The Week (or 2) in Review

I can't believe I haven't posted for 2 weeks! I'm a slacker. So here, categorized for your convenience, is my life in the last 14 days.

THIS WEEK AT THE ACADEMY
Not too much new. We've been working on a project where we are interviewing people about their career paths and I'm going to edit it into a movie or two that we can show our struggling students to help inspire them. The most exciting part of this is that we went down to Cupertino to interview my friend David who works on Iphone for Apple. The interview was great but even better.....he invited us to eat in the Apple Cafeteria! Yummy! The campus made me feel like I was in some futuristic sci-fi movie because of the architecture, and everyone was so casual. It was a good trip.

THIS WEEK IN THE BUILDING
Well, the poop is still on the roof, and I'm not moving it. There were many more smudgy fingerprints I've cleaned and light bulbs that have been changed. We recently got a Dyson vacuum cleaner for the building and I was really excited, but I have to say, I don't think it's worth the money so if you're thinking of buying one, I would investigate some other options. I've also been very busy meeting with contractors about the boiler, wrapping some steam pipes, security in the building, and a plumbing leak....but it's still worth the free rent. A few weeks back we had a break in and the video cameras caught the guy. Someone in the building actually came up to me and whispered softly "Was he black?" Can you believe that? I told her I thought she was needed back in the 50's. And for the record he was very white.

THIS WEEK IN MASSAGE
Generally, my massage business is down a bit due to the economy, but I'm still keeping busy enough. In fact, yesterday I saw four clients! So, that's a total of 6 hours of massaging. I was beat last night and luckily didn't have any clients today so I could recover. I'm also taking a reflexology class in two weeks and a sports massage class in three weeks! I'm very excited about those. I've been complaining to my landlord in my office building though. The bathrooms are constantly running out of toilet paper and paper towels and I've been restocking. I don't mind doing this every once in a while, but it's been excessive lately. Hmmm, maybe I can negotiate managing that building and getting free rent there too!!! Kidding. I definitely don't need a fourth job.

THIS WEEK AT THE GYM
You are brilliant, little Italian man who is always at my gym! At first I thought you were crazy and although I have not disproved that yet, I have finally figured out your ingenious plan. See, I thought you were just fanatical about the gym, because every time I go there, you are there. If I go at 1 PM, you're there. 2 PM - you're there, 3 PM - yes, you're still there. Even when I've gone to the gym on the weekend - you're there. Sometimes I've seen you at other 24 hour fitness locations as well. Well, I decided to put my Encyclopedia Brown skills to work and I have your number now. Clue #1 - you were napping that day on the couch in the locker room. Clue #2 - you have one of 2 outfits on always. Clue #3 - you have neither lost weight nor gained muscle despite all the time you've spent at the gym. Clue #4 - I saw you bartending at the W hotel around the corner. Finally, it hit me. You LIVE at the gym. Genius! You have found a way to avoid the high costs of San Francisco apartments. You keep your three changes of clothes (work, gym #1 and gym #2) in your locker. You shower there, you sleep there, and you survive on food from the vending machines (most likely supplemented from libations and garnishes at the bar). You have inspired me to find more ways to circumvent the system. If I was sure you weren't crazy I would question you about it, but I still think you might be....but not as crazy as the woman with Turret's who pretends she's playing a drumset between weight sets and alternately screams at people and kicks her leg out.

THIS WEEK IN HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Listen up folks - I have had my beard for three years. PLEASE stop coming up to me and commenting that you like the new look. It's not new! Which means you obviously don't pay much attention to me, which hurts my self-esteem. Thanks a lot for your backfiring complement.

THIS WEEK AT THE MOVIES
So many to write about. First of all - best movie of the summer - SPACE CHIMPS. I'm kidding. Here's a rundown of what I have seen:

Wall-E (finally): Very well done and very cute protagonist. Not my favorite of Pixar's movies but I did like its anti-consumerism message. People said it was "dark". I didn't think so. I get why they said it, but I thought it was still pretty upbeat. As with most Pixar movies, good for kids and adults. My score: 4 stars (Really Like It)

Mamma Mia: Oh, Meryl Streep. You really can do no wrong and again, you are the saving grace of this rather mediocre movie. Well, you and the ABBA music. Cheesy, but fun, I give you and your fellow cast 3 stars (Liked It). Except for that Pierce Brosnan fellow. He should have never auditioned for a musical, let alone been cast in one, next to someone as brilliant as you, Meryl. Can't wait to see you as Julia Child!

The Dark Knight: I love superhero movies, and there has been a lot of hype about this one. But in this case, I say the hype is right. It's certainly a newer and better class of superhero movie that actually makes you think and the acting of Heath Ledger was good (Oscar-worthy? Eh - I'm not sure). Now, if Christian Bale's Batman voice didn't annoy me so much, this would probably be 5 stars, but it will have to settle for 4 (Really Liked It).

The X-Files: I Want to Believe: I love Gillian Anderson and she delivers in this movie. The plot is pretty standard, but if you were a fan of the show, you will enjoy revisiting these characters again just as much as I did. I think the relationship between Scully and Mulder is one of the most interesting ones portrayed in TV History, regardless of if you're a sci-fi fan or not. Even if you didn't watch the show, you can enjoy the movie. My score: 4 stars (Really Liked It).

THIS WEEK IN FOOD
I cooked a lot in the last few weeks. For TV night I made moussaka and avegolemono soup (chicken lemon rice). These were two recipes from my co-worker's greek cookbook. They were pretty good. I also made a really good chicken parmesan and some beef enchiladas with whole wheat tortillas that were yummy. I'm trying to cook more so I can take food to work and save money. And I'm trying to alter my diet again. More protein (hello, cottage cheese), less carbs (good bye tortilla chips). I've been gym-ing it now for over a year and I do see some difference, but I really want to get rid of my gut, so I'm going to attempt to cut out three things for 2 months: alcohol, fried things, and cheese (of the non-cottage variety). Do I think I'll last two months? No, but I can cut back at the very least. I've also discovered that the gourmet grocery store a block away makes prepared food and they have the best roasted brussel sprouts. I'm in love. I just went to the grocery store and stocked up on chicken, turkey, tofu and other protein-rich and healthy options. But I'm craving pizza...ugh. 2 months is a long time.

THIS WEEK IN FINANCE
Quarterly taxes - how I loathe you.

THIS WEEK IN POLITICS
California banned Trans-Fats. I think this is dumb. Yes, it's healthy and yes, it could mean less tax money spent on medical care for the uninsured. But where is the personal responsibility? I'm all for labeling of food and mandating nutrition information, etc. But if I want something fried in trans-fat, I'm an adult and should be able to have it. We should spend more time educating people and less time coddling them and changing policy so there is no decision but the "right one". Similarly, San Francisco is trying to restrict places people can smoke even more to include outdoor cafes. I'm not a smoker and I love that bars and restaurants here are smoke free. However, if we get any more restrictive you're going to have to have little enclosed smoking huts dotted around the city for people to use. And generally, it's just so inconsistent. Tobacco use is as much a health risk as trans-fat, but that will never be banned.

Of course there is also all that presidential stuff going on - but I'm sick of that.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Same old, same old. I got to sit next to a woman crack user who kept rocking and shaking and speaking to another guy in English but I swear they were the only two who understood what she was saying. Yesterday, a very stinky man sat next to me and kept talking about how he smelled body odor "but it wasn't him". Oh, but it was. The people in Chinatown still can't seem to master the bus system despite the fact they ride it every day. And I'm tired of hearing 10-13 year olds curse like sailors. That's reserved for adults like me. Frankly, I'm just tired of the amount of time I spend on the bus, which I now calculate to be approximately 10 hours a week. I like being environmentally friendly, but it's really getting old.

That's it! I promise not to wait so long to post again.

I won't do that!

This morning when I did the walkthrough of my building, I found dog poop on the roof. Not on the deck, mind you, but on the roof. Meaning that someone was enjoying there sunny weekend day on the roof with their dog and when little Fido had to do a poo, they were too lazy to take them outside....and then too lazy to clean it up. And I'm not doing it. It's going to stay there until the next torrential rainpour and I hope everyone can see it so they know how lazy their neighbors are.

Movie Review: Hellboy II

Kurt and I saw Hellboy II this past Friday. Now, I saw the first one, but didn't love it because I think I was trying to do a couple of other things while the DVD was playing. But I rewatched it at some point and found it to be enjoyable. The second one was actually really good. Directed by Guillermo del Toro of Pan's Labyrinth fame, it was funny, had a good amount of action, and some really good creature scenes and special effects. My rating: 4 stars out of 5. I think this was the perfect blend of things for a summer movie. The first half was definitely more engaging and interesting than the second, where the movie just sort of took a formulaic action movie type path. But del Toro certainly is imaginative with his creatures and keeps things interesting.

Recipe Box - Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake

I just tried this new recipe and it is delicious! The recipe below calls for berries, but I used fresh apricots since one of my coworkers gave me a whole bag. It turned out great. It's not a sweet cake - very much like a morning cake with coffee or tea. Very easy too!


From 101 Cookbooks:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup fine-grain raw sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup of raspberries (more if you like)
3 tablespoons large grain raw sugar
1 teaspoon large grain salt

Preheat oven to 400F degrees, racks in the middle. Grease and flour (or line bottom with parchment paper) one 11-inch tart/quiche pan. Alternately, I've done this cake in a 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish - just keep a close eye on it after it has been baking for 20 minutes.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk, whisk in the melted butter, and the lemon zest. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined - try not to over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, pushing out toward the edges. Now drop the berries across top. I like to smush them a bit between my fingers before letting them fall to the cake - no so perfect looking and the juices meld with the sugar. Sprinkle with the large grain sugar and then the salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cake is set (or a toothpick in the center comes out clean), and a touch golden on top.

Serves about 12.

So long, Sethie!

Seth, after giving California a good 3 year try, has decided to leave and go back to the East Coast. We had lunch yesterday to say goodbye. I'll miss him even though I didn't see him that much. I probably saw him more in the last two months than I did in the previous year! Safe travels, Sethie. And remember to text every day so I know you're not lost (or dead! eek!) on your cross-country drive.

Yaz!!!

Monday we flew back and our flight was a little delayed, but not so much so that we missed our Monday night concert to see Yaz. Kurt had really wanted to see this concert, but the tickets sold out quickly and we missed out. But last week, my friend Jay had extra tickets so we jumped on them and it was a great concert at the Oakland Paramount Theater.

Yazoo (as they are known in the UK) are the two people in the picture: Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke. They formed Yaz after Vince left Depeche Mode and released two albums in 1982 and 1983. Apparently, they never got along very well and split up before the second album's release. Alison continued with a solo career mostly in the UK and Vince went on to form Erasure with Andy Bell. They decided to tour again this year to mark the 25th year of the band's split.

Anyway, I knew none of this before we got the tickets. I didn't know any of the music until I downloaded it from Itunes! But it's very electro-pop like and the concert was amazing. Alison has a really powerful voice and the crowd was really into it, most dancing the whole time. Check them out on Itunes if you're a fan of the '80's.

Portland - Day 2 and 3

First of all, apologies. I took no pictures! Kurt did take a few, but I don't have them yet to post. The rest of Portland was fun. Saturday night we had another really nice dinner at a restaurant called Ten 01. We had almost the same exact meals as before except Kurt got chicken instead of steak. This restaurant was super good and highly recommended if you go to Portland. Then we went to a street party for the gay softball teams which was fun and then we checked out a couple of other bars before heading home.

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast, but Kurt did not feel well, so he laid back down and I went to the Portland Art Museum which was really nice. It was interesting too, because it wasn't very busy so there were times when I was the only one in a gallery. A little spooky. The museum was much larger than I thought it would be. I checked out the exhibits of some local artists they had as well as some of their permanent contemporary collection. I also viewed the Klaus Moje exhibit. He does some really interesting glass work.

Kurt was feeling better by this time so we went and had lunch in and explored the Hawthorne district, which I would equate to San Francisco's Haight. It was a much more residential area and had a lot of little shops, second hand stores, music stores, bars, etc. We then headed to the gym and out for one last dinner at a yummy Peruvian tapas place. Overall, a good day. I would suggest heading to Portland if you've never been. It was a nice walkable city and it made for a great weekend trip.

Day 1 in Portland

So, Kurt is napping and though I tried my hardest, I have a hard time just sleeping in the middle of the day. So, I'm in the nice lobby, next to the fireplace, drinking a free glass of wine (they have free wine every day at 5) and checking the news.

An eventful day yesterday. Even though we were only flying to Portland, since they were free tickets with miles, we had a layover in Eugene. Well, the first leg of our flight was delayed to the point where we'd miss the second leg. So, we had the choice of taking the first leg and getting stuck in Eugene for the night. Or we could change to a direct flight to Portland 5 hours later but we still wouldn't get our luggage until this morning because it was too late for them to pull our luggage off the plane. I was angry and got a little rude with the woman (I know! Me....rude! Amazing!) because she said it was weather related which was a crock of...well, you know. They only say it's weather because then they don't have to do anything about it. Anyway, we opted to come to Portland direct without our bags. I then felt bad for being rude and apologized....big surprise there.

But we were lucky and got on an earlier flight on standby so only ended up getting to Portland about an hour later than we were supposed to. AND our bags somehow miraculously made it here with us. The nice United baggage guy told us that they say they can't do it just in case they are unable to, so people won't be disappointed. Then, if they are able to do it, people are pleasantly surprised. Which we were! THEN...we got to the hotel and they gave us a complimentary upgrade to a "Starlight Room" which is on the top floor and has a huge window that looks out over the city. Very nice.

We found out there is a gay softball tournament here this weekend because there were tons of guys in the lobby when we came down for dinner and of course, Kurt got hit on....well, I did a little too. So, that was fun. And the little free wine social last night was crowded and busy. Then we went to this great French restaurant Fenouil, and sat outside. It overlooked a park with a big fountain that kids and dogs were frolicking in. I got Steak Tartare and yummy scallops cooked with bacon (I like all my seafood to taste like pork....yummmm) and Kurt got Tuna Tartare and Filet Mignon. We shared a side of Truffle fries. Delish.

Then we ran off to the fireworks and watched them - which were really good and not far from our hotel. Then we were beat and headed to bed.

This morning, Kurt got a facial and massage and I got a massage. I like massages of course, but I get annoyed when spas try to hock their products a bit too much. He started the massage by saying he was going to take me on a "scent journey" and I thought I was going to crack up but I contained myself. Then we went to lunch and wandered around shopping and now...well, napping and blogging. Later - dinner, and the bars I think. I'll fill you in next time I get a chance.

Off to Portland

Kurt and I leave today for Portland for the holiday weekend. We both have Monday off as well. So, it should be fun. I'm hoping not too much rain. We hadn't been to Portland to explore really (I've been there briefly before for a conference) and thought it would be a good weekend trip, so we'll see what we discover. I'll report back when I return!

Dirty Fingerprints!

I'm convinced in some ways that we never grow up. Or at least don't get all the genes required to be considerate all the time. Case in point:

As many of you know, I clean the common areas of the building I live in, and in exchange, I get to live here for free. "Sweet!" you say. Yes, "sweet", but I swear when I'm old, some doctor's going to tell me my arm has to be cut off from it's previous history of over-vacuuming.

Well, the building also has an intercom system at the front of the building that is brass. Yes, brass which requires polishing. And I don't mind polishing the brass or cleaning the three large plate glass windows at the front door and foyer. I like to make them sparkly clean!

HOWEVER, after cleaning them yesterday, I look at them this morning and there are smudgy fingerprints on both! And let me tell you, this is not a rare occurrence. It's as if visitors to the building are so exhausted by the two steps up to the landing that they just have to lean on something to catch their breath and "WAIT!, there's a pretty, shiny, brass intercom I can push my big meaty hand against. Woohoo!" Similarly, people do not use the handle of the front door to swing open the front door. No, it's much more fun to push against the glass. If truth be told, I really blame the UPS guys for this one....I'd be inconsiderate too if I had to wear those brown shorts.

Off to get my brasso and windex!

It's Back to School Time!

I was on the Muni today on my way home and passed a huge sign in the Walgreens' window that said "Think Back to School". I checked my calendar just to be sure. It's freaking July 2nd! Students just got done with school! Why they hell would they want to think about going back already? I would be so pissed if I was a school aged child. Stupid Walgreens. I ought to boycott out of principle. But seriously, businesses keep promoting holidays and seasons much too early for my taste. I remember as a child, I would get excited because the day after Thanksgiving, all the Christmas decorations would go up, and Santa's house would magically appear in the parking lot of the Woolworth's shopping center. Now, it wouldn't surprise me if Santa doesn't peak out next week. It causes the holidays and special events to seem much less special.

And while getting ready to exit the bus, I overheard two acquaintances who had just run into each other:
Woman: Hi, so good to see you.

Man: You too! You look different with your new Amy Winehouse hair.

Woman: I like to mix it up.

Man: You had a birthday party recently.

Woman: Oh, yes. It was a really fun bonfire.

Man: Yes, I HEARD....but I wasn't invited.

Me (loudly): AWKWARD!!!!
then I stepped off the bus.

Gay Retreat 2008

So, for the past three years, a group of friends and I have gone up to the Russian River for a weekend just to relax and enjoy time together. The Russian River, for those of you not on the West Coast, is an area up in Wine Country that's very rural and lots of people have vacation homes up there. Anyway, we use the home of some friends of ours who are generous enough to allow it. This year, since the house was larger, we expanded our group to include four more friends: Todd, Rand, David, and Alan.

We grilled burgers, sat in the pool and hot tub, drank some M. Night Shyamlemonade (again, DO NOT SEE THE AWAKENING) and played games (Trivial Pursuit, Smart Ass, Loaded Questions, and Celebrity). Overall, it was a very relaxing weekend, although it could have been a bit warmer. I can't believe it's July already. Summer's going too quickly.