Oh yes, I totally laughed...

http://flavorwire.com/57909/stereotyping-people-by-their-favorite-indie-bands

Doppelganger

I need one to take my place in the world for the next two weeks while the real me hides away and watches endless hours of movies and television all the while sipping spicy mulled wine and eating nourishing soups or stews.

I'd also settle for a robotic twin but I may have to just go on a sort of auto-pilot until it is finally January 1, 2010.

Clearly, this is my least favorite portion of my least favorite time of the year. I hate the next two weeks, when the U.S. crazily skids into the final days of the Xmas and NYE holiday crunch. I hate the holiday decorations, the herds of shopping-fixated crowds, the piped in Xmas music that stalks me everywhere. I just don't have the holly jolly in me and even if I did, it would have been squeezed out of me by now anyway.

I am also going to be working 10-11 hour days for the next 2 weeks (except Xmas day and New Year's Day) so I will probably be extra bitchy as well as exhausted - a delight to be around. I'm not even sure imbibing in adult beverages and frivolity is going to help matters. Morning dawns early, oh so early when you've been out late the night before indulging in the more fantastic and superficial pleasures.

It felt somewhat nice to vent that out. I now feel more ready to soldier on into the purgatory that awaits (unless that robotic twin or doppelganger arrives by this Sunday night).

The wine of the night

was some old vine Zin and it was delicious and set up the going out to a club mood nicely. A couple random pics from last Thursday. Just Miss L being sassy, and me, reclining and drinking wine before heading out to DNA for Miz Margo's going away event. My iPhone camera never saw the light of day (the dark of night?) the rest of this night as I was too focused on socializing, dancing and drinking. WHAT A SURPRISE.

The Creeping Menace (of Exhaustion)

Oh that run down feeling, here it comes. Bleh and ugh. I guess the downtime will carve out its niche whether I want it to or not. I would also rather not succumb to the winter ick that seems to be going around so I will heed the siren call of serene, lazy enjoyment and rest. For now.

This past weekend was great though! Miz Margo’s going away party at DNA on Thursday sort of kicked the weekend into high gear. Yet Friday morning arrived suddenly, so suddenly. And it stretched out in ways that were painful to experience. I rallied through and managed to meet Miss Lynda after work for cocktails at Beauty Bar. We visited with Jason for a bit while he toiled as a professional enabler. Interestingly, after a couple of delicious coffees that Jason “Irished up” for us, we both felt much better and ended up staying for a couple more drinks. Magical alcohol! Eventually Lynda went out to dinner with other friends and I went home to crawl into warm blankets.

Saturday night I met up with Bat and Janel for wine at Sugar Lounge which was packed so packed and SO claustrophobic. We stood wedged in by annoying people at a tiny spot near the front door so we sipped quickly and then headed to DNA for New Wave City and the Cure tribute night. We indulged in the usual mayhem but managed to drag ourselves out of there before they turned the club lights up and made us go home. So I was home before 4.a.m from a NWC for a change!

Sunday was the start of the Creeping Menace of Exhaustion. I was out of sorts and achy and definitely felt a cold trying to take hold. I had errands to run and stupid annoying things to take care of when I would much rather have stayed home getting all nuture-y. Today was more of the same: a Monday full of the out of sorts and achy, but kind of stronger. OH NOES. The battle to remain healthy has begun!

In the middle of this weekend’s fun and frolic (and my sparring with the creeping menace), I was finally able to watch Jersey Shore. Oh. My. God.

MTV: you WIN. I am mesmerized by this show and can’t wait for future installments. I had spent my long, exhaustion-filled Friday (in between taking care of work-related atrocities) reading recaps, reading the hysterical comments during live blogs and watching various clips posted all over the internet about Jersey Shore. My anticipation level was so high that by the time I actually got to watch it, I figured it would not live up to my expectations. It did so and then some!

I watched portions of Jersey Shore again on Saturday night before going out and then portions of it AGAIN on Sunday afternoon. I could say my interest is purely psycho/socio or anthropological, but I’d be totally lying. I’m in it for the jaw-dropping entertainment value. Jersey Shore inherits the trash tv crown, handily defeating the trashiness of Rock of Love, the Rock of Love Bus AND Daisy of Love – combined!

Anyway, I logged on merely to bitch about what a lackluster day this was and how my burning the candle at both ends is going to be my undoing. I’m finishing this up and playing watch the clock until it is 8pm and I can head for home to rest. And if you haven’t yet viewed the tacky horrifying splendor that is Jersey Shore – well what are you waiting for? A specially engraved invitation from The Situation himself?

A cycle of joie de vivre

along with its companions, curious distractions and playful diversions, has woven into my life. I am unable to resist, or rather, I do not wish to resist. I want to see where this cycle takes me. So far, it has been intriguing and a lot of fun. (Less hangovers than you would imagine too, by the way.)

This is one of those times when I want to glide along with the currents instead of trying to navigate against them toward some pre-planned or pre-conceived goal. This goes against my somewhat stealthily control-fixated nature and so it may not last long but I suppose it is worth a try.

“Once, if my memory serves me well, my life was a banquet where every heart revealed itself, where every wine flowed.”

THAT. That is what it has been feeling like lately, at the early stages of this cycle.

Hmmm…that is the first line from Rimbaud’s work, A Season in Hell, which, well - let’s just say I will ascribe only that one verse from A Season in Hell to this particular banquet of joie de vivre! That one verse can be thought of as the amuse-bouche portion of the cycle.

So far so good!

Feasts and fancies

This week begins a 5 day stretch of fun and frolic. And hopefully some downtime for me too because I’ll get really bitchy if I am just a whirling dervish of socializing minus any break for solitude or brief hibernation.

All of it commences tomorrow evening at the Dark Sparkle 10 Year Anniversary night at DuNord. From what I can tell, many of my friends are planning on turning out for this either before or after other events to kick off the Thanksgiving weekend. I expect the night will be full of debaucherous revelry and is it asking too much to hope for some sort of soul-nourishing scandal? Sigh. It depends on whether any of the usual and predictable crazy-makers show up…

Thursday will probably be a bit chaotic. I’ve limited myself to only 3 parties/gatherings (how DO I suffer such through such strict discipline), one in the East Bay at my brother’s while the other two are in the late afternoon and evening at the homes of good friends. I’m going to be the bearer of fine wine at all of them because I most certainly am not hauling my ass all over town dragging along foodstuffs all day. I’ll probably just graze on assorted snacks anyway as the main meal will be at my brother’s in the early afternoon.

Friday is slated to be a “me” day. I have things I need/want to do, productive things, tedious things, entertaining things and lazy things.

Saturday is, hopefully, more downtime until the Dancing Ghosts Siouxsie-themed night at the Stud. More finery! More frolic! More indulgence in adult bevvies! More more more!

Sunday is an all day gathering and feast with a bunch of friends at Janel’s. There will be trashy tv or trashy movies or maybe even quality viewing. Adult bevvies have already RSVP’d their attendance. Janel’s kitchen, so lonely, so neglected, will be the center of manic activity and food preparation as we all participate in creating yummy dishes. Later that Sunday night will be recovery activities of some sort as many have to head back to begin another work week on Monday.

So there’s THAT Thanksgiving calendar line up – wow. It’s a busy one, this year, and it seems that this social butterfly trend may continue through December, not that it surprises me.

OH! December: the little social event Scott, Terrance and I started up (and dj at), whorePOD is doing the second Sunday in December instead of the first. We’ve also been asked to do random third Thursdays and so there will also be a whorePOD on Thursday Dec. 17. Here’s the link to the Facebook group should you be in the SF/Bay Area and are interested in knowing more. It’s a “music without borders” sort of a concept, early evening, very random, very relaxed and low-key, and we’ve been having a great time doing it. At Sugar Lounge in the Hayes Valley, no cover, 7-11pmish on first Sundays and 8-11pmish on the third Thursdays.

We seek only to create an environment of silly enjoyment but also maybe to terrify a little with the music….

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=80716124647

Lastly, because of an email exchange with matel of New Orleans, my desire to resume watching Nip/Tuck has surged forth anew! Her teaser email list is reposted below. What the hell can I say? I’m am TOTALLY going to do an On Demand Nip/Tuck marathon on one of my downtime days because, I mean, how could I NOT? (Sort of SPOILERISH if you are watching the show and would rather not find out about stuff you don’t yet know about):

>kimber and christian are about to get back together...again...for the millionth time?!

>christian just hooked up w/ a girl who used to be a guy who wants to be a guy again...and by the end of the episode was a guy again

>sean married a gold digger who tried to kill sean but then got killed herself by a serial killer and then sean tried to kill himself

>matt is in prison for robbing convenience stores while in a mime costume (seriously, that's entertainment)

>sean and julia's daughter eats her own hair

THE MIME THING! I cannot even think about that plot device and maintain a straight face! I hate mimes but this really sounds too hilarious to miss.

Have a great festivity/celebration/holiday repast/whatever everyone!

The icy night of my spirit

“Yes, I now feel that it was then on that evening of sweet dreams - that the very first dawn of human love burst upon the icy night of my spirit. Since that period I have never seen nor heard your name without a shiver half of delight, half of anxiety.” ~Edgar Allan Poe

A friend of mine in New Orleans posted the above as her FB status recently and it just fit so well with how I am feeling (in a good way) lately. Not so much the “first dawn of human love” part but, well, the “icy night of my spirit” part. THAT.

I love when this time of year finally arrives and settles in. While it is not a proper winter with snow drifts and icicles, there is still an atmosphere of winter right now in San Francisco. I love this type of winter even more than I adore the transformation from summertime to autumn. I take pleasure in the shortened days and the lengthy chilly nights. I embrace those moments of doing nothing more than staying home and relaxing, being cozy and warm.

It is a split-personality sort of cycle for me, every winter. I go back and forth between craving the cozy lounging about at home in solitude or wanting to be out and about surrounded by festive, socializing others. I cannot do just one or the other – I have to surrender to the mood that seizes me, whichever impulse pulls or nudges.

There are significant drawbacks to this time of year. (There always are, oh yes.) Most of the drawbacks, for me, can be blamed on the holiday shopping frenzy that infects most of the general public. It is curious (and supremely annoying) how a not so subtle shift in the group mind of the general public can be felt in such a tangible way once the Xmas holiday decorations have been vomited out everywhere all at once. There is a certain angsty undercurrent out there, an unwelcome companion to every little errand or every pleasure jaunt, where the most mundane errands or daily transportation needs become arduous tests of manners or challenges to my strength of character. (OH the DRAMA of it all.)

The battling of the holiday madness that takes hold of people as they prepare to “celebrate” the holidays is more eye-roll inducing and irritating than the over-hyped fawning over zombies (so. over. already. please. stop. people.) and the slavish cheerleading of the wonders of bacon (see e.g. previously re zombies). These two pop culture (what other category would apply?) band-wagon trends are cringe-inducing for me at this point even though I have many friends participating in both fads. To each his own, I guess, but at this point I’m so bored with hearing about both of them and sick of seeing whimsical or ironic blogs devoted to them that I tend to avoid or ignore anything connected to them. It has just been so DONE to death already, sweeties.

(Well, that was quite a digression into a pop culture rant, wasn’t it? I guess if I want all those zombie lovers and cheerleaders of bacon to get off my lawn, I should just say so and be done with it.)

So yes, wintertime! The lyrics to one of my favorite Kate Bush songs helps with the evocation:

It's wonderful
Everywhere, so white
The river has frozen over
Not a soul on the ice
Only me, skating fast
I'm speeding past trees leaving
Little lines in the ice
Cutting out little lines
In the ice, splitting, splitting sound
Silver heels spitting, spitting snow
There's something moving under
Under the ice
Moving under ice – through water
Trying to get out of the cold water
"It's me"
Something, someone – help them
"It's me"

All Hallows

The trickle of minutes I have left at the moment is not enough for a properly creative recap. But here are a few pictures from my fantastic trip to New Orleans for Halloween. It was spectacularly fun! The trio of drinks tells the symbolic tale for the trip - ha! We drank a few rounds of these the last couple hours we were there - drunky pantses at the airport!

Undead Famlily Portrait - Janel, Scott and I.

Gwen and I indulge in picturesque posing.

Elegantly wicked Scott awaits mayhem in the doorway.

Me and a flickering candle await mayhem on the porch.

Poised Janel awaits mayhem in the dining room.

The Erin Rose pumpkin bids us a grinning good-bye!

Pendulum Season

Time is creeping by so slowly, it is driving me mad. Scott, Janel and I leave for New Orleans tomorrow at midnight – hurray for red-eye flights! I love them. Unless there are restless screaming children on the flight, it should be quiet and smooth sailing through the night sky. We arrive in NOLA early on Thursday morning and will be in an Oktoberfest Never Never Land state of mind until late afternoon on Sunday.

I haven’t been this much in the mood for All Hallows Eve festivities in a while. I’m not only looking forward to all the dress up fun and the social gadding about, which includes seeing a lot of missed and loved friends, but I’m also savoring the “fall is hanging the air, winter is a whisper away” pendulum quality that is this time of year.

The weather is warmer right now both here in SF and also in New Orleans (ugh) but everything else about this time of year, the kind of stuff that isn’t beholden to the weather patterns, is evoking fall/wintry sensations, feelings and flights of fancy. During the night, bizarre dreamscapes arrive out of nowhere while during the day, wandering daydreams are laced by vague memories and musings.

This time of year can be an eerie and evocative interlude, a wonderful twilight time when anticipation and pleasure are at high tide and should be embraced before the other unpleasant holiday chaos begins its ascent. The pendulum will soon swing the other way and so the pushiness of Christmas will grasp everything in a stranglehold of mundane consumerism and enforced superficial gaiety. Then it is all biding time until January 2nd of the new year can be met with a huge sigh of relief.

But for now we still have the interlude! In keeping with the spirit of this season, month and especially this week - my two favorite portions of The Mewlips by Tolkien:

They peep out slyly; through a crack
Their feeling fingers creep,
And when they´ve finished, in a sack
Your bones they take to keep.

Beyond the Merlock Mountains, a long and lonely road,
Through the spider-shadows and the marsh of Tode,
And through the wood of hanging trees and gallows-weed,
You go to find the Mewlips - and the Mewlips feed.

HAVE A SUBLIME HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

The wine weaves a story and someone else's panties

That title sums up certain aspects of my weekend in a succinct manner!

Saturday night wine weaving: A cozy outing to celebrate Janel’s birthday and also, basically just a good excuse to indulge in fine wine and a savory cheese platter at:

http://www.hotelbiron.com/index.htm.

Hotel B is tiny and shadowy. It almost feels like a wine cellar that has been turned into a wine bar and which could be located in a mysterious side alley somewhere in Paris. Lots of brick and wood and distressed embellishments in the décor. The four of us were fortunate to get the alcove room in the back, cradled away from the narrow, busier and noisier front area. When I arrived, the others had already started on what would be several bottles of a delicious cabernet (I can’t remember the name) along with a plate of 3 fancy cheeses, thin segments of baguette, paper thin slices of apple and pear, and a dish of assorted olives.

Oh cheese fiends – this was a truly glorious array of three: a hard, triangular sliced cheese that reminded me a little of a gruyere and was wonderful when eaten with the slips of apple or pear. We also had a rich and pungent-tart blue cheese wedge that had been drizzled faintly with honey. That may sound nasty, and I was hesitant at first, but oh boy, it was good, and very rich. The third cheese wedge was the most outrageously tasty creamy truffle cheese. It had the texture of whipped brie and was ridiculously awesome. Next time, I’m not sharing THAT wedge with anyone.

This was a lovely, relaxing night in the Hotel B alcove. We could have pretended that we had been transported through a time and space vortex into an unknown yet familiar parlor in an abandoned manor in Europe. The candlelight, comfy furnishings, and the murmur from the front room or people strolling back to peek into the alcove were the only things to remind us we were at a bar in San Francisco.

And I’ll let the pictures tell the rest:
- See the red light rinsing...Wine, wit, and Bat.

- One of these nights...Wine, wicked whimsy, and Janel.

- Lips like sugar...Wine, wistful glances, and Leia.

- Do you speak the lingo...Wine, wishful thinking, and me.

Sunday and someone’s else’s panties! I met up with Lily LeRouge for some wine at her home. She was finishing her laundry before we headed out to a wine bar in her neighborhood, and I used my iPhone to take the following photo.

- Lily LeRouge contemplates her lace panties.

Tale of Two Cats - a brief Halloween story in 3 picture parts

PART ONE

Halloween decor cat. "Do my flashing eyes make me look fat?"





















PART TWO

Halloween decor cat meets Lola cat. "Pleased to meet you, won't you guess my name?"















PART THREE

Lola cat: 1, Halloween decor cat: 0










THE END.