DEO

Nothing like viewing hours the day after Christmas. My heart goes out to the O'Brien family. I can only imagine what a riot Donna must have been at the holidays, and what a terrible hole that must have left for you this year.

Pitter Patter

I woke up this morning to a very familiar sound that I haven't heard in who knows how many years.  Specifically:

THUMP THUMPTHUMP THUTHUTHUTHUTHTHUMP THUMP THUMP

One of the other apartments in my building apparently has visitors that include at least one young-ish child, and I woke to the noise of kid feet running crazily around somewhere in the building.  I can't remember how many times I woke up to that very same noise coming from my sister's kids back at my parents' house.

The timing is apt, given that just this week my parents put their old house up on the market--the house where I grew up. If you're interested and want to see it, here you go.

Disclaimer - it got fresh paint and new carpet just about everywhere after they moved out.  It never looked that distinguished and dignified when we lived there!  A constant ebb and flow of two to four kids and one to five grandkids will do that to a place.

I Guaran-Damn-Tee It

The following is guaranteed to make you smile.  Perhaps even dance around a bit.  If it doesn't, there is a possibility that you may be lacking a soul.



The Holloways - Generator

Observations of a Random Nature

- Don't bother staying up really late working on a project when there are only a few workdays left before Christmas.  Even if they tell you that you have a deadline, nobody will actually be working at work.

- Cats with night crazies are entertaining as hell, especially when they try to act all dignified afterward.

- Scraping your leg on your pedal hurts a lot worse when your pant leg has been rolled up and your skin is frozen from the cold air.

- Someone who is nice to you but is mean to the waiter is probably not a nice person.

- There are far too many people in the world who don't know what a pakora is!

- Coffee rocks.

- The bag on your back that has, among other things, a computer (and accessories), two changes of clothes, paperwork, and gym shoes, is not particularly comfortable and does not make it easier to bike up the hill.

- Everyone cancels everything around the holidays, claiming that there is no time.  This is everything from meetings at work to organized recreational activities to pretty much anything else.  This pretty much leaves a lot of people with about two weeks of next to nothing to do.  Who are these people that really have parties to go to every night?

- I love winter, but winter = decreased daylight = almost never getting out to Frick = BOO.  I disapprove!!

My Complete Reaction to the MLB Mitchell Report

1) Duh.

2) Sadly, I think this is getting more coverage than when the 9/11 Commission released its final report.

3) Duh.

4) The Pirates only had two people linked to steroids during their time with the team. So now we have yet another reason why they never win.

5) Duh.

Doug 2007!

Q: What do I do on a December Sunday when I know the Steelers are getting their butts handed to them?

A: Put up my Christmas decorations!

Back in an easy-access apartment, yahoo for being able to get a real tree again! (Douglass Fir...funny how they all end up being named Doug.) So now I'm happy, it finally feels like the holidays. I'm a big fan of the holidays. Not religiously, certainly, just culturally. It's really the one time of year that people of so many different cultures have a big celebration, and something about big celebrations in the middle of cold and snow just makes one feel warm and fuzzy.

Actually, as much as I love my own decorations and Christmas tree, one thing I really love about Squirrel Hill is that's it's one place that you really have the warm and fuzzy holiday feel, but it's not just Christmas shoved down your throat. I'm sitting in my office right now (Blogging at work? Shh...don't tell!) with the office Christmas tree, Santa Claus everywhere, and an explosion of red and green cube decorations. I'd much rather be at CTR or the library in Squirrel Hill, where it feels festive but not so exclusive. Not to say that people who've grown up celebrating Christmas shouldn't do so (my own cube has red tinsel), I just like being in an environment with more of a mix of people who celebrate a whole range of things.

Memos

With a nod to MT for this fun blog post format.

To: Anthony Smith
RE: Guarantee

Perhaps it is unwise to taunt the most talented quarterback/receiver combination in the NFL. Just a thought for next time, unless of course you were trying to challenge Ben to beat Brady's 400 yard, 4-touchdown performance.


To: Mark Recchi
RE: We still luv ya

Good luck in Atlanta! You should know that is MD's secondary team, so she's happy to see you there. The Burgh still loves the Wreckin' Ball, unfortunately there just wasn't a home for you on the ice.


To: Ray Shero
RE: Class

As with John LeClaire, you showed crap tons of class in handling Recchi. There are very few businesses that would be willing to take a several hundred thousand dollar budget hit just to try to see an employee be happy and have a chance. Way to not be Anthony Smith.


To: Christmas Lights
RE: Yay!

Twinkle, twinkle. Christmas lights rock.

It Goes By Quick

LT and I went to see the Chihuly exhibit at Phipps yesterday, as part of a fun day that also included a triumphant display of LT's boat-building prowess, and lots of snow. We went around the conservatory, enjoying the day, the exhibit and each other's company.

There was an older lesbian couple going through the exhibit, and we kept sort of crossing paths but not interacting with them, just ending up in the same general vicinity. It happened that we all ended up at the exit at the same time when we were done. As we were walking out, one of the women said to us, "We just want you two to know, it goes by quick. It goes by quick."

It was such a small interaction, but so impactful. Certainly there was the obvious impact which she intended; I had already been thoroughly appreciating the beauty of the day, but having her say that made me take even additional time to take everything in and soak it up, cherish it, for the rest of the day. And not just the day, but LT--being able to share it with her, being a part of her earlier success and current happiness.

The other piece of it, though, was the joy that came from that acknowledgment of us and our relationship. For those of you who are straight, it may be slightly difficult to understand why it meant so much along those lines...I will take a shot at explaining, because I want all of my friends to understand how I was touched.

A young straight couple in love, they can wander around holding hands and staring into each other's eyes, letting all the world see that feeling of adoration and joy. People say, "Awww...how sweet," and are happy for them (provided they aren't being obnoxious). For gay couples, it isn't always that easy. You can just hold hands and risk anything from uncomfortable stares to derisive comments to physical violence. Something so great as love can become a source of deep hurt when other people, including even family, use it as an excuse to be cruel to you.

LT and I are generally very comfortable as a couple. We often hold hands and hug, and even when we don't I feel like our interaction and the way we position ourselves relative to each other mark us off very definitely as a couple. At most, I generally just hope for no "incidents" as a result, that even people who are uncomfortable with us will just live and let live. So, it was an incredibly pleasant surprise to have this validation of our relationship, this acknowledgment of what we felt.

"We see your happiness and it is beautiful."

It's not a message that I get to hear spontaneously from strangers very often. Apparently when I do, it makes my day.

Is Three Times a Charm?

Plant attempt #1 didn't have a name or a chance.  I'm not even really sure what kind of plant it was...whatever it was, it's fate was brutal and short.  It was a housewarming present, alas it did not find my house to be warm.

Plant attempt #2, Spike, was an ornamental pepper.  Spike was gone within a month or so, I think.  I made a last ditch attempt to save hyr by shipping hyr off to LT's apartment where ze might be able to get more sun, but alas it was no use.  LT does insist that the blame is partly hers, as Spike was transported to my apartment in her backpack.  But I think that's kind of like a dockworker taking credit for deaths on the Titanic because he broke a lifeboat oar.  There were just too many things fate had in store for that to make a difference.

So now I've moved down a level in the plant-care ladder to bamboo.  The Twins, Thing 1 and Thing 2, share a little decorative mug on my window sill...LT claims that they are virtually impossible to kill, to which I say, "Sounds like a challenge to me."

Augh!  That damn JB Robinson commercial is on again!