Finally....

I've been in my new job now for about 3 weeks and I finally feel like I'm a bit settled and getting back into a routine. And I've been sick, so I haven't had much time to post but now I'm feeling caught up. Lots has happened since my last post.

The motorcycle class was great. the classroom portion was really boring but during the weekend, was the riding portion and they pretty much put you on motorcycles right away. This was a bit scary for me as I've only been a passenger a few times and it's all completely new to me when it comes to driving. But it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. I got the hang of it pretty easily but kind of screwed up the test. Still, it wasn't so bad that I didn't pass. But I feel like I need more practice before I go out on the street. Being in a parking lot is very different than on the street. Still, how do you practice without a bike? And why get a bike if I don't feel good enough to use it? Still, it might happen soon - I need to get more practice. And my work commute is LONG! So, I might need it.

I started taking one bus line to work which goes through crazy town and stopbut it literally took 55 minutes door to door, and if I miss that one bus, I'm late to work. The first week, I had to take a cab to work twice because of getting stuck in the building with contractors. It was not good. I now take another two buses and it only takes about 45 minutes but still goes through the janky downtown tenderloin druggy area. The other day, i got to listen to a guy talk to his lotto scratcher card for a whole 15 minutes. I sure hope he won. I bet he would put that money to good use.

The job, however, is good. I love it. It's busy, but I feel like there is lots to do and lots of systems to improve and my coworkers and the students seem really good. So, I'm glad I made the move. I definitely like being at a school too that focuses on health and wellness. I just feel better by being there - I guess by osmosis or something! I haven't yet gone to get an acupuncture treatment though but I'll try it - I get a staff rate of $8! I think that's about as good as it can get.

Valentine's weekend was fun. We went to Wicked on Friday night. It was my third time, but Kurt had never seen it so I got him tickets. And they were VIP! So, we got free drinks before the show and during intermission (like you have enough time to have a drink and go to the bathroom anyway). The funny thing is, in San Francisco, the lines for the bathroom are always longer for the men's room because of so many gay men going to the theater. Damn the queers!

then that Saturday night we went to a dance called Blowoff which was really fun. We had been before and it's just a really casual crowd. No druggies or tweakers. But it was a big Bear weekend here in San Francisco, so there were large hairy gay men dancing all over the place, but the bears are good people, and it was a lot of fun.

Oscars 2009 was a good time. I saw all the Oscar nominated movies and liked them all. I was particularly glad that Milk won for two awards. I was also pleased that Sean Penn beat Mickey Rourke. Good for Mickey with the comeback, but enough with the chihuahua and please wash your hair. I love Kate Winslet so that was also a good win. And generally, I liked the format of the show. I liked how they gave multiple awards at once and reduced the number of presenters. I liked how the acting awards were given too. And even though I didn't see Pineapple Express, the little Judd Apatow comedy bit was really funny.

Kurt's been out of town for 8 days now and comes back on Monday. I'm excited to see him. He was back in NYC packing up his apartment there. He decided to get rid of it and shipped everything here. But when he gets back we have to go see the Watchmen and I can't wait to catch up with him about Lost and Battlestar Galactica - the two best shows on TV!

Now, I think I'm going to eat some dinner and do some laundry. Good times on a Saturday night!

I'm Back

Wow - so I didn't think it would be almost three months since I last posted, and my last post was so angry. Sorry to keep all of you waiting. It's nice to know that so many of you actually do read it. I had no idea until I stopped posting! So, here's my last few months sped up!

Thanksgiving - good times with friends. Great turkey. I made TWO types of stuffing - one was traditional w/chestnuts - the other was Jalapeno cornbread stuffing with chorizo sausage and pine nuts - delicious. We ate a lot, drank a lot and played fun games.

Christmas - home to visit the folks for 6 days and Kurt went off to Michigan to see his family. Had a good time, did a LOT of visiting, etc. Ate a lot.

New Years Eve - I flew back here.

January - I had a final interview for and accepted a new job as Director of Student Services at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine - www.actcm.edu. I'm very excited. It's more responsibility, more variety, and more in line with my interest in holistic health. I finished up at the Academy of Art on the 28th and I start my new job on the 9th.

I had a massage special that meant I had a LOT of business in January, which kept me very busy. The month generally flew by, but I helped celebrate some friends' birthdays, attended a Golden Globes party, and recognized Australia day with my friend Matt who has finally moved here to SF.

Oscar season is upon us. here are movies I've seen in recent months with quick reviews:

Doubt - liked it on stage better but I thought it was a good adaptation. All of the actors were good.

The Reader - depressing but good. A little slow in the end but very impactful.

The Wrestler - I get why Mickey Rourke is getting all the attention. He was great and it was very hard to watch the movie in parts, but the movie overall was just standard. And Marisa Tomei is topless for a large part of it.

Slumdog Millionaire - See it. Made me alternately cry, laugh and cringe.

Milk - See it. I also cried. Sean Penn is great and it was very motivating movie for me.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button - visually, it was great, but I don't get the Oscar hype. I liked, but not loved it....except for Tilda Swinton, who I always love.

Frost/Nixon - surprisingly, I liked this one a lot. Who knew a 2 hour movie about an interview could be so entertaining?

Quantum of Solace - not as good as the first Craig 007, but entertaining nonetheless.

Valkyrie - I hate admitting I saw this given that douchebag Tom Cruise is in it. But it was actually pretty good, except for Tom Cruise.

There are plenty more I want to see and wish I'd seen but top on that list is Revolutionary Road and Gran Torino.

I think that's it for now! Coming up in February:

My long to-do list for the break between jobs - will I get it all done?
Motorcycle Safety School
Wicked: The Musical
Blowoff: A Dance Party
Valentine's day reports
Oscar 2009
Tales from the Muni commute to my new job (there will be many!)

See you soon!

Election Results

So, I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I've wanted to respond to the election but hadn't quite figured out what to say. I keep trying to write about it but haven't really been successful at sounding good.

Let me explain. Obama won - YAY! This made me happy. But it was hard to maintain this happiness because of some other election results. I had written about Prop 8 in California. Well, it passed and thus the right of same-sex couples to marry in San Francisco was revoked. Other states passed some anti-gay legislation as well, including Arkansas which took away the right of individuals who aren't married (gay or straight) to have foster children or to adopt.

Well, like I said, this has made me very upset and made me realize my difference more and more. In San Francisco, we live in a bubble and I was surprised at California, but really if California's vote against the gays, that must mean that we aren't nearly as close to equality as I had thought.

So, we elected a black man (and in no way do I think this means racism is dead in America) but gays are even more behind. I'm frankly outraged and tired of being a second class citizen. No more "tolerance", no more "acceptance", no more "buts", no more Mr. Nice Gay. I will only settle for equality. Either you think I'm as good as you or you don't. If you in any way think I should not be able to be married or have the same rights as others, then you still think something is wrong with me and that will not fly. My new mantra is either, you're with me or against me. I've been going to protests and talking to folks about it. I'm boycotting businesses that are anti-gay and ask that you do the same.

I still don't feel like I can talk clearly about this, but invite dialogue. In the meantime, I leave you with these two links from folks who are more eloquent than I. Read, think, and decide. Are you with me?

http://nofo.blogspot.com/2008/11/proposition-hate.html (warning - strong language and thoughts)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4xfMisqab8

Proposition 8

So, I think most of my blog readers don't even live in California, but either way, you've probably heard about Proposition 8. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to not allow same-sex marriage. Proposition 8 was then put on the ballot to change the California constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It needs a simple majority vote to pass and it's very close.

There are a lot of reasons that Proposition 8 is wrong. Regardless of your views on marriage, I believe that any proposition that takes away rights that have already been granted to people is wrong. The last time this happened in history was Prohibition....and we know that didn't work out. Constitutions are written to protect rights and they shouldn't be altered to unfairly discriminate against different groups. It wasn't so long ago either that inter-racial marriages weren't allowed. That changed and the world didn't come to an end.

Also bothersome is the way the Prop 8 supporters have been handling the campaign. First of all, almost all of their funding has come from outside of California. Millions of dollars have been sent from Mormons and Evangelical Christians who do not live in the state but want to ban gay marriage. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! Think about how these churches could have alternatively used this money to benefit their communities rather than worry about what people elsewhere are doing.

The ads for Prop 8 also are very fear-based and not factual at all. They say that if this Proposition passes all children will be taught about gay marriage. That's not true. There was a similar case in Massachusetts, but in California, parents always have the right to take their kids out of classes or sessions that they don't believe they should be learning about. But guess what folks? There are going to be children in schools with gay parents regardless of if they're married or not and it's going to come up in the classroom and be talked about regardless of if this prop passes.

They also say churches will be sued if they won't do gay weddings or they will lose their tax-exempt status. Another lie. The court decision clearly states that churches do not have to act any differently as a result of the ruling.

Even more ridiculous is the idea that people can be sued over their personal beliefs. Um....I'm pretty sure we're not always in agreement in the state and I don't see a lot of lawsuits flying around because of it.

Plain and simple, the Yes on Prop 8 folks are just homophobic and willing to do anything to push their agenda, including spreading the lies above. It's meant to scare voters into voting yes on a proposition that is discriminatory and takes away rights. So, a vote for 8 is a vote for hate.

Vote no if you're in california. And if you want more info or want to donate: www.noonprop8.com

Random Thoughts

Yes, I know I haven't posted in a while - so shoot me. Nothing particularly exciting going on recently to blog at length about. But I thought I would share some quick tidbits with you.

I've been thinking a lot about people's ears and how different they are. I don't think we pay much attention to ears unless they are really big, but there is a lot of variation. Really, start taking a look. I notice it in my clients and now I'm more cognizant of it.

I don't understand how we can have computers and machines that run factories, perform surgery, and keep track of zillions of dollars in bank accounts, but then we have voting machines, which are basically big calculators, that are getting glitches.

I'm sad that it's going to rain on Halloween but going to make the best of it too.

I'm in politics overload. I can't wait until Tuesday but in reality, I know that will just start entirely new conversations. I know it won't be over.

If you believe in God, what do you think he/she looks like or how do you picture God when you think about it? I've been thinking about that too.

I think people are on their cellphones and PDA's too much. It's like we've lost the ability to be alone without some outside stimulus. When I walk around the city, people don't seem to pay attention to what's around them but rather seem sucked into their devices. I worry that this type of technology will kill social skills altogether and eventually be the death of our civilization. I'm not anti-technology and love the gadgets. I'm just thinking we need to have more balance.

I've found I'm most unhappy when I'm thinking about all the things I don't have that I want, even though I don't really "need" anything.

Oh, and a long time ago, I asked what celebrities you would like to have to dinner. I've thought of a few, but not the whole 7. I think I would definitely have Dolly Parton. She's earned it. Meryl Streep I think is an amazing actress. Steven Spielberg is a maybe, as is Ellen DeGeneres, just because I think she'd be fun at a party. Also, maybe Tina Fey. You can obviously tell I'm more of a TV/Movie person than looking at authors or artists, but for now, that's where my list stands. I don't really know why I'm taking such a long time thinking about it. It's as if I think when i get the perfect list, it will actually happen.

That's it - happy halloween!

I'm Back!

Hey hey hey everyone! So, what a week! Kurt and I traveled back to the east coast to see my family last Saturday. We flew Virgin America, which I still love despite that they fly into Dulles. But it was cheap and I love that when you want food, you just order it on the screen in front of you and they bring it to you. The seats are comfy too.


So, we arrived Saturday evening and had dinner at Fuddrucker's on the way home. I love the buns there! I think mostly because they are grilled with butter. Yummy. We got home late where my sister, Amy, was waiting to meet us. She had not met Kurt before (my parents did last summer when they visited here) and was anxious to do so. We chatted for a while before heading to bed.



Sunday, Pete, Daisey, Kurt and I went to Fort Delaware. It's a Civil War fort that was used as a POW camp for Confederate soldiers. When you take the tour, all the people you meet act like it's 1864 so it's really quite educational and interesting. It looks like a castle because it has a huge moat around it and it's on this island that you can only get to via ferry. So, you can see why it made a good prison. We ate the worst hot dogs ever at the concession stand there, but Kurt did get singled out to help with a reenactment of firing a cannon. He got to scream out all the orders to the other "participants" and give the command to fire. And he got to wear a fun hat! That night we went to Amy and Cecil's (her boyfriend) house for dinner. A very yummy dinner of smoked bbq pork roast and mac and cheese. Yummy.

Monday, we went fishing on Cecil's boat, but only caught three fish. Stupid fickle fish! You never know when you're going to catch any. It was windier than we had wanted, but it was still a nice day just relaxing on the boat. That night, Daisey made my favorite Chicken Pot Pie for dinner.

Tuesday, we went to Rehoboth Beach to shop a bit at the outlets (I got some new luggage which is going to be my Christmas present), walk around the boardwalk, eat some Thrasher's Fries (yum again) and have dinner. We headed back home that night and my friends XL (Jon) and his wife, Cathy, stopped by to visit. It was great to see them.

Wednesday, it was back to the airport, but we did meet up with Seth for lunch on the way at Macaroni Grill. He met us halfway, we ate, and then he drove us back to the airport. Thanks, Sethie! Daisey only cried a few tears. I think she's getting better :-)

I went back to work briefly before Kurt's friend, Rodrigo came in for the weekend. We had some great meals while he was here at Conduit and then at El Dorado Kitchen when we went to wine country. Sonoma was great even though I was designated driver. We rented a little Mini Convertible through zipcar which was a lot of fun, but I got a farmer's tan! Curses! The rest of the weekend, we shopped, ate, drank, and went to a street fair.





And then Monday, I had to go back to vacuuming and work and teaching math class :-(

But it was a great trip overall. I was reminded of what a wonderful family I have. They are so openminded and accepting - the true definition of unconditional love! And it was wonderful to see friends I hadn't in a while. And it was great traveling with Kurt, as always, and spending time with his friends, who are also incredible. I hope you enjoy the pictures from our adventures! I know I need to figure out how to arrange them better!

Visiting the Swains

Tomorrow morning, Kurt and I travel east to visit Pete, Daisey, Amy and Cecil. I'm excited and sure that good times will ensue. I'm still packing. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

It will be good to get away, even if it's brief. The summer went by so quickly and I feel like I need some time to breathe. I'll miss all you SF readers and will post again upon my return!