Sunday, August 10, 2008

broken chairs

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

our final holiday groups from france & japan started this week. don't really foresee any problems with this group. there is one french student who keeps testing me, but i'm up for the challenge. the biggest problem is getting the two japanese students to speak up more. i think they are a bit shy amongst all the french students. hopefully, i'll have some interesting tales to tell as the weeks progress. keep your fingers crossed.

my weekend was pretty lackluster. i'm starting to think i've lost my mojo. has anyone seen it? i might have to spend some time trying to relocate it. i did manage to force myself out of the house thanks to misty's help. she called asking if i'd be her shopping guru. she needed to find a dress for an upcoming wedding she was attending. hi! i so in! i literally threw on some clothes, ran some product through my hair, and was ready to go in minutes. we were quite surprised to find downtown busy as hell at 11 am. don't people sleep in anymore? our first stop was the dreaded west field mall. malls always give me flashbacks to my youth in altamonte springs, since we always hung out there. the upper floors of the mall weren't too bad. we were able to weave in and out of stores with no problems. misty found her "perfect" dress within the confines of the mall. score!

it wasn't until we headed down to the food court that we realized just how many people were at the freakin mall. can you say, PACKED! maneuvering around the fc was like playing human frogger. step. stop. 2 steps, stop, etc. it was filled with the sound of chair legs being dragged across the floor. i watched one woman pass by the guy handing out free calamari 10 times. with each pass she took some samples. being down there made me want to scream. or in the very least wanting to push someone.

we made our exit from fc hell and headed out to the bustling streets of union square. our next mission: shoes. we stopped in h&m because i wanted to see if they had any jackets. the shopping gods must have been with me. i found an awesome short, black, trench coatesque jacket. and there was one left in my size. happy birthday to me! i also purchased a pair of jeans and some boxers. oops. now you all know the kind of undergarments i wear. hehe. after a brief stop in aldo where misty tried on some stripper shoes, we decided it was coffee time. yeah, iced coffee!

as the day went on, more and more people seemed to fill the streets. there were a few things left on misty's list to do, however, she decided to call it quits. we both had had enough of downtown on a saturday. while walking back to the car, i couldn't help but notice the long line for the trolley which made realize that i've never ridden it. i've been in sf for over 5 years and have yet to experience the joy of the trolley. will have to put that on my list of things to do.

today, i got a very unexpected call from pevil. her and mrs. b were in the hood and asked me to join them for lunch at the tofu house. how could i resist. there's nothing better than good company & good korean food. i had not seen them since pride, so it was great to play catch up. those girls are busy, busy, busy.

i borrowed a book from butterbean a few weeks ago called a gorgeous sense of hope: a love fable. i just finished it and i must say, "i l.o.v.e.d. it!" the message was quite inspiring and the illustrations are super cute. books like this make me happy. so on this note i'll end my post here. happy sunday to all! until next time.

stay gold & be well…

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

fixer

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

oh, the things one finds in their classroom. while cleaning up the other day, i discovered the results from the sentence game that one of the classes had played. it's too good to keep to myself so i thought i'd share it with you. not sure which class it's from. i'm assuming it was from the holiday groups. anyway, here you go. [i'm typing it exactly as it appears]

Yesterday, I went to the park and I saw a Butterfly and a lot of squirrels.
But while I was staring at them someone taught [not really sure about this word but it looked like a t] me.
and i was very happy
because I like nature
and everything about animals, but suddenly one of the butterfly bite me.
I was very sad because I like them, so I decided to kill them,
but before my mother said me: don't kill the butterfly because is really beautiful, and i was angry.
So now, I'm doing a secret plan to kill all of the butterfly.
You know, be careful, I'm very dangerous, I'm butterman!

stay gold & be well…

Saturday, August 02, 2008

edge of seventeen

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

muni conversation 154
subjects: 3 female [either high school students or college, who can really tell these days]
route: line 5 [from downtown to inner richmond]

unfortunately, i don't have any direct dialogue from these ladies. i didn't catch wind of their conversation until my ipod had stopped playing. normally, i try to jot down what i heard but it's been a couple of days and of lot of it has escaped me. i am constantly amazed at the amount of people that feel the need to have phone conversations and personal conversation on the bus. granted, i know we all have them, but there are ways to carry on a conversation without everyone on the bus hearing. it's the need to talk at full volume which grates on my nerve. personally, i don't care to hear what you need to buy at the store, or what you watched last night. if you are planning to converse so that all can hear, at least be talking about something interesting.

case in point, the three ladies mentioned above. i couldn't see any of them because the bus was extremely crowded. all i know is that they were somewhat close to me. they first grabbed my attention because they were talking about being bi. two of the three claimed to be so. one girl was talking about how her mother was bi. this lead to the other to start inquiring about her mom as if she wanted to met her. the other mentioned how she has a gay cousin and was surprised that no one caught on to her being bi since she bonded with her cousin. then they started talking about a girl in their class who was bi. this eventually lead into a discussion about gay people and how they love them so. the one girl literally yelled out, "gay people are so cool. i love them."

once they finished discussing the gays, they moved on to gang banging. apparently, all three of them are gang bangers. they went on to discuss which gangs their boyfriends belonged to and so forth. one of them seemed to have dated members from each gang mentioned [bloods, crips, etc.] and was comparing them. that's really all i heard. they got off the bus during their gang banger debate. i must say, it was all quite entertaining. if every one's conversation was this interesting, i wouldn't mind the public conversations so much. sadly, it's not always the case. anyway…stay tuned for more enlightening tells from muni.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, July 27, 2008

clara bow

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

leather, chaps, & jockstraps—just another night at the eagle tavern. i might not have attended my 20th high school reunion, which took place last weekend, but i did manage to have my own mini-reunion with a friend i haven't seen in twenty years on friday. emily [aka chrissy] & i reconnected on facebook about a month ago and finally set a date to catch up. since i hadn't been out in ages it seemed only fitting to go to my favorite watering hole—the eagle tavern. it was so great to see emily after all these years. it was almost as if no time had passed.

i learned that she had been in sf for almost 15 years. all this time i had thought she was either in los angeles or san diego. who knew. i came to find out that she lived in neither of those places. so much for idle gossip. it's amazing that we never ran into each other before, especially since we seemed to frequent the same spots. oh well, the past is the past. now, we have the opportunity to once again hang out which i'm sure we will. we had an added bonus that night seeing that it was the sf daddy's boy competition at the eagle. the men were out in full force deck out in their finest. my favorite outfit of the night was the guy in the leather vest, jockstrap, & boots. we came to the conclusion that jockstraps don't really accentuate the butt.

i spent yesterday cleaning my apartment. exciting, i know, but it was in dire need. why is that cleaning seems like such a chore. i don't really mind the sweeping and dusting. it's the scrubbing of the bathroom i despise the most. at least it over and done with until next time. what's in store for me today? haven't a clue. hopefully, it'll be something fun.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, July 20, 2008

remember

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

my weekend was predominately spent in golden gate park. d & i went to the zinefest held at the county fair building in ggp. there were quiet a few vendors there selling various types of zines, art, etc. i bought a handmade sketch book from my friend rani. check out her site here. d bought a really cool print that had a pirate ship and two sea creatures. afterwards, we feasted on korean cuisine. once again we managed to order way too much food. the rest of my evening was spent catching up on all the bad tv i missed during the week.

i was up and out of my apartment by 9 this morning. misty, ted, & i met up with d & jojo in golden gate park to do the sf aids walk. it was truly amazing to see so many people out showing their support. part of the aids quilt was displayed. they also had an aids wall where people were encouraged to write a message. a lot of people wore t-shirts in memory of their friends/family who are no longer. people were pushing baby carriages, walking dogs, and cheering each other on. we walked 6 miles and at the end we got a certificate. we also scored an ice cream sandwich. delicious. when the walk was finished, we headed to giorgio's to chow on on pasta and pizza. food never tasted so good.

group shot 2

i saw the dark knight on friday. awesome! that's all i'm going to say on the matter.

aids walk photos here

stay gold & be well…

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

entropy

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

it's amazing the conversations one hears when not listening to their ipod on the bus. the following takes place between two women on the 38 geary while i was heading home. i didn't actually see them until they were getting off. one was carrying a plastic cup that most likely contained her cocktail.

woman 1: you're from las vegas
woman 2: yes
woman 1: they have buses there.
woman 2: yes, cat buses.
woman 1: cat buses!
woman 2: yes
woman 1: they only let cats on them.
woman 2: no.
woman 1: cat buses, huh. i want to ride a cat bus.

slight pause in conversation then:

woman 1: you're from las vegas
woman 2: yes
woman 1: they have buses there.
woman 2: yes, cat buses.
woman 1: cat buses!
woman 2: yes
woman 1: they only let cats on them.
woman 2: no.
woman 1: cat buses, huh. i want to ride a cat bus.

this went on and on until they finally got off. as they were leaving they called each other "baby girl" and "mama". so want to hang with these ladies.

stay gold & be well…

Monday, July 14, 2008

cat claw

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

june's photo theme is ready for viewing.
20 contrast, 30 days

to see my photos that didn't make the cut go here

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, July 13, 2008

my baby

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

the first annual gay pool party was held this weekend in concord hosted by the huegels. the inspiration for the gpp came last weekend while we were waiting to enter the frida exhibit. not exactly sure how it came about but it did. we arrived in concord around 3pm. we spent a few hours chatting, eating, and drinking; then it was time for swimming. the lady of the house had to attend a previous engagement so it was just us boys and lachlan. finn was lucky enough to venture off with his mom. it took little lachlan awhile to decide to join us in the big-boy pool but he finally did. even the dog joined in on the festivities. i tried to teach lachlan a few pivotal dance moves, but he wasn't having any of it. he was completely obsessed with throwing his transformer car into the water. oh, to be young again. the event came to an end around 7pm when we headed back to the city. looking forward to the next pool party. swimming is FUN!

the pool shack

more photos here

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, July 06, 2008

subway

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

fog, fireworks, & frida—that basically sums up my fourth of july weekend. it was quite foggy this weekend, especially in the inner richmond. i spent my fourth hauled up in my apartment watching bad tv. if only you knew the crap i watched. through the fog i could barely see the sky lighting up as the fireworks exploded.

on saturday i went with d & john to the frida exhibit at the sf moma. having the chance to see her artwork up close & personal was amazing. books and movies just doesn't do it justice. my favorite piece by far was "girl with death mask".


if you're in the bay area be sure to make some time and check out the exhibit. you won't be disappointed. before heading into the exhibit we stopped off at bear papa's. i got a vanilla cream puff. so freakin good. i couldn't have eaten a dozen but would have definitely hated myself for it. the museum was crowded. luckily d & john were members so we got to move to the head of the line. score! it's so great having friends in high places.

stay gold & be well…

Monday, June 30, 2008

static

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

beers, queers, & cheers—pride weekend was in full swing. it's been awhile since my last pride festival: june 2004. in the past i've spent most of pride behind a booth trying to sell subscriptions, so it was a nice change to experience it as an on-looker. i met up with d & john downtown at around 10:30 am on sunday. the parade had just started. this was the first time i've seen the parade up close and personal. d was decked out in his bridal bear costume and was an instant hit. everyone wanted their photo taken with bridal bear. we were thinking about charging but never did. there were lots of children both scared and intrigued by bridal bear. one girl in particular with the curliest hair ever couldn't take her eyes off bb but didn't want to get too close. we made our way down the crowded sidewalk to the beginning of the parade. it was quite interesting to watch the behind the scenes action. everybody was in the spirit. i got to see margaret cho drive bye giving her best miss america wave. i hung out with bridal bear & john until 1 pm when i made my way to the bus station. before leaving i caught a glimpse of them marching with their float. so fun!

bridal bear

the next part of my day was spent at kate & suzanne's benefit/photo exhibit in mill valley. misty & i got there early to help them set up. they're gearing up to do some documentary work for glean. it was a great turnout. they each sold numerous pieces. how fabulous it was to see kate's work out on display as it should be. bravo to the both of you!

kate & her photos

and that my friends was just the ending to my weekend. it all started on friday when i attended one of the frameline films, worldly affairs, with kiki. i'm so glad i had an opportunity to see these shorts. two of them were defintely great flicks: the postcard & you, me & him. the postcard was by far my favorite. it could be cuz i'm prejuidice when it comes to all things korean. the short was pretty amazing. it's great to see south koreans making queer films. it was both funny and heartfelt. if you have a chance to see this short do so. you won't regret it. the theater was packed which surprised me since it was 3pm. i forgot how much the gays love their films and how big of an event frameline really is. after the film i hung out with kiki for a bit before the other film started. she was staying for the 6pm film. i wandered off into the crowded castro streets to meet up with a friend. we had dinner and chilled out watching some tv. we caught a show, speed grapher, on ifc. it was an anime show and quite graphic. i wasn't quite sure what was going on since it was episode 17. i'll need to look into it.

saturday morning i woke up at the crack of dawn. not sure what that was about. watched an episode of my life on the d-list, then started my day which consisted of laundry, shopping, etc. misty, jojo, & i headed off to concord around 2pm for scott's birthday bash. the weather was awesome. i was putting away the chips & various other snacks like there was no tomorrow. scott grilled a variety of meats. the twins & other little ones were running around wild. beer was definitely consumed. all around a great way to spend an afternoon. we left around 6pm [far too early but duty called] to head back to the big city for yet another party of a different flavor. this one was in honor of the dyke march. the hostesses lived in a prime spot for viewing. a highlight of the evening was watching some girl literally rubbing her fingers across the empty cheesecake plate in hopes of gathering crumbs. seriously!!! from there we met up with pevil, ms. b, & kiki for some drinking at the pilsner. the joint wasn't as packed as i thought it would be. eventually, john, d, & melissa made their way there, too. we never did venture from the place. the boys & girls were out in full force and so was the eye candy. i got a cavity just looking around. misty & i eventually left at 1 am. overall it was a gay old pride…

stay gold & be well…

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

angel of the battlefield

deery lou.
previously on the e-list…

i've been so preoccupied with my photo blog that i've been neglecting my first baby. well, truth be told, not much has been happening in my life. since returning to sf, i've turned into somewhat of a hermit. life definitely seemed to be more interesting abroad. sigh…i got a new haircut this week which i absolutely LOVE. first time ever to like a haircut. i was a bit nervous when she ignored my wishes to leave the top alone. "trim a little", she kept repeating. thankfully she did just that.

misty & i went to see mongol this week. if it's playing in your area be sure to check it out. i found the language to be quite beautiful. one never can be sure when viewing movies on historical figures but this one was quite good. immediately upon returning home i went to wikipedia and read all about genghis khan and mongolia. all i could really remember about him was that he was a ruthless warrior. i found another movie about him which i might try to watch. after all, this one only covered the early years. i did read that they were thinking about making a trilogy.

i'm gearing up for our summer session to start next week. we will be hit with groups of teenagers coming from all over the world. it's definitely going to be an interesting next two months. i started teaching new classes this week: level 5 & toefl. can i tell you how BORING toefl is! my sympathy goes out to those students who actually have to take this test. i practically feel asleep listening to the conversations in the practice test. snore! a couple of my students from level 4 kept asking me to come back and teach them. they said they missed me. how sweet is that. sometimes i question my ability as a teacher but i guess i'm doing all right. pride is this weekend and all the students keep asking about the parade. one would think that santa is coming to town. for most of them it will be the first time to see anything like that. here's to new experiences.

this weekend is pretty jammed packed for me. so much going on and so little of me to spread around. saturday i'll be heading to concord for huegel's birthday, then back to the city for a few parties. on sunday will be meeting d at the parade for some morning festivities. afterwards, i'm off to mill valley for butterbean's photo exhibition & benefit. can't wait to see her work displayed. i'm so glad to be back so i can be there to support her. that about does it for me. i'll try to keep up with my blogging.

stay gold & be well…

Monday, June 16, 2008

ticket to immortality

deery lou.
previously on the e-list…

i knew it what it was TRUE! now the universe will be a much happier place. long live the unicorn!

stay gold & be well…

Thursday, June 12, 2008

the masses are asses

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

my new favorite blog. if photos inspire you, check it out here.
a sample…



stay gold & be well…

Sunday, June 08, 2008

heaven tonight

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

nature hates me! i first realized this back in april 2004 when i was attack by a cactus. literally a cactus ball came out of nowhere and embedded itself into my leg. my leg swelled and i had a giant bruise. while out in golden gate park today i got attacked by nature again. this time it was by some unforeseen flying creature. i did hear it buzzing about right before it stung my face. i suspected it was a bee but perhaps it was a wasp. who knows. thankfully i had an iced coffee with me to apply to the fresh wound. it hurt. the flying creatures came out of nowhere. most likely they were hiding out in the tree we brushed by. this is what happens when i try to be one with nature. it spits back in my face. on a side note: i ran into one of my students in the park. she was glad to see me because she needed directions. hehe. got to love them.


i've decided that i will never shop at the radioshack on clement street. i stopped by there on saturday to ask some questions about hooking up all my electronics. the clerk kept insisting that i needed to buy all these extra adapters to make it work. i was quite skeptical and left not buying anything. i headed to the other radioshack on geary. they were a lot more helpful and didn't once try to "push" the extra adapters on me. all i really need were the right cables.

with cables ready i began to tackle the electronic project: connecting converter box, vcr/dvd, tv, and receiver. i didn't have much luck on friday so i was hoping i'd be more successful this time. i went piece by piece. two hours later i found success. my electronics were all playing nicely together. although for some reason i can't turn the tv on with the remote. but at least every thing is coming out in stereo. YAY!!!

the e-boat went to berkeley on friday. there were twelve students. pretty manageable, at least i thought so. the uc berkeley campus is pretty grand. i had to tell one group of students to pay attention cuz they kept lagging behind. two girls ended up getting separated from us. of course they were the same two i had spoken to earlier. to make matters worse neither one had a cell phone. this meant that i had to traipse across campus to find them. eventually i found them going in the opposite direction in which they were supposed to be going. the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. i was joking with one of the students about a particular building being very famous. he told the others and everyone started to take pictures of it. the biggest highlight for them was seeing a squirrel and two girls in graduation attire. its the little things in life.

here's to another week.

stay gold & be well…

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

way beyond

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

may's photo theme is now up.
check it out: 20 red, 30 days

if you're curious to see my extra photos that didn't make the cut to the group go here.
remember if you'd like to join the group send me an email to let me know.

stay gold & be well…

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

coming around again

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

the butcher, the baker, & the candlestick maker—if only life really was like a nursery rhyme? early last week i busted some man trying to lift my wallet on the bus. i literally watched him unzip my bag and slowly try to remove it from the front pocket. the conversation went down like this:
me: seriously, dude. are you really trying to steal my wallet.
him: ah, sorry. i'm sick.
me: seriously. i think you can come up with something better than that.
he mumbled something else, told me i was a good man, and got off at the next stop.

thursday night we gathered at d&j's pad to watch the season finale of lost. sooo good. and i'm not talking about the wine and humus, hehe. some old questions were answered while new ones arose. although i have some issues with the finale, i do like the direction they're taking the show. can't wait to see what happens next fall.

on friday e-tours went to the haight. it started out good but somehow i managed to lose two students. they eventually called me. the conversation went like this:
me: hello
miki: it's miki
me: where are you?
miki: bus stop
me: which bus stop, there are many in the haight.
miki: [silence]
me: haight and what? tell me the name of the other street.
miki: i don't know.
me: is arisa with you?
miki: a friend.
me: what's your friends name?
miki: arisa
me: don't move we'll find you.
i passed my phone to one of the japanese students so we could find out exactly where they were. they had walked back to haight/central where we started our journey. i found them sitting on the stairs that lead up to the park. all was good. once i made sure all the students knew how to get home, i met up with misty at the 540 club for a much needed cocktail.

saturday was r.e.m. at the greek theatre in berkeley. misty had gotten me tickets for my birthday. yay! john, d, & kate also went. modest mouse was one of the opening acts. i was looking forward to seeing them again, especially now that johnny marr is playing with them. the venue was outside. as it got later it also got colder. we were in the lawn section but had a pretty good view. r.e.m. had a video show going on behind them which made it all the more interesting. i must say they still sound pretty good. on our way home we stopped at the original diner for some much need food. i chowed down on 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pancakes, and hash browns. hi, mr. piggy. oink. oink.



misty and i went for coffee on sunday. afterwards i headed to the grocery store. i stocked up on veggies and other healthy edibles. i actually managed not to buy any cookies or ice cream. i'm trying to lose a much needed 10 pounds. wish me luck. later that night i met up with and old flame. we hadn't seen each other for 7 years. it was great to catch up with him. the down side was that i drank way too much wine and paid for it on monday.

which brings me to monday night–misty, butterbean, hez, & i went to see sex and the city. i've never seen so many women at the movies before. i had a love/hate relationship with sex and the city. when it first came on i couldn't stand the show or sjp. it took living in korea for me to establish my new found love for both the show and sjp. i enjoyed the flick. it was definitely entertaining. then again, if you like the show there's no reason not to like the movie.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, May 25, 2008

내인생의 반의반

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

win, lose, or draw—sometimes life is like a game show. well, the results from the minted challenge are in; sadly, i lost. i didn't even place in the top ten. the votes for my design averaged at 2.86 which wasn't too bad considering the number 10 design scored 3.03. by looking at the top ten, it's clear that my style doesn't quite reflect what the minted customer is looking for. and what might that be? according to those that won, nothing really fresh or creative. not to be catty but a majority of the winners look like products already on minted. that's the things about design, it's all subjective. losing the challenge didn't really bum me out. sure it would have been great to have won, but i mainly did it to see if i still had it in me. what did bum me out slightly was a comment left by marni, "I've received similar calendar save the dates in the mail about 4-5 times a year. feels a little tired..." i'm all for constructive criticism but pettiness is another matter. just goes to show you can't please everyone. the winners are here.

yesterday, we were suppose to go to angel island for d's birthday. due to the rainy weather it was canceled so the festivities were held at his apartment instead. it was good gathering of peeps. to keep in the spirit of angel island i brought over my charlie's angels dolls and some dvds. the angels were proudly displayed. we never got to view the dvds. the afternoon was spent drinking and eating. around 4:30 we headed to truck for a chili cook off. i was pretty much full from all the eating at d's so only only took one spoonful of each chili. both one and two were pretty decent. number three i could barely swallow. words can't even describe how bad it was. just thinking of it now makes me want to puke.

from truck we ventured off to the pilsner. on our way there we had a box of tomato puree or something thrown at us. we narrowly escaped. the sidewalk wasn't so fortunate. we finished off the evening at the 440. the walk up the hill to d&j's house felt brutal especially after having spent most of the day drinking. we chowed on some leftovers before turning it. i spent the night on their couch where i dreamed the night away.

stay gold & be well…

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

storm

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

magic tricks, fortune tellers, & jazz fusion—life is but a carnival. my week started off with a very unexpected visit from bc. she had a 24 hour layover in sf. sucks for her, great for me. we met for coffee during my lunch break then again after work. lucky me. we ventured back to my hood and dined on korean cuisine. just like old times. i miss her, although not those red tights she bought. hehe.

reunited

the week came to end with toi, one of my students, demonstrating a magic trick he knew. he thought he was going to get out of it but i happened to have a deck of cards in my bag so there was no backing out. hehe. he was a little nervous having to do his card trick in english but he pulled if off flawlessly. the class was pretty impressed. i think they expected him to fall flat on his face. toi is definitely an interesting character. last week he was asking where he could find a wig. he was planning on shaving his head and wearing wigs. i advised him that i didn't think it was such a good idea.

once again i played the role of julie mccoy, and lead a group of four girls to fisherman's wharf. pier 39 is the one place in sf that i dread most. thankfully, it wasn't that crowded on friday. it was actually a gorgeous day to be out walking. the girls couldn't get enough of the sea lions. after twenty minutes i told them it was time to move on. i had completely forgotten that they moved the musee mecanique to pier 45 and was pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon it. i love this place. the old time games/videos are awesome. the girls seemed to really it. before venturing on with our walking tour, they convinced me to crowd into a photo booth for a group shot. our tour ended at a pub near the cannery.

pier 39

on saturday, kiki stopped by to give me a chair. yay! i know have something to sit on. we headed off to the neighborhood dollar store. on our way, i was stopped by a nosy elderly couple who wanted to know what was happening down the street. they preceded to tell me all about the school carnival they went to. i didn't think i was ever going to escape them. later that night a group of us went to see son of rambow. there wasn't anything particular great about the film, but it definitely had its moments. i think the french kid was by far my favorite. the 80s soundtrack was right on. after the film we went to yoshi's for some very pricey but tasty drinks. they had a group playing that night that we could see on the tv screens but couldn't hear. they were dressed in traditional japanesse attire and playing traditional instruments. i was quite intrigued with what i saw that i asked someone who worked there who they were. when i got home i surfed the net for some tunes by the yoshida brothers. definitely liked what i heard. spent the rest of my weekend relaxing and reading journals. good times. good times.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, May 11, 2008

come down to me

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

churches, murals, & burritos—it was a tour of the mission like no other. on friday, i once again had the privilege of taking the students out for their activity. this week's planned event was a walking tour of the mission. i had worked in the mission district for 5 years and am ashamed to say that this was my first journey to balmy alley to look at the murals. what i saw was quite impressive. if you're in sf and haven't been to check them out you need to go. it's great to know that we have places like this in the city. along balmy alley i stumbled upon poloppo inc. they created a line of children's wear based on artwork from children around the world. all of the children receive royalties on products sold with their artwork. check it out poloppo.com.

picture mural

from balmy alley we made our way back to valencia and walked towards 18th street. i pointed out a few artsy-fartsy stores along the way. i was going to stop in a few of them but with such a large group i didn't think that would be wise. two of the girl were extremely interested in every dog they passed. it was a total photo op for them. i kept have to tell them to move along. before heading to dolores park we stopped at the women's building. i took them of them to a nearby taqueria which proved quite interesting. when they were asked what kind of beans they wanted they just stared off into space. i had to decide for them. from the park we ventured to the dolores mission church. by this time most of them were tired and didn't want to go inside. i walked them to the bart and we said our goodbyes. i was exhausted.

saturday i spent in my hood. grabbed some dinner with a friend at china first. we had an order of salt and peppered pork chops, so freakin good, and a few other dishes that were all right. the rest of the evening was spent planted in front of the tv. i ran some errands on sunday. later that evening misty and i met up with john and derek at martuni's to catch some drag queens singing piano bar songs. it was definitely entertaining. had myself a couple of martinis: blueberry lemon drop & a watermelon one. i so wanted the watermelon to taste like a jolly rancher but it didn't. oh well...

stay gold & be well…

Thursday, May 08, 2008

or

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

a couple of months ago i was chatting with a friend and we were both complaining about how unmotivated we felt. this prompted me to do something about it, so i created a new photo project called 20 [something], 30 days. basically, what it comes down to is this: each month we have a new theme and 30 days to take 20 pictures. check out the links below to see the projects from march and april. also, if you have a flickr account and want to join the group send me an email. the more the merrier.

photo projects:
march - 20 doors, 30 days
april - 20 circles, 30 days

stay gold & be well…

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

ultraviolet

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

vote, design, & win—it's a contest thing! i've entered a design contest over at minted.com. for those of you reading my post, if you feel like helping a guy out go here and vote. voting is based on a 1 to 5 scale. feel free to leave a comment, too. voting ends may 15. thanks in advance.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, May 04, 2008

bowels of the beast

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

viagra, plastic surgery, & porn—just some of the subjects my students brought up in class. as many of you know by now, i have returned to the land of the working. while i continue my search for that "perfect" design job, i've secured a part-time gig teaching esl. it's not quite the same as when i taught in korea, but i'm enjoying it. gone are the days of nose pickers and art projects. most of the students are in their early twenties and are either college students or young professionals. it's quite a different experience to actually be able to elicit conversations from them. these guys love to ask questions. oddly enough the majority of my students hail from korea. japanese, thai, and one swiss girl make up the rest. it's great to see so many students coming to the u.s. to study the language. personally, i feel its the best way to learn since they are immersed into the culture. plus i'm able to give them advice as to where to go.

i've only been there two weeks and i'm already getting attached to them. i've gotten so use to teaching younger students that i often have to tell myself that they are adults. especially when they start talking about strip bars, porn, & viagra. topics like that never came up during my days at ils. what worries me most is their naivety. many of them act as if they are in their own country. i try to advise them that they should be conscious of their surroundings. you hope that they won't get taken advantage of while being here. unfortunately, that's not always the case. last week one of the students was mugged. they actually threatened to kill him. if that had been me, i would have been on the next plane out of here. not this student, he decided to stick it out. then there's a girl in my class who wrote that her host mother only fed her bread. what the fuck! i actually had to read the entry twice to make sure i was reading it correctly. she was smart enough to leave her host mother and found a new place to live. of course not every one's experiences are bad. for the most part they all seem to be enjoying their time in the city.

hands up

last friday i took a group of them to the golden gate bridge. what i thought was only 15 students going turned out to be 26. half of them i knew since they were in my class. the other half were fresh faces. it got to the point where i had to ask if they were from our school. hehe from downtown we had to take two buses to get to the bridge. trying to get 26 students onto a bus turned out to be a nightmare. i literally watched as one bus took off with ten students who had no idea where they were going. my first instinct was to chase it down but i couldn't leave the others behind. i could hope that someone had one of their cell numbers. on the second bus i could only get a handful of students on. i told them exactly where to get off and to wait for us there. i also made sure the bus driver knew to tell them when to get off. i managed to get on the third bus with the rest of the students. i was still pretty freaked out about how i was going to contact the first group of students. no one seemed to have anyone's number. before entering the stockton tunnel, the students from the first bus were waiting at the bus stop. they had been smart enough to get off and look for us. lucky for me, i didn't have to make that call to school saying i lost some students.

i was pretty excited about going to the bridge. sure, i've crossed it several time via car but i've never actually walked it. when i told them that they were pretty surprised. they seemed to have enjoyed themselves. they basically took pictures of anything and everything. we had a mini photo shoot at the half way mark. it got to the point where i was getting tired of smiling. we all know how much i like to do that. we didn't walk the whole bridge. it was far too cold and windy. before heading back i gave them some time to explore the park area and take yet more pictures. the next time i have to do an outing i'm going prep them beforehand with vital information. that way if we get separated at least they'll have some idea of where they are going.

pics from the field trip are here

stay gold & be well…

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

the past presents the future

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

oysters, beer, & friends—could a picnic by the bay be any better? last week i found myself connecting with old friends as well as meeting some new ones. i lunched with rg, an old colleague from j.a.b., on friday at truck. by day it's a hot lunch spot, by night a hot new queer bar that popped up since i was gone. we played catch up while eating pulled bbq chicken and drinking beers. i was pleasantly surprised with the food and definitely plan to catch it out one night. after lunch rg took me to some of her favorite shopping/inspiration spots on valencia. our first stop was little otsu, which is filled with all kinds of handmade artsy goodness. it reminded me a lot of the high end stationary stores in korea. sigh. the other shop, who's name escapes me, is just two shops down from little otsu. it too, is filled with artsy goodness. they also have a mini gallery in the store, which seems to be a new trend here.

for fear of blowing away, i spent most of saturday indoors. it was super windy and cold outside. aside from my weekly jaunt in the park, i did manage to meet kiki & her special lady friend for coffee. thankfully by sunday the wind and chill factor had died down significantly. it was good thing, too seeing that we were heading to tomales bay for hezcatt's b-day gathering at hog 's birthday. she was hostingisland oyster co.

the drive to tomales was long and winding. much to my surprise butterbean was driving like a bat out of hell. i was doing fine until the last 10 minutes when i started to feel light headed and nauseous. somehow i managed to contain it. in an attempt to avoid a flying bird, butterbean hit the brakes which caused me to see myself crashing through her windshield. i have since coined a new catch phrase for butterbean—"i brake for birds".

the picnic by the bay was a blast. although a little breezy, the weather was gorgeous. we ate oysters, olives, & cupcakes. wine, champagne, & beer were in major consumption. we were all happy campers, or should i say picnickers. a strange spanish man sat on my lap. dogs were running around. the view was breath taking. one could not of asked for a better sunday.

we left around 5pm to head back to the city. we arrived in sf 3 hours later. basically, we got lost in a big way. which became apparent when we were surrounded by water on both sides of us. not so good. our travel took us to a lighthouse, yet we never actually saw the lighthouse. we witnessed a cow crossing the street, and deer frolicking along the roadside. luckily we spotted a ranger, who i ended up asking for directions. i couldn't figure at why he was looking at me so strangely until i realized i was wearing platforms. he gave us a map and set us up with an escort for part of our duration back. the whole thing was quite comical. there was a brief moment i thought we'd be sleeping out there. at least we all had a positive attitude about being lost. i was never so happy to see my apartment.

stay gold & be well…

pics here

Saturday, April 12, 2008

gone

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

baek seju, twice cooked pork, & dim sum—what a way to spend my birthday. from dinner with friends to a picnic in the park, i couldn't have asked for a better birthday. a big thanks to all of you who sent messages, cards, special treats, & came out to the park, you guys rock. the festivities started thursday night when the boyz took me to panda country kitchen for dinner. yum! now i know why they come by the bus load. then on friday, butter bean took me to muguboka for some mighty tasty korean food & baek seju. so much food. so little room in my belly for it all. and finally on saturday we had a very international picnic in golden gate park. the weather was absolutely perfect. never before have i heard so many people bitch about how hot it was. hehe

the biggest surprise had to be the "i luv uncle e" t-shirts that heather had made for the twins. so adorable. i tried to capture it on film. the twins, however, do not like to sit still. this was the best i could do:

i luv uncle e

comic, oh, and let me just say that d's taco salad kicks some major ass. he's going to have to bring that to every function from now on. that's how good it was. two friends who i haven't seen in forever showed up at the park. i love when that happens. i got a ton of goodies from my friends: a buffyspiderman tee, r.e.m. tickets, coffee maker, journal, good vs. evil unicorns, money, bunny in a cage, etc. but the best gift was from my nieces & nephew who sent me a painting. how precious is that.

hands

the international picnic ended around late afternoon. on my way home i got a call from kiki who was in the hood with her special lady. they stopped by on their way home. i love the unexpected visit from friends. i got to show off my new pad and we chilled and chatted until they had to continue on their way. what a great way to end a perfect day.

there were more birthday shenanigans on sunday. this time it was to help celebrate kiki's big day. she's all grown up now. sniff. sniff. we spent the afternoon drinking and baking in the sun on the patio of zeitgeist. how lucky to have two gorgeous days in a row. i'm truly amazed that i didn't completely fry. thank you sunblock! you are a life saver. before calling it a night we all headed to the mint for kiki's big karaoke number. she sang "china girl" and boy did she rock it. by the time i got home i was completely spent. four days of events is a lot. especially for this boy who so seldom ventures out. to all you aries out there: happy birthday!

stay gold & be well…

park photos are here

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

battle

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

city, fire, & destruction—let the countdown begin!



stay gold & be well…

Friday, April 04, 2008

pit viper

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

diet pills, g-spots, & secret places—sounds like the making of a good trashy novel. i sure do love me a trashy read here and there; however, that's not the case here. but don't fear my cyber friends for i have discovered something better than a trashy novel—funplex by the b-52's. it's been a long 16 years since the b-52's have graced us with an album. and i must say it was well worth the wait. my all time favorite party band is at its finest and has struck gold. with catchy lyrics and upbeat melodies this album is sure to bring a smile to any one's face. seriously, how can you not enjoy such lines as:

four miles to a breakdown, anyone want to leave town
there's a rest stop, let's hit the g-spot
or
private property, hippie be quiet
your peace sign t-shirt could cause a riot

it's hard not to be in a good mood while listening to it. funplex is definitely my feel good album of the year so far. i can't help but be happy while listening to kate, cindy, and fred. its also become my official "walking" anthem. there's nothing better than a stroll through the park while singing out load about g-spots and stripping naked. so whether your a b-52's fan or not i highly recommend you give funplex a listen. you won't be disappointed.

sidenote: i had probably the world's most depressing date the other night. i'm not even going to bother going into details for it would definitely make you want to stick your head in the oven. i think it's time for a dating hiatus to rethink just what it is i'm looking for.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, March 30, 2008

juliet of the spirits

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

marts, peaks, and a little sweet sensation—three things that topped off my weekend. things started early this weekend with a wine outing at hotel biron on thursday with d & misty. we literally sat at three different tables before settling into a spot. hehe. it was nice to have such a chill evening. it's been awhile since we've done anything like that. on friday i finally met up with big mama & her son. they use to be my neighbors when i first moved to sf. "the bunny" is turning 10 this year which completely blows my mind. and big mama is expecting another one in april. we picked up right where we left off. i love friends like that. hopefully i'll be seeing more of them in the future. later that night i had a date with hag ate dinner at . we met in the castro. it was raining which meant umbrella time. can i tell you how much i hate carrying an umbrella. wwefuzio universal pasta where i had the crispy calamari with chili flakes, lemon, and butter over linguini. it was so delicious. afterwards we went to sweet sensations. coffee and orange cake was on the menu for me. it was a little slice of heaven. never had a $5 piece of cake tasted so good. i could feel the fat building up with every bite. its a good thing i don't live nearby. as for the date itself, i think it went ok. i'm so bad at judging these things. i'm definitely interested in hag so here's to hoping there'll be a date #2.

view 02

saturday d & i found ourselves hiking up to the top of twin peaks. we're so outdoorsy these days. it was nice urban jaunt. lots of hills & stairs. the view from twins peaks is pretty spectacular. as we climbed down the side of the peak i kept feeling like i was going to slip. my sense of balance seems to off these days. we met up with d's bf, john, and had lunch. somehow through the course of this overcast day i managed to get sunburned. by the time i got home my face felt like it was on fire. the rest of the night was spent watching the terminator: the sarah connor chronicles [loving it] & likable or not [my new fave k-drama].

this morning after watching 4 episodes of stripperella i managed to rally and meet up with misty for a walk in the park. then it was off to the mission idie mart where jewelry, tees, and baby stuff seem to prevail. i wish there was be a bit more variety. most of these mart seem to be lacking in the guy department. i mean, seriously, how many tees can one boy buy. it has inspired me to start to work on my photo frames. i'm gonna open up e's workshop this week and start cranking them out. hopefully by late spring i'll have enough to consider getting a booth at one of these fair things. d, john, & i ended the day by grabbing a beer with the queers at the pilsner.

twin peaks photos here

stay gold & be gold…

Monday, March 24, 2008

seems it's one thing

deery lou.
previously on the e-list…

bunnies, bonnets, & baskets—it's like easter in wonderland. the sisters' annual noir [easter celebration] was held in dolores park on sunday. it was their 29th anniversary and my first time. it's kind of amazing that i've lived in sf for over 5 years yet i never attended. clearly, i had no idea what i was missing. it was a beautiful easter day. people were out in masses. i've never seen the park so crowed. they came in costumes, and some even sans clothes. i saw baskets covering "baskets", a chicken lady, what looked like a troll priestess, and a variety of bunnies.

bunny dress

we had a good spot stage left to view all the action. bands played throughout the day. one even went as far as to throw sex toys out into the crowd. in the morning they had activities for the young ones such as: face painting and an egg hunt. in the afternoon they had a bonnet contest as well as a hunky jesus contest. some of the bonnets were truly outrageous. it was an easter like no other. even though i brought my camera i only managed to take 7 photos. don't ask. perhaps all that sunshine was getting to me. i was suppose to have a date that night but it got canceled. oh well... at least i had a chocolate bunny to go home too. hope your easter was just as enjoyable.

stay gold & be well…

what little pictures i have are here

Sunday, March 16, 2008

swingset chain

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

babies, marriage, & death—these are the things the old korean woman in my building speaks to me about. a couple of times this week i've ran into the old korean woman. every time she's sitting on the sofa in the lobby of the building. now that she knows i've lived in korea she is always eager to say hello. i try to spend a few minutes whenever i see her to chat. the first day she couldn't wait to tell me how handsome i was. this of course was followed by asking if i was married. she then preceded to tell me i needed to have a baby. i didn't have the heart to tell her my interest lies in the other sex. before i entered the elevator she told me not to visit north korea. "very bad" she said. then she made a motion across her neck and replied with, "they kill americans". i told her not to worry that i had no immediate plans to visit the north. a few days later i saw her again in her usual spot. she smiled up at me and said, "ansan". she asked if i was in the military to which i replied that i wasn't. i mentioned how i was there teaching english. she wanted to know if i had a korean girlfriend. telling me how every korean girl wants an american boyfriend. sounds like some of the teachers at my previous school. she inquired about whether or not i attended discos. i laughed telling her i was far to busy with school and taekwondo to hit up the discos. she smiled brightly saying, "you must be genius". i smiled politely, bid her farewell and went on with my day. i so look forward to my chance encounters with my new friend. now if only i could score some kimchi from her i'd be set.

friday night i met up with d-goth and his main squeeze for an unmemorable meal in japantown. our conversation centered around lost. each of us adding our two cents as to what we think is happening. which goes to show its not about how good or bad a meal really is, it's all about the company your with. we managed to get in a quick photo shoot before heading home.



i've been walking a lot lately. the great thing about these walks, besides losing weight, is discovering new parts of sf. while out with d-goth on saturday we stumbled upon an art exhibit at the presido officers' club exhibition hall. it was free and even though we were in our "workout" attire we decided to check it out. the exhibit, title "transforming art: the art of chris hardman", was based on the perception of illusion. which translates to a lot of mirrors. there was a really cool 3-d section where d-goth pretended to be swimming among the art. overall the exhibit was pretty good. it was one of those pleasant unexpected surprises.

today i ventured to a different section of the presido where i discovered what appeared to be an abandoned school. it was all fenced off since its military property but that didn't stop me from doing some minor investigating. i made my way to the back of the building where i found stairs leading down. i'm not really sure what my fascination is with old run down buildings but it exists. as i was making my way down i noticed a guard sitting at a table. that was the last thing i expected to see. not wanting to get into trouble for jumping the fence i quickly turned around before he noticed me. as i made my way further up the hill i noticed a giant sand dune. how odd for a sand dune to be out here. at least it gave me something else to investigate. the dirt road that went passed the dune lead to some strange subdivision. it actually felt like i had just entered a commune. the identical red and white houses resembled an old style motel. the street signs were all numbered like 1534 and 1535. this strange neighborhood seemed completely out of place in the city. i noticed an old man sitting in a chair against a backdrop of yellow flowers. the front door was opened and through the window in the back of the house the ocean was visible. there was a lot of activity going on, especially for a sunday morning. i didn't venture too far but definitely have plans to return and take a closer look.

stay gold & be well…

Sunday, March 09, 2008

all day

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

daily, photos, & the e-list — what is all of this? well, it's the basis of my new blog. inspired by kristin hersh's kristin with an eye, i've decided to start my own daily photo blog. be sure to check it out here: my life on the e-list: the snapshots.

stay gold & be well…

Monday, March 03, 2008

around dusk

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

hot dog buns, pork buns, and egg custards—things that are making me FAT. with my recent weight gain hanging over my head i decided to reflect on my eating habits. to my horror this is what i ate in a course of a week:

things i consumed for breakfast or lunch
4 hot dog buns
1 pork bun
1 onion roll
2 dinner rolls
5/6 coconut custard treats
5/6 egg custard treats
2 donuts
2 piroskies
1 bagel

and that's only counting the stuff i actually remember. this list doesn't include dinner items which is mostly pasta, rice, kimchi. not all together. damn those chinese bakeries and their delicious goodies. i can't even walk down clement street without hearing them call my name. tempting me with their magical baked goodness. seeing the pink bags in the hands of every one that passes. i want to eat them all. will the inner richmond prove to be my downfall? will i consume so many pastries that my waist goes up 4 notches? only time will tell.

stay gold & be well…

Friday, February 29, 2008

swelters

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

sweets, seeds, & sunnyd—the three s's from hell. it's official. i am addicted to sunnyd. why is it so damn delicious. it reminds me of tang. another fake flavored orange drink high in sugar. i loved tang as a child. we only got it as a special treat. there is something so wrong about sunnyd yet i can't stop drinking it. i finished a 2qt container in less than a day. is that bad? will sunnyd make me fat? if i mix it with cereal is that a fortified breakfast? so many questions unanswered.

sweets. i crave sweet things. it comes in waves. the waves seem to be more frequent lately. perhaps that's why i downed so much sunnyd in such a short amount of time. i try not to keep too many sweets in my apartment. mostly out of fear that i will eat them all in one sitting. the other day i was looking for something sweet. i realized that i had a bag of candies from twain courtesy of misty. not knowing what any of them are i grabbed the one with the picture of green fruit on the front. there's many possibilities for the fruit: green apples, plums, asian pears, etc. who knows really. the candy itself was hard, smooth, and brown. on top was a lightish brown color. perhaps the fruit filling i thought. without thinking twice i popped the asian treasure in my mouth. there was a flavor explosion. the most prominent was that of honey. the other [the fruit filling] tastes like nothing i've experienced before. it wasn't bad, just different. kind of sweet-spicy if you will. anyway...i'm sucking along and it finally reaches the point where i can bite down on it. so i do. the fruit filling is soft and chewy. as i'm chewing i strike something hard. i spit the hard substance out onto my hand to notice that its a seed. you puts a freakin seed in candy. come on! now the questions remains: do i plant the seed or not!

stay gold & be well…

me and my charms [string version]

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

tour vans, a panda, and me—things found on geary street in the afternoon. since i have far too much time on my hand i've noticed my smoking habit has increased. my building is a smoke free zone which means i must go down five flights and hit the street every time i want a smoke. usually around early afternoon i can be found on the street puffing away. while out there i've been noticing these white tour vans of sorts on a regular basis. they are filled with asian passengers and they are always heading for the same place: panda country kitchen. this place must be magical if they are coming by the van load. it's literally right next store but i have yet to check it out. after seeing the van loads of people going in its definitely peeked my interest. i found their menu online. it's broken down into three categories: special menu, menu 1, menu 2. all the items found on the special menu & menu 1 seem pretty standard and sound delicious. i want to try them all. the more interesting dishes appear on menu 2 with such things as: panda country bear feet, phoenix pork kidney flower, live fish with home made pickle vegetable, frog leg with fresh home made pepper, etc. now i definitely need to check this place out and soon. if any of you want to tag along let me know. i'm sure it'll be a dining experience.

stay gold & be well…

home for an island

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

speed dating, speed walking, and speedboat bunny art—could my week be any better. on wednesday i was suppose to have date #3 with tag. however, just like the past two weeks something came up causing tag to flake yet again. pattern, anyone. who ever imagined that getting beyond date #2 would be so difficult. my chemistry with tag is quite good, but come on already. either stick to your plans or don't bother making them. the verdict is still out about what i'm going to do.

with my schedule now open it enabled me to have lunch with misty. a lunch date with a friend is far superior than a romantic date. there's no pressure involved. we haven't had any m&e time in awhile, so it was nice to get together. that's one of the benefits of having friends who live so close and work at home sometimes—impromptu lunch dates. love it!

i've discovered that since november i've gained 9 lbs. make room for fatty. this prompted me to call misty hoping she'd want to start exercising with me. it's always best to have a buddy. i really need to join a gym or something but that will have to wait until i have a steady income. in the meantime speed walking will suffice.

i had my first introduction to the world of speed dating. well, let's just say my own version of it since it wasn't part of a formal organization or anything. it started off as lunch with nag. we met at 1:30 in the 'stro and dined at la mediterranee. i forgot how yummy their food is. i got the sample plate. nag was nice guy. there were no sparks flying about the restaurant, but for me there seldom are. we had a good conversation and overall seemed to enjoy each others company. he had to get back to work so it was rather short date. whether or not he's interested i have no clue. if he were to ask me out again, i'd probably go.

seeing that i was already out and about i called fag. we had chatted either that day on im. he suggested that i call him later so i did. a boy can't have too many dates now can he? we decided to meet up for coffee. by 3:25 i was downtown. my encounter with fag was interesting to say the least. our phone conversation and chat were really good so i guess i was expecting more from the meeting. plus we have a mutual friend which i thought would take some of the pressure off. it didn't. i went into it thinking i was meeting up with a potential new friend. not necessarily a romantic interest. all i know is that there was a strange vibe going on. i still can't quite put my finger around it. perhaps he thought this was a "date-date". i don't know. we talked for a bit about nothing in particular. it all felt really forced. within 20 minutes or so he asked "so what are you going to do now?" then he decided to go home and relax. we didn't even get coffee like planed. curious. i did manage to make it all around town and home on one bus ticket. now that's speed.

well, my two dates might have been somewhat of a bust but i didn't manage to savage the day by finding an awesome speedboat bunny painting at urban outfitters. it's the little things in life that make everything worth it.

my new bunny art

stay gold & be well…

Monday, February 25, 2008

lance

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

dancing bacon, a glam red rock lobster, a talking pizza slice—just what do these things have in common. no, it's not part of a bad trip i had. these were some of the costumes at misty's annual pnye [procrastinators new years eve] party. the theme in case you haven't figured it out—fast food nation. the creativity was flowing that night. from freedom fries to pigs in a blanket. everyone was representing. there's something to be said about seeing a giant piece of steak walking around a bar. good times.

glam red rock lobster

the best was that people actually brought food in keeping with their costume. yours truly dressed as kimbap which meant i had to explain my costume to everyone. no, i'm not a ninja. it's kimbap, dontcha know! numerous cocktails, wings, tacos, and burritos were consumed. i think i ate more fast food that night then i do in a year. let's just say that i didn't feel so pretty on sunday. what's in store for me this week? who knows but i'm sure it'll be something FUNtastic.

stay gold & be well…

my party pics here
butter bean's party pics here
misty's party pics here

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

matter of degrees

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

bears, bars, building…oh, what a week it was. as most of you know, last week was that dreaded holiday valentine's day. the day when romance is forced upon us and we stuff our faces with chocolate all in the name of love. not a big fan. although it is enjoyable to watch the many that scramble around hoping to find that perfect valentine. on this day i usually make an attempt not to leave my house. i try to shield myself from the red balloons, red flowers, and red candy boxes that move up and down the bustling streets. my plan to stay indoors didn't quite work since i had a job interview. i actually forgot it was even valentine's day until i was leaving and noticed the heart shaped box on the desk. the little chocolates that filled it stare at me mockingly. i wanted to eat them all.

later that night i ended up in the stro for a very impromptu date. it was not the "wine and dine" kind of date. more like the "let's pound drinks" date. this makes date #3 with lag. so far all of the dates revolve around being at a bar. i think i'm seeing a pattern. the 440 was filled with fellow lonely hearts still looking for a valentine. then again isn't it like that every night in the bars of the stro. it was actually quite a relief not to be surrounded by happy-love couples. don't get me wrong. i'm all for happy-love couples. i just don't want to see them on valentine's. we stayed for numerous cocktails. i received a valentine's package from a stop-aids volunteer. it contained the essentials that every gay boy needs: a valentine's card, candy hearts, lube, and a condom. while outside for a smoke break i got hit on by an elderly gentlemen. i didn't have the heart to tell him to bugger off. we chit chatted for a bit, then he wondered off. after leaving 440 we stopped in at the metro for a final drink. they had snack mix there. i ate it all. i love snacks. lag bought me a pez. i was a little buzzed by then. we left shortly after that.

did i mention it was ibr [international bear rendezvous] weekend. i love when the bears come to visit. in the past we'd spend sunday at the eagle beer bust with the bears. didn't make it this year. instead i met up with kiki. we had lunch. then she showed me her awesome pad that she shares with her main squeeze. they're so cute. we debated heading down to the eagle but opted for the wildside west where we met pevil. i have mixed feelings about ww. i think i can do without all the folk singing in the patio. it felt like i was a judge at an american idol audition. there were times when i just wanted to cut them off and say "thanks but no thanks. i'm going to say no." aside from the awful music, the company was outstanding. i always have a good time with kiki. she makes me laugh. add pevil to the equation and its non-stop giggles. good times. eventually pevil's lovely wife joined us.

the bears [jbear & dbear] invited us over for dinner that night. on the menu: turkey loaf, mashed potatoes, corn, salad, and wine. everything was quite tasty. the lesbots [pevil & her lovely wife mrs.b] brought over a lost puzzle. i must say this is the first time i've put together a puzzle at a dinner party. hi, are we 70? honestly, it was quite fun. after all its really about the company and not what you were doing. although a few of them got really into it. i'm not going to name names but at one point there was some high five action happening. now that's a whole new take on puzzle making. first time for everything, i guess.

my pal, butter bean, was kind enough to cart my ass around on monday. our first stop was ikea where i purchased a bookshelf and a tv stand. pretty good for me. i had a bit of trouble at the self check out. the gun didn't want to scan. it took several tries and lots of sweat to finally get the thing to work. i still don't how i did it. the next stop was target where i bought a cube organizer to use for my "office" stuff. thanks again, bb.

as you can probably guess the last two days were spent assembling my purchases. to my surprise the ikea stuff took no time at all. i had them together by monday night. the organizer from target was another story. when i opened the box on tuesday i realized that there were no instructions. i called target. they had me call the manufacturer. after several automated voice messages i got the number i needed. they emailed me instructions. unfortunately they were not complete so i called again. another email was sent. this time it was complete. there was a small problem trying to figure out which piece was which. in the end, it all came together. my pad is getting closer and closer to being a home.

stay gold & be well…

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

ff=66

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

i've sampled a little piece of heaven in the form of a meat & cheese piroshki. so delicious. there's a little russian deli by my house. today i finally ventured in. so glad i did. the woman there was extremely friendly. i love this neighborhood. if any of you are ever in the hood stop by and we'll feast on these tasty snacks. sold some more cds today and made $120. purging is fun. outside the fog has taken over the inner richmond. it's quite beautiful to watch it roll in.

stay gold & be well…

p.s. for some strange reason spell check no longer work. curious.

Monday, February 11, 2008

everybody loves a loser

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

i've been going through my own personal time capsule of sorts: old photos, college papers, letters, etc. visiting ones past can be quite interesting. you come across words written from someone long forgotten, revisit fashion that should be forgotten, and times in your life that are unforgettable.

my weekend was a giant blur of boredom. then again, that's my week too. managed to watch countless amounts of tv. from strange eats to a new lost hottie, it all came across my screen this week. i did find some time in my way busy schedule to post some new stuff in the poetry section of shot&scrawled.

now i must focus all my energy in figuring out a costume for misty's pnye party. two weeks and counting. my creativity mojo seems to be hiding. come out, come out where ever you are.

stay gold & be well…

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

you & joy/care

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

last night a group of fairies stormed the bar i was at. one placed a strand of green beads around my neck. as he stroked my face he told me i was very cute. they arrived by bus. a force of nature they brought with them mayhem and destruction. although their stay was somewhat brief they made a lasting impression on everyone present. only in san francisco. that's what i love about this city—the randomness of it all.

not sure if i should be mentioning this next piece of information since it goes against everything i believe in—sports. i actually watched my first super bowl. i know shocking. i can hardly believe it myself. i blame it on misty. she had a mini sb gathering. the usual suspects were in attendance: misty, dj ted, butterbean, the l-girls, and the bears. i must have missed a very important memo because they were all wearing sports attire. my first thought was to run home and throw on my smurfette cheerleader tee. it's the closet sports theme thing i own. i didn't really pay much attention to the game. i do know who won. i guess that's something. i can tell you that it seemed animals were a major theme in most of the commercials. oh, and that the salesgenie commercials [pandas, office worker] were a bit racist. did anyone else get that feeling?

stay gold & be well…

Saturday, February 02, 2008

superstar

deery-lou.
previously on the e-list…

after weeks of staying in i finally got myself out and about on friday night. one would think i was making up for lost time. the beer was going down like water. i had to force myself to stop drinking. i wouldn't even let a drink ticket tempt me. the evening started off at the hemlock. misty, kate, and i met huegel and his concord crew. they ventured into the city to see social d. it's always great to see huegel. we don't get much of a chance to hang these days but when we do it's good times. it still amazes me sometimes that we've known each other since high school. you would have ever thought we'd both end up in the bay area. with drinks finished we headed down to bottom of the hill for bagel radio's 5th anniversary party. bands played, booze consumed, and i scarfed down numerous cupcakes. all in all a good night.

this morning i woke with a slight headache which i'm sure had nothing to do with the cupcakes and beer. outside it was dreary; however, i still managed to rally and make the early showing of juno. so glad i did. what a great movie. it's been awhile since a movie has had such an impact on me. kudos to the actors. i saw a preview for a new ryan phillippee film called stop loss. he looked so buff. can't wait to see that one.


lunch was had at osha thai noodle cafe on geary at leavenworth. i had the thai boat noodle soup which consisted of beef, beef balls, beef stew and bean sprouts in beef broth. it was a beef fest and i loved every ounce of it. so delicious. so how did you spend your rainy day…

stay gold & be well…