All About Trey

Life, Travel, Adventure

Congratulations and Best Wishes!

To all of those in California who can now marry the ones they love.

Live loud, love with your whole heart, and never give up on each other!

And yes I stole the video idea from Andrew:


Clouds drift away
when they see you
Rain wouldn't dare
to fall near you here
Miracles happen
when you're around
Somehow the grass is much greener
Rivers flow faster and cleaner
Being with you
no matter where
sunlight breaks through
and suddenly there's

A bluer sky
whenever you're around
You always bring
a bluer sky
a brighter day




Love me some PSB!

DC to San Diego and then back again

Yep, it's been a fun week or so. I really need to get better at updating the blog more frequently.

Let's see . . . . last Monday I had a super big meeting at the puzzle palace. Of course that's the day that Metro chokes big time. And did I mention it's swealtering. So I hop a cab to make my meeting. Afterwards, trying to get back to Rosslyn is a haze. The Metro guys is saying take a train to L'Enfant Plaza, change trains to Foggy Bottom, and then take a bus to Rosslyn. Um, no! Luckily I found a DoD bus that runs to Rosslyn, but still my commute home SUCKED beyond belief.

So for the past week, I've been off both of my diets. In San Diego I pretty much had to drive. But it was a rental, not my car, so I think I get some points. But i definitely don't get points for my food diet. Conferences just kill diets. Especially atkins because it's so carb heavy. Ugh. I dread getting on the scale tomorrow.

San Diego was fine. I guess there's a little golf game going on call the Open? Yikes, the hotel was just overrun with those people. No one famous, or alteast that I would know. But still. And while I do enjoy traveling for work, it's not really all that much fun anymore. I sit in a conference all day, and then I go back to the hotel, maybe hit the gym (and that's a maybe), eat dinner, and then do work till I go to sleep to try to catch up with everything going on back in DC.

The flight back from San Diego was great too. So it’s getting bumpy as we descend into DC. Coming in from the north, we pass over Rosslyn and I look down to see my building and our sign. I see the building, but I can’t read the sign. Uh oh. We’re too high. So either we’re going to drop like a stone to make the flight path, or we’re going to bail out. Sure enough, like a second later, the engines rev up and we’re banking hard out of the flight plan. Ugh. Not a good ride home.

I did get home in time to see the Pride Parade. As I was walking to a friend for dinner, I cut up 17th St to see how the festivities were coming. For big events like Pride, JR's will close off their dead end portion of Church St and make it a beer garden. It was already going strong, but as I approach, I see some gentlement at the corner yelling to anyone who will listen about the great evil that has befallen this city. Sigh. People like that make being a gay Christian hard. Can you please stop using the bible as a weapon? I don't think Jesus meant for you to use that way. But later during the rainy parade I saw something much better. Standing next to my group on New Hampshire was a family of Muslims who had come to watch the parade. The little boys (I'm guessing 10 and 6) were just too cute, the men were in jeans, while the women were wrapped head to toe in very colorful wraps. But they were all having a great time watching the parade and enjoying themselves despite the rain. So that was kind of nice to see.

I worked the church booth at the Pride Festival today which was fun. Then walked around with GreekBoi and MuseumMan. It's always good people watching at Pride. No judgement, but if you haven't been out of the house since last summer, or at the gym since 1999, you might want to re-think the harness and butless chaps. It was brutally hot and sunny and you're only going to get burned. And with SO much skin exposed, you're going to hate yourself later. On the other hand, the boi's from Nuwear were walking around almost naked and it was a very good thing. I swear, I start my diet tomorrow!


Diet Status x 2

So how's the car diet going? Not too bad. Yes I drove to WV for work on Monday, and then to the office on Thursday since I had a BD meeting in Fair Lakes, but I did walk/metro on Tuesday, Wednesday, and today. So not too bad. A couple of lessons learned.

One: I really need to pay attention to the weather. I worked late on Tuesday and then had dinner with my customer. During dinner, it started to rain. So we sort of lingered over dinner until it slowed to a sprinkle. So we headed out and I walked up to the Metro only getting a little bit wet. When I got off the metro in DC and rode the escalators up, it was like I was entering monsoon season. Just torrential downpours. I huddled under the station entranceway protected from the rain with a couple of scared tourists, a businessman, and then three or four homeless people. When it looked like it was slowing down, I made a break for it. Now, it's like 7 blocks, so it's not really a "break". It's more like I started to hike. And not even a half a block later, down comes the rain again. So I quickly sprint down the block and scuttle into a CVS. I breakdown and buy an umbrella (ella, ella, ella) and the woman looks at me. "Is it really that bad out there?" Translation: wow, you're drenched. Thanks.

Two: Your iPod is your safety device. It allows your escape into your own make believe world where you don't have to talk to the large drunk man at the corner of 15th and K who is there every morning begging. It means you can ignore some of the more bizarre conversation on the metro. When you have your iPod in, you walk smartly, focused on some random distance ahead while the headphones block out any attempt to intrude on your life. It really is essential.

Three: Just like Paris, except it's not. Yes, now that I'm enjoying a much more personal urban lifestyle, I'm opening myself up to the wonders of the city. To include some of the not so wonderful smells of the city. Seriously, coming out of the McPherson Square metro on a hot, sunny day is a rank, rank, experience. The smell of rancid urine is almost nauseating. And when you are in Paris you'll get a whiff of something like this, but Washington DC just isn't Paris. And now that I'm thinking about it, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I guess it could be worse, we could have dog poop all over the place.

On Thursday when I did drive, I had to fill up my tank. $51. Ouch. It will be interesting to see if I can keep the number of days that I drive down to less than 5. That's my goal.

Oh, and I've started the Atkins Diet. Again. But I have lost over 5 pounds. So there's some progress.

Hillary gives her concession speech. I hope she does it right and really works to help unite the Democratic Party!

Know Hope!

Take a Bow

Does anyone else think Hillary is starting to sound like Bush?

Bush: We've made advances in the war, we're at a turning point, we're defeating the insurgents, the Al-Qaeda, the Shiites, the Sunnis. We just need to give the surge a chance. He's a master at moving the goal posts so he can continue to fight the war which is his legacy. But his legacy will the trillions of dollars we've spent and the countless lives ended or harmed by this unnecessary war.

Clinton: It's all about Iowa. We're going to fight in New Hampshire. We're going to win Super Tuesday. It's all about Pennslyvania. Indiana. West Virginia. We've won more votes. More primaries. We just need more time to fight for this election. She continues to move the goal posts because this is supposed to be her legacy. And in the end, her legacy will be the damage that she will do to the Democratic Party. How sad.

Please Hillary, Take a Bow:

But you put on quite a show
You really had me goin'
But now it's time to go
Curtains finally closin'
That was quite a show
Very entertainin'
But it's over now
Go on and take a bow


The Gays and the Gals

Saturday night I joined SuperLawyer, his BF, and his kids to go see Prince Caspian down in Gtown. As part of my new car diet, I decided to walk. It's a bit of a hike. Like almost 2 miles, but I figure the exercise would be good. Plus there is no good Metro for Gtown, so I would end up walking a lot anyways. One of the things I like about walking to Gtown is cutting down off of M St to walk along the canal. It really is cool. And just makes the walk a little bit more interesting.

So after leaving the canal path, I cut down one of the streets and I fall behind two women who are dressed to the nines. Love the dress, love the shoes, love it all. And I'm thinking it must be hard to walk down this steep cobblestone sidewalk in those high heels. There must be some sort of wedding reception or some party at the Washington Harbor that they are heading to. But no, they turn the corner and head to the theatres. And that's when it dawned on me. They are going to see "Sex and the City".

Yep, they were going to see a movie and they had dressed up in their best dresses and their favorite Manola Blahniks. And they weren't alone. There were TONS of women. All dressed up. Though I will say that I did see a number of unfortunate fashion choices. Now if they only served cosmos at the theatre, it would be a real party.

As I waited (and waited, and waited, and waited, etc) for Superlawyer and crowd to arrive, I had a great spot to people watch. And while I'm going to say that the crowd was about 80% women (it was showing on 3 screens and all but one 1145PM showing was sold out), the gay were out in force also. But we're much more subtle in our fashion choices, more utilitarian. So the pre-requisite skinny jeans and t-shirts that are just a little bit too tight. Usually an A&F shirt or some shirt with some bit of print on it, but off centered, of course. So yes we'll dress up to go see Carrie and the gals, but we'll be able to head over to Ultra-hip lounge or Juniors without looking out of place. Oh, and I can't begin to tell you how many air kisses I saw while I was standing there. Gays and gals alike.

Oh, Prince Caspian was good. Saw some good previews. Thumbs up.

Here's some vintage Belinda to close out. We had a tornado watch Saturday PM and we had quite a little storm: winds, lighting, thunder. I do love summer storms.

A Car Diet

So with Sven still in the shop, I've been pondering my transportation dilemma. Do I really need a car? If so, what kind do I get? Used or new? Agh! The mind boggles.

But I've been thinking about the first question the most. Do I really need a car? Most weekends I don't get into my car (except to go to the gym). During the week I go from my condo to Rosslyn for work and back. I do drive other places for work occasionally. But one of my customers is in San Diego (and I usually fly there) and the other has an office in Crystal City literally a two minute walk from the Metro stop. Sure I sometimes have to go other places, but could I either get a ride from someone else, or could I go with the Zipcar approach? I don't know. I think so.

So I'm thinking of going on a car diet. For the month of June, I'm not going to drive my car. Well, ish. It looks like I'm going up to WVA on Monday for work and then down to Pax River on Thursday. But those trips don't really count since in theory I could get a rental car for them and charge them back to my client. So what I really need to do is go through a whole month and see when do I feel I *have* to drive because of some external meeting or other reason. So I plan to keep a little log book to help me keep track of when I drive and why so I can analyze it later. Yes, I know, how lame-o, but it will help me make a decision.

If I did need a car a couple of times a month and don't think the Zipcar approach will work, then I'll readdress the replacement car problem.

Now I've identified two initial challenges that I need to work out. First is the backpack. I've been lugging my laptop home every night and when I plop it in the trunk of the car, it's no big deal. But when I hump it on the Metro and walk up & down 15th St, it's a small problem. Just wearing it makes me sweat big time on my back. And that's when the weather is nice. If I'm humping that back and forth from work come July and August, to say I will be moist will be an understatement. So I either need to come up with a different way to carry it, or . . . . . . I leave it at work. So leaving it at work wouldn't mean that I couldn't' check email at home, but it does mean I couldn't work on other things. So I would have more free time at home. Maybe enough for a personal life? Hmm, that could be an upside. The second issue is the gym. If I think hauling my laptop back and forth via metro is a haze, let's talk about my honking big gym bag. That is so not an option. Plus, the idea of hauling my carcass up beyond the Metro to work out at night after work and then riding home on the Metro all stinky and sweating does not sound appealing at all. So I'm going to need to change my gym routine. But change doesn't have to be bad. The Y is close to my place. Before work and after work I can go to the gym. It won't be as convenient as the Golds in Rosslyn, but I can deal. I think. Hey, it's only a month trial period. We'll see where it ends up.

It's Time for a Divorce

Sven and I have been together for eight years. Like most relationships, the first seven years were fun. Oh there were few problems, but stuff you just sort of assumed would happen eventually and then you moved on. But lately it's getting worse. The problems are more frequent. And more expensive. I had to take him in to get looked at last week and they wanted to keep him overnight for some tests. That's never a good sign. We went back for the tests yesterday and today I got the diagnosis. Some cylinder/oil issue thing-a-ma-bob. Look, I don't speak car mechanics very well. The upshot is that it's another $1600 dollars to get him fixed. And that's on top of the $4000 I spent last year in maintenance. So I'm sorry Sven, but it's time for a divorce. It's not me, it's you. I'm thinking I need something smaller, younger, hipper. It's just time for us to end this. I'm not going to kick you out right now, but I think we know this is the end of the relationship.

A Letter from Hilary Clinton

My Fellow Hard Working White Americans,

This has been a historic campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and I want to thank you again for supporting me against Senator Barack Hussien Obama. Your support and fear of African Americans, Muslims, and people who look different has been a key component of our successful[1] campaign. Despite the fact that it is almost numerically impossible for me to capture enough delegates to win the nomination, I need the support of hard working white Americans like you to continue my campaign. Please go to www.HilaryClinton.com and donate generously.

While my husband (who may have been the first black President, but who is really white) and I are multi-millionaires many times over, we need your financial help to help pay off the massive debt my campaign has incurred. With the economy in the tank, Bill and I feel your pain and are doing our part to help cut some corners. So please go to www.HilaryClinton.com and donate whatever you can. Each and every day I’m on the campaign trail wracking up huge costs to prove that I’m a better general election candidate than Senator Barack Hussein Obama, I’m inspired by the stories of white children selling their bikes and video games so they can give that money to my campaign. Its stories like these that touch my heart and remind me why I’m running for President. I want to support the hard working white Americans who support me.[2]

As the campaign enters the summer months and hard working white Americans like you are hurt by sky high gas prices, I want to ensure you that I will use every cheap, pandering, counterproductive solution to solve the problem. I want to make sure you have enough money in your wallet to not only gas up that SUV, but that there’s a little left over for you to give to my campaign. So please go to www.HilaryClinton.com and give generously. Your donation will allow me to continue to drag out this important, historic, nomination process, creating further hate and discontent in the party while giving John McCain a free ride until the Democratic Convention in case something really really bad happens to Senator Barack Hussein Obama.

So I humbly ask that you go to www.HilaryClinton.com and give generously to my campaign[3].

Your fellow, hard working white American,

Hilary



[1] Please see current campaign talking points for the latest definition of success.

[2] And also the lobbyists, special interests, and PACSs who’ve given me tons of cash also.

[3] Any left over funding will be applied to my 2012 run for President.

Springtime in Paris!

So I finally went to Paris and the weather was nice! YEAH!

The flight over was a little bit more than the usual punishment since I had to fly through Chicago to get the frequent flier seats. But I had a nice little pill to help me make it through the flight and United even gave me a free cocktail, so that really put me out. Plus, leaving from Chicago means you don't get to Paris until 930 or so, much more civilized than the 630AM arrival from DC.

The first thing my niece said to me? "Did you bring my DS?" The first thing my nephew said to me? "Did you bring us anything?" Love them to death, but how about a hello Uncle Trey? Is that to much to ask? The DS was a big hit. And it's amazing how quickly they can master the games. It reminded me of my days at the arcade playing Tron (which I *RULED* at). And how quickly they go into the zone and are quiet as they go through level after level. I did "borrow" the DS a couple of times to try my hand at it. It really is fun and so very addictive. But like I need another way to throw my time away?

Now, with the better weather (and btw it still rained almost everyday) and the sun coming down (sometimes) you get better feel for Paris. But you also get a better smell of it. And maybe "better" isn't the right word. It's amazing how many times I would be walking down the street and smell some just amazing perfume, and then someone would walk by who obviously doesn't use deoderant or bathe frequently and that pungent smell would want to make you hurl. The other smell I must comment on is urine. Sure there is dog poo everywhere, but you just ignore that. But with the warmer weather, the smell of urine seems to waft through Paris. One day as I was walking through the Tuilleries I realized that I need to rest. So I saw the sign for the WC and headed over. The steps down to the left led into a small restroom where for only 40 centimes (probably a buck with the exchange rate sucking so bad) you could relieve yourself in a clean, decent smelling bathroom. I did my business and headed back up the stairs when I realized that instead of walking down the stairs to the left, some guy had walked down the stairs to the right and was pissing in a corner. So you're too cheap to pay 40 centimes to use a public bathroom? I mentioned this to my sister and she laughed. She said that it doesn't even surprise her anymore when some guy will just turn against a wall and let loose. And sadly, I did see that two more times. How odd. Have you no shame? No dignity? No common courtesy for your fellow Parisians? Apparently not.

But Paris is not all about the strange odors. Paris is about the food (love the pain d'raison!), the beautiful architecture, the Eiffel Tower, Sacre'Cur, the Marais, and just people watching. I did get up twice to run down the Champs. That's one of my favorite things to do. Well, it would be it it actually didn't involved running, but I digress. So I'm hauling my fat carcass up and down the Champs and I LOVE the people watching. First of all, everyone is IMMACULATELY dressed. I mean there is some fierce fashion going on! Second, they are all very thin. Really, like rail thin. Which is probably do the cigarette that is surgically attached to their face. Ye gads people, put the cancer sticks down!

On Friday night, my sister and my BNL had a dinner party to go to, so I head to the gayhood, the Marais, to grab a bite to eat and to wander. And what do I run into? The Bear Happy Hour! Outside of a bar called, "Le Cox Cafe." Naturally. It was insane, there must have been a 50 people hanging out on the side walk outside of the bar. And while few of them would really qualify as bears on weight alone, a lot of them were sporting some decent facial hair, or shaved heads, or some interesting tatoos. As I approached this swarm of men, I realized that they were all on the sidewalk is because you can't smoke in restaurants. So my first order of business is to get inside and order a beer. And it was packed inside also. I wormed my way to the front of the bar and quickly ordered a beer. It was so packed that I was momentarily trapped at the bar, but I was okay with that because one of the bartenders was drop dead gorgeous. Tall, muscled, tight NYPD tank top stretched across his very firm chest, and a huge tribal tatoo on his shoulder/arm. HOT! But eventually I started to have a little bit of claustrophobia, so I escaped from the bar and hovered near the door where there was little bit of space. So I'm slowing sipping my beer and I realize that I have no idea what I'm doing here. I don't speak French. The odds of me going up to some guy and trying to have a conversation with them are insanely low. And I'm tired of getting jostled. So I bail to a little pizzeria down the street. I sit in the outside of the cafe, and of course there are two guys sitting next to me. I'm not really paying attention to me until the waft of smoke comes my way. Since we are technically outside, he can smoke. Fine! I've got some good real estate and I'm not moving. But the funny thing, is that said smoker is apparenlty sick and coughing up a lung. So he has this huge coughing fit, and then pulls out another cancer stick. Obviously he's not too bright.

Overall it was a great, fun, but too short trip to Paris. It was good seeing my sister, BNL, niece, and nephew. I may try to go back in September, but we'll see.

Lesbionic Operas and A Magical Kingdom (ish)

So a couple of weeks ago I went to see Tamerlano at the Kennedy Center. We had seats in the Presidents Box (yes, I *know* people!). Absolutely amazing seats. Plus a little lounge where we quaffed some champs and nibbled on presidential chocolates. And having your own bathroom is essential. Only the little people use the public restroom. Hello Joke!

Anyways, an old Navy friend of mine who works in the White House got the tickets. And Placido Domingo was performing. And he's just amazing. The problem is that the opera was just a little bit weird. So Placido played the old vanquished king. Check. But then the Prince who conquered him and is in love with his daughter is played by a woman. And then the Emperor who controls the Prince is in love with the daughter also, and he's like a super high tenor. So really girly sounding. So the Prince is really a Princess. The Emperor sounds like an Empress. And they are vying for the daughter. So it had a very lesbionic feel to it. But it was an amazing performance and just so much fun.

After that, I skipped down to Orlando to visit the Magic Kingdom. Eh. It was okay. The resort we were at is for conferences so it wasn't really *that* nice. More like a mediocre Holiday Inn. I did go down early to check out Epcot which was good. But I'm really not the target demographic they are going for. It seems like there are three things to do at Disney. Eat, shop, go on the rides. And most of the rides are for the little people. Which were everywhere. Hello people, shouldn't your children be in school! Now I know I've gained some weight (my diet starts after France!), but there were a LOT of people there who were just obese. Yes I know it's a problem throughout America, but it was just so obvious when I was down there. Now, after my bitching, I will say that I didn't see a single freakish tatoo or earing on the employees (aka cast members) or hear a single curse word. Which was refreshingly nice. The conference was just okay. I know a lot of people who come to Disney World every year, but I'm not feeling it right now. Maybe if I went down with someone, and sans conference it would be better.

So, off to Paris tomorrow to visit my sister and the kinder. I'm smuggling a Nintendo DS for my niece and a strange M&M dispenser for my sister. Plus I got my niece and nephew a new DS game for them to play. So I'll be the good Uncle, atleast for the first day!

Compatible Cursing?

So I try not to curse on this blog. Well, too much. I'll say f$%k every once in awhile here, but that's usually it. In real life (you know that stuff that happens when you aren't looking at a computer screen?), I curse a bit. I was in the Navy, so I've got a PhD in cursing, but I don't practice it much. Sure a little f&%k, or sh!t will slip out from time to time, but again, not so much.

And so I'm not really sure how to react when someone curses alot. And weirdly. It just seems odd, and off putting. Seriously, who uses the term, "ho-bag"? I'm not exactly sure what it means, but I get the drift.

So how important is cursing compatibility when you are dating someone? Is it a deal breaker?

Hillary as a Zombie

Seriously, she makes a great molding, decaying, undead doesn't she? She's not very fast, or very smart, but she can smell blood and can hurt you (Obama) or kill you (the democratic party). You keep thinking that if you fun fast enough, that you'll be able to get away from her. But she's everywhere, or atleast her surrogates are. They are the evil clamoring ones who have sold their souls and just await the coming of the kingdom of the undead so they can reap their rewards.

It does sound like a cheap horror movie, doesn't it?

So she wins PA. Well, wasn't she supposed to? Like by a lot. Hmmph! I'm over Hillary. She's like a house guest who doesn't know when to leave. GURL! Pack your bags and go home!

Love this site: "Nice Try, Give Up": Some choice letters:

- "you've changed and I don't like the new you."
- "Lets face it,we're not right for each other. I thought I knew you, but you're really a D.I.N.O. (Democrat In Name Only), your also mad dog crazy, and way too clingy. Its over baby."
- "Hillary, how can I say this? We can still be friends. I mean, we'll still hang out and stuff, ya'know? I just don't think you're good for me right now. My life is heading in a different direction, and right now, you're just a money-sink for me, and I'm kind of a money-sink for you, too. Friends?"

And my favorite:

"Hil, there's no easy way to say this. But, I'm gay. I've fallen for another man. Barack and I have something I just can't explain -- we just so much more in common than you and I did. And he's so positive and inspiring. I believe anything is possible. I know it's tough, but there's nothing you can say that will make me change. I know how stubborn you can be, but you just have to let it go. It's best for both of us that you moveon with your life."

Diet Vodka and Circuit Thugs

So Museum Man and I went to Bear Happy Hour on Friday at Cobalt. I'm going for the pirate look as Mom calls it, so I might as well put the scruff to some good use. The weather was amazing so we hung out on the outside patio a bit. I had to teach the oh-so-cute, but oh-so-young bartender how to make a Key West Lemonade. Which were D-licious! But then to thank us for teaching him a new drink, he started charging us almost nothing for our drinks. And that was not a good thing. In addition to the fact that someone needs to come up with a Diet Vodka (and seriously, imagine the BILLIONS you could make with that!), I'm a lightweight. So three drinks later, I'm three sheets to the wind. Go figure. Especially since the lunch I ate so many hours early was quite petite. I really do need to pace myself and maybe mix in some non-alcoholic drinks every once in awhile. Needless to say I was feeling no pain and had a good time. I did manage to finagle a kiss the very hunky, scruffy guy who lives across the street from me. It was just a peck, but still. After a long night that included pulling a Kate Moss (the bulimia, not the drugs), I woke with a huge hangover. Really? Three drinks. Praying to the porcelain god. And I still wake up with a hangover. Ugh! I'm a such a lightweight.

Saturday evening, Museum Man and I ventured out dressed in red to the main Cherry event at the 9:30 club. Yes, I'm in my 40s and going to a circuit party. But I was definitely not the oldest there, or the fattest. So there! Anyways we get there a bit early and nurse some beverages (beers, drunk slowly!) until it starts to get hopping. The music is okay. A couple of good songs, but it was really all about the people watching. Now I'm used to the typical attendees at the circuit party. You've got your regulation twinks (young, thin, usually chemically enhanced for the evening) and then you've got your muscle boys (I'd like a double steriod latte!). And the rest of the melange across the gay community. And for the most part, everyone is in a good mood. Drinking, dancing, letting the music carry them to where ever they want to go. But I think I've seen the first of a new breed of circuit guys: circuit thugs. There were about seven or eight of them, heavily muscled, wearing hip hop type clothes, and the big trucker hats a little to the side (which I thought were so 2006!). But they seemed to walk the crowd with a barely submerged sense or aura of violence, like a roid rage was just an accidental bump away. And of course they were absurdly hot. But I'm not sure it was in a good way.

I think we made it till 3AM, and then called it quits. Cherry was the first circuit party I went to after I cam out and after I had returned from Australia and the huge Mardi Gras party there. It was held at the Post Office Pavillion then and Circuit Mom performed. Well Circuit Mom performed at Cherry as well to Idena Menzel's Gorgeous. And now it's my new favorite song. Enjoy!

De-construction

With land at a premium here in DC, real estate, especially commercial real estate, is very expensive. But what do you do when you've got a 40 year old building that's sitting on some valuable property?

Well you de-construct it. And that's the best word I can use to describe it. You just don't tear it down, you don't blow it up, you de-construct it.

At 18th and I, they wrapped this building in that weird green permeable cloth and slowly tore down the building from the inside, all the way down to a big hole in the ground. At L and 20th, they aren't using the green cloth, and they aren't taking it down to the ground. They are just taking it down to the concrete foundation, so the building is still there, well it's skeleton is atleast. And they will build a new a building using that same foundation. At K and 18, they are slowly carving the building up using a big backhoe excavator. It's fascinating, while the building is empty, the backhoe is just scraping a huge chunk of the concrete, metal pipes, etc out of the foundation, like someone taking a knife to a piece of cheese.

Yep, I'm back. Some weird weeks lately. More if I feel like it.

Today's Betch!

Let's see where to start . . . . . .

I guess I knew I was going to be pre-disposed to be in a bad mood today when I tried on a pair of pants and they didn't fit. AGH! So that reverse diet thing is really working! So not happy.

Very busy at work and I've having some odd interactions with some folks. Today I think everyone I talk too just set my nerves on end. I had that whole, "Fuck it I'm out of here" chip on my shoulder all day.

And part of it is because I'm like insanely busy. So I really have a low tolerance for stupid people. I just don't have time for them. And then there are the people who talk down to me. There is no better way to get me to get my guard up than to talk down to me. Umm. Not good.

So I'm stuck in this stupid internet training telecon that starts 20 minutes late because the people running the meeting can't get their act together. Then this one guy is explaining how to use the tool and acting like we are morons: "So when you want to delete a file, click on the trash can next to the file name. The trash can is how you delete a file. I will now click on the trash can and delete the file." Really? I mean REALLY!!! You delete something by clicking on the trashcan? Really! Wow, that's so revolutionary? I can't think of a single system that does uses a trashcan icon as a means to delete something. Can you please explain it again. Oh, and demonstrate is also? I want to make sure I know how to do that. Oh, and dont get me started on the innovative, creative, revolutionary, unique way the system uploads files! AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then to the dentist. So again, more fun.

Then home. And to the gym. And then to work. And I don't mind (much) working at home till late at night. What I mind is when the Wicked Witch of the West calls me at 830PM and then rambles on for an hour. No REALLY, my time is your time.

So my new 2008 motto was supposed to be, "Be better, not bitter?" Yeah, that's not really working for me right now.

Oh, and United apparently United is grounding it's 777's, which is the aircraft that the Doppelganger is supposed to arrive on tomorrow. If he doesn't make it, I will not be happy.

Key West Lemonades, Hotties, and Hillary

So I threw a little soirée for Museum Man on Saturday night. A good mix of people, and very fun. But a bit of a larger crowd that I'm used to. MM is definitely an extrovert and he's been making friends here quite quickly, so he invited quite a few people plus I had my usual gang of suspects. So Saturday afternoon I'm running around trying to get everything ready and I know I need to make a liquor run. Well I do a quick inventory and I figure I need some vodka. Absolut Ruby Red to be precise so I can make some Key West Lemonades for the party. So I buy a couple of bottles. I also buy some beer. Like 2 twelve packs. Well my friends arrive and I get two additional bottles.
And people are drinking and it's all good. Except that only one person had a SINGLE beer. In the meantime, we are chugging down the vodka. We went through 6 bottles. The gays do love their vodka. I think I need to invite some of the straight guys from my company for a party so they can drink the beer. Otherwise it will just sit there in my fridge.

Well, as I mentioned, MM has been meeting some new people in town. Well he actually ran into an old friend, a USNA alumni who lives in the g-hood. So he invited him to the party. Now, I like to think of my friends as relatively good looking. We're in pretty decent shape, smartly dressed if not necessarily label queens. We've got normal jobs and live normal lives and I like to think we are on the right side of the bell curve when it comes to looks in DC. Anyways, MM's friend shows up, with another friend, and we are talking serious hotties. Like porn star hot. MM's friend (H1) had biceps the size of a cantaloupe! And you know I'm a sucker for biceps. Trim, with some good salt and pepper hair, just overally yummy. And his friend (H2) was even more hot. Brazilian. Chest like you wouldn't believe, even bigger biceps. And of course both are dressed in the gay uniform: ultra tight black t-shirt that accentuates the chest and biceps, and really tight jeans. To be honest, it was a little depressing to see all of that hotness up close and in my apartment. I'll start my diet tomorrow. Despite their exceptional good looks, they were actually pretty nice. Who knows, maybe I'll run into them again some day.

Hillary. What do you do with a problem like Hillary? Well I actually went to her website and asked her to post her tax returns!! But I digress. So I'm blog surfing during lunch and I find this little bit of trivia:

"Among the debts reported this month by Hillary Rodham Clinton’s struggling presidential campaign, the $292,000 in unpaid health insurance premiums for her campaign staff stands out."

Um. . . . . . Ouch!

And speaking of ouch: Slate (which I need to read more often) has started it's Hillary Deathwatch meter. It's actually the deathwatch of her campaign. But still it's funny. Or would be if it weren't so true.

Friday Round Up!

Busy week.

First of all, a flash back to last weekend. So Saturday night I kind of nested at home and ended up watching The Parent Trap and then Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The originals, natch! Loved them. And seriously, you couldn't ask for better "comfort" movies than then. So Sunday morning, I get up and I start to do chores and I turn on the TV and what is playing? House of Wax! AT EIGHT AM ON EASTER!!!! Seriously, House of Wax playing on a Saturday night, say after 10PM, sure, I buy it. But this crappy, but still very bloody movie playing at 8 AM on Easter? Did FX just assume that all of the children would be out looking for eggs and not casually flipping channels when the one girls' finger is snapped off? Yeah, nice.

Road trip again. This time down to Patuxent River. A much easier drive than No-f%ck. Rolling country side and little traffic down into southern Maryland. As I approached Pax River, I drove through some nice shoreline neighborhoods that had some really nice houses, docks, boats, etc. And I was like, hmm, it's nice here. I could see me living down here. Well I met up with the person I was there to meet, he asked about my drive down, and I said it was okay and that I really liked it down here. And he responded sharply, "That's because you don't live here!" He quickly told me that there was NOTHING to do down there. And after he said it, I was like, yeah, that's probably true. Plus it's definitely not homo friendly, with all of the SMIBs running around. SMIBs = Southern Maryland In-Breds.

I'm off to Paris again in May! I'm totally psyched. Some frequent flier seats opened up on United and I jumped on them. The Doppelganger will still be in the states, but he'll be in Minnesota visiting family and friends. So that works! It will be great to visit my sister, BNL, niece and nephew!

Went to go see "All That I Ever Will Be" last night. It's by the guy who wrote Six Feet Under. It was good. And there was some nice gratuitous nudity. But it was a little bit dark. Now, again the main actor had a hot bod, and we pretty much saw ALL of it. But I really wasn't into him. The actor played the character as very fey. So while I appreciate the muscles, butch it up a bit dude!

And while it's great to have the Studio Theatre in the neighborhood, I've got one small problem with them. See I bought a couple of subscriptions for two years when I first moved to DC and while all of the plays were good, they were all DEPRESSING. Seriously, after some of the modern Russian plays, I was like, where's the razor blade? And of course once you have a subscription, and then don't renew, they hound you incessantly. And I finally just came clean to the guy, "Look. Your plays are depressing! I'm looking for something a little bit more light and fun. The world is depressing enough as it is." Right?

Love Comes Back!

Happy Easter to everyone! Today the Lord is Risen!!

I'm sure some will find this an odd post, but it is what it is.

I didn't give up anything for Lent. My will power is not good. I travel a lot and trying to give up chocolate, meat, etc just didn't seem practical, and let's be honest, my track record in the past for "giving things up" for Lent hasn't been good. So this Lent I decided to try to do something a bit more proactive. And so I decided that I would go to church every Friday evening (when I was in DC) and attend the Stations of the Cross at St. Thomas'. So for every Friday in Lent (save one), I was one of the very few people who attended this service. Who chanted as we made our way around the church and listened to the last day and last words of Jesus Christ. And it was an interesting time for me to sit and listen, to think, and just meditate on God, Jesus, and the church in general.

Today I attended St. Thomas as usual, but I was an usher. And it was a busy day to be an usher. It was standing room only and we had our hands full with helping out with the collection, guiding people to communion, etc. So busy in fact that I didn't really get a chance to listen to the service, or enjoy it. Or even think about it much.

But I got home and as I am wont to do, I started with my blog roll. Those blogs that I go to all the time. The political ones (Americablog, Andrew Sullivan, etc), the personal ones (Jimbo, Joe.My.God), and then the religious blogs. And yes I read religious blogs. I usually turn to Father Jake's to get the latest on "As the Anglican World Turns" (and what a soap opera it has been lately), but this week he's offered up pieces of scriptures for Holy Week. Different pieces and asks his readers to read the scripture, to say it out loud, and to try to reach out to the piece, the word, the phrase that means something to you.

Today's scripture focused on Mary Magdalene, coming to the tomb after Jesus is buried, and discovering that his body is gone. Mary is consumed by grief and then Jesus appears before her (though she doesn't recognize him at first) and asks her why she is crying. Jesus so loved Mary, and the other disciples as well, that even after his death he came back to them to succor them. And while the scripture talks about how Jesus came back, somehow in my mind I had translated it to "Love Comes Back." And it made me think that even in our darkest hours, even when we've given up hope, that we will not be abandoned and left alone to perish. Loves Comes Back. That really is the Good News of the Lord!

The Lord is Risen. Alleluia, Alleluia.

No-f%ck x 2

So No-f&ck is my nickname for Norfolk. I've had to go down there several times over the years and I just never like it. Hence the not so nice nickname. And I had to go down there twice this week. Well technically it wasn't Norfolk, it was Suffolk and VA Beach. But still, it's the No-F&ck area. And both trips were day trips. The Suffolk trip was just over 3 hours, ONE WAY. The VA Beach trip was around 4 hours, ONE way. So yes I've had some quality car time this week.

On Monday when I went down to Suffolk, mapquest sent me a different way than usual, and I figured, sure why not. I ended up on a two lane state highway that was actually not bad. The speed changed several times on the road so that helped me stay awake, and we are talking RURAL SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. Kind of sad and scary.

But I did find my new favorite town. Though "town" might be a stretch. Maybe a village. Or a small collection of buildings? It was called Disputanta. For some reason, I just love that name. It sounds kind of snobby, "Oh, I'm from Disputanta Virginia." Okay, I'm weird, but I do love it.

So I've been battling a bit of a funk lately. Not really happy on a number of different fronts. And my vacation didn't really rejuvenate me at all. I'm starting to have dreams where I just say "F&ck it!" and walk away. But with the economy in a nose dive, now's not the time to do anything foolish. I'll do the responsible thing, like I always do, and just suck it up. This funky mood will pass. Maybe I'm worried about the doppelganger coming to visit. He arrives on the 4th. Don't know.

If it weren't for bad luck

Well let's see. Sure the cruise was nice. Sure it was full of hot men. Sure I get sick after about day 3. Yep, it started with the tell tale sore throat and built up to a full cold with aches and pains thrown in. And then on the last three days, we had 16-20 ft waves and winds gusting to 50 mph. And having a cabin in the front of the ship meant we got the up and down as well as the side to side movement. I didn't really get sea sick, more I just wasn't really able to rest at all those last couple of days. So a fun meter, I'd have to give this vacation a solid 3.

Pics coming soon.