Perhaps you remember the Summer Not of Love™? It has slowly segued into the Winter of My Discontent™.

Apparently I completely skipped the Autumn of the Falling Trousers®.

(Well...maybe not completely skipped.)

I've had a string of dates throughout the month of December. With the exception of one, they have in large left me a bit weary and worn.

I want to be will be open to process. Part of me really enjoys dating. Meeting someone. Making conversation. Getting to know each other. It can be exciting. New.

Lately I feel like it's just going through the motions. My heart just isn't in it. I have to remind myself to make eye contact. Don't look bored. Stop checking out the waiter.

And then there are the dates that feel more like job interviews. And endless string of seemingly never-ending questions about my qualifications and experience to see if I'm the right man for the job. Yet, I don't even recall applying for the position of Life Partner. I just wanted to have dinner.

As for the guys I've dated over the past few weeks, I will say this: they are very nice, decent men and one day they will make a nice companion for someone. Just not me.

And yet, I press on — ever the brave little toaster — forging my way through the abyss that is dating. Ever ready to bitch and vent about it here.

Or...I'll just be slutty. I could really go either way right now.

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Permalink | File Under: Dating

On Christmas Eve while I was sleeping, I don't know what is worse: being woken up at 2 AM by my noisy neighbors or the fact they woke me up playing Color Me Badd's I Wanna Sex You Up thus ensuring I had that dreadful song stuck in my head all day long on Christmas.

Julie gave Elliott this little cat bed. I put it inside his little kitty tent that he usually just sits in and he crawled in and slept for 9 hours. I'm convinced it is laced with Phenobarbital.

Saturday, Deek and I went to see Brokeback Mountain which we kept accidentally calling Bareback Mountin' like the third-graders we are. I will say this about Brokeback Mountain: Yes it's good and I suppose it is significant, but for a movie based on a short story, it's sooooooooooooo frickin' long. Afterwards I entertained Deek with my Ang Lee impression which basically consists of a terrible Chinese, overly-enthusiastic accent saying things like, "Today we make gay cowboy movie! Giddy-up!" and, "We need more sheep here. MORE sheep. More CGI sheep!"

Today I'm using a gift certificate I received to download the new album by The Weepies. It's good stuff. Check em out yo.

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I'm not too fond of mailing cards this time of year. It kills too many trees.

I am a fan of making your own. Here is a holiday offering for you.

Happy Holidays!

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I have a feeling I am going to go into diabetic shock before the 25th. There is candy ALL OVER the place at my work. As if that weren't enough, people are bringing in homemade candy and cookies to pass out. I hope Jenny Craig has group rates cause we are going to need it.

So to retaliate and not add to the madness, I decided to not make holiday candy to give to my co-workers, but instead a mix CD of holiday tunes. I snagged a few of them from Womenfolk. Check out what's available. There's some cool stuff there.

Holiday Mix 2005

The Christmas Waltz - Peggy Lee
Christmas Time Is Here - Shawn Colvin
Blue Christmas - Bright Eyes
All That I Want - The Weepies
Let It Snow - Luscious Jackson
Christmas Song - Stevie Wonder & India.Aire
Baby, It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone
I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus - Brenda Lee
Merry Christmas from the Family - Jill Sobule
What a Wonderful World - Russ Taft

But then I had a change of heart and decided to add to the madness and made candy anyway.

Peppermint Bark

2 16 ounce packages white chocolate chips
3 cups puffed rice cereal
1 7.5 ounce package hard peppermint candies, unwrapped

Spray a 10x15 inch rimmed (tee hee) baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; line with waxed paper.

Double bag and then crush the shit out of your candies. I used a wrench because I'm just a butch stud like that.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. Stir in the cereal and spread to the edges of the pan.

Sprinkle the crushed candy and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Press and then chill in the fridge.

Break apart and enjoy the minty deliciousness.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

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Permalink | File Under: Cooking, Life, Music

Adam, Kacy, Me & Dyanna

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On my way to work, on the morning I woke up at 4:30 am for no reason, I remember that that night I was going to the Nickel Creek concert. So that meant that after work I'd have to haul ass to get home, scarf down a granola bar or something and get to the theater in time to stand in line and wait to stand on a hard concrete floor for hours while people got drunk on cheap beer around me.

It was soooo worth it.

Mainly I wanted to go to hear the opening act, Mr. Andrew Bird. I saw him awhile ago when he opened for Ani Difranco and he blew me away. He is just the cutest. This adorable tiny little man. I wanted to fold him up and put him in my pocket.

After the Ani concert I bought his last album and have been crushing on it hard ever since. It's amazing to see him perform live. He plays the violin and guitar and loops a few bars of music with a sound board or something he controls with his feet and plays on top of what he just played. It's quite a sight to see.

He is also one mean whistler.

Nickel Creek were awesome. They are so talented. It was pretty cool to see so many people there for a group who get very little if any radio exposure. They rocked the mic and did many crowd-pleasing covers included one I had no idea was a cover or who it was orignally by until my friend Thomas told me afterwards. You can here a version of it here.

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Ugh.

I woke up at 4:30 am this morning and was wide awake.

Ugh.

FOUR FUCKING THIRTY IN THE MORNING!

...

For no reason.

Luckily this is a perfect time to get some Christmas shopping done...online.

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I went to Tucson today to attend Homer's 7th Annual Holiday Cookie Decorating and Craft Party in grand old Tucson. I really loves me some Tucson.

Sometimes I feel a tad out of place because the only person I know at Homer's parties is Homer, but fortunately all of his friends are very nice, friendly people. Tucson bloggers Richard (Panchesco) and Jim (Looking for Sam) were there. Jim's partner Chris made an impressive Christmas Shark out of pipe cleaners that I predict will be remembered for many holidays to come.

My hand-crafted ornaments now adorn our little tree here so to truly give it that third-grader decorative touch. I also made two holiday cards, one in honor of the Christmas Shark and one to give to Mary Mo, who is leaving The Company® for greener pastures which I don't want to discuss right now because it causes me great sadness. *sniff, sniff*

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During my lunch break, I called my friend Kristin to ask her a question. She sounds like total crap.

Later, I had this to say.

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Alright. Alright. Alright! NO MORE rambling posts about movies. I thought it was a good idea but WOW has readership dropped. (Well, that and I never post. Meh.) I have learned my lesson. No more Tolstoy-lenghth posts about girl power movies. Check.

I realize it's only like in the 40s overnight here and I have absolutely NO right to complain, but I'm sooooo cold today. My fingers and toes are cold. I keep crossing and tucking my hands under my arms for warmth. And while my whining is deemed unjustified by most, let's look this weather in relationship to the summer.

45 days of 110°+ weather. Oddly enough, I can suffer through that. Dipping down into the low 40s/30s: Brrrrr.

I have to admit though, it is nice to finally wear a sweater. I love sweaters, but only get to wear them like two months a year, if that.

I remember when I first moved here. That first winter. I was still wearing short sleeves everywhere. I thought people were insane for wearing coats. I didn't turn on my heater for the first two years I lived here. Now it's on the SECOND it dips into the low 50s.

My friend in Spokane said it's going to be in the negatives overnight there. I can't even imagine that without wincing and feeling great distress.

I think officially a desert dweller now.

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Permalink | File Under: Life, Ranting