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

Good Morning, Kittens! And Happy Halloween! Hope you all have on your scariest masks today! I'm sure you do! As the holiday season approacheth, I think we should discuss a very important topic. Namely, you've been taken in by all the "Holiday" advertising and, now, you don't know what to do with all those Forkin' cranberries you purchased. I mean, really, no one in your family likes cranberry sauce anyway. Yet, you still went out and bought the 5 pound bag from Costco ("It was on sale," you say ... secretly knowing that it was on sale b/c no one in his right mind buys that many cranberries). Fortunately, you read this blog. And I'm going to share with you a few ideas on how to use All Those Extra Forkin' Cranberries*: Idea #1: COMPOST. 'Nuff said. Idea #2: Pasta Sauce ... Saute some onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add chopped zucchini, cranberries, a can of diced tomato, and ... well, hello Chef's Little Helper. Simmer. Th...

I may wander up to Adega and treat myself to a glass of wine and a portabello sandwich. In the meantime, you may admire my framing and picture hanging abilities: The Mongolian Traveller Spring Bamboo Art and the Gay Bears* *smooches* *Gay bears love art. Srsly.

Good Morning, Kittens! I had a fairly productive day yesterday. I went to the bank, likker store, and Whole Foods. I applied for a job. I started a vodka infusion (cranberry-orange!) for a neighbor's birthday party next weekend. And I finished framing two paintings. Then, SCGB came over to help me hang them, only I couldn't find my tape measure. So, we decided on wall placement and, then, had punch and pie. Except we didn't have punch and pie, we had wine and cake. After that, I watched a DVD and knitted. Recently (but not last night), I watched Water ... which was OMG! Amazing and Beautiful and, like, Super Sad! You should watch it. Today, I'm meeting SCGB's sister (the friend formerly known as DUN, but now that she's moved to New Jersey to be with her BF she's no longer diagonally upstairs and is need of a new moniker) for lunch in DC. I also need to finish another application, for a job I'm kinda excited about, mainly because -if I got it- i...

A tay ... A tay ina winnnn ... And there you have about 45 seconds of your life which you will never get back . *smooches* *Name that movie and win One Meeeeeeeelllion VUBOQ Points** **Not redeemable for cash and/or prizes.

Good Morning, Kittens! I have nothing to blog about and will, thus, force you to look at my new* workspace. From Bottom (*heh*) to Top (*heh*): The Desk: Eugene the Laptop, coffee, coffee warmer UPS port (from Mush , it doesn't really work very well), box of never opened tea from India (gift from the Cheating Cheater), random clippy things (birthday present from former co-worker). Shelf 1 (from left to right): pen in a box, Canadian goodies (from wonderful Canadian Blogger, Dykewife ), original art by Mongolian artist, Tsoloman Damba, childhood collection of NC hand-carved (not by me) wooden animals, brass Indian statue (from the Cheating Cheater), books, more books. Shelf 2 (from left to right): vase (made by ME), original art by the same Mongolian artist, pitcher (made by ME) full of pens (stolen from work). Today, I am going to leave the house and go ... somewhere. Possibly the bank and the grocery store. Maybe even the Likker Store, because I am out. of. gin. Life is so cruel. ...

Good Morning, Kittens! Happy Tuesday. Is it raining with you? Talk to me. Pottery class was fun last night. I practiced "throwing off the hump," which really isn't as dirty as it sounds (although it is a lot of sloppy fun). Basically, throwing off the hump is a technique potters use to throw lots of small objects quickly. Of course, since I had never done it before, it was a technique I used to throw a few small objects slowly ... When you throw a single pot, you center the clay and make the pot. When throwing off the hump, you use a large piece of clay (I used about 5.5 lbs) and you really only have to center the top of the clay (the hump). Then, you make a little cup or bowl or whatever at the top of the hump, cut it off, recenter the new top of the hump, and throw another little cup or bowl or whatever. Easy. Peasy. Except for the centering just the top, throwing the little cup, cutting the little cup off, and re-centering the new top of the hump. That was dif...

Good Afternoon, Kittens. The weekend update will be a bit short this afternoon, because (a) I already blogged about the 7th Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party here and (2) David blogged about it here . And that's pretty much all I did this weekend ... Except for a quick trip to the pottery studio where I picked up some finished pieces: Additional photos here . My flickr pro account expires today. *sigh* Updated to Note : Many extra special hugs and smooches to the Wonderful Blog Reader who gave me the gift of another year of flickr pro. *HUGS* *SMOOCHES*

which I missed. And probably happened about 3 weeks ago. And I blame stupid new blogger templates and the whole "gadget" thing. I mean, really. What up with that? See... let me break it down for you. My statcounter/sitemeter hit counter thing used to be over there ---> I could check it easily whenever I visited my blog (which is quite frequent, sadly enough). However, when I "converted" this blog to the new (IMPROVED! *sparkles*) template, I couldn't figure out how to get my statcounter/sitemeter hit counter thing back over there ---> So, now it's way down there (hmm ... does anyone know how to make a downward pointing arrow thing?) ... at the very bottom of the page. Go on. Scroll down. I'll wait. *twiddles thumbs* Did you see it? Did you see the Number ? Yep. At some point, a few weeks ago, I crossed the Big 100K Barrier! I'm, like, at the Next Level or Something. And I missed it. Because my statcounter/sitemeter hit counter thing is ...

And I didn't get to bed 'til 4:30. I am tired, kittens. Here are a few pix: The Ice Ring: Famous Bloggers in an INTENSE Carving Debate: Pretty Ladies: SCGB and the German Roommate: Mike made CAKE: I cut the CAKE: Yet another Famous Blogger: And, the rest of the photos are here ! Enjoy!

Good Morning, Kittens. I had a bit of a late start this morning, because (at some point in the night) the power went out (and came back on). Thus, I awoke to the blinky alarm clock. "No wonder I feel so well-rested," I thought, before realizing, "OMG! 2 HOURS BEHIND SCHEDULE! MOVE, DAMMIT! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!!" Welcome to my World. Anywayz........ Here is what needs to be accomplished today: 1. Finish making the SuperFantabulous Ice Ring for the Punch 2. Clean the Kitchen 3. Clean the Bedrooms 4. Clean the Bathroom 5. Clean the Living Room 6. Arrange Living Room in a manner which will maximize Pumpkin Carving Fun 7. Prepare and set out munchies and beverages in visually appealing manner 8. Have a SuperFun 7th Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party!!! The photos in this post (which I just found) were from the FIRST Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party. Crazy! Here are the pix from last year's BYOP . Tomorrow I will try to put up pix from this year's Social Eve...

Good Morning, Kittens! Except it's really still Thursday night, but I have realized that OMG! BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party is in less than 2 days! and GAH! Hostess Panic! So I am writing this post now. And "scheduling" it to publish tomorrow morning! Behold! The Wonders of Technology. It's an amazing thing. Soon, I'm pretty sure I won't even have to type. Blogger will just post things for me. Easy! Peasy! Anyway ... Thursdays exciting events were ... 1. Writing DC AIDS Walk donor thank you email (did you get yours? Hope so!) 2. Searching for jobs (because, like, I have to apply to 2 jobs per week for my unemployment benefits, and how many have I applied for so far this week? Hm ... the answer you are searching for would be NONE!). 3. An exciting shopping trip to Trader Joe's and Target with the wonderful (and car-owning) Clio Bluestocking ! in which we discussed the merits of the Entertainment Diet and solved the entire economic crisis in just a few hours. A...

Good Morning, Kittens! It's a pretty sad reflection on my life when I have to force myself to get out of the house just so I'll have something of interest to blog about. OK. There was another reason ... or two. Which I will get to at some point in this narrative (but don't hold your breath). I decided to go to the Freer and Sackler Galleries ... mainly to see this new exhibit: Garden and Cosmos , which was stunning ... if a bit repetitive. No photos in the temporary exhibits, but here are a few that I took elsewhere ... You can see the rest of the photos here: Museum Day . Oh, and the other reason for going on this adventure? It was sort of a date-like-thing with this guy: More later. *smooches*

Meow meow meow meow meow. Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow. Meow! Meow meow meow mew Meow Meow Meow Meow Meow ... *purr*

Edited to note: Dear People Clicking over from BOSSY , my posts are not this boring normally*. *smooches* VUBOQ Good Morning, Kittens! Yesterday, I ... 1. did a load of laundry 2. organized papers for filing 3. shredded lots of papers 4. watched The Forbidden Kingdom ... and that was about it. Not very exciting, I'm afraid. So, today, I'm taking a Museum Day. I'm meeting a friend at the Freer/Sackler. They have a new exhibit on Indian art. Then, we might wander over to the National Gallery to see the new exhibit on art from (and inspired by?) Pompeii. Since I'll be out, any afternoon blogging will be taken care of by the Psychokitty, who is working on improving her computer skillz. *smooches* *HAH! Who am I kidding? Of course they are normally this boring.

Besides the weird sense of accomplishment I get from having neatly folded clothes fresh from the dryer, having a variety of clean, colorful underwear to choose from is a Thing That Makes Me Happy ... Who's ready for Martini Time? *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Yesterday, I met a former co-worker for lunch. Of course, I had completely forgotten about this plan until around 11:30, when I got a text message reading "Should I pick you up at your place around noon?" Great idea! Panic! We went to Adega. I had the grilled tofu wrap and we shared the eggplant fries. Mmm. Mmm. I also had a glass of wine. There is something so decadent about having a drink in the middle of the day when one should be working. Then, we looked at shoes and books and I picked up some needed groceries. I came home and took a nap. Naps are decadent, too. Really. Around 6ish, I caught the bus to the subway to the subway to the bus to pottery class. It was a rather good session, I think. I glazed a vase, two small casseroles, one large casserole, and a bowl. I also trimmed and attached handles to two mugs. The instructor demonstrated "throwing off the hump" (which isn't nearly as dirty as it sounds). If I go to the...

Working in my newly cleaned and (mostly) organized [except for a big pile of papers which need to be either filed or shredded] Spare Room/Office (aka BOSSY 's Guest Room) is a Thing That Makes Me Happy... Having two gay bears and cat watch over my shoulder creeps me out a little though. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Happy Monday! and yet another fun work week begins! Woo. Hoo! My weekend was packed full of fun and excitement. Ok. Not really. Friday, after working like a crazy person to apply to two jobs to satisfy the requirements for my unemployment benefits, I totally bailed on going to happy hour. Instead, I stayed home and watched the latest Indiana Jones movie with SCGB and his roommate. It was full of teh suck (except for Cate Blanchett. Love her!). Saturday, I got up and, with the help of two neighbors, raked the yard. Ah. Autumn and the joys of raking a yard only to have it completely covered in leaves again the next day. Then, SCGB and his roommate invited me to go on a bike ride. Little did I know that it was going to be a 20+ mile 4.5 hour Death March Cycle through the wilderness. The original plan was to ride a bit north, get on the (future) Capitol Crescent Trail, and cycle to Georgetown (via Bethesda). However, we had a bit of difficult on the CCT once the sig...

via the wonderful Java Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz... You Are a Doris! You are a Doris -- "I must help others." Dorises are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs. How to Get Along with Me * Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific. * Share fun times with me. * Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours. * Let me know that I am important and special to you. * Be gentle if you decide to criticize me. In Intimate Relationships * Reassure me that I am interesting to you. * Reassure me often that you love me. * Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me. What I Like About Being a Doris * being able to relate easily to people and to make friends * knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better * being generous, caring, and warm * being sensitive to and perceptive about others' f...

Pretending that I live in a much less organized, yet slightly more boozy version of Martha Stewart World is a Thing That Makes Me Happy ... Ingredients for Mango Mushroom Pasta Sauce ... Well, hello, Chef's Little Helper! Finished product ... Mmm. Mmm. Good. *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Congratulations. You've made it to another Friday! Do a little happy dance of joy and drink a martini! What? What's that you say? The Man doesn't let you have a martini at work? That is so not right. Well, dance along with me now! Booty Dance of Joy! (_\_)(_/_)(_\_)(_/_)(_\_) Booty Dance! Of Joy! Whew. That was fun :-) Yesterday, I met SCGB for lunch and then spent a good 3 hours in the pottery studio. I threw two mugs. Then, I pulled some handles. Then, I trimmed a mug. Then, I completely destroyed the lid I had made for the mug (oops). Then, I trimmed two vases and a small casserole. Finally, I attached handles to the mug and the casserole. Pro.Ductive. Once home, I started the vodka infusion for next week's 7th Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party and ate frozen pizza. Fun times. My plans for this weekend include yard-raking and house-cleaning. If I get everything I want done today, I'm going to happy hour with Ray. Saturday, I'm hoping to...

Receiving a postcard from my best friend from my college days from one of my favorite places in the world is a Thing That Makes Me Happy ... Yet, it makes me a little sad too. Receiving a book from a SuperFantastic Friend returns me to my happy state! :-) *smooches*

I can't help it. When one spends his entire month's "miscellaneous" budget allotment on something one should get at least two blog posts out of it. So here is my photo montage, cleverly titled I was slightly tipsy and alone and trying to take a photo of the back of my head to show you how awesome my hair looked and don't you think Korto was robbed? Oops. Getting closer! Even closer! YAY! The Front and the Back! Have a good morning, kittens! *smooches*

Having my hair made its *cough* natural *cough* color plus a 1.5 hour therapy session with Leah the Colornatrix is a Thing That Makes Me Happy . *smooches*

... and we're *all* invited ! AND, I'm bringing the Money-Infused Vodka! I am neither poor nor overwhelmed by staggering debt; however, my current income is not covering my outgo, which, if the situation continues, could lead to heart-stoppingly staggering debt. And, no one wants that. Prior to the beginning of the Unfortunate Unemployment, I kept a meticulous budget ... using a very basic spreadsheet. It looked like this: Notice (after you click to embiggen) that the unchanging payments (mortgage, co-op fee, student loan, etc.) are at the top, followed by variable expenses (groceries, entertainment) and I spend a heckuvalot of money at Whole Foods and the likker store. Also, notice that I put a constant -yet small- amount of money in savings every month. Pay yourself first, kittens. That needs to be said again: Pay. Yourself. First. Kittens. Srsly. You are worth it. Now, let's take a look at a During the Unfortunate Unemployment budget: Uh? What? "There's nothing ...

Having a cold beer when I really wanted a cold beer is a Thing That Makes Me Happy This is Lienenkugel's Summer Shandy (which is a weiss beer with lemonade). So refreshing ... and so totally girlie (according to my British friend, A-M, who turned me on to the Lemon Shandy).

Good Morning, Kittens. Everyone back to work today? Workin' hard for the money? So hard for the money? Workin' hard for the money but they still don't treat you right? I know, right. It's a difficult life, but we're relying on *you* to keep our economy strong (and if I don't get a job soon to send me cash)! Pottery class last night was interesting. I required lots of instructor assistance. Fortunately, there were several people absent so I didn't feel like I was monopolizing the instructor's attention. I had to trim three oddly-shaped urn-like things (which will be made into sort of spouted water jugs). The instructor had to throw a chuck, which could hold them in place while I trimmed the bottoms. I liked how the first two turned out, but the third one is still too heavy. Oh, well. Then, the instructor trimmed the lids for me, because I "take too long to trim things." Sorry. I'm careful . If I am motivated today, I may go back to the studi...

Having lunch with my best friend is a Thing That Makes Me Happy : Hurray for Federal holidays! *smooches*