2007-06-30 
 

opening night

The song Be My Guest from Beauty and the Beast has been waltzing through my head most of the day. I can't tell if it's annoying or not.

In other Disney (and Pixar) related news, G convinced me to see Ratatouille tonight, and I'm very glad that he did. Not that I didn't want to see it, but we rarely see a movie on opening night because of the crowds and lines and general anxiety of being too late. Okay, my anxiety about being too late has a tendancy to drain the fun from an evening like a rat sucking on a grape. (see the movie)

Tonight went very smoothly, as if the universe was greasing the wheels for us. Random free parking spot just half a block from the theatre. Immediate seating in a very busy Mel's Drive in that had a line waiting in front just five minutes after we were seated. After dinner, a short 20 minute wait in a line that was only 15 people long when we joined. By the time they filtered us up the escalator, the line was snaking around the building. Easy to grab seats in the double wide legroom section. Very funny movie with an appreciate San Francisco audience. Cuddly company. (that would be G, not the rats, though the main character does display the prerequisite look that will translate very well into a plush toy) Overall, a great night out.

But Be My Guest is still buzzing in the background. I think I'll just kick back and enjoy it.

Other than the obvious, and in this day and age almost necessary, merchandising potential, I have to say, Brad Bird's done it again. Ratatouille gives off a different vibe than The Incredibles, but it's no less interesting.

I give this movie 9 gourmet cheeses out of 10.

Labels: dose of mikey, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:27 AM

(0) comments



2007-06-28 
 

keep on laughing

warning, stuff ahead that certain people may find to be TOO MUCH INFORMATION about Mikey...if you think that's you, please go here instead. If you're curious, but unsure, the first paragraph is pretty safe, but I'm not liable for any TMI if you put 2+2 together.

Now that they're gone. Tonight, while watching television, I started to giggle manaically over some random joke. It felt good to laugh after being stressed out all day, and I thought it would be fun to keep it going. I used a visualization technique that I've developed and kept laughing, spurts of giggles that made life seem so wonderfully happy for about 15-20 minutes. There was a lovely afterglow effect too. Sort of like when you were a kid and spun on the sit and spin until you were about to puke, but fell off just in time. (Anyone who has not experienced that can't understand, but it's a wonderful feeling when you're six.)

The trick in question was something I worked out in.......another part of my life in order to extend another pleasurable feeling. Here's where the curious, but suddenly over informed ought to leave. It allows me to concentrate on that feeling and get it to continue for much longer than normal. (Yes, I'm talking about sex here, but I'm not getting more explicit than that so it's pretty safe from here on out. As I mention in the first paragraph, the technique seems to work for any intense feeling you might have. Yes, I really was giggling like an insane man in front of the television tonight...no going back and reinterpreting.) If you've practiced guided meditation...or other things of that nature, this probably won't be too hard to try out. I also make sure I'm in a space where I remember that everything in the universe is interconnected. I'm curious as to whether it would work for someone else, but pretty sure somebody holding that truth for themselves is going to have an easier time.

What I do is close my eyes at the moment the feeling starts and imagine that it's a little orb of light directly above the center of my forehead. Concentrating on the orb, I move it around in a counterclockwise direction nine times (pretty quickly, but not so fast that you lose "hold" of the orb.)

At the ninth swirl I experience a pretty large "after-shock" of the feeling. At that point I can keep swirling, a bit more slowly and get several more aftershocks.

It's sometimes hard to keep the circle going, and if my concentration is off, I've had it fail. (which is almost the reverse feeling of when it does work...like I've been blocked, but it works more times than not. I also noticed that as long as 30 minutes after stopping, I've been able to concentrate again and create another aftershock, albeit a minor one.

I call the technique widdershins. This is partially because I've always loved that word since first discovering it in my foray into Wicca, but mostly because it sounds more mysterious than counterclockwise.

For those of you who still feel that I've given TMI and could have concentrated on the technique just using the giggles for an example, I did think of that. The thing is that I don't think the gigglathon tonight would have happened if I hadn't first practiced and perfected it...elsewhere where the feeling is incredibly intense to begin with.

Labels: dose of mikey, spirit

* posted by me at 2:00 AM

(0) comments



2007-06-26 
 

the rest & best of the weekend

So, after it's inauspicious beginning, the weekend improved dramatically. G and I did end up spending some time in the gayborhood enjoying the vibe. Had steak frites at Chow out on the patio, wandered into Harvest for some birthday cupcakes, and then went to the movies. Shrek the Third, while amusing, doesn't quite stand as tall as the first two.

Deciding to make it a full on movie night, we got home and watched Marie Antoinette. Loved it. I remember it getting some mixed reviews, but can't quite imagine what the fuss was about. Was it deep? No. Did it tell me anything I didn't already know? No. Did it really make me want to see Versailles? Yes.

I gave myself today off as a bit of a birthday present. We made mac and cheese for lunch, did a bunch of crosswords and then went over to Baskin Robbins to cash in our free birthday cone coupons. Ended up down at Ocean Beach because it seemed like the right place to eat ice cream. Gorgeous day today. Walked up and down the beach well into the evening just talking and showing each other interesting flotsam and jetsam. We stayed long enough to watch the sunset and then took our chilled selves home to warm back up.

Reminder to those of you out there experiencing that event called "summer"...while there were some brave folk out there jumping in the waves, I had on jeans and a sweatshirt during our walk and never felt too warm.

All in all, turned out to be a pretty wonderful weekend.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, g, linkage, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:22 AM

(0) comments



2007-06-24 
 

pride

Planned on spending this weekend enjoying the various pride events and celebrating our birthdays, but ended up spending yesterday afternoon in the emergency room with G. (He's fine, turned out to be chest wall trauma which the doctor explained was mostly a painful nuisance and not something serious. With the help of some Vicodan he had a happy birthday after all.)

We did plan on going to the parade and celebration today, but an overflowing toilet has made it doubtful that we'll make it in time. I'm not too disappointed since the past 12 years have left me a bit jaded with the festivities, but it's good to remind myself that what we have here in SF is special, especially when small town America is still pulling crap like this.

via TNTP

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco

* posted by me at 5:22 PM

(0) comments



2007-06-20 
 

karmic account

G picked me up from work today and we swung by BevMo on the way home to pick up some libations for the double whammy weekend. (Pride and our BDays fall on the same exact days for the first, and possibly last time.)

Which reminds me. Anyone reading this, who isn't a stranger to me, is welcome to join in a gathering of friends and family on July 7th at my parents' house. Just give me a heads up so that we can plan for an extra burger or two.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled blog.

After getting back into the car, our arms laden with boxes of beer and the like, I settled into the seat and went over the receipt.

I've done this on occasion ever since Safeway mysteriously charged us for a bunch of diapers that certainly weren't in our cart. I probably wouldn't have noticed, but something about the total was bugging me so I checked. BOY! Diapers are expensive.

I had the same sort of feeling tonight that something wasn't quite right, and after looking over the receipt realized that they had forgotten to charge me for my 12 pack of Sam Adams. On sale for $9.99 it's not like I'll be the ruin of the BevMo empire, but something didn't feel quite right. That said we were comfortably settled into the ride home and the thought of turning back was not very pleasing.

So consider this my note to the universe that I do NOT accept this as karmic come around for the mischarged diapers. I plan to rectify the situation next time I'm in a BevMo. I like to keep a little coin in the karmic account.

In other news. Bunch of diapers? Batch of diapers? Bag of diapers? Gaggle of diapers? Just what does one call them...other than ridiculously expensive?

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, looking eastward

* posted by me at 9:10 PM

(0) comments


 

odd tune

Went out earlier this evening to run an errand. Left the stereo on some talk chat channel when we left, you know, because of the thieves and such. Came back to hear country music pumping through the open window. Not just any country music, but twangy, broken hearted, girl gone left me, and my dog done died country music.

Neighbor's might've been a bit confused, but it gave the night a nice surreal glow.

Labels: dose of mikey

* posted by me at 12:55 AM

(0) comments



2007-06-14 
 

metaphorical shoes

I just got home from work and want desperately to kick off my shoes and relax, but I know that we're about to go out again to do some errands.

Interestingly, this rather accurately describes my mental state over the past few days. There's still yet much to do.

Labels: dose of mikey

* posted by me at 10:47 PM

(0) comments



2007-06-12 
 

warm cookie

Watched Stranger Than Fiction last night and found it to be wonderful. Some, more cynical than myself, may find it predictable or point out that Will Ferrell doesn't so much act as he does manage to not act like his usual persona. That said, those people need to allow a little ray of hope into their lives once in a while.

It's like a warm cookie for a brain that's been eating too much of the store bought variety.

Labels: random review

* posted by me at 10:10 PM

(0) comments



2007-06-09 
 

nostalgic deja vu

Stumbled upon the website for Future Loop Foundation which is currently featuring the upcoming album Memories From a Fading Room.

While I've never encountered anything quite like this, it seemed almost too familiar to be brand new. Maybe I've just been a bit more nostalgic lately than in the past and this whole concept resonated especially strongly for me...or maybe I just wished I'd thought of the idea first.

Mark Barrot has taken family recordings/interviews from the 70's and paired them up with ambient music. Pairing this with old 8mnm family videos edited to the music makes for a rather brilliant experience. Of course, if ambient music makes you itch, I'd give this one a miss. Otherwise, check it out. the sea and the sky

Labels: linkage, looking eastward, memory lane, moving pictures, random review

* posted by me at 4:47 PM

(0) comments



2007-06-07 
 

mini reunion

M was in Oakland for a wedding this past weekend and I got a nice little bookend visit with her on either side. We caught up with A and L (and their adorable daughter).



This past weekend was actually our 15th year reunion, but none of us was on the east coast to celebrate. Kinda nice that the timing coincided.

In other M news, we talked...a lot, but it always seems that we end up with a million more things to say when it's time to part. She treated me to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. Actually the very first time I've been since coming to SF 12 years ago. Wonderful place, but a little tourist heavy. Still, we had a great time.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, san francisco

* posted by me at 5:00 PM

(0) comments



2007-06-01 
 

dapper

Saw a young man wearing a hat this evening. It made him look quite dapper.

I wish I could wear hats.

Rather, I wish I looked better in hats.

Hats just accentuate the fact that I've got a big ol' Charlie Brown head.

*sigh*

Labels: dose of mikey, seen and heard

* posted by me at 12:31 AM

(0) comments