A Thrilling Saturday & Adventures in Budgeting…

The deep freeze finally loosed its grip so I headed out early this morning to run a few errands. Checking the PO Box I found a notice of a package being held for me – the rest was junk - and no bills. When I presented the notice to the person tending the window, he smiled and when he returned and I signed for the package, he said, “treat yourself well this weekend and enjoy the weather.”

I had already planned a walk on the beach, but I was curious as to what this package contained. I didn’t order anything and no one gave me a heads-up that something was on the way.

I drove to North Shores and after parking opened the package. There was no note, no return address, was post marked NOLA, but no other clues. the package contained Mardi Gras beads and a bottle of Absinthe. I just sat there behind the wheel stunned with my jaw resting on my lap. Who did this? And, why? I still have most of the surprise bottle that arrived last summer, so I hardly needed another.

I put the package under my seat and took my walk on the beach wondering who would have sent such a gift, and came up with no one. Feeling elated and loved once again, but unable to make a connection to someone I know, I drove back to the apartment.

This afternoon I set about checking the budget and how I was sticking with the plan. Well…Sorting out expenses for January, you know, food, fuel, meds, etc., (rent and utilities come off the top) I realized that I over shot the budget by a whopping 20%! Not good, especially with shorter hours and fewer working days of February upon me.

So, I embarked upon a mission to determine what happened and soon discovered that the regular items in the budget had not increased, but a few items otherwise purchased quarterly or more had run out and had to be replaced. Ingredients only used in certain dishes at certain times of the year, or items purchased periodically, turn out to be the villains of the piece. Like coffee, green tea, balsamic vinegar, olives, sea salt, herbs, and windshield washer fluid for the car – all of which have doubled in price from last year – while my income hasn’t.

I’ll have to be more careful about flagging these items and eliminating a regular item until the following month. I thought I had a pretty good handle on expenditures over the past few months, but hadn’t noticed price increases on products purchased only occasionally.

Still, baking my own bread and cooking in large batches means a nice bit of savings too.Watch those pennies, folks, and never shop without a list - - and stick to that list.

Just my two-cents, plain…

Now, if I find another job all would be, not well, but better than it is.

I smell olives.

And so it goes.

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Don't Divorce My Family - "Fidelity"

This is important. Please read the text below and watch the video, then do what you feel led to do. But Hurry, the deadline is Valentine's Day, Saturday February 14, 2009

couragecampaign.org/divorce

Ken Starr, who led the campaign to impeach President Bill Clinton, filed a legal brief last month -- on behalf of the "Yes on 8" campaign -- that would forcibly divorce 18,000 same-sex couples that were married in California last year before the passage of Prop 8.

Watch "Fidelity" and sign our letter to the state Supreme Court. Tell the Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 8, reject Ken Starr's case, and let loving, committed couples marry. DEADLINE: Valentine's Day.

couragecampaign.org/divorce

"Fidelity" used with permission from Regina Spektor and EMI Records.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

I tried posting this last evening, but Blogger had the hiccups and didn't feel up to cooperating. Better late than never, but this is serious. Help out by clicking on the links above.

More later.
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FEMA Does it Again!

As if the bungling of the Gulf States following Katrina, Rita, and the others wasn't bad enough FEMA topped themselves by delivering salmonella tainted (and recalled) peanut products to victims of the ice storms in Kentucky and Arkansas.
From Yahoo News:

According to an internal FEMA briefing document dated 8 a.m. Thursday, FEMA has delivered 959,000 meals to Kentucky in the aftermath of the ice storm, with 490,000 more on the way over the next few days. Arkansas received 468,864, and no more were expected. State emergency workers there identified four trailers containing the food kits but said the kits had not been distributed.

FEMA Acting Director Nancy Ward said during a visit to Kentucky Thursday that the agency learned about 10 days ago that some of its stockpile of meal kits included peanut butter affected by the recall. It sorted through national inventories and pulled out about 10,000 meals, she said.

The company that produced the food kits, Red Cloud Food Service Inc., had earlier identified 530,000 meals that needed to be recalled, according to a memo posted on FEMA's Web site. But Ward said the agency learned late Wednesday that "the footprint of (the) national recall got larger," affecting more meals that hadn't been included before.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday that FEMA was not told about this particular brand of peanut butter right away, though she did not specify what brand she was talking about.

"So we need to find out about that," she said.

She said FEMA was telling people to throw away the packets and the meals would be replaced by tomorrow. She did not know if the new batch would include peanut butter products.

Kentucky National Guard Col. Phil Miller said guardsmen there were posting fliers with pictures of the peanut butter packets at food distribution points. Soldiers carrying emergency food supplies in their vehicles also had the fliers to give to hungry people they encountered.

National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Connie Vick said emergency meals containing peanut butter had likely been distributed to nearly two dozen counties.

Another heckofajob FEMA. The stoopid, it burns.

More later.
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Movie Caturday: What a Wonderful World

May it be so...

More later.
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Documentary: Out of Annapolis

This is film way overdue:

Of over 200 known gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender US Naval Academy Alumni, more than 120 have "come out" as the LGBT alumni of the US Naval Academy. Many other LGBT alumni remain "in the closet," serving in silence while on active duty in the service of their country as officers in the US Navy and US Marine Corps.

This film will explore the lives of many of these alumni, how the US Naval Academy shaped their character, their enduring strong bond to the Academy and share their experiences while at Annapolis and while serving in the naval service as an LGBT officer, both pre- and post- Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell.

Here's the trailer:

h/t to Russ at Blue Truck/Red State

And so it goes.
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Where's My Bail Out?

I found this over at Peter's place and he asks that it be shared. So here you go. This is a powerful film.

Here's what Peter wrote about the film and filmmaker on his blog "TIPPIN' THE SCALES":

This is a first finished short film! Shot, acted, edited and published by Jeroen of DutchImport

Yes, he made some mistakes shooting in different modes, so he couldn’t get every shot the same size. He used a free software program, Windows Movie Maker… not that fancy.

And here’s the thing: when you make and edit your own movie for fun, and there’s no deadline… when are you done editing? There are always different effects and transitions to use, the font to pick for the end credit… When are you done?

Today he decided that this is it! No more tweaking, changing or anything! This is his movie, and it’s done!

The song, “Elephants Instrumental” by Rachael Yamagata, inspired him to make this film. A statement about the current situation he’s in… many people are in. He tried to tell a story, and he hopes that comes across.

Please, ANY comments are appreciated. Let him know what you think! Good or bad, so he can improve as he continue to make movies.
And… if you liked it… please share on your blog… Facebook… or anywhere, so his movie gets seen.

Pay Peter a visit and leave your own comments/reviews of this film. That's how we learn to do better and reach more people.

Make sure you check out his delicious recipes while you're there.

And so it goes.
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Thursday Surprise

OK, following the dire warnings and fears of school closings we braced for another big snowstorm yesterday. Yes it did snow all morning, but then the winds died down, snow tapered off to flurries, the Sun came out and the sky cleared to a lovely deep blue. By the time I left work and headed back to the apartment there were hints of stars and a sliver of moon. There was no sign that snow had fallen that day.

The evening weather report called for a 20% chance of snow overnight and a sunny, cold Thursday. They got it half right.

You can imagine my surprise when I greeted a dawn featuring 2 or 3 inches of beautiful fresh powder covering everything and glistening in the morning sunrise. Fortunately, the temps were low enough that a broom did the job on porch and steps, walkway and car in minutes. No ice to scrape. BTW, They don’t make scrapers like they used to; I’ve broken 3 already and even the small ones without brushes crack or splinter without much effort.

Off today with no need to travel so I’ll take advantage of the free time to catch up on small projects that need to be done before spring. Maybe even do a bit of cooking while I’m at it.

More later.

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Oldest Gay Bookstore to Close.

Back in the early-sixties while living on Horatio Street in Greenwich Village I kept running into a neighbor who lived across the street. We would always say hello to one another and eventually became friends. We had many mutual friends and began hanging out and having house parties whenever possible. That was the safest thing to do back then.

By 1966 we were pretty well known around the neighborhood (He more than I) and some even thought we were lovers, though that was never the case. That year was also a turning point for both of us. Having been in crappy jobs for a while and complaining about the harassment conditions to one another over "festive after-work cocktails" we decided that the next time we were verbally attacked we would have the last say and walk out immediately after. The verbal assaults were just a price one paid for not giving a shit what people thought of your personal life.

No, we weren't nelly queans or swishy (and we both believed that fact is what freaked them out) but we didn't boast about girlfriends, or our weekend adventures either. Anyway, I forget who walked first, but we both did within two weeks and enjoyed the looks on the faces of our attackers for many weeks after.

I got another job almost immediately, but Craig did not. He had long nurtured a dream which in 1966 seemed impossible; he wanted to open a gay book store. Remember this is a couple of years before the Stonewall riots and gays & lesbians were harassed daily and nightly even in the Village.

In 1967 Craig Rodwell's dream became a reality when he opened the now famous Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop on Christopher Street - you couldn't get any gayer than that. Craig had plenty of struggles and challenges but the store remained open even after his death from cancer in 1993. It is believed to be the oldest - if not the first - such book store in the country. Craig was very proud of what he accomplished and I was very proud of him for doing all he did for the community.

I received news today that after four decades the Oscar Wilde will close at the end of March this year. Very sad, but not unexpected in today's climate.
Here is an open letter from the current owner that appears on the website:

"It is with a sorrowful heart that after 41 years in business the Oscar Wilde Bookshop will close its doors for the final time on March 29, 2009. We want to thank all of our customers for their love and loyalty to the store over the years. You have helped make this store a world wide destination and all of us at the store have enjoyed welcoming our neighbors whether they are next door or half way around the world. In 1967 Craig Rodwell started this landmark store that not only sold Gay and Lesbian literature but also became a meeting place for the LGBT community. Over the years it grew into a first-rate bookshop thanks to the loyal, smart and dedicated staff. There are not enough words to thank these dedicated booksellers for making the OWB one of the world’s finest LGBT bookstores. I feel very honored to have gotten to work with them. Unfortunately we do not have the resources to weather the current economic crisis and find it’s time to call it a day. So thanks to all who have been a part of the Oscar Wilde family over the years, you have truly been a part of a great global community."

If you have a chance to visit before the end of March, be sure to thank the current owner for her dedication and purchase something to honour the store's memory. It will be sorely missed.

h/t Towleroad for the image.
More later.
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When Are WE Going to Get Over It?

Just received this in an email from a friend. I believe it puts into words the very fear so many of us are unwilling to even contemplate, though it must be acknowledged and confronted.

Andrew M. Manis is associate professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia and wrote this for an editorial in the Macon Telegraph.


Andrew M. Manis: When Are WE Going to Get Over It?

For much of the last forty years, ever since America "fixed" its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, "When are African Americans finally going to get over it? Now I want to ask: "When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?

Recent reports that "Election Spurs Hundreds' of Race Threats, Crimes" should frighten and infuriate every one of us. Having grown up in "Bombingham," Alabama in the 1960s, I remember overhearing an avalanche of comments about what many white classmates and their parents wanted to do to John and Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Eventually, as you may recall, in all three cases, someone decided to do more than "talk the talk."

Since our recent presidential election, to our eternal shame we are once again hearing the same reprehensible talk I remember from my boyhood.

We white people have controlled political life in the disunited colonies and United States for some 400 years on this continent. Conservative whites have been in power 28 of the last 40 years. Even during the eight Clinton years, conservatives in Congress blocked most of his agenda and pulled him to the right. Yet never in that period did I read any headlines suggesting that anyone was calling for the assassinations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, or either of the Bushes. Criticize them, yes. Call for their impeachment, perhaps. But there were no bounties on their heads. And even when someone did try to kill Ronald Reagan, the perpetrator was non-political mental case who wanted merely to impress Jody Foster.

But elect a liberal who happens to be Black and we're back in the sixties again. At this point in our history, we should be proud that we've proven what conservatives are always saying -- that in America anything is possible, EVEN electing a black man as president. But instead we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to "assassinate Obama."

Fighting the urge to throw up, I can only ask, "How long?" How long before we white people realize we can't make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can - once and for all - get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior? How long before we white people get over our bitter resentments about being demoted to the status of equality with non-whites?

How long before we get over our expectations that we should be at the head of the line merely because of our white skin? How long until we white people end our silence and call out our peers when they share the latest racist jokes in the privacy of our white-only conversations?

I believe in free speech, but how long until we white people start making racist loudmouths as socially uncomfortable as we do flag burners? How long until we white people will stop insisting that blacks exercise personal responsibility, build strong families, educate themselves enough to edit the Harvard Law Review, and work hard enough to become President of the United States, only to threaten to assassinate them when they do?

How long before we starting "living out the true meaning" of our creeds, both civil and religious, that all men and women are created equal and that "red and yellow, black and white" all are precious in God's sight?

Until this past November 4, I didn't believe this country would ever elect an African American to the presidency. I still don't believe I'll live long enough to see us white people get over our racism problem. But here's my three-point plan: First, everyday that Barack Obama lives in the White House that Black Slaves Built, I'm going to pray that God (and the Secret Service) will protect him and his family from us white people.

Second, I'm going to report to the FBI any white person I overhear saying, in seriousness or in jest, anything of a threatening nature about President Obama. Third, I'm going to pray to live long enough to see America surprise the world once again, when white people can "in spirit and in truth" sing of our damnable color prejudice, "We HAVE overcome."

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It takes a Village to protect our President !!!!!

And so it goes.
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Enough Said?

Yes, it's at it again and, as usual, everyone forgot how to drive. Supposed to get an inch or two by morning.

Time for some sippin' whiskey.

More later.
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"End of the World" - Matt Alber

I came across this video a few days ago, but didn't immediately view it though the artist's name rang a bell. Then I found it again yesterday at another site and decided to have a look. Then it clicked. Matt Alber used to be one of the "Orchestra of Voices" known as Chanticleer. I used to own many of their CDs, but lost them in the settlement.

The song is beautiful and made me a little weepy - OK, so shoot me! - and the video is well done.
Oh, how I wish I had enough hair to merit a visit to a barber shop...sigh. Enjoy.

It only just occurred to me how much I miss being touched, hugged, held, and snuggled. Yes, I am a hopeless romantic, and doubt any of the above is anywhere in my future. I suppose I had my life ration during that 30 year relationship that went south.

It's all me now, baby. Only me.

And so it goes.

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Sunday on the Cape with the Cajun

Focused on getting in a walk today, I drove into town with the idea of a brisk walk on the boardwalk. Unfortunately, the Boardwalk is torn up and under construction, so I drove up to North Shores and hit the beach instead.

Only one other person was there with his two cute dogs (who clearly loved the ocean and beach) off leash and having the time of their lives. As they played and did their romping thing, I joined him in laughing at their antics. Those dogs will sleep well tonight, for sure.

Then I continued my walk north toward the cape inhaling deeply the salt air and enjoying sound and rhythm as the Atlantic did its thing sending waves crashing on the beach. The wind was pretty strong but I had on layers so the only part exposed was my nose. It still burns and I may wake up to a wind-burned schnozzle tomorrow. Whatever. It was worth it for the relaxing environment as well as the head clearing effect the sea spray delivered to me in a personal way.

When I got back to the apartment, I took a hot shower, decided what I was going to prepare for supper and began making a loaf of bread – this time a Monterey Jack and green olive loaf. Smells great right now and it hasn’t even begun to bake.

Time for some sippin' whiskey and music, then supper - in that order – and just like those dogs on the beach, I know I will sleep well tonight.

And so it goes.

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