Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Snippets long version

* After touring the new bus facility last weekend, they sent me a photo which they had taken of us during the event. They had this green scrim around an elastic headband that, when put on, circled your face with green. Then they took a close-up and later sent the photo of me as "bus driver for a day". For years when I was a kid, I wanted to be a bus driver. After all, what could be cooler than driving a big contraption all day and saying hi to everyone? Later I learned that bus driver is one of the most stressful jobs there are. Still, I sometimes wonder what my life would be like had I gone that route. (oh look, a pun)

* Had one of those emotional ambushes yesterday (thanks for that term Patrick) while I was making a batch of tuna salad. I realized that Serge's dad had had some of my last batch when he came over last month. Serge didn't see me tear up thankfully. Not that I'm shy about it, just don't want to set him off too. I remember Jacques commenting that he liked the spiciness and being surprised when I told him it was tabasco.

* One weird thing about all this tragedy is how much closer Serge and I seem. It's like we are clinging tighter or something. We are both professing our love for one another more frequently. I don't really understand why but I definitely like it.

* Sent a menacing letter to the tenant downstairs who is still without (the rest of the ) money for September's rent. Yesterday was the day we could go start eviction proceedings but we aren't going to do that...yet. He's a good guy and he started a new job yesterday and should be able to square up when his unemployment check arrives. It was delayed for some reason that I am aware of but don't care about. Is no me problem. Nonetheless, I started thinking about solutions and I had the idea that maybe he could work a little rent off so I pitched to him a little painting work which he seems eager to do.

* I was filling out something the other day and when I clicked age group 35-44, I made a little gasp because I realized it's the last year I can click that category. The next one is 45-54 and that doesn't really jive with my mental view of myself. It jives quite accurately with my body's take on things.

* Is there any rhyme or reason as to why hard boiled eggs are sometimes easy to shell while others in the same batch are heinously unwilling to be shelled? Or why sometimes the shell part insists on having an eighth of an inch of white come off along with it? I've tried shelling them warm, cold, after rapidly chilled, after slowly brought to room temperature. There's always that one that won't cooperate.

* Did you see that whorl thing about how the counterclockwise whorl in the hair at the top of your head occurs statistically significantly more frequently on homo heads? In the population as a whole it occurs 8% of the time, gay guys 29% of the time. Mine is clockwise but Serge's isn't. The easiest way is to ask someone to check for you. If you're already permanently bald in that area, I imagine it's too late unless you have a photograph somewhere.

* My class got cancelled yesterday so I had an unexpected play day yay. I read the other day that curiosity tends to improve intelligence so I've been consciously making an effort to be curious. I already am a curious sort (ha!) but sometimes I'm too busy to be. Anyway, I was wondering about populations and found Wikipedia had all the countries listed by population. That cost me three hours as I clicked on (so frickin) many countries I'd never heard of. At least I knew all the countries that Survivor has done a show on like Palau and Vanuatu. And did you know that India had over a billion people too like China? I had no idea they were so close together in population and then the US is in third place. A very distant third place. California has ten percent more people than all of Canada, the second largest country by land mass.

* We got an official warning from the city yesterday. It came by certified mail. We have to maintain in more orderly condition the foot wide strip of land along the alley in back. It gets pretty overgrown and weedy by this time of year. They gave us three days to reduce the height of any growth to no more than 6 centimeters. Getting a warning like that with a letter talking about "taking pride in our city and maintaining its appearance" made me feel trashy.

* The Emmys were kind of creepy for me. The older Neil gets, the more he reminds me of my ex. Same look, same mannerisms. My ex was adopted. You don't think that they're, nah probably not.

23 comments:

Birdie said...

When my brother died, my family realized together without saying a word that our time together is short and we need to show our love. Since then we have closed every single phone conversation with "I love you," having never once said it to our siblings before. It's been thirteen years now, and we haven't stopped saying it.

About the eggs: someone told me it's dependent upon the age of the egg.

CoffeeDog said...

Mrs Coffeedog and I got clingy whewn I had my accident.

Neil Patrick Harris has a huge forehead.

Eggs, why not spend three more hours googling that! :-)

wcs said...

You do realize that now we are all checking our heads to see which way our hair spins. Those of us with hair, that is.

Anonymous said...

Peeling eggs? Don't try to peel fresh ones. Leave them out on the kitchen counter for a day or two. It allows them to "dry out" a bit. Then place in a pot of cold water filled to 1 inch above the eggs, loosely cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat, cover tightly and let sit for 15 minutes. Then run under cold water for 5 minutes. They will peel easily and have less green around the yolk. Works every time!
BobVT

GayProf said...

I am not sure why, but the stubborn egg shells leave me frustrated to the point of wanting to smash like the Hulk.

I am pretty sure that I swirl clockwise.

sageweb said...

I wonder if the hair thing is true for us lesbos?
this is my last year before I move into the 45 age group..that really seems old to me.

LSL said...

Once when I lived in Japan I sent my boss a picture of some neighbor kids sitting on my front porch. (He and I were friends.) They kids were goofing off and they were so cute. He sent it back with a note that said, "Cute! Now pull those weeds." I felt quite trashy.

I'm glad you guys are hanging in there right now. It's got to be really hard. Big losses always are.

LSL said...

Also, Anon up there who advised leaving the eggs out clearly isn't a paranoid American. Just saying. In every country I've visited they don't refrigerate eggs, but the yanks do.

Java said...

A friend of mine got a warning about cutting down weeds in his back yard. In the same envelope was a citation, and he had to pay a fine. At least you got the warning first.

My hair is so long I can't tell which way it swirls. Superman might still have enough hair on his head to determine swirl direction, but we'd better check soon. It's falling out quickly.

Mel said...

Bob is right about aged eggs being easier to peel, though I don't know that I would leave them out on the counter. FWIW, duck eggs are always difficult to peel, whether they're aged or not.

Peter Maria said...

I realize the whorl thing is "statistically significant", but I've had enough statistic courses to know that particular term can mean a lot of things. My partner and I both whorl clockwise, and a quick (and somehow quasi-erotic) check of several friends this past weekend revealed only one with the counterclockwise whorl. Even my (soon to be) gay nephew whorls clockwise. Of (to me) deeper interest is that whorl is genetically determined, so perhaps it signifies the fact that homosexuality is genetically determined, at least in some people. Perhaps there are certain phenotypes that indicate certain genotypes (just Google it, for Gahwd's Sack). While it is interesting that counterclockwise whorling seems to come up more frequently in teh gaze than teh str8s, we must consider the sampling method used and other statistically rigid methodologies. To me, it's no more of a big deal than declaring that 1/3 of the world's homosexuals are Asian. Seems likely, just based on the population of China and India alone.

So glad you and your spouse are expressing your feelings for each other. I think that may be a recognized psychosocial response to loss, but it doesn't make it any less real, valid or sweet. Reminds me of the text in Genesis where a man and wife (sorry to one of you; I didn't write it) are to "cleave to one another". ALL of mankind does this with their loved ones, so why can't so many countries realize that gay marriage is really no big threat?

Oh, and get a weed whacker going on that alley; your neighbors are the ones complaining (wished that would work down here in the states). Or, perhaps add that to the rent-delinquent tenant's list of duties? Bonus dollars if he's cute and does the weed eradication by hand while shirtless, right? And you could maybe video it and post that video, right? Just sayin'.

Lemuel said...

I was impressed by your willingness to work with your tenant during his unemployment. Good karma always returns.
I hope the "clingy" stays and expressions of love continue and grow. Too often most of us only appreciate what we have/had after we have lost it.

A Lewis said...

What about a gently thinning little circle right on the top of the head -- what does that mean for us queers? And, I must say, you look good as a bus drive -- a new career??

Perplexio said...

Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious. He's really found his niche on How I Met Your Mother. If not for him that show would have tanked halfway through the first season (if it had even lasted that long).

Franciscus van Munster said...

Funny, I wanted to be a bus driver too, for the same reasons as you, when I was 5.

Greg said...

NPH sure can sing, I'll give him that.

Those emotional ambushes can certainly sneak up from the most unexpected places, even a bowl of tuna salad. Hugs to you both.

I'll have to ask my hair guy how I sworl. I've not the foggiest idea.

lattégirl said...

I am obliged to boil and peel 12 eggs every Tuesday for the school breakfast (another volunteer does the Thursday eggs). Most of the time they turn out OK but I've noticed that if one starts peeling badly, tearing off chunks, I have to just stop and put it aside until the rest are done, then go back to it slowly and calmly, otherwise I get very frustrated and tempted to throw it across the room. Happens.Every.Single.Week. Fun fact, eh?

Rick Bettencourt said...

Oh, I like the idea of the official warnings. I don't think we could get away with the government doing it here in the States but way a great idea to help spruce up a neighborhood. Maybe I'll offer it up as a suggestion for the beautification committee.

Patricia said...

I love the bus driver pic. I would've never made it past the green scrim thing.

I'm glad you and Serge have drawn even closer. It really does seem to be the healthiest option when faced with such a sad experience.

I keep one carton of eggs in the fridge that is a few weeks old and those are the eggs that I hard boil. They peel like a charm every time. As the old eggs get used, I move some of the fresher ones over to "age" them. It seems like a lot of fuss for eggs but I'm no longer frustrated by peeling them so it's worth it.

dpaste said...

I love Neil Patrick Harris. I would steal him from David Burtka in a heartbeat if I could.

tankmontreal said...

There's a markedly high number of hot gay bus drivers in this town. You'd fit right in.

Rox said...

What about double whorls? My nephews have two whorls on their heads. I wonder what it means?

Derwood and I became closer after his mom passed too. I think it happens to everyone, you cling to those you love.

Watch videos on TED.com if you're feeling curious! They're the bumdiggity!

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