Breathing a bit easier

I got a call from FLG Monday night and she told me that Glenn was in Thailand during the tsunami. I'm normally an optimistic guy (in a cynical kind of way) but after I read Glenn's itinerary and looked up his destinations on a map, I had an awful sinking feeling in my stomach.

Happily, he's posted an update on his site to let everyone know he's alive and he made it through the ordeal with relatively minor injuries. I'm glad he's OK. He's staying to help rebuild for a few days before he goes back home to resume life. I can't help but feel bad for the people who never got to leave alive, or the ones who have to leave without their loved ones, or the ones who aren't leaving because they call that place home. I hope the aftermath isn't as dire as some of the predictions I'm hearing.

Read Tripping with Brad to learn about his first hand experience.

Drinking Tip

You can easily make any wine taste better if you don't let the paper bag touch your lips.

Christmas on a Budget

This year I did what I have never been able to do in the past. Everyone I usually exchange gifts with sets a dollar limit on purchases and every year, I always go over.

This year, thanks to my stupid car, I've been forced to work within a budget and stick to it (ok, I went over by $25 bucks overall). I've actually spent a quarter of what I've spent in the past. I feel so frugal.

There's a let down feeling I get when I go over budget and the other person (or none of them) does not go over. It's not that I expect people to overspend. It's just that I keep hoping that at least one other person was feeling as generous as I was. This year, I'm guaranteed not to feel that way.

Not only have I saved money. But I've also saved time and aggravation shopping. I had it all done in an hour or two and I have almost nothing to wrap. I should have thought of this strategy sooner.

Fade to Black

I've had trouble sleeping the last couple of nights. I blame it on my aunt for trying her best to upset me. I shouldn't have let it get to me but if anyone knows how to push your buttons, it's family.

I had about six hours of sleep Saturday night and maybe three or four last night. I had to be to work early for a workshop so when my alarm went off at six it felt like I hadn't slept at all. I felt so bad I decided to reset my alarm to go off a half hour later. I was going to make up for the time by taking the 407 to work.

I can only guess that I stood up too quickly after I reset the alarm because right after that I realized I felt dizzy. Rather than sit down until it passed, I decided to go and get myself a drink. I remember debating in my mind whether I should sit down in there or let my glass of water finish filling up before I sat down. I made the wrong choice because I blacked right out and the next thing I know I could hear D knocking on the door to see if I was alright. I tried to get up too fast and blacked out again.

I grazed my forehead on the wall during one descent and hit the back of my head on another wall during the second. D was very helpful but I still tried to get up too fast and I twisted my ankle as he helped me back to bed.

If it was any other day at work, I would not have gone in but the stuff I'm doing right now is important to me. D didn't want me to drive myself so he agreed to let me go to work if he drove me in and I promised to make a doctor's appointment.

By the time I called the doctor, at noon, I was feeling fine. I told them what happened and they didn't seem too worried. That helped me to feel better. If I still feel bad tomorrow I'll give them a call and they will see me right away.

So besides the twisted ankle, the grazed forehead, the lump on the back of my head and a neck that hurts like hell, I'm feeling fine. My only worry is that I'll be too stupid to sit down the next time I feel light headed.

Post Traumatic Shopping Disorder

I'm not feeling too jolly. I haven't shopped yet because I don't like the crowds and the moms in their SUVs that cut you off to get a parking space.

The apartment's not decorated. Maybe it'll feel festive in here after Saturday when we put up the tree.

I'm neither religious, atheist nor agnostic but I resent the crass commercial aspects of the season. I don't understand why it's only once a year we decide to feel good about our common humanity. I don't need sappy sentiment to motivate me to buy gifts. I don't need to spend more than I ought to in order to feel adequate.

I guess I'm jaded from working too may Christmas seasons in retail. I hated the feeling of having no time off for a month and having to deal with crowds, inventory, money and shoplifters while listening to techno versions of Christmas carols play over and over. I think it scarred me for life and I get flashbacks when I enter a mall that has Christmas decorations.

Odourama

Darcy wouldn't let me sleep in this morning. She started to lick my hair at 9 am so I would get up to feed her. After I gave her some breakfast I went up the street to the bakery to get myself some coffee.

While I was out, I saw a group of women gathering at the entrance to the apartment across the street. They had dust masks on latex gloves. There was a plastic pail on the ground beside them so I guessed they were there for some cleaning.

I was right. After I got back I could see them in one of the units across the street cleaning everything from top to bottom. It looks like the curtains have been taken down so I can see everything they're doing. They've moved all the furniture and they're washing everything from top to bottom.

Last week, at the same building, there were cop cars parked out in front throughout the day. Animal control was there too and I saw a lot of cats taken out in carriers. I'm wondering what happened. There was an old lady on our street who had 50 cats taken away from her by the SPCA and then 35 more cats removed from her place a year later. I'm thinking there must have been another crazy cat lady living there but I don't think there were as many cats. I'm gagging to think of what it must smell like in that apartment. Even with the windows open I'll bet those cleaning ladies want to vomit. I do just looking at them.

Frog Fingers

D had work tonight so I was free to go and have some fun. I went over to see Flatlinegirl and Livesemenpellets and we played Grand Theft Auto again. My skill level has increased since the last time I played but I still suck.

LSP has some unusual pets. I got to meet some of them. The first was a frog. You know, the kind that have little suction cups on the ends of their fingers. This one looked innocent enough sitting in someone's hands but FLG put him on the side of her aquarium and he stretched his arms and legs out. That made him look kind of large and I was a bit creeped out.

I shouldn't have acknowledged my creeped-outness because as soon as I said it was kind of scary FLG brought the frog over and let me hold it. It was kind of sticky and it seemed to prefer sitting on the cuff of my shirt more than my hand. I didn't want it to pee on my shirt so I gave him back. She brought out a ghecko next but he was too shy to come out of his house.

When I got home, I petted the cat because she needed some attention after being left alone all day. Of course she noticed my frog-scented fingers and tried to have a taste. I'm not sure but I think she liked the flavour. She seemed to be more interested in my fingers than the meal I put out for her. Why do animals like stinky things?

Bear of the day

I probably have a porn addiction. I waste a lot of time looking for hot guys online and downloading videos. Although I'm not proud of my weakness, I'll have to admit that being a slave to my penis is not always a bad thing.

I like checking out the guys on Big Muscle Bears. A lot of they guys look the same and the ones who are featured are not always hot. All you need to do is pay money and your pics will get put in rotation. Unfortunately, the guys with money are not always the hottest. But if you take the time to look, there are some hotties to be seen.

Some of the pics are rude too. I can't remember which guy it is but there's some weirdo there who's taken a pic with his ass in a sling and it looks like he's just been violated with a fire hydrant. I don't know who gets turned on by looking inside some dude's rectum.

Check out member number 652. I think he's hot in army fatigues. If only he lived in Hamilton.

I have a not-hot list too. Members 2445 or 10546 are enough to make me want to go straight. Have these men ever had a date?