On The Second Day Of Christmas...

Well, here I was, looking for the spirit of Christmas, when it hit me right in the face.  Here are two stories that warmed my heart. First, my friend Roz Corrall wrote this on her status update. She was at Lord & Taylor looking for Christmas cheer when she saw a delivery man drop his gloves. So she went and picked it up and ran after him for ha a block. He thanked her and she went on her merry way. Then she went and glanced at a sidewalk vendor selling pashminas. Before she knew it, the man came up to her and INSISTED she choose one, so he could get it for her. She said at first she resisted, but he was adamant. 


And then I saw this story on Datalounge that just about made me weep. True: the spirit is everywhere. 

I have a friend with MS who loves to be online. Being online is pretty much her only regular social interaction with the outside world. She also LOVES those fb games. She lives several hundred miles away so I can't visit much.

Her computer is dying. It will only work for 10 or 15 min at a time and then won't power up for another hour or two. Because she lives on a fixed income (disability because of MS - she can't work) she can't replace it. Her kids are strapped for cash and need to focus on their kids for Christmas. They would absolutely get her a new computer if they could.

I just sent her a laptop!! I don't make nearly what most of you make, but I have a good job and can afford a luxury here and there - this is one of those luxuries. I already told the adults in my family that Christmas would be kind of skimpy from me this year.

To send it anonomously I went to Best Buy and bought a bunch of their gift certificates. Then I went online and bought the computer through their website. I paid cash for the gift cards, made a new email account, made a new Best Buy account with that email, and sent her the computer. She will never know who gave it to her.

I can just imagine how confused she will be when the box shows up and how happy she will be when she opens it!!!!! I had them send her an email alert that read "Merry Christmas. You are loved."

I don't want her to know I sent it. I think she might not accept it from me since she knows I'm not wealthy. I also don't want the gift to in anyway change our friendship. One of the things I value about her is that she will call me on my shit ... she might hesitate to do that if she knew I sent the computer. I want her to continue looking this gift horse in the mouth :)

Happy Holidays to everyone!

On The First Day Of Christmas...

Well, twelve days of Christmas, to Christmas, for Christmas. I am trying very hard to feel the spirit. I even made a Christmas Playlist, and play it. I know one of these days very soon, the spirit will just hit me. I await it. I am not immune to it, you know. The GLEE Christmas episode the other night was a good precursor to things. It's beginning to look a lot like, you know. 


I think I realize now why I need more conditioner, or why I should condition more often: my hair is longer. I always used to have shorter hair, so I took it for granted. Now, it needs nutrients more, especially during harsh weather, and the cold cold temperatures wil really do it. 


Remember last year I did a "Throw 100 Things Before New Year" ritual? Well, I want to start early this year. I don't think I ever reached 100 items last year, though I never really did have a count count. But just now, I am looking around me and I can think of at least ten things instantly i wouldn't mind throwing away. So I took a garbage bag and started - empty boxes I was keeping for no reason, some older lotions that I know I won't use, booklets for old cell phones. Let the cleansing begin. 

It comes every year and will go on forever.
And along with Christmas
belong the keepsakes and the customs.
Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to,
and ponders, like Mary
in the secret spaces of her heart.

~ Marjorie Holmes

I Go Deep

My hair has been very very dry lately. I only condition once a week, and I guess the cold dry weather has been making it really dry - and I have not even colored my hair lately. My grays are starting to show, so I am getting ready to cover it, but I was getting concerned by its texture lately. So I got some deep conditioning creme, and now...it feels soft and silky again. So now I think I will wait a couple of days, maybe do another treatment, before I color my hair. 

Humor is not a mood but a way of looking at the world.

~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

Summer On A Winter Day

So it's 27 degrees outside and I was reading a book about...summertime? Talk about escapist entertainment! The book was probably made and marketed as a beach read, as it was a fast and easy read (finished it in a half a day) It's about a recently divorced woman who had her husband cheat on her via her...sister. I know it sounds salacious, but it's pretty chaste and..comic. It was kind of funny, written in first person so you got a glimpse of someone's brain and thoughts. I liked it enough, even on a cold winterry day. It even had a gay couple as minor characters, so it's pretty progressive. This book has been on my to-be-read pile for a long time now, so I am just glad to get rid of it there so quickly and I wouldn't the time I gave it as wasted. 

The Wrong Pile

On top of my player, I have two piles of Netflix envelopes: the watched and unwatched ones. So of course, in my haste earlier, I pick up the wrong pile. I should have known better, and I even sealed the discs on my way out, but it never occurred to me that I sent out the "seen" pile  - and that leaves me of course with my already-viewed movies here at home. Could this be the start of mercury Retrograde for me. It "officially" starts tomorrow, but I always start earlier than usual.  It just always turns out that way. Someone asked me today what I wanted for Christmas and I honestly couldn't answer. I truly don't think there's really anything material I want right now. 

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."

- Oscar Wilde

A Hole In Your Heart

My sister had a best friend who lived in California. Connie got married and had a baby, but one day the baby just died - crib death syndrome. No one knew the cause of death, it just sort of happened.  We learned later that the baby's death tore her life apart: she separated from her husband, and after one day, she just disappeared. To this day, no one knew where she went, or if she is even still alive. There was talk that she lost her sanity. 


I got reminded of Connie while watching RABBIT HOLE,  Nicole Kidman's new film. In it, she plays a mother who lost her 4 year old son to a freak vehicular accident. The movie follows her and husband (played by Aaron Eckhart) as they go through their grief. they deal with it differently: Kidman's character has he classic, icy, "guards-up" approach, while Eckhart's wallows in grief, living every second in tear. It shows a great dichotomy between the usual male and female roles, and both Kidman and Eckhart are fantastic. I thought it was great to see Eckhart in a sympathetic, human, emotional role. In here, he is as raw as raw gets, and he bares his soul with such vulnerability that you feel at times he just hits you right in the face. And forget the talk that Kidman's face has lost expression - ever quirk, burrow, and frown is out there. It's a subdued effective performance, though at times, I still see Cynthia Nixon's unforgettable performance (from the stage version) in here. I won't be surprised if they get his and hers Academy nominations for this film. 


Directed with quiet sensitivity by John Cameron Mitchell, who directed Shortbus and Hedwig,  the film opens up the stage play that the story doesn't feel as caged.  It's that rare movie that not only makes you think, it makes you feel. Wherever Connie is today , I hope she sees this film.

Miles Away

A picture post!

Here is another picture from the gathering at Cafe Juanita.

And here is the stage at the Covered Courts with hosts Bianca Gonzales and our batch-mate Jamie Gatchitorena

And how bout this - the entrance to the library, which was our official hangout spot during 2nd year High School

And the Post list - they now include the Jug list there as well ! 

And while they were there...I was miles away 

Freedom is the oxygen
without which science cannot breathe.
~ David Sarnoff

The Journey To Pernil

Two weeks later, I still am savoring the lechon/pernil I ate in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  After we did our tour, I asked the driver for a place where we can have authentic Puerto Rican food, specifically pernil, because that's one of my brother's favorites, and I wanted him to taste the Puerto Rican style of cooking it, since I remembered it to be good. He told me there was a place at the back of the Sheraton hotel, and I was familiar with that area, since that's where we all stayed when we were there two years ago. So I walked around and sure enough, found the place: it's called La Lechonera, and in the window they had fresh roast pig pitted on charcoal. I thought that was a good sign, and so we all went in and ordered, which they sold by the pund inside. It was so so delicious - the skin was crispy, and the meat was the best I have tasted it. It was spiced, and the meat fell off the bones. Even the white meat part, usually bland and rubbery,w as moist, and oh so tasty. For once, I did not mind the white meat. Dare I say it, but it was miles away from the Filipino lechon, the meat part anyway. I know that two years ago, this place was not here yet, because we couldn't have missed this. It was so delicious that I wouldn't mind going back to Puerto Rio again just to taste it again. Well, apparently, according to Tony, they have a branch in Tampa, so that's a slightly shorter trip, ha ha. 

The more we thank God for the blessings we receive,
the more we open the way for further blessings.

~ Betty J. Eadie

Cave

Obama has turned out to be such a disappointment for me.  I remember I was at The Strand a week or so ago and there was this older gentleman there who I overheard trashing him, saying that he has not done anything since he came into office. I kept my mouth shut, only because I know it was pointless to argue with someone like that. I do believe he has done some things, and I respect his efforts. Also, I do not like this "instant gratification" mentality that a lot of Americans have, expecting results right away regardless of the degrees of difficulties. But, yesterday, when Obama caved in to the extension of the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich, I must admit I had a sick feeling in my stomach. Seriously, he needs to grow some balls, and stand up for what he fought for, and what got him elected. Progressive? Change? those words will never describe his Presidency now. 


Plus, Elizabeth Edwards' passing was really a downer. I remember at one point I thought John Edwards was the most Presidentiable of all candidates out there. And of course, I admire her for her courage in her battle with cancer. It's just so...sad.

"The journey is the reward."

-Chinese Proverb

Speak Low

Last year, I was rooting for Colin Firth to win the Oscar for "A Single Man," but he lost. If I were a betting man, I would say that he picks it up this year for "The King's Speech." His performance is pure perfection: nuanced, sympathetic, dignified, regal. It has everything that The Academy likes. He didn't just create a character, he created a soul. You walk out of the movie house feeling like you knew someone. It is one of those definitive performances you will remember for a log time. 


I just wish I liked the movie a much. I am a big Anglophile, but I honestly have never heard that King George VI had a speech impediment. And that part of the story I really appreciated. However, I found much of the direction to be too stagey, and it's more reason that I credit Colin Firth for his performance. The movie could have been over-the-top, but because of his sensitive performance, the whole thing was a lot more believable. Geoffrey Rush straddles the line between overacting, but all in all I like his scenes with Colin. I especially love the dry British wit of the script. It's just, the whole thing is just too too dry. I know it's supposed to be, but....


Still, I hope Mr. Firth doesn't stutter when he accepts his Oscar next year. 

A Sage Offering

Guess what I got in the mail today? A letter asking me to member of SAGE. What is SAGE, you ask? SAGE is Services and Advocacy gor Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered ELDERS. Or in simpler terms, Gay Senior Citizens, or even in simpler terms, Old Gay Man. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, scream or be insulted. Don't I have to e at least 65 to qualify for that? And where the hell did they get information about me, even knowing my street address? Just thinking about it now is making me queasy, but I just gotta laugh it off. Chuck to it to Senioritis, I guess. 
Oprah's new book club selection is Charles Dicken's two novels "Tale Of Two Cities," and "Great Expectations." I can't recall when I first read them, but I do remember reading them, especially "Great.." And then you can download the twin bill of novels for your Kindle for $7.99. But, wait.... aren't these novels already of public domain? If you go to the Charles Dickens page on Amazon, you can separately get both novels for FREE. This thing now is leaving a bad taste in my mouth, because no doubt millions of Oprah minions will be BUYING this book. It's great that she is championing "old school" authors, but I can't help thinking there is something in it for her in all of this. 

"To destroy is always the first step in any creation."

- e. e. Cummings

First Flake

Flurries, while I was out. The first one of the season always attracts some attention - all the local news stations treat it like the second coming. As I was walking, I tried to get a picture, but as you can see, I don't even think I got a single flake. It didn't stick anyway. 

Shoe Choo

I can kind of understand obsession with shoes, so I was looking forward to reading Lauren Baratz-Logsted's BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES, which was offered as a free Kindle download from Amazon last month. Plus, I have read a lot of books from Red Dress Ink and for the most part have been satisfied. I thought to myself, this should be a fun quick read. Well, it was quick alright. I started the book while waiting to board last week on my way back from Florida, and by the time we were landing in Newark I was at the half-ay point. I wish it had more substance, but it's chick-lit at its lightest. It's about an obsessive-compulsive woman who saw a Jimmy Choo's catalogue and then gets obsessed with picking up shoe after shoe. To do so, she enlists help from her gambler father so she could win the money through playing Blackjack. Along the way, she meets two men, and we get the time old dilemma of choosing between the good boy vs bad boy (we all know how that will turn out) Of course, we get bumps along the way and we go through a will-she or won't-she (I think we know the answer to that as well) I finished the book in one sitting after I came back, and I quickly forgot about it. I almost forgot to write about it, then I saw the jpg fil of the cover which triggered this post. I think it has a very cute cover. 

When Love Takes Over

It's funny how random things can get you thinking. Last night, I was watching this gay movie "Is It Just Me?" and it is one of those mindless gay movies, although this one seems to be harmless, and even sweet. It's about a guy who is hopelessly romantic looking for love in this cold and cynical world. There is a scene where he and his date are talking about their favorite songs, and he mentions how "The Rose" always gets to him. And so I thought, yeah, he is right - that is a song that always gets to me, too. And the lyrics perfectly describe the feeling of love - that reckless, life-shattering thing they all love. I have grown very jaded over the years. Or so I thought, indeed. But somehow, someway, that line, and that song always gets me in a mood. And before going to sleep, I listened to the song, and for a moment there, I felt 17 again, when I was fearless enough to think that yes, there is that ideal person out there who will get me, who will understand me, who will be the person I will spend the rest of my life with. Well, I no longer believe in fairy tales, but sometimes a line or a song can still get to me, I guess. So I woke up this morning slightly wistful, but then again Sunday mornings can do that to anyone.

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free."

- Catherine Ponder

Letters Received

I don't ever remember ever received a thank you note from a cruise line before, but here it is, I got an email from Celebrity:

RE:  Booking # 2874861

       CELEBRITY SOLSTICE/11/21/2010    

Dear Leonel,

Welcome home and thank you again, for sailing with Celebrity Cruises.  I trust it was a truly remarkable experience that left you fulfilled, happy, and totally rejuvenated. 

I hope you found the planning process to be smooth and my services valuable.  It was my pleasure to be of assistance to you.

Warm Regards,

And I got this bizarre email from an ex-coworker, which I suspect is SPAM. It said that she is stuck somewhere in Nigeria, and has lost all her money, can I please send her some money via wire. I mean, first of all, I know her, and she would never ever go to Nigeria. Secondly, Nigeria. Enough said. 

In later life, as in earlier,
only a few persons influence the formation
of our character;
the multitude pass us by like a distant army.

~ Jean Paul Richter