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July 30, 2004
Affirmations time
I am loved. I am living in the here and now. I'm living God's will. ... and I am somebody.
Cheesy, huh? I said that twice a day when I was in treatment. It meant something to me at the time, but I haven't really used the affirmations since, and it's been about five months since I left treatment. I'm frankly shocked by the outpouring of support I've received by people I have only just met online, just met in the program (AA, for you normies), and people I've known for a while.
I got an email from a friend last night just checking in with me. It's that kind of shit that makes you keep living. That somebody would take even 20 seconds to send a quick email and let you know they're thinking about people. I thank God every day for putting those people in my life. To be honest, I'm not all that down about anything. At least not yet. I think I'm surviving by the grace of God and the support I've been receiving. That, and, I've kept myself really busy and haven't allowed any depression to set in yet. I didn't respond to my last thread because there were just too many responses to make. But, I do want to say, thank you, all. You're all blessings.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
So I finally broke down
... and got a camera phone! But only because the damned thing is so tiny and cute. Plus it has a speakerphone, which I've always wanted in a cell phone. I also switched back to Nokia. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of owning a Nokia and I love it!
I was driving home after getting it, and saw this woman on the side of the road by the Walker. Cracked me up.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 27, 2004
On the greenway
I was walking into work on the Greenway this morning when I saw a man walking his pet. This isn't unusual - there's normally a few people out doing the same thing. What was unusual about this man was that he was walking his CAT! He had one of those harness leasches hooked up to his big furball of a cat as it snopped its nose around a tree.
Am I ignorant - is this a normal occurance?
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Busy HR folk
Well, we lost the big account that accounted for 20% of our income at work. The HR folk are busy hussling people into closed-door conference rooms and giving them their severence checks. Most of the office doesn't know it's going on. They won't tell us what hapenned until later in the day. I'm expecting an email from the President announcing "lets get together this afternoon at the keg." It's sad. Some people have been here for so long, some have put a majority of their life into this place. I hope I'm still here by the end of the day. I guess what happens just is.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Pick'n em off like flies
They keep going, and going, and going ...
When they don't answer their phones they're paged.
then told to come to a conference room
five minutes later they reappear
tears
head hung low
They act like a kid acts when they fall off of their bike and try not to cry. Claiming they're okay, but inside they're screaming bloody murder.
I'm still crossing my fingers.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
At least this time I'm sober
Well, it happened. I was the last person they called in. I'm guessing there were abour 40 of us all-together. My manilla envelope contained a breakdown of what I was being payed off for (vacation, severence, pay-to-date, etc.), information on COBRA benefits, and a copy of the confidentiality agreement I signed when I first began two and a half years ago. I packed a box of my personal items and walked out. People said goodbye. Hugs. I'm sorrys. Lets do lunch's. Etc.
The last time I was laid off, it was Valentine's Day. I went to Zelo with my fellow newly unemployed coworkers. By this time, I was downing about my ninth Long Island.
This time I called friends. Jim picked me up. The HR manager called shortly after I left to notify me that they'd neglected to mention I had a loan against my 401k (to buy my condo) that had to be paid back in full within 30 days. I quickly deposited my last check (in case they tried to adjust it for the 401k loan). Went to a meeting, then dinner at The Monte Carlo, and desert at The Wilde Roast.
I feel much better about the whole situation. It's not as devastating to me as it was the last time I was laid off. I have faith this time. I have real friends this time. I'm grateful for these things.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 26, 2004
IKEA trip
Okay, so I was all excited about IKEA opening and then I didn't even post anything about my trip... or maybe I mentioned it, but I think it deserves it's own post.
We're here!!!
In the main entrance area they had a Mini Cooper on display with all of these boxes stacked on top of it. The stack was so tall I couldn't fit the entire thing in the frame of my camera. On the very top (not pictured) there was a red sofa to match the car and the other various items. It must have been a nightmare to get this thing setup properly - notice it's leaning against the wall in some places.
I LOVED the cafateria! I paid only $3.75 for a serving of Swedish meatballs, potatoes, the chocolate desert, and a medium-sized soda! It was surprisingly good, too - especially considering it was served cafateria style! This is a such a good idea, too, considering how much walking you do in this place, and how much time you can spend there. You're bound to work up an appetite half-way through your shopping experience.
On this trip I didn't actually purchase anything. On the next trip (yes, I've been there twice in the past two weeks), I purchased an umbrella for $4. I've heard they sell them for a dollar off on days that it's raining. I'm waiting on any major purchases until I find out what the roommate is doing. Hopefully I won't have to buy anything.
There are more photos of my trip in the gallery.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:17 PM
My Minneapolis light rail debut
A couple of weeks back, two buddies from work and I decided to take a lunch hour ride on the new light rail system. This was the funniest part of the trip. The train was stopped, but the cross gate was down and this guy in his wheelchair was just stopped, waiting for it to come, though he was situated between the gate and the track, like he was getting ready for the train to come. I wanted to yell, "It's not worth it!"
Check out the rest of the photos in the gallery, too.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 22, 2004
PH balanced for me
It was so nice to wake up this morning without the sweltering humidity! I got up early and headed down to Spyhouse, where I got my regular coffee and blueberry muffin. Did the crosswords and came in to work.
Sort of feeling blah today. Roommate is still undecided about moving, and as such, feels the need to continue talking about the pros and cons with me. He's meeting with his would-be new boss (if he takes the job in NYC) on Monday night for dinner. That meeting is supposed to be the determining factor in his decision. Unfortunately directly afterwards, on Monday, another employer is flying him out of town for a week to open a new store. I really hope he decides before he takes off. At this point, I just want to know either way.
Happy Thursday to you all.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Updated friends list
I finally got around to adding some additional friends to my list on the right - please visit them, too - they're superheros :-)
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 20, 2004
swimming in humidity
It's so humid out today, as it was yesterday. You walk outside and you feel like you're walking through a thick stew. As Paul Majors said on the news last night, your body loses it's ability to cool down by sweating because the air is so humid your sweat won't evaporate. Yuck.
Do you ever get yourself so psyched up over something and then it doesn't happen? Like counting your chickens before they've hatched? I find myself doing it all too often. I start thinking about after the chickens hatch I can have them start laying eggs, and I can kill one for lunches for the next week, and on and on and on... I get myself all excited, and then let down. I guess I still have to work on my second and third step - living by God's will, not my own.
My roommate was talking about moving to New York again last night. It sounds like he really wants to do it, and is probably leaning towards going. He has to let his job know by Monday. The suspense is sorta bothering me, but at the same time, I'm trying to "let go and let God." If he moves, life does go on. It's sad, though. We've both become very codependant on each other. I love the guy to death, and vice versa. I feel like lately the conversations have been leaning towards him wanting me to tell him to go... which I have, just not in so many words. What I've told him is that he can't factor me into his decision - he has to do this or not do it for himself, not me. Of course I want him to stay, but I know myself that taking this job in NY would be a great opportunity for him, and probably the right thing to do. I just know that if he does do it, he won't be back and we'll never be as close as we are now. Am I being selfish?
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Major bummer
Joe Mauer won't be appearing on the small screen for at least another 15 days. More knee problems for the hottie catcher :-(
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 19, 2004
Really long domain names
A friend and I were just joking about how the only domain names left are full sentances. Anything with under 5 or 6 characters is most likely taken. He just sent me this link:
http://www.JohnKerryIsADouchebagButImVotingForHimAnyway.com/
I think it's pretty funny :-)
DISCLAIMER:
I'm not the most politically opinionated or active homo on the block. Some of what this guy has to say makes sense to me, some of it does not. The views of the site listed above do not necessarily represent the views of Sparkles. I just thought it was humorous and fun. And, for the record, I'm voting for Kerry.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Where's the line?
Okay, so I've been trying to live by a higher power's timeline - his/it's will, not my own. To those non-AAers, it's basically equivalent to the thought behind the saying, "Live and let live." (my own interpretation)
In AA we talk about willingness and action. The willingness to let God determine what's best for us, to recognize it, etc. Then the action - to act on God's will (not your own). The trouble for me comes in when God puts opportunities or options in front of you. We often talk about "doing the next right thing." This concept is simple when it comes to things like, "should I spend time with my family, or should I blow them off and go to the bar." The problem for me comes in when the options rise in complexity.
For instance, how do you tell the difference between an opportunity that God may have put in front of you to recognize and act on, and when you're trying to spur something into action because of your own will? If I want to start my own business, is that something that I should hold off on? That takes self-initiation. God's not going to put a sign in front of me that says "start your own business." Or is he?
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 16, 2004
Martha's going to jail!
CNN just reported that Martha has been sentanced to 5 months in jail. The subheadline running across the bottom of the screen read, "Please continue to show your support by buying my products." Good gawd! I did just get her salt and pepper shakers :-)
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 14, 2004
The W-fucking-B
Thank Gawd for the WB for bringing us the beauty of Tom Welling (and for making him take his shirt off so often).
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
MN gun law 'shot' down
This article in the Strib this morning is interesting. I admit, I haven't had time to read it yet, but I'm excited to. It's funny how things like this don't get any press until they actually happen - I suppose because a judge can't be influenced or bought (at least one would hope not!).
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
IKEA opens!
OMG - check out the photos posted on the Strib's site of the wackos who camped out since Monday to be the first one's in the door!
I'm going to head there after work and take some photos of my own :-)
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
No more biz casual for Target employees
Man - the Strib is just full of fun articles today! I actually caught wind of this news last month. Target HR sent out a company-wide email mandating the new policy and somebody forwarded me a copy. Thank gawd I work in advertising. Here's what it said:
Employees who do not follow these guidelines will be spoken to immediately, and may be sent home to change.
Monday through Thursday
Men
Preferred:
Suits/sport coats with dress shirts and ties
Acceptable:
- Dress shirts with sport coats and/or ties (If you are not wearing a tie, you will need to wear your sport coat if not at your desk)
- Dress knit shirts with sport coats
- Sweaters or sweater vests with pressed collared shirts and ties
- Dress slacks or pressed khakis
- Dress shoes or dress boots
- Pressed red shirts and pressed khaki pants
Not Acceptable:
No casual shoes, such as beach shoes/flip flops, Birkenstocks (or similar), hiking boots, or tennis shoes.
No jeans or denim of any color, except on Friday.
Women
Preferred:
Suits
Acceptable:
- Jackets
- Sweater sets
- Dressy sweaters, blouses or knit tops
- Jackets required with sleeveless tops or tops/dresses with spaghetti straps
- Pressed slacks, khakis or skirts
- Dress shoes, dress boots and dressy sandals
- Pressed red shirts and pressed khaki pants
Not Acceptable:
- No casual shoes, such as beach shoes/flip flops, Birkenstocks (or similar), hiking boots, or tennis shoes.
- No capris, jeans or denim of any color, except on Friday.
Friday
We will maintain our traditional casual Fridays.
Appropriate attire, neat jeans, polo shirts with small designer logos, and clean tennis shoes are acceptable. (Remember, casual Friday does not mean sloppy Friday.)
Not Acceptable Anytime:
- Shorts, overalls, jogging suits, leggings, Lycra pants, halter tops, sheer or revealing clothing (e.g., bare midriffs, short mini-skirts), T-shirts or sweatshirts advertising products or events, heavily worn shoes.
- Hats and caps, unless medically necessary.
Weekend, evening and overnight shifts:
Casual dress is fine for groups working during these time periods.
If you have any questions regarding appropriate dress, please contact your supervisor.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
PHEW!
The FMA didn't pass in the senate - woohoo!!! I'm so happy I could just dance!
That focker Coleman
voted for it. HRC just sent me the following email:
Dear Dan,
We did it! Just moments ago, the Federal Marriage Amendment lost in the Senate by a stunning, bipartisan vote of 50-48. We won this historic victory for two reasons:
First, because the politics of division don't work, and second: the votes were on our side.
But the real reason we won is this: You. You and every fair-minded American, gay or straight, who called, e-mailed, faxed, visited, tracked down, and otherwise urged your Senators not to write discrimination into the Constitution.
Thank you.
This amazing moment belongs to all of us. Please, share this victory with all the friends and family you talked into fighting with us. We join in celebration with each of you. The campaign to defeat this amendment has been a top priority for HRC and with your amazing efforts over the course of many months, today we won this round of the fight. Thank you - again.
What's next:
I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't remind you that it's not over. Our ultra-conservative opponents are determined to spread their discriminatory agenda across the country. Fasten your seatbelts, my friends, because the months ahead are going to be challenging indeed:
Next week, the House will take up the issue of marriage equality as well. Expect a fight. Expect vicious words and fierce debate. And expect to speak up, loud and clear, once more.
During the next three months, no fewer than 11 states - and possibly 13 - are facing ballot initiatives to write discrimination into their state constitutions. HRC will fight these initiatives shoulder to shoulder with state and local GLBT leaders. We'll let you know how you can help. And of course - like you, we will be actively working to stop discrimination at the source by electing equality-minded legislators around the country. We're glad to know you will be with us in that battle, too. All of this work starts tomorrow.
For today, I will take a moment to appreciate this hard-won victory. I hope you'll join me.
Many, many thanks for all you have done.
Cheryl A. Jacques
Human Rights Campaign President
P.S. For all the details about this important vote, please visit our web site: http://www.hrc.org To see how your Senators voted, please click here to visit the Senate website - the vote was Roll Call Vote 155.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 13, 2004
Today's happenings
Strange day so far. Work is busy, but a few things have struck me:
Was driving into work today and spotted an older, heavier gentleman in the large Lincoln next to me at the stoplight. He was wearing a cowboy hat, sunglasses, light-colored suit, and white gloves made of lace!
Drove further down Hennepin and was at a stoplight next to a dumptruck. The phone number on the side of the truck read:
763.422.DUMP
Made me laugh.
IKEA opens in 18 hours! I was debating when I'd actually go to the store, not wanting to get stuck in the rush of suburbanites sure to flock there. Then I realized that if I pass up Wednesday, the weekend will probably be just as bad. Then I realized that IKEA is always busy... so I think I'm just going to brave the crowd and go on Wednesday after work. It's a beautiful 80 degrees in Minneapolis right now - no humidity and plenty of sunshine! LOVE it! Good weather makes me so happy :-)
Oh, and lastly - there's been this truck driving around downtown for the past few days. It looks like an oversized delivery truck, but not a semi. On the side of the truck it's got a large billboard-sized ad about the Pro-Life stance on abortion. The first time I saw it I just rolled my eyes, but then it kept coming around! I've since heard rumors that it's just an empty truck, used as an advertising medium, and that there are people on the streets talking to people about their cause as well. Yesch. Somebody should put a spike-strip out like they do on America's Wildest Police Chases.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 12, 2004
MoveOn.org part two
I just got this email from MoveOn.org. For those of you in Minnesota, this is directly applicable to you. For those of you outside of MN, I urge you to call your legistlators.
Thank you for supporting the "United, Not Divided" campaign. There's not much time left. The Senate is expected to vote on the Constitutional amendment on Wednesday, July 14th. The most important thing you can do right now is call your senators. We've got to let them know that America is not falling for this cynical attempt to divide us. To make it easy, we've included their direct phone numbers below.
Please call your Senators now, at:
Senator Mark Dayton Direct: (202) 224-3244
Senator Norm Coleman Direct: (202) 224-5641
Urge them to: "Protect marriage equality for everyone -- Vote NO on the Federal Marriage Amendment."
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2004
Surprisingly good mood
Went to an NA meeting tonight. This meeting has an open discussion during the latter half and I was thinking about what I might say on my way over there. It occurred to me that it's been a pretty busy week, and I'm surprised I'm handling it as well as I am.
My mother was admitted to the hospital, my roommate might be leaving for new york.... hell, what am I bitching about. It could be soooo much worse. I'm handling everything well because there's not that much to handle. Yesch, I can be such a pitty-party.
Life is grand. I had an action-packed day today! Got up early at 6:30, drove a friend to work, went for coffee at SpyHouse, did my crosswords, visited with a good friend and his toddler son, went to lunch at the Wilde Roast, laid out for a couple of hours and went for a swim up at the pool, visited my mother in the hospital, went to the gym, went to dinner, went to the meeting, and then finished up watching Die Mommie Die at a friend's place. Getting ready for bed now :-)
I finished my book - anyone have any suggestions for my next read? Lately I've been reading memoirs/autobiographies and books on recovery. Sorta want to check out what this whole Tao thing is about, too.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 09, 2004
Hold on for one more day
Good lord - I have Wilson Phillips' One More Day stuck in my head! I'm really looking forward to this weekend. ... la la la hold on for one more day!
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Long day, but I'm grateful to be here!
I had a really long day yesterday. Work included an all-day meeting with a new vendor we're working with. I ducked out when I could to actually work, but still ended up leaving the office with a to-do list a mile long.
My mother called me on my way home. She wasn't doing well and thought she might need to be hospitalized for mental illness. I told her to call the hospital and I'd call her after my AA meeting. By the time I got out of the meeting she had called twice. I went to the house. She was sitting on the bed crying. It's a terrible thing to see your mother cry - really touches you in a place that nothing else really can. I remember the first time I had seen my mother cry - I was about 12 years old and had never witnessed it before. I didn't know how to react. My mom and dad had made the decision to put their dog of 17 years to sleep. She didn't cry again until many years later when she had her nervous breakdown, which was, I think about 5 years ago now. Lately the crying has become a little more commonplace, but it still gets you right there. We went to the hospital, checked her in through the ER, which, BTW, included no Noah Wyle look-alikes. I waited around for about 30 minutes and she was taken upstairs. I left.
Went to Jim's house and hung out with him and Frank for a short while. It's nice to know I've got friends I can count on now. When I got home my roommate was in a stressed out mood. He'd just gotten back from a week in New York and I hadn't really had a chance to talk to him since his return.
Small talk ensued; I told him about the situation with my mother, and then BAM - he tells me his company is offering him a promotion, double the salary, all moving expenses and a huge bonus to move out to new york. I'm very happy for him, but I LOVE this guy to death. We're best friends. Just this last week while he was traveling I became depressed. I've depended on him in the past and vice versa. I would miss him A LOT. If he moved, I'd also have to find a new roommate (or two). At the same time, this is an incredible opportunity for him. He said he hasn't made any decisions yet, but I'm worried.
Things could be worse. In fact, they have been. Six months ago I would have been at the bar last night and would still be in bed as I write this. I most likely would have lost my job by now. Wouldn't have the friends that I do. So, for that, I am grateful to be here :-)
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 08, 2004
Spinning at The Firm
Holy shite. I took a spinning class after a chest workout at The Firm. It was an intense program - I never knew exercycle riding could be such hard work! I encourage you all to join in. It's fun to watch me wheeze :-)
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bloggers unite?
I think I might try to go to the Wilde Roaste tonight - anyone wanna meet up?
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Speaking of hobos ...
... I spotted a multi-tasking hobo the other day! He was quite clever. His cardboard sign must have been made out of a refrigerator box, given it's size. Jim pointed out that he probably also used the sign as his house. They sure are getting clever these days!
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 06, 2004
Normal hobos
Okay, so I did get something good out of A Million Little Pieces, afterall. The last 50 or so pages are actually getting good. James Frey speaks about how we (we being alcoholics and addicts) are all born normal [perhaps genetically predispositioned to addiction, but I don't know...] people. Then the disease strikes, and it's not picky.
I was thinking about this in reference to when I see all of the homeless people under the bridges at the Lyndale/Hennepin/I-94 junction, and the various randoms that come by my office building and pick through the ash trays looking for unused cigarettes. I've never really thought about those people, other than to feel sorry for them, annoyed with them, avoiding them, etc. I get really bothered when they ask for money, because I feel like, no, I've earned this dollar, why should I give it to you? But after I read this, I thought, wow, maybe those hobos were once normal.
Now I feel really bad for them. It's still hard to give them any money, because I can guess where it's going to be spent. Anyhow, I'm at work now, and I'm grateful to be here.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:33 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 05, 2004
Bolt Underground
Went to the Bolt Underground tonight for the first time. They just opened recently and I had heard that some Legion work needed to be carried there. Anyhow, I loved it! Super hot guys, very cool club - cool music, sweating boys/men, and a literal underground theme. What more could a homo ask for?
It was strange seeing all of these guys on meth and drinking too much. I should stress that some not all, were. I didn't even really have an urge, though I wasn't jumping outta my shoes to get on the dance floor, either... but that's okay. I don't miss it all that much, and perhaps some of the excitement I used to feel unnaturally will come back naturally.
Off to snooze land.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Monday night rain
Sorta in a strange mood tonight. It's Monday night and I have to return to work tomorrow after a three day weekend :-(
The weekend was pretty good overall, although my mom called me upset this evening, again. She never seems happy. This time she was upset with my dad about something that I thought was trivial, but she was up in arms about it. Funny how she calls her son to bitch about her husband, AKA, her son's dad. Like I want to be involved in a fight they're having? Again, she's looking for validation, wants me to pick a side. She's just not happy.
So I was bored. Went to Vera's to try and finish up this gawdawful book I'm reading - A Million Little Pieces. It actually may have some value, but I've only got about 50 pages left and I haven't found any yet. It's another memoir about a guy who went through treatment at Hazelden about 10 years ago and found an alternative to AA to stay sober. More power to him if he can stay sober without AA, but I just wish the book were more exciting.
Dry : A Memoir, on the other hand, was much cooler. Perhaps it was just because I related to it more... but in any case, Augusten Burroughs is a better writer.
Vera's got really crowded, and it was raining outside, so I decided to go to the Wilde Roast to get a bite to eat and sit next to the fire. Got there and it was freezing inside and the fire wasn't on! (funny when referring to a fire, you say on or off... at least I do when it's a gas fireplace) I ordered a cobb salad anyhow - it was fantastic! They have a pretty limited menu, but everything I've had there has been great!
A couple of buddies showed up and told me about a 7:00pm Wednesday Jitters meeting that I think I'm going to try out this week. They had just been to a meeting where somebody famous was attending. They seemed to be surprised that he wasn't dressed in armani and clean shaven... seems normal to me, most celebrities aren't usually dolled up :-) Other than that, though, they said it was a really good meeting about being grateful... yeah, you may not have a new car, and may rent (rather than own), but you've got a place to live, food on the table, friends, etc... keep reminding yourself that it could be much worse. For alcoholics / addicts, you could be looking at jails, asylums, or death.
I was coming up in the elevator tonight and noticed that my sunburn from yesterday is turning into a nice tan! Normally I get burnt and the skin is red-as-hell for a couple of days and then goes white, but I think I must have gotten just the right amount of sun this time! Yeah! ... if only I had been naked I wouldn't have these damned tan lines.
Went to the chiropractor again today. It was a follow-up visit to the initial consultation. A doctor sat me down and gave me an entire sales pitch about why I needed chiropractic treatment. What he said to me all seemed reasonable, but it was entirely a sales pitch. I finally told him, "look, I'll keep coming back as long as my insurance covers it. After that, I'll consider it next year when the insurance hasn't been used up." He seemed happy with that and agreed to show me the x-rays that were taken on the first visit. Turns out that I may actually have a problem, as the x-rays showed a slight misalignment in the curvature of my spine at the neck. He also said that from looking at my spine from the front or back, you can see it's not horizontal - it leans one way. I asked him if it could have just been that I was leaning my head, which seemed reasonable to me... he said, but why would you lean your head? If you're leaning your head one way, straight up must not be comfortable. Sounded a little fishy. Anyhow, I got all cracked-out again by a couple of hot guys, so I'll keep going back until the insurance runs out, and if I'm healthier for it, BONUS!
I'm rambling. Going to tune into channel 600 and see what I can order up on pay-per-view. Oh, and something's fishy with my gallery. I'm reorganizing and adding photos to it, but they're showing up rather large - some images are a meg, which can take a long time to view on a dialup connection. The gallery is supposed to size them down automatically, but it's not working. Bear with me until I get things figured out.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 03:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 04, 2004
Unwilling Interactive Creative Writing?
This article in city pages outlines the events of a fictional blogger who was around for YEARS. The blog was written by Plain Jayne - a late twenties girl who shared her past rape experience, photos of herself and friends, and corresponded with her readers via email, instant messenger, and commenting on her site. The blog was, at its heyday, getting 5,000 unique visitors a day - that's HUGE. One day the character disappeared and some loyal readers began investigating, only to find out that the author was actually an author writing a fictional blog. City Pages interviews the author - a male, married, with two children, living in Woodbury, MN, who describes the project as Interactive Creative Writing.
Crazy shit. Read it.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Amish Bondage
I know, I'm going to hell, but I just can't stay away from campy porn.
Amish Bondage: Adventures in Sin and Pride in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Super Fantastic Day!
OMG, I just had a super-fantastic day! Started out with sleeping in until 11:00, which is someting I haven't done in probably a month. Went to Spy House and got a blueberry muffin and a light roast. Did my crossword puzzles. Stopped over at Mom & Dad's and dropped off their coolers. Fixed Mom's computer. Dropped Dustin off at the airport (he's going to the Hamptons for the week - that Bastard!). Picked Jim up at the Mall. Went to the gym with Jim. Went to an NA meeting with Jim. Went to Kowalski's with Jim to pick up steaks and veggies. Came home, grilled, ate, watched Andy Roderick on SNL - yummmmmy! Did laundry. Found my digital camera so I can take photos of the rodeo tomorrow! Did four loads of laundry, and am just folding up the last of it.
Here's some Andy (went kinda crazy on Google):
He totally looks like Ethan Hawke in this photo, and is it just me, or does it look like he's checking this guy out?
Funny story. I lit the grill and the flames were getting rather high. Jim didn't want anyone in the building next to us to think things weren't under control (they weren't). Since I'm on a rather high floor, quite a number of people in the next building had a view of our fire. Anyhow, Jim put the lid on the grill.... then the fire started coming out the bottom of the grill, so he took the lid off when a HUGE fireball jumped out at us - it was like something out of The Lord of the Rings! We both screamed. Not five minutes later a fire truck with sirens, lights, the whole works pulled up to the building. I was about the turn off the lights and hide (the fire was under control by this point), when it drove off.
Phew. Anyhow, gotta finish off the laundry and get to bed in fresh sheets :-)
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gay Rodeo!
Had another FABULOUS day! Got up, went to coffee at Spyhouse for my blueberry muffin and light rost. Went to the gay rodeo, run by the NSGRA, in Hugo - about 30 minutes north of downtown minneapolis. The rodeo was just a blast, and I got tons of photos - go check them out in the gallery. Here's a teaser:
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 03, 2004
Marlon Brando dies
Okay, everyone says he was great, and they've made their own post about him, so I feel obliged to as well. I don't know that much about the man, but he was hot. And gay, yes / no?
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:45 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
July 02, 2004
OpenDoors
My blogging-buddy Aaron just relaunched his site under a new name: OpenDoors - go check it out. He seems cool so far, but he spends far too much time at the Wilde Roast Cafe on his Mac.
Anyhow, just got home from Spiderman2 and I've got to get to bed. TGIF!
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 01, 2004
I'll cut yah!
I found this photo while browsing through myspace.com tonight. Not something I normally do, btw, but I'm glad I did, or I never would have seen this thing!
Don't you hate it when it gets really humid during summer in Minnesota and the mosquitos start attacking you in flocks and it's so humid that even when a mosquito doesn't land on you, you're so paranoid that one is, and you feel a slight tingle from the humidity and you end up slapping any exposed skin over and over again? Gawd I hate that.
Had more drama with my mother tonight, and I was already crabby at work all day from the drama the past few nights. So what did I do? I went on a little shopping spree at Best Buy :-) I bought walkie-talkies and a new flash memory card for my digital camera, which equals more recent photos and spy games for me! Jim and I were walking / driving all over the best buy parking lot to try to see how far the range was on these babies when we started hearing the headsets from some Baby store. "clean up in isle 3"
Oh, speaking of the parking lot at best buy - Jim and I spotted a super-duper-hottie walking out as we were walking in. Blonde, tan skins, and bulging biceps exposed by a loose-fitting, though generously-exposing tanktop. I looked over and he looked over at us, so then we looked away. We looked back a moment later and he was doing the same thing. Then we looked away again. We played this game until we got to the entrance and he got to his car. If you're reading this, hot stuff, write me! LOL
Anyway, it's employee review time at the agency and I was supposed to have all six of the reviews I've been assigned turned in by 5:00 earlier today. I'm done with four and have to finish these up before I go crazy filling in questions like, "does this person contribute to the growth of the agency and the clients' success? how so? please list examples" ... and then followed by 49 similar questions. You see I'm very important so I have to do several. At least that's what I keep telling myself ;-)
Anyhow, toodles, and don't forget, you are somebody!
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Drag Queens on Horseback?
So is anyone going to this gay rodeo? I don't actually know if there'll be any drag queens, but I've heard it's a hoot.
NSGRA website
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
oh my aching back
Okay, so I admit it - I'm a total sucker for a backrub. I've actually hurt my back a couple of times before, probably due to not stretching properly in the gym, and had gone to a couple of different chiropractors.
During the pride festival, and the couple of days leading up to it, I had hauled around soooo many cases of iced tea, that I was starting to get a little sore. Low and behold, directly across from our booth there was a chiropractic clinic giving out free 5 minute massages, so I had to go. I ended up feeling guilty for going over not having any intention of signing up for any of their services so I made an appointment - it was only $10 so I thought what the heck.
Anyhow, I went yesterday after work and as turned out it was probably the best $10 I've ever spent! Two super-hottie interns and one super-hottie chiropractor worked me over for about an hour. I couldn't even believe it - I was in absolute heaven. I'm now straightened out, cracked out, and going back for more on Monday and Wednesday next week!
It must be my higher power letting me know that I am somebody.
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Wanda's released a new spot!
Go check out Wanda's site - she just released a new spot!
Posted by SparklesMpls at 05:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
