Good Times in Margaritaville

There's just nothing like good times with friends, food, and drinks. Cutting loose, living right, having fun. And we did, last night, with our friends T and S. As you'll see, they are crazy folk. Take a look and enjoy. Hope you're having as much fun. The photos from the evening are here.


My sister arrives with a friend for a six-day visit from Idaho. She's always a hoot and up for anything--so who knows what we'll end up doing.

By the way, I dropped my dirty little secret (see the end paragraph of the Feb. 26th post) on the floor at Target today (yes, we were back at Target). That sucker just slithered down my leg like a rattler going down a pine tree and hit the floor....right in between the women's clothing and the mailing envelopes. Ker-plunk. Like any good self-face-preserving girl would do, I grabbed that little piece of leather and stashed it away quietly and quickly. There, all better now.

PS: I've given up my leg warmers (see the last post) for Lent.

Me, Irene Cara, and the Leg Warmers

What is so wrong with wearing leg warmers? You know, those knitted devices that fit nicely between your knees and feet? They do a good job of keeping your calves and ankles toasty warm. Irene Cara made them horribly popular years ago in Flashdance. And nothing would have it but that I had to have a pair (or several). A girl can't just keep wearing the same pair over and over, you know. A coworker and I were reminiscing today and we ended up in total hysterics with tears running down our faces from laughing so hard. I was telling her about coming from Idaho where we spent all of our time "helping the sheep over the fence." I mean, what else was there to do? Well, there was one other thing. In Idaho, we were really excited when we could get away to one of the big cities nearby....Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC. On this particular trip to Vancouver BC, I had it in my mind that I needed a couple of pair of leg warmers.....don't ask me why or what I was thinking....because it's quite obvious that I wasn't. I remember telling the girl that I went with on this trip that I just had to have a pair and that "everyone was wearing them nowadays." (I'm sure that the words freak, twisted, and weirdo probably crossed her mind.) So, I stood there....in front of the wall of leggings....hum....which ones...which color. (Did it really matter.....I mean, they were going to think the same thing about me....whether I had green, red or blue.....Fag!....but in those days, we were called "light in the loafers.") I picked out a pair of blue ones and a brownish/tan color....hoping to ease the laughter with a semi-masculine hue. And I wore them. Proudly. There are probably a few incriminating pictures floating around for evidence in the Court of Gay No-No's. I took those things right back to Idaho, stretched them across my feet, positioned them just-so over the ankle area....and went right out to go and help the sheep over the fence. No one ever said a word. Do you think they knew then what I know now?

You Won't Believe Everything I've Got to Say Today

A fantastic afternoon here in Portland. Late winter days turn me on....I love the daffodils and tulips pushing their way out of the cold, dark ground...The flowering cherry trees bursting into their pink shades against the black trunks of their trees....And the sky....it keeps on changing, black, blue, white clouds, rain, sunshine.

Hubby and I went to Target this morning and I attacked him as any proper self-serving perverted husband would do. We entered the elevator and pressed "1" to go to the first floor (yes, we have multi-level Target stores). The door closed and I pressed him up against the elevator wall, lifted up his shirt, and ran my hands up underneath to cop a feel. Well, he jumped a little, giggled like a school girl, and then the bells and whistles started going off. Apparently, he had pressed his perfectly-shaped bubble butt up against the emergency call button on the elevator control panel. The door opens back up and my hands come back out from underneath his shirt. The ringing finally stopped when he moved away from the wall. Oops. We tee-hee'd about that one for the rest of the day.

Here are a couple of birthday cards that I received from nothing but the best of friends. I simply had to share them.....knowing that you, my dear whacked out wonderful readers, would want to see them:




The first one is nothing short of perfect....especially with the hat on the ground and the fact that we love to tent camp. In case you can't see the verbiage in the second one, it says "Susan's talent for charming wieners always made her popular." And isn't that the truth? These are classics.

A friend of mine has just informed me that I've been carrying around a straight man's product in my suitcase for quite some time now. I had absolutely no idea. It may be time to rethink being seen with such contraband. You'll see it here:















I've been fooling around a little lately. With Windows Movie Maker, that is. You'll see the byproduct of my feeble efforts here:

You'll see that I've added a "My Videos" Link on the left-hand sidebar below the pictures link. Check it out from time to time for new videos that I'll definitely be making.

Did I mention the awesome Coconut Chicken that I made the other night? Topped with a yummy sauce of coconut milk, pineapple juice, red peppers, onions, and pineapple. Asparagus with garlic and zest of lime and lemon alongside. Fantastic! You all are going to have to come to Portland for dinner....that's all there is to it. Get busy making your plans.

Saturday-Monday will find me in San Diego, Los Cabos, Seattle, Orange County, Oakland, and San Jose. It's going to be a busy one....but I'm always thankful for a job that provides such good working conditions, benefits, and pay. And that, my dear friends, will end today's posting. Happy Weekend to you all.

(That's actually not all that we did today....but if you want to be let in on a naughty secret and know the dirt, you'll have to email me. It's just too much to publish on "the internets" as the village idiot (GW Bush) has been quoted as saying.)

The Aftermath

Whew. I'm tired. Worn out from celebrating and having an unbelievable time this week. I finished six long days of work (16 flights) on Monday afternoon just in time to race home where my wonderful hubby had a spotless house, incense burning, and a gift bag full of goodies for my birthday. A bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, a Target gift card, and a beautiful glass candle holder. We went to dinner at Savoy with my brother-in-law, Bert and Alan....But not before we had a nice bottle of red wine at Alan's house. Ate some great food and returned to Alan's house for coffee, cake, and the customary "Happy Birthday" singing which ended up in this video. Keeping with a "cruising" and "sailor" theme, A gave me Russell Crowe's movie Master and Commander along with, you won't believe this, an official U.S. Navy uniform shirt. My mom had sent me Josh Groban's "With You" CD which is going to be opened and enjoyed this afternoon. Thank you for birthday phone calls to: my hubby, mom, Aunt Ruth, Sorted Lives, and friends Alex and Bert. Thanks for text messages goes to: Darin, David, One 3y3 Open, Secrets of the Red Seven, D-Tour, Days of Our Sorted Lives, Actorschmactor, Nathan Exposed (got an e-card from Nathan too!), and Matterday's cousin Jo. Nik-in-Paris sent me a really cool pic of the Eiffel Tower which made my day complete. Along with all of that, I received numerous comments from many others to help round out the party. You'll see the birthday pics here. You guys and girls rock! I don't think a guy could have had a better birthday.

After a pretty late night after a long day, I flew to Los Angeles to meet up with a new buddy of mine, Izzy. He was in LA on a layover and I decided to spend it with him. He treated me like royalty and bought me a yummy gin and tonic, appetizers, cookies, and a great dinner. We enjoyed a beautiful walk in the sunshine and breeze around Manhattan Beach, listened to some awesome Israeli music, and had a hot cup of tea. We are going with he and his partner on their next cruise. We're stoked to have found these new friends (god knows we can use any friends that will stick by us!). So, many many thanks to Izzy for his hospitality and friendship. Pics from Manhattan Beach are here.

Seasons of Change

Does anybody truly LOVE change? I guess there are probably a few....but I'm not one of them. I am in total love with consistency, organization, order, repeat. Boring, I know, but true. I enjoy the comfort that consistency brings: Always knowing exactly where the toothpaste is (squeezed from the bottom, by the way), charging the mobile phone on the same plug-in each night (but I do have an alternate when my husband is charging his), key and wallet in the same drawer each night, and the list goes on and on. I think I'm getting old (half-way to 90 tomorrow)...but I've been this way forever. Maybe it's written in the stars somewhere (see Pisces below). I just know what works and what doesn't for me. And I can't stand doing things that don't work over and over expecting better results. But, somewhere in the back of my mind, I want something different. I want to be more carefree, less structured, more whimsical. I want my always-thinking mind to turn off and choose a different path occasionally. I often speak to others of my Mom and step father. They are always up for something new and different. A new restaurant or coffee shop? They'll go. A different movie or store to shop in? They are there. Meeting new people? Yep, they love it. (I think I've tested them severely sometimes when meeting some of my friends....but they have always played along like good sports). I wonder if I'm going to be like them when I get to be near 80. I hope so, but I'm not so sure. I'd like to think that I will be...but I've got some work to do. Today, reading the February issue of Men's Health, I came across the entire back part of this issue that is totally dedicated to making life better for all of us. I had what Oprah would call an Ah-Ha Moment. If you haven't seen it, you should. Full of great ideas for losing weight, gaining better perspectives in life, dealing with depression, reducing debt, quitting smoking, and making people smile. It's called 2007: The Complete Instructions (page 119). Seriously, you need a copy. So, I see this quote:

They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom (Confucius).

Ouch. I think I'm a pretty flexible person but not a person who loves change. When I come home from a trip, I like the furniture to be in the same place as when I left (hint to hubby). I like knowing that my "castle" is the way I left it. I love the peace of consistency and order. In some ways, I need it. In other ways, I don't think I need it at all. I do know that 2007 must be a different year for me. I must be a better man by this time next year. I must be a better lover and partner too. I've got my work cut out for me.

Checking out Spider's site, I ran across his posting on the zodiac. Since I'm celebrating my 45th birthday tomorrow including a nice dinner with some top-notch friends, I thought it would be a hoot to include this below....I know I'm on the cusp (some sites say I'm an Aquarius)...but most use Pisces.

PISCES: The Piece of ass. Caring and kind. Smart. Center of attention. Too Sexy, DAMN IT. Very high ### appeal. Has the last word. The best to find, hardest to keep. Fun to be around. Freak in the sheets. Extremely weird but in a good way. Super good in bed. Good Sense of Humor!!! Thoughtful. A partner for life. Always gets what he or she wants. Loves to joke. Very popular. Silly, fun and sweet.

Whether it's true or not, I don't know. Maybe some of it. You'll have to ask those who know me well. Lots of love to you guys. I appreciate all of you so much. Your virtual friendships, emails, and comments all mean the world to me. I count on them. I look for them. I need them. And, I seriously appreciate them. As I celebrate my birthday tomorrow, I celebrate a special life with each of you and, especially, with my lover and best friend. He's amazing....I mean, to put up with me....he has to be. Cheers to you all.

VD and The Busy Week

It's been a busy week kids. Had a little cold on top of Valentine's Day (not to be confused with VD which carries a much higher level of attention). But I managed to squeak out a nice dinner for the two of us:

* * * Thin Cut Pork Chops Marinated in Orange Juice,

Garlic, Soy Sauce Resting Gently on a Bed of Braised

Sweet White Onion
* * * Tomato-Basil Risotto With Fresh Asparagus and Red Pepper
* * * Fresh Avocado Diced with Sweet Red Peppers,
With Olive Oil and Fresh-Cracked Black Pepper
* * * Delicious Rich Dark Chocolate-Coated Crispy Pretzels

Finished a three-day trip with took me on nine flights in and out of San Diego, Los Cabos Mexico, Orange County, Seattle, San Jose, and Oakland. I'm tired! Having dinner out tonight at the Alameda Brewhouse with some good friends that we haven't seen in a while. And tomorrow, I'm off on another three-day trip which will take me to Vancouver, BC, on both Saturday and Sunday nights. I return on my birthday afternoon, Monday; and we have dinner plans with another good friend that evening. Whew. But, it continues......on Tuesday I'm going to Los Angeles to hook up with another good buddy that we just met on the cruise. We're going to have some good food and get to know each other a little better. AND, speaking of cruises.....are you ready?...........We've booked yet another cruise! This whole deal started back when we were on board the Westerdam and our friends mentioned to us that they were going on a 15-night Hawaii cruise.....long story short, we're going with them.

Wishing you all a cool holiday weekend....full of rest and relaxation....some good food, friends, and family. Make it count!

It's All In Your Perspective

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like this. There would be:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans

52 would be female
48 would be male

70 would be non-white
30 would be white

70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian

89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual (and we'd be the ones with pretty drapes, nice furniture and artistically-created food!)

6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth (and all 6 would be from the United States).

80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer

When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need
for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.

The following is also something to ponder...
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more
blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are
ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the
world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish
someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare,
even in the United States and Canada.

If you can read this message, you
are luckier than over two billion people in the world that
cannot read at all.

Videos, The Queen, Reading, and Anger Management

All of my cruise videos have now been uploaded into YouTube. I'm learning, so give me a break, boys. A couple of the most cool things we did all week on the cruise: (1) In the ocean water with Annie, the dolphin. Literally, we got to hold her, kiss on her cute little nose and all of that....It was truly an amazing experience. (2) Cooking class for 10 people with the Executive Chef of the Westerdam. We cooked right up in the ship's kitchen! (3) The food each evening in the dining room can't be described. It's quality and presentation were nothing short of works of art. I hope you'll take a look. It's been a nice week to get back into the swing of things...I worked two days....and will work all weekend. Going to be spending every Saturday and Sunday night this month in one of my very favorite world cities....Vancouver, BC. But, hey, it's a hotel room....and a very very nice one at that.

Went to see The Queen last night (well, it was more like five queens going to see The Queen) at our favorite neighborhood theater, The Roseway. We went with my brother-in-law and two good friends. Everyone enjoyed it. Amazing those royalty emotions, or lack thereof. I am always into seeing how other groups of people feel/don't feel, do things/don't do things. Hopefully, it provide me with a more well-rounded insight into the world we live in.



Here's my latest in hilarious discoveries of books. I picked it out before the cruise because I didn't want anything heavy or something that made me think to much for vacation. It's a really funny book filled with extremely short chapters. You'll definitely see yourself numerous times in these chapters loaded with poking fun at our crazy selves.









Did you ever have one of these days? Things just seem to put you right on the precipice of flipping out and going off on someone. I know that Nathan blogged about this recently....but I'm sure that all of us can relate! (Being a flight attendant, I think I especially got a tee-hee out of it.) Enjoy.....We laughed ourselves to death over this one. Happy weekend everybody. (PS...There's a new audio greeting at the top of the page for the month of February.)

Cruise Videos

Check out some of the videos from our cruise. There are several more coming once I figure out how to turn the videos right-side up instead of laying on their side....any helpful hints for turning videos clockwise/counterclockwise in Windows Media Player? The vids aren't the greatest...but I hope you enjoy anyway! Cheers to all of my friends. Keep checking back....I've got a couple more to upload soon.


http://youtube.com/profile?user=alewispdx

Off of the High Seas (Boo Hoo!)

Oh my gosh! The cruise was truly one of the most amazing weeks of our lives. All of the pictures have been uploaded but I haven't had time to put descriptions on them yet. Plus, I made several (not-very-good) videos that I'll have uploaded soon. I can't tell you how sad we were to leave the Westerdam this morning in Fort Lauderdale. We are in a hotel near the Miami Airport now and fly home tomorrow. Holland America is definitely a premium cruise line. All of our expectations were exceeded. We lacked for nothing. No cell phones, no email, no driving, no cooking (except the cooking class that I took from one of the executive chefs on board). We just relaxed, had plenty of Mojitos and Pina Coladas, swam with stingrays and dolphins, and saw some of the most amazing Broadway-quality shows in the theater each evening. We were in the youngest 10% of those on board which made us feel pretty darned good. We saw a few other gay people and actually met a very nice couple from the Philadelphia area. The ship cruised along at around 20 knots for our more than 3,000 miles at sea. We cruised around the ship at about 1 knot on our way to dinner each evening and about .0000001 knot after dinner. Between the older folks who did everything except move very fast and the huge unbelievable meals in the dining room each evening, we didn't move very quickly! Missed my blogging friends and am looking forward to catching up throughout this week. Cheers! Anybody up for a cruise sometime? We're already looking!