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

My head may explode, Which would be a bad thing. Does anyone else pull out their eyebrows when they are anxious? Or is that just me?

The Floweasy worked easily and there was flow. I poured the brown liquid into my clogged sink, waited 15 minutes, and flushed with cold water for 5 minutes. And, voila!, the clog was gone. Life is good. As an added bonus, my metal sink drain looks all bright and shiny now. Yay for strong acids! YAY! Now, I want to pour Floweasy all over my house to make it bright and shiny. Will it work on the piles of papers waiting to be filed? The deconstructed cardboard boxes by the door? The random assorted bits and bobs cluttering my life? For those of you who suggested using a snake, I would like you to know that I briefly considered it. Until I read this: When you reach an impasse, pull out the snake. With any luck, there will be a revolting rotten mass at the end of it , and decided toxic chemicals it is! *woot* As for the rest of the evening, I watched 16 Blocks , starring Bruce Willis and Mos Def, which was surprisingly good. I mean, it's not an Oscar-worthy film or anything, but it was ...

I have purchased drain opener. It's the one I've used in the past: Floweasy . It works, and it says on the bottle that it is all environmentally safe and stuff. After all, it's only concentrated hydrosulfuric acid (+ buffers and stuff). As soon as I get home, I will pour it down my sink and it will eat through all the bits of veggie matter and coffee grounds and stuff that have clogged my precious sink. Love me. Love my soon-to-be unclogged sinkishness! *woot*

1. My kitchen sink is clogged. 2. My toilet is making dripping/still running sounds. There will be a trip to the hardware store this afternoon to purchase some environmentally-friendly Drano-type sink-declogger. As for the toilet ... ? Maybe it will stop on its own. Or maybe I will call a plumber. I have several other small jobs, a plumber could do after he's fixed the drippy toilet. Or I could buy Toilets for Sissies and fix it myself. haha. In Meat-free Monday news, my chili was delicious ... once I could eat it. When I finished making it, around 7PM, it was too hot to eat. So, I called Robert (or he called me, I can't remember). We talked. As that conversation was winding down, Mike called. As that conversation was winding down, Dana called. As that conversation was winding down, Darryl called. No one calls for months. Then, everyone calls in the same 2 hour window. I finally was able to eat my cold chili at about 8:30. Later that same evening, I was hitching a ride on som...

I am very tired. Tonight is Meat-free Monday, but I will not be making anything overly experimental. I want quick, easy, and warming. Thus, I will be making chili. Mmm. We like the chili. The chili is good. The chili is easy. Then, the VUBOQ can go to bed early. So. very. very. tired. If you would like the chili recipe, here it is: 2 cans of beans (I like to use one red and one black), drained [and rinsed if not organic] Onion Corn 1 can of diced tomato with chilies Various and assorted spices Whatever the hell else you want to throw in there Cook it all up. Top with cheese. Eat. I usually make cornbread, but I think I'm going to have pita tonight. I am still cranky. I don't particularly enjoy being cranky. On a brighter note, my friend and former co-worker, Dana, reminded me of where the Amish Market is (Germantown, near her office) and sent me a link: Lancaster County Dutch Market . Also, some of you may not know this, but I love doing my taxes every year. I like th...

That was not the original plan. Yesterday, I met Tomoko, Darryl, Mike, and Robert for Brunch at Beacon Bar and Grill. $25 buffet with unlimited champagne/mimosas/bloody marys. The bloody marys sucked. The mimosas were yummy though. We left around 3. Mike had a date. Darryl, Tomoko, and I went shopping. I bought 2 sweaters at H&M [buy one sale item get one free!]. They are very cute. Then, we met Robert at Dupont Circle and went drinking at Halo. I had three drinks. and no food. I was a little tipsy last night. I got home around 8, and spent the evening chatting with friends online. Having a computer at home is nice. Yes it is. I went to bed around 11, but woke up very thirsty every few hours. Fortunately, I always put a big glass of water on my bedside table every night. So, this morning, I was a bit overhung. I feel a little better now. My other exciting news is that I have registered for an 8-week short story writing course at the Writer's Center in Bethesda....

Bleary-eyed, I stumbled out of bed this morning and into the kitchen Only to discover that ... I am OUT OF COFFEE! *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEAM!* My favorite coffee (so far), and the one I always buy, is Quartermaine House Blend . YUM! But, yesterday, I used my last beans to make coffee for myself and Caroline to drink on the drive to Scarylandia (aka. Virginia). What to do? What to do? Like a crack addict looking for his next hit, I searched through the cupboards, where I discovered a previously opened bag of Gevalia Amaretto Coffee. That would have to do. Surprisingly, it is not undrinkable. Meanwhile, I need to start thinking about the furniture I want for my study-to-be. I want a hutch-like desk ... possibly about 7 feet tall. Yesterday, while waiting for John and Kristen, Carolyn and I wandered into an Amish furniture store on Duke Street (I think). My furniture buying policy is that I don't buy crap. If I'm going to make an investment in furniture, I want it to be good, s...

VUBOQ went to the movies (and a $25 all you can drink 5-8PM happy hour last night, but that's another story). Carolyn, Kristen, and I met at 11:30 this morning in Scarylandia (aka Virginia) for a day at the movies. First, we watched Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal . Twenty minutes after that movie, we saw Helen Mirren in The Queen . I thought Notes was a better, more interesting, more complex film. And, Judi Dench's performance was amazing. Helen Mirren's performance in The Queen was the only interesting thing about that movie. If you haven't seen either, I would recommend seeing Notes first. I would very much like to see Judi Dench win the Oscar, but -more than likely- Helen Mirren will carry the day. dang. After the movies, Kristen went to pick up her husband, John, and we had sushi. Well, they had sushi. I had vegetable tempura. I am feeling all fat and bloated. I think I will spend the rest of the evening reclining on my sofa. Perhaps I will knit.

I got this link from Durban Bud's site ... Click on "CUSTOM." Then enter in your blog information and it creates a Word Cloud of the words you use most frequently ... Here is mine: Hm... I seem to use "vuboq" a lot. Self-absorbed much?

A few days a little quiz popped up on Tuna Girl's blog . More recently, it appeared on Scott-o-Rama . Here's the quiz: Here’s how it works: You don’t have to confess your answers, just the amount of your fine. (Not per incident!) Tally up your score and post it on your blog with the title… "My Fine Is…” Smoked pot — $10 Did acid — $5 Ever had sex at church — $25 Woke up in the morning and did not know the person who was next to you — $40 Had sex with someone on MySpace — $25 Had sex for money — $100 Vandalized something — $20 Had sex on your parents’ bed — $10 Beat up someone — $20 Been jumped — $10 Crossed dressed — $10 Given money to stripper — $25 Been in love with a stripper — $20 Kissed some one who’s name you didn’t know — $0.10 Hit on some one of the same sex while at work — $15 Ever drive drunk — $20 Ever got drunk at work, or went to work while still drunk — $50 Used toys while having sex — $30 Got drunk, passed out and don’t remember the night before — $20 Wen...

Cheesy Poofs! So HEALTHY! Who knew? They are BAKED! Not fried! They have ZERO GRAMS of TransFats! 10% of my RDA of Vitamin A! Cheese! Corn meal! Gluten Free! NO HYDROGENATED FATS! Autolyzed yeast extract! They are orange, so that means VITAMIN C! "Their crispy cheesy goodness makes for a cozy feeling with every bite." crispy. cheesy. poofy. goodness. I may explode with JOY. I'm going to eat the WHOLE BAG! *woot* *cheesy poofy smooches* 1:30PM Update : Someone has eaten my entire bag of cheese poofery goodness. VUBOQ sad.

I was up until 2AM. I am ... cranky. My cousin is in Egypt. I am hating her. But, only for a little while, because I know in a few days she will be leaving the big city and heading out to a dig where she will live in a "house" that has no heating or indoor plumbing and working obscene hours. Ha. I am not getting a strong enough wireless signal to access the internet from my desk. I really have nothing of interest to blog about. I need to initiate some change. Or at least coordinate a happy hour.

I feel like I’m wasting away. I’m unchallenged at work, yet, every day, I still manage to pull myself out of bed, shower, dress, walk to work, and sit there for over eight very long, very dull hours. Then, I walk home. Sometimes, I eat my leftover lunch for dinner. Sometimes, I cook something not-quite extraordinary. I knit. I watch movies. I check email. I am not working hard enough at anything. I am not accomplishing anything. My motivation to succeed has oozed out my toes and down the drain. It’s a never-ending battle to barely keep up with everything [if you consider not cleaning the house in ages “barely keeping up”]. Of course, recognizing that one is in a rut is the first step of getting out of that rut. Today, on my do-nothing-est of days, I took a few minor steps in climbing out of my wintry doldrums. First, I thought about what I accomplished once I got home (and no accomplishment is too small): 1. I knitted six rows on the Never-Ending Left Sleeve of the Never-En...

[written last night, but I couldn't get the damn thing to publish. grrr.] I had a date. Not the sweet chewy fruity kind, but, rather, the nerve-wracking, jittery kind. I had a date tonight. It was the first date I've had in a long, long time. [I don't count Mike, since we sort of skipped the dating and went straight for the sex.] I had a date tonight at Thai Tanic. He was funny. And well-traveled. And cute. And thinky . And his eyes sort of went all crinkly when he laughed. And we know how I like all of those things. I had a date tonight. I vacillated between blithering idiot and stammering dunce and complete dork. And we know how no one really likes any of those things. I had a date. When it ended, we shook hands. "It was nice meeting you," he said. "Likewise," said I. "We should do this again sometime." "Yeah. Keep in touch," he said half-heartedly, as he turned and walked away. *sigh*

1. I am left-handed. 2. I was born in Morganton, NC. The other cities in which I have lived (for at least 3 months) in as close to chronological order as I can get: Belmont, NC; Murphy, NC; Stallings, NC; Rural Hall, NC; Elon, NC; Cherryville, NC; Mt. Airy, NC; Mt. Gilead, NC; Albemarle, NC; Kitakyushu-shi, Japan; Marion, NC; Beijing, China; Washington, DC; and Silver Spring, MD. 3. Even though I live in Silver Spring, DC feels more like "home" to me. 4. I like to travel. Countries I have visited: England, Scotland, Belgium, East and West Germany, Japan, South Korea (briefly), Phillipines (very briefly), Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali, China, Taiwan, and Mexico (just across the border). 5. I received my BA in Science Education, Biology Concentration from Elon University in 1992. 6. I received my MA in Global Environmental Policy from American University in 2001. 7. Other colleges/universities where I have taken a course or two: Gaston Community College (General Chemisty ...

... but not really. I was starting a list of 100 Things About Me , until I looked at the time and realized, "It's 8:45!" Why is that important? Because at 8:30, LIVE FROM LA! the Oscar nominees were announced. And isn't that aheckuvalot more interesting than 100 (OK, I'd only gotten to 3) Things About Me ? I think so ... 9:01 Update : So far, I have only seen 2 nominated films: Little Miss Sunshine (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay) and The Devil Wears Prada (Best Actress, Costumes). That is *so* sad. 9:45 Update : Hm ... I am feeling a little better about my movie choices this year. I have also seen the following nominated pictures: Pan's Labyrinth (Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film, Makeup, and Score) Inconvenient Truth (Original Song, Documentary Feature) Curse of the Golden Flower (Costume) Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest (Sound Mixing) And, as an added bonus, I have seen all t...

As I was preparing to leave work today, I realized that I had forgotten to eat lunch. Oops. Thus, the *very* early Meat-Free Monday meal :-) I also had a craving for wild rice. I decided to carmelize a red onion with mushrooms; however, when I got home, I discovered my red onion had ... erm ... gotten a little moldy. [And, by "a little," I mean "was covered in mold colonies and soft and mushy."] I really should clean out my refridgerator more often. Soo... instead, while the basmati and wild rice mix was simmering, I sauteed a mix of different mushrooms with garlic and balsamic vinegar and added about half of a bag of baby spinach. Then, I steamed some green beans, which I tossed with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese! Giving us: Mmmm ... Dessert will be Chocolate Peanut Butter Haagen-Daz. *drool* *Meat-free smooches*

Yesterday morning, I called Isa (my best friend from my college days) ... "What's going on," I asked. "I just finished putting together a Mexican layered dip for the games later." "What games?" "It's the playoffs." "Huh?" "Football, silly." "Oh. Are you having people over?" "No." "Are you going to a party?" "No. I'm going to watch the games here by myself." *stunned. silence* When did Isa become a football junkie? I mean, seriously, it's like finding out she's a lesbian ... or worse! Football. Junkie. augh. She even explained who was playing. And who she wanted to win. And her predictions for the Super Bowl. Did you know that's coming up soon? It's like the Oscars for straight people or something? Last year, I think I watched part of it. At least, I remember all these over-produced, rarely interesting commercials getting interrupted by a football game of some ...

OMG. We had no internet service this morning. I thought I was going to die. On Friday afternoon, a phone technician came out to do work on our phone lines, and, since our phone and internet service lines are somehow magically connected, she managed to fuck up our internet service. I figured that they would have fixed it before this morning. I was wrong. 4 hours with no internet at work is a lifetime . I made the most of all the free time and cleaned my desk. It is practically spotless. And organized. And I have a crapload of files that I've been meaning to take home for over a year packed into my rucksack. *woot* Here's a photo of the creek near my apartment. I took it on the slippery ice-crispy walk to work this morning: Oh, and don't forget, today is Meat-free Monday ! Do your part for the environment and enjoy a meat-free meal today!

Last night, once I got over my social anxiety - thanks to two very strong vodka tonics, was a lot of fun. I arrived at the National Press Club at about 6:45. I checked my coat and said hi to Jerry and his mom. I then found the bar and started on the aforementioned likkerygoodness. Free. Booze. *woot* I wandered around, but didn't see anyone I knew ... or anyone famous. At 7:30, people started to filter into the dining room. Funnily enough of the 10 people at my table, 3 of them had been in the elevator with me earlier. ha! The gay men sitting on my right were witty and entertaining. We had much fun conversation. The 3 women on my left were ... um ... dour. I tried to engage them several times in conversation, but they were having none of it. And I guess my particular brand of humor was lost on them. Oh, well. The dinner was ok ... for banquet food. The entertainment was hilarious. Jerry was roasted by a college friend. The Polish ambassador gave a brief speech, as d...

Some of you may have a hard time believing this, but I am quite shy. I always have been. Meeting new people and being thrown into new situations is very nerve-wracking. Usually, I put on a brave face, steel myself, and plunge in. It's not fun. I don't enjoy it, but the alternative is to sit at home alone, typing in my blog, watching DVDs, and knitting. I like doing all those things, but I don't think I would like to do them exclusively. Tonight, I will going to an event with about 250 people. I will know one other person, the guest of honor. Just thinking about it makes my chest get all tight. However, I will go. I will focus on my breathing. I will remember to smile. I will make small talk with interesting people ... and, hopefully, not come off as being a complete dullard. I will have a good time. And, if I don't, at least I'm getting a free meal. *heh* Wish me luck ...

I can recognize three constellations: Orion, Scorpio, and the Big Dipper. Tonight, on the way home, I saw the Big Dipper. Scooping up the sky and dumping it back out. Like life. We have happiness; we have sorrow. What goes around comes around. And I thought, as I gazed upon the Big Dipper making its slow, lazy, seasonal circle in the sky, there is hope. Things get bad. Then, they get better. Somehow, gazing into the dark black sky, feeling the emptiness of space, and the whirling of the stars made me feel better. I thought I couldn't go on. But I can. And I will. That's how it works.

Alternatively, and less interestingly, titled: I Am Back at Work I somehow managed to pull myself out of bed this morning. *woot* Showered. Shaved. Dressed. Bundled up and staggered up the hill to work. Back in the day, I had to walk to work. In 15 feet of snow. Uphill. Both ways! It was surprisingly exhausting. I made a big mug of ginger-lemon-cayenne tea with honey to fortify me through the morning. I think all the honey sunk to the bottom though because the first few sips have been *shudder* sour . Meanwhile, I have to call this guy from DoD. One of my former graduate school mates is moving back to the area and into a job which requires some sort of security clearance. She asked me to be a reference. Oh, Joy. Oh, Rapture. I promised her not to tell him about the time we got way drunk on margaritas at the restaurant Acapulco (now an Indian restaurant ... that should give you an indication of the quality of their Mexican food). I had to carry her home. Big fun. Toni...

I'm taking the day off. I probably could have gone into work today, but when the alarm went off at 6:20AM (and every 7 minutes after that until 7:00AM), I could not bring myself to get out of bed. So, I called my boss and told him I needed a sick day. I am sick. Really. I'm congested and coughing and have a sinus headache. It's loads of fun. I made some ginger-lemon tea with cayenne pepper and honey, which I drank this morning. Robert always tells me to swallow a clove of garlic too. I did yesterday. It's not fun. I have to cut it into pieces and they kind of hurt when I swallow them. I wonder if I could mash it into a glass of water and drink it? That might be easier. No plans for the day. I'll probably knit, eat, sleep, goof around on the computer, and possibly even finish watching Season 1 of Melrose Place . *germy smooches*

I'm leaving work when my phone shift ends at 2:30. I feel like cat vomit (and yes, I do know how that feels, I clean it up frequently). I will take a nap, and hopefully wake up in time to do laundry at 7. *ugh*

*woot* First cold of 2007! I am totally congested. Not fun. I'm having a Whole Foods smoothie now to up my vitamin intake. I'm going to be really really pissed if I am still sick on Saturday. Oh, this is funny: Mike sent out an email yesterday inviting people over to his place on Friday around 7 for a game night. He said he'll make pizza and there's loads of beer and wine leftover from his cocktail party. This morning, our friend, Darryl, emailed back, "Sounds like a plan ... But how is 8PM?" Since Darryl replied to everyone, I think people will get confused. Is it at 7 ... or 8? It's like Darryl decided to change the starting time of someone else's party. What D should have done is say, "I can't be there until 8." The funniest thing though is even after all this confusion works itself out, something will probably come up and Darryl won't make it. *heh*

In the end, I went to the stockholder's meeting. It only lasted about an hour, but was about as tedious as I remember from last year. I feel like I'm getting congested, which would totally suck. I will not be sick for this weekend. I have big plans. More on that later. Perhaps tomorrow ... Anyway, yesterday (or the day before), I took photos of my Chia Herb Garden and forgot to post them. Here they are: Mmm. Don't they look delicious? And, now, I am off to bed. *good night smooches*

It would seem that the Explorer of the Internet is in working condition. Thusly, it stands to reason that the neighbor from whom I am was stealing the internet must have blocked my computer somehow. Alas. I am uninternetable from the home for awhile. Life is so cruel. As a side note, Silver Spring's free wireless truly doth sucketh. I was sitting directly beneath a wireless "hotspot" but still could not get a decent signal. In other news, my co-op's annual shareholder's meeting is tonight. I am very not wanting to go. I don't feel like interacting with a bunch of people I don't know very well. I may feign illness and give my proxy form to a neighbor. Hopefully, I will not be elected to the board in absentia . I am still cranky. Here to cheer you all up is a photo from Mike's party. I would be the cute one on your left:

Monday morning, around 11:45 "The movie starts at 2:30, so I'll meet you at Gallery Place before then." "OK. Gallery Place, 2:30. "I'm running a little late. I'll be there in about 5 minutes." "Fine. I'll go into the theater and get seats." Gallery Place, 4:45. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" "No. I'm not mad. I'm irritated. And frustrated." "You can tell me you're angry. I'll still be your friend." "If I were angry, you'd know it." Every time the door opened into the theater, I thought it was you. Every time. I couldn't enjoy the first 20 minutes of the movie because I was looking at the door to see if you had arrived. After that, I couldn't enjoy the movie because I was fluctuating between worry and irritation. I considered leaving to find out what happened. But, I can't allow someone else to dictate my decisions. I'm irritated that you we...

Tomoko and I went to see Pan's Labyrinth this afternoon. OMG. A totally amazing movie. It was beautiful. And happy. And sad. Very sad. Like, very rarely do I have to stifle sobs during a film. This one, I did. Very rarely do I wish I could watch the movie at home, alone, so I could cry uninterrupted. I think the last movie I saw in which I felt like that was the Japanese film Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka). Which fortunately, I watched in the comfort of my own home. Anyway, I highly recommend it. Go see it. NOW. *smooches*

Last night was Mike and his roommates' cocktail party. Lots of fun was had by all. It was fairly crowded, at least until the vodka ran out. *heh* I met some interesting new people, who I will probably never see again, and reconnected with some people I had met previously through Mike. I have such a crush on one of Mike's roommates. He has a great laugh. Actually, that's really it. I like his laugh. Which, I suppose, is not really enough to sustain our future together. This is me, prior to going out. Please ignore my messy apartment and focus on the cute clothes (and the cute kitty, who wanted to be in the photo but didn't make it all the way before the self-timer went off). I'm hoping to get a group together to see Pan's Labyrinth this afternoon [E St. Theater. 2PM. Be there, or be square.] *smooches*

Behold! The back, front, and one sleeve of the Never-ending Sweater of Doom!! and it's only taken about 11 months so far. Worship my knitting prowess! *smooches*

1. How could someone who said he loved me hurt me so badly, and 2. Why am I still thinking about it 7 months later?

Fortunately, I've been able to chat with many fun people. However, most of them are gone for the day. I have seventeen more excruciating minutes here. Then, HAPPY HOUR is upon us! *woot* sooooooooooooooooooooooooo bored. *happy weekend smooches*

Well, last night I did something I've never done before (and, no, it didn't involve lots of lube and and a beefy leather daddy): I cooked Indian food. From scratch. And, here's the thing: I don't particularly like Indian food. But, recently, I have had some really good Indian food -when I was in London and at Udupi in Langley Park. Thus, I decided to re-evaluate my aversion to all things mushy and attempt to cook Dykewife and Bran's chole (aka chana masala). This is what it looked like: I followed the recipe almost exactly too. The only problem was that it tasted a bit ... er ... sharp . Sort of tinny, like I had chewed on a small bit of aluminum foil. Robert suggested that it might have been because I used canned chickpeas. I wonder if it was something with the spices I used, though. Anyway, it was still good, and I have loads leftover (at least 3 meals worth). I froze two. I hope it freezes well. In other news, it's a 3-day holiday weekend and MAL [Mid-Atlan...

Federal Way schools restrict Gore film: 'Inconvenient Truth' called too controversial VUBOQ is reminded that there are a lot of idiots out there: "Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," said Frosty Hardison, a parent of seven who also said that he believes the Earth is 14,000 years old. "The information that's being presented is a very cockeyed view of what the truth is. ... The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD." The article goes on to state: School Board members adopted a three-point policy that says teachers who want to show the movie must ensure that a "credible, legitimate opposing view will be presented," that they must get the OK of the principal and the superintendent, and that any teachers who have shown the film must now present an "opposing view." UM? "credible, legitimate opposing view?" Consi...

And solves all the world's problems in one fell swoop. Ha. Ha. Seriously, I think I am going to have to jump back on the budget bandwagon. I had stopped keeping my budget so religiously, because I felt I had a good handle on my savings. However, I think I have slipped. I am spending too much money. I'll work on something tonight and start keeping it in February. Woo hoo. Budgets. They are so much fun. No, I'm not kidding. I loved my budget. I need some financial discipline . Beat me about the head and shoulders with that ledger! HOT! In other news, I went to Whole Foods and purchased the ingredients necessary to make Dykewife and Bran's chole . Hopefully, it will be yummy. I had to ask a couple people what "garam masala" was. I think I was confusing it with "ghee." I also bought a sandwich, which I am now eating. It is total yummiliciousness. Oh, and have I mentioned how much I love flannel sheets? I do. I love them ... especially when they are fresh...

Seeds can lie dormant for years before they germinate, sending forth their initial roots and sprouting leaves. Sometimes, I feel like I’m hiding beneath a thick seed coating, waiting for the right time and the right place to send out my roots, to attach, to grow. I’ve been yanked from too many places I’ve loved to ever feel completely settled and comfortable, like I truly belong. Specific places hold no meaning. I have no deep connections. Friendships come and go. Bloom and fade. Flourish and die. Mourn and move on in my endless search to find *my* place, the place where the conditions are right, where I will flourish. Rich, warm earth. Lots of sun. Plenty of water. Perhaps, it’s an issue of complacency. Stop searching. This is where the wind dropped me. Relax. Enjoy the sun, sprout, grow, live. Or maybe I should let the wind carry me elsewhere …

Cinnamon Graham Bunny in Seat Belts Save Lives ~or~ the Corn Car of Catastrophe is not oops, NOW up ... here! I really have too much time on my hands.

I don't understand: 1. how light can be both a wave and a particle (or packets of particles that move in wave ... whatever). 2. gravity. 3. infinity. 4. people's excitement over a phone . [Oh, wait, maybe I do understand this one ... it lets you "control everything with just your fingers." Whereas, previously, we had to use our toes to dial our fucking phones. It's a phone, people. It's not God in a Box.] 5. Republicans. Feel free to add to my list in the comments ...

Two years ago, I met this guy on gay.com. We've never met in person. We arranged to meet once, but, on the way there, he cancelled ... by text message. I tried calling him a couple of times. We talked once, I think. I asked why he never called me back. "I don't call people," he said. In the end, I gave up trying to see him. We still kept in sporadic contact. He started going to AA. He changed jobs several times. He moved back to New York. He started drinking again. Recently, we've been chatting more often ... almost daily. At one point, he asked why we never went out. I explained, and he apologized for being an ass. Now, he's invited me up to visit. I'm seriously considering it. I'm also seriously considering the fact that I may be crazy.

Looking at my post from last night, I realized that I left at crucial information that may not be readily apparent: I "filmed" the Cinnamon Graham Bunny videos myself, using my little digital camera. Now, go take a look at the fabulosity here . And tell me how wonderful I am. I could use a little positive reinforcement ;-) I could also use a little help in figuring out why the stupid videos won't embed in this blog. Every time I tried, I got html errors. GAH. Meanwhile, I've been thinking a lot recently about "place" and how one gains a sense of it. I'm working on a post about that in my head which may or may not get written and/or published. We'll see ... Tonight is laundry night. *woot* I must remember to get quarters at some point. Someday it would be so nice to have a home with my own washer and dryer. And a deck. Or a balcony. And, while we're dreaming, a hunky housekeeper. Oh, and if any of you are job-hunting, the WaPo had s...

Since Blogger was down for most of the day, this is how I spent my time: Nevermind. I can't get the stupid thing to work. Here's a link that may or may not work: Cinnamon Graham Bunny and the Dive of Death Meanwhile, two more videos are located on Cinnamon Graham Bunny World . Have fun.

OMG. Can I tell you how much I fucking love a) my new giganto soup pot and b) my handmixer and c) how well they work together? Can I? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez? Previously in VUBOQ Soup-Making Land, I only had a 4 qt soup pot, which was fairly shallow. Whenever I tried to use the handmixer to puree my soup, it was a Soup Explosion - soup over everything! Soup in my hair. Soup on the chair! Soup everywhere! Now, with my 8 qt super-tall super-cute Emeril soup pot, there is no Soup Explosion. There is simply a high-powered whirling dervishness of soup blended goodness. *woot* See: Meanwhile, I downloaded Trillian to Eugene last night (Thanks Sassy, ... et al, for the suggestion). The only problem is I can't get it to accept my MSN Messenger password. Alas. At least YIM and AIM worked! I got to chat with two supercuties last night :-) Fun times, my peeps. Fun. Times. More later. *smooch*

It would seem that my camera has problems with close-up photos. Here are two very blurry pics of my windowsill herb garden: Sweet Basil and Sweet Marjoram Cilantro and Dill And, here's a fun picture of my Meat-Free Monday Experimental Soup in the Making [please note cute new 8 quart soup pot]: It's onion, small butternut squash, sweet potato, and a can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes with chilies. Onions sauteed in canola oil and Thai red curry paste. Added a veggie boullion cube and enough water to cover. Now, it's in the "simmer until soft" stage. Then, I will blend. *woot* I forgot to buy cream or coconut milk to make it creamy. Oh, well. Verdict and -maybe- final photo tomorrow. *smooch*

I was randomly clicking around on blogs a few minutes ago and stumbled across this on ... and I am somebody : "... consider that Google recently estimated that the average blog is read by one person. In other words, for most bloggers, that means your mom's not even reading you anymore." I have more than one regular reader (and I can say with 100% certainty it is not my mother). I am above average. I rock, bitches! *woot* Meanwhile, Eugene is having issues maintaining a connection with Silver Spring's wifi. It's very disappointing. I even took him downtown during lunch. He would connect, but would be bumped off after 5 minutes or so. It was frustrating. I'm not sure it's reflective of a) Eugene's ability to connect with wirelessness or b) Silver Spring's wifi of crappiness. Or it could be something else ... I was in Borders, which has it's own not-for-free wifi, so it could be that the wifis were competing for Eugene's affection. Hmm...

A few moments ago, my boss handed me my first pay statment of the New Year. Recently, I increased my pre-tax MetroChek withdrawal from $10 to $20. This was the first statement with the new amount, so I was expecting my pay to be a few dollars less than usual. It wasn't. In fact, after comparing it to my previous statement, it was $2.50 more! Somehow, increasing my pre-tax Metro payments has given me a pay raise! Woo hoo. I don't know how that happened, but I like it.

And it is raining. I should be down ... but I'm not. I'm fair-to-middlin'. woot. I brought in the new laptop, hence forth referred to as "Eugene," to work this morning. I get a fairly decent signal from Silver Spring's wifi (2 bars), but for some reason I can't connect. I wonder if the weather is screwing it up? I will cart Eugene closer to the signal during my lunch break to see what happens. Also, I want to download some chat software ... I use AIM at work; however, I vaguely recall that there is some chatware program which allows you to chat using AIM, hotmail, yahoo, etc. Anyone know what it's called and how I get it? So far, no one has mentioned the dramatic hair color change. *sigh* Let's see how long it takes. In the meantime, today is, of course, Meat-Free Monday. I hope at least some of you will partake of a meat-free meal today. And, in doing so, give our environment a little boost of support. I think I'm going to experiment...

For some unknown reason, last year, I began taping ticket stubs from movies I saw onto my wall calendar. Here's the list of movies I saw (in the theater) in 2006 in chronological order: Munich Brokeback Mountain Memoirs of a Geisha Firewall Madea's Family Reunion Gay Sex in the 70s The Da Vinci Code An Inconvenient Truth The Devil Wears Prada Superman Pirates of the Caribbean 2 Little Miss Sunshine The Illusionist Jet Li's Fearlees The Nightmare Before Christmas (in 3-D) Of the movies I saw, I think Little Miss Sunshine and The Illusionist were probably the best. The worst would have to be either Firewall or The Da Vinci Code . What were the best/worst movies you saw in 2006?

ooooooooooh. my head. Raise your hand if you drank too much last night. *raises hand* ooof. At least I had a good time. Or I vaguely remember having a good time. *heh* There is some good news though! For Christmas, my parents gave me a Chia Herb Garden. 4 little terracotta pots. Magic Chia soil. And 6 seed packets. I "planted" sweet basil, sweet marjoram, cilantro, and dill. Every day for the past week, I've been making sure the water level stays up. This weekend, I noticed that the seeds have sprouted!!! Yay!! My new goal is to try not to kill them. I need to read in the instructions to see what to do. I was going to take a photo of my little growing windowsill herb garden, but the batteries in my camera died and I can't find the new ones I bought.

i've always imagined that i would spend my life with someone i loved. but. right now. i can't see it. when i think about it. when i concentrate on it. all i see is a void. at emiliano's birthday party tonight, several people reminded me that i could have sex whenever i wanted ... but that's not what i want. i don't want just 'the sex.' why can't i have the connection? why can't i have the LOVE? well, the LOVE and the sex. that's what i want. and, that's what i can't seem to get. and, i think i'm going to be alone. for a long time. *sigh* aren't you glad i have internet access at home now so you can read all these late night, drunken, depressing ramblings?

Notice any difference? Before: After: Hallelujah! I'm blond again! And it's like 70 fucking degrees out! WOOT!

Last night, after picking up my NEW LAPTOP, I went over to Mike's to watch a movie, The Celestine Prophecy , with Dennis and him. After the movie, Mike asked what I thought ... and it's so hard to say "I think it was a piece of spiritualistic nonsense and a waste of my evening" in a nice way. Actually, the movie would have been funny if I had watched it with other people, people who weren't hanging on to every word and trying to glean every possible meaning from it. Instead, I ended up saying, "I think it was similar to The Da Vinci Code in that a lot of people could take a work of fiction way too seriously." Probably not the best answer. Because he countered by asking if I thought that humans would evolve into energy beings or not. Um. No. Fortunately, Dennis came back into the room and the conversation switched to humanity and energy and auras ... and how -I am not making this up- Dennis insists that he can see the energy when he holds his index finge...

Me! That's who! And, now, I'm going to bed. *good night smooches*

Gayprof 's trip to a conference in Atlanta reminded me of a story from my childhood ... On the escalator into one of Atlanta's subway (MARTA) stations has this very cool optical illusion. About halfway down the escalator, the brickwork changes from a horizontal pattern to a vertical one, which makes it seem like the escalator has suddenly gotten a heckuvalot steeper. When I was about 7 or 8, my brother and I went to visit my cousins in Marietta, GA. One day, the family took us into Atlanta specifically to experience that one escalator ride. At the time, I thought it was so cool. Now, looking back, I'm imagining the following conversation: Aunt: How are we going to entertain your brother's children? Uncle: Well, they live in the mountains ... I think they've already seen indoor plumbing. Aunt: Hmmm... Uncle: I know! We'll take them into Atlanta and let them ride the escalators! Aunt (in strong southern accent): "Uncle Ray! Uncle Ray! These stairs! The...

This is my new laptop . I should be picking it up today after work. Yay.

The Japanese language has a lovely way with onomatopoeia. The sound a cat makes when it's happy and content is not purrrrrrrrrr , but goro-goro . One of my all-time favorites is fuwa fuwa , meaning something that is soft and fluffy ... like those super-squeezable porn pillows sold at Urban Outfitters. If you're interested, some other onomatopoeic Japanese terms can be found here . I started thinking about this after trying to visualize the sound of my new corduroys. Do they make more of a zush zush or, perhaps, zwish zwish ? Zwishing sounds a little gay ... so that's probably the more appropriate term in my case. *heh* The cords arrived yesterday. I was a bit perturbed because I had ordered 2 pairs, but received only one. I called J Crew, and the gentlemen on the phone was all "We sent you an email explaining that one pair you ordered was out of stock." Yeah. That's great. It must have gotten caught up in my spam filter or something. You would think they wou...

That has been my day so far ... well, except for the whores. And, I wondered why I was feeling so groggy this morning. At that point, I realized I hadn't had any coffee. I quickly remedied that situation by making myself a cup of my office's finest cheap coffee-flavored swill. Mmm Mmm Good. The caffeine still hasn't kicked in yet. I might need another cup soon. And lunch. I need to eat lunch, but I can't decide what I want. Perhaps, I will have a lunch of coffee and more coffee. Then, I can eat an early dinner when I get home.

I've finished the weekly report, so I have some time now to pound out a longer entry. As I wrote earlier, I bought a laptop yesterday. If you remember, my old laptop met an unfortunate demise when my lovely PsychoKitty knocked over a glass of water on it while I was surfing the internet (porn). There was a POP! a HISS! and all went black. Yesterday, I called (finally) about getting it fixed and was told that it would be *at least* $300. GAH. SO, I went to Best Buy, saw a Gateway computer on sale for $550, and bought it. It's smallish and lightish, so I should be able to bring it to work with me. I probably won't be blogging from home, unless the Internet Fairy flies down from the moon and grants me free internet access for life (and if she could throw in free cable, too, it would be much appreciated). I should be able to blog more on weekends though, since I can come up to beautiful downtown Silver Spring and use their free wifi. *woot* My superlong weekend was superfantast...

I bought a laptop yesterday. It's all part of my 2007 Get a New Job Campaign. Hopefully, it will be all configured and ready for pick up this afternoon. Yay. More later. Kind of busy this morning. Bleah. *smooches*