writing, missing my

I just finished looking at the date of my last entry. June 9, 2007. I've been on hiatus for nearly two months. I refuse to let this blog die, I will stick with it to the end. I promise.

You might ask why I've been on hiatus? Good question. If you haven't asked, well, you'll find out anyway.

There's this little thing called work and school and life. I've been having a more active social life which has greatly impacted my virtual presence. Who knew, right? School has been busy, but that's been done for about a week now, so there is no excuse there any longer.

Mostly, I just didn't feel like writing. The more I am away from it, the harder it was to bring myself to get into it again. Why are people always so scared to get back into any sort of groove? Be it piano practicing or dieting or working out or focused reading... whatever it is, we do it.

I'm staying home from work today. I don't think I'm sick, but I'm not at the top of my game either. I haven't taken a sick day in quite awhile, so figure just staying home and doing some cleaning and whatnot might be a good mental health day. Speaking of mental health, I axed the happy pills and have been great ever since. I've found that I actually feel pretty good when I make a point to eat full servings of fruits/vegetables on a daily and regular basis. Amazing, eh?

Time to get busy...but, for those of you who still check in on this blog now and again, thanks for reading and I promise to be much more regular for awhile.

too, bless you

And thanks to the super cute guy sitting beside me at Starbucks who said "bless you" to me after I sneezed. Sadly, I saw you blow your nose into a cloth hanky and put it back into your pocket. You aren't very cute anymore. Ewww.

overrated, sleep is

So this is a class weekend, my one and only class weekend for "Global Information Infrastructure"--whatever the hell that means. I've only done about half of the required readings and was definitely feeling it last night in class. Perhaps they'll talk about something today that I feel I might be able to positively contribute to in class discussion.

Anyone notice this is being posted BEFORE 8 am? Yes, I've already been up for hours. I went to bed at around midnight, hoping for a lovely 7 hours of sleep. My body said "NO WAY!" and loudly woke me up at 3 am with a "I'm not tired at all, oh, and I'm hungry." Normally I go to bed around 3 am... so this probably had something to do with it. So I got up, watched Ritchie Rich (yes, the Mcaulay Culkin (however you spell his name) one), played some online games, read some for class, and at about 5 am tried going back to sleep. Nope, not gonna work.

On top of that, my knees feel really weird. You know if you kneel on the floor, on your knees, for a long time and your knees can get kind of sore? The feeling is like that, but I didn't do anything like that at all. I suspect some sort of faulty sleep position as the culprit. It's almost like there is fluid on my knees, how the heck would that happen? I took an 800 iu ibuprofin just to be sure, not to mention, my ears could probably use a little of that anti-inflammatory goodness anyway.

Speaking of the ears, they are doing really good today. I managed to mostly sleep on my back last night and not irritate them any, huzzah! I'm going to let them go for a few days before I "do" anything to them (i.e. antibacterial soap washing in the shower, seasalt soaks, etc.). I really really really like them at this size. Scratch that. I heart them.

For once I am finally using up the space at Starbucks that I pay for with every drink I've ever purchased. I figure they probably owe me a week or two of free loitering at this point. Luckily, I'm close enough to the PSU campus to steal wireless internet from them, even though it IS a smidgen spotty. For free, I can live with that.

Piercing pictures!

Masterful, yes?

The ears are redone!

This afternoon I went in to have my ears repierced. It's been about two months since I took the plugs out and I was ready to have it done again. First I want to say GOOD FREAKING LORD IT HURT this time. I kind of liked it, but damn it hurt SO much more than the first time. It doesn't help that I got them pierced a LOT bigger to start out too, a 4 gauge this time. It's been a bit over an hour and they're still throbbing like crazy. I want to take a nap.

This commemorates the beginning of another semester. At the beginning of grad school I decided that I would treat myself to a piercing or tattoo for each semester finished. Though I've already had my ears done once, I still count this as "new."

I'll throw up some pictures in a few days.. I got black glass plugs to start with. At the end of Summer semester I'll squeeze into a 2g, then at the end of Fall I'll squeeze into a 0. Then... it'll be time for some tattoos. ;-)

model, my friend the

A friend of mine is in a competition to become a model for Smashbox Cosmetics. She has to stay in the top 25 to keep in the running and she's currently hovering around 23/24. Please take a moment and vote for her. All you have to do is click on her picture, then go to a webpage that will make you enter a number to verify you're a real person. Thanks!!!

sweatpants, appeal of?

Since I came to work at my current place of employment -- (a PAC-10 major research university) I have noticed one peculiar form of dress for the men. Can anyone say sweatpants? For several days I've been trying to decide what the appeal is. There are definitely two factions: the jock, and the geeky guy who would've worn sweatpants even if they weren't en vogue. I've come up with two scenarios:

1) Practicality/comfort - Sweatpants are easy to put on, they have an elastic waist, they don't really get "wrinkled" so don't require ironing or a "refresher" in the dryer. Typically they're made from cotton so clean easily too. While these are fairly convincing reasons, please read on.

2) Appeal (could it be?) - Initially this didn't even come to mind. Sweatpants always seem like they're bulky and shapeless and really just .. well, unattractive. But then, I started to pay attention to detail. These things can reveal more than the tightest jeans in your dresser. I didn't think I'd ever see such well-defined packages anywhere other than underwear models in catalogs. I'm wrong! You also get some pretty amazing definition of the rear-end too. The different types of sweatpants come into play here, the lightweight and somewhat "clingy" fabric, all the way to the thick and bulky fabric.

It's definitely not just athletes that are wearing them, all types of guys are wearing them...some with more success than others. An interesting phenomena, I wonder how much longer it will last before this crop of men try to assimilate into the girl jean fad.

blog usage statistics, eye opening!

I recently got curious about who my blog readers were and signed up with http://www.statcounter.com to monitor my usage. Don't get worried, there isn't any personally identifable information provided to me. Just general stuff, like your ISP, general region, or if you clicked a link to get to my page, where that link was located.

I had a most interesting one. If your search comes up in a search engine, it will include the search terms used. I really wanted to post this one, it made me laugh so hard! Here is the exact search "which ear do girls get their cartilage pierce and not be consider gay" Definitely something I hadn't thought about. It resulted in this posting of mine that made #21 in Google's results. Is it wrong that I feel a little pride over that? ;-)

roofing

This morning I woke up at about 8 am to the sound of roofers using several nail guns at the same time. Bear in mind, I work until 1 am and didn't end up going to bed until around 4 am. Really, is this necessary? Couldn't they have waited until this summer and I had moved out? Honestly. Around 10 am I tried going back to sleep, only to just doze off and then have Gus start whining at me from the couch. So I had to get up and go in to the living room and keep him company. Good lord he's needy. I suppose it has something to do with him not feeling well (still not doing so great..) but gee whiz.

Now it's 10:30 pm and I'm tired and a little crabby. Can you believe it, I'm actually crabby? My customer service isn't at its best today. Tomorrow I get to drive down to my parents house so I can see my physician for the 1-month follow-up for my happy pills. Wheee! I'm getting tired of driving so much.

i hate blonde valley girls

Are they even called valley girls anymore? Well, if not, you can understand the type of girl I am describing. I had a run-in tonight with one of my favorites. She is the most selfish and self-centered individual I have ever met. She truly believes that the rest of the world is there to provide for her convenience. Tonight she walks up to the ref desk, slams down her assignment, points to a numbered bullet and says "You need to find this for me" then proceeds to make a call on her cell phone while acting impatient. I sit calmly and wait for her to end her call, since I'll be darned if I do her work for her while she's on the phone. The least she can do is pay attention and possibly learn something. Then she tells me that she doesn't have all night and that I'm wasting her time. I responded that I am here to instruct, as well as assist and will be more than happy to teach her how to find what she needs. She then gives a half-laugh and responds "whatever, just get me my article, okay?" To which I respond "I'll be happy to show you how to find it." Then she gets a phone call, lets out a big sigh, then just walks away. I'm crossing my fingers that she won't come back...or that cell phones really do cause brain cancer...

observed, stranger things

Earlier today I took my dog, Gus, for a walk and saw a bit of a contradiction. There was a middle-aged woman running toward us on the sidewalk and she kept making weird hand motions. At first I thought she was trying to wave Gus and I off of the sidewalk. Once she got close enough so I could see what she was doing it became evident that she was smoking a cigarette. Yes, puffing away on a cigarette while running. iPod nano attached to her upper arm, spandex runner garb. She was in great shape...but smoking. I've never seen anyone do this.

Also related to smoking, I've seen a couple young university guys smoking while skateboarding. This is a bit easier to reconcile with, but still.

And lastly. Just a few minutes ago while I was sitting at the ref desk, bored out of my mind, I watched a guy walk up behind a girl working on a computer. This girl was working at a bank of computers that are elevated and have tall stools to sit on. So the guy walks up quietly and then proceeds to squeeze the girl's butt. Not once, but three times. She was startled at first, then realized it was him, and was back to her typing by second squeeze. Hmmm... inappropriate anyone?

men, it's spring, shave your legs!

So I'm wondering if there has been an announcement sent to all men that I haven't received? Perhaps mine was simply sent to the wrong e-mail address or lost in the mail? I began tallying the number of men with shorn limbs after three sets of glistening calves moved past my peripheral vision.

How many did I see over the course of the evening? Nine men with shaved legs! There are a few reasons I would find it acceptable for men to shave their legs: swimmers, it cuts down on drag; drag queens/female impersonators, ya gotta keep it smooth so it doesn't poke through the hose; and ballet dancers, again, the poking through hose issue.

I was once dared to shave my legs, this was about 4 years ago. I thought it would be funny and proceeded to prepare for the grand event. I'm a pretty hairy guy so instead of beginning immediately with a razor, I started with a pair of electric clippers. It was like shearing a sheep. Yes, I've done that too, don't ask. Once finished with that, I began the razor work. It was mildly therapeutic, starting from the ankle and working my way up. Eventually I got to a point where I had to ask my friend "at what point do I stop?" We decided that mid-thigh was acceptable for this experiment. What an unusual feeling! My jeans felt like I was wearing salt-crusted canvas. Given my personal experience, I don't understand the appeal and still cannot find a good reason for this activity.

I have to admit that my status as a gay male doesn't lend me authority to make a blanketed judgement on this subject. I can only give my own opinion: what the hell?

removed, getting wisdom teeth

So the worst part about this so far is that i can't really talk yet because of the local numbing stuff and the gauze. Also, i have to use an ice pack which is forcing me to type one-handed and that irritates the hell out of me. I swear i must be down to 30-40 wpm at this point.

My bottom lip feels like it's flipping 50 sizes too big. Is this what collagen feels like? Oh, speaking of, I DID get some collagen. But, it was just to act as a coagulent in the socket of the extraction because of my bleeding disorder. I think I can still say I got collagen though. :-)

One thing I realized during the extraction. It's so easy to pop teeth out of your mouth. It's really a wonder that your teeth stay in your mouth at all if you're eating something moderately chewy or sticky. Seriously. It kind of weirds me out.

Anywho, the Percocet is starting to kick in (huzzah!!) so I'm going to go chill with a movie and change my gauze.

desk, strange things on my

So yesterday I come in to work and find a green "W.W.J.D." bracelet on my desk. I'm not really sure how I should take this. It could be a joke from one of my student employees, but it could also be some sort of helpful "message." Really folks, I'm beyond the help of a W.W.J.D. bracelet.

Today I come in and find a gallon-sized ziploc bag of....pasty-looking goo on my desk. I was very confused. At first again, I thought this was a joke. Then realized it was a starter for one of those Amish Friendship Bread social experiments from hell. The instructions and recipe were underneath it. (my desk is more than a bit cluttered, so it was difficult to realize that there was a new piece of paper).

I'm curious if tomorrow will bring a new bit of something waiting on my desk. Perhaps it'll be a bloody horse head.

podcasting, topics for consideration

So I'm considering the production of a weekly podcast. Right, I know that my free time is already squished completely, but I am feeling an urge to be creative, and since I do not have regular access to a piano, I might as well make my efforts public to the entire world.

I'm thinking of doing a 15-minute talk about a topic, sort of an expert discussion through my perspective. I'll select something that seems interesting that I want to know more about, do some research, then do an ad lib informational talk about it.

Ideas? Comments? Suggestions?

personals, responding to?

Anyone else out there ever reply to a personal ad? I never had before. I'm a bit of a people-watcher so have a pretty good time also reading folks' personal ads. I finally run across one that makes me go "wow, I think I would really like to get to know this person." This alone seemed really strange. Writing to a stranger on a personal level is very intimidating. We write to strangers in a professional way often: letters of introduction, letters of reference, inquiries to technical support, admissions essays, etc. Suddenly, you are writing to a specific individual for the sole purpose of exploring the potential of a relationship. Frightening. What do I do if they don't reply? What do I do if they do reply? Why am I worried about the rejection of someone I have never met?

I had a very unusual experience, well, to me it seems unusual, it might be common when compared to others. The first few exchanges of e-mail went very well, which progressed to phonecalls and instant messaging and text messaging. This went on for several weeks. Even though I hadn't met them, I felt a connection to this person and really enjoyed interacting with them.

Then. We met. It was like meeting a complete stranger all over again. Nothing that had occurred over the last few weeks seemed to affect this interaction at all. It was immediately clear that there was no chemistry, clear for both of us. We proceeded to have a cordial time together for a few hours, but it wasn't particularly exciting for either, and mostly just a little awkward.

Such an unusual experience, I'm definitely hesitant to repeat it.

strange, things that are

Between yesterday and today I happened to see two very unusual and unrelated things. Sometimes this kind of randomness really sticks me in a philosophical sort of mood...

1) Yesterday, I was driving around, trying to find a place to park near the library where I work. There is a metered parking lot just across the street, it's quite close and I usually try and find a space there (free after 5 pm). As I'm looping around, what do I see on the ground between two parked cars? A wooden pepper mill. Yes, the really tall kind, roughly 18-20 inches. Strange? yep.

2) Today, I was walking in to work and was passing several people on their way out of the library building. Walking toward me was a younger man, somewhere between 18-22 I would guess. He was wearing a long black coat. So far, so good. Then I noticed something strange about his right hand. He had a rubber dinosaur puppet on his right hand. He wasn't doing anything at all with the puppet, he was just walking along, swinging his arms a bit like most people do when they walk. Really, why? Strange? yes!

e-mail, going out the door too?

Has anyone lately noticed that aside from work, you don't use e-mail very much? I just realized that I very rarely use e-mail for personal communications any more. I post comments on MySpace pages, or send private messages there too, or post comments on a blog, or send a text-message to a phone, or just call the person on the phone.

Is e-mail going to go the same way as the usps letter? Is it now becoming dated? I have a friend who podcasts her blogs instead of writing them out. This digital age of ours is so rapidly changing.

On the more mundane side of things. I have discovered (for me) the most wonderful pen in the world. It's a Pilot Permaball. Yep, a Pilot-brand pen that has permanent ink--that comes out of a rollerball! It's acid-free, archival safe, blah blah blah too. And, it writes like a dream. I love mine, in black, medium tip.

sun, basking in

The sun is here!!!!!! Finally! Spring? Well, it was here a few days ago, but was only in the 50s. Right now it is 72 degrees F outside!!! Luckily, I didn't have to be in to work until 4 pm so could spend a few hours enjoying the weather. The Daylight Savings Time has kicked in last night, so this means we'll get an extra hour of this fantastic weather. Lovely! I'm a sunny weather sort of person, so long and dark winters really start to get to me after awhile, conversely, the sun makes me smile stupidly from ear to ear for hours on end.

Hopefully everyone else has some sun visiting them today!!

glasses, getting new

So it's time for me to get some new glasses. For the last 3 years I've exclusively worn contacts and my eyes are starting to pay the price. The blood vessels are rising to the surface in a search for oxygen. Poor things. So, I am getting new glasses (with a current prescription, unlike my old ones..) to remedy this problem. However, I'm having trouble choosing. Here are my top 3 choices, ranging from conservative to edgy:


Please leave a comment, voting for 1, 2, or 3. If you aren't a gmail/blogger/blogspot person, you can leave an anonymous comment with your choice. :-)