Another weekend down, another one of Vincent’s birthdays. This year we didn’t raise hell, we didn’t get kicked out of any classy establishments, and my ‘pimps and ho’s’ idea was unceremoniously tossed aside in favor of our all-too-regular cold weather gear.

So we ate out at a nice restaurant and then we went to a bar called The Remote Lounge – this place which is outfitted with cameras covering every angle of the building. You can spy on other people, talk to the man/woman of your choice using the phone attached to your video monitor, or put on a show-stopping burlesque show of your own. I, of course, was not feeling the voyeur inside of me, nor was I in touch with my inner man (most of the cameras seemed to find their way to the breast region of every female in the place), so I didn’t necessarily enjoy myself. Yet I did get phone calls from several unidentified men – and I didn’t even have to make out with a girl or jiggle my boobage!!

Well, at least Vincent thoroughly enjoyed himself. Let’s just say The Remote Lounge is like a little slice of heaven for my baby boy…so much so that he dragged his sorry, Red Bull and Grey Goosed tuckas into the house after 4AM!

Of course, Vincent’s friends were out en force: David L., Starr & Doug, Dara & Mark, Kathryn, Hunter… if your name is not on this list, it must be because you are not a member of the elite inner circle of the Vincent Cult. I’m sorry, maybe next year. Or maybe for his 40th birthday.

Did I mention age? My baby turned 35 today! Superbowl Sunday and not only is he 35, but he’s hung over as well. Good times, no?

Hey guys, my good friend Tom sent me this great link that may actually help you decide who you want to win for POTUS (President of the United States of America ). Basically you go to the site, respond to questions on gay rights, education, foreign policy, economics, the environment, welfare, Medicaid, etc., and at the end the website tells you which of the candidates’ viewpoint most closely matches your own. You can even do comparison charts between all of them. I ended up with 100% on Kerry, and 90% on Dean – but it basically appears that they have the same platform so I’ll have to watch some debates to see who’s less of a bum (but we all know that come election day, there is no chance in h-e-double hockey sticks that I’m going to vote for Bush!)… So check out President Match!!!

Good evening boys and girlies. I just spent quite a nice Saturday at home – yup, that WOULD mean that it is now nearing 10PM and I am still cozy in my pajamas from yesterday. Who woulda’ guessed?

Vince and I were supposed to be skiing at Camelback this weekend with our friends Michael and Katherine, but things didn’t work out as planned and instead I put the finishing touches on Vincent’s birthday bash next Saturday night, I made reservations for a Murder Mystery Weekend at the Brookview Manor and also for our friend Toni’s play The Butler Did It, I joined the Appalachian Mountain Club, and I completed about 7 pages in my scrapbook (yes, my dear friends, I am still working on the scrapbook that was supposed to be finito in 2001).

In recent memory, I also just finished The Old Wives Tale, which is listed somewhere as one of the top 100 books to read of all time and if you’re in to classics, you might really like this novel. It’s kind of like Seinfeld insomuch as it’s a book about absolutely nothing, but I enjoyed it on every subway ride I’ve taken this month. Ha HA! So my next read is The Da Vinci Code. Vince has been trying to get me to read The Dark Tower series by Stephen King ever since I gave the books to him for completing his first project at work, but I think I’m going to hold out for a little while longer. The pile of books next to my bed is getting increasingly higher and I really should make a valiant attempt at getting through them and putting them back on the shelves in our “library.”

So, today I was leafing through my photos of Italy (I’m on November 2001 in my scrapbooking) and I was thinking to myself, “Man, I really need to go on more trips.” I never want to be one of those people who works hard, takes no time off of work, retires, AND THEN starts traveling. I want to see the world while I’m young and still able to do many things without my arthritis and rheumatism acting up. I know when I get older I’ll have more patience and money, and perhaps even a keener sense of how to appreciate things, but I still want to do all that I can NOW.

Thus far in my life, I’ve visited much of the United States (having spent significant time in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticutt, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisianna, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) and abroad (having spent time in Canada – it counts!, England, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Spain). But I still want to see more of the world. I’ve been keeping a list on my Palm Pilot of the places I’d like to see / things I’d like to do (yeah Corinne, right by my “cheat” list) and here they are, in no particular order:
Alaskan cruise
The Alaska Highway
Walk the Appalachian Trail (like my hero, David Stango!)
Austrailia
Bali
Burning Man Festival
Brazil
Cambodia
Caribbean Cruise
China
Costa Rica
Dead Sea (even though I’ve already seen the Red Sea!) and Israel
I want to take Vincent to England – London specifically
Fiji
Gabon
Greece
Hawaii
Iceland (Vincent thinks this is the most perfect place on earth)
Italy, AGAIN (last time my mom brought me as a kind of birthday present, but this time around I want Vincent to try to “rough” it out)
Japan
Jazz Festival in New Orleans
Korea
Kuala Lampur
Mexico
Nepal (I’m still working on the whole “family” vacation there, but San doesn’t seem to want to go back anytime soon; the bonus? I already convinced my friend, Jeff, to go with me since Vincent practically refuses to go)
New Zealand
Phillipines
Portland, Oregon
Prague
Seattle, Washington
South African safari
Thailand
A U.S. trip of the National Parks
Vietnam

And that about rounds that list out. This year I have several lovely trips planned, and I certainly hope they all pan out! The first should be a trip out to California to hike Mt. Whitney with my Michelle and Daddy A. Then it’s off to Las Vegas for a few days of sin with our friends Hunter and Alex, followed by a 6-day rafting and hiking trip in the Grand Canyon. Finally, I shall be relaxing on the beach with my Jimmy and Corinne come winter, while we enjoy our Dominican Republic vacation! So the year is rounding out nicely for me as far as adventure goes. So here’s to more of this!

Speaking of adventure, I am about to join the New York chapter of Team in Training, which is this group that trains and competes in marathons, triathlons and century bike rides around the world. The training, some equipment, and all travel and competition expenses are paid by Team in Training (a NPO). The only thing I need provide is a certain fundraising minimum, about 75% of which goes to fund blood cancer research. Everyone on the team rides/runs/walks/competes either in honor or in memory of someone they know whose life has been affected by blood cancer. My choice for the season is to compete in the Lake Tahoe Century Bike Ride in June (I think that’s the month) in honor of my Nonnie. I am really psyched about this event, as it’s a great way to give a little back to someone you care about, to do charity, and to get in kick-ass shape! The only thing that kind of stinks about the biking team is that our practices are at 6:30AM. I haven’t quite figured out how I’m going to get to Central Park by 6:30AM, and then back home to shower, and still be in to work on time. Oh yeah, training is during the week AND on weekends. Say goodbye to your old friend, Ryan!!!

Well, that’s my five and a half cents for the time being. Vincent just went out in the cold, harsh winter night to buy me some mint chocolate chip ice cream and I mean to eat some!!!

I keep stealing things from my friend Brian D.’s website – ideas I mean, not each verse. In any case, that’s where my super cool Japanese warrior comes from, as does the next idea. Apparently it’s a fun thing to go into your winamp, or whatever other MP3 player you’ve got, and random the poopie out of it. Then you list your top 20 songs so people can see how diverse you are. Or how out of your lovin’ mind you are. That’s it, one of the two.

In any case, this is mine – but please keep in mind that most of my CDs have yet to be ripped and we are working off of over 400 of Vincent’s CDs (maybe I should have waited until we’re done with our whole convert-our-collection-to-high-quality-MP3s project…?!):

1. Thievery Corporation’s Omid (Hope) from The Richest Man in Babylon
2. Carl Cox, Siberian Snowstorm (the Dave Angel Mix) from F-A-C-T 2 Disk 2
3. Beth Orton, Central Reservation (the Then Again Version) from Central Reservation
4. Boris Grebenshikov, The Postcard from Radio Silence
5. Jude, Cammie from 430 N. Harper Ave.
6. Cowboy Junkies, Miles from our Home from Miles from our Home
7. U2, Daddy’s Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car from Zooropa
8. Belle and Sebastian, Dog on Wheels from Dog on Wheels
9. Dinah Washington, I’m Through with Love from What a Diff’rence a Day Makes!
10. Electric Light Orchestra, Livin’ Thing from Afterglow Disk 2
11. Boston, Cool the Engines from Third Stage
12. Billy Bragg, This Guitar Says Sorry from Back to Basics
13. Jude, OUI FM Interview 6 from Bootleg Mix 2
14. Digweed & Muir, Beautiful Strange from John Digweed Stark Raving Mad Disk 2
15. Depeche Mode, Halo from Violator
16. Donovan, Universal Soldier from Love is Hot, Truth is Molten
17. Arab Strap, Gourmet from The Week Never Starts around Here
18. Lenny Kravitz, Blues for Sister Someone from Let Love Rule
19. Steely Dan, I Got the News from Aja
20. The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Campdown Races from Gone with the Wind

See, wasn’t that fun?

In other news, I am discovering more about the person I am today each and every time I step into my new office. Let’s see, I have a really hard time working in a professional environment with spontaneous, unorganized people; I don’t have a lot of patience for people giving me a job to do, doing it, and then being told that my methods are wrong (wouldn’t you think that if you wanted something done a certain way, you would tell your minions that first and not after the fact? There’s nothing more annoying than having to do something twice); and at this point in my life, I don’t particularly want to work for such little pay and be expected to work late (without overtime might I add). I’ve been reprimanded for not being positive enough (I like to call my form of salesmanship “realism” – and honestly, when I’m being perky to strangers I sound like a flipping moron, that cheeky morning person we all want to kill with their sugary voice and happy smile) and for not working a full day – despite the fact that I have never taken a lunch hour (I eat at my desk while working) and there have been very few times that I’ve put on my coat at 6PM to go home.

What a very strange environment in which I find myself.

Of course, at the same time, I realize I’m learning quite a bit about the business I’m in, and my boss knows what she’s doing (sometimes so much so that I’m wondering why she wants me to do the work instead of just doing it herself). She has really wonderful pointers so long as I can keep my inherent stubbornness down to a low roar. And I’m still eternally grateful for having something that impels me to get out of the house every day…

Now here’s something new: I dragged Vincent out to see The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King last night (after spending all week “prepping” for it by watching the other two AGAIN), and I think I can honestly say that despite Orlando Bloom being about the hottest elf I could ever imagine, there’s something lacking in the movies. Yes, I cried at the end but I am slowly coming to grips with the fact that I truly am a sap – but I still feel like the movies weren’t all that compelling. I believe that the best part of their release was that each scene reminds me of reading the books – especially as Peter Jackson did not stray too much from the original content. Of course, none of the characters are as I imagined them, but close enough, right?

Well, I do believe that’s my two cents for the day and I should be off to explore new avenues in the world of book tours…

Oh, and check out my Vincent’s Blog when you have a chance!

I’m getting paid, folks! Week one of the dual internships, and the less organized, much more crazy office decided that they needed someone full-time to produce a failing book tour. I put in a phone call to internship no. 1, and told them, “Hey, I’m being offered very little pay, no real glory, the chance to travel all over the U.S. is slim, and this whole deal might fail – do you have a counter offer?” And they said, “Heck no! We don’t have enough money in our several hundred thousand dollar coffers to pay our slaves to do what they should be thanking us to do! But you’ll be sorry you left us!!!” So I’ve now spent one and a half weeks of a 3-month paid internship at Animal Fair, trying to put together a 15-city book tour that begins in the second week of February, and I just finished writing a thank-you note to One Entertainment for their truly inspiring disappointment in me.

The other good news in my life? I made it to round 2 of the interview process with William Morris, one of the premier talent agencies in the country (and, might I add, the world). Of course, I am still wondering why I need to take a typing test to be hired for a two-year agent-training program (see details at William Morris' Agent Training Program Site), but hey, you do what you gotta do, right? I’m only locked into this Animal Fair gig until March, by which time I will either have fallen flat on my face with this whole book tour extravaganza, or I will be enjoying margaritas by the pool of some Atlanta/Chicago/Cleveland/Dallas/Denver/Los Angeles/San Diego hotel (just to name a few of the places we expect to take by storm in March). And I’m telling you, whether this works out or not, I WILL be sipping some alcoholic beverage by the side of a pool in March, no matter the weather!! (Even if the pool is a puddle of my own tears and I am sitting in my New York apartment!)

You are Kenta Kobashi. You are one of the
strongest and most skilled wrestlers in the
world. Not even chronic knee injuries can keep
you down.


Which Puroresu (Japanese pro wrestling) star are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

It is a lot easier for me to write about things once I have a certain amount of distance between me and the subject, but this time around I thought I might talk to you all for a minute. Now I don’t want anyone writing to me about it, or calling me, or anything like that. That’s not why I write. I don’t need people to assure me that things will be all right with the world because, to quote my friend Jimmy (there are two now!), “that’s not the way I roll.” So, the moral of the story is, don’t write to me about this Blog because I won’t respond.

That being said, I wanted to tell you all about my grandmother. Ardelle Lillian McLean, or as we all call her, Nonnie (“nonni” means grandparents in Italian, so “Nonnie” is some sort of derivative of that) has always been in my life. Since shortly after my 7th birthday, she even lived only a block away from me. Nonnie’s the kind of woman who is always prim and proper when the situation calls for manners, but whispers naughty things behind her napkin to you. She taught me to chew my food twenty times per mouthful (that lesson never took), to hug and kiss people I just met, and to always exclaim “What pretty wrapping paper!” whenever I receive a present of some sort. She likes to pinch people’s bottoms (or, “pinch their coolies” as she says), whether she’s just met them or even if she’s known them for years. Whenever I would visit, I would be forced to eat all the leftovers in the refrigerator and, if she didn’t have any cash on hand, she would send me home with a ziplock baggie of change. She taught me how to shellac plastic eggs that we’d decorated, and how to make the best gosh-darn artichokes you’ve ever had. I raked her leaves in the Fall, shoveled her walkway in the Winter, watched her weed her garden in the Spring, and had her over to our swimming pool in the Summer. Danny and I used to go over her house just to watch cable, which we never had when we were kids. Nonnie’s house is where I first saw MTV, watched Batman (Kapow! Bang! Pop!), and snuck candy out of my grandparent’s private stash. Before I had braces, Nonnie helped me learn to stop sucking my fingers by giving me gold stars for each day I didn’t stick them in my mouth. We spent many summer days at Salisbury Beach, and she was always bringing me out on the town for a new adventure. Everything was “simply mah-velous” or wonderful to her. She was inspired by all the beautiful things in the world and loved to travel. Everyone I know – and even people I don’t – adores my Nonnie.

Things aren’t the same anymore. Last Monday I took the train to Massachusetts to visit my mom and my Nonnie. Nonnie is sick with leukemia and she’s dying. For the past two weeks or so she’s been wonderfully assisted by hospice care, but for a long time my mom has been over there every day taking care of the little things: bathing her, assisting her when she needs to relieve herself, helping Grampie feed her and give her medicine. Mom has also been dealing with the many friends and relatives who wish to visit or call or send packages or whatever. It’s been a very difficult time for her and Grampie, and it really hits me when I go home. There are days when my grandmother seems well, and days when she is exhausted. She’s usually in pain, and she often can’t remember if one of her good friends visited her the day before.

I know that many of you have lost people you’ve cared about, but I don’t know how many of you have had to go through the long, drawn-out, painful process of watching someone die over a matter of days, months, years…whatever length of time. My friend Starr recently went through this, as she was her grandmother’s primary caregiver, but we’ve never really discussed it.

In any case, it’s been a very painful process even for me, as someone who doesn’t have to take care of all the everyday minutiae as Mom and Grampie do. I visited Nonnie on the Tuesday before Christmas, for a little over two hours. It was the first time I had been home in months. My grandmother used to be a fairly sizeable woman; she is now little more than a human skeleton. She can hardly even move on her own.

I brought her some Christmas presents she may never even get to enjoy – a Dr. Seuss book that my mom promised to read to her, and a box of chocolates so Nonnie could indulge a little. While I was there, we didn’t talk about anything important. Mom, Grampie and I just kept up a conversation so Nonnie would know we were there. It was a bad day; she was tired and in pain. I helped Mom give her some Morphine to help with that.

The most difficult thing for me was being left alone with her. It makes her so tired to talk, so the onus was on me to make conversation, but what do you do? I felt so helpless. There is nothing I can do that will make her any better. I don’t even know how to arrange her on the bed so she is most comfortable.

The best I could do was be there to show her I love her.

I guess in a way it makes me realize how important the holidays have always been to me. To be able to see all the friends and family I don’t always see due to time and distance – even if we don’t always like each other. To buy my loved ones little gifts, and remember their birthdays, and celebrate important events – I enjoy doing the small things to show that I love them.

This Christmas season I think I did a lot more than I intended, and I know that I am thankful for the time I was able to spend with family and friends. I seem to have enjoyed this season more than most and been truly rewarded with happy moments to remember for always.

So I thank you Mom, Grampie, Nonnie, Vincent, Grampie Trap, Danny, Corinne, Susan and Joe, Aunt Barbara and Uncle Jim, Vince Sr., Jane, Allie and friends, Aunt June and Uncle Tony, Cousins Bruno and Nick and Jimmy, Nicole and Christian, Grandmom and Grandpop, Ruth and Mitchell, Blake and Chad, Annie and Jerry, Uncle Kenny, Aunt Kathy, my other Aunty Kathy, Corinne, Jimmy, Tom, Garland, Jaeson, Lisa, Aaron, Eric, Starr and Kathryn… and anyone else who spent any time over the holidays with me.

It was a wonderful (if not busy) time and I love you all.