Drip, Drip, Drip; Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching

It's never fun to open your water bill to see the amount due at a whopping $322. Granted, that's over two months. Still steep. Also sucks because I'm not even living in the residence for which I'm being billed. It's my house in Atlanta. For those who need a reference point, before I moved to DC my water bill was no more than $60 a month, and even that was high. There are three people living in my house now instead of just two (when I was there), but still, that's a huge increase. Jamie tells me that he thinks that there is a leak in the vicinity of my water heater but that it's not very big.

What does one do when he/she senses a discrepancy in a bill? Call customer services, of course. That's not an easy task when it comes to the City of Atlanta's Watershed Management Bureau. They apparantly only devote enough money to hire two people at minimum wage to work the phones in customer service. Every time I've called I've had to wait for an average of 30 minutes before someone answers the phone, and even then the person on the other end can't understand or speak plain English. Of course, being a city agency, they're only open from 9:00 to 5:00, so that makes calling even tougher. I honestly don't have 30 minutes to wait on the phone for someone to pick up. About a month ago I did call and wait to speak to someone to ask for a re-read on my water meter. The agent said that they would send someone out within ten business days and post the findings on my front door. Guess what? Never happened. I didn't pay my bill waiting for the re-read, and now I've got another huge bill. I need to call a plumber to take a look at the water heater leak, which, of course, costs money!

This is an example of how I've been increasingly frustrated with money recently. I know my home is a good investment in this real estate market, especially so since Atlanta's hasn't grown at an artificially rapid rate like many cities. However, it's just frustrating to have to continually pay for something that you're not actually using. This month will mark the very last billing cycle for my gas and electric bills in Atlanta, which I'm thrilled to not have to pay anymore. I got a 20% raise when I moved to DC, and I'm no closer to paying off my credit card debt than I was before I moved here. As a matter of fact, the tax refund that I applied toward it has nearly been eaten away since my monthly payments for the past two months have been substantially lower than I normally am able to pay. Not to mention the $1000 I had to spend on my car.

I've also had a couple of conversations with people that I've recently met and have started to re-think my career choice. If the real estate market in major cities continues to increase at a fair clip, not to mention other expenses, I'll never be able to afford to live on a decent level working in higher education or other nonprofit ventures. I see others making much more, even those who are younger than me. It frustrates me; I went to a very good college, I'm bright, I'm witty, I'm quite charasmatic and charming when I want to be. I'm also tall and attractive, and while that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with my abilities as a professional, it can be an asset in the working world. (God that sounded arrogant!) There's no reason why I couldn't be making more money if I wanted to do so, and while I certainly don't want to throw myself into a career that I hate just for the money, I'm certain that there are other things out there that I would love as much as fundraising that pay more. Maybe it's time that I start investigating those careers. While I certainly enjoy working for the greater good, I have to take care of myself. I can't still be paying rent when I'm getting ready to retire, and I don't want to have to move to Pigknuckle, Arkansas, to be able to live above the poverty level.

Okay, I'm being a little dramatic here. I do make more money than a lot of people, and I'm certainly not destitute or even close to it. Still though, I've worked hard at being a successful human being and professional, and I think that I'm entitled to a lifestyle that is indicative of a successful person. Nothing decadent, mind you, just better than average (with a helping of occasional decadence!). However, the bottom line is that I've not given Georgetown (or DC as a city, for that matter) enough time to make a fair and honest judgement. Damn, I've only been here seven months (and have traveled a pretty good chunk during those seven months). After this last round of bills for the house in Atlanta, I'll be able to devote a lot more to my credit card debt.

Or plumbing work on the leak in my house!

Oh, It's a Dry Heat

Anytime someone comments about the fact that the high temps of Vegas, Phoenix, Palm Springs, et. al., are a "dry heat," I think back to what Keri always retorts with: "yeah, but so is an oven!" I always thought that was clever.

I'm back from my quick three-day trip to Denver. It was a pleasant trip consdering I crammed a lot into those three days. Plus I flew out at the crack of dawn from Baltimore Tuesday morning and didn't get home until 1:00am last night (Thursday night/Friday morning). I guess the biggest news there was the fact that on Wednesday the city set an all-time temperature record in the history of weather recordkeeping: 105. Yes, and I was there to witness history, lol! Actually, with only 10% humidity, it felt a lot like the aforementioned desert cities. And after enduring the sweltering humidity in DC, it was nice to have a break. Almost freaky ... sweat would nearly instantly evaporate, and I stayed thirsty pretty much the entire time regardless of how much water I could drink (okay, I threw in a few diet cokes, but that's a given).

Denver's an interesting place. For those of you who have not been before, let me put one myth to bed immediately: Denver is NOT in the mountains; it's NEXT to the mountains. Denver proper sits on the extreme western border of the great plains. It's not flat as a pancake, since the land does start to roll a little in the area, but still, it's plains. You can see the front range of the Rockies from pretty much anywhere in town if you look west, though, so if you get confused and think you're in Dallas or Kansas City, that helps remind you that you are in fact in the Mile-High City. At first glance Denver looks kind of blah and sprawled, but if you look closer and examine some of its neighborhoods, it's actually quite charming and liveable. It's downtown area has certainly been the beneficiary of rebirth. You can walk up and down the 16th Street pedestrian mall, which is filled with stores and restaurants (and the requisite 1980s-era skyscrapers). The city even runs very regular free "mallride" natural gas buses up and down the mall. They seriously run no more than five minutes apart, which was good for someone with a hurt foot! At the far western end of downtown proper is Lower Downtown, which I take it is the original downtown. It's also full of cute stores, trendy restaurants, lofts, and the like. I had a GREAT mexican meal there in a cool restaurant called Lime. It was probably the kind of mexican restaurant that I'd love to own. It was stylish and modern with great modern colors and had a great lounge-like bar; however, it was at the same time relaxed and casual. One could wear whatever he or she liked there: shorts and t-shirt or stylish loungewear. Not to mention they had KILLER chips, pretty good salsa, and tasty, non-expensive food. The margaritas looked great, too, but I wasn't in the mood for one when I went. There's even a great bookstore called the Tattered Corner where I purchased a copy of Jack Kerouac's "On The Road," a book that I have been meaning to read and am about to start. The gayborhood is in Capitol Hill, which is a lot like Atlanta's Midtown in that it has a good mix of condos, older homes, tree-lined streets, and a city park. Cherry Creek is the tony shopping district, including a mall with Saks, Neiman Marcus, and the requisite "fancy stores" found in other cities.

Though the vast majority of radio stations I could find were either classic rock or country. Throw in some contemporary christian, and I could close my eyes and swear I was back home in Greenville, SC.

I also read a new book this week: The Devil Wears Prada. It's a really cute story about a girl fresh out of college who lands her first job as an assistant for the editor of a major fashion magazine, who is a raging bitch. The writing is a B-, probably, but it's really entertaining and a quick read. Plus, I dig stories that I can relate to (working for a raging bitch), and that have elements of style in them (fashion, entertainment, wealth, you know, the important stuff, lol). Like I said before, next up is "On The Road," which I'm excited about b/c I have a fascination with mid-century architecture, the great American road trip, and, well, the mood and attributes of the Beatnik era.

And is it just me, or is the media making a HUGE deal about these London terrorist attacks? It's a tragedy, for sure, but we didn't see nearly as much coverage during the Madrid commter train bombing last year that killed roughly nine times as many people. I guess because we speak the same language and have a long, tight relationship with the U.K., the media is taking this more seriously. Still though, it seems a little unfair for the Spaniards, like we're marginalizing the value of their lives and the sadness of their tragedy.

Well, I'm off to Charleston tomorrow morning for four days of sand, seafood, stifling heat/humidity, and sissy (that would be my sister, Whitney)! (aren't y'all impressed with my alliteration skills?)

Just Shut the Hell Up

People, in general, annoy me. I just don't understand them. I think some people just like to hear themselves talk and insist on commenting or chatting up with anyone around them (I know, pot, meet kettle). Actually, since moving to DC I've become a lot less chatty with people, and honestly, I never really talked to randoms that I would pass waiting on the elevator, riding the tram at the airport, or similar places. Nowadays I just don't have the will to waste energy and time engaging in a conversation with some random that doesn't have any benefit for me.

I suppose some people use chit-chat as a way to defuse any stress or frustration that comes their way. Or maybe it's because they feel conversation makes life more interesting. Or maybe people are hitting on me and I'm just not paying attention. I notice this a lot at airports. It seems like someone has to make some comment about everything. We'll be standing waiting for a shuttle bus/tram to arrive, and when it does, someone invariably announces, "well, the train's here!" as if none of us see that with our own eyes. When the train arrives and slows down, someone says "whoa there, buddy," in an attempt to compare the train to a galloping horse. Not often, but I'll occasionally be seated next to someone who wants to chat on the plane. Oddly enough, it's usually these people who have nothing of importance or interest to say. They just want to talk about the weather, the seats, the size of the aircraft, where you/they live, etc. It's always men, too; women just don't strike up conversations with strange 6'5" men. Granted, I'm rarely, if ever, rude to anyone who wants to strike up a conversation with me; rather, I usually give short reponses, flash a toothless smile, and go back to my thoughts.

Now, my father is one of these people. God love the man (I do), he's really a sweet, kind-hearted, friendly guy. But he will strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere. He likes to tell me about the people he meets; most are obviously more friendly to strangers than his own son. He has met some interesting people who do interesting things, and that in itself is its own reward to him. He just likes people and conversation and doesn't often get stressed out or bogged down with the annals of life (unless it involves his two children, that is, lol). Sadly, if I ran across my father on an airplane or some other conversation-inducing venue (and didn't know him, of course), I'd probably curtly reply to his intial inquiries and then put on some headphones.

Well damn, now I feel like an asshole! Oh well, the feeling will soon pass ... it'll simply take someone trying to talk while I walk to lunch by starting a conversation with "ey man, ey, ey, ey, ey man, lemme ask ya somethin' ...."

Crippled Boy Works Out (or not)

I went to the orthopaedist this morning, and I got expected, but unhappy news. My stress fracture is going to take a solid six weeks to heal, and it'll be longer until I can run on it again. She wanted to put my foot in a cast because, as she said, I'm "one of those stubborn runners who doesn't do what they're told, therefore prolonging the healing process." I talked her out of that and assured her that I'd do what she told me. I have a follow-up, including new x-rays, scheduled for two weeks, and in the interim I have to wear the aformentioned "post-op shoe" all the time unless I am showering or in bed. This will keep me from bending my foot when i walk. She said that as long as I feel discomfort or pain when I walk, that is prolonging the process by not allowing the bone to heal. She also told me that I need to be on cruthches if I'm going to continue to be as active as I have been. Well, with all the walking involved in this city, not to mention the aweful summer weather, that's just not going to be possible. I'm just going to have to face facts and learn to cut back on all my moving around. That's going to be the hardest part, as I am not a homebody and like to stay busy. Granted, I do like to lie around and chill some, but certainly not as much as I'm going to have to do while my foot heals. If all goes well in two weeks, the doctor will let me have a cane to use instead of crutches. I never though I'd live to see the day that I was cheering for the opportunity to have a cane, but that time has come.

So of course that's going to make my upcoming travels less fun now that I have to limit my walking or lug around crutches. Seeing as how crutches don't travel well, I'll just have to cut back on my activities. It's quite frustrating, since I'm used to a certain amount of cardio activity, and I can already tell the effects of cutting that out. I feel more lethargic and am not sleeping as well. I'm going to give the rowing machine at the gym a whirl today and see if that will make me feel better ... I have my doubts, since, frankly, for me to feel better after sitting down all day, I need to do some non-seated cardio. The elliptcal machine has actually been pretty good since I simply shift weight to the heel of my right foot; however, I imagine that's still not the best exercise for my healing bone(s). Oh how I long for some intense cardio, like my sculpting class at the Emory gym. The classes offered at G'town's gym are much more inconvenient, as they're not scheduled around the schedules of faculty/staff solely.

I've done much better with healthy eating since I've moved to DC. I actually have found a salad dressing or two that I like a lot (and not anything creamy or heavy, I didn't dig that stuff anyway), and probably eat salads three times a week at least (balanced with plenty of veggies when I'm not doing the salad thing). I rarely eat fried foods as it is (save for those chicken tenders from Popeye's Saturday ... I'm not a SAINT people!), and one of my only indulgences are tortilla chips. Still, making my own salsa cuts down on the processed and preserved foods quotient. I eat an orange for my mid-morning snack daily at work, and have done my very very best not to buy or eat cookies or other sweets (who the hell keeps bringing doughnuts to work anyway! thank god they're not Krispy Kreme.). Cutting back on booze always helps, too, I can always do better in that area. Sooo ... staying focused on eating as healthy as I can and continuing to do weight workouts should help counter any affects that could come as a result of my reduced cardio regimen. I'm just fighting a slowly decreasing metabolism (thanks to genetics), so I have to stay on top of things.

But no running? That's the PITS!!!

Gratuitous Picture of Charo

I just felt like my blog needed a picture of Charo. I love you, Charo! When will you come to DC and play me a concert?

One Less Friend for the Salsa King

I logged onto Friendster last night to notice that I only had 107 friends when I had 108 earlier that day. Who dropped out? Or worse, who doesn't like me anymore? Granted, there are people on there that I rarely talk to, but still, I don't not like them! Thankfully, Charo, Colonel Sanders, and Bill Hemmer are still my friends.

I'm slowly getting used to my orthopaedic velcro-rubber shoe thing. People I pass on the sidewalk or in the halls look at me like they've never seen anyone limping before in their lives. Are people fascinated with the crippled and handicapped? I see people all the time in wheelchairs and such and never stare at them. Not that I really give a shit that people are staring at me, but still, it's just something I find odd.

I'm so stoked; I've made fresh salsa twice this week, and both batches have been awesome. It makes sense that someone who loves Mexican food as much as I do would wind up trying his hand at salsa-making. I got a packet of seasonings at Whole Foods and have used that to make the batches (they each require fresh tomatoes, onion, and cilantro). Mmm, mmm, mmm! I know that this may not seem like such a great accomplishment to some, but as I've mentioned before, cooking is certainly not my forté. "Anyone who can read a recipie can cook," my mom has told me, but it hasn't been that easy for me. When you lack basic instincts in the kitchen, even the simplest things can turn out bad. It ususally takes me two or three attempts at something for it to come out in a somewhat-familiar result. Still, my recent successes in the kitchen have breathed new life into this chef-in-the-making (okay, dramatic please?). Hopefully I can find some other recipies to successfully tackle.

I don't have a whole lot planned this weekend just yet. Tomorrow night is DC's quasi-monthly gay event known as Guerilla Queer Bar, which essentially is a bunch of gay people descending on and taking over a straight bar on one selected night of the month. This month it's at place called Madam's Organ in Adams Morgan (OMG, I JUST got that! Dim-witted, party of one?). While my previous impression of Adams Morgan was not great (man, I'm a linking-machine today!), I'll certainly give it another whirl. After all, lots of gay people live there, much less go out there on selected occassions. It's just up a hill from U Street, and my little footsie won't appreciate the walk. Yeah, I can cab it, but the cab zone changes at U Street, costing me $8.50 instead of $6.50 pre-tip for a trip that is just a few blocks further (but uphill). Considering my state, it's probably worth it, though!

It's also time for some lying-by-the-pool time, and I'm fortunate that I'm one of the only people in DC who has access to a rooftop pool. Granted, it's not swank by any means, but it's certainly as nice as most pools that people have at their own homes. It's a block away on the roof of my building's sister building. I went there once back in early June and laid out for a couple of hours. Since the lady who administers the light treatments for my psoriasis will be on vacation next week, she recommended that we all expose ourselves to sunlight in moderation. I can tell the treatments are working, so I'm certainly going to follow her directions as closely as I possibly can. I'm going to be in Denver next week, so hopefully I can sneak in some pooltime while I'm there, too (though I've got a packed schedule, so it may be unlikely). Fear not! I'm going to Charleston just 36 hours after arriving back in DC from Denver. I'll most definitely get some sun (and humidity) there.

My New Shoe

I went to the doctor yesterday because my right foot wasn't feeling any better. X-rays show that I indeed to have a stress fracture in my right foot. It's the fourth toe (the piggy that didn't have any roast beef, for those trying to sing the song in your head). Oddly enough, that's not where the pain is ... rather, the pain is in the bone/tendon that runs down to my second toe (the piggy that stayed home). Either way, I have to go to the orthopaedic specialist on Monday for closer analysis. In the meantime, I was given crutches and one of those black velcro shoe-things to wear on my foot to keep from bending my toes when I walk. The doctor just said to get used to the crutches in case the orthopaedist orders me on them after seeing me Monday. I've never broken a bone before, so I've never had crutches. Let me tell you, for those who haven't had them, they ain't fun. Especially in the DC summer heat. I already break out into a sweat when I walk normally ... add the strain of dealing with crutches, and I'm dripping in sweat after walking one block. After trying them out yesterday afternoon around the office and the street, I left them home today. The main thing is that I wear the polyester-and-rubber shoe to keep me from bending my toes when I walk. It's slowing me down, but not down to crutch speed. Fortunately, it's black (with a white rubber bottom, aargh!), so I wore an outfit today that allowed me to wear black shoes (or black shoe, as it were). The thing blends in more than it normally would. Of course, with the awkward gait that I have now, people instantly look at my feet anyway. I'm supposed to go to Denver for three days next week for work; I think I'll just wear normal shoes when I go to my meetings and just concentrate on keeping my right toes still. At least I'm not going to San Francisco or another walking-intensive city!

One thing for sure, crutches sure make you appreciate handicapped-accessible entrances and walkways. Much as I hate taking an elevator one floor either up or down, I have to now. Automatic doors are also wonderful ... I can't imagine having to struggle with opening doors and dealing with crutches (or a wheelchair). Life moves a lot slower when you are injured or have a disability. I have requested that I be issued a temporary parking pass while I have to deal with this, too. Walking five blocks in the heat to the Metro station would wear me out (and gross me up). I've not heard from Parking Management at G'town, but I'm sure they'll green-light me. If not, I can have some others call the Director and appeal to him. However, I still don't have a parking space at my building. I haven't bothered contacting the building manager about that, since I have a feeling that he wouldn't be able to accomodate me anyway. Fortunately if I get home before too late, I can usually find a spot within a block or two of my building. Okay, enough "Tales from the Crippled" for now ...

Treading Water, Waiting for the Bomb

Okay, so I've been post-happy recently. So shoot me. However, this one's going to be a little on the negative side. Keep shooting.

It rather infuriates me sometimes to listen to the leaders of respective governments react to terrorist attacks. Instead of claiming that they don't yet know what caused the blasts in London, British officials lied and said that it was an electrical failure or some sort of shit like that. Maybe they weren't lying, but I've got my suspicions. It's all about crowd control. They you here Bush on TV, both immediately after 9/11 and other times, driveling on about "go about your daily lives, be vigilant." That sounds all well and good, but it's evident that those who are supposed to be protecting us are falling down on their jobs. Even money set aside for homeland security isn't being used. Bush made DC use $11.9 million of its homeland security budget to help pay for his inauguration this past January. All over the news this morning, reporters were saying "DC Metro police are bringing in bomb-sniffing dogs and extra police at stations throughout the system." So when I get to the Dupont station, I'm expecting to see at least one extra officer there. Nope, nada, jack shit. Not even the Golden Triangle rent-a-cop was standing at the top of the escalator today. Plus, the whole "go about your lives as normal, go shopping, go to Disney World, etc." bit is just a way for the government to ensure that the economy doesn't feel the brunt of attacks. They don't care about us, really. At least that's what it seems like. Of course, Metro seems to be a threat on its own without the help of terrorists; I remember when I was here for my last round of interviews in November, 2004, part of the red line was shut down because two trains collided between Woodley Park and Cleveland Park stations (the next two stations beyond Dupont going north). Well whatever, I WILL go about my life as normal with the expectation that everyone who is doing their job to keep us safe is actually doing it. When it's my time, it's my time!

I'm also getting frustrated again (which I do from time to time) with trying to assimilate myself into life in DC. It can be a real task to meet people, at least the people that you want to meet. Those would be the types who are inherently social and have an established network of friends into which you can tap and contribute. It's easy to get into a regular routine of calling a short list of people when you do normal activities, or e-viting a standard, but larger group of people when you're ready to throw a party. I got in that same routine in Atlanta ... same people, same bars, same party lists. It's reassuring, comforting, but can get a little mundane. Trying to wedge your way into people's lives and social calendars, depending on how busy they are or how insular they are with their circles, can be a challenge. I'm making headway, for sure, but as a highly-social person myself, I tend to place high standards on myself and can be impatient with meeting my goals. I don't yet have that circle of friends among whom I'm included in most planning, local outings, or trips. Considering that I've been out-of-town for three of the six months that I've lived in DC, I've done well. And while I'm not seeking to become best friends with any one person here (I already have the best friend a boy could have!), it would be nice to have a small circle of closer friends: those you can rely on to help you move furniture that you just bought, call up last-minute for a meal companion, run mundane errands, shop, shit like that. If I'm going to be able to stomach DC for the next 4.5 years (probably), I need that social framework in place. With all the interesting and intellingent gay men here, there's quite a lot of potential, for sure.

Well, enough about me. Please remember those in London who have lost loved ones, been injured themselves, had their daily lives disrupted, and/or simply feel just a little less safe in their homes. God Save the Queen!

Stop the Press, Taylor Cooks!

Okay folks, I know this is a rather dumb thing to post, but I am excited that I cooked for the first time in a loooong time, tried something new (sans recipie), and it was GREAT! Ingredients:

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 ear of fresh corn
3/4 of a bag of Ready Pac Parisian Salad Mix
1/4 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup of salsa
Adobo seasoning with cumin

Dry rub adobo seasoning on chicken breast, brown in pan (or George Forman grill, in my case); cut chicken into bite-sized pieces
Boil ear of corn until fully cooked; cut kernels off cob with a knife
Add salad mix to a large bowl
Add chicken to salad mix; top with cheese, corn, and salsa
Mix ingredients in bowl, a.k.a. toss the salad

This was DEE-LISH! I was so impressed with myself. I am a below average (though not completely worthless) cook, so anytime I perfect something else, I am always quite boastful. This is also a hallmark as it's my first salad-based entree that I've made and loved.

AND I was doing laundry the whole time ... the bitch can multitask, let me tell ya!

Pep Rally Indeed

Okay, so it was just a pep rally, as I suspected. But we had some great cheeses from Whole Foods, a great cake from the bakery at Harris Teeter, and I had two glasses of champagne, so I'm not so pissed after all. And the campus nun came, too! Yes, a real live nun ... Sister Dorinda ... that always makes any party more lively!

Lil' Kim ... going to the hooscow!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050706/ap_en_mu/lil__kim_shootout

Oh lord, Lil' Kim is going to jail for one year for perjury! I can't believe it.

Actually, after reading this article, I certainly can believe it. It's quite interesting reading that she and her colleagues (hm, fellow rappers probably don't refer to each other as "colleagues") crossed paths with another rival gang, which included Foxy Brown. The reporter goes into greater depth than I thought he would, probably because it was just a fun article to write.

My favorite Lil' Kim moment actually involves the great Miss Diana Ross! At the 2000(?) MTV music awards, Lil' Kim wore that dress that only cover one of her breasts. The other one was covered by a sequined pasty that matched her dress. At some point, she and Diana Ross wound up on the stage together, and Miss Ross reaches out and actually bounces/dribbles her titty! If you have to describe that scene in two words (a necessity when playing the semi-homegrown game "Celebrity"), you just say "titty bounce."

Speaking of Diana Ross, if anyone has NOT seen the SNL clip of Maya Rudolph impersonating Diana Ross on Weekend Update, do not go back to working until you click on this link (of course, it has sound):

http://homepage.mac.com/spert30/MissRoss/iMovieTheater33.html

I am THRILLED that someone put this online. I wish that I could find clips of other hysterical SNL clips. So far, I've got audio clips of several downloaded to my PC, but nothing loaded on a website. Plus, many skits (Donatella Versace, Debbie Downer, Time Travelin' Scott Joplin, etc.) aren't out there on the web in any form. If I'm wrong, PLEASE tell me.

Okay, at 4:00 we are going to have a reception/meet-and-greet for the Associate Vice President who oversees our department. He's been away on main campus as Interim Vice President for the past nine months or so. Now, I had a doctor's appointment that I had to RESCHEDULE for earlier today because it was so important to my boss that I be here for this. I was gone from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm and basically haven't done jack shit on the whole today. I've met this guy before, twice probably, but for some reason my boss wants everyone here. I will be pissed if this is just some "welcome back" pep rally to make our big boss feel good, which I suspect it is. However, maybe there's more in store to which I'm not privy. We did bust out our office silver and nicer tablecloths, so who knows.

"It's time!" (famous last words ...)

80's Music, Batman, Michael Bublé, and Margaritas

Or "How I spent my July 4th Weekend"

It was certainly not the most raucous Independence Day that I've ever had, but it was certainly varied and enjoyable. Thursday night I met Chrissy, Mix, Judson, Judson's girlfriend Cristina, and Mix's co-worker Kevin at Lauriol for drinks and dinner. Lovely affair, aftewards I stopped by the Duplex Diner to see whom I could see. Several folks ... and I entered a raffle (for what, I forget) benefitting the gay softball team on their trip to ... San Diego for a tournament, maybe? (a guy I knew was selling tickets, so I was suckered into buying a couple). No such luck, but whatever.

Friday I had my semi-weekly trip to Kensington for my light treatment, then came into work. One of my colleagues made a ton of stromboli for the office for lunch, and we had a lunch party that day for everyone. Beer and wine coolers (yes, wine coolers) were present, but I abstained as I planned on a trip to the gym in the afternoon. Someone rolled in a TV and put on "Saturday Night Fever," which, while an odd move, was still pretty entertaining. The university released us at 3:00, so after a trip to the gym, I was home. I was supposed to meet Chrissy and friends at Apex that night around midnight, but I fell asleep around 11:00 or 11:30. Yeah, I was called a "loser" (lovingly, of course) but managed to save money and get a good night's sleep.

Saturday I went to the gym for some cardio. I wanted to run outside, but I've got what I ascertain to be a stress fracture in my right foot. It started hurting worse and swelling on Friday, so I had to use the elliptical machine at the gym rather than try to run on the damn night. Saturday night I met Christopher to see "Batman Begins," which was a fabulous movie. Christian Bale was hot (and good in the role), Michael Caine was awesome (as always), Cillian Murphy was cute (and had on AWESOME glasses ... I want those frames now!), and Katie Holmes wasn't annoying (save for her Bell's Palsy-like mouth movements when she spoke). Her character was kind of weird. At the beginning of the movie it looked like they were brother and sister, at least that's what I presumed. Then later she's assistant district attorney at age 29-30? On a more positive note, I loved the music and the setting. They did a good job of making Chicago look devilish and dark. Most probably didn't notice that they were in Chicago, but I noticed the bridges over the Chicago river, not to mention all the cars had Illinois license plates. ANYway, after the movie we met Christopher's friend Chad and went to a 80's dance party at this straight bar in Adams Morgan. There weren't a lot of people there, so we had a lot of the DJs attention during the night. We even got him to play "Hollaback Girl" as a break from the 80's music. We danced our asses off, and I left with a very hurt foot and a completely drenched shirt. Hell, even the waist of my jeans was wet! This was my first trip to Adams Morgan at night, and I was pretty mortified with the crowd. It was like I was transported back to the center of the Buckhead Village in Atlanta. Lots of hoochies and thuggish people walking around aimlessly, standstill traffic, noise, and cheezy bars and clubs. I just didn't picture that scene being in DC. Anyway, fun night.

Sunday I ran errands in the Maryland suburbs, including a trip to my beloved Mongolian barbecue place in Bethesda for lunch. I found a couple of cool pieces of furniture at the Goodwill store, but I didn't think that the mid-century chest of drawers would fit in my place. It was still only $60, but I didn't want to chance moving it all the way down there and it not fitting ultimately. Trips to the Apple Store, Target, Safeway, wine store (they don't sell alcohol of any kind in grocery stores in Montgomery County, Md., but their wine stores were open on Sunday). That night I got a picnic of cheese, crackers, fruit, cashews, and wine together for my trip to Wolftrap for the Michael Bublé concert. James and I got out there around 6:30. If you've not been to Wolftrap before, it's quite a lovely facility. It's got an open-air amphitheatre set among some beautifully-landscaped grounds. We set up our picnic on a hill overlooking a large meadow dotted with fellow patrons. The weather was near perfect, as well. After nibbling and imbibing, we went inside the amphitheatre for the show. He was such a great entertainer! So charming, sweet, silly ... oh my, just damn near perfect! I had to resist the urge to run down and hurl my underwear on stage, but I was a gentleman, for certain. I even teared up when he sung the song "Home," from his new album, which is one of my favorites. He also sung my other favorite, "That's all." Oh, so good. James and I tried to go to Taint after we got back to the city; however, by the time we got over there at 11:30, the line was pretty long and slow-moving. James, being averse to crowds and unhappy with waiting in lines, wanted to go. Granted, I'm not much for waiting in line, either, but I had just hobbled all the way over to DC-9 with my injured foot. The idea of turning around and walking back just wasn't appealing to me at that very moment. It seemed rude to send him away for the walk back alone, so I decided that I needed go to back with him. By the time I got back to my place, I was in such pain that I just wanted to go to bed. Still, my fruitless trip to DC-9 and back didn't sully the happy time of the rest of the night.

Monday I had to move my car b/c it was in a rush-hour space, so I took the chance to try a new restaurant that had been recommended to me. In my attempt to find the least sucky Mexican food in DC, I went to Cactua Cantina on Wisconsin Avnue. Well, while the food wasn't bad, it was exactly the same food as Lauriol Plaza in Dupont. Come to find out, it's the same owners! So, like Lauriol, the food was a B, the chips/salsa a B+, and the margaritas a C+. At 4:00 that day I met Cub for happy hour drinks at Hamburger Mary's, which was enjoyable. Cub and I had done the mail back-and-forth thing for a while now ... a couple of months probably? We had bumpted into each other on the street a while back, but we finally made it a point to hang out in person. He's a really nice guy, and lucky him got to go to the Live 8 Concert in Philly on Saturday ... in the VIP section ... for WORK! Must be nice .... I saw a few fireworks from my window looking north later that night, but didn't bother to try to watch the National Mall-centric fireworks. I didn't want to get into that mess down there!

I've also been filling in the time this weekend with the tedious process of ripping songs from my CD collection into my iTunes jukebox. So now, I want an iPod of my own. Fortunately, Mr. Technology Holdout (or rather Mr. Slow to Catch On) now can get the fourth-generation iPod with the color screen! I can get a 20GB one for $279 with my education employee discount, which is essentially $30 off of the regular price. I'll also get an armband in which I can work out. However, after dropping $1000 on my car this past week, I think I should wait until next month so that I don't overburden my AMEX this month. And stretch out stuff that I want over a certain period of time rather than just piling it on at once. We'll see if I can hold out.

Now back to the same ol' ... hope everyone else had a lovely weekend!