Catching up

Well I finally saw the new movie "Sherlock Homles." I didn't get a chance to catch in the theaters, but once it's out on DVD, it's fair game. This is the most homo-erotic movie of all time that actually had no sex in it whatsover.Why they even bothered casting any women's roles was a total loss to me. It was clear that these two men who lived together were a married couple. It was kind of sweet, actually. Robert Downey Jr. can always be relied upon for a good performance, but I've always been kind of "iffy" on Jude Law. In this movie though, he not only gives a good performance, he looks better than I've seen him look in years. So, to sum it up, anyone who wants to see a good gay action movie, this is the one.

Lost an old friend recently. A very valouros woman who not only taught me a lot, she also got me to do something unheard of for someone like me, to donate my time for charity twice a week. Imagine, me, in person, meeting people I'd never met before. Folks, I never even leave the house unless it is with with someone I've known at least thirty years, but Irene gave me the courage to do it. By her own example, she gave me strength. She was seven days, and a few years older than I. A fellow cancer astrologically, as myself. I can't help thinking that with my own death wish, it is a cruel joke that she left instead of me. The world would have been a better place if I'd gone instead of her. I'll miss you, old friend. I'll miss the way you used to say "Not to worry," and made me believe it. I'll miss the way you forced me to be more than what I really was. I'll miss your kindness and your compassion, and the way you cared for others. By your own example, you taught me to be a better person. I'm told there will be no service, so this is my goodbye. I will always remember you.

Well, that effectively went "bummer" real quick, didn't it? Sorry, I didn't mean to bring anybody down, I even started off on a happy note, but eventually the tears were going to find their way onto my keyboard.

Ter got some other movies also when she went to the store. I haven't seen them yet, I'm waiting for a time we can watch them together. She had already seen "Sherlock Holmes," with her sister-in-law in the theaters, so I felt safe watching that one by myself. I can't wait to see 2012. Roland Emmerich clearly hates this planet. With every film, he finds a way to attack or destroy it. I'm thinking bottle baby here. Surely no one breast fed would be so dour. Then again, come to think of it, I was a bottle baby also. In the early fifties, breast feeding was considered unseemly or something. Probably worse when you grew up in a Morman household. You're parents were always wearing the funny underware, and although it had flaps for the elimination of bodily waste, it didn't cover breast feeding whatsoever. Strange that, when you think about it. If you're supposed to procreate as often as possible to bring little Morman babies into the world, why wouldn't your underware allow you to breast feed? I'm just saying.

Black, the oldest cat in known space, is still with us, although her abilities get less and less. Oddly enough, I find I don't mind it, other than my concern for her, of course. I never got to care for my parents when they were dying, but I've sure seen quite a few of my kids go. Don't want to go all Disney here, but it is the circle of life. I'm certain that mother's other sons think I'm crazy, but that's o.k. I clearly am. Regardless, I seem to still be here.

My best to all from the ether.

Left the house, again

I don't get out of house much, but I was persuaded to do so last Saturday when I went with Ter and Alan to Borrego Springs to view the desert blooms. Oddly, there were few blooms, although the landscape was, for the desert, rather green and lush. We waited a bit too long I fear. I was not able to do too much in the way of hiking. I prefer to call what I do synchronized falling down. We waited a bit long and the blooms were moving in elevation, but we did see a few.

I was a little amazed. It was crowded out at the desert, but the rudeness of the crowds was a bit off putting. It went from the Disneyland experience where everyone with a stroller feels and shows their self-entitlement, to just down right rudeness. After standing and being out in the direct sun for a bit, I had to retire to the shade for a bit where I was struck by a young family with their strollers, who either did not see a 200 pound man standing there, or just did not care. From there it went downhill. After taking some more pictures, I sat my ample behind on a large bench and was asked to give up my seat "So the ladies could sit," which was flatly insane as there was plenty of room on the bench for us all. I was perched on the end of a twelve foot bench for heaven's sake. I replied to the person who though he was being a gentleman I suppose, "My last two surgeries went well, thank you for asking." Score one for me on that one. Rule to live by, assholes lurk everywhere. I've spent my life putting up with them, but now I have no one to please. They do not pay my salary, they are not potential clients, and I will probably never see them again. This gives you a great deal of freedom. It's like dotting the last line on your suicide note and getting a berrating phone call from a member of your family. When you're already pretty much gone, it's a certain release.

I did get one shot of a tourist just before the mutant barrel cactus monster got her. It took two before the Park Rangers came in with their electric prods. It was not a pretty sight, but there was nothing I could do. Even my shouting out, "For God's sake woman, watch your back," did nothing. I don't know if anyone reading this has ever seen a death by cactus, but it is not a pretty sight.

Like I said, I did get out of the car, and I did walk around some, so all in all, it was a pretty productive day for a creature like myself. Then, and this is the amazing part, I managed to go to the store for provisions and even prepared dinner. Sad to say, I was a wreck for a couple of days afterward.

We did see one thing which was slightly unusual. A couple had pulled off the road and stalked into a field of Goldenrod, aparently waiting for their mothership to come an take them home. I thought at first that they, like ourselves, were taking pictures. Not so. Even using our strongest lenses, we could see that there were no cameras with them. The two strode into the field of blooms and even did "snow angels" in them. I have a feeling this will be the start of a romantic situation comedy. I know the shot is washed out, I haven't had the chance to edit any of them yet, but I think my point speaks for itself. People are just fucking nuts. Terris got a picture of Alan and I. Again, not the most flattering for me, but the colors are nice.

Anyway that's how I spent my weekend. I did actually leave the house again today to go to the store, which will probably set me back again a couple of days, but it was necessary to charge the van and drive it around a bit before the oil became a semi-solid substance. A great thing about driving the van though is that when you're basically driving a large brick, you can play a damn good game of chicken.

Yours, as always, from the ether.

I'm begining to take this personally

Three more aftershocks today. 5.3 to 2.7 from 10ish to 4ish this afternoon. I have repeatedly warned that the Mother is pissed, but to no avail. No damage, no harm, but it is tiring. I suppose all these little ones means that the Mother can vent her frustration before she tells us to "go cut me a switch." This, at least in So. Cal., is a good thing. I was talking to my friend Alan when one of them hit. He was in El Cajon at the time. talk about your bummer. Shock and Hell scenario.

I'm going to post an unflattering picture from my trip up the Coast. It should be captioned "I'm not local, but I think the ocean is that way."
Seeing the picutres that Alan took of me over the weekend reminded me of how amazing it was that I got propositioned. Perhaps the gray bear is going off the endangered species list. Hope so. If I can no longer have the energy to trim my hair and beard and still have a man open the curtains to his hotel room while I am outside for a smoke and then undress. There may be hope. Not for me, but perhaps for others.

Speaking of my earlier phone call, Alan started a sentence with "Down on the..." I had to laugh. There are many ways NOT to start a sentence. That's one of them. We got into a can you top this (which is my family sport) and good time was had by us both. He brought up the "Things never to say in bed," and we had more laughs. I had some he'd never heard before, but then then again, I'd heard them firsthand, so he actually wins that one. He was making stuff up and I was recounting my past. He got the moral and ethical high-ground on that one. I hate to miss on an ouch-a-thon, but it does happen occasionally.

Catching up on some of the TV I'd missed today, when I should have been doing good works around the house, but there is always tomorrow. I will never, for the life of me, understand the medical dramas that are all over the networks. If all this is really going on, we should all move to Canada in case we get sick. Instead of signing a "Do Not Resusitate," we should sign a "Please use a condom."

That's me from the ether today. Love to all.

Was this the planet I signed up for?

What was I thinking? I wasn't too upset by the quake yesterday. I heard it coming. There's a low harmonic frequency which precedes such things and as luck would have it, almost never leaving my sofa, I was on a soft surface and cushioned. No damage here, although I understand others were not as lucky. My heart goes out to those who were affected. I strongly recommened to Ter that she call her mom immediately. Apparently when you retire to Florida, absoutely anything that happens in a state the size of California must affect your children. When wildfires broke out in the hills above Los Angeles, roughly two hours away, Mom was on the phone. When it was roughly and incorrectly stated that the waves here would damage the coast, which we live at least fifteen minutes away from, Mom was on the job again, telling us not to go wading in the surf. You see where I'm going here. In all honesty though, I grit my teeth every hurricane season as they all seem to plot a projected path which goes directly through Jacksonville. The bad thing about these occurences is that Mom turns off her phone in inclement weather because of the lighting strike risk, so we can't always check on her. This is truly a don't ask, don't tell situation. I can't ask you if you are insane, and you couldn't tell me. However, I can hardly advise somebody on how to live their life when I can't live my own.

Had a truly sh**ty morning. It was approaching 4:00 a.m. and Bubba was making the feed me, feed me dance, making certain that I noticed his presence and screaming his feed me, feed me, meow. This sets off Black, who also jumps on the coffee table to walk across the keyboard just in case I didn't notice that the largest dometic cat in known space, and the oldest cat in known space were hungry. Sadly, I had just finished replenishing my large tumbler of cranberry juice, and Black, in her infinite grace, managed to create what I would charitably call a coffee table lake. After I said bad words, I got a roll of paper towels, and while I was trying the salvage my computer parts and the table itself, the kids were walking back and forth through the puddle demanding to be fed. Had to severely restrain myself from throwing them out the patio door to reclaim their ancestry and forage, but all they would do is break back in to be fed. I had the extremely evil thought of tossing them out and holding up a can of tuna and a can opener in front of them. If you have cats, you know how that inflames them. I can't even open the kitchen drawer with the can opener in it without Bubba miraculously appearing, seemingly out of thin air.

I was totally and utterly worthless when I got back from my road trip, and followed up today by being just as worthless. I again, being charitable, am calling this travel shock and fatigue. Not scoring me any points at home. But then again, like a horror story from Stephen King, I always come back. Worry when I don't. Then you get to live in fear of what I will be when I come back. And if you'll be in the shower or on the toilet when I do.

I'm thinking of putting a down payment on larger ether. Yours, as always.

Back again

Managed to find the stones to go on a road trip/photo safari with my friend Alan. Two very beautiful days with excellent weather to one of the most beautiful places on earth. My rather frail health and stamina make it difficult to do too much travelling, but a chance for two days at Morro Bay can not be turned down. We toured the area and had a lovely time. I ate small amounts of food twice, and kept it down. It may sound ridiculous, but after three weeks on not being able to hold down anything, it was a banner acheivement.

One of the unexpected highlights of the trip was getting hit on twice while at the hotel. One of the most beautiful places on earth, and when you go outside to have a smoke, you get hit on. What can be better than this? By the way, to the beautiful man in room 218: You made my night. Imagine telling someone that "You can't be serious; I'm old enough to be your father," and having them respond, "I love my daddy." This from a dark and swarthy young man with two cold beers in his hand he'd retrieved from the trunk of his top-of-the-line Lexus. Like I said dude, you made my night. It's been a long time since I've been hit on by a beautiful man, and one nearly half my age? I don't think even Vegas bookmakers can give odds on that one.

I had myself a really good time. Like I said, I don't get out of the house much, and don't really get around too well on foot, so I wasn't able to take a lot of the shots that I should have. Alan took some nearly remarkable shots at Jade Cove, but the chances of me being able to scale the path down the cliff when I often fall down walking to the kitchen made it rather impossible for me to join him on that one. I'm going to download and edit what shots I was able to take and post them, but it may take me awhile.

From the ether, my thanks to a dear friend (and the guy in room 218) for allowing me such a great couple of days.