Vicious.Unrepentant.Bitter.Old.Queen

Weekend Update: Now We Are Three Edition

2012-01-30T18:43:00.004-05:00

Good Evening, Kittens.

Technically, we aren't three, but (No Longer a Baby) Baby Hana is three. How did that happen? GAH. Guncle VUBOQ is getting oooooold.

Anyway, so, Friday after work, a co-worker and I went out for drinks. And, then, rumor has it that I may have been a little tipsy and walking by a cupcake shop ...

Once home, I settled on the sofa and watched "Happy Go Lucky" on DVD. It was pretty awesome.

Saturday morning, I went for a 6.5 mile run (in under an hour ... just barely). Then, I took a nap. Mmm. Nap.

After my nap, I met SCGB at CitySports in Silver Spring. There was a Living Social Deal $50 for $25. I needed another "compression" shirt from Under Armour. So. Very. Tight ... but, also very very warm. Then, SCGB and I went to Adega (imagine!) for lunch. Somehow, we managed to drink a bottle of wine. Not sure how that happened.

After lunch, we headed to Hana's 3rd Birthday Party. Food! Cake! Lots and lots of Boozy Beverages! Around 7 (maybe? time got a little fuzzy), Steveandbobby and Ray and I went to Mandalay for dinner (and more drinks!). I had the Noodle #1. So. Very. Yum. After dinner, I stopped back by the party. it was mostly over, so Tomokito and I had chat and (more) drinks and played with Hana.

Sunday morning = kinda overhung (but not too bad. yay!). I drove to Target to spend an Xmas gift card from my parents. I bought mostly cleaning supplies and a metric shit-ton of toilet paper. Nothing really fun though. Sigh.

And, then, I napped. And, then, I ironed. And, then, I watched DVDs and called my parents and made food and watched more DVDs and Tomokito brought me some leftover birthday cake and we had cocktails and I went to bed.

Huzzah!

Of course, I woke up at 2AM and realized that I hadn't set my alarm. Working on a Monday (after having 5 consecutive Mondays off) is sooooo weird. Also, I kept dreaming of giant edible earthworms from Africa. I don't know. Maybe Carl isn't happy?

And, work was kind of a pain today. 3 meetings. One of which was an agendaless mess. And the last one dragged on for nearly 2 hours. And we are having it everyday this week. Please. Kill me now.

At least having an entire afternoon wasted by a pointless meeting forces me to be a little more efficient in the morning hours.

I guess that's about it. 4 more sleeps 'til Vegas, baby!

Remains of the Cake

Hope your day and your weekend was fabulicious!
*smooches*

Don't Fuck with Me, Fellas

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

Not much of note has happened since my last post. Tuesday night was my building's Annual Shareholders' Meeting. And, guess who got elected to the Board of Directors? Oh, yeah. That would be me. Of course, considering that most of the previous board members were ineligible (have already served the maximum 2 consecutive years) and the high percentage of CRAZY that lives in my building, it was pretty much assured going in that I would be on the board this year. I did promise to rule with a gentle hand, sort of a benevolent dictator.

And, then, I found out on Thursday that our building in on a list of buildings that *may* be fully or partially condemned for a major construction project. This project probably won't be happening for another few years (maybe more), but still ... GAH. Our building is in the "partial" category, which I think means that we will have to move out during the construction process and after the project is finished, we will be allowed to move back in. I have many, many questions about this. I guess I will need to start attending the community meetings or something.

That's about all the exciting news, I guess.

Yesterday, I was thinking about how I pick out what I am going to wear to work. Usually, I start with the shoe color I want to wear. Then, I pick the shoe, and work my way up - pants, shirt, tie. On rare occasions, I pick the tie first and work my way down. Is that what other people do?

As for the upcoming weekend, the only plan I have is to attend (No Longer a Baby) Baby Hana's 3rd Birthday Party on Saturday. So, it looks like it will be a relaxing weekend ... Huzzah!

Have a great day!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: Visitor Edition

2012-01-23T17:04:00.005-05:00

Good Evening, Kittens!

And Happy Monday. I hope you survived your day. My day has been pretty friggin' fantastic, but we'll get to that in a minute. First, the weekend ...

So, after "working" from home on Friday, I met Barbara and Ken and SCGB and his SCBF for dinner and many margaritas at La Loma in Capitol Hill. Then, I walked to Union Station to await David, whose bus was scheduled to arrive around 10:30.

Unfortunately (and quite unbelievably), all the bars in Union Station close at 10PM. I know, right? So, I left the station and found a little bar where I had a beer while waiting for David. Once he arrived we metro'ed to my place, had some wine, chatted, and went to bed.

Saturday, I went for a 3 mile run (in the snow!) and David went to the gym. Then, we had lunch at Adega (nom). Later that afternoon, we went to the National Portrait Gallery. They have an interesting exhibit on Gertrude Stein going on right now. We left the Gallery. David wanted a cupcake. And, then, we had margaritas at Austin Grill. At 7, we headed over to Teaism to have dinner with Mike Who Makes Cakes. After dinner, we went back to Mike's place to watch TV and drink ginormous cocktails.

On Sunday, David went to the gym again. I blobbed on the sofa. Then, we took the bus into DC to meet Amy (who used to blog as Shallowgal) for brunch at Busboys and Poets. $5 Bloody Marys! Oh, yeah! Amy dropped us off at Union Station. David bought some food for the bus. And, then, he left. *sad face*

I headed home. K-Factor and the Canadian invited me up for lentil soup (delicious!) and "Ides of March" (which was very good). After the movie, I returned to my place and watched "Colombiana" (which was not very good, but it was mindless fun).

AND, today, I went to the endodontist, where I was told that I do not need a root canal. Oh, happier words have not been heard in quite some time. Then, I wandered around. CVS has some of their vitamins on sale, Buy 1 Get 1 Free. I stocked up on my B12. Then, I met SCGB, who works in the neighborhood, for lunch at Bread and Brew, an awesome all organic restaurant. I had the Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich. It was delicious.

I returned home. Did some chores. Took a nap.

When I awoke from my nap, I had a package waiting for me. Mush sent me the AWESOME t-shirt pictured at the top of this post. YAY! Try not to be too jealous of my Walla Walla Guitar Festival shirt. Did you notice that the festival happens on the Greatest Day of the Year?! How exciting is that?

And, then, went for a 6.2 mile run. 58:03. Not a personal record, but not too shabby.

Tonight, I'm going to rest, relax, make some dinner, and figure out what I'm going to wear to work tomorrow (I'm assuming the building will be open).

*smooches*

Working from Home

2012-01-20T11:53:00.003-05:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens!

Yesterday, we were released from work at around 3PM. And, today, our building is closed again.

Apparently, there was a water main break of some sort. Also, this water main break happened last Friday. I know this because I track our building's water usage via an online metering system.

Of course, I didn't find this out until Wednesday morning (because of the holiday last Monday and everyone told me that the "flood" in the basement was coming from outside our building). When I checked the meter readings for the weekend, I was, like, um, "No, it's happening in our building somewhere." I provided the information I had to the people in charge. I guess they decided not to act on it for a couple of days. Whatever.

So, today, I am working from home. I did bring some files home with me in anticipation of this surprise "day off."

Besides working from home today, I have also worked from Trader Joe's and I have made it work by watching the Miss Piggy episode of Project Runway: All Stars.

After "work," I am heading into town to (hopefully) meet SCGB and my friend, Barbara, for dinner. Then, I have to hang around until 10PM-ish, when the Fabulous David P rolls into town for a visit. YAY!

We haven't really made any concrete plans, but I'm sure it will be a good weekend.

Hope your weekend is superfun, too!
*smooches*

Housekeeping

2012-01-17T18:52:00.004-05:00

Dearest 3 Kittens Who Still Read This Blog (and Comment):

I have recently been inundated with spam (not the canned meat) comments, and by "inundated" I mean "maybe like 4." Thus, I have set the Comment Approval Thingy. I am so sorry that your terribly witty, yet simultaneously tragically beautiful comments will not appear instantaneously. I will endeavor to approve them as quickly as possible. (How many adverbs can I use in one paragraph? Hmm ... 57!)

<3 <3 <3 and *smooches*
More later!

Luvz,
vuboq

Weekend Update:MLK Edition

2012-01-16T11:02:00.002-05:00

Good Morning, Kittens!
Happy Martin Luther King Day! I hope you are going to do something special in his memory.

I am going out for boozy margarita lunch with my neighbors. What? What's that you say? Not very MLK Day appropriate? I disagree. MLK was all about fostering community and good neighborly relations, right? Right?

As for the past few days ...

On Friday, I was supposed to meet Eric Not From Baltimore for happy hour. However, he called and said that he had to work late (we've rescheduled for this evening, actually). I was bummed. Luckily, my co-worker said she was willing to have a couple of happy hours with me. We ended up at Austin Grill in Downtown Silver Spring.

We ended up very happy.

Then, I staggered home and watched a movie - "Attack the Block." It was really good. B grade alien invasion movie, but made one provocatively question their ideas about race, poverty, and community.

On Saturday, I went for a 6.2 mile run. Later that evening, I had a date with R. We went to Pizzeria Paradiso. The food was good. He's a nice guy, but really no chemistry. I think we could be friends though. After I got home, I was texting with V and he asked, "Would you like some company?"

Of course, I would like some company.

He came over and we had fun times on the sofa. Yay!

Sunday morning, I was slow to wake up. I did some house-cleaning, and, then, I wandered up to Adega for Boozy Lunch.

I wore some socks that I knitted awhile back and had never worn before:

Cute, no? Unfortunately, Very Itchy. I am a bit sensitive to wool, it seems. *ugh*

After lunch, I wandered down the street to CitySports, where I dropped about $200 on cold weather running clothes. See, I have decided to cancel my gym membership (which I hardly ever use), thus saving $61/month (which can then be spent on expensive running gear). Yay!

Here I am modeling the supertight Under Armour compression shirt:

*gasps for breath*

After shopping, I came home, put in a DVD, and ironed a metric shit ton of shirts for work. Then, I set about making a (quite delicious, if I do say so myself) Thai-inspired Butternut Squash Soup. See:

Say Hello to Chef's Little Helper

This morning, I tried out the new cold weather running gear. 3.51 miles in 32 minutes. Not too shabby. And the Brooks Utopia Thermal Pants are friggin' amazing. Yay!

Have a great day!
*smooches*

Yet Another Reason Why I Heart M

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning, kittens.

Remember M? The guy from the Summer of Fun, who I reconnected with later, but then he moved to Las Vegas (for a year), and is letting me use his car whilst he is away?

Did that ring any bells?

ANYWAY,

Here is a snippet of our textual conversation last night ... it started with M

M: The bird is in the wind again.
V: The dog barks at the full moon.
M: When the tides ebb, the baby fish can swim again.
V: The old man speaks in a language only the young can understand.

*hehe*

Only 23 days until I see him in Vegas. Yay! Happy!
Have a great day!
*smooches*

Nothing Ventured ...

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

Well, I had a full Monday off (yay! two down, two more to go!). Sometimes, I love my work schedule.

ANYWAY, so, first, I went for a 3.51 mile run. Then, I showered, ate, and headed off to the dentist.

Now, I have CLEAN TEETHEZ! and, no cavities or major issues (other than the possible root canal which has been lingering since last year and removal of wisdom teeth. however, with careful brushing/flossing/general teethez care, my dentist does not seem overly concerned about the wisdom teeth. yay).

While at the dentist, it started to snow. WTF? I mean, ok, it is January, but, over the weekend, it was, like, 60 degrees. GAH! This is the kind of weather that gives you the cold/flu/crud/ick/ague.

So, I wandered through the snow to the Trader Joe's. I did crazy shopping (and used a gift card I got for Xmas from the Parental Units). Then, more snow-trudging, stopping at Subway for a very late lunch, more snow-trudging, finally homing, napping, eating, drinking, and ironing.

Oh, and watching "Bad Teacher." Cute movie.

BUT, the point of this whole post (other than a synopsis of my SuperFabulous-You-Wish-You-Had-My-Life Day) is that, whilst at Trader Joe's, I purchased the Tofurkey Slices (pictured above). Today, at lunch, I will be eating a sandwich of the Tofurkey Slices (along with lettuce, tomato, mustard) on some sort of organic sprouted wheatberry bread.

And, what will I think? Tofurkey Slices = delicious deli meat substitute or disgusting pile of vomit?
Tune into my twitter and/or facebooks for the final verdict!

Isn't this exciting?

Have a great day! and enjoy your lunch!
*smooches*

Week Update: Repetitive Redundancies Edition

2012-01-08T21:48:00.003-05:00

Oh, hai, Kittens.

It's been awhile. And, I have an explanation ... The new gmail doesn't work on my work computer. So, the formatting of my blog posts get all screwy when I try to publish them at work. Also, not much is going on. I don't know how much longer I can write about the suckiness of my job, the patheticness of my lovelife, and the fact that I usually spend my free time ironing. I really need to branch out a bit, I think.

Anyway, so things of note last week were that I got a new hat (see picture). A couple of weeks ago, I went out to dinner with a friend (with whom I wouldn't mind being more than friendly) and lost my favorite hat. I decided to order a new one from Zappos. I ordered it Thursday evening. And, it arrived on Friday. Crazy fast service! YAY!

I also had my annual performance review. It went well enough, I guess. The program manager seems more committed to ensuring that I get proper training. We shall see ...

And, I have a semi-big presentation Tuesday morning. I am not worried.

At some point during the week, I registered for the Parkway Classic 10 Mile Race. It's on April 22nd (Earth Day!). I tried to get a group to run with me, but a large portion of my running friends are running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler a few weeks earlier. Fortunately, Mario is going to run it with me (and, maybe, my former co-worker, Alyssa). Should be fun. The route looks very scenic.

As for the weekend ... Friday, after work, I met SCGB (and his v. tall BF), Tomokito, and Ray for happy hour at Number 9. 2 for 1 cocktails! YAY! Boozy good times. After happy hour, Tomokito, Ray, and I went to Thai Tanic for dinner. I always forget how good the food is there. Nommerz!

Saturday, I went for a five mile run. And, in the evening, went upstairs for Tomokito's husband's birthday party. It was fun. I left around 9:30(?) ... Tomokito brought me some cake around 10 and stayed for a cocktail down here.

Sunday, I ran errands. Mike came over for dinner. And, Tomokito and Hana came down later for cookies.

Tomorrow, I am off (yay!). I plan to go for a short run in the morning. And, then, do some grocery shopping. I have a dentist appointment at 1PM. Once I get home from that, I will do some tidying up and ironing. Good times, no?

Hope your weekend was SuperFantastic!
And enjoy your Monday!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: It's a New Year Edition

2012-01-03T08:33:00.002-05:00

Good morning, Kittens.

Happy New Year! 2012! Woo hoo!

My weekend was quite busy and fun. The New Year's Eve Eve Happy Hour was a blast. We started at Nellie's and then had dinner at Alero. Yum!

New Year's Eve Day, I had this plan to do lots of cleaning ... only, when I started the process, I realized I was pretty much out of all my cleaning supplies. Durgh. I did manage to tidy up my bedroom and clean the bathroom. The rest of the apartment will have to wait until next weekend. I can clean and undecorate at the same time.

For New Year's Eve, I hung out with Tomokito and (No Longer a Baby) Baby Hana, drinking sake and watching Project Runway DVDs. We also watched a bit of Anderson and Kathy and the big ball drop. Then, I went to bed.

New Year's Day, I had a very boozy brunch with A. Then, we went to a very boozy party. A drove me home. He mentioned that he thinks we should start seeing each other again. I told him that would not be a good idea. The friends thing would work best for me (and him, I think).

And, on the 2nd, I met Carolyn and Dana for brunch at the Tabbard Inn, near Dupont Circle. Very nice food. Good conversation. I got home, and Tomokito came down for drinks. Then, I ironed clothes for the week, made a quick dinner, blobbed on the sofa, and went to bed.

Not a bad start to the New Year, fer sure.

Have a great day!
*smooches*

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

2011-12-30T08:03:00.002-05:00

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 in town for a few days. We are going to get together for brunch on Monday. YAY! A great way to start the New Year, for SURE!

Back to the date, very nice. Handsome. Very talky. And a bit too into the fitness/exercise/gym scene. Apparently, he used to be overweight and is now all into being exercise-y. I, on the otherhand, have neither been overweight nor have ever been into being all exercise-y.

So, to sum up: nice guy. handsome. possibly slightly crazy. really not much spark. but, overall, worthy of a second date, i think.

AND, for the rest of the weekend ... tonight, I am having a New Year's Eve Eve celebration with Eric from Baltimore, Tomokito, and SCGB. I also invited the young (well-hung) ex-Marine. A couple of days ago he said he might come; however, he is also a little flaky. I am not
holding my breath. We are going to Nellie's for happy hour and then to Alero for foodz. YUM!

On New Year's Eve, I will be spending the day scouring my filthy house. I am determined to start the New Year with a clean (and mostly cat-hair free) home. Then, in the evening, I believe I am hanging out and having sake with Tomokito (and Hana).

Sunday, I am having boozy lunch with A (from two summers ago. He texted me out of the blue last night). And, on Monday (Federal Holiday! YAY!), I am meeting Carolyn for brunch. At some point during those two days, I also need to do major grocery shopping (Hello, $75 Trader Joe's gift card from my parents) and ironing (yuck). And probably some martini drinking ... Y'know ...

Well, have a wonderful weekend and a Happy New Year!
*fingers crossed that 2012 is a good year for us all (but, especially, me)*
See you on the flip side!
*smooches*

A Year of Good (and some Bad) Books

2011-12-28T08:44:00.002-05:00

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 the Olympians Series #4) by Rick Riordan
11. Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
12. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #5) by Rick Riordan
13. Border Dilemmas: Racial and National Uncertainties in New Mexico, 1848-1912
14. The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner
15. Clown Girl by Monica Drake
16. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
17. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
18. The Birth of Venus: A Novel by Sarah Dunant
19. Tomatoland: How Modern Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit by Barry Estabrook
20. Emma by Jane Austen
21. In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan
22. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
23. 10 Ways to Recycle a Corpse and 100 More Dreadfully Distasteful Lists by Karl Shaw
24. Centuries of June by Keith Donahue
25. The Secret Lives of Hoarders: True Stories of Tackling Extreme
Clutter by Matt Paxton
26. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

I also re-read the Thursday Next Series by Jasper Fforde (5 books) and the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins (3 books).

I am trying to finish "The Family Fang" by Kevin Wilson before the New Year.

Interestingly enough, only two of the books I read in 2011 were not on my nook, "The Beak of the Finch" and "Border Dilemmas." I *heart* my nook (sad little first generation nook that it is).

As for 2012, so far I have purchased, "Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy" by Bill Clinton and "J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets" by Curt Gentry. I will also continue to work my way through the Jane Austen canon. Good times.

As always, I am open to your 2012 reading suggestions!

Have a great day!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: Xmas Edition

2011-12-27T08:21:00.002-05:00

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 got a Nike+GPS watch. Yay! and a cute pair of shoes and a nice dress shirt. I also some gift cards to Target, Trader Joe's, and iTunes. Overall, a pretty good haul.

And, on Monday, the parents and I had lunch with Liz (aka. the president of my Greensboro Fan Club) at a Thai restaurant. Fun to see her. The food was kinda *meh*.

And, then, the folks drove me to the airport. I had just enough time for a martini and a G&T before boarding. I arrived home around 7:30PM, picked up my mail from Tomoko, ate a quick dinner, and went to bed.

If you'd like to see some pictures from my weekend, they are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/sets/72157628588602279/

Have a great day!
*smooches*

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

2011-12-22T08:28:00.001-05:00

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 hidden bottles of likker (because my parents don't drink). Good times, for sure.

I'm supposed to cook a meal at some point (feat. brussels sprouts) for the family. No idea what I'm going to do. Maybe something with polenta? Hm. I need to get on Epicurious and figure it out. I'm open to suggestions.

I'll be back on Monday evening, and I'll more than likely be tweeting and facebooking my misery (and joy?). Follow along there.

Until next time, I hope you all have a wonderful Xmas. And/or a fantastic 5th/6th night of Chanukah. And/or a brilliant post-Winter Solstice Celebration. And/or a simply fabulous pre-Kwanzaa. Oh, Saturnalia. Can't forget Saturnalia. Have a good one of those, too!

*smooches*

VUBOQ Gets Political (or, well, rants a bit)

2011-12-21T08:06:00.001-05:00

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 company did well and can afford to give me a decent raise. Otherwise, I will be cutting back, spending less (except on shoes!), and trying to economize. BAH.

Congress sucks.

In other news, I am *almost* finished the StickSteven 2011 Year in Review.

AND, I only have one more day of work (after this one) before I fly to NC for the Xmas.

Good times, yo.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: City of Brothers Who LoveEdition

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

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 have a large bruise on my knee and this:

Yeah. Ouch. It has scabbed over, but is still kinda painful.

Saturday morning, I woke up early and headed to Union Station to catch the bus to Philadelphia.

I arrived at 30th St. Station around noon. I walked around a bit and stumbled into this really yummy restaurant near Rittenhouse Square, Tria.

They had rosemary potato chips!

And, I had a spinach, mushroom, and cheese panini.

and I may have also had several glasses of wine.

Then, I walked up to Love Park to the Christmas Village. A guy I met online (but had never met IRL) was working at the Mulled Wine Shop. I got a cute little mug filled with mulled wine:

The guy was really nice (and cute ...). We walked around the Village and had a nice chat. I am kicking myself because I forgot to take a photo of us. Oh, well ... next time.

Then, I ventured onto the Philly Subway to go to Lora and Dave's Annual liday Spectacular. And, it was spectacular. They have a lot of friends! And lots of good food. And lots and lots and lots of booze. Lots. of. booze.

Around 9PM, Dave drove me back to the train station ... and I came home on the Amtrak. I think I slept most of the way.

I got back to my place around midnight:30. And went to bed almost immediately.

Sunday? Very. Hung. Over. *ugh*

And, that was my weekend! Have a great day!
*smooches*

Finally Friday

2011-12-16T14:05:00.001-05:00

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?

As for my exciting weekend plans, I believe I already shared with you that I will be heading up to the City of the Brothers Who Love on Saturday morning for an afternoon and evening of holiday boozing and celebrating. The Candy Cane Vodka is ready for the trip! It tastes like candy canes ... and vodka. I can't wait.

Tonight, we finish work at 4 (yay!). I am meeting a friend for drinks/food in Columbia Heights at 6:30. Should be fun.

And, on Sunday, I plan on sleeping late and then doing fun stuff like ironing and grocery shopping. Oh, the good times.

Have a wonderful weekend!

*smooches*

My Life is Dull

2011-12-15T11:23:00.001-05:00

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 that's new here in Vutopia.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

*smooches*

My Life So Far

2011-12-13T09:15:00.001-05:00

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. Ugh.

And, yesterday was my first day back at work. I didn't do much but catch up on a bunch of stuff. I was very glad when 5PM rolled around. It was a long day. I was tired, but at least I wore cute new(ish) shoes. I came home, made some chili, read for a bit, and went to bed.

Oh, my exciting life.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Week Update: What I've Been Doing Edition

2011-12-10T12:17:00.004-05:00

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 need to attach the eyes. No idea how to do that. Help?):

AND, I started knitting ribbed and tweedy sock Number 2:

AND, I've watched Harry Potter 1-7B more times than I'd like to admit.

I think I will take a nap now. Yay Nap!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Percoset-Infused Vodka Was a Bad Idea Edition

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

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*

Calendar Boy

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

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*

Here We Go Again

2011-12-01T13:14:00.001-05:00

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: finishing up the Panda Scarf, working on the seamless sweater, starting a sock to match the one I finished months ago, and casting on of the Dragon Scarf)

-Job hunting

-Cleaning up the spare room (at least getting my files organized for my taxes)

-Drawing StickSteven's 2011 Annual Holiday Letter

-AND, experimenting with Percocet Cocktail Recipes.

Have a great rest of the day!

And, I'll provide updates later this weekend, I'm sure.

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Giving Thanks/Drinking Booze Edition

2011-11-28T10:33:00.001-05:00

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 Stupid Love. It was cute, but I started to get a champagne hangover. I left around 6, got home at 7, and blobbed on the sofa for the rest of the evening.

Friday, I did nothing. Tomokito and I went out for afternoon drinks around 3. That was fun.

Saturday, our building had a Leaf Raking Party. Yay. Raking leaves. So much fun. (not really).

That evening, I headed to Mike (Who Makes Cakes)'s house for pizza. My ex, Y, was visiting from NYC, and he brought his new BF. I was relieved that I am much cuter than the new BF, who -while nice enough- seems youngish and a little chubby. And, as GayProf wisely said, "Fat and young now means fatter and older later." Apparently, we are cruel bitches.

Sunday, I put up my Xmas decorations, lights in the window and the purple! tinsel! tree! I ironed a metric shit-ton of shirts. Then, Tomokito came down for afternoon cocktail hour.

And, I spent the evening blobbing and dreading work today.

Good times!

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T08:17:00.001-05:00

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.

After brunch, I will need to cook up some brussels sprouts to take to Brianna's house for a 3PM Thanksgiving Dinner/Potluck-like Thing.

And, that's really all the plans I have. I am thinking I will be hanging out with Ray on Friday at some point. And, I should do some cleaning and organizing and getting ready for next week.

I think that's about it.

Have a great day and, for those of you who celebrate it, a Happy Thanksgiving!

*smooches*

Week Update: Holy Cow, I Keep Forgetting to Post

2011-11-21T08:29:00.001-05:00

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 front of their bosses. I was not entirely successful. I did not get ubersloshed; however, I did get slightly tipsy. Grrr.

Thursday, our new division chief guy had a "team-building" luncheon at a place that had NO vegetarian options (I had checked ahead so I brought my lunch). We had to wear these horrible matching shirts. Vomit. On the plus side, the new division chief guy dismissed us after the lunch. YAY! Of course, I had evening plans in the District. So, my co-worker and I went shopping and then drinking at Capitol City Brewery.

That evening, I journeyed to H St, NE, to visit my friend, Barbara. And meet her new boo. That was fun. Cocktails. Snacks. Good conversation.

Friday, at work, the Cleaning and Organizing Bug struck. A co-worker and I cleaned out and organized our supply cabinets and closet. They are so nice and tidy now. Yay! After work, I blobbed on the sofa. Yay for blobbing.

Saturday, I had dinner with Mike (Who Makes Cakes). Then, we went to Ray's 30th Birthday party at Melting Pot, where I realized that I don't really enjoy fondue all that much. It was fine. Nice people. Decent drinks. But, I don't feel any need to ever go there again.

And, Sunday was totally not my day. I planned to get up early to go to the Whole Foods before the Weekend Thanksgiving Shoppers descended like locusts. However, I did not get up early. And when I finally got to the store, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I went back home and did some housework until time to drive to pottery. Once at pottery, nothing I had made was ready to be glazed. Grr. However, I did have some finished bowls and vases. Unfortunately, one vase had some broken glaze. I managed to slice my thumb open on the sharp edges. Ouch. AND, when I got home, Tomokito called to see if I had hot water. I didn't. It turns out our building's hot water heater broke somehow.

The plumbers came, but they can't fix it. Which meant a very cold shower this morning. K-brrrrr. The plumbers left. I walked to the Whole Foods and, then, treated myself to some drunken noodle at That at Silver Spring.

Then, home and -eventually- bed. Yay!

Today is the last pottery class. fingers crossed that they did a bisque-firing and I can glaze my pots. Otherwise, it will be a sad, sad Xmas for some ...

Have a great day! *smooches*

*pooping while screaming

Weekend Update: Fun with Cupcake Edition

2011-11-14T12:16:00.003-05:00

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, came over for a visit. K-Factor and Tomokito and (no longer a baby) Baby Hana joined us. Boozy good times.

Then, I threw them all out and got on the Metro to my co-worker's house-warming in Germantown (or Gaithursburg?). Her house is HUGE! I think the turn-out was not as large as she hoped, but I still had fun. AND, they drove me home. HUZZAH! That was much better than a drunken hour-long Metro ride.

Sunday morning. Very. Hung.Over. BUT, I still managed to make it to pottery studio, where I managed to throw 3 not-completely-horrible bowls:

I blobbed for a bit longer, and, then, I headed into the city to meet the SuperFantastic Ryan(WithCupcake). OMG! He is SUCH the nice guy. See:

We had drinks at Nellie's (which was surprisingly crowded and way too noisy for me. What can I say? I am old). Then, we walked to Busboys and Poets for dinner. Nom! For dessert, we had pumpkin ice cream. It was delicious! (and had bits of crust in it, which was weird).

I went home. Ryan(WithCupcake) went to meet up with his fellow conference attendees.

This morning, I had a doctor's appointment to check my vitamin levels. Everything seems to be in order with the supplements I am taking. But, my blood pressure is ridiculously high. I need to keep an eye on it. Ughz.

For the rest of the afternoon, I'm going to be running some errands, napping, and, then, heading off to pottery class.

Good times!
Have a great day!
*smooches*

I Have a Complex

2011-11-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

(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 following:

Thank you for the compliments and your several emails. I apologize for not responding sooner; however, while I certainly admire your tenacity, I am not interested in exploring the possibilities of "something more." Good luck with your search (and, even though [online dating site] may not be the ideal place to search for it, I do believe it is possible).

I thought it was polite and to the point (read: leave me alone, plz). Then, I get this response:

well best of wishes and take care, well no surprise here. Generally I don't find it a bit surprising being the majority of the older guys in the gay community have a complex that kinda strange. I guess its just the city over there. Good luck to you.

OLDER GUYS?!?! COMPLEX?!?! What about my email made him think I have a complex? Srsly. I kind of want to write him back and be all "um. hwhat? I just don't find you attractive and was trying to be polite. Sorry."

Some people. *sigh*

In other exciting news, at work yesterday, an indirect supervisor called me into his office and said, "This isn't about work. But, what do you think about me as a person? How would you describe me?"

um. hwhat?

So, I lied.

And all was well.

Today, after work, I am getting my hairz did. Yay! And, then, I am meeting Mike (Who Makes Cakes) for dinner.

It's a long weekend for me. Federal Holiday on Friday (Yay Veterans!) and Monday is our regular day off. Suh-weet!

If I remember, I'll try to post a 12 of 12 ... I wouldn't hold your breath though.

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!
*smooches*

VUBOQ Does a Good Deed

2011-11-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

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 information for the volunteer coordinator.

Later that day, I receive an unsolicited email from (can you guess who?) ...

A volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen! Isn't that crazy?

And, not only is he a volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen, he is all soliciting Social Media (like, y'know, Very Popular Blogs) to spread the word about "Give to the (Not TJ, but) the Max Day."

And, I was, like, WHOA! CRAZY! Look, here's a cute little link he sent to promote the day.

So, that's what I'm doing. I mean, I cleaned out my closet and gave Miriam's Kitchen 13 Winter Coats; the least I could do is give them a bloggy shout out.

Go. Give. Feel good (better?) about yourselves.

Have a great day!
*smooches*

Somedays

2011-11-08T09:18:00.001-05:00

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 in class. So, I cleaned up my work space, shoved the wetter, blobbier blobs of clay back into the bag, and headed home.

where I had a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers while I washed the dishes and picked out my clothes for today.

And, then, I went to bed.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: One is the Lonelinest Number Edition

2011-11-07T12:30:00.001-05:00

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 the sofa drinking myself into a comfortable haze.

Sunday morning, I was up. very. early. Time change. Yay. So I cleaned. And started a knitting project.

Then, I went to the pottery studio. Several pieces were out of the kiln, like this one ... and this one. I glazed a little pitcher and a bowl. And I threw another bowl. I am almost out of clay. And there are still 3 more classes left (I think).

Once home, I discovered that Isabella had decided to use my knitting project as a fun, new toy. Yarn! Everywhere! and one of my #6 dpns is nowhere to be found. I love the bamboo needles, but I hate how they are the exact same color as my hardwood floors. Bah.

Later, Tomokito came down and we watched Project Runway Season 2 on DVD and drank champagne.

And, that was about all of my weekend excitement.

The Nuge came over this morning to take a look at my kitchen sink. It can't be fixed without the building's water being turned off. Gah.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

A Weekend of Nothing Much

2011-11-04T09:56:00.001-04:00

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 night ... perhaps to even spend an extra hour with after the time change. wink wink nudge nudge.

But, I doubt it. So far, no one has been receptive to the idea.

AND, on Sunday, I will go to the pottery studio. There are only a few more weeks of class left, and -given the recent pottery catastrophes- I am a little behind on my Xmas list. *durgh*

I guess that's about it. I'm sure something fun will come up at some point. We make our own fun, right?

Have a great Friday and a funtabulous weekend!

*smooches*

Holy Fuck! It's November.

2011-11-02T11:18:00.001-04:00

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 drunken and slovenly co-worker's credit, he did apologize to the co-worker who bore the brunt of his rant, and, this morning, he apologized to the rest of us in the office. Still, if my brunt-bearing co-worker wanted, she could totally have the guy fired.

Good times, for sure.

So, I went home. Had a few beers. Ate frozen pizza and leftover cake. And made a metric shit-ton of habenero hot sauce.

Tonight, I am doing laundry. And going to bed early.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Another One Bites the Dust

2011-11-01T08:36:00.001-04:00

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 on over to Earl Cootie's blog to check out his 100 Days of October. There is a very special guest photo around Day 95 (or so).

As for me and the rest of my day, I plan on surviving work (somehow) and then going home. I should go for a run, but I think -instead- I am going to make some more habenero hot sauce.

And, then, I am going to blob on the sofa and go to bed early. Yay me!

Have a happy Tuesday!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Run Like the Wind Edition

2011-10-31T08:34:00.003-04:00

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 her again at Mile 15-ish. And, then, we walked to Mile 20 to watch Tomokito Beat the Bridge (you have to make the final bridge before 2PM or you have to board the Bus of Shame and get driven to the Finish Line). She made it with plenty of time to spare. She also totally ignored us as we were yelling and screaming for her. Apparently, Tomokito was more interested in her Gu than in her fan base.

K-Factor and I walked back to her car and drove to Silver Spring. I finished the vacuuming and sweeping. Then, I took a nap. Then, I showered and got ready for Tomokito's (and the rest of Team Run for Japan) Congratulations Party. It was a lot of fun. The chili I made was delicious (Oprah's Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili). and Mike (Who Makes Cakes) made a cake:

A good time was had by all. I didn't get to bed until around 11. So very tired.

And a little stiff this morning. Ow.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Saturday Rambling

2011-10-29T15:05:00.004-04:00

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'll go hang out along the route to cheer on my friends who are running the marathon. Should be a good time ... unless it is too cold. I have my superspecial (and expensive!) running gloves and hat ready to wear.

Oh, so there is an interesting story behind my whole running the MCM 10K this year. I wasn't planning on it at all, except a certain Mom Who Marathons, emailed me and said she signed up. So I signed up to run with her. BUT, then, she couldn't make it.

Fortunately, my SuperCute Friend (and ex), Ray, is taking her bib and running as the Hot 40-Year-Old Mom Who Marathons. Yay! I won't be running alone.

Have a great rest of your weekend!
*smooches*

Alas, Poor Bowl, I Knew It Well, Horatio

2011-10-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

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 Foods, because Trader Joe's doesn't carry canned pumpkin puree (and I need the canned pumpkin puree for a party I am having on Sunday. I am making Pumpkin Chili (although I will be modifying the recipe a smidge (namely because kidney beans = EW))).

After Whole Foods, I treated myself to Breakfast for Lunch (and a Mimosa) at Eggspectations in hip, happenin' Downtown Silver Spring. Then, I came home and did a little house stuff. Nothing too exciting.

That evening, I headed to the pottery studio ... where I discovered that my beautiful bowl (pictured above) had cracked. WAAAAH! So sad. Someone is not going to have a Merry Xmas now ;-) Somehow, through my devastation, I managed to throw two bowls ...

Which I think I will turn into Yarn Bowls (like this, only not quite so hideous).

Home and, then, bed.

Tuesday, as I said, was busy-ish at work. My end of FY11 reporting will be coming due soon (even though we haven't received a due date, I am trying to get everything finished up). Plus, my final Energy Awareness Event is this morning. AND, I think my head might explode. Huzzah!

Oh, and during lunch break, I ran into another SuperCute Friend (who is -unfortunately- all boo'ed up). We made plans to have happy hour on Friday. Yayz!

Once home from work, I went for a 3 mile run. Cooked braised and glazed brussels sprouts for dinner. And avoided cleaning my house even though I am hosting a party on Sunday.

Have a great day!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: Hot Mess Edition

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

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 bus. Heavy pumpkins are heavy.

Saturday morning? Slightly overhung. But, I did manage to go for a 7 mile run. Yay me! I did a little tidying up, and took a couple of photos for my 2012 Puntabulous Calendar (I'm March).

Around 3, Tomokito and Hana came down to carve pumpkins. Later, K-Factor and the Canadian and their niece (who is a little younger than Hana) joined us. Good times.

After they left, I contacted a gentleman caller who I went out with once before (several months ago). He didn't call back, so I busied myself making dinner. Then, he called. He said he would pick me up in about 30 minutes ... which was not enough time for me to finish cooking/eating dinner (big. mistake).

We started off at 8407(?) Kitchen Bar, the over-priced restaurant with good cocktails near Silver Spring Metro Station. We each had two cocktails at the bar, but none of the food was appealing to me (plus, the food there is v. expensive. Like, srsly, New York City prices in fucking Silver Spring). Anyway, the guy (who we shall refer to as V) paid. Yay!

Then, we walked to the Fire Station. Which is a restaurant. In an old fire station. We had chocolate martinis there. I had two. And, let's just say that 4 cocktails on an empty stomach makes for a very durnk VUBOQ.

"How drunk?" you might ask. So drunk that V and I were making out at the bar. I don't normally do that. He is a very good kisser, though.

So drunk that we made out in his car in the parking garage.

So drunk that there may (or may not) have been reciprocal oral secks in his car in front of my building.

Um. Yeah. I was beyond beyond.

BUT, it was super fun. And, I hope I haven't scared him off from wanting to see me again.

Needless to say, Sunday morning? Very. Over. Hung.

Somehow, I managed to get to the Whole Foods to buy some chrysanthemums (3/$12 ... I bought 5). And plant them.

And, then, I drove to the pottery studio ... without my wallet (oops).

I trimmed one large bowl. However, hangover + spinning pottery = very bad idea. Totes queasy. So, rather than throw any more pots (and risk throwing up), I drove home.

And, then, I walked to El Golfo for the wonderful healing power of spinach enchiladas and sangria.

Once home, I made habenero hot sauce. And did a little knitting. Ate dinner. Drank wine. Went to bed.

Today, I have a dermatologist appointment. I have to go to Trader Joe's. And, I have pottery class in the evening. Good times.

Have a beautiful day!
*smooches*

The Weekend Approacheth

2011-10-21T08:21:00.001-04:00

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 scheduled. I need to get on that.

And I'll be cleaning and grocery shopping and making delicious habenero hot sauce at some point during this weekend.

The cleaning is important because I'm hosting a little congratulatory party next Sunday for Tomokito (and friends). She (and these friends) have decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon! 26-point-2 miles, kittens. MILES! And, they are trying to raise -at least- $2000 for the victims of the Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami. Yay them! If you'd like to support their cause, click on this link. If every reader of this blog donated $5, Team Run Japan would earn at least $15. Maybe more!

and that's about it. Have a great day!

*smooches*

Tired

2011-10-19T09:08:00.001-04:00

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 Quality Nekkid Time.

There are some benefits to having a sleepover with a 26-year-old.

There are also some drawbacks. Namely, not actually sleeping.

There may have also been some early morning fun after the alarm went off ...

So, as we were getting ready for work, I thanked him for a nice time and said I looked forward to seeing him again in a year. He laughed and said it would be sooner than that.

Although not *that* soon ...probably some time next month.

I have a feeling things are going to be getting complicated ...

I also have a feeling that I will be going to bed early tonight.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Ironing. Pottery. Knitting.

2011-10-18T09:27:00.001-04:00

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.

Not much on my schedule for today. I may be meeting a friend for dinner after work. But that's about it.

Have a wonderful day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: It's Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers Edition

2011-10-17T12:18:00.004-04:00

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 drank lots.

I got home around 1AM. *yawnz*

Sunday, I went to pottery studio. I threw a bowl and a vase (which I think I may turn into a pitcher because the top of it seemed a little wonky). Then, I headed over to hang with Mike (Who Makes Cakes), Jim, and Brianna. Mike made pizza. Nom! And we watched "The Conspirator." And I may (or may not) have drank an entire bottle of wine.

I didn't get home until this morning. Yay for crashing at Mike's! And, Yay for not having to work this Monday!

Today, I am cleaning and ironing and cleaning some more. And maybe knitting. And, then, I'm going to the pottery class.

Hope you have a brilliant day!
*smooches*

Where Has This Week Gone?

2011-10-14T10:22:00.001-04:00

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 Month!). Maybe more people will show up for them. We shall see ... If not, I think I'm not going to bother with it next year. Once home, I did laundry and talked to my BFF from college.

Last night, G-Force and the Nuge came over. We had post-Army 10-Miler drinks on Sunday. During that time, it came up that the Nuge does remodeling/construction for a living. He offered to take a look at my kitchen and help me with it. Suh-WEET! So we had a bottle of wine, some snacks, and some serious kitchen talk. Good times. If all goes well, maybe I can get this kitchen shit together soon. Yay! It would be so nice to have a kitchen with counterspace, drawers, storage space and a working oven.

I had really wanted to make this soup for dinner; however, Whole Foods was out of canned pumpkin. They had canned pumpkin pie mix (which I thought would've been GROSS in the soup). Disappointed.

Today, we are watching the documentary, Tapped, during lunch as another Energy Awareness Month activity. This evening, Eric from Baltimore is coming down. He, Tomokito, and I are heading out to paint the town pink (with glittery sparkles). Tomorrow, depending on the weather and my hangover, I may be going up to Northern Maryland for a Autumnal foliage viewing trip with a friend. And, on Sunday, I will go to the pottery studio.

I am off -again!- on Monday. I don't really have any plans, but I do need to devote some time to cleaning and decluttering. I don't want to become a hoarder!

Have a great day and a superfab weekend!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Run for the Hills Edition

2011-10-10T10:46:00.003-04:00

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-loading before the big race).

Sunday was the race. Afterwards, I came home. Took a nap. Ate a little bit. Then, Tomokito, K-Factor, and I walked up to McGintys for Post-Army 10-Miler Drink-a-thon. That was a lot of fun. Gayle and the Nuge joined us. And Mario. And SCGB. And a couple of Gayle's friends. Good times!

I came home, knat and watched the last two episodes of Downton Abbey, Season 1. So good. AND, I am almost finished my BFF's PandaScarf:

It's going to be sooooo cute (I hope).

And that's about it (so far). I am off today and have lots of fun plans!

Have a wonderful day!
*smooches*

Run Like the Wind

2011-10-06T08:26:00.003-04:00

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, finally, on Monday, I will be hanging out with CJ - lunch and a movie. And, then, going to pottery class. Good times!

And, that will be my weekend. Be thinking of me on Sunday morning!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Baby It's Cold Outside Edition

2011-10-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

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*

A Few Things Have Happened

2011-09-30T10:58:00.002-04:00

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. Why do I bother to go out with guys who seem to try to make me feel bad, rather than be supportive? I put up with a lot of crap, and I need to stop doing that. If you can't be bothered to learn my cat's name because "you don't like pets," well, I can't be bothered to go out with you. Even if M and I don't work out in the long-term (or the short-term, for that matter), I liked being reminded that there are guys out there with whom I just click. Of course, I am hoping that something more will eventually happen with M (once he moves back to the area). That would be good.

On Wednesday, I did laundry.

And, yesterday, there was a shit-ton of work drama involving my contract. It was all resolved, but it was stressful while it was happening. When I got home, i ran 4.5 miles. I had originally planned to run 5, but it got dark more quickly than I had anticipated.

Today, after work, I am meeting a friend for happy hour at Bar Dupont. And i have no other plans for the weekend, other than grocery shopping, ironing, cleaning, pottery studio, and watching episodes 3 -5 of "Downton Abbey."

Have a great day and fabulous weekend!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: Zombie Edition

2011-09-26T08:42:00.001-04:00

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. Steveandbobby joined us there. We left pretty early (like before 10), but we were pretty durnk. Thankfully, Steveandbobby drove us home. Yay!

Once home, I went online for a minute and discovered that my OKCupid Profile had been visited ... by my doctor! I was slightly creeped out. At least it was OKC and not Manhunt or A4A or something. Still, (1) I didn't know he was single, and (2) does there need to be a two? I'm hoping he just clicked on it, realized who I was, and clicked away ... Fortunately, my next appointment is not until mid-November, so I can pretend to have forgotten all about him checking out my profile.

Sunday morning, I wasn't super hungover. Huzzah! So I was able to get a few things accomplished before heading to the pottery studio. At the studio, I threw a wide bowl-like-thing and I trimmed and attached a handle to a lidded cannister. Once home, I made veggie broth and ironed like 10 shirts (and a pair of pants). Then, I knitted and watched "Pride & Prejudice" (the A&E miniseries with Colin Firth).

So, a pretty chill, yet fun weekend. I even managed to get to bed at a reasonable time (10!). However, I had this really weird dream about being in the desert and being attacked by zombie-like creatures. Around 1:15AM, I woke myself up saying "Help me!" and actually punching the pillow beside me. I hit it really hard, because my hand is still a little sore. After that, I did not sleep very well. *ugh* A little tired this morning for sure.

Lots of stuff on the calendar for early this week, so I may not be able to update until Wednesday or Thursday. Tonight, I have pottery class (yay!).

And, in even more exciting news, M is arriving in town tonight! He will be staying with his BFF this evening and then, tomorrow night, he will be staying with me. Yay! I am cooking dinner (Thai-inspired black bean and sweet potato stew). And, then, I guess we will be able to catch up and talk a bit about life and stuff.

I have a feeling I am going to be v. tired on Wednesday.

And, that's about it. Have a great day!

*smooches*

Waxing Rhapsodic

2011-09-21T13:04:00.001-04:00

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 peeled), half an onion, a can of diced tomatoes, maybe 2 cups of homemade veggie broth, curry powder, garam masala, and salt.

First, I browned the onion, butternut squash, and apple in a pan with some oil and a very liberal shake of the curry powder.

As this was happening, I melted the frozen broth in a large stockpot and brought it to a boil.

Once the onion, et al. was nice and soft and browned and a little crispy, I dumped it into the simmering broth.

Then, I swished a little white wine around in the pan to scrape up all the tasty little browned bits stuck to it and dumped all that into the pot too.

Next, I added the can of diced tomatoes.

I let all that boil for awhile. Tasted it. Added the salt and garam masala.

Boiled some more.

Finally when it all seemed well boiled, I took out my immersion blender (a.k.a. the Fabulous Zhoozher) and zhoozhed the soup until it was smooth.

And it was delicious.

I guess that's about it. I ran 5 miles yesterday after work. Today is Laundry Day! Joy.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Pottery. Class 1.

2011-09-20T09:27:00.001-04:00

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 wasn't all "Just call me Sally" ... she told everyone how to pronounce it. Yay for her. I guess the point of all this is my first impression of "James" -even though I'm sure he's a nice guy- was not all that great. /soapbox

In pottery, I made a lidded cannister thing. I think I should concentrate on making lids. They are hard, and I suck at it.

This session, the class filled up before K-Factor could register, so I am very grateful that M is letting me use his car while he's working in Vegas (as a showgirl. haha. kidding). I got home a little after 10PM. In the past, when I have taken the Metro, I don't get home until nearly 11.

I was still very tired when I awoke this morning. Very. Very. Tired.

and, now, I'm at work. slogging through the day.

Yay me!

Have a wonderful day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Boozy Good Times Edition

2011-09-19T08:15:00.001-04:00

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.

Needless to say, someone (me) was very. tipsy. So, I pretty much went to bed as soon as I got home (after drunk dialing M on the walk home from the metro station).

Sunday morning, I slept in. Well, as in as a certain PsychoKitty would let me. Then, I went to Trader Joe's. Yay! Groceries! I watched some old movies. I made curried butternut squash and apple soup. I knitted a bit. Tomokito came down for Manhattans (and then wine). Later, I went upstairs to chill with K-Factor and the Canadian for awhile. And, finally, I got all my stuff together for work today and went to bed.

And, that was my weekend. Good times, fer sure.

In other fun news, pottery class starts back tonight! YAY!

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Is It Friday Yet? IT IS!!

2011-09-16T11:22:00.001-04:00

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 I hadn't mentioned any happy hour plans). His big plans were to work at home and watch some football game (and that would be the reason he didn't want to go out with me last night when I suggested meeting up a few days ago. a football game. really?). Anyway, we hung out for a bit, had an interesting -but not entirely enlightening- discussion about our communication issues. We watched some football (*gack*). And, we made plans to meet up in DC after work tonight.

As for the rest of the weekend, the Great Apartment Purge continues. I need to grocery shop. Go for a run. I'm supposed to meet up with Ray at some point. And, probably, do a little job searching. Good times.

Have a great day and superfantastic weekend!

*smooches*

Tongue-Tied

2011-09-15T08:31:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

One of us is having a hard time waking up this morning ... and I think it is me!

I have these really painful canker sores on the bottom of my tongue. I am almost positive they are from an allergic reaction to a toothpaste I started using a few days ago (and have since stopped using), Tom's of Maine Cinnamon & Clove something. A friend suggested it might be a reaction to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent used by Tom's of Maine. However, I use other flavors of their toothpaste, which also contain SLS, and have not had canker sores. I'm wondering if I am reacting to the cinnamon or clove oil in the toothpaste. That would be weird.

Anyway, it hurts to talk, to eat, and to drink. So it hasn't been a fun few days. Fingers crossed that these sores heal quickly!

In other news, my new rug arrived! YAY! Here is the old rug.

And this is the new one. It's very bumpy, like getting a foot massage with every step.

I guess that's about it. Have a great day!

*smooches*

Food for Thought

2011-09-14T09:51:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens!

This morning, as I munched on my delicious Asian pear ($0.89* each at Trader Joe's), I read an article/blogpost/thing on the WaPoDotCom, "The Starvation of America's Middle Class," which led me over to the USDA's Food Desert Locator. Fascinating. I had no idea about the inaccessibility of food to a great number of people, even in the booming megalopolitan*** DC Metro Area. It made me want to eat.

So I gnawed on my Asian pear and thought about apples ... because in a totally random early morning textual conversation w/ M, we were chatting about disco music.

And pancakes.

and he sent me this video.

I think I should go to the Farmer's Market this weekend.

And, that's pretty much been my morning. Last night, I ate a veggie burger and watched "Red." It was pretty cute (the movie, not the veggie burger ... although, I guess, as far as veggie burgers go on the attractiveness scale, this particular veggie burger was not bad looking).

Have a great day!

*smooches*

*Whatever happened to the "cents" symbol?**

**Not entirely unrelated, but doesn't it annoy you when people write "200$" instead of "$200"?

***Not that the DC Metro Area is an actual megalopolis, but how often does one get to use the adjectival form of the word? Not. Very. Often.

Weekend Update: Purging Edition

2011-09-13T14:41:00.001-04:00

Good afternoon, Kittens! Happy Tuesday!

I had a very nice long weekend ... although there was some (minor) drama with C. Friday night, I drove over to his place. Google Maps sent me some weird way and I had to drive all around trying to find the entrance to his complex. Once I finally found it and gave the guard the apartment number I was visiting, the guard told me that they started towing at midnight. What? I was confused. I mean, they had my car information. But, whatever. So, when I finally got to C's apartment, I was a little snippy. My bad. And I had to leave at midnight. Which made me wonder what was the point of even going over there.

Saturday, I worked on de-cluttering my place. So far, I have 2 bags of clothes to donate ... with much more still to go. In the evening, I metro'ed into DC to go running with a friend. We ran about 7 miles. Then, we had frozen pizza (nom!). I ended up crashing at his place. Sunday morning, I made breakfast (pancakes and scrambled eggs) and, then, headed home. I did more de-cluttering. Around 5PM, I texted C to see if he wanted to hang out. He had previously said he couldn't hang out on Saturday, but might be able to on Sunday.

So, I texted this: "Do you have any interest in meeting up tonight? Or should I make alternate plans?"

He responded: "I'm not really sure I needed the second part of that message. I'll be home tonight if you want to stop by. Feel free to go with your alternate plan if that's more to your liking."

I was all "What? Huh? Srsly?" So I texted back: "You don't like being my first choice? What do *you* want?" (which is a question he asks me a lot),

And he wrote back: "I'll be home tonight if you want to stop by. Feel free to go with your alternate plan if that's more to your liking."

Which really kind of pissed me off. Which meant I texted back: "That doesn't really answer my question, but ok. I will let you know later if I'm up to driving over."

Needless to say, I wasn't. K-Factor and the Canadian stopped by with a bottle of wine. Which we drank. And talked about their wedding. And pottery. And my trip to Philly. Around 930, I texted C to let him know I wasn't coming over.

On Monday, I was off. Yay! So, I drove to Trader Joe's to do my grocery shopping for the week. I did a little yardwork. I had a boozy lunch at Adega. I came home, did a little more decluttering, took a nap, and around 4PM my neighbor who is moving to the West Coast on Thursday came down for happy hour. Then, I went for a short (2 miles) run. For dinner I had veggie corn dogs. Nom! And I putzed around until bedtime. Yay!

All in all, a pretty fun weekend.

Hope your weekends were chock full of fun!

*smooches*

The End of the Week. Hurrah.

2011-09-09T11:35:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens.

Yesterday, I had a fun happy hour with a friend. We went to Molly Malone's in Eastern Market and drank lots of beerz. Then, I went home and went to bed. Good times.

Today is a co-worker's last day. So sad. We are having a little going away shindig for her this afternoon. Cake! Punch! And probably some tacky ass plaque that I had to contribute $20 for. *ugh*

My original plan for after work was to go running with a friend on the Mall; however, the current weather situation (never-ending torrential downpour) and a change in his schedule put a damper on that. So, instead, I was thinking of organizing an impromptu happy hour for after work today, but -now- it looks like I *might* be hanging out with C. We'll see ...

Most of this weekend is going to be filled with errand-running and cleaning. I have this grand idea to de-clutter my apartment. I need to make use of M's car, filling it full of my crap and hauling it to the dump and/or thrift shop. maybe I can squeeze in some fun and a date or two, as well. *fingers crossed*

Have a great Friday!

*smooches*

A Snapshot of My Mood

2011-09-08T09:47:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens!

I think it's the rain, but my mood has not been stellar lately. At least I'm blaming it on the rain ... and the stars that shine at night. Things with C have been stagnating. I think mostly I'm upset that he didn't go to Philadelphia with me ... and I am wondering if he's trying to distance himself from me emotionally. Our Sunday date after I returned from Philadelphia never happened. And, last night, he texted to see if I wanted to do dinner and drinks tonight. Unfortunately, I had already made happy hour plans. I suggested getting together Saturday or Sunday. He said no to Saturday (with no explanation ...) and he was unsure about Sunday. I feel the drifting apart happening. And I don't seem to be overly upset about it. However, it is on my mind. I'm pretty sure the end is near. Oh, well.

I have the inkling of an idea for a short story that I need to get down on paper ... maybe tonight. It will be loosely based on my former neighbor's descent into manic depression, exacerbated by her decision to go off lithium. I kept all the notes she scrawled on random bits of paper and slipped under my door at odd hours of the night. And, I feel, now that it's been a couple years and she's moved away, I have enough distance to "borrow" pieces of her life. Rain and being in a funk make good writing.

This morning, I deposited some money into my ING account, and -for the first time since being unemployed- my account balance is over $10K. YAY! Financial cushion ... Except, my surgery bills are starting to roll in ... $100 to the anaesthesiologist, $500 to the hospital, and -here's the kicker- nearly $2500 for lab work. HWHAT? Yeah, apparently, they sent my samples to an Out-of-Network lab. I am still trying to figure out what to do. Not thinking about it over the long holiday weekend was nice. Unfortunately, ignoring a problem doesn't really make it go away. This week, I'll call my insurance company to see what they suggest. After that, I guess I'll have to talk to my surgeon's office and the lab. UGH.

I guess that's about it for now. I should probably get back to pretending to work.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Labor Day Edition

2011-09-05T20:10:00.003-04:00

Good Evening, Kittens!

What a superfuntastic weekend I had. On Thursday, after work, I met C for a fun-filled dinner at Jaleo. He had never been there before. The food was fabulous. And we had lots of sangria. Yum. Then, I had to go home to pack.

On Friday morning, I boarded the train to the City of Brothers Who Love! Yay! Once there, I got on the trolley (they go underground!) and met the most fabulous Lora at the Continental for lunch (and martinis!).

Lora had to go back to work (boo), I went to the hotel. Then, I walked around for a bit. And maybe had some gelatto ... and then I might have had a cocktail.

I staggered back to the hotel and waited for David to arrive. he finally did! Yay!

We rushed back downtown to catch Lora's Improv show. It was fun. and funny! After the show, David and I went to some restaurant/bar and had food and cocktails.

The next day, we had a delicious brunch (with a slightly out of it waiter) and went shopping! yay!

Then, we met Lora and a friend of hers at Monk's Cafe, where we had yummy seitan cheesesteaks ... and lots of beer.

David left to go to a show of some sort. I continued to hang with Lora and friend for awhile. Then, I went back to the hotel for disco napping.

David returned (eventually) and we went for dinner at Parc on Rittenhouse Square. They have delicious cocktails. And, then, we went to Woody's and some piano bar. Good times. Very boozy. Very friendly underwear-only-wearing shotboys. Got home about 2ish?

Sunday, we went to the Museum of Art (it's Pay What You Want on the first Sunday of the month). And, then, had brunch at the London Grill. Then, we went shopping. And *may* have had more gelatto.

And, finally, we headed to the station. Where we had drinks. Yay. And, then, I got on the train and David boarded his bus.

Today, I ran some errands. Cleaned a bit. SCGB and Tomokito came over for martinis (with Philadelphia's own Bluecoat Gin). I ironed a few shirts.

And, now I am blobbing on the sofa contemplating another cocktail. My life is so fun.

You can see the few pix I took in Philly here. Hope you had as fabulous a weekend as I did! *smooches*

The Shakes

2011-09-01T08:46:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

This morning, around 4:30, I awoke, checked the clock, and thought "SWEET! I still have an hour or so to sleep." During that hour, I had this dream where I was meeting my boyfriend's family. We were standing underneath the deck to my house when it started to shake. "Earthquake!" and we all ran out into the yard ... where we were dive bombed by big exploding balsa-wood gliders (remember those?). "What a weird dream," I thought after I got up.

Later, on NPR, they announced that around 5:10AM there had been a 3.4 aftershock. I wonder if I felt it in my dream. That would be KA-razeeeee.

Anyway, I went on a book buying spree last night for my nook. I recently cashed in some credit card points for a $100 Barnes and Noble gift card. And, since I finished reading "Emma" yesterday on the commute home, I thought I should buy some new books.

I bought:

"In War Times" and "This Shared Dream" by Kathleen Ann Goonan (I started reading "In War Times" this morning)

"Centuries of June" by Keith Donohue

"Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See

and

"The Family Fang" by Kevin Wilson

That should tide me over for awhile.

In other news, today is my Friday! Yay for 4-day weekends! I'll be heading to Philadelphia tomorrow morning, returning on Sunday evening. David is meeting me there. I'm hoping we can catch one of Lora's improv shows. And do lots of fun touristy things! Like eating and shopping and going to the art museum. Good times.

Finally, it's Cocky and Rude Fight Club Round 2. Go vote for me (as many times as you want), if you want.

Have a great day and a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

*smooches*

September Approaches

2011-08-30T10:06:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

There is one thing about this time of year that I really, really like: The evenings have begun to cool, so I can sleep with my windows open and a fan blowing. I *heart* sleeping in a cold room.

Of course, there is one thing about this time of year that I really, really dislike: Getting out of bed in a cold room when it is DARK outside. *ugh* So hard to get out of the bed. So very, very hard.

This morning, I sat down and made a list of Personal Goals for September. Several of the goals are to help position myself for obtaining a better, more-fulfilling, less clusterfuckery-filled job. And, the others are simply home improvement, life-improving, life-simplifying goals ...

They are:

1. ISO 150001 (Energy Management Systems): research, write white paper, investigate certification

2. LEED Green Associate: prepare for and pass exam

3. Writing: take time (at least 30 minutes to 1 each day) to be creative

4. Reboot (ha! pun! sort of!) Army 10-Miler Training: follow this plan

5. Kitchen: Move forward on remodeling

6. House: declutter

And, there you have it. Now all I have to do is make a plan and organize my time. That shouldn't be too difficult, right? Right?

*ugh*

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Family Reunion Edition

2011-08-29T09:24:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens!

I hope everyone managed to survive the torrential downpour and destructive winds of Hurricane Irene. My building fared well, only losing power for a couple of hours. Fortunately, I had evacuated to Staunton, VA for a small family reunion.

I left early on Saturday morning, picking up the rental car around 9:30 and driving the approximately three hours to Staunton. And, may I just say that driving is friggin' boooooorrrrring? OMG. I thought I might die. I made a couple of stops along the way. Once to pick up some coffee in Front Royal ... where the dress code at the local Starbucks is either (a) Prostitute or (b) Bible-reader. Interesting dichotomy.

Once safely in Staunton, I tried to check into the hotel, but the rooms weren't ready. So, I drove to my uncle and aunt's house. We chatted. Ate a bit. Drank a bit. And, members of the extended family gradually wandered in.

Around 3PM, we decided to play a round of Death Croquet. Here is my cousin trying the Jump Shot. After the game (which El Ganio won ... somehow), we had snacks, lots of talking, and were planning to eat on the deck. Except the Drenching Rains of Irene began. So, the dinner moved inside. It was yummy.

We also had a family quiz. I did very badly, but I did learn that my family could have been very wealthy ... too bad my Great Grandfather gambled and drank all the money and property away. Oh, well ... Is it better to have been rich and lost than never to have been rich at all?

Later that night, my brother, his girlfriend, two cousins and I went out for drinks in downtown (Historic!) Staunton. Good times! I was surprised that they allowed smoking in one of the bars we went to. *ugh* But, we still managed to have a good time ... and eat some delicious potato wedges (served on 100% Authentic Glass).

I did not sleep very well Saturday night. Booze + Drunk Wedding Guests + Super Soft Mattress = Not Very Rested VUBOQ. Bah.

That morning, we (Parents, Brother, His Girlfriend, and two of Dad's Cousin) went to a local eatery for breakfast. It was organic and yummy. The other relatives joined us later and we all went to a park to watch the young'uns play for a bit. Then, I drove home.

Once safely ensconced in my abode, I took a nap. Yay! And I went to Trader Joes. I forget how much cheaper TJ's is than Whole Foods. Later, C came over and went had breakfast for dinner at Eggspecations.

And, that was pretty much my weekend. Good times, for sure.

Have a happy Monday!

*smooches*

Well. Wasn't That Special?

2011-08-24T09:40:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

As you probably have noticed, I survived the Great East Coast (*cough* DC - the Rest of You Are Just Earthquake Wannabes *cough*) Earthquake. So. Much. Fun.

It all started around 1:50PM. I heard all this rumbling and my first thought was "What are those clowns upstairs doing now?" Then, there was shaking. And, my co-worker ran to the doorframe between our offices (totally bogarting it, btw). And, she's all "Earthquake!" And, I was all "EARTHQUAKE?!?!" And, my Geico Gecko Pez Dispenser crashed to the floor. And, then, the shaking stopped (it lasted about 20 seconds, I guess), and we were both like "We're grabbing our shit and getting the hell out of here."

We were halfway down the hall when the evacuation alarm sounded.

So, we got to hang out in the sunshine for about an hour while our maintenance guys checked out the building. No damage. This happened in June. And this happened sometime in the Spring. Have mentioned that I think that one day the building where I work is going to implode like the house at the end of the Poltergeist movie.

We were eventually allowed back in, where we proceeded to accomplish nothing else for the rest of the day.

After work (at 5PM! What? No early release?), we boarded the Metro. Which moved very. very. very. very. slowly (15mph). A co-worker and I were all "Fuck this shit," got off the train at Eastern Market and had Happy Hour. Yay!

A friend of my co-worker met us for drinks and then drove us to Union Station. That took a good 45 minutes off our travel time. Yay!

Once home, I stopped by Whole Foods, bought some pizza, went home, ate, drank some wine, and went to bed. Good. Times.

And, here's hoping today will be not quite as exciting!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Flexible Edition

2011-08-22T08:42:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

My weekend plans certainly went all gang aft a'gley'ed, but -in the end- everything worked out OK.

Friday, my hair appointment took longer than I thought, so -even though I looked SuperCute (see?)- I was unable to meet up with C. So, I ate a very late dinner, blobbed for a bit and went to bed.

Saturday, I was totally uninspired to do anything. I did do a little house-cleaning and organizing, but not nearly enough to make a dent in the Official Disaster Area which is Casa de VUBOQ. Around 5:30PM, Eric from Baltimore came down. Along with Tomokito, the three of us had dinner at El Golfo. Spinach Enchiladas! Sangria! Nomz.

Then, we took Tomokito back home and headed to SCGB's Birthday BBQ. C was supposed to come, but he had forgotten that he promised to help a friend move. And that took longer than he thought. Oh, well. The BBQ was fun. I was able to hang out with a bunch of friends. We left around 10:30 or so. I was a little tipsy. Not drinking (much) for three weeks really does some damage to a carefully cultivated alcohol tolerance.

Sunday morning, very overhung.

But, I did manage to be productive. I walked to the Whole Foods and dropped a shit-ton of money (btw, shit-ton is an official metric measure ... in case you didn't know) on the delicious foods. Then, I had boozy lunch (Hair o' the Dog!) at Adega.

On the way home, I *almost* got caught in a torrential downpour. I made it inside just in the nick of time. Yay!

Then, I made habenero chili sauce, using habeneros I grew in my "garden" and a recipe for Garlicky Red Hot Chili Sauce from the New York Times. While that was cooling to room temperature, I took a wonderful nap. Mmm. Naps.

When I awoke, I ironed a whole bunch of shirts. And applied for a very interesting new job. *fingers crossed*

Once that was all completed, I put together an Heirloom Tomato Salad with Cilantro Puree (why, yes, I did grow the cilantro in my "garden").

As I was sitting there wondering what to do next, I realized that I hadn't gone for a run since my surgery. So I went for a run. I only ran about a mile and a half. It was difficult, but not superpainful. Huzzah. I can't believe I am supposed to run the Army 10-Miler in about 7 weeks. Gah. Must become more motivated to run!

When I got back from my run, I had a text from C saying that he was on his way over. Gah! I quickly showered and dressed. He pulled up just as I finished getting ready. We had dinner at Baja Fresh and walked around downtown Silver Spring for awhile. Once back at my place, we put in a DVD and had a little Quality Nekkid Time on the sofa.

So, a very good end to a rather fun weekend, I think.

Hope you have a great day!

*smooches*

My Crazy Life

2011-08-19T10:35:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

How was everyone's Thursday evening? Mine was chock full of fun and excitement. I finished knitting this sock. Of course, now I have to knit another one. *sigh* Does it ever end?

And, I got a totally weird voicemail from A (remember him? from last summer?). If I could figure out how to put a recording on here, I would post it. Although that might violate some privacy issues or something? Anyway, it wasn't *technically* from him. It was from one of his co-workers. I think they were drunk. She was all like "I'm calling to recommend A. He's a fucking awesome person. And you're fucking awesome. And you two need to fucking get together."

Um. Srsly? What?

I think, if I were in my early 20s, I *might* have thought that was kind of sweet/cute/romantic. But, now, I'm all like, well, srsly? What? If you want to date me, grow a pair and ask me the fuck out.

And, right now, it may not be likely that i'll agree to a romantic relationship. I can be a friend. We can be drinking buddies. But, with C in the picture. And with M in Las Vegas. And with my possible impending re-surgery in a few months. Plus, all the work shit that is going on, I really don't have the time/energy for anything else.

In other news, after work today, I'm going to get my hair cut. Yay!

And, I am hoping to meet up with C at some point this evening. Not sure if that will happen. I told him I would be free last night and tonight, and he said he was busy last night. So maybe he is not busy tonight? Who knows? Even though I like him, I don't think he is quite meeting my communication needs. If you remember, I'm a planner. I like to have plans. Not having plans stresses me out. So, right now? I'm a bit stressed.

Tomorrow, is SCGB's Birthday BBQ at his place. Eric from Baltimore is coming down. Tomokito probably can't go. So, I think Eric and I will do dinner with her first. And then meet the BBQ-ers later for drinking and merry-making. I invited C to this event as well. and got a definite maybe. After the BBQ, everyone is going to Town for crazy all-night dancing. I may have to pass on that part. I'm still not 100% sure I'm healed enough to do that. We'll see how I feel.

Also, I need to start training again for the Army 10-Miler. It's on October 9th. I am so not ready for it. My plan is to do a short (maybe 2-3 miles) run on Sunday morning and see how I feel afterwards.

And, that's my weekend. In a nutshell. We'll see how much of this actually happens on Monday, right?

Have a great one!

*smooches*

The Good, the Bad, the Potentially Painful

2011-08-18T09:26:00.001-04:00

Guten Morgen, Mein Katzchen.

Here in Vutopia, we have received a passel of good news and bad news recently. Let's start off with the good news, shall we?

First, I do not have to make the 2+ hour commute to my company's corporate HQ in Franconia-fucking-Springfield. Apparently, the contractual issues are being worked out and my company decided I could continue to work at the client site. Huzzah!

Second, I had my follow-up appointment with the surgeon yesterday. And, there is no cancer! Yay! However ... (and this brings us to the bad news) ...

I seem to be extraordinarily blessed in that I am the 1 in the 1 in 10 people who need a second surgery. Joy. I go back to the surgeon in 3 months to determine if a second surgery is necessary. He seems to think it will be. Oh, whoopee.

On the plus side (good news?), he said the second surgery will not be as intensive/excruciatingly painful as the first one. Yay? There is also a small chance that my immune system will kick in and the surgery won't be necessary.

Also, I have totally maxed out my deductible and out of pocket maximum for my health insurance for the year (that's what happens when you get beaten/mugged and have surgery within the same 12 month period), so this second surgery will be "free." Woo hoo. It's like "Buy One Extremely Painful Ass Surgery, Get One Free." And, you know I can't resist a sale! (I wonder if they will throw in a cute pair of black wingtips).

And, I guess that's about it. Hope you have a groovilicious day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Tar Heel Edition

2011-08-16T09:47:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens!

Well, I am back from my weekend excursion to the Tar Heel State. It was chock full of good times.

My flight on Friday was uneventful. I arrived in Greensboro around 930PM, I guess. My family picked me up and we drove back to my brother's house. We talked for a bit and I went to bed.

Saturday morning, I discovered that my mother's birthday gift had broken en route. Gah. Plan B was put into place.

Around noon, my friend, Isa, drove up from Durham. We met another college friend for lunch at the Village Tavern. $5 Martinis. 'nuff said.

Once home, my parents invited Isa to stay for dinner. So we blobbed around the house. And then had my mom's birthday dinner - scallops and shrimps and corn on the cob and assorted other vegetables. After dessert, grilled peaches with ice cream, Isa left. The rest of us played cards until after midnight.

Sunday? Very tired. I blobbed most of the day. Sunday evening, we went to my brother's girlfriend's house for dinner. She cooked. It was good.

And, then, on Monday, I flew back to DC. My flight was a little delayed, but not too bad. I got back to Silver Spring around 1. I had boozy lunch at Adega. Then, I went home and took a nap.

There was a thunderstorm! Scary!

Then, I ironed a few shirts.

At some point, my company called. There is an issue with my contract. Joy. For the next couple of days, I may have to report to company HQ instead of to the worksite. This is full of the suck because company HQ is in Franconia-fucking-Springfield. About a 2-hour commute from my house. Kill me. Now.

Later in the evening, I went to Whole Foods and, then, met C for dinner at Thai at Silver Spring. I am really liking him. *sigh* He wasn't able to come in afterwards though so we had to act like teenagers and have a little fun in his car *wink wink*.

And, that was my weekend.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Leaving On a Jet Plane

2011-08-12T13:32:00.001-04:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

And, it's Friday. Friday. Yesterday was Thursday. And I didn't do much of anything. I did manage to pack for my trip to NC. The entire family (all 4 of us) is gathering in Greensboro to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday.

I can't say I am all that excited about it. I mean, it will be good to see the family; however, I am still kind of tired and achy and gross from the surgery. I don't know how much fun I will be. I guess we will find out. Fingers crossed that the parents are chill in the mornings, because that is when I feel the worst. I probably should warn them.

On the plus side, I will be having lunch on Saturday with a couple of college friends. That will be cool. AND, I will have some new Ralph Lauren shirts waiting for me. Yay for having a brother in his employ.

And, that's about it. My flight is at 745 tonight. Everyone send Clear Skies thoughts around that time.

Have a great weekend! I'll be back home on Monday!

*smooches*

Overdone

2011-08-11T11:19:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens.

I think I may have overdone it yesterday, because today is Super Owie. I was awake from about midnight to 4AM this morning (and decided to sleep in and be late to work).

Yesterday, one of my co-workers brought in his 3-year-old. Ugh. I could only take so much of the Wiggles. So, I got some stuff together and did some walk through inspections throughout the building. Lots of walking. Lots of stairs. Possibly a mistake. On the plus side, I did find this sign.

I actually started to feel bad towards the end of the day and left work around 4.

Went home. Took a nap. Did some laundry. Cancelled my "The Help" date with C. Went to bed.

Tonight, when I get home, I have to pack for my weekend trip to NC. Fun.

and, that's about it.

Have a great day.

*smooches*

Bits. Bobs.

2011-08-10T08:40:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens.

Yesterday I received a call at work from the Brooklyn DA's office.
Apparently (1) there is a new ADA handling my assault & robbery case
and (2) the Grand Jury indicted the kid who I testified against (way
back in, what?, April? Early May?). Thanks for letting me know ... Of
course, I suppose I could have called. So, now they want to subpoena
my phone records (again) and needed to verify the phone number of the
phone which was stolen. My guess is that there will be some sort of
plea bargain. I really don't want to go back up there for the sole
purpose of testifying in another trial.

Not much else going on. C came over last night for a quick minute. We
have been taking it slow since my surgery, so it was good to see him.
I think we are going to see "The Help" tonight after work. I am
wondering if I should invite him to go away for the Labor Day weekend
or not. I want to. But maybe it's too soon for a mini-break, because
as Bridget Jones always says, "A mini-break means true love."

I seem to gradually be recovering from the surgery. The PWS has
become more like PWFeelingStabbyButBriefPains ... I still do not look
forward to my morning constitutional. But, as they say, "s**t
happens."

And, on that note, have a great day!
*smooches*

My Life is Kinda Boring

2011-08-09T08:50:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens.

Not much going on here, I'm afraid. Yesterday at work was productive and relatively uneventful. After work, I metro'ed to Cheverly, where I picked up M's car. I then drove to the pottery studio where I picked up 4 pieces of bisqueware (I will glaze them next session) and a glazed, lidded casserole. I am mostly pleased with how it's turned out. The lid is a little concave (because I didn't wait long enough to trim it) and there are some minor glaze issues. But, overall, it is chock full of Yayz!

I got home around 7. Made dinner. Had some pink champagne. Knitted for a little while. And, then, went to bed.

Good times.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Writhing in Pain (well, not really) Edition

2011-08-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

Well, this weekend was certainly an interesting one. After receiving the shock of the Great Sunflower Massacre of 2011, I spent most of the weekend either on the sofa or in the bed.

Two of my favorite places to be, actually.

On Saturday, I watched Harry Potter 1-4 on DVD. I finished the body of my seamless sweater, but lack the proper needles to begin the sleeves. I think, because of the number of stitches required, knitting on circular needles will be difficult. So, I need to purchase some #11 dpns. Yay.

Instead of working on the sleeves, I decided to turn the heel on my first tweedy brown sock. I used the Zimmerman German Heel. It was actually easy (once I figured out that "knit up" = "pick up and knit"). This is where I am so far:

Saturday evening, I showered (!) and ventured upstairs for a little going away party for my neighbors who are moving to Washington state in the Fall. So sad. I really liketh them. They are so pure and good and I have totally been unable to corrupt their angelic goodness. Oh, well.

However, after about two hours, I felt sort of twinge-y pain and realized that I should probably go home to bed. So I did.

Speaking of twinge-y pain, that's what I've been feeling lately. Twinges and ITCHES. OMG. The itching! I am going to assume that this is a sign of healing. The PWS is not nearly as bad (Thank FSM). But the itching is keeping me up at night. Gah. Mornings are still the worst. And usually by 12 or 1PM, I feel not quite fine, but OK.

On Sunday, I got up and took the bus to the Whole Foods. I bought supplies for the week. It was kind of a mistake, because -as I just stated- mornings are not fun. AND, I totally missed the bus home and had to walk. Owz.

Once home, I rested, took another pain pill (yay!), and eventually felt better.

Whilst watching Harry Potter 5 & 6, I did a little Hipstamatic Photo Session with Isabella (See first photo on this page and several on flickr).

I called my parents and made a yummy couscous salad for dinner.

And, I guess that's about all the excitement of the weekend.

Good times for sure.

Have a Happy Monday!
*smooches*

The Great Sunflower Massacre of 2011

2011-08-06T08:16:00.003-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

If you're friends with me on facebook, you may have already seen this, but I'm going to share it again anyway.

Yesterday, after working (nearly) a full day (!) and deciding to walk home from the metro station (mistake!), this is what I saw (or didn't see, actually):

Where have all the sunflowers gone?

Apparently, our yardguy got a little carried away and -in addition to trimming all our hedges (which look very nice now)- he mistook my over 6-foot tall just-starting-to-bud sunflower plants as some sort of vicious weed.

A vicious weed that had been planted from seed in a very, neat (well, neat-ish) line and carefully tended to (well, sort of carefully tended to) all Summer long.

Needless to say, I was very upset. I was really looking forward to seeing them bloom. I had almost given up hope that they would, but a few days ago, I noticed they were starting to bud.

Well, as they say, no use crying over slaughtered sunflowers. At least I got a photo of one of them, which (oddly enough) bloomed a couple of months ago ...

Happy Saturday!
*smooches*

TMI

2011-08-05T16:15:00.001-04:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens!

It's Over-sharing Day in Vutopia ...

As you may recall, I recently (last Friday!) had outpatient surgery in which there was lots of scraping, cauterizing, soldering, slicing, dicing, and pulverizing in and around my Nether Regions. Since that time, I participate every morning (and sometimes in the evening) in a fun activity that I like to call "Pooping While Screaming (PWS)."

Think Gollum ... It burnsssss. It burnssss us.

So, this morning, I got up for my Morning Constitutional (PWS) and afterwards thought, "Hey. That wasn't too bad. Maybe I'm healing."

But about 15-20 minutes later, I felt a familiar urge. And the second time around? Not really all that pleasant. However, a soothing little sitz bath (look! You're learning a new term!) later and all was well. Yay!

Until about 15 minutes later, when someone had to go again. AND, OMFG THE MOTHERFUCKING PAIN! OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!

and OW.

Did I mention OW?

I realize that pooping 3 times in one morning might seem weird. It certainly is unusual for me. I assume it is some weird side effect from the surgery. And, really, I am starting to hate mornings even more than usual.

So, yet again this weekend, I shall be eating lots of fiber and lounging on the sofa, knitting, reading, watching DVDs, not drinking, and PWS. Good. Times.

(I do have a neighbor's Going Away Party to attend on Saturday Evening, though, so it's not all bad.)

And, there you have it. Anyone else care to over-share?

Have a great day and weekend!

(Here's your Happy Thought of the Day: You are not me.)

*smooches*

Pain in the Ass

2011-08-02T09:58:00.004-04:00

"Good" Morning, Kittens!

I am still in Recuperationville from my outpatient surgical experience on Friday. And, like, ow. At least the Percocet Happy Pills seem to be working ...

Although I really don't want to go into the whys and wheres and howtos and whatfors and whatevers about the procedure, the surgeon spent a good 30-45 minutes (I'm guessing) scraping, cutting, slicing, dicing, pulverizing, and then cauterizing my nether region. Yep. I had ass-tic surgery. Joy. I should have asked for a butt-lift while he was down there (hindsight. It is 20/20, yo!).

Anyway, the recovery process is tedious. And painful. And messy. And long, like 3 weeks long. Ugh.

Today is my last day of not working though. I am going to try to straggle into the office tomorrow.

So, what does a VUBOQ do when he is at home, on drugs, and not whimpering from painful pooping sessions?

He shops.

My brother notified my of an extra 25% off sale at Ralph Lauren Dot Com. With his employee discount, I snagged a short sleeved polo, a long sleeved polo, and a cotton v-neck sweater all for less than the original price of the sweater. Sweet.

Then, I found two UberCute knitting kits ... a Dragon Scarf and a Panda Scarf! My BFF from College totes luvz pandas. I thought it would be a fun Xmas gift for her.

Speaking of knitting, I've also restarted my cotton seamless sweater ...

And, look, mugs:

I am giving these to C. If you dated me, you, too, could get pretty pottery.

I picked up a few more completed pieces from the studio last Thursday. You can see all the photos in this set: Pottery Summer 2011

In other news, because the surgery was a lot more intense than I was expecting, I wasn't able to meet with M whilst he was here. Boo. I also haven't seen C. Boo. So, I am still in limbo as far as that is concerned. Oh, well.

I need to walk to the grocery store today, but I'm not sure if I'm able. Ugh.

Guess that's about it for now.
Have a great day!
*smooches*

Lackadaisical

2011-07-27T11:26:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens.

How can it only be Wednesday? Srsly. This has been one of the least fun weeks ever. But more on that later ...

My weekend was pretty cool ... even if I can't remember what I did. (Have I mentioned that I have a Vitamin B-12 deficiency, and B-12 affects memory?)

Did I have happy hour at Ted's Bulletin? Or was that the week before?

Did I spend a shit-ton of money at the Farmer's Market and, then, make an uberdelicious gazpacho?

Did I go see "Captain America" with C? And then have fun After Movie Times?

I think I did.

At least I saw "Captain America." I was underwhelmed.

And, on Sunday, I went to SCGB's new pad. We had a little cocktail gathering with the German, his Baby Mama, and their CuteCute Baby.

At some point, I had yummy sake with Tomokito and her family. Was that Sunday night? I think it was.

Work has been stressful. It will culminate tomorrow at the weekly staff meeting, when -as I have heard through the grapevine- a certain someone has said he plans to "throw me under the bus" (in order to make himself look good). Srsly? WTF? Who does that kind of thing? I am working on shoring up my defenses.

Last night, I had dinner with C. We had a good talk. There are two things weighing on me for this coming weekend. (1) M is coming back (from Vegas) for the weekend and (B) I am having minor -but apparently painful- out-patient surgery on Friday. We talked about both. I am still unsure of what I should say to M. And, depending on how I feel, he might be coming to my place on Saturday. So, will I be tripping on pain meds when I say whatever it is I have to say? Possibly.

I really like C. But, I also really like M. *ugh*

My headhurts ... and -because of the surgery- I can't take ibuprofen. Here's a picture of me in black and white.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Laundry and Kisses

2011-07-21T10:10:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

I guess I need to update you on all the exciting goings-on in my life ... Tuesday, after work, I headed to pottery studio. I learned that a cute little bowl I made wasn't chipped. It was broken beyond repair. Apparently, someone knocked it (pretty hard) and it broke. Boo. Usually, the culprit leaves a note of apology. Not this time. Ruuuuude. So, I had to throw out the bowl. Wah.

In class, I trimmed a bowl and attached a handle to a mug. And, then, I left. I texted C. He responded that he had had a bad day and wanted a drink. I told him I was just leaving class and we could meet up, if he wanted. So ... he came and picked me up. We drove back to my place and had margaritas (and lots and lots of making out). He left around 10 or so.

Wednesday. Very. Tired.

When I got home from work, I started a load of laundry. C texted that he was in Silver Spring getting his hair cut. So, after he was finished (and after he did some shopping/eating), he stopped by so I could see the new 'do. Very sexy :-) ... and there was a little more of the making out.

He couldn't stay long though (*sad face*) ...

After he left, Tomokito, her sister, two nieces, and Hana came for a little visit. That was fun. In my apartment, Hana loves three things: (1) terrifying Isabella, (2) playing with my Gay Pride Mardi Gras Beads, and (3) watching "Finding Nemo."

The adults had margaritas. I have started putting a little peach lemonade in them too. It makes them slightly peachy and even yummier. The family left around 9:30. I called C and then went to bed.

Yay!

Have a great day! Stay cool.

*smooches*

How About Some Pottery Pix?

2011-07-19T14:37:00.001-04:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

I was in training (3 hours!) this morning, so I didn't have time to update you on all the excitement in my life ...

Also, there is no excitement in my life.

We need to work on that ;-)

Luckily, I had several pottery pieces glaze-fired, so here are some clicky links to pictures:

Flowerpot

Blue and White Bowl

Brown Bowl

My favorite is the brown bowl. I am loving how the inside glaze turned sort of rusty reddish orange. Fabulicious!

I also trimmed and attached handles to a cute lidded casserole. I am hoping this will turn out well (but it still has to survive bisque-firing, glazing, and glaze-firing ... so much could still go horribly horribly awry).

I am going back to the studio this evening for class. I have a bowl to trim and a mug to trim and make a handle for. Then, I still have a shit-ton of clay. I will try to make some things. No idea what. There is only one more class left. Not much time to do anything overly substantial or labor intensive.

On a romantic front, not much is happening ... I will probably be seeing C again at some point (even though he thinks my bed is too hard ... Apparently he is Goldilocks and I am Papa Bear). I wonder if his bed is too soft ... or just right?

And, I guess that is about it for now.

Have a wonderful day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Valley of Shattered Dreams Edition

2011-07-18T11:41:00.005-04:00

Good (Yes, It's Still) Morning, Kittens!

What a wacky weekend here in Vutopia. As you may remember, Tomokito, SCGB, and I were supposed to take a road trip to Baltimore on Friday after work. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to make the trip. Instead, we had pizza and wine (lots and lots of wine ... as well as some whine) at Casa de Esteban. Good times.

On Saturday morning, I went for a run. I wanted to run about 6 or 7 miles. My knees only wanted to run 4.5. So that's what we did. Listen to your body, Kittens.

After cleaning up, the weather was so nice that I went for a bit of a wander. Farmer's Market. CVS (where I finally found the vitamins I'd been looking for). Caribou Coffee for an iced decaf. Then, home.

That evening, I headed over to Mike (Who Makes Cakes)'s house for dinner and conversation and booze (lots and lots of booze). It was good times with a small group of friends. I got home around midnight, I guess.

Sunday, after a leisurely morning, I drove (eek!) to the pottery studio. I put the handles on a pair of mugs. And I made a bowl and another (potential) mug. The kiln was on so I may have some finished pieces when I go back.

I came home and made pesto.

And, then, C came over. We walked to Downtown Silver Spring and had dinner at Thai at Silver Spring. Then, we walked back. We then may (or may not) have spent the rest of the evening making out on the sofa ... until we decided to move to the bedroom. And, he may (or may not) have spent the night.

Anyway, there aren't going to be any pix posted of C for awhile. I told him about the blog, and he is a bit wary about having his countenance broadcast all over the intertubez. Completely understandable. Also, I finally figured out who he reminded me of ... my friend, Ray. Well, if Ray were a 40-year-old African-American ... It's not that they look alike. It's more the way he says things and his hand gestures which remind me of Ray.

So, we got up early this morning, rolled around for a bit. He left. I went for a 3.5 mile run. Then, I went to see HP7B; however, the place was *crawling* with Summer Camp kids. Ew. I decided to wait until next weekend and go to an early early show (or a late late one). Instead, I went to the Whole Foods and spent too much money.

Later, I'm going to the pottery studio. And, then, Tomokito, her sister, and nieces (who are visiting from Japan) are going to stop by for a visit.

Good times! Have a great day!
*smooches*

Midnight

2011-07-15T09:17:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

Happy Friday (Friday. We we we so excited)! Or, at least we would be excited if we hadn't stayed up really really late last night making out with a hot guy.

WHUT?!?!?

Yeah, so, what happened was ... I had a third date with C. He came over around 8PM last night (after I had gone for a short -2 mile- run and eaten a light dinner). We had cocktails (blueberry margaritas!) and settled on the sofa to watch a movie. He picked "Ghost."

Well, as it so happened, we didn't watch the movie as much as we "watched" the movie. And, we "watched" the movie until nearly midnight. Which, while fun, was not the smartest of ideas, considering I have to get up at 5:45A.M. for work.

Needless to say, someone hit the snooze button several times this morning.

And, then, convinced his co-workers to go to McDonald's (*shudder*) to get an egg 'n' cheese biscuit and a coffee (with caffeine!) for him this morning.

As for this weekend, tonight, SCGB, Tomokito and I are driving up to Baltimore to hang out with Eric from Baltimore. The original plan was to spend the night, but I don't think we will.

Saturday, I am going to Mike (Who Makes Cakes)'s house for drinks/games/something. I may be bringing C with me.

And, on Sunday, I will be going to the pottery studio. There are only two more weeks of class left, and I have a lot of stuff to do.

Monday, I am off (again!). YAY! I have no specific plans. I might catch a morning showing of HP7B. I also need to make a doctor's appointment and get passport photos taken. Good times.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

*smooches*

Discussions

2011-07-13T09:43:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens.

Yesterday, I had a productive day at work (so far today, not so much. bah.). After work, I went to pottery class. I glazed a bowl. Then, I made what will hopefully be a small lidded casserole dish. Lids are difficult. We shall see if this one fits.

After pottery class, I met up with C. We had dinner at El Golfo and then we went back to my place. Once there, I initiated a discussion about some rather intense things going on in my life right now. Well, one is intense; the other not so much. We talked about M and how I'm sort of in a holding pattern regarding anything with him right now. We talked about something that I was worried was going to scare him away ... but it didn't. Which made me very relieved. (Yes, I'm being purposefully vague, because I'm not quite ready to broadcast that particular issue across the internetz). And, then, we made out. And hugged. And fooled around. And it was really great. And I could see myself really liking this guy ... even though it's only been two dates (with the promise of more to come).

And, now, I'm at work, wondering why I can never win the lottery so I don't have to be at work anymore.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Better Than Last Weekend Edition

2011-07-11T17:20:00.001-04:00

Good Afternoon, my Sweet Sweet Kittens!

I am trying to type with a kitten leaning on one arm and a cocktail in the other hand. Complicated, fer sure ...

ANYWAYz, my weekend has been pretty durn fabulous. On Friday, after work, I had plans to meet this guy who I went out with last summer (E? maybe?) for happy hour at 5:45. I got there a little early, found a table, ordered a drink, and waited ... and waited ... and waited. At 6PM, I thought, "Am I being stood up?" I checked, but didn't have his cellphone number, so I sent him an email (hoping that he had a smartphone).

It turns out he was in another part of the bar, not realizing that there were two sections. So, we had another few drinks and some food and good conversation. It was very nice.

On Saturday, I did lots of blobbing. And some cleaning. And a little grocery shopping. And, possibly some napping. Later, I ventured forth into the DeeCee to attend a BBQ at SCGB's cute new apartment. It is cute! And new! I volunteered to bring fixings for a cocktail. So, I chose the Cherry Caipirissima from the NYT's recent article on simple summer cocktails (three ingredients!). I had previously made the basil gimlet which was totes YUM YUM YUM.

Here's the cocktail:

The recipe is pretty simple ... 3 cherries, pitted and halved, 3/4 oz simple syrup (I actually used Rose's Lime Stuff), 2 lime wedges, 2 oz of white rum, 6 ice cubes.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cherries and lime wedges with the syrup. Add the rum and ice cubes. Shake like the dickens. And pour into a rocks glass.

Very tasty. and festive!

The BBQ was fun. I left around 10PM. Got home around 11PM. Tomokito came down and we had the same cocktail (only I used vodka instead of rum).

Sunday, I drove to the Pottery Studio. Yay! So easy (if a little stressful). I glazed four things (only recently realizing that I actually have made 5 things ...). And then I made what will eventually be two mugs. I also had two completed pieces. One is hideously ugly and bound for the trash bin (or something). The other is this lovely bowl, bound for Brooklyn:

Once home from pottery, I took a nap. Revolutionary!

Later that evening, I had a date. With a very cute guy. We went to Mandalay (mmm. Burmese food). And then we walked around downtown Silver Spring. And then we came back to my place and made out on the sofa. He's definitely a keeper. And he seems to be into me. I, of course, am not sure. I still have in the back of my mind that something might work out with M (y'know, the guy who is letting me use his car for the year he is in Las Vegas). What to do? What to do?

Anyway, this guy (let's start referring to him as C) left around midnight. I went to bed.

This morning, I was supposed to go for a 6 mile run. That didn't happen. I slept a little later. And then I went to the dentist.

Where I had a shit-ton of novocaine shot into my gums and the dentist drilled and filled four cavities. My mouf is a little sore right now. It seemed like forEVER, but I was out of the dentist office in about 50 minutes.

I headed back to Silver Spring, went to the Whole Foods and then treated myself to a boozy lunch at El Golfo. Spinach Enchiladas! YAY!

Then, I took a nap. (I seem to do that a lot, huh?)

And I ironed 4 shirts for work.
I applied to a job.
And now I'm thinking about what to make for dinner.

Hope you all had a great weekend and a happy Monday!
*smooches*

Chic C'est La Vie

2011-07-08T08:44:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

It's Friday Friday!

And Yesterday was Thursday. Thursday. And I did lots of work. Being productive is HARD.

When I got home, I went for a 3.5 mile run. Which was also hard. Like running in slow motion through a bowl of soup. And not very delicious soup at that.

Then, I blobbed and talked on the phone with friends. M was feeling homesick. *sigh*

Oh, and in happier news, my new credit card arrived! HUZ-ZAH! It is now activated and ready to GO!

Today, I am going to happy hour with a guy from last summer. I recently saw him online and was, like, "um. hey. You look familiar." And he was all "yeah! We went out. You introduced me to Uni-Qlo." so I was like "cool, let's meet up." And we are. This evening. for happy hour.

No firm plans for the rest of the weekend (yet). I have an appointment with a contractor on Saturday morning to take a look at my kitchen. I may have a date with a cute doctoral student/intern, who recently moved here from Boston for a year. I also want to go to the pottery studio on Sunday.

And, on Monday (have I mentioned that I am 3 out of 4 Mondays this month?), I am going to the dentist to get four (FOUR!) cavaties filled. That should be a laugh riot.

That's about it! Have a great day!

*smooches*

Taking My Mind Off Things

2011-07-06T16:46:00.011-04:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

It's been a wacky (and slightly unpleasant) day in Vutopia. So, rather than deal with all that (trust me, we will be dealing with it at some point on this blog), here are some photos of my "garden."

This looks suspiciously like jalapenos, but I'm almost sure I didn't buy a jalapeno plant ... Maybe I did.

OMG! Baby Habeneros! So CUTE!

Lemon basil. It is going CRAY-ZEE!

Regular basil. It is not going crazy. It is looking kind of sad.

Cilantro. I don't even like cilantro all that much.

Pretty Yellow Poppy

Yellow Cosmos

Orangey-Red Cosmos

Cosmos. With sunflowers behind them, which *refuse* to bloom. WAAAAH!

And, there you have it. Hope you had a fabulous day!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: Independence Edition

2011-07-05T09:09:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

What a weekend! To say that it started off with a bang would be an understatement.

On Thursday evening, I was chatting with a guy on Grindr. He hanging out in Downtown Silver Spring, so we decided to meet up. We had a fun conversation. Then, he drove me home. He's currently at the beach with his family. We will probably meet up again once he gets back.

While on the date, I received a phone call from a 1-800 number that I didn't recognize. So I ignored it. And then forgot about it.

Until Friday morning, when I got another phone call (and a voicemail message) from the same number. The message was from my credit card company regarding possible credit card fraud. Did I make any large purchases in Modesto, CA on Thursday evening?

Um. No?

So, somebody charged over $400 on my card at a grocery store, gas station, and McDonald's (ew). Luckily my credit card company caught it. The erased the charges and canceled my card. *whew* Bullet dodged.

Except, wait. I only have one credit card. And I use it for all my purchases. And I had only about $120 in my checking account. ACK! Then, I remembered that my paycheck should be clearing later that day (which it did. *hurrah*).

Of course, that also meant I was going to be cash based for the weekend (and this week, too. ugh).

After dealing with the credit card mess, I went into DC to have my hair cut and colored. Yay! I paid cash. Boo.

Then, I texted Mike Who Makes Cakes to let him know that I would not be going to happy hour with him. I picked up some groceries, some booze, and went home to chill.

Saturday morning, I woke up and started doing some boring house stuff, like vaccuuming, and putting away clean clothes, and trying to repair a drippy pipe under my kitchen sink. That did not work out to well. Blood! Everywhere! Ouch! Pain! Agony!

Saturday evening, I had cocktails with Tomokito and some of her friends. Yay!

Sunday, I spent the morning getting ready for my 3rd of July Party. Steveandbobby and Tomokito (and Hana!) and Eric from Baltimore came over for lots of boozy goodness and snacks. Then, we went to El Golfo for dinner. Nom nom nom.

Of course, I was schnockered by 9PM, so I went to bed. Boring.

I got up the next morning and went for a 4.5 mile run. Yay me! So healthy!

Then, I went out to a very boozy lunch with a friend ... followed by boozy time in a sleazy bar ... followed by a nap.

Later, Tomokito came down and we toasted our Independence with prosecco. Yum!

Once she left, I got my stuff ready for work, and went to bed. Good times.

And, that's about all that happened. Today, I am leaving work a smidge early to go to pottery class. Yay! Fun! I'll also be picking up M's car (finally). Wheels! Freedom! Huzzah!

Have a great day! *smooches*

It's Friday! Friday! Well, Not Really.

2011-06-30T14:15:00.001-04:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

Today is my Friday. Oh, hellz to the yeah! Four day weekend! Scorez!

And, I was totally late to work this morning. I woke up with all sorts of weird intestinal issues going on. So I called my boss and went back to bed. I rolled into work around 10:30. Sweet. AND, they are letting us leave 2 hours early today. Suh-WEET-er!

Last night, I did laundry. I called my BFF from college, Isa. We chatted for a long time. I ate orzo with homemade pesto. AND, I managed to get all sorts of semi-interesting gossip from several neighbors. Good times.

I also finished updating my resume and writing a cover letter. I'll be sending that off tomorrow.

On a sad note, SCGB moves out of our building today. Waaaah. It's so sad that I will never see him again. He's moving into the DeeCee. He will be swallowed up by the Columbia Heights Hipster Culture and forget his close-in suburban friends. Alas, I shall end up alone and rotting in my little apartment. *sigh*

After work today, my co-worker and I are meeting our boozy former co-worker for happy hour. That should be a good time. And, tomorrow, I am getting my hairz did. Then, I'm going to go pick up M's car. No plans for Saturday (I have been invited to a BBQ, but it's far out in Gaithersburg. I could drive M's car, but then I couldn't get all boozed up and embarass myself in front of a house full of strangers). Sunday, Eric from Baltimore is coming down. We'll either do margs in DC or summery cocktails at Casa de VUBOQ. And, I don't have any plans on Monday either. Maybe I'll find someone to watch the fireworks with.

Or maybe I will go to bed early.

I am living the life, fer sure.

Have a great day and a happy weekend.

I may check in at some point this weekend, but if not, Happy Independence Day to my fellow Amurcans.

*smoooches*

What's Up, Doc?

2011-06-29T10:07:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

My doctor's appointment went well (or, at least, as well as can be expected). On the plus side, my blood pressure is OK (although we need to keep an eye on it). Apparently, I suffer from "White Coat Syndrome." When a go to the doctor, my blood pressure shoots up. Good times. I've been taking it at home and the doctor says it is fine. Yay. No blood pressure meds for me. and, I have good cholesterol numbers. Yay!

On the minus side, I have a vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency. Boo. The low B12 is something common in vegetarians. And he thinks because I'm fair-skinned and tend to avoid the sun (also, I don't drink milk), my D is too low. Also, unrelated to the vitamins, I may need some minor surgery in the near future. Joy. Bettter get that checked out and taken care of before I get laid off and lose health insurance coverage.

After the appointment, I treated myself to a post-doc cocktail (and bowl of soup) at Bar Dupont. Then, I went to pottery class. I trimmed two bowls. And threw two things that might be mugs at some point (although one of them will be a Really Big Mug).

Then, M picked me up. We grabbed some food and dropped off some of his stuff at Goodwill. He drove me home. We made out. He left. He leaves for Las Vegas (via Detroit) this afternoon. *sad face*

On the plus side, he will be back in about 3 weeks to finish closing up his house. AND, as I mentioned before, he's letting me use his car while he's away. I am going to pick it up from his place sometime this weekend.

Huzzah!

Have a happy day!

*smooches*

Bringing You Up-to-Date: So Sleepy Edition

2011-06-28T09:41:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

My weekend was a bit of a bust. My co-worker's Friday happy hour was postponed (boo), so I went home and drank basil gimlets with Miss Isabella (she abstained). Then, I finished reading "We Need to Talk About Kevin." Interesting book. Apparently, it has been made into a movie with Tilda Swinton (love!) in the leading role. Perfect casting, IMHO. I went to bed around 11 ... which was when M called to see if I wanted to spend his last Friday in DC with him. I did, but *ugh* there was no way I could do it. Oh, well. He should have called sooner.

Saturday, I went for a run. I did some shopping. I cleaned (a little). I had cocktails with Tomokito and SCGB. I watched "Atonement."

Sunday, I went to the pottery studio. M was too busy, so we rescheduled our date. I came home and had cocktails with SCGB. I blobbed around the house for a bit. And, later, had cocktails with Tomokito and Hana (she abstained).

After work on Monday, I went for a run. Then, I rushed around to meet M at Thai at Silver Spring. It's the restaurant where we had our first date. Awww. It was fun. He makes me laugh. After dinner, he came up for a minute. We had QPCT (Quality Partially Clothed Time) and he left around 1130/midnight. Needless to say, I am v. tired this morning.

I think I may have mentioned that (1) I really like M and (b) he is moving to Las Vegas tomorrow (!) for a year. *sigh* On the plus side, he is letting me use his car for the year he is gone. So maybe he really likes me too? I am picking the car up after pottery class tonight.

I am only working half a day today (yay!), because I have a doctor's appointment to check my blood pressure and discuss some other medical issues I've been having. *ugh*

I guess that's about it. Just for fun, here's a photo I took at work yesterday. Enjoy!

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Cocktails! (What else?)

2011-06-24T09:13:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens!

Work has been a gross, pile of s**t recently. It has been so bad that I am seriously considering applying for a teaching position. Admittedly, the position is at a small charter school, so it's not like I'd be teaching classes of 30 hormone-crazed adolescents (if I got the job that is). And it's teaching environmental and earth science, which is cool. So, we'll see. I'm going to reorganize my resume into something more Education-Oriented and we'll see what happens ... Still. Teaching. It kinda gives me the shivers.

When I got home from work yesterday, instead of going for a run, I made a new cocktail: Live Basil Gimlet (recipe from the NYT). It was delicious. So, I made another one using lemon basil. It was not as delicious. Very refreshing and summery though. Everyone should try one, especially if you love basil (and gin!).

For dinner, I found some frozen pesto ravioli in my freezer. I whipped up a quick sauce using tomatoes and red bell peppers. It was tasty.

And that was about the extent of my evening. I can't use my netbook because the power cord doesn't work. I've ordered one on-line. Hopefully, it will arrive quickly.

As for this weekend, I don't really have many plans. I need to clean. I need to iron. I need to grocery shop. I need to job hunt. I need to run. I need to go to the pottery studio. And, I hope to hang out with M, since he is moving to Las Vegas next week.

Have a great day! And a Super-Fun Weekend!

*smooches*

Pants! Just Pants ... and Maybe Some Pottery

2011-06-22T08:35:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

As it would happen, I did not do laundry last night. And, I have a good reason. Laundry night is on Wednesday, not Tuesday. Pottery Class is on Tuesday. For most of yesterday morning, I was thinking it was Wednesday. Oops. So, laundry is tonight. Yay! (Yay?)

Which means that, yesterday, after work, I went to pottery class ... which is much better than doing laundry. I made two bowls - a large-ish one, and a small-ish one. I am not sure I am meshing with the different instructor. His teaching style is very hands-off. Oh, well. Back to my regular instructor in the Fall, hopefully!

When I got home from pottery, I had a package by my door. My new pants from Banana Republic! YAY! I "purchased" them using a $75 gift card I received from my health insurance company for completing an online health assessment (which basically sad I'm fine, but I should exercise 5 times a week. Who exercises 5 times a week? CRAZY TALK!).

I made a martini and tried on the pants. As a fun little game, play "Spot the Martini!" (you could also play "Spot the Mystery Bruise," but that might not be as fun).

Here is pair Number One. Size 30x32, charcoal gray pinstripe.

And pair Number Two. Size 29x32, light gray. The comments said these pants were sized large and to order a smaller waist than normal. I'm glad I paid attention, because a 30x32 would have been too big.

In other exciting news, I think the power cord to my netbook is all screwy. Even though it is plugged in, the netbook was using battery power. I need to find a replacement. I am hoping that it is the power cord. I really don't want to buy a new netbook anytime soon. Where does one buy a new power cord, anyway? Best Buy?

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Jaleo Jaleo

2011-06-21T08:45:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

Yesterday, after work, I met up with the fabulous Alwyn (and her gorgeous family) at my favorite DC restaurant, Jaleo. Many laughs ... Lots of tapas ... And too much sangria were had.

And, then, I went home to bed.

Good times.

Today, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, I am going to do laundry. And maybe have a cocktail. I found a recipe for one which sounds delightfully summery, the Sunday Confession:

-1 oz white tequila

-1 oz limoncello

-1/2 oz lemon juice

-ginger beer

Build in ice-filled Collins glass. Stir and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lemon wedge.

Doesn't that sound super refreshing?

Have a great day! Enjoy the sunshine (if it's sunshining where you are).

*smooches*

Weekend Update: Relaxing Edition

2011-06-20T08:46:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens! Happy rainy Monday morning!

This day has started off swimmingly with a huge delay because of single-tracking at Takoma metro station. Huzzah. Eventually, I made it into work. Double yayz ... :-/

So, this weekend ... I didn't do much of anything. Friday, I made pesto, using the lemon basil that is going all crazy in the "garden." It was actually pretty tasty. Nom nom nom. However, I decided to freeze most of it, and I made this for dinner. Very tasty. Forbidden (black) rice has a surprisingly nutty flavor. It was a splurge buy at the Whole Foods. Too expensive for every day cookery.

Saturday morning, I went for a 4-5 mile run. I'm not sure how far I went, but it was a good run. I did some cleaning. I ironed a shit-ton of shirts. I made more pesto (with regular basil), which I froze. SCGB invited me up for cocktail hour. And, then I blobbed around watching movies. Not Joe texted to see how late I would be up and if he could come over to spend the night. In a moment of weakness, I said I'd be up until 10 or 11 and, yes, he could come over. However, around 10:45, he texted again. I was ready to go to bed and he wouldn't be over for at least another hour. So, I said don't bother. We can reschedule. Or something. Or not. Whatever.

Sunday morning, I blobbed some more. And, then, I went to pottery studio. I had two things out of the kiln: this raised platter (which, unfortunately, has a flaw in the glaze that may render it unusable for food) and this cute mug (which will become my Dad's Father's Day gift). After studio, M (remember him? guy from last summer (D), who I really liked but he disappeared? I seem to have that problem with guys, don't I?) picked me up and we went out for Chinese. Then, we went back to his place where we did a little job searching and resume updating ... and making out on the sofa. I still really like him and, whenever we're together it's like we haven't been apart. We just *click*.

However, he is moving to Las Vegas ... in two weeks. For a year. *sigh* I was talking to him about how much I liked him and was sad he was moving away. He replied rather cryptically, "Why do people give up so easily on the chance for love? It's this great thing that everyone seems to want, but they don't give it a chance." Interesting ... What does that mean? in relation to him and me? (Me and him?) I don't know.

And, I guess that about wraps up the weekend. I didn't get to hang out with the Visiting Canadians because of scheduling conflicts. I thought we were hanging out on Saturday, so I kept it open. But, they planned something for Sunday. And, I'm sorry, but making out with a hot guy on his sofa trumps visiting Hockey Hooligans from Canadia.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

Ready for the Weekend

2011-06-17T09:18:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

This has certainly been a week. *ugh*

Lessee ... Not Joe has not been in touch since last weekend. Whatever. I sent him a text. He didn't respond. Fine. He was cute, but I don't really need the headache of being all into a guy on the DL. We had some fun QNT, but that's about all we had in common. Moving on ...

Work is becoming a big ol' source of stress. I may have mentioned that there is a new guy (who comes in one weekend a month) who I thought would be a good resource for me. Well, it turns out that even though he told me that he thought I was on the right track and would be happy to assist me with whatever I needed, he has been telling other people (including the Big Bosses Upstairs) that I don't know what I'm doing (Keep in mind that we've only met once and had a -maybe- 20 minute conversation about the program I am starting FROM SCRATCH). Thanks so much, dirtbag. I really don't need a two-faced liar "assisting" me. Needless to say, this has created a shitstorm. And I have to do damage control. Fuck fuck fuck.

On the bright side, last night, I had dinner with Ray. Things seem to be looking up for him. Yay! And he is always an entertaining dinner companion. We met at Alero on U Street. I got there early and had a margarita (or two). And then spinach enchiladas. Nomz.

This weekend, I don't have much going on ... word on the street is that there are some Canadians in town. I have agreed to hang out with them at some point. I don't know when. I guess they'll let me know. I hope they aren't from Vancouver, City of Scary Hooligans!

Also this weekend, I need to shop, clean, iron, and do some serious career evaluation/job-hunting. And make a couple of runs (tonight and Sunday).

On Sunday, I'll go to the pottery studio for a bit. And, then, I may be heading over to M's house for dinner and (hopefully) a little *wink wink nudge nudge*.

I suppose I should make a phone call to the Male Parental Unit as well, since it is Male Parental Unit Day. I haven't gotten him a present yet. No idea what to get. I'm thinking I will gift him a piece of pottery that still hasn't been fired yet (bah).

I guess that's about it. Have a good weekend!

*smooches*

I Force You to Look at More Pottery

2011-06-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens!

Last night was pottery class and -Surprise! Surprise!- some of my work from the Spring session had actually been fired. *w00t!*

I'm fairly pleased with how these came out. The photos don't really do them justice. Oh, well...

Brown Cannister/Cookie Jar Thing ... It's about 6" tall. 5" wide.

Bowl ... 2" tall, 7" across.

Raised Platter ... 3" tall, 11" length, 5" width.

And, I guess that's about it.

Have a great day!
*smooches*

12 of 12: June Edition

2011-06-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

Good Afternoon, Kittens.

What a SuperFun Weekend! I had almost convinced myself not to go to the Pride Parade (too hot!), but I'm so glad I did. I got to hang out with Polt and His Posse of Hot Womenz! So. Much. Fun.

On Sunday, I skipped the Street Festival (too hot!), but still managed to have a good time.

It's been AGES since I've written a 12 of 12 post. BUT, I managed to take some photos. At some point, I should fill you in on *all* the excitement of the weekend, but -for now- this will have to do ...

Homophobia is Gay

Pretty flower garden on the walk to Downtown Silver Spring

I returned the Penguins

Pretty flowers on the walk back home

Naptime with Miss Isabella

Silver Spring Metro. On my way to a rooftop party

The View from the top

Brianna gets too friendly

with Mike (Who Makes Cakes)

The View a little later

On the walk home

Miss Isabella is all "where have you been?"

And, that, my dears, was my 12th of June. Hope you are having a great day!
*SMOOCHES*

Pride Cometh Before the Fall

2011-06-10T08:23:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens!

So, it would seem that the majority of the Kittens have opted for the Penguins. I am still unsure. I need to make up my mind soon. These decisions are so hard to make. I can really only afford to keep one of the pairs. I think I will take them both with me when I get the suit tailored and make a decision then. We shall see ...

And, since I am a major shopaholic, I bought 3 pairs of new C-In2 underwear from Hautelook yesterday. I am out of control. Someone needs to take my credit card away from me. I justified the expense because I'm not drinking and saving all that booze money! SCGB mentioned having a beer/wine only summer. That might be a good idea too. I shall ponder that in my heart.

After work (which ends at 4PM today! Hurrah for 8-hour days!), I am meeting up with the New Guy (who probably needs a more clever moniker than that. I suppose the Not J wouldn't work either). We were planning on jogging around the Mall, but we think the weather might not be conducive to exercise. Excessive heat + humidity + jogging = heat stroke. Not fun. Instead, I think we are going to the movies. I kind of want to see either Pirates of the Caribbean or Super 8. I suggested that we get up early Saturday morning and run. See how I did that? Invited myself over for a sleepover? That is what we call "smooooooooooooth." *laughs, but not outloud*

This is what I'm wearing today. I hear all the cool, hip kids are cuffing their pants like this. Lora, I hope the shoe/sock/ankle thing doesn't creep you out to much.

This weekend is also DC Capitol Pride. The New Guy doesn't do Pride. He doesn't go to the parade nor the street festival. Nor does he go out to any gay clubs/bars during Pride. Odd. But, whatever. Everyone becomes comfortable with who they are at their own pace. As of now, I will be meeting Mike (Who Makes Cakes) and some of his friends for pre-Parade drinks. Joining up with SCGB and his beau at the Parade. And, also, (*fingers crossed*) meeting up with His Purpleness, Polt, and his posse.

Sunday, I doubt I will attend the Street Fair. Too hot. Maybe I will hole up in the a/c with the New Guy. And, I'm off on Monday! YAY! But, I have an endodontist appointment. Boo. BUT, the doctor's office is directly across the street from Hello Cupcake. YAY!

And, that is a quick run-down of my weekend plans. We'll see what actually happens. In the meantime, since it is Pride Weekend, here's an excerpt from a short story I wrote several years ago, Four Letter Words (I believe I've posted it before, but whatevs):

Then it was June and the sun shone more fiercely.

As was our tradition, we gathered on Saturday afternoon to drink many pitchers of margaritas. The tequila loosened our tongues and sharpened our wit. 5 men. 6 pitchers. Experience had taught us that 7 would be a bad idea. We settled on La Frontera's patio, ate chips and salsa, and waited for the parade to begin. As the sidewalk became more crowded, rather than peering over and between heads, I moved from the patio to the street.

Standing on the edge of the sidewalk, watching the kaleidoscope of people and colors and banners file past, I felt for the first time in a long time a sense of place. There among the leather daddies, the twinks, the dykes on bikes, the bears, the tourists, the giddy straight girls and their uncomfortable, yet trying to be OK with it boyfriends, there among it all, with my friends, I felt it: This spot. This spot right here on 17th Street in front of La Frontera. This is where I belong. Here we are one. Here we are united. United by the desire to be superfantastic … and, maybe, to earn a sympathy fuck with someone way out of our league.

Happy Pride, Kittens!

*smooches*

Pottery and Various Other Sundries

2011-06-08T09:26:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

Yesterday was my first day back in the pottery studio. Yay! During the summer session, my class meets on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30. This is a good arrangement for two reasons: 1. Because K-Factor isn't taking the class, I have to metro home. I will get home at a reasonable hour. and, 2. Because class starts at 5:30, I have to leave work a little early to get there on time.

I have a different instructor this session. And there are only 2 other students in the class. The instructor has a very different teaching style than Gina's. Maybe I will pick up some new tricks. He doesn't seem to be as hands on or able to explain things as well as she can. We shall see. I just sort of futzed around with the clay last night. I made a bowl and a large flowerpot like thing. Neither were anything special.

I was hoping the studio manager had done some glaze firing. She hadn't. Oh, well. I really would like to have some of my completed pieces from last session. Maybe someday.

Let's see ... I haven't tallied the shoe comments from yesterday yet. It seems like the Penguins might be in the lead. I'll look at it again tonight.

Other than that, all is well. Tonight is Laundry Night, although I may be seeing the new guy tonight after work. And we have a date on Friday to go jogging around the Mall after work. That should be fun. Hot, but fun. And at least there is almost guaranteed Shower Time afterwards. Which could also be fun and hot.

Have a great day!

*smooches*

OH! P to the S. The other night, the New Guy said to me, "You're not like other gay guys in the 40s." "What do you mean," I asked. He replied, "They are mean and bitter. You aren't." Hahahahahahahahaha! Luckily, I managed to keep a straight face. I guess he will eventually learn that all I am is mean and bitter.

Decisions Decisions

2011-06-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Kittens.

As you may recall, I had a rough couple of days a week or so ago. And, what does VUBOQ do when he has a rough couple of days (besides drink himself into an incoherent stupor, that is)?

He shops.

And, shop I did.

In fact, I bought a new pair of shoes: Some tan wingtips by Penguin. The dilemma is that, a few months ago, I bought a pair of brown wingtips by Florsheim. The reason behind this over-abundance of brownish wingtips is that I wanted a cute pair to match the SuperCute tiny houndstooth Tommy Hilfiger suit I bought to wear to K-Factor and the Canadian's Canadian wedding this coming Labor Day.

Of course, now, I can't decide which pair I like better ... I need to return one (or possibly exchange for a pair of black wingtips. I don't own any black wingtips!).

Here's a side by side photo (on top of the suit):

And, the Penguin:

And, the Florsheim:

This is totally like Sophie's Choice (perhaps with slightly less emotional/psychological consequences).

Let me know what you think!
Have a great day!
*smooches*

Weekend Update: Trolley Car Edition

2011-06-06T08:30:00.005-04:00

Good morning, kittens.

As my aunt says, men are like trolley cars. There's always another one coming around the corner.

Friday, after work, I had plans to meet the new guy at L'enfant Plaza metro station. I got there way early, so I went to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden to read. Eventually, he texted and we met up. We walked to his place near the Waterfront. He lives in one of the really cool condos which I have always admired (even before they became really cool condos) originally designed by I.M. Pei. When I mentioned this to him, he asked, "Who is I. M. Pei?" ... *sigh*

Anyway, we got to his place and rather than eating had lots of Quality Nekkid Time.

I headed home around 8:30.

And I ate a frozen pizza.

Saturday, I went for a run. And cleaned the bathroom. And went to the Whole Foods.

In the afternoon, K-Factor and I played a couple of rounds of Death Croquet, followed by a couple of rounds of cupcakes. Nom.

Then, I was planning to go over to the guy's place again. But, on my way there, he called and said he'd rather come to my place. OK. I stopped off at Baja Fresh for dinner and went home to wait.

But, he texts and says that his car won't start. *ugh* He asks if I want to come to his. By this time it is nearly 9PM. So I say no. Sorry. Late night bus and metro on the weekends? I wouldn't even get to his place until 10:30 or 11. And I'd be cranky. We made plans to meet up on Sunday evening instead.

So, I sat at home and started knitting a baby beret for the German and his Baby Mama's new baby.

Sunday morning, I finished the hat. See. Then, I made a yummy pasta salad.

Later that afternoon, a neighbor and I visited with the German and his Baby Mama to meet the new baby. It was his 1 month birthday. So I had a beer. I know, bad VUBOQ for breaking the No Drinking Thing. But one beer. Over an entire weekend? That's almost like not drinking. Plus, it was in celebration of the 1 month birthday. The Proud Parents said they liked the hat (yay!) and they appreciated the pasta salad. Yay me.

After much talk about breast-feeding and length and weight and all sorts of baby talk. I walked to the metro and went to visit the guy.

We sat and talked. and, then, walked to a Chinese place to get some take-out. We ate. We watched a movie. We cuddled on the sofa. And then we went to bed for some more QNT.

This morning, I learned it only takes 20 minutes to get from his place to work. Suh-WEET!

Oh, and here's a photo I took of him. He's about 5'8", 31 years old, muscular, and a good kisser.

What more does one need?

And, that was my weekend. Pretty cool, eh?

Have a great day! *smooches*

Oh, and Pee Ess: Thanks so much for your votes in the Cocky & Rude Fight Club NKOTBSB vs. VUBOQ. I won! YAYz!

Conflicted

2011-06-03T08:33:00.001-04:00

Good morning, kittens.

Yesterday, I emailed J for the last time. It was a relatively short email stating that I am concerned about him, that I hope he is OK, and that, if the reason that he has stopped contacting me is because things are over between us, I would appreciate an explanation. I wonder if I will ever hear from him ...

In the meantime, I went on a date last night. He's cute. We met at Gallery Place and wandered around the National Portrait Gallery for awhile. And, then had a light dinner at Zaytinya. I had a good time; however, I felt like I was cheating (a little) on J (which is weird since we never had the chance to have a discussion about exclusivity). *ugh* I need to move on (I guess). We are seeing each other tonight as well. We are meeting at Gallery Place again and, then, going to his place for dinner. How do I get myself into these situations?

Also, I sort of accidentally fell off the wagon yesterday. I had a beer with lunch. Oops. I totally forgot about my no drinking commitment. I blame my co-worker. It was her birthday and she wanted to have a boozy lunch. She shouldn't have to drink alone at her Boozy Birthday Lunch, right? But, one beer, and no drink with dinner and no drink when I got home. I think I'm back on track.

Oh, and it's Friday! I don't really have any weekend plans. I reconnected with another guy from last summer. He wants me to come over on Saturday for hot secks. I don't think that will happen. I need more than hot secks, and he is definitely not the emotionally available relationship type.

So on Saturday, I will clean the house, work in the tiny garden, grocery shop, and -hopefully- play a game of Death Croquet in the park with some of my neighbors.

Sunday, I'm going to visit the German and his Baby Mama to meet the new baby! Yay!

Have a great weekend!

*smooches*

Fight Club!

2011-06-02T08:17:00.001-04:00

Good morning, Kittens!

I'm taking on NKOTBSB over on Cocky & Rude. Quick. Go vote for me! I'm scrappy.

In other news, still no word from J. *sigh* I hope he's OK. And, I'm going to try to stop worrying about it all ...

Yesterday, I was in an all day seminar/training session/workshop thing sponsored by GSA on helping the government go green. Parts of it were quite informative. Other parts of it were OMG so deadly dull.

Then, I went home and did my laundry.

Good times.

Have a great day! *smooches*

Vicious.Unrepentant.Bitter.Old.Queen

Weekend Update: Now We Are Three Edition

Don't Fuck with Me, Fellas

Weekend Update: Visitor Edition

Working from Home

Housekeeping

Weekend Update:MLK Edition

Yet Another Reason Why I *Heart* M

Nothing Ventured ...

Week Update: Repetitive Redundancies Edition

Weekend Update: It's a New Year Edition

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

A Year of Good (and some Bad) Books

Weekend Update: Xmas Edition

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

VUBOQ Gets Political (or, well, rants a bit)

Weekend Update: City of Brothers Who LoveEdition

Finally Friday

My Life is Dull

My Life So Far

Week Update: What I've Been Doing Edition

Weekend Update: Percoset-Infused Vodka Was a Bad Idea Edition

Calendar Boy

Here We Go Again

Weekend Update: Giving Thanks/Drinking Booze Edition

Thanksgiving Eve

Week Update: Holy Cow, I Keep Forgetting to Post

Weekend Update: Fun with Cupcake Edition

I Have a Complex

VUBOQ Does a Good Deed

Somedays

Weekend Update: One is the Lonelinest Number Edition

A Weekend of Nothing Much

Holy Fuck! It's November.

Another One Bites the Dust

Weekend Update: Run Like the Wind Edition

Saturday Rambling

Alas, Poor Bowl, I Knew It Well, Horatio

Weekend Update: Hot Mess Edition

The Weekend Approacheth

Tired

Ironing. Pottery. Knitting.

Weekend Update: It's Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers Edition

Where Has This Week Gone?

Weekend Update: Run for the Hills Edition

Run Like the Wind

Weekend Update: Baby It's Cold Outside Edition

A Few Things Have Happened

Weekend Update: Zombie Edition

Waxing Rhapsodic

Pottery. Class 1.

Weekend Update: Boozy Good Times Edition

Is It Friday Yet? IT IS!!

Tongue-Tied

Food for Thought

Weekend Update: Purging Edition

The End of the Week. Hurrah.

A Snapshot of My Mood

Weekend Update: Labor Day Edition

The Shakes

September Approaches

Weekend Update: Family Reunion Edition

Well. Wasn't That Special?

Weekend Update: Flexible Edition

My Crazy Life

The Good, the Bad, the Potentially Painful

Weekend Update: Tar Heel Edition

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Overdone

Bits. Bobs.

My Life is Kinda Boring

Weekend Update: Writhing in Pain (well, not really) Edition

The Great Sunflower Massacre of 2011

TMI

Pain in the Ass

Lackadaisical

Laundry and Kisses

How About Some Pottery Pix?

Weekend Update: Valley of Shattered Dreams Edition

Midnight

Yet Another Reason Why I Heart M