Thursday, December 22, 2005

Vox from the past, raises, bonuses etc

i got in touch with a good friend after... well, it must be well over 10 years. So fine to get in touch and have him be happy to hear from me. Sir also emailed him and that went well - so that's awesome. i think we're getting together in the new year, i can't wait! i missed him, i missed the verbal repartee (and big words) that we shared. i miss being inspired by his creativity. i miss having him push me to my limits and get on stage and SING damn it! He never took any whining about not being able to do it - he just said "you're doing it, because you're good" and i did it.

i had forgotten that i did that, i forgot that i could do that. Between re-awakening my art and getting in touch with him and a lot of other small changes i've been making - i feel like i am waking up from a long sleep after a cold winter. That sounds really negative - as if i don't appreciate what i have been doing all these years. That's not the case at all. But there are so many parts of myself that i thought i needed to lay aside in order to grow, when what i really needed to do was put them in my hobo bag and take them along with me on my journey.

On the work front, today was HUGE FREAKIN' BONUS DAY as well as very nice raise and a pat on the back for a job well done day. Excellent, nice to be appreciated and feel like there's some security there.

We also, unexpectedly got the whole day off tomorrow - so i have a 4 day weekend to spend with Sir! Hurray! Hurrah!

Monday, December 19, 2005

Lunch

i had a fantastic lunch today at The Noodle House. My bosses took the whole crowd out for the holidays, they said it was a Chinese restaurant, but i was pleasantly surprised to find it was really Thai Fusion cooking. Very tasty.

We're all on pins and needles right now. Today is usually the day that the reviews/raises as well as the annual bonuses are handed out. It's 4:40 pm now and the bosses are all still in meetings. Ugh. i try to never count on the bonus - after all, it's optional. i am however, really counting on a good raise. my duties and responsibilites here have increased dramatically in the past year. Well, i'll not worry about it yet. They are good peeps and have taken great care of me thus far. Everyone else in the office is making me crazy, pacing around, trying to listen thru the doors.... it's so childish!

It's not for girls????

i found this candy bar at the grocery store yesterday. It's made by Nestle. i am not sure what this ad campaign is trying to say. This chocolate is too manly for me? It'll put hair on my chest? It's too heavy? i am dumbfounded. See the next picture for more confusion.

This one must just be too full of chocolately goodness for me to eat. i'm guessing even though i can lift 340 lbs 30 times in a row, that it's just too much for little girl me and so, i would of course fall over if i tried to eat it.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Taybor got this nifty toy from our fabulous vet. It lasted about 10 minutes once he and Baz got together at home. i'm surprised he still has a smile on his face. Can't keep a good gingerbread man down, i guess!

Keflex, etc.

Finally starting to feel like a human again. Still coughing but it's sporadic.

Mr Taybor has lost 2 teeth. The new ones are already growing in! Amazing how fast puppies can grow.

Sir & i had some long talks about the state of Mr Basil's health. We think he's beginning the long slow decline of an old dog. It's really sad, but we're both loathe to subject him to rounds of chemo or surgery. Been there, done that with other animals and it's always the same sad result - really crappy quality of non-life and even more misery from side effects.

It's kind of the same choice that i'd make for myself if i was in the same boat. While i was ill, there were certain things that i absolutely would NOT subject myself to. There were a lot of chemotherapy choices that i could have had rather than surgery. Surgery was less invasive than the drugs!

Feeling slightly less "adrift" in the past few days. Perhaps all the tears shed over Baz helped relieve some of the intense strain i've been feeling lately. i am still not the happiest camper ever. But i will prevail. i've also done one small thing for myself. i started wearing my nose ring again and i intend to begin wearing my septum ring when appropriate. i can't wear that one to work, but why not everywhere else? i've given up alot of things, for no good reason. Things that made me happy. It's time for me to pick them back up again and A: stop pretenting that i care what anyone thinks of me and B: get back to taking care of me.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Blues

i have totally got the blues today. i feel awful. i am hating everything. i feel so put upon and lost. There's nothing specific that i could put a finger on. Maybe it's the holidays. i'm just so exhausted and achey and isolated. Unsatisfied with life in a totally non-specific way. Does any of that make sense?
Probably not.

Monday, December 05, 2005

101 things in 1,001 days...

i realized that one of the things that i lost during the hacking was this list. i enjoy the challenge of it, so here it is again, per Sir's orders. Things that are completed or are underway are listed in Bold type.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

1. Quit smoking
2. Go to Bronx zoo - done 5/27/06
3. Go to museum of natural history in NYC
4. Go to a belly-dancing restaurant
5. Go to MOMA NYC - done 9/3/06 - saw the DADA exhibit and had a fabulous time! Also got to see a photo taken by Master's Uncle in the photography gallery. That was a huge surprise! :-)
6. Go horseback riding
7. Take a yoga class - completed 5/3/06 - loved it! going back for more!
8. Replace all plastic food containers with glass - i tried and abandoned this plan after too many leaks and breakages.
9. Eat 100% organic food for 24 hours
10. Eat 100% vegetarian once a week - it's easy! Do it!
11. Eat 100% vegan for 24 hours - it's hard, i need milk in my coffee. Soy milk sucks in coffee. Bleah!
12. Complete green witch course - almost there.... need to write my final report.
13. Start a new class with Susun weed
14. Take a class with Susun at her place
15. Practice Reiki on yourself once a day for a month
16. Practice Reiki at least once per week on Sir
17. Take my Reiki ii certification
18. Learn how to sew a buttonhole - properly. Done!
19. Learn how to put in a zipper DONE! 6/06 - i can now put in a fly style zipper in my skirts. i rock!
20. Go out for Indian food - not take out! DONE 5/20/05 with Sir, Daddy David, sparky and Corey
21. Go out for Thai food in NYC - done! Twice in 2005!
22. Eat sushi at a sushi bar - not take out, not at a table!
23. Eat dim sum in china town
24. See how far i can walk in 24 hours straight.
25. Eat in a restaurant (with a waiter) by myself - done at ARTiscape
26. Buy an ice cream maker & use it
27. Clean & organize design studio - done, but yet never really done, is it?
28. Crochet a matching scarf & hat
29. Go to a cigar bar.
30. Get a mammogram
31. Go bowling - done! Summer 2005
32. Go play pool - done 4/30/2006 - Sir beat me 3 times, but it was close! and again 5/28/06
33. Get a new tattoo
34. Set up tent in back yard and sleep outside
35. Leave an outrageous tip for waiter/waitress
36. Try 10 new recipes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
37. No TV or computer for 24 hours
38. Go to day spa for the day, with Sir
39. Fly a kite
40. Go to a taping of a TV show
41. Go back to Vegas
42. Participate in & complete a craft trade
43. Spend over $100 on one piece of clothing, for me, in cash
44. Do 50 push ups - straight thru
45. Release a message in a bottle
46. Go to statue of liberty
47. Go to tea NY & get the high tea DONE! ok, so they don't really have high tea there but it was cool and i had a great pot of Lapsang Souchong - one of my favorite teas 6/10/06
48. Learn to speak very basic Japanese
49. Learn to sing 'ode to joy' (Beethoven’s 9th)
50. Take both cars to a charity car wash and give an outrageous amount of money
51. Get the darn fm switch put in car so i can use the Sirius radio i am paying for! Done! Fall 2005
52. Go to the nude beach at least one time, with Sir. DONE! 6/19/06 and i loved it!
53. Have a bbq in the middle of a snowstorm
54. Buy a really cool, funky pair of prescription glasses - done 1/22/2006
55. Run for a leather title - mailed application for NE M/s on 5/2/2006! OY!
Sir Larry and i were given the honor of being selected as NE M/s on July 22, 2006

56. Execute a premeditated prank
57. Make a Japanese style quilt for my futon
58. Thin out my wardrobe so that it fits into one dresser and the closet
59. Make menu plans for 1 month and stick to it.
60. Play a round of miniature golf
61. Clean & organize outside utility closet
62. Celebrate all solstice/equinox/cross quarters with ritual for one year
63. Go to the intrepid museum - i have to select another task to replace this one, i heard the Intrepid was being taken away for repair for a few years! oh well....
64. Make a quilt out of all those old rock T-shirts that i can't bear to throw away.
65. Join the George street food co-op
66. Clean out my car - for good! 8/13/06 - does it still count if i cleaned it out and then traded it in for a new car? Yes, i think it does.
67. Lose 10 lbs. Done - 13 lbs as of 5/2006....
68. Lose another 10 lbs.
69. Lose yet another 10 lbs.
70. Lose the 4th in a series of 10 lbs.
71. Decide if i need to lose any more weight after this
72. Pack my lunch the night before every day for one month
73. Sew one weeks worth of clothing that i can actually wear to work
74. Take a cooking class with Christina Pierello
75. Go to the library once a month
76. Decorate with lights, outside for winter solstice (that means getting electric put in outside)
77. Brew my own beer
78. Declutter 50 bags worth of clothes/clutter/crap (17 bags done as of 12/2005) (19 bags as of 1/22/2006)
79. Declutter 50 bags more worth of clothes/clutter/crap (i have lost track of how much i got rid of, but it's more than 50 bags of crap, books, clothes, etc)
80. Get passports for Sir & i
81. Design and sew the perfect bag - not too big, not too small, pockets, pockets, pockets
82. Take a gnome (or similar / ridiculous item) on a trip and photo-document it DONE 2x, once with an Okapi, once with mimi the bear.

83. Buy a new cell phone with kick ass camera (or have one provided to me) done! 11/25/05, Sir gave me an early solstice gift and it's a kick ass video/camera phone! Whoo hoo! So now i can moblog!

84. Take my digital camera with me everywhere for 1 month - and use it! (this is a good, fun habit. Art is everywhere!)
85. Get up a 6:00 am and work on sewing projects for 1 week
86. Get to work by 8:30 am for 1 week straight
87. Have photo of WTC (taken by Master's world famous photographer Uncle) framed, and hang it up
88. Buy / acquire at least 2 more pieces of Marrus' art, framed - and hang them
89. Write a personal prayer / devotional
90. Do devotional every morning and night for a month
91. Create mosaic stepping stones (with Sir, if he'll do it - messy!)
92. Go thru, get rid of, put away the boxes that have never been unpacked since the move in 1999!
93. Learn to meditate regularly (done 12/2005)
94. Re-read Chronicles of Narnia (done 1/2006!)
95. Finish making household notebook
96. Replace all socks with nice Smartwool socks
97. Organize & stock pantry closet
98. Buy 2 more kitchen chairs so people can eat dinner with us!
99. Get a recipe published.
100. Start a new 101 thing in 1,001 days list, which begins on March 28th, 2008
101. Finish this list

MAsT holiday social

We had the most awesome Social on Sunday! The ride in was great, smooth sailing despite the dusting of snow we got. We got fab parking right in front of the Center and the wandered down to Purple Passion to leave some flyers. Back to the Center to meet up with slave boy chuck and mr. sparky. The turn out was great, over 35 people. Little girl kate & Daddy David brought this fabulous cake! Lots of new faces, lots of old favorites and a great bunch of guys from MAsT NYC came, too! i got to have a conversation with slave bill. i really, really like him, he's an awsome gentle soul. slave boy chuck was a huge help with setting up and breaking down the food table. Not to mention he's the new treasurer!
Sir is Director again, Lady Sabrina will be Assistant Director, Sir Stephen - facilitator, and sparky (and Ms.T) is (are) the Secretary.

All in all a great way to end another successful year of MAsT.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

i'm back!!!!!

OK - my blog on Sir Larry's server got hacked and apparently my backdoor was open for the whole Russian federation to use. i feel so violated. So, i am moving my blog to this site, so as to not contaminate Sir's website with hacker action.