2007-10-11 
 

trucking tired

Still haven't slept, but the truck is on its way. Not enough brain power to type, but the title kept flashing through my head and I needed to get it far away before finally falling into a deep sleep with dreams that have nothing to do with packing.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 11:58 PM

(0) comments


 

goodbye dear desk

Last post from my desk in the alcove. Yes, that time stamp is correct; it's just past six. We've been up all night doing last minute packing. Time for a couple hours rest before the truck comes. Must pack up my computer first though, and I wanted to type in one last post.

Many tales to tell, but too tired right now. Maybe tomorrow from another computer.

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 9:10 AM

(0) comments



2007-10-08 
 

pause

Took yesterday off from the packing mania. We both needed a bit of a break. Ended up walking through the Castro Street fair with TNTP. Beautiful day, good company, plenty of eye candy and chicken on a skewer. Yum!

Also confirmed that our sofa has a new home. (It was originally going to be a junker sofa that this couple was using in their "chill space" at the fair and would then dump when the festivities were over.) They decided to use their own sofa in the booth instead, and ours has a new living room to inhabit. It was very good to us, so I'm glad it's found a happy new home.

Oh dear, I'm anthropomorphizing the furniture. Just goes to show my current state of mind.

That was yesterday. This morning we got right back into it and packed up about half the kitchen. The second half awaits this afternoon. Oy!

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 3:21 PM

(0) comments



2007-10-06 
 

five and counting

Fifth day since I left the job. (Makes it sound like I ditched the mob.)

Oh, I'm a poet, and I didn't know it.

Sorry, moving does strange things to your brain. It must be all the cardboard dust or the remnants of several hurried memories being stuffed into the recycled boxes from craigslist. We have one box that has five different handwritings on it.

Seriously though, today I bit the bullet and put the couch on craigslist. Within twenty minutes, we had five hits and the couch is now someone elses problem.

All hail craigslist!

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 9:56 PM

(0) comments



2007-10-05 
 

fore!

Incoming! Boxes, boxes, boxes. Our apartment has become a maze through which we wind our way. All the time hoping one of the more precariously balanced boxes doesn't come crashing down.

Moving is not a good time for two pack rats to try to dump stuff. Out of the hundreds of books I've packed already, I've managed to remove four from the running. This hardly counts since three of them were old French grammar books from back in the 80s.

Clothes are also a problem. While it would be easy enough to follow the rule of tossing anything not worn in the past year, many of the clothes that would affect are oxfords and dress pants that may soon again become a necessary part of my daily work wear.

On a happier note, we were searching for some boxes listed on craigslist and ended up grabbing ice cream cones at Mitchell's. Best ice cream in San Francisco. Another advantage to moving away. Treating ourselves to to all the good things that will soon be far away.

That came out sounding a bit sad, not meant to be. I know there's plenty of good stuff waiting on the other side of the country.

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

* posted by me at 8:19 PM

(0) comments


 

three, is the magic number

Today, for the first time, I got a little panicky about the move thing. Not about the whole pick up my life and transfer it three thousand miles away part of it that one would guess I'd panic a bit over. No, I started worrying about boxes. Will we really have time to pack it all away in just a week?

The answer is, of course, yes. If we do a little bit each day, we should be fine. Anyone want a slightly used Ikea Couch? You cart it away and it's all yours.

In other news: Got a little nostalgic for the fun times I've had in the Haight while doing an errand today, so I snapped this as a little reminder.

Labels: 1000 words, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:02 AM

(0) comments



2007-09-28 
 

for the record

So, Monday is my last day after all. They've decided that they'd rather bump my assistant up and post her position than post mine. (I did my job of training her too well!) Seriously though, I'm pretty proud that she's going to step up. I did recommend it when I first talked about leaving back in August.

I'm sad that I'll no longer see certain coworkers on a regular basis, but overall I'm breathing a sigh of relief. It's definately time for a change, and this also means I can actually relax on the trip across country instead of having to check in a few times a day. (and be working on spreadsheets while G drives through beautiful scenery)

I can't deny that it's a bit of a stressor to have one of the safety nets pulled away, but there's still a few down below us so I won't fret too much.

Two weeks until Happy Trails time!

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing

* posted by me at 2:26 PM

(0) comments



2007-09-21 
 

myo mom

Off to G's neice's wedding, but wanted to post quick that Mom's in the paper today. Check out the article from the Patriot Ledger.

Labels: g, linkage, looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 4:33 PM

(0) comments



2007-09-13 
 

one of many

just one of many possible routes

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 1:32 PM

(0) comments



2007-09-08 
 

a little slice of crazybusy

Been in photoshoot prep hell for the past few weeks. Much easier process than it was in past years thanks to having an assitant manager. This means that I no longer have to pull 3-4 weeks of 12 hour days in order to get everything together, but it's still pretty hectic.

Talked about leaving with my manager. While, like any boss, he has seemed a bit crazy at times, he has also taught me much of what I know about how business works and has always been there for me over the years. He's offered to help me find interim jobs within the company if needed which is ultracool and a bit of a weight lifted from the moving scales that I've been trying to keep balanced.

Which brings me to the big day. Moving truck is tentatively scheduled to pick our stuff up on October 11th. We'll then spend a night in our empty apartment and then head east to Roseville for a last minute visit with G's parents and then northeast to Idaho to see Craters of the Moon. Then, if he isn't too busy playing golf, we'll head to Lincoln, Montanna for a quick hello to Uncle B.

I've always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore and that's on the way, so why not. Also hoping to stop in Wisconnsin to try some cheese. Please don't tell the California Cows as they're already quite sad about our departure.

In between now and then there's friends to have dinners with a wedding to attend and the aforementinoed photoshoot to manage. This always sounds glamourous because people think of this borderline NSFW image. But really it's a lot of this and this.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing

* posted by me at 3:38 PM

(0) comments



2007-09-01 
 

ch-ch-ch-changes

So, with my last day at work just a month away I feel more comfortable breaking the cone of silence.

Yes, I'm planning on October 1st as my last day...and it'll be a vacation day to boot! I had originally thought of giving the 28th of September as a last day, but October 1st will extend my health insurance for the full month. Of course, other things could happen in between, but we can't talk about that yet.

Regular visitors will also notice that I'm allowing Google Ads up above. Honestly, I love the PBS nature of an ad free site, but they seem unobtrusive and it's a bit of an experiment. I'd like to see if it "helps" the site climb up higher on random search results.

I'm also curious what ort of ads it'll generate. The most popular search words that lead to this site are:

MARGOT TENENBAUM
PRIDE FLAGS
LOVE
PEACE
DRUGS
and, oddly enough, INLAND

Well, I guess Margot Tenenbaum's an odd term to lead folks here as well since I've only mentioned her in one entry ages ago, but I can't imagine many sites that mention her, so I guess it makes sense that mine pops up pretty often in search results....

I stand corrected. I just googled "Margot Tenenbaum" and people are WAY obsessed with that movie. This site isn't even in the top ten pages of search results. Folks must be really into her if they're digging down past ten pages and still clicking through to see what's at the other end!

But I digress, the point is that I'll find it interesting to see what sort of companies those various popular search terms will hook up to. (and I can't pretend that I'm unaware of the fact that this entry itself should bump me up the Margot Tenenbaum ladder)

Oh, I also decided to install the blogger bar up at the top of the page. More because of the search function than anything else. I never got around to tagging the first 300 entries so it'll be helpful when I want to surf the archives.

Lastly, a special note to DUDE. As I powered through my stats pages looking for popular search terms, I noticed that this postcard page averages about 15-20 hits a month. Given that it's buried pretty deep, that's impressive. Also, markart does about the same. You should send me more jpgs and I'll post 'em.

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing

* posted by me at 5:44 PM

(4) comments



2007-08-28 
 

portents

I'm typing this late at night, or early in the morning depending on how you count it. We're about to head up the hill for a good view of the lunar eclipse.

Throughout history, folks have attributed many things to eclipses. Lunar eclipses in particular seem to point towards the end of days or ominous omens, mostly due to the blood red color she turns. For myself, whether by design or happenstance, a lunar eclipse has always signified a great change of some sort. Usually a good one too.

The cold-as-facts inner scientist may insist that the movement of stars and planets is regulated by physical and not mystical laws, but a big change is afoot in our lives and my inner shaman tells me to pay close attention to the dance of the stars and the feel of the wind on my face tonight as I gaze heavenward.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, spirit

* posted by me at 4:40 AM

(0) comments



2007-08-09 
 

angst

G and I are trying to enjoy the summer as much as possible, but super large flat panel televisions and jacuzzi tubs aside, it's getting a little angsty around here.

There are big changes in store for us, and while it's looming ever larger on the horizon, we feel the weight of a million things yet still yet to be done.

Excitement aside, we're searching for a fast forward button to help us with this next bit...or a last page of the chapter we could read to make sure it all comes out in the wash.

In semi related news, I got a review at work yesterday that'll make it easier to move onward when the time comes.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward

* posted by me at 2:15 AM

(1) comments



2007-07-28 
 

ever after

G and I attended a performance of Into The Woods the other night at CTA Crossroads Theatre in Walnut Creek. It's small venue in the suburbs and, I have to admit, my expectations weren't that high. That said, they really put on a good show. I've absorbed enough theater from various friends that I could go hypercritical on certain things, but I truly enjoyed myself too much to do that.

Grant you, I've always had a soft spot for this particular musical...and not just because I ended up sleeping with one of the princes after the first time I saw it in my early twenties.

Retro apologies to POC, with whom I was supposed to be visiting at the time...and gratitude too him too for not kicking me to the curb for being such a selfish prig. Would it help all 8 of my loyal readers to know that the gentleman playing the prince also played the part of the wolf? I mean, how could I resist? And he made me feel excited- Well, excited and scared. Point is that POC is one of my best friends and I haven't heard from the prince in well over a decade.

Into the Woods also accompanied me on my cross country odyssey and hearing songs from it usually fills my head with images of wide flat plains, Santa Fe, the Colorado Rockies and a certain corner of the Grand Canyon.

But I digress...back to the performance. I was very impressed by some of the actors. The Baker, in particular, sang beautifully and managed to look so sad towards the end that I wanted to jump up and give him a reassuring hug. (Yes, we were that close to the stage. Due a severe back up at the Caldecott Tunnel that added TWO HOURS to the normal 30 minute drive we were ushered in through the backstage area and into the front row. Only missed half of the first number and were rewarded with the ability to see the entire cast up close and personal.)

I also have to give a thumbs up to the witch. While I caught one or two of the other actors mimicking the intonation and/or actions that I know so well from the American Playhouse DVD version, the witch made that part her own. In my mind, no one will ever top Bernadette Peters' iteration, but very interesting to see a different take on it.

To sum up...I'd forgotten how much I love live theater. Between Into the Woods and last weeks' treat viewing of Kiki and Herb, my new goal is to see much more of it. Avenue Q will be in SF over the next few weeks and I'm going to try to coax G to see that one next.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, memory lane, random review, san francisco

* posted by me at 11:28 PM

(5) 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



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



2007-05-25 
 

hello from the harbor
originally written May 21st at 4pm...stupid trojan!


Well, I'm heading out to the airport on the harbor ferry. My super short trip back to Boston has been exhausting but worthwhile.

Thanks to the superb art direction of Dudette, we have a great picture of Gram with all six grandkids. That makes me happy. Had a good time at the wedding catching up with aforementioned cousins, and later got to spend time with Mom and Dad.

There's a bit more to tell, but the ferry's out on open water, so I'll leave it for later and enjoy the ride.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 5:27 PM

(0) comments



2007-05-23 
 

bwooooop! bwoooop!

That's the sound of the fire alarm at my cousin's wedding. Someone in the wedding party was being naughty and smoked out in the non-smoking hallway.

That's also the sound that explains my non posting. I have several on my cell phone that need to be transferred, but I got home to discover that my computer was experiencing technical difficulties. Poor baby has a trojan.

The thing that irritates me most is that the program it disguised itself as purported to be from a security company. Now, if I was of a less suspicious nature, I would've just assumed that my inhouse IT man had installed something new while I was gone. He's often installing nifty upgrades as a little treat for me so clicking on the button that would release little Greek computer code into my personal Troy would've been a rather natural thing to do. Sorry, that analogy sounded much better in my head, but somehow I now have a large question mark in my mind about the naming of a certain prophylactic company.

Anyway. Thankfully, something about the way the dialogue box read struck me as odd so I asked G before clicking. He's working on rolling the horse on out, but it'll take a bit. Until then, this post from his computer will have to keep me in the game.

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, looking eastward, rant

* posted by me at 10:33 PM

(0) comments



2007-04-20 
 

golden handcuffs

There's a lot to be said for my current job, but the thing that ties me most tightly to it is the flexible schedule. Not many jobs would allow me to be sitting here at home on a Friday afternoon relaxing. Instead, I'd be watching the clock tick away slowly to five o'clock.

I can only hope that wherever my next step takes me will have equal flexibility.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing

* posted by me at 7:20 PM

(0) comments



2007-04-02 
 

backpeddling for fun and profit

I never lived in MA under the Romney reign, but I paid enough attention to be wanting to do a little rant about the whole thing.

I'm going to save my energy, because this says it all in a much more succint manner.

Labels: looking eastward, rant

* posted by me at 10:37 PM

(0) comments



2007-03-27 
 

cloudbusting

I saw my first robins of spring this evening on my way home from work. They were hopping along in the grass at Park. It's the first time I remember noticing robins here in SF.

As a child, I thought them to be a sign of good luck and good things to come. I suspect a connection between the time of their appearance on New England lawns and the end of the school year which was now near enough to start anticipating. Whatever it was, I got the warm fuzzies tonight all over again.

Kate Bush, singing in my head:

I just know that something good is going to happen.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, memory lane, san francisco

* posted by me at 10:59 PM

(0) comments



2007-03-10 
 

mother's day comes early

If you know my Mom, you already realize what a wonderful and strong woman she is. She is definitely one of the blessings I have in my life.

If you don't, you can now find out at her new website! In it, she tells of her two decade struggle with Inclusion Body Myositis, a disease for which there is no cure and relatively little treatment. There's still many little tweaks we'd like to make, but I think it's safe to consider this a Beta launch. Check it out!

MYOMUSINGS

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, looking eastward, medical mystery, shout out

* posted by me at 5:59 PM

(0) comments



2007-01-12 
 

clear across the country

Took off from SFO earlier today, and the views were fog free for the first time in a while. I always love watching the city slowly sink away beneath me. It always looks so clean and unperturbed from that height. I sent down a silent "I love you." to G, who had returned home to one of those little buildings below after dropping me off at the airport. Then SF slided out of view and I amused myself by following along the waterways and trying to guess which towns lay below.

As the plane came in for a landing in Newark five hours later, the combination of cold, clear air and jet fuel exhaust made the lights below twinkle like stars. My legs were cramped from the non Jet Blue treatment, but I felt as if I was being welcomed in style.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward

* posted by me at 12:22 AM

(0) comments



2006-12-26 
 

how I ate my way through christmas vacation

Didn't want to post this all as it was happening since there's been a few robberies on my street over the past few weeks. I doubt the theiving parties stop in here, but still no sense in shouting from the computer tops that we were out of town.

Saturday/Sunday: Redeye into Logan where Dad met us. First cup of Dunkin's coffee and a chocolate donut. Yum.

Spent the day recovering from flight and had a lovely dinner with the family. Barbecue pork. Yum.

Monday: Shopped the Derby Street mall and then headed over to Dude and Dudettes for a wonderful evening. Saw M and K for the first time in ages and had a great time catching up with them and baby J. One of the happiest tykes I've met up with in a long time. Ate hoards of good food. Bacon wrapped scallops, mini pizzas, wine and cheeses of the world...and weejuns of course. Yum.

Tuesday: Spent morning recovering from evening's festivities in front of D&D's TV and then headed back to Weymouth. Met up with J&C at Dunkins for coffee and donuts. Yum.

Wednesday: Spent the day shopping and hanging out with Mom. Ended up eating a delicious chicken dinner with the family. Yum.

Thursday: Went into town to poke around and saw For Your Consideration at the Kendall Square Cinema. (Fun, in a hollywood insider type of way.) Catherine O'Hara was fantasically tragic. Ended up meeting J and C at the B-Side for Guiness and Calamari. Good times! (and Yum.)

Friday: Made some pies, shopped and then went to dinner with Parentals and Gram at the Hearth and Kettle. Yum.

Saturday: A day of relative rest, though much shopping and wrapping did occur. Broke my long standing boycott of McDonalds and tried one of those new Wrap Snack things. Oooog! Didn't taste too bad, but I felt as though I'd swallowed a live fish and it was slowly making it's way through my digestive tract. Yuck.

Sunday: Another pie was baked. Spent most of Christmas Eve with the family. Dude and Dudette are officially engaged! So exciting to finally get to talk about it since I'd been keeping it a secrect all week. Even more exciting to have her as sister. Yay! Had a dinner of beef fondue with fancy dipping sauces and a nice wine. Yum!

Monday: Christmas Day over at Aunt J's. More food, folks and fun! Yum!

Long story short: I'm very ready for a dieting resolution next week.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 9:44 PM

(0) comments



2006-12-16 
 

flying

Last night, I walked home with Frank Sinatra in my head.

Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars


I'm in a good mood.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 5:50 PM

(0) comments



2006-12-05 
 

hints of home

Walking by the row of Bank of America machines tonight...you know, the ones at Davis and California? The ones I can't use right now because someone tried to buy a 2700 dollar computer using my debit card info?

Anyway, walking by, the air was suddenly and inexplicably filled with the scent of Dunkin Donuts...and it felt like home.

Later, I became so engrossed in some article filled with irrelevant pop culture information that I sped through Castro Station without even noticing that the doors had opened.

Got off at Forest Hills...a name right off of the T's Orange Line and encountered another scent. Not a stomach yearning one, but not entirely unpleasant. The deep, subterranean smell of a well worn New York subway station. Not something I'm used to encountering out here on Muni.

Oh, the nasty grinch mentioned briefly above was soundly thwarted by both online retailer and bank. I came home tonight to a minty fresh bank card with new info...and a promise to myself that I'd never let another cabbie or retailer use one of those ancient swoop machines that leave carbon copies laying about for grinches to use on a shopping spree.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 10:32 PM

(0) comments



2006-11-03 
 

take the boy

Got this from Stephen's Journal who I stumbled upon while reading comments on Cake. I love the internet.

This quiz proves that you can take the boy out of Boston, but you can't take the Boston out of the boy.

Dude! You're 100% from Massachusetts!

Dude! Me and Sully and Fitzie and Sean are gonna hit Landsdowne tonight after the game, hang out at the Beerworks. I'll pick you up at the Coop at 6.

How Massachusetts are you?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Labels: looking eastward

* posted by me at 4:20 PM

(0) comments



2006-07-05 
 

fading away

Well, vacation's officially over as I'm back at work as of today. Truth is, I need another one where I just lie on a beach and sip tropical cocktails. No offense to those I saw towards the tale end of last week, but I seem to have returned a bit frazzled. Work took a turn for the better in my mind and mental attitude about where I'm at, but now family weighs heavy.

There's various reasons for this, but mostly it's my Gram. I normally make a point of seeing her towards the beginning of a trip and then again at the family dinner that always happens during the last night, but this time was a bit different. Her short term memory is truly going now. So hard to see that happening to someone whose sharp mind and quick wit I've envied and tried to emulate from an early age onward. (and yes, I'll admit it's scary to me as well knowing that someday that could be me)

G and I spent some extra time with her towards the end of the week. Taking the grand tour of her apartment complex and going through old photo albums. She could remember exactly where my great-grandfather had his apartment and particular details about something that happened back in 52, but not that we'd already been in a certain part of the building or that we'd looked at that album page just minutes ago.

It seemed such a severe difference from the last time I'd seen her. She'd been a bit fuzzy, but no more than myself on a bad day. There were several phone conversations in between, but I own now that I was happily ignoring the various signs that would come through the wires.

I remember many years ago, while I was still in college, sitting quietly and being able to accept it when my Aunt Ruth G. took to calling me by my father's name and asking me questions about his life away in the service. Sure, I'd often drive home a bit freaked out, but I looked at it as a chance to learn more about my Dad. Thing is that Ruthy was always a little fuzzy to me. I didn't get the chance to know her as an adult in the way that I did with my Gram.

I'm glad I did, and I'll be happy to sit and have her tell me three...or twelve times about the same photograph as long as there's time left.

Whew. Hadn't meant this entry to be about Gram originally. I thought I was going to have a venting session about something rather different, but it's where my fingers took me tonight and I thank them for that. Feels good to type it out. I'm not even going to edit right now. Maybe later, but for now I'd like to keep it pure.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward

* posted by me at 10:24 PM

(2) comments



2006-06-27 
 

mowed down

Mowed Mom and Dad's lawn today. Hot and sweaty work, but something I look forward to when visiting home. With the roar of the motor and the steady walking back and forth, it's a bit zenlike and a good time for thinking.

I used to think quite a bit, but life keeps me too busy. (All right, I keep myself too busy.) Must make more time for thinking.

Labels: looking eastward

* posted by me at 4:13 PM

(2) comments



2006-06-09 
 

macys sucks

Macys, which recently assimilated my old fave Filenes in a frighteningly borglike move, has given me yet another reason to avoid shopping there. Bowing down to a small group of frightened bigots isn't the way to impress me. (or my friends...this news came to me via TNTP)

What makes it worse is that it happened in Boston. I keep hoping that the city will step up and become the leader that it should be, given the history Massachusetts has of encouraging free thought, but nope.

And I know this is just additional snark, but I do wonder if they'd have been less offended if the manniquin had been wearing a dress...you know, like Jesus and the apostles wore back in the day.

Labels: looking eastward, rant

* posted by me at 2:19 PM

(0) comments



2006-05-19 
 

new york minute

Can't type long. Been on a B-Trip since Monday and finally got the computer to hook up wirelessly here in NYC. That being said, M's on the windowseat in my hotel room and I want to spend some time catching up with her.

Just wanted to let my 10s of readers know that I'm still breathing. (and a little sad/relieved that my drunken ramble from Wednesday ended up lost in the ether before ever going live.)

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 10:33 PM

(0) comments



2006-04-22 
 

detour

Life's been leading me around by the nose lately. Every time I think I've got myself on the right path, I bump into another detour sign. Now I've always been one to enjoy the journey vs. strive for the destination, but I've begun to wonder whether my originally planned destination makes much sense.

In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if I ever really had a firm grasp on what that destination was.

Take a step back. What's important to me?

People (Greg, Family, Friends, Friends I haven't met yet)
Books
Writing
Moving Forward
Respecting the Past
Fun with Technology
Not being a Schmuck
Occasional Solitude
Occasional Craziness
oh...um...and a healthy dose of Pop Culture now and again

Where's this all lead? I really don't know, but NYC keeps coming into my head. I had a dream long ago of walking those streets and feeling like I was home.

Not sure if G wants to go there though and he's top of my list. Not sure I'm ready to leave the home SF has become....and if I don't what my next steps need to be.

I've got some thinking to do.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 8:03 PM

(1) comments



2006-03-23 
 

happy dudeday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DUDE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DUDE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DUUUUUUUDE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DUDE!

In honor of that special day when I stopped being an only child, I've scanned in a little series of brotherhood through the years.











Note: In search of a recent picutre with Dude, Dudette, G and myself. (Plenty of pictures with two or three of us, but since one of us is usually behind the camera I couldn't find one with all four of us which is really what I wanted to end this series with.) If anyone has one, I'd love to get a copy.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 6:23 PM

(0) comments



2006-03-04 
 

march forth

They said,"March forth!" and he did.

Welcome to the world Jack! (and congratulations to Michelle and Jon!)

Labels: looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 6:29 PM

(0) comments



2006-01-16 
 

whirled peas

Having a wonderful time out here on the other coast. Getting to spend some quality time with M and enjoying seeing the mind of a child at work.

Not too long ago, E pondered peas. "Peas are like little tennis balls you eat, right?"

M wrote it on the fridge board and I only got to experience it second hand, but it reminded me that looking at things from an unusual angle helps make life more fun. Gotta remember to do that more often.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 11:44 AM

(1) comments



2006-01-12 
 

coast to coast

Seem to have kicked the worst of the cold and managed to fly across country without head exploding. Thanks Ricola! (and prescription cough suppressant with codeine)

Had an extra nice visit with B last night. Ate, drank and generally made merry. Many thanks for letting me crash!

Made my way down to M and E today and I'm now sitting at the computer while E goes off to land of Nod. Just finished a game of Tower Blaster with G. Strange to play it out here while he's still back home in the apartment. Normally, we play with only a thin wall separating our computers so that we can talk to each other as we play. Actually used the chat feature for the first time tonight and while it's nice, it just doesn't beat having him in the next room.

Not sure what's on the agenda for tomorrow, but I do foresee a visit to Dunkin Donuts. Yay!

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 8:57 PM

(0) comments



2005-10-31 
 

happy pumpkin day!

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 8:58 PM

(1) comments



2005-10-23 
 

home

Went home for a week, but now I'm back home.

Odd how I can feel so attached to two places 3000 miles apart. Going home to Boston always leaves me feeling conflicted. I feel enveloped in safety, but in an almost claustrophobic way. It's great to see everyone and dream of living back there again, but the weight of responsibility I'd give myself in doing so is often frightening to think about. I have a hard enough time making time for everything here in SF, without adding the family and old friends back into that mix on a more regular basis.

If I left, I would miss SF terribly: hills full of hidden places, the found family, the laid back way of thinking, the willingness to try something new. I'd be leaving home again to go back home.

But Boston, or the suburbs to which I'd return, beckons mightily these days. I know the yoke I worry about is one I'd choose to place on my shoulders, and maybe I just need to change my mind about that choice.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 2:06 PM

(2) comments



2005-06-12 
 

hot hot hot

The powers that be decreed this past week a hot one for the Boston area. G and I got to enjoy the heat inside suits yesterday while we attended the tea ceremony and following banquet for V and S. Fortunately, both locations had air conditioning. Unfortunately, neither location had air conditioning that worked very well. Add to that the body heat of about 200 banquet guests slowly eating through 10 plus courses and the poor AC didn't stand a chance.

All that being said, we had quite a good time. Have also had a good chance to catch up with family while here and I find myself wondering again whether it's time for a move back east. I love SF more than Boston, but I love the people in Boston too much to make SF my permanent home.

I'll have a nice conundrum to distract me during this next week at work. (Ugh. It's amazing that even a short break will quickly zap any desire to return to Cubicleland.)

Labels: boston, dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 6:28 PM

(1) comments



2005-06-05 
 

philly photos

Finally got some down time to work with the Philadelphia photos. While I'm only posting about five percent on the site, that's still enough to make the main page load a bit slowly...so I'm trying something new.

Click here for some Philly Fun.

Labels: 1000 words, g, looking eastward

* posted by me at 12:20 AM

(0) comments



2005-05-30 
 

philly me up

Philly surprised me. Never thought we'd like it here quite as much as we do.

Had to snag a new 512M card for the camera. (Yes, you will soon be assaulted by a photographic essay on our little foray to this city of surprises.)

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward

* posted by me at 12:01 PM

(0) comments



2005-05-28 
 

searching for cheesesteak

Over the past few days, I've been on a search for the perfect cheesesteak. Being in Philly makes this task harder than one would think. There's cheesesteaks on EVERY menu in town. The restaurant around the corner even offers a Kobe cheesesteak for $100. (Needless to say, I won't be trying that one...unless some kindly stranger wants to front me the cash.)

I've had cheesesteaks with regular provolone, with nacho cheese and jalapenos, with mozzarella and marinara sauce. Each with a variety of toppings ranging from the rather standard mushroom and onions to pepperonis. It occurs to me that no one's ever been able to describe to me exactly what goes into the definitive cheesesteak.

Today we're off to South Street with M and little E. She assures me that we'll have a variety of options there and that at least one of them ought to come close. I don't know. I figure it's a little twist on that old saw about obscenity: I'll know it when I taste it.

In the meantime, if anyone feels like letting me in on the perfect ingredients for a cheesesteak, I'd be quite happy to listen.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 12:11 PM

(2) comments



2005-05-20 
 

those ARE ants big bird

Been flying quite a bit lately and will be leaving again in the middle of next week. Not so many entries lately, but quite a bit going on.

New York continued to be a good, but tiring, trip. Shopped Soho and read various trash mags while waiting for the photographer to send over polaroids. Saw B one last time and had a nice evening hanging out on a plastic couch at X-ES. (Ah, the gays and their clever naming schemes.)

Later that week, in Southern California, the real life OC I found myself in was very unlike it's television counterpart. We stayed in a very 70's hotel that boasted a view of oil derriks and new development. Eating in too expensive restaurants and speaking with confidence during my presentations, I felt like the business man I never thought I'd become.

Yesterday on the tarmac, waiting for the plane in front of us to take off, my glance to the ground prodded a long buried conversation to the surface.

BB: Wow! Look at all the people down there. They look like ants!

FA: Big Bird, those ARE ants. We haven't taken off yet.

It seems somehow fitting that I've gone from a kid in his early 20s who longed to be jaded, to a 30something man; happy to find that he's still got a bit of a kid inside.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing

* posted by me at 5:10 PM

(0) comments



2005-02-09 
 

DOUBLE FEATURE: triple giggle and pimp pine pictures

Click through to GAWKER to see an article that made me giggle thrice. (Thanks to Michael for pointing out this particular story.)

1. I like the idea of myself as a "sartorially-challenged, shut-in computer nerd with a sicko crush on Scarlett Johansson and the skinny guy from The O.C"

2. Directly below the article they have advertising banners flicker in and out from various national brands and the following plug: "Gawker Media - Gawker and seven other weblog titles - brings a young and influential audience to brand advertisers." That's either sadly hypocritical or deliciously ironic, but it's funny either way. (I vote for the latter. I've always liked Gawker...and several of their seven other weblog titles.)

3. Well, you'll have to guess at the third giggle, but if you know me it'll be pretty obvious once you read the article.

In other news: I spent most of last night organizing two years worth of photos. There were a lot of pictures to go through, but the time consuming part of the task became remembering all the good times and retelling stories with G. This one in particular had a lot of good associations with it.



Imagine my surprise when a closer examination revealed a frolicking Sponge Bob sprinkling his special brand of love around my old stomping grounds.



Belated thanks to Dude and Dudette for the doubles you gave us at the last barn bash. Can't wait for the next one!

Labels: 1000 words, blogging, dose of mikey, g, linkage, looking eastward, sharketing, shout out

* posted by me at 10:17 PM

(0) comments



2005-01-22 
 

dreams of yesterday

Woke up this morning and was surprised to find myself back in San Francisco. An intense batch of dreams directly before waking all took place as if I had only just graduated college and was still living back in New England. During the short period between waking and actually opening my eyes, I found myself feeling happy that I wouldn't be working at the Rock Shop today and wondering if the old gang would be up for a brunch at Bickfords. Weird.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, memory lane

* posted by me at 1:14 PM

(0) comments



2005-01-21 
 

images of yesterweek

In my recent trip to visit M and E, most of the pictures ended up showcasing various foods...



a field trip to Pizza Hut to see how pizza's are made



proud pizza maker displaying her creation



me and e at Applebee's



ooooooh....so many choices



oh to see the world through a chocolate covered monocle!

Labels: 1000 words, looking eastward

* posted by me at 11:47 PM

(0) comments



2005-01-18 
 

beautiful child

Hanging out with a five year old is delightful yet a little frightening at the same time.

E has an infectiously joyful way of looking at the universe around her that makes it so easy to see the magic all around us. At the same time, her ability to work within the times she's been born to awes me. Yesterday, I thought she was just playing with my cell, but she actually wrote her dad a message and sent it. I've never been a person to have blinking clocks on the vcr, but if the day comes when technology zooms past me I definitely want E by my side.

She's only in kindergarten, but she can already read, write, navigate a keyboard...and remembers phone numbers as easily as the names of muppets. Wild!

Labels: looking eastward

* posted by me at 11:58 AM

(0) comments



2005-01-17 
 

never stop the dance

Went to church yesterday. First time I've been to church on a Sunday in years. G and I will sometimes go to a Taize service on a Wednesday evening to connect with the world in a broader way, but my usual worship preference? Well, Emily Dickinson said it first:

Poem 324
Some keep the Sabbath going to Church -
I keep it, staying at Home -
With a Bobolink for a Chorister -
And an Orchard, for a Dome -

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice -
I just wear my Wings -
And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,
Our little Sexton - sings.

God preaches, a noted Clergyman -
And the sermon is never long,
So instead of getting to Heaven at last -
I'm going, all along.

The church we visited yesterday may've been new, but the clapboard and stone melded with the surrounding colonial town as if it had stood there for centuries. They hold services in the World Room, so called because of a beautiful stained glass window with...yes, a picture of the world on it. We didn't hear a typical sermon though. Instead, they welcomed a special guest preacher, Reverend Dr. Donald Warner, who treated us to an hour of poetry. Several of the poems were accompanied by a young woman doing interpretive dance that really got me thinking.

Dancing as a way of expressing religious joy is underrated in this country amongst most of the dominant churches. People sing to the Lord, paint pictures to praise him, and many other acts of artistic expression, but dance is still tinged with the taint of sin. I'm not going to go all Footloose on you now, because it's really a whole entry of it's own. If it ever gets written, I'll try and remember to recount a certain night at Universe...

Where was I? Oh yes, church. So Dr. Warner is an African American man born in the 1930's and his life boasts some interesting episodes. From growing up as a member of an oppressed minority, to his time spent in the Korean war, to his meeting with MLK Junior, there seems to be little he hasn't seen or done. To hear of his experiences in his own voice and on this particular weekend was truly a treat and appropriate to the moment. While I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get to see one of the normal Sunday services, I wouldn't trade it. Chances like that come along rarely, and I believe it is better to embrace them when they happen instead of wondering what might have been.

Besides, it's not like that's the only UU church service I'll ever be able to attend...

Labels: looking eastward, spirit

* posted by me at 4:42 PM

(0) comments


 

viva la differance!

Today M told me that children who are consistently exposed to pictures of Earth taken from space think more easily of our planet as a single entity within which we must all work together for the common good.

Tonight, G and I played a couple rounds of cards on the computer while chatting on the phone. The 3000 miles between us melted away briefly. If only we could solve the teleportation conundrum, this world would become yet even more connected and more able to think of ourselves as a cohesive unit. Then the dream of erasing the arbitrary lines we draw between different nations would be a huge step closer to becoming reality.

My inner cynic, never silent, whispers that Hitler had a similar dream of one world, but I'm not about erasing differences. I celebrate differences and work towards the day when unreasonable fears of them disappear.

Easy exposure to different ways of looking at life allows acceptance and cooperation to flourish. Continuing to abide by the imaginary borders we've drawn between ourselves as countries, races and creeds only serves to escalate the fear and distrust.

Since teleportation may be a bit in the future, you can look for a globular update of this site as soon as I can get back to FTPing images to the home page.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward

* posted by me at 2:10 AM

(0) comments



2005-01-15 
 

new friend

I'm in New Jersey visiting an old friend.

Old friend's are the best kind. No standing on ceremony, able to speak truth without silly societal rules about buffering it in layer upon layer of carefully crafted verbiage in order to obscure intent. Making new memories while revisiting cherished ones. But I digress...

My new friend is an airline: Jet Blue. Good prices, friendly service and a sense of humor. Slogan on DirectTV screen at my seat: Without you, we'd just be flying a bunch of TVs around.

G, as is often the case with things of this nature, has been trying to get us onto JBlue since they started having service to Oakland, but I kept a death grip on United because of my fear of losing miles.

It's good to let go. G, thanks for putting up with me. We are SO going to the Bahamas this year.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, random review

* posted by me at 11:25 AM

(0) comments



2005-01-14 
 

tiny lights in the darkness

While waiting for the barbecue to heat up last night, I wandered out into the center of our rather small back yard. Looking up I could see the Pleiades framed between the leaves of the palm and the redwood.

I first met the sisters almost 15 years ago.

There's about 18 of us bundled up to help protect us from the biting cold that typifies a January night in Massachusetts. Someone passes around a flask of cheap whiskey, but I only take a small sip. Over the past week, I've become fascinated by the astronomy professor and have a deep desire to do well in his class. While whiskey is tempting, I want nothing to impair my ability to remember what he's teaching. We hike out into the middle of a large field. The frozen ground crunching beneath my feet sounds like adventure.

We gather around in a circle and Professor begins going over everything we've studied over the past week...except he's using the real sky instead of a representation in a textbook.

And so I met the Pleiades. Sure there's many other constellations that I like to look up at, but the Pleiades were met first and will always have a special place in my personal mythology.

I had a little smile inside me all last night, and again now as I type this.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, memory lane

* posted by me at 2:11 AM

(1) comments



2005-01-08 
 

family fun

Three family type things to report today.

Spoke with cousin J last night for almost an hour and a half. About the first time in over a year that we've connected. Trip-o-matic! It was really good to catch up and hear what was going on with her and the other cousin types. We've promised to plan a cousin night next time G and I make it back east. Dude and Dudette will have to come along as well.

I admit that all the crap that happened between our parents can still make for an awkward moment now and again, but if we agree to let the embers of those arguments burn out with our parents instead of adding fuel to the fire, we should all be ok.

Speaking of get togethers. Friends of G's family are having a belated holiday afternoon over in Fremont today. I'm trying to choose to be in a good mood about it, but I have enough social anxiety disorder type thoughts to still get knots in my stomach when it comes to meeting new folks. Especially when they're on the husband's side of the family.

In other, less stressful news, Michael Upstairs has his own blog now. I've permalinked to Try Not To Panic over in my various sites column and will be officially changing his LAOD name to Mr. Panic. Partially because it sounds like a superhero with issues, but mostly because I like his blog title.

Aside: He does look like a twisted version of Marylin Manson when in drag. Doesn't he?

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, looking eastward

* posted by me at 4:26 PM

(1) comments



2004-01-23 
 

old friends


In every friendship there are moments when we take each other for granted. I'm sorry if I've done that these past weeks, months, years. I can't promise to get less self involved, but I can try to remember that the world needn't stop and start with the company that signs my paycheck.

Can you imagine us
Years from today,
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange
To be seventy.
Old friends,
Memory brushes the same years
Silently sharing the same fears
'Old Friends'from the album 'Bookends' (1968) - Simon and Garfunkle

Labels: looking eastward, memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 4:41 PM

(0) comments


 

borrowed entry

I'm very tired tonight and can't bear the thought of being original. Read SB's entry of January 14th here. A series has ended and the sets have been torn down. I got to keep a coffee cup thanks to SB and I appreciate that.

In other news: Donnie Darko keeps popping up in odd places.

Labels: blogging, linkage, looking eastward, memory lane

* posted by me at 2:27 AM

(0) comments



2004-01-19 
 

rinsing off

I do quite a bit of thinking in the shower. Today I thought about:

G dieing. (hey, he has the AIDS, it's not like it's a weird thought to have now and again)
Myself dieing. (after all, I could get hit by a turnip truck tomorrow)
Being cremated vs. buried. (I hate the thought of being underground forever after. Scatter me to the four winds please.)
The fact that I never visit gravesites. (other than my Gramps, but that's because his grave was a way for me to connect to my cousins who would also go and leave little bits behind.)
When I need someone who has passed on from this plane, I just talk to them.
(I'm glad this works for me or else I'd never get to say hi to Lotte, she's buried across the sea on another continent.)
When we die, I imagine that we get to relive all the perfect moments we've had in full, over and over. That's heaven.
G and I have had quite a few perfect moments. Times when you know, even as they're happening, that they'll stay with you forever.
We had a moment last night. Walking out to find some dinner...he put his arm in mine and that was all it took. For whatever reason, that moment will live with me forever. Not as dramatic as the stormy day up at Bodega Bay when we became one with the wind and scrambled over rocks in search of adventure, but a quieter, simpler moment that will always remind me of what we have together.
I think I'd like to get married for real. (damn republicans...and anyone who thinks love should be condemned vs. being celebrated.)
I thought of a lot of other things...old friends who I don't see much anymore. Getting beat up in 10th grade and never telling my parents. Getting a C- instead of an F thanks to some computer error back in 9th grade...and never telling my parents. Wondering how my parents are. Wondering how Dude and Dudette are doing. Does he love her as much as I love G? Yes, I think he does. Deep love doesn't come easily to my family, but when it does we hold on with all the power in our souls.

Then I finished shaving and it was time to turn of the water...and I thought about how I ought to think more.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, spirit, the gay

* posted by me at 6:04 PM

(0) comments



2003-12-17 
 

slogging

After a nice dinner with Lena, the Shephard and I hung out talking and now it's late. Totally worth it though, I miss chatting with him since he always posits such interesting questions.

I noticed that I hadn't posted since Saturday and I think that it'll be another week of slow blogging. The family drama back home blindsided me a bit as I went into the weekend and left me thinking too much on it instead of concentrating on the family visit that was happening on Sunday...or relaxing. Ug. Finally responded on Monday, but the whole affair left me with a rather sour taste in my mouth that I haven't been able to quite wash out yet. Usually my San Franciscan status protects me from the slings and arrows, but not this time. Don't know how Dude does it being back there all the time!

In happier news: the visit of G's parents went quite well. I think they enjoyed themselves and feel a bit more comfortable about us living in the big city now that they've seen our neighborhood and found it to be a little less threatening than they may've assumed. (and I'm talking purely about the big city aspect here, not the whole gay thing - I think they were afraid to find the grey buildings and dirt they remember from downtown in the 80's) I mean who wouldn't be charmed by all these Victorians? They also gave us a super gift of a digital camera. Pictures to be posted soon, but all day meetings over the next two days are making me sleepy just thinking about them so I'm off to bed.

Cryptic quote of the day overheard in the elevator: "Even the Pillsbury Doughboy needs some new shoes now and again."

ETA: Tagging this over five years later and I know very well that Lena is Victoria, but can't figure out who the Shephard would be...but his/her name intrigues me. Also, unsure about the drama mentioned. I assume it has to do with the split in our family tree, but I can't remember the particulars. Unfortunately, there's been a few too many incidents over the years for me to esaily nail this particular one down.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, seen and heard

* posted by me at 2:45 AM

(0) comments



2003-10-30 
 

the rest of it

Back at work and not enjoying it very much, so I'll take the opportunity to turn away from the several hundred e-mails during lunch and blog instead.

Had a great vacation, but it turned out being a bit emotional as well...always is when I'm visiting family and friends who I don't get to see often enough.

Things we got to do that I'm very happy about:

See both M and K's new places and actually meet the mysterious Marco.

See Dude and T's new place, which is very envy inducing.

Had a very nice brunch with the family organized by Dad which allowed us to see some folks we would have otherwise missed. (thanks!)

Had a very drunk night with Dude and T during which we sang Christmas carols and grooved to a variety of other fun tunes. Though my memories of the night are somewhat blurred, they are some of my favorites from the vaca.

Spent some final hours down at Maalox Manor. I didn't really need to go inside to say goodbye, but I sure won't regret making the trip once the place is no longer part of the family.

Managed to get in a game of Candy Land with e and stayed up talking with M until the early hours of the morning. Wish it could've been longer!

G and I had very smooth trips to the airport both coming and going. Yay us!

Things I missed:

Getting to see TnT.
Getting to see BG.
Getting to see J and C.
Getting to see MJ.
Getting to see....etc.

But I need to get over it. I'm only one person and it's supposed to be a vacation for both myself and G. If I'd tried to squish anything else in, the stress levels would've shot through the roof and I'd be getting none of the relax time I needed. (Seeing what I've come back to here in the newly reorganized company, I'm thinking I'll need a solid couple weeks reading trash novels on some Hawaiian beach to truly leave the stress behind.)

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

* posted by me at 3:13 PM

(0) comments



2003-10-21 
 

memory lane

In New Jersey today visiting with M and little e. She's grown so much since I last saw her in January! M and I spent the evening looking through pictures and watching some old home movies that she's taken of e...especially the ones that included G and myself. It makes me wish we were living closer and could participate a bit more in her day to day life. At the same time it makes me very glad that I got the webcam and that she'll get to have me in her life a bit more solidly during the next year when any move back east looks to be financial suicide.

Also very happy that she's no longer too shy to talk to me on the phone. Did I mention that our first full conversation occured a week ago? It was Monday night as I was on my way home from work. Stressed to the max with everything that was going on with impending layoffs and a doctor appointment that I'd avoided too long, but she took me away from that for a full five minutes or so as we talked about the much more important issue of upcoming Halloween costumes.

I like to think that our first real conversation and this visit are the things that I'll remember when I look back on October of 2003.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, travel

* posted by me at 1:12 AM

(0) comments



2003-09-17 
 

ruby tuesday

Just a brief note to say...YAY! Tickets from SFO to EWR are officially ours as of this evening. Fun filled foliage follies follow in four weeks.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, travel

* posted by me at 2:46 AM

(0) comments



2003-09-16 
 

just another manic monday

(whoa-woah) It was a looooong day. There's a palpable tension at work as we all wait to hear about the next round of lay-offs. Everyone's trying to do their jobs, but the sluggishness and inability to concentrate that permeated the cubes and offices today couldn't just be chalked up to the Monday blahs or too rough a weekend. We all just want to hear what's going to happen so that we can get on with it. Came home tonight, ate a yummy piece of quiche with G and promptly fell asleep on the couch while he went off down the hall to make sourdough bread. (Yum Squared!)

Woke up about an hour later feeling refreshed but befuddled, so I'm blogging while I can.

Met up with Stacia yesterday afternoon. First time since she moved back to the city that we've managed to get together and it was GOOOOOD. I was feeling a bit down. G's leg is much better but the antibiotic is mucking about with his other meds and giving him a hard time...naturally it's all about ME though, so I started worrying about his health in general...also been thinking a lot about New England and the fact that we might not make it back for more than visits over the next few years...and ruminating on upcoming reorg/possible layoff at work (the fact that I'm actually quite happy about in forces me to realize I haven't been as happy as I ought to be over the past couple months)...and Bun being far away....and wanting to cry because someday I'll be all alone...) I told you it's all about me.

Anyhoo. A session of tea and dolmas with Stacia was just about what the doctor ordered. We've both changed quite a bit from the bright eyed pessimists we were back in school...but surprisingly in many of the same ways. We've both learned that embracing change is not a crime; that a willingness to believe that you deserve something often leads to the attainment of that thing; and the ultimate importance of living in the now.

Got home and couldn't stop kissing G and giving him little hugs. I think he thought I was zany, but very happy to see me out of my crank. That reminds me, time to go cuddle up on the couch with him and enjoy the now.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 2:35 AM

(0) comments



2003-07-08 
 

fireworks

Had a pretty wonderful weekend that was extra nice since it was mostly just the two of us. We did end up on Hoop's roof on the night of the 4th to see the fireworks. He only lives a block and a half away, so it wasn't too much of a walk...(even though we had bellies full of steak.) After climbing up a not so safe-seeming ladder on the third floor of his building, we had a wonderful view of the entire east bay. This meant we got to see the fireworks off in the distance as they took place in Oakland, Hayward, and Alemeda; and then turn towards downtown for SF's own display. One of the perks of living where we do. The other perk is people like Hoop who supplied us with warm blankets and beer while we were up there...as well as an extra warm body to snuggle up to. (Yes folks, I know most of you are experiencing summer's first heatwave, but nights in SF are windy and in the low 50's. I won't repeat the Mark Twain quote again, but that doesn't mean it isn't true! Our first summer ended around Pride and I'm not expecting hot weather again until after Labor Day.

In other news, people are being very nice to us. A neighbor actually washed my car this weekend because it happened to be parked in front of his own. I mean, he didn't just spray it off, he really washed it all the way. Even went so far as to Armor All the tires and bumpers and had it looking better than I honestly thought it could. As a thank you, we gave him some of G's superyum muffins. The next day he asked for my keys so that he could vacuum out the inside. (He was doing his own anyway he said, but I think he wanted more muffins...they're that good!)

Which brings me back to my lament of WHY would I want to leave this wonderful city? I don't really, but I do have people I want to be closer to and I don't think I'll ever convince all of them to move themselves out here. So eastward bound I'll be someday in the next year or so...if only for a while.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, san francisco

* posted by me at 1:53 AM

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2003-06-27 
 

home again?

After an uneventful flight, G and I are back in SF. I was a bit bummed that we were assigned to row 13 since in a 757 that's the odd row without the window. (I mean, doesn't the poor number suffer enough stigma without having people curse it out for making them feel even more sardine-ish?)

So back home from home. This trip was wonderful - after Salem, we had several days down Cape with the Dude and his Dudette. Was really nice getting to know her and spend time doing just chilling out for a while. Back home to Mom and Dad's where they had a nice little birthday dinner for the both of us. It's about then that I started going a bit down emotionally. Every time I go back it gets a little harder to leave. The next day as we were over the M's I just couldn't pep myself up. MomToo was chatting away about how Mom and Dad were doing, but I couldn't pay attention. The truth is I just wanted to start crying, but it's weird for me to just reach out for emotional support for no definable reason so I ended up being a little numb throughout the visit. Aside to the M's - and everyone else for that matter - this is all my own baggage that I'm dealing with, I blame no one else. I also know there's plenty of folks out there who would help me carry it, but I haven't quite figured out which bags are mine yet, so wait for me on the curb by the taxi stand and I'll be out shortly.

There's so many conflicting feelings about what home means to me. It's where the love is sure, but I've got that in two distinct places in this world now and I'm just not sure how to deal with it. SF is easy. Boston is hard. I have deeper, longer lasting relationships on the East Coast. SF is very transient. I love SF as a city. I don't so much love Boston as a city. It does have it's good points, but compared to SF? SF wins hands down. Add to that: I did meet G here and this city has some true benefits that the east coast is lacking.

What I guess I haven't quite touched on yet is the fact that I will be moving back. It's just a matter of waiting for the moment to be right. The recent upgrade in job and some vague promises of better economic future next year mean it could happen sooner rather than later. The pain I feel in leaving the folks back there every time I go makes it even more real...and for the first time I find myself almost missing SF in advance.

I do not plan on letting myself wallow in this "torn between two lovers" place. I do believe in living in the moment and choosing happiness, but that's only healthy if you've first allowed yourself to examine the choice. Otherwise it's just repression. So I'm examining.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, san francisco, spirit

* posted by me at 1:58 AM

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2003-06-21 
 

old homes

Been in New England for almost two full days now and actually feeling relaxed. Quite excited for tonight as we'll be heading Capeward and should be able to melt into little stress-free puddles amongst the pines.

Went up to Salem yesterday and saw both the House of Seven Gables and the Jonathan Corwin house. Hadn't been to either in quite some time and it was nice to see them...especially the Seven Gables. Love that secret passageway!

Mowed my parents lawn today. Funny, used to protest the task when I was much younger, but fully enjoyed the chance to do it today. Living in the city for the past 8 years really has changed me!

Labels: linkage, looking eastward

* posted by me at 3:01 PM

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2002-05-17 
 

bitten

We saw Spiderman last night. If you haven't already gotten sucked into the hype, give it a miss. Tobey Maguire's looking good and the actors do a fine job, but the dialogue they're given falls flat. The movie couldn't seem to decide whether it was going to take itself seriously or not. (Tobey calling out for his Uncle Ben got a pretty good chuckle.) Also, the special effects didn't impress me all that much. On the fun side, we got to see the line for Attack of the Clones. (which was sneak peaking at the AMC 1000 at midnight) I think both Lena and I felt an odd twinge of guilt for not being in the line ourselves.

In other fun news, received a lovely garden from M today. Can't wait to see her this weekend!

Flowering Garden - Vincent Van Gogh

Labels: 1000 words, looking eastward, random review

* posted by me at 2:41 AM

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2002-03-21 
 

choice

Mom's still in the hospital. She's calling on reserves of strength to get her through all the tests. Must be very frustrating to endure them only to be told that they can't figure out what caused the problem in the first place. It's times like these that it's very hard to be a full country away from where they are. G and I talk about moving east now and again. G's all for it. I want to be closer to the family, but I'm very nervous about my quality of life back there. Right now I have a job that drives me crazy and stresses me out, but deep down I know how lucky I am to have some passion for the work I'm doing during 1/3 of my waking hours. I'm scared of jumping to another company and finding that the corporate culture there isn't as flexible as the one I'm in now. (For all my complaints about the business side of things here at the American I, they really do promote freedom of choice in your personal life.)

Nevertheless, a move to the east is unavoidable over the next few years, and I ought to start looking forward to it. (If you can't change the situation, you can always change your mind!) If I can move up at least one rung here at the American I, I'll be in a better position to ask for the same flexibility of schedule that I enjoy now in a new company.

OK, I'm sure you all cared SOOO much about that, but this is my blog after all so...thpppt.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing, shout out

* posted by me at 10:52 PM

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