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

Good Morning, Kittens.   Apologies for the lack of posting.  I have stress.  Mostly work-related with a (not-so) helpful mix of other stuff as well.  I am working on getting it sorted.  So bear with me.   Meanwhile, remember the "Show Me Your Best Mugshot" contest?  Well, we have a second place winnar!  Congratulations, Michelle M.!  I would link to your pic, but I can't.  Trust me.  It is awesomeness in a bucket!   Michelle, you may choose between one of these fabulous mugs:   Mug 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058038775/ Mug 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058044325/ Mug 4: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058049431/   Let me know which one you'd like, and -once I get my forking act together- I'll ship it to you!    In other news, it is a SUPERBUSY weekend ...   David arrives today after work.  I'm planning on meeting him at the bus stop, and, then, we are going to pick up my (and 2 of my neighbors') Marine ...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Remember the "Show Me Your Best Mugshot" Contest?  Well, the Canadian has provided us with a winnar!  YAY!   And, I would LOVE to show you the winning photo, but -since I'm at work and have to update via email- I can't.  Sorry.   Oh, wait.  I just remembered she sent it via twitpic.  Here's a link: http://twitpic.com/2zd0i9 .   ANYWAYz, congratulations to our Grand Prize Winner, ShallowGal , for exquisite photo of the Salahis in one of the mugs.  Funnily enough, this was also my pick for the win.  Apparently, I have Canadian tastes in mugshots?   ShallowGal, please choose one of the four mugs pictured below as your prize ...   (Haha.  Who am I kidding?  I can't post pictures.)   So, um, ShallowGal, click on these fun links and choose your mug:   Mug 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058033067/ Mug 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058038775/ Mug 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058044325/ ...

Good Morning, Kittens.   I got some good news yesterday.  As you may know, the mortgage on my apartment is a 5-1 ARM.  That means, I paid the same interest rate for 5 years.  Then, it adjusts every year after that based on some weird financial calculation that I don't understand.  Five years ago, I got a decent rate (after paying a point*) of 5.75%.  Yesterday, I received a letter from the mortgage company explaining that my new rate will go into effect on 1 January.  Whoa.  Have I been in my place for 5 years?  And I *still* haven't redone the kitchen?  Why do I suck at this kind of stuff?   Anyway, my new interest rate?  It is an awesome (and low) 3%.  CRAZY.  Which without going into too much detail, means that I can pay about $200 less a month than I'm paying now and STILL be paying more principal than I am now.  INSANE!   What am I going to do with that extra money?  Probably drink it.  Haha.  Seriously, I think I will do a "Pay Myself" program, in wh...

Good morning, Kittens.   So, Friday night, I went to my friend's *cough*50th*cough* birthday party.  It was lots of fun.  I drank a lot.  And, then, we actually got a ride to Silver Spring.  Yay!  It was cold out and I didn't want to have to wait for metro.  Once back at my place, SCGB, Tomokito, Eric from Baltimore and I had a margarita before saying good night.  I didn't get to bed until nearly 3AM.   Saturday morning?  Very. Hung. Over.  I blobbed around the house for most of the day ... and, then, I went for a run.  The weather was gorgeous. I ran (and walked) just over 6 miles.  Yay!  And, I didn't die.  Yay!  Once I had rested up a bit, I walked up to the Whole Foods (and likker store).  I bought a few ingredients that I needed for dinner and I bought a bottle of wine and a big ol' bottle of vodka.   Once home, I made ginger-infused vodka.  Hopefully, it will be ready in time for the post-10K party next Sunday.  Then, I cooked dinner: pesto-braised but...

Hello, Kittens.   I realized I forgot to blog this morning.  Oops.  What can I say?  I had an early meeting, and, then, I had to make it work (and watch the penultimate episode of Project Runway).   Weekend plans:  Tonight, I'm going to a friend's birthday party.  Mike is making the cake.  Yay!  Eric from Baltimore is coming down.  Tomokito and SCGB will be there.  Should be a rockin' good time.   Saturday, recovering and cleaning.   Sunday, pottery studio.   Yay!   Have a great weekend!

Good Morning, Kittens.  After yesterday's rather heavy post, how about some fluff?   Like, my New Winter Coat ! Kenneth Cole!  Purchased from Hautelook!  Greatly reduced!  Wool!  Hurrah!  Warm and snuggly FTW.   And, FLOWERS !  From my neighbor, K-Factor.  Who said, "Sorry, they aren't purple, but they are purple-ish."   And, a NEW BELT (no pic.  sorry) from the Canadian (who is K-Factor's BF), who said that the belt was Just Too Crazy for him to wear.  So, of course, I had imagined something sparkly or with studs or something.  But, no, it's ... well ... it's pretty much a plain black belt.  Interesting ...   And, finally, the Show Me Your Best Mugshot Contest has EIGHT entries thus far.  It's not too late to enter.  You have until tomorrow (at, what? say, midnight EST?). Send me your mugshots.  We have a stellar (and foreign!) judge lined up!  Yay!   Have a great day!  *smooches*  

7th grade, pre-algebra class ...   As I worked out a problem on the board, the boy whispered loud enough so I could hear, but the teacher couldn't, "Steven Gay-vis.  Steven Gay-vis."  My ears burned.   8th grade, homeroom ...   "Are you going to take your boyfriend to the Spring Dance," the girl taunted me in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. I flushed and sank lower in my seat.   The first day of 9th grade ...   "Aren't you the one everyone thought was gay in middle school," the guy asked me as I sat at the high school cafeteria table full of students from another middle school with whom I was trying to make friends.  I said nothing.   Three small instances.  Simple sentences.  Not-so-innocent questions.  30 years later I still remember them as the tiny pieces of grit that got under my skin.  Oyster-like, I built up layers of protection, coating the grit until it no longer hurt.   But, at the core of my sparkly fabulousness, t...

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that blog readers in possession of a good (or even a not-so-good) camera, must be in want of a mug.   Why, yes, I have been rereading Pride and Prejudice .  Why do you ask?  So far, my sweet sweet kittenz, we have 5 entries in the "Show My Your Best Mugshot" Contest.  They range for the unquestionably cutez to the horribly frightening.  AND, you still have a few more days to submit your entry (Friday, Oct. 22 is the deadline).  If you have trouble providing a link, feel free to email the photo directly to me (environyATgmailDOTcom).   I have a truly stellar Guest Judge lined up (unless he was too drunk at the party and forgot I asked him).  In that case, I *may* have a stellar Guest Judge lined up.   And, if you can't believe it, I have EVEN MORE pottery on the way (although, I don't know if I'll be having a contest ... they may become Xmas presents or something).  So far this session, I have made 3 mugs, 2 bowls, 2 s...

Good Afternoon, Kittens. Whew! Busy day today! I've planted chrysanthemums and ironed 10 shirts. I still need to take out the recycling, iron a couple of pairs of pants, and clean clean clean ... and maybe go for a run (although I might put that off until tomorrow). Anyway, good weekend. Friday, I had happy hour at Molly Malones in Eastern Market/Barracks Row. Lots of beer. Maybe a tequila shot. Little food. VUBOQ was a little durnk. Saturday, very. hungover. Lots of blobbing. And a 3.5 mile run. Then, Carolyn came over and we went to dinner at 8407 Kitchen Bar, a new-ish restaurant near Silver Spring Metro Station. It was delicious ... but expensive ... especially when you add in cocktails, a couple of glasses of wine, and dessert. After dinner, I went to K-Factor's birthday party at Buddha Bar in DC. It was fun, but the drinks were pricey. And it started to get really crowded. And sometimes really crowded places make me uncomfortable. And the second drink I orde...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Once again, I must despair over the dirth of entries into the "Show Me Your Best Mugshot" Contest.  C'mon people.  I have pottery to give away.  You know you want it.  I think I'm going to set the deadline for entries as Friday, October 22nd.  Enter now for your chance to win.  All I need is a mugshot.  How hard is that?   In other news, I am out of dry vermouth.  Must go to likker store soon.    Yesterday, I went running.  It was good.  I spent most of yesterday gorging on Halloween candy and the run helped to get rid of my major Sugar Buzz.  My knee hurts this morning though.  I have two more weeks to get up to speed for the Marine Corps Marathon 10K.  Gah.   And, the weekend is fast approaching. Huzzah.  AND, it's a three-day weekend.  Double HUZZAH!  After work, a current co-worker and I are meeting a former co-worker (formerly known as the Skankified Ho) and her new beau for happy hour in Eastern Market.  Boozy good times wi...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Well, as proven by all the comments on my last post, the interest in my "Show Me Your Best Mugshot" contest has been ASTOUNDING!  I can't wait to see all the pictures everyone (or ... um ... no one) submits.    There are 4 mugs in need of good homes, so get to it.    Yesterday, I hosted two guest speakers from the Alliance to Save Energy.  The turnout was amazing (I think the general may have put a little pressure on some people).  Standing room only.  At least 30 people.  I had expected 15-20.  The talk was good.  I hope people learned something.   AND, I bought the airplane tickets for my Fall vacation ... I am going to that Exciting Vacation Destination, the Place Everyone Wants to Visit, the City Where Dreams Come True ... DETROIT (and Ann Arbor)!  YAY!  It's a short trip.  I'm flying up on Saturday and returning on Tuesday.  Mostly I want to visit the fantastic cuzin and other friends and get out of here for a little while.  I...

Good Morning, Kittens.   Yesterday was a big pile of UGH.  Things that went wrong:   1. Huge setback with something I've been working on for almost a year, taking me back almost to Square One.  2. Very Important Meeting I organized was only attended by 4 people.  Several people who were supposed to be at the meeting walked by and did not come in. 3. After the meeting (which ended at 4:45), I have an email saying I have to create a presentation by 1PM today.  Then, give a practice presentation (um?  what?  of the many things I do need to practice, making presentations is not one of them) in front of my supervisor.  Oh, and the practice presentation is scheduled for the exact same time when I have two guest speakers scheduled.  Oh, and the practice presentation is for a meeting which is supposed to be on the 14th, but a meeting notice *still* has not been sent out.  Wasted. Effort.  IMHO.   So, I left work Very Cranky.  But, I went for a run (about 2.5 miles) and had a marti...

Good Morning, Kittens! What a weekend. Like, *whew* ... I am exhausted. AND, there is still EVEN MOAR fun on tap for today. So, Thursday, after nearly being mugged on the train home from work, one of the Alphabet Boys ("I") texted. He wanted to come over. I said no. Thursday night was ME Night. I made a delicious dinner of tofu, bok choy, and mushroom stirfry (using my own homemade habenero hot sauce). And, I had a bottle of prosecco. And, I watched the 3.5 hour Bollywood Extravaganza, Khabi Khushi Khabie Gham . It was amazing. Then, I went to bed and finished reading the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay . Friday, I had a hair appointment. Yay. After that, I met Mike Who Makes Cakes for Lunch. When I got home, I had a package: Glitter Bandages! from an anonymous stalker! YAY! They are so fun. Thanks, Mystery Anonymous Stalker Person! I wore one out to da clubz. Which is what I did Friday evening, Eric from Baltimore and I met Tomokito at th...

Good Morning, Kittens.   Last night, I was totally going to get a post ready of pics of my most recently glazed pottery (you may remember them as the mugs which gave me the Horrible -yet totes cute- Finger Burn).  However, that didn't quite happen.    And, when I've tried to post actual pics from flickr using the blogger Post by Email function, they haven't quite worked.   So here's a link to the first mug: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enviroboi/5058639656/   You can click through to see the other four.  The three blue ones are the ones that had drippy glaze issues.  Three are handbuilt.  The other two I made on the wheel.   Today is my Friday.  Hallelujah.   Once the workday is finished, I'm stopping by the likker store to restock my supplies.  And, then, I'm spending the evening on the sofa watching DVDs and drinking myself into an incomprehensible stupor.   Joy.   Have a great day! *smooches*

Good morning, kittens.   Working 18 9-hour days in a row (well, not including weekends) is hard.  I am tired and looking forward to my four-day weekend ... I really want to spend the whole time sleeping, but I don't think that will be possible.  So far, in addition to the crazy amount of cleaning/ironing/housework I need to do, I also have the following on the agenda: hair appointment, crazy night out clubbing with Eric from Baltimore, wedding, and lunch with a friend.  I'd also like to do a little yardwork.  We'll see if that all happens.   Work is insane right now.  I can not find the motivation to get all the stuff I need to get done done.  Thus, it's not getting done.  Even though I do like learning the things I'm learning, I am also sometimes overwhelmed with all the that needs to be done.  Plus the fact that I have the wrong required qualifications for the job ... and if the people I work for ever figure that out, I'm on the unemployment line again.  ...

Good morning, kittens.   Yesterday was not the best of days.    For one thing, I started missing D.  It really sucks when you meet someone with whom you really click, but he's going through some s**t and doesn't seem to have the time/desire to date.  At least that's my impression.  It could also be that he really wasn't all that in to me (which is kind of hard to believe.  I am fabulous) and used the whole Life Crisis thing as an excuse.   But, I've decided to not contact him until mid-month, when he leaves for a 10 day vacation.  And all I will say is "have a safe trip" or something to that effect.  In the meantime, the cranberry juice which I bought for him to drink when he was supposed to come over remains undrunk.  And the DVD we were going to watch remains unwatched.  *sigh*   At some point, I suppose I will get thirsty and desire entertainment ... and those stupid little hurdles will be crossed.   And, I guess I eventually will stick my t...

Good Morning, Kittens. *whew* What a weekend! I went up to NYC for " David Pasteelnick's " 45th Birthday Cabaret, which, although it sounds similar, is *nothing* like a Birthday Cabernet ... both do contain quite a bit of alcohol. ANYWAYZ, so I left for NYC immediately after work ... if you define "immediately" to mean "not even close to immediately." I finished work at 4. My bus was at 5:30. So, I had time to wander around Macy's for a minute and to get food for the bus at Chopt. Of course, then the bus was over an hour late. We didn't board until well past 6:30. ugh. Which means I didn't get to NYC until after 11 (original arrive time was supposed to be 9:20). Which means I didn't get to Jake's place in Brooklyn until nearly midnight. Which means I was very tired Saturday morning. I was supposed to meet Nida for coffee in the morning, but I was tired and she had swollen ankles. Instead, I met Y for brunch around 2 at Cur...

Good Morning, Kittens!   Today, I am hosting a Guest Speaker as part of Energy Awareness Month (see my fantastic interactive bulletin board ?).   I sent out a blast email yesterday afternoon to promote the Guest Speaker:   The Energy Program invites you to join us tomorrow at 1000 hrs in the East Wing Lobby for a guest speaker from the Renewable Fuels Association ( www.ethanolrfa.org ).   He will be speaking about the energy and cost saving benefits of using ethanol.   Hope to see you there!   I got this response from my co-worker:   I have a question....since the amount of energy you get from a gallon of ethanol is less then gasoline, how is that cost saving?   DOE's July 2010 report on Alternative Fuels cost comparison on an Energy-Equivalent Basis has gasoline at $2.71 a gallon and to get the same energy from ethanol you will spend $3.25?   I don't see a cost savings here.   If we wanted real cost savings, we should be using CNG at $1.91 for the cost on an En...