Monday, January 24, 2005

Ex and the City

Today was an interesting day. Got my paycheck from work, and went to Soho afterwards. I forgot that Monday night is so-called "Comedy Night" which is a comic joke in itself. I understand amateur comics need a place to go and practice. But really, these rejects are some of the most unfunny bastards I've ever met. And most of them are suburban straight guys trying to crack straight guy jokes in a predominantly gay/lesbian urban coffeehouse. I swear one day as a joke I'm going to go in there with a track of crickets chirping, and play next time the "comics" recieve an awkward silence. My friend "Gayvid"/David was already thrown out once for heckling the "comics." Hell, HE was the only thing that made it funny!!
SOOO, I split before the show started and walked around Dupont Circle. Washington, and Dupont in particular is incredibly beautiful in the snow...


I swear, even despite some of the downsides of DC, Autumn and snowy nights are what makes up for everything, and makes living in DC so magical sometimes. Yes, the snow blanklets everything, even the used condoms, needles, toothless bums, transvestite hookers, Dena, and the other ugly things and somehow everything becomes so fairy-tale like.

Anyway as I was passing through the Circle, my ex called me out of the blue. Despite my better judgment I picked up the phone and he asked me to come over to his apartment to talk. Maybe it was delirium brought on by hypothermia or something, but I did.

When I got there he showed the film project he’s been doing. He has this new job making productions for private parties and business meetings. I always knew he could do it, I have to say he is incredibly talented, and this is the foot-in-the-door experience he needs. I wish him the best (I do, despite things I’ve said in previous posts). He gave me a belated Christmas gift he says he’s been meaning to give me, but he doesn’t see me that much these days. It was some glass Christmas ornaments, and a bottle of cologne from L’Occitaine from Provence. Very sweet of him, actually. Of course, all I gave him this year was a card for the holidays, and even that was generous. I hope he honestly doesn’t expect anything in return.
I didn’t actually stay that long, and ended up leaving to return home. I have to say, he was on his best behaviour tonight. But I'm not letting my guard down. But before I end this, I just wanted to add this weird ass dream I had last night!

Weird ass dream- 01/24/05

I was in the afterlife, which in this case (or so I was informed in the dream) was the Underworld. Don’t ask me how or why, but that’s where I was. And it really wasn’t all that bad. It’s wasn’t like how’d you’d picture Heaven or Hell…it actually looked more like Brooklyn! Which, to some, may be either Heaven or Hell! Anyway this old chain-smoking woman (who looked suspiciously like Dena) was giving me the grand tour of the city and we wound up at this old high-rise where she showed me my apartment I would be living in. In the middle of the living room was this giant banana tree. The lady told me, “The first two bunches pay for your rent. Anything after that you can keep for yourself.” She left me in my new apartment, and first, I watered the tree. Then this couple from next door came over to welcome me to the building...and to the afterlife. Then, I woke up… weird huh! I wonder what it all means? I’m sure Freud would have a field day with this one.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Snow Daze

What a weekend it's been. Actually because of the wether I didn't really do much. I went out Friday night to Dupont. Kurt and Bob wanted to hang out but they were being lame-o and just wanted to have coffee and talk as usual. Not to say that isn't all fine and good, but Kurt acts weird when I want to go clubbing. I mean, he sometimes comes out too, but he's very picky about where he wants to go, and he pretty much rules the situation (Let's go to Apex, Let's go to Omega) He's one of those people who gets stuck, er, comfortable, is his routines, habits, and hang-out places and doesn't like to deviate. I love spending time with him, but sometimes I have to draw the line and say I'm doing X with my other friends and if you want to come, fine, if not, see ya later. And I know Bob would probably branch out more too. Some friends are just like that. Don't get me wrong though, I love Kurt to death, he's one of my best friends, and he's there for me always. Nothing but love...
Well it snowed quite a bit this weekend, at least the most it has this winter. And it's been so pretty!!! I hope it doesn't melt too soon. Like tonight, it's the Full Moon, and the way the moonlight looks on the snow is really pretty. But alas, I the snow was a double-edges sword, for I couldn't drive to see PJ this weekend! But soon....
Anyway, I went sledding again with my brothers last night because there was no way I was going out, even though some friends did and said it really wasn't that bad. It was a fun day and I made frozen margaritas in the blender (my own, not the pre-made mixed shit!!). Today I mostly just hung around looking for ways to spend money online on shit I don't really need, wrote some more, and made dinner, which was a kick-ass success. Which brings us to this week's Recipe of the Week.
This one is Spanish... As in Spain, not Latin American or Mexican people. It's similar to a chicken paella. This goes really good with homemade Sangria.
Arroz Con Pollo (Rice and Chicken) Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil, 6 chicken thighs, 1 tsp paprika (I use more, and use Szegedy brand), 1 large Spanish onion roughly chopped, 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, 1 chorizo sausage sliced, 1 red bell and 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped, 1 generous cup paella rice washed and drained (I subst. with regular long grain), 2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped, 1/2 cup sherry, 3 cups chicken stock/broth, 1 tsp oregano and thyme, 1 bay leaf, salt.
-Heat the oil in a wide casserole. Season the chicken with salt and paprika. Fry until nicely brown, the reserve on a plate. Add the onion and garlic and fry gently until softens. Add the chorizo and stir-fry. Add the chopped peppers, cook until softened. Sprinkle in drained rice and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins. Add the tomatoes, sherry, chicken stock/broth and dried herbs. Arrange the chicken pieces deep in the mixture and tuck in the bay leaf. Cover and cook over a very low heat for 30-40 mins until the chicken and rice are done. Done!

And yes, this quiz seems pretty dead-on. Coffee, cigarettes, red wine, reading Jean-Paul Sartre, general good taste. Why wasn't I born in Paris!!
You are French
You are a Parisian.


What's your Inner European?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Post-Modern Nihilistic Pity-Party

Oh what a depressingly dull week it's been. i wish I could say something cool has happened, but no not really. Other than hanging out with my friends I've been in this sort of existentialist funk of not knowing what to do. I know I've complained about this before, it's a recurring theme in my life. And if you don't feel like listening to me bitch and whine, consider this your disclaimer!***
Ok, so yeah. I just feel like I'm doing NOTHING of any great importance. I'm not being very creative as of late, I feel totally low on energy (perhaps this is related to Seasonal Affective Dissorder), and I feel like my days are just passing me by. It's like I don't know what to do and I feel paralyzed by everything that's going on. God, this is whiney, but hey it's my blog and I can get shit off my chest.
As much as I'm a self-proclaimed sun-child of the warmer climates (think California, Greece, etc.) I do like the winter, but only when it is truly cold and snowy. And today when I woke up after sleeping in a bit this morning, I opened my venetian blinds...
to see everything covered in snow! It really boosted my mood, albeit temporarily. (By the way to my friends, this blog isn't like a "cry for help" its just my nihilistic complaining, you understand if you've been around me long enough)

Well the snow has been fun. Didn't have to go to work. I went for a walk in the snow. I went sledding with my brothers (now THAT"S what makes Winter for me!) and had coffee with Kurt. Actually the main roads weren't that bad, but the side streets were, but I didn't slide too much.
I think I'm spent on my pity-party. Well I've started writing again somewhat. After a hiatus from anything remotely creative, I've felt a spark. Perhaps it's one of the great ironies that times like this are the ones when I produce the most. Go figure. In the meantime, if you are a fellow writer and looking for some pointers on that great novel you have stewing in your brain, may I direct you to How to Write a Suckitudinous Novel. Pretty funny stuff.
modbrits
You are a Mod. Yeah baby.


What kind of Sixties Person are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Monday, January 17, 2005

Living in Oblivion

Well kiddies, what has Adam been up to lately? Let's see. Friday night I hung out with Kurt, Bob, Maurice, Teresa, and "straight" Rick. Yeah somehow time flew that night I it was already the A.M before we realized it. Saturday morning I slept in and then headed to Dupont, with the intent of maybe walking over to Georgetown to do some shopping or whatever. Let me tell you the weather is so WEIRD. Earlier this week it was like spring, but Saturday was one of the coldest evenings in the city yet! Yet somehow it was a beautiful day.

I simply walked by Soho and saw some people I hadn't seen...funny how that happend whenever I walk by that place. It's like it finds a way to suck me in. Steve A.K.A. "Storyteller" was there with his new Italian boyfriend Michael and we walked around, had coffee. Then we had dinner at Cosi (I had the tandoori chicken) with two of Michael's friends from Maryland. They were downtown for DC's Leather Weekend.
And I was wondering why I saw all the leather people walking around! For those of you who don't know, every year DC hosts the Mid Atlantic Leather Weekend, which is pretty self explanatory. I actually got invited to go to some leather club, but I declined. Nothing to wear! Even though the Leather Rack is having some sales I hear. Better hurrry people!
I went to a few places and later I was back at Soho hanging out with David/"Gayvid" (faaabulous), Raven, Monte, and some other assorted characters. As with the night before it was like way in the A.M before I realized it. I was going to go to Cobalt, but they were practically closing by that point. Where does time go?
Sunday I hung out with Kurt and Bob and we went to play pool. Later we went for coffee, and Bob's boyfriend Ken was coming, but him and Bob were having some personal drama, so me and Kurt tried to stay out of it. The funny thing is later that night me and Kurt got bored so we went back to the same place, and Bob and Ken were STILL there how many hours later having their talk. So me and Kurt had some long philosophical conversation that lasted for hours by ourselves. Coffee and cigarettes. I tell you.
I've been feeling kinda low on energy this weekend, but it did feel good to go out Saturday night. Unfortunately PJ was very busy this weekend with work etc. Oh well =( But I also got news that my friend Bianca will be coming from Portland to visit me in May, so that's exciting! And that's my Weekend in Review! Stay tuned...

Saturday, January 15, 2005

'Weirded Out!"

Ok, I'll make this quick. Today while rambling across the internet (no I wasn't looking for porn), well I ran across gay porn anyway. You know how those damn Google searches are. WELL...to my surprise I stumbled across a picture of someone I know. I will leave out names, but it is a friend of mine who apparently has been doing a little porn on the side.
I won't pass any judgements. Actually his pictures were pretty impressive. It's just funny what a small world we live in. You KNOW you hang around too many gay people when you randomly see some guy on an internet porn site and say "Hey, I KNOW that guy!"
And now your quiz of the day:
HASH(0x891efd0)
You're "So and So". You love going out on
dates, classy outfits, and tanning beds (just
don't get burnt... or dead). Isn't it cold in
Cheerleader's shadow?


Which Member of Teen Girl Squad are you?
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Wednesday, January 12, 2005

"It's Just Another Day"/ Eat, Drink and be Merry

You get crazy bonus points with me if you know what 80's song the first half of today's title derives from. Well for me it has been just another day. The same old routine, yet for some reason I just felt kind of weary in my bones. Like there's a need for some greater purpose and creativity in my life, but I'm stuck in a weird limbo where nothign has yet come into fruition, or rather, there is no action I can take.

Let's see... tomorrow is my friend Maurice's birthday. Happy Birthday Maurice! Hmm, in other news in my ESL night classes I am starting a new session, with some of my favorite students from the previous class, as well as some new ones. This looks to be an exciting new class!
I also got an invitation from a friend to attend one of the local Socialist party meetings he goes to. Now, those of you who know me know I am an extremely political person. In my opinion, as empowered citizens of our society it would be self-indulgent NOT to be active in politics. After all people, it is YOUR lives and futures being decided for you. And without getting on my Marxist soapbox, I don't appreciate having the decsions that affect the working class made by upper-class bourgeois politicians. Even the rich ones that pander to the lower classes (John Kerry, for example) Of course I voted for Kerry because he was lesser of two evils, but I'm talking about principles here. Anyway, I'm interested in going, except I'm not sure if this meeting is for the American Socialist Party or the Communist Party of the United States. May sound like splitting hairs to some people, but there are subtle differences. It would be like saying the Republicans and the Democrats are the same. Of course, even the words "socialism" and "communism" scare or turn-off people because we've been raised to feel that way. But if you ask the average person onthe street to define exactly what socialism and communism are...you tend to get blank stares and answers like "Uh, I don't know dude, like bad and oppressive and stuff." Well, if you want to know, I won't waste anymore time trying to explain them, just read up about Karl Marx and find out for yourself.

Ok, normally I don't get all "serious" on you guys like that!. So now I figured I'd do something a little different today and start merging one of my hobbies (cooking) with my blog. So each week I am going to have my Recipe of the Week, tried and tested in Adam's Kitchen. I know! How very Martha Stewart of me!

This week's recipe comes from my French cookbook by Carole Clements and Elizabeht Wolf-Cohen. (The book is published in the UK, but some places sell it online, one of my best cookbooks). Anyway it's actually very simple, but impresses everyone who's tasted it. Also note I've made a few changes based on my experiences to the instructions. I present...
Cotes de Porc Sauce Nenette
(basically Pork Chops in a rich sauce...but you can subst. with veal or chicken if you wish)
Serves 4
1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 large pork chops 1-inch thick, salt anf fresh ground pepper, 4 tbsp white wine, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tomato peeled seeded and chopped, 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or parsley. Reccomended serving with French style potato cakes (I serve with rice pilaf)
-Melt butter with the oil in a lagre heavy frying pan over high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper, then add to pan and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side (may take longer...it always does for me) and then transfer to a plate and pour off fat. Add the wine and thyme to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the cream, dijon mustard and tomato paste and simmer for 2 mins, stirring frequently, then return the pork chops to the sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes over med-low heat. Add the chopped tomato and herbs, and cook for one more minute.
And that's it!
Goes best with a white wine, in my opinion. I like my wines very sweet, like Rieslings and other Rhine Valley wines. But many people like their white wines sweet, so you be the judge. And that's another thing about me. I LOVE wine. I used to think people into wine were pretentious and snobby. But I have come to learn a good wine can be...well, orgasmic. Perhaps in future posts I will review some wines I've had (believe me, I cook and have wine with meals a lot). Is this blog getting too stuffy or what! Lol. Well, Ok. I will leave you with a short list of some wines I've had over the holidays that were memorable.

Chianti by Piccini- I figured, hey, an Italian imported Chianti has got to be good right? Wrong. Dont waste your money on this one folks. Avoid the tacky orange bottle!!!
Kindzmarauli from Georgia.- Not the U.S. state Georgia, the country Georgia on the Black Sea! Their wines have an exotic reputation, and well deserved. I never had a Georgian wine I didn't like. I reccomend this one highly!
Louis Jadot Beaujolais- Reasonably priced and very good. I liked it.

Well those are the only ones that stand out in my head right now. More fun stuff to come!

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Soooo Good!

It's been a long crazy weekend, so let me think back over all that's happened. Hmm well I'll start with Saturday, but first this public service announcement:

1986
1986. The year that Australian exports in the form
of Paul Hogan were hot. Then you had Anthony
Edwards, Val Kilmer, and Tom Cruise flying
around everywhere. What?


What year in the 80's do you really belong in?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ok so saturday I brought PJ with me and we went to dinner at this place of 17th street called Dupont Italian Kitchen (or DIK, snicker snicker) which I really love. The food was excellent, and afterwards we went to my friends Jayme and Jen's house for a party they were throwing.

There were a ton of people there, too many to try and name. Anyway the party was a lot of fun, I got fabulously drunk, PJ had a good time too. Some other things happened that night later on, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to write about that here...maybe later I will come back to it. If you were at the party you might already be able to guess. Oh dear..."Three's Company.".



The next day we slept in very late. I had a nasty headache, and it seemed Jayme and Jen were a little hung over as well. As usual, they have the most extensive collection of alcohol I've seen in anyone's house... it's a regular liquor store. And to see the aftermath of a party, all those hundreds of bottles...I offered to help them clean up, because I don't envy anyone who has to clean that house after that. Anyway me and PJ got food and drove back to Richmond, making it in time for PJ to make me to this comedy club there called The Richmond Funny Bone. We had dinner and I had a few Long Islands as we watched Bobby Slayton who was the stand-up comic that night.
Oh my god was he funny! He kept ripping on people in the audience expecially, people who deserved it. I liked the club as a whole, I'd like to go back. After the club, we went to Laura and Ian's apartment to pay them a late night surprise visit. Actually we ended up haning out all night, going for food at Friday's (served by a cute waiter) and watching Catwoman with Halle Berry. And somehow that night I also managed to pop my bad knee out again...this is like the 3rd time I've done that! It hurts like hell, but fortunately doesn't last long one you move it back into place and walk around. But still rather embarrasing.

(Teen Girl Squad comics on Homestarrunner.com)
The next day we slept in again, and as a result I had to kind of leave in haste so I could make it back here in time to get ready for work. Yeah that's been about it this weekend. Be back laer with more fun...

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

"Panic in the Streets of London.."

Well, I have seriously considered going back to London sometime in the near future. I know I should continue saving my money but DAMNIT it is so tempting. I swear I am growing weary of this country. Of course, it would be nice toleave permanently. (Oh, Canada...) The more I read the news and hear how the Nationalist/Fascist party is trampling our civil liberties, our neighbor to the Great White North, or our neighbors on the other side of the pond start looking more appealing. In my darker moments, the things I see are so reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s. The people of the so-called Red States are not my friends or fellow citizens. There are two Americas apparently, and I don't WANT to be a part of th America envisioned by the Republican party. Or the rednecks and conservatives who put the Fascists in power again.


Well anyway, long story short, I will be hopefully visiting the UK again soon. In the meantime here's my New Years Resolution.


In the year 2005 I resolve to:

Stop smoking pot by taking up crack instead.

Get your resolution here




Let's see, not muchis going on elsewhere so I'll just ramble. I finished reading Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter which is an amazing novel that takes place in the South in the 1930s. Not the feel-good-read-of-the-summer by any means. It deals with the lonliness and isolation of certain characters in a small town where they don't seem to fit in. I highly reccomend it, and many consider McCuller one the great writers of the American South.

Well I gotta run for now...more to come later

Monday, January 03, 2005

"Nothing Changes on New Years Day"

Welcome to 2005 and Happy New Year!
Well, it certainly has been an interesting week. After Christmas my bronchitis peaked at it's worse, and has now all but virtually healed. One of my New Years resolution, because of this lingering cough, was to quite smoking altogether. Naive, yes. But to my credit I've only smoked a few cigarettes so I'm not chain-smokign anymor. I've cut back considerably. I just think trying to quit altogether was a bad idea. These things take time.
And now for your first quiz of 2005:
kilt
You are 100% Scottish, and damn proud of it! As
well you should be. You have a love for the
more simple things in life, and don't like it
when someone treds on your territory. You have
plenty of attitude, and don't mind sharing it
with others. If they don't like it, they can
piss off!


How Scottish Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

So what has happened over my New Years Eve?

Well Friday (Dec 31st) I drove down to meet PJ in Richmond. We had dinner and wound up driving all the way back into DC because all of my friends were out partying. It's New Years, so of course I wanted to have fun. You see, New Years hold even more special meaning for me since it's the anniversary of an auto accident on NYE 2000 that damn near killed me. So it's a Happy-New-Year-I'm-Still-Living celebration.

We got downtown and it took forever to find a place to park in Dupont Circle. So when we finally did, (thank-you Parking Gods) we met Kurt, Maurice, and Elizabeth at Omega, but went over to the much more happening Apex (or as some of us remember it by its old name Badlands) to ring in the New Year. The place was the most packed I've seen it, and I've seen that place packed. This was crazy though. Midnight came, and I think most of us wound up getting champagne and beer spilled on us, or molested by strangers dancing around us. Poor Kurt got soaked with someones beer and he wanted to split, so we went back to Omega. PJ and I were getting tipsy on Blue Motorcycles and stuff. Later on after much bad behavior (ha ha) Kurt and the others drove home and me and PJ went to Soho to sober up. Then we went upstairs to my friend Chris's apartment. He was nice enough to let us crash (thank-you Chris!). Henry and his boyfriend Franklin were there, as was Chris's sister Marcy. We smoked a bowl and hung out for awhile, and I think around 4am we crashed.
The next morning we woke up and had to get ready really fast because Chris's boyfriend Ben was coming over with two friends of his from Jersey and we all went out to brunch. We went to Luna Grill (the one on Connecticut, not the Cafe Luna on P &17th that I always confuse it with). I'm telling you, it was a beautiful day. It felt like Spring outside, like the first day of April rather than January. Such freaky weather changes we have around here! Global Warming?
Anyway after a satisfying first meal of 2005, we bid farewell to Chris and the others and took a stroll through Dupont Circle, visiting Kramerbooks and cafe, record shops, and Lambda Rising. Then we dallied a bit at Soho again before it was time to take PJ back to Richmond. The drive went well, namely because of PJ's killer selection of dance and techno music to listen to. I wish I couldv'e stayed once I dropped him off, but my folks were also expecting me for dinner to, so I drove all the way back here and made it just as they were finished. But the food was still ok, and after such a long past few days I didn't go out, but rather wound up passing out while reading Storm Constantine's latest novel The Shades of Time and Memory.
Yesterday I was supposed to go back to Richmond for a party I was invited to, but I honestly felt tired yesterday and not up to the drive. But I will see PJ again this weekend. The only other thing I did yesterday was go to coffee with Kurt, Bob, Maurice, Rick, and Elizabeth, and we went shoe-shopping at DSW. I almost bought a pair of Diesel shoes I liked, but I hestated because I wasn't too sure of the colors. Well yeah, that's been my first few days of the new year. Today too, it is strangely warm and spring-like. I'm sitting outside wearing a t-shirt in the sun. Maybe I'm superstitious, but I believe the way you enter a New Year is a portent for how the rest of the year will be. NYE 2004 sucked ass. So I think that since I had such a good NYE 2005, that this year will be better than the last!
PS- Check out PJ's new blog!