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

Hurray for Dead Ex-Presidents! Our Project Officer has allowed us to close on Tuesday! Woo hoo! 4 day weekend! Yippee!!! And, I may just shut down the hotline a little early today too. I deserve it :-) Hope you all have a Merry New Year! A fabulicious 2007! And, I'll type to you next Wednesday! *many happy smooches of New Year's joy!*

One of my Christmas presents from the parents this year was a daruma . I'm supposed to think of a wish (or a goal) and fill in one eye of the daruma. When that wish comes true (or that goal is accomplished), I fill in the other eye. The only problem: I can't decide what to wish for (or what goal I want to attain). What wish/goal do I have for the year that is *so* important that I need to invoke Japanese Buddhist rituals in order for it to happen? Love? Happiness? Whirled Peas? A new kitchen? To finish the Never-Ending Sweater of DOOM? I am at a loss. I've never been good at making important decisions. Hm. I just realized that today will be my last day of blogging for 2006. What an interesting year it's been ... *smooch*

You wanna see the cute yellow hat I made? Do ya? Do ya? I made it over Xmas. It's cute. And yellow. And when I say "yellow," I mean " YEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLOW ." I know you do. Here 'tis: Last night, I made pizza bread. And burned the roof of my mouth on the molten cheese. Oops. I was hungry. And impatient. Sue me. I also have a couple of mouth ulcers forming. le ow! We hates the mouth ulcers. The swishing with the anti-plaque pre-brush rinse and the anti-bacterial minty post-brush mouthwash is not so fun with the burnt roof of the mouth and the couple of mouth ulcers. Flossing? Well, that's still OK. Agenda for this evening: Melrose FUCKING Place !!! woot. Doesn't look like I'll be knitting on the Never-ending Right Sleeve of Doom of the Never-ending Sweater of Doom as my request for aid has gone unheeded. *sniff* I mean, really, what are you knitterpeople doing? Not blogging? At home enjoying your families? Not working? What up with that...

I. am. so. bored. If this workday moved any slower, it would be going backwards. To help pass the time, I compiled a list of movies I want to see ... that way, if any of you want to take me out, you'll have some ideas. Aren't I clever? Here they are in no particular order: Dreamgirls Volver Notes on a Scandal The Queen Curse of the Golden Flower The History Boys Children of Men The Last King of Scotland Now, I will sit by my phone and wait for the date invites to pour in. Don't delay! My schedule books quickly! In completely unrelated news, Whole Foods 365 brand Organic Jasmine White Tea is not very delicious.

While brushing my teeth this morning, I was overcome with thinkiness ... which is always a dangerous thing for me to do, especially early (or in this case, since I was running late, not so early) in the morning. The topic of this thinkiness: Americanism and the "Enemy" Culture. First of all, let me be clear in stating that I am not a historian. I've had all of about 3 history courses in my life [9th Grade American History , and Western Civ: Beginning of Time to the Middle Ages or Whatever and this very cool History Study Tour , which was a 3 week bus tour covering East Coast Revolutionary and Civil War sites in college]. However, even given that I know relatively little about American History, it seems that nearly every major era of our history is defined by having an "enemy." If one enemy is vanquished, another rises to fill the void. The example I was thinking of this morning while trying not to swallow more toothpaste was how rapidly radical Islamists h...

My one man shopping tour de force continues unabated. Today, during my lunch break, I purchased something I have always wanted! The Cooking bible , The Joy of Cooking - 75th Anniversary Edition . I needed a good cooking resource, one that explains that cumin and cardamon are different spices. Now, cumin and coriander ... I'm not so sure. Over my Xmas visit with the fam, we were talking about cooking. My mother didn't know how to cook when she married my dad. She bought (or was given?) the red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook . She only made recipes from that book, following them exactly. Only later did she realize that she could reduce measurements to make smaller serving sizes. Poor Dad having to eat a week of Spaghetti - serves 8! 40+ years later, Mom still has that cookbook in her kitchen, and she still follows recipes to the letter (although she does know how to reduce the measurements now). I remember watching her make cookies awhile back. The ...

Last night, I drove to Target. Normally, I love the Target. Last night, not so much. It was crowded, filled to the brim with pushy self-important MetroArea-ians shoving their gigantic carts overflowing with 50% off Christmas decorations and wrapping paper and cards and various other assorted Xmas sundries. The Spirit of Christmas apparently dies on Christmas Day. People's true natures shine forth. I loaded my cart with that which I needed: 38 lbs of kitty litter, 2 bags of cat food, toilet paper, mouthwash, lotion for extra dry skin, and Bette Midler. Not the real Bette Midler. She's not for sale at Target. But, I decided to treat myself to her Xmas CD, Cool Yule , after reading a positive review on Rebel Prince's blog last week (or was it the week before?). I drove home. Traffic. Cars. See above re: MetroArea-ians. I stopped off to gas up the rental. I unloaded the car and hopped a bus to exciting, hip, happening Downtown Silver Spring. The bus was free ... ...

I shop. Or so it would seem. Today, I have purchased: 2 pairs of corduroys from J Crew (Winter Sale - extra 25% off!): these (in dark straw) ... and these (in dark chocolate) ... or maybe the former are chocolate and the latter are straw? I can't remember. and 1 half-price calendar from BN.com: here . Clearly, I either need to find some other way to spend my time or I need a higher credit limit.

I'd be a 2 x 4. 12:30. I have finished the weekly report and sent it to our project officer. I have eaten lunch (half a Chipotle burrito). I have paid my bills. I have RSVP'ed to a party. I have balanced my checkbook. I have paraded naked down the office hallway. I have received one (1) work-related phone call. I may let the underlings leave at 3:30 ... depending upon how generous I feel. Right now, I'm feeling a little cranky. Not so generous. Maybe that will change once the lunchtime dose of caffeine kicks in. But, I doubt it.

My Christmas Day was fairly uneventful. I got up around 8, and hit the road around 8:45. The drive was pretty miserable. I rained the whole way. And, it rained hard. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad. Once I got to within 30 miles of DC, traffic started to get really gross. Fortunately, the HOV lanes were open to all traffic and hardly anyone was using them. It was like I had my own private road. I decided to take the HOV lanes all the way into DC instead of exiting onto the Beltway (which looked PACKED). After a few wrong turns in the District, I headed up North Capitol and made it home before 2PM. Not too shabby. PsychoKitty Isabella seemed happy to see me. Lots of meowing and purring and rubbing and giving forth of the Vomit of Joy. I unloaded the car, unpacked, made a snack, and set up my NEW 26" LCD TV. Then, I spent the rest of the day/evening, drinking martinis, eating leftovers, and watching Season One of Melrose Fucking Place ! I also finished the front panel of t...

As I suffered, hungoveredly, on the sofa this afternoon, I thought about my Christmas Wishes for my friends ... Not that Christmas Wishes are things I traditionally make. However, let's cast that aside for a moment as I try to verbalize the things I wish ... For those of you who are in love, I wish that it lasts. For those of you who want love, I wish that it finds you. For those of you who are happy, I wish that your happiness never ends. For those of you who aren't happy, I wish that happiness will embrace you. And, as I write about my Christmas Wishes for you, I realize ... they are wishes for myself as well. Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light From now on, our troubles will be out of sight Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Make the Yule-tide gay, From now on, our troubles will be miles away. Here we are as in olden days, Happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us once more. Through the years We all w...

*woot* After a fun dinner with some of my brother's friends, we decided to go out for a few drinks. I realized that I had forgotten my ID at home. I was denied entrance into not one ... but ... yes, TWO bars. I may be fucking 36 years old, but -apparently- I still look UNDER 21! yay. So, we went home to drink. I am very drunk. Yet, am sleeping alone. sigh. Where are all the fun gay people? *smooch*

Conversation while playing cards: Vuboq : I guess that's how he and his friends relieved stress during graduate school. Vuboq's Mom : How did you relieve stress? Vuboq : Frequent masturbation. *stunned. silence.* Lessee ... This morning, we got up around 8ish. Had coffee and began to open presents. Everyone loved their knitted goods (naturally) and the Girlfriend liked the little makeup bag I got her. (Yay). The hightlights of this year's haul: 1. Cute pottery crockpot with a glaze I *heart* [It's the same glaze as this coffee mug .] 2. 26" Sylvania Digital LCD TV *woot* ... although I have to pay for part of it ... but whatever. New TV! WOOT! 3. Season One of Melrose Place on DVD. Did you hear that? Season One! Melrose! Fucking! Place ! WOO HOO!!! Now you know what I'll be doing on Xmas Day after driving back to DC - watching MP on my new TeeeeeeeeeVeeeeeeeeeee! Unless I decide to go have a round or two at Halo. After opening presents and eating brea...

Maybe it isn't really Christmas Eve, but my family is celebrating Christmas tomorrow ... having coffee and Christmas bread while we open presents and laugh at the gifts in our stockings. I don't know about other families, but our stockings have always been stuffed with practical gifts. Things like dental floss. And chapstick. And deodorant. I guess that's a little odd. Or is it? Maybe the rest of you get things like that in your stockings too? Seriously, I am kind of hoping for some new Mach 3 razor blades. Those fuckers are expensive. I spent most of the day today knitting (I'm almost finished another cute hat! If you look good in yellow, let me know, and I'll think about sending it to you) and watching the ST:Voyager marathon on Spike. Hurrah for cable TV! I so love the Captain Janeway. My brother and I met his v. pregnant friend for lunch. Thai food. Yum. I was supposed to meet one of my college friends, who was planning to drive through on her way ...

I'm blogging from the brother's abode in sunny funny Greensboro, NC. His next door neighbor's gave their "differently abled" son (I think he might have Down's Syndrome?) a set of bongos for Xmas. Bongos. I'm hearing them through the wall. Since I got here. I'm beginning to feel like I'm in King Kong ... if only Adrien Brody would come rescue me. This morning, I was hungover. Curse be the 2-for-1 happy hour specials at Halo. Curse them. Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurse them! But, love them as well. I managed to pick up the rental [red. Ford. Focus.] on time - 10AM and finished packing and cleaning and leaving out kitty food and hitting the road by a little before 11. I have no idea if any of the clothes I brought match. Stupid late night drunk packing. I also think I brought a suitcase full of dirty clothes. Odd. I will need to do laundry at some point though. The drive? It was insane. Have I mentioned I hate driving? The other cars? The bumpy roa...

A few words to the wise: If you happen to be on the roads between Silver Spring, MD; Durham, NC; and Greensboro, NC, between the hours of, oh, let's say, 11AM and 8PM tomorrow, be alert . Yes, that boring rental car barreling down the highway will be me. I'm not saying I'm a *bad* driver. In fact, I like to think I'm pretty good. I have never had a speeding ticket* or a (major) accident**, and I've been driving for over twenty years. TWENTY. YEARS. Fuck, that's a long time. Of course, in the last 11 or so of those years, I've driven a car about two times a year (on average). Fortunately, tt's not like one forgets how to drive a car. They don't switch the brake and the gas pedals every couple of years ... or do they? Brake is on the left, right? ANYWAY, wish me good driving luck! Have a Merry Xmas ... or other Winter Holiday of Your Choice. *SMOOOOOOOOOOCHES* *Two "warnings," though, during my crazy college years. Thank the GayProf that I h...

CNN.com reports: Miss USA Not Fired! *woot!* But she will be entering rehab, and that, my pretties (and my thinkies), is where your career is MADE! Well, either there, or betwixt the pages of Penthouse magazine. [Hello, Vanessa Williams, we're looking at YOU!] Hm ... CNN doesn't mention her making out with Miss Teen USA . *sigh* I would give my right eye for a MISS USA! LESBIAN! LIPLOCK! TEEN SCANDAL!! headline on CNN. Really. I would. I guess they don't go for sensationalism. *cough*

Look! Moorish Stew! Kind of like what they make at Jaleo [my favorite restaurant, for those of you interested in buying me a gift certificate . It's almost Christmas, y'know!]. I found the recipe online somewhere. And, after learning that cardamon isn't the same thing as cumin, I had to make a few "adjustments." Here's the real recipe [I made a half-recipe and some changes, which are in red]: 1/2 lb. dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight (1 can of cooked chickpeas, drained) (1.5 cans of water) 1 head garlic (about 5 cloves of garlic) 1 bay leaf 2 medium-sized onions, 1 whole and 1 diced (1 onion, dice half and cut the other half into large chunks) 6 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish (I forgot to measure how much olive oil I used) 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped 1 heirloom tomato, also coarsely chopped 1 tsp. paprika (um. chili powder, I just shook it over the pan until it looked right) 1 tsp. ground cumin (curry powder. as above.) 1 lb. spi...

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, there is an every 4 year report [soon to become an every 5 year report] that chemical manufacturers must file if they manufacture (and/or import) over 25000 pounds of a chemical substance during the year preceding the report due date. Reports are due to EPA between August 25 and December 23. Three years ago, EPA published an amendment to the rule which eased some requirements, but also required manufacturers of specific previously exempted chemicals (such as inorganic chemicals) to report and required additional reporting for manufacturers who produce more than 300000 pounds of a chemical substance. Since that time, EPA has published numerous announcements. They have held countless workshops. They have created an online computer program to make reporting easier and more accessible. We received a lot of calls asking if EPA would grant an extension. We referred those callers to our EPA technical contact. But, I really wanted to ask these people ......

What a weekend! Friday, I met Mike and Darryl for happy hour at BeBar. I don't really like BeBar. So, after one drink, Darryl left and Mike and I went to Halo ... where we happened to see Whitey White Whiterson, the boring suburban-looking man with bad shoes who I saw last week and on whom I am beginning to have a crush. I had decided that the next time I saw him I would go up and say hi. However, before I could do that [I had just seen him and realized "Ooh, it's Whitey White Whiterson"] someone else [who is not nearly as cute as I] swooped in and began chatting him up. Then, they disappeared upstairs. The only bright spot was after about one drink, I saw WWW leave as the Not Nearly As Cute As I Guy tried to follow, was stopped, then just gave him his phone number. I say, NNACAIG struck out. HA! WWW still secretly pines for me. I am a bit perplexed by this crush. Normally, I don't crush on boring white suburban-looking guys in bad shoes. What's happening to m...