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

Hi, Kittens! It is that time of year again - Tax Time!  I did my taxes this weekend.  And, since I recently donated to the Washington Animal Rescue League in honor of Miss Psychokitty Isabella's 14th birthday, I will more than likely be donating 10% of my refund to Food and Friends and/or the Whitman-Walker Clinic . Those of you who are loyal reader-kittens of this blog, may remember that I have challenged you to donate at least 10% of your tax refunds in previous tax years, and, then, rewarded one lucky Challenge winner with a piece of my pottery.  This year, since no one really reads blogs anymore, I will send a piece of made-to-order pottery* to any kitten who donates 10% of his/her refund and emails me proof that the donation has been made.  Please, when you send your email proof, include any pottery/design/color preference.  If you need my email address, leave a comment to let me know. Of course, since the pottery is made-to-order, you may not get...

Good Morning, Kittens. Not that I need new snow boots (I have a rockin' pair of Doc Martens ... who knew they even made snow boots?), but I've spent the past week trolling Zappos ... I totes love these two pair: Polo Ralph Lauren Ranger Sherling Rolldown and Polo Ralph Lauren Tavin Rolldown If you had unlimited funds, which one would you buy? (and you can't say "both") Lessee ... I am still snowbound in Adams Morgan. I left work last Friday at noon and haven't been back. And, I don't have to go back until Tuesday. Oddly enough, since I'm going a little stir crazy, I'm thinking about heading to the office later today or tomorrow. What up with that? And, where is my NOOK? WHERE? It's been in Columbia, MD since February 9th according to the tracking website. Anyone want to drive out to Columbia? I hear the snow isn't bad there. Yesterday, I did my taxes (partially. I realized I'm missing two forms). Which reminded me that I need ...

Good Morning, Kittens. Yesterday was certainly a full one for me ... I went to the EPA's Office of Water's Job Fair, hence the suit and tie. It was fine. They had on-site interviewing; however, you still have to go through the whole government job application process (which can take forever). Plus, they probably had over 400 people showing up for about 20-30 jobs ... of which, I am qualified for only a handful. *durgh* Job hunting sucks. I got home around noon, had lunch, and jetted off to the pottery studio where I threw these: The vase on the right is interesting, I think. The other one will probably become a mug. Once home, I finally got around to tallying the 10% Refund Challenge. According to my records, 18 people donated a Grand Total of $2633! Hurrah. And the Grand Prize Winner (of some yet-to-be-determined pottery) is Carolyn. The Second Prize (the Worst Gay Novel Ever Written) goes to Nic the German! Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who participated! ...

Good Morning, Kittens. It's Fantastic Trip to NYC Eve and we have So. Much. to. Discuss. Ok. We don't have all *that* much to discuss... (1) Today is the deadline for the 10% Refund Challenge. Inform me of your donations by 6PM EST to be entered into the drawing for fantastic prizes. (2) Several of you have asked about CNTBD, about whom I have not recently blogged. Well, there are several reasons for that ... one is that there is really not anything about which to blog. Another would be that he, like the caterpillar emerging from the chrysalis, wishes to stretch his wings and flit from flower to flower sampling the available nectar.* I fully expected this (just as one fully expects the caterpillar to emerge) and was prepared. Perhaps we will still date and have QNT. Perhaps not. It is the Way Things Are. Suddenly, I feel so wise about Things Which Are Relationshipy ... (3) I made a big bowl (pictured) and two small vases (or 2 big mugs) ( not pictured ). I won't b...

Good Morning, Kittens. Happy sunny Monday! Since I blogged all the excitement over the weekend, here's what the week ahead looks like ... Today: Pottery class Tuesday: Board Meeting Wednesday: Volunteering at AU, Dinner Party at K-Factor's, Laundry, 10% Refund Challenge Prize Drawing* Thursday: Leave for NYC!!! *w00t!* (Speaking of which, if you live in (or near) NYC and would like to hang out sometime between Thursday and Monday, send me an email) Busy Busy Busy. Plus I have boatloads of things to do around the house ... including transplanting the lettuce pictured above. Have a wonderful day! *smooches* *Yes, that's right. The 10% Refund Challenge is coming to a close. Please let me know once you make your donations (organization(s) and amount(s)), so that I can enter you in the Prize Drawing. The Facebook Event Page, with additional info, is here . So far, we've donated over $2000!!!

Good Morning Afternoon, Kittens. VUBOQ has had a morning . Let me tell you. I woke up at 8:30, felt a little sick (headache), met a neighbor to pick up some boxes, and, then, went back to bed for 2.5 hours. Then, I applied for two jobs (which I won't get). Seriously, people, I'm thinking of packing it all in, moving to Oklahoma, and opening up my own pottery studio (Yamakawa Studios). This job hunting thing is ridiculous. On the bright side, tonight is the long-awaited Full Moon Hike at the National Arboretum . It's a five-mile hike through the Arboretum grounds. I've been trying for over a year to get tickets (it sells out quickly). And the weather looks like it's going to be good! Hurrah! And, finally, the 10% Refund Challenge deadline is Fast Approaching! And the total is Growing! We're almost to $2000! Which is Fantastic! And, now, a moment you've all been waiting for (I'm sure) ... the announcement of the Second Place Prize ... *drum r...

Good Morning, Kittens! For those of you who don't follow my Tweets or Plurks or Facebook Status updates (and, if you don't, what is *wrong*with you?!), here is a(nother) photo of my Lil Brown Teapot. I totally luuuv it. So cute! So brown! So teapot-y! Yesterday was fun ... well, except for the whole Waking Up Before Sunrise to See the Parental Units off. BUT, lunch with my friend was cool. We went to Panera. I had a gift card, so it was FREE. Yay! Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? Then, I went to the pottery studio ... which was mildly successful. First,I did some trimming, but -after nearly having a Trimming Disaster- I decided to save the rest of the trimming for another time. Then, I glazed two mugs and a plate. Hopefully, they will turn out. No real plans for today. I do plan at some point to get off the sofa. I also need to do laundry. Finally, the deadline for the 10% Refund Challenge is fast approaching. Have you made your donations? Chec...

Good Morning, Kittens! It's a bright sunshiny day out there (but coooooooooooooold ). At some point, I need to venture forth unto the bank, Whole Foods, and likker store ( I iz almost out of GINZ! ), but it won't be today unless it gets a bit warmer. Yesterday was mostly a wash. I scoured several job sites with no luck. Bah. On the bright side, I did manage to set up a simple spreadsheet to keep track of participants and donations made in the 10% Refund Challenge. Are you participating? [Visit the Facebook Event page here .] Have you made your donations yet? When you do, please let me know. Really, it's just resume fodder so I can be all "organized a fund-raising event which donated X dollars to Y organizations." Well, it's resume fodder ... and a whole heap of dogooderyness. I *heart* dogooderyness! Also, pottery class was mostly successful. Even though I didn't throw any new pots, I trimmed the two vases and 3 mugs I made last week. Plus, I pulled handle...

with the arrival of this: Melrose Place, Season 2. The perfect Valentine's Weekend viewing material. Also, my Federal Refund has been deposited into my account. As soon as it clears, for the 10% Refund Challenge , I will be making $50 donations to the following four organizations: Food & Friends Medical Students for Choice Theater for a New Audience , and Washington Animal Rescue League It works out to be slightly more than 10% of my refund, but I felt like I should give to all 4 worthy organizations equally. Remember: You, too, can participate in the 10% Refund Challenge by pledging to donate 10% of your tax refund to charity. By doing so, not only do you do some good during difficult economic times, but you will be entered into a drawing to win Fabulous Prizes (like pottery! or infused vodka!). Plus, if you donate to one (or some! or all!) of the four charities listed above, you will be entered into the drawing twice! If you don't get a refund (*awwww*), you can sti...

Good Morning, Kittens! Happy Monday! Can I just mention that getting up before sunrise is so. not. right? But more about that in a bit ... First, here's a quick reminder that the 2nd Annual 10% Refund Challenge is in Full Swing! Read about it in my post yesterday (scroll down) or visit its Facebook Event Page . One exciting aspect is that there are *already* more participants than last year! YAY! Unfortunately, it seems a lot of people are getting smaller refunds (me included). So, in order to meet my goal of Even More Money, we'll need to recruit Even More Participants! We Can Do It! So, my weekend ... Friday, I stayed home. Saturday, I stayed home. Then, in the evening, SCGB and I went to dinner at Adega. Afterwards, we drank wine and watched movies at my place. First, we watched Helvetica. It too long and a bit of a waste of time. It could have been about 30 minutes. Srsly. I was like, "I get it. Helvetica was modern and revolutionary and now it is everywhere. Thank y...

Good Sunday Afternoon, Kittens. Here is a conversation between myself and SCGB last night: SCGB : Are you going to watch the game tomorrow? V : What game? Apparently, there is some moderately important football game happening today. Who knew? BUT, I have Bigger and More Important Things to Discuss, because today is the launch of the 2nd Annual 10% Refund Challenge! Last year, my wonderful readers and friends donated over $1000 to various charities. My goal this year is for Even More People to donate Even More Money to Even More Charities! The rules are simple. Pledge to donate 10% of your tax refund to the charity (or charities) of your choice. By doing so, you will be entered into a random drawing to Win Fabulous (tbd) Prizes! Like pottery! Or infused vodka! But, wait, there's more! To double your chances of winning, donate to one (or all) of the following organizations: Food and Friends Medical Students for Choice Theater for a New Audience Washington Animal Rescue League Hm? ...

Good Morning, Kittens! Here is a photo of the broth I made last night for the Mexican Corn Chowder I'm going to make this evening: Why is this Poor Man's Broth? And why should BOSSY's Poverty Party minions pay careful attention? Because this broth is made (almost) entirely of vegetable scraps! I must credit SCGB for the idea. We were talking about making broth one day, and he said, "I've started throwing all my veggie scraps into a container in the freezer to make broth." If you've read Mark Bittman's cookbooks, he's all about throwing the entire plant into the pot for broth. But, why buy and then boil perfectly good veggies (that could be used for other things ... like eating), when you can use the scraps you would normally throw away (or, hopefully, compost) for "free"? So that's what I've done for this broth. There are some zucchini bits and mushroom stems. Onion peelings. And Bok Choy ends. I had been saving them in a containe...

Good morning, Kittens! Since you've already heard (and seen) the Big News , here's the Story of the Rest of My Weekend. The house warming party on Saturday night was fun. Sarah and Mario's new house is gorgeous! And most of their friends are really nice; however, SCGB and I got trapped in the kitchen with this Crazy Older Guy, who is the husband of one of Sarah's co-workers. Awkward. Uncomfortable! Oh, look at the time! We have to go. So we came home, drank limoncello, and watched Brideshead Revisited . The new movie? Not so good. The boys were cute, but that's about it. Read the book. Watch the 80s mini-series. Skip the movie. Srsly. Sunday, I worked on my taxes for a bit ... which reminds me! It's almost time for the 2nd Annual 10% Refund Challenge ! Pledge to donate 10% of your tax refund to charity and Win! Fabulous! Prizes! More on this later this week. I realized halfway through doing my taxes that I still don't have all my information ...

My camera batteries finally charged, so here's the exciting finale of our Tax Day Extravaganza: The WINNARZ of the Poor Bastages Who Owe the Tax Man Pity Party. First, the entrants: All the names were put into the Official Non-Sponsor Bazura Bags Recycled Juice Boxes Bag: And, FIRST Prize goes to ... [drum roll, please] ... Congratulations, ANGIE !!!! *w00t* And, SECOND Prize goes to ... [drum roll, please] ... David ! YAY! Congratulations! Please email [environy(at)gmail(dot)com] your mailing addresses and (eventually) you will receive your SuperFantastic Yet-to-be-determined Prize Packages! Thanks for playing, and we are all really, really sorry that you had to pay taxes this year. Srsly. *smooches*

Good Evening, Kittens! The drawing for the winner(s) of the 10% Refund Challenge has just taken place! I know you are excited to find out who will be receiving the fabulous yet to be determined prizes!!! First, I wrote all of the 10% Refund Challenge participants on slips of paper: Next, they were folded in half and placed in a small bag made from recycled juice bags from Bazura Bags (not one of our sponsors). I reached in ... and the 1st Prize Winner is ... [drum roll please] ... Mel! Yay! Congratulations! But, wait! There's more! I decided to have a 2nd Prize Winner ... And, the 2nd Prize goes to ... [another drum roll please] ... Dorothee and Jay! YAY! If you would email me [environy(at)gmail(dot)com] your mailing addresses, I will send you your fantabulous prize packages (as soon as I figure out what they are going to be)! Thanks to everyone who participated in the 10% Refund Challenge . To me, and the charities to which you donated, you are ALL winners! *smooches* Stay tun...

Can you feel the excitement? It's palpable! In about 4 (or 5) (or 6)* hours, one of these lucky (and generous) people will be winning a fabulous prize of a yet to be determined nature: - Earl Cootie - Mel -Julia -SCGB - Eight Lives Left - Dorothee and Jay - kmkat AND, one of these unlucky people will also be winning a fabulous prize of a yet to be determined nature: - Someone in a Tree - Angie - Sticky Crows - Biddy -Heather Outside Boston OMG. I can barely stand the suspense! Who will win? WHAT will they win? Only the Shadow knows fer sure. *maybe 7

As you sit there, rumpled, in need of a shave, surrounded by adding machine tape* and coffee-stained files and chewed pencil erasers and forms with odd names like S-4B/2104: Withholding Allowance for Pet Apes Who Eat Only Organic Bananas, and you're thinking "Where in the hell did I put that Organic Banana receipt," there is a bright spot, a beacon of hope. There! On the horizon! Do you see it? Glistening in the distance? Beckoning you to move towards the light? What could it be? You squint, and, yes, it's ... it's ... It's the Last day to enter VUBOQ's 10% Refund Challenge ~or~ the Poor Bastages Who Owe the Tax Man Pity Party ! You have until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT to either leave a comment or email. There will be prizes and fun! And, most importantly, dogooderyness !!!! Don't wait. Enter NOW!!! Drawing to be held April 15th (possibly around 7PM). Employees of vuboq.blogspot.com not eligible to win. *and the children born after 1985 think "What?"

Last night, after folding all my laundry, I invited a few neighbors (DUN, SCGB, Tomokito) down to help me perfect the drink recipe I created for the Helix Lounge Spring/Summer Cocktail Contest . After a little trial and error (and a lot of gin), I think I hit upon a winner. The suckiest thing is that, since it's Alcohol-Free April, I couldn't sample my own creation. Poo. I emailed my recipe to the bar this morning. If you'd like to play along, email me (or leave a comment) and I'll send you the recipe. The drink, which I have dubbed the Blueberry Collins , is a lovely purple color and is YUMMY (or so I am told). And that's all the news that's fit to print. More later. *smooches* PS. Don't forget you only have a few more days to sign up for the 10% Refund Challenge or the Poor Bastages Who Owe the Tax Man Pity Party ! Fun! Prizes! Dogooderyness!

I know some of you are dreading the Ides of April , BUT there is something to look forward to! On the Evening of April 15th , the Winners of the 10% Refund Challenge *and* Poor Bastages Who Owe the Tax Man Pity Party will be announced! [Fantastic Prizes still TBD.*] Of course, there is still time to sign up for either FUNTASTIC drawing. You must email me or leave a comment on my blog by 11:59PM EST April 14th . Although not a requirement, it would nice if you told me to which organization(s) you are donating (so I can provide that organization a little linkyluv). So, far the Good People of Vutopia have donated to: Campus Cats Care Food and Friends Kiva Medical Students for Choice Operation Migration Ornicus Seva Foundation Washington Animal Rescue League Keep up the good work :-) *smooches* *Is it my fault the kiln is broken? Is it? I think not.

I was drinking expensive vodka up until the very last minute last night. And, now, no more booze until May. Thanks to all of you who have agreed to be Alcohol-free in April with me. We can do it ! Also, don't forget you only have two more weeks to sign up for the 10% Refund Challenge or the Poor Bastages Who Owe the Taxman Pity Party ! Enter now for the chance to win fabulous (TBD) prizes! Drawings to be held on April 15th. Finally, on a sadder note, after much thought and serious contemplation, I have decided I will be giving up blogging after the 10% Refund Challenge is over. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you, but the mental toll this daily exercise takes is just too much. "I want to see mountains again, mountains Gandalf! And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book."