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

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ... It looks like M and I might be getting back together.  Recently, we've had amazing times together.  And, he seems to be open to us going to counseling.  I am hoping both individual and couple.  BUT, I haven't had the inclination to look into it because.  well.  I am stressed out about the whole stupid Government Shutdown. I AM GETTING SHUTDOWN ZITS!  WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?! As for the other guy I was casually dating (remember: the hot bad kisser?), I let him down easy. WHICH, brings me to the title of my new book idea: How to Let Him Down Easy by Not Returning His Phone Calls. I KID!  I did return his phone calls.  well, his text messages.  And I was all "this just isn't working for me."  Because it wasn't.  I don't get it.  He was super-hot. Smart.  Good job.  Nice guy. BUT, I wasn't all that into him.  *sigh*  I should have been.  Oh, well. I hav...

Where to start to bring you up to date?  Hmmmm. Worklife:  Work is still good.  I still like my job.  We are very short-staffed at the moment, but should be bringing on a few new people in the very near future (assuming their security clearances go off without a hitch, which -considering recent events- may not be that likely).  I am keeping my fingers crossed that Congress can get their collective heads out of their collective asses and not shut down the government.  I needz mah paychex. Lovelife: This part is a mess.  I have resumed sexual relations with my most recent ex.  We both know that we are not good as a couple ... except when we are naked and having the superhot buttsecks.  I'm pretty sure that this is not going to be sustainable in the long-term.  But, I am enjoying the ride (so to speak).  I am also trying to date some.  We'll see how that goes.  Runninglife: The Parks Half Marathon was fun.  I ran...

In preparation for a visit by a World Renowned Author, Professor, Ex-Blogger, I have been cleaning out my spare room.  During which, I discovered a treasure trove of memories.  One of which being the above drawing of a 48-hour chick embryo.  Which I made during the most difficult class I ever took, Comparative Vertebrate Embryology. So, I posted the photo to the facebooks and a former classmate said she had also saved all her drawings and reminded me of the nickname we had given ourselves (ourselves being the 8 students in the class): The Pig Masters. This was because we spent way too many hours every week in the lab staring into a microscope making sketches of cross-sections of a 10mm pig embryo.  Oh, yeah.  Good times.  And, at 3AM, things could get a little punchy ... AND, then, tonight, I phoned my BFF from College (who was also in that class) and she was at her mom's house for the rest of the week.  Her mom is amazing (of course, everyone ...

OMG, Kittens!  Remember me?  How are you?  Is anyone still out there? My Exciting New Job started on the January 28th and settling into that has been busy busy busy.  I don't even know where to begin to start catching up on my life. So here are just some of the random things that have happened in the past two weeks that I can remember ... At some point, I had a fun little Adult Sleepover (without actually sleeping over) with K (remember him?).  He is still as enthusiastic as ever.  *rowr* The Little Red Car's battery has died.  And, I need to give it a jump.  But, that seems scary. So, I have been procrastinating. M (not the one in Vegas) decided he didn't want to hang out with me anymore.  But, now he has changed his mind. And, we are getting together on Sunday for a little Super Bowl Part for two.  So, that should be fun. This SuperHot guy I hooked up with about two years ago contacted me out of the blue.  But, I have ...

Good morning, kittens! And, I'm back from my "wonderful" weekend at the National Harbor.  Well, parts of it were wonderful, but most of it Just. Sucked. The wonderful parts were being able to hang out with V from Philly and ... well, that's about it, really. Friday, after work, a co-worker drove me to the National Harbor, because there is really no good way to get there via public transportation.  I met V at the Aloft and he gave me a key to our room and then went back to work the Holiday Festival.  The Aloft sucked. The room had no heat.  We complained twice and each time they said they would send up an engineer to look at it.  They did not. V from Philly got back from the Festival around 7ish, and we met his co-worker for dinner. We first went to the Rosa Mexicano, but they had no available seating until 9:30PM.  So, we tried this Italian place (name of which I can never remember) where my co-workers and I sometimes go for lunch.  They we...

Good Evening, Kittens! This week at work, I've been participating in some sort of Walking contest sponsored by the Occupational Health and Safety Office.  I got a pedometer and have been wearing it from 9 to 5 as I go about my daily bidness. The annoying thing is that I start work at 7:30.  BUT, I guess they want to make the contest fair-ish. Fair or not, I am still losing. On Monday, I walked 5,661 steps ... about 2.5 miles, maybe?  That night, I found out that K also has a pedometer.  So, we decided to have a little contest on our own (Tues-Thurs, b/c he's going out of town for the weekend).  The loser would become the Personal Sex Slave of the winner for ALL TIME!* On Tuesday, I walked 7,740 steps.  K did not walk that many. On Wednesday, I walked 13,401 steps. K did not walk that many either. I also did laundry.  And, then, when I went to cook dinner, I sliced open a delicata squash from our CSA.  and the seeds were all rotted an...

Good Sunday Morning, Kittens.  I can't believe I haven't updated all week.  Remember when I used to update daily/several times a day?  Yeah, me neither.  ANYWAYz, work has been work.  Everything is spiraling down into a cesspit of despair.  One colleague put in her two week notice, and the rest of us are frantically looking for different jerbz.  I don't think my situation is as shaky as some others', but, still, the handwriting is on the wall ... Besides work stress, I did go running 3 times this week.  Yay!  I am thinking of waking up early in the morning to run, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.  It would involve me getting up around 4:20AM.  Which means, I will need to go to bed around 8:30 or 9.  That seems ridiculously early. I may give it a try for a week or two to see how it works.  I'll let you know. On Thursday, I took a long lunch and met Carolyn and Kristen.  We haven't hung out togethe...

Oh, hai, Kittenz! Apparently, none of my local Kittens want any of my crappy pottery, so I guess I am going to be forced to leave it on the side of the road or throw it into Sligo Creek as a gift to the Pottery Gods.  Oh, well.  Crappy Pottery is so unloved. (Alternatively, it could be that there are no Local Kittens, but the thought of that gives me the sadz.  Begone Sadz Thoughtz!) When you last read VUBOQ things were peachy keen and we were on the Cusp of a Brand New Weekend.  Well, that weekend was chock full of fun and excitement. On Friday, I had Happy Hour with my co-worker, Tomokito, Bobby (formerly known as Steveandbobby), and Jerry at Nellie's.  My co-worker left and the rest of us were joined by Mike (Who Makes Cakes) at Alero, where we had many, many margaritas.  At least, I had many, many margaritas.   Saturday, I made marinara sauce.  And sliced up watermelon. Because I had early Sunday morning plans, I stayed in, an...

Good Evening, My Sweet, Sweet, Intoxicated Kittens! Things are bubbling and gurgling here in Vutopia ... Last night, I had a date.  We went to Number 9.  They have a 2-for-1 happy hour.  I may have gotten a little tipsy.  I also may have made out with my date in the bar.  He's cute.  Smart.  Employed. Short.  Old(er ... 52). Divorced. Has 2 grown children.  Seems mostly well-adjusted.  And an OK kisser.  I think I could really be interested in him ... if Mr. Las Vegas (aka M) would ever leave Las Vegas and I could figure out how I feel about him and he feels about me and what exactly is going on there ... *sigh*  This guy (who we shall call L) asked if I was single.  I said I was.  Which is true.  But I also told him I am dating around, which is also true.  And I may have mentioned that there is a complicated situation.  Why is life so hard? In the meantime, we are going out again.  On Friday...

Good Evening, My Sweet, Sweet, Furry Kittens of Joy! My weekend was chock full o' fun and excitement, if you define "fun and excitement" as "being on the sofa, watching DVDs, and knitting." On Friday, I went to an orthopedic surgeon.  He (well, his nurse) took x-rays of my back.  And, it looks fine (so he says).  There are a couple of picky little things going on with my lower vertebrae, but they are probably not the cause of my SuperIntenseBackPainOwOwOw.  So, he prescribed physical therapy (meh) and a Bottle of Miracle Pills (aka NSAIDs).  Seriously, I took the first one and, in, like, 15 minutes most of the debilitating back pain was Gone!  I still have a nagging little twinge and am not nearly as mobile as I would like, but, OMG, so. much. better (ish). BUT, although mostly mobile, I felt I should spend most of the weekend resting.  Which I did.  It was lovely. Mike (Who Makes Cakes) came over Friday evening for a little while. On Sat...

Good Evening, Kittens! I have a precious few spare minutes, so I thought I would take a few moments to update you on my SuperFascinating Life!  Don't you feel special? I'm sure you do. Anyway, the Big Excitement last weekend was Tomokito's Green Card Party on Saturday.  Hallelujah!  She (and her husband) is (are) finally (a) legal resident alien(s) (or whatever the term is).  Apparently, some time back, Tomokito and I were sitting around drinking (imagine!) and I drunkenly slurred something along the lines of "if you ever get your Green Card, I will buy you a pair of Manolos." I have NO recollection of ever saying that.  However, the first thing Tomokito did after finding out that she *may* be getting her Green Card was to say, "Woo hoo!  You have to buy me a pair of Manolos." Which, after all the expense she put into getting the GC, I was happy to oblige.  Fortunately, Tomokito has many, many friends who all love her dearly.  They w...

Good Evening, Kittens.  I guess I need to fill you in on all the fun and excitement of my week. There was none. Ta-da!  Haha.  I kid.  There was some.  The best part was the celebrating Tomokito's Birthday with many, many margaritas on Monday afternoon, and then trekking into DC for an Adult Sleepover with K (although there wasn't a whole lot of sleeping ... *ahem*). While I was on my way to his place, he texted and said I should meet him at his friends' house in Columbia Heights.  So I did.  We had drinks there.  His friends are nice.  A showed up (if you remember, it was at A's birthday brunch way back in -like- March where I met K).  Another mutual friend showed up.  We left.  Went back to K's place and commenced Sleeping Over (in an Adult way). Tuesday morning = UGH.  Actually, most of Tuesday = UGH.  It was a rough day.  Wednesday, I did laundry. Thursday, OMG, that's today!  I had to sit...

Good Evening, Kittens. I am back to work. *ugh* The 5:15AM wake-up time is as awful as I remembered it being. And the people I work for are as clusterfuckified as I remember them being. Although I am glad to be gainfully employed, I totally need a new jerbz. Anyway, Monday night, I got a couple of pieces of pottery back ... the platter pictured above, this soup mug-like thing: And another platter, which will be a wedding present for some friends who are getting married next week. And, on Tuesday, my first day back in the office, the Space Shuttle Discovery stopped by to say "Welcome Back to Work." My co-worker and I climbed up on the roof on the south side of our building, and I managed to take a short video: And, there you have it. Good times for all involved. *smooches*

Good Afternoon, Kittens! As you may have heard, I am currently in contractual flux with my job. As of Monday, I am on Leave Without Pay until (possibly) April 16th. WFT? My company is going to try to throw me a couple hours here and there, but still. Leave. Without Pay. GAH! Fortunately, I have my tax refund and my end of year work bonus to tide me over during these Dark Times. So, I have been spending my days (well, day and a half, so far), blobbing on the sofa, taking naps, and drinking myself into a slobbering sobbing drunken mess. More productively, I have also planted lettuce and carrots (pictured) in my little garden plot. I went to pottery class ... and I plan to go to pottery studio a couple of times this week. I will also be updating my resume and doing a little job hunting. Good times. Yesterday, my college friend, Karalee, and I went to see "The Hunger Games." Both of us have read the book. And, while we enjoyed the movie, felt that it did not quite live ...

Good Morning, Kittens. It has been awhile, hasn't it? Sorry about that ... Last week was a bit of a hot mess. I had to go to Franconia-Forking-Springfield every day because my contractual issues still had not been worked out. Of course, they still haven't been worked out, so I am on Paid Leave this week. More on that later ... The only good thing about going to Franconia-Forking-Springfield was that I got to hang out with Amy, the Blogger Formerly Known As Shallowgal. She took me out for lunch one day. We went to this cute little Thai place. I can't remember the name. Bangkok something? It was delicious. Friday, after work, I met Eric (Not From Baltimore), his boyfriend, and another friend of theirs for happy hour/dinner. We went to Sidebar/Jackie's in Silver Spring. The cocktails were delicious (highly recommended!). The service was lackluster. And, the food was also quite tasty, but -in my opinion- over-priced for what it was. So, go for the cocktails. ...

Good Evening, Kittens. Apologies for the lack of postings, there is something about waking up earlier than normal to commute to Baltimore and getting home later than usual that is, like, totally exhausting. Yeah, so I was at this conference for 3 days. It was good. I learned a lot. And, there was a lot of free time ... Unfortunately, Eric from Baltimore was too busy (*cough* he hates me *cough*) to hang out during lunch. As were a couple of other friends. *sigh* Somehow, I managed to survive on my own ... So the highlight of Day One was this: Eggplant "Meat"loaf Sandwich from B & O American Brasserie Also, two glasses of wine. It's OK to drink during lunch ... at a conference! The highlight of Day Two was this: I'm not even that big a fan of the EAP, but when in Baltimore ... Also, beer. And a little more beer. And, then, I may have had some more beer. (What? It was beautiful day, and I found a patio. It's allowed.) The highlight of Day Three was th...

Good Evening, Kittens. As you may recall, I am a government contractor. And, today was one of those days which exemplifies why working as a contractor sux sweaty ballz. First, I had to sit through a two hour long meeting o' drivel. DRIVEL! Then, when I got back to my desk, my company called. Guess what? The organization for which I work has not completed our contract renewal information. And, that is bad because my contract expires in a week and a half. My company (the sub-contractor) is working on it. The prime contractor is working on it. The agency in charge of the contracting vehicle is working on it. Who isn't working on it? My clients. Some of whom I would call totally incompetent except it would be an insult to totally incompetent people. GAH! So, in two weeks, I'm going to have to report to company headquarters (which is VERY FAR AWAY) for a few days. If nothing is resolved, I will (more than likely) be furloughed until the contract is renewed ... and who ...

Good Evening, Kittens. Technically, we aren't three, but (No Longer a Baby) Baby Hana is three. How did that happen? GAH. Guncle VUBOQ is getting oooooold. Anyway, so, Friday after work, a co-worker and I went out for drinks . And, then, rumor has it that I may have been a little tipsy and walking by a cupcake shop ... Once home, I settled on the sofa and watched "Happy Go Lucky" on DVD. It was pretty awesome. Saturday morning, I went for a 6.5 mile run (in under an hour ... just barely). Then, I took a nap. Mmm. Nap. After my nap, I met SCGB at CitySports in Silver Spring. There was a Living Social Deal $50 for $25. I needed another "compression" shirt from Under Armour . So. Very. Tight ... but, also very very warm. Then, SCGB and I went to Adega (imagine!) for lunch. Somehow, we managed to drink a bottle of wine. Not sure how that happened. After lunch, we headed to Hana's 3rd Birthday Party. Food! Cake! Lots and lots of Boozy Beverages...

Good Afternoon, Kittens! Yesterday, we were released from work at around 3PM. And, today, our building is closed again. Apparently, there was a water main break of some sort. Also, this water main break happened last Friday. I know this because I track our building's water usage via an online metering system. Of course, I didn't find this out until Wednesday morning (because of the holiday last Monday and everyone told me that the "flood" in the basement was coming from outside our building). When I checked the meter readings for the weekend, I was, like, um, "No, it's happening in our building somewhere." I provided the information I had to the people in charge. I guess they decided not to act on it for a couple of days. Whatever. So, today, I am working from home. I did bring some files home with me in anticipation of this surprise "day off." Besides working from home today, I have also worked from Trader Joe's and I have made it ...

Good Morning, Kittens! I was actually busy at work yesterday (I know! WTF?), so I didn't have time to tell you all about my exciting Monday. Lessee ... I woke up. And then I went to the dermatologist for an Annual Mole Check. If you have never had one (I never had), be advised: The doctor is *very* thorough. Luckily, I have no mole-y melanomas. Yay! And he said that I don't really need an Annual Mole Check. More like an Every 3 to 4 Years Mole Check (Tri to Quadrennial Mole Check, I suppose). Oh! I forgot to mention that on the bus ride to the Silver Spring metro station, I ran into a cute neighborhood gay. We've hung out before. He's supercute, young, not very bright, and *ahem* rather well-endowed. SO I'VE HEARD! We were totally like "we have to hang out again." So maybe we will later this week. ANYWAYz ... After the appointment ended, I headed home and to Trader Joe's, where I spent a ridiculous amount of money. Then, I went to Whole F...