Friday, December 30, 2005

Chipmunks reborn.

Have you heard this atrocity?

It was on the radio. My lip curled immediately.

Seasons of Love (Gomi's Lair Radio Edit)
Seasons of Love (Gomi's Lair Radio Edit) - RENT soundtrack

This iteration of the song never played in the movie, yet it is part of the "soundtrack."

An unnecessary "dance" remix of a song that was better left alone.

Is this a cover? I asked. As it droned on, the chipmunk'd yet unmistakeable voice of Jesse L. Martin came through. I felt ill.

The voices of the cast were pitched, at least 1.5X their original speed to achieve 120 some odd beats per minute. Utterly insane. Ridiculous.

Whoever is on watch over Jonathan Larsen's body of work, has surely fallen dead or rolling in dough.

2046



2046 is the latest film directed by Wong Kar Wai.
His previous works include ChungKing Express and Happy Together.

The plot summary (thanks IMDB)

He was a writer. He thought he wrote about the future but it really was the past. In his novel, a mysterious train left for 2046 every once in a while. Everyone who went there had the same intention.....to recapture their lost memories. It was said that in 2046, nothing ever changed. Nobody knew for sure if it was true, because nobody who went there had ever come back- except for one. He was there. He chose to leave. He wanted to change.


Cryptic? Indeed.

Thus far… it's been an adventure for me… and I haven't seen the movie yet!!!

Yesterday, when I discovered that 2046 had been domestically released 12/26, I was set in motion to acquire the DVD. My interest in the movie had been piqued by friend Neal and some synopses I'd read.

Checking the Best Buy inventory online, it listed the Chelsea location as having a copy. I headed up there. With my gym bag and laptop bag, I resembled a pack mule, a hobbled pack mule as my shoulder twinged in pain as I lifted things. overworked it a bit at the gym apparently.

BEEP. BEEP. The security alarm rang as I walked into BB.
Was that me? I hope it wasn't me. Damn it probably was me.

Earlier in the day, I'd received an order of anime and a small cache of man porn, all of which was in my gym bag. Unbeknownst to me, one had an active security tag. Well… that's not completely true. I knew there was a possibility that a tag could be active with online purchases… it'd happened before but I took a chance.

In the bustle by the entrance, nobody noticed my alarmed entry. I stood for a second hoping that I could get whatever it was deactivated, but it was too crazed. It was going to be fun trying to leave.

Long, short, no 2046 in the Chelsea store. Time to go.

BEEP. BEEP.
Sir, do you have any items in your bag?
I got some stuff online.

I took out the anime, hoping it was the one that caused the security alarm.
Waving it in the sensor area, no beep.
It must be something else, he mumbled.
I'd rather not take out what it might be. I said.
**Dumbfounded look** Go on through.
**Dumbfounded look on me** POOF. I leave.
Sheesh, is that all it takes? I could be robbing the place blind. But that was the past… I'm better now.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure who I'd be embarrassed for if I had to reveal my man porn in the bag. Me? Heck, it's mine. I watch it. I'm gay, yes, but I guess I don't have to go parading it around, spewing man porn DVD cases from my bag. Sigh. Why must everything be a test?

Needless to say, I stayed away from all stores thereafter for fear I'd be asked to show the contents of my bag.

Today, I finally found a copy of 2046 at the Best Buy in Brooklyn. I'll post an impression of the movie as soon as I get to watching it.

Also picked up:



Anime Received:

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

EVB Jump Back

Whilst chatting with Mike P. of B&B today, his first remark was "I got 'Didn't know I was looking for love till I found you' stuck in my head thanks to your post."

Amusing side story, I IMd Robocub what Mike P. had said to me. I think he was shocked and befuddled, as he responded, " He said THAT to you!?" I told Robocub, after the fact, that it was the lyrics to a song. One of those whacky out of context comedic moments a la "Three's Company." Yuck, Yuck. Err… It was funny… you had to be there.

Mike P. commented on how, he was floored when he'd first heard the song "Looking for Love" at the WMC, the Winter Music Conference, for those not in the know. It is dance music's showcase event, where the various branches of the industry hawk their wares. Club celebrities, DJs and otherwise, go to be seen, to be in the scene and to make connections. Plus, it's a big old party.

Being NOT in the industry, I could never justify going to the WMC. It would be a never ending party for me, a veritable 'lost' vacation. It would be a trip from which I would need a real 'rest and relaxation' vacation from.

Nope. Never gone, probably never will. Uncertain that I'd like too, in the WMCs current incarnation. It was the WMCs of old that I would have enjoyed attending.

Dance music had a renaissance sometime around 1999 to 2001, IMO. Perhaps it was because I was going out nearly every weekend, making me infinitely more familiar with the songs that were 'hot' at the moment. There were a lot of hot songs at that time, compared to the smattering I hear these days. I could trainspot one in four songs. Okay, maybe one in five, but even still, that was saying a lot.

Oh, to do that again.

Sigh.

Nah.

I've got far too little irresponsibility in me and I could never do drugs like that again. Still, that period of time left an indelible mark on me.

Hence the name of this post, Jump Back. I 'jumped back' into the iTunes library to troll around for some music, songs that were of the moment, when dance music was special to me.

First song up,

Rapture - IIO
Released in 2001. I remember the first time I heard this song dropped at Vinyl. The room was dark, the lights pulsed to the electro beats. People screamed as the song drove forward and they danced. Goosebumps and chills as I recall.

Unfortunately, the song found commercial success and airplay on the radio. Immediately it was passé to play in a club. Deep Dish was bolstered by their remixes of Rapture and helped make them well-known. That and the Apple commercial didn't hurt either.

It has since been retired from the radio with little to no play, so hearing it again… it has regained some of it's original response.

Next up,

Pixels - UBU
Sure it was released in 2000, but I'm certain that many a DJ had this white label BOMB in their boxes as early as mid-1999. It was a subtle, yet subversive track with great bass and catchy rhythm. However, it could never find commercial success, insufficient lyrics and what little lyrics it did have were "Pretty soon, we're both going to be completely twisted. But there's no going back. We're going to have to ride it out." As I understand, it's a sample from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Mental note: must check out that movie.

I've included links to the songs for review purposes. Please support music artists, kick a record exec.

Other links you'll find on the blog… for review…
Flash (Danny Tenaglia's Nitrous Oxide Mix) - Green Velvet
Always Remember to Honor and Respect Your Mother - Dusted (Deep Dish Loves Their Mother Remix)
Walking On Fire - Evolution
The Baguio Track (Bedrock Mix) - Luzon
Frank Sinatra - Miss Kittin
I Know You Can - Whatever Girl
A Little Bit Paranoid - Different Gear

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Be Your'Elf



For my only pre-holiday, dance festivities… this past Friday night, December 23rd, I hit up Danny Tenaglia at Spirit.

Guess who's coming to dinner?
It was the only worthwhile chance to shake booty before the holiday officially hit, IMHO. I was cutting it close. The night before Christmas Eve day was really, really close. Especially stressful since the BF had volunteered our home to host his family's Christmas Eve, a big Italian feast with lots of food, fish/shellfish etc. Yum.

Followed by gift exchanges etc., but I digress.

The impending feast, I had to impose a curfew/cutoff time on myself otherwise I'd never be well rested for the festivities and dealing with the BF's family.

Sleep deprived.
Whether it was anxiousness or whatever, per usual, I couldn't sleep before going out. I went down for a disco nap at 6PM only to wake up at 8PM, three hours ahead of schedule. I laid around in bed for an hour before giving up, killing time on the computer, waiting. 11:30PM, readied myself and headed out for an estimated ETA of 12:30-1AM.

The transit strike was resolved but I chose to take AutoLove for convenience. It was a breeze and a joy to drive, compared to the last 3 days and nights.

Side mission: According to online tracking records, my t-shirts from Panic had, unbeknownst to me, arrived Thursday morning. I really wanted to wear one of them out tonight, so I had to stop by the office. Lo and behold, they were in the mail box. YIPPEE! Quick change, I was on the road again. Here is the shirt I wore, now one of my favorite new shirts:



The other shirt, I'm saving for MLK weekend when I go out with Robocub. He'll get a kick out of it too. Let's see if he can guess which one it is.

Arriving at Spirit, 12:30-1ish, I had beat the bulk of the crowd, breezing right in. The club was fairly packed, but not overly so. Manny Freytes was opening for Danny tonight and doing a good job, whipping the crowd up.

Titty Smash
The crowd was your typical straight crowd, lots of primped and preened people, more the boys than the girls. Straight club girls are rough. They are pushy and don't say "Excuse me." As I was moving along the crowd, I felt someone shove up on my arm. Instinctively, I pushed back with my elbow. A girl no more than 5' spun around my arm, grabbed her breast where my elbow had been previously and looked at me incredulously. You know the look, mouth agape as if she were about to go down on her new boy trick, gazing upward. I tried not to laugh as I said, "Excuse me." Next time, don't use your boobs as bumper guards if you don't expect them to be rammed.

The 'boys", I'm afraid, were not in great attendance. We were very few and far between. The only thing stepping to me were poorly dressed Asian men, who kept their arms folded for a better part of the night. WTF is up with that?

Danny Takes Over
He'd scheduled to take over at 2:00AM, so I'm guessing it was about that time if not later that he did. He greeted everyone over the mic and thanked Manny, jumping right in with some thumping beats.

I can't remember much of them, but I do feel he teased "The Baguio Track" by Luzon all night, I think he eventually dropped it. He played some classic tracks like:

"So Strong" - Ben Shaw with Adele Holeness (Sander Kleinenberg Mix)
"Looking for Love" - Karen Ramirez (Murk mix)
"Sound of Goodbye" - Perpetuous Dreamer (Robbie Rivera remix) - This was a blast to hear.

Can't recognize anymore but the night was banging!

Friend Frank Arrives.
He'd originally said he'd come by 3AM. He showed up around 6AM. Whatever… I've learned not to hold him to his word. By that time, I was on a downward slide. I was tired and my energy was waning. No amount of Redbulls was going to perk me up. I was also getting bored, as I was still not connecting with the music as I used to. I'm slowly falling out of the loop. Such as it is.

Quits
9:00AM. It was good enough for me and I was exhausted. It was a speedy drive home, into some blazing sunlight. Ouch.

Good enough for me.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Post-Christmas Update…

…is coming. Well, a real one at least.

I've been remiss, I know.

Long, short, holidays were good but arduous.

I'm in a post-holiday funk. With all the angst leading up to the holidays, you'd think I'd be happier that it's over. I find myself twiddling my thumbs, fidgety and struck with cabin fever. I've been in the apartment since getting home Saturday morning from clubbing (more later). I ran to the supermarket earlier for my first walk outdoors and it felt good, albeit all too short. I want to do something, however irritable as I am, throwing myself into a social setting wouldn't be ideal.

I'd like to write more, but my eyes hurt and I've got sensitivity to sound. Way cranky.
It's time for a nap.

I leave you with a picture of little A and I under the tree.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Not a commute, an adventure!!

Note: As of this posting, a few hours ago, the MTA and TWU had come to an agreement. As negotiations have resumed, so shall transit service be restored, bringing the transit strike to an end. While I applaud and welcome the announcement, it makes the post I'd been working on, about my trials and tribulations as a commuter lost in a sea of people, trying to find my way to work and then back home, sort of moot.

Still… it doesn't stop me from posting it anyway.

The New York City Transit Strike has changed the face of commuting. Every morning, it's "Escape the Outer Boroughs", "The Flight Downtown" or "The Long Road Crosstown." In the evening, it's everything in reverse. Put on your Snake eye-patch, grab your misplaced president, it's time to blow this joint.

Day 1
Fortunately for me, my brother drove and I hitched a ride.

It took about 1.5-2 hours door-to-door to get to work. We had a full compliment of four people in the car, albeit, we had to grab them from various corners of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfares of Brooklyn were jammed as cars poured into them from side streets. When we made the bridge, my brother could barely contain his unbridled glee as he sped at 60 mph, me thinks his car's top speed, across it.

Later that evening, the trip out of isle of Manhattan was at a harrowing, 1- 2 miles per hour coming off the Manhattan Bridge as congestion backed us up on Flatbush Avenue. As we got further into Brooklyn, traffic eased and we made better time. Nonetheless, the ride was arduously long.

With me? … good, read on.

Day 2
We didn't have the requisite four people in the car to enter the city. We waited till 11:00AM when the restriction was lifted. All-in-all, an uneventful, long and slow ride.

The ride home was a test of my patience. Kind soul that my brother is (who knew?) had two more people in his car. Their original ride lost a door… to a bus. With evilbuddha makes five, I had to sit with two people in the backseat and they did not know how to share. I spent much of the time on 1.5 butt checks on the seat. My patience waned for my fellow passenger. He was falling asleep and snoring. Top it off, my brother and his co-worker, Zee, were smoking. Bleech. I was trapped in a car with smokers. Opening the windows, in desperation, to prevent the smoke from sticking to me was a wasted effort. I just froze myself.

It took forever and a day to leave the Manhattan. We had to take the Williamsburg Bridge to get the additionals home. Traveling the distance from Houston Street to Delancy Street (probably less than a quarter mile) took 30 minutes and another 15 minutes to reach the bridge. Once on the crossing, it was a breeze.

We had to travel the opposite direction of home to drop off the additionals. They said, the english speaking one anyhow, he said that their stop was right off the highway. However, 15 minutes off the exit, driving through industrial areas with burnt out factories and homes, empty lots, I wondered what 'right off the highway' meant to him. We were deep into Bushwick, definitely not the garden center of New York City.

Once the additionals were dropped off, I… stretched out my legs… and laid my ass completely on a seat. Exquisite. We tore back to the highway, stopping for no one, only to get stuck in traffic again, but blessed traffic heading home.

Still with me? Good. Not far now…

Day 3
Stressed from the previous night's ride, I didn't want to go in my brother's car. Not to mention, he was also driving my mother.

Instead, I opted for the NY Water Taxi at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. The
BF drove his sister and me to the dock. The line was surprisingly quick and we boarded in reasonable time. On the top deck, keeping each other company, we bundled up and sat close for warmth. It was a NY moment, riding on the water and looking out at the factories of Red Hook. Reaching the open water of New York harbor, we marveled at the spans, towering over the East River. Ah. "I love this city," we each exclaimed. I cursed not having my camera.

Docking at Pier 11 on the southern tip of Manhattan, I could have grabbed a cab but you know how I hate them. Instead the BF's sister and I walked through the jagged streets of the financial district. Leaving her at Water and Church, I made my way to the Path Station, the only other means I could find to get uptown.

I hadn't been down by the World Financial Center in a while, no good reason to and no desire. As expected, I felt a pang of grief and nostalgia. On the Path train platform, I could see out to the exposed bathtub, immensely disappointed that so little had been done, in all this time. The numbing cold of the concrete platform, seeping warmth through my feet, kept me from slipping too deeply into despondency.

The Path train was running a train to 33rd Street… uh… via Jersey City. Extreme? Sure, this was extreme commuting: more angst, uncertainty, less time for iPod (with video). The train arrived some 20 minutes later. People poured out, we poured in. I crossed under the Hudson and back. Yup, crossed two rivers to get to work. Getting off at the 9th Street Path stop, I hoofed the rest of the way. Door-to-door was two hours. Yikes. I learned, later, my brother arrived at work an hour before me. C'est la vie.

The day ended with yet another long ass drive home. I had little choice but to rely on my brother unless I wanted to repeat my two state, double river crossing. alas again, evilbuddha made five. Groan. Not so bad, I was in better spirits as the announcement of strike's end was already brightening my mood. And I'd eaten, I'm a bitch when I have low blood sugar.

We gleamed at the sight of a train crossing the Manhattan Bridge.

So goes "Adventures in commuting without mass transit."

I'd tackle it head on again, not too soon though.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Holiday Party 2005 Wrap-Up

Yeah, it's 2 days later and I'm finally getting to it. Sunday, I was a too tired to focus and write anything, Monday, work was very busy. So the wrap up comes today on the heels of a transit strike that has crippled New York City.

I managed to fumble my way into the city, with my brother's assistance. That's a whole other story.

Back to the party wrap up.

The days leading up to the party, the BF worked furiously making food/party preparations. He enlisted the help of our friend. I called them "buffers." If I had to submit to his orders for too long, he wouldn't be my BF anymore. Friday night, He finished the decorations about the apartment while hanging with a few of our closest friends, as a pot of gravy (that's tomato sauce for the uninitiated) simmered and cooked on the stove for the baked ziti.

Saturday, the BF was a tornado, running to pick up the vegetables in the morning, to the pork store for antipasta and the bakery for trays of butter cookies. In the afternoon, enlisting the help of some friend girls, he prepped all of the appetizer trays, made up the baked ziti and cooked it.

Me? I felt bad watching him tear around the kitchen, but it is HIS kitchen. He enjoys it to an extent. I'd be more of a hinderance since I don't cook and dodder in food preparation. Did I also mention that if I had to submit to his orders for too long, he'd wouldn't be my BF anymore? I was relegated to picking up the ice, four 40lbs bags and the sandwich, a two foot bagel wheel and other little errands.

Strike or no strike, the party was going full steam ahead. I'm thankful that the Transit Worker's Union did delay their strike till today as opposed to last Friday morning, the first and original deadline. That would've put a dampener on the party as I expected quite a few people via the transit system.

By 7:00PM, everything was ready and we waited for our guests. Usually, no one shows up till 8:00 but we were expecting early arrivals as some guests would be rushing off for flights the next day or to other parties in the night.


The first guests were my friends, H and his BF, N, whom i was meeting for the first time (HOT!).
Smack. Ouch. Hands off. OK!
Again, thanks TWU for not striking, they wouldn't have made it.

After them, the flood gates opened and a steady stream of people were coming in.
Many friends, old and new. I couldn't spend enough time with any of them.


…Like Robocub and his BF, E. Both hot as you can see.


…and Mike P. of Blather and Bosh.

This was their first time at my apartment and their first visit to the evilbuddha inner sanctum. I think they understand better, the madness that is me.



Neal
was in town with C and they stopped in. It was good to see them, of course, I had to do a visual count of all my valuables after C left. No robots seemed to be missing.

Yeah, we were having a mini-blogger convention at my holiday party. SO COOL!!

So many people showed up and lots of them were surprises, as not everyone is good at RSVPing. It was all good.

There was some drama at the end of the night which put my head in a bad spin with someone my brother had brought. I could get into it, but I won't. Maybe later.

Yes, this will most likely be the party to end all parties, the tenth. It may find itself reincarnated, but on a much smaller scale.

Another one for the books as it were and an appropriate last chapter.

Thanks to everyone who made it special.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Holiday Party 2005



Another one for the books and perhaps the last.

Recap later when I can get my brain out of first gear.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Nominated.



evilbuddha has been nominated as a candidate for Best Gay Blog of 2005 at Best Gay Blogs.

I'm flattered and it is an honor to be nominated.

Looking over the list of nominees I feel the same as Patrick at Twenty-Something, I'm in good company. Not to be confused with the Scarlett Johanssen, Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid movie, In Good Company. Literally speaking. Oh, you understand.

I've cast the obligatory vote for myself. Head on over to BGB and vote, for me if you like. I would have been more than happy to have plunked down a vote for any of the other nominees.

May the Best Gay Blog win. You're all winners in my book.

Side note: Originally, this post was going to be more self-deprecating. Happens when my modesty kicks in. I've always had a tough time being gracious.

Not to mention, posts about DVDs, movies, video games and robots wouldn't strike me as being über-gay.

Okay, let me stop before I totally subvert the post.

I promise to be gayer, topically and more fun in 2006. Throw in some more fan service in the form of shots of me (if that's what you like, just have to remember to tell my non-gay friends/blog readers to block their eyes), boys shots I like. Even more dance/nightlife reports in NYC, meaning I'll have to go out more. Heh. Maybe then, I'll be a worthy, formidable nominee for BGB's Best Gay Blog, that is, for 2006, if BGB deigns to nominate me again. Hrm.

Side Side Note: Whilst we're on the topic of Blog awards, Brat Boy School is a finalist for The Weblog Awards: Best LBGT Blog. He's WAY hot (can't believe I said WAY, but it fits), incredibly down to earth and very deserving of the award. He's a few votes short of taking the lead so, while I may have a paltry but invaluable readership, please, head over to Weblog and support Ethan at Brat Boy.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Making myself crazy.

There's a movie in my head and I can't figure out what it is.

How'd I get here? Well, my manager was showing me how to change the blade on a scalpel we use to cut paper. It's a real scalpel, just not sterile. "I'm sure it'll be perfect, in case I need to perform an emergency tracheotomy on myself." I said jokingly. Chuckle. Hrmph. Yeah. Not all that funny. But the thought triggered the memory of a movie, the one currently causing me all sorts of frustration to figure out.

I see only one scene clearly. I can't focus on the faces or remember what happens next.

FLASH: For a moment, I thought I had it. Thought it was Demon Seed but that's not it.

Anyway, the scene goes like this:
Mother and child, son or daughter I can't be sure but feels like daughter, are happily chattering away over breakfast. Suddenly, the child is choking. Mother rushes to her side and doesn't know what to do. Mother scrambles to the phone and calls 911. She rushes back to her child's side. Panicked, she grabs a knife. The scene cuts and comes back to either the emergency crew or father coming through the door. In the middle of the kitchen, the mother is standing, hands out, knife in one hand. Hyperventilating, she's in shock with blood all over her apron.
End scene.

It's typical of one of those 70's horror flick beginnings that sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Using the words, emergency, tracheotomy, child, choking, mother, breakfast, horror and film, I'd found it once. Someone had written a review and brief synopsis but I think the site has since gone dead.
Anyone have any ideas?

UPDATE: FOUND IT!!

Whew.

The Haunting of Julia, also known as Full Circle starring Mia Farrow. I'd got it into my head that it was Sissy Spacek, but co-worker straightened me out. Here's an analysis of the movie.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Lit

That would describe a better part of my weekend.

Saturday, the BF and I headed to Queens for a belated birthday breakfast. I would like to call it brunch, but brunch isn't brunch without mimosas. "Lit" hadn't come into play as yet.

Later that night, there was N's holiday party. I'd gotten myself fairly well "lit." Making myself a drink, I'd filled the cup halfway with vodka before I'd realized it. "What the hell am I doing?" I exclaimed to my friend Joe, staring into the cup. I shrugged threw in some ice and filled the rest of the cup with cranberry juice. Couldn't let it go to waste. Having NOT been drinking much in the past few weeks, the drink went straight to my head. It was all good. Refreshing my drink twice, the night was all good. A good showing for N's party, he was pleased to have as many people as he had show up.

Sunday morning was not a fast moving morning. I'd gotten out of bed around noon and that would be a generous estimation. We'd originally intended to see "Brokeback" in the afternoon, but after the BF said let's do it another day, I surfed around for an hour and went back to bed.

Awaking again at 3 or 4, we ate. At the gentle prodding of the BF, I was intent on starting the lighting of our Christmas tree which I've dubbed "Murphy." While I'll enjoy the tree, after the fact, the actually act of doing it is time-consuming and tiresome. I procrastinated with the BF's help, watching "Sky High." The movie was good fun.

I didn't get to the tree till about 6PM, beginning my Sunday ordeal of "lit."

Historically, it's taken me 6+ hours to light the tree, wrapping, nearly every branch with light. "I could do at least half the tree tonight," I told myself, knowing full well that once I started, I had to finish, lest I'd never go back. Working on and off, the lighting of the tree took 7 hours, completing at 1AM. In the course of the evening, I watched "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and a better portion of "Jaws" which I've never seen in its entirety, on SpikeTV. I'll post pictures as soon as the ornaments are up as well.

So at 1AM, insomnia set in. I sat up, stumped on Myst V: EOA. Finally going to bed, again at 4:00AM.

Sigh. Not exciting at all, but all the pieces are falling in place in preparation for this Saturday's festivities. It'll be a great time.

After which, on Dec. 23rd, I end my dance hibernation with Be Your'Elf with Danny Tenaglia.

Now what's left is, what to do for NYE?

Friday, December 09, 2005

Return of the Big Robot Cartoon.



Joy.

Interested? Torrent here.

TGIF

To say that this week has been hectic, would be an understatement.

Work has been kicking my ass and really, really not conducive to blogging. Starting with a 20 hour work stint that I'd spent the rest of the week recouping from. I'd finally caught up on sleep last night. It should have been sooner. Wednesday night, after sleeping only an hour, I was wide awake. I'd had a disco nap without trying to. It sucked. The dance machine has been in hibernation and I didn't have the impetus to go anywhere.

I discovered today, that my insomnia was probably thanks to the bone-headed advice of a GNC sales person. "Try this recovery supplement. You can even take it before bed." I didn't think she'd be so off base, but taking the supplement before my workout today, I felt my body vibrate and my head spin. Everything was sparkly. Haven't felt that in a while.

Now, I'm well-rested and ready for the weekend.

Nothing big planned, meet up with AM for a belated birthday breakfast. In the week's confusion, I did forget to call her on her birthday. I think I'm in trouble.

Beside that, we've got a holiday party and we've got to see "Brokeback Mountain" or "The Chronicles of Narnia." The BF and I are excited about both but what to see first? I'll spare you any "Brokeback" commentary as it's already been done better than I could and it's been beaten to death in the blogosphere.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Cabbie Disdain.

Okay, I get it. I live in Brooklyn. Compared to an address within the isle of Manhattan, it's "far," requiring the crossing of the East River by bridge or tunnel.

Sigh ::eyeroll::

Yes, I said bridge and tunnel. I don't understand or like the derision that some "city" folk have for "BNT" folk like me, albeit, I am not your typical BNT. But trust me, Brooklyn IS New York City. Having lived there for nearly 30 yrs. of my life, I'm more "New York City" than you are Mr. Chelsea/Clinton Hill/Upper East Side/West Side/East Village/West Village/Gramercy boy, ORIGINALLY from Whereeverthefuck, USA. Don't be a city snob, gives REAL New Yorkers a bad name. Confidence is sexy, arrogance is ugly.

Continuing, my gripe is not with you Mr. "City" Boy. No, it's with cabbies. Not necessarily all of them, just the ones I've had the displeasure of dealing with.

Like this morning at 6:15AM, after working nearly 20 hours, I found myself standing in a NY snowy morning, cold, wet and windy, reluctantly hailing a cab. I promised my manager I would take one. He put money in front of me, saying, "Don't take the train at this time… people get shot on the train at this time of the morning." I was tired and fatigued beyond belief. Wanting to get home quickly, I capitulated and at least tried.

I saw him in the distance and raised my arm but noticing, he had his "Off-duty" light on, I figured it was a sure, no. Still he pulled over to me and I knew the eventual outcome.

Upon hearing the words, "I live in Brooklyn," he curled his lip with displeasure and drove off in a hurry as if I had a second head, covered in pus spewing boils, threatening to envelope his pea-sized brain.

Fuming, I walked to the train station.

Didn't get shot. Still hate cabs.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Invites Away!!

This year was especially taxing, as it's the first year I've used photographs for the invite. Appropos I thought for the 10th holiday party, thing is, I only had digital photos for the past four years. That was all the source I had to work with. No fricking way was I going to dig into the photo boxes and scan photos. Honestly, a part of me would prefer NOT to probe into the past as there are people I'd like to leave there. Anyway, in total, I used 128 photos. The smallest image was three quarters of an inch wide by half inch tall. Some were one inch tall.

It was a fair amount of work. Still, I felt like I was cheating using photos. However, I was left with a conundrum. The photo card was meaningless for first time invitees, people I didn't have photos for, and useless as a holiday card for non-invitees. My solution was to create an alternate card.

Below is the end result of my second card.



Big ups to the USPS. I'd sent out invites at the beginning of the week and people within the NYC area, had received them by the next day. The second mailing received theirs yesterday. I've done a third mailing today, which covers nearly all the invitees with a few stragglers left to take care of and all the non-invitee holiday cards.

The RSVPs are rolling in. The initial responses are they love it!! I'm glad and relieved. Some of my closer friends have complained that they're aren't enough pictures of them. My sister-in-law called to say, "Why'd you have to use that picture!?!"

Sheesh. I knew this would happen, but it's pleasing to know that all my friends are pouring over the card looking for themselves.