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Moving today. No time to write. Will probably be offline `til Monday or so. Paint on the new digs looks great.Image is of the loading cargo container cranes in the Port of Oakshire. Rumored that Lucas got the idea of Imperial Walkers from them.
After Midnight, but I haven't slept yet. Today=YesterdayToday I started setting up training machines in Oaklandshire for The Big Conversion at work. It mostly involved carrying heavy things around. Alot.
I had dinner with my brother Doug at China Court, then made a trip to HomoDepot to get some paint & paint supplies for the new room. Behr paint; Tannenbaum (green) with eggshell finish for the walls, and Mineral Gray semi-gloss for the trim. I would post the colors, but figure ya'al'll see `em when I post a "finished" picture. I'm thinkin' I need to get a quart of a lighter shade of green for the walls in the bay window. Just for contrast. I came "home" and painted the walls, but not the trim. Maybe tomorrow night on the trim. (Tomorrow=Today)
Picture is of The Tribune clocktower in downtown Oakland. Taken through a sculpture in City Center plaza.
Whupped. Must Sleep.
It occurs to me that I never responded to RoadiePig's note about not getting what the street art pictured on 2003-01-23 is supposed to be. The proper reaction would be to say that art doesn't have to be anything. But really, I think it's the critter Campbells uses to make Creamy Chicken Mushroom soup.
Good day today. I signed my lease, and got the keys to my new place. I moved some stuff over tonight just `cause I could. New layers of varnish look great on the desk. Still need to pack bathroom stuff before I go to bed. Tomorrow after work I think I'll head down to Home Depot, get some paint and put a layer on the new room before going to bed. Dusty green with grayish brown trim. Very Autumn.
I am rambling. Chores and Bed are calling. Doug [sic] gets to town tomorrow.
Packing. Lots of packing yesterday. I also cleared off the top of my desk and put on a couple new layers of varnish. The one or two layers I put on when I got the desk where mostly soaked in and gave it a rough texture that stained easily and was hard to clean. Nice clear and smooth now--or at least will be when the last coat drys.
I'm amazed at how many books I have. They make up a good fraction of my overall stuff. LEGOS take up the most space, kitchen stuff, maybe clothes (including boots, coats, etc), then books. Even after I brought a couple shelves full into work, and two boxes to GoodWill. Books are heavy.
I still haven't found bed feet, and couldn't think of a good way to make them with what I have on hand. Maybe a trip to the container store on my way home from work tonight to look for some.
The more I pack, the more I'm givin' in and putting stuff in the GoodWill pile. By the time I'm done, I'll probably have another pickup full. One more load of stuff I don't use and don't have the room for. Must get rid of stuff...
Hits today from Brazil,Greece & Japan.
My flat is so much emptier than it was this morning. I found homes for all the stuff I'd hoped to. (Friends took the big stuff--Goodwill accepted all the rest) Thats alot of stuff leaving the flat in one day. It's a real slap in the face that my time is over here, and my life is about to completly change. Again. I'm craving stability something fierce.I had also hoped to procure a few things today. I got some big wall mounted shelves from IKEA that will go over my desk/TV in my new room, so I'll have a home for all my books. I also got two neat little lights I will mount under the bottom shelf to light my desk. I had hoped to get some of those bed shoes that raise the height of beds, but the stor I saw them at (Stacks in Emeryville) is going out of business. I'll need to either find or make some tomorrow as the 10 gallon Rubernmaid Roughneck bins I store my lego in are a couple of inches too tall to slide under my bed. Must be ultra efficient. I also have to get all my dead plants ready to move. I would have given the pots to goodwill, but Ken is keen on the idea of doin' a rooftop garden. I love the idea of having a rooftop space on Castro street. If we put some work into it, it'll be a nice place to entertain this spring.
The belly belongs to Fluffy Richard.
Nice what the digital camera did with the high-contrast stripes.
The Friday Five
1. What is one thing you don't like about your body?
� No known supernatural powers.
2. What are two things you love about your body?
� Autumn coloring,
� Penis.
3. What are three things you want to change about your home?Hmmm...This really isn't home anymore.
� I would get to stay here for as long as I wanted,
� bigger bathtub, and
� parking for my pickup and motorcycle.
4. What are four books you want to read this year?
� Order of the Pheonix by J. K. Rowling,
� Sorcerer by Troy Denning,
� Sands of the Soul by Voronica Whitney-Robinson, and
� Proficient Motorcycling.
5. What are five promises you have kept to yourself?
� No new LEGO `til after I move (so far, since late November).
Ummm...I'm really hard pressed to think of any others...
Seems I was right about the construction on the corner. They've got the whole ground floor torn out, and the rest balanced on stacked beams. Bet the owners wouldn't be too upset if we had a tremblor and knocked it down, so they could start from scratch.I'm havin' Eckrich Smok*Y*Links for dinner. I still have more in the freezer than I care to count. (Christmas gift from Mom) I'm not gonna be able to finish `em before I move. Hope the new roomies like `em.
I just realized today while trying to pawn off stuff that this will be my last weekend before the move. Damn. Not much time. I'm feelin' right on top of things now--wish me luck that I'll stay that way. It's nice to know Doug will be in town to help.
Off to the IBR planning meeting.
�Am I the only one who is pissed off about day traders? Other than the fact that they seem well-to-do while doing nothing, they do nothing but suck money out of the stock market and economy. They are not investing in the sucess of an idea, a product or company, they produce nothing, and they've really fucked up the market. I can't believe I haven't read any press relating the rise of day traders to the skittish, volitile stock market.I've been hearing a good many references lately concerning Armistead Maupin's associations with San Francisco and Atlantis. All seemingly unrelated. I can't seem to locate my copy of Tales of the City to get direct quotes, but the jist is that San Francisco is a "Nuva Atlantis" and that the souls that called Atlantis home are drawn here to live together again, and that someday, we'll sink back into the sea. Not a bad fate by my way of thinkin'. With all the references to it lately in conversations with friends, and the big tremblor in Mexico last night (we're on the same edge of the same plates), I'm wonderin' more about it.
Cool. I'm getting hits from Poland. I get quite a few hits from the UK and Canada. Hits from Germany and Australia are common. And now some from Poland �Woo Hoo! I had to look it up in the X.500 specs to be sure, but never again.
Yesterday Leo and I went to lunch at Louies again (55 Stevenson St). I was expecting to have fish & chips, but the menu had completely changed. If you are a fan of hamburgers, you need to go there. Aside from that fact that they do all that hippie-skippy this and that like never frozen, no hormones, etc--the taste and texture is exceptional. The quality doesn't stop with the beef--the tomotoes and cheddar on the burger were top notch. It could very well be the best burger I've ever had.Every time I see ddrboy's entry in my notes, it rubs me the wrong way. I live in San Francisco, not "Frisco." Emperor Norton would probably have given ddrboy a proper spanking for the misnomer. Be warned, ddrboy, I'll be sure to give you that spanking if I ever meet you. (grin)
My brother wrote today saying he wanted to go to TrannyShack when he visits town later this month. I've never been, but hear it's great. It would be a great oppertunity to get a Peaches Christ fix to hold me over `til Midnight Mass this summer.
I have stuff that needs a home.
�Woo Hoo! I just got a call from Ken, and I'm in for the room at Castro & 17th. I'll stop by tonight with a deposit check and seal the deal.One of the chores that I neglected to do yesterday was to take pictures of all the furniture I need to find homes for and make a showcase page. I'll have to do that tonight.
Ken also talked about kitchen stuff. Seems he doesn't have much, so I won't have to put much in storage. I love my KitchenAid.
Thanks to all the folks who've been lookin' out for me, especially Red John, who culled Craig's List a few times for me.
Another busy weekend. I may have found a place to live--I'll find out today if the landlord approves.Went to the Albany Baths hot tubs Saturday with Duff. Nice little space. Duff tells me their the only folks around that still have redwood tubs. All the parts I could see looked like bondo. Was a great soak. An hour rental seemed way to short.
BOSF beer bust at the Lone Star Sunday. I grilled hot dogs on the back patio per usual. There was a very different crowd this week as many folks were out of town for MAL in DC, Polar Bear Weekend in Guerneville and some other run in Tucson. I got to see some folks I don't usually see at beer busts like JiM, Leo and Ben.
The Friday Five
1. Where do you currently work?
I'm not telling.
2. How many other jobs have you had and where?
Several other jobs. 2� weeks as a morning McGriller when I got the call to be an intern at A.E. Staley Mfg. Co. in Decatur, IL. The follwing summer I was an intern for City Engineering for the City of Decatur, IL. The next year I got a summer job a Pier 1 in Miami. While I was working at Pier 1, I got another summer internship that turned into a career with the Bureau of Prisons.
3. What do you like best about your job?
Location, Hours, Stability.
4. What do you like least about your job?
Unfair distribution of expectations/workload.
5. What is your dream job?
If fixed in reality dream jobs would be a Commercial Diver/Inspector or a Master Builder for LEGO. My daydream/fantasy job is to be a "telecourier" where I have a dispatcher taking calls and sending me around the world to grab and teleport parcels and people. There's just that not being able to teleport thing that's holding me back.
The last few days at work, I've been rolling out new PC's in our San Jose offices. What has inspired alot of thought is the old PCs I'm taking out. Moslty `cause I put them there in the last rollout three or four years ago. I realized that I've been at this particular job at this particular location for longer than any other job/location I've had.
Another year living in San Francisco will move this location up into #2 spot for length of stay, second only to the eleven years I lived in Niantic, IL age 7-18. Maybe in seven more years my Mom will feel more comfortable about this being home for me. Feels like it to me already--hmmm...except for that nagging find a place to live thing.
I had many dreams last night, but can't recall a single one. Maybe I should wall mount an iMac next to my bed. I can type much faster than I can write or speak, and wouldn't have to transcribe it later.
I suppose wall mounted hardware might be one of those things that worries dates. Like the fact that I have no curtains. C'mon, I live in the Castro, I love the sunlight, and there is no need.
I was down in San Jose again today for work. Will go down again tomorrow. Radiator hose on my truck is leaking--I got it locked down with duct tape, a hose clamp and a piece of mylar from a LEGO Bob the Builder set until I can fix it properly. Bob would be proud.I went to dinner tonight with Leigh and Capy. Leigh was rather cross that I would go to the sushi place for Capy, when I usually won't for him. Leigh always orders a bento box, and half the fun of sushi is sharing. I swear there were Rice Crispies sprinkled on top of our Crunchy Rolls. They don't snap crackle pop in soy sauce.
After dinner, we wandered over to Tower where I didn't see a single damn movie I wanted, and if I did, would have waited for a trip to Target or Walmart to get it. They mark `em up quite a bit at our neighborhood tower.
I was happy to hear Andrew announce the single entry lock feature as I'm seriously considering a private smut diary. I'm afraid to try it out as I suspect it was built for regular style entries rather than the blog type I do, and I don't care to lock down a whole month of entries. Hmmm, now that I look, I don't even see the checkbox. In any case, after this last week, I think I'd like to start documenting that big chunk of my life that I don't care to go on the public record.
My mind was wanderin' this morning when I woke up. I've got many things goin' on right now and I can't seem to keep on top of them. Feels like I'm trying to ride a wave, but end up floundering in the surf. I thought about how still the depths must be, and wondered if I could breathe down there. blow out all my air and just sink. Then suck in sea water and breathe it's thick salty cold. Calm still deep and powerful. I thought about drowning13 and how I must cross paths with him, but will never know who he is. I think about him in the bottom of the sea in secret motel. I need a place to live.
Very busy day at work today. Rushed home to finish cleanup and setup for BOSF Game Night. I got done sooner than I thought, and had a little free time. Game night was great. `bout two dozen guys showed up--most times I get more than thirty. The guys were not too awfully messy tonight, so I was able to get all the trash and recycling down to the basement and taken care of. Fluffy Richard came back 15 minutes or so after he left. Seems his truck got towed. Worst part was his dog was in there and due for a walk. I drove him down to the Hall of Justice to get his truck back.Tip of the day: Galliano + Red Bull. Last night I unpacked a Galliano gift basket I got while I was Field Beverages Manager for Pride last summer. In addition to a bottle of Galliano, there was a recipe sheet. Tonight it occured to me that Game Night will be the last big shin dig before I move, and I should get rid of some liquor. I remembered one of the recipes was 2oz Galliano plus a can of Red Bull over ice. I was suprised by how good it is. I walked a half block to 7-11 where Red Bull was on sale 3/$5USD and bought some and came home and fed Smiley Steve and Darwin cocktails.
I walk down the echoing hall
The space grows emptier by the day
It used to be home
There is no comfort here now.
After reading Jump154, I've been thinkin' more about relationships. There're are plenty of folks I'm jealous of. Good folks that I'm happy to see together. Gives me lots of hope that someday I'll be ready for a nice lifelong relationship.
Still, there are those pangs of jealousy, guilt, and akwardness when I see `em all comfortable and touchy.
I had a busy weekend this weekend. I was writing about it in great detail, but deleted it. I know what happend, and its too much for a paragraph. I'll either have to write more often, or just skip. I got some good lovin' and cuddle time in, (Thanks, Studly.) and still don't have a place to live come February 1.
Leigh and I went to dinner at Orphan Andy's this evening. I had hoped to drop by the Eagle afterwards to find Tom and the usual cigar crew, but it is rainy and cold and I had chores to do, so I stayed in. I've got laundry goin', and am setting things up to transport to work tomorrow morning. Better to move some things to work now, than to move many things all at once later.Friday Five answers.
1) I've just arrived at my office, which is on the 24th/top floor of a financial district highrise in San Francisco.
2) It's about a quarter to eight in the morning.
3) I'm wearing the usual work attire, which consists of Carhartt washed duck tool pants (today's are the orangy brown color) and a flannel shirt (today's is a green and black small hounds toothy print). Underneath is the usual JC Penny's Stafford t-shirt, white 2xist fly front briefs and green thorlo socks. Oh and Rocky "Code Red" boots today `cause it's raining.
4) Other cube jockies around me, and two snails in a small aquaruim on my desk.
5) Plans for this weekend include brining stuff into work tomorrow morning, hosting an IBR table decortation building at my flat tomorrow afternoon, meeting Irish Ed at Planet Big Sunday for dancing dinner and pontential roommate discussion, and looking for a place to live.
I had several oppertunities to think about age and relationships today. Also alot of age angst thoughts. I've always tended to favor 40s plus guys, even in my total ignorance and denial stages. There is just somthin' about the calm, steady, settled ways of grown men that I find attractive. For some reason, I've always thought of 40 as the start of that kind of life, and I've always looked forward to bein' there. It's odd for me to read about guys who have experiences like Badger `cause when I was 20 something in Miami and wanted nothing more that to be with a big furry mature man, I couldn't seem to get their attention any more than I could walk on the moon. When I moved to the Castro at 27, I only knew two guys younger than me. At 30, I'm "just a puppy" in most of my social circles. Seems I'm too old to be a boy toy, and too young to be considered for a realtionship.With the loss of stability in my home life recently, in addition to the big changes at work this winter, I've been cravin' for a partner somthin' fierce. Sombody to sleep next to and talk to and make pie for. Somebody who's gonna be with me tomorrow and next month and ten years from now. Unconditional and shameless and consistent. `course the very fact that I crave a partner in a time of crisis worries me. Lord knows I want to be the man I long for before I partner up with him. To have my own calm stable core built right in. Grrr...My guess is that as much as I'd like to believe some folks are like that, the truth is everybody hurts and needs just the same. No conclusion here, and really no point. There really doesn't need to be.
Thanks to Duff for lettin' me know that he's diggin' deep into my website and readin' all that "content."
Thanks to TMB "O" for not only bein' a good sport under fire, but bein' sparkly and wonderful enough to own the joke and make it oh-so-much better.
Yesterday was 2001, today is A Long Time Ago. This is Powell Street Station. It's hard to get the perspecive here, but it looks like somewhere you'd expect Storm Troopers to try to capture a Princess.Lots of meetings today, another dinner date/roomie cancel (the forth in two weeks), and still no place to live.
Clair sent me lots of pictures though, so it's all good now.
Someone also sent me this picture. While I have absolutly no proof or even good rumors to back it up, I've convinced myself it is TMB. (big sheepish grin) �See the resemblance? Of course you do. Not all bald gay guys look alike. �Woof!
Update:LaBret Tom has informed me that George Lucas did actually do some filming in the not yet in operation BART system for his first feature film, THX 1138.
This is the first thing I see as I'm coming up out of the subway on my commute to work. At the top of the stairs at the odd little 54� angle corner, there are almost always armed grunts with an armored vehicle of some sort when I arrive in the morning. Sometimes I wonder if someday one of them is going to pull out a huge jawbone and whack me.The space I saw on Sunday and loved is no longer a posibility. The guys that live there were kind enough to call and say their moving roomate is staying longer than first planned. I got a tip that Classic Pete has a recent vacancy in his house, and got in contact with him. Going to see that space sometime this weekend. I also stopped by a nice flat advertized on Craig's List and met Ricky and Ahhh...wonderful woman who's name begins with E. I love them, but now am having doubts if I can fit the stuff I need to keep in that space. My second try for dinner with Dennis is tomorrow. I'll see the room Ralph Wolf is moving out of.
I have too many things to do this week than I can possibly get done in the hours alloted. I think I'll ask for Thurday or Friday afternoon off to go get IBR table decoration supplies for the "building" open house I'm hosting Saturday. Grrrr....busy busy bear these days. I am SO looking forward to the arrival of March.
The problem with sticking your neck out and sharing plainly in a public forum is that not everyone likes you. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to include my web address in e-mails to all the room for rent ads I've responded to.Someone told me today that they looked at my website and didn't think we'd be compatible. They said it in a condesending, mildly disgusted sort of way. I wonder how much and which parts they actually looked at.
Jump is bored today, so I'm hoping this gives him something to read.
The holistic folk tell me if you want to feel conected, just take deep, full breaths. They say it helps if you blow out all the old air in the bottom of your lungs before drawing in new. I do this, but I still want to read diaries and chat online. I bet Buddha never had to deal with the Internet.
Not only did I not post this weekend, I didn't get done even half the chores I had hoped to. Stuff I need to be rid of by way of WOW, Community Thrift, rummage sale and Leigh all still sit neatly lined up in the hall.What's worse is I had two beautiful riding days and only got on the bike once to go to the Eagle Friday night for the ususal cigar thing, then right up to Twin Peaks, and a �Where the hell am I? ride home after I came down from the summit on the wrong road.
Still no house yet. I went and looked at a beautiful space Yesterday morning that I would rent in a cold minute. The flats folk are showing the space to other folks, and will get back to me. I would love to have it--just a matter if I get choosen. Tonight I'm having dinner with a friend who will have a vacancy come the 15th. Its a more pricy place, but I'm so worried about a place to live right now anyplace is a good place.
I'm not going to mention how many hours I played Rachet and Clank this weekend.
Per usual, I went to DrewBear.Com to check my work and links, but it seems ATT.Net, who hosts my webstuff, is hosed this morning. Grrr...
Tired tonight. Short entry.Work was good today. Also got some more IBR chores nailed down. I've still not found a place to live, but had a contingency confirmed. So I know I will have SOMEPLACE to live if worst comes to worst.
I'm learning the hard way that all the other bears are blogging on LiveJournal. Nice ursine community there. I initially choose DiaryLand `cause it seemed easier to manipulate the html and use it as a frame in my website. Then again, those Bears don't get to read the likes of SquirrelX or RoadiePig. They seem more entry by idea and less good story tellin'.
�Enough Thought! Must Sleep.
I the city and county of San Francisco it is much easier to get a remodel permit than to get a new construction permit. So much easier that folks will go to any number of lengths to modify the crappy old building and try to make it into something nice. That's the case for this house on the corner of my block. If you look in the garage, you can see that they've completly gutted it, and are fixin' to raise it a story.Sister Betty, the soul who got me thinkin' about bloggin' mentioned me yesterday. I'm oh so glad to see he's updating. Hmm...useful insightful content. I should get more of that.
Work today went well, I got a couple of difficult chores done. The dinner date/potential roomate got sick and cancelled, so I've got some free time this evening to catch up on chores at home.
I've just been informed that my flat has been rented out. That collapses any possibility of me findin' roomates and stayin'. One less thing to think about. Must find new place to live.
New Year's Eve was great. I went over to Jeff & John's White Trash New Year's eve potluck. My favorite dishes were the kitty litter cake (with hidden tootsie rolls), and the "spamsushi" rolls--made with grits instead of rice. It was a great multiflat party with all the best from my DancingBear and LoneStar friends.At about 10:15, I wandered over to the Lone Star and hooked up with Polar Bear John and Greg & Greg. �Woof! Much drunkeness ensued. I ended up wandering home at about 1:15, then stopped at Orphan Andy's for breakfast before bed. I still have heartburn. Grrr...
Tonight will be dancing at the Mass Recovery party. It's a pajama party sort of deal, and I still haven't decided on union suit or flannel pajama bottoms. Time will tell.
I'm with TMB that resolutions and whatnot should be evaluated regurlarly and New Years is an arbitrary point in time. On the other hand, since everyone else is doing it now, it's a good time to bring goals forward and speak out on them so I can be held accountable for them. My current focus for life goals is to sparkle and bring joy to folks, live a life without shame, try to work with the studdering mush I become in the presence of uberwoofy men, and learn at least two new practical physical world skill sets. (like maybe a woodworking class, speak scottish gaelic, motorcycle maintenance, etc). What I want most in life is a big furry bastard to sleep next to every night, but that'll have to work itself out in it's own way, and in it's own time. No resolution or goal needed.
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