« November 2004 | Main | January 2005 »
December 30, 2004
Almost New Years
The trip to Roseville started out poorly. The web page for Amtrak says to arrive about an hour early. I arrived at 7am to find that it isnt even a real station but just a stop. I printed my ticket from the automated kiosk machine and there was no reason to be there an hour early.
So the train was supposed to leave at 8:07 but due to delays in San Jose, the 9:37 train arrived first. Yes, I had to wait an hour and a half for the next train. Finally I am on the train heading to Martinez to catch my transfer (hopefully Ill make it). The delay wouldnt have been bad if it werent for 2 things. First, I figured I had my laptop and would use the hour and 45 minutes to play on it. Make notes to my journal, perhaps pretype a few emails, play in photoshop, etc... With this in mind, I decided to leave my reading material at home. Man I could have used a good book while I waited. The second was cash. I had $1.25 on me for the muni and figured I could pull money out when I got to Roseville. I didnt expect to be delayed and my tummy was growling. Have I mentioned the rain yet?
Yes, the rainy season has started in San Francisco. It started raining Sunday evening and hasnt stopped yet. The weather forecast doesnt show signs of stopping within the next few weeks. Its cold, its damp, its raining, and its cloudy. Snow? Im grateful theres no snow but cant help but complain a bit about the cold, damp, rain.
So I trudged out in the rain with my umbrella at Richmond station since I had an hour to kill. First time out to find food, I didnt find anything but ghetto Richmond. The second time out I finally found a Mc Donalds. My thoughts and reaction were ick but Im hungry and they now take debit cards. So needless to say, rather than have my stomach rumble, I stopped at Mc Donalds. Have I said ick yet?
So off to Martinez. Catch my transfer? Who knows? I sure dont but will find out soon enough. Boy I could use my massage right now.
Ok, made the transfer which just happened to be about 1/2 hour late. What is it with trains being late. Seems like it should be pretty easy to remain on time, at least some of them. I think its a plot against me or something although it was nice that the transfer in Martinez was late, since it did allow me to go directly into Roseville.
So I arrived in Roseville and Josh was running late. He over slept which kind of worked out well since I was 1/2 hour late getting there. As I was picking up the phone to call and find out where he was, he pulled up.
He was tired and not in the best of moods but after spending the day together, he seemed much better and not hating life as much. We all get in those moods and I can totally relate sometimes.
The massage was fantastic again. I fell asleep on the table and believe I was snoring a bit lol. God, how could anyone not enjoy it. It really made me feel better even though I was up so early.
So the rest of the day consisted of visiting with Josh's friend Mike who is moving to Idaho. Why anyone would ever want to move to Idaho is beyond me. We picked him up in Sacramento, went to dinner, went to Barnes and Noble and had coffee. Then we went back to his grandmothers and ended the day by passing out from exhaustion.
Posted by Des at 07:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 27, 2004
Friday - Monday
Ok, so to continue with Christmas, we went to his friend Marks Friday night and then on to see the lights. The two places we went were amazing. The little suburb community that all deck their houses to the max with Christmas lights. Im not really sure if I have seen anything like that on the east coast or perhaps I just never paid attention. Needless to say it was great.
The first community was bright and festive. One of the guys walked around in a Santa suit while another house gave out free popcorn. It was an event rather than Christmas Eve. Makes me wonder why people who live there would prefer to have themselves on display on a night that seems so special with family and togetherness. We enjoyed it.
We then went to Rockland which had another community of lights. This one was more of Disney than anything. Decked to the max with lights and Disney. Who could want anything more on Christmas. They had all kinds of characters on the lawns. Not just Disney but other characters such as Calvin & Hobbes, Christmas Specials such as the abominal snowman from rudolph, and the newest members to the cartoon family was the characters from the incredibles. Josh's grandmother counted the houses that had nativity scenes. It was important for her to see. I think we counted 8 total at this place. It lasted about 1/2 hour just driving through and finally it was over.
Pictures and video (keep in mind the video may take a while to load), can be seen Here
Once the lights were done, we went back to his grandmothers house where in tradition of Christmas between Josh and his grandmother, we got to hear her read the story of Christmas from the bible. I was glad to be a part of it although I have to admit, the bible reading was a bit over the edge for me. I can understand, appreciate, and respect it though. It was just nice to be a part of something so special between the two of them. Thank you Josh for allowing me to be a part of it all.
After the reading, his grandmother did say to me "Youre welcome here anytime. Any friend of Josh's is always welcome here". This to me was as good as saying I was accepted although she would never admit I was his boyfriend lol.
So Saturday was Christmas dinner. Josh gave his grandmother the picture we framed of the two of them along with his grandpa. She cried. I know its a bit painful but still think the picture was a good idea. I hope it was at least.
Dinner was great, I got to see his cousin Lindsey and his aunt Dawn again whom I met last year. His aunt finally found out that Im not Josh's age *chuckle*. She honestly thought we were closer in age than the 11 years difference. I got to meet the rest of his family which I must admit was interesting. His family I guess is like any, where you have some that arent as respectful or as mature as one would hope. His uncle was out back looking to hang a bird house in order to sit on the chair and shoot the birds with BB's.
After all was said and done, we finally were headed back to SF. We made the trip home in an hour and 45 minutes. Hooray a quick trip for the most part.
The rest of the weekend was relaxing. Josh went Saturday night to the Solstice party and Sunday morning I went for coffee by myself. It was kind of nice doing our own thing for the night/morning etc...
He slept most of the day Sunday and I went out for a couple of drinks. Got home around 5ish and we had a nice evening together.
Today: I worked and Josh left back to Roseville so that he could get some homework done. He needs to do 4 sessions in swedish massage and is going to use a friend/CMT's table and room to do it. Im heading up there this Thursday morning so I can contribute once again to his homework by allowing his fantastic hands to rub my oh so willing body. *chuckle* I cant wait. Its becoming more of a sentimental thing for me and something special.
I worked this evening on my web page and posting the pics from the weekend. Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed being there. Now off to bed. I have Wed-Sun off and cant wait till tomorrows over with.
Hope everyone has a great new years.
Posted by Des at 10:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 24, 2004
Thursday night dinner
Ok, so I have a few minutes to tell you about yesterday. I got done work at 2, Josh picked me up around 2:30, and we stopped briefly at a store in Oakland before heading to Roseville for dinner with his friends. After about a 4 hour drive due to heavy traffic, we stopped at Beverages and more to pick up some alcohol.
Josh was going to get wine and I decided to buy some UV Blue and iced tea (which his friends didnt like. Oh well, more for me). If it wasnt for a few small issues, I would have loved the place. Its a one stop for all your beverage needs. The problem was, They wouldnt sell alcohol to Josh because he had an out of state license. Pigfuckers!!!
I guess its the store policy to only accept CA ID's. They had no problem with me buying it for him but it was just a fucked up scene.
As for dinner, it turned out really well. I enjoyed hanging out with the people there and it wasnt as bad as I imagined it to be. Dinner was great, KT was an excellent host, and his friends seems a bit more sociable which could have been because of a smaller group.
Now we are off to another friends and then who knows what. Tomorrow is Christmas dinner with his grandma. Today we baked banana cake and muffins and went to brunch with his friends. More on all that later.
Now on to the next house.
Posted by Des at 04:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 22, 2004
Short Breat in Entries
We regret to inform you that the journal entries will be on a short hiatus due to the holiday break. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause in the personal lives of its readers.
Sincerely
Desmond
Ok... so a quick recap of the week so far.
There must be something in the air because it seems everyone has been down lately. Could be the holidays but not quite sure. I had my moment on Friday and feel pretty good about things.
1. Josh received his flower essences and made me up a batch which Ive been taking 4 drops a day, 4 times a day. I forget the essences I chose but they seemed to fit. Some of the things its supposed to help is stress and jealousy. I cant remember the others.
2. I have half a day Thursday. We are heading to Roseville to have dinner with his high school friends. I really only like one or two of them to be honest but I guess I dont know them well enough. They do seem to have that 24 year old attitude which I know will depreciate in a few years. Just lack of worldly knowledge, yet knowing it all. Im so glad Josh isnt like that, nor is any of my other 24 year old friends.
3. Im excited about JK Rowlings release of the 6th Harry Potter book called "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". Release date has been set for July 2005. In November of 2005 will be the release of the 4th Harry Potter movie "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". I think that one was my favorite. Its a long book and the movie is being rumored to be 4 hours long with an intermission. Hooray, it may actually do the book justice.
4. Work has been good. People have been good. No complaints except, I still feel the urge to find something new. Unfortunately I dont think Ill be able to do that till May. I need my vacation time so that Josh and I can take that cruise we were talking about. Hopefully it happens. We will see when May comes I guess.
Not a lot of other stuff going on. We cooked dinner Monday night. Ham and sweet potatoes. Last night it was left over ham with some wild brown rice salad. mmmmmm delicious.
So thats about all. Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday. Till next time.....
Posted by Des at 05:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 17, 2004
Party, Irritable, and a great ending
Ok, so 3 1/2 hours sleep and up at 5am... Did I mention UGH!
So I am exhausted and have to work. Thank God I have that training which I can sleep in. Ok perhaps not sleep but avoid everyone and everything that comes in my way.
The training was only till noon. My main thought at that time was getting home and taking a nap knowing Josh would be there. At 1:30, we were all given the option of going to a Christmas function at Chevys in Alameda which is just down the road from Oakland. Heres the catch.
If you choose to go, you get to leave at 1:30 to make it to the function from 2-4. If you dont go, theres security regulations that state a manager must be present in the office otherwise no one can be there. Everyone originally agreed to go because who wants a manager to have to miss the Christmas lunch because of you.
As of around 11am, I started thinking I wanted to stay. Theres a few reasons I wanted to change my mind. 1) I wasnt in a social mood. 2) the people I actually do like there, decided not to go. 3) I wanted to get home around the same time as normal so I could spend some time with Josh and take a nap (we were going to dinner and the movies with Steve and Chad) and if I stayed till 4 I would be hitting the BART late and getting home later than normal.
The outcome: 1) The managers had no idea the other 2 people were staying so when I asked if I could, they made it sound like I would be the only one. I played it off as having flexibility and I would NEVER want to be *the one* who made them miss the event. So in a way, I felt forced to go to an event that was optional. 2) the 2 girls who were staying got to take vacation time (which I would have been more than happy to do) and they got out of it so they werent even there. 3) the girl who I rode with, who promised to leave around 3:30 was a bit late leaving (which was understandable) and that made me just a bit late getting to BART. 4) Muni was slow and delayed in getting me to Castro. 5) I had to stop to buy xmas cards since we didnt have time to finish the one we were making. 6) get home and Josh went out with our friend Rick. 7) Josh decided to pick up Christmas cards after I mentioned I was going to get them but forgot.
The only good part of the party was that I had free food, free margaritas, and a free cosmotequini. I was grateful for the drinks and food.
So with all of this I decided to be angry, cranky, miserable, and downright crabby. I knew I was tired and needed sleep so I laid down.
No sooner do I lay down, Chad comes knocking at the door. Ok its 5:30 pm, Steve doesnt get home till 7. Why is he here? If this continues, I may have to politely tell him that from the time I get home from work, till the time Steve gets home, is my "personal space" time which I like to have to myself. Its the only time I really get the apartment to myself and its only for about 2 hours.
Irritated now from being woken up less than 5 minutes after closing my eyes, I let him in, told him to make himself at home, and went back in the bedroom to try and nap. I couldnt get to sleep. Josh gets back, I decide the world hates me, and pretty much needed to get out of that mood. Just having Josh there helped and finally around 7:30, I was up and about and ready to try and take another shot at making somewhat of a good evening.
We decided against the movies but went to dinner at Chow. Expensive but good. I still dont know if it was worth the price but the bill may have been more expensive due to the bottle of Red Zin that we drank. We had a great time and on the way back, we stopped at Tower Video and I bought Harry Potter (Prisoner of Azkaban) and March of the Wooden Soldiers. Steve and Chad were in his bedroom which was nice to have alone time with Josh. We watched half the movie and by now it was about 11:45pm, I was definitely in a better mood, and tired enough to fall asleep. I went to sleep mumbling about how I could sleep forever. Guess forever is only till 7:30am, because thats what time I woke up.
Saturday will be much better......
Posted by Des at 08:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 16, 2004
My Eye Exam
So to catch up on the last couple of days, Thursday was irritating and Friday was even worse. Josh came down Thursday night which was the highlight of the past 2 days.
Thursday evening I had an eye appointment. I still have money in my flex account to use and i figured it was a good place to use it but the problem was, I didnt know whether I wanted new contacts or new glasses. So I went there thinking I just wanted a basic eye exam for glasses and if I needed to get an additional exam, I could always go back.
So I explained 2 things to the girl behind the counter before I went in for the exam. I explained that I only wanted an exam for what my copay would cover which would be a basic eye exam. She said that was no problem. I also explained that I had my contacts in and wanted to take them out. I was told to leave them in because the doctor would probably want to check them as well. So I left them in.
After all was said and done, I go to pay for my copay, and the optomotrist tells her to charge me for a contact lens evaluation. Well you could imagine that I wasnt going to sit quiet and pay for that so I spoke up and reminded them of my original request. I was a bit steamed but managing it well. The optomotrist pulled me aside (to prevent a scene in front of people Im sure) and we discussed it. She said she couldnt write me a prescription for contacts without the exam and wouldnt charge me for it, but would write me a prescription for glasses. I agreed and walked out of there.
Mind you, my eyes are now dialated from those drops they put in your eyes and walking home was interesting. Blurred lights everywhere and crossing the street, my depth perception was completely off. Im lucky enough to be alive as opposed to dying by force of a car lol.
So on the way home, I started thinking. I felt a bit raped in a way. I wanted contacts but didnt want the exam. I started thinking as to what the laws were and why she couldnt issue a prescription for contacts since she *did* do the test for it. It was their fault for doing it when I requested them not to, and it really shouldnt make a difference now which prescription she wrote.
With this in mind, I did some research. What I found is that they cant hold a prescription for contacts based on a payment fee. This irritated me more but knowing that I may have read that wrong or interpreted it wrong, I emailed the american board of optometry. Im still waiting to hear back from them.
So with that, I came home, took an hour nap and awoke to Josh and his classmate getting in around 9:30. They made great time. His friend Devin was supposed to get a hold of his friend in Berkeley which didnt happen. I stayed up till about 11:30 and after thinking about work the next day, I finally went in to bed. Midnight... still no sleep. 12:30am, still no sleep. 1am, still no sleep. UGH, 5am is coming so soon and I have insomnia. Finally around 1:30am (after Josh came in and Devin crashed on our couch), I got to sleep. Which brings me to Friday.......
Posted by Des at 08:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 15, 2004
The week so far
Ok so I havent kept up much on the journal this week but Ive been busy so lay off! hehe
This week has been pretty busy. Josh and I decided that if we could do it in time, we wanted to create our own Christmas cards. Monday after work, I stopped at Union Square to take some pictures. I also went to the park (I forget the name) behind the Metreon which is known to be a beautiful place to be (and it was).
So it was great to feel like a photographer. My only goal there was to take pictures and there was nothing stopping this man on a mission. I didnt want to spend a lot of time, so I just took as many pictures in as many different angles and figured I would take what I get. Its funny but I wasnt looking at people or sights but scenery and how it was laid out, what surrounded Union Square, and the back drops. I looked at the stores and thought how many were big names that werent in Rochester. Stores I now have access to like Macy's, The Apple Store, and Sax 5th Avenue. Ok so the only place Ive been in out of the 3 was the Apple store. :-)
Funny thing with my camera is I must have looked like a tourist. A man handing out fliers mumbled something to the effect to take a flier and something about pretty babes lol. I must have looked straight. When I told him "no thank you", he asked where I was from (again looking like a tourist). It was nice to say "Im from San Francisco". God it really felt natural coming out of my mouth. It felt comfortable and flowed without even thinking too much about it until afterwards.
So many people have asked me over the past 6 months where I was from and of course the only answer was from Rochester. It seems different now. It seems like I belong here. I am becoming a San Franciscan, Oh boy!
Union Square Christmas Pictures
Also if you are interested and havent had a chance to see the Heartwood pictures from the weekend, you can check those out here as well.
Next thing up is that cute red head guy. I guess I should start calling him by his name because he is now dating my roommate. Yes things worked out between them and they have been seeing each other every day now since I fixed them up on Friday night. Hooray, Im so happy for them. Chad seems like a really nice guy and St3ve deserves someone nice. I really hope it works out and if it doesnt, I hope it doesnt come back to bite me in the ass. We all know thats an option as well lol.
Well thats about it. Work has been nice since *that woman* isnt around. I have been in training all week (which after 5 months of doing the job, really isnt training). Anyway, Im enjoying the break away from the normal routine even if I do already know most of whats being trained. The training is mainly for a new girl who started about a month ago and just got hired about 2 weeks ago direct. I dont mind watching and perhaps learning a few new things.
As for everything else, Josh starts break tomorrow for 2 weeks. I cant wait. I know I just saw him last weekend but you just cant have enough Josh in your diet. Its true, I love him and he knows it. Crazy guy! hehe..
I guess this is a good place to end. Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.
Posted by Des at 05:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 12, 2004
Down the Mountain
First off one thing I forgot to mention was the weird demonstration I discovered down on Castro as I headed for the bus Friday night. Not expecting much except running to the pharmacy for an umbrella and flashlight (necessities at Heartwood), I ran into this demonstration crossing the street in the middle, which consisted of a marching band playing weird music and a bunch of people in cheerleading costumes crawling across the street, doing weird sexual positions with their bodies, as well as some very sexual positions within the group. Being I had my camera, I had to take some video.
(it may take a bit to load)
This morning was nice. Woke up around 6:45 (about 15 minutes before the alarm went off). I jumped in the shower. Now the showers and bathrooms are separate from the rooms, so I had to get dressed to go outside and walk over to the showers, just to undress. It felt good though to shower and freshen up.
Josh slept in till about 7:45 (not really sleeping in). When he got up, we headed up to the lodge for breakfast. Breakfast I have to say was delicious again (as well as unique). It seems the only thing that I didn’t enjoy was the carrot soup. You don’t want to know what it taste like (trust me).
After breakfast we left back down the mountain in order to catch the bus. I made a mistake in the time and thought it was going to arrive at 11:05. It was actually 11:40 so not only were we a half hour early, but had an extra 35 minutes to wait. It went by quickly as we watched the people go in and out of the restaurant. The bus stop mind you is a small space along side of the road with no terminal or anything. Pull over parking more or less.
The bus ride so far is going smoothly (I'm still on the bus since I didn’t mention it before). I'm almost home to San Francisco. All in all it was a great weekend. I wish there was more time but I have comfort in knowing Josh will be down on Thursday and will be on break for two weeks. YAY!!!! I'm looking forward to it.
I did a quick look back on the past year. Wow, what an amazing year its been. I cant believe Ive been in San Francisco for over 6 months now and finally feeling its home. I think about the place I was in as well as Josh and realize how much improvement has come out of the past year. Last year at this time, Josh was getting ready to fly out to CA, with no direction of where he was going or how he was going to get here. I was feeling like I was stuck in the same rut in Rochester, with no idea how we were going to make our dreams happen.
Now, with me in San Francisco, living life and Josh going to school in
Garberville, it almost seems like we’ve come a long way. Gone that extra mile, made it happen and we are well on our way to successful lives, together and within our own selves. Its quite an achievement going from just an idea to a living reality. I have to give credit to Josh for making this happen, since he was the one who realized nearly a year ago what he wanted to do. From there it was inevitable.
So almost to Oakland and almost home. Another thing to touch on, is I
finished the book Animal Farm. I read it long ago (about 20 years now) and I guess being 15, and not really knowing what politics was all about, I didnt get alot of it. I mean I knew it was political but didnt realize the extent of it. Now after finishing it for the second time, I wonder what the intent was. Was it about over throwing the government, was it about democracy (or lack of), was it about the differences in race (some being smarter than others), was it about slavery and the truth that no one is truly free. I guess all of these are possibilities to me. Ill have to research it further to find out what others interpretations are.
Another thing that I got from the book is how it reflected upon my life. Perhaps its safe to say many peoples lives in several situations but the one that truly got me thinking was toward the end, where all the animals grew older, none of them got their pensions, and reflecting back upon the whole experience. It makes me think about life. So many memories but can I trust them? Can I be certain they all really happened the way I remember them?
We go through life and with each day comes a new person. The people who lived my experiences with me, perhaps tell a different tale of the event. Im most certain they do. With each generation, its handed down a story and with each generation, the story is different. I guess its best to take the memories we do have and accept them as being as close to the truth as we can. Its just sad how memories fade as time goes by. Thank God for journals.
On that note, Im home again, in my apartment. My roommate seems to have taken fancy to the red head that I met last week in passing which is kind of cool. I seemed to have set it up or at least set the up the possibility on Friday before I left. Today I got home, they were cuddling on the couch, I went in the bathroom and there were 2 towels, and an extra toothbrush. We all know what that means. Anyway, we shall watch and see how it goes. Ill keep my fingers crossed for the best. Till next time PEACE!
Posted by Des at 06:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 11, 2004
Up the Mountain for Me
So Friday, not too much to report. I stayed home (vacation day) and did pretty much nothing. I chatted online, worked more on my web page and pretty much was a bum. Ok so I didnt beg for money or booze but you know what I mean. It was a do nothing day.
Friday night I caught the bus for Garberville to come see Josh. I realized Im not too fond of walking in the Mission alone. I passed by a bum in one of the dumpster who made several mumblings about keeping away from his dumpster and started to follow me. This made me nervous but at least the bus station was just across the street.
Bus ride was ok, it went by pretty quickly and I slept as well as one could on a bus. I have to say, it was definitely better than sleeping on the airplane a few weeks ago. The only time it became complicated was when this really big guy decided he wanted to sit next to me. Why me? He was the size where he just couldnt help taking up extra space (my space). Luckily someone got off at the next stop and he moved to his own seat leaving me by myself to sleep once again.
Josh picked me up with perfect timing. I stepped off the bus and before the bus was leaving he was pulling up. 5am, darnkess and up the mountain we go and go and go and go. I knew it was a long way up but didnt realize just how far. It was about a 40 minute drive on winding roads, barely paved (the end isnt paved), skunks, and who knows what other kinds of animals living in the woods. It kind of reminded me of living in the country.
So finally we made it up the hill and he led me down through the dark paths, past the lodge, past the temple, past lots of trees, through the lighting of a flashlight. Kind of cool but I havent seen anything in the darkness.
The sun had soon risen and I took a picture of the mountains as the sun came up. Unfortunately there was a lot of fog and the sunrise picture isnt all that great. Next time I guess.
Breakfast was unique. They make you wash your hands before eating which I guess is a good thing because you never know what people are touching. I had oatmean, fritata, and some sweet potatoes. Delicious but very different from my norm.
After breakfast we went on a nature hike down a trail and took tons of pictures. He showed me the temple. At this point Im beginning to thing how amazing, and full of life this place is. Theres an energy that one can only understand by experiencing it. One with nature, the earth, and ... well you get the idea. It reminded me much of our Alleghany State Park excursion.
Once that was done, it was time for me to help Josh with his homework. Of course helping is just what I was prepared to do. Hmmmmm does one really help with swedish massage if they are receiving it? It was pure bliss. I cant describe how relaxed I felt, how much better in general. It really felt great being touched, rubbed, and massaged and I have to say, he is really good at it. :-)
So on to lunch. Lunch was different as well. God, I met so many people here. We formed a circle, held hands around the food, and said a prayer before eating. Was kind of neat but again different. Im not really sure too much on what I had, it was mostly healthy, nutritious foods which Im not too familiar with but it was delicious and I even went back for seconds (but only after the bell was rung saying I could). hehe...
After lunch, pretty simple. Josh went to reiki class, I came down and slept for 2 1/2 hours. Woke up, worked on my web page a bit more, and now entering in the journal. I have about 10 minutes to get up the hill and meet Josh for dinner. More later.....
So dinner is over, we had lasagna (couldnt be better than billys) which was delicious. Still Im not used to the healthy foods and how theyre prepared. Its different but in a good way.
After dinner we went to the little store here for some healthy junk food (is that possible?). We hung out with Yana and Jim (and I dont know if I spelled the name right). She is pretty cool and everyone seems to be of the hippie nature. It reminded me alot of my old grateful dead days and my old friends of which I still treasure although we dont keep in contact. Its the experience in life I guess, that makes every moment mean what it does.
After that we decided to help with his home work again. This time it was for hydrotherapy class. The sauna was excellent. Yes, the sauna is part of hydrotherapy class which was very cool. We relaxed in there for about 20 minutes or so and finally came back down the hill to his room. Its 11:30 and its so time for bed.
Cheers to a fantastic day.. It was all worth while.
Posted by Des at 05:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 08, 2004
Photography Briefing
Well there really hasnt been too much happening this week. I am heading up to see Josh late Friday night and going to finally see Heartwood and northern CA. Im leaving late Friday night and should arrive bright and early Saturday morning. Ill only get to spend Saturday there and then head back to SF Sunday morning but Im thinking it will be worth it.
So I looking forward to getting some free body work done. I get to be Josh's homework for swedish massage, and I am going to get some Polarity and Cranio-Sacral from another guy up there and then perhaps some reiki. I just hope theres enough time to see the mountain and spend quality time together. :-)
As for other stuff this week. Ive finally been organizing my pictures which has become a project in its own. Im hoping to get them posted on my webpage which Im also trying to redesign. All of that has definately been time consuming.
Ive also finally figured out how to use the manual settings on my camera. Although I dont really understand completely how to use them, I at least understand how aperture and shutter speed effects the focus, depth of field, and prevents blurred images. I understand how the light goes through the lens to expose, over expose, or under expose based on those settings.
Aperture - the lower settings allow more light to come in and allows foreground and backround to remain more focused. This occurs because theres more light coming in which over exposes the picture. The higher settings allow less light to come through, which makes the backround more blurred and the foreground or subject stands out more. I think of it like making a tiny hole and looking through it. If you look through a tiny hole, you can only really focus on whats in front of you. The edges seem blurred but when you open the hole more, you can see clearer whats around the object. Make sense?
Shutter - how long the shutter stays open. The lower settings allow the shutter to stay open longer allowing more light to enter the lens. This is used mainly when you have a tripod and have a still subject with perhaps lower lighting. The higher settings allow the shutter to open and close quicker which not only allows less light to get in (under exposed), but also allows to take better pictures of movement without blurring the picture. Make sense?
Both of these together as well as ISO which is the speed of the film (simulated in digital I believe), allow for better photography. The ISO is how sensitive the film is to light. So when combined with aperture and shutter speed, its how quickly the image will be processed and has plenty to do with the exposure.
So thats what I know and now to try and apply this knowledge (hoping I have a good understanding of it), and become more experienced with photographs.
As for everything else in my life, its all going smoothly. Meeting new people and enjoying life.
Till next time.
Posted by Des at 07:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 06, 2004
Time to get involved?
This morning, I woke up early and was having my coffee, and playing on the computer. I was updating my resume, not really expecting anything when I got a private chat from a guy in the bay area who does professional photography. He complimented me on pictures and it really made me think. Ive always been an ameture photographer (still am), but it made me really think about the potential.
People have complimented me on my pictures over the years which means a lot but to hear it from someone who does it for a living, it makes me wonder what my future holds. Coming into work and telling the story, a girl I work with said "so you have a reason to be in CA". Wow! What words to hear. It made me think perhaps I do have purpose here in California. Perhaps there is something different and new. Perhaps it really *is* an opportunity to do something more in life. What a refreshing was to look at it all.
With that, I made a decision to look into things more. The guy I chatted with gave me some information about a class I should look into taking as well as a group in the bay area that gets together on occasion. It really sounds like it may be time to get involved more. The fear that’s been holding me back is that perhaps Im not good enough, Im not quite up to their level, and the fact I don’t have that much knowledge on the details to photography. He asked me what kind of lighting I used in my black and white self portrait and I was a bit embarrassed to say it was an ordinary desk lamp that was flexible enough to use as a spotlight. Then I thought, perhaps Ill learn more about lighting and perhaps get some tips and pointers from people who really know what theyre doing. Perhaps with the recommendations on classes, it will all fall into place.
Its worth looking into.
Posted by Des at 05:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 05, 2004
Cases of Coincidence
So to continue the tale of the library, on the way home yesterday, as I was walking the final stretch to my apartment, just before I crossed the street, I noticed two guys walking down the hill. My first reaction is to wait and see how cute they are. Isnt that everyones first reaction? So passing by, I noticed one of them, who was very cute, red hair, some facial hair, younger (did I mention cute?) and decided to say hi. Without wanting to look like I was being rude to the other guy, I of course said hi to him as well (he was cute too but seemed to look at me a bit weird). This made me wonder more about them, if they were together, friends, or perhaps just strangers in the night who met on a whim. It made me wonder what they were doing in my neck of the woods. Did they live around there, did they walk down the hill, so many question about strangers that you figure will go unanswered.
I dismissed it and went about my business at home and went outside after about 1/2 hour to smoke. After watching people for a few minutes, I noticed the same two guys walking back up the hill. They stopped at a house a little bit before mine and across the street. One went in and the other into the garage. Before I knew it, he came out on his motorcycle and drove away up hill. This got my curiosity a bit more. I wondered those same questions once again. Do they live in that house, are they a couple, who are they? Again dismissing it with the understanding, they are like any other person I pass on the street and never know anything about.
Until tonight. This evening I was online chatting and began chatting with a guy in Haight. He had wanted me to see his roommates profile, so I pulled it up. Cute guy, around my age, so I started reading it more. I noticed his *hot* list which had a number of cute guys that I could barely see so I started to check them out. The first one I pulled up, happened to be the cute red head that I saw yesterday. How odd is this? Now my curiosity is even greater. I noticed he had a boyfriend, which I would have imagined anyway, but I had to find out. So I emailed him.
Ok, so about now you are probably wondering what happened. That will have to wait a few lines while I go into the next coincidence. After sending the email, one of the guys Ive chatted with came online. He was down on Church and Market and we decided to meet for tea. I told him I had gone to lunch with a friend and then we went back to my apartment and watched Chicago for the millionth time. His response was "seems like the thing to do today. I have a friend who did the exact same thing". Deciding it was too much of a coincidence I asked who his friend was. Sure enough it was my friend Rick who I hung out with and came over. Small world. Rick and I had a good lunch at Sliders (Burger joint), and we got some cookies and junk food (I bought champagne and orange juice as well because Im a lush), and we relaxed watching TV. He left, I napped and that brings us back to the meeting for tea.
Tea was great. We went to this tea shop on 18th, and I really wish I could remember the kind of tea I got…. Ill try and look up the menu but it was fantastic. I have only been there once with Josh so it was nice to go back again. Scott and I seemed to communicate pretty well and who’s to say what kind of friendship will come out of it. Its nice to make new friends and I think perhaps he may be a good one to hang out with. He seemed pretty down to earth, laid back, and easy to talk to. He seems to share some interests so we will see how that goes.
So getting home, I received an email from the guy who I was curious about. You remember? A few paragraphs ago? He seems pretty cool and I added him to my AIM. We chatted for about an hour and definitely a nice guy. Who knows if either of these guys will become good friends but its definitely worth checking into more. I really think I need to meet more people, and although I have met quite a few people here already, Im not so certain how many will be good friends and how many will end up acquaintances. I hope to meet more people to hang out with and actually do stuff with. The kind of people you can go for a drink or for coffee (or tea), or the movies, or a show. You get the idea. You can never have too many friends.
So that was my day…..
Posted by Des at 05:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 04, 2004
Saturday, at the library
So its Saturday, I finally made it out of my apartment after chatting online and playing with photoshop some more. For those who havent seen my latest creation, you can check it out at www.desmondsdoghouse.com/Cosmotime
So I figured I would come and check out the library today and kill some time. Its free, it has wireless internet, and lots of great books right? Well two out of three aint bad. Its free and it has wireless internet, but the books are NOT up to date. I so miss Rochesters library right now. This place is huge but filled with outdated stuff.
Two things in particular that I wanted (which I know Rochester would have) is 1) books on photoshop and 2) learning spanish. I also figured if they had The Andy Worhol Diaries I would check that out as well since it came recommended by a friend.
Well all the photoshop books are out and not due back for several weeks. When they come back there is at least 2 or 3 people with reserve tickets on them. Same applies for the learning to speak spanish. Whats the sense of having a library where the books are always out? Andy Worhol Diaries? Dont even think about it! Im lucky to be walking out of here with The Letter of Robert Frost. Ok, so Im ok with that one.
*chuckle* well at least I am online briefly to post this message live from the place without learning. The building without books. The...well you get the idea.
So Im off to Castro and do some window shopping and kill some more time. 45 minutes before my muni transfer expires. Gotta hurry :-)
Posted by Des at 02:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 02, 2004
Away from it all
Have you ever wanted to just disappear for a weekend and not tell anyone you were going? I guess Im feeling that way now. Looking to escape for bit without telling a soul. Perhaps make a few people worry as to whats going on. Unfortunately I honestly dont think too many people would care. Ok, so Im feeling a bit down this evening. Its normal for me and Im sure before long, Ill be right back up to the happy go lucky Desmond everyone knows and loves. *chuckle* That can be a performance sometimes.
So for today, there really hasnt been too much going on. I worked if that counts for anything. Work has been consistent since I had my desk moved. Theres still some confrontation between others but even thats died down quite a bit. There is still the issue of *that* woman who now sits kitty corner from me. Im loving it because of my intimidation techniques which some of you may have seen me use in the past. She doesnt speak to me much and I prefer to keep it that way. I think the only thing we agree on is how much we despise each other.
The week went by considerably fast considering its my first full week back. Im actually relieved that tomorrow is Friday (of course thats every week). Im still trying to work out plans to possibly go up and finally see Josh at Heartwood. I havent had a chance to get up there yet and Im really looking forward to it if it happens. Its important to me now that I make more of an effort in this since Ive spent the last 6 months trying to get settled into a new place, buy new stuff, and establish somewhat of a life the best I can. Im pretty comfortable where I am and now its become a priority to see the place thats been a part of his life for the past 3 months. Hopefully it will work out.
Well this evening its laundry. Ive put it off for the past 4 days and finally its to the point where I just need clothes. I could go to work naked but I dont think *that* woman would enjoy it too much. So thats about all. Not really anything exciting to report but if anything does change, Ill keep everyone well informed.
"cheers to another boring post"... Its better than nothing
Posted by Des at 06:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 01, 2004
In regards to my last post
So I may need to clarify my posting from yesterday. In no way did this reflect that I am unhappy in any way. It was merely an observation after waking up and saying to myself "God another day where I have to get ready for work".
I did ovserve people yesterday and came to an opinion that the body is just merely a host for our spirits. I watched people move, talk, and live life and thought how mechanical we all are. I thought of the body snatchers and wondered how untrue to life is that really. Why couldnt a spirit or essence inhabit a body as a host to live? Why couldnt the body be a shell for a life form?
But getting back on track of yesterdays post, is life too short or too long? I heard debates from the other side saying it was way too short, pointing out that the fact that a 2 year old could pass on without ever knowing what Christmas could really be. A mother could pass away without ever seeing her child grow up. I believe in these tragedies and my heart goes out. I believe perhaps their time with us was short and that we would have loved to spend more time with these people who are important to us. We would have loved to have them in our lives just a bit longer. Theres no denying that.
My question is if these thoughts and feelings are for our own sake? Are these all part of our selfish nature? Is this an injustice to us because we didnt get everything we wanted and needed? I think it may have been an injustice to the people we lost to make them stick around and live out such a long existance. Guess it comes back to my thought that life is longer than we expect. They say it goes by fast and in many ways, it does. We grow older and time has flown by, however when we look at the *now* and reflect on the future, and the past, I see how long it truly is.
With that a discussion came about having kids and when seeing a child grow, day by day, year after year, it tends to fly by much quicker. I agree with this but also know time goes by at the same rate for each and every individual. a minute is still 60 seconds, an hour is still 60 minutes, and a day still has 24 hours. Cant escape that logic.
I believe there are advantages and disadvantages to having children. I was allowing myself to be open minded and know that there are always satisfactions in having children. I know there are many things I missed out on by not having kids. Many people over the years have told me what a great father I would be. It would be nice to see that road and see the differences. Truth is, however, that I didnt take that path and I am still happy. I gained other things in the process. I have met some wonderful and influential people to my life. I have lived a life that I am happy with. I have done things and gone places that I may not have been able to go and Im free to continue doing anything I want without having to sacrafice my time for my children. For some, they dont mind and are happy. For me, I needed and still need my freedom.
With that said, I will agree that until you have lived in the other persons shoes, and lived the same life they have lived, there is no way to know what we have truly gained and lost through out time. There is no way to judge the point of mine/their happiness in the present without knowing where they have come from, what makes them happy, and without knowing how it feels to be the other person on the other side of the fence. I accept there is joy in both sides and its just a matter of taking a different path. Both paths are enjoyable Im sure.
Posted by Des at 05:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack