Entry the Two Hundred and Fifty Fourth

08 March 2001

Finally back again

I'm finally back in DC after almost two weeks gone on the West Coast. San Fran was nice, and I'll write more later, but tonight I finally get to sleep in my own bed again, and for that I am extremely grateful.

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No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Fifty Fifth

10 March 2001

Finally back to the Bullshit

This time change stuff is for the birds. It was great headed West, but coming back East has just sucked gorilla butt.

Hit the ground running at work yesterday, after almost two weeks off, and never stopped. We've undergone a massive reorg the past month, with the result that a lot of my duties have changed from what they were before I left. Some of it is good, some is annoying. It should give me more time for legal work, so that's a good thing in my book. We also got told that, since it's almost time for mid-year review, that we'll be in crisis mode for the next three months. Ick.

Also, my promotion appears to be on hold. Again. After being reviewed a little over a month ago, and essentially being told I was being too pushy on a promotion which my former boss had recommended should happen on time back in December, I was supposed to be reviewed this past pay period (you know, the one that ends, um, today) and told one way or another, that it was happening or not. And then San Francisco happened, and that appears to have flown out the window. So, here I am, three months after I was supposed to get a promotion, still not knowing what's going to happen. I'm not so concerned with it not happening (though of course I want to get the promotion), but this not knowing is absolutely dreadful. If they wanted to inspire confidence in their employees, they've chosen a funny way of doing it.

And as part of the reorganization process that happened while I was gone (I was forewarned before I left, to be fair) I was placed on one of the two "teams" we have in the office under a team leader. Actually, I was placed under the yutz against whom I could've filed a sexual orientation discrimination complaint, had the Big Boss at the time not come and apologized to me, talked to said team leader, and then had that person fall all over himself apologizing to me. I'd not have filed a complaint, but I could've. And now this man is my immediate supervisor - the one who approves leave, will do my performance appraisals and the like. In fact, I've brought stuff home this weekend to work on some deadlines he's assigned that I'd not be able to meet otherwise (we'll have a talk soon about that, I promise you).

Prior to this reorg, I was fairly independent in the office. I reported directly to the Assistant Director, did stuff for her, didn't mess with the team structure, because I was supposed to be doing legal work for them. Not that they allowed me time to do that since we kept losing analysts, thus forcing me to help pick up the slack there. It was a more appropriate place to have me, at least to my mind, because I was not, and am not, a normal budget analyst on that staff. I was hired to do legal analysis for them, not budget analysis, and while I needed to know something of how these things worked, I've got that part down pat. The new folks seem to want to pigeon hole me into being a mere budget analyst, though, and that's not kosher in my book.

So, fuck institutional loyalty. They're not fulfilling their end of it, so why should I? I'll be loyal to a fault to the right place, but this is evidently not the right place.

...

San Francisco was a neat town, crutches notwithstanding. Thankfully I was off the crutches by Friday evening, and so wandered around somewhat over the next week. Got down to the Castro twice, was not impressed. A Different Light bookstore, after seeing their mail order catalog on more than one occasion, was on a par with Phoenix Rising, the dinky little queer bookstore down in Norfolk, Va. Made me realize how lucky we are to have Lambda Rising here in DC.

Chinatown was kind of fun. It reminded me a lot of Taiwan - loud music blaring in multiple languages, lots of cheap plastic crap for sale and tons of people who didn't know how to walk on the right side of the road. ;-) Picked up a CD there of a band I recognized from Taiwan.

The financial district was soulless on the weekend, but dim sum at Yank Sing on Battery was fabulous.

The Union Square area was fun to wander through and window shop in. It's anchored by the big chains, Needless Markups, Macy's, etc. Tons of hotels, too, including the one I was at on Nob Hill during the second week. I had moved there to get the government rate, though of course the difference between my first hotel (not at government rate, but only a 4 block walk from the office) and the government rate was exactly the cost of cab fare to get back and forth from the second place. *roll eyes* Can't win there...

Weather was much better than the snow scare they got here in DC. High 50s to low 70s the whole time I was there. I was not ready to come back to low 40s here. I can see why people would want to stay there year round. The time thing would get me at first, calling home at odd hours, but I've lived with that. Too bad I'm not quite willing to abandon my chosen city - the field office was almost ready to hand me a job after I got done with them. Also too bad cost of living is so high there, or it'd be doubly tempting.

...

The inactivity of the past several of weeks (post-ankle injury) has been making me steadily more and more irritable. I miss exercising. I may try the gym this next week, but I don't know how that will go as I'm still in the "air cast" they made me get. I'm grateful for it, don't get me wrong, but I want to run. Soon. I feel like a bloated cow since I've not been exercising.

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Fifty Sixth

12 March 2001

Of Work and Rails

If they insist on knowing about everything you're doing at work, bury them in details.

So, let's watch the market go to shit again, shall we? And yet the Republicans have somehow convinced themselves this is the "Clinton/Gore Recession" somehow. *roll eyes* Rarely does a recession come at the urging of one party alone (even the Reagan recession had roots in the overspending of the Democratic Congress, in addition to the idiocy of Reagan's budgets). Let's hope this thing isn't going to be a terribly long-term thing. I want a new job. :-)

I forgot to mention in my details on San Fran that I was in a cable car accident. Well, sort-of an accident. We were on our way back from the wharf, coming back to the hotel at California and Powell, when, on a long downhill we lost our brakes. They had to yank the emergency break to stop us before we slid through a red light and into a police car on the opposite side of the intersection. Quite exciting, I must say, after we got used to having been thrown forward, to almost having lost the stuff I'd bought while playing tourist (the stories I can tell - "I risked life and limb to bring you this chocolate!" *grin*).

Now, you'd think this would just be an isolated incident, but it's not, I tell you. I see a pattern here. You see, when I was in Junior High, back in '86 (8th Grade), I was playing volleyball in gym and managed to chip my thigh bone, leading to surgery, a knee brace and crutches. Whee. Well, a week after knee surgery I was off crutches but still in a brace and walking with a cane. My scout troop decided to take a day trip on a steam train from Norfolk, Va. to Petersburg, Va. and back. Somewhere in the middle of the Great Dismal Swamp (and yes, that is the proper name for the place, and it's a fitting name) a rail popped off to the side and every car from about #6 back derailed.

I was in car #7, two back from where the accident started. Five minutes earlier I was in the open car, and walked through the dining car on my way to where I was when the accident occurred. My friends were in the bathroom when it happened. I remember the car lurching to the side, dust streaming in the window, and an extremely annoying woman screaming, "We're going to die!" at the top of her lungs (I wanted to bop her over the head with my cane just to shut her up). We slid to a stop and I got out of the way as people ran past to check on things. The engine stopped and brought the five cars back to pick the rest of us up and get us back to the next station.

All of which is a long way of saying that the next time I have a leg injury I am getting nowhere near any form of transportation that involves rails. :-)

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Fifty Seventh

14 March 2001

Of Memory and Food

I had so many good thoughts for an entry while I was on the bus this afternoon, but I didn't write any of them down. Got home, finished registering for a legal job search web site, uploaded my resume, etc. Had a light dinner, did email, and managed to forget all the wonderful thoughts I had about clever, touching and witty things to write.

Ah, well. :-)

I think it's time for a redesign of my site. Haven't decided how this will be accomplished, but I want to redo it, axe the frames and put more information on the front page of the thing. We shall see. I'm not totally committed to this idea yet, but it's itching in the back of my brain. I did finally remember to put an index file in all of my subdirectories so that no one could come in after stuff the back way (I had one in a particular private directory to keep folks out, but hadn't placed it otherwise in the rest of the subdirectory structure). Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am a geek.

Ah, I do remember one thing that came up while I was on the bus - food. You see, I've been eating nothing but veggies since I returned from San Fran. While out there I saw this horrifying story on 20/20 on mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) and it's human manifestation, Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease.

Side note: I hardly ever watch television - I find it annoying, to say the least. I used to believe I should keep up with to maintain some sort of cultural literacy with my peers, but I find I can get enough of that by reading the style section of the Washington Post or Salon magazine online. The ads are what annoy me the most, though I find a lot of the programming lacking as well.

What a horrid, horrid way to die.

I know the thing isn't here in this country (that we know of), and I know it's not likely to be in any beef that I eat any time soon, but what a horrifying thought. You could simply eat some beef, catch this wretched disease, and it will kill you. Slowly. While your relatives and loved ones watch, not being able to do a damned thing about it. No thanks.

So, I've given up on beef. At the moment I consider the particular form of vegetarianism I'm practising to be similar to that practiced by Chinese Buddhists - if it had a soul, don't eat it. This means that things that don't have souls, according to their tradition, are fair game. Eggs, seafood, animal products (honey, milk, etc.) - all are edible. Walking, breathing land animals aren't. I'll delve in a chicken if need be, but I'd prefer to stay away from them, at least for now. Might not make sense, but I just don't want any meat at the moment.

I'm not going to turn into some rabid PETA fan, either. I think they and their ilk go way too far in their denunciations and actions. Yes, they have some points, but their more radical methods leave a very bad taste in my mouth.

I do have to say their GoVeg page is fascinating, though. Again, you have to filter out the crap (where are Adbusters when you need them?), but it's got some interesting stuff there.

But anyway.

Still busy as hell at work, still coming in over deadline on most things (did get a thing or two done early, but at the expense of longer-standing committments.

And before this gets to be another bitch and moan session about how much I hate my job, I'm going to end this and post it. :-)

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Fifty Eighth

15 March 2001

Last Night/Time Off

If G wanted his last night in the apartment to be a memorable one, he certainly succeeded. I crashed around 9:45, a rather early evening for me; and I do mean crashed. Head hit the pillow and I was gone, which almost never happens with me. So, around ten til two I awoke and made my way toward the bathroom. Upon opening my door I was made quite aware that G was home and he was not alone.

Quietly I slipped in and out of the bathroom so as not to let them know I was awake (and not really wanting to see what was going on). I then discovered, much to my dismay, that I could hear them through my closed door and over the air unit. So, for the next two hours as I struggled to fall back to sleep I was serenaded by two horny men going at it.

Not what I needed to hear as I try to make it through Lent, having given up sex for the duration.

I know, you're thinking, "Who are you and what have you done with my Moose?!?!?!?!" I assure you, I've not given leave of my senses, I really have given up sex for Lent. Why, you ask, when I'm not a particularly religious person? Why would I give up something so central to my being? Well, it's mainly the ankle, to be honest.

I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor on Tuesday, at which point I am praying I will be taken out of the air cast and given instructions on how to strengthen the ankle so I can get up to running again regularly by April. I would love to run the Marine Corps Marathon this fall, but I need to be able to start running regularly by April for that to happen. And if it takes giving up sex so as not to risk reinjuring the ankle until I can get it well on the way to recovery, so be it. Temporarily not having sex is a small sacrifice to be able to run again.

...

I've thought some more about moving, after last night, and I think I may bite the bullet and just curtail my social activities in exchange for a little peace at home for a while. I like seeing the living room and kitchen clean again. I like not having stuff all over the place (stop peeking into my bedroom - I'll get it cleaned again, really!). I like the idea that I can have people over for entertainment (and yes, feel free to take that word however you wish) whenever I want and know that if it's a mess, it's my fault and not someone else's. I enjoyed the time I spent alone last Spring, so I'm going to do it again for a bit. I think the time off will be worth it.

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Fifty Ninth

17 March 2001

I Meant To Do So Much...

There were a lot of things I wanted to do today, and I didn't get nearly all of them done. Oh well!

I took advantage of my newfound solitude to clean the apartment, though. Vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed down the bathroom, the works. Well, everything except my bedroom - that's still a disaster area for the most part. In the meantime, I am enjoying having a clean living room and kitchen.

Past the whole clean thing, there are some definite advantages to living alone. I can walk around naked if I want to (not that I make a habit of it since I keep the living room blinds wide open, but hey *grin*). I can keep the place as clean or as messy as I want to. The dirty dishes are all mine, so no resentment over someone else not having washed his. Nothing misplaced in the cabinets. Unlike my bookshelves, that is.

I have torn the apartment apart the past few days looking for a book that I know I own, because I've read it and referred back to it several times since purchasing it. After my recent trip to San Francisco and looking over our field office's files, I wanted to peruse it again for some information I wanted. The book? I don't remember the exact title, but it was about how to organize things.

The irony of this is not lost on me.

But I cannot find this book to save my life. I dug boxes out of the closet in the vain hope that I'd packed it away. Nada. Did manage to go through the junk and toss another box worth of it, so it wasn't totally wasted time, but how annoying. I just wanted it for the author's (who has to be the original Type-A archetype - even I found her annoying in her drive to organize everything about her life) tips on setting up filing systems, tickle files, etc. Grrrr. Very, very annoying. And my book club, from whom I purchased the original about a year or two ago, doesn't seem to carry it now. Blah.

So anyway, I am adrift in a sea of disorganization at work without my rudder to help steer me. Not. ;-) I'm not that bad, but I could use some help making it better.

Saw G today, he came by to pick up a toothbrush he left, and to leave the keys, car parking sticker and security card. Good thing he came by before I discovered the deep frying pan had been ruined when he or someone helping him washed it (the non-stick coating was ripped to shreds). I was not a happy camper when I found that. It was a good thing that I didn't find it when I went to cook something, but rather when I was putting other stuff away. I had several choice words to say about his lineage, none of them nice, then went back to cleaning. So, time to go find a new frying pan. Shit.

Had meant to go grocery shopping for a few things, but then it started to rain, so phooey on that. Bringing back bread flour and instant yeast in a rain storm was not my idea of a fun afternoon. So I played Baldur's Gate some instead. Was rewarding to spend some time doing something other than cleaning and tearing the place apart, obsessing about a book.

Oh, and I finished this month's Collaboration on Parents for Tom. Go read it and let me know what you think.

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixtieth

18 March 2001

Bread, Porn and Friends

I finally finished this month's Collaboration on Parents for Tom. Go read it and let me know what you think.

...

Did it, made bread this evening. The recipe, a simple one for french bread calling for flour (bread and all-purpose), salt, yeast and water, was very, very simple, and a good entry into big bread. I've made rolls before (a piece of cake), and I've attempted to make biscuits before (they were awful - the consistency of hockey pucks), but never big bread. I was quite pleased with the results. It's not got the hard-ass crust I was expecting and which is not my favorite - I like the crust chewable, not teeth-chipping. Could've used some more time in the oven, it's a tad soft, at least the one on the bottom rack could've. I've not cracked open the top one, preferring to let it sit and take it in to work tomorrow or something.

The resultant bread is a tad salty, so I may reduce the salt content, even though it's needed to retard the yeast. We shall see. Next step, after trying this once more to get it down pat, is herb bread. I wanna make green olive and sage bread. Yum!

The process was a worthwhile one, but it took all afternoon. I killed the moments in between kneading, punching down dough and baking by reading the two magazines I picked up at the grocery store (Men's Fitness and Men's Health - I'm trying to decide if I want to resubscribe to either of them), chatting some online, and watching the Titan Media Company's "Hardcore Sampler 2001" that Doug was given at the Blue Ball, apparently from some video place called TLA Video, and left here at my place..

It's an interesting video, just samples and clips from about twenty of their videos. You got to see the works, nothing was blurred out or anything, and most of the models were identified as well. There was a definite theme running along most of the models - I would say Titan definitely has a "look" to their folks. Mostly it's one that's not afraid of body hair, either facial or in other places, well-muscled, mostly white (with a couple of exceptions), guys who would be called "handsome" as opposed to "cute." No twinks here; well, maybe one or two, but they were the exception and not the rule. I suppose they could be referred to by those stereotypes, "real men," "masculine," or even the dreaded "straight acting," if you wanted to be so crass.

I found the samples to be pretty good. I'd sleep with many of the models there, given the chance. ;-) I guess that's as close to having a fantasy "type" as I'd get - I've never gone for just one body type, but this was one I found particularly attractive.

Almost died laughing, though in the last sample when the guy was using a zucchini on himself (one would hope it was a zucchini - can you imagine the spines from a cucumber? *shudder*). That was a tad much in my book.

And they even have a model application form on their web site. Go read it - the questions they ask are quite amusing ("Special Talents [Sexual and non-sexual]:"). *chuckle*

...

had dinner out with my friend RNJTM this evening. ;) Discovered that it kinda negates the point of eating vegetarian if they drown the things in oil. :-p Ah, well, the company was good in any case. Hadn't seen him since just before I left for San Francisco, so 'twas nice to catch up.

We had dinner, shopped, dessert, shopped. ;-) Gotta love it. Time together with friends is important, and something I need to make a tad more time for. That and exercise. And taking care of my body (like the 15 minute run in the bathroom just now, flossing, brushing with the Sonicare, washing the face, etc.). I'm working on it. Slowly. As always. ;-) I know, I talk a good fight, but actions are what will determine it. I'm trying. It's spring, and April 8 will be here soon enough - gotta look pretty for when Lent ends. *grin*

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty First

19 March 2001

Back to the Gym

Today flew by at work. One of those "suddenly I looked up and oh my god it's lunch time" kind of days. Which was, I must say, a Very Good Thing. Being busy was nice, as was feeling productive - all my meetings were useful ones (for once). Almost done with one assignment that's sat over my head for months now. One last piece of information to confirm something I've already written and off my desk it goes. One less item on the task tracker. One less thing for people to hold over my head.

Got in to the gym this morning, too. Hooray! Did all upper body stuff (duh) since I didn't want to do a damned thing with the ankle yet. I see the doctor tomorrow about it and hopefully will be getting out of the brace and able to do some low-impact stuff like the elliptical trainer. Wanna get back to running, but want it to be a positive experience.

So, worked the hell out of my arms, chest, back. Saw one machine that I'd not tried before (kind of a butt blaster/thigh master looking thing) that I suspect I could use without putting stress on the ankle, since one stands to use it and the pressure is applied against the thighs and not the ankle. We'll see on Wednesday when I go back. No gym tomorrow since I actually have two doctors' appointments in the morning, and some banking to attend to as well since I'll be out and about. Pray I'm not too sore tomorrow. ;-)

Doug was observing this evening how he could almost understand why people say in front of the TV all evening - now that he's out of law school he has no impossible assignments staring him in the face, demanding the majority of his now-free time, so he's finding himself getting bored.

Anyway, off to bed early for this Moose - first appointment is at 8 a.m. Eeck!

Archives

Gym for 40 minutes

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Second

20 March 2001

Doctors, Pain and Healing

01/3/20 7:28 a.m.

This getting up early thing is nice. No one else is up, it's quiet out, the sun is up, I don't feel rushed. This is a good thing. My mother probably wouldn't recognize me saying this - I hated getting up early when I was young. I was always the little insomniac of the family, the one who stayed up late reading, the last, and grumpiest, one to get up in the morning.

Either way, late or early, I think I was looking for quiet, solitary time. Being up late or getting up early allows me time, unburdened by social commitments, to do things and not be interrupted.

But mornings, I've found, are better for me. There are fewer people around, fewer distractions. Also, it feels like there is so much more promise first thing in the morning, especially compared to the evening when I frequently don't want to be bothered with distractions as I try to prepare for sleep.

So I'm one of those 'crazy morning peoplem' though Doug also might dispute that characterization - he's seen me slug until noon or beyond on more than one occasion.

...

10:05 a.m.

One appointment down, one to go. I'm trying to keep myself occupied in the two and a half hours between doctor appointments. The first one went well, though my nipple is sore as all hell. I was referred out to have a dermatologist take a gander at a recurring sore at the edge of the left nipple ring. I thought it was a keloid, but apparently not - he said it was a typical injury, that the original tract had, in effect, forced the scar tissue to push out and drain through a new channel, my mysterious sore. Ew.

He injected it with novacaine, squeezed the hell out of it to drain it, announced his diagnosis and wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic gel for it. Whee. I'm going to have to do almost the same on a daily basis as well, at least until it heals up. Follow up in three weeks.

Someone remind me why I got these again? Oh yeah, I like them, and they make the nipples more sensitive. I hope it's worth it once it's healed! I'll trade out the rings at that point for small barbells - should be less stressful when I run/dance/exercise/&c.

Next appointment is with the dear primary care physician about the dreaded ankle brace/air cast thingee. Definitely not up to running (as a quick jog across an intersection proved this morning), but let's face it - these Sketchers I've been forced to wear the past five weeks are just not cutting it anymore. I love the shoes, don't get me wrong, and I'd buy more from them, but they're the only brand that's been comfortable to walk in with the brace so I've not worn anything else in the time on the brace. Which is terribly annoying. Black, clunky shoes with everything? I shudder at the thought. I suspect these will be retired for quite some time after today.

I've sat in this Xando Cosi (Xando South @ Dupont for you Washingtonians) for the last hour and a half, and it's been fascinating to observe the waves of patrons. At nine it was the late for work crowd. Every fifteen minutes after that folks have filtered in and out, most not staying very long. Some read, some just gulp and run, some sit and do work. An interesting assortment, too. Most are professionals, here at the edge of the major business district, but there are still the occasional students or the like. I could've run home, but why bother? Then I'd have had to worry about timing the trip back down. So I sit here, observing and reading. And ingesting way more caffeine than I need in this, my second decaf.

...

Evening again, off the palm and onto the desktop. Doug came over this evening, but I've neglected him horribly. I had bills to take care of, now that I know I got a paycheck yesterday, and cooking and cleaning up afterward, and the new nightly ritual (floss, brush, wash, etc.). It's only 9:30, but when you get up at a little before 6...

I feel incredibly fat now. And I'm not just saying that - my weight has remained roughly the same since the ankle injury, but I've definitely gained some gut. My smaller pants aren't fitting well, and I don't like what I see now. Not up to my normal standards. By way of fixing it, the doctor said the "elliptical torture device," as Doug calls it, should be fine - very low impact on the ankle joint. So I'll hit that tomorrow and see how it goes. What a mess. I am.

The second appointment went well, ankle didn't hurt at all when he stretched it this way and that. I'm to take it easy still, no running, but it's on the way to healing. Thank heavens. And I did get to drop the brace. Hooray! I get to wear different shoes again. ;-) Brown shoes, to be specific - the black shoe thing was getting soooooooo old. And my feet will be able to breathe again; the black shoes didn't breathe worth anything.

Nipple was still a tad sore, but the warm compress felt good, and the ointment went on without a hitch. Got a massive supply of bandaids so as not to risk staining any shirts. It will get better, and hopefully in short order with the more aggressive treatment.

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Third

21 March 2001

Dates, Silver Screen and Glasses

01/3/21 6:56 a.m.

In the annals of dating last night would rate a D-, if not failing entirely. My fault entirely for not having taken care of some things (i.e., bills) before Doug came over and therefore being far too distracted to do the date justice. Shit. Will have to try and make it up to him later this week when I see him again.

Up early again and running off to the gym. Good thing, too - any longer and my poor arms would be dying from muscle soreness.

Body obsession, body obsession, body obsession...

It's been a couple of weeks since I put Silver Screen on my Palm and I'm glad I bought it. It adds some functions palm didn't think of (tap the battery to see what percentage of battery strength is left, or how much free memory remains), and makes it look better through the use of icon-changing themes.

01/3/21 4:45 p.m.

Don'cha hate it when you're on the phone and someone pops by to say, 'Come see me,' and you go to see them and now they're on the phone? *sigh*

...

Glasses shopping with a friend this evening was fun. Somewhere along the like he got the gay genes, but not the fashion ones. Don't know about the dance ones. But definitely not fashion, so we shopped for him. Picked out two pair that look good on him. Too bad he'll be wearing them in the Middle East since in two weeks he's moving there for a year, but hey, he'll have fashionable eyewear while he's there. ;-)

I'm convinced my stomach is huge now. Yuck. Huge for me, that is. Even after using the elliptical torture machine. I discovered that using the elliptical was a lot like riding a horse - if you got the gait right, it went really smoothly, but heaven help you if you got out of sync with the thing! Gonna go in and do nothing but that tomorrow to get in a good cardio workout. Whee. Such fun since I can't run. Counting down the days...

Archives

One Hour in the Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Fourth

22 March 2001

Not much at all

Elliptical trainer wasn't too bad. I can live with this. Until I can run again.

Had another fit of cleaning today, with the result that my desk is now painfully organized. I'm even scaring myself. Had one co-worker tell me it hadn't looked this clean since I first got there over two years ago. ;-) It's nice, though.

And I am so bored here this evening. This would be a major draw back to living alone - no one here to amuse me. ;-) Not that I require constant stimulation, but it helps. My future sister-in-law called a little earlier to talk my ear off (a tad tipsy this evening, she was). She has some glimmerings of emotional intelligence, but she's not quite to management level. She's showing some perceptions of how/why people do things, but still has a bit to go. I will be interested in seeing how she progresses in her career.

The big assignment was done ahead of schedule (hooray!) and turned in early. Boss loved it, and I even gave him an idea on something else tangential to what I was asked to look at, so he was most pleased. This is a good thing.

Updated the Cast of Characters this evening. Just some minor updates.

I actually briefly considered not going to the gym tomorrow, but quickly woke up and mentally slapped myself. Silly man. I am serious about getting better about this, and not going to the gym is a BAD idea. Am very tired this evening, likely from the increase in activity again, and an overdose of sugar this afternoon (damned jelly beans). Perhaps an early evening, then. I'm not making much sense here - heaven knows there's little to no organization to this (I'd be embarrassed to turn this in if it were a school/work assignment), so I think it's time to bid you adieu, diary mine.

Archives

30 Min on the Elliptical

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Fifth

25 March 2001

Cooking Fool

Okay, so I was a lazy shit when it came to updating this weekend. I was a tad busy, ya know? I baked another loaf of French bread (that came out perfectly if I may say so myself), cooked veggie stew, rice pudding (two batches), and lemon squares. And I vacuumed. And kept up with all the dirty dishes (there aren't any now).

Whew. Enough for one weekend, already!

But honestly, I loved it. Time alone, time to work on stuff I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. Did have Doug over last night, and a friend of his came over for dinner as well. Was fun to cook for them.

Seeing Lawrence this evening for dinner and then watching the Oscars here at my place. It's nice to be able to have folks over again. Yeah, you have to clean up, but you don't have to travel home in the dark and/or cold. :-)

I think I'm going to be up to running next weekend. Will try a nice short run once it's light out one of the two mornings. Nothing too hard, just proving that I can do it. I'm looking forward to it. In the meantime, though, there's the gym and my new locker. It's heaven to have a rented locker there - can leave things (towel!) there for the week and not have to lug it back and forth. Much better that way.

Oh, and I whipped up a new pics page for the folks on gay.com. Consider it a preview of a possible redesign for this site. All the chatting folk on gay.com ever want is pics of you, so I set up a simple face pics page with four of the regular pics I have on the site (I've taken some more, but I'm waiting for Doug to run them through his filtering program to clean 'em up first). Give the customers what they want and avoid the smartasses who want to see you and see you fast and who have no patience for clicking through a site with a picture of an actual moose on the front first. ;-)

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Sixth

26 March 2001

Taxes, Job Search, Net Stats

Sat down to finally write out my taxes this evening, got everything out, laid out where I did the calculations back in early February, bookmarked the IRS web site so I could reboot and print the forms, shut the computer down, hooked up the printer, and quickly discovered that I was out of paper. Shit. So, Wednesday, then. :-)

Found out how frustrating it is to contact one of the Big Consulting Companies about a job today. I had emailed a BCC on Friday, had heard nothing back and wanting to be a little proactive, I called to check on this job that I want to apply for. One of their numbers rang. And rang. And rang. And rang. Not a good sign. The second number dumped me directly into a voicemail after I spoke briefly with an obviously bored secretary. Another bad sign. Then the ad appeared to disappear off the web site when I did the search over again to find it to give the link to a friend with a relative in human resources at said BCC. Ergh. Not holding my breath, but hey, I want an answer on this, damn it.

*roll eyes*

NPR is announcing a 40% increase in energy prices in California. *shudder* Makes me glad my utilities are included in my rent every month and are, therefore, a set cost. Ick.

The pics page I put up yesterday did exactly what I thought it would - it popped my net stats up incredibly when I hop online. Everyone wants pictures, and no one is interested in writing. Well, not "no one" but damn few. Oh well, that's why I do this for me, gentle reader, and not for you.

:-)

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Seventh

27 March 2001

Time tracking

Work has decided, in an effort to keep from having two major program areas dumped on us, to track our time and report it to the new Big Boss so he can use it to avoid the new programs. Whee. And of course I opened my mouth with ideas, so I get to design the spreadsheet. Eeck! Silly Moose, opening his mouth again. *chuckle*

Doug is all hyper to have me over tonight 'cause he's cooking. Like I can just run out the door at the moment's notice after I get home. Piffle. I have to unpack from the gym, repack for the gym tomorrow, get myself together for clothing for tomorrow, download email, sync the Palm, etc., etc., etc. Not to mention posting to this journal. :-p It takes time to get together in the evenings, and I'll not ruin my dinner by rushing myself out of the house and maybe missing something. Would only make me cranky, and I think he'd rather have me a tad later than cranky.

I know that's what I prefer.

Archives

40 min on the elliptical

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Eighth

28 March 2001

Lost

This was not my day, evidently. I lost a whole bunch of data in my Palm (I have no clue why, either), including a very long entry I'd been writing over the past two days. Don't know if it was because of sharing info between my Palm and Doug's Visor or what, but how annoying.

And I managed to lose the battery to my cell phone this evening, too. Fuck. It had been getting loose, and I guess it finally let go. I did manage to save the main unit, thank heavens, but lost the bloody battery. Grrr. Not my evening. So I suppose I'll go buy another batter today at the AT&T store, this one with a vibrating feature so I can leave the noise off.

Oy vey.

Add to that my ankle feeling sore, so I'm skipping the gym tomorrow. Doesn't look like I'll run this weekend now - don't want to aggravate the ankle any more than strictly necessary.

Archives

50 min in the gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Sixty Ninth

29 March 2001

Molluscum

Since I'm already in a foul mood I may as well fess up to the real reason I gave up sex for Lent: some where along the line one of my tricks gave me a case of molluscum contagiosum, a harmless but very contagious little pox virus. It does nothing to you past giving you some spots - no burning, no mental difficulties, no pain, just spots. But because it's very contagious, and passed by mere skin to skin contact, I've taken a sabbatical from my sexual activities in order to stop it here.

All of this is terribly embarrassing as well. I'd already told a few select friends, but had understandably been reluctant to broadcast the thing online. I'm doing so now partly because the sores are gone, zapped by the dermatologist with some liquid nitrogen, and partly to allow Doug the freedom to write about it. He gets frustrated when I ask him not to write about things and this one has particularly irritated him.

So that's why. I will hold to the Lenten time frame, mainly because I have a follow-up the week after and also to give the skin more time to heal from the liquid nitrogen. It wasn't the most painful thing I've ever done, the ankle actually hurt much more, but the skin is still healing and it's not safe to attempt sex with broken skin anywhere near the crotch.

This is a safety thing, then, and not a religious thing. I've never been a particularly religious person, but it's been a good excuse and it's fit the time frame of the ankle injury and the molluscum. I've not particular enjoyed the necessity of it, though some time to rest has been nice. I miss it, though. And yes, I have simply given up on most of my flirting and what not, mainly because I don't like flirting if I'm not capable of following through with it.

*sigh*

So that's it, a little bug that's easily handled and gotten rid of. And yes, I had myself tested for several other things as well, including HIV, all negative. Thank heavens. STDs, even ones which are easily cured, are no laughing matter. It irritates me that someone wouldn't have done what I've done and cleared this thing up before having sex. It's irresponsible, it's asinine, and it's just plain rude. It's also inexcusable. You find out you have something, you take care of it and minimize the risk of passing it someone else.

Grrrrr.

...

Ankle was sore, so decided to skip the elliptical today. No use rushing things. And it's going to be a miserable weekend here in DC, weather-wise, so no running outside. So I'll wait a week thanks to the two things.

Got a new battery this evening, one with a vibrate feature this time so it can go 'silent' now. May, after the fiasco last night, start wearing it in a pocket rather than on the belt. Would work better, and I'd actually know when I got a call when out, instead of not hearing it as per the usual. Managed to fix some of the data on the Palm, too, though I've still lost several things. Not irreplaceable, but obnoxious to deal with.

Archives

No Run, No Gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Seventieth

30 March 2001

Rambles

I have to work far too hard on my body not to feel annoyed at those men for whom it comes effortlessly. ;-)

Yes, I'm (mostly) joking there. 'Tis disheartening at times to have to work my ass off the old-fashioned way and yet see men who, with little to no apparent effort, look stunning in a short amount of time. I'm not looking to be a big ole muscle stud, just with slightly larger muscles than I have now, and much less fat around the torso than now. Of course, if I keep not eating (a real) dinner like tonight, then I may lose too much. :-p

Happy hour right after work with my coworkers. $.99 margaritas. ;-) Gotta love the price. But somehow this week's were stronger than last week's 'cause after the same number I was much more buzzed than I was last week. This was planned for a while, but was good timing - we had an emergency payment thing come through from another staff that we ran around with for about an hour and a half near the close of business. What a mess. Nothing like a little "emergency" to get the adrenaline pumping just before you leave work on Friday.

Updated my pics page on the site, added the one I took last week of me in the tank top.

Other than that, it's a quiet day for me. Which is a good thing.

Archives

50 min at the gym

Entry the Two Hundred and Seventy First

31 March 2001

Rambles

Okay, so I groused about exercise and how it's obnoxious to not see immediate progress yesterday. Well, there has been progress because the "tight" jeans aren't quite as tight as they were a month ago. Thankfully. :-)

A weird day today - woke up at 5:30 a.m. to pee, took care of it, then could not fall asleep to save my life. So I got up and got online instead for several hours. Chatted, cleaned up some, got showered, got ready to go to lunch, etc., etc., etc. Not the most thrilling morning, but one well-suited to my midly sore head. Tequila can be evil stuff. I wasn't hurting, but I was slightly "off" most of the morning. Blech.

Lunch with RNJTM, movie with Doug and RE, sleepover with Doug, all around nice day, despite the crappy weather. Is it so much to ask for a little sunshine? Evidently so. :-p Stoopid clouds, cutting off my sunlight.

Archives

No Run, No Gym