:: Clever Fool ::

Happy Valentine's Day !

2011-02-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

Movies You May Not Have Seen Yet...

2011-02-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Let It Find You

2011-02-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and for the first time (in a LONG time), I'm actually looking forward to it... such a nice change from previous years' thinking of "Meh... it's just another day".

As much of a cliche as it is, I really do believe that when you're not looking for love, it'll find you. (Speaking from recent experience here). Yeah, Love's funny that way.

Anyhoo, if anyone's wondering what types of presents to send my way for Valentine's Day (or any other day), booze (Grand Marnier, please), Ca$h Money and/or an American Express Card (Black Card, please) all suit me just fine.

A Day at The Museum

2011-02-02T15:17:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, I spent some time at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). We got there a little late in the day and only saw about half of what we wanted to, but still had fun.

Three points need to be made here...

1) The Japanese collection is BORING. I know Japanese design can be minimal at times, but the collection that was shown was pitifully minimal.... and the building it's housed in could use a good scrubbing.

2) The salad bar in the cafe is worth checking out, if you get low blood sugar. Just don't pour the dressing over the salad until after you pay for it. They charge by the ounce, so be smart (read: cheap like me) and pour your dressing into the little containers they provide for dressing to go.

3) If you want to get in for free, take someone 18 or younger, sign them up for a "Next Gen" (or something like that) membership, and they get in for free and so does one accompanying adult.

Here's a few pics I snapped:

Snowpocalypse 2011

2011-02-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is what most of the U.S. is dealing with at the moment. I guess I better stop complaining that L.A.'s temps have dropped below 60 degrees.... Brrr !

Click it, to emBiggen it...

Take Me Out

2011-01-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Yay, dineLA Restaurant Week is on!

If you click here, you can choose from all kinds of restaurants that you can take me to, for either lunch or dinner. I have the next 2 days off from work, so if you're feeling cheap, I'll settle for a lunch date.

Feed Me!

Oscar Nominees 2011

2011-01-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem in "Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Animated Feature Film

How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

** There are many more categories, but these are only the ones I'm interested in **

What Was That....

2011-01-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

....Oh, I know, it was the weekend zooming by (way too fast). I had a pretty low-key weekend, but I spent it with some of my favorite people.

Friday night, I had Adam Killian's bare arse mere inches from my face. No, it wasn't a fantasy, he was go-go dancing at MJ's. Good to see that his face, and other parts, look just as good in person. He also seemed very approachable.... I wonder where his buddy, Zeb Atlas, was at? I love MJ's.... It's like WeHo Lite.

Saturday was my Un-Fun day... running errands and cleaning house, but the night ended very well, with Champagne and a few other things to make me smile.

Sunday was pretty much a blur. I watched way too many movies (I love you, NetFlix), but I did manage to finally get off the sofa and hit the gym for some cardio... gotta get into those Daisy Dukes this summer.

Hope your weekends were full of smiles, laughter, and release (of stress).

Touch My Hair

2011-01-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

I hate my hair. I hate that every morning I find a a few hairs scattered across my pillows. Stop leaving me dammit.... I need you!

Besides hating it for abandoning me, (when I need it the most), I really hate the texture. I have thick, wiry hair. It's much more manageable now, and I can work with it as long as I don't let it get long.... but in high school it was at its worst. It was wavy, dry, and super unmanageable.

After getting tired of using hair crimpers/hot irons (I used to rock that buzzed short on one side/long on the other/asymmetrical look....it was the late 80s), I tried straightening it, using a chemical hair relaxer. It burnt my scalp, but it worked. My hair was super straight. It had also turned a funky shade of red. The color was so bad that I dyed it a couple days later. I thought that blue-black was the perfect color. It wasn't, but it was much better than that "I squeezed lemon juice in my hair and baked in the sun" look.

I always wished I had Asian hair... I still do. Thin, straight, shiny hair. I used to work with an Asian guy that had just that kind of hair. He told me once that he wished he had thick hair like mine. He crazy. We always want what we don't have. Grass being greener and all that.

I saw a guy today at Starbucks who reminded me of my ex-coworker. He reminded me of him, after he transformed his perfect hair into a mane full of thick curly hair. The results were very much like the man in the picture below. Second from the left.

Cute, right?

1st Lady in Alexander McQueen

2011-01-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic of Michelle Obama looking Fly-as-Hell, in an Alexander McQueen dress, at last night's state dinner for the People's Republic of China, at the White House.

Such a handsome couple!

More Ounce to Yo Bounce

2011-01-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

I've been a horrible blogger. So many excuses to blame for my lack of writing, but I promise (yet again) to be better about making my daily post goal.

Stay tuned for a bunch of backdated posts that I started (see, I had good intentions) to suddenly appear.

Anyhoo... In today's news, Starbux introduces their version of the Big Gulp...

Blog-I-Versary # 4

2010-12-29T00:09:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 4th anniversary of my blog. Buy me something shiny & expensive.... Whee!

I Like it Wrong

2010-12-13T23:02:00.000-08:00

This Just In...

2010-12-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

... and homophobia & ignorance are "out"!

World Aids Day 2010

2010-12-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

Black Friday

2010-11-26T15:01:00.000-08:00

If you're out & about ("aboot"; for my Canadian friends) today, please do remain calm and try your best not to kill anyone.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

2010-11-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

I saw this movie Sunday morning and loved it!

So much more darker than the previous HP movies before it, and there isn't much (if any) humor in this chapter at all. Whether you're a fan (or not), this movie won't disappoint. Great visuals, music score, and special effects. It was also nice to see that the 3 main characters have really matured as actors.

Now I can't wait to see Part II, next year. I know I could easily buy the book to see how it all ends, but reading is such hard work!

Nov 22, 2010

2010-11-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

Monday already? Thanksgiving week already? Seriously, where did this year go to? Wasn't Halloween just yesterday? I'm still not used to how early it turns dark, nowadays, and my inner ~~cock~~ clock is all wonky.

Anyhoo, this past weekend was extra long for me. I took Thursday & Friday off as vacation days. I spent most of this time off doing what I love best... eating. Ok, well eating is actually my 2nd favorite thing to do (with my mouth). Fall brings out the ~~cock~~ cook in me, and I love to make hearty, comfort food. I just cant get enough of stews, Shepherd pies, baked mac 'n cheese (with skrimps), potatoes, carrots, asparagus, pumpkin (anything), cookies, pies, ciders, and the list goes on & on. Needless to say, I'm ~~overweight~~ really looking forward to this Thursday for Mama's Thanksgiving feast.

Mom hinted at me making Thanksgiving dinner this year, "but only if I really wanted to". I declined, since I've already signed up to make Christmas dinner. Speaking of Crimbo, On Saturday, I began pulling out ~~my cock~~ some Xmas decorations, just to take stock of what I have to work with this year. Nothing is really out of their boxes yet, not until Friday.... or maybe Thursday night.

Keeping this post short, as I have to get my outfit ready for Turkey day. I'm actually looking for my pants with the elastic waistband; and NO, they are not maternity pants, but hey....that's an idea!

The DMV Hates You

2010-11-18T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the employees at your local DMV office do. They hate that you showed up, forcing them to actually work for their pay. How rude of you; how rude of me for showing up today, without an appointment no less.

I actually visited 2 DMV offices this morning. The first one was in Long Beach, only a short distance from where I live. I didn't go in though. I couldn't. There were zero parking spaces available and there was also a line that came out of the front door and wrapped around the building. It was unreal. So, I left the parking lot and headed over the office in Bellflower (about 10 miles away). In Bellflower, parking was a breeze and the initial line (to get assigned a number) was pretty short.

Then I looked around and saw all of the long faces of people who looked like they had been here for awhile. It "only" took me about 2.5 hours to get serviced. Good thing I took the day off and didn't have a hot date to get to (FYI, the hot date is scheduled for Friday).

I just don't get it. The DMV has always been known for their poor and super slow service. So why does this BS continue... why isn't anyone in public relations taking note of all the complaints and start cracking heads.... or better yet, firing the slackers? With the state being broke, you'd think that this would be the first place they'd start cutting corners.

I know a lot of unemployed people that'd love to replace an attitude-filled DMV worker's desk.... 'mkay?!

The Quirks That Irk

2010-11-16T14:53:00.000-08:00

I really try to keep the workplace out of this here blog, but after being stuck in a meeting, that was basically a waste of my blog reading time, I need to vent.

I was tortured with 2 individuals throughout a meeting today. They each have their own "little thing" that they do, when speaking. These irks were each driving me mad. First guy has a (non-stop) tendency to say a word that sounds a lot like "owl". Instead of saying "um" or "uh", he says " owwwwl". It was so constant that when I noticed him opening his mouth to speak, I would (mentally) say "owwwwl...". And sure enough, the first word out of him was just that. He messed with my head so badly, that I actually drew an owl doodle.

The second quirky coworker has lost the ability to say "yes" or "yeah". Instead, he says "nnnnnyyyyeah". To illustrate how he says the word, he stretches this word out and his voice starts out sounding like a little girls and by the time he's pronounced the last letter, his voice has dropped to something similar to Barry White's. Annoying. I'm thinking that he's such a negative man that he always defaults to "no" and really has a tough time saying yes; literally. He doesn't just say "nnnnnyyyyeah" to mean yes or to agree with someone's opinion; he says it at the start of almost every sentence. Again, I ended up (mentally) saying "nnnnnyyyyeah", right along with him, whenever I saw his mouth open.

Hmm, I wonder what weird thing(s) I say or do when speaking. I'm guessing nothing. I am perfection. Shut up.

Looking Ahead

2010-11-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

I'm going through what I call my "Autumn Awakening". This happens to me every November. I become my most creative during this period. I crave change. I begin to plan for the year ahead; things I want to accomplish, places I want to visit, and goals I want to complete.

I've been taking a good look at my career path, and I think that a change is in order. I really don't have much to complain about with my current job, other than this job is extremely boring. I want a job that I actually enjoy doing. Does that even exist? I know I should be damn grateful just to HAVE a job in this shi-tay economy, and believe me, I am. I just don't see much career growth on my current path, and that is starting to worry/motivate me to do something about it.

I am concerned that I'm currently not in a place, financially, to take any big risks. I have 2 friends that have recently left my company, to either work for a competitor or to work in a completely different industry. Both friends are now jobless (one by choice and the other due to a lay-off). That scares me and causes me to be remain hesitant/stay put.

I know that you only get one shot at this thing called Life, and I refuse to look back on my own life and wonder what life would've been like if I'd only ..... So, I'm struggling with what choices/changes to make in the new year ahead. Things can't remain the same, that's for sure.

I predicted that, for me, 2010 was going to be a year of growth and change... and it really has been. So many wonderful things have happened in my life this year and I have grown in so many different ways. I predict 2011 will be full of even bigger and better changes. One of the things I'd definitely like to happen in 2011 is moving from Long Beach to either Pasadena, Hollywood, or the Silver Lake area of L.A...

...either city will do, as long as I'm moving into (at least) a 3,000 sq foot Cape Cod house with 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, a Chef's kitchen (stocked with Viking appliances), an office space, a wine cellar (optional), an English garden in back, and a moderately sized swimming pool.

If I'm going to dream, I better dream big, otherwise, I may as well stay asleep.

HouseQuake !

2010-11-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

This morning, Long Beach was hit with a 3.7 earthquake. Apparently, a lot of my neighbors either didn't feel it or weren't fazed by it at all.

Of course, I was just getting out of the shower (and yes, I felt it). Thank Jebus it wasn't strong enough to freak me out and cause me to run into the street naked... talk about aftershock!

Honestly, as a Southern California native, I've been through so many quakes that it would really take a BIG ONE to turn me on freak me out. The last worrisome quake I went through got me thinking that I had better prep my house for if/when a big quake hits. I currently have zero emergency supplies/water/food. Also, there a lot of breakable things that are sitting on top of my fridge, dresser tops, and shelves.

I need to make a trip to my local homo depot and look into buying fasteners (Velcro?) to hold all that shitt in place, and then a trip to the market ( I just discovered I'm out of vodka)!

Got Shop?

2010-11-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

Vote Baby, Vote!

2010-11-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Vote Today !

... or keep your mouth shut tomorrow, when you're unhappy with the results!

Happy Day of the Dead

2010-11-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween !

2010-10-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a safe/somewhat sane Halloween. This year, I skipped the parties. I had 3 invites, but I just wanted to stay home. So I did.

I carved out my pumpkin, made chicken enchiladas for dinner/lunch tomorrow, watched a couple scary movies, and passed out candy. This year's turn out sucked. Where were all the kids at this year? I live in a pretty decent area and I bought quality candy (as a kid, I would get so disappointed whenever some cheap-asss would drop a cheap-asss lollipop or a cheap-asss Smartees into my bag).

I gave up around 9:30, and I now have about 2 lbs of chocolates sitting on my kitchen counter top... calling me... calling me!

Anyhoo, all of that candy laying around the house got me craving something sweet to eat, so I made a frozen yogurt run with my buddy, Eljon. [Word: Blood Orange yogurt, with fresh mango slices = Da Bomb!]

When I got home from the yogurt shop, I had something hot & tasty waiting for me, as well as some champagne...

Happy Halloween, indeed!

Slickness

2010-10-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

If anyone is feeling particularly generous today, I'd like to request the following rain boots from Gucci. You can pick me up at a pair at Saks for a mere $295.00...

Come on, do it, you know you want to.... and besides what's a few hundred dollars (for a pair of boots that I'll probably only ever wear 3 times in sunny L.A.) amongst friends?

Oh, in case you're wondering I measure in at 9 inches a size 9.

Get Me to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner and I have yet to buy my pumpkins. I am such a slacker, and I probably won't even get around to the patch, until Saturday morning.

I've been invited to 3 parties, Saturday night, so this upcoming weekend is going to be crazy busy, with pumpkin guts flying, candy bags being purchased, candy bags being sampled (for freshness), and last minute costume purchases.

I just hope the damn neighborhood kids show up Sunday night. Year-to-year, it's hit or miss... last year's turn out was pathetic, and I was forced to eat all the leftover candy. It's true, kids ruin everything.... even my waistline.

Halloween Costume Possibility

2010-10-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

I think I have all of the ingredients at home, for the following "Happy Camper" costume.

Get it here .

Shut Yo Mouth !

2010-10-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sitting in my cubicle at work (overworked & underpaid, but damn grateful to have a J-O-B, just the same), I think about finally posting something to this here blog....and I have nothing to write about. Absolutely nothing.

"Hmmm, what about....nope".

Just when I think I have absolutely nothing to blog about, I get distracted by the sounds of my 2 coworkers eating lunch at their desks. The sounds of those 2 slurping and suckling their food is enough to make me lose my appetite. I don't mind the sound of Doritos (mmmmm!) being crunched and munched loudly (I'm guessing with mouth open), but it's the nasty sound of one of 'em making love to a peach that is really turning my stomach.

Someone near me is also having soup for lunch. Sounds like he's trying to suck up chicken noodle soup through a straw....and then gags on the noodles every few slurps. Nasty.

A few months back, I went on a date with someone that had no idea how to chew his food with his mouth closed. He was a mouth breather, so maybe that explains the need to chew open mouthed. He was a nice enough guy; still, I couldn't get past the random food bits popping out of his mouth as he ate dinner. Surprisingly, there wasn't a second date.

Time for me to get my lunch on.... let me show these fools how it's done.

Feels Like 103

2010-09-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Aren't we a few days into Autumn already?

So, what's up with this heatwave L.A. is going through?! I'm kinda not feeling this whole sitting in my cubicle thing today, and I was actually thinking about leaving work early, due to a "sinus headache" (that I may or may not have)... but after discovering that it's this damn hot outside, I think I'll stay at work til nightfall.

Whip My Hair

2010-09-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

If only this were my hair to whip.....I'd whip it good!

World Trade Center Renderings

2010-09-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Click here to see more renderings of what the new WTC will look like. Here's one of my favorite images of what is to come:

San Bruno Fire

2010-09-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some amazing photos that I grabbed from the L.A. Times website, from the San Bruno, California fire that started last night. Scary stuff....

Here's the story from the L.A. Times:

At least four people were killed and 52 injured in the gas pipeline explosion and fire that rocked a San Bruno neighborhood as investigators Friday tried to determine what caused the devastating blast that left a crater in the ground and homes smoldering.

Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, serving as acting governor while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Asia, declared a state of emergency in the Crestmoor neighborhood and said the blaze was 75% contained after destroying 15 acres. "We don't know what caused [the rupture]," Maldonado said in a news conference near the scene. "We will find out soon."

A total of 52 people have been hospitalized, including three with third-degree burns. Four firefighters who suffered smoke inhalation were treated and released. Maldonado said a natural gas line ruptured about 6:24 p.m. Thursday, ripping a crater in the neighborhood and causing the blaze, which consumed 38 structures and damaged seven more. Some 67 pieces of firefighting apparatuses were brought in to fight the blaze, including four air tankers that proved the most important in attacking the ferocious blaze most of the night, when firefighters were unable to do much from the street. Twelve trained dogs were also at the scene Friday to help in the search for bodies. "The sun is shining over there, but there is still a dark cloud over the city of San Bruno," Mayor Jim Ruane said.

Pacific Gas & Electric officials said Friday they were investigating reports that customers complained of a natural gas odor before the deadly explosion. They also said the damaged section of the 30-inch steel gas pipeline has been isolated and the gas flow turned off, and crews planned to walk the neighborhood Friday to survey the damage and check the gas transmission system.

Company officials said they would cooperate fully with federal, state and local agencies to identify the cause of Thursday's explosion. They did not say, however, whether the pipeline caused the explosion. “That will be part of the ongoing investigation. [The National Transportation Safety Board] will be conducting a comprehensive investigation and we will be cooperating fully,” said Jeff Smith, a spokesman for the utility. PG&E officials in a statement said crews are working to make the area safe, assess damage and restore service where possible.

Kylie's Into Bears

2010-08-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of Kylie Minogue... giving a bear a handjob.

DTLA

2010-08-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

I needed to take a break from the daily grind, so I took last Friday off. No plans, just wanted a day off, but then I thought of a better way to spend the day...

From downtown Long Beach, I took the blue line into downtown L.A. I wanted to explore the city a little and take some pics of downtown/Little Tokyo/Olvera Street. If you're not familiar with L.A.'s light rail system, let me tell you, the blue line goes through some very interesting areas (read: ghetto) of the city. Many years ago, I lived in downtown Long Beach and worked in downtown L.A, so I knew that the ride would be "colorful".

I love DTLA. The city has an energy & a vibe that I never noticed before. When I worked there, I couldn't wait to get home. Downtown has really started to get its act together. So much has changed (for the better) since I last explored. I wish I had some pics to go along with this post, but dummy me, left the camera at home. D'oh!

So, here's some of the sights that I did see:

A group of kids wearing tees that all said "eRacism"...[I want one; the shirt not another kid]
Latinos in corn rows & Blacks in huge Mohawks...[Ironic, no?]
A couple of women coming out of an office, dressed in "Like a Virgin"-inspired clothes...[Corporate style, yet Madonna would approve]
People selling Ed Hardy knock offs, but no one was interested...[I blame Jon Gosselin for turning people off]
A group of senior citizens Voguing in the park...[or maybe it was Tai Chi]
Lots of amazing architecture.

All of that walking wore me out, and I had to bring my sugar levels up, before I passed out; so that's how I ended up with a pistachio cupcake in my gut...[purchased from Bottega Louie].

I also scored a belt and a pair of flips for $7 each, from Macy's... [Woot!]

It was a great little get day trip and just what I needed to shake the workplace blahs. I'll definitely be back soon, but next time I'll be armed with my camera.

Piggly Wiggly

2010-08-02T14:29:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was all about avoiding the gym and eating as much crap as possible. I ate everything that was on my "off-limits" list.....pizza, cheeseburger, fries, candy, buttered popcorn, etc, snort, etc .... I even ate dinner at an all-you-can-eat Chinese/Japanese buffet. All restraint and common sense was left behind, once I walked in.

So of course, this morning was another battle of the bulge. Don't go there...it's too easy. My pants must've shrunk at the dry cleaners! I feel sluggish, even after a good night's sleep. It's time to get back to the gym on a regular basis (missed too many days lately) and time to get the diet together. No more late night Oreo Cookie milkshake runs either. Damn you, Jack in The Crack for tempting me!

I created a spreadsheet to track my weight loss progress, and I am soooo far off target. I was hoping that the difference in projected weight and actual weight was due to a formula error, but it looks like the problem is what goes from my hand, to my mouth....again, don't go there.

Eclipse

2010-08-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I got tricked into seeing the latest Twilight movie, Eclipse. Man, what a snooze fest. If it wasn't for the werewolf clan, I would have fallen asleep. I'm sure all of the tweens loved it, and I'm also as sure that it will win some MTV movie award, etc. In my humble opinion, the movie sucked. No pun intended.

I'm just perplexed at how any of the actors were cast for this movie. Everyone seemed so "wooden". The actor most guilty of this is Kristen Stewart. She has the emotional range of a paperclip. If I saw her walking on the street, I would ask for a refund and then follow with: "damn girl, buy you a hair brush. You can afford it now"!

Konichiwa !

2010-07-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Blogging has really taken a back seat to my daily life. So much has happened/changed/evolved over the last few weeks, but there never seems to be enough time left in the day to blog about it. I blame my employer for virtually destroying my blog life. They (selfishly) insist that I spend all of my time in the office working and earning my pay. The nerve!

There are many half started posts that I have saved on scraps of paper, in draft emails, and in the old Kanoodle. I'm on a mission to flesh out some of those odd bits and post them here. So, if you read a post over the next few days and think "hmm...I thought he did that weeks ago?", you're right...I'm just behind in posting it.

Inception

2010-07-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

I need to see this movie over the weekend....I'm loving the perspective in this movie poster.

Belmont Heights meets Washington Heights

2010-07-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, I saw the musical "In The Heights" at The Pantages Theater. The theater is an Art Deco masterpiece. I really hate their "no pictures inside the theater" policy. I tried countless times to snap a few pics and got busted each time. The best part of the night's performance was what happened before the actual show even started. As we were walking to our seats, I noticed how close to the stage we were getting. My friend, Les, scored some great seats. When we get to our aisle, I noticed that there are 2 people sitting in our seats. I turned to Les and said: "Here we go again"!

It seems like every show I've seen with Les, there has always been an issue with someone sitting in our seats. Usually it's a simple misunderstanding (as in the dummies have dyslexia) and they usually apologize and move. However, the last time we were in New York, we saw Hairspray, because we're just that gay. When we went to take our seats, I noticed that a "plump" man was sitting in my seat. So I very politely leaned in to tell him that he was sitting in my seat. He just stared straight ahead...completely ignoring me. (WTF?!)... I dropped my voice by an octave and repeated myself. He turned to me and said "I heard you the first time"...to which I replied (2 octaves even lower): "Then Mooove"! He got up and moved. I was actually hoping for a fight. I was ready for it, but he just squeeeeeezed out of his seat and told his hag to move over. Les offered to sit next to him, but I had a point to prove (that he just lost the arm rest).

Anyhoo, back to Saturday night at the Pantages...after comparing tickets with the couple that were sitting in "our" seats, we were completely confused. They were for the exact same seats. How could this happen? Same row, same seat, same day....and then Les said "Oh crap, our tickets are for the matinee show". LOL, right? Luckily, the manager told us that happens all the time, and he was able to get us seats that were really just as good as our original seats. Whew!

In the Heights is an amazing show. I can see why it won the Tony in 2008. Go see it....just make sure you have the correct tickets, when you go.

Fireworks Go Boom!

2010-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

Just can't believe that we're already in July...where did Spring go? Hope you all had a good 4th of Julio weekend. Mine was pretty awesome. Since the actual holiday landed during the weekend, I got (like most of you) Monday off as well. Saturday had me busy all day running errands and cleaning house.

Saturday night was spent with a great guy. That's about as much as I'm revealing here. This boy don't kiss and tell... I'll say this: The time spent with this man gave me a glimpse of what my life could be like. Someday. Maybe. I realize that a foundation needs to be built first, before we make any serious commitments. The future is so uncertain, but I hang on to the belief that anything is possible. I just really enjoyed the night, with this man, and I took away further confirmation that compatibility between us is definitely not an issue. I couldn't sleep at all that night. I was too happy.

I'm not ashamed to say that I've been lonely for so long. For years even. Never alone, just lonely. I'm sick of being single. Tired of the dating game. Sick of sleeping in an half-empty bed. All of my wants are becoming needs. However, I'm a realist and I understand that what is meant to be, will be...no need to rush things. I am also an optimist, and I continue to keep hope alive that the possibility of a committed relationship still exists. So for now, I am just taking things slowly, day by day. Curious to see how our relationship will grow. All I know for certain is that in this man, I have made a friend for life.

Sunday (the 4th) was spent at one of my favorite local bars, The Falcon, with my buddies Les and Eljon. The Falcon is TINY, but it was packed! Great music, fun crowd, and cheap drinks. I had more than my share of Blue Moons (burp).

Monday was spent recovering from the weekend...and reading. That's a luxury I've finally picked up once again (TV be damned). Hope you all had a good holiday weekend!

Anti-BP Art

2010-06-18T14:33:00.001-07:00

Teef & Tummy

2010-06-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

I had a dental appointment yesterday. I was expecting really bad news, since it's been over 1.5 years since I last saw my dentist, but the checkup results weren't that bad. I have a small cavity in an upper tooth (getting that filled in 2 weeks) and one of my wisdom teeth is impacted, so that sucker needs to come out. That's going to require a referral and surgery. Not looking forward to that, but it's very necessary.

I've given up drinking (diet) soda. It's been 5 days and I have no cravings, whatsoever. In previous attempts, I became bitchy(er), had headaches, and constant cravings (sidenote: whatever happened to K.D. Lang?). Some positive changes include: less belching, farting, and upset tummies. I also have a real thirst for water. I can never get enough, especially with cut up chunks of lime....so refreshing.

That's all I have for today; just wanted to post something before year end.

Colon Right Parentheses

2010-06-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I think 2 weeks is enough time off from blogging. The last couple of weeks have actually been very productive, full of new experiences, and (fingers crossed) new beginnings.

I think the lack of posts mainly has to do with not having too much to write about, other than "OMG, I am so flipping happy I don't know what to do with myself". Much of that new found happiness comes from a recent date that I went on with a guy that I have been chatting with, over the last few weeks.

I don't want to give away too much info about him because, it's still very early on in our relationship, he doesn't know about the blog (at least I don't think he does), and I really don't want to jinx anything. I will say this (at the risk of having him read this post and thoroughly embarrassing myself and/or freaking him out) : He's all man, he's got a personality that complements mine (I could just talk to him for days), he's a great father, has a positive outlook on life, we share many things in common (such as a love of movies I thought no one else but me has seen), he excites me, and he's the first and last thing I think about each day. It's been a few days since we met face to face (there was definitely chemistry), and it's odd, but I'm really missing him. I can't wait to see him again.

We're taking things slowly and just getting to know each other a little better every day. I can see a future with this guy...and that just adds to my permanent smile I've been walking around with lately. I'll keep y'all posted on how things progress.

Turning of the Tide

2010-05-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I took a hard look at myself and how I've been living over the last year. There's been a lot of destructive behaviors going on and a little bit of neglect & depression happening as well. I was also eating all the wrong things, avoiding the gym, drinking wine (or stronger) every night, and staying up way too late.

I only recently accepted the fact that beginning around last Fall, my life began to unravel. I was in a relationship that just wasn't working out, but my foolish pride got in the way, and I denied that there was anything wrong. It's a protection device. If no one knows that I'm hurting, then I'll be just fine. [Wrong].

There was also some drama in my immediately family happening around the same time period, which ended up straining and/or forever changing relationships. I became the master of keeping up appearances and wouldn't let even my closest friends know of how out of control I felt.

To get out of this funk, fix myself and all that I had let get out of control, I had to kick myself in the arse and make some (positive) changes. Over the last several weeks, these changes have affected my health (I've dropped 12 pounds), my family, and my career in such positive ways. I've reconnected with some friends that I've lost contact with, as well as, making several new friends. My family & I are closer than ever.

I've also severely cut down on alcohol consumption. I only drink on the weekends, and even then, I've limited myself to the amount and types of booze that I drink.

My love life is even showing signs of life again...That's a nice little bonus that I wasn't expecting at all (no, David, it's not who you're thinking of). I think it's curious how sometimes when you are on a mission to find someone to love, it can become the toughest search. Yet, when you're just living your life, not really seeking anyone out, the most wonderful things can happen and catch you off guard.

It's been a rough & tough several months, but really, it was a great education. I've learned that I have an amazing support system, a family that loves each other no matter what, and an inner strength that was sleeping for far too long.

Today, I can honestly say that I am happy. I'm living a life that's very much worth living. I feel renewed & in control of my life path. I'm holding my head up high, and I have to tell you, the sun feels so damn good shining on my face.

'Sup?

2010-05-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hmm, not much going on around these parts lately. The latest interesting thing to happen (that I can share) is me attending Bear Bar last Saturday. I love BB, because you get a really good mix of mens, at these events, and not just bears. I saw 3 old friends that I haven't seen in years and I also got to meet a Facebook friend. I love it when the on-line world meets the real world.

There was one "special" gentleman at this event that I couldn't help but to stare at. He was probably in the 60+ year range, and I'm guessing that he spent quite some time choosing Saturday night's outfit. He wore: a camouflage-ish t-shirt, a short denim mini-skirt, and girl's tennis shoes that were from the 90's (you know, those really thick, double-decker soled shoes that were popular back when the Spice Girls were popular). I was both fascinated and impressed with how CLEAN the shoes were. Yeah I know, I really shouldn't judge....to each his own and all of that. He wasn't bothering anybody and just wanted to go somewhere where he could be himself and get his drink on, amongst his people...and not be judged....ahem.

Long Beach Pride is this weekend...Woo-Hoo!

The Temper Trap

2010-05-11T20:50:00.001-07:00

I'm really digging on this Aussie band right now, The Temper Trap, and especially loving this song. Man, they sound great live.

Theater Queen

2010-05-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Tickets have just been purchased for the musical, In the Heights, playing at The Pantages Theater, June 22 through July 11. We're going to see it July 10...I can't wait!

I was so bummed that I didn't get to see the original casting while it played on Broadway, but now I can turn that frown upside down, because Tony Award winner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, will star in the L.A. premiere of In the Heights.

It really is a shame that I live in L.A., a city where performing arts are all around me, and I don't take advantage of that like I should. It's been way too long since I've been to the theater, and I mean to change that bad behavior.

In October, I'm hoping to see South Pacific, at the OC Performing Arts Center, and then during the holiday season, West Side Story, at The Pantages.

Guess I better start saving my pennies!

Long Beach Pride Festival - 2010 Line Up

2010-05-07T14:53:00.001-07:00

I just found out who's headlining this year's Long Beach Pride Festival, on May 15 & 16. I have no idea who most of the acts even are, but on Saturday night's main stage, A Flock of Seagulls is playing. Now that alone is well worth the $20 admission.

Sunday night is another night of *Meh*....The Ones might be worth checking out and then Martha Wash & Crystal Waters (La Da Dee, La Da Dah) are also performing.

Why couldn't we get Ricky Martin?

05-06-10

2010-05-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

Not much going on today. I had a spot of free time at work today, so I perused some of my favorite blogs and am hereby, stealing a couple of blog posts that I found of interest.

From my friend, David's blog, comes this must have, which you can get here [Click Me].

I can't remember which blog I snatched this story from, but I want a black one and a red one![Click Me].

Looking Up at Skies on Fire

2010-05-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ever hear a song that you haven't heard in awhile, a song that has a lot of sentiment & meaning attached to it, and it brings back a memory that you had pushed way to the back of your mind? Well, I just heard Planets of the Universe by Stevie Nicks...the sped up, house music version of the song, and it took me back to 2003 (2004?).

The details of this memory are still so clear and vivid in my mind. I was out on a date and we ended up at Circus Disco in Hollywood. They were spinning some serious ass-shaking music and I was dying to do my thang on the dance floor. My date wasn't too big on dancing so I spent almost the entire time up against the rail, bopping along to the music. I was hoping that a couple of drinks in my date (I can't recall his name) would loosen his ass up and get him on the floor. I was wrong, it only made him sleepy; hence, we left the club early. I dropped him off at his Hollywood apartment. He asked (through a yawn) if I wanted to come in, but I was pissed, so I declined. It was still way too early to go home, so I decided to check out this club called Spike that stayed open until dawn or later.

When I entered Spike, I could almost taste the sex. Guys were making out with each other on the dance floor, while others were grinding on each other like nobody's business. Naturally, my insecurities took over and I gravitated toward the nearest corner. It seemed like everyone there already had a partner and I was the solo single guy. After being deprived of dancing earlier (and a tummy still full of tequila), I tossed that insecurity nonsense aside, and walked right into the center of the throbbing mass on the floor....and that's where I saw him.

Also dancing by himself, was a tall white guy, who looked like a cross between Abercrombie and G.I. Joe. I "accidentally" kept bumping into him and brushing my hand against his. Whenever I could, I'd shoot him a glance to see if he was even interested. From what I could tell, he wasn't....but I was wrong. The Stevie Nicks song came on and I got down. The guy got behind me and started to dance really close to me. I coyly began to back up a little...slowly...didn't want to look (too) desperate. He moved even closer and before I knew what was happening, he grabbed my hands, raised my arms up and pushed his body up against my backside. I almost had an orgasm.

I couldn't believe that I was dancing with such a hottie. We danced for a couple more songs before we even spoke to each other. Turns out that his name was Rod...I dubbed him "Hot Rod". He told me that he was in the Navy and it was his last night in the states. He was flying out to Virginia the following afternoon, to be sent to the Middle East. He had no gay friends, but he wanted to spend his last night at home, dancing the night away somewhere he felt comfortable.

We danced & kissed (and touched) until 5:00 am...the club was still going pretty strong when we left (I think they closed at 8 am). My t-shirt was completely soaked. Before we left the club, Rod took my shirt off in the restroom and wrung it out. I'd never danced that long before. On the sidewalk of Santa Monica Blvd, just outside of Spike, he thanked me for making his last night at home "special & memorable". We hugged & kissed outside for a little while longer. I gave him my phone # and told him to call me whenever he got back.

On the drive home, I smiled throughout the entire drive. I also wondered if he'd ever call me. More importantly, I wondered if he'd make it back home, unharmed. I'm still wondering.

My May Day Weekend

2010-05-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Friday night, I had dinner with my friend Greg, at a funky place, in the Little Tokyo area of L.A., called Far Bar. To enter Far Bar, you walk between a narrow space, between two buildings. If you're casually walking by, you wouldn't even notice the place. The narrow walkway opens up into a courtyard, with white lights strung overhead. There are a few tables along the walls, a small enclosed bar, and at the very end of the space is a huge projector, for watching sports. I think that there were a couple of sofas too, that were near the projector screen.

Loco Roll at Far Bar

The food was incredible (small menu that mostly offered sushi rolls), the drinks were perfect, company was hilarious, but the service was awful. Had to ask for water a few times. There was also something odd about ordering drinks here. They required us to hand over a credit card, before they would serve us drinks. I have a feeling that this policy is in place, because so many people have probably dined and dashed... which I was very tempted to do, after waiting forever for the check to arrive.

Saturday night I finally saw the movie, Kick Ass. It was exactly what was needed, after having an awfully stressful day. I loved the movie. I have a feeling that we're going to be seeing a lot of Halloween costumes this year, from the movie's characters. Hit Girl is my new hero!

Sunday, I celebrated that my neighbors who live(d) in the back house (I live in a duplex) have moved out. I used to get along with them, but the last 6 months they've been working my nerves, with their constant complaints whenever any of my friends or family would park in the shared driveway. I am deeply saddened that I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to them.....not!

Anybody looking for a 2 bedroom 1 bath house, in the Belmont Heights area of Long Beach, let me know. I hear that the neighbor in the front house is fookin awesome!

Sweet Dreams...

2010-04-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

...are not to be had by me. Last night's dream was so vivid & queer, oops, I meant "clear". Here's what I remember of the dream (nightmare):

So, it basically was about everyone going mad and physically hurting each other. It was no longer safe to walk the streets of L.A....well, you know what I mean. Men and women would pick fights at random on the streets...and fight to the death, they would.

In once scene, I found a baby, wrapped in a filthy, greasy blanket, lying next to a trash can. I didn't own a car, so I had to walk the baby to the police station. When I got within eyesight of the police station, a cop noticed me and shouted to everyone nearby: "hey, he's got a baby...let's kill it". The crowd turned their attention to me & started to run toward me to get the baby.

I turned in the opposite direction and ran as fast as I could, screaming for help. I was able to escape the mob by ducking into a burned out office building. I found myself standing in front of a door that had my employer's name on it, so I walked in. There was an Amazon of a woman standing in the middle of this office. She was gorgeous. When she saw the baby in my arms, she asked if she could hold it. I handed her the baby and then she slapped me. HARD.

Then the dream got all wonky, or my memory can't recall much of what happened next. I can only remember being in a city where people were running pedestrians over with their cars, shooting people in the head, or throwing grenades into parked cars. I was watching all of this, hiding behind a tank that had been toppled over...

....and then the alarm went off. For once, I was happy to hear that whiny sound telling me to get up. I just hope my baby's alright.

Queen, Puh-lease!

2010-04-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

I've never really been a fan of Queen Latifah. I only enjoyed her performance in the movie, Set It Off. She was much more "believable" in that role. Mkay?

I'm getting tired of seeing this poster all over the city, promoting her new movie in which she plays "a straight-shooting physical therapist who gets the gig of a lifetime working with NBA All-Star", who guess what....falls in love with the B-Ball player and struggles with career ethics vs what her heart wants....yawn!

I wish she'd just pigeon-hole her career into playing more characters like this:

Now I'd pay good money to see her in full on thug mode & kicking some asss!

Random House Pic

2010-04-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just a random house pic. I was playing with flash settings, and I like the way this one turned out, even though the wall color (taupe? sand? beige?) got completely washed out.

Kathy Griffin Loves Me!

2010-04-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was so much fun. I laughed my way through the entire weekend and today, my throat is still sore.

Friday night I met up with David, Jim, & Lyle to paint the town (WeHo) red. We went to O-Bar for dinner, and I need to mention that we arrived in a Maserati. It definitely isn't my car (I wish), but what a beautiful piece of machinery it was. I had the Lobster Mac 'N Cheese for dinner. I thought that I was going to have a no-touch orgasm (Hi, Michael!) half way through the meal. It was soooooooo good. Being the petite person that I am (stop laughing), I boxed up the rest for the ride home, I mean for lunch on Saturday.

After dinner, Lyle dropped us off at Gym Bar and left the 3 amigos to our own devices....or is that vices? Anyhoo, this was my first time at Gym Bar and I gotta say the mens were really manly. Spotted Bobby Trendy (yawn) & his group of screaming queens smoking on the patio. The bar was raffling off a bunch of stuff to raise money for some sports team (baseball?). All of the prizes were spread out on a pool table that we were all standing around. I actually won 2 crappy movies, that may have been "exchanged" by David, for what I thought would be better "adult" movies. Not the case. I may have to donate them to my local library.

They were raffling a signed copy of Kathy Griffin's latest book, and the events are a little foggy, but I somehow managed to end up with the following in my possession.

We eventually ended up at the Abbey to have one final drink, oh, and to help out this little guy win a contest between him and his friend. We 3 are always giving back to the community. I had so much fun Friday night, it was just what I needed to end a crappy week.

Saturday, I took my girls to the beach for a long stoll along the boardwalk, and then spent the rest of the day catching up with old friends and making 2 new friends. Woot! After dinner, I went out for a few more drinks with my best friend. My liver had taken a beating the night before, so I limited myself to 2 drinks.

Sunday, was the usual "run errands, go shoppng, wash the damn car, drop off the dry cleaning, mop your dirty floors, prepare for the dread of Monday" kinda day. Again, I found myself talking to an old friend and catching up on each other's lives.

In summary, this weekend was all about, family, friends, and laughter....life as it's meant to be!

The Calm & The Pride

2010-04-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it appears that I've taken a few days off from blogging...work has been crazy busy and a bunch of personal stuff has been keeping me away from this here blog. Busy is good. You know what they say about idle hands....they like to touch "things"....too much.

Yesterday was a good day for me. I was finally able to get some closure on an issue that was just nagging the back of mind. I woke up this morning feeling a sense of calm that I haven't felt in weeks. I hate loose ends and being "out of balance". I need to have things orderly & balanced. I just want to put it out there that I'm doing ok...much better than the last few weeks, and I'd like to thank "you" for your response, it meant so much to me and put my mind at ease. Sorry for the cryptic-ness of this paragraph. I guess it's just for me...and "you" (I hope "you"still read my blog).

Anyway, I was in a doctor's office yesterday and had time to kill, so I searched for free apps for my BlackBerry. I found this great application called iHeartRadio that let's you stream local (and not so local) music stations. It works great. The only drawback is that it drains your battery FAST. I was hoping that I could stream KROQ, but sadly, they didn't make the list. But Star 98.7 is available, as well as a station called Pride Radio....Gay music without any commercials (Some of the songs are reaaaaaaallly GAY).

Speaking of really Gay things...Long Beach Pride is May 15 & 16. I'm actually going to go to the festival this year and not just the parade. If any of my local friends are going, let me know...I already have a few people that I'll be hanging out with, but the bigger the Gayggle, the better. I don't know who any of the performers are yet, the website needs to be updated, but this pre-party sounds like fun.

PS: Happy Earth Day!

The Yenta in You

2010-04-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so lately, many of my friends are trying to either set me up on blind dates or direct me to websites to find a new boyfriend. I appreciate the effort & research it takes y'all, but...

It's only been 7 weeks since my last relationship ended. I put a LOT of heart & effort into that one (more than I have for anyone before). It's too soon. I'm not the kind of person that can just turn off my heart and any residual feelings I may have, to move on to the next guy. It's going to take some time for me to get back into the game. "PJ" & I ended our relationship on good terms and there are no hostile or angry feelings. He's my friend.

Also, I think that getting involved with someone else so soon would be hurtful to him and send a message that he was so easy to forget...so easy to just kill all feelings for things that once were....and hurting him is the last thing I want to do. We had a beautiful & loving relationship. He made me feel mighty special...I'd like to think that he feels the same about me. I only remember the good times and all the laughter & love that we shared. I have no regrets or hard feelings. I hope all is well with him, and I miss him terribly.

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I just don't understand how some people can end a relationship, and 2-3 weeks later they're in a new relationship. I'm choosing to honor & respect our time in the sun by staying single, until a respectable amount of time has passed and my heart's ready.

Thanks anyway, you bunch of Yentas!!

There's Something About Merv

2010-04-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a meeting with a few coworkers that I've only spoken to over the phone. It was nice to finally put faces to voices. It's funny how I was pretty much spot on with what everyone would look like. There was one exception though. Let's call him Merv. I was waaaaaay off with what he'd look like. In my mind's eye, he was tall & lanky and around mid-40's. In reality, he was short (5'2"-ish) and looked like retirement was on his mind these days.

There was also something about Merv that bothered me. When I walked into the meeting (3 minutes late), I made my apologies and introduced myself to the group of 4 coworkers. When I turned to Merv, I found him glaring at me. I thought "F*ck you & your dirty looks....traffic was a mess". Then I quickly realized that he wasn't glaring at me....nope, he was looooooking at me. With hungry eyes.

I $hit you not when I say that he was looking at me for at least 90% of the time. When he was talking to the guy to my left, he looked directly at me. When he was talking to the guy to his right...yep, looking at me. Very creepy, but I guess I should feel grateful for the attention. Hey, apparently I've still got it. Heeeeeyy!!

Happy Hump Day

2010-04-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

140

2010-04-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), founded on this day in 1870, turns 140! The Beaux-Arts facade & Grand Entrance were designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt.

The Met is 1/4-mile long, with 2,000,000 square-feet. That's a lot of walking. My aching feet were grateful that I wore sensible shoes on my first visit. If I ever get married again, I think I'd like to have the after-party at The Met.

Macerate Me

2010-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Macerated Strawberries....sounds naughty, right? They kind of are, and that's because of the booze that's involved. Albertson's had strawberries for cheap this weekend, so I bought a couple pounds. Then I macerated them for a few hours.

After dinner, I poured the berries over some low fat Angel Food cake....heavenly! I was going to take pics, but the food disappeared way too fast!

I'd like to send a shout out to my girl, Martha Stewart, for hooking me up with the recipe:

2 pints fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other Orange Liqueur

Hull strawberries, cut in half, and place in a bowl.
Add sugar and liqueur, and mix until well combined.
Stir with a fork, crushing some of the strawberries to release the juices.
Refrigerate until strawberries are very soft & juicy,

Ready in about 4 hours.

Good News...at Last!

2010-04-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on my Dad's health. He just had surgery to remove the kidney that was cancerous. The entire procedure took only 25 minutes. The surgeon said that this was one of the quickest & cleanest surgeries he's ever performed.

No complications and it appears that all of the cancer was contained in the one kidney. Dad's recovering and should be able to go home in a couple of days.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support and well wishes. It really means a lot to me.

Today is National Tartan Day

2010-04-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Since I've got absolutely nothing to write about today, I'll just fill up some space on the WWW with pics of some fun shoes...maybe I'll leave work early to get some retail therapy in.

What The Hal ?

2010-04-05T13:59:00.001-07:00

You remember Hal Sparks, right? He was the little comics bookstore owner in Queer as Folk. I sorta had a crush on him back when the show was airing. Haven't seen or thought of him for a long time now.

That is, until last night. Last night's dreams were all about Mr. Sparks. He was in the garden, picking unripe tomatoes (while I yelled at him that they're not ready)...flash forward to the next dreamscape where he's in my kitchen making margaritas and going through my cupboards looking for limes. He was starting to work my nerves at this point.

The final part of the dream had him in my shower, wearing a jockstrap and singing Moby's "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad". I was standing against the bathroom sink, watching & listening to him sing ....and then he started to cry. He then turned toward me and said "Don't just stand there; get over here and love me".

I pushed away from the sink and got in the shower, still fully dressed. Just as we were about to kiss, I woke up. For no good reason. It was just after 5 a.m. and the world was still pitch dark and dead quiet. The alarm wasn't set to go off for another hour and a half!

Dammmit!! Life is so cruel!! All I know is Hal owes me a kiss....in the shower with his perky booty wearing a jock strap.

Happy Easter !

2010-04-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

14 Days Later

2010-04-01T14:08:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this cold that I'm still battling is really getting annoying. One can only eat so much chicken soup, cases of oranges, and cough drops. I am very grateful for the tissues that now come with lotion ....otherwise, I'd look like a coke-whore....and I do not snort coke.

The only "good part" of being ill is the "Severe" cold medicines I'm taking. After an hour later of popping the cold pills, a wave of zombie-like consciousness comes over me. I can breathe, the body aches are gone, and the congestion has umm, de-congested. I am both awake & asleep. Hours flash by like minutes. All is well in the world....for at least 2 1/2 more hours.

I'm winning the battle though...and just in time. I have big plans for this weekend. Well, Spring cleaning and Manscaping are all that I really have planned but I really should be clear headed with shears that close to my naughty bits.

Now if you'll please excuse me....I've another orange to eat.

Coolness

2010-03-26T15:58:00.001-07:00

I'm not a fan of Christian Aguilera (I think I can only name 1 or 2 of her songs), but I love this album cover.

Natasha!!!

2010-03-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

I Left My Fart in San Francisco

2010-03-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, my company sent me to SF for a one day meeting. I was hoping to have a little spare time to get drunk in a bar walk around the city after the meeting, but no...our travel agent scheduled my return flight to allow me just enough time to squeeze in a 30 minute walk and then jump in a cab to get my arse back to SFO, to catch my flight back home. I made it to the airport just in time...but wait...my return flight home was delayed for over 2.5 hours. I could've gotten drunk in a bar seen some sights after all and still made my flight back....d'oh!

I really do loves me some SF. Sitting in the airport, I used all of that free time to justify a move to the City. I have friends & family there that love me dearly and are just dying (dying!) for me to make that move. I also work in an industry that would allow me to move to most major cities, and be able to land a job. [Man, that sounds snooty....but you know what I mean].

I love the vibe that SF puts out...it's like the West Coast's version of NYC...the architecture, the culture, and the fabulous people really make it the place for me.

Sitting in the airport lounge was a visual feast: Asian kids with severe hairstyles & tricked out headphones in turquoise/chocolate, a lady (of a certain age) sporting a Veronica Lake hair-do in pure silver (who by the way, just reeked of Old Money), some boys from the UK who were sporting their own versions of what a California Skater Boy should look like (and doing it well), and finally the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon at my lips....what a sight to behold!

If I do make this move, it'll take at least a couple of years before I can start the process. I'm just dreaming out loud right now, but we'll just see won't we?

PS: I'd like to give a special shout out to Farrukh, the cabbie who got me back to the airport. He drove that cab like no one's business: cursing, honking at & flipping off all of the idiots (tourists) that didn't understand what a green light meant. Oh Farrukh, how I miss you!

This is Fat?

2010-03-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here's Marky (Ayi-Papi-tan-Chulo) Mark on the set of a movie he's filming titled The Fighter. I've read on a few blogs today that "he's let himself go". I only wish I was as "fat" as he is! My sources tell me that (doy!) he's purposely gained the weight for the movie role.

I don't know about you, but with or without his six pack, he still gives me Good Vibrations...down there.

Oh, and he gets me hard looking at him & thinking naughty thoughts of what I'd like to do to him....naked and oiled up...on a tarp.

4.4 @ 4:04

2010-03-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

My psychic powers grow stronger each day....or maybe I'm turning into a dog; whatever the case may be, I woke up this morning about a minute before L.A. was hit with a 4.4 earthquake.

It was strange....I woke up and looked at the clock on my side table, and I couldn't believe that it was 4:03. What would possess me to wake up at that ungodly hour?

Then the house began to shimmy. It was a mild one. I'm an L.A. native, so earthquakes are nothing new to me. They never really freaked me out. I was just pissed that I was awake that early.

You can all sleep easy tonight, knowing that no damage was taken to my home or face.

Merci

2010-03-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

I just want to say Thank You to all of you who have left comments on this blog, or sent messages of support via email/text, in regards to my Dad and all of the other "stuff" that's happening to me.

Some of you have even shared your own personal experiences and how you got (or are getting) through it, and that has really helped give me some sense of peace. These simple gifts; hugs (real or virtual), emails, or unexpected phone calls, mean so much to me.

It's amazing how during tough times your true friends so quickly come to your side, so quick to help hold you up when you feel the weight of the world pulling you down. I just hope I can return the favor to each and every one of you.

I know that all of these events are just part of one's life. I'm accepting that fact. I'll get through these rough waters. I just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am that I have you all there to throw me a life saver, if needed.

Peace is Just a Word

2010-03-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

I just found out that my father has cancer. Looks like they found it in his kidney. Not sure yet if it's operable, benign, malignant, or how far it's spread. We're still waiting to hear more details from the doctor. My Dad has no idea he has cancer. My mom's on her way to the hospital to tell him.

Damn. I'm stunned...emotionless. I know I should be crying, but the tears aren't coming. I know they will and it'll probably catch me off guard when they do.

This isn't supposed to happen to my family. This is something you hear about happening to other people. This is surreal.

Between the breakup last Monday (Paul & I ended our 2.5 year relationship last week) and now this fresh hell, I don't know how I'm going to cope. My strength is really being tested.

The blog may get a little neglected for the next few days. Not sure what lies ahead for my family.

I really could use a hug right about now.

Yesterday's News

2010-03-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a sad story about a fire that broke out in my 'hood yesterday. The house is actually one street over from my house.

Je Déteste Lundi

2010-03-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

Monday already? I hate it when that happens. Friday, please get here soon. I miss you already.

Seriously, this weekend flew by. Not much happened other than lots of shopping. Oh, my BFF and I went to La Parolaccia for dinner on Saturday. They added a new gnocchi (with a pork & beef meat sauce) to the menu. [Word: Da Bomb!] If you're ever in the LBC, you have got to check them out. Tell them that Chris referred you.....and they'll say; "Who".

I tried to watch the Oscar's last night, but couldn't really get into it. This new wave of Young Hollywood is really disappointing to see "live". Did y'all see that chick from that Twilight movie clearing her throat, whilst presenting? Tsk Tsk.

I am dying, dying to take a little vacation. I'd love to get on an airplane, with a single bag in hand and just go somewhere. Anywhere. Alone for a few days. Well, alone with my thoughts. I need time & space to kick these blues away.

Any getaway plans or ideas? I'd like to hear some ideas from the Peanut Gallery.

Inspired

2010-03-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

What seems like many, many years ago, I used to be a bit of a whore Clothes Horse. I didn't just wear whatever was clean and pressed (as I do now). I made conscious decisions about what "outfit" I'd wear, and on what day I'd wear it. I usually had enough stock in my closet to never repeat the same pair of pants within a 2-week span. [Gay Gasp....perish the thought!]...but that was so long ago & things just aint the same.

I'm starting to get that those sartorial urges again. It's time to build up my collection and put more thought into what I'm wearing. I do love clothes. I prefer classic over trendy. I never was a Label Whore. I think you can look just as stylish with a wardrobe put together from Le Tarjay, thrift stores, and/or your everyday retail shops. No need to get all Designer on my ass to impress me. Don't get me wrong, if anyone out there has any John Varvatos, Viktor & Rolf, or Paul Smith just laying around, I'm a size a medium....or I will be in a few months.

Anyhoo, I'd love to pair all 3 of the pieces in the above pic with a faded pair of straight legged jeans & a super-crisp white button down. Not sure if I could pull off the bow tie, but a neck tie with the same pattern/colors would work. Really loving those blue shoes!

My Dark Desire

2010-03-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

I keep trying to give you up...but I can't. I've been in love with you for years.

I think about you all the time. I want you. I want to taste you in my mouth.

You're so sweet. So dark. So bad for me, I know. I can't help myself.

How can I just leave you?

You can't be replaced.

You have a hold over me that I just can't shake.

This love is real. It's deep. It must end. I need to end this for the sake of my well-being.

We are not meant to be together. I know it.

You look so good to me...dripping with beads of water...sliding down your curves.

Maybe it'd be ok if I just got a little taste of you every once in awhile. That should be ok....right?

Clash of The Titans 2010

2010-03-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

OMZ... I am so late to the game on this one. I just found out that a remake of the early 80's classic (yes, a classic), Clash of The Titans is due to come out near the end of this month. I love this movie. As a VERY YOUNG boy, I watched it everytime it played on TV.

I loved Mark Hamlin as Perseus, and, at the time, I thought that the special effects were just amazing. Looking back at the original now, yeah, not so much. Oh, and the Stygian Witches used to freak the sh*t out of me.

I am dripping with excitement to see this one. I think that Sam Worthington will do the role of Perseus justice....as long as he's shirtless for most of the movie.

Tuesday Tickler

2010-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Because Monday sucked big time, I'm posting a silly pic that makes me giggle....oh, and you know that the strawberry came back for a better look, once her goody 2-shoes friend was out of sight.

...and the World Continues to Turn

2010-03-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

My world, as I know it, is changing. Big changes are just around the corner. Some of the changes are brought on by my hand directly, and other changes are the results of other's actions. For example, my workplace is about to be going through some major restructuring, since 50% of my group is about to quit/transfer to other departments. Funny thing is management just doesn't know about it yet. The water cooler is a great place to gather info from colleagues. That may mean a promotion for me, or it could just mean more work ....same pay. I'm an optimist so I'm praying for "Mo Money in 2010" !

I've been toying with the notion of setting up another blog. One that's more of a journal that would document my daily thoughts & goings-on. I think it would be more of a personal venue for putting down thoughts that I'd only want to share with a select few people. Some aspects of my life I'd rather not share with the entire WWW. I'm talking about simple, daily journal entries such as:

Crapped my pants at work today. Thank goodness I keep an extra pair in the car at all times. Getting old sucks.

On second thought, maybe I'd keep it for my eyes only...hmmm.

Anyhoo, big changes are definitely a-coming...and that's a good thing. Last year was a year of stagnation & conflict. It was an angry year that I'd really like to forget. This year is all about growth & restoration. I need to rebuild relationships with friends & colleagues that I've lost contact with. I'm also dedicated to networking like mad this year. Life is good...and with a loving family & great friends it becomes so much better....dontcha think?

Blah, Blah, Blog

2010-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Well kiddies, nothing much to report here...well, maybe there is, but I'm saving that post for the weekend. Last night, I was mentally writing up a post , but it's going to take some time to meld all of my disconnected thoughts into something meaningful. So, stay tuned.

Last night I had some green wine....Vinho Verde, actually. It was from some country where they speak Spanish...or Portuguese. I'm not sure where, because I didn't buy the bottle. It was a gift for from a friend for bringing in friend's mail/house-sitting while he's away on business.....and by "gift" I mean that I opened up his fridge, saw the bottle, and said "hello lover" (I really did) and bagged it up. It was d'lish. Tasted apple-like. Crisp & Fresh, with a slight effervescence.

I'm going through a little bit of stealer's remorse though, because now I'm thinking that I should've saved it for St. Patty's Day.

I Really Could

2010-02-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

Big Gay Al Says...

2010-02-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

We Be Family

2010-02-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

In the summer of 2003, my older sister got into an argument with my parents & brother that ended up badly. As a result of the argument, my sister decided that she "would be better off disconnecting herself from my parents & siblings". Without going into detail, the argument started off as a simple misunderstanding that blew up into a huge bring-up-ghosts-of-the-past type of argument.

Of course, innocent little me got pulled into the fight, and I actually was innocent in all of this mess. I was collateral damage.

It's very easy for me to cut people from my life, especially when they hurt me, my family, or my friends. I've been told that I have a "cold, lifeless heart". Maybe so.

So the last 7 years of not having my sister & her family in my life wasn't difficult for me at all. My parents, on the other hand, didn't feel quite the same. That message was delivered to me especially hard this past Christmas. My Mom said something at the dinner table regarding my sister and I said "who?"....and my mom repeated her name. I then said "yeah, I heard you....who"....my brothers laughed and made snide comments. The look on both of my parents faces felt like daggers in my heart. I felt like the biggest ass.

My Mom made a New Year's resolution to reach out to my sister and her family. A couple of weeks ago, she made good on that resolution and called my sister. Mom & Dad even had dinner with my sister and her family a few days after that phone call. From what I hear, they made quite the scene in the restaurant, screaming, crying, and embracing. I'm kinda grateful that I wasn't at the restaurant, because my cold, lifeless heart just might have generated a tear or two.

This past Saturday, we all got together at my sister's house to celebrate my Dad's & brother's birthdays, as well as celebrating our families reuniting. I was dreading that it was going to turn into another emotional mess. Thankfully, it didn't. It felt like 7 years hadn't passed at all. We laughed the night away and got caught up on where we've all been and what we've all done.

My parents both seemed happier than I've seen them in years...content and complete.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

O.O.B.

2010-02-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

There's this overpriced furniture store near my house that, as of last summer, was going out of business. They'd been around forever. I remember as a kid, my parents would give the place the stink eye, whenever we'd drive past it.

Overpriced furniture, rude owners, and poor quality....it's a wonder they stayed in business for as long as I can remember. I won't name the store, but I will say that it rhymes with "Bunro's".... I was in that place 3 years ago, and never felt less welcome. I was followed (like I had the word THIEF tattooed on my forehead), despite politely saying: "I'm just looking", when asked if I needed assistance.

I almost choked when I saw what they were charging. I have to say, there must be a lot of people in Long Beach buying up this overpriced crap. After a few minutes of being stalked, I mean checking out the furniture, I got the hell outta there and vowed never to return.

So I wasn't really sad when I saw their windows painted with "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS" last summer. As last year drew to a close, their windows screamed with 50% OFF, then 60% OFF, etc....last I saw, they were down to 70% off the ENTIRE STORE. That still wasn't enough of a deep discount to get me interested.

The other day I drove past the store and guess what....[???].....They never went out of business after all. In fact, now the store front windows declare "Celebrating 45 Years in Business".

Ahh...that old trick. I should've known better.

Shut Up

2010-02-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

I try to keep things that happen in the workplace private. I feel a little nervous about posting anything here workplace related, but today I don't care so much if anyone I work with reads this. Today is day 2 of a coworker's day-long complaints of how miserable he is in his current position. He's bitcched and moaned, all day yesterday, to practically everyone in our group. Anyone that he may have missed yesterday got an earful today. Let's call this whiner "Mike".

I'm sorry, but I feel no sympathy for you, Mike. When I was his age, I made nowhere near what he makes today. He really needs to get a clue and realize how lucky his ass is just to have a job...with excellent benefits too. He's been with our company for almost 1.5 years and expects other departments to throw promotions, job offers, and bonuses at him. You know, just because he's Mike.

His issue is that he feels the work that he currently does is well beneath him. He's trying to transfer to another department, within the company. He spoke to a (high level) manager in another department last year and was told that if a job opened up in their group, they would definitely consider him. Last week, two new jobs in that department opened up, and Mike is furious that he wasn't personally notified by the manager to tell him about the positions. What really set him off is that he sent an email to the manager, resume attached, asking him if he felt that he was a good fit for the position. It's been nearly a week now and the hiring manager hasn't responded to his email.

So now he's going around and telling anyone who'll listen to him how the hiring manager is a "retard" and all sorts of other colorful words....blah, blah, wah, wah.

I can't stand whiners. If you're unhappy with your current situation, STFU and do something about it (like quitting the company). I don't want to hear your nagging & annoying complaints. I try to keep the negative people as far away from me as possible. I want my world to be one that is bathed in positive attitudes & warm auras.

Tuesday's Tidbits

2010-02-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

The Irony
I am eating Baby Carrots, Baby Spinach, while listening to Madison Avenue sing "Don't Call Me Baby".

The Horror
DMV just sent me my new Driver's License. After looking at my "mug shot" I am so disgusted how F-A-T I look, that I will no longer be pleasuring myself...well, not until the weight (and a few of my chins) drops off. That DMV wench, behind the camera, even had the nerve to say "Oh, that's a good one"....I look like a drunk Sumo wrestler!

The Want
Gawd, I would look great in this hat. I think it's Armani. I'm just a little concerned that it might not be age appropriate. Kinda like a 55-year old man wearing Aberzombie & B*tch.

A Fool's Birthday

2010-01-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to all you Sexxy MoFos out there, who were lucky enough to be born on this day....here's one Sexxy HoMoFo that shares his B-day with Yours Truly.

Hey Gurl...

2010-01-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

Just checking in...not much has gone on since you last tuned in. Work has been keeping me super busy since Halloween '09, but in this economy, that's a very good thing. I'ma hush my mouth and work Betch, work! I forgot to mention that my GBF (Gay Best Friend) and I dined at the Boxwood Cafe (one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants) this past Saturday.

The Boxwood is inside the London (Hotel) West Hollywood. It's pretty easy to pass the hotel up if you aren't looking for it. It looks like a nice condo building and the "front" of the hotel is on a side driveway. Anyhoo, the Boxwood is Modern-60's-Fab. Not sure how to describe the place in Interior Designer terms, but here's a pic of the restaurant's front desk...

There were a couple of mirrors in the hotel that I really wanted to steal. I have a huge blank area above my TV and either of the mirrors I was conspiring to snatch would've worked just fine....but my GBF wouldn't fake a seizure so that I'd have enough time to rip the mirror off the wall. He is now dead to me.

The food was D'lish. My only complaint is that when my salmon (with cucumber salad & eggplant gazpacho) showed up, GBF & I asked the plate (in unison): "is that it"? The portions were very Un-American (read: the perfect portion for someone who just had gnocchi as an appetizer, and planned on ordering the raspberry meringue for dessert).

Warning: if you plan on visiting The Boxwood, also plan on bringing your own wine, be aware that the corkage fee is $35....ouch...that was a little steep for someone who's used to paying $10-$15. Overall, I'd recommend the restaurant, but it's one of those places that I can now say "been there, done that" and not go back.

However, after looking at the website just now, I wish I would've known about this area of the hotel:

Sounds of Morning

2010-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

I hate the morning. I'm more of a Night Owl than an Early Bird. So, I wasn't too happy this morning when, at 5 A.M., I could queerly clearly hear the foghorns off of Long Beach's coastline warning the townsfolk of approaching pirates....or whatever the foghorns sound off for.

I was able to fall back to sleep after about 20 minutes of listening to what sounded like my phone ringing on vibrate. Then, just before the alarm went off at 6:30, I was treated to the sounds of 2 chickens noisily clucking away on my side lawn. Where did these chickens come from? Did my house transport itself to East L.A.??? One of my neighbors obviously has a chicken coop, as I saw the rooster just last summer, strutting around on my front lawn. He was gorgeous. All black feathers, with a huge fan-tail that was a rainbow of colors. Who knew there were gay roosters?

This morning's chickens made me think of my Uncle David who lives in Lancaster, CA. He is the most macho man I have ever met. He owns an orchard and a small farm, where he grows his own produce and sells his wares at local Farmer's Markets. As a kid, I used to be scared sh*tless of him. He always seemed larger than life to me and reminded me of a Latin version of Elvis. As I grew older, I got to know the real man... the man behind the booming voice & the dark glasses. He's actually a kind man, just don't piss him off. You'll be sorry.

Anyhoo, he raised a turkey from a chick. He named the turkey Sam and actually trained him. I never saw the bird, but my mom said that Sam was really my uncle's pet dog. When my uncle would whistle, Sam would come running, looking for a treat. He even acted like a guard dog, chasing away cats and the neighbor's dog.

Sam lived to almost 11 years old. My mom said that my uncle called her the day Sam died (a few years ago). He was so upset she could barely understand him. She asked him if he was going to eat him right away, or wait until Thanksgiving. My uncle didn't answer her...he just hung up the phone.

Trippin' Up

2010-01-05T16:43:00.000-08:00

Have you ever fallen UP the stairs? Yeah, neither have I, and not at work this morning, while walking up the main entrance's staircase....ahem!

As I was tripping over my feet, it felt as if time had slowed down and I just couldn't stop tripping over myself...up the stairs. In my head, I was screaming at myself to "Stop moving. Stand still. Grab the damn railing and stop yourself.....People are laughing at you!"

Mercifully, I only tripped UP about 3 or 4 steps, although it felt like my comedy routine would never end, and lucky for me that I was holding onto the railing; otherwise, I would have landed flat on my face....and that would've ended my Super Model career for sure.

I'm just really thankful that there was only one witness on the steps this morning (to whom I said: "you didn't see that did you" and she replied with a grin: "no, not at all").

Oh, and I just know that the security guards are watching the taped recording of me tripping on loop....and laaaaaauuuggghing! I'm not ashamed though, it feels good to brighten someone's day.

Cold Going Mad

2010-01-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

...

What better way to ring in the New Year than with some Old Skool 90's?

Can You Feel it?

:-)

2009-12-31T15:21:00.001-08:00

Against My Window

2009-12-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

L.A. finally got some rain today...and I love it. The rain always reminds me of cities that I've visited & dream about living in someday. It makes me want to book a flight out of this town.

I didn't go anywhere in 2009.....very unusual for this Wanderlust....I didn't even make it to Vegas, despite the many mini-vaycays I planned throughout the year. I'm going to do my best in 2010 to visit either San Fran, Chicago, or NYC. Maybe I'll look for work related seminars in those cities... hmm...

Besides all of the fabulous (such a stereotypically gay word) U.S. cities, I'm dying...DYING to go back to London. I'd love to see my blogger friends Mark (and his hubby, Eiain) in their quaint little village....or have a spot of tea with Mr. Potter (Anthony, not Harry) and talk about poppycock, bangers & mash, and practice my Cockney English on the locals.

Looking out of my office window, I can see that the rain is coming down hard...just in time for my drive home with all the other "Angelenos" who suddenly forget how to drive, at the sight of the slightest drizzle.

Jet Blue....take me Away!

Blog-I-Versary # 3

2009-12-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Today marks the third anniversary of my blog. Woo-Hoo !!!

Funny thing is, I actually thought I'd been keeping this thing alive for at least 5 years. I have to admit that my posts for the year have really been pitiful. Earlier in the year, I had planned on writing something at least once per day....but "life" really got in the way of blogging this year. Looking at my stats, it's no surprise at all that my readership has dropped off...significantly.

2010 is a year filled with changes for sure...I'm planning on getting to know the true sense of the word DISCIPLINE. More fitness, more writing, more photography, more spending time with friends, more financial control... and less fatness, less boozin, less bitchin-n-moanin, less excuses, and no more laziness.

On January 1, 2010, I will rise from my bed, in a golden aura of Clarity & Conviction ... and I will proclaim to the world:

Behold... I am Reborn !

Post Christmas Post

2009-12-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, I did something that I haven't done before. I hosted Christmas Eve dinner. My family and I celebrate the birth of Baby Jebus on the Eve and not the Day. I was pretty nervous about playing host, as I had planned for a lot of cooking. Normally, my family & I celebrate the Eve by going to a nice restaurant, and as a present to my parents, I foot the bill. I wanted to add a new level of stress to my holiday this year, so I decided to make dinner and all of the trimmings myself.

Dinner was a success, many thanks to the help of my 2 daughters and the fine folks over at Trader Joe's, for providing me with a D'lish pre-cooked ham. It was finger looking good....as was all of the other dishes and the MANY cakes and pies my family brought.

This year, with everyone's personal economies in the virtual toilet, we kept Christmas simple and kept the spending to a minimum. Normally, my Xmas tree is drowning in presents, but not this year. There wasn't much under the tree, and that was just fine with us all. The true gift of Christmas is getting to spend time with loved ones that you don't get to see very often.....and of course, eating lots & lots of savory, buttery, fattening foods....and then going back for seconds.

Christmas Day was pretty much a suck-fest....I sat around in jammies all day...didn't shower til evening...read a book, and watched too much TV. I also felt extremely lonely. I guess the day before was such a stark contrast; a house full of loved ones, laughing and reminiscing on Xmas Eve, yet on Xmas Day, it was just me and an empty house.

The following day was Boxing Day, and Jim & Lyle hosted a cocktail party to celebrate the occasion. OH EM GEE....the man knows how to decorate....His tree had me stopped in my tracks, outside his house's front window. I really wish I had taken my camera for some stealth pic taking. The entire house and yard were decorated beautifully!.... I didn't stay long, but I have to say that Jim & Lyle have some really nice friends that I enjoyed chatting with. I firmly believe that you can always tell a person's character by the friends that they keep.....and Jim is such a character.....Har !

I took all of last week off, so getting up early today was a bit of a struggle. It's a short week though, and the workplace is ghost town...[More time to read blogs!]

Now, I'm looking forward to ringing in the new year and saying Adios to 2009!

Hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas!