K were on Sunday. I had to wake up VERY early (but not as early as Tomokito). I was out of the house at 6AM and at the starting line for the 10K a little after 7. Ray met me there. We huddled together with the frozen masses until it was time to start (at 8!). OMG. It was so cold. And there were several icy spots on the bridges. Yikes. Fortunately, neither of us fell and broke a hip. So here are my results: Time: 0:57:14 Overall Place: 1584 (out of 6867) Sex Place: My house. Haha. 1002 (out of 2708 Males) Pace: 9:13/mile Not too shabby, eh? After the race, Ray went home, and I crossed the bridge to cheer Tomokito on (as you may remember, she ran the actual marathon). I met my neighbor, K-Factor, at Mile 10 (just under the Kennedy Center). Tomokito saw us before we saw her. Crazy. Then, we went to have food (K-Factor and I. Tomokito was still running). And, we managed to catch he...

Good Afternoon, Kittens! Look, I'm getting all 100 Days of October ! It would seem I haven't blogged since Wednesday morning. Hm. So, lessee ... Wednesday night I did Laundry. Thursday, I blobbed (and picked up my MCM 10K Bib). Friday, I had a long, unproductive meeting. Then, I picked up my MCM 10K T-shirt (a.k.a. the not nearly as cute as last years and quite possibly the ugliest t-shirt ever). For comparison's sake, here's last year's shirt . After work, I met a friend at the Ritz-Carlton for happy hour. That was fun. Then, I came home and froze. Apparently, our heat stopped working (some problem with the thermostat). It is working now (obv): I have been cleaning and running errands (in the "wintry mix") all day today. I am hosting a post-Marathon soirree for Tomokito and the rest of her Run for Japan team tomorrow evening. It should be fun (and it's making me get my house all cleanish. Tomorrow, I'll get up and run the 10K. Then, I...

Good Morning, Kittens! I was actually busy at work yesterday (I know! WTF?), so I didn't have time to tell you all about my exciting Monday. Lessee ... I woke up. And then I went to the dermatologist for an Annual Mole Check. If you have never had one (I never had), be advised: The doctor is *very* thorough. Luckily, I have no mole-y melanomas. Yay! And he said that I don't really need an Annual Mole Check. More like an Every 3 to 4 Years Mole Check (Tri to Quadrennial Mole Check, I suppose). Oh! I forgot to mention that on the bus ride to the Silver Spring metro station, I ran into a cute neighborhood gay. We've hung out before. He's supercute, young, not very bright, and *ahem* rather well-endowed. SO I'VE HEARD! We were totally like "we have to hang out again." So maybe we will later this week. ANYWAYz ... After the appointment ended, I headed home and to Trader Joe's, where I spent a ridiculous amount of money. Then, I went to Whole F...

Good Morning, Kittens! What a wack-o-matic weekend. So much fun. So much booze. So much hangover. On Friday, after work, I met SCGB at 9 (the bar formerly known as Mova which was formerly known as Halo). Same great bar. Same great 2-for-1 Happy Hour. I had two delicious Makers Mark Manhattans (dry, with a twist). SCGB was drinking Dark and Stormies. Nomz. One of the bartenders was SuperCUTEZ! He reminded me both in looks and voice of the guy I was dating this summer who disappeared. Needless to say, I gave him a big tip. *wink* PERVY MONKEYS! SCGB and I left 9 and had dinner at Thai Tanic. Oh, the Thai restaurant puns. They keeeeeeeeell me. BUT, Thai Tanic is so delicious. I hadn't eaten there in ages and had forgotten how truly yummy it is. I had veggie drunken noodle. So spicy. So good. Mmmm. Then, SCGB and I parted ways. On the way home, I stopped by the Whole Foods and bought a pumpkin to carve. And, I had to carry the damn thing home because I missed the ...

Good morning, kittens!   Not much has happened the past few days, other than me trying (and failing) to catch up on my sleep.  Oh well.  at least I have a 3-day weekend to look forward to.  Yayz!   And what will I be doing this weekend?  Hm ....   Tonight, I am having happy hour with SCGB. Tomorrow, I have to run about 7 miles (the MCM 10K is NEXT WEEK!) *and* Tomokito and (no longer Baby) Hana are coming down to carve pumpkins and drink boozy beverages.  Well, Hana won't have any boozy beverages.  M will also be carving a pumpkin in Vegas.  So we are having a little contest to see who can carve the best one (me, obv.).  The winner gets XXX pix!  Yay for sexting! Sunday, I will be going to the pottery studio and probably doing other stuff, too. And, on Monday, I have an appointment with the dermatologist.  Mole check!  Sweet.  I also hope to be hanging out with the ShallowGal (remember her? She used to blog).   I have a tentative martini date which has yet to be schedul...

Good sleepy morning, kittens.   I am one tired VUBOQ.  After not sleeping well on Monday night, I was hoping Tuesday would provide some much needed relief.  And it did!   Just not in the form of sleep.   More like in the form of a hot 26-year-old ex-Marine ... oh, yeah.  It was like that.  We met online, maybe two years ago.  He was home for the holidays.  I sort of ignored his message (because, hello?  16 year age difference).  He was persistent.  We started chatting.  He went back to Arizona (where he was stationed).  We continued to chat.  He left the Marines and moved back to Maryland.  We met up and had a really fun time.  Then, he, as he put it, "fell off the map."  I was, like, well, that was weird. But, whatever. I moved on.   Recently we reconnected.  And, last night, we had a date.  We went to Mandalay, the Burmese restaurant in Silver Spring.  It was delicious.  Then, he drove us back to my place.  We talked.  Had tea.  And, well, y'know ... some Quali...

Good Morning, Kittens.   OMG.  I think I had the worst night's sleep EVER.  I am so groggy/tired/bleah.  Yuck.  Needless to say, I am slowly (very slowly) easing into the day.   Yesterday, I did a shit-ton of ironing - 15 shirts.  and a pair of pants! Then, I took a nap.  Yay for naps!   Then, I knitted for a bit. I am almost finished my friend's Panda Scarf .  All I have to do are the ears and the eyes.  It hink it's going to be supercute when finished.   I made dinner - stirfried onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, baby bokchoy, and tofu.  Tasty!   On my way to pottery class, I stopped by the Giant to buy saline solution and bleach.  Once at class, I trimmed a bowl .  And, then, I turned a rather lopsided vase into a pitcher .  I still have a large flat bowl to trim.  I would have trimmed it last night, but I had started to feel a little queasy.  I thought it would be best to call it a night.  So, I went home, got my stuff together for today, and went to bed.  ...

Good Morning, Kittens. I posted this link on the Facebooks over the weekend, but it is worth repeating here: It's Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers . My weekend has been superubercrazybusyfun. Friday night, Eric from Baltimore came down. Along with Tomokito, we headed into the DeeCee for a night of dancing fun. We ended up at Cobalt, which has an $8 cover ... BUT, from 11 to midnight, they have free vodka cocktails. Oh, yeah. We definitely drank our $8 worth. Boozy dance-y good times. We got home around 3AM. *yawnz* Saturday morning, I went for a three-point-five mile run. I did a little grocery shopping at the Whole Foodz. I made a delicious potato salad for dinner (as well as sauteed red kale and a quorn "chicken" cutlet with gruyere). Totes nomz. Then, Mike (Who Makes Cakes) picked me up and we went to a party in Hyattsville. It was fun(ish). No cute boys ... except for one Kenyan guy (who was -unfortunately- very straight). We made s'mores. And ...

Good Morning, Kittens!   I have fallen a bit off the blogging bandwagon, so I have quite a few things to fill you in on.   Monday, I was one sore puppy.  I guess running 10 miles will do that to you.  After pulling myself out of bed and getting all cleaned up, I hobbled into DC, where I met my friend, CJ, for lunch at Sei in Penn Quarter.  The food was good (if a bit overpriced).  Then, we went shopping.  I didn't buy anything.  Yay me!   I went home.  Blobbed.  And, then, drove to pottery class.  I didn't do much.  I glazed several things.  I hope they turn out well.   For some reason (old age?), I can't remember what I did on Tuesday evening.  I'm sure it was SuperFun and you should all be jealous of me.   Wednesday, I hosted a guest speaker at work from DC Water.  She was awesome (and we got free water bottles!), but the turn-out was lower than I had hoped.  Oh, well.  I am having two more guest speakers come in later this month (it's Energy Awareness ...

Good morning, Kittens! Well, we did it! I finished the Army 10-Miler and didn't die (completely). My official results were: Net Time: 1:39:09 Pace: 9:54 Overall: 12321/21914 Gender: 8359/12245 Age Div (40-44): 1411/2103 Not too bad. My pre-surgery goal was to complete it in under 1:30. My post-surgery-i-couldn't-train-as-much goal was to complete it in under 2 hours. So, Yay me! I guess at some point there will be photos posted and I will be able to snag them. As for the rest of the weekend, on Friday, I slept in (yay!) and, then, went to pick-up my race packet. After that, I went to the pottery studio. I spent most of the time trimming and attaching handles ... Then, I had a boozy late lunch at Adega. Spent the rest of the afternoon/evening knitting and watching Mad Men. Saturday was such a beautiful day! I wandered around Downtown Silver Spring for quite some time. Then, I came home and blobbed and knitted and watched Mad Men. I also cooked pasta for dinner (carb-lo...

Good Morning, Kittens. Today is my Friday! AND, it's a four-day weekend. Halle-fucking-lujah! My weekend was looking like it would be pretty uneventful, until last night when, all of a sudden, plans started being made ... After work today, I have to go for a short run (maybe 2 miles). Friday morning, I may make another short run before going to my work site (ugh) to pick up my Army 10-Miler Race Packet! Then, I'm going to the pottery studio. After that, I *may* be meeting a friend for food/drinks (he still hasn't confirmed. bastard). Saturday, I am resting, relaxing, maybe cleaning, possibly grocery shopping, and carb-loading. Yay! Carbs! Because, Sunday is the Army 10-Miler! I am so unprepared I hope I don't die. I was on track to be SuperAwesome, but having surgery sort of threw me off. Durgh. I hope to finish in under 2 hours, but we'll see ... Later on Sunday Afternoon, some of my friends will be gathering somewhere for post-run booziness. And, final...

Good morning, Kittens! What a weekend of doing almost absolutely nothing ... Friday, I had a super fun happy hour at Bar Dupont. Then, I came home and blobbed. Saturday, I got up and (after waiting for the rain to abate and then getting caught in it) ran for 8(ish) miles. And, then, I ordered a pizza. Nom. Pizza. Later, Tomokito came down for martini time. Afterwards, I joined K-Factor and the Canadian (and two of their friends) for a delicious dinner. Nom nom nom. On Sunday, I went to the pottery studio ... I made the pitcher pictured above. I also did a little experimental bowl like thing. It started out like this: Then, I tossed it around on the table, and it ended up like this: I'm not sure if I like it. Then, I came home and watched Episodes 3-5 of "Downton Abbey" ... It is fabulous. And that was my weekend ... Or at least the highlights of it. Have a happy Monday! *smooches*

Good morning, Kittens! So, Monday at Pottery Class was good. I made a large, shallow fruit bowl like thing. I think it will be pretty stunning if it turns out (meaning, I don't screw it up at some point). I left class earl because I was sooooooo tired (after sleeping poorly Sunday night). Tuesday, I struggled through work. The day seemed to drag on and on and on and on and on. But, eventually, it was Go Home Time. And I arranged to meet M in Downtown Silver Spring. We walked back to my place, talked, caught up, had a good time. I made dinner - Red Curry Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew over red and black rice. It was pretty tasty. Then, we watched the best worst movie (possibly) ever, Burlesque and ate Haagen-Daaz. After the movie, we went to bed ... and didn't get much sleep (if you know what I mean *wink wink nudge nudge*). It was great to see him again. And, I realized how good being with him makes me feel ... It helped me put my wacky dating life into perspective...

Good morning, Kittens!  Happy Monday!   Friday, after work, I was feeling kinda like box wine and frozen pizza.  So, I made pit stops at the likker store and the Whole Foods.  I spent the night drinking, knitting, and watching DVDs.  I started watching the PBS series "Downton Abbey" ... It is soooooo good.  OMG!  I only saw the first two episodes.  I can't wait to watch the rest.  My favorite line so far was when the Dowager Countess said, "Weekend?  What's that?"   Saturday, I went for a 7 mile run.  Then, I cleaned a bit before meeting SCGB, K-Factor, and the Canadian for brunch at Eggspectation.  After brunch, I bought a new pair of running shoes .  Went home. Cleaned more. Around 3PM, Tomokito and I headed into DC for "Mommy's Night Out."  We met SCGB and Mike (Who Makes Cakes) for many margaritas at Lauriol Plaza.  Then, SCGB left, and the three of us walked to 9 (the bar formerly known as Mova and Halo) for 2-for-1 one cocktails.  St...

Well, not really.  That phrase popped into my head a few minutes ago ... AND,   GOOD AFTERNOON, KITTENS!!!   I thought I would take a few moments to answer a few questions that have been asked in the comments (or on Facebook?  or Twitter?  Somewhere, I know someone asked me some of these questions at some point).  And, I can't remember the exact questions either, but they had to do with one of two things: (1) the new rug and/or (B) the soup I made.   So, first, the new rug. It is fabulous.  I bought it online from Hautelook (which is one of those daily bargain feeder things, like Gilt or Groupon or something).  I do not know the maker/brand because I threw out the label.  Sorry.  But, the rug was totes cheap, only $240 (or so), marked down from over a $1000.  Yayz.   As for the soup, it was also fabulous.  I did not follow a recipe (who follows recipes for soup?  I mean, really.  Soup is so easy).  I used, 1 butternut squash (peeled and cubed), 2 small apples (diced, not...

Good morning, my sweet sweet furry purry little kittens!  How are we doing this fine (if slightly drippy rainy dreary) day?   Last night was my first pottery class for the Fall session.  YAYz!  The bad news is that the class scheduler people made a mistake and the class is mixed beginners and intermediates.  UGH.  Which means I won't have much time with the instructor because she will be working mostly with the pathetic beginners.  The class is all women except for me and this Korean guy (who is cute) ... but who totally pushed my "Grrr.  Go By Your Real Name" Buttons, when the instructor asked him how to pronounce his name and -without even telling her- he said, "You can call me James."  Um.  Great.  But that wasn't the question.   Now, I get that some names are difficult to pronounce.  However, no one will ever say it correctly if you don't bother to teach them.  There is an Indian woman in the class with a rather long, complicated name, but she w...

Good morning, Kittens!   What a weekend!  On Friday, after work, I met C at Matchbox in Chainatown.  The booze and pizza were delicious.  Because my horrible tongue canker sores were still horrible at that point, I had a beer (followed later by a glass of wine).  Then, we headed back to C's place for a night (and morning) o' fun.  I still don't think much is going to happen with C over the long-term.  For the short-term, I am enjoying the now.    Saturday, after C drove me home, I went for a four-mile run.  Then, I blobbed.  And knitted.  Around 3, I left to meet Ray in DC for drinks and dinner.  We started at Bar Dupont, which has a pretty decent happy hour.  From 4 to 6, their specialty cocktails are $6.  Suh-WEET.  The crowd was rather eclectic - typical hotel business types, some families with kids, and barely above drinking age gay African-American boys.  After 3 cocktails (each), we walked up the street to Sette, where we had yummy pizza and a bottle of wine.  ...

Good morning, kittens!   TGIF, fer sure.  Right? It has been a long week (even though I was off on Monday), and I am glad it is coming to a close.   I should have gone for a run last night; however, a cold front was moving in.  It was rapidly cooling off and a bit drippy spitty rainy, so I opted to stay in and cook dinner.  Which I did.  Mushrooms, sugar peas, yellow bell pepper, and tofu stir-fried in a soy/mustard sauce over red & black rice.  It was tasty.   I also discovered that hot green tea makes my Horrible Tongue Canker Sores feel better.  I have been drinking LOTS of green tea since then.   While I was cooking, C texted to see if I wanted to come over.  His text was a little confusing, saying that it was a bad night for Happy Hour.  So, I assumed that he had happy hour plans which were cancelled.   After some internal dithering, I decided to go over for a couple of hours.  It turns out that his text was referring to me going to happy hour (which is odd, since...