Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

We finally heard back yesterday that our contract on the investment condo is finalized, and our settlement is scheduled for next Thurs, June 24 at noon. Immediately after the settlement we're going to meet our handyman and our rental manager at the unit to go over the remodeling and leasing plans. We're excited about turning this place around and generating some income!

Last night was the final game of our 6-week team trivia mini-tournament. (Our team consists of me & Spouse, Steven & Thad, and The Bobs.) We won 2nd place, with a cash prize of $75. We are donating the winnings to a charity.

Not much to report on the progress of our screened porch extension. Last Fri they dug the footers and poured the concrete base into the footers. On Mon of this week they laid the cinder blocks on the footers and back-filled the soil. Nothing else this week.

I had a dreadfully busy/hectic/frustrating work week. There were times when I felt like I was going to have a nervous breakdown. 10-hour days; working through lunch; too much stress. There is so much going on and so many changes that I literally don't know how long this will last. I was told in confidence that more changes are coming and that I will get some relief, but there was no date attached to that conversation. I've never appreciated the weekends as much as I do now.

This weekend's forecast looks great so I am planning to relax and enjoy some time on the beach! Here's wishing all of you a terrific weekend too.

Crush du Jour: Robert Merrill

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Never short on funny or topical stuff to share, my friend Jared provided me with this button.

Rather poignant, wouldn't you say?

Speaking of gay, our friends Rick & Nick got married last Fri in Washington DC. They applied for their license on the 1st day it was legal to do so (in March), but had to wait until April 9th to be married by a Justice of the Peace. Although their marriage isn't recognized here in DE yet, they decided to get married in Washington DC and then send a copy of their marriage certificate to the (gay-friendly) Governor of DE, reminding him of all the revenue DE is losing by not legalizing same sex marriage. Rumor has it that if the Governor is elected for a 2nd term, he will legalize same sex marriage. After getting married, Rick & Nick had dinner at Austin Grill where they saw this mural:

This 1959 Cadillac 4-door looks just like Big Ella except for the color. It was very sweet of them to think of me and take these photos!

And speaking of cars, we made our decision and after work yesterday we purchased this 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited Edition.

The color is called Inferno Red, and its highly metallic. Its especially beautiful in the sun. I like that its the Limited Edition with the polished chrome wheels, fog lamps and rear spoiler.

The red dash is pretty cool, too.

We really thought we wanted another Honda CRV, but a couple things made us change our mind. The one Bryan got at the auction was my least favorite color combination: graphite grey exterior and black interior. The CRV was not priced especially well, while the PT Cruiser was. Both are 2006 models but the CRV was double the price of the PT Cruiser. The PT Cruiser has all the features of the CRV except all-wheel drive, but also had features the CRV did not have like a jack to plug in an mp3 player. But the biggest factor was the mileage: 49K on the CRV, 16K on the PT Cruiser, for 1/2 the price. We're quite happy with our new car!

Last night was the end of the 12 week team trivia tournament. Our team did not win, but we did come in 4th place, which is the highest place you can be without winning! It was fun, but I'm kind of glad the tournament is over. Now we can go back to playing team trivia for fun.

All you dog lovers out there will enjoy this cute video and this one too.

Some people are worried about invasion of their privacy from the new airport scanners. Now I understand why:

We are hosting our Movie Group tomorrow night. I'm disappointed that I didn't return our current DVDs to Netflix in time to get the film I really wanted to show. But I got "Precious" from one of those Red Box DVD rental places, which I hope the group will enjoy. It is sure to provoke conversation afterward.

Sun we are going to our new favorite restaurant Saketumi for Bob's birthday brunch. A good brunch and a good time should be had by all.

Have a terrific weekend!

Crush du Jour: Trevor Adams

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I've mentioned a few times that Spouse & I play team trivia with Steven & Thad and The Bobs on Thurs nights. Last night we won 1st place again, for the 3rd week in a row!! The prize for winning 1st place is a $25. gift card for the restaurant/bar where the game is played. Often we eat dinner there before the game and have our fave waitress Liz deduct the $25. from our bill.

Since Project Runway Season 7 started last night, and I knew we wouldn't get home in time to watch it from the beginning, I acquiesced and swapped our cable box for one with a DVR. Spouse has been wanting a DVR for a while but I have resisted, citing an addition $12.95 to our already high cable bill. But when I called the cable company this week about it, I found it was only $2.50 extra for the first 12 months. I figured that was a good test for us. Last night I recorded Project Runway so we could watch it from the beginning when we got home, but it was pretty late so we decided to wait and watch it tonight, after dinner with 'the usual suspects'.

Rue McClanahan had a stroke yesterday. Best known as Blanche on "The Golden Girls" and more recently as Peggy in "Sordid Lives: The Series", is 75 years old and is expected to be released from the hospital following surgery. Best wishes, Blanche!!

The Onion, my favorite and most trusted new source, has done it again. This time they've tickled my fancy with this (fictitious) story about a gay teen who is worried he might be a conservative Christian! I dare you to read it and not laugh. Then there's this report of a Colorado ban on same-sex friendships!

This will be a 3-day weekend for us, as Spouse & I both have Mon off for Martin Luther King Jr. day. We don't have any 'big plans' but who doesn't love a long weekend?

I've mentioned before that our friend Steven forced us to watch an episode of that train wreck known as "Jersey Shore". It is SOOO bad. But today my friend Matt posted this hilarious spoof on Facebook, featuring kids as the "Jersey Shore" characters. OMG - so funny!!

One of my friends posted this video on Facebook and I loved it! The vintage photography AND the crazy background music made me laugh out loud. I'm sure several of you can think of some ideas on "what to do with a drunken sailor"...

Have a great weekend!

Crush du Jour: Ben Kieren

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post. Let's get started, shall we?

I've mentioned before that Spouse & I started playing team trivia in the fall with Steven & Thad and The Bobs at a local watering hole. Last night we won 1st place again ($25. gift card)! What's funny to me is that we have so much fun doing this. If someone would have asked me "Do you think you'd have fun playing a group trivia game?" I would have smirked. But Steven & Thad and The Bobs got us into it and being with them is a big part of why we like it so much. And its not just about knowing the answers; its also about having a good wagering strategy. In last night's game we couldn't come to a consensus on the answer to a bonus question where you lose the points you wager if you're wrong. So we decided not to answer and lost no points. The other 9 teams all answered, got the answer wrong, and lost the points they wagered.

It snowed overnight. We seem to have gotten about 2-3 inches of the light, fluffy kind of snow. I can see it blowing off the rooftops. We don't get snow here often because of being so close to the ocean. Warmer air off the ocean is pulled up into the storms so we often get rain here when our friends 12 miles inland get several inches of snow. Its very pretty because the sun is shining brightly today.

I saw this over at the notorious j*o*e and just had to swipe it!

It made me laugh out loud!

Today is day 5 of my healthy eating/weight loss effort. So far so good. Lord knows I've done this enough times that I should be used to it by now. I think the biggest adjustment for me is eating breakfast. You should not skip meals when trying to loose weight, but I've been in the habit of simply drinking coffee for breakfast for years. But I've found a few small, nutritional things to eat for breakfast that are fitting in well, like Special K protein breakfast bars and oatmeal. I forgot how much I liked oatmeal! The instant kind (add water and microwave for 90 seconds) is so convenient and comes in many flavor options. Yesterday: banana nut; today: Maple. Warm oatmeal is especially nice on chilly winter mornings. Anyone have other nutritional, tasty, convenient breakfast food ideas?

I decided to watch this week's episode of "Launch My Line" because I heard that Lady GaGa was appearing in it. Unfortunately she wasn't a guest judge nor did she even introduce the challenge. It was more of a 'cameo' for her. You'd think I'd watch this show regardless, since I love Project Runway so much. But I have to confess that I HATE those creepy twins that host the show. I'm not sure what it is; maybe its their mouths or the fact that they dress identically, but they creep me out. I couldn't watch the whole episode.

Speaking of Project Runway, the new season (7) starts next Thurs the 14th! Its back in NYC (thank god) and they promise Michael Kors and Nina Garcia will be in every episode. Let's just hope and pray the 'talent' is there this season.

Part of my New Year's resolution to re-invent my appearance involves experimenting with my facial hair and finding a new hairstyle. Now, experimenting with my facial hair is somewhat tricky for me because my 'beard' is very light in color and does not grow in evenly. I didn't shave for 2 full weeks and was hoping for a cool, scruffy face look, but it just wasn't working. (Hey, I can dream, right?) So yesterday I shaved my cheeks and neck, leaving a 'stache/goatee combo. (Click to enlarge, if you dare.)

See what I mean about the color being light? I'm not sure if I will keep it or not. But since not shaving at all doesn't look good on me, and completely shaving is what I've been doing, this seems to be my only alternative for 'something different'.

(Man, I look tired...)

I'm also letting my hair grow out of the fauxhawk style. I really liked the fauxhawk but I'm tired of it for me. 5 years is long enough. I want something new and different. I'm letting my hair grow out to give me more options. Here is my current hair experiment, minus the fauxhawk.

Considering I've not cut my hair, I don't think this looks bad. I mean, I don't think it looks like I'm trying to grow out an old hairstyle. RIP, dear Fauxhawk.

My friend Jared who often supplies me with gems to share with you on Friday fragments sent me this amazing walrus video. To me, what's even funnier than the walrus is the people's reactions!! Enjoy.

Happy weekend!

Crush du Jour: Ronan Keating

Film Festival: day 0.5

Last night (Wed) was the opening of the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. Here is the festival synopsis of the film I saw.

Kisses
On the fringes of Dublin two kids, Kylie and Dylan, live in a suburban housing estate devoid of life, color and the prospect of escape. Kylie lives with five other siblings and her overworked mother. Next door, Dylan lives in the shadow of an alcoholic father and the memory of an elder brother who ran away from home two years earlier. After a violent altercation with his father, Dylan runs away from home and Kylie decides to run away with him. Together they make their way to the magical night-time lights of inner city Dublin, to search for Dylan’s brother, and in the hope of finding, through him, the possibility of a new life. Lance Daly’s
vision of Dublin, as seen through the innocent eyes of our protagonists, is a kaleidoscope of magic, wonder and mystery. But as the night wears on, and Dublin takes on a darker character, the two kids have to rely on the kindness of strangers, the advice of Bob Dylan and their trust in each other to survive the night.

I enjoyed this film and found it more interesting than the synopsis above. The actor playing Dylan wasn't that great, but I believe the actress playing Kylie has an acting career ahead of her. Although the ending was predictable (the kids eventually return home) everything leading up to it was interesting, cleverly shot, and not predictable. On a Netflix scale of 1-5 I would give this film a 3.5.

Just in time for the film festival, our area is being hit by a veritable monsoon. Beginning yesterday morning we've had rain and driving winds without let up. Forecasts are calling for 50-60 mph gusts!

I typically enjoy being one of the 1st in line at 7:00 am Thurs morning to chat with other indie film enthusiasts while we wait for the box office to open at 8:00. (Being 1st in line guarantees I'll get tickets to my desired films before they sell out.) Today was a completely different story. Rather than standing in the monsoon-like weather for an hour, we early birds were given paper numbers and told to wait in our cars. When the box office opened we went inside and got in line by number. So there was no chit-chatting about films prior to the box office opening, and I missed it.

After securing tickets to all of my desired films (YES!) I went to Duncan Donuts for my traditional post-ticket-purchase coffee and donuts: 1 Boston cream and 1 chocolate glazed. (Yes, I get those same donuts each time. Hey, traditions can be fun!) Since Steven works near the theatre and Duncan Donuts I told him I'd be there a few minutes after 8:00 in case he wanted to meet me there. As I stood at the counter placing my order with Olef, the foreign exchange student, Steven snuck up behind me and poked me in the sides and yelled "Gotcha!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. We enjoyed a brief breakfast together before he scooted off to work and I went home to shower.

After my shower I tidied up the house a bit before the housekeeper arrived. Oh yeah, we found a good housekeeper and she and her crew came today. I left for today's first movie (details in tomorrow's post) shortly after they began, and returned home from the theatre just as they were leaving. The house looks GREAT and I was super-excited to finally have the entire house clean.

I'm going back to the theatre for 2 more films this afternoon/evening, then meeting up with Spouse, Steven & Thad, and The Bobs for group trivia afterward.

Crush du Jour: Armon Adibi

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I think mums are beautiful. Their colors are so rich and vibrant!
Seeing them pleases my eye, but also make me sad because they mean summer is practically over and fall is here. I'm basically a summer guy; I love going to the beach, wearing shorts and flip-flops, and top-down driving. So the arrival of fall, although beautiful, saddens me because my favorite things are winding down until next spring.

The Newlyweds are arriving this evening! Yes, I know, we just saw them a month ago when we spent our vacation with them in Portland, but I can't help being excited because they are very close friends. They'll join us for Fri Night Dinner with 'the usual suspects' and then we'll have all day tomorrow together. Sun morning they're off to Baltimore for a wedding, and we're off to DC for the National Equality March.

My friend Bob sent me this cartoon, which I find current and poignant.

This guy is amazing!!! And, all his costumes are made of paper. I would love to see him perform in person. Such creativity!

Today I discovered an important omission when I designed the new shower room: I completely forgot to have them build in a small shelf onto which I can prop my foot when washing my lower leg and foot. I mentioned it to Mike the builder today by saying "I've got something for you to think about over the weekend..." I'm not sure if anything can be done about it now, but I'm hoping he will come up with something.

A couple weeks ago Spouse & I started playing group trivia at the Frogg Pond with Steven & Thad and The Bobs. The 1st week we just joined them for a portion of the game, as we had a car club event to attend, but they won 3rd place. Last week we joined them for the full game and our group won 1st place: $25. off our food and beverage tab. This week we joined them again and won 1st place yet again! Coincidence??? I think not. Its a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and even if we didn't win it would be fun to hang out with these friends.

DavidDust currently has this hilarious picture on his blog, reminding bloggers and blog lovers of our next meet-up. Please join us if you can!

Have a great weekend, ma peeps!

Crush du Jour: Blake Nolan