49 posts from November 2009

in case you missed it on CO

It was all so much fun to unwrap - I haven't gotten to do that in years!! It was like a bunch of Christmasessesssss at once.

First 1/2 my gifts from the extremely generous and thoughtful Art & Tea / Alice In Paris

Currently looking forward to, or pretending to look forward to:

Sat, Dec 5

• 3p, It's A Wonderful Life on a movie screen at the Seal Beach Theatre
• 6p, Optional: the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade. I probably won't go - parking is a bitch and I don't really know anyone to hang with anymore (it's dull if you're alone and don't live there).
  

Sat, Dec 6

• 3p, Out & About Holiday Progressive Dinner. 3 stops (a home, a restaurant, a home) and lots of gay men!!
• 6p (won't make it unless i'm having a REALLY bad time at the progressive), another screening of IAWL

Mon Dec 7 and Wed Dec 9

• 8p, final screenings of IAWL in Seal Beach (I might be able to get out of work early one night. I might not be in the mood. Dunno.)
• Also, Dec 9 only, 3-6pm = Office holiday "party" in the conference rooms (using the term "party" loosely cause it usually sucks). I'll probably have too much work to attend anyway.
  

Sat, Dec 12

• 9am-noon Holiday Appetizers cooking class in Silverlake (oh, how I will HATE waking up for that!)
• Afternoon: swing by the Los Angeles Tamale Festival (postponed from November)
• 5p, Daisy Lane Christmas Parade. Only 3 blocks from me and the saddest/tackiest Xmas parade ever. I love it
  

Sat, Dec 19

• 3p, first screening of A Christmas Story at the Seal Beach Theatre. I probably won't make it to this one.
  
• 6p (I won't make it but enjoy knowing when it is), the Naples Boat Parade of Lights
• 8pm(ish), Brian Setzer Christmas Extravaganza concert. Had a blast last time! It's also the night of "Merry -X- mas" (as in the band, X), but I already had the pit ticket for Brian Setzer when I heard about X's show.
  

Dec 20 (6p), Dec 21 & 23 (8p)  

• Additional screenings of A Christmas Story in Seal Beach

It's hard for me to believe that it's about to be December. Time flies when you don't celebrate holidays!

I was watching TV in the living room when I decided to go out for some dinner and got up to find shoes.
As I stood up, I mumbled to myself, "I am SO pissed off." (...cause I am/was... at everything)
From the other side of the front door, which was closed, I heard, "sorry"

WTF?!?!
That freaked me out pretty well. Granted, I know I'm far from quiet but who the hell heard me say that? I took my time finding shoes, finally deciding the "sorry" had been a random coincidence of someone walking by while on their phone, and headed out for food. When I went outside, Mitchell's bag o' crap was gone. So it was probably him, coincidentally on the porch (no doubt planning to ask for money) at the very moment I was bitching in the living room.

I don't know if his shit's gone from the side yard, I didn't check.
Hopefully, the whole situation is now indirectly resolved.

In other, lighter, news:
At dinner, Dave, the other homeless guy I know (polar opposite of Mitchell, Dave is quiet, keeps to himself, and appears not have bathed in the last 10 years) walked into the restaurant (little dive pho place 2 blocks away) just as I was finishing my meal. That was odd. I saw him before he saw me, and before the staff could harrass him. I offered him dinner (that would have really freaked out the restaurant) but he only wanted money for the metro train. We talked few minutes as I scrounged up a couple bucks and he left. I wish I could have seen the face of the woman at the table behind me... watching a scruffy homeless guy being called by name, treated nicely and shaking hands with me.

Being pissed off at the world is catching up with me - by back hurts like a mofo and now I'm getting headaches (couldn't have anything to do with drinking champagne, then vodka, then beers last night!). I wonder if MassageEnvy is open tomorrow. I doubt it would help me (since I don't relax) but what else have I got? I think Wed is the soonest I can possibly see my sexy chiro and, despite the pain, I'm willing to bet that I forget to get up early and go (cause it's likely to be hell week at work).

Where am I usually at on Sat nights that I don't remember TV sucking this hard?

Definitely putting that "give an inch and they'll take a mile" saying to use.

First it was the increasing frequency of knocking on my door and asking for money.

Then he started storing "his" tools (fishing rod, fruit picker - which he actually stole from me several years ago, misc pole, boots, buckets, whatever) in my side yard (he'd prop them against the fence, but on my property, so he could retrieve them over the fence but people weren't likely to steal them). I think he asked permission once - about a year ago. I didn't raise a fuss cause it's generally been rare and wasn't worth the bother. But that also went from once in awhile to every day.

Then the big bag o' crap showed up next to my front porch, shoved down behind my plants - not visible from the street but eyesore from the porch. Just around the time I was going to throw it away, the bag disappeared (the morning after I thought he might be sleeping under my house - which is still not settled). But a new bag showed up a couple days later and has been there for about a week.

Yesterday, he became the annoying door knocker of the day... alternating between knocking and generally making a racket. Not in the mood to be panhandled at my own front door, I ignored him (and wrote the "lalalala" post).

So, last night got home around 2 and decided I'd had enough. As I walked into my house, I grabbed the bag o' crap and threw it into the front yard - plain sight - hoping someone would take it (someone like Mitchell?)

Today, still pissed, I glanced out the bathroom window to see if Mitchell's tools were still in the side yard. Nope, looks like he picked them during the prior day's racket.

But, wait... what the hell is that pole propped against the bathroom window's security bars? The window is at least 6' from the gate, how did something get that far away? Well, whatever. I decide to ignore it.

Later, I let the kitties out to play. As Skritches wandered into the side yard, I followed her and realized the pole against the window was about 12' long (thus how it made the 6' span from the gate) and it was about to knock my roof's rain spout off the wall (it just hangs there, not held on my any hooks or anything). So I pulled out the pole and adjusted the spout so it was firmly against the house again.

As I moved to put Mitchell's pole against the fence (only because i couldn't figure out how to fit it in the trash), I discovered not only his fishing pole but also his big metal fishing hook propped against the gate. And I got PISSED. He left a big metal hook just sitting on the ground, for me or my cats to step on. Or, gawd forbid, Scritches to walk into... cause I really need to increase her chance of losing her 2nd eye.

So his bag o' shit is still in the front yard. I left his 12' and fishing poles against the gate. The hook is in the trash - possibly to be removed to a remote location just in case he decides to snoop my trash (several years back, he asked to use my washing machine. I said no. Several days later, I found a tube sock on the garage floor, between the washer & drier - and I don't wear tube socks. He apparently hopped the fence and did his laundry while I was at work).

And, if I see him (though, admittedly, I'll be actively avoiding him), Mitchell is going to get told to get his shit out of here and not return.

I am really really really REALLY at my limit with the whole "thanks for the help, now give me more" attitude!!"

me? why... I'm far too shy for that sort of thing...

Billiot Grand Cru Cuvee Julie. $94 per bottle. To my surprise, it was yummy!

Samantha is the champagne expert at The Wine Country in Signal Hill / Long Beach. Tough job, huh?