Happenings.....

Goodbye....

2008-01-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

I have had this blog for awhile and well, as you can see I have not posted in a long time. It is interesting to read back over my postings and have a "map" of my personal journey in the past couple of years. I will blog again, however I think the time for Happenings has come to a close. Have a great 2008 and maybe we will "cross paths" on the internet again sometime soon.....

Goodbye and thanks! Michael

Good Advice....

2007-03-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

I found this today while "stumbling" on the web. Someone had posted it on craigslist.org (best site ever!) I reposted it here for everyone to enjoy.

Advice to Young Men from an Old Man
Date: 2007-02-15, 9:08AM PST

Advice to Young Men from an Old Man
1. Don’t pick on the weak. It’s immoral. Don’t antagonize the strong without cause, its stupid.
2. Don’t hate women. It’s a waste of time
3. Invest in yourself. Material things come to those that have self actualized.
4. Get in a fistfight, even if you are going to lose.
5. As a former Marine, take it from me. Don’t join the military, unless you want to risk getting your balls blown off to secure other people’s economic or political interests.
6. If something has a direct benefit to an individual or a class of people, and a theoretical, abstract, or amorphous benefit to everybody else, realize that the proponent’s intentions are to benefit the former, not the latter, no matter what bullshit they try to feed you.
7. Don’t be a Republican. They are self-dealing crooks with no sense of honor or patriotism to their fellow citizens. If you must be a Republican, don’t be a “conservative.” They are whining, bitching, complaining, simple-minded self-righteous idiots who think they’re perpetual victims. Listen to talk radio for a while, you’ll see what I mean.
8. Don’t take proffered advice without a critical analysis. 90% of all advice is intended to benefit the proponent, not the recipient. Actually, the number is probably closer to 97%, but I don’t want to come off as cynical.
9. You’ll spend your entire life listening to people tell you how much you owe them. You don’t owe the vast majority of people shit.
10. Don’t undermine your fellow young men. Mentor the young men that come after you. Society recognizes that you have the potential to be the most power force in society. It scares them. Society does not find young men sympathetic. They are afraid of you, both individually and collectively. Law enforcement’s primary purpose is to suppress you.
11. As a young man, you’re on your own. Society divides and conquers. Unlike women who have advocates looking out for them (NOW, Women’s Study Departments, government, non-profit organizations, political advocacy groups) almost no one is looking out for you.
12. Young men provide the genius and muscle by which our society thrives. Look at the Silicone Valley. By in large, it was not old men or women that created the revolution we live. Realize that society steals your contributions, secures it with our intellectual property laws, and then takes credit and the rewards where none is due.
13. Know that few people have your best interests at heart. Your mother does. Your father probably does (if he stuck around). Your siblings are on your side. Everybody else worries about themselves.
14. Don’t be afraid to tell people to “Fuck off” when need be. It is an important skill to acquire. As they say, speak your piece, even if your voice shakes.
15. Acquire empathy, good interpersonal skills, and confidence. Learn to read body language and non-verbal communication. Don’t just concentrate on your vocational or technical skills, or you’ll find your wife fucking somebody else.
16. Keep fit.
17. Don’t speak ill of your wife/girlfriend. Back her up against the world, even if she’s wrong. She should know that you have her back. When she needs your help, give it. She should know that you’ll take her part.
18. Don’t cheat on your wife/girlfriend. If you must cheat, don’t humiliate her. Don’t risk having your transgressions come back to her or her friends. Don’t do it where you live. Don’t do it with people in your social circle. Don’t shit in your own back yard.
19. If your girlfriend doesn’t make you feel good about yourself and bring joy to your life, fire her. That’s what girlfriends are for.
20. Don’t bother with “emotional affairs.” They are just a vehicle for women to flirt and have someone make them feel good about themselves. That’s the part of a relationship they want. For you it is a lot of work and investment in time. If they are having an emotional affair with you, they’re probably fucking someone else.
21. Becoming a woman’s friend and confidant is not going to get you into an intimate relationship. If you haven’t gotten the girl within a reasonably short period of time, chances are you won’t ever get her. She’ll end up confiding to you about the sexual adventures she’s having with someone else.
22. Have and nurture friendships with women.
23. Realize that love is a numbers game. Guys fall in love easily. You’re going to see some girl and feel like you’ll die if you don’t get her. If she rejects you, move on to the next one. It’s her loss.
24. Don’t be an internet troll. Got out and live life. There is not a cadre of beautiful women advertising on Craigslist to have NSA sex with you. Beautiful women don’t need to advertise. The websites that advertise with attractive women’s photos and claims of loneliness are baloney. All they want is your money and your personal information so that they can market to you. The posts on Craigslist by young “women” seeking NSA sex, and asking for a picture are just a bunch of gay troll pic collectors. This is especially true if the post uses common gay lexicon like “hole” as in “fuck my hole” or seeks “masculine” men, or uses the word cock (except in the context of “Don’t send a cock shot.”) There are women on Craigslist. They are easily recognizable by their 2-5 paragraph postings. Most are in their 30's or older.
25. When you become a man in full, know that people will get in your way. People who are attracted to you will somehow manage to step in your path. Gay guys will give you “the look.” Old people will somehow stumble in front of you at the worst time. Don’t get frustrated. Just step aside and go about your business. Know that these are passive aggressive methods to get you to acknowledge their existence.
26. Don’t gay bash. Don’t mentally or physically abuse people because of who they are, or how they present themselves. It’s none of your business to try to intimidate people into conformity.
27. If your gay, admit it to yourself, your parents, your friends and society at large. Be prepared to get harassed. See rule 14. If someone threatens you or assaults you, call the cops. Have them arrested. You have no obligation to self sacrifice because of who you are. As a gay person, you’ll have more social freedom than straight men. Use it to protect yourself. Be prepared to get out of Dodge if your orientation makes your life unbearable. Move to San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, or New Orleans. You’ll find a welcoming community there.
28. Don’t be a poser. Avoid being one of those dudes who puts a surfboard on top of their car, but never surfs, or a dude with a powder coated fixed gear bike and a messenger bag, but was never a messenger. Live the life. Earn your bona fides.
29. Don’t believe the crap about the patriarchy. More women are accepted and attend college. More degrees are awarded to women than men. Women outlive men. More men commit suicide. Men are twice as likely to be victims of violence, including murder. If you consider sexual assaults in prisons, twice as many men are raped as women (society thinks prison rape is funny). The streets are littered with homeless men, sprinkled with a few homeless women. Statically, women are happier than men. The myth that girls are being cheated by are educational system is belied by the fact that schools are bastions of femininity, mostly run by and taught by women. Girls outperform boys in school. It is the boys in school getting fucked over, and prescribed ritalin for being boys. Real wages for men are falling, while real wages for women are rising. Just because someone says something enough times, doesn’t make it true. You have nothing to feel guilty about.
30. Remember, 97% of all advice is worthless. Take what you can use, and trash the rest.

vicioustwist
san francisco
02-15-07

Very nice...found it while "stumbling" on the web!

2007-03-06T18:30:00.001-08:00

After a while...

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean possession
and company doesn't mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of an adult not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build your roads today
because tomorrows ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have ways of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn...

Veronica A. Shoffstall

A big FUCK U!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

Why be nice about it?? Really, what do I owe them? NOTHING. All I want is my time to say what I want about the monkey company I use to work for. Yes, I was fired, because they chose to believe half truths and mis-information about me from non trust worthy people. One of them, has a felony record as long as my arm. Hummm...who to believe? Someone who has never had anything more than a speeding ticket or someone who has been arrested more than once, and convicted and fired due to the felony charges! HEy, its your company, when the customer, you said I was not "truthful" with, leaves you....who will be laughing?? Oh, yeah me assholes!!!
A month ago, I was ashamed like I did something wrong. Now I realize, I was not the one who was wrong. The monkey company was. So have fun with your employees who lie, cheat, steal, do drugs on your property, and oh yea and that includes the ones you chose to believe over me.

To you monkey company.....FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, I feel better. Amazing what a month can do! ;-)

Hello, Goodbye!

2007-02-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

On Monday Feb 5th, I lost my job. Am I upset about it? Outside of the fact that I am FREAKING out on how to hell I am planning to pay my bills, I dont miss the place. Sad really, considering I loved the company I had worked for. I felt like it was a family. Then we were purchased and the new owners seem to only care about the bottom dollar. Stupid fucks.....but as the Beatles song goes....Hello, Goodbye. I can only look ahead at what awaits me. Hello to my future, Goodbye to the idiot company and the monkey puppets who are running it. I have learned some very powerful lessons from this ordeal.

More later....

...jobs to apply for.

A great political day!

2007-01-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

This week was already a good week for liberal politics due to Obama's announcement of his intent to run for the white house. Now Hilary Clinton has jumped in!! Thank god.....for awhile, I was worried we would be stuck with John Kerry, yet again.
Nov 4 2008 should be very interesting!!!!!!

state of "my world"

2006-12-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

overall, not bad. Content on the personal level, however on the work level, still in search of something more. I have gotten to that point where I know I need to just work for myself. Things at my current employer have changed and I have a hard time taking direction from someone who is nothing but manipulative and not very bright. I didnt spend $$ to get my education to end up back in a position I had ten yrs ago. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to go with it till after the holidays, and then in 2007 my main mission: a new job!

If only some money would fall out of the sky and I could start my own business. Since that is not going to happen, I need to find another way.

Let it snow.....

2006-11-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

Last night it snowed in Seattle. I have to say, it was incredibly beautiful. I forget how quiet the world becomes with a dusting of snow on the ground. I cant believe I am going to say this, but I hope it snows again soon! ;-)

Puzzle Pieces

2006-11-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

For many years now, I have looked at my life like a giant puzzle. On this journey of life, I have been trying to find pieces that fit. So far I have found some and they fit perfectly, others, I have had to round out the edges and wiggle a little to make them fit. However, I have decided to look for only pieces that feel like they fit and no modifications needs. In the past year, this has come easier than ever before in my life. Lately the pieces have presented themselves and I no longer have to look. This is the secret! Stop looking, breath, enjoy, live in the now and the pieces of the puzzle begin to present themselves. You dont always expect them, and sometimes, you might run from them, whatever you do, enjoy it, and when it feels so good, you wake up grinning ear to ear and feel warmth from your soul, you know you have found the right piece. My puzzle is almost complete...how about yours?

Whoa...who let the cold in?

2006-10-31T17:33:00.000-08:00

it seems as if the cold from back home was shipped very far west! Yesterday, out of nowhere it became extremely cold. I suddenly felt as if I had been transported back to Vermont. Except, I am missing the fragrant smell of the leaves on the ground and the abundance of apple cider. It is during times like this, I miss home. Yes, I said it, I miss home. Honestly Seattle feels more like home to me than anywhere else, however, the familiar of Vermont I do miss from time to time. I was sharing stories of Vermont with someone today and it made me realize how much I miss it during the fall. I have a picture here on my desk at work of Michele, Dawn and myself from a few years ago at one of the fall festivals and I love this time year there. One of these days I might have to go back there and see it again. Have some real apple cider. Till then, the yummy caramel apple cider at Starbucks will have to do!

oh yeah, Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-30T23:51:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite holidays! Whos say it has to be for kids? I am so lucky to live where I do, since Seattle is so very much into Halloween!

Here are photos of this years fun times! We had a big halloween party at my work. At first I wasn't into attending , then after all the work I had put into planning it, I relented. I am very happy I did! I have some of the best co-workers you could ever ask for. So much fun! My co- worker Lisa and I decided to capitalize on the fact that we act like we are married... and went as a "dead" married couple. That is me sporting a really bad wig from Value Village! Toward the end of the night, I had on my co-worker Beth's wings and halo! Hey...every angel gets his wings!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Who will it be in '08 ?? Could be interesting!

2006-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Could we see, FINALLY IN 2006, a shift in the way we think about politics? I ask this since this early out of the gate, two top democratic contenders in the 2008 presidential race are NOT white males. I am of course speaking about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Can the democrats actually for once support what they are always screaming from the stage, a society for everyone, equal rights? This would mean, actually nominating a woman or an African American. This country is at a cross roads and I think the 2008 election will be a watershed moment for this country. We have all heard “rumors” of Hillary wanting to run for President in 2008, she has not yet said she will not seek the nomination. Lately we have heard a lot about Barack maybe considering a run for the White House in 2008. Both would be very strong candidates. Personally, if either of them were to run separately, I would vote for them. Yes, they both have their faults, and weaknesses. However, lets remember, we are electing a President, not a super hero. Lastly - anything is better than what we have in there now. The current administration, the “Dick & W” show has sent this country into a tailspin. Something I think would make 2008 even more interesting, would be if Hillary and Barack were to run together? We would have two extremely intelligent politicians from the same party who both bring a different point of view of their party and a powerhouse team. Hillary, who supports the war, and Barack who opposes the war. Not to be cynical, but I don’t see our country voting for either of them. I can see the possibility of one of them securing the nomination, but I have a feeling the Democratic Party will be their own worst enemy. Why? Because we live in a country, where there are pockets of people who think slavery was a good idea and that we still live in 1950’s America. Many of those people I believe voted for the “Dick & W” show. To get the votes of these people and remove “Dick & W” supporters from power, we need to give the people what they want, and the democrats I believe sadly, still think that is a white male. I think to properly “spin” it, I believe the democratic party will support both Hillary and Barack early on to win the votes of women and minority voters and then bring in someone else, who is a male and white. They want the win so bad, but I don’t know if they believe in their own message enough to deliver it. Instead they will hand feed anyone to make it a win and sadly this country still believes that to be a white male!

However, the republicans could be the ones to make 2008 an interesting election, not the democrats…..

Everyone knows the “Dick & W” show has almost run out of steam, and I don’t think we have any more money for them to spend. But this entire time, we have had a very powerful and intelligent woman in place, and she has quickly risen up in her position. If you are paying attention, she is in the news a lot. When she is in the news, she has distanced herself from the “Dick & W” show. The woman I am referring to is of course, Condoleezza Rice. This woman is very intelligent and understands foreign policy, has been in the beltway of Washington long enough to know what needs to be done to get things thru. As strange as it may sound, I think the republicans may be the first ones to nominate not only a woman, but an African American woman. If this were to happen, it would be the election of all elections. I believe if the republicans were to nominate Condolezza, then and only then, would the democrats fully support nominating either Hillary and/or Barak. I don’t totally support what Condolezza Rice represents as a member of the Republican party, but I do respect who she is and what she has accomplished in her career. At the current time, she seems like the strongest candidate the republicans have, I have heard nothing of her even being interested in a run for the presidential office. Only time will tell….

All I know is, I hope at least one of the three people I have mentioned does enter the race, because it will prove to be very interesting. Ideally, as a person who is fascinated by the political process of our country, I would love to see all three enter the race. Also I would love to see both Condolezza and Hillary receive the nominations from their parties! The United States I personally believe is overdue for a shake up in our presidential race and we are long, long overdue for a woman and/or minority member of our country to be President!

Taking a break...

2006-09-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

HAPPENINGS HAS STEPPED AWAY FOR A MOMENT. A LITTLE COMMERCIAL BREAK!

MEANWHILE......ENJOY THIS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT TIL WE RETURN.

THANKS!

Vitamin Water and nasty rumors.....

2006-08-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I love (ok, slightly obsessed!) Vitamin Water. So last week when I found a couple of articles about Kelly Clarkson, who is now sponsoring the Focus flavor of Vitamin Water, being told by Glaceau(the company that makes Vitamin Water)that she needs to loss weight in order to sponsor the drink, I was pissed! I decided to find out for myself. I have contacted Glaceau before and always had a very quick response. This time was no exception. I asked of the rumor, if it was in fact true. Here is the response...which I am very happy with!

Hello Michael,

thank you for your interest in glacéau vitaminwater ®.

the recent news in the media about glaceau not announcing our
partnership with kelly clarkson because of her weight is absurd and totally
untrue.  in fact, we announced the partnership last month via several media
outlets including the associated press, entertainment tonight, the
insider and people magazine.

kelly is beautiful and healthy and has looked to vitaminwater for years
because it works for her - it provides her with the nutrients she needs
to lead a healthy lifestyle.

keep your eyes open for our new ad campaign featuring kelly, which will
be breaking next month!

sincerely
mike
consumer relations representative
glacéau
www.glaceau.com                           
1-877-GLACEAU

Needless to say, I was very happy. It would have been hard, but I would have had to stop drinking it, if in fact they were telling Kelly Clarkson she had to loss weight. I think she is an amazing singer as well as a positive role model for little girls, not only because of her success, but also due to her down to earth attitude and that she is of a normal body type. Women and girls in our society are sadly lead to believe that to be healthy you need to be a size 2. We need woman who are of average build in the spotlight, much like Kelly!

Also, on a side note, I attended her concert on the 6th of this month and what an incredible performer! Her new album comes out in Feb '07.

I can now go back to consuming insane amounts of Vitamin Water as I listen to Kelly blast from the speakers!

I created a Slide Show! Check it out!

2006-08-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Breath!

2006-08-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

I say breath, because for the first time in my life, I have come to realize that is the only thing I can actually control from day to day. For my entire life I have worried about tomorrow and made myself suffer major anxiety....for what? I cant control tomorrow, what happens will happens. Yes, I can make good decisions and hope those decisions produce a better tomorrow, but I can not control it. Some things have happened in my life as of late, and the biggest one of those being the sale of the company I work for. For the last couple of weeks I have been stressing out about it, and today I realized, this is a major waste of time. I really enjoy where I work, we have fun every day and I love my co workers and I need to enjoy the here and now for what it is worth, because in a month it could all change. Why waste today worrying about it? I cant. Also on other fronts in my life I have felt much more centered, It feels very good. The puzzle pieces of my life are starting to fit into place & I no longer have so much self doubt. I will get up tomorrow and breath again and see what will unfold. Instead of stressing and letting tomorrow remain a mystery, I find myself waking up excited, because the day is a new adventure. :-)

Just too funny to NOT post!

2006-08-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so be warned - these pics are not for kids.....that being said, these are too damn funny! ENJOY!

REALLY BAD PORN!

still have my job, for awhile!

2006-08-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

On August 1st our company was sold. We are a company of only 45 employees and the company that purchased us is of comparible size. So when two companies of that size come together, you will have overlap and positions will be eliminated. The last couple of weeks have been tense to say the least. The calm before the storm, sort of speak. I am a marketing & project manager, because our company doesnt need a full time marketing manager. Plus having this position is fun in the sense, every day is different for me, depending on what project I might be working on. Lately it has been a lot of customer service, to get a big client of ours up to speed. In the last few weeks, this client has become very easy to manage, and that compounded with the lack of focus has left little to do in marketing. I have been wondering what the hell is happening with my position, I am still not sure. But I do know, now my top priority is that I have a marketing project to help rebrand both companies! For me this is very exciting, as well as alot of pressure. This is better than being told I am unemployed, that conversation could happen in a month! I hope not, but it is a possibility! I have been waiting to see if there would be any marketing and it appears the new CEO wants to get out there in the marketplace front and center and now is the time to do it. I am very excited!

back to work!

Unforseen

2006-08-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Funny how life can be sometimes. You seek for something for so long, searching and never finding what you want. When you give up & decide life is ok as it is, and whatever happens will happen. Suddenly out of no where an answer appears. This has happened to me lately, and has caught me off guard. Instead of my normal reaction of trying to control it, I am going with the flow. I am calm and very peaceful and happy. Life seems good at the moment and I am just waiting for what ever may be next. I cant always control what goes on, and have found it is much more fun to take whatever is thrown my way.

4 years!

2006-08-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a milestone and I almost totally forgot about it, with everything else going on as of late. August 3 makes it 4 years I have been in Seattle! It has been an interesting 4 years and I dont plan on leaving anytime soon! I love it here. Seattle is home.

HAPPY 4 YEARS and counting.....

WATCH & ENJOY!

2006-08-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

Funny as hell, cause, well...she is one crazy bitch!

Gnarls Barkley is a music genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have had this self imposed rule of needing to like at least 3 songs off an album before purchasing. This stems from me, in the past buying albums liking one track and then years later, thinking ... "What the fuck was I thinking!"

I had to break my rule for the "St Elsewhere" album by Gnarls Barkley. Anyone who can cover a Violent Femmes song and do it justice is good! If someone can cover Gone Daddy Gone, a classic Femmes song and make me have a desire to blast it from the Mazda at the highest volume possible, is a fucking musical genius!

I heard Gnarls' cover of "Gone Daddy Gone" and I proceeded to go to Tower Records on Monday night and purchase the album! No regrets.....all I can say is, the ZoomZoom has a new soundtrack!

WOW! This album is amazing, it is so diverse in range. I have now listened to it from beginning to end, and no shitty tracks!

Now, I get the "Gnarls" hype.....

everyone, run out and buy this album! INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is that coming from iTunes?? Why, yes, yes it is Gnarls!

Enough Said.....

2006-08-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

I think this sums up the absurdity of the argument over gay marriage......

...huuummmm

2006-07-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

I come on here and write about my life and lately I have not. Why? Mainly because I sit here and write and write and never get the answer I want. My life, what do I expect to come of it? Magically I hope if I write, someone out there will read it and have the key to unlock the mystery of my life. What is my purpose? Why am I here? What am I doing...those questions I throw around late at night when I am in my apartment and wonder what I am doing next with my life. I feel as if every time I get closer to figuring it out, it is as if I am in a room and I can see the key that will unlock the mystery. Just as I am ready to reach down to pick it up, the lights go out and I left fumbling in the dark, searching. I know the key is there, I saw it. It has too be there. Today I woke up depressed for the first time in a long time. I forgot what it felt like; I have not felt this way in quite some time. Nevertheless, today, it was back, like an old friend. Except it is an old friend I no longer wanted to invite in. I was hoping I had evicted this old friend and the new one, peacefulness had moved in. There is not room enough for both of them.

Smile from inside your soul.....

2006-07-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is one of those days, where it feels good to be alive for no particular reason, just nice to be here and experience it all. So many times in my life, I never knew what this felt like, and now that I have the chance to expereince it more often than not, I know what living really feels like. When the air smells amazing, the sun is bright and you think of the people in your life, and you smile. Smile from inside your soul. This is the only way to experience it, it only comes once, and it goes by quickly. Take it all in.

A tribute to the living!

2006-07-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

I realized upon hanging up the phone tonight with my brother Chad, that I had talked about David, our brother who passed away 10 yrs ago; however, I had not talked about Chad on here recently.

Chad is my surviving sibling. We had an interesting relationship as we were growing up, since we are only 2 1/2 yrs apart in a small town, it is hard to have separate identities, and friends when there is limited people to be friends with to begin with! However, since David's death we have grown closer and have in the past few years developed a friendship. A large part of my motivation moving to the west coast was Chad. He was living in Portland when I moved here. The year after David died Chad left VT and never returned for anything other than a visit. I was so envious of him on his visits home, he seemed at peace, calm and very happy. He inspired me to make the "leap" and remove myself from my comfort zone. I am so incredibly happy I did, I have never felt more centered in my life than I do now. Granted, I don’t have it all figured out, but I am working on it!!

Chad - Thanks for always being an amazing brother and now a very good friend. I love you!

My favorite place

2006-07-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to the beach for two days. I have not been there since the year before last, I didnt go last year, because it was a special place for Jessica and I to go together. This year, I decided there has been enough time passed, and I missed it. There is something incredibly healing about the ocean. You stand there and look out and realize just how large this world is.
I needed some time away and just get perspective on things, and a trip to the ocean always does the trick. It was nice to be away and just read and relax for two days! Here are some pics!

David

2006-07-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

He was my little brother. He was one of my closest friends.
But for the past 10 years he has been gone. He died and my life felt like it stopped. I didnt think I could take a breath again without it hurting. I never knew one person could hold so much pain inside and continue to live their day to day lives. There have been numerous times in the past 10 yrs where I thought I need to just stop, I cant go on. I did and I have and because of that, I am very thankful now for the past 10 years. I have done some of the most amazing things in my life and I look at today as a sad day, but also a milestone. I can and will continue, life is fun and still so much to do and learn. Yes David is gone, but I realized a long time ago I cant bring him back so all I can do is enjoy it for him! He has, in a way, become my teacher. His death made me see that my life was radically off track, it was the wake up call I needed. David saved my life, he saved me from myself.

Whereever you may be David... I love you forever. I miss you. Keep guiding me thru the tough times and I will keep listening for you. Someday, somewhere I will get to see you again.

Love always - Michael

SEATTLE PRIDE

2006-06-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Have PRIDE, version 2.0!

2006-06-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend was PRIDE Seattle.

I attended the Seattle PRIDE parade for the the first time. It seems fitting because I have made a lot of 'discoveries" about myself this year and it's the first year I truely have PRIDE of who I am. The biggest discovery this year is this: I love women and I always will. How can I not? But at the same time, I love men, oh yeah...so why choose!!??

Vanilla or Chocolate!??!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want both!!! And I shall have both!

Am I straight, nope!

Am I gay, nope!

I guess, I would say that would place me firmly in the middle...happily bisexual Michael!!

I have known this about myself for a while, but the most important part
of my discovery this year is the simple fact I am ok with it, I like
it, its part of me. I want it to be part of me; I do not want to run away
from it anymore. Life is too short, I need to live and live it to the
fullest! To do this I need to be true to who I am! Now I can be and will always be!!!!!!!!!

hahhahahaha, yup that is me!

So help me celebrate PRIDE! HOW?

Remember not everything is black and white. You can't fit people in a box and expect them to be happy.
Life is to live and enjoy, if someone is not hurting another person, let them live their life.
Do not be so quick to judge, instead listen and offer support.

There have been many people in my life who have helped me, and
it has not always easy to be me. However, now for the first time in 35
years I feel good waking up everyday as Michael Woodward. I know who I
am. Thank you to all who have helped me on this journey.

Now - lets continue having fun!!

*** this had been posted last Friday, however, somehow when I made some editions to it over the weekend, the entire post was wiped out! Here it is again....version 2.0! - Michael ***

WORK SUCKS

2006-06-06T00:29:00.000-07:00

ENOUGH SAID! There is no other way to say it. A friend of mine was laid off today. My company has a way of "laying off" people, instead of firing them. The sad part is, we have a few employees who are not worthy of employment, however they are still there and now my friend is not. She worked late everyday and tried to work with the customers, however, not good enough! FUCKING place...I am out of there. I need to focus this week on looking for another job and getting myself working closer to home. The commute is a bitch every day, and after today, I have no energy to stay there....why should I??? I realize my job is changing, I will be doing customer service full time soon, I can tell. Not what I want to do, considering I did it 10 yrs ago!

So, I have decided...see ya......what next? I dont know. That is the big issue facing me now.

My office smells pretty!!!!!!!!

2006-06-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how the simplest gesture of kindness can make your entire day! WOW! I was discussing with my co worker Chris yesterday how Peonies were my favorite flowers. I have loved them since childhood, I love the smell and would sit for hours watching the ants run all over them tops of them. They now remind me of my grandmother, who has since passed away, she would tend to the masssive hedge of Peonies that were planted outside of the apartment building they owned. Every summer she would cut a large bunch of them, and they would be through out her house, filling the entire place with their fragrance. Now my office smells of these flowers and a nice reminder of home. Thanks Chris!

As I said this morning when I arrived: "My office smells pretty!" Much to the delight of my co workers! Ahh...to bring humor to the work place!!

work....humm, what to do next?

2006-05-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

It figures, just when I get to a point in my job, where I think, ahhh, finally a career path....BAM! Someone throws an enourmous rock thru my window. Once again, my GM has put the spin on it, that since i am soooo goooood with customers, I am needed to help get a customer back on board. FUCK! I can see the writing on the wall, within months, I will probably NOT be doing anything that has to do with marketing and fully involved in client services. Now I am back to where I was before I started this job, looking for another job. At least I am not unemployed or laid off. Just when I am finally getting ahead with the $$, a hole is blown in the side. It has been a long fucking year, and I was finally feeling good about everything and now at the end of today, I am feeling completely deflated. Maybe I will feel better tomorrow, who knows. Its just a job.....right?

Hail Time @ Sasquatch!

2006-05-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Waiting out the hail storm in the beer tent@sasquatch! We were hiding out from the major hail storm that decided to hit the Sasquatch fest! Rained out most of the afternoon acts. Sunday was a much better day! I will post a couple of pics.....

and back to normal life again...

2006-05-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

I am back and this week started with a bang. My manager I love, is leaving to for a new position, she was offered an amazing job somewhere else. This sucks for me, since she was the biggest advocate for change there, and now I am not so sure what will happen. Also she gave me the heads up for changes that will take place after the long weekend. I can only wait to see. My GM doesn't see value in marketing, he sees as an expense, so it wouldn't surprise me if I am either laid off or "pushed" into another position within the company. I cant stress about what I cant control. I will not take it lying down, not after what I have accomplished there. I am going to enjoy the weekend, and see what happens when I get in on Tues.

Meanwhile, its time to enjoy the extended weekend! I am off to the Sasquatch Music Festival! YEAH! Two days of music!!! Fun fun! I hope its not raining in the gorge!

Will update with photos later. Bye

back!

2006-05-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I have taken a break from here for awhile, since I was off traveling to the east coast. An huge thank you to my friends, you are amazing! I feel very very lucky to have you in my life. As I boarded the plane last Sunday at Logan, I thought of all the fun I had and how much I miss each and everyone one of you. I love Seattle, I really do, it is an incredible place to live, but I miss the connections I have with my friends back east. Enough to move back? I never thought I would consider it, but in the last week, it is something I have considered. Who knows what I will think in 6 months!? Kinda of at a crossroads I guess. I will figure it out.

Thank you to all of you for an amazing time. Garrett and Brian, wow!!! THANK YOU for the TWO parties you hosted while I was on the east coast.

Until I am back next summer for Kate's wedding, you are all welcome to come and visit me in Seattle!

Love you all and miss you so so so much! M.

East Coast Bound

2006-05-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!!!!!!!!!!! 10 days on the east coast and visiting my friends! Fun fun! I have missed you all!

I will miss Seattle and I have very good reasons to return. Its home now.

Next post will be from the other side of the country!

BYE!

postsecret!

2006-05-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

I am so excited....

Postsecret, the art project I have been tracking for awhile, the "creator" Frank is coming to Seattle for a book signing!! WOW! I have waited and waited for a Seattle appearence and here it is! Not that I really should buy a copy, I should save my money for my trip, but I want one signed. This is one of the coolest art projects I have ever seen!

Here is a writeup about it:

Frank Warren is a Maryland business owner who, in November 2004, started a 'community art project' that has captivated people everywhere, and made for one of the year's bestselling delights. PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives (Regan) is a compilation of many of the life-held secrets people confessed in postcard form which Frank Warren then transposed to his website. Information on this, aside from the book itself, can be found at www.postsecret.blogspot.com. "A fascinating public airing of private thoughts—some dark, some funny, endearing or disturbing—written on homemade postcards...The range of efforts (meticulous, sloppy, artful, ponderous) will astound you." - TIME.com. This should be fun.

Check it out!

life is good

2006-05-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

I feel good about life right now. I feel centered, I feel like I finally belong in my own life, my own skin. This is the first time in 35 yrs I have felt this alive and content. I am very much looking forward to going to the east coast, and now, I am very excited about returning home, to Seattle. This is where I belong for the time being. I dont want to say forever, things in life change too damn fast to say forever. You can never count on forever. Only plan for the future and see what happens. Usually I am surprised, I am never ready for what life throws at me. I am usually caught off guard. Every day is a gift.

East coast bound!

2006-05-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

I leave in exactly one week for the east coast and I am so excited I could burst!!!!!!!!!!!! I get to see all of my friends! I love it!! I cant wait.....one week seems like a long time.

So true.....

2006-04-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

...."Well, preparation isnt always the best route.... sometimes you just close your eyes, turn up the stereo and punch the accelerator!!!!!!!!!"

I could not have said it better myself. Life is fun and exciting right now and I cant always "prepare" my reactions and the outcome, sometimes things just happen. I need to let them just happen and enjoy the ride.

freedom of speech?

2006-04-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

I think it is disappearing FAST in this country. This woman is arrested for yelling out what she believes??? Harrassing a foriegn official..come on!! Bush is such a fucking idiot and so are his policies!!

Read this:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060421/pl_nm/china_usa_protester_dc

Am I am alone in thinking, there are REAL criminals we should be arresting?? FUCK!

Funny as hell!

2006-04-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

Found this while "stumbling" on the web.....click here to launch the website and an easier to read version. Too funny....enjoy!

She is finding her way....

2006-04-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

...and nothing, I mean nothing, has brought me greater joy then to watch her find happiness for herself. It is not easy, but when you do it, you feel liberated.

Sunshine, I love you and may you continue on your amazing journey with few bumps in the road from now on.

I love you.

I love my life, but......

2006-04-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

there are parts of what I use to have that I miss so much. I am feeling this pull and I am hoping it disappears after my trip back home. When I get back to Seattle, I will know if this is the place, after this trip back home. My perspective has changed a lot in the past year. I am missing the connection of my friends back home. These feeling have become paramount in the last couple of weeks, as I get closed to my departure date.

Will I want to get back on the plane? Recently I have realized how far 3,000 miles is. Too far on some days, like today.

My green kitchen!

2006-04-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

My newly painted kitchen. Dreamweaver green! 1st coat & I love it! I call it dreamweaver green, since I had Lowes match the color off of my dreamweaver book, when I could not find a green color in the swatches I really liked! The first coat is applied, I think I will need at least 3 coats for it to be the color I want. I love it! Having an apt you can paint is awesome....!

Bunny Video

2006-04-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Wrong, oh so wrong, but as is usually the case, funny as hell!

Enjoy !!

The Easter Bunny Hates You on Transbuddha

Time to continue the educational experience!

2006-04-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

I went to an open house today at Seattle University focusing on the Graduate program. I came away from there, having found my next BIG THING!! hahahaaa...it feels so good to be this completely excited about something again! I have visted UW(university of washington), one of the reasons I moved here was to attend UW. Well, as much as it is an amazing place, and I would get an incredible education, I have found somewhere that feels like it fits. It is like Lyndon State on steriods! The same kind of laid back atmosphere, and small class size and campus. I attended the info session about their MBA program, and then talked with a couple of professors from the business school and the director of admissions and I was hooked! Also in my research about the place, I found out you can do a dual degree of an MBA and a JD(law degree) and my first thought was why not? And really, why not? It would cost me the same as one degree.....and I could have a doctorate by the time I am 40! Do I want to be a lawyer, not really, but its more about the fact I can do it....and why not? If got the degree I would have it, and would be enpowered with more options, depending upon how I want to utilize the degree. It is something I would have to give some more thought too. The one thing I know for certain, my goal for the next yr is too get myself to the place where I can apply and be accepted for the MBA program. I can do this part time and still work full time. Alot of work, but I can do it! I want too do it! I am very excited.

Goodbye little boy

2006-04-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

One door closes and another one opens.

Very true, so many things have happened in my life in the last year, the most important one being, I have killed off, once and for all, the scared little boy who lived (for so long) in me. He was always there. I am going home and I am returning home without a part of me, he is gone. Sometime in the past couple of weeks, he left. He has exited the building sorta of speak. He is gone. I was pushing him out, slowly, but when I would sit at home alone and deep in thought, he would creep back in. He was there to remind me to not get too comfortable, something is bound to happen, be on edge. I am not anymore. I know where it all stems from and I have addressed so many of these issues in the past year. I have the most liberated feeling now, like anything is truely possible in your life, you need to have guidence and support and ask for help. We are not meant to go thru this world alone...

Because of this, he has left. I am who I want to be, he is not needed there to guard the door. The fucking door has swung wide open and the sun is very very bright. He didnt like the sun, so he left.

Now, in 5 weeks I fly home to Vermont. I fly home an entirely different person. So many things back there I have to resolve for me, before I get back on the plane. I ran from there as fast I possibly could, even after all these years I could not get rid of my bad dream where I would wake up and be back there, trapped, unable to breath and never have the ability to escape. That bad dream has ended, when the scared boy left, he took that with him. Now I dream daily of an amazing life in my new home and the life I am building. It is never easy, but I wonder, if it were easy, would it be as much fun?

When I come back I will feel very good, I will feel closure and I can move on. I can close so many doors for once. Lock them and move forward. Walk into the sunlight.

You can go home again and you can be happy to leave.

I am torn.....

2006-03-31T10:17:00.000-08:00

because after years of looking and looking for a company where I can come in everyday and love what I am doing, love my co-workers and leave feeling really good about what I do, I have found it. Granted I was pissed when I got my review and felt slighted by the amount of money I received and no "real" title, therefore not feeling I really got the promotion I deserved. Now, this week I have really been thinking about this place in a different light. This thought process has been brought on by my "changed perspective" of the last week. I now live in a city I consider home, I no longer feel like " I am running" to find a place anymore, and I have a job I enjoy, and very good friends here.

I have a life here. A life that I love.

However, I am being considered for a job that would take me out of state alot, it would be a total departure from anything I have done before. I am waiting for the proposal from the software company to see what they offer me. Before they do offically offer me a position, I want to be prepared to make the "correct" decision. Too often I have made the decision that has short term results. My main motivator for taking that position would be the monetary compensation and the challenge to do something totally different. If they offer me more than what I am making here, I know I would run and sign right up for it. Do I want that? Is money always the best thing to chase after? Do I want to travel and be gone from "home". I was driving home last night, the sun was setting on the city, the sound was filled with ferry boats and cargo ships and the mountains were dark and beautiful as the sun was setting behind them and I thought how much I would miss having that drive, with my windows open and the sea air enveloping my car. Do I "run" like I am so good at. Do I chase after the next thing....normally I would say, yeah, go for it! Life is short, right? It is short, but what is that I want??

This is the hard part lately. What do I want.? Out of a relationship, from my job, what do I want for a career?

Right now, I love what I am doing. I now have a manager who is fun to work with, my co - workers who are fun. We laugh every day! Its not always easy, but what job is? My manager challenges me, makes look at things in a different light. I have grown a lot professionally in the last two months with her direction. Yesterday we were working on re vamping our site and we got to the staff page updates. We had some changes, so I was ready to just list myself as marketing coordinator, since I have not been given a "real" title by my GM. So, my manager says, "No, you are more than a coordinator, you have been managing the marketing, therefore you deserve the title. She leans over and types in "Marketing & Project Manager". I was happy and very surprised. She knows my frustration, and addressed it head on yesterday. She would like me to have faith in her that she is trying to work on the problems here and at the same time, she values what I am doing and have brought to this company, and wants me to stay here. Granted I know I could be making more money somewhere else, but she asked me what I really wanted to do. I have been thinking about that alot, since I have been offered this position at the software company. Is more money the answer? What to do? I thought this decision would be so so easy and it is hard, very hard. I have never felt an emotional pull to a place I have worked as much as I do here. The only place that came close, was LSC. But there the emotional tie came from being a student, not so much from the work experience, even though it was amazing working there.

Next week I will probably be presented with an actual job offer proposal from the software company to consider. When they do, I want to go into the decision making process really thinking about it and not making a knee jerk reaction decision. What to do.....so much to consider.

Your Heart Is An Empty Room

2006-03-31T09:36:00.000-08:00

Burn it down till the embers smoke on the ground
And start anew when your heart is an empty room
With walls of the deepest blue

Home's face: how it ages when you're away
Spring blooms and you find the love that's true
But you don't know what now to do
Cause the chase is all you know
And she stopped running months ago

And all you see is where else you could be
When you're at home out on the street
Are so many possibilities to not be alone

The flames and smoke climbed out of every window
And disappeared with everything that you held dear
But you shed not a single tear for the things that you didn't need
Cause you knew you were finally free

Cause all you see is where else you could be
When you're at home out on the street
Are so many possibilities to not be alone

And all you see is where else you could be
When you're at home there on the street
Are so many possibilities to not be alone

An amazingly good song from Death Cab and it seems very fitting right now to the mindset I currently have.

Craigslist!

2006-03-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you Fred Placey! My good friend Fred, check out his blog, The Flog, linked on my blog, sent me this link to a video preview of the movie "24 Hours on Craigslist." As many know, I am a devoted, ok...ok, obsessed fan of Craigslist! Craig is a god! The man is brilliant for his simple idea, that has taken upon a life of its own! Long live Craig!!!

Now, here is the video:

2006-03-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

A Good Day!

Murderball

2006-03-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

Murderball. An excellent movie. Entertaining and it makes you think. One of the better movies I have seen. Very real, what more can I say, other than.....go rent it!

Dance like no one is watching...

2006-03-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

I usually do! I had to post this, it was too funny not to share! Enjoy!

Hosted at YourSpaceNow.com

Crash Differently!

2006-03-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the funniest video about a mac. I love them, but everything this guy says is true!

Enjoy!

Push it faster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-03-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you're on a merry go round ride in relation to life? This is how i have felt for a while...and the ride was making my stomach hurt. Then suddenly something happens, oh so small, that you are no longer sick. Instead, you throw your arms out and instead of holding on, wondering when you will fall on your head, you throw them up in the air and laugh your ass off and cant believe you have been missing so much while keeping your head down! No more hanging on and push it faster....!!!!!!!!!!!

Starbucks Sleeper

2006-03-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Tiffany and I met up in Edmonds for coffee. This guy had been sleeping for awhile, he was there when we arrived. One of the employees had come over and told him, he was not going to be able to sleep there. He ignored her. About 15/20 mins later, another employee came over and asked him, once again, nicely to pick up his stuff and leave, since was sleeping and had not and was not planning on buying anything. The sleeper was rude about it and basically from what I gathered, told them to fuck off he was staying and call the cops if they want him to leave.
About 5 minutes later, the cops showed up and after asking him about 5 times nicely to leave, the guy was getting rude, the cop had to call for back up. So three cops later, and having to lift him up to standing position, the guy finally left. When we left 10 minutes later, the guy was standing outside, I am sure waiting to go back inside. Out of fairness to both sides, the cops were extremely nice to him, as were the starbucks employees. The first starbucks employee told him if bought something he could stay. The cops offered to drive him the 10 miles into Seattle to one of the shelters. He refused. A sad situation. Funny to see a cop in Starbucks, removing a "customer" ..... so I had to take a picture. Gotta love your camera phone!

Spring is here....finally!

2006-03-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Spring has arrived, right on schedule, here in Seattle! Thankfully so, this is the first year since moving to Seattle, that winter got to me. It is still not as bad as winter in Vermont. When I bitch about the weather back there and its all better!

I took this picture out the front door of my apartment. The trees are budding out, by the end of the week, the street and all of the greenlake area will be awash in spring flowers and budded out trees, so exciting!

It has now only been 5 days of 35 and well, I dont know what has brought about the change in my perspective, but I am feeling really good about life now. Not everything is going as I hoped, but I am quickly realizing you can't control everything. You change what you dont like about your life, if you dont, then you have no room to bitch. There are things I want to change and I am thinking of the most effective way to do it. I have a tendency to be reactionary and then look back and think.....humm, I coulda, shoulda! I need to stop that. I want to just have fun and enjoy it, calm down and not rush everything. Part of my new perspective is some goal setting for the next 5 years. Those goals are:

Begin on some level, working for myself, get back into designing.
Skydive...was hoping to do it before the big 35, didnt happen.
Buy a house, hoping I can do this in the next two years.
Get my masters, in what, not sure yet. I am leaning towards my MBA.
Have a child, I am sick of waiting. This is will come after home ownership, so my child has a place to come home too as grow up in. I dont want to raise a child in an apt. How am I going to do this....who knows. But I dont care if I am with someone or not. I will be an excellent parent, and i am done waiting for someone else to get their head out their ass and decide what is or isnt important in life. So if I meet someone after I have a child, we come as a package deal.
Met someone who wants me for the long haul. I am a good guy and deserve love and respect at the same time! Relationships are not easy, but they can survive and be healthy.
Travel more. Before and after I have a child. I would love to take my child to far off places, so many places to see, better to learn about it while there, then from some book.

Thats it....all for now. Time to go out and enjoy the spring weather. I love Seattle, its home to me.

Goodbye 34......Hello 35!

2006-03-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

For months I have been depressed about turning 35, probably due the fact it's a turning point. I am now as close to 40 as I was to 30. Then, this morning I awoke with a new perspective, I am very happy to be celebrating my 35th birthday. Another year of life I have had the opportunity to experience. Every year that goes by life seems to get better, I think its due to the new perspective I gain as I get older.

34 was good, but I am thinking 35 should be even better! Looking forward to it!

going home...

2006-03-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

In two months, I will be back in the northeast. I never thought I would be excited about returning to New England, but it has been two years since I was in Vermont. Even though I consider Seattle home now, I do miss what I had taken for granted for so long. Not enought to move back there, but enough to want to experience it for a short time. I really miss my friends, I cant wait to see them and just have some time to hang out with them. Also it will be nice to walk down a road without a thousand cars whizzing by, to visit Lyndon and walk around campus which is like a second home to me, and see all that has changed in the time I have been away. To take the time to sort through my stuff that has sat at my parents house for three years. Consign some things that I can never see making the trip west and package up other things to ship to myself. It is always interesting to return to your hometown after being away, you see everything in an entirely new light. For so long, I saw where I was from as an entrapment, a place I would never escape. Now that I have been gone for long enough, I realize it is due to the fact I didnt feel "at home" there. I felt like I had landed in the wrong place. All along I thought it was me, now I know, no, I just needed to find "that place" for me. I have found it. Will I be here forever? Maybe, maybe not. Life is short. So many places to see and go. In the past 10 years I have done things I would never have thought possible 10 years ago. Actually if someone had sat the "me of 10 years ago" down and told me what I would have happen in my life, I would never have believed them. David's death was the beginning of the end of my old life and the old me. If I had to trade in what I have to have him back, I would in a second. But I cant, therefore I am grateful that I didnt stay in my depressed state and instead motivated myself to change my life. Change I did. My life has been completely amazing in the past 9 years, completely amazing! It has hurt like hell on some days, but I am happy to be alive everyday. I have been depressed about this July coming up, instead I need to run toward it head-on. Everyday is a gift. July 5th, 1996 is the worst day on the calendar, but on that day I was able awoken to how much life there was out there to experience. Experience everything there is, every person is a lesson, a gift and run toward your fears and conquer them! What else can you do. For me there are things I need to do in order to move further forward. It's been 10 years and I need to release some of the hurt, sadness, bitterness, and hate I have carried. Time to let it all go. When I get back on the plane to return here to Seattle, my home, I need to leave many of those feelings in Vermont. Release myself from the demons. Forgive and move ahead. All I can do to continue on this amazing journey thru life and be truely happy.

Devil Duckie

2006-03-10T23:42:00.000-08:00

What a week! Enough said!

a new level of working!

2006-03-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Since my employer has decided to be a dumbass and not utilize and recognize my talents, I now have soo sooo sooooo much more time to cruise the web. The web is getting better and better all the time. Like today, I spent some quality time surfing for one of my latest obsessions: Kelly Clarkson. I never paid attention to American Idol, I still don’t. When Kelly was first on the music scene her music sucked so bad, it made me want to get sick in the first toilet I encountered. But, wow...with her second album, I have become a self professed Kelly junkie. It helps that she is nice to look at as well. Today I did a Kelly Clarkson image search on Google and found a ton! Nice! Ahhhh.....working is great! Considering that everything I was tasked with doing, I finished way before lunch. Surfing time.....

Here is one of
my fav's of Kelly---->

Ok, now back to work....ugh............................................................................

change of plans for my life

2006-03-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

I am working at the job, that until last friday I really enjoyed. But thanks to my general manager and his lack of vision, I am no longer excited about working here. Why? Because I was working very hard to make things happen here at work. I find new challenges exciting, I like to do things that make me think outside of the box. For the first time in a long time I was excited every day about coming to work. I had implimented a plan of action that saved our company a lot of money and kept an account, that had already fired us in house. My thanks...96 cents! big fucking deal! Excuse me, I saved an account that is worth a quarter of a million dollars, when NO ONE else was willing to take any responsibility and now, the customer is here and very happy, and all I get is a shitty 96 an hour raise. FUCK YOU! Then to make matters worse, its not even in this weeks paycheck! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW LONG AM I TOO WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????

So, I was considering staying here, to get the experience level that I need to move on. I probably will have to do that. But if I do, my level of work is going to decrease. Why work at such a high level, if there are no rewards?

Maybe its time to look somewhere else besides Seattle. Maybe my time here is up and I need to move on. So, I am considering a move to San Diego next winter, after my lease is up. This time will give me the chance to really evalute what I want.
Scott and Shawn are in San Diego as well as my friend Doug, it would be nice to have some friends from back home around. Who knows......we will see how I feel in a month or two......

Calvin & Hobbes! Gotta love them!

2006-03-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

Mac Geeks unite!

2006-03-07T08:58:00.001-08:00

Being a self proclaimed Mac Geek and a techno geek for a long long time...this cartoon was too damn funny to pass up! ENJOY!

Very interesting idea

2006-03-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been thinking i want to do something more creative with my life and my day to day working, instead of being the corporate whore that I have been for so long !! Then I came across this website and was completely impressed. Its amazing how the web is now connecting people as well as becoming an outlet for creative expression. I love it! Check this out! I am also going to include this one on my links on the front page of my blog.

Check this out! NYC Subway art!

2006-03-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

Very cool......NYC SUBWAY ART

Here are a couple of examples:

The run around!

2006-03-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

So, I had my review where i work, and after working my ass off for the past two months and retaining business worth 1/2 million dollars, I only got a $1 an hour raise. Big fucking deal. Instead of a promotion I get a lateral move. Thats fine. Now I know where I stand here and no longer feel like I owe anything to this company. Actually I feel relief, I feel like I am justified in making some hard decisions about what I want to do with my life now. For the past year, I have been working very very hard to make ends meet. Now I know what I am making and can budget accordingly. I would love to cut and run from here for the next big thing, but instead I need to put together a plan for myself. I think I am done working for everyone else to "just make it"
I need to focus my energy's on something else......what that is, I will figure out. Its all a process.

2006-03-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

"chasing after you...falling even more in love with you"

Its amazing how one song can throw you completely back in time. I remember when this song was popular and everything I felt then, came rushing back to me. How life changes and you end up somewhere totally different than where you thought you would be. No regrets...well maybe a couple of small ones! ;-) One kiss would not have hurt anything.........

Bush is a F*CKING MORON!

2006-03-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

Here is yet, another example....

KATRINA ARTICLE

He needs to be removed from office. Lets see the war, the destruction from Katrina....anything else? What a moron.

sanddollar

2006-03-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

sanddollar
Originally uploaded by lsc2seattle.

Photo of my prize sanddollar from Lenbetter Point, Washington. Posting from my new flickr account. Did it work?

for no other reason than to enjoy....

2006-02-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

is why I posted this. Creative Concept <<----photos from Burning Man - An event I hope to one day experience.

moving ahead in life is key.

2006-02-24T23:22:00.000-08:00

I love to read her blog, I go on there daily to see what she has posted, to see if she is as excited about life as I hope she will be. I love that she is happy. I love to know she is taking time to enjoy the little things that happen in life. I love that she is with someone who seems to make her happier than I was able too.

There are days where I think the healthy thing would be to totally walk away, remove her from my life, but I cant, I know I cant, I know I never will.

She brings me too much joy. My life is better because I have loved her and known her. My life is better because she is in it.

You change when you are with a person, and then to no longer be with them, you have to evolve the relationship. It's hard, you remember everything that once was, you want it back in a small way, how can you not, you were happy, or were you? As a person you can look back and examine where you were as a person, and you can still feel what was a good time and what was not a good time. Near the end, it was not good, it was not healthy, but it was still love, or else, why try? I will never forget the first trip to the zoo, or the picnic at golden gardens beach. Memories forever etched into my mind. To be on Leadbetter beach in the sand, the sun to our backs and she threw her ring in the ocean, saying I was the one. I was for awhile. I believed it all, I wanted to believe it was forever. I ran in the surf, like a child free from any care in the world. It was love, love unlike any I had experienced before. Freedom I was experiencing for the first time. Now I know forever doesnt exsist, not always, so you have to enjoy the "forever" however long it lasts. This summer I will go back to Leadbetter for the first time since we have split, to make peace with myself, to run in the sand, to feel freedom, but this time for me, and only me. She is still there, in my mind, but now she is with someone else. I am happy for her, so I need to release and move forward, and recapture the places that I hold dear to me, for me, and know I can have the memories as well. They dont have to go away, however life changes, much like the ocean, it changes as did the beach we were on that day. It it not the same sand, or the same water. I can go back and I can find something else there that means so much, because I have left my heart there. I left "us" there, so I could not return. Now, I can, I need too.....for me.

Some very scary people!

2006-02-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

I think the world would be better off without the idiots listed on this page-->>> F*CKHEADS!

Their ignorance and small-mindedness is in fact what is causing the erosion of our moral fiber in this country.

When we die, if there is a heaven and hell, all the people listed will be taking the down elevator!

Check this out! WOW, is all I can say.

2006-02-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the most inspiring web pages I have seen yet! Check it out: wow!

Enjoy! I am off to enjoy my day is in the incredible sun we are having today....

10 years is a long time

2006-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

....to carry the hurt i have carried for this long. I want it too be gone, I want someone to wheel me into the operating room, and say, "ok Michael, when you wake up, it will be removed, extracted from you and you will never feel this weight on your heart again." But if I do that, do I get him back? Can I have him back for maybe a week, thats all I ask, not too much I dont think, considering I have not had him for almost ten years. I know that in July I am going to come completely unglued, I can feel it already. It is going to be hell, I feel as if I can see the black cloud forming over my head now, all these months prior. What am I going to do? What can I do? NOTHING. It doesnt change, you just put the pain somewhere. There are days I want to tell him to fucking leave my head, to be mad and completely pissed, but I cant, I miss him way too much. There are times when he talks to me, and I think I am going crazy, and I dont know what to do. It is as if he is sitting there. I can smell him, feel him, hear him. Other times, I am so relieved to have him on some level. For some reason, I awoke with this feeling of loss I have not felt in years, why today? Where did it come from? Why now? Dont I get till July to feel this? Cant I just have my life without the pain??? PLEASE!

July 5th, 2006 is going to be a very very hard day for me.

Oh David, my sweet little brother, so much has happened in my life in the past ten years. Have you seen it? Do you really speak to me? Where do I go from here? Can you see? Today for the first time in ten years, I could hear you laughing, I dont know where it came from, but it was beautiful. Do you the dead talk with us the living? I want you back for a day, can you arrange that?

I am sure anyone who reads this thinks I am fucking crazy....well, good, cause I dont care, I just hurt and this is all I can think to do at the moment.

David .... do you haunt Jake? Do you make him think of what he did? Let him know, I want to only know what REALLY happened those last moments of your life. Were you laughing before you saw what was going to happen? Tell him its time, very past due for him to be a man and let me know the truth. 10 years have passed, well, he has had his time to make what is wrong right, now I am on a quest to find out the answers for myself.

David, I miss you. I love you, and I just dont want the pain anymore. But for it too leave, you would have to disappear from my memory and that would kill me, so I will live with the pain.

a new feeling

2006-02-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Jessica use to say I got "over-excited" about things. Which is true, I did get very excited about things and now, I dont know where that feeling has gone too. I miss it. It is as if someone has come in and taken it from me. I am confused as to what has happened, since I have many things in my life now to be excited about. I am beginning to think, now my life for the first time is starting to make sense and there is are a lot less up and downs, and more constants, therefore, I dont need to be "overexcited". In the past month, I have become more content than I have been, ever. It is an amazing feeling. I sleep very well at night, I get up and I am excited to go to work, I look forward to the weekends and getting to enjoy my own place. This new feeling will take some time to get use too. I have always wanted this, and now I have it, it is hard to adjust to. Could it be, that I am finally getting what I want in my life? Maybe. Has someone been listening to me all those sleepless nights.....if they have, thank you. I am grateful for all that is in my life at the moment.

However, I do want the overexcited part to return, I do miss it!

Life is FUCKING GREAT!

2006-01-29T22:52:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah it is baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am on my way to getting a nice promotion and more money than I have ever made in my life...at work!!!!!!!! In the process I brought down the biggest bitch at work...she was demoted!....yeah, now is the time to sing the "The Witch is Dead!"

I have my own apt where i am currently dancing around listening to my ipod!!!!!!! I fucking love having my own place, its the best in the world! It may be a small studio...I dont care! Its mine!!!

I have the BEST friends in the world!!!!!! I miss all of them, and I am now counting down the days till I get to go back east and see all of them and act wild and crazy with them for a week!!! YEA!

Huge political victory in Washington today!

2006-01-27T12:31:00.000-08:00

An email from the Equal Rights Washington group......this is a huge political victory for Washington!!!

A side note....**** F%CK YOU GEORGE BUSH!****

Here is the email from EQUAL RIGHTS WASHINGTON -

Victory!!! Today Washington became the 17th state in the nation with an anti-discrimination law that covers sexual orientation. This is a huge political victory: the culmination of 30 years of hard work by community activists and allies. Tonight we celebrate this hard-fought win, and tomorrow we begin preparing for the fight to come.

Equal Rights Washington worked with supporters around the state: generating thousands of phone calls, emails, and legislative visits from constituents; employing lobbyists who worked tirelessly on our behalf; partnering with RCE for a successful Equality Day; briefing lawmakers on our polling results; and reaching out to educate the public.

Now we must protect our victory against any attempt by the radical right to repeal the bill. We must move forward to full equality.

Thank you, ERW members! Your hard work advocating for HB 2661 helped make this victory possible. Congratulations to everyone in Washington who worked so hard for so long to make this day a reality. I encourage you to join one of the celebrations that are happening around the state tonight. Check the ERW web site for details.

Yours in Equality,

Fran Dunaway

Equal Rights Washington

Fighting for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality

Seahawks - Superbowl!

2006-01-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am not a football fan, at all! I dont get the game, I dont watch the game....but being a Seattle resident I have to say: GREAT JOB SEAHAWKS!!!!!

Since I have lived here, I have heard nothing but what a losey team they were and all this season, it has been fun to watch as the season progressed, the team got better instead of the normal backslide. They deserve the chance to go to the Superbowl and it will probably be the first one I actually watch!

GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very cool!

2006-01-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

I found this site while "stumbling" on the web today! Very cool and fun.
Check out your birthday facts here: Birthday!

Here are the results of my birthday:

You entered: 3/21/1971

Your date of conception was on or about 28 June 1970 which was a Sunday.

You were born on a Sunday
under the astrological sign Aries.
Your Life path number is 6.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2441031.5.
The golden number for 1971 is 15.
The epact number for 1971 is 3.
The year 1971 was not a leap year.

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 11 April 1971.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 24 February 1971.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 30 May 1971.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 6 June 1971.

As of 1/12/2006 2:34:31 PM EST
You are 34 years old.
You are 418 months old.
You are 1,816 weeks old.
You are 12,716 days old.
You are 305,198 hours old.
You are 18,311,914 minutes old.
You are 1,098,714,871 seconds old.
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.97690802348337 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 68 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 35 candles

Those 35 candles produce 35 BTUs,
or 8,820 calories of heat (that's only 8.8200 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.00 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1971 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1971 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.
In 1971 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%)
In 1971 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)

Your birthstone is Aquamarine
The Mystical properties of Aquamarine

Aquamarine is often used to experience love and mercy. It is said to help ease depression and grief.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Jade, Rock Crystal, Bloodstone

Your birth tree is

Oak, robust nature
Courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not love changes, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

There are 347 days till Christmas 2006!
There are 360 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waning crescent.

Click on the picture
for more information.

2006-01-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

This is how I have decided to live my life starting in 2006.
So far, it seems to be working!

life is beautiful......

2006-01-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

They gave each other a smile with a future in it. - Ring Lardner

2006 is only a week old and what an amazing year it has started out being!

New year, new office!

2006-01-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

The new year is here and we are hiring a couple of new sales people, so they are putting them in my old space and giving me my own office! I offered to paint it, so it is not the "dingy" white it was previously and now it is a nice bright white! I love it!

Here it is:

Happy New Year!

2006-01-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I was planning on posting this on the 1st, but for some reason blogger was not working properly, so I could not post...humm, anyway
2006 has started on a high note for me! I hope the good fortune continues!

Before getting into 2006, I want to say goodbye to 2005, I learned alot this past yr and made some great friends, but I wont miss it! Full steam ahead into 2006!!!!!!

What do I want from this coming year? Here is a list, I might amend it at a later date.

Here we go!

I want to fall in love again, I believe in true love and that it can happen more than once...so I am waiting. When it happens I will be ready!
To re-fi the car.
Get a promotion and a raise....cause, well I deserve it!
Get myself in better shape than I was at 25, before I am 35.
RUN!
See my friends more.
Drink less beer. Eat better.
Travel outside of Seattle more.
Visit Vegas and NYC!
Start saving money instead of always running out of it!
Fix my credit, so I can actually look for a house in a couple of years.
Plan a trip to England for 2007.
Look into the Graduate program at UW.
Learn to sail. Learn to play guitar. Learn to sing.
Paint. Be more creative, I have missed it.
Go camping more.
Visit the ocean more.
Start my business, on some level with Tiffany.
Volunteer more.
Stree out less.

I had many more, but I think that is a good start for now.

2006 is the time to begin anew and let what has happened go away once and for all. I need to stop running from things that scare me and face them head on and do only what I can.

Life is now and I want to live it.

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas is over, and time to begin a new year!

2005-12-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

I have not blogged in awhile, since my life has been busy! Dave was here and I had a great time and since then it seems like life has been on overdrive. While Dave was here, or right before, I found out from Donna(my roommate) that her boyfriend David would be moving in. Therefore I was on the search for a new place.

This all worked out for the best for everyone, since I decided to get a jump on it before the holidays to see what was out there for roommate situations. Well, when you have a roommate who has been as awesome to live with as it has been with Donna, it is hard to find a similar situation. Also, every place I was looking at seemed to have all these "extras" that I would not use and did not need.

In the last few months, I have learned to cut away expenses that are not needed and only focus on what I need to make it. So with that in mind, I didnt think I should have to pay half of a $100 cable bill when I dont even watch tv anymore and frankly I dont miss it! With this in mind, I started looking to see what apts were out there. Never thinking that one: I would find one in a nice area that I could afford and two: if I would ever get approved, with the way I have shot my credit since moving to Seattle.

Well surprisingly I found one!

It is small, they call it a studio, since the only room with a door is the bathroom, but due to the layout it feels more like a one bedroom. Also due to the affordable price, I though, this is going to be a shithole in a crappy section. Ha! My surprise when not only was it a nice building, but it is in a nice area. For those of you who know Seattle, it is in the Greenlake area. For those of you who dont, Greenlake is about 2 miles east of where I am currently living in Magnolia, it is north of the city and gets its name from the manmade lake that sits directly south two blocks from my apt. This is a mecca for Seattlites to walk around, run around, use the playing fields. One of the nicest open green areas in Seattle! Thank you to my parents for helping me with the $ to get my apt!

So needless to say I am very very exicted! Besides my apt at LSC when I was hall director, this will be my first own apt! I have enjoyed living with others, but I am going to love to have my own place! I dont even have furniture in it yet and I have already been hanging out there. This move, unlike the one in August, is fun! I am taking stuff over and deciding where I can put things, what I can use where and most exciting of all...what color to paint! Yes, I can paint it! I am not a white walls kinda of guy. Life is more exciting than that! The downers, I have to pay to do laundry and you cant have dogs....oh well. Cant get it all. The many upsides: It is on a nice quiet street. I can walk to an excellent Mexican place, two thai places, the lake...of course, a grocery store, two coffee places(one being a Starbucks) and i am a short drive from the freeway and very centrally located to get to many of my favorite areas of the city.

Donna and David are helping me move the furniture on Saturday, so on New Years Day, I can ring in the new year in my own place. I think this is an excellent start to 2006!

2005 has not been the easiest year for me. A lot of downs as well as some ups! I dont want to focus on the negative, just learn from them. In 2005, I have made some amazing friends and had some incredible experiences, not to be forgotten anytime soon. In 2005 I found a new job with a company that I love, even if they do drive me crazy some days, I enjoy getting up everyday and getting to come and work here.

I think 2006 will bring about some major changes for me in the workplace as well, one has to wait and see. I dont want to jinx it. If things do happen at work the way I see them shaping up, then all the hard work and tough choices I have made in the last 3 years since moving to Seattle will be all worth it. I dont regret my move here at all. Some days I do miss the comforts of the fimilar and there have been days where I thought to myself, maybe I should just pack it in and go back to what I know. Not the case anymore. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and damn its been a long tunnel some days! I love my city that I call home. I realized just how much I loved it here while Dave was visiting me. It was so much fun to take him around and show him where I live.

So...with only 2 days (and what is left of this one) to go till 2006, I say goodbye to 2005 and thanks for teaching me so much this year. What I lost in 2005 is gone for good and has been replaced with many happy memories! I am coming out of this year a better person as well as stronger. To all my new friends, thanks you have been very supportive and I look forward to more fun in 2006!

Now, here are some photos of the new place. The last photo is of the painting I received from David for Christmas. This is one of his originals. The first time I visited his studio this fall, I fell in love with this painting and he framed and matted it for me. Thanks David!

Enjoy the photos....

My overbearingly Bright Christmas Tree!

2005-12-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Here is my very bright red Christmas tree. It is currently at work, but I will be taking it home for Christmas. I love it! HoHoHo!!

Wrong, oh so wrong!!

2005-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

This link was sent to me by a friend and it is wrong, so wrong! LOL! But hey, I figured I am on the one way train to Hell anyway, ticket purchased, bags are packed...so why not have some fun!

Join in the fun for the holidays and help to dress Jesus!

Dave Bruce lands in Seattle!

2005-12-06T15:03:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends in the world, Mr. Dave Bruce arrived in Seattle on Saturday! It has been fun to show Dave around this great city that I call home. I have to say, at the airport I didnt even recognize him, since the last time I saw him, he has lost 50 lbs! He had to walk up behind me and say "Michael Woodward" before I knew it was him.

We have been busy cruising all over the city checking out the sites. Tonight we are taking in a Sonics game, which I am very excited about, since watching a game live is 10 times better than suffering thru watching it on tv. Who wants to listen to the announcers going on and on, not me.

Here are some pics of Dave and I. The first one is of us on top of the Space Needle, the second is of Dave at the Space Needle, the next one is of Dave talking to his Mom while having lunch at Pike Place Market, the last one is Dave with the Fruitcake Fairy at Pike Place Market. I am sure there will be more pictures later. bye!

My new friend Julie

2005-11-30T14:35:00.000-08:00

She is a friend of my brother Chad's, I had the pleasure of meeting her and her mother Stephanie (who beat Rachel Welch in a beauty contest when they were younger!)while in Oregon last weekend. Julie is one of those people, when you meet her, you feel as if you have known her forever. I am very thankful to have had the chance to meet her and call her a friend. If you are ever passing thru the small town of Phoenix, OR - stop and say hello to Julie at her coffee shop, The Clay Cup. Try one of her incredibly good latte's!! YYYYUUUMMMM!

Me & Julie at the lighting of the Christmas lights in Ashland

Julie at the Clay Cup

it felt good.....

2005-11-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

too read what you had written about me. You know who you are. I love you. You are the love of my life, and I realize things have changed and we have moved in different directions, but this does not change how I feel about you. Happiness is all I want for you. Reading what you wrote brought about a great deal of peace for me. So many days I have wondered if I imagined the happiness I had felt with you, alot of it has been lost in the negativity of the recent events in our lives. The time with you , it was real and the most alive I have ever ever felt. That is what I miss the most, too look in another persons eyes and feel complete peace. Moments from our old lives are frozen for eternity in my mind. I will move on and make new memories of other experiences, things I have yet to encounter, but those moments with you will always be there. I can see them so clearly I can taste them and smell the smells. Our first time on the beach at golden gardens, the first trip to the zoo, going to the ocean. Life had never tasted so good. Life is good now, just different.

Thank you, for making me remember the happiness we had.

1061 miles later...and we're back!

2005-11-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

The trip south to see Chad was great fun. A much needed break from my own life for a few days. It was nice to spent some time out of Seattle for a few days, gain some perspective and take a step back. I missed Seattle, but this is the first time that I returned wondering, maybe i could live somewhere else. I am not sure what brought this on, or why now? I am sure once I am back in the city for a few days it will pass. For awhile now that drive I use to have, the same one that propelled me thru college and made move here has been missing. I need it back and I am not sure how to grasp it again. I am feeling like I need to take a big leap again, mix things up and challenge myself. I sat there in Phoenix(Oregon), in my new friend, Julie's coffee shop and thought how much I would love to have the freedom to work for myself. Now I am working somewhere that most days I enjoy, but I am not challenged. I dont know, maybe I am just being fickle...and should appreciate what I have. It is funny, because three years ago, I would have been happy to have what I do now, and here I have it and I dont want it anymore. Be careful what you wish for...

All I know is it is time for a change. What that is I am not sure of yet.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the trip. Enough ram bling.

Turkey Day Roadtrip!

2005-11-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hello one and all!
I decided since I have two days off, -paid!!- why not use them wisely and head out of town. Today at 2pm, I am heading to Ashland, Oregon to see the brother Chad! It will be nice to get out of Seattle for a few days and take the Mazda on the longest trip it has taken since it was purchased last year on Thanksgiving weekend.

*** addition here:

What am I thankful for?? Many things. Life in general, good humor, my incredible family, my amazing friends(I may not get to see you as often as I want, but I know you are always there) my job, living in Seattle, and the list could go on. Mostly, the fact I have a warm bed to sleep in every night and a job that provides me with an income, things I take for granted, however I am constantly reminded when passing a homeless man or woman on the street, not everyone has these basics.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Thanksgiving!

SEEEEEEEEEE YYAAAAAAAAA!!!

Death Cab

2005-11-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

I attended the Death Cab for Cutie show on Friday night at the Paramount. A short set, only about an hour, even including the encore performance of two songs, but that being said, it was an excellent show!

To all the readers out there who like an adventure!

2005-11-17T20:31:00.000-08:00

Found this site tonight during my "stumbling" time on the web. Very cool site: Bookcrossing

Check it out!

One of the funniest things I have read!

2005-11-17T11:58:00.000-08:00

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the radio personality who offers up advice and is constantly telling us how homosexuality is wrong, here is an open letter from a listener of hers asking for some advice! I wonder if she will address this on her show?

Walk The Line

2005-11-16T09:34:00.000-08:00

When this film opens friday, go see it!
WOW! Excellent!
Joaquin Phoenix stars as music legend Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon is his wife and bandmate June Carter. Both deserve an oscar nod, if not a win! I am not usually a big fan of the biopic films, but I have always liked Johnny Cash, so I have been waiting for this film to come out. Joquin and Reese seem to have been channeling Johnny and June in this film, simply that good. I want to see it again.

Here are the lyrics to Cry Cry Cry, a favorite of mine from Johnny Cash:

Everybody knows where you go when the sun goes down.
I think you only live to see the lights of town.
I wasted my time when I would try, try, try.
When the lights have lost their glow, you're gonna cry, cry, cry.

I lie awake at night and wait 'til you come in.
You stay a little while and then you're gone again.
Every question that I ask, I get a lie, lie, lie.
For every lie you tell, you're gonna cry, cry, cry.
You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll cry alone,
When everyone's forgotten and you're left on your own.
You're gonna cry, cry, cry.

Soon your sugar-daddies will all be gone.
You'll wake up some cold day and find you're alone.
You'll call to me but I'm gonna tell you: "Bye, bye, bye,"
When I turn around and walk away, you'll cry, cry, cry,

When your fickle little love gets old, no one will care for you.
You'll come back to me for a little love that's true.
I'll tell you no and you gonna ask me why, why, why?
When I remind you of all of this, you'll cry, cry, cry.

You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll cry alone,
When everyone's forgotten and you're left on your own.
You're gonna cry, cry, cry.

You're gonna cry, cry, cry and you'll want me there,
It'll hurt when you think of the fool you've been.
You're gonna cry, cry, cry.

Say What!???

2005-11-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, I saw this "news" caption today and thought it was very very humorous!

Reality Show Writers Seek More Pay

WHAT? Humm, and for what do they seek more money for? If in fact it were "reality" tv, why do we need writers? I mean, of course I live in reality and know in fact reality tv is as real as "ER", so I understand there are in fact writers, but the caption alone is humor enough!

Here is the link to the article. Enjoy!

Madonna....thank fucking god, you're back!

2005-11-15T00:46:00.000-08:00

I have to say, me being the Madonna fan of 20+ years, I am happy to announce, the Queen of shameless self promotion is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank god! It has been a dry spell in the world without her. I am the first to admit, I thought she was washed up and done after "American Life", I mean "what the fuck was that shit!??" Anyway, in true Madonna fashion, she has once again reinvented herself, as what this time, you ask? Herself, Madonna, circa 1985! The dance beats of "Hang UP" are like the songs I became obsessed with her from my early teen years! I slipped this album in the cd player of the Mazda and had it cranked to the max volume, all I can say, thank god its still under warranty, because I think the speakers are now blown kids!

"Confessions on Dance Floor", I thought was all hype, no....not at all, as any good repressed gay boy will tell you, she is the queen of pop and she is back to reclaim her place on the dance floor! She is better than ever!

Enjoy!!!!!!!!