Sniff Swig Puff

Rock Hudson and Bea Arthur sing about getting high...

Thanks to Nicomar for sending!

Wednesday's Word: Choring

An adjective to describe a task which is both boring and a chore.
Writing this example is choring.

Choring around.

Source: Urban Dictionary

Hot Tuesday

Today, was Mother Nature reminding us of what summer will be like. Was near 90. But at least the humidity was low.

Humidity is a large part of it!!

Anyway, i stretched my limits by forcing myself to walk home from work...

... And by running around to do errands after work... ATM, Mega Millions ticket, Grocery store and post office...

Will appreciate the late night thunder-boomers that promise to take the edge off... And restore us to the 60's for the next few days, at least...

Hate the heat!

Fist Bump: Now and Forever

As there is a newly confirmed outbreak of Swine Flu here in NYC, I affirm my firm belief in the fist bump...

The majority of my charges are clearly immune-deficient and fragile in one way or another. So, this is a real worry...

Instinctively, most of the men at work have adjusted their once traditional firm handshake to a warm and peppy fist bump...

It works...

Fist bump now!

Fist bump forever!

FaceBook Friendship Generator

Thanks to Keith of The Sturdy Soapbox for this one...

Brilliant!

Sunny Spring Saturday Morning

Packed a lunch and am off to the Hudson River Park to eat some Hummous Chicken Salad and raw veggies.

Ran to Trader Joe's this morning to get nuts and stuff. Got their early enough to snap some pics of the Farmer's Market at Union Square, and Third Avenue.

But, too early to bother Miss Lisa and family who showed no signs of updating her Facebook, Blog, or Twitter yet so I thought it best to let her rest!

Now off to get some sun before it gets too hot for me...

That'll be soon, no doubt.

In the meanwhile, here's a photo montage from the morning...



More on my Flickr page

Friday Rants and Raves

Dick Cheney needs to shut up and go get back under a rock. His desperate attempts to rewrite history and and pathetic grasp at relevance are transparent. He looks remarkably like the captured Saddam Hussein desperately having done the same. Phooey.

The New York Times did a nice job of exposing the sham that is Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Panel for Educational Policy. See: Schools Panel Is No Threat to the Mayor’s Grip by Javier C. Hernandez. And there are no fan letters on how Bloomberg overturned term limits.... Not to mention how Mike's buying himself another 4 years

Bought a fan for my office this morning at Staples. Gonna be 87 degrees by Monday. No doubt will need it. Nice feature is a built in timer, so I can set it for a period and have it shut off when I flee to another part of the building as duty calls.

Obama should call Rove and Cheney on his secure line and say: "Keep running your mouths and watch what happens to ya..."

I worry about all my friends fighting all these life threatening illnesses and diseases... Thoughts and prayers to all.

I'm soooo glad I found my camera in the wrong bag this week. The thought of losing it was like losing a good friend...

Today was No Stress Friday. No stress allowed. So I had a diner breakfast, had a non-brought lunch and breezed through the day with a wink and a smile... Why I can't breeze through everyday with a wink and smile is a damned good goal for the future... I felt invigorated and peppy at day's end knowing the weekend was nigh.

A Liberace show is reportedly, headed to Broadway. It better deal with his closeted homosexuality and AIDS or don't bother. Are you listening producers Edmund Gaynes and Nancy Bianconi?... Whoever you are.

I'm looking forward to the new Star Trek prequel movie. I am. I am. I am.

I don't understand why people want to go to the crazed and insane Tribeca Film Festival. Reminds me of the Yogi Berra line: "It's so crowded, nobody goes there anymore". Or whatever his line was...

La de da...

Thursday Check In

Well, the work week is going by at a surprisingly fast clip.

Seems like a few folks I know have come down with that bronchial infection thing like I had a couple weeks ago for four weeks or more...

My advice: get to a doctor and get some anti-biotics... I was stubborn and suffered much longer than I needed to...

Quiet night at home after a nice early dinner at El Centro with Danny...

Actually enjoying preparing most meals at home. Breakfasts, bagged lunches and dinner reheats.

Saving all that money is an accomplishment and proof that I could break my addiction to eating in restaurants all the time. Now what about those other pesky addictions? Hm. LOL

Managed to get some socializing done this week after work. rare for me. Saw Martin, Peter & Peter @ Joe's, and Brian De for the first time in two years...

Tomorrow is No Stress Friday... And then the glorious weekend... Love those weekends...

Wednesday's Word: Lesbro

lesbro

1. A man who has more friendships with lesbians than other women or men. ant. fag hag
2. A man who befriends lesbians with the intent to seduce them.

Steve is such a lesbro. He doesn't have a chance with those women.

Source: Urban Dictionary

How Time Flies or Doesn't

Was wondering why the twelve day Spring Break that ended on Sunday seemed to fly by in the wink of an eye...

The ever fabulous New York Times offered a piece on why time seems to fly faster the older we get...

According to Time’s Winged Arrow By C. Claiborne Ray:

"Why time often seems to go faster in old age is not well understood, but an hour, a month or a year is a significantly larger part of the lifetime of a 6-year-old than it is of an 80-year-old. Because of this, Stephen Hawking and others have suggested that the difference in perceptions of time amounts to a specific mathematical ratio".

Hm. Makes sense.

But I still think that these next ten weeks at work will seem to go a lot slower than the following ten weeks off for summer vacation.

Why oh why?

A Boogie Woogie Monday

True or false?

I once sang Apple Blossom Time on stage with Maxine Andrews of The Andrews Sisters?...

True.

T-Minus 24 Hours

It's 8.10am on my last day off of Spring Break 2009.
24 hours to go.

As usual, I'm completely mystified that the vacation flew by so
quickly....

And this upcoming ten week stretch is a loooong, hot, and humid one of
mostly 5 day work weeks.

And attendance is usually highest in all the classes with Spring Fever
causing a lot of bouncing off walls...

Sigh.

One day at a time...

(Message composed on my T-Mobile Sidekick 2008 mobile device).

A Potato Salad Friday

The Ross Sisters, 1944.

Thanks to Mikelaw for sending.

Have a Jammin Thursday

Felt like throwing up putting up one of newest Flickr images....

Meanwhile, check out Todd HellsKitchen on Flickr

Multi-Tasking is not Efficient?

Bottomline Personal had this little blurb in the current issue which I
discovered while people watching and sipping coffee, twittering,
blogging, and eavesdropping on the conversation in the next booth at the
breakfast diner:

"You get more done faster and with fewer mistakes by doing one thing at
a time. Focusing on one task also reduces stress and protects short-term
memory" -- David E. Meyer, PhD, director Brain Cognition and Action
laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Discuss...

Luck & Strength Today

Wishing "Luck & Strength" to all the women, that I know, that may need
it today...

XOXO

(Message composed on my T-Mobile Sidekick 2008 mobile device).

Wednesday's Word: Nonversation

nonversation A completely worthless conversation, wherein nothing is illuminated, explained or otherwise elaborated upon. Typically occurs at parties, bars or other events where meaningful conversation is nearly impossible. Smith: What a waste of time it is talking to that guy. Jones: I know, every time I do, it's like a complete nonversation. Source: Urban Dictionary

Blogity Blog

You blogger is way too blogfully busy doing blogable stuff to blog about it on his blogity blog.

Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, for up to the minute reporting on "what I had for breakfast" (LOL), etc check out Todd HellsKitchen's Profile on Twitter

Happy Easter, Peeps!

Happy Easter to all my Blogger, Blogging, Blog-Reading Peeps!

First Saturday of Spring Break 2009

Doorman wound up getting in early and moving the New York Times stack just enough that I completely forgot to take it to the Greek diner.

No sweat.

I was able to spend the breakfast hour(s) reading Time Out New York magazine and circling ALL the things I'd like to do next week during this super duper long Spring Break... If time allows...

A steady rain pre-empted plans to walk across town to meet the gang at the Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace House in Gramercy after breakfast.

Soooo...

... after a lucky pit stop at Port Authority...

.... I took a nice, dry stroll from 8th Ave/42nd to the Times Square Shuttle underground. And enjoyed the opportunity to snap a slew of shots of the subway art under there... When there wasn't the usual slew of rush hour pushers and shovers.

We had a nice enough time at the Roosevelt House... Though I can't say I'd recommend it.... Zzzzz.

It turns out the whole building was reconstructed (after once being leveled for a two story commercial building. And few of the Victorian furnishings were known to be the originals....

Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican so it figures the whole thing was contrived... LOL.

They should have left it a vacant lot and declared it the lot where he was born. Whatever...

Also, the inside was so drearily and darkly lit ("Authentic brightness", said the Ranger) that the required non-flash photography was virtually impossible.

Bah.

Now the Leslie Lohman Gallery show was terrific. See Treasures of Gay Art.

Alas, it was the last day of it, and I was glad that I caught it.

Artists included Warhol, Cadmus, and Haring. And the curators showed a dynamic and sexy eye in putting the whole sexy show together. Really stellar. Nathaniel Siegel, who had hung much of it, came out and spoke to our group for a while. Nice.

Lunch at Spring Street Natural provided a really good sirloin steak sandwich, fries, and trimmings for $15. Service was excellent.

Rain was only a minor damper on this day... Was glad I had bought a bright blue umbrella on the way through Times Square this morning. It was easy to spot and reclaim at each umbrella parking spot during the day's travels and stops...

A Gooood Friday?

Hope YOU are enjoying a gooooood Friday!!

Pun intended !!

Spring Break: Out of the Gate

Why do vacations always seem to start off so intensely??

It's the bottled up need to have a vacation, catch up with friends, and get long delayed chores and projects launched... All at once and all right away!

So... Spring Break is officially underway... Had breakfast with an Ambassador friend and her friends. Several hours with them at MoMA...

Seeing another friend later for a nibble.

Now two show biz friends emailed they are in town for the weekend... Surprise!

There's a possible tour to a President's birthplace on Saturday...

Another trombone player musician friend is about to move to Las Vegas to start a long show contract and I need to see him off at some point in the next few days...

And the chore list continues to grow as I think of this and that and jot it down...

Already been to the post office, grocery, drugstore, and hardware store today already.

Damn! It's almost 3pm and I haven't even had lunch yet... But, I had two breakfasts, so I won't starve... LOL

Wednesday's Word: Sexting

sexting
pp. Sending a salacious text message. [Blend of sex and texting.]
—sext v., n.
—sexter n.

Example Citations:
But there's nothing quite like the image of your child on a registry of sex offenders to concentrate the parental mind. It now has a catchy new label, but "sexting" has been around, as a prank and a problem, for years: in 2004 a 15-year-old Pittsburgh, Pa., girl was charged with sexual abuse of children and dissemination of child pornography when she posted nude pictures of herself online.
—Nancy Gibbs, "Second Thoughts About Kids and Cell Phones," Time, March 5, 2009

There also are concerns about texting while driving, text-bullying and "sexting," or the term for adolescents messaging naked photos of themselves or others. What might have been intended for a friend can be widely distributed, and the texting of lewd photographs of minors can lead to criminal charges.
—Donna St. George, "6,473 Texts a Month, But at What Cost?," The Washington Post, February 22, 2009

Earliest Citation:
A telling aspect of his sexual farragos is the use of his mobile for sexting (texting).

Although "kiss and sell" newspaper accounts must always be treated with caution, there is a suspiciously similar theme to the sexts.
—Oliver James, "He's clean bowled by a sick need for pleasure," Daily Telegraph, July 2, 2005

Source: Word Spy.

Tuesday

Only one more work day til Spring Break!

Share the joy!

What a Difference

Jamie Cullum sings and plays a classic jazz What a Difference a Day Makes to start you work week.

Thanks to Johnny368.

Frugality Rules

As the Grey Garden girls pointed out: Frugality Rules!

Well, this is all very interesting...

Apparently the hateful recession from hell has made several companies wake up and smell the coffee about what they are charging their current customers and making them adjust their rates/offers for their most loyal customers who pay their bills on time and have a long relationship with them... Like me.

Time-Warner Cable actually gave me a cheaper plan for my DTV and Internet package...

Plus I dropped the premium channels altogether. I'm still pissed at HBO for dropping Carnivale and Showtime for dropping Huff. So, I'll watch their series ONLY when I know that the network has committed to their fans enough to follow a series through to the end. Curb your Enthusiasm and a new Grey Garden movie aren't enough to make me pay an additional $30 a month.

Meanwhile with one phone call yesterday, I'm now saving $44 a month.

Still need to arrange Paper-less billing online and then I'll save another $1 a month for that service. I'll take it!

Yes, it's now a "contract" and there will be penalties if I wanna switch to, say, a satellite dish in the next 24 months. But, I figure as I'm not going anywhere and the Roadrunner high speed Internet have always served me well, too.

Now at T-Mobile Customer Care this morning, they just converted my 1,000 minute plan plus Free Nights and Weekends to a completely Unlimited plan (Anytime!) for the same price of $49 a month. No more waiting til 9pm to make a call or trying to listen to voicemails before 7am. Same price as I was paying before and the same already standing contract commitment. Nice.

Not so happy with Bank of America though... They are offering a 2.50% promotional rate on a Money Market account... But they won't let me transfer my current Bank of America Money Market with a paltry fractional interest rate over to the promotional one. Has to be "new money" they say.

Well... I can too easily transfer that $10,000 to another bank and get a perfectly good CD or Money Market rate... And I'll do that next week when I have a vacation and the time to fool with it... Bankrate.com always lists all the very best deals in the country updated daily.

Silly Bank of America thinks their customers are idiots apparently...

Now to look into an alternative power company. Got some mailer from a company called Energy Plus which promises lower tax free rates and points on my Amtrak Guest Rewards account...

Saturday Early Morning in Tweets

Listening to Sutton Foster's "Wish" CD & choring around. Trash, recycling, loading my Flickr pix & taking Pepcid cuz of that damned Amy's muffin. 30 minutes ago.

Home from photo walk around 'hood. Tried a so-called *new* double chocolate muffin @ Amy's Bread. Pretty bland really. Stick w/ the brownie! 42 minutes ago.

Bottomline sez to boost mood: Fish oil capsules, increase dietary fiber, and take multi-vitamins. OK Dokey. about 2 hours ago

WTF is KenKen anyway. I see the puzzles daily in the NYTimes. They resemble Sudoku. I hate puzzles. Just sayin. about 2 hours ago

Drinking 6 cups a day of green or black tea can reduce stroke risk by 42% sez Bottomline Personal. about 2 hours ago

Nice interview with HAIR's Gavin Creel by David Noh in GaycityNews.com. But spoiler alert is warranted if u haven't seen the show yet. about 2 hours ago

Paul Schindler details NY Sen Charles Chuck Schumer's born again stance as anti-DOMA in this week's GayCityNews.com. about 2 hours ago

Coupon for 99 cent Nathan's Hot Dogs in weekend NYTimes... Woohoo. They expire in May so I can use em during Spring Break @ Coney Island. about 2 hours ago

Book to get: Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York by Murray & Murray. (NYTimes Book Review) about 2 hours ago

As techically saavy as I am... I have still never tried TwitPic or Twitter Groups. Ah, maybe on the next Spring Break I'll play w/ those. about 2 hours ago

At 1st, I thought NYTimes dropping seperate Metro section was bad. But I've adjusted to it being included in front section as "New York". about 3 hours ago

Prediction: The first female President of the United States will be Michelle Obama. about 3 hours ago

Wonder Wheel makes front page of NYTimes today. I guess I oughta go ride that and the Cyclone one of these days. Before, I get too old, LOL. about 4 hours ago

NYTimes reports 660,000 more jobs lost. Total surpasses 5 mil. The local Hell's Kitchen gay saloon is full of them, for example. about 4 hours ago

The Greek Diner is jumpin w/ leftover nite owls. College kids, bouncers, cops, & 2 other early risers. Still a little dark outside. & Cool. about 4 hours ago

Happy Saturday! about 4 hours ago

My Crystal Ball

Here's my prediction...

The first female President of the United States will be...

(Drumroll please)...

... Michelle Obama.

Ladies and Gentlemen, place your bets...

(Message composed on my T-Mobile Sidekick 2008 mobile device).

Friday Ah

Inhale.

It's Friday.

Exhale.

Ahhhhhhhhhh

Book Making 1947

Wednesday's Word: April Baby

April Baby

A term coined by Lil Wayne, meaning a fool.

Usage: "He's an "April baby" for thinking he could ever get with someone like her."

Source: Urban Dictionary