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

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 s...

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 particul...

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...

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 du...

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 ...

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...

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 D...

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 1...

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 Croqu...

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 sometim...

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 l...

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 th...

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 immun...

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 b...

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...

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*

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 ...

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*

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 go...

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 o...