Energy

Good morning. Glorious morning, actually. It's gorgeous outside, sunny and clear and running this morning was a joy. Yes, running again. I finally feel that I have sufficient energy to get out and start running once more. Two months of battling mono have been draining, but I think the week at home with my parents, having no need to go out, to do anything, to wake up at a set time and pretty much unlimited food (*grin*) helped tremendously. I've been able to get the gym routine down to two regular days a week, now I'll try for three on a regular basis and get the running started up once more. I just can't describe how good it felt to have the energy to get out and run again.

Other than that, I'm trying to plan some menus for eating more at home (but it's sooooo easy to just go out to eat, *sigh*). Now that I have some new kitchen toys (blender, food processor, and that bastion of late 20th century cooking, the Microwave!), I have a few more options on making neat meals. Will cook for rides to the grocery store! *grin* I think that's the one disadvantage of having no car - groceries. Harder to load up when you have to carry 'em back yourself. :-)

Longer

I don't know whether to be annoyed or amused at the state of my life, especially the state of my ‘romantic' life, if you will. Feast or famine, I suppose, and one shouldn't complain about the feasts, but it does get exasperating when there are so many choices. It was so much easier when I lived without a large and varied pool of men nearby. Much less distracting, and much easier to make decisions. But such is the nature of having choice, it forces you to exercise your brain and choose. To balance fantasy and reality.

But just when I think I'm close to choosing, at least for the moment, a new and interesting possibility comes along (or is thrown my way, as the case may be) and shakes everything up.

Simplicity my love life is not. Safe, yes, simple, no.

Thank heavens I have a sense of humor about the whole thing (even if that sense is a little dark at times). Most days. When I'm not recovering from mono. LOL!

"But how can you know what you want til you get what you want and you see if you like it?"
- Cinderella, Into the Woods (Sondheim)

In the meantime I'm braving the ‘resolutioners' at the gym in the morning. I hope some of them stay with it long term, I really do. Heaven knows this country needs people to get serious about their bodies, to wake up and make that decision that is crucial to making a difference. I can't pinpoint the exact date, but I remember making it and it's made all the difference in this little body. Well, little now. I'll admit quite freely I am proud of the fact that I'm 7" smaller in the waist and 40 lbs lighter than I was literally a decade ago. Wasn't easy, but few things worth your while are.

Ran again yesterday, energy levels are still pretty much normal, so I'm hoping this is the end of the mono. The next thing to decide about this site is what other information I want to add to it (pictures, links, etc.) and how revealing this diary is to become. I don't want the diary to be a "well, this morning I got up and made toast" kind of thing (dull! both for the reader and for the writer). I like sitting down and spelling out my thoughts on things, it helps to do that; thoughts are always better experienced through writing for me, which is why I need to write more. The true question is how much detail to putin. I'm encouraged by others I see on the web (other diary sites), but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with names yet. DC is a big city, but it's a very, very small town; things get around quickly enough without me posting it all for the world to see. I'll have to continue to mull this one I think.

‘Til later, gentle reader.

06 January 2000

How to avoid sleep
or
Panic attacks at midnight.

This week has just not been mine for sleep, which is strange since I'm feeling so much better compared with 2 weeks ago and the full-blown mono. Still hoping it's gone for good; I miss kissing. :-(

Last night was bad, though. Had what could probably be described as a panic attack (and lord help those who have them uncontrollably for medical reasons - that was notfun). I tried to go to sleep, but, as is its wont, my mind decided to race instead. It came to the topic of money and how I was going to save up a ton of cash for a tax bill and still have a social life and eat more than just Ramen noodles; I couldn't sleep at that point, so I got up and hopped online to pull down tax forms and estimate my taxes again.

Okay, let me back up. Monday I decided to look at my taxes, since I had my next-to-last pay stub at home with the withholding on it. I wanted to check it over because last year, the first year I had ever been required to file taxes (remember, I was in school straight through to age 25, folks!) and I had ended up owing a little to the state of Maryland. So I looked up my income, looked up the amount it said I owed on the big income chart, compared that to what had been withheld, then my heart dropped out of my chest. There was a difference of about a thousand dollars, not in my favor. I was less that pleased at this, of course, but thought about how much I would have to save in the four months remaining til tax day, decided I could probably do it and went about my merry way.

Got home from seeing a friend last night and tried to go to bed. Mind started racing, it fixed on money and wouldn't let go. I started thinking about actual amounts of money I pay out each month, how much I'd have to dump into savings to make up the $1k I thought I needed, plus assuming the entire rent payment in my place since my roomie may have to head home for family reasons. It was not a good time. So, as I said, I got up, booted the computer and hopped online to pull down forms. This time instead of going directly to the chart, I went through the calculations, figured my stuff up, and came across what I'd forgotten to do (have you realized what it is yet?). The standard deduction. Argh! (Told you I was new to this whole tax thing) Anyway, with that out, the withholding was right on track, I don't owe $1k+ to the IRS (in fact I may get back a sheckle or two) and all is well with the world. Phew!

In the meantime, it was then 2am, so no run this morning (too damned tired). What an incredible mess. Not exactly the best night I've had of late.

07 January 2000

Proliferation

A prolific week for the diary. I started writing these while I'm at work, leaving the file going in the background in WordPerfect, catching a spare moment now and again to jot a sentence or two. A more successful way than my previous method of saving several up to type in one long sitting, I think.

Thankfully I'm supposed to be writing (at least, that's what they told me they were hiring me to do), so it's not a big deal to sneak in a personal note or two. Now if I could just drop these bloody budget duties I might actually get more legal work done. :-p Oh well, the life of the low man on the totem pole. :-)

Don't feel much inspired to write today, though. Or, rather, there's no topic which is grabbing my attention and demanding to be let out; I do want to write, just not sure of the topic. I finished the major piece of work that has been on my plate the past two days (ethics, payments and gifts - fascinating stuff, actually), so am feeling a tad, what's the word, empty? bereft? bored? disappointed? let down? Hmmm..... The death of a project. I should move on to other endeavors - it's not like I don't have plenty on my plate - but it's 4-something on a Friday afternoon, I'm trying to keep from nodding off, and I feel unmotivated to do anything but nap.

I'm bored, and that's a dangerous state for me. I tend to do silly things, like go get things pierced or spend too much money shopping for clothes or the like when I get bored.

Calgon, take me away!

Oh, I got confirmation for joining the "Gay Diary Web Ring." Too cool. Don't know if people will even care to see the site, but it'll get a tad more hits now. I suppose. I find it interesting that people really do post diaries, especially ones that are much more revealing than mine. Mine gives glimpses (tease that I am), whereas other ones seem to put their whole lives on the web. I'll continue to crawl out onto the web, I really will, it just takes time. ;-)

11 January 2000

Zonk

Back to reconstructing entries after the fact. :-p

Zonked out Monday night, a planned crash, if you will. Melatonin and sleepytime tea, with a general plan of rest of relaxation in the air. *contented sigh* Felt good to get to sleep at a decent hour and not feel totally crushed the next morning when off to exercise and then to work.

Sleep is a good thing.

Scary moment of the day: someone finally recognized himself in the diary. I knew it would happen eventually, and he was totally cool with it, it just hadn't happened before (of course, with only 23 entries...). How strange. I feel that I've passed an online milestone. ;-) Already run my own email list(s), and have a large group of friends online. But still I feel like I've somehow passed one of those markers that forever brands one as an online personality (no, I've not ego, not at all! *grin*). Hmmm.....

ARGH!

What a day. I think I can officially declare this morning a disaster. First, the radio alarm didn't go off (had been unplugged to plug in the printer and then never plugged back in), then my new suit didn't work with a belt (pants an inch too large in the waist and missing a belt loop [?!?!?!?!?!?!?!] in the front), out the door late, so skipped the gym (grrr!), went to pay a credit card bill, discovered they'd charged me $25 because the payment was credited a day late (which, thankfully, was removed promptly upon a phone call to the bank). Then to work and discovered waaaay too many things on my plate for the day.

Not a fun way to start a Wednesday morning.

It is getting better, though. I'm staying busy and things actually are moving off my desk at a pretty good pace today. Thank heavens.

...

At this point in the afternoon, I just want to crawl into bed and nap til tomorrow, but I have dinner plans with J.T. and I'll not cancel those. I may kill B when I get home (because of the radio), but I'll not cancel dinner.

...

Dinner turned into dessert, then got cancelled altogether. But it's okay, I survived with oreos and milk. :) Splurged on a nice tea pot and cups today, Japanese style. Was nice to have a good, relaxing cup of herbal tea with dinner. I had forgotten how relaxing that could be, that ritual of tea, before I went back to Teaism on Sunday.

Going to have another pot here soon (herbal tea) before zonking out like Monday. Pleasant dreams, gentle reader.

13 January 2000

Into the Woods

"Into the woods, it's always when you think at last you're through and then, into the woods you go again to take another journey..."

I love the musical Into the Woods; it's by far one of my favorites. I know its flaws (simplistic music and lyrics, etc., etc. - hey, I like Gilbert and Sullivan, too, and anyone with a three-note range can sing those), but I love it anyway. The lyrics are usually more important to me than the music itself, though of course without the music it would be much diminished. But the lyrics are what make the beast so appealing. I'm thinking of keeping with the theme of the Moose's Glen here and quoting it some in the journal. I find the quotes useful most days, so why not?

...

As I read more of these journals online I find myself stealing, er, adapting conventions from other folks. Like the lovely ellipses above to denote a change in train of thought (though anyone who has talked to me knows I go off on wild tangents that frequently strain even my wild imagination in their odd associations). It's an interesting experience, and one I think I'm commenting on too much here, so I shall try and refrain for my own sanity (can't even imagine going back and reading this later and listening to myself babble on and on about what the experience of writing this was like. Blah!).

That or the ellipse means a shift in time while I'm writing this thing, since I do on occasion write this at work as the day progresses.

...

I started talking about Into the Woods because Cinderella's comments on choosing and knowing what you want keep running through my head, "But how can you know what you want til you get what you want and you see if you like it?" How apropos. I still don't know what I want as far as a relationship, job (well, I know I want one in the private sector), living arrangements, etc. Some days I feel so incredibly together about those things and others I just feel lost.

I know for certain I don't want to stay with Justice, despite the good working environment. It's just not for me long-term. I know for certain that I'm not quite to the point of being able to commit to an exclusive relationship; there's still a tad much leftover from The Ex for that (and I really want/need the time to experiment, to be honest). As far as living? I know I'd rather be somewhere closer to civilization than The Woodner! The bus is great, but it's not the easiest place to live and from which (or to which) to commute. And after this year a one-bedroom with a roomie just doesn't do it. It's not fair to B, he essentially has no privacy despite my best efforts, and it's just a tad much to deal with. Roomies are fine, but they need a room into which they can retreat, just as I must have my own private space.

14 January 2000

Relax!

Pet peeve of the day: people who don't know (or are too rude) to walk on the right side of the sidewalk. You would think that otherwise normal people would know, after living in this country for a number of years if not their entire life, that when one is walking down the sidewalk, one stays to the right of the path. That's the cultural norm for the United States, and is the expected course of action in most circumstances. No, instead, all sorts of people decide to walk as far to their left as possible when I'm trying to get to the bus and I almost run them over. Mostly when I'm walking beside the FBI headquarters building, too. Must be something about that concrete monstrosity that screws up people's thinking.

But what is one to do? Insist on staying on the correct side and making the offending party move out of the way? Yielding whenever some idiot chooses to walk on the wrong side? Running them over if they don't move?

Me? I usually stare them down whenever possible and yield when it's necessary or I'm not in the mood to deal with ‘em.

"You'd think the tuba would totally drown out the bassoon, but it doesn't. <sotto voce> Something else will have to be found..." (P.D.Q. Bach)

...

I'd say this week's theme has been relaxation, or the lack thereof. As I was discussing with a friend, ritual is a powerful relaxant, hence my purchase of the tea implements the other day. I've found there is something profoundly relaxing in the making and imbibing of tea, whether it be good Asian caffeinated tea or an herbal concoction. The East Asian scholar in me coming out, I suppose. But spending time doing something that I know will be good for me, will taste good and will allow me to sit and simply be is a very powerful force on my psyche.

It helps that the experience is a very sensual one. There is the boiling of the water, preparing the tea pot and the cups, letting the tea steep, smelling it as it grows stronger. Feeling the cups, the weight and shape of them in your hand, studying their unique imperfections. Blowing across the top of the tea to cool it, watching the steam rise from the surface of the tea, and of course actually drinking the tea.

Even thinking about it has a meditative quality for me.

I guess I'm just a shameless sensualist at heart. To be able to take the time to slowly explore a texture or a sight or a scent is such a wondrous thing.

Ah well, perhaps one of the days this weekend I'll have to chance to just sit and be for a while. In the meantime, I'll continue to over schedule and drive myself nuts. :-)

18 January 2000

Snow!

Long weekends are a good thing. Got nothing accomplished at home, nothing put away (i.e., the boxes of kitchen stuff I brought from home over Christmas are still in the middle of my kitchen), nothing cleaned, nothing taken out, but was good and relaxing nonetheless.

Friday night was a bust because I was not feeling well (I think I was fighting off a cold courtesy my co-workers). Stomach nasties but I went out and was social, despite inclinations not to be. I'm glad I went out, but it was a tad draining. I know I wasn't, but I kept feeling like I was being very nasty in my comments on things ("When martinis pass my lips, all my quips get razor tips! It's just the bottle talking now..."). Didn't run Saturday or go out to the Vermeer exhibit with my friends (they keep planning these bloody things for the middle of the morning). Did do laundry (so I guess I did accomplish something after all), then napped some more Saturday a.m. Ran Sunday afternoon (so did get some exercise in), then ended up walking down to Dupont (a nice 30 min walk, or thereabouts) because no busses came along while I was walking down the street (and it was too cold to just stand and wait). Good walk, all downhill. Just wouldn't want to do it in reverse. :-)

Monday dinner with friends and a short stop by the Leather Rack to window shop (which we've now decided is nice to look at, and maybe even buy a small thing or two, but not for big leather goods - quality doesn't appear to be as nice as, say, Mr. S / Fetters out of San Francisco). About froze my ears off. I hope the stuff I ordered the other day online for running comes soon (includes a headband that will come in very handy for running, and for days like last night when my ears wanted to fall off).

Gods but this is a boring entry. LOL!

...

I've resolved and not resolved some of my unknowings of the past week. If Bennett moves out, I'm keeping the place to myself for the summer. Period. I love my friends, and I appreciate that some may be stuck here over the summer with as yet no place to stay, but I'll be studying for the bar and the last thing I can do is add another unknown to the mix. I'd rather suck up the cost and have the quiet. I want to take this test once and once only, thankyouverymuch! After that, I'd like to move down in the Adams Morgan area, I think. I could handle that part of town, it's an easy walk to things but not as costly as Dupont itself. And I'd rather stay closer to that area than, say, Capitol Hill which is too far from friends, too far from my social settings. And Adams Morgan is still a lot closer than my building now! I was glad of this place when I needed a roof, and it's been fine, but too far out from civilization (30 min walk to Dupont? Not bad, but a tad far if one is going to go do something right after, like, say, dancing).

Job? Firm work, most likely. Immigration is a likely candidate, as are Intellectual Property and perhaps even Tax. Heavy reliance on statute is a plus in my book, as I'm used to dealing with arcane rules (i.e., welfare law and the appropriations stuff I do now). And no litigating, if I can get away with it. I've no desire to litigate. Not that I can't do it, I just don't care for it.

Relationship? That's harder. I'm still not looking to dive into something; I want to take my time with anyone I meet, get to know them, make sure it is something with which I'm comfortable. That may take a while, I have a lot of junk left over from my last LTR. One friend suggested I should wait until I have a fight with the person before settling down into some form of monogamy. *grin* Not a bad suggestion, it does let you see that side of them before you get into something. Difficult, perhaps, but not impossible. I can be an infuriatingly frustrating person in a relationship, so blow ups aren't entirely improbable. ;-)

...

Okay, have they never seen snow in this town? You'd not think so! I only got home at 9:30ish. Left work at 5:30, it had stopped snowing, though there was still white stuff on the ground. So, seeing that the traffic was bad, and needing to do some shopping, I went to Hechts. Got out of there an hour later, it was still bad. Waited at the bus stop for a few minutes, decided "Phooey on this!" and went to Dupont via the metro for dinner. Called a friend, left a message (and thankfully he joined me!), and proceeded to have a lovely turkey burger and a Mandarin and Tonic. LOL!

Then, to top it off, I had to walk home, and still managed to pass three buses on the way up 16th Street. LOL! Silly drivers, you'd think they never saw ice and snow here. *chuckle*

21 January 2000

Snow! Part Deux

Well, in keeping with my snow theme from the last entry, I bugged out of work Thursday so I could stay home and clean, rather than face the traffic on 16th St (and lose my mind with the slowness of the buses crawling down the bloody road). Hooray for liberal leave days! It was a very nice day off, one I definitely needed both to catch up on sleep and just to have a nice day to myself, with nothing planned (I sooo over plan my time these days).

I think I'm going to have to schedule more of those days. Time to be with myself, to do things that I need to accomplish. "Making a date with the boyfriend within," as I'm sure Mr. Gooch would say (and despite the hokey title, that really is a good book, BTW).

I'm fighting off the current cold bug du jour (# 3647, I believe). Lots of liquid is going into the system (water or herbal tea, you dirty minded person!). Used the humidifier last night and I think it helped. Certainly wasn't nearly as dry (my stained glass with the suction hook on the window fell off there was so much condensation on the windows). And melatonin is once again my friend for sleep. Scary to think I feel better after sleeping with the aid of a hormone I ingest.

Driving my co-workers nuts this morning. Despite the cold I've been a manic little thing all morning/afternoon (Coffee is great! Especially when you've not been drinking it so the caffeine really hits you fast and hard! *grin*). Just in a more chipper mood today than I have been lately.

...

Hair cut last night, and then a new earring at Industrial Body Piercing (it's closer to Dupont than Perforations, where I'd been going). I was impressed with their facilities and the professional manner of the Piercer. Wasn't getting anything done, just buying a new steel earring, but he was very good and very appreciative that I knew my gauges for my piercings.

One more step down on the way to converting my look/jewelry to more of a silver one. I had been wearing all gold for the past few years, but I've decided the silver suits me better (and it certainly matches my clothes better!). Mom's constant, "You're a winter" (whatever that means) sticks in my head now. Last step is glasses, and I've an appointment next week to get my eyes checked (for the first time in 3 years - no, things aren't blurry, not at all! :-p *phhbbbbtttt*). New frames, in something more metallic and not the tortoiseshell I've been wearing the past 3 years.

Was looking through my photo album last night and I still can't get over how much I've changed. I look nothing like the boy I was when I lived in Chesapeake, and even in my early college years. It's such a change with the weight loss, and the actual paying attention to grooming (amazing what happens when you start to really care about yourself). Now if I can just get the body self image to catch up to the reality. *sigh*

...

Oh, if anyone noticed it last week, the company that hosts my web site had gone down - lost the disk I was on, but I was able to reload it quickly from my backup once the disk was up and running again. Lesson being, ALWAYS keep a backup copy of your web site on your hard disk or on floppies.

23 January 2000

Exhaustion

I am so exhausted today. Went to Velvet Nations for the first time last night and stayed until at least 3 a.m., when I finally began to fade on poor Doug. Loved the club, loved the atmosphere and the music, the layout of the place. Smoke didn't seem that bad, either, though it was certainly there. Could have done without the boys on E, X, K and what not (mainly because they reeked when they were
on it and out on the dance floor!), but whatever. Next time I go, I shall wear ear plugs, as the volume was much louder than I remember Chaos or Badlands being. And I shall try to drink a little less. Sleeping all day today from the combination of a cold, a hangover and being out too late was a bit much.

I couldn't tell if I was in gay heaven or hell there, or perhaps just a kind of purgatory. All these wonderful bodies all around. I felt on the one hand that I belonged (my people!), and on the other like someone observing a very strange culture (who are these tribal folk?). Glowing tongue piercings, ripped abs, defined chests, wild clothing, glow sticks, alcohol, drugs, dancing, music, boys, boys, boys. I loved it.

You know the best part? After playing dress up in the club clothes I had purchased way back in November (immediately pre-mono), I felt totally at home. True, I'd not be comfortable flashing my chest around like many of the boys were, but there were plenty of us who kept all our clothing on, too.

24 January 2000

Day After?

Still tired from the weekend, despite getting a full night's sleep last night (and, to be honest, most of Sunday, too!). Of course, the fact that I, per my notes, upped the weight on just about all of my exercises might have something to do with it. :-p Silly man, what was I thinking. Nothing quite like working just up to, but not quite over the edge of, muscle exhaustion.

Head colds stink on ice, though. The one nice thing is it's one of the few times I'll allow myself to eat pretty much anything I want, whenever I want it. I've learned that hunger is one of the signs of a true cold for me (as opposed to just plain sniffles from cold weather or the like), so eat I shall if the body commands (and as I type this as I'm snarfing a Peanut Butter PowerBar - Yummy!).

...

Actually been quite a busy day at work today, despite my email activity (my friends must thing I do nothing but check email and that's just not true - I read the news at times, too *grin*). Popped out several projects and clarified a few things for several field offices. Whee! Gotta love ultra-productive days, they make one feel so much better, seeing things moved off one's desk.

...

Looking forward to a relatively restful week at home. No big plans this week, save a networking dinner on Wednesday with fellow interns, and perhaps dessert with Jason on Friday before he takes off for Ironman South Africa. It will be nice not to feel like I have to be out every night during the week for once. Time to relax, do laundry, read, etc. Down time, which I think is especially necessary given that I have a cold I'd like to get rid of.

Found a new Chinese textbook I'm going to try and work through as well. Newspaper readings, which I need the practice on, so we'll see how that goes. It's so rare I find a text I actually like outside of a specialty shop that I felt it necessary to at least try it. Keep your fingers crossed, gentle readers.

28 January 2000

Cruised!

OMG! Last night was so much fun. I got cruised on the bus by this really cute guy. He boarded shortly after I did, came back (empty bus, mind you) and sat in the seat right in front of me. Kept turning and looking at me. Thinking back I probably should have exited when he did, or at least handed him my card, but what an ego boost. ;-) I don't regret not getting off the bus with him (well, not much), but of course I do wonder what he would have done had I exited at Dupont when he did.

*grin* I'm still on a high from it. ‘Twas fun.

...

Was off from work Tuesday and Wednesday this week (hooray snow days!). I'd like to say I used the time wisely, that I cleaned and got things in order and generally was a good boy, but I wasn't. :-) I killed monsters playing Diablo: Hellfire, and I putzed on email and chat (though not much chat - I was studiously avoiding the chat rooms most of the days, know what a mess they would be with all the people at home).

I was 9/10 of the way out the door Tuesday when they announced the Federal government was closed for the snow. Good thing I heard that just before I left! I got up that morning, all ready to go in and have a nice, quiet day at work (they had announced an Unscheduled Leave day on NPR when I was awakened by the radio), went upstairs to run for a ½ hour, came back and showered, and then was almost fully dressed to go outside when NPR announced the closure. Checked OPM's web site and sure enough, we were staying home!

Of course, didn't stay home all day Tuesday, went to dinner with friends at City Lights of China (if you can't tell, that's my favorite Chinese restaurant in town). No busses that I could see when I went out, so I trudged the 40 minutes in the snow to get there. Nice ankle workout in the snow! Was sooooo very glad that the headband I ordered with my running gear had come in so my ears didn't freeze this time.

Dinner reservations for 6 ended up being dinner for 12 (some friends came from JR's and invited more friends with), which was a trip. They had me order in Mandarin (Chinese), getting some appetizers and a couple of dishes for the non-committal types. It was so much fun to see them all, including some friends I'd not seen in a while.

Went and saw Girl, Interrupted after that with Doug. Enjoyed the movie, I could appreciate Winona's character's aimlessness, even if I am beginning to shed that in favor of my previous drive to do and succeed. I've missed that certainty, but it's coming back.

...

Wednesday was even lazier, didn't get out at all, just stayed in, baked biscotti, napped and killed more monsters. Beat the first level of difficulty on the game, so time to up it to "nightmare" level and kill more beasties. A vicious cycle, you go in, kill creatures, get gold and go buy more equipment that makes you more efficient at killing even tougher monsters. Kinda like working. ;-)

...

Two hour lunch today (yikes!). Went to visit a member of the "Nerd Herd" (the 30 and under crowd at work) who has gone on to the Library of Congress. That was a lot of fun, it's always great to see Tracy. Looked over job announcements (there was a great one for a librarian at the pay scale I want, but it was in Kenya, not Asia. Wrong part of the African/Asian section at the Library. *grin*). A fun day.

...

Way too much caffeine today (he said, bouncing off the walls).

...

I leave work shortly for an eye doctor's appointment. Haven't had my eyes checked in about 3 years, and things are getting fuzzy again, so it's time. *sigh* Hate to have to buy new glasses, but I need to see! I may just get new lenses now for the existing frames and look at new frames next month. Not sure yet how that'll work. I want new frames (as these are falling apart); I want to complete the last part of switching my ‘jewelry' (since frames really are an accessory) over to silver/dark metal as opposed to gold/tortoiseshell. And yes, I know I've written about this before. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I repeat myself frequently. :-)

31 January 2000

Slushy

What a mess these roads are today. Slushy water and snow floating down the streets in an often futile attempt to leave ice-bordered sidewalks for the safety of the DC drainage system. And I, of course, forgot my boots. :-p

Good weekend. Jonboy's party Saturday was a blast; he's always a good host and this one proved no different. It was very nice to meet several ‘new' people with whom I had chatted online. Music was great, drinks were excellent. Thankfully, having been warned that people would make sure my ‘glass was never empty' (due to my low tolerance) I refilled it frequently - more often with tonic than with vodka. ;-) It's a good thing to have a half-full glass in hand, especially around these guys. *grin*

Tomas was there, and as always I loved seeing him. Was ready to strangle him when he told one of his friends that I thought the friend was, well, gorgeous (he is gorgeous, too - Damn!). I wish I knew more sign language, though. I did learn "drunk" and "crazy" and "embarrassed" (we won't go into why I needed those three - I think that's obvious!) at the party, but I need to see and comprehend it faster than I do. One of those things to go on the ‘want to do' list, I suppose. At least that one, unlike my stitching, will get done because I know I'll see Tomas (and some of his other friends) again.

Too many other friends to mention here were there. Was slightly annoyed as I thought I was leaving with one lad and that didn't happen. I think our signals got crossed; I don't blame him for leaving, nor am I really angry. Was more puzzled than anything else, but whatever works.

Overall, it was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and can't wait til his next one.

...

Sunday was quiet. A nice dinner in the suburbs, time spent cuddling and marveling at the snow (and praying for them to close the Federal Government again! *grin*). Quiet is good.

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Eye doctor's appointment went well last Friday, though was in for serious sticker shock at the price of glasses and lenses. Yowch! It's been too long since the last time I had to buy glasses. I also miss my eye doctor in Chesapeake's staff, the ones who would allow me to pay things off gradually rather than wanting ½ up front and the rest by the time you got the glasses. Oy vey. But I'll get them next week I suppose, even if it means credit card time. :-p Picked out a nice pair, now want a friend or two to see them before I commit to this expense.

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This evening, however, is not going as well. Gay.com appears to be down (so much for questing after meaning-ful/-less conversations!). At least they had Oreos in the store downstairs (ah, cookies!), so all was not lost. I felt a decided need for comfort food tonight. Not sure why, just did. *shrug* We'll see. Some brief cleaning helped, as did lighting the scent burner. Tea on the stove, ready to go. I'm set. :-)

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Added pictures to the site, including the ones Doug took before we went to Velvet the weekend before last. Should get some where I'm not sitting against that animal print my roomie keeps on the futon, but hey, they're better quality than the ones taken with my QuickCam!

While editing the site earlier I was chatting with Doug. He pointed out that I don't mention him in here as much as he mentions me in his site. Hmmm.... I've not wanted to mention many people on here, especially not in a negative light, though obviously I have mentioned a few people (see above). Well, screw it, names are fair game now, unless they mention (or I know) they're uncomfortable with this. So, if you're a friend and you don't want to appear in here, you better let me know. I'll probably mix screen and real names, so it'll be nice and confusing. ;-)