Which Dyke to Watch Out For Are You?

Which Dyke to Watch Out For Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Mo You are Mo, a guilt-ridden, kindhearted liberal who doesn't relax enough. You are ordered to buy a pint of non-organic, dairy ice cream and watch Comedy Central for a week. PBS will still be there when you get back. Mo 80% Stuart 70% Lois 65% Sydney 65% Toni 60% Clarice 55% Sparrow 45%

cabaret . . .

so i have a closet love of musicals. i think living in nyc sparked a love of theater for me but i do admit to a life-long love of "grease". after all, i have been called "rizzo" by some friends for a very long time.

i've always been a bit *hesitant* to see the local productions of some shows but when cabaret was being put on by our local theater company staring storm large i just had to see it for myself. i bought tickets as soon as they went on sale and waited ... saturday was finally the day for the show. mac got the day off and joined me. we had great seats (although we arrived a bit late and had to sit in the *sin bin* aka the back wall until intermission). i have been a fan of storm large's for a couple of years and think she's an amazing musician and H - O - T! got to see the last show that she played with her band, the balls, back in august at the wonder ballroom. so when i heard she was going to play the lead part of sally bowles in cabaret i ran right out and bought the tickets. the added bonus was that another great local actor was cast as the emcee. wade mccollum is just an amazingly talented individual. i had the pleasure of seeing him in a one-man show last year called "i am my own wife" and he just blew me away.

cabaret is an already baudy show ... somehow this production just took it over the top. was so much fun and i just walked out giddy. there were times that i forgot it was storm as sally and that just proves how amazing of a job she did.

so today i'm thankful for . . . great theater and someone to share it with.

sake sake everywhere . . .

a new sake bar opened on alberta recently called zilla saké house. mac and i went last night and had a great time. the bar has a very chill atmosphere and nice ambience. the saké list was immense and the owners/staff were very knowledgeable about the product. we did a few flights and tasted 6 different sakés before settling on one in particular. it was called "Midori-kawa 'Green River' Honjozo". was very smooth & delicious. the food was great as well. we had their japanese vegetable curry and the baked unagi with rice. the unagi was outstanding. we'll definitely be back . . .

so today i'm thankful for . . . new experiences in new places with fun people

bike update . . .

so i finally got registered for a motorcycle safety class so i can get out on my new bike. i've not driven a motorcycle in over a decade and felt that it was the smartest thing to do to get reacquainted and feel *safe* on the road.

so the weekend of 11/2-11/4 i'll be in a safety course and if i complete it will walk/drive out with my motorcycle endorsement on my license. yay!

i'll post more once the class is over and whether or not i passed!

centering . . .

not even sure how to explain the feelings going on right now for me. am on cloud 9 and floating off the ground due to the amazing woman i've met and am spending time with. we have an indescribable connection that makes no sense. even though it's only been a month or so, it's a very deep connection that we share and are enjoying immensely. it doesn't feel rushed or overwhelming. just delicious and peaceful. i cherish each moment we get to share and look forward to seeing how this develops.

at the same time, i realize that in order to be fully present as i explore this connection i must be present with myself and that means setting my priorities in such a way as to not *lose* myself in the newness and power of my feelings when i'm with her. i know i have the tendency to completely fall down a rabbit-hole when i meet a new person and i then find myself neglecting both my needs and obligations to a point that i feel completely out of sorts. i don't want that to happen this time. i want to take it slow and learn about each other while maintaining our own lives and continuing to grow as individuals.

i can honestly say that i've never felt this *healthy* about any relationship. while a part of me wants to see her every day and just forget that the outside world exists, i know that i cannot do that and still feel as if i'm taking care of myself. i am learning that to feel *whole* i must be able to be with myself and pay attention to what my body needs and what my mind needs to feel centered. i am grateful that i've met someone that can appreciate that need and has no hesitation to ask for that space for herself as well. it's a precious understanding of oneself and one that i respect very much. i think i've reached a point in my life where i couldn't be with someone that didn't have that awareness of themselves and their needs.

so today i'm thankful for ... self-awareness both in myself and in the people i hold dear.

they say you can't go back . . .

made a trip to the old neighborhood of park slope, brooklyn last weekend. was a whirlwind trip as i was on the ground for a total of 36 hours. stayed with an old friend in her 217 sq ft studio apt. super cute but wow ... small! i still can't believe 4 of us slept there. was fun tho.

took the red eye direct flight from pdx-jfk from jetblue on friday night and arrived at 830a et. fortunately was able to sleep on the plane since my body was exhausted. i'd had a long week and taken mac's hip hop fitness class at 530p that night. was just what my body needed before sitting on a long flight. took a cab to park slope and went out for coffee & brunch with my friend and her new girl. took a stroll around the 'hood – so much has changed and so much hasn't. i was on a mission for a coat so we stopped into a few shops. ended up with a beautiful coat and some t-shirts from brooklyn industries. picked up a shirt for mac that i knew she'd love (and she did). headed into manhattan for the cursory stop at loehmann's ... especially if a *coat* is what you're looking for. i was successful in my quest for a dress rain coat that i could wear year-round and for $80 no less ... god bless loehmann's! walked around chelsea for a bit looking for a cuban-chinese place i used to frequent but couldn't find it so we ended up at cuba cafe for a late lunch before heading back to park slope to get ready for the margaret cho show we had tickets to that night.

the show was amazing as to be expected. the premise was to be a burlesque show that celebrated all types of women's bodies. was hilarious and raunchy and thought-provoking. suffice it to say, i laughed and howled the whole show and didn't expect to ever in my 15 yrs of being a margaret cho fan think i'd see her naked wearing only a dong and pasties! what an amazing celebration of women! so glad i got the opportunity to see that show.

after the show, we headed back to park slope for a little pre-func at the apartment before heading off to cattyshack to get our dance on. who woulda thunk that there'd be a dyke dance bar on 4th ave in park slope? was a good time. nice to see so many dark-skinned girls out dancing ... especially coming from pdx where women of color are the exception rather than the rule. danced till around 2a and had lots of fun.

sunday i headed out for brunch with another old friend who had popped into town to see me while i was there. we had a long conversation at rose water over a delicious meal of duck confit hash and pear ginger waffle. stuffed ourselves silly then walked around the 'hood as it was a beautiful fall day in nyc. took her to a few places i'd been shopping the day before and she bought a stunning coat. we put her on a subway up to meet another friend on the upper east side and headed to get some lunch and have a pint at the gate before i headed back to jfk to head home. stopped for a pint at a great pub on 4th ave called the cherry tree. had an awesome courtyard and we stayed longer than we really had time to but was so much fun. we motivated and grabbed some yummy fish tacos at bogotá and headed over the eat at the gate – just like old times. the gate was like our living room when we lived in the slope. most major events were held there - birthdays, going away parties, etc. was great to sit out on the patio and look across the street at the old apt.

we walked back to the apt and i called a cab and headed to the airport. i had a wonderful time but was very ready to be home. i knew mac was waiting for me and i couldn't wait to see her.

so today i'm thankful for . . . old friends and old 'hoods that remind you where you came from and how far you've come.

the world lost an amazing man last night . . .

just got a call from my ex that her grandfather had passed last night. it was not unexpected as he had been sick for quite some time but is still a very sad day.

ersel hallsted was possibly the sweetest old man i've ever met. he was just a jolly man who had nothing but love for all the people in his life. he and i had a pretty special bond that we'd built over the last 8 yrs and i'm sad to know i can't see his smile again as i walk in the door and say "hey, good looking".

i'm very bummed that i didn't actually make it down there to visit him on sunday. the weekend just got away from me. the memorial will be later this month and i'm going to do everything i possibly can to be there.

am going to miss you, ers.

so today i'm thankful for . . . the fact that he's not suffering anymore.

tgif . . .

today i'm thankful that it's friday

has been a pretty emotionally-charged and stressful week both personally and professionally. took the opportunity to work from home today so i could be heads-down on my deliverable. have gotten lots done but still think i'll be working a bit on sunday to get it done before monday am. am gonna continue to pound away for a few more hours and then call it good for today ... my brain's about fried.

have a wine-tasting date with my friend c tonight. she's coming up to my 'hood and we're gonna try out every day wine. haven't been available on a sat night to meet her at vixens for a few weeks so we decided to try to sneak a friday night tasting in. am looking forward to it both for the company and for the fact that i'll be about 5 blocks from home. :-)

looking forward to another good weekend. the report will follow . . . .

closure . . .

today i'm thankful for . . . closure

new toys . . .

finally bit the bullet today and got a new phone. i had been unhappy with my phone for quite some time and hand held out the 2 yrs to actually replace it. so after much research, i got the new motorola q 9m for verizon. got it home and it was ready to use within 15 mins. i'm very pleased. i have some concerns about battery life so an extended battery is on the way.

more reviews as i use it more. for now, i'm off to bed. after sleeping through 2 alarm clocks this am and finally waking to a txt message reminding me of a meeting i had in 15 mins, i think my body is telling me to get some rest.

so today i'm thankful for . . . new technology and helpful sales people.

hibernation . . .

as an only child and a pisces, a part of me always feels the need to step back occasionally and hibernate. now, anyone that knows me knows that i'm an incredibly social person so they might find it hard to believe that even i get overwhelmed by people (no matter how much i care for them) sometimes. i have been outwardly focused for the last few weeks – for several reasons (my folks' visit, meeting and getting to know mac, work, etc). it became pretty obvious last night that i really needed to take a step back and check in with myself and see where i am with all the emotions running through me at the moment.

have had a fairly solitary and quiet day. woke up this am and didn't even turn on opb. i wanted to sit with the silence. while i didn't sit on the mat, i did sit with my thoughts as i showered and got ready for the day ahead. didn't make my usual cup of coffee at home as i wanted to just sit with myself for as long as i didn't have to *interact* with anyone (which meant basically all the way to work). i sat on the bus and listened to some comforting music and realized it was the longest i hadn't spoken in at least a few days. i sat with that for a long while and enjoyed not having to speak while taking in my surroundings and checking in with my body and mind.

after such an emotionally charged weekend, i was feeling a bit out of touch with myself. and i know it sounds crazy to say i meditated on the bus, it works for me. i am one of those people that can take a book into a loud restaurant, get a table for one and devour my reading material while i enjoy a great meal. all the while, the hustle & bustle could go on around me and i'd be oblivious. it's the joy and pain of being a pisces sometimes.

the weather has changed here for sure and i can only surmise that the cold and rain are adding to my desire to hunker down and hibernate in my cozy home with a warm dog on my lap. i have started to pull out my winter wardrobe and *nest* again like i did when i first moved in last spring. getting the house in order is a way of checking in with myself and assuring that my safe haven is, in fact, a comfortable space in which i can relax and recharge.

have been talking to my friend who's a color consultant again and hope to schedule some time for her to come over and help me pick out my paint schemes. i am anxious to add my special touches to this great house and make it feel even more homey. i plan to be here for a long while and so i might as well make it mine.

so today i'm thankful for . . . the changing seasons that make us return to our roots and re-examine our priorities.

ikea and the new home-away-from-home . . .

an ikea opened in pdx in july. when the actual opening day came, people had been camped outside in line for days! granted, i love swedish kitsch as much as the next girl. however, i don't see much reason to sleep in the streets for mass-produced schwag. i finally decided i needed to make a trip though as i was in need of some organizational assistance with winter coming and nowhere to put my sweaters and coats. i had made an ikea date with sarah who was unable to join me. it worked out that mac needed to make a trip to return an item she'd bought the week prior so we went together. was nice to have her designer eye with me as that's something i struggle with. we spent 2 solid hours cruising the store - each with our distinct list. i had finally selected a combination of items for the creation of an armoire (my main reason for making the trek) but alas, the cabinet itself was out of stock. drats! now i'm going to have to go back. ugh!

i did however score some very nice finds. i got a very nice chair/ottoman cushion set for my chair in a comfy brown leather. i also purchased another tractor-seat style seat for my studio downstairs. but was thwarted on my mission.

after ikea, i dropped mac off at home and met up with anunce and the crew at the new bar down the street, the bye and bye. anunce had her birth mom in town from cambridge, mass and we *had* to meet her. she was a lovely lady and am so glad for anunce that they seem to be forging a relationship after all these years.

but really, back to the bye and bye. anunce and i had been there on friday afternoon and fell in love with the place instantly. there was something about it that felt oddly familiar. the added bonus was that it was a non-smoking bar. anunce being on day 4 and i on day 7 at the time had decided that we needed a new place to hang out given the smokiness of our usual home bar. we chatted up the bartender and ordered some food and got the back story on the bar. there were 6 co-owners who all work the bar and basically did the renovation themselves. one of them is named john and had worked at the grit in athens, ga. it was no wonder that the "georgia bowl" seemed so familiar and comfortable. (did i mention the entire menu is vegan?) it was basically a dish i ate several times a week for many years back in grad school. yummy! the feel was great and the jukebox was delightful. i think we've found our new place. and the best part for me is that it's exactly 7 blocks from my house. yippee!

more antics to ensue at the bye and bye i'm sure!!!

so today i'm thankful for . . . new places that bring back old memories.