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

Good Morning, Kittens. It's actually Sunday afternoon (hurray for post-scheduling) and I am ... irritated. So, I thought I would pound out a blog post rather than sit and fume and drink (more). I had a lovely day on Friday. SCGB joined me for lunch at Panera (I had a gift card!) ... although he only had a muffin and coffee. Then, after much internal -and external- dithering, I braved the impending storms and headed into DC to the National Gallery of Art. I wandered around snapping photos. The entire set is here . I don't know why, but this painting reminded me of Marve (Muinamir on Twitter): Perhaps it's the eyes. The NGA has an amazing exhibit right now, the Art of Power . I felt the totally coolest part was towards the end of the exhibit, where they had portraits alongside the actual armor worn by the subject of the portrait. Totes fascinating. The catalog was $60, though. So VUBOQ no buy. On the way back to the metro station, I stopped by the American Art Museu...

Good Morning, Kittens. I can't find anyone who can meet me for lunch today. Waaaah! Everyone hates me! Waaaaah! And *whew* now that that's out of my system ... I do need to get out of the house today. I've been housebound for too long and it's time to get out. I have to finish a few more job apps and buy a MegaMillions ticket ($305 Million!). Then, perhaps a Museum Day is in order. The only exciting things that happened yesterday were (1) dinner at SCGB's [he made delicious fajitas and we learned that the German and his Girlfriend, who I introduced, are engaged] and (2) Project Runway [I only saw the runway show, which was fine, because that's the best part]. Unfortunately, I don't have any fun weekend plans to look forward to. *sigh* Happy Friday! *smooches*

Good Afternoon, Kittens. As I mentioned earlier, I finished the book, Julie & Julia , the other day. And, here's my mini-review ... I'm sure everyone knows the story by now: Bored NYC Office Temp hits upon the idea to cook every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 in one year ... and to blog about it. And, the blog takes off. She's popular. She's on the news. She's in the NYTimes. She lands a book deal. And a movie, which stars Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. [Do I look jealous? Because I AMz!] J&J chronicles that fascinating journey with poorly put together prose and lots and lots of whining. Lots. Of. Whining. Not to mention a sometimes sporadic timeline which I found confusing. Although I'm sure a lot of the whining was written for comedic effect, except for a few bright spots, I didn't find myself laughing (or silently chuckling, for that matter). Plus, without giving anything away, the book had not on...

Good Morning, Kittens! Yesterday was quite fun and productive, in a totally not-job-hunting way. Alas, I did not win the MegaMillions lottery. Fortunately, no one else did either. $302 Million on Friday. It will be mine. Srsly. ANYWAY, rather than wallow in my non-millionaire-ness, I decided to make use of the duct tape I purchased the other day for some temporary pipe repair (and it worked, btw). I made a wallet! It is purple! and cute! See: You can make one too . I also did laundry. And I cooked dinner ... Rainbow Chard sauteed in thai basil pesto ( this recipe , except I used cashews instead of peanuts and yellow onion instead of shallots) with rice: Tasty! Later, SCGB, Y, and I headed into the District to a "thing" hosted by SCGB's DJ friend at the Rock 'n' Roll Hotel. It was very lounge-y. Cheap beer. Downstairs, some band, Cobra Starship, was performing. Teeny-Bopper Jail Bait were everywhere. It was ... disconcerting. Once home, I watched a bit ...

Good Morning, Kittens. I had a lovely morning with the Colornatrix yesterday. She does such good work. I bought her a MegaMillions QuickPick (which reminds me: I need to check to see if I won! $250 Million!) and gave her a couple of chilies from my garden. During our chat, she mentioned that she LUV'ed the tea-infused vodka I gave her last time. Yay! AND, then, I met the cute new "trainee". He gives good hair-washing, fer sure. Too bad he's too young and too partnered. *sigh* And, the final hair result? Back: Front: Verdict: SUPERCUTE (if I do say so myself) I texted Mike (Who Makes Cakes) to see about meeting for lunch, but he didn't respond until I was on the Metro. So I had a lovely grilled tofu wrap and glass of pinot grigio at Adega. Then, I picked up some purple duct tape for some temporary pipe repair, and I bought some groceries for a little experimental cooking. Reading Julie and Julia , although quite frustrating in many ways (more on this later...

Good Morning, Kittens! Do you know what I need? A Job! Well, yes, but besides that. More Bourbon! Um, yes, besides that, too. A Winning Lottery Ticket! Um ... Oh! Oh! A fabulous hair cut! YES! That's it! And, that's where I'm heading this morning. VUBOQ needs a little time with the Colornatrix. Hurrah! I can't wait to tell her that her cut was the Talk of Detroit. Yesterday was an Exercise in Ineffectiveness*. I pretty much spent the day either (a) on the sofa or (b) napping. I did find several jobs to which I would like to apply. Perhaps, I will do that later today. I am getting a little frustrated with the whole unemployment thing, especially the unresponsiveness of certain parties. I have emailed. Should I call? Am I being too pushy? Too impatient? Is it a plus to seem that way? Or a minus? GAH. MegaMillions is at $250 Million. Have a great day! *smooches* *Although not entirely, I did manage to make the Roommate stomp from the living room because I d...

Good Morning, Kittens. Time to grab a cup of coffee and dish about the weekend. And, yes, I did make the mug pictured. It's one of the two final pieces I made in pottery class this summer. The glaze is firebrick and black matte. Me likey the combination. I kept one mug and gave the other to SCGB. Anyway, the weekend. On Friday evening, SCGB and I drove over to Mike's house laden with party foods and drinks. SCGB went out to dinner and I stayed to start making the Bellini Pops. There was a lot of this: And this: And some of this: And this: Popsicles safely ensconced in the freezer, I headed back to Silver Spring. Saturday, I spent most of the day knitting (and drinking chile-infused tequila with Tomokito, the Bad Mommy). Then, around 7, SCGB and I headed over to Mike's to finish setting up for the party. Mike had finished the cake. I looked absolutely amazing: (and it was delicious). The party was a blast. Even though the weather was kinda crappy, there was a good ...

Good Morning, Kittens! Great news! The chili-infused tequila is finished. And it is chili-y. I have total mouth burn going on right now. I put a dried chili in the bottle (as sort of an homage to the worm in the mezcal), but it's floating. I think it will eventually reconstitute and sink to the bottom. We shall see ... And, that is all. Have a great Saturday. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Happy Friday! Did everyone watch Project Runway 6 last night? Or should we withhold discussion until you watch the reruns over the weekend? I didn't get to watch the All-Star Special , nor did I stay up for Models of the Runway , but I was able to catch the actual show. And, all I can say is "Hallelujah! It's Back!" Besides the tv watching, yesterday was quite a busy day. First, I met the wonderful Ms. Clio Bluestocking for Boozy Lunch at Adega. It was fun. And Boozy! AND, I got to hear all about her New Man! I am not going to spill all the deets here though (sorry). It's her sordid and tawdry tale of luv to tell. After lunch, I metro'ed into DC to do some yarn shopping. I bought two skeins of beautiful yarn for a special (and secret) knitting project. I love the yarn and the colors! So pretty and soft. I was also looking ofr some gold or silver metallic thread, but the yarn shop didn't have any. I remembered there ...

Good Morning, Kittens. Yesterday, after remembering of a couple obligations, I postponed my trip to the yarn shop. I'll be heading down there this afternoon instead. Also, since Y was going to be out for most of the morning/afternoon, I had extra incentive to stay home and enjoy my place. I did laundry. And I met with some contractors a neighbor had hired to work in his apartment while he is on vacation. Then, I wandered up to the likker store and grocery store. The other day, I had a chat with GayProf and he inspired me to try chile-infused tequila (pictured). As luck would have it, El Jimador (the tequila the 'Prof recommended) was on sale - $17.99 for a fifth. Score! I only used 3 green chiles and one red one. I wonder if it will be spicy enough? I suppose we will know in about a week. At Whole Foods, I bought the fixin's for dinner: A Thai-esque stir-fry consisting of tofu, zucchini, red onion, heirloom tomatoes, cashews, chilies (from the garden!), and Thai an...

Good Morning, Kittens! Yesterday, I snaked a drain! I know! So manly! So masculine! So totally not me. I am plumber. Hear me roar. *rowr* As you may remember, the day before I left to visit the cuz, my sink exploded (or became clogged. whatever). I haven't had the time or inclination to deal with it since then. Finally, tired of washing dishes in the bathtub, I decided to take matters into my own hands and fix the sink myself. Step 1: Unclog the drain. Which apparently requires a drain snake. I walked into the hardware store, headed towards the plumbing section, and looked flummoxed. "May I help you," asked the sweet young Hardware Girl. "Yes! I'm looking for a drain snake." "Oh. Um ... what does one look like?" "I don't know." Finally, she went to get help and there they were. Right in front of us. Hm. Doesn't look very snake-like. Where are the scales? and the beady eyes? I followed directions I found on the internet...

Good Morning, Kittens. At least one member of this household appreciates having all this extra crap in the living room ... Not much exciting going on. Having 2 apartment's worth of stuff shoved in my house is stressing me out. Add to that having a roommate. AND an extremely needy guy who won't stop calling and my head could explode at any moment. Last night, I ordered a pizza (spinach, feta, tomato) and opened a bottle of cava. Mmm. I toasted Y, "Congratulations on your new job in NYC. Now, get your fucking dissertation done." On the bright side, CNTBD is supposed to come by today to drop off some of his homemade gazpacho. YUM! Happy Happy! Do you think cinnamon basil-infused vodka would be any good? Have a great day! *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens. What a weekend. I'm exhausted ... but, first, how about some pottery pix? This is the casserole dish I made for Esther and Joe's wedding present. Isn't it pretty? Isn't the butterfly handle on the lid *so* cute? Isn't it amazing that one puts so much work into making a present and then at the very last moment something goes horribly wrong? In the case of the beautiful lidded casserole, it would be that the lid must have warped during the glaze firing, because it is stuck. It no come off. Grrr. Esther has a friend who is a potter where she lives. Hopefully, the Professional Potter will be able to pry of the lid somehow or break it off in a way that the casserole is still usable. We shall see. And, more pottery ... A cute vase with a cracked bottom: Another vase: A bowl: And a mug: Yesterday, I glazed two additional mugs. I hope they come out ok. As for the rest of the weekend, on Friday, I blobbed at home feeling sorry for myself. Sa...

It's me, the Was Too Blah to Blog One. Can I blame Post-Fabulous Vacation Blahs? Or, maybe, I should blame Julie & Julia , which I started reading last night. So far, it's not awful. But, it's one of those books that makes me think, "Where are my book options? Why isn't my life publishable?" It's not that I feel that I could write better than she did, but I couldn't write anything worse. Heck, I don't need a movie deal. Ok, maybe I do. But, still, it amplified the Unemployment Why Won't Anyone Hire Me Funk, fer sure. I was thinking of going out tonight, but have decided that I don't dislike anyone enough to subject them to This Mood ... So, it's an evening of Martinis, Movies, and Me tonight. Oh. I haz all teh funz. Tomorrow, I have to do a lot of cleaning. I decided to allow Y to rent my spare room (for $500/month). I know it will be stressful and annoying, but I can use the moneys. I have to clean out the spare room and m...

Good afternoon, Kittens! Thanks so much for the good vibes sent my way yesterday. I had an interview at EPA. I'm not sure how it went. It wasn't spectacular, but it also wasn't awful. I don't think they quite understood my sense of humor. This seemed to be a screening interview, in which the two interviewers alternated asking questions from a prepared list. They said that there will be probably be one more round of interviews next week (or so). At the end of the interview, they asked if I felt like there were any questions that they should have asked but didn't. Of course, I mentioned that I was surprised they didn't ask about my year of unemployment. Y thinks that was a mistake. I believed it would have eventually come up anyway. And I spun it into a good thing: looking for work, participating in charitable activities, Co-op Board service, and personal development (reading/pottery class). What do you think? Should I have mentioned it? Or have I sea...

Good Morning, Kittens. Behold, the fabulosity of the latest edition to the Shelf of Tacky Things from Around the World. It's a Petra Candle. This is yet another reason why I love the SuperFantastic Cuzin. She goes to amazing places and remembers to bring me back something for the Shelf. I am totally missing the Cuzin and the Cuzin-in-law and the GayProf. *sigh* The end of the vacation is not any fun. ANYWAYz, the flight home was uneventful (hurrah!). It's good to be home. Isabella has been Very Needy ... which, I suppose, is understandable. It's hot here. I'm glad my a/c is working. And, thanks to Dr. Liz , I am now the proud owner of Julie & Julia (the book, not a pirated DVD). You rock, Dr. Liz (and your menagerie too!). The Co-op's Board Meeting was tonight. It was mercifully short. Hurrah. Busy day today. I could use some good vibes sent my way around 3PM. And, my final pottery class is tonight. I should be getting several items back. Stay t...

Good Morning, Kittens. As you are reading this, I am heading to the airport. Yesterday afternoon, after I got home from another fabulous time with the Cuz and the GayProf , I went online to check my flight status and it said: CANCELLED!!!! (because of weather). I called the airline and they couldn't rebook me on a direct flight to DC until today. Extra Time with the Cuz! It is awesome! So, anyway, here's the rundown of my SuperFun Vacation ... I arrived on Thursday. The Cuz picked me up at the airport. We got to her house and had cocktails. Yay. Later, GayProf, who only lives a few blocks away (!), came over for dinner. We had lots of wine and pizza on the grill. And tiramisu. The next day, GayProf came over for lunch - leftover salad and prosecco. Then, we drove over to the Arboretum. It was lovely. See: Nature red in tooth and claw. We left the Arboretum to meet the Cuz, the Cuz-in-law, and some of the Cuz's co-workers/friends at Aut Bar, the gay bar in Mid...

Good Morning, Kittens. It's my last day in the Midwestern Funky Town. I'm meeting the SuperFantastic Cuzin and the GayProf for lunch later. Not sure if the SuperFantastic Cuzin-in-Law is coming with us. I'm flying out around 6 this evening. And will probably be back home around 9. I'll fill you in on all the exciting trip details tomorrow ... until then, here are a few pictures: Kitteh! GayProf! (I really like this picture. My guess is that he might try to exert some sort of editorial control.) SuperFantastic Cuzin Have a great day! *smooches*

So much cuteness in one place should totally be against the law ... btw, this is my 2,001st post. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! So, last night, I met GayProf ! YAY! And had a fabulous dinner with the cuzin and cuzin-in-law. It was so totally awesome I forgot to take pictures. Oops. Fortunately, the GayProf and I are hanging out today so there should be lots of fun photo opportunities. Now, I have to get to work on writing a fantastic cover letter for a totally fabulous job opportunity which has fallen into my lap. Fingers Crossed! *smooches* ps. As always, I will be twittering and facebooking throughout the day!