Saw It, Did It

So. on the agenda today was playing tourist in San Diego. The first stop was a yarn store, which yielded more Noro Taiyo, the yarn I am seriously addicted to. Now onto the good stuff.

My partner-in-crime and I went down to Ocean Beach. First stop: bizarre $2 store with clothes and DVDs and CDs. I could not help wondering where this stuff came from. Then we went to this strange, cool sort of gallery/shop full of Japanese art and antiques...vases and kimonos and netsuke and you-name-it. Got to overhear a conversation in which the very patient counter dude tried repeatedly to explain to the two guys who brought a piece of pottery in that it was Chinese, not Japanese, and he as not an expert on Chinese anything, and could not help them. Again and again. They finally got the hint and left. Poor guy. Next stop was Taco Stand and the guy we have dubbed "Butt-Crack-Guy-With-Bleeding-Tattoo-Guy". He wa on a pause from getting a tattoo on his ribcage worked on and came out for a smoke. His pants were so low he was expoing a good 4" of buttcrack with blood trickling down his side. And he got into an agrument with a guy who ultimately walked away and flipped him off (and I'm pretty sure Angry Dude was someone I knew waaaaay back when).

Next stop was Sunset Cliffs, one of my favorite places in the world. There are these amazing sandstone cliffs that people carve in, names and pictures and whatever else, and when the water comes in over them, it forms natural tidepools. We took a ton of pictures and got lucky because there were a gazillion crabs out, all sizes and colors, including one nomming on the leg of a dead one. Yes, an itty bitty crab eating fresh crab legs.

After we got ice cream and headed out we went to play tourist in the tourist mecca of Old Town San Diego. We walked around, visited a bunch of little touristy shops, and visited a nifty little shop with UV color change stuff, including nail polish that changes from silver glitter to ruby red glitter in sunlight. Dinner was a pile of amazing tacos and chips on homemade tortillas. Two hours later, w headed home. I am a tired camper.

Other highlights:
Dia de los Muertos dolls in the following themes:
Michael Jackson
Drag Queens
Superman

and more that I am much to tired to remember now....

So Here I am, Semi-Agenda'd

So here I am in overcast, soon to be sunny CA, with only a semi agenda. Weekend was spend with my mom. Saw new Karate Kid movie, which was really very good. I came away with a few things: 1. China is a beautiful country full of tragic contrasts. 2. Jackie Chan still has it. 3. An eleven-ish year old boy has more drive in his right pinkie than I have had in my entire body for my entire life.

Drove down the coast yesterday with pauses in Encinitas, a lovely little crunchy granola beach community with a seeming 1:1 ratio of yoga studios and italian restaurants and a fabulous yarn store, San Elijo Beach (because it had free parking and was there), La Jolla (with a pleasant but unintended visit with old friends), and a drive along Windandsea and Pacific Beach. While many San Diegans were cursing on the jampacked freeway, I was driving on a lovely side road, going faster (ok, going 25 but still faster than the freeway and much more pleasant--why did I not do that more when I lived here? Was in too much of a hurry I guess. I think I have gotten over that.) and realizing that I am exceeding glad I was not riding the buses I was passing). Had a great dinner with an old friend (California Pizza Kitchen Mixed Mushroom Pizza which was the shiz), landed safely at my cousin's place with only a few detours (please note, when someone tells you the street is Golden Terrace, it is really Gateside. Just sayin')

Today includes Old Town and Ocean Beach, which my cousin has not been to, and something called Taco Tuesdays, which I'm sure will leave me tonight going "What the he-double-hockey-sticks was I thinking?"

Thank You Weather Gods

Well, thanks to whoever ordered the storms that rolled through today, I did not get out to pick up my contact lenses, which makes tomorrow's lunch break a bit more hectic than I had planned. Bigger problem....I have no idea what was already planned for it.

Work task list done. Made yummy dinner. Centerpiece was sauteed squash, fresh garden squash (not from my garden...I do not have one....I am not responsible enough) that was almost sugar sweet. Dear Partner is setting up netbook. Found out hat he made for Henry Rollins was delivered...hopefully it will keep his head warm next winter. He is now the proud owner (we hope) of a hat knitted by a genuine homosexual born and raised in Alabama. Yee-haw. Not me. I don't do hats. Too much work, takes too long, and I don't get the whole needles connected by cables thingy.

Another thing on this week's agenda....fire my Fantasy Nascar Team. My standing in my fantasy league is in the toilet. I would like to climb out of the crapper sometime before the Chase begins. If you don't know what I am talking about, you can visit nascar.com. If you don't care what I am talking about, well, phhhhhhhhfffffffffffttttt.

Not The Best Day on Record

A good friend's father suddenly died this morning. Sort of put a damper on the day. Plus my Dear Partner was sidelined with a nasty migraine.

But this is what we have knitters for. Our Monday Night Knitting Group is full of wonderful people who make each other feel a little bit, or a whole lot, better. For these people, and our groupies, I am eternally grateful.

MC, I love you and will miss you, but I am glad you have your family to return to. Take care of each other, and we will see you on your next trip South. Remember that you have people here who adore you.

PS I got my netbook. I can now travel with a computer that is slightly lighter and smaller than my at-home brick. Tomorrow is laying out and pre-packing for trip. Sort of feel guilty about squeeing when one of my friends is hurting, but MC will understand. SQUEEEEEEEEE!

Another One Bites the Dust

Today was a mix of fail (other people's) and wins (mine):

Lunch: I ordered chopped steak with peppers and cheese, add mushrooms, no onions, no seasoning. I specifically said I am allergic to pepper, black pepper, so no seasoning. And.....I get a chopped steak glowing with seasoning, pepper, no cheese, and a bowl of highly spiced marinated mushrooms. Mom's stir-fry? Raw veggies barely warmed. Goddess bless the waitress and manager who comped the meals. I mean, it's one thing to get something a little wrong. But that was epic FAIL.

Shopping: Sundays at WalMart. This is pretty much a family tradition not to mention an acceptable social outing in the South. WIN on work shirts I had been hunting for, plus a few other items.

At mom's: I HAD A RED POPSICLE. WIN. This just sort of made my day. Oh, and we found cool stuff on side of the road junk piles throughout the day, for us and friends.

At home: made four kinds of nut candy after giving the turtle his weekly de-algae-ing scrub. He just sits in my hand and lets me go at him with a kiddie toothbrush. WIN.

Upcoming vacation: Usually I have to leave San Diego on Sunday morning. This year at Comic-con, the GLEE (my favorite TV show) presentation is on Sunday, which would usually mean a lot of cussing from me. BUT, since I am on a red-eye out, I get to see the GLEE panel, even if I have to camp on a chair in the room and knit for three hours to make sure I have a seat. BIG TIME WIN.

So to sum up today's gay agenda....eat, shop, pick stuff up off side of road to reuse/repurpose, cook, squee. Take that, haters.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I ---- you, tomorrow....

Today was good. People bought my goodies at the arts/crafts show. I got my new laptop. Waiting on netbook for next week's sales. Decided BN was not the place to be. Got lunch (thank you Atlanta Bread Company for pretending I was 12 and selling me a nummy kid's meal) and went backpack shopping.

You see, five years ago I bought a backpack for $5 on clearance at Hot Topic. I did not care that it as Linkin Park (who I like, but not enough to buy their merch). I cared that it was big, black, and heavy canvas. 5 years and numerous travels later, plus much daily use hauling everything from books to yarn, it is dying. I don't believe it will survive my upcoming trip, not with a daily 15lbs of stuff in it and my usual rough-ish handling. Two pockets are torn, one strap is about to come off. I will get it repaired, but in the meantime I found a new bag with nearly as many nooks and crannies. A little smaller and much pricier, tho, without the coolness of bring from the 50% off the 50% price Clearance rack.

Also, I discovered Target with 75% off a bunch of their dollar stuff. I am now in possession of several months worth of batteries and plastic bowls (not to be used together), leashes for a local animal shelter, and toys for a local kids tutoring center. So I guess that sort of makes up for paying full price for something else, which I positively LOATHE doing. A local guy recommended a military surplus store for a backpack, but this is Alabama. In California I'd think nothing of it, but here those places scare me. For real.

My partner spent the day dyeing yarn and came home with some lovely work and with a minimum of vinegar stink, for which I am very grateful.

Tomorrow is Mom day, my last one for two weeks, and we were off most of last Sunday and 1/2 of the Sunday before, so tomorrow should be interesting, and I hope relatively drama-free. I see my mom next weekend, which is always an adventure. I will have seen her three times in the last 10 months, which is a record for the last 18 years. 2 times per year used to be the norm.

See kids? Once again, the homo proves to be ridiculously normal.

On Queue for Today

Art Show at the The Flying Monkey if I ever get off the computer (flyingmonkeyarts.org), get new laptop, go sit in BN and read a new hardback in my favorite series (the Pendergast books by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child) that I am too cheap to buy. Big gay...I mean big DAY.

Non-Fail Day

So, the library did not completely fail me on music today, although they were lacking in Aerosmith and KISS, which I desperately needed. The post office was reasonably fast and I got Sweet, although the 70cents for delivery confirmation was a nasty surprise. But worth it, to make sure that Neil Patrick Harris's socks and hat and scarf and Henry Rollins's hat at least get delivered. Yes, you read that right. NPH tweeted that he wanted socks (among other things) for his birthday, and our knitting group delivered three pairs, plus a hat and an Alabama scarf, not because I am a particular Bama fan, but because it was in my inventory and the package is from, well, Alabama.

Then there was the case of The Graphic That Just Would Not Cooperate Due To A Program Turning My Lovely HTML Into Spaghetti Code But Finally Submitted to My Will, followed by a trip to the gym and a chat with the only person I like who works there, who convinced me to at least come back until my paid contract runs out and offered to run interference if the meatheads there give me trouble.

Night ended with a yummy dinner of steak and baked potato. I should be knitting or crafting but I am just not feeling it.

Ah, the Post Office

On today's agenda are trips to the post office, bank, and library.

The bank I can handle. The post office, depends on who is there. My regular location has three clerks-Sweet, Surly, and Senile, but since packages have to fly ( Henry Rollins and NPH, check your mailbozes in the next few days) and I am too cheap to UPS, I deal with it. I also have to go to the library, where I live in fear of Doddering Old Guy Who Works in CD Area And Always Wants To Walk When I Just Want To Search Music And Be Left Alone.

I am smart. I travel with a book, which helps when the PO is overrun, which is usually when I am there, doesn't matter what time I go. I'm tempted to wear headphones to the library, but I hate being That Guy, the one who wears headphones in a veiled attempt to block out people, but you gotta understand, this guy is really annoying. But at least I am rewarded with the smells.

Old post offices and libraries of all ages have that smell. You know it if you've ever been in one. I wonder if it comes pre-bottled and they pay the janitors to spritz it around. They are going to have to, if all the gloom-and-doomers who are predicting the end of books and postal service are proved right. Can you imagine a world without the musty scents of old books and cardboard boxes?

So What's Happening Today

You know, I think I need to enter this.

http://www.everymanchallenge.com/everyman-challenge/Contests.aspx

I have duct tape. And knitting needles. And yarn. And while I am lacking in beer cans and other manly decor, someone has to represent the sneaky crafty gays who sit on their arses and channel surf, doncha think?

The Inaugural Post

So, my hope and dream is that some day some right-wing nut job will find my big gay agenda and be sorely, sadly disappointed that it is filled with such mundane things as working, knitting, going to art shows, cooking, reading books, playing with my animals, hanging out with my partner and our friends, and other things that are so mind-numbingly ordinary that their poor little brains just can't deal (ok, occasionally there may be a picture of me in a yarn wig, but trust me, that's a fluke, not a scheme).

See, I'll let you in on a little secret. Either The Big Gay Mafia is not letting us little homosexuals in on all the details, or we are otherwise missing the boat. An Alabama politician recently accused gays of attacking the courts. I never got the message, and like most of my brethren, I was probably too busy trying to earn a paycheck to play pit bull at a some courthouse.

Fact of the matter is, my Big Gay Agenda is probably no different from most gay (and straight) people's....live decently, have some fun, get some sleep, try not to do bad things. I'll try to post regularly, really I will. Because really, the whole world needs to know about The Big Gay Agenda. Really.