Part of the Whole Design

Went to the Read Street Tattoo Studio and looked through about 20 different books of tattoo designs.
I want a tattoo for my birthday, but I don't know exactly what kind of design I want to get, or where on my body I want to put it.

My birthday's not until October, so I have plenty of time to make up my mind.

Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent

I got a money order at Eddie's Supermarket (in Mount Vernon) and went to my apartment buildings leasing office and paid the rent.
Then I stopped by the drugstore to pick up deoderant/anti-perspirant and to get my Gillette Mach 3 shaving cartriges.
They didn't have my usual deoderant (Degree Invisible Solid--Sport Scent) so I got the Right Guard Extreme with the "Power Stripe" instead.
We'll see how that works.
I don't like switching brands, but I didn't feel like going to another store.

Then I stopped by the City Cafe for a large hazelnut coffee and to read the Baltimore City Paper which came out today.

All the baristas and servers at the City Cafe are so fuggin' hot!!!!
It's like they only hire sexy men or something.
I'm not complaining. It's nice to have beautiful things to look at!

Hodge Podge

Pool was great last night. I feel like I might actually be improving. They were playing Disco and I was just sinking them in one after another while MacArthur Park melted in the background.
From there I went to Simple Central Station for a drink and ran into my friend Sean and chatted with him for a little while. Then I came home.
Fun.

Worked all day today. It was “family night” so everyone brought all their brats in to throw food all over the place. *gross*
Every once in awhile I see a nice, well-behaved child and I think “You know, I’d be nice to have a kid.” Then I see these uncontrolled little demons running around, screaming, crying, making messes and I think “Never!” and I thank whatever Gods there be that I’m a male and can’t get pregnant.

I had a trainee tonight which decreased my work load a little. He seemed to catch on pretty quickly, so maybe he‘ll last awhile. People come and go so quickly at my restaurant.

I may be becoming a Crew Leader. It would mean more money per hour and I‘d get to eat for free, so that‘s a plus. I received my training manual tonight. It‘s only a matter of time.

Things I’ve been thinking about (in no particular order):
• If time travel were really possible, wouldn‘t people from the future have visited us by now?

• Speaking of time, why does time fly by when you’re having fun?

• Why is it that two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left?

• What if alternate universes really do exist? Anything really would be possible!

• How come nobody’s spotted Bigfoot lately?

• Why do we need a hot water heater? If the water’s hot it shouldn’t need to be heated.

• Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds?

Slave To The Blog

25 %

My weblog owns 25 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

He Makes My Day

Spoke with Fireguy today.
I had an impulse come over me so I just picked up the phone and called him.
I'm really, really glad I did. We had a really good conversation.
It made my day.

I'm meeting G. at work later and bringing him a change of clothes so when he gets off we can go directly to shoot pool afterwards.
I feel a winning streak comin' on!

I'm Still Asleep

I woke up this morning even more tired than when I went to bed last night, if that's possible. Maybe I just haven't fully awakened yet. I feel like I could crawl back in my comfortable bed and sleep the rest of the day. I'd like to, believe me. But I'm off today and I wouldn't want to spend it in bed.
Well, not sleeping anyway.

G.'s at work until 9PM tonight. He said he would try to get out of there a little early and maybe we'll shoot pool later.

It's too hot. Actually, it's the humidity that's the worst. The humidity is so high I feel like I could almost swim through the air. I have the AC cranked up as far as it will go.

I'm gonna go make a cup o' joe and see if I can wake up some.
*yawn*

I'm Opening The Can Of Whoop-Ass

I need to check with our landlord about getting a dog. I don't know if they allow pets in our apartment or not. I thought they did, but G. thinks they don't. If I could figure out where I put the copy of the lease, I'd know for sure. On one of my cleaning jags I probably stuffed it in a drawer or something. Who knows where it is at this point. It could be anywhere.

Our upstairs neighbor might be buying our living room set. We have our eye on this nice sectional sofa we saw at the furniture store a week or so ago, so selling the set we have now would help in buying the new one. We saw him last night and discussed it briefly, exchanged emails and phone info. I'll let you know what happens.

Somehow ants have been getting all over the apartment. Those bastards are everywhere. I'm going out tomorrow and buying a huge can of Raid. I've killed before and I'll kill again if I have to! Ants, your days are numbered.

So anyway, it's been kind of normal/boring for me lately. Which means, in my experience, that something either terribly exciting and wonderful, or terribly frustrating and horrible is right around the corner. It's inevitiable.

Ubiqituous, even.

Let's Talk About It

G. and I are thinking about getting a little dog. I'm more of a "cat person", but G. doesn't really like them, and hey, I like dogs too.
He wants to get one of those little tiny fluffy dogs that look like a little fuzz ball with legs and a tail. I want a little toy chihuahua.
G. is totally against a chihuahua 'cause he says they "yap" too much.
It's still in the talking stage at this point.

G. and I are on totally different schedules lately. He's been working mornings and I've been working evenings, so I'm rarin' to go and he's tired and ready for bed, or the opposite. Either way, it's not easy.
I'm a night person anyway.
Like, for instance, it's almost 1AM now, and I'm not the least bit tired. But G.'s already been in bed for over half an hour.
I know my being up and about is keeping him up, but if I go to bed now I'll be lying awake for at least an hour--possibly longer.

Chatted (very beriefly) with my buddy Swedish Joe on AOL chat. It went kind of like this:

Wonder Boy: Hi, there!! :-)
Swedish Joe: What's up! How are you doing?
Wonder Boy: Doing good! U?
Swedish Joe: : I suppose pretty well. I can't complain. I'm not even in the same country right now.
Wonder Boy: Really? where R U?
Swedish Joe: Japan
Wonder Boy: Ah, so! How is it there? Asian men can be so hot!
Swedish Joe: LOL!.
Wonder Boy: It must be strange. Do you speak or read Japanese?
Swedish Joe: I'm just learning... but it's difficult... all my languages are European based. I have nothing from the orient to help me here.
Wonder Boy: I know when I went to Canada and everything was in French, it was very hard. I couldn't read any of the signs. I had trouble asking for directions. . .
Swedish Joe: LOL! Luckily, I know French, but even then, at least you knew the letters! Try reading Kongi! THAT'S TOUGH!
Wonder Boy: They have alot of characters in their language, don't they? We only have 26 letters in our alphabet.
Swedish Joe: Yeah, they do... actually Chinese is the worst. But Japanese is a derived language from theirs. Anyway, Jimmy, tell me, how is life in Baltimore?
Wonder Boy: It's about the same. Very hot and humid. You feel sticky all over as soon as you walk out the door from the AC. What's it like in Japan? Do they have gay bars there?
Swedish Joe: Well, I don't drink, so I don’t ever see them! :)
Wonder Boy: Well, you could always go to be social, right?
Swedish Joe: I guess I could, if they spoke English! But they don't.
Wonder Boy: Well, it was GREAT to chat with you. I gotta go, though. Sorry to make this so short, but I'm keeping my husband from sleeping! I hope to chat with you later. You take care, OK?
Swedish Joe: You too Jimmy! Be good !
Wonder Boy: You too!
Swedish Joe:: I hope to chat with you soon! Bye!

Under Where?

Check out Dan Savage's My Boyfriend Sure Looks Hot in His Tighty Whities Contest.

Vote early.
Vote often.

Out Of What?

I was feeling "out of it" all day today.
Like there's all of this stuff going on and I wasn't processing it right or it wasn't connecting or something.
Everyone at work kept asking
"The party never showed up last hight, huh?" (snigger)
like they were trying to get a rise out of me or something.
I was determined not to let it get to me.
When people try to get a rise out of me, I purposefully make sure I don't. #!, if I do, it gives them satisfaction. #2, I'm not going to let someone contol my emotions.

I checked my Extreme Tracker (It's that icon to the left that kind of looks like the planet Saturn) and in the "referred by" list was a blog called Candy Genius. Cool! (Thanx, Candy! A link to you is now on my blogroll.
I'll be watching you. Consider yourself warned!)

P.S. Thanx, also, to you Eric, for putting me on your links list!

Precious Time

Yesterday was a total waste of my time. Okay, here's the scoop: I go into work and there's this reservation that was phoned in over a week ago--a party of 150 people that were supposed to arrive at 7PM. Some church group or something. So I closed a big chunk of the restaraunt down. Then I rearranged the tables, set all the tables with plates, cutlery, etc., and they never showed up! I had to take everything down and clean it all up and I made nothing yesterday but my server's rate of $2.38 an hour for being there. I was so annoyed.

G. and I don't dhave a day off in common so jetskiing will have to wait a little while longer. G. is kind of annoyed at that. He's been wanting to go jetskiing for awhile now.

Well, today is a new day and it's raining and dreary. We have about 6 episodes of Young and the Restless to watch, because we haven't had a chance to watch them. Were gonna watch a couple of them in just a few minutes.

Increase Your Word Power!

ubiquitous u·biq·ui·tous: adj. Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent; unavoidable.

I've seen this word like 5 times in the last 2 days, had no idea what it meant.
Now I do.

It's All Random

No news yet on whether we’re transferring to the other restaurant location. G. has to make up his mind whether he wants to do it or not. It means more responsibility for G. and a whole new work environment for both of us. It’s a lot to think about.

So tired of working and it’s only been 2 days, I still have 4 more to go before I get a day off. Working means money, though, so I gotta do it--whether I want to or not.

My buddy Fireguy called last night right after G. and I had gotten to bed. It was around 12:20AM and I had to tell him I’d talk to him later. I really really hated to do that ‘cause I haven’t spoken to him in a long time, but G. had to be up at 6:30AM for work and even if I took the cordless phone outside it would still keep him up. I sent him an email explaining why. I feel like such a louse, though.

My headphone jack on my boom box broke yesterday. It kind of pushed inside the unit. If I can find my toolbox, I’m gonna see if I can repair it. I‘m not too much of a Mr. Fixit, but this shouldn‘t prove to be too much of a challenge, I hope.

It’s been too hot and humid lately. It rained last night. But it didn’t really cool it down much. Where’s this “cold front” that supposed to be cooling things off at?

I know G. really wants to go jet-skiing, so we’ll have to plan on going sometime soon, while they still have it. Maybe Rehoboth? That would be cool. I’ve only been once before, and we didn’t check out the nightclubs or anything while we were there, so that sounds pretty fun.

Blogchalking Stuff:
Google! DayPop! This is my blogchalk: English, United States, Maryland, Baltimore, Jimmy, Male, 31-35!

Life, The Universe, and Everything

It doesn’t take very much to make me happy. I’ve always been quite glad about that.
There are some people who are never satisfied.

A roof over my head, food in my belly, a little money, time on my hands--that’s all I really need.
A cup of coffee, a cocktail and a cigarette and I’m good to go--you know?

I’m an upbeat kinda guy. I’m usually in a good mood. I walk down the street with a spring in my step, and a song running through my head.
(Sometimes I even hum or sing out loud. People stare at me funny sometimes, but that’s OK.)

Every once in awhile I feel kind of blah and unenergetic, but that’s normal for everyone, I guess.
It takes alot to get me really pissed off.
And even then it never really lasts for too long.

I work as much as I have to, and try to have fun when I can.
If I have a philosophy when it comes to my life I guess that pretty much sums it up. Have fun when you can.

Yeah, it’s good to plan for the future. Otherwise the rent won’t get paid, the trash taken out, or the clothes laundered. It’s also good to reminisce about the “good ol’ days”, remembering a fun time you had, thinking about an old friend you haven’t seen in awile.

But’s what’s most important (at least in my opinion) is the now because that’s where we live.

I believe in a higher power. It’s not the Christian God, nor is is any other written set of beliefs (Hinduism, Judaism, Zen, et al.). But I believe we were created. I was meant to be here, not some cosmic accident or the random result of a sperm hitting an egg at the right time. I believe in Fate. There’s a reason why I’m here. I don’t and may never know what that reason is. I doubt we could even fathom the reasons even if they were somehow explained.
So I go about my life, touching other lives as I go, doing my thing and changing the world subtly just by existing and the world changes me right back, making me more myself than I ever have been.

Note to Fireguy: Sorry about last night. I really wanted to talk to you, but G. and I had just gotten to bed and he had to be up way early for work. I’ll call you real soon, OK?

Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number

We actually did go and shoot pool. I loved using the new cue, but it took a little while to get used to it.
Billy and Chanel came over and we watched Schrek. Very good animation.
Eddie Murphy as the donkey was the best, though. It wouldn't have been half as good without him.

In the gay world, age is a very big deal. It’s not so much how old you are, but rather how old you look.
I’ve been looking in the mirror lately, inspecting myself for signs of aging.
So I’m looking: No gray hairs--yet. No wrinkles or bags around the eyes--yet. I know it’s coming, but it hasn’t hit me so far.
It’s kind of ridiculous, actually. I’m searching for wrinkles and I’m still getting pimples. I’m feeling older, though. My back hurts a little after a long day at work. I need more sleep than I ever have. I can’t recover so quickly after a night of drinking.
Hair is growing in places it never has, which is quite alarming. At 32, I’m starting to grow hair on my stomach, and even some on my chest--what’s up with that?
I never shaved my face at all until I was 17. I simply didn’t grow hair. Then by 21 it was every 3 days or so. Now I need to shave my face at least once a day. Twice if I’m going out later in the night.
We’re all aging, right? At approximately 60 seconds a minute you, I , and everyone else is getting older. I’m feeling myself start to age.
But there’s nothing I can do about it, so why worry?

Whatever Bubbles, Bubbles Up

Found out that work wants G. and I to transfer to another location because "they need good people there". I dunno if I want to start over at a new place. Every restaraunt has different ways of doing things, you know? It's alot to think about.

Went out with G. last night and we ended up shooting pool, but we didn't bring our new pool cues because we didn't expect that we would be playing pool.
It's frustrating, 'cause I've been dying to use the new pool cues we bought at Wal-Mart last week. (I'm like a kid with a new toy.)

We were supposed to go play pool tonight, but our friend Billy and his girlfriend Chanel might be coming over, so we might have to wait.

G. and I had lunch at this restaraunt in Laurel called The Hard Times Cafe. It was a Tex-Mex kind of restaraunt with 5 different kinds of Chilli. I don't know about G., but I was sick of eating Chinese food. We always seem to go to Chinese restaraunts on our days off. It was good. We got the Chilli Nachos and a order of Jalapeno Poppers.
It was more than enough food for both of us.

Joined a Yahoo Club called Baltimore Blogs.
I haven't had a chance to check out anyone's blogs yet. I gotta do that sometime soon.

Hagglin'

I went to the Patapsco Flea Market today with G.
That was alot of fun.
The best part of Flea Markets is that you can haggle. There's a CD, and you want it, but the sticker says $5. You can say, "Hey, I want this, but I'm not about to pay $5 for it. How about $3?"
Just try doing that an any other store!

Anyway, I bought the new Eminem CD. It was a bootleg version for only $5.
I know Eminem isn't really PC, but I like him anyway.

We also got carrying cases for our new pool cues.
I'm really dying to go play pool now.
Maybe tomorrow night.

The Boys I Mean Are Not Refined

The boys i mean are not refined
They go with girls who buck and bite
They do not give a fuck for luck
They hump them thirteen times a night
One hangs a hat upon her tit
One carves a cross on her behind
They do not give a shit for wit
The boys i mean are not refined

They come with girls who bite and buck
Who cannot read and cannot write
Who laugh like they would fall apart
And masturbate with dynamite

The boys i mean are not refined
They cannot chat of that and this
They do not give a fart for art
They kill like you would take a piss

They speak whatever's on their mind
They do whatever's in their pants
The boys i mean are not refined
They shake the mountains when they dance

--e e cummings

I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am!

I just got back from a night out with G.
It was fun.
We went to the Hippo first and had a few cocktails. I saw my friend Donnie who's a hair stylist at Bubbles, a salon at Security Square Mall.
He said he's transferring to the Arundel Mills mall soon. I need a new hairstyle in the worst way, so maybe I'll go there and let him give me a new 'do.

After that we went to Central Station.
David was there. He intercepted me while G. was in the restroom.
And who could blame him? As far as he knew G. and I were broken up and G. was with his new boyfriend.
He hadn't even met G. at that point and didn't know him from Adam.
From David's POV he saw me (who he's known awhile, had a very hot night with, and was interested in) talking to "some guy" and the guy goes away somewhere.
He saw his chance and he took it.

So I told him that I was back with G. (surprise, surprise!) and that we were in love and very happy and not five minutes later G. comes out of the restroom, so what could I do? I had no choice. I introduced them to each other and then not a minute later David excused himself and dashed away.
I guess maybe he was uncomfortable.
You can't blame him for that either.

After that, we went back to the Hippo. We were gonna go over to the dance side but they were charging a $7 cover, so we said no way. G. bought me a Jell-o shooter and we had a few drinks, watched the videos and the people.
Good times.
We hardly ever go out on a Saturday night, 'cause usually we're both working, so tonight was a special treat.

Off tomorrow (today, actually) and monday. Don't know what I'm gonna do.
Hopefully it'll be fun.

All The News That's Fit To Blog

I got rid of the guestbook on this blog, because no one was using it.
I check the hit counter every so often and people are visiting, but no one's signing, so what's it good for?

Thought I had alot to say about Life, the Universe, and Everything, but it left my mind all of a sudden. Oh, well.

Worked 9-5 today (What a way to make a living, right?) and I'm glad it's over. Going out for a few cocktails with G. in a few minutes.
In fact, he's waiting for me to finish, so we can go.

Things That Don't Suck

According to Free Will Astrology I should make a list of "things that don't suck". So, here goes:

Things That Don't Suck

Waking up all by myself. No alarm clocks, telephones ringing, doorbells or loud noises. Just easing myself into conciousness.

McDonald's cheeseburgers.

Taking off my shoes after a long day at work.

The Young and the Restless.

Reading a very good book.

Recieving any kind of mail that isn't a bill, catalog, or advertisement.

Curling up next to my man at night, holding him, feeling his warmth, his heartbeat.
One of the very best things, actually.

There's plenty more things, of course, but that'll do for now.

Technology Sucks

I'm kind of frustrated 'cause every time I try to "publish" my latest post an error message pops up.
It was Really starting to piss me off!!!!!
Thank goodness I checked the "help" section of Blogger and the solution was right there.
A couple of mouse clicks later and I'm all set.
Cool.

Just checked Jonno's blog and it's on hiatus until the fall. Wonder what's up with that?

Just got a call from G. on his cell phone.
It turns out he didn't pick a DVD after all. He ran into Billy and Chanel at Blockbuster and they're coming over for cocktails.
That should be fun.

Takin' Care of Business

Haven't been online lately, but that will change. There's so much to do and so little time. I've been real lazy. I mean even lazier than I usually am and that's pretty darn lazy. The apartment's a big wreck and I have a mountain of clothes that I need to launder. Just thinking about it makes me exhausted.

OK, stuff that's happened:

I finally saw Star Wars yesterday.
YAY!
It was fantastic. I hadn't seen a movie in a theater since the original Blair Witch Project way back in 1999.

Went to a Crew Leader meeting at work today at 9 a.m. That's way early for me to be concious, but it was OK. Lots more cleaning duties and special projects will be going on. That's just what I need--more to do.

G. and I went to Wal-Mart today and picked up pool cues for us. Now we don't have to use those terrible warped sticks all the bars have. I wanted to go right out and shoot pool, but G. said he'd rather just stay home, so he's at Blockbuster picking up a DVD for us.
Hopefully he'll pick up something good.

A Stream Of Conciousness Runs Through It

Well, Big Brother 3 came on last night. I was working, but I taped it. (I like it better that way 'cause I can zip through the commercials.) It was good.
I spent most of my time looking for the gay one. (There's a gay one on it, isn't there?) MTV's The Real World usually has a "token gay person" who's there to show that "gay people are just like everyone else". Last year, on Big Brother 2, it was Bunky who was the "token", but he was such a whimp and so whiney it made me sick to watch him. I was watching and thinking "Oh, great. People who don't know any better are gonna think we're all like that." No offense to Bunky. I mean, you can't help being what you are. I just think they could've made a better choice. But I'm watching last night, looking (as I said) for the gay one and the only one who even set my gaydar off slightly was Marcellas, and I don't really think he is, but who knows?
The cast is certainly more attractive than last year.
Especially Jason.

What happened to Miss Cleo? I realized the other day I havent seen her annoying commercials for her "Psychic Network" in quite some time.

"Skin Season" is well under way. I'm enjoying looking at all the flesh. I'm very happy with G., don't get me wrong. I just enjoy looking. Hey, I'm married---not dead. No harm in looking, right?

We're having this CSQ at work which is basically an inspection to see that everything's the way it should be (everyone in uniform, everything clean and sanitary, everyone's following proper procedures, etc.) and everyone's expected to "volunteer" for special cleaning projects. Maybe I should consult my dictionary, but I thought "volunteer" meant you took it upon yourself to offer your services. I work very hard and I do a great job, but now they expect me to come in early and scrub walls down and wipe down table legs with a green scrubbie. I'll do it, I guess. But I won't enjoy it.

Rented the DVD L.I.E. the other day. The acronym stands for Long Island Expessway, where the film is set. It was okay, I guess. I think I expected more from it, so that's why I didn't enjoy it that much.

Been listening to Blessid Union of Souls lately (the Walking Off the Buzz CD). Very good CD. Kind of reminds me of Hootie and the Blowfish, though.

Deja View

Got my hair done today. I got the same old thing I usually get. I was considering highlights, but I don't know. It's weird. There was a time when my hairstyle and color changed constantly. I can't remember the last time I bleached or dyed my hair. Probably some time in 1994, I think. I decieded to go "golden blond". Blonds do have more fun, but when you're blond, people think you don't have a brain, and I couldn't stand that.

Don't know what's in store for the rest of the day. I'm off tonight, which is wonderful. I'm not even going to suggest to G. that we see a movie, (Yup, I still haven't seen Star Wars.) 'cause I know it probably won't happen. I'm gonna have to wait 'til it comes out on DVD and rent it from Blockbuster.

Can't get into my email for some reason.
*grrrr!
I love technology, but when it dosen't work, well, that just sucks!

I need a new pager so I looked around the stores on Howard Street (there's about 7 different sores that sell pagers and cell phones there) and found a neat one for only $39. I'm gonna come back soon and get it.

Gonna call G. on his cell to see what he's up to, so we can hook up and do something.