A Last Weekend Mystery

Um, so why was I rocking Mary Jane Girls' CandyMan at the gym tonight? But that's not what this blog is about... though I've got a thing for candy lately...

So you've met someone, but you don't remember meeting them (or giving them your number. Is there a tactful, tasteful, yet direct way to get the clues you need to remember?

I mean, I tried the whole "Do you keep a blog? A MySpace? Have a web presence?" line of questions, just to try and get ahold of some images to trigger my memory. He doesn't have any of that. I tried the whole, "Had you seen me before?" line of questions. He hadn't.

How do you piece the mystery together from the previous weekend's fun and festivities? Or is it just a big hot messy shame not to remember meeting and giving your number to someone?
fs

Long Beach Pride

Less than two weeks. Pride Season kicks off in Southern California with Long Beach Pride. May 17 and 18.

Should be good times for all.
fs

I'll Take A Quick Moment...

... to do some self-promoting. lol. Anyway, wouldn't it be cool if people got as excited as the pic about books?

In celebration of the 2008 Lambda Literary Awards, join us for a reading featuring some of this year's nominated finalists from various categories. It's free... and it would be nice to see some folks there I know!

Thursday, MAY 8 at 7:30 pm,
A Different Light Bookstore
8853 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 854-6601
Hosted by author Christopher Rice

Niagara Falls, Victor Bumbalo (Broadway Play Publishing)
Art That Dares, Kittredge Cherry(AndroGyne Press)
Dahlia Season, Myriam Gurba (Manic D Press)
The Tourists, Jeff Hobbs (Simon & Schuster)
Right Side of the Wrong Bed, Frederick Smith (Kensington)
Freak Show, James St. James (Dutton Children's/Penguin)

The 2008 Lambda Literary Awards take place in West Hollywood on Thursday, May 29. My novel, Right Side of the Wrong Bed, is nominated in the Men's Romance category.
fs

Can One Do It All?

I often wonder how my parents did it.

How did they manage to work, raise kids (and go to parent-teacher conferences faithfully), keep a well-maintained yard, grow vegetables in the backyard, cook real food daily, have friends, and keep a clean house. And they did it on a pretty working-middle class income.

This morning I looked at my kitchen. It was a disaster.

And I wonder how is it that I, with a lot more resources than they had (minus the partner currently), can't manage the basics of running a household -- cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc... The work part, I seem to manage just fine.

We all have 24-hours in a day, and that hasn't changed since the 80s.

I've been debating whether or not to hire someone to come in once a week, or every other week, to help with some of those tasks that come with running a household. My dilemma is this -- I do a lot of social justice work, and I kinda feel guilty about the possibility of having someone come in to do housekeeping. I don't want to feel or be labelled (excuse the spelling) bousghie, booshie, however you spell it. Let's just call it puff-puff.

But I realize I am just one person, and I can't do it all. Can any of you weigh in on your thoughts?

A great novel that looks at the dynamics of pre-Civil Rights and post-Civil Rights black family dynamics is Jump at the Sun by Kim McLarin. I think this personal dilemma I'm thinking about resonates with the dilemmas of the characters in that novel.

OK. Weigh in.
fs

Saturday Night... In

Maybe it's the higher power's way of telling me something.

My alarm clock, which I thought I'd set, didn't go off at 8:30 pm as planned. My power nap turned into a power hibernation. Woke up at 11:30 pm. Way past birthday party time, a party I was looking forward to. In that groggy mood, where you could jump in shower, find a no-iron shirt, and get somewhere a little after midnight. But...

Nah. Got a little writing momentum going. Caught up on this week's Bold and the Beautiful (very tear-jerking story this week...) Listening to the quiet of my neighborhood at night. Amazing that all you hear is breeze, a few birds in trees, and an occasional car drive by.

I realize that as weird as it is to be in on Saturday, for many people it's weird to do something on a Saturday night.

Saturday night in. Not my usual cup of tea. But it's not so bad.
fs

Face It Girl, It's Over

Well it may be, or it may not be. But the weekend is here... dancing, drinking, dialing, texting after hours... Stay strong.

Maybe some classic Nancy Wilson can get some sense in your/my/our heads: Face It Girl, It's Over (YouTube clip). Listen to the words.

And then stay diva, fab, strong. Enjoy!
fs

Slap Upside The Head

It's kinda like when you text him, "So you ready for me to pick you up... for our date?" And then twenty minutes later he texts you, "Can you get me on the guest list for the club tonight?"

A total disconnect. Clueless. And he gets an "in my mind" slap upside the head.

But in all seriousness, I found the coolest blog site lately. Slap Upside The Head. The blogger says the blog is combatting bigotry the gayest way they know how. I think it's quite the cool site... and with cool political cartoons. Check it out.

And for that boy/man giving you grief... you can give him a short, sweet good old-fashioned Dynasty move when he tries to mind play you.
fs

Scammers and Players

Sounds like it could be the title of one of Jackie Collins' fabulous novels. But it isn't.

Scammers and players are hitting up bookstores, pretending to be an author with an upcoming appearance at the bookstore... and pretending to be in a cash crunch. Stranded at airport, robbed on way to store, car broke down.

I was not a believer until I read the story in the L.A. Times, and realized someone has been hitting up SoCali bookstores. (Hoaxes Hit Bookstores, L.A. Times)

Such a shame, when people want something for nothing... when people want something for which they haven't worked. But in a bad economy, desperate people are willing to do anything.

Even worse to do it to writers and bookstores.
fs