That's a lot of sisters and cousins

There's a missing bride-to-be from Duluth, GA. Her family doesn't think she just got wedding cold feet. You can read about her here.

I thought it was interesting that she plans on having FOURTEEN bridesmaids and groomsmen.

*In Southern accent from Steel Magnolias*
"Daddy always said, 'an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure.'"

Is it common to have that many down South? I'm somewhat of a wedding expert...Well, okay maybe not, but I have been to about a jillion gillion weddings and I've always thought there should be 3-5 attendants, maybe 6 (each). My 30-something cousin got married a few years ago, already had a talking kid from another guy, and still wore a huge white dress, had a big reception (I didn't go, I hate her) and EIGHT bridesmaids....She was 30-something years old with a kid! TACKY, TACKY, TACKY! But that's just my opinion...

Anyway, I hope they find that girl. It's sad. Maybe her 14 bridesmaids can form a search party. Okay, that was mean but I couldn't resist...let's face it, we all know I'm already going to hell anyway. But seriously, I do hope she got cold feet and took off for a while and she comes home to find out that her family had listed her as missing...


Missing: Jennifer Wilbanks

Minneapolis is for Hotties

Josh and Josh recently saw Candace Bushnell, the real life Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City, speak at the University of Minnesota (you can read the entire transciption on their blog).

First of all, how did I not know that she was going to speak in Minneapolis?! How do people find out about this stuff?? I wish I could have seen her....(sigh)....

Second of all -- apparently, Minneapolitans are known for being good looking?? I never really heard this before. However, whenever we go downtown, my friends and I are always like, "oohhh...look at that guy!" and "Ohhhh...those guys are hot!" There *are* a lot of hotties out & about around here....Anyway, here's what Candace had to say about it:

"My husband is from Minneapolis. In New York we think that everybody here [in Minneapolis] is really good looking. People who live in New York come back from Minneapolis and they’re like, “People are really good looking even on the bus.” Because in New York you never see good-looking people on the bus. They’re all in limos.The first story I did for the New York Observer, I came to Minneapolis. Minneapolis is known to New Yorkers for good-looking people and rehab places. I did a story about these crazy New Yorkers who went to rehab but then came back to New York and they fell into bad habits and had to come back here and live. Some of them stayed here and opened restaurants and things, but the thing about good-looking Minneapolitans is true. I once saw this guy on the bus and he was like a movie star. I got off the bus and followed him and got lost in one of the Habitrails—what do you call them?—skyways. You feel like a hamster in these skyways..."

Anyway -- who knew?!?!


Candace Bushnell


Hot Minneapolis guys - The Carlson twins, Lane and Kyle, with whom I went to college

Ummm...what's daylight look like?

It's 11:oo p.m. on Tuesday night and I'm just finishing work. Granted, I did take a small break for lunch and a healthy break for dinner, but c'mon! I haven't left my apartment since I got home Sunday night. That's right - I haven't even been outside to smoke (I've been smoking inside because it got kinda cool outside again) - I haven't even opened my apartment door since it shut Sunday night. That is sad. What am I now, a shut in?! Some group of do-gooders will probably come here at Christmastime with a basket of candy since I don't have anyone else to wish me holiday greetings and nowhere to go!! Sad, sad, sad...

Now, I'm going to see if I have any money in my even more sad checking account and get the hell out of here for a while.

I *so* better get promoted. Then again, if it's going to be like this all the time, maybe I don't want to be promoted! The senior recruiters tell me it gets easier, though, once you have a pipeline of candidates whom you've been working with...takes a while at first.

Anyway, get me out of here!!

Oh, American Eagle Brad is now "confused about alot" he said over text this afternoon. I'll be getting to the bottom of this. He's supposed to call back in 5 minutes.

Haven't heard from CR Valium since the dinner party on Saturday night.

It just keeps getting better & better...

Have you ever....

Another "thing" widely sweeping the blogs -- this was from Agnes, who got it from BigDubb and yada, yada, yada...I'm posting it b/c I really got nuthin' else. Went to a lil' dinner party at the friend of C.Valium's on Saturday. Friend was HOT. And a chef, so the meal was fantastic. Pork tenderloin, crab legs, steak, and an awesome chocolate cake with strawberries. Work is still busy. Anyway, here's the newest questions:

HAVE I EVER:

Snuck out of the house – Yes, many times. We'd "go walking" when we were about 10. The cops brought a friend and I home in a cop car for being out past curfew. The fun part is when they'd chase us around town and we'd cut through people's yards, hide in bushes, etc. Small town curfews - what's the point?! In high school, I had a 2:00 a.m. curfew, so didn't really need to sneak out! I'd sometimes sneak out the window to go smoke, though.

Gotten lost in your city - I seldom know exactly where I'm going, but haven't been lost in Minneapolis except the day I moved here and got wrong directions. I eventually figured it out since I had been to Mpls many times. I did get lost in St. Paul, though.

Been to any other countries besides the united states – England, Scotland, Canada

Had a serious surgery – I almost kicked the tip of my toe off a couple years ago, walking up stone steps in sandals. It was horrendous. I still shudder at the thought of tit.

Gone out in public in your pajamas – I work at home, so oftentimes go out for a smoke in my jammas. Otherwise, in college, we'd sometimes just go to class in our pajamas. Didn't think much of it then!

Kissed a stranger – Hahaha! Most guys I kiss shouldn't even bother having a name.

Hugged a stranger – I don't hug. Especially not strangers.

Been in a fist fight – I punched a kid in 8th grade basketball practice. They tried to get us to fight after practice, but neither of us was mad anymore at that point. My brother and I used to get in some doozies, but never really punching match. Probably b/c I'd usually run to the couch and start kicking blindly - it was my only defense.

Been arrested – Yes, for DWI. I was visiting friends in La Crosse, Wisconsin, got pulled over for going through a YELLOW light...and none of them could come get me at the police station b/c they were all drunk. So, cops had to book me, take mug shots - I had to wear an orange outfit (including orange slip-on Keds) and sleep on a tiny mattress in jail. I learned my lesson!

Laughed and had milk/coke come out of your nose – I seem to remember it happening in elementary school. God only knows what I thought was funny at the time.

Pushed all the buttons on an elevator – Doubtful.

Swore at your parents – Actually, I don't think I ever have. I can't even picture calling my Mom the B word.

Been in love – I don't really know. Maybe once.

Been close to love – I think so.

Been to a casino – Have been to Treasure Island in Red Wing, MN, several times.

Been skydiving - I don't think I could do it. Heights are scary.

Skinny-dipped – We used to go to this quarry out in the country in high school. I think we called it Miracle Pond or Miragle...wouldn't have any idea how to get out there from town now...probably because we were usually drunk and in a car with about 10 people in it. How we never died is beyond me.

Skipped school – Never really did before college. Then, watch out!! I was famous for only going to lecture for the tests and pulling an A -- b/c I kept up with the reading.

Seen a therapist - Once. I had to for insurance reasons. Oh, and sometimes child psychologists would want to talk to my brother and me b/c the school knew my Dad was f'ed up...

Done the splits - Yeah, not so much.

Played spin the bottle – When I was about 12, I think. It was horrifying.

Gotten stitches – 8 in my arm - Spring 1980. I was 2 and dancing around the living room to the Popeye cartoon theme song and my parents had an antique crock with wooden lid - a nail was in the lid and I caught my poor little arm on it. I still remember that day.

Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour – No, but I did drink nearly a half-gallon before I went home for Christmas freshman year - Hey, I didn't want it to go to waste!

Bitten someone – Also in Spring 1980, my neighbor and I were playing vampires and I really did bite him on the neck. He bawled and I ran and hid under my bed. Later he and his Mom brought me a May Basket (I guess it was May 1, 1980) and I totally didn't deserve it. I guess the nail gave me rabid tendencies...

Been to Niagara Falls - Yes, over July 4, 2003. Read about it here.

Gotten the chicken pox – Yep, I think I had them when I was 4. It must not have been a very bad case b/c I don't remember much about it. Had a scar on my stomach forever, though.

Kissed a member of the opposite sex – I went thru a stage where I'd make out with random girls at the bar. One was a Britney look alike. The other was turning 21 the same day I was, so we felt the need to kiss. Duh.

Crashed into a friend's car - Nope. But I did crash in to my Dad's Cadillac with a golf car when I was about 10.

Been to Japan – No, and I'm sure it's very pretty, but it's not really high on my priority list.

Ridden in a taxi – Thank god for taxis. There'd be more than one night in jail for me otherwise, I imagine.

Been dumped - Kind of, yeah. Usually it's just the quit calling thing, so not really officially dumping if we weren't really together.

Shoplifted – We were kinda bad kids. Got caught when I was 12 stealing a lighter to use for fireworks. We stole a lot of cigarettes from 14-15 too. Again -- DUH.

Been fired – Yes, twice. One for yelling at a hotel clerk who was a jerk to me all week and one for being late.

Had a crush on someone of the same sex – Ummm...only as I live and breathe. The first big one was my best friend, Scott, in 7th grade. The whole school had a crush on him, I think.

Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back – Welcome to my life.

Gone on a blind date – I don't think I've officially been set up by anyone, but have gone on lots of dates with guys I just met online or out one time. Usually doesn't go very well.

Lied to a friend – I'm sure I have, but nothing major since I can't remember anything.

Had a crush on a teacher – Several in high school - we had some good lookin' teachers! One in college. My computer science professor, of all people. Hated that class, but at least he taught it and was nice to look at.

Celebrated Mardi-Gras in New Orleans - Would love to!

Been to Europe - England and Scotland in July 1999, when I was 21......awesome time!

Slept with a co-worker – Nope

Been married – It's illegal, thanks.

Gotten divorced - No, but I'm sure I'll find a way to do that even though I can't get married.

Had children – No and don't really want any.

Seen someone die - Nope. Creepy.

Had a close friend die – Nope.

Been to Africa - Nope and don't really want to. Too hot.

Driven over 400 miles in one day – Many times. Grandparents lived in Black Hills of South Dakota, which was 630 miles one way. We always drove it in one day.

Been to Canada – Yes. Niagara Falls.

Been to Mexico – Nope

Been on a plane – Many times

Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show – Rented it with friend Kevin in 1990. We lasted about 5 minutes, I think.

Thrown up in a bar – No, but two friends have thrown up on my shoes.

Purposely set a part of myself on fire – Excuse me?? Ummm....no.

Eaten Sushi – Once - on a date in Chicago with a Canadian Curt Cobain look-alike (except clean). It was pretty good, but the texture kinda bugged me.

Been skiing/snowboarding – Skiing, no and don't want to. Tried snowboarding with crush Scott once and fell within 3 seconds, twisting my knee. Stupid snowboarding.

Met someone in person from the internet – Lots. My best friend and I actually met online in Dec. 1998.

Lost a child - Nope.

Gone to college - BA in Mass Comm: Public Relations
Graduated college – Yes, Winona State University, May 2000

Fired a gun – Nope; despite my small town roots.

Purposely hurt yourself – Doubtful since pain sucks.

Taken painkillers - I was on Vicodin after removing wisdom teeth. Didn't really make me feel any different...

Generation X or Y -- I'm still a slacker

A while ago I either posted or commented something about not being sure if I'm Generation X or Y. Those born in the late '70s are really borderline. However, I came across this article and found my answer. It's basically just some guy's opinion of the generation boundaries between Boomers / X / Y / Net. Having been born in 1978, I guess I'm in the very small Generation Y or a Boomlet (1976-1981 babies). Not quite old enough to have the same life experiences as Generation X (1964-1975) and remember a bit too much about pre-Internet 1980s life than the Net Generation (1981 - ?).

I didn't see the Internet until I went to college, fall of 1996. My first email address was this: rgisslen9644@vax2.winona.msus.edu. How did we ever remember those old addresses?! Anyway, I don't know if I really believe there can be a "generation" of people born in a 5-year timespan, but most articles I come across cut the Generation X group at those born in 1975.

I read somewhere else that if you grew up with Sesame Street, then you're Generation X. If you grew up with Barney, you're Generation Y. I watched Sesame Street (1-2-3-foour-5....6-7-8-niine-10...11-12!), so...??

What do you guys think? Did anyone's sociology professor lecture about this?? I don't know why, but I am really curious. I need a sense of self!


I guess I still don't really know what the hell I am. A Disco Baby, is that good enough??

Finally - The last of my interview questions

I didn't forget about you BoyWonder, Tara and Meg!! Here's your questions:


BoyWonder

1. Who was your first kiss and describe the situation:

2. What do you do for a living and how did you get in to it?

3. Have you ever been to the U.S? If yes, where did you go & why? If no, where would you go (besides NY, Boston, DC, Florida or California) and why?? (Am wondering where else our UK friends visit besides the coasts)

4. Describe your ideal Saturday:

5. Why should I have visited Glasgow instead of Edinburgh during my time in Scotland?



Tara

1. What's your favorite swear word & use it in a sentence? (I stole this from The Actors' Studio!)

2. What was your wedding song & why (just for Stacy)??

3. How did you meet your husband? And describe first encounter and date.

4. What was your parents' inspiration for your name, Tara?

5. How do you like living in your new town of Lawrence, KS? Desribe this place too, including population. I only know of it for U of Kansas -- or Kansas State...??



Meg

1. What was the first CD you bought/had? Tape??

2. Who/when was your first kiss & describe the situation?

3. What do you miss most about Winona and the Midwest/MN/WI?

4. What do you like most about living in NYC?

5. If you could kill/seriously injure/maim anyone and get away with it, who would it be and why? (feel free to use first name, last initial only)


Again -- now you have to post your responses on your blogs and invite your readers for an interview.

Thank god that's over.

Everybody's working for the weekend!

Oh wait - everybody's working for the weekend except ME! Wondering why I haven't posted much lately? Does the fact that I'm working my second Saturday in a row give you any clue? Here's the scoop (I didn't want to post about it earlier for fear of jinxing it, but now I could actually give a rat's arse): If you remember, I'm a junior recruiter for a technical consulting firm headquartered in NYC. I work from home in Minneapolis for their San Francisco office (even though there is a Minneapolis office too). One of our team of 6 senior recruiters resigned a week & a half ago. Upon this, I e-mailed my boss and our VP to let them know that if they were going to replace that senior recruiter, I was interested in taking his spot, as I have a total of about 3 years experience as a junior recruiter and am ready to move on. After a couple days, my boss starting giving me job orders to fully recruit - that means, post the job to internet job boards, search for matching candidates, do phone interviews and put them through the process, including formatting resumes, paperwork, etc. So, at the time, I'm thinking "hey - I think I got promoted!!" So, I worked my ass off last weekend finding candidates to submit to the client for my 2 open job orders, which I was able to do. Then, during our weekly conference call with one of the head honchos in New York, I found out that they are trying to get some lady to take the available spot!! Someone in San Francisco, who 2 of the senior recruiters know (Oh, of our original team, there were 3 in SanFran, one in Portland, one in LA and two of us in Mpls, so being remote is not an issue for them), is thinking about joining our team.

So, I'm basically taking on the work as if I've been promoted for a few weeks and not getting paid for it and now it looks like I won't get promoted yet either. This is bullshit. I better at least get some sort of gift certificate for helping out and being set up for disappointment. Oh, the joys of corporate America!! Oh well, I'll take corporate America over the public sector any day. Working at a state university blew - with all the gross politics and being polite all the time (I worked in fund-raising for more than a year at my alma-mater). You have to suck up to EVERYBODY when you work in that environment. I am just not good at that. I can't even fake it. I'm a Kennedy, dammit!!

Okay - so like any of you care, or are even reading anymore, but I just needed to vent! Sorry. Now I need to think of something good to post to try to make up for this.

Update and Amityville Horror

I'm going thru blogging withdrawals this week. Work is so busy, I shouldn't even be taking time to do this, but I am going to anyway! Really, not much is too new. I guess C.R. Valium somehow found my blog and recognized himself, b/c I haven't heard from him since Sunday, when he invited me to dinner. I nicely declined, b/c I already had plans to go to The Bolt with Bill, since we hadn't hung out in a while. So, I'm guessing he read my blog and decided to quit calling me! Oh well...I did think he was really nice, cute and fun to hang out with -- I just wish he didn't have a problem with his prescriptions! I'm still hanging out with and talking to American Eagle Brad. In case anyone doesn't know, American Eagle is a clothing store - along the same lines as Abercrombie & Fitch. We went to lunch on Sunday, dinner on Monday and dinner & a movie & out for a while last night. We went to Amityville Horror at Block E (this is a complex in downtown Minneapolis that has a dueling pianos bar, The Shout House, an Applebees, a few other shops and 23-screen movie theatre). I'm usually such a scaredey cat about horror movies, but this one was good! I suggest seeing it. There were a few times that I just couldn't bare to look, but it kept me on the edge of my seat...I read the book a few years ago and that really frightened me. I vaguely remember watching the 1970s or early '80s version of the movie with Margot Kidder and James(?) Brolin - especially the part with the flies on the window and the upside down cross. Yick. I wonder whatever happened to the Lutz family and how much of it is really true...Anyway, good scary movie and Ryan Reynolds, as George Lutz, is hot.



I'll get to the last three interviewees soon and will hopefully be able to look at other posts!!

Interview Requests: you asked for it

Here are the questions for those who requested an interview. Remember, the "rule" is that you have to post it on your blog and copy/paste the request for others...you can find it below in the post with my answers...

STACY

1. Who was your first kiss (like make out kiss)? Please explain the situation.

2. What did you wear for senior pictures? (I don't know where that came from)

3. What are your dreams? Just kidding. Describe your first time being drunk.

4. Where did you and Greg have your first date? Explain.

5. How many licks to the center of a pink Tootsie Pop?


ANG

1. Who did you want to be when you were little & why?

2. What is your idea of a fun Friday night?

3. When was the last time you were on a rollercoaster?

4. Where did you grow up?

5. How did you meet your husband?


WalkTrotCanter

1. Who is your most favorite friend?

2. What is your cocktail of choice?

3. When was the last time you were publicly shamed/embarassed?

4. Where do you love to travel?

5. How is the new house progressing?


K-State Katie

1. Who was your freshman roommate? Explain this person.

2. What was the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of your deciding to go back to school?

3. When was your first kiss? Explain. (I like this question - will use it from now on)


4. Where do you like to hang out with friends?

5. How do you explain the whole Kansas City thing? Is it in Kansas or Missouri? And do Missourians dislike Kansasites, and vice-versa?


I'll do the rest later....this is hard!!

Rehab ain't what it used to be

Sorry interview requestors for the delay -- I've been crazy-busy at work the past few days and have not been my usual blogging self.

Dating Misadventures Update:
I went on a date with C., the hot 34-year-old I met at The 19 Bar, on Wednesday night. We went to some restaurant off of Hennepin & 12th, I can't remember the name, but it's kind of a Caribbean place. It wasn't that good. Our waiter was super gay. He asked us if we'd like to try any "tasty" drinks...both C. and I looked at each other and back at him like, "wha....???" Of course, I wanted a tasty drink. Okay, I just had beer. Well, before that place we went to this restaurant adjacent to Loring Park (my neighborhood) called Joe's Garage, but their kitchen was closed (it was about 10:00), so we just had a drink instead. C. ordered a martini, then told me that it was his first drink in 3 years. Ummm.....yeah. So, anyway, we had a little bite to eat at the Caribbean place and he had 2 Red Stripe beers and I had two pints. His friend called & was in the area and joined us. We had to give him a ride home b/c he was there on his bike (he's a health nut, which frightens me). Then C. and I went to The 19 Bar and I kept staring at him b/c I think he's really cute. Then we went to my house and made out. He wanted to leave and it was about 4:00 a.m. He said he needed to go to the pharmacy (Walgreens is open 24/7), and did I just want to go to to his suburb with him? Of course, I did. We didn't even wind up going to the pharmacy, just straight to his hotel. Yes, he lives in a hotel suite. Apparently, and I'm not joking, he got kicked out of a rehab house b/c he was abusing his prescription medication. In fact, he moved here from California (his family has money) to go to the famous rehab center here in Minnesota, Hazelden (think Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Downey Jr.). Now, I have nothing against anyone who goes to rehab at all (my family practically invented them and Elizabeth is my favorite)...however, dating someone who got kicked out of a rehab house (where you live after dismissal from Hazelden) is a different story. I mean, he's really nice and cute and we get along very well, but I realized that he didn't just have some sort of speech impairment....he was doped up on Mezahextotryglipherine (or whatever) and a number of other meds. Seriously, his end table drawer was FULL of medication bottles and he took them at end-of-night and in the morning. So, I don't really know what to do. I like him and he's smart and going to cosmo school for skin care stuff (?), and we have fun together, and he's really nice, but lord....So, we'll see. We're supposed to hang out tonight and I think I might ask him if he's getting doped up on his meds; especially if he seems shit-faced again. Okay - so that's the C. story. For reference/remembrance sake, think of him as C. Valium or C. Pill. How about C.R. Pill & Stuff? Whatever...

So last night I had a date with American Eagle Brad....he's the one with whom the plumber saw me making out. I didn't get done with work until about 9:30 and he was really sweet about being okay with it (we originally thought we'd probably go at about 8:00, but I seriously couldn't get out of work). So, he picked me up at about 10:15'ish and we went to Old Chicago in Uptown to eat. It was okay food -- nothing really to write home about. Then we went to a seedy little gay bar called The Brass Rail - I hate weekends there b/c it's crowded and full of male strippers being groped by gross old trolls - it disgusts me. American Eagle Brad wanted to see if his friend Buddy was there, which he wasn't, so we had a drink and went a couple doors down to the infamous Gay 90s. I feel so bad for the drag queens and LeFemme Lounge bartenders b/c ever since the smoking ban went into effect, it has been dead in there. There was hardly anyone there for a Friday and it used to be so busy. I guess people don't want to go b/c you have to go all the way downstairs and outside to smoke now. Anyway, we watched the drag show for a while and I tipped my favorite Roxy Marquis. Then we went to the techno bar and danced a little bit. There was a really cute straight couple there dancing and they were smashed. Of course, American Eagle Brad and I talked to the girl (cute blonde) and told her she was fabulous and so was her handbag and so was her husband. Then we came back to my place, talked for a while and he passed out on my couch and I in the chair (for soon, Saint Dickolaus would surely be there). Duh.

So, yeah -- I'm thinking I'm gonna have to go with Brad since CR Pill & Stuff seems to like his meds a bit too much. I feel bad, but that's the way it goes...


The front of our famous Gay '90s on Hennepin Ave - inside are about 7 different bar areas - it's the Mall of America of bars, I guess


Looks kind of like a dump here (!), but shows how big it is...


I like Roxy

More revelations, as requested by Little Voice

Robert, of Little Voice fame, posed 5 questions to me. It's a new blog thing people are doing. Here goes:

What's your biggest regret?
There's so many to choose from! Well, not that many, I guess. I really regret that I didn't get in to a more creative profession. I like my job as a consulting firm recruiter, but always think I should have done something that involved graphic design. I don't even know how to create my own signature banner on the blog, so I guess I'll be recruiting for a while! Too late to go back to school now and re-do the whole entry-level pay thing...

What's your proudest moment?
Isn't it sad that I'm sitting here drawing a blank?? I've never really been recognized or awarded. I've never really created anything spectacular. God, have I ever felt proud?? I haven't. I'm shameful. And I'm not going to say something boring just for the sake of saying something.

When was the last time you were REALLY mad. If not too personal, what caused you get this way?
I probably get really mad daily...okay, maybe not. REALLY mad? I already talked about getting super mad at Ryan on Sunday night and thanking him for ruining my night, but I can think of something else. How about the last time I almost got into a fight?? Did I talk about that already? Who knows. Anyway, it was about a month or so ago and I was at my friend Mandy B's after-bar. She turned up the music and her roommate got mad. They got in to a screaming match and then the roommate's boyfriend came over and immediately called Mandy B a stupid bitch. That's when I got involved. The boyfriend and I then began screaming at each other and I yelled, "I may be a big queer, but I'm not afraid to choke you, asshole!" I was so mad that night. What a rude jerk to come into someone else's house and call them a bitch. No. You don't do that when I'm around.


Ever prank call anybody? If so, describe the experience
Oh, god yeah -- pranking people was a hobby of ours before the days of Caller ID. My friend Tim and I called some girl and told her she won a trip to Nashville from a country station. We left it at we'd send her the information. That was pretty mean. Then we called some person, got their answering machine, and read some random page from a book or magazine - twice. That one got turned over to the FBI and traced back to my house. My Mother was none-too-thrilled. Seriously - the phone company brought it to the FBI. I guess whatever page we read was from a top secret document my parent's just happened to have laying around the house...?? Duh. Oh, and we also called & ordered that Sit & Wiggle scooter off TV (what the hell was that thing called??) for a big dumb jerk in the grade ahead of us. Bad kids. Bad, bad kids.


From your blog, it seems like you aren't afraid to get into a good, old fashioned fight. Did you have a bully in grade school, or where YOU the bully? Describe the experience.
I had a bully. Jamie W. was his name and he was 4 years older. It was a small town and I saw him all over the place. If I were riding bike down the sidewalk and he appeared, he'd make me cross the street and ride on the other sidewalk. He chased me a few times. I was petrified of him. We were friends later in life. My friend Jenni and I stole $20 from him one night, though. Paybacks are a bitch. I didn't bully anyone, I don't think, but I made my friend Kenny call me Sir. And I made him swear. Otherwise, I was pretty nice to him.


Want a piece of the action?
If you are interested in being interviewed by me, here are the rules:
1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones above.
3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

This could be a problem

Things can never just be simple and predictable for me. I'm glad that there's some action in my life, but give me a break...

I now have 3 guys who are showing interest in dating at the same time and I didn't even try! It just happened out of the blue. Brad from Sunday didn't call Monday or Tuesday, so I kind of thought he was just one of those one night stand kinda guys -- ohhhh yeah, they're definitely out there. Anyway, then a guy I met online last week has been IM'ing me quite a bit and invited me on a date tomorrow night. Actually, he was searching the "who's online" thing in Yahoo Instant Messenger and looked at my profile and IM'ed me. He's pretty cute - his name is Joe. He's 29 and lives in the suburb Apple Valley. So, remember Joe is the Yahoo IM guy and Brad is the one who the plumber saw me with...so, we'll call him Plumber Brad or how about American Eagle Brad since he's not a plumber, he manages an American Eagle store. But, I can't go on a date with Yahoo Joe tomorrow b/c Mandy invited me to a drag cabaret in Uptown tomorrow night. But, I did tell Joe that I could do something with him on Saturday. We'll probably walk around Lake Calhoun or something. So, THEN --- I had to get out of the house after work last night and Bill wanted to go to The Bolt for $1 beer special. They were also doing the Lavendar Idol contest. Lavendar is the queer magazine for the Twin Cities. It was nothing too exciting, so we went to The 19 Bar. Out on the patio smoking, I met C. He's 34 and a good looking guy. We hit it off pretty well and he called me today to see if I was busy tonight. He's calling again later so we can make plans to do something...FINALLY -- American Eagle Brad text msg'd me earlier to say hi. I told him I kinda thought he'd call on Monday or Tuesday. He wrote back saying, "Sorry. I was too shy to call." That's pretty cute, I think. So, he wanted to grab dinner tonight, but I'm still working for a while yet. He asked me to give him a call if I don't wind up doing something tonight (with C.).

So, if you just met someone and they were also KIND OF dating a couple other people they just met, would you think they're bad?? Should I just tell these other guys that I already have a date scheduled if they invite me to do something the same night as the other guy??

Oh, what a predicament...but maybe my Monday nights of sitting home alone watching HBO or Showtime On Demand will soon be over...I'm not holding my breath.

That's what we're known for??

Not too exciting, but the Minnesota quarter was released today...I had never seen it before. Apparently the rest of the country thinks the whole state is trees, lakes, fishing boats and loons (state bird)... I'll agree with the loons part to some extent. At least when it comes to the guys I meet. Now that's one looney bunch. Actually, the North Woods of Minnesota, depicted in the quarter, is pretty nice. Oh well, at least it's not just a big icicle, since most people think it's wintertime here year 'round.

I can sleep more soundly now - Karen is safe

I've been splitting my lunch hour in order to watch half Knots Landing, half 90210 on the Soap Network. I was in turmoil the past couple days b/c nice Mom Karen Mackenzie on Knots was kidnapped by an ugly guy and he put her in this flowery room with fake windows. Yesterday he lit the place on fire and left poor Karen to her own devices in the locked room. I was pretty nervous for her, but she managed to escape (I don't know how -- missed the first few minutes of today's episode). Well, then the creepy guy knew she escaped and was chasing her & finally found her at this abandoned farm house. Somehow Greg Sumner is involved in all this and stopped the guy while he was trying to ax his way thru the barn door. Karen never knew that it was Greg who got the guy to go away and she was finally reunited with her cute family. I had to close my eyes a couple times. Phew -- what a relief. Except creepy guy is still out there and it is unclear whether or not he will try to get Karen again. He better not. Mack will get him this time! And btw, Mack is hot.

Mack and Karen

I never thought I'd see him again...

So yesterday while Brad and I were asleep, there's a knock at my door. It was only then that I remembered that a plumber was scheduled to arrive to fix some sort of pipe in the wall of my shower. My bedroom door was shut and I knew the plumber had a key to get in, so I just thought I'd be cooperative and let him use the key & go about his business. This happened once before when he was trying to figure out what was causing the water in my downstairs neighbor's apartment...he just knocked, let himself in and did what he had to do. Nope - yesterday it was a new guy and he proceeded to knock on the closed bedroom door too! And opened it! He shut it pretty fast when he saw two guys sleeping in the same bed. Later, while he was removing tile, sawing and pounding and clinking around, Brad and I both woke up and made out for a little while...a couple times I could tell that Mr. Plumber had exited the bathroom to get stuff out in the hallway. Even later, I noticed that he hadn't shut my bedroom door the first time! Wonderful. A stranger getting glimpses of me in just Adidas shorts making out with someone. I wrote it off as, "Oh well, I'll never see him again..." Except, he was back to finish up the tiling this morning and I had to knock on the bathroom door and ask if I could get in there to use it quick. He just left the apartment all together instead of waiting in the hall! Maybe he was surprised that I was there alone...Anyway, one more kind of embarassing story to add to the list. Only me, folks -- only me.

Another weekend, two new guys

Well, the weekend wasn't anything too crazy or exciting. Went out at the very end of the night with Bill on Friday, just for a couple beers. Didn't see or meet anyone new.

I got my hair cut on Saturday. Actually it's shaved. I thought I always get a Clipper 1, but it must be 2 that I usually get b/c it's a lot shorter now -- but I don't mind it -- lots of compliments on it, anyway. Later that day, I went to my college friends, Heather & Lee's, going away party in Apple Valley. They're moving to New Hampshire b/c he just finished his Ph.D. and got a job at Raytheon. It was fun to see them again; hadn't seen them since their wedding in 2001. Isn't that bad how much time goes by and you don't see people?? In our defense, though, we were only all living in the Twin Cities together for a few months. I'll have to go out to NH to visit them sometime.

Later Saturday evening, my college friends Jocelyn & Mike had a party in Woodbury. I knew everybody there this time. Well, almost everyone. Mike invited two of the people who wait on him at the bank every day (Mike has to go to the bank a couple times per day for his job). Jocelyn informed me on Friday that one of these bank people, Jeremy, is gay. I don't know if she had ever met him before, but he was there on Saturday. Oh, was he there...cute, cute, cute. He's 25, tall & thin (not too thin), short lite hair that's a little longer than mine, nice dresser (pink striped button-down and jeans) and earring in each ear....usually, I wouldn't really care for that, but it looked cute on him. Anyway, he made a point to come up to me right away and introduce himself, which I thought was cool. I was too busy talking to the people whom I've known for years to really get to know him...plus, he was part of the group who all went inside to play poker. But we talked a teeny bit more before he and his co-worker left. I didn't get his number or anything, but I made sure both Jocelyn & Mike knew I thought he was cute. Maybe Mike can hook us up...

Of course we went to beer bust/showtunes last night. It kind of sucks now b/c a ton of guys just hang out on the patio all night, where they can smoke - since so many guys are out there smoking, other people just hang out there too. I would be right there with them, but the patio is small, so everyone's crammed out there and it's hard to move/walk. I'm to clastrophobic and need my personal space unviolated to put up with that for too long. Anyway, a guy whom I'd met before was there and we started talking again. He's Brad - 26. He reminds me of my old manager at Kwik Trip who was only 23 at the time and a cutie. Brad manages an American Eagle (yay discount!). We left there for the Gay '90s with his friend and a guy who likes the friend. I forgot it was chicken night (18+) on Sundays, but the boys weren't as snotty and catty and bitchy as they usually are, so it wasn't completely annoying. Guess who walked right up to me? Yep - flight attendant Ryan!! He gave me these stupid puppy dog eyes and said, "Don't be mad at me...you look really cute..." Before I could even fully reply (and I wasn't going to be mean), some cute kid who must've been part of the group Ryan was there with (both guys and girls) flirtingly hit Ryan, so Ryan turned to be like "you little shit..." So I stood there looking like an idiot while they talked and I just went to the bar and got a beer. By this point I'm fuming. So I go back up to him and tap him on the shoulder. He turned around and I said, "Thanks a lot for ruining my night. You are a jerk!" I should have just thrown a drink in his face, but then he'd think it meant I care. I guess telling him that he ruined my night wasn't the best to do either. Anyway, I went out and had a cigarette after that and felt a little better. Good enough to still have a little fun. I gave Nina D'Angelo a $5 tip when she did the Wonder Woman routine. Brad came home with me. I think he'll actually call...I'd hang out with him again, anyway...

Dating Misadventures: Minneapolis Style

Okay, so my particular experiences don't really have anything to do with Minneapolis except that they all take place here, but I realized that I haven't done any commenting on recent dating disasters.

What is my problem??

So, cute Ryan decided that he needed "ME" time and is now only hanging out with his straight girlfriends, flying for Northwest and working at the tanning salon. Good for him. He wasn't that cute w/out his baseball cap on anyway. *AND* he prefers the suburbs to the city. Gag. F'him.

Erik, the cute U of MN boy, called me last week to invite me to coffee at Vera's (the little gay coffee house on Hennepin Ave). I would really like to see him again, but I already had plans with another Eric I met. I would have rather hung out with U of MN Erik. After regretfully declining, I told him to call me the next time he had a night open - he seemed disappointed, but hey - he only gave me last minute notice. I text msg'd him a couple days ago and haven't heard back. His friend Emily told me that he likes me and wants to see me again -- yeah, I'll believe that when my phone rings. If you remember, Erik is the one who said "we have to pretend to be boyfriends" when that white trash guy with a missing tooth kept bugging me at the bar. You can read about that night here.

The other Eric I mentioned and I met online. I know, I know...But I was really bored and tired of sitting home alone late one night. SO, anyway, he's pretty cute - 23. We met at my place last Monday night and went to Blockbuster, where we rented Raising Helen, good movie, btw (Kate Hudson is my celebrity girlfriend). Then we went to Green Mill in Uptown and got appetizers (I paid since I'm older) and a couple beers. Well, I had a couple beers - he couldn't get served b/c he forgot his ID and looks about 20. Anyway, we watched the movie and made out. He's pretty cute, but a little on the femmy side for me. I usually like 'em pretty butch...Anyway, he called the next day to ask if I wanted to go out that night -- the same night U of MN Erik later asked me to go to Vera's with him -- so, I agreed. We went to the chicken (college-aged gay boys) bar, The Saloon. *NOTE: I kinda miss being a chicken. The supplies are unlimited.* Some ugly random bought Eric a shot and I told him that he should thank him. The ugly random wound up sitting on the other side of Eric at the bar and they proceeded to talk, face-to-face, for the next 20 minutes while I just sat there. I got up and left. So, that's the end of him. For my emotions at that point, think Joan Crawford at the Pepsi board meeting...."DOoooooon't FUCK with me, fellasssss!!"

So then Sunday night, after my Mom's 65th birthday party in Lake City, I got back to Minneapolis and took a cab to The Bolt for our usual Sunday beer bust. Bill wound up running in to an old friend, James, who just returned to Minneapolis from Green Bay, WI, after he & boyfriend broke up. We went to The 19 Bar and then to my house. James is pretty cute, btw, and 25. I went to bed and he had the choice of sleeping on my couch bed with Bill (his friend of a few years) or with me in my room. He chose the couch, which was fine with me. Later he said it was too uncomfortable and came to my room. We made out for a while (god, I'm going to hell). I had to take him to Anoka - about 30 minutes away - the next day and we exchanged phone numbers. He actually didn't have his keys to get in, but wanted to wait there for his roommate to get home. So I called later to see if he got in okay, which he did (by climbing up to the balcony and almost getting arrested). So, I left it at, "Well, you've got my number -- call me whenever." Then, he was out the other night with some old, ugly guy!!! We only said hi. Bill said that James told him it was a blind date, but they left together! I was thorougly insulted and disgusted. Again, insert Joan Crawford comment here. I guess he wants a sugar daddy. Plus, he sang that "I will be your hero" song by Enrique, which gets me every time. And he sang it well and looked really cute. So, that made me want to do about 86 shots. Fucker.

What is with my dating luck??? I think I speak for most single, gay, over 25-year-olds when I humm, "It's a hard knock life for us...." (And, yes, I know it's not the greatest for you breeders, either....)

And the misadventures continue...

Another Meme - Geographic Venacular

I just love these things - I find them interesting. I know I'm a geek.

Via Ryan
______________

Age: 27
Where did you grow up? Dodge Center, MN (southeast MN near Rochester)

WHAT DO YOU CALL:

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks? Stream

2. What's the thing you push around the grocery store is called? Cart

3. A metal container to carry a meal in? Lunch box

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in? Frying pan

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people? Couch

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof? Gutter

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening? Porch

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages? Like Ryan, I usually call it "pop," but sometimes say "soda."

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup? Pancake

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself? Sub

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach? Swim trunks

12. Shoes worn for sports? Tennis shoes

13. Putting a room in order? Cleaning or "picking up"

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark? Firefly

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball? Crunchy worm

16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down? Teeter-Totter

17. How do you eat your pizza? Always with my hands (never w/ knife & fork)

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff? Garage sale

19A. What's the midday meal? Lunch

19B. What's the evening meal? Dinner

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are? Basement

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places? Drinking fountain

22. Harass: Where does the accent go? "ass"

23. Vehicle: Where does the accent go? First syllable (Vee-hickle)

24. Latter: Pronounced with with a "T" in the middle or a "D" in the middle? With a "D"

25. Kitten: Pronounced with with a "T" in the middle or a glottal stop in the middle? Glottal stop

26. Game where kids sit in a circle and one goes around tapping each head saying "duck....duck....duck":
DUCK, DUCK, GRAY DUCK!! (that way you can go around the circle saying "red duck, green duck, yellow duck, etc." Much more fun that way....)

(I guess Iowans and Minnesotans have very similar venaculars, but Wisonsinites usually have lots of different terms for things than we do, I think.)

Obsession: Ian Somerhalder

Wow. "Ian Somerhalder Eyes" should replace Bette Davis in that song

I discovered my Ian Somerhalder (and his eyes) a couple years ago in a little movie called The Rules of Attraction. In it, he played a spoiled, rich, bisexual college guy who has an obsession of his own...on Dawson Creek's James Van Der Beek, who's also in the movie. Ian dances on a bed in his underwear with another cute guy. Good stuff.

At the risk of sounding a little creepy and a lot stalker'esque, my emotions on the subject of Ian Somerhalder (who's now on that TV show, Lost) are best expressed with the lyrics to the '80s song, "Obsession" by Animotion.

You are an obsession
You're my obsession
Who do you want me to be
To make you sleep with me
You are an obsession
You're my obsession
Who do you want me to be
To make you sleep with me


Worth renting - kind of an odd movie...

You Can't Do That on Television

I came across some retro '80s site today about Nickelodeon and someone wrote about You Can't Do That on Television. I loved that show in the '80s! My favorite cast members were Alsdair, Lisa, Christine "Moose", Justin....fun stuff. I wonder what Alsdair looks like now. I bet he's cute. I kind of remember Alanis Morrisette being on it, but I think she was only on for one season. I think I probably stopped watching it in 1986 or so. Nickelodeon is apparently working on a DVD now...Anyway, that was a show I hadn't thought about in years and it was fun to refresh my memory! Those were the days...

Thank you, sir -- for everything tonight!

I finally went grocery shopping last night. It had been more than a month and my poor fridgie was feeling a little lonely and empty. So, I finally got my ass off a bar stool and went to Cub Foods. I forgot to buy my Boca Burgers and a pound of already-browned hamburger (for spaghetti). I hate browning hamburger - even more dreadful than going grocery shopping. Anyway, I guess I'll have to do without Boca burgers and spaghetti this month b/c I'm not going back to the horrid store just for that.

Bill called me and asked if I felt like getting out of the house for a while. Of course I did. So we went to the 19 Bar. I completely forgot that last night was the first night of Minneapolis being smoke-free. I find it to be completely stupid. I'm so sick of the do-gooders manipulating my life -- I bet they never even go to bars, yet it was *so* important to them that the bars become smoke-free. All I can say to them is FUCK YOU -- if you don't like it, then go drink at a bar that's smoke-free by choice...And if you think the bartenders are that concerned about their health, they wouldn't work in a smokey bar! I read somewhere that in order to be exposed to enough secondhand smoke to cause damage, you'd have to be in a crowded, smokey bar every night for 50 years or something similar to that. UGHHH -- anyway, I'm done venting about it now. One benefit of having to go outside to smoke is that you stand/sit there with the other smokers and bullshit - so you meet people. But still - I can just imagine having to grab my coat and go out in 20-below weather in January just to smoke. That will be fun. And, no - I'm not quitting -- I'm gonna smoke all over town just to spite the do-gooders who brought this law in to effect (in an effort to get people to quit smoking). And I'll blow it right in your windsuit-wearing, suburban-dwelling, minivan-driving, Babies 'R Us-shopping, boring ass, ugly face, bitch! Okay - there, I'm done. Feel better.

Then to top it all off, there were three cutish guys sitting at the next table over. They were clearly there using fake ID's, or else freshly 21. One of them needed to get past me and called me sir....

SIR??? I'm 27, thanks. I said, "Excuse me?? I'm not sir. I'm already feisty enough by having to go out on the patio to smoke -- I'm liable to become Kennedy on you..." He didn't get it. Stupid kid. I would have referenced Chappaquiddick and being trapped in a car, but he looked too dense to be familiar with that whole Kennedy fiasco. Poor Mary Jo Kopechne...

Anyway, I'd just like to end by saying: KHARMA -- get away from me!! I didn't even do anything to you!!


"Call me sir again and you'll see what you get..."