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

To help combat my office boredom, I decided to make a list of all (or at least all the people I can remember) I have kissed romantically in the past 15 years or so. I feel like I'm leaving a few out. It's actually not that many ... I need to get out more. Brian Kayoko Asian Man Asian Man 2 Dennis Mike Ray Jason Brian Brian edited to include Lorenzo, the Italian Professor John Mike Jerry And, there should be some "random dance floor lip action" scattered throughout the list too. I need to branch out on names. 3 Brians? [and actually, I was dating the last two Brians at the same time. Yeah, that got confusing.]

Happy Hour at Halo last night was fun. I drank Vanil and Ginger. Yum. Sweet and warming. Mmm. I think I had 4 drinks. I was well-lit. I left around 9, I think. Tomoko and Robert went to dinner. Mike and Darryl went home. A fun time was had by all. On the way home, I did something I possibly shouldn't have. I called John. He didn't answer, so I left a message. I didn't say much ... that I had been thinking about him lately and wondered how he was doing. And to give Oscar a squeeze from me. Surprisingly it wasn't a drunken rambling crying voicemail. At least, I don't think it was. *heh* I'm leaving work early today (2:30ish) to get ready for Jake's visit. I'll try to remember to take a camerapic of my Red for Autumn hair tomorrow and post it to my flickr account. Other than that, have a totally groovy weekend. AND, don't forget, October 1st is World Vegetarian Day - take a vegetarian out to lunch or send your favorite vegetarian blo...

As I have mentioned, I've decided to go Red for Aut umn . In case some of you are having trouble imagining what I will look like, here are a few visual aids: Headshot 1, StickSteven Edition: Hm... That's not really all that helpful, is it? How about this: HeadShots 2&3, Blond and No Longer Blond Edition: Better, no? Most of you probably do not know this, but I was born with very red hair - not the CarrotTop shockingly vibrant red, but a less in-your-face strawberry blond red. Everyone loved it. As I got older, my hair darkened, losing nearly all of its redness until my natural color became a dark blond. Yet, if I spent long periods of time in the sun, red highlights would appear. However, working full-time put a serious dent in my ability to spend long periods of time in the sun. Very sad. I liked having red hair. I dyed it red once (maybe 3 or 4 years ago), but I think it was too dark. This time I want something a bit lighter. We'll see how it goes. The great thing a...

Let the Weekend O' Fun begin! [or, um, let it begin in about seven hours ...] Lots going on ... Happy Hour at Halo tonight. Jake coming into town tomorrow. Going Red for Autumn. Saturday Early Evening Margaritas (SEEM). And who knows what other fun there will be? So, last night, in preparation for the arrival of the Jake, I started de-cat-hairing the apartment. Jake, apparently, is allergic to the hair of the cat. I will be turning my bedroom into a "Cat Free Zone" and, hopefully, that will be sufficient. One thing I learned last night: Removing cat hair from velvety drapes? Not so easy. As it was laundry day, it was also call all my friends who also have Verizon and catch up. I had a nice long chat with my college best friend, Isa. I tried calling Lori too, but we kept missing each other. And, I talked to Christal. I filled everyone in on the latest Mike news. Loads of fun. But, y'know, the more I talk about these things, the better I feel. Sure it ...

Last night, as I sat there, slightly intoxicated, casting on 134 stitches in a wheat-brown yarn on #3 bamboo needles, I suddenly thought of Like Water for Chocolate . I had just gotten off the phone with Mike a little earlier, and the hat I was beginning to knit was for him. What if, like in the book, my feelings while knitting were somehow transferred to the knitted object and the wearer? I had been thinking some not very nice thoughts. I emptied my mind (which isn't all that hard to do) and concentrated on happy things and friendly feelings and good memories. It was exhausting. Negativity is so much easier. I think I need to do that for all my knitting. As I stated earlier today, knitting is my thinking time, but too often I dwell on the negative as I knit and purl. I need to focus on positive thoughts and outcomes. And, maybe, this will transfer to those who wear items I knit as well ...

Alyssa and Dana, two of my former co-workers, came to Silver Spring for lunch today. We went to Austin Grill. I haven't seen them in ages, so it was tres cool to hang out for a bit. The weather is stunning, so we sat outside. Towards the end of our meal, two very good-looking men walked by. As soon as I saw what was written on their dark blue t-shirts, I got the giggles: Chute Master *tee hee* [I googled it, apparently it's an environmental company of some sort ... with a defunct website.]

I made a simple pasta sauce of sauteed onion, red bell pepper, and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Then, I added some homemade pesto which was in my freezer. I tossed it with that twisty pasta. It was yummy. I watched a DVD. It was in French. I don't remember the title, but it was cute. I drank a bottle of wine, cabernet sauvignon (did I spell that correctly?). Slightly buzzed, I called Mike. *heh* Yesterday, I included him on a mass email to friends inviting them to join me at Halo on Thursday for its second anniversary all night "happy hour." He didn't respond. I wanted to make sure that he knew I was inviting him because I wanted him there and not out of some misplaced obligation. We talked for a bit more. We discussed the weekend roadtrip to West Virginia. He is still willing to take care of PsychoKitty Isabella while I'm in London [Did you know that I'm going to London?]. The conversation was coming to an end, when he said, "Was there anything else y...

I think I look really tired ... really, really tired ... [and at that angle my head looks pointier than usual.] [Yes. I have a pointy head.] I feel really, really tired too. I think I'm going to go red on Saturday [I have an appointment with Leah the Colornatrix].

*munches on carrot* After work, I took the Metro to Scaryland (aka Wheaton). I needed to pick up a few things at Target, and I wanted to look for a pair of cute, slimcut, dark brown, fashionable pants which would travel well at Macys/JC Penneys/somewhere lelse. No luck was had with the pants. On the way home, I stopped off at Adega for dinner: portabello mushroom sandwich and a glass of the house cabernet. YUM. Plus, I got to ogle the cute new cashier, who also works as a barista at the nearest Starbucks. I really should ask him sometime if he works at every restaurant/shop in Silver Spring. The food was good, but eating seems like such a chore recently. I may drop down to one meal a day. Once home, I put in some Harry Potter DVDs and concentrated on my knitting. I finished another hat! YAY! I tell you, these hats are SUPER-CUTE. I have two more to knit as presents. Then, I'll buy some more of the yarn and make one for ME! Actually, I kind of want to make one for all my friends, bu...

I realized about 30 minutes ago that I haven't eaten since Mike and Matt's party on Saturday evening. I've had coffee (lots of coffee). I nibbled on some corn chips. I took a vitamin. Oh, and I had a bowl of ice cream last night (with Kahlua and cherries. yum). But that's it. I haven't had a "real" meal in two days. And, I really don't want to eat now either. It seems like too much of a chore - going out, deciding what to eat, buying it, chewing, swallowing. So much effort. So little to show for it. Maybe I'll eat something tonight. I have to go to Target to buy some necessities. There's a yummy Thai restaurant nearby. I might grab a bite to eat there. Otherwise, this week's Meat-free Monday might not happen for me. I hope it happens for you though. Do your part for the environment: Enjoy a Meat-Free Meal today! *meat-free smooches*

Hello, my name is VUBOQ, and this is going to be an extremely overdramatic entry that you probably shouldn't take at face value. Things I learned this weekend: 1. I get cruised a lot more than I realized. 2. I should listen to my intuition more. 3. Mike and I ended our "relationship." So, let's start with the depressing stuff first, then I'll recap the rest of a rather eventful weekend ... Saturday night, after attending a party and seeing a movie, I was at Mike's house watching DVDs on his computer (his roommate had commandeered the downstairs TV). Mike asks, "So what are you thinking about our relationship?" I responded that I was a little confused because it seemed like we (meaning he) were becoming more distant, rather than closer [like one would expect after seeing someone for an extended period of time]. He asked if this is something I had just noticed today. [Um. No.]. I said that I had been feeling that way for several weeks, and had be...

1. I want to go back to White Sands, New Mexico some day. I think it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. 2. I have a BA in Science Education, Biology Concentration from Elon College (now University). 3. I have an MA in Global Environmental Policy from American University (and, even though Mike works there, I didn't meet him until after I graduated). 4. I had a girlfriend for a few months in Japan. 5. When I was in second grade, I jumped off our front porch, landed on a bush, and sprained my ankle. 6. It really bugs me when people say things like "I thought you only dated Asians" or "Someone told me you only like black men" to me. 7. I think my mom will freak out when I tell her I'm gay. 8. I think my dad already knows. 9. My favorite color is green. 10. Breaking up with John is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. And, sometimes, I think about calling him and trying to get back together. 11. I...

It's too early to be thinking about these things ... 1. Being alone isn't bad. Really. [See the comments on Goblinbox 's latest entry.] 2. Why do we sometimes refer to discrimination against the gays as homophobia ? By making it a "fear," does it somehow justify it? 3. Am I a total loser because I have no Friday night plans other than a) clean a friend's apartment, b) knit, and c) watch DVD? 4. If I don't have sex soon, I may explode. In other news, As some of you may know, I'm GOING TO LONDON!!! WOO HOO!!! Oh, and yesterday, I met Mike at Whole Foods in Silver Spring. While waiting for him, I ran into one of my neighbors, Chris, who serves on our co-op board. She asked me if I would be interested in serving on it next year, because one member can't run again and another is moving. I said I would be willing to be considered. Then, she goes into this long explanation about our management company and how it's not been doing a good job...

Some of you may remember back in my Enviroboi incarnation I wrote about "The Worst Date Ever." It took place in early Spring, perhaps April? Towards the end of the date, as we were walking to the Metro Station, we passed a woman who was wearing white shoes. My date, utterly aghast, exclaimed, "How dare she wear white shoes before Memorial Day?!" Maybe if we were walking down the street during the White Shoes Only Between Memorial and Labor Day and Never Wear Pearls Before 5PM 1950s, his response would have been appropriate, and we could have whipped out our sterling silver martini shakers and flogged the woman about her head and shoulders. However, this was in the early Who Gives a Flying Fuck About When to Wear White Shoes or Pearls 2000s and the-very-frustrated-at-this-point I responded, "Perhaps she doesn't prescribe to outmoded fashion dictates?" Every now and again, about this time of year, I come across a blog post in which someone is ranting a...

New Luggage! From Overstock.com ! Very excited! All I have left to buy is a pair of pants or two ... I found these I like at Target.com (in dark brown). And these and these at Ben Sherman (but they are too expensive for now). I have cute shoes to wear already (yay!): the ankle-y boots I bought at DSW last week and a pair of Calvin Klein shoes to wear to da clubs (if I end up going to da clubs, that is). I think I'm going to head up to scary, scary Wheatonland this weekend to check out the Target, Macys, and JC Penneys there. Fun times. Anyone want to join with?

It kinda sucks. I'm compiling our monthly stats for our annual report. I'm making graphs and being an MS Excel wizard. It would help if I could remember all the terminology, so when I ask a question it's not phrased like this, "When I copy the thingy to this thing, what code do I use to make sure all the numbers are copied from each individual thing to the main thing?" At least *I* know what I'm talking about. In other news, -As some of you may know, I'm going to London. -It's Fall. And it's COLD ! (It was 47 degrees this morning. What up with that?) -I'm meeting Mike for dinner tonight. YAY! -My 5th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party will be on October 27th . Mark your calendars. -Mike and Darryl want to do a weekend road trip to some gay B&B in West of Bumfuck, WV. I wonder if they have running water there. Coal mines! Rednecks! Deliverance! Loretta Lynn! Can't wait.

As some of you may know, I am going to London (!!!) next month. I need a new pair of pants or two for my trip - something cute, fun, and that will travel well. I'm having difficulty finding anything decent in my size that I like. *geh* I think only fat people live in the suburbs. Maybe this weekend, I'll venture into the District to see if I can find anything. Meanwhile, if anyone has any suggestions (style, color, brand, store), please let me know. I have to look all hip and European while I'm there. *heh*

Ever get the sinking feeling that you're in the wrong career and that the choices you've made all along have been more the result of randomness than the desire to follow your passions? I have. Yesterday. More so today. It all started with a simple conversation over dinner with Bellringer Moving to Scotland Mike. We were discussing the tragedy of the MacArthur Foundation, once again overlooking me for a "genius grant," which, if you don't know, is $25000 per quarter for five years with no restrictions on how to spend it. Mike asked a simple question, "How would you spend it?" And, I couldn't answer. Would I write a novel? Probably not. I come up with really great starts to novels, but flounder after a chapter or two. I started thinking about my passions in life: Things I love to do (or have loved doing), things I loved studying, etc. So far, I've come up with: Bugs. Evolutionary Theory. Knitting. Pottery. Global Environmental Policy didn...

I have once again been overlooked by the MacArthur Foundation . No "Genius Grant" for VUBOQ. VUBOQ sad. It is important to note that until very recently I thought that this foundation was somehow affliated with General "I Shall Return" MacArthur . Color me embarassed . Perhaps that's why they keep ignoring my creative contribution to society. In other news, the meeting with the realtor went well. He didn't mention John. Nor did I. I was a bit apprehensive walking to Christal's. *whew* Finally, a little poll ... If you recently moved into a new apartment, would you rather receive a) a nice plant of some sort, b) a basket of English muffins/breakfasty foods , or c) something else which you must name in your comment. *smooches*

I don't know what's happened in the past few weeks, but my desire to do anything fun in the kitchen has waned. Last night, I peered into my fridge, took inventory of the various ingredients therein, and fried up a veggie burger. Nothing photo-worthy, I'm afraid. Veggie burger with tomato and cheese. Ice cream with kahlua. That was my dinner. Not that it wasn't yummy. It just wasn't ... well, it wasn't up to par. *sigh* In other exciting news, I finished the green hat! I was going to post a photo, but it's a present for someone who, I think, sometimes reads this blog. I don't want him to see it before I give it to him. The hat? It is TOTALLY cute. Soft. Warm. I want to keep it for myself. I guess I'll make one for me later. Christmas knitting... what fun. I have a few more hats to make for people. I have to knit a scarf for my brother. I have to decide what I'm going to knit for my parents (maybe cute matching mittens?). Meanwhi...