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

Good Morning, Kittens. Happy Bringer-of-Deadly-Diseases-to-an-Unprotected-and-Susceptible-Population Day! I hope you all get to stay home and enjoy the beautiful weather, rather than slaving away for the Man. So ... Friday, Eric from Baltimore drove down. We met Tomokito (and babeh!), SCGB, and SCGB's *new* SuperCute Unfortunately Straight German Roommate (SCUSGR?) at Nellie's for Happy Hour. Then, we wandered over to Busboys and Poets for dinner (I had the veggie burger. YUM!). After dinner, we headed back to my place for another round of drinks before everyone retired for the evening and Eric from Baltimore drove home. Saturday, I semi-cleaned the living room. I have *got* to get moving on this cleaning thing. the 7th Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party fast approaches. I did some yard work (mostly tidying up the flower garden). I went for a run of about 3 miles. I collapsed in a heap on the sofa. Sunday ... well ... you can see most of my Sunday in the previous post....

It's a bit early, but I'm not going to be doing anything else today ... other than sit on my sofa. So, here's my 12 of 12. Enjoy! Isabella relaxes in the early morning sun! My chrysanthemums are blooming! I think this photo may be upside down. But, it doesn't look right no matter which way I rotate it. If you own that blue car at the end of the line, I hate you. No, srsly. I do. That car's alarm started going off around midnight last night. It was still going off this morning. I called the cops at 10AM. They couldn't do anything. According to a neighbor, it finally stopped around 1:30. On my way to the pottery studio, surreptitiously taking a photo of a cute boy on the Metro. I use the kickwheel. Sometimes it's difficult finding your center. The cylinder ... After shaping ... Balloons! Foliage! Pumpkins! 2 for $10! And, it seems like all my 12 of 12s end this way ... Martini! For the other pictures I took today, go here .

Like, dudes, OMG. (1) Why am I still awake, and (2) Why am I so MF'ing depressed? I mean, really, I just watched Flower Drum Song (and, like, OMG, it totally was Bloody Mary playing the ... um ... sister of the wife of the father of the oldest son who was totally supposed to fall immediately in love with the pretty illegal Chinese immigrant and marry her straight off, but he didn't b/c, well, he loved the trashy showgirl (Don't we all?) but somehow it all ended up happily with a double wedding ... I am still singing "Happy Talk." And I had to IMDB it to confirm that it really was the betelnut-chewing-Bali-Hai-singing Bloody Mary. And, then, I learned that she was dubbed in the movie [ South Pacific , not Flower Drum Song ] even though she won a MotherForking TONY [Tony! Tony! Tony!] by the actress who played Bloody Mary in the London version of the show and, like, fork, my entire worldview has been shattered. Whatevs.). Yeah, I could be wrong about the Tony. ...

Having something other than a hummus sandwich for lunch is a Thing That Makes Me Happy : *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Happy Friday and Holiday Weekend! I completely forgot that this was a 3-day weekend for some ... I guess that's what happens when every three days are a 3-day weekend. I was up a bit later than usual last night, so I decided to sleep in this morning. 'Til 9! It was lovely. AND, they've turned on our boiler. Which now means I wake up every couple of hours gagging for some water. Teh dryness! So thirsty! I guess it is time to set up my little jars of water around the house. Oh. And I was supposed to have a date yesterday evening ... but he had to work late. Boo. It turned into a phone date. Nice enough guy. He's from NY/NJ. Which means he has this accent which reminds me of this guy who lived on my hall my junior year of college who was not very nice to me. He (the date, not the hallmate) is going home this weekend, so, perhaps, we'll meet up next week sometime. AND, I made a hair appointment! HUZZAH! Will I go Red for Autumn? Or...

Seeing the final results of my pottery is a Thing That Makes Me Happy ! Mugs: Cannister: I also trimmed a vase and a casserole dish today. AND, threw a vase and a lidded mug. I *heart* pottery! *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Did everyone catch Project Runway last night? So that BOSSY can keep reading, there will be no spoilers. I was not surprised by who got auf'ed. However, I felt someone else, based solely on what was created for this challenge, should have been kicked off instead. Oh, well. Life moves on ... Yesterday's lunch with Ray was fun (even though it was in Virginia ). He's going through some "stuff" right now (which I can't blog about (I KNOW!) because it hasn't been made public yet). It's sad, but he seems to be doing all right. This morning, I need to apply for -at least- two jobs. Then, around noon, I'm heading over to the pottery studio for a bit. I have a couple things that should be ready to trim. It would be super cool if my glazed items were ready, too. I guess that's about it for now. More later. *smooches*

One of the *ahem* few *ahem* benefits of visiting Virginia is the view on the return trip ... which is one of the Things That Make Me Happy ... I am so lucky to live in (fine! near ) such a beautiful city. See? Don't I look happy? Oh, wait. I was still in Virginia at this point. No wonder. *smooches*

Good morning, my friends Kittens! I'm a little congested this morning. Ugh. *cough* *hack* *phlegm* Not. Fun. I blame the change in the seasons ... at least the boiler guy came this morning and turned on the heat. *huzzah* Yesterday, I did not accomplish anything at all (other than making a likker run). If anyone has seen my motivation, could you please return it to me? Thx. And, then, there was the Board Meeting. *w00t* Fun times. Really. By the time that was over, I was in no mood to watch the debate. So I put something more appropriate into the DVD player, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 . Today, I am meeting Ray for lunch in Virginia (ooooh. scary). And after I return, it's Laundry Time! *woo hoo* AND, gawd as mah witness, I will send out at least one resume! And maybe clean the living room. There's going to be a party here in about two weeks. Someone needs to get a move on. Have a great day! More later. *smooches*

Kittens! I walked into Whole Foods this afternoon (after deciding not to spend *all* the money my parents sent me* on booze) and what did my wondering eyes behold? ZOMGz! The Whole Foods 365 Brand Pink Grapefruit Italian Soda, which mysteriously vanished from the shelves a few weeks ago (or at least I noticed it a few weeks ago. Sometimes, VUBOQ is not the most observant) has returned !!! Oh, happy happy joy joy! But, then, a shocking realization ... it has returned smaller and more expensive ! WTFup with that, Whole Foods? Bad pink grapefruit season? I mean, really ... the Lemon Italian Soda is still in the big bottle with the (slightly) low(er) price. Disappointed that the Thing That Makes Me Happy now is making me sad, I banished smaller, more expensive Whole Foods Pink Grapefruit Italian Soda from my list of Things That Make Me Happy ... And, replaced it with this: The onset of Autumn. It makes me happy too. *Yes, my parents sometimes send me money. Wanna make something of...

Good Morning, Kittens. Yesterday seems like it was a bit of a bust. All I managed to do for the job hunt was to send a thank you email. Pottery class wasn't much better. As I was moving a vase to a table to check to see if it had dried enough to trim, I tripped on a chair leg. I now have a fun little bruise on my hand and my round vase is oval. *sigh* My large urn-like things were still not ready to trim, so instead I glazed 3 mugs and the final cannister from last session. I used mustard and Michigan brown. I am really liking that color combination. I hope they turn out well. I still had some time so I threw a small casserole dish. I didn't have time to throw the lid though. I will work on that sometime this week. Today I have some errands to run: bank, likker store, grocery store. I need to find some jobs to apply to. And I really need to start cleaning because ... It's almost time for the Social Event of the Season: The 7th Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party! Huzzah! Ha...

Getting a little surprise left in front of my door from one of my neighbors is a Thing That Makes Me Happy ... *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens. Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. Mine was a lot of fun ... Friday, I made a delicious red bean and curried sweet potato stew. Yum! Then, I watched the final three episodes of Brideshead Revisited . Saturday morning, I got up early and participated in the DC AIDS Walk. A few donations straggled in over the weekend, and my current total is $1115! I am so grateful to all the people who supported me in this undertaking. Scroll down (or click here ) for my Walk Report. I got home around 11:30AM, and, then, Mike and I went with two of his friends to Udupi Palace for a delicious all vegetarian lunch buffet. Mmm. Mmm. So good. I'm not a huge fan of Indian food, actually. I do like buffets though, because they allow me to sample a variety of dishes. And, by doing that, I am finding some Indian dishes that I do really like! Yayz! Back home, I took a long nap. Zzzzz. I love naps. Up. Dinner. And watched Children of Men ... which was quite goo...

Good Evening, Kittens. I'm up from my nap, having a martini, and reflecting on my day ... The DC AIDS Walk was amazing. Even though I couldn't convince anyone to walk with me, being among those thousands of people and knowing that so many friends and readers and family had supported me kept me going. Not that it was a long walk, but still ... Not surprisingly, I got a bit of a late start. I'm not sure why. I woke up in plenty of time, but I guess I over-dawdled. I saw the bus I needed to catch to the train station pulling away as I left my apartment. Bah. By the time I got to the starting point (and bought a cup of coffee ... I was dying for some coffee), the Walk had already stepped off ... Here are some pictures I took along the route: Wait for me! Wait for me! Walkers: More Walkers: Almost finished: A few more photos are here. I was done in about 45 minutes, I guess? Maybe an hour? It was a great way to spend the morning. When I got home, I decided to have an on...

Knowing that I have the best friends and family EVER is a Thing That Makes Me Happy . $1000 in less than 4 days! Thanks so much for your generousity and good wishes. I'll be carrying all of your thoughts with me as I walk tomorrow morning ... (and, since I haven't been able to convince anyone to walk with me -yet-, that may be all I have to keep me company!) *smooches* and *hugs* [Of course, if you still want to donate, you may. Click here !]

Good morning, Kittens! What a way to wake up this morning! Donations to my AIDS Walk have reached $955! This is so totally awesome. Not only am I a mere $45 away from reaching my goal, but I have raised more than I did last year. I truly appreciate all your support. Of course, if you haven't donated, you may do so by clickityclickclicking here . Dig deep! Give big! Win pottery! And, in other exciting news, I have a phone interview this afternoon. I'll need to start prepping for that soon. The job sounds interesting, but I have some concerns about the salary possibilities. We shall see ... Hm. Lessee ... what else ... my time in the pottery studio was well-spent. I trimmed a large bowl and 2 small casseroles. I also attached handles to the casseroles. I would go again today, but I feel I should devote my time to phone interview prep. Last night, I went to Kristi's for a Debate-Viewing Party. Lots of fun. But not much else to say about it ... right now. I'...

Stopping off for a cheap happy hour glass of wine at the cute little wine shop/cafe, Adega, on the way home from the pottery studio is a Thing That Makes Me Happy : Splurging on an order of eggplant fries makes me happy too: BUT, having so many people support me in the AIDS Walk makes me the happiest of all. Srsly, I'm at nearly 2/3 of my goal! You people ROCK! (and you can still donate by following this link ) *smooches*

Good Morning, Kittens! Here's some happy news to start the day: I'm a little over halfway to my goal of $1000 for the DC AIDS Walk! After only one day of begging for cash! I think raising the rest by Saturday is very do-able. If you'd like to contribute to the cause, click here . According to Sitemeter, about 80-100 people visit this blog every day. If everyone contributed just $5 today , I'd make my goal. And, think of the bragging rights: I raised $1000 in less than 4 days. And I'd have you to thank! AND, you'll be entered into a drawing for some fabulous (yet-to-be-made) original VUBOQ pottery. So, go. Click! Give! Win! Oh, Chelsea asked a good question about my goal: What happens if I don't raise the entire $1000? Nothing. I know sometimes the individual is responsible for paying the remainder of the goal (for example, the AIDS Marathon Training Program has a minimum which *must* be raised). The AIDS Walk is not like that. Which is a good t...

Receiving packages is a Thing That Makes Me Happy . I got a care package from the parents today. Homemade cookies! Coffee! New dish towels! YAYz! You know what else would make me happy? Reaching my $1000 goal for the DC AIDS Walk. You can click here to donate (if you want. no pressure).

Good Morning, Kittens! Happy October! So many exciting things happen this month ... like ... um ... Columbus Day! and ... um ... Putting Up the Christmas Decorations in All the Stores Day! And, of course, the SOCIAL EVENT OF THE SEASON: VUBOQ's 6th (7th?) Annual BYOP Pumpkin Carving Party (stay tuned for details)! Also, it is the time of year when VUBOQ needs the influx of Good Karma and he gets crazy ideas in his head that in order to mitigate all the BAD things that have happened recently he should do some GOOD things. Like the DC AIDS WALK. Which is what he did last year, and -thanks in large part to you beautiful people- he surpassed his goal of $500 and in less than two weeks raised $815 for the most deserving Whitman-Walker Clinic. So, guess what? These past few months have been even worse than last year's past few months. And, VUBOQ has decided he needs Extra-Good Karma and will try to raise $1000 for the DC AIDS WALK ... which is on OCTOBER 4th. Raising $1000 in four d...