Confederacy of Dunces

a test from a traveling android

2010-08-18T15:02:00.001-07:00

this is only a test

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.3.1

2009-12-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

TEsting

Test above and below.

Bread Bowl Bitches

2009-08-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Made from scratch. Wheat artisan bread, garden vegetable soooooop! Mmmmm!

Filling and delicious! Although not pictured, cheese (such as cheddar) may be smooshed on top and broiled till perfection.

Fowl Language

2009-07-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

Do not talk about chickens or other birds when riding in the van.

Chilly and Francine in the movies

2009-05-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Me and Chilly in one of our favorite numbers.
Nice dancing Chilly. Way to save the day.

See If you can spot why G ain't smiling.

2009-04-23T17:08:00.001-07:00

Time and the River

2009-02-22T14:28:00.001-08:00

Click to Play

Audio documentary only...there are no images here.

Help. Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.

2008-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Me Ex Girlfriend Lisa

2008-12-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

My ex-girlfriend Lisa Bobbay never wanted to send out shared Christmas cards with me. But then she got married to Michelle (the nerdy looking one) and now they not only send out cards together, but they even have the same last name. I try not to be bitter at Christmas time but this one is especially hard for me. Also, looks like Lisa got a lip job.

Just kidding.
I've never seen these lesbos before in my life.

Merry Christmas all!

Not mine.

2008-12-22T06:51:00.000-08:00

Cube Chronicles: Sightings

2008-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

Present time: 8:36 a.m.
Arrival time: 8:07 a.m.
Xmas sweater sightings: 3
People sightings: 4
Ratio of Xmas sweater to people: 1 sweater to 1.3 persons
State of Affairs: Sad

For Bella

2008-12-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Snuggie

2008-12-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

Forget charity. I want this for Christmas.

https://www.getsnuggie.com/flare/next?videoID=ai195&bufferTime=5
(edited by Chad for sanities sake!)

Cube Chronicles: 4 Corners

2008-12-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

My cube is situated on a square, much the same as New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. Today, my two lady neighbors have on the dreaded Xmas sweaters from hell.
I am resisting the urge to snap pictures from over the top of our cubes. You get the dift though...

Stinky

2008-12-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

On my way home from the Marta tonight, I passed a stray/lost dog. Unfortunately, stray dogs are common in Atlanta. It was clear, however, that this dog was in more trouble that most stray dogs running the streets. He was walking slowly, running into the curb, and acting very confused. My heart strings had been pulled.

When I got out of the car and approached him I quickly learned that Stinky (you can only image why I named him that) was blind and could barely hear. My heart strings about snapped. I called Chad and asked him to bring a blanket. I made sure Stinky didn't get hit by a car, which wasn't easy. Being blind and not hearing well, he just wander aimlessly, and seemed to prefer walking on the street to the leaves on the side of the street. He was a little guy (maybe 8 pounds) but I didn't want to pick him up because he was a mess, and very very stinky (gurl, I had a cute shirt on!). So I stood in front of him when cars came to make sure they went around him. I'm sure I looked crazy (but cute in my non-stinky shirt).

We took him back to the house, blocked him off on the deck, and gave him food and water. He chowed down. I called Lucas' friend, Jen, because I knew she had rescued and fostered dogs. She asked me not to call Fulton county animal control because she felt Stinky would be immediately euthanize, given that he is blind and somewhat deaf. She agreed to foster him and find him a home. All she asked was that I give him a bath and drive him to her house. You gotta love lesbians.

I tried to give him a bath but couldn't do it. He was such a mess and the smell was horrible. Horrible! I was gagging and almost threw up. It was bad. Thankfully, Chad stepped in. He's good with gross. I've never seen such dirty water. His fur was so matted and tangled that Chad had to cut chunks off with scissors just to bathe him.

In addition to the smell, it was emotionally hard. The poor little dude was shivering in the tub. He was scared and confused. Chad had tears in his eyes as he washed him. However, once we got him out of the tub and dried him off, he got a burst of happy energy, like dogs do after a bath. It made us laugh and smile, which we desperately needed to do at that point.

Later, we both had emotionally charged "people suck" meltdowns.

Hot Tub History on North Campus

2008-12-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Tilt your head to the right (sorry, I am dumb), and watch history being made on Blake Ave. on the day after Thanksgiving!

And 9 hours later....some very happy fellas!

Enjoy you two! You deserve it!

Cube Chronicles: Soap Opera

2008-12-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

OK Folks, you asked for it. The return of the Cube Chronicles. If I get fired, I hope you'll give me housing and feed me. Enjoy and know that this is all true. Nothing has been altered except the names of the Soap Ladies (of course, they would insist on anonymity). This is a long post, but worth reading because it is so freaking unbelievable.

One of the first emails regarding soap collection from December 2007:

To the 105 women who share the 6th Floor Restroom:
It's time again to collect for restroom supplies for the 6th floor women's restroom. The collection envelope will be on the OHDAP door all week. Last month we collected $37.00; which didn't carry us through the entire month as we ran out of soap around the 3rd week of the month. If everyone would try to donate at least .50 cents it will allow us to provide hand soap for the entire month. Thanks to everyone who was so generous last month.
Soap lady #1

My environmentally conscious reply:
12/7/2007
HI Soap Lady #1,

I appreciate all the work you all are doing to keep the restroom in a fresher state, and I have one suggestion for you. With thoughts of the environment and waste in mind, would you consider buying liquid soap in bulk and refilling the plastic containers? The soap refills would probably be cheaper than always buying individual bottles. I am not sure you can get refills for the brands you are buying right now, but I know you can get bags of refills at Target with their Method line (they have nice scents like lavender, etc.) If you consider that idea and want help with the refilling, I would be happy to take on that role.

Anyway, that’s my two cents.
Have a good day and thanks again for organizing this effort,
Julie
(After Note: I got no response back and have been given the cold shoulder by these lovely ladies ever since)

The Soap Collection Saga Begins Again (on November 4, 2008 mind you, the date of one of the most important elections in history) :
Hello everyone it is that time again, to collect money or soap for the 6th floor women’s restroom; the envelope will be taped to the OHDAP door near the elevators and the soap box will be at the entrance of the door. Thanks to everyone who contributes. So far we have only collected $9.00 and no soap at all; just a friendly reminder we are only collecting until Friday.

Reply from XXXX:
Since everyone is sharing their sentiments on the bathroom soaps, I’d like to share mine.
Firstly, I’d like to personally Thank Soap Lady #1 and Soap Lady #2 for even TRYING to make our bathroom experience a pleasant one. For I’ve gone in there to many times and had to just turn around in disgust for the odor, or just the plain uncleanliness of the place. Soiled toilet seats, paper towels on the floor, sanitary napkins behind the toilet seats, and often wonder if WOMEN are using this bathroom. Because women are mostly more clean then men.

Now, I’m not trying to offend anyone, BUT if you don’t want to contribute, then don’t. If you don’t want to use the products, don’t. If you don’t want to use the bathroom on this floor period, then don’t. BUT, I’d like to go in there and NOT have to hold my breath or search out another bathroom.

Once again, for those of us who appreciate your efforts, THANK YOU Soap Lady #2 and Soap Lady # 1!!

Reply from Soap Lady #2
Soap Lady # 1 and I initially thought of the idea to supply the women’s bathroom with hand soap and other items, simply because of the daily condition of the 6th floor bathroom. There were many a day that one or both of us walked in to the bathroom only to have to turn right around and seek out another one on a different floor. The odor was appalling. Women leave their tampons on the back of the toilet seats, urinate on the toilet seat as well as the surrounding floor area and leave it for the next person to clean up. When we tried adding a few baskets of potpourri to the bathroom, we found them on the floor, potpourri scattered. I refuse to have to hold my breath to use the bathroom!! At last count, there were 105 women on the 6th floor……that’s a lot of women using one bathroom. Just do your part to help keep it in a sanitary condition. Have some respect.

I thank Soap Lady # 1 for taking the time and energy to collect for the bathroom soaps, drive to the store to buy the soap (many times using her own money to be able to buy the amount of soaps that we need for the month) and carry 30 - 40 bottles of soap and renuzits to ODH once a month. The only goal in mind here was to make the 6th floor women’s bathroom a little more presentable and fresh.

So, to those of you who do not wish to participate in the soap collection…….don’t. Don’t use the soft soap, don’t give any money, don’t use the 6th floor bathroom and most of all, don’t thank Soap Lady #1 for trying to make your work day a more pleasant one!
NOTE THE AVON CATOLOGUES IN THE STALL.

Response from XXX:
Good morning everyone,
I think it is important to say that those of us who were satisfied just to use the soap provided by ODH were in no way implying that we don’t appreciate the efforts of others to make things nice. At least I can say that in my own behalf, and feel certain that others agree. If there is a need regarding that bathroom, perhaps we should take it up with whomever is the appropriate person or persons in the building & deal with it at the dept. level instead of trying to solve it among ourselves. No one need feel unappreciated as I’m sure that was not the intent.

Response from XYX:
I would agree with XXX. You cannot please everyone and just because a two people disagree on an action doesn’t imply any level of disrespect. It is what it is – and that is a choice.

I use the ODH provided soap and that is my choice. I use my own lotion and when the bathroom is terrible I go somewhere else.

I wish that some would be more responsible while using the public bathroom, but I realize that everyone wasn’t raised to do the right thing or to behave like a lady (have respect for themselves and others).

In closing, please remove my name from your distribution list and thank you for your thoughtfulness.

Response from Me (again, remember this was all happening on November 4th):
Soap Lady #1 and Soap Lady # 2,

You can take my name off the list too. Not because I don’t appreciate your efforts, but because all of these emails make me feel like I am in high school. This is more drama concerning our restroom than I care to hear about.

Thank you for everything you do and thank you for removing my name from the list.
Julie

What I really wanted to say was: “You freaks, try worrying about something more important that hand soap. How about collecting money for the homeless or a domestic violence shelter? JESUS.”

2008-12-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

gingerbread house pics

2008-12-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32892000@N02/

That's what I'm saying . . .

2008-12-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

Kernal Dirty Pants!

2008-12-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

What's he doing with his other hand?

Well, it's true!

2008-12-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday, old girl. You pulled me through more than a few sad moments. Cheers!

(Not work friendly . . .the way we're supposed to enjoy Bette.)

Thanksgiving 08

2008-11-30T10:19:00.001-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32892000@N02/sets/72157610460922983/

To Our Friends

2008-11-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

Wanda says . . .

2008-11-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

CHOCOLATE NEWS

2008-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

"Chocolate News", my favorite new show on Comedy Central, Wednesday @ 10:30pm. Smart and silly. A cross between The Daily Show & Dave Chappell. This shi*t is for real funny, but soooo NOT work safe!
Giggle please....................

Welcome to my Home... with a twist

2008-11-10T18:06:00.001-08:00

You must listen. Thanks be to Lucas. Ca-caw!

Can it be? Yes it can, but be, it cannot!

2008-11-08T20:27:00.001-08:00

I've been in denial, but alas, it is finally time to face the truth. Summer is long gone. Good bye warm weather hello frost bite! Fall is upon us and Winter is just around the next bend. I just hate it. I miss those sunny, warm summer days. This really isn't so bad though, when I reflect on the last few weeks of Autumn in Columbus.

First, fall always means Halloween, and we sure had what I can only describe as an *interesting* Halloween this year. I think the best way to sum it up would be "pockets." Pockets, we learned, are essential in any Halloween costume. While we made quite an impact as a collective group of 80's fitness instructors, we neglected to consider how our costumes would accommodate essential items such as keys, ids, credit cards, chapstick, and cash. They in fact, did not accommodate these items. I lost my keys, and other beloved friends lost ids and cards and cash. Nonetheless, good times were had.

squat. release. squat. release.

(this really is all my hair. some serious teasing and aqua net goes a long way)

oh yeah. oh my. oh boy.who doesn't love red velour and rainbow bright purple jackets?

boom box and short shorts. double trouble.

if we can do it, you can too.

Second, I have tremendously enjoyed all the changing colors on the trees and bushes. I still freak out a little each year when this happens. This is something I never experienced growing up in Hawaii, and I find it remarkable year after year. Kirby has been enjoying the leaves too.

Finally, and BEST of all, and as Aaron's new sign in the back of his car window says, "YES WE DID!" We each took part in electing Barack Obama the 44th President of the U.S. EXCITING and life changing and historic and wonderful and glorious and a gazillion other adjectives like that. A few of us went to an Obama rally on the Sunday before election day, with approximately 60-80 thousand other Ohio folks. What stood out to me the most, aside from hearing (and sort of seeing) Obama, was the tremendous diversity in the crowd. I just couldn't believe how many different types of people were all there, scrunched up together, to show our support for Obama. It was definitely a powerful moment for me.

So kiddos, the truth is, Fall really hasn't been so bad after all (except for losing those darn keys).

You are lucky if you live in Wyoming

2008-11-03T06:35:00.001-08:00

Because in Wyoming, your vote "weighs" more. Check out this map, which shows each state re-sized in proportion to the relative influence of the individual voters who live there. The numbers indicate the total delegates to the Electoral College from each state, and how many eligible voters a single delegate from each state represents.

Here is a link to the source and explanation behind the map: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/opinion/02cowan.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

It is possible, under the current system, that someone could be elected president with just 16% of the popular vote!!!!!! I don't know about you, but I find this outrageous.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-10-31T05:25:00.000-07:00

We have a decorating contest every year at work. This year we decided out theme would be a 50"s diner. We won our building contest last year for scariest (graveyard theme) and now this year! We are now in the corporate wide finals. While they are no Gay Zombies, I am lucky to work with such crafty and creative people. If you look at the table we are all leaning on, you will notice my kitchen table from 180 E Blake there.

Also, as you can see, I used my Tyra/Top Model coaching and urged everyone to pop a hip in the photo and to "smile with their eyes, ladies!"

A Watched Pot

2008-10-24T15:32:00.001-07:00

NEVER FRICKIN' BOILS!!! Does anyone out there besides me, instead of waiting for the water to start boiling before I put in my spaghetti, decides that the water looks hot enough already and just throws the dried noodles in? I do. I hate waiting.

Aaron's pre-show warm up caught on tape...

2008-10-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

SNL can sure crack me up

2008-10-06T08:24:00.001-07:00

We pee scarlet and gray!

2008-09-29T16:12:00.001-07:00

Check out the Jbros playing a tailgate at The Little Bar. Actually, I love some of the photos with North Campus as the backdrop--the wires, the street signs, the brick apartment building. This would be a great place to shoot (sans corn hole, of course).

Lots of pics . . . check out the photo set here.

{brought to you by pretty things hurt}

Another SCARY f*ucked up Bush policy

2008-09-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

Check out this op-ed by Hillary posted in the NYT today about a proposed Bush policy that would allow any healthcare provider (assistant, nurse, doctor, etc.) that receives federal funding to refuse to give any kind of care they don't agree with. This goes way beyond the current policy that says a doctor can refuse to give an abortion if they don't want to. Anyone could withold services for any reason (if they just object for any reason). This is SCARY!!!! The language is so vague. When will this crap of implementing policies driven by ideology of the narrow right end????? I don't know how much more of this I can take.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/opinion/19clinton.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Big Ass Table

2008-09-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

We just got one of these at my work. Super sweet. And then I saw this video. Freaking hysterical.

Ohbama Shirts

2008-09-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hey crew, Lisa and I designed a shirt for the election this year. Check us out!

Good Times.

2008-09-13T12:24:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all for a fabulous birthday celebration last night. We missed you folks in Atlanta and Chicago.

My favorite memory of the night are the prom pic re-enactments.

Click HERE for more evidence of the good times had.

My Nephews

2008-09-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

Evan
Those frog rain boots have been passed around in my family for years.

Ethan and I

Ethan is mischievous, a bit grumpy, and stubborn. I love it. My family likes to say he's a lot like me when I was a kid, but that can't be right.

Ethan

Garrett

Garrett is Chad's (secret) favorite. This picture explains one of the reasons why.

Oscar-Wan Kanobi

2008-09-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

Perfect

2008-09-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

(my posts wont always be this long..sorry..lol)
Esequiel and I leave for Texas in 9 days to pick up my second son, Eddie. The two boys were foster brothers in the same home for 3 years and after much soul searching, I just cant find a reason not to do this. I just can't. When you adopt a child they ask you to make whats called a "life book" for the child that you send to him/her before they meet you. Its basically a scrap book that you make filed with photos of their new family, siblings, pets, their new school, their room..ect..It gives the kids something tangible to look at when they try to wrap their minds around what awaits them. I made one for Esequiel before i met him and he still treasures it.
We started Eddies book, and the gravity of what I am doing hit me. Esequiel was SO excited to help me with the project. Interestingly, though, once we started he was filled with anxiety. We finsihed the first page and I had written a little note for Eddie welcoming him to our family. Esequiel started to cry and said that he couldnt wait for him to get here..whew...The day i took Esequiel out of Texas his heart was broken that Eddie couldnt come to. He thought he'd never see him again, and knowing that Eddie is now going to be his leagl brother forever has brought up so many emotions for the little guy that he just doesnt know what to do with them all, and neither do I.
Having two boys is what Ive always wanted and I am so happy that I am doing this , I just never realized how huge this is for Esequiel and what it means to him. I tucked him tonight, and as I sat there stroking his hair I told him how there will come a day when he wont want me in his room, much less tucking him in..and I love him so much that it hurts..I never really knew what that felt like before all this..I thought I did, but I didn't. I wish that I could just freeze time and let him stay 11 for a few more years and that he'd always want me to read him Harry Potter as he falls asleep...but he won't always need that from me.I hate the fact that I don't always know what to do or what to say. All my friends tell me that I'm doing a great job, and I am gratefull for that, but it is so hard with virtually no family support, but I am doing the best that I can. It's funny...people tell me all the time how lucky these two boys are and go on and on about what a admirable person I must be. I think thats funny because if there is anyone who is lucky it's me..to have Esequiel in my life and all that I he gives me everyday just by being his perfectly flawed self. It takes my breath away.he makes me laugh so hard I wanna cry and loves me so much that I often do...I know our lives will never be perfect but having Scott as my partner and Esequiel and Eddie as my sons...well; it's the closest that I could ever hope to get.

Donny

Cheese in the rain

2008-09-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

2008-09-05T16:45:00.001-07:00

What the blog?!

2008-09-02T10:01:00.001-07:00

IMG_9754
Originally uploaded by Circeson

Hey kids... I was wondering if'n anyone out there would want to share with us their favorite blogs/ daily readings? What sites to you check on a regular basis, especially when you ain't got nothing to do or you're avoiding what you should be doing:

Mine are:
Gizmodo
Lifehacker
and Towleroad

New Member

2008-09-02T06:55:00.001-07:00

Hi gang! Well it looks as though I have been added to this blog that I have heard so much about :) Very very cool . I love what you guys have contributed and I hope to be able to offer some head scratching material soon.
Till then, I have some children I have to remove today..ugh ( Iwork in child welfare)

If I Could Lift 230 lbs.

2008-08-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

Olympic weightlifters hoisting the 230 pound bar.

What I would look like if I could do it.

Fan Club

2008-08-12T09:50:00.001-07:00

Not surprisingly, DJ Tickles had a fan club before he dropped the first beat.
Lucky boy.

PS For the squinty-eyed, the shirts read 'DJ Tickles'

Update:

It's me going solo this week.
Sneak peeks include: Bell X1, Bon Iver and Melissa (California).

Back Bay Station

2008-07-31T20:12:00.001-07:00

my favorite picture from boston.

Scott's Knee

2008-07-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Scott!! We are sending you very, very good vibes for your big day tomorrow. And lots of love. Just be glad you didn't bust yours up on the Price is Right like this Scott did. Yikes!

National Geographic Green Guide

2008-07-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.thegreenguide.com/products/

Great Combo . . .

2008-07-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

We saw Jay Brannan @ Vinyl in Atlanta. Great show. If only Margaret would have made an appearance.

DJ School

2008-07-24T09:54:00.001-07:00

So 'Fresh at Liquid' is becoming a little bit of a DJ school.

Last night we had DJ Curious spinning hot tunes by the likes of Ben Harper, Nina Simone, The Brazilian Girls, etc.

Check her out:

Next week it's another mystery DJ, followed by this winner on August 6th.

Don't miss it...it's sure to be SIZZLIN'
PS I am going to start calling myself DJ Teach!

In memory of Katie

2008-07-15T08:31:00.001-07:00

If you have not heard this yet, I am sorry to be the bearer of such sad news. Katie Reider, an amazing singer and extremely generous member of our community, died yesterday morning after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Please keep her partner, Karen, and their two little boys, Aidan and Koen, in your thoughts.

You can read more about Katie's battle, and see a beautiful video at: www.500kin365.org

Much love to all of you.
Take care of the ones you love.

Lucy has Pride!

2008-07-07T13:27:00.001-07:00

IMG_9549
Originally uploaded by Circeson

Well, she's a little ashamed, but not because of her sexual orientation (which is mostly directed at my leg... don't judge!) Atlanta had it's pride this past weekend, and G, Wendy and I went a watching to parade... Of course it rained the entire time, but the parade and pride went on. Not much different than Columbus, really. Lot's more things thrown out and shoved into our hands. I imagine that aliens digging through our layers of trash will find annual bands of cheap, plastic beads, can cozies, lube samples, feathers and panty hose. All with rainbow themes.

Good Times at Comfest/Pride 2008

2008-06-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Home Ownership

2008-06-26T21:26:00.001-07:00

What we did last night. And it wasn't exactly what we'd had in mind...

Freshness

2008-06-24T10:17:00.001-07:00

For the locals. Hope to see you there.
P.S. Of course this called for starting another blog.

(OFFICIAL) Riskay Feat. Aviance and Real - Smell Yo Dick

2008-06-24T06:11:00.001-07:00

Aaron and the J Bros need NEEEEED to cover this!

Ooooh. And most likely, the audio is NSFW

Day 4: Big Dog Down.

2008-06-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Today started on a bit of a downer. About two weeks ago, Mason hurt his leg. The vet assessed it as a small tear in his cruciate ligament. They prescribed medication and 30 days of leash walks. No running off leash with his pack of friends at Whetstone. The medication started to work immediately, and his slight limp was hardly noticeable. He started to limp a little bit at the campsite, but that's because we were taking a few extra walks.

This morning, as I was having my first cup of coffee and not really paying attention, Mason saw a cat in the woods, jumped up, and ran full speed after it. He only went about 30 yards, but he came back on three legs. I'm kicking myself for not having him tied up, but he's been so mellow and hasn't wandered away from the campsite at all. And everyone around here really likes him.

He doesn't seem to be in any more pain that he was: he'll let me touch and move his leg, but he won't put any pressure on it. And let me tell you, this boy is not very graceful on three legs. This may cut my trip short. I won't be able to see a vet until next week regardless. I'll just wait to see how comfortable he is here at the campground.

Day 3: The Best Part of Waking Up . . .

2008-06-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I travel with coffee that is MUCH better than Folgers. I'm not sure it much matters, though. Campstove coffee is the BEST. I realized today that my little Coleman stove (converted from fuel to propane five years ago) and my percolator are 22 years old. I purchased them both after I graduated from college and drove across the country, camping along the way.

I had hoped to have a story to tell about my great-nephew's little league game, but it was canceled due to a scheduling snafu. I still made the trip to Greenville and had a nice dinner with my brother and sister-in-law. I returned to a very quiet and very cold campground. Mason and I made a big fire and spent the evening hanging out, thinking, and playing guitar.

Day 2: The Crew Has Landed

2008-06-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

(Note: The campground wireless wasn't stable enough for me to continue posting on site. I saved my posts and will roll them out over the next few days.)

I love a lot of things about Campit. The geography of western Michigan is in my blood. I can pitch a tent in the woods (dirty) and take a dip in the pool. There's always some crazy walking around here to keep me entertained.

Even with the crazy, mostly, I love that Campit restores my faith that it doesn't have to be a lot of work to meet good people. You remember how when you were kid, and you could walk up to another kid and say, "Hi, my name is Scott. I like trucks. Do you like trucks? Let's be friends." Well, that's Campit.

On Day 2, I met a really great group of guys from Chicago. They were all flight attendants (and a couple guests) who managed to schedule a few days off together so they could make their first trip to Saugatuck. (I love first timers.) You would never know this was their first camping trip together, however. This was a concerted effort that included multiple camp stoves, huge meals, a blender, torches, tents, chairs. They were incredibly generous and invited me to hang out with them throughout their stay. (And a super sweet, super cute man named Juan made me breakfast two mornings in a row.)

I didn't take any pics until they were packing up, so I regret that I didn't catch everyone. They all returned to Chicago on Wednesday. I was sad to see them go.

Day 1: Bigger is better

2008-06-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

This year, the theme at Campit is . . ."BIG."

Ok, perhaps that's not true of everything. With every camping trip I take, I buy some new gadget or some piece of gear I didn't have. This year, I invested in a new tent, and it's BIG BIG BIG. It feels as big as my bedroom. The most exciting thing about my tent is that I can stand up to get dressed (I hate having to squeeze into my tight Wranglers lying on my air mattress).

I'm not the only one who went big this year. Campit expanded their pool deck considerably before opening for the season. The crowds aren't here now to make it seem necessary, but I imagine it's quite popular on the busy weekends.

I arrived Monday to clear sunny skies. The same held true for Tuesday. It's topping out at about 70 degrees during the day, and the evenings a bit on the cool side.

I expected to be one of the few people around today, but I looks like there are two big groups camping this week. One appears to be finishing a long weekend, and one has just arrived. I'm sure I'll have stories.

Bugs in the compost

2008-06-10T16:49:00.001-07:00

bugs2
Originally uploaded by Circeson

Griff's a fanatic about our compost pile. Loves. It. Creepily enough, he ran into the house the other day exclaiming "You can hear the bugs eating the compost!!" It was a banner day. Please listen to it yourself.

Another "must buy" for the women who read this blog.

2008-06-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am in London this week and enjoyed lunch at "First Out Cafe" this morning, apparently the first cafe in the city to cater exclusively to gay and lesbian clients (it also doubles as a lesbian bar after 8pm.) Anyway, I was enjoying my cauliflower soup and browsing "g3" the free magazine for London's lesbian and bisexual women, when I stumbled across an ad for SHEWEE, described as:

a moulded plastic funnel that provides women with a simple, private and hygienic method of urinating without removing clothes whilst standing AND sitting.

Furthermore:

When positioned securely under the crotch, and with underwear pushed to the side, Shewee directs urine away from the body to a suitable place, such as a toilet, a container or a conveniently located tree!

For more information and helpful instructions (as well as a handy list of the variety of ways sheewee can improve your life), please visit http://www.shewee.com/

For a gal who likes to shi-shi (and not just on the tires of certain unnamed friends who live in places that rhyme with "batlanta," I'm sure glad someone thought of the shewee!

Environmentaly Safe Lady Panties

2008-06-01T15:07:00.001-07:00

I expect all my labians to be wearing these this year.

Sweet. Funny. Makes me giggle.

2008-06-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

My friend and colleague, Brenda, brought this little gem to my attention. It's a British video, but you can still catch the cultural references. One scene in particular is not necessarily work friendly, especially if watched out of context of the whole video. Coming Out.

Greetings from the frozen tundra...

2008-05-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, well it's not actually that cold here. But in true chicago fashion I walked out of my apartment this morning, zipping up my winter coat, and passed a bunch of kids all bundled up in their snow suits... Isn't it almost June??

Anyways, I've never posted on the blog so I just wanted to say hello to you guys (and prove to Chad that I do in fact keep up on the posts!). I was planning on coming to visit for Comfest this year... but some family stuff came up so I have to head to California for a bit instead. I'm sad to miss it though!

I hope you all are well. I think about you often and hope some time soon we can all be hanging out together!

Much love!

Lucy has to wonder...

2008-05-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

Are girls of a certain age getting Carrie-d away? In honor of next week's Sex and the City movie premiere (and my newest toy), Lucy thought she try her paws at starting her own sex advice column. Unfortunately for her, she's never had sex, nor really a romantic relationship. Undaunted, she has decided to soldier on and answer any questions based on her other life experiences (which include mainly eating and sleeping).

Little Liv's Bday Song

2008-05-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

Hey gentlemen.

It was so great to see you all this weekend. I've missed you all a lot these last few weeks! Wanted to send this spiffy bday video that Scootking and I made recently for our gay friends' little girl, whose name is also Liv. It was our family tribute to her and we hope you like it. You can pretend your name is Livy and it is for you.

If you are a fan of LOST....

2008-05-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hi friends (note that you can skip this entry if you aren't a fan of the tv show LOST). I have been visiting my folks in Hawaii the past two weeks. They are cute. They've been super supportive and wonderful while I've been here. I'm getting antsy and need to get back to my own life...but it has been good to be here.

I decided to go on a self-guided tour of some LOST filming sites. Here is what I was able to find:

1. The set with the camp the survivors built on the beach. The camp is set up on a beach on the north shore of the island that is difficult to get to if you aren't a local. A lot of the set was wrapped in plastic, but very recognizable from the show. I walked around a bit before a security guard found me and kicked me out.

2. This is Dillingham airfiled, where they filmed the scene with Ecko and his brother and the plane with the drugs taking off (where they shot his brother).

3. The church that Ecko and Charlie were building before Ecko died. This is also where they built the graves for Boone and Shannon and Ana Lucia.
4. This is the beach where the survivors spend a lot of their time in season 2-4 (the camp with thier tents is adjacent to this beach). It is called "police beach" in real life.

5. This is the beach from Season 1 where the crash occurred (where all the debris from the oceanic flight was strewn). The beach is located on a really secluded part of the island. You won't find any tourists here. It is known here as mokuleia beach.

6. The camp of the "others" where Ben, Juliette, live (also where they filmed a few scenes in season 4 where the military guys blew up the house, etc.). I went to summer camp here in elementary school. Fond memories of being nicknamaed "chubbles" here by my classmates.

Oh No! Queenie's in Trouble!

2008-05-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

...Because it feels good to laugh!

xoxoxo

Just thought it was funny

2008-05-05T11:03:00.001-07:00

365days-day124
Originally uploaded by Atila

Connie's Getting Prettied Up

2008-04-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Landscaping the front yard has been my project the past few weekends. I've planted a few things in the backyard too.

Where'd Everybody Go?

2008-04-20T16:53:00.001-07:00

IMG_9238
Originally uploaded by Circeson

WE MISS ALL Y'ALLS! We sent Lucy out to find us more friends but she had to take a nap when she got to the end of the block...

A new project for Chilly?

2008-04-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

I was walking in Soho yesterday and came across these cool coral reefs in a gallery window, all made of yarn. The artist had some amazing knitting skills. Chilly, can you make me one of these? Now that you don't need to knit scarves and hats anymore. :-)

My New Two Cents

2008-04-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

I like new bands too, especially when they sound like the 80s (a sign of age):

AND

My Lip Gloss is Poppin

2008-04-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

This happened to me the other day when Chad gave me some lip gloss.

The video is like a mini after school special at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCvXzjGRnKc

Mother of All Enemies

2008-04-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

Zaloom Zaloom
Originally uploaded by Alexuma

We went out to the Puppetry Center last night (the center itself was way cool) with our friend Lucas. The puppet show we saw was very entertaining, a bit thought provoking and mucho funny. The two puppets in the picture are of the main character "Karagoz" who is part of a very ancient tradition, even with his (eventual) enormous dick that got him into mischief. The big penis was nice.

Gays Fight Back!

2008-04-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKdcJfIM-tE

OMG... Griff and Chad introduced this to me in Atlanta and I'm addicted to it! Basically a Trans gal, Mimi Plastique is filming a blog entry on the L train in Chicago and some ass clown decides to "fcuk with her".
There are so many great one liners in here. It gets better and better every time I watch it.
Disturbing and hyterical... Just like my man's.
Enjoy!

Joyce doesn't know Jack . . .

2008-04-04T06:06:00.001-07:00

. . . but she sure would like to.

I thought some of you might like to read this story in the most recent issue of poz.com. Rumor has it that two of our COD contributors know Jack from the swimming world.

(And I apologize for taking the attention-grabbing approach with the pic. I just couldn't find a good enough graphic of the magazine's cover, and when I went looking for other images . . . .well . . . . I thought this one was rather nice. In fact, if you do a google image search for "jack mackenroth," you'll see that I had other nice ones from which to choose.)

Some volleyball fun (and drama)

2008-04-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, I'm in a bit of a transition right now in terms of moving out of my old apartment and into my new room in a communal house near the east village in nyc on May 1. Going through some big changes and have been spending this time in transition in columbus and atlanta.

I'm currently in Atlanta and had the privilege of seeing Griff and Chad play with their volleyball team last night. Fun times, and very impressed by Chad's blocking and hitting skills and Griff's quick reflexes and killer serve. I loved seeing their positive energy on the court and their encouragement and patience with other players. I was even more impressed at how great Chad looked after playing 4 sweaty games (see pic. below). Notice the contrast in sweat production between chad and his teammate to the left. Amazing. I wonder if there is a similar contrast in "stink" production, and if so, who would be stinkier? ;-)

With that said, things got *cute* with a bit of volleyball drama when griff disagreed with some of the decisions made by the team captain, Larry, and in spectacular "griff style," decided to lead the team in a revolt against Larry. A few angry words were exchanged, proclomations of "I quit" and "he better stop" were exclaimed. But the team worked out their problems for now, and I'm sure will be back for more fun next week. At the end of the night, Larry walked over to griff and chad to apologize and, I think the facial expressions of griff and chad below says it all. Ahhh, Larry, not sure if there is any hope for you.

Gayest Look Leno Update

2008-04-02T06:05:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by Tatiana Cardeal

Apparently, the little bit of humble activism I participated in has resulted in an apology from Jay Leno. Please make with the clicky for more information about that: My Gayest Look Results

Jack and Aaron at Mary's about 2:30 am last saturday.

2008-03-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Do You Take It?

2008-03-30T19:02:00.001-07:00

An important question one must ask from time to time. I hope you enjoy the video "Do You Take it?" I was lucky enough to see the Wet Spots performthis lil' number live a few months back.

chad adds: this little ditty may not be safe for work... but I guess that depends on where you work

All Mod Cons

2008-03-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Click to Play

Light at Ripa.

PS Hope you aren't getting sick of my posts...I'm on a roll!

Wright Neighorhood

2008-03-28T20:39:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Dayton, Ohio neighborhood where Orville and Wilbur Wright had their bicycle shop. Ohio license plates call it the "Birthplace of Aviation."

Jack's a 70s Pornstar

2008-03-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

jack porn
Originally uploaded by Circeson

Or did you know that already?

Apple City, USA

2008-03-27T20:19:00.001-07:00

Like Mr. Cash, I went to Jackson.
Some of what I saw.

Perfect Patriotic Parfaitness

2008-03-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

This fine display of perfect patriotic parfaitness spotted at Ponderosa in Jackson, Ohio. Yummy in the tummy, too.

My Gayest Look

2008-03-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

Don't know who among us watches Jay Leno (I'd assume no one), but he often makes snide and degrading comments regarding the wee queer folks. Go to this website (http://www.mygayestlook.com/) and all will be explained, including pics of others giving Jay their 'gayest look', which I have added my own photo to.

The site also lists contact information for Mr. Leno and others in charge of the Tonight Show, so feel free to give 'em a letter, call, etc. explaining how you feel about homophobic jokes (might feel free to include sexist, racist, classist, etc jokes to the list).

Hopefully, enough folks participate that it becomes a national deal and something Jay apologizes for.

Dorothy? Toto?

2008-03-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

So, umm, two tornadoes hit downtown Atlanta this weekend. The emergency sirens went off by our house Friday night and we got a lot of rain, but the storm didn't seem all that bad. However, downtown, four miles north of EP, the shit was spinning out of control.

I drove through East Atlanta Village yesterday (where Mary's is), before the second tornado, and it was crazy. Most of the businesses were closed because the power was out in the area, and there were trees down everywhere (some BIG ass trees). When Chad heard that there was a second tornado heading our way, he called my cell phone and insisted that I return to the homestead (it was kind of sexy). When I got there he had the dogs packed up and ready to go to the basement (it was kind of cute). I suggested that we listen to the news for a while before going to sit in the crawlspace/basement. Gurl, it's a dirt floor down there. Please! Thank Gawd we never had to go down there.

Downtown was crazy too. You can see all the missing window/boarded up windows in some of the tall glass buildings and a few of the big billboards were torn in half. The pics above are from the tornado on Friday night. Nobody died Friday. The second tornado hit on Saturday around 4pm and unfortunately killed two people in their home about 20-30 minutes West of the city.

Generation Gap

2008-03-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

Overheard at a Columbus, Ohio ('As goes Ohio, so goes the nation') Donato's Pizzeria.

Sixty something white male says to twenty something black female:

"Did you hear the one about Chelsea Clinton...?"

(proceeds to tell sexist joke)

Young woman ignores joke entirely and says:

"Did you vote for her?" (meaning Hillary, of course)

He scoffs:

"No, are you kidding me?"

She queries:

"So you voted for Barack?"

"No," he huffs.

"Oh," it all becomes clear to her now, "you didn't vote."

Post Script: Of course he voted, but for McCain.

Imaginary baseball

2008-03-10T07:42:00.001-07:00

So, yesterday, on a beautiful sunny day, G and I took our fantastic friend Jenn to Lil' 5 Points for a bit of shopping and fun. While waiting for the Marta to take us eastbound, across the tracks was a little boy about 3 years old. As I watched him, he started winding up an invisible pitch and threw the "ball" to the other side. Now, me being me, and thinking no one was watching, I pretended to catch the ball and throw it back to him. His little smile lit up and he pretended to catch it and throw it back to me. CUTE! So we began to toss the ball, back and forth, while waiting. I was pretty tickled and then I looked around and saw all the people around us (it was pretty busy for a Sunday afternoon, blame it on the warm day) and was even more tickled to see that they were watching us toss an imaginary ball back and forth. They WATCHED the imaginary ball, their heads following it across the tracks, waiting for one of us to catch it, and then watched it go back to the other side. I wish kidnapping wasn't illegal.

Has anyone seen Bella?

2008-03-09T21:19:00.000-07:00

She was having none of this.

Starring Tito and Mason

Try harder.

2008-03-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

Mason watches Joyce shovel the walk.

Dude . . where's my car?

2008-03-09T21:14:00.001-07:00

Inches

2008-03-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Well, they say it was the big one. Joyce thinks it's pretty to look at, and it's fun to play with, but seriously, what are you going to do with all of it? So many inches.

Some pictures and a little movie of our fun weekend in Columbus, Ohio.

Oscar's got the smarts

2008-03-08T16:49:00.001-08:00

So there is absolutely no confusion on who among us has the smartest pet... I present you with Oscar's diploma and mortorboard from Obedience class. And when you meet him, although it may look like he's not listening nor obeying us when we shout at him, this paper says things should be different. dammit.

Scusa me...

2008-03-06T11:38:00.001-08:00

Gotta Love Her

2008-03-05T08:29:00.001-08:00

Dolly's new album, "Backwoods Barbie," came out last week.