Do it now!

I had this pithy little post all composed in my head before coffee had brewed this morning and now the entire thing is gone. Can't remember a word, not even the subject.

I almost assured the other day that I'll never save any more money...ever. I rounded a corner on my way back from lunch and there it was. A green 2003 Mercedes E350.(Why did it have to be green? Any other color I could have resisted.) I could hear the angels singing as rays of glorious light shone from it's hood ornament. I had to test drive it. oh, my! I definitely need one of those. Perhaps not today, nor maybe not even tomorrow, but one day soon. Oh yes. It's going to happen. Count on it.

Side-tracked

I took yesterday off (they pissed me off last week so there.) and I got a few things done around the apt. Perhaps you remember the Great Akai Power Supply Battle that I was waging in an attempt to get them to honor the warranty and replace or repair the damn thing for me. It worked! (sort of) I performed very delicate electronic surgery while taking the tv apart, removed the offending power supply, and sent it in. They fixed it and it FINALLY came back yesterday. So I took the tv down, opened it back up and replaced the board. The tv came on and was working fine. This wonderful and gratifying development was offset by the discovery that one of the cable tv cables is faulty and I could either use the good one to get internet, or tv, but not both. To quote Vincent D'onofrio in MIB, "Figures." Once I got that figured out I realized it was too late to go to Radio Shack and cruise Wade, the adorkable clerk, so I went to bed, and today I'll get one on the way home, since they don't keep a lot of radio shack's here in the ghetto where I work.

The nocturnal thumping I thought was a new neighbor (yes it was happening again) has turned out to be racoons in the attic. Yes, I have racoons in my attic. You expected less? So, they've been relocated, and the entry has been blocked so I now sleep through the night in my new place. What life lesson could there be in my being unable to sleep wherever I live? Very confusing.

I've decided to get even busier this fall than ever. I want a few things done and pronto. I'm getting a grant writing certificate, which requires 8 weeks of study. I'm taking HTML and Photoshop classes at the college, I'm getting a certificate to teach ESL, and I'm all but sure I'll be directing a show. This on top of my three jobs. You may not hear from me after August 14 until the holidays. Lol, like that would happen. Who would I bitch to about how busy I am?

All this depends on my ability to put together a few grand in short order, so we'll see how good I am at that. I figure I've always been able to find money for the stuff I wanted before so why should this be any different.

Remember that $16.14 I extorted from the bike shop last week? I hit a rock on Sunday's ride and had a flat. The bill? $16.14. Ironical huh?

I was more than a little gratified to learn this morning that old Monica Goodling was in it up to her beady little Aryan blue eyes from the beginning. Her invocation of the fifth amendment should have been enough of a clue to tell us all exactly how much justice had been perpetrated at justice this last eight years. I can only hope that someone eventually goes to jail over the myriad of crimes this administration has committed. Bastards. We may spend decades learning of all the damage they've done.

And for another I told you so! I told you they'd sacked the treasury! I told you, I told you, I told you! Now banks are failing. Does anyone have any idea what that really means when lots of banks start to fail? It means we're in more trouble than we ever knew, and it promises not to get better for a long while.

And Barack the poser, and John the crazy are supposed to be our salvation from this mess. Good luck to us all. Obama is now refusing access to magazines that say things he doesn't like. I believe that's called censorship, and I won't vote for anyone who'd do that. Dickhead.

Love

Hot Guy Friday!

There are few things that can render me speechless. Some men however, are quite capable by just walking in the room.

Timothy Olyphant is one of them.

Enjoy!

Swearing off the slime...

I think, though I'll continue to post here, of course, and still look in on a certain playwright, that I'll just stop with the blogosphere already.

The blogs I read lately consist of a guy who may or may not be about to shuffle off this mortal coil, a young guy who thinks he's the Dali Lama, another younger guy, who though cryptic in a lot of ways publishes shadowy pictures of himself(nothing prurient, mind you.), and then deletes them when you look at them. (odd) But also a guy who doesn't apparently exist, a woman who is STILL wallowing in self-pity that he stole her words, and a guy who seems to float in and out of the country with as much ease as I move from city to suburb daily. If it's believable it's not by much.

Now, of course, if a certain someone would suddenly shuffle off this mortal coil as it were, I'd be mortified that I questioned it at all, but there is so much out here that is purposely meant to mislead, to draw you into either a lie or an argument, or just to satisfy someone else's Bullshit quotient that is has suddenly become NOT WORTH IT!

I'm a busy guy folks, and I have a genetically low setting on my Bullshit barometer, so I find it a little tedious to sit down to read something and then find out the person claiming it happened is not exactly telling me the truth! Jesus!!!

I think I'm sticking with the guy in the woods and the lustful asian playwright. (though I'm laying claim to Brendan Fraser, I'm older, I have seniority.)They were my firsts and still my faves. Everyone else... have a nice internet existence. If you exist, I hope you continue to do so. If not,well, there you have it.

Love

Getting involved? Ewww!

I try to make a policy of not getting involved in whatever latest dramatic imbroglio the blogosphere has come up with, and I’m leaning toward keeping it that way. Today, for reasons passing understanding, I allowed the owner of a blog called Sweet|Salty to post some comments here, somewhere. I posted them and now can’t find where they went. But no matter, the point is that they were relating a story about a blog I used to read and like called Cooper’s Corridor.

Cooper, it appears, doesn’t exist. A shame really, I rather liked the idea of a gay 20-something Dad raising two sons alone in rural Canada. Something about the notion appealed to me. That maybe there is hope in the world. And who knows, maybe there still is. Not from Coop though, he’s apparently a fictitious character invented by some blogger who was stealing posts and identities from this Sweet|Salty blogger.

Well, that’s done with as far as I’m concerned. Maybe there really is a Cooper, and there really is hope. Let’s hope so, we need all the Cooper’s we can get, as long as they are real, of course. Wouldn't it be cool? A gay dad with two kids in a rural area, not afraid for his life. It'd be unique that's for sure.

Poor Christian Bale. Crazy relatives. How I empathize with him today. It’s true all they ever want is money. If he writes them a big fat check they’ll go away forever. Knowing crazy relatives the way I do I suspect that nothing really happened and he’s the real victim in all this. That’s usually how it works.

Mine are currently attempting to manipulate the more innocent of my relations into starting some kind of shit back up again. I think I put a stop to it yesterday. We’ll see. It may just go on until some one of us finally succumbs to the vagaries of time, and dies. We may never know. I do know that if I’d write them a big fat check they’d go away. That I can attest to. If anyone has a surefire recipe for ridding ones life of crazy white trash relatives, LET ME KNOW!!! (P.S. I’d prefer it didn’t involve the possibility of jail. Thanks)

Didn’t I just have a vacation? I think I need another one. The best consolation is that in the next three weeks two of my favorite people in the world will be coming to town. So I’ll get to play a little with them, that will be fun. I think the first one is coming into town on the 12th and the other one a little later. Sadly, the week of the 12th will suck a little cause I start school that week, but hey, it’s only the first week.

I’m a little sore STILL, from Sunday’s ride. I’m trying to teach a horse the 4 beat foxtrotter gait, which, though natural, is still something they have to learn by doing, and the only way to do it is to ride them. Oh. My. God!! It’s like being a completely inexperienced rider and getting on a horse for two hours for the first time ever. Bounce, Bounce, Bounce… Standing is much preferable to sitting right now . She’ll learn and it’ll get better, but the process…oy!

Update:
I, of course, am watching the Christian Bale thing unfold with utter concentration. Now the family members say: "We didn't call the police! We didn't call anybody!" Is there a white trash playbook?

Love

I'm Still here!

I'm around just very busy right now.

You'd think in the throes of summer I'd have some extra time, but nooo, not me!

I'll be more communicative later in the week.

Love

Hot Guy Friday!

Since I refuse to bring back Hot Guy Friday with a whimper I'll bring it back with one of my all time favorite men.



Dermot Mulroney.

This is all from The Wedding date, but there are a lot more out there. I thank the Gods that man is willing to share the view.

I realized yesterday that I have yet another three day weekend, so Monday I'll be a-horseback all day. Maybe have a stop by the swimmin' hole. No, I'm serious, there really is one.

Next week perhaps there'll be an extravaganza. It is, after all, the dog days, and I do not feel like doing much.

Have a good weekend all!

Love

Say it ain't so!!!

I love my friends. They're an extremely quirky bunch of weirdos, and as such reflect me perfectly...much to my chagrin.

I recently had to apologize to Oldflame and subsequently reversed my position when I re-read the post in question and realized I hadn't done anything wrong. He's notably absent at this point. Not that he hasn't pulled this before. What I call his "hikes" are notorious. He's taken many over the years and I suspect he'll take many more. But enough with the hikes, someone needs to get over themselves and it ain't me. So there.

I did however get an email from my friend M in New Mexico who, along with her wonderful husband has been unfailingly supportive for...Lord, can it be almost two decades? I guess it can. Little did LL know when she introduced us that we'd be the one's to survive the trials of Gypsy, we're lucky that way.

I thought her email was sent as a comment to the blog, but for some reason it didn't come through that way (blogger being weird again?) so I brought it here to share:

"Hey, Just to show that I do occasionally read your blog. Hope Mr. Crockpot gets over himself. Maybe you should apologize again, it's good practice. I was blown away the first time I read that you said you were sorry and not surprised that you took it back. You are sweet, funny, bright, loyal, hardworking, someone I'd want in my corner in an altercation, fisty (or fighty or fiesty or what ever) but NEVER apologetic. I really don't take umbrage, and I don't recall EVER being mad at you myself. But Mr. Crockpot is probably not used to seeing references to himself on the net, he's old (as we are all getting) and I think he probably got weirded out, but doesn't know how to voice his discomfort."

Other's levels of discomfort aside, I'm keeping on. The "someone I'd want in my corner in an altercation," line reminded me of a "compliment" I once received from K2. We'd been sitting in some bar in Albuquerque for...well, it was a long time I am certain of that. And someone said something snippy to K2 and he told them to watch their step (like any one of us could have even stood at that point, let alone fought) that he wasn't alone. "Cause if I'm ever in a fight I wouldn't want anyone at my back other than this faggot." I am, to this day, certain that there was a compliment in that left hand somewhere. At the time I was just too damn drunk to argue about it.

I've been offered the chance to work with another horse. I will, without hesitation, take them up on it. A friend of a friend has bought one and needs a place to board it and someone to keep it exercised. HELLO!!! So I think I may just start working this one as though it needs starting. That way I'll get to know more about groundwork and when we're friends, I'll likely have a better time of it starting saddlework.

I somehow, got my big mouth into yet ANOTHER debate over spurs! I choose to use them! They're no longer the old-fashioned cutting jabbing things they were in the 19th century, but that seems to matter little to those who hate spurs. Those fuckers are like dog owners, or cat people, (no offense to E or P) anyone who owns a cat or a dog and is sane knows what I'm talking about. I"m not hurting the horse and it's a useful tool I choose to use. I get it that you don't like them and I promise I won't use them on you...unless you ask. But shit! Get over it already.

The new place is heaven on earth. I hear NOTHING, I tell you. NOTHING!!! It's like a damn crypt and I love it. Put me in there with a smattering of my native dirt and I'd be good for weeks. I'm still working on the storage issues, but it seems they can be worked out. Shelves...marvelous invention. I got up this morning at 5:30, rode fifteen miles, did half an hour of Yoga picked up the place, went to the Post Office and headed for work.

I have skipped, through absence or negligence,(sometimes both) Hot Guy Friday for the last several weeks. I was hoping to return with a Giant Hot Guy Extravaganza! Alas, I have had no time to devote to the cause so we may have a mediocre resurrection of the day. But I'll try to make up a good one soon. Who knows I may feel motivated later and it may happen after all, we'll see.

Love

See! Finally settled in:

TREK BIKES and Crow! My least favorite dish.

Ok, In my own defense I have to say I never set out to extort $16,14 out of Trek, or anyone else. I took it when offered, but really $16.14? Not extortion-worthy.

If you read the Trek bike post on Sunday you know I was grossly unhappy with Trek and had been for some time. I just felt that customer service wasn't a thing I had even remotely received and truly no longer expected.

I was wrong.

I was contacted by the store manager who apologized, researched my records and offered to refund a minor repair I was charged for.

So, I'm trying to make this right here folks. I was mad and now I'm better. $16.14 was pretty cheap to make me get over it don't you think? But then again that's me.

I still take exception to anonymous' comment, but then when one does not know whereof one speaks, one should not speak. But when one does speak, one should have the fortitude to put their name on their words.

Love

Keep them doggies rollin!

In case you noticed my absence, please pardon me. I had an opportunity to do something I may never get to do again, last week, and I chose to take off on a moments notice to do it.

I went on a roundup in the Kansas Flint Hills.

THAT was very cool.

Well, it could have been cool had I known what the fuck I was doing. I didn't roundup a lot. I did quite a bit of chasing though. Still, the experience was incredible.

The flint hills are gorgeous. Not at all what we see from the Interstate as we pass through. But an intricate and incredible piece of geography I doubt I'll ever forget.

Horses are notoriously disinterested in being rounded up in case you wondered.

Especially by greenhorns. Being one, they took full advantage.

I was also ridiculed frequently for living under a layer of sunscreen 50. Sorry, already had skin cancer once, gotta pass on that second opportunity.

The guys I was with were very patient and willing to explain things several times if necessary. However, when they were done explaining it you'd better be able to figure shit out for yourself and right quick, or your old ass is surely gonna get run over by a bunch of livestock. They graciously had considered this and given me a fast horse, which was great except the first time I took off after a bunch of horses and mine scared me to death running as fast as I'd ever gone without benefit of a seat belt.

I spent three days with some people who truly know how to live in the moment and it was a great reminder what life is all about.

I can't wait to go again.

well damn!!!

I can't believe that weekend went by so quickly. I was crazed with unpacking and getting the new place set up, especially since I had a deadline when friends came over for finner and fireworks on Friday. BTW I have this cool view and we stood on my deck and watched like 6 different displays at once. Very fun.

But prior to that I'd ridden the bike, gone to home depot and done major damage to the hd card, then I rode the horse and then to and other store where I did major damage, and then ANOTHER store where, well you get the picture. Then I went swimming and took a nap and then tore into the apartment so it would be ready, which almost did me in. But the place is together and it's FAH-bulous! The evening was a resounding success and I even had my hb neighbor over after all was said and done and we christened the place.

Time Warner Cable screwed me, as usual, and I had no tv or internet until THIS MORNING when I finally got some guy to come and set it all up. But even without tv I did ok this weekend.

This is all good news since I'll be out of town this weekend and I did not want to come home to more unpacking. I'm liking this three day weekend thing. This will be my third in a row. Maybe I can make this habit.....

Have a good one.

Love

mish mash

Well today there are several items of business.

Tomorrow is futz eve, and I am very excited. Futz eve has it's origins, for me at least, in an evening, night, morning, I spent partying with some ne'er do wells I once knew briefly. They were/are of the mind that some guy named Futz will arrive some July 3rd and save the world from itself, or some such nonsense. Basically it's a really good excuse to get drunk and dance around a campfire. Which, among other things I will not go into here, we did. So ever since, I celebrate Futz eve, whether alone or with others, it's too good a holiday to pass up. Friday I'll have a gin hangover, but I'll have several days to recover.

Second, I wanted to mention that I have a new grocery store close to my new place. New grocery store sucks! Long story short, why would there only be checkouts open for people with hundreds of dollars in groceries, and no place for the schmuck who only needs coffee filters? Of course I was directed to customer service where I could easily be taken care of. Right after the guy who needs to send money via western union!!!! AAAAHHHH!! Hunt for New New Grocery store is on.

Third, I really need to address a matter of great importance to me. I have inadvertently offended. I wrote in a post right after my birthday about Oldflame (whose identity was never even thinly veiled to him) making me birthday lunch. I have also been told by friends that I occasionally write in a shorthand as though others are supposed to get what's in my head. This shorthand, and my proclivity to be a bit, shall we say, glib, has gotten me in some measure of hot water.

I would like to take this opportunity, publicly, rather than privately since it's apparent he stops by here and currently won't speak to me(and rightfully so), to apologize to Oldflame. I was inconsiderate and I was thoughtless. I'm sorry. I truly meant to make light with my comments and they did not come off that way. I love your crock pot, and most importantly I love you. You've owned a piece of my heart since the day (in 1974)you stepped out of your mother's station wagon Pat G's party and I asked JW.."WHO is THAT?" I was lost then and I suppose I always will be, and I like it like that. So when you can find it in your heart to consider forgiving me, call. I'd like that.

Love

Two more things

(photo courtesy of towleroad.com)


I thought I'd share this with you since I can't look at it without my jaw hitting the keyboard.

And I just looked at my Freaking amazing calendar and realized it's Canada Day. Happy Canada Day my norther brethren, especially the gay ones, but all the rest of you too. (I miss cooper)

Love

I thought I'd share with the blogosphere

Today I posted my review of the apartment I just left on apartmentratings.com. I don't think they'll be very happy with me after this, what do you think:


The Projects is right!



What a pit! I just escaped yesterday. That was the single worst place I have ever lived in my entire life. The "neighbors" (I say "neighbors" because they have no idea what neighborly means) are incredibly bad. Either they're crazy or mean or both. The place has roaches, the carpets in the halls are filthy, the security doors are never secure, the "Falls" are broken and filled with green algae. The parking lot is full of holes and cracked everywhere. The apartments have filthy carpet, the laundry NEVER works, and after office hours you are locked out of the main entrance with a chain fence! You have to take side entrances to get into your own apartment. Very impressive when you have guests. It's not like they couldn't let you come in the front door and then chain off the offices, they could, they just choose to have this charming little chain wall at the front door.

The parking lot is a war zone. If people aren't working on their cars out there, they're playing car stereo's loud and partying at night until the cops come. AND THE COPS ALWAYS COME!

They've recently put up a sign advertising $399 studios. They're also building new garages. One does not build new garages for the clientele one attracts with $399 studios, so I think they're filling it up so they can sell to developers and go condo. How they'll get rid of the roaches I have no idea. Of course they'll be easier to get rid of than those tenants.

If you're on probation, parole, disability, still long for the days of living in the dorms and you're 27,are white trash, or an illegal immigrant I highly recommend The Falls. If you are sane, employed, educated, have self-esteem and an income you can do way better.

I never thought I'd find such a place in Johnson County outside of Olathe, but there it is. Sitting up on that hill, haunted by the ghosts of every trashy neighbor you ever feared you'd have. This is where they're kept. Stay away from The Falls Carole Ann!

I almost forgot! It's July 1!

And here is the freaking amazing ancient Egyptian popup calendar for this month.

It's cool once again. Reminds me of a Martin Ramirez painting. Next year I think I'll have to actually buy one of these things, since I can't count on winning one again.

The Prodigal returneth

I’ve been neglectful these past few days, but it was moving weekend. Thank God that’s over. Well, not entirely, now I have to unpack. Which means I get to find all that stuff I have been looking for since Friday.

It’s been an eventful few days, I have a new apt, new glasses, a haircut, a new tv (don’t get me started) new patio furniture, new window tinting, new artwork, and of course new debt as a result of most of that. But what the fuck.

I carried a lot of stuff up the stairs into the new place this weekend, the movers did most of it, but still there was artwork, cd’s and dvd’s, electronics, clothes. Stuff I just knew it was smarter to move myself. There are 16 stairs from the ground to my apt. For all my bike riding, my calves were still unprepared.

But I’m in! It’s so nice to live among people again! People who don’t bother you, people who keep to themselves and don’t feel they have to talk when they see you, people who aren’t crazy. I’ve actually slept three whole nights through in my own bed. I hardly know how to act with actual rest. This coming three day weekend I plan to get three more days.


I appropriated the picture off towleroad.com. I may just have to go to Mexico City next pride season.

I need to play catch up big-time this week so have a good one.

Love