Best Cities for Singles

AOL had a nice summary of ideal cities to live in based on an article in this month's Kiplinger's. Keeping the singles' cities here because they surprised me:

1. Washington D.C.: The nation's capital boasts a diverse cultural scene, plenty of young singles and a large and growing creative class. From the hip grit of Adams-Morgan to urban villages like Bethesda, Md., and Alexandria, Va., Washington offers the best of both worlds. And don't think opportunities are just in government jobs. The area is a Mecca for tech, engineering and many other professions.
2. Denver: Denver will always be a Mecca for skiers, but there's plenty to do in all seasons: listen to jazz in City Park with the Rockies as a backdrop, check out the city's performing arts center, kayak on the Platte River, or bike the city's 450 miles of trails. City-center neighborhoods offer car-free, loft living and plenty of nightlife choices.
3. Austin, Tex.: Beer, music, tacos and barbeque add up to a laid-back scene in the capital of the Lone Star State. Young singles who stay out too late can shock their systems awake at Barton Springs Pool, the city's natural-and naturally chilly -- swimming hole.
4. Raleigh, N.C.: Raleigh offers young singles cheap housing, a variety of nightlife and southern charm with just the right mix of northern bustle. It is one of the "points" of the Research Triangle, and with three major universities in the area, Raleigh will never want for recent college grads.
5. Lexington, K.Y.: Lexington, although relatively small, offers young singles plenty of things to do: bars that cater to anyone from sports fans to gays to young socialites; live entertainment most nights of the week; art gallery hops; an opera house that brings in Broadway shows; and, of course, horse racing. Plus, the cost of living is a heck of a lot cheaper than in bigger cities.

Sensitivity to Something

Leaving the leadership meeting Theo asked me why I was carrying a camera bag. *sigh* Saw a nice man bag at Bloomingdales, Kenneth Cole I think, but White Trash reared its head and balked at spending the $150. Wanted to see if the general idea worked for me before spending that much. Apparently the $15 one from H&M has no style. Will try the Mossimo one tomorrow.

The team foolishly asked why I wanted a purse so I went into details, basically that I want to wear tighter jeans and slacks. When there are bulges and curves, they won't be keys or a wallet. *snicker* Liking the idea though. Would be nice to have my PSP around more along with the PDA. Maybe even get one of those little digital ELPHs.

Yesterday I downloaded an original song Madonna put together for the Live Earth hippies but haven't been able to get into it. It's so contrived and bland. The chorus is irritating. Wonder if it's me. Maybe I hate the Earth. And whales. And spotted owls. And shit.

It's About to Get Really Warm

Despite yesterday's chill I was pretty stubborn about being in lighter attire. A nice lesbian at Target even commented, “You are really ready for summer, aren't you?” I laughed with her, agreeing that I was ready for more days like Saturday. Capitulated today as I'm back in long-sleeves.

I'm going to try to make the most of the warm weather this year despite how it still annoys me. Not wearing clothes around the apartment becomes necessity instead of comfort. The noise of an air conditioner in both rooms. The random sweat lines. No 7-11s for Slurpees. Such a whiner.

There are nice things. All this weekend I was noticing guys everywhere. In the parking garage, along Washington, grocery stores, departments stores… good times!¹ The lakes around here are really great. Hell, there are more activities in general. Got no choice, I spose. Yay heat.

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1. I asked Pancho where they all hide during the winter and he had no idea.

Can Only Get Better

Had to take some pictures for another … project … and sorta liked this one. I love that shirt. Reminds me of my hardcore raving days and Thayne calling me a tank. I suppose there's some war over-tones. Wonder if people think I'm an activist. If so, what am I trying to say?

Yesterday was almost warm, so I was looking forward to heading down to Lake Calhoun. Get in some reading, writing, and photo-snapping while soaking in some much needed sun. So naturally it was cloudy. Like all day. *sigh* Traitorous Mother Nature. Keep flashing back to showering with Jerry; with his excellent tan I looked like a ghost.

Got a lot done today, which feels really good. Hopefully enough to carry me through this week. Work will be ramping up only to be punctuated by visits to all forms of dentistry: root scaling and planing on Monday, orthodontia consult on Wednesday, and three wisdom teeth are leaving on Friday. Popping Vicadin will make the long weekend so enjoyable. *sigh*

A Little Less Time in the Steam Room

Brought the new swim suit I bought at H&M yesterday to the gym. After I was done lifting I figured I could work in some laps. Turns out the European cut that didn't look so bad in the dressing room was not so hot out in the real world. Oh well. Motivation Through Embarrassment is my new motto, so I took the plunge. Thought I was going to die after the first lap.

Granted I was a little tired and it's been an eventful weekend, but this was plain sad. Gave up, plunking my fat ass down in the steam room. Forgot how nice that was. Stretched out and gave my muscles some much-needed attention. They have two huge jacuzzis so I got to stretch out there for a few minutes, too. I was feeling quite relaxed when I headed back to the women's locker room.

It was eerie. There was a little buzzing warning in the back of my head but my body was sort of on autopilot until I came up to the showers. They were on the wrong side. And they had dividers. When did they put those in? I continued forward again and the lockers seemed closer than I remembered. Then I smelled a delicate floral scent. Perfume?

The buzzing finally pushed to the forefront as a scream, “GET OUT YOU STUPID FUCKER!” I was confused and slow. I walked back to the exit door, but then turned back around to check on the showers. They really had dividers. The screaming was thankfully contained in my head, but my body was still befuddled.

Common sense kicked in finally and I went back to the exit door, opening it. Sure enough. There was the women's sign. Dress and everything. I didn't even stop to see if anyone was watching me or if the police had arrived. I shambled out as if it was the most normal thing in the world to open and enter the door next to the one I just left.

As I walked into the correct shower area an older, well-hung/trimmed guy was flapping in front of me as he was drying off. Excellent! Everything was right with the world again. Except… why do women get to shower in relative privacy and the men are back in Junior High? Something I'll wonder about privately.

*shudder*

Clean Up on Aisle Sean

Couple of weeks ago GopherGrocery set up a kiosk in the lobby. There rep was shoving animal crackers and a flyer at everyone coming home from work. I had my hands full but he was cute, so I said I'd be back down. Asked him some a few questions that ended with, “Are all the drivers as cute as you are? It could make a difference.” He laughed and said, “Thanks! I'll let my wife know you send your regards.” I couldn't help but giggle. I wanted to high-five him but I had the decency to thank him for his time, then slink past to grab my mail.

So last night I thought “What the Hell” and signed on. As geeky as I am, it still felt wrong ordering groceries online. Letting strange people pick my vegetables and meats. Everything was a bit more expensive, but the convenience and novelty made it okay.

Got a call from downstairs and beeped the delivery guy up. Opened the door and sure enough, it was him. He recognized me instantly. First words out of his mouth were, “The regular driver was out tonight so you got me!” I couldn't help but hang my head while muttering, “God, I'd hoped you'd forgotten about that.” Such a sweet guy.

And he brought me food! The garlic cloves are fine. Lettuce clean and fresh. The chicken looks good but I'll know Sunday when I grill it. There were a few things they didn't have so I'm not sure I'm going to adjust or not. At least they carry the sugar-free Edy's ice cream I so adore.

Vroom Vrooooom!

My auto co-worker is making me crazy. Not sure when I told him I intended my next car to be a BMW. Plus, I've wanted a convertible for a while but have steered away since they seem like targets for vandalism and speeding tickets. Hell… now that I'm in Minnesota, there's more cold time than warm. But all this practicality aside, he found a 1997 Silver Z3 1.9L Convertible for $9k. It's making my brain itch.

While I've loved the look of them since they were first introduced in 96, buying new was not an option. I might have been able to afford it but I would not allow myself to. I can't justify spending that kind of money on a method of transit. So I hadn't looked into the real criteria I would need to actually buy one until now.

While the 97 1.9L is a pretty solid performance machine, the 99 moved up to six cylinders with a 2.5L. Thankfully Thayne isn't around to be whispering M-Series in my ear. I really don't want more than 200hp in such a small chassis. I'm still worried about having the power it does have in the winter. My friend insists that the traction controls will compensate, but I'm dubious.

Anyway. As for the other practicalities… checked on the insurance bump for the 97 and it's actually less than the Celica. My exact words to the agent were, “Shit! That's for the convertible, right?” *snicker* For the money, I have resolved to never finance a used car. While I can write a check for $9k today, there's still the Celica to deal with. Kelley says I should be able to get around $6k for the Celica if the dealer is nice.

This is damn tempting. It's a Bond car!!

Smoke Free, Liberty Free

So Pawlenty signed the smoking ban already. This is the first time I've been really disappointed in a political direction this state has taken. Utah was actually less restrictive. I understand the public health issue, but this was plain vindictive. They're all gum-flapping about saving our children and such, but they're targeting areas children are not allowed. Bars and the like.

While I am not really a smoker per se, I do enjoy the cloves on the weekends. It won't be that big of a deal to give them up. But I don't like the eerie feeling of a bunch of people looking over my shoulder and wagging a finger at me. Especially when I'm responsible and indulging in a socially acceptable venue. But unlike me, there are plenty of addicts that this will really impact. I wonder if it will hurt the bars or not. Apparently patios are still okay so long as local restrictions aren't in place. We'll see come October.

New Moon, Fate, Deepest Meaning

Wladziu Valentino Liberace, Pierce Brosnan, Janet Jackson, and David Boreanaz were all born today. What is the universe telling us?

• The trouble with facts is that there are so many of them.
  Samuel McChord Crothers

Rev. Jerry Falwell Dies at Age 73

While I will rant, I don't really wish death on anyone. Out of respect for the pain their relations suffer, if nothing else. In trying to say something positive… I will miss having such an easy target.

I've often deferred my hope of social equality to the grim specter. By raising awareness in the younger generations, we only have to wait for the old guard to pass.

• I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say 'You helped this happen.'
  Jerry Falwell commenting on the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks

Wardrobe Prevarication

Sometimes I think I'm awfully clever. I finally have the prettiest straight man in the building saying “Hello” without prompting so I decided to step things up. Was staring at his ass while following him back from the break room when I noticed he was in chinos. Chinos! Not only that, they were trendily un-ironed; one of the pocket covers was all bent even.

Guess I should explain. This guy is crazy with the formal dress. Always in slacks with the Oxford button down. Everything pressed, colors consummately tuned. All of this covering a taut little 5’10” body with the dark hair/dark eyes that I so often lust over. While he will get a little foxy with the product, it's never enough to look unprofessional.¹

So anyway. I overtake him and say at his shoulder, “Are those the most comfortable pants you own?” Got me the laugh I was looking for. Scrunches up his face with a little chuckle—so adorable. Made me want to lift him up by the waist and shake him while making cooing sounds. Instead I continued with, “You're always showing everyone up with your attire. Do you even own jeans?” He tilted his head a little and said he occasionally wears some on Friday nights.² Suppressed other comments since the fork in our path was fast approaching.

Love doing this shit though. I commented on his pants which clearly says, “Dude! I'm checking out your ass!” Or does it? Though my voice was accusatory I was actually saying, “I watch how you dress that hot body of yours, My Little Ken Doll.” Or was I? It all comes down to construal when walking a tight rope over our HR department's gaping maw.

I'm going to draw this one out. Savor it. *snicker* This rejection junkie stuff gets old but at least it keeps me in practice. For without equivocating, life would boring.

• Rejection is the greatest aphrodisiac.
  Madonna, Forbidden Love

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1. Fucking metrosexual cock teases. Hate them all.
2. What his ass must look like in jeans. *shudder* Though he'd have me arrested, it'd be worth it.

Theft? But It's Right There

So it looks like the built-in networking card on my main machine (Osiris) is the cause of my recent Internet problems. It was really frustrating to diagnose since the connectivity was intermittent. Anubis also had strange problems so I still wanted to blame the modem. I was at my wits end.

Yet a Qwest technician talked me through some things that proved otherwise. Naturally, I had to get him past the default “please use your system restore CD” response. At one point, the same cable that worked on Anubis wouldn't work on Osiris. Then a cable that worked on Osiris wouldn't work on Anubis. Insanity. But after a number of restarts and NETSH buggery, things looked bad for Osiris.

I want to convert everything to wireless soon anyway, so I ended up buying a wireless USB card for Osiris. Turned off all the WEP/WPA nonsense since I'm only allowing a few MAC IDs. The modem is doing quite well with both wired and wireless but I'll eventually have Bast do the bridging. Makes me want to get a better Palm with the 801g built-in.

As a pretty kewl aside, I bought the “uber range” USB card so I could fish for free connections. There are tons with pretty strong signal in range. It turns out one of the best open ones is from the Dunn Bros coffee across the street! Very handy. Will have to see if they leave it on during the night and weekends… *giggle*

Boredom

More Internet downtime last night. Really freaky because the DSL modem lights indicate everything is okay, but it won't respond to the router or computer. So this is what I did…

Rained On
I think my DSL modem is dying. Gave it a few restarts, bypassed the router, and switched cables—no help. Tech support at Qwest closes at a reasonable time so I was left to my own devices. Started a DVD.

Then there was rain on the window. Not gentle… forceful. Demanding. With streaks of light as a backdrop followed by peals of rumbling in the distance. Suddenly it was time to be outside. So I dressed in unusable clothing then headed out the door.

Upon reaching the patio came the reality of the downpour. This wasn't something that people in their right minds would walk out in. It was the forceful rain that leaves patterns on the street, dancing waves. I moved out of the direct light to where I could smell the damp mustiness of dead cigarettes. Leaned back against a pillar and closed my eyes to better take in the sound. Two more bolts of lightning later, I couldn't remain motionless. So I was off.

Having so little hair made the coldness of the rain immediate. The reflected street light made the moving water look inches deep when there wasn't even a centimeter. I walked lightly without reason.

As I rounded the newly massive next door condominiums, I darted in under awnings when I could. Passing the entry it was too well-lit to stop as I'd look like a vagrant. So I continued on to the light that shortly changed in my favor. The bridge was well illuminated yet still shadowy. I walked without a care to the first overlook. Facing towards Hennepin Bridge I looked out over the river. The play of light across the ripples left odd patterns… like moving cave paintings that slowly swirled towards me.

A few cars passed behind me but they were easy to tune out. Bolts would arc across the sky in front of me, then head to the northwest. I stretched out my arms, tilted my head back, then took it all in. More muted light would flash over my eye lids. The rain neither lessened nor grew, but I was immune.

Leaning forward to break the reverie, it wasn't scary looking down at the pumps below. Darkness makes everything safe by being indistinct. I asked the storm why Michael wasn't here. Waiting patiently for whispers on the wind, I watched more sparks fly across the sky.

Receiving no words, I noticed a creeping cold start to pierce my shoes. Time to head back. Now that I was returning to safety, the rain was letting up. No more patterns fighting for my attention. Typical.

Was up to my building in no particular hurry. An intern came in after me. She had the tell-tale greens on that took away from the concerned look she had on her face. I would have been dismayed to get on an elevator with a soaking-wet, crazy-looking person. But it was her problem, not mine. I smiled inwardly.

As the chemical drowsiness slowly enshrouds me, I can hear the storm has passed. Like life. So full of promise, only to fade while I was somewhere else.

They're Gay!

DSL had an outage so I decided to watch Maurice. First watched it more than a decade ago with one of the first guys I ever dated. Didn't really remember much about it as I was distracted by having my head on another man's lap while watching men be in love in early twentieth century England. When TLA had the special edition on sale a month ago I picked it up. Really haven't had the tolerance for romance lately but it was good to see again.

• England has always been disinclined to accept human nature.
  Line from Maurice (1987)

Timesheet Rejected - Please correct timesheet

One thing I loathe about the corporate moiré is the regimen. Time sheets tend to be tedious and I invariably mess something up. This morning I actually enjoyed it because I got this in my Inbox seconds after signing last week's card:

May 6, 2007 Standard Weekly Timesheets
Sean,

U r missing client and activity code for TR #1812. Please update your timesheet.

Signed,
The evil timesheet wizerd.

I assume someone has put in their notice because that kind of sense-of-humor is usually frowned upon. But damn good way to start the week off with a laugh.

Sober?

Had our monthly Girl's Lunch at a place called The Muddy Pig; local pub thing that Craig picked. Walked in a little before noon and there were like two patrons. The menu had eight pages of beers with one token page of appetizers/entrées. Despite my superficial concerns the pork sandwich I had was great. Everyone else chickened out so I ordered the first thing that caught my eye: Éphémère - Apple. 750ml and I didn't share coz they teased me about it being Fruity and having a fairy on it. Took the bottle with me. *snicker* Now I'm happy to be at work… and trying not to be loud.