Christmas Eve, the Strange Way

I hope you all had a great weekend.   Mine was pretty awesome, and I’d like to thank my friends at Strange Manor for that.   They had a party on Saturday, Christmas Eve, and I think that it’s safe to say that a good time was had by all.   The food was yummy, the liquor was flowing, and the karaoke machine was blaring.

The highlights of the evening had to be:

A living room full of various people singing along to Desmond Dekker’s The Israelites in karaoke.  Kudos to Vic for having it.

Chad walking about in the sexy man bikini underwear.

The Clark Griswald-esque lights on the neighbor’s home.

Avi’s late night, party to the bitter end, Micheal Jackson dance moves.

My terrible attempts at singing, including Abba’s “Dancing Queen”

Being the last to pass out, and the first to sneak out in the morning.

So, I would like to thank the folks of the Manor which is Strange, and also a home base for so many of us.   I’ve always enjoyed the times I’ve had at your place, and I appreciate you opening your home to me on several occasions.   Thanks for helping to make Christmas merry.   If I don’t see you before, have a Happy New Year’s Eve!

Current mood: grateful

I stepped on something

Last night, I walked out onto my back patio, barefoot. Big mistake. You see, it’s been raining. It’s been storming and raining. And the infamous TI winds had blown over my little plant. So, I tiptoed across the concrete to right it. It was dark, and I guess I wasn’t really paying attention. On the way back to the back door, I felt something slimy under my toe. I guess the rain had brought the slugs out. If you know me, you know my weaknesses are slugs and snails. I can deal with some spiders. I catch those bad boys, and release them outside. But slugs. UH UH! No way! So, unless you were spying on me, you missed out on a spectacular mini-freak out. I lept back into the apartment, and wiped all over the carpet, squirming all the while. I jumped up and down a few times. And then, slowly, I turned my foot over, to make sure that he hadn’t hitched a ride somehow. Bllleeeehhhhh. I hate slugs. I’ll probably be one in my next life. I hope no one pours salt on me.

Where am I supposed to be standing?

I noticed at a party the other day that I have returned to my awkwardly hovering ways.  I never seem to be in the right place at gatherings, or in the right conversations.   So, I end up standing there, pretending to look at something, trying really hard to be distracted.   Or at least look distracted enough so that people don’t wonder why I’m standing there, near by a conversation, but not quite in it.   So please, if you see me standing close at hand, staring a little too hard at your Christmas tree or bean dip, say ‘hi’.   Maybe it’ll snap me out of it.

Penguins

I’ve decided that Penguins are my new favorite animals.   Just watched March of the Penguins.   I’d give it more than two thumbs up, if I had more thumbs.   And I’m not just saying that because one of my companies promoted it, and the other one sells it.   Seriously, go buy it because it’s good, not because of my own need for job security.

Clam rocks

So, out of the blue, one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known, Clam, just randomly showed up in town.  We went tromping all over town drinking, which is not really something I’ve ever done.  It was so much fun.    Even on a Monday.   We were in the Haight, and then we were in North Beach.   I found my new favorite bar, with an awesome rockabilly band that plays every Monday, The Bachelors.   I feel good now.    I’m all giggly.    Beer is good.     Thanks, Cameron.

Current mood: drunk

Yesterday!

Firstly, I would like to apologize for not writing an entry for so long.   I have neglected my regular and not so regular readers alike.    Which brings me to an unrelated request.   I think you should ‘subscribe’ to my blog.    Why, you ask?   Because I like to fool myself into believing that people are actually interested in reading this.

So, yesterday was the best day.   Some of you may not agree with my reasons for believing this, but well, you’re allowed to be wrong.

I was working, which would normally land me in a pretty fowl mood.    But yesterday was different.   Yesterday was a day that will go down in the books.

I logged on to my lovely online banking (at work, oohhhh I’m so bad) and saw how much money I had available, and decided that it was about time I dealt with something.   I had the money, and it was time.  

Yesterday, I paid off the last of the loan for my Freshman year of college.

Now, of course, I still owe a shit-ton for the other three years, but hey, baby steps, you know.    Being able to say that I no longer owe any financial institution for any portion of “the Miami year” is big to me.    Plus, it was ten years ago.   That’s enough to make you think.   And so, I thought to myeself, “hey self, what do you think of all this, of the year you spent, the money it cost you, and the value of it all?”  But then somebody handed me another invoice, and I didn’t have time to go into it.

The second reason why yesterday rocked:   the shoe finally dropped.   The thing that I had been waiting for since I began working at Real Branding finally happened, and now, I can finally stop worrying about it.

Yesterday, I ran into a wall at work on a Razor scooter.

This is the part where you would probably disagree with my assesment of this event as being positive, but again, I remind you, you’re wrong.   First off, it was pretty artful.   I mean, how many other people do you know that are so spectacularly uncoordinated that they could manage it.   Secondly, it was hillarious.   I was zipping down the hall, I even said “weeeee” as I passed the reception area, and then, THUD!   Finally, no one got hurt.    I hit the wall, and immediately began cracking up, as my co-workers, who hadn’t seen it, but heard it, all came running to see if I was all right.    Of course, they were a little perplexed about how I managed to do it, and I don’t want to bore you with the details, but the simple answer was, and is, simply: I am a spaz.   And now, I’m a spaz with a gnarley bruise on my shoulder.

As for Today.   Well, who knows?   I’m going to work at my other job, hocking CDs and DVDs at the mall.    Could be cool.    Oh, and after that, I’m driving (not scooting) up to Davis to hang out with Froggy and see Monkey play.   As Froggy said, going back to the beginning.      I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what the day has in store for me.   
Current mood: accomplished

Playlist: Oi to the World
By Vandals
Release date: 08 October, 1996

Pain sucks

Okay, I know I complain about my job a bit, but here’s the deal: it’s now causing me physical pain.   As a result of not having a very good chair or desk, I have some pinched nerve stuff happening.   My whole right arm is either in pain or is tingling or going numb.    I’m having trouble feeling the tip of my pinkie.    It sucks most because I am right handed.   My arm feels like it’s dying.

See, this is the thing about my boss.   He doesn’t realize that when you ask people to work overtime and to do too much, they’re more likely to hurt themselves.   So now, there’s a real likelyhood of me being on worker’s comp.   Who’s going to balance the petty cash then, hhmmm?

Oh, plus I got a really nice compliment yesterday from one of our partners, and when I brought it up to him, he said, “oh yeah, I saw that.”  That’s it.  No kudos.   No cookie for a job well done.

I hate it here.

You know (Madness/Aggrolites)

    I don’t even care that it’s almost six on a Friday evening and I probably have another hour or two at work.

That’s how good that Madness show was on Wednesday.   It was so good that even my shit job doesn’t seem so bad, and nothing can put me in a bad mood.

In fact, the only way I could be happier is if I got a good phone call tonight or tomorrow.

But seriously, that show went off.   I can’t even begin to describe how good it was to you.   I wouldn’t know where to start.  All I know is, when they broke into “House of Fun,” I nearly peed myself.   I was jumping around like an idiot in the pit in a way too nice dress for such behavior, and I nearly passed out, and I didn’t even care.    Hot damn that was good times.    Two feet away from Madness.   And The Aggrolites opened.   They were the poo, as usual.

If you don’t know who The Aggrolites are, you need to find out.

If you don’t know who Madness is, I’m ashamed to know you.   Get yourself to the nearest record store (CD store, whatever we’re calling it now) and find out.

I’m set for life now.

Current mood:  chipper

Playlist:  Shame & Scandal
By Madness
Release date: 23 August, 2005