Hoodia Think You Are?

So, I get a lot of spam as do we all. Lately I had increasingly seen this "hoodia" word in my spam subject lines. The curiosity in me got the best of me, and I had to find out what it was, if you are also inclined, the wikipedia definition is here. I assumed it had something to do with the female anatomy, but I was incorrect.

Basically, it is an appetite suppressant (maybe) found in some plant in Africa, and they have found a way to replicate it and they have put it in shakes and bars and Trimspa. I wondered what that crap Anna Nicole Smith was hacking was.

So great, in addition to giving her more pleasure and enlarging my penis, I need to lose weight too. I think I'll pass, tyvm.

Daily Tirade

You know, Thomas Circle is a mess. The construction, which has been going on for what seems like 5 years, is a nightmare. The street is torn up, and driving your car around it is perilous at best because the street is ground down to nothing and the nice new brick crosswalks and sewer caps tower higher than the current road, so you bottom out (and not in a good way ;-) ) driving around it. I wonder who the GC is on the job... I love the internet, you can find a link to the press release pdf, should you be inclined, here.

Anyway, it seems as if "Civil Construction" is the GC. Funny, absolutely NOTHING on the internet about this company. Can't even google it. I bet you it is somebody's uncle's company or something. Oh yeah, second best thing about press release: Scheduled Completion Date: January 2, 2006. Um, darlings, you're a bit late.

And another thing...

Actually, two things. One, here is the scene as this morning I am held up by about 10 minutes getting into work (I drive on Tuesdays) by a police car parked in the right lane of Connecticut Avenue (there is no parking there during rush hour) at the Wardman Park. I look to see a group (about 5-6) of cops up on the curb, laughing and talking. Nothing happening. I call the police non -emergency number and bitch. The dispatcher takes my information, tells me that I have the right to tell them to move (thanks, hon, I already had, they ignored me), and then, about 3 minutes into the call (I am nearly to Florida Ave at this point) says, "are they still there?". Well, I'm sure they probably are, dear, I've moved on.

That would be good enough, but then I had a message on my phone a HALF HOUR later saying that if they were still there to give her a call back. Hello, dear, clue phone, PLEASE pick up!!!

Hmmm, now that I have gotten here I've forgotten what item two is; see, at my old age, I really should write these things down. Oh, wait, now I know. My dad drove himself to the ER yesterday afternoon where they promptly checked him into the ICU. Apparently he was in "heart failure" and his leg was swollen dramatically. Okay, Dad has been in heart failure for nearly ten years... but that being said, my brother was going to go and find out what was up (Dad is in the VA in Richmond) today. Can I GET my brother/mother to return a phone call?!? No can do. This really really is SO my family. We totally took the fun out of dysfunctional...

Bankers and botox

My banker (trust me, work banker, I have NO money, so would never need a personal banker) swears by botox. She said something to the effect of "you really should consider it, it takes at least five years off of you and you only need to pay less than $500!".

So, how vain am I? I am actually considering it. I am f-ing 40. The gay community does this to you... well, that and the fact that I am insane about my age. No really, I'm crazy. :-)

Felonious Schmuck

I work on the second floor of an office building right at Farragut North. For some reason, the corner to which I walk to get on the metro has been adopted as the "cause corner". Half the time there are the Falun Gongers (hey, that would be a GREAT name for a band... "Dude, the Falun Gongers are playing the 9:30 club, aces!") there, and the other 50% of the time has the LaRouche people.

These are a real special class of people. Their apparent tactic to get you to vote for them is to annoy the HELL out of you. They ride around the block (as happened this afternoon) with a HUGE speaker on top of a car, blaring (really blaring, enough to interrupt a phone conversation) what sounded like pre-WWII Nazi propoganda music/speeches. Then, behind that minivan was another minivan (how soccer mommy of them) with a giant paper mache bust of FDR with the cigarette holder in his mouth and everything. If you have the unfortunate luck of actually running into one of these people at the metro, they will try and foist a publication in your hand while screaming "Dick Cheney is SATAN!!!!"... Now, don't get me wrong, Dick Cheney IS Satan, but, that being said, I don't need some pimply faced little kid wearing "grunge" clothing and driving his mom's Caravan telling me that I need to support a FELON who is CRAZY running for president for like the 10th time.

So, annoy me once, shame on you, annoy me twice, prepare to be bitchslapped. :-)

Weekly rants

I am so boring, I figured not even the blog needs updating... :-) Today is one of the rare most perfect days in DC. For my lunch hour I just walked all over the city, which was nice. I wore a short sleeve purple button down and khakis today, what was I *thinking*? Jessica Simpson wouldn't get hit on in this get up. Resolved: burn outfit when you get home.

Let's see, since it has been nearly a week since I posted.... highlights or lowlights of the week... last Tuesday's PF rehearsal was absolutely abysmal. If we sound anything LIKE that for our concert this coming weekend and weekend after, it will be ... well, I pity the audience. Hopefully it was just due to the fact hardly anyone was there, there were seriously like 3 people gone who had last minute issues. That's dedication for you...

Took Thursday off as the first of my campaign to not lose any leave this year. I have to take something like 23 days before the end of the year. That's well over a month. I had lunch up in Baltimore with my old friend Carey. He is so adorable. I need to stop the habit of my youth, surrounding myself with pretty, because as the contrast gets more and more as I age... ;-)

Wound up taking Friday off when I called in to say I was running late (my boss was not in) and my employee said, "oh I thought you were off today too..." Well, okay, I will be. lol Wound up getting about 394 loads of laundry done (AND FOLDED, Praise Jesus). Of course, they still are sitting in nicely folded piles all over the basement, but at least I got a start. Friday night, met former girlfiend (long ago, obviously) Sherry and her husband Karl, and good friends Chris and Mary (all high school church friends). Sherry and Karl are expecting their first IV kid at 40, and she was just glowing, it was lovely. Got a phone call later from a friend that will go nameless saying he had a guy 'lined up' for me at the bar in Wheaton, but since everyone involved in the situation was totally wasted, I didn't think much of it. At least it was before 11pm... lol

Saturday we met my old friends (that unfortunately we hardly ever see any more) Chip and Brent downtown; we were supposed to go to the National's game. Chip works for a white shoe firm in DC and they occasionally get primo tix right behind the plate. Naturally, there were TORENTIAL rains, so the game got rained out. But we had a FANTASTIC meal at Banana Cafe (seriously, one of the top ten ever, especially since the whole meal with drinks included for 4 was only $90) and then 'nightcap' while we played pool at Remingtons. Such a fun night, all in all. They have invited us up to their cabin on the lake in Maine for the Memorial Day weekend, and we are going to try and figure out a way to get up there.

Yesterday was a "double rehearsal" for the chorus which always sucks. I knew I wasn't going to make it to both before I walked in the door. I wound up doing the 2-5pm (in beautiful weather, inside... :( ), but went home after and missed the 6:30-9:30. This concert might not suck too bad, we'll see.

As I mentioned earlier, today has been just gorgeous and I have really got to enjoy the weather a bit. I have abs class at 5pm, but will probably leave immediately afterward to get home. I need to cut the grass desperately, its like a foot tall in the back yard. The weather on the weekends has been less than cooperative.

As an FYI, Ken sold his motorcycle to some cute kid. He is trying to buy another but having problems getting a test drive setup. These dealers are something else. And I thought car dealers were bad. Motorcycle dealers are like that, but throw in some redneck... Lawsy be.

And, since Mister Michael says he reads this, Ken and I were commenting on how we NEVER see you all. Must I always inititate our interactions, dear? :-) I know you're at a funeral today, so I'll go easy, but...

Ugh

So, oil is $72/barrel but no one seems to know why, exactly. Hello, one word: Cheney. Two words. Bush/Cheney. This is not college math, exactly. I mean, look here: is everyone in the red states stupid enough to think that there is no relation? My God, man, wake up!

Okay, Tuesday rant over. Work sucks, but largely because I put off doing a week's worth of work until today. Bad me.

Most fun sentence I have written

In the last post: "Possibly a military tie too because the uniformed people on the block are higher than normal".

Of course I meant to say the PERCENTAGE of uniformed people on the block is higher than normal, but I like the way the original reads, so won't change it. :)

Uglyland

A couple of items from today's walk...

I like to take a long walk around the city during my lunch hour sometimes. Of course, this burns off valuable calories that could be spent building muscle, but... whatever. Since I have done this regularly for a couple years, a route has kind of come up (it generally allows me maximum walking OUT of the sun in the afternoons of summer), and I tend to follow it. There is one ugly office building on my route; actually there are quite a few, but this one sticks out. Not because it is ugly (it is, standard issue brick I believe), but because everyone entering/exiting the building ITSELF looks like they were beaten about the head by the ugly stick. We're talking WAY not pretty. The address is 1120 Vermont Ave, NW, and it definitely is government, I think. Possibly a military tie too because the uniformed people on the block are higher than normal. Let's google her and see what I get...

OMG of course!!! It's the Deparment of Homeland Security! You know, I really should have guessed this. Newsflash: Ugly people are protecting our borders!

Sometimes for fun I play straight guy and move my 'wedding' ring to my left hand. Can I tell you how much straight men cruise each other!??!? It is amazing to me, but they are all checking each other up and down. If I got cruised as much by gay men in a gay bar, my life could be a never ending series of man on man action.

Lastly, I am amazed at the amount of otherwise stylish men in this city who haven't gotten the pleats memo. Hello, you are dating yourself to 1995 if you wear them. Of course, with a suit there is often no other option. So, the rule is, if you are wearing a tie, you can wear pleats. Otherwise, honey, try flat front. Of course, wear underwear too. Last thing we need to see is the outline of Mr. Happy through your pants. Unless you're really hot, then I'm down with that. :)

Update much?

I so suck at blogging, perhaps because I find my personal life so amazingly boring that I cannot imagine anyone else wanting to know what is going on in it. :)

So, over here they are talking about how the White House screwed the gays; I thought they wouldn't be able to find a way, but apparently they did. That being said, not sure how much credence to lend the article, since I recall when the military families were allowed to go first... I frankly am surprised that in this PC culture, they still allow it to go on, you know, the whole separation of church/state thing. But I suppose this is a tradition from 1878 or something, and its FOR THE KIDS. I am surprised they don't do something for our jewish friends, like a matzo ball roll or something. Oh God, that's a pretty good visual, actually. Its a shame that our southern baptist friends couldn't get a nice day for today. Its quite nasty and rainy and cold out today.

I had a great weekend out in the back/front yard, actually. We have entered that nice two week period in DC where you can be outside and not freezing or hot as hell and being eaten alive by mosquitos. So, when I wasn't working in the back yard getting it into shape, I was sitting out on the front steps with the dogs watching the world go by. SO lovely.

Went to the gym Friday, but skipped Saturday (needed to do abs/legs), and yesterday it was closed... I totally rationalized Saturday because I said to myself "well, you sweated like a fool cutting the grass, and will do the abs class after work Monday..." I need to recognize when I do that and just go anyway. For the MOST part I am pretty good about that, but...

Had dinner with Motorcycle Mike and his partner Pete (way too many Pete's in my life, we're up to three now) Friday. Good guys, but not sure how Pete felt about us; didn't want to have an after dinner drink with us. Went to Halo where we were going to wait for Squad Peter to meet us with Beth, they were having dinner just around the corner. But Ken and I were getting so much attitude from the rude drunks in Halo that we called Peter and told them we were headed home. Good call, actually, because they stayed out much later, and we would have been totally smushy by that point.

Saturday we stayed in and grilled, and Sunday we had dinner with Duane and Pete (owners of the gym I go to), and neighbor Nancy joined us. It was REALLY a good meal, gourmet all the way, which was funny because I told Nancy that they weren't real big cooks. SO proven wrong there.

Ugh, I am in such an awful RUT at work. I really do not want to be here, and am so not challenged by anything that I have to do. I need to do something to make my job more enjoyable or I am really going to go crazy.

50 questions

Totally stolen from a friend:

1. How tall are you barefoot?
6'4"

2. Have you ever smoked heroin
No

3. Do you own a gun?
No

4. Who's your best friend?
If I didn't say Michael, I'd be cut before the end of the week.

5. Do you get nervous before "meeting the parents"?
I did the first couple times, but now not at all. They asked us last week when we were going to have children. :-)

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I think that you might as well put a gun to your head.

7. What's your favorite Christmas song?
Oh Holy Night, and I love Ave Maria too, although that isn't strictly Christmas.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coffee for two cups and then water, water, water.

9. Do you do push-ups?
I try to avoid them, but do them occasionally.

10. Have you ever done ecstacy?
Of course, I'm gay. ;-) I actually am a big proponent of it, but haven't done it in years and years. From what I hear, all the crap on the street now isn't really x anyway, but a hodgepodge of chemicals. I am not a circuit queen, however, I find them sad.

11. Are you a virgin?
Please.

12. Do you like painkillers?
Well, I don't take them often, but Ibuprofin is fab for that three martini headache the next day. :)

13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
I wouldn't want lure them in. I have been told that I am quite charming, if I do say so myself.

14. Do you own a knife?
Nothing used outside the kitchen.

15. Do you have A.D.D.?
I think I do, but I am not diagnosed, no.

16. Middle Name?
Craig

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment
1. Crap, I need to get to work, this weather is making me not want to be here.
2. I don't think I will go to John's baby shower this afternoon.
3. I am so full.

18. Name the last 3 things you have bought
1. Sandwich
2. Card and gift bag for John/Garnet's gift.
3. Listermint breath strips.

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink.
1. Water
2. Coffee
3. Martini

20. What time did you wake up today?
7, was a late start.

22. Current worry?
I need to stop stressing so much and make the things happen in my life I want to happen.

23. Current hate?
Fred Phelps. Always and forever, amen.

24. Favorite place to be?
On a beach with a good book and margarita, or in a central park in the Spring.

25. Least favorite place to be?
Work? No, thats not true, a gay bar when I am the oldest one in the room. The attitude is disgusting, but I deserve it since I did it when I was their age.

26. Where would you like to go?
The greek isles.

27. Do you own slippers?
Yes, two pair.

28. Where do you think you'll be in 10 yrs?
At 50? I hope getting ready to retire and living in San Diego.

29. Do you burn or tan?
Burn. Completely. After slathering myself in SPF 30 for a week in Hawaii, I STILL wound up with sun poisoning.

30. Favorite color?
Yellow, believe it or not. My neighbor told me that yellow leads to uneasiness, but it is calming for me. 80% of the walls in my house are some shade of yellow.

31. Would you be a pirate?
A butt pirate, maybe. Sorry, that was just too easy.

32. Last time you had an alcoholic drink?
Last night, 9pm, martini.

33. What songs do you sing in the shower?
This morning I got that awful Unwritten in my head again. Hate it when that happens, I cannot get it out...

34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
Either the boogey man in the closet, or the awful ventriliquist dummy my aunt gave to me and would sit and stare at me all night.

35. What's in your pockets right now?
Work keys, two listermint breath strips containers, 51 cents. If you ask what was in my attache, it would be a much more extensive list.

36. Last thing that made you laugh?
My co-worker Kevin, he shore is funny. :)

37. Best bed sheets you had as a child?
I had NFL sheets, didn't ask for em, but got em.

38. Worst injury you've ever had?
Stuck my foot into the spoke of a bike that was way too small for me when I was about 8, broke 4 of the toes and bled a lot. My grandmother (who my cousin and I were staying with for a week) nearly fainted when she saw it.

40. How many TVs do you have in your house?
3. One in the kitchen, one in the basement (oops, make that four, we have a projection theater in the basement too) and one in the attic where we sleep.

41. Who is your loudest friend?
That would HAVE to be Alan.

42. Who is your most silent friend?
Hmmm. Don't have many of them, but Peter is probably the quietest in a crowd.

43. Does someone have a crush on you?
Ha, no.

44. Do you wish on stars?
I do, sometimes, actually, don't tell.

45. What is your favorite book?
I really like Dave Eggers A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genious

46. What is your favorite candy?
Chocolate.

47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding?
Probably Pachabel Canon on a trumpet; so overdone, but so lovely.

48. What song do you want played at your funeral?
"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan.

49. What were you doing 12AM last night?
Sleeping.

50. What was the First thing you thought of when you woke up this morning?
Oh God, I should not have had that second martini last night.

No whining today

A friend of mine said that they whine all the time, so they were going to post about all the *good* things in their life. I think that might be a good idea for me too, king among the whiners. So, quickly:

You know, I whine a lot too... so, mine:

1) I have a wonderful partner who loves me and tells me "I miss you,
sweetie" when on the phone at a conference in Orlando.
2) I love my job, in the balance.
3) I adore my boss and employees, honestly could not ask for better.
4) I am blessed to be able to live in a neighborhood where we all are
friends and watch out for one another.
5) I am lucky enough to live in a time when I do not have to be ashamed of
who I am.
6) I am surrounded by a wonderful network of friends who always have my
best interests at heart and provide the care and nurturing that typically is
provided by the traditional family. In addition to this, Ken's family has
adopted me and is wonderfully loving.
7) I live in an amazingly beautiful city; one in which I am so suited, due
to my great interest in politics/public policy.
8) God has gifted me with an okay voice; I enjoy immensely sharing it with
others in performances, singing brings me great joy.

I have a lot more, I just need to get to work now so I don't lose some of my
positives. ;-)

Hate her, hate her, hate her!

I just flipped off the entire motorcade of the president of the United States. :)

Two reasons. A) I hate him and everything about him. B) they closed Connecticut Avenue from between the White House (17th Street) and somewhere north of Dupont for like 10 minutes, causing total gridlock downtown...

For the record, he was reading something (I am guessing Dora the Explorer books) so did not see my act of annoyance. :)

Songs in the key of crack

Nothing we didn't know already, but Whitney's a crackhead.

We are not normal

So, we have a very interesting group of people here where I work. I love 95% of them, and actually am quite close to a bunch of folks and call them my friends. Another gay guy here is my best friend at the office. He is totally the antithesis of me; big, bearish, says anything on his mind, no matter how rude, passes gas, etc. etc. He does have a heart of gold, though, I really love him.

Anyway (I hate people that use that word in conversation, and then do it ALL the time myself), he has a phobia of the dentist. I mean, we ALL have a fear of the dentist. No one LIKES to go. I suppose if you were some sick masochist you might, but ... you get the point. His phobia is so extreme that merely mentioning a dentist makes him sweat. If you actually raise your hand and with your fingernail scratch your teeth, making the motion like the dental hygienist, scraping your teeth, he gets nauseous to the point of having to leave the room. All this leads to him knowing he needs serious dental work, including a veneer on the front because he has an old root canal on a front tooth and, well, long story, but he asks about my dentist, knowing I had considerable ($17K, baby) work done in the last 4 years (right after I started here I had 4 veneers replaced on my front teeth that were improperly done by a 'friend' dentist of mine years before). When he is medicated like this, his decision making is hampered, and, the next day he has NO MEMORY WHATSOEVER of what happened the day before after taking the pills.

Fast forward a year or so, and now every time he has to go get a crown or whatever, he takes 2 Halcyon (prescribed by my dentist) so that he can actually make it through sitting in the chair without having a total panic attack. Sometimes, when he is really uncomfortable, the dentist actually has to use gas on him too. So, I have to go and pick him up. The problem with this situation, is that he *seems* very lucid and aware when you are talking to him. Once, a new clerk at the dentist actually let him out without me there and, thankfully I had the idea to call right after, so RAN out of here to the dentist a block and a half away and found him. One time early on, he convinced me to let him get on the metro (his normal commute). He later confessed to me that he had no idea how to get home at his transfer station and wound up going the wrong way, and kind of coming out of his stupor at the Branch Avenue metro station (not the best station, but all of them are generally safe during the day; however, in his state, you never know where he might have gone, done, etc). So today, he tries to say, 'oh today is different, I feel fine', but I say no way, baby.

So, did the same thing on Tuesday for his cleaning, took a cab over to his place and back to the office. $14.50. Do the same thing today and am charged $19.10. Nearly a $5 fare difference. Totally annoys me. It would be one thing if this rarely happened (and I am a big fan of New York Hack so don't get me wrong), but it seems to happen on every trip. A dollar or so difference, fine, I mean, we all gotta earn a living, but... whatever.

On a completely unrelated note, I see where Eminem filed for divorce AGAIN yesterday. You know, I come from a LONG line of white trash, I know my peeps. He is gonna have a hard time getting someone else to deal with his ego...

And, I have had this for what, two weeks, and have already been found by one of my friends. Damn my inability to shut up and not COMMENT on people's posts (especially PSP). Since this said friend is in the picture I published, it means I need to find a hosted pic of me online somewhere that I don't hate. Tough mission. ;-)

Stretch THIS!

I just was reminded of a lovely childhood collectible by Princess Sparkle Pony (whom I adore). This made me remember a simpler time when all I thought about was how to scam the next toy from my parents. The year: 1976. Russ sees a Kenner ad on TV that blows his mind. A really hunky wrestler that you can PULL ON ITS BODY PARTS TO STRETCH THEM. Now, if I didn’t know at 11 that I was gay, I still see how it is possible that my MOM was so surprised when I told her. I mean, hello, the guy had on a BIKINI of all things. Yes, I am talking about, for those other hairdressers out there who also lusted in their hearts unaware, of Stretch Armstrong. Oh how I loved to try my best and pull him apart, and he would deform, only to once again when left alone to ever-so-slowly return to his normal shape.

I played with him for a while until I got bored and found something else. We eventually threw him out when he leaked out of his elbow and ate a hole in the rug in my room.

I have officially lost my mind

So, I am SO used by the marketing industry, but... I went to GNC and was talking to the consultant there. I like this particular GNC because the girl and guy that work there days are really straightforward, she has a particular issue with a bunch of protein bars. ("Look at the saturated fat; you might as well be eating a candy bar!" Which is true in so many cases.)

I ask the guy about what I should do, since I now have accepted the fact that I am what is known in the industry as a "hard gainer", someone that progressively gets stronger lifting, but gaining mass is an issue. He was explaining about this new shake which is out there that purports to dramatically increase growth. My favorite quote on the side of the box, "You will grow, whether you like it or not!"

The guy was quite straightforward and said, "this crap is expensive, but they swear it works, and the fitness mags aren't slamming it yet, so that is an indication it may in fact have some power to it; the way creatine did 5 years ago" (and still does).

It does indicate that you can get dehydrated on the stuff, so I will have to (continue to) make sure I am getting enough water.

Of course, I bought it. $89 for a one month supply. We'll see. I'll try it for two months and then see if it has made a difference.

How I met Ken

From my old diary...

Labor Day, 1997, September 1st, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (Gay DC on the water). I am totally sick of my job and actually had just had my first interview at CEDPA (my former job) and was waiting to see if I would get a second. I very much did not feel like coming back to DC on that Monday so I could go to work that Tuesday. A trip that usually takes two hours takes upwards of 6 due to all the traffic and I was not particularly energized. I was staying at my roommates beach house, and he told me to stay and just lock up when I came home the next day. I decided I would. I ran into friends Barry and Paul and convinced them to join me in staying, at least until later (Paul eventually decided to leave and I drove Barry back to DC the next day). SO, short story long, we went to dinner and did the usual thing, and then we went to the Blue Moon for drinks. It is a mostly outdoor bar, where *everyone* goes pre and post dinner before going out. (Note: I used to go out out, now I am pretty much too old for that and I make the Blue Moon my last stop...) Oh, I left out one minor detail. At my roommates beach house, left over from the prior weekend's party of some sort, was a two foot high blond beehive wig, cats eye rhinestone glasses, and a tiara. For some reason still not clear to me, my friends and I decided to haul these to the bar. After we had all had about 3 drinks a piece (hey, we weren't driving and were on vacation...), we began passing them around. Ken apparently looked over at one point and saw a 6'4" tall man (that would be me) in a two foot high wig and couldn't resist laughing. (Note to the confused people: we were not doing drag, we were putting on a bad bad wig and laughing at ourselves. Not that there is anything wrong with pushing the gender stereotypes, GO Ru Paul, but that was not what we were doing. We might as well have been putting on a giant condom costume or something because that was what we were doing, just having fun with it.) So, anyway, Ken was about 6 months out of a relationship (ie looking for another) and I was about 4 months out of one (ie looking for sex, not another fucked up man because that's all I kept finding). Ken asked his friend Will to go up to the first guy that Ken said he liked and find out info about him. I realize that this is childish behavior, I don't know, don't ask me. But note that the guy that Ken liked was NOT me. This, of course, is a fact I love to throw out and make fun of when appropriate. After finding out that the first guy was some hairhopper from Atlanta, Will came back and asked if there was another he was interested in. Ken, having seen me without the wig on as well, pointed to me, and Will said something like 'that queen with the gigantic bouffant wig on?!?' Needless to say, we had met. My friend Paul that was staying with Barry and I until later that night knew Ken. I had seen Ken on the beach earlier talking to Paul and thought he was cuuuuute, loved his body. So when Will comes over, I tell him that his friend is cute but this is ridiculous, if he wants to talk to me he can march himself over to me. :-) So, Ken comes over. Poor Ken, thank God he had had a couple, because if not, I would have gotten annoyed and left him standing there. Ken and I are like night and day in some ways. Ken is quieter, and really not easy to get to know. Those cards are kept close to his chest and guarded. Me, on the other hand, I was probably spouting about my Dad being a nasty abuser within the first five minutes of meeting him. I think that this alone excited (and scared) him. Hell, I know it sounds conceited, but lets face facts: I can charm the pants off a man (literally!) pretty easily. Its keeping him that is a problem. :-) I got over the fact that he was a fireman within about 10 minutes (okay, not really, I mean, I am blase' about it now, but I still love to see the look in both men and women's eyes when I say Ken is one..., I know, so I'm bragging) and found that I really liked him. One thing about Ken that mystified me was his different background than my own (he is 100% Lebanese, and looks kind of like a greek boy) and the fact that he was incredibly grounded. He had been in a 12+ year relationship in which they had bought two houses, he had his own company, etc... I, on the other hand, traveled to circuit parties and was more worried about the next happy hour than I was in saving for a house. I should also say, I was young (okay, 30+ is still kind of young, shut up) and I still think that if that is what you need to do, you do it. There is nothing wrong with being the party party queen flitting back and forth from bar to bar and all the stereotypes that go with it. I mean, I needed some hard knock education, and I think I got it there. Much better to learn 'on the streets' as it were than to have to make the mistakes later on when I was in a relationship.

Lordy, I got sidetracked. So, Ken and I eventually get ice cream and walk around the town before going to my car and talking even more. I soon enough get up the nerve to ask him if he would like to come back to the beach house, and he accepts (he was staying at his parents beach place in Ocean City, MD, 22 miles south). We go back and I eventually coax him to the bedroom, where we proceed to get naked and.... talk all night. :-) Until dawn. I take him back to his car, we exchange information and he drives back to OC (so he can drive back to DC that morning, I am still staying). I knew he was different when he didn't want to complete the act that night. But don't get me wrong, I had checked out the equipment to make sure that it was functional. ;-)

That seems like so so so long ago, and it in a way was: nearly 9 years. How my life has changed. Mostly for the better, even. :-)

So, theres my story. Did I leave anything out? Oh yeah, they lived happily ever after. :-)

Weekly boring update

I am such a terrible blogger. I mean, I update like weekly. If anyone actually gave a rat’s ass about the (mostly negative and whiny crap, but I am vowing to change that) stuff I post, they would have to wait a while in between actual posts. Oh well, such is the life of a career professional (and totally full-time lazy-assed shit).

I have been doing very well in one regard in changing my behavior, and that is forcing myself to get to the gym. I have been making sure to make it 3-4 times a week. On Monday, after continual non gains in the size of my arms, I decided to just throw as much weight on as I thought I could do maybe 4-6 reps and try that. I think it may have worked, and I may change up my workout to do this. I always heard more reps = tone and less equals bulk, so I think I finally have got it. I was doing drop sets of preacher curls for instance, starting with 12 reps at 90 pounds, and dropping down 5 pounds at a time (12 reps each) until I wound up at 70 pounds. While I think I was definitely building my strength, I don’t think I was increasing my arm size. So, this being said, on Monday, I just threw on 110 pounds, and did about 10-12 reps on the first lift, but this kind of killed my arms, so I kept the 110 on and did maybe 8 the second time and about 6 on the third. I did the same with chest, etc (yes, I know, I should not be working arms and chest on the same day, quite well aware, tyvm). Anyway, I felt a difference yesterday. I think I am on to something. ☺

Of course, this type of lifting is EXACTLY what leads to injury. Hopefully I can stick to not hurting myself.

Oh how timely! Ken just forwarded and email of an article in Men’s Fitness about increasing growth in biceps. It says, basically, preacher curls and concentration curls (sitting on bench, elbow locked against knee) make it easier on the arm to lift big weight, getting big “pump” without tearing down the muscle much. It says to grow arms quickly to switch to incline curls (alternating curls while seated back on an incline bench). If Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S. (whatever that is) says its true, then it MUST BE! lol

So, I went to mypyramid.gov/index.html, as my little wellness class instructor told me to yesterday, and entered all of the food I ate yesterday. How fucking telling was this? First of all, I am not getting enough calories per the requirements (oooh, that reminds me, I didn’t enter the martini I had with my boss last night to celebrate her birthday, that probably throws me over the 2600 I am supposed to get), and secondly, I am getting too many calories from fat, and not enough of pretty much everything else, vitamins, etc… I also take a multivitamin so need to enter that I suppose. Lastly, the site is a total pain in the ass. If you eat a salad you make for lunch, for example, you have to enter exactly how much lettuce, how many cherry tomatoes, how much dressing, how much EVERYTHING. Kind of a pain, but understandable.

Anne’s (boss) husband got her a faboo silver/diamond ring for her birthday. It kind of looks like a puzzle ring (but isn’t, its fixed in place) with little diamonds all around the bands. For my birthday I generally get very small items, because Ken pleads poverty. (Last year, 40, was the exception, he threw a wonderful surprise party with most of my friends in attendance, it was very nice.) So, there’s one month + till my birthday, wonder what I will get? ☺

Speaking of Ken, he is out of town Sunday through Wednesday, PARTY! Of course, I have rehearsal Sunday and Tuesday, and having dinner with Peter (fellow chief with Ken at the squad) Monday, so I don’t think much of a party will ensue…