December 2004 Archives
I don't listen to the radio unless it's NPR, so I don't know what's hip with the kids these days. Fly Girl mentions all these songs and I have to download them to know what she's talking about.
Mario's Let Me Love You makes her think of me. Guess who has what ringer on my phone now.
I wasn't really satisfied with the ringtone, so I coughed it up to Sprint to get the limited-use musictone which plays an actual clip of the song instead of just a midi file. There's gotta be a way to make my own musictones on my computer.
Anyway, I'll get to kiss my girl at midnight this New Year, so in honor of that I'm leaving that for y'all to enjoy. We're getting packed up to go up north, and I probably won't check in until after we get back to Minnesota. Happy New Year, everybody!
Long story short, my mom wouldn't commit to meeting FG, so mom got uninvited. We met up with my dad and sister today, and it was fine. Short and sweet. And over.
Less than two months to Season 2 of The L Word:
... was posted by Monkie. Go 'head on wit yo bad self!
*applause*
Apparently that giant earthquake/tsunami in Asia made the earth wobble on its axis and actually moved small islands.
Holy shit.
(via Gay Orbit)
Via Minnesota Fringe, I came across the Vox Medusa New Years Party and it sounds really fun. Obviously I already have plans, but if I were gonna be in town this sounds pretty cool. And it's only $25! I've never gone out for New Years before.
I was googling to find out if you can drink in Canada on Boxing Day. Didn't get a concrete answer, but I think you can. And it ended up being a moot point. Anyway, I found an article in the Detroit News about Michael O'Brien.
Michael O'Brien is the best performer I've seen at Patrick O. Ryan's, my favorite pub in Windsor, Ont (where we would have been heading on Boxing Day if everyone was around and we felt like making the drive). And he lives in Ferndale! I figured he was Canadian. It seems like he doesn't play nearly as much over here as he does in Windsor.
Don't know what that has to do with anything.
FG has been trying to figure out my Enneagram type. I'd been meaning to go find an online quiz to tell me what I am, and lookee what I came across.
Take the test yourself, if you like. Then you'll have an Enneagram number to add to your astological sign (Taurus), your Myers-Briggs type (ISTJ), your Social Style (Amiable Analytical), and however else you want to describe yourself.
Have I only been here for three days? Because it feels like three months. Today was pretty low key. I half-slept and watched football all day, had dinner with one friend from college (Steve the Beave) and his girlfriend, then went to Ann Arbor to hang out for a bit with The Boyz.
I did talk to my dad today about Fly Girl. I reminded him that he can make his decision on whether or not to meet her independently of my mother. He basically seemed uncomfortable and not really wanting to talk about the whole issue of my being gay. Which is how he is about, like, everything. But he said he'd meet her because it would be "good for me." Correct answer! I can work with that. Except now it seems that his availability might make it logistically difficult, but I'll try.
I didn't get around to having that talk with my mom. I'll have to have it tomorrow, because I'm really feeling ready to escape to Ann Arbor. The Boyz approved my early arrival at their house, so as long as I can figure out how to get myself to and fro, I can get out of here at any time.
The remaining things on my to do list are the mom chat, spending of gift certificates which can be done either here or in Ann Arbor, and then I need to remember to give my sister money for my parents' gifts.
The end is in sight. The end is in sight. And when I wake up tomorrow, it'll only be two more days until FG gets here. w00t! *does the cabbage patch*
Try, anyway.
That is all.
Xmas is not all it's cracked up to be. I've talked to more and more people (people my age) that are just bitter about it. It's stressful. The obligations and expectations are ridiculous. People get this false sense of what a perfect Xmas should be like and jump through all these hoops and put on all these fronts to get there. I've always come home for Xmas just because I don't have anything else to do. Last year, I really couldn't afford it. Couldn't afford a flight. Couldn't afford gas to drive here. Couldn't afford to take days off work because I didn't have vacation time and so if I wasn't there, I just didn't get paid. But I went anyway because it was expected of me.
I'm not fucking doing that anymore.
Last year it was Hey Ya Charlie Brown. This year it's Hannukah.
Also, the Boobies for Peace Advent Calendar. Mmmm... boobies....
(via TCB)
Cloris Leachman (with an accent) and Ken Olin star in "Krystal's Secret", the true story of a woman who battles cancer. Despite her parents' disapproval, with the help of her husband's love and support she eventually finds the courage to solve the crime that's plagued her for years.
(via sweepeamofo)
Apparently taking the time to throw together a bunch of half-written drafts without actually publishing them does not constitute blogging. I thought I was doing so well getting caught up. Meh.
Tonight's my last night with my girl for a week, and then I'm on a plane to Detroit in the morning, so blogging will (continue to) be non-existent until I touch down. See you on the flip side!
Fly Girl is coming home with me for the holidays. Not for Xmas, but for New Years. I usually go up north with The Boyz for New Years, and she's gonna come along.
Wheeeeeee!
When I go home, I'll be flying into Detroit, staying there with the fam for Xmas, then riding up north for New Years, and flying out of Traverse City to come back to Minneapolis. (In case you're wondering where Traverse City is, hold up your right palm and point to the tip of your pinky finger. Roughly.) FG is also flying into Detroit, riding up north, then flying out of Traverse City. And this is where it gets interesting.
I {heart} Target. I do. Every one of the very few errands I've been able to accomplish lately has involved a trip to Target.
However, I've been informed that not only do Target locations in the city charge more than those in the suburbs, they also sell bootleg Aveda products. Around here, at least.
But I still {heart} Target anyway.
Some of Fly Girl's very good friends (husband, wife, baby) had an open house/holiday party yesterday evening at the University Club in St. Paul. I guess they usually have this party in their home, but he plays piano and wanted to play something he had composed at this party. Hence the University Club.
University Club. Sounds fancy, don't it? It is.
So, he's actually a frickin' maestro. He wrote this concerto three weeks ago. And he's going to submit it to be considered for playing at the Inaugural Ball in January. The Inaugural Ball. (One of his other hobbies is politics and he was way into the Bush campaign here, earning himself an invite to the Ball. He's been nice to me, so I forgive him for that.) In addition to this concerto, he's got a song he composed when he was ten years old, and a lullaby he wrote the day his daughter was born.
Part of the event included recording these pieces he played. Lucky me was the designated sound tech. FG probably would have been roped into it, but yet another thing this guy is working on is starting his own consulting business and she's involved in that, so she had to help work the room. Me, I'm good with button pushing. So Sunday morning we were setting up the recording equipment and practicing.
Sunday evening was the soiree. FG looked gorgeous, as usual. She cleans up good. I told her I've never seen anyone go between pinch-your-cheeks-cute and fuck-me-hot so quickly and so easily as she does.
So, we're in this gorgeous room and all these people were decked out in holiday finery. The fireplace (and the radiators) are roaring. This guy gets up and is talking about how he was inspired to write this piece and what this day means to him and about his wife and his daughter.
And then I'm sitting next to the piano (with the headphones on), listening to him play these gorgeous songs that he wrote, and I look out in the crowd and FG is standing there looking so beautiful and smiling at me. And wouldn't you freakin' know it, I get all verklempt.
Because, you know, life is good. I feel like the luckiest person in the world right now. Things are far from perfect, but they're better than they've been in a long time. Certainly a far cry from this time last year, which was easily my lowest point in a long time.
Life is real good.
Fly Girl treats me so well. She did my laundry for me. *sigh*
I took the day off work yesterday (although I'm paying for it by working today). We ran errands all day, dropped by my house for an hour or so, and then went out last night.
Dear anyone I know whom I have grumbled about (to your knowledge or not) being fixated on your new girlfriend/boyfriend to the exclusion of other people/things in your lives,
Now I know how you felt, and I totally understand how things were. I'm sorry, and I promise not to do that to anyone else.
Love,
Erica
A few weeks ago at work, Lazy Overachiever got splashed in the eye with some ink and had to go to the hospital.
She still thinks she's God's Gift. Even the new guy picked up on that right away. But I got tremendous pleasure out of her little "incident."
Says my friend Allison:
All is right in the world... there are still commercials for Chia Pet and the Clapper.
Warning! Warning! Hot mamas! *whoooooop*whoooooop*
Preach it, Anitra!
So, they're going to make a movie version of Rent. I have mixed feelings about that. I refused to see the movie version of Evita. The movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar sucks.
I've seen Rent twice, but never with any of the original cast members. I bought the original cast soundtrack after having seen the show the first time, and the original cast is who I compare other performances to. So I was pleased to find that Idina Menzel, the original Maureen (who is currently starring as the Wicked Witch of the East in Wicked), has been cast as Maureen for the movie. According to her bio, she was Mabel in Pirates of Penzance in 5th grade. What elementary school does Pirates?! And I'd love to see Rosario Dawson as Mimi.
So I guess I'll have to see the movie.
(via AfterEllen)
Via a Frommer's board, I found a website put together by an Australian family who took a 3-month driving vacation in the United States (and Canada). I like seeing their perspective on how things here compare to Australia and on the accuracy of Aussie's perception of us. I think my favorite part was their take on the food, cars, booze, and the miscellaneous thoughts.
She has flowing hair, smooth skin, languid eyes, and she's completely naked.
I couldn't even bring myself to take the quiz.
(via TCB)
I prefer my sucky drivers aggressive. Minnesota drivers suck because they're timid and oblivious. It's a whole state full of Sunday drivers, but without the blue hair. So I don't think that removing all signs and markers from the road would trick them into driving better, because they're already overly cautious as it is. I guess it depends on your definition of "better."
I don't know if the proliferation of PayPal is good or bad, but just so ya know you can now use PayPal to make purchases from the iTunes Music Store. I still have yet to buy anything from the iTMS, but I'd prefer to do it with PayPal than with a credit card. Although I'd probably use my debit card anyway.
If you find yourself packing on a few extra holiday pounds, be extra careful when you put your cell phone in your pocket.
I used to rarely go to St. Paul. Everyone I know lives on the west (Minneapolis) side of town. The only reason to head east is to see a show or a game downtown, or to pass through on my way to a whole 'nother state. And I always get lost in downtown St. Paul. Without fail. I think I probably make the same wrong turn every time, so technically I should not be lost when I'm finding my way back out of downtown.
Fly Girl lives in St. Paul. Right on Summit Ave. For the non-locals, Summit Ave has lots of big pretty mansions on it, including the Governor's Mansion. And it's a block up from Grand Ave, which has all sorts of shopping and places to eat and hang out. It's mainly for the fancy people. The folks that actually own those mansions on Summit, or folks coming in from Edina, whatnot. When we went to Grand Meander a couple weeks ago, we were practically the only ones not all dolled up. But, hey, there's a Jimmy John's on Grand. That's all I need to know.
So I know how to get to her house. And all these St. Paul streets that I'd heard of but couldn't tell you how to get to, I now have a vague sense of where they are in relation to each other. I still couldn't tell you how to get to any fine St. Paul establishments. And I'll still get lost downtown. But at least now I can say I kind of know St. Paul. Sort of. A little.
It's already December 11th. I'm at work and will be for another couple hours, so it might as well be the 12th.
I have not bought one Xmas card. I usually do a letter with my Xmas cards. I took a hiatus last year because I was not feeling the Xmas cheer. I haven't composed this year's letter yet, and if may scrap it again because I'm just going to run out of time. Plus, a good chunk of my address is sitting on an inaccessible hard drive.
I have not bought one Xmas gift. I'm horrible at gift buying anyway. I never know what to get anybody. So I foresee a lot of gift certificate purchases in my future.
My apartment is only decorated because my roommates put the tree up. I have ornaments to put on there, but that would require me to be at home for longer than it takes to take a shower, repack my bag, grab a snack, and/or check my email.
Actually, the decorations and the gift thing don't really bother me. It's the card thing. Half the time people get their cards from me after Xmas. Better late than never, but still.
Except I'm not even busy, per se. I'm just otherwise occupied. Crap. Being a procrastinator is especially inconvenient during the holidays.
I got new contacts on Tuesday so I can finally wear sunglasses again, and it hasn't been sunny yet.
I took my roommate out for lunch at Figlio. Do you usually assume that when you send a half-full plate back with the waiter that you're gonna get a doggie box back? You shouldn't. $35 and no leftovers. Dammit.
I wish door locks came equipped with key fobs the way car door locks do. It would save me a lot of fumbling.
At the risk of falling into that stereotypical lesbian urge to enmesh yourself into one being with someone kind of cool within 30 minutes of meeting them, I think it's safe to say that things with Fly Girl and I are going pretty well. Like really well. Like, super duper well.
Like we are definitely officially Seeing Each Other. Exclusively. Even though it's only been three weeks (today!) since our first date.
I could go on, but I'm not ready to just yet. Suffice it to say that this whole thing is just mindblowing on so many levels.
And she gave me this. *swoon*
Speaking of trying to figure out how to pay for light rail, Governor Pawlenty will soon be soliciting the public's opinions on the state budget.
The next proposed leg of Twin Cities light rail service is the Central Corridor, between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. For the fans of light rail, this is the obvious next step. But there's a hang up over the cost and disagreement over the most effective way to address traffic congestion on that route. High speed bus is the alternative option.
I suppose it may be tougher to justify the utility of the light rail line as a standalone project, but as part of a grander plan to expand public transit in the metro area, I see it as a good thing. To me, as someone who lives in Minneapolis and doesn't really go to St. Paul except to go to the Ordway or the Xcel Energy Center for a show or a concert or a game, the idea of parking and riding to St. Paul is appealing. Especially because I invariably get lost in downtown St. Paul. (Although, that would be me prior to Fly Girl, who lives in St. Paul.)
That Central Corridor website details the pros pretty well, but I haven't seen much on the cons. Based on the success (or not, depending on how you look at it) of the Hiawatha line, I'd say the Central Corridor line's chief problems would be ridership and traffic flow where the train crosses major north/south roads. Really, I wonder who exactly they expect to use this line. Because Minneapolitans going to selected St. Paul nightlife spots aren't gonna keep the line up and running.
And the argument doesn't necessarily need to be that the train is great, but that the bus doesn't suck. I think the higher upfront cost is worth it, but I don't know where it'll come from. The only thing I like about Governor Pawlenty is that he pushed hard for the Hiawatha Line, so I'm curious to see how this pans out.
So, I have this mole on my cheek. It wasn't always there, but I forget when it showed up. Strangely, one of my aunts on my mom's side also has one, but on the opposite cheek.
I hate this damn thing. I've been thinking forever that I'll eventually get it removed, but it hasn't been high on the priority list. I need things like food and a car and expensive electronics.
Sometime in the last day or two, this thing has taken on a life of its own. It's like it grew a little hat or something. I was self-conscious about it before, but now it's just all out there. Driving me nuts. I have yet to consult a doctor about getting a referral to a dermatologist, so I don't think I'll be able to address it any time in, say, the next couple weeks.
I was telling my mom about it. Her first words were, "Make sure you see a cancer specialist!" Okay, mom, I know it's a bad sign if it's morphing or crawling or waving back at me in the mirror, but I'm sure the dermatologist will take care of that.
So, yeah, it grew a little hat. And like I don't feel badly enough about it, several times today I've had people mention it. I went in for an eye exam so I could get new glasses and contacts, and the eye doctor hands me a tissue and says, "Youve got something on your cheek there." Thanks, buddy. I'd wipe it off if I could. And I didn't rub cheek mole juice on your precious machine.
Then I get to work, and this chick who's about to leave for the day (and who is not known for being the brightest and best) says to me, "Hey, what's that on your face?" I say, "It's a little shumpin' shumpin' I gotta have the dermatologist look at." She says.... oh my god... she says, "Oh, I thought it was a piece of candy."
A fucking piece of candy. Yes, I decided to glue a fuckin' Smartie to my face and wear it around at work.
Anyway, I want it taken care of now. I'll have to take a look at my new insurance info (we just switched because my company got bought out) tomorrow and call the doc.
A piece of candy. Christ.
Looking to get rid of some stuff? Maybe you can Freecycle it.
The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. Freecycle provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!
One rule: everything posted must be free. Whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door to be given away, it can be posted on the network. Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself? Respond to the posting directly and you just might get it. After that it is up to the giver to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.
Another option for your pre- and post-holiday houseclearing.
(via Sherri)
On election day, the great state of Michigan passed Proposal 2 ("one man, one woman"), and so Governor Granholm officially suspended anything resembling domestic partner benefits for state employees. Actually what's happening is that a contract for next year that had been negotiated to add in such benefits will not go into effect with those benefits intact. *sigh*
If you're still harboring any post-election resentment, The Angry Left has plenty of gear for you.
Yesterday was the best day I've had in a damn long time.
Fly Girl and I got up to take a friend of hers to the airport. By the time we dropped him off we were beyond famished so we ventured to Soba's. Except that they weren't serving breakfast anymore when we got there and FG was jonesing for breakfast. So we left Soba's to go to the Uptown Diner where we had greazy breakfast and a great conversation.
I was hoping that my car would have been ready for pick up by that point. Yesterday was its third day in the shop, and I had already called in late to work waiting for them to finish it. But it wasn't ready at that point, so we went for a walk.
It had been cloudy in the morning but while we were out walking the sun came out. We talked and talked. We stopped at a playground on Colfax somewhere and made out played, and then walked around some more until FG had to leave to go to class. She dropped me off near Autopia and I killed some time by enjoying a nice afternoon chai.
Except for the subsequent five hours of work, it was a perfect day.
First it was socks and cozies. Now there are hoodies!
Tiffany's preparations for her visit to the girly doctor sound about like my amended daily routine (except for the makeup part) since I started seeing somebody again.
Anybody got a phone with ringtones? Do you have a particular source that you like to get them from?
I know I can get some directly from Sprint, but those are all limited time only, and the variety ain't that great. I was sort of eyeing this place, but I'm open to suggestions.
How is it December already? Crikey.
Every time I start to think that any dumbass can do my job, somebody proves me wrong. What I do is not complicated. Yeah, there's a lot of paperwork. But all that requires is a lot of initialing and dating, and some basic arithmetic. If you just read the paperwork, it tells you exactly what to do.
No theses. No DiffEQs. No schematics. No psychrometric charts. It's just NOT THAT FUCKING HARD.
Or so I thought. But apparently I'm the dumbass for thinking so.
