STFU (and NYE Redux)

STFU
Originally uploaded by tjdee.

Exhibit A: Before leaving for Denver I left this note. "TJ's back on the 30th (unless there's another fucking blizzard)."

Sure enough, two days before my return a flight, Denver gets its second blizzard in a week. The storm dumped close to two feet of snow at my mom's place. Frontier cancelled 30 percent of flights on Friday. I was stressing my Saturday flight big time. I made it home without any problems, but still ... I'm convinced if I hadn't written that parenthetical sentence the snow would have stayed away. Yeah ...

Exhibit B: While in Colorado, prompted by my mother's annoyance over the fact that two or three of her watches needed new batteries, I bragged that my nice watch had not needed a new battery in the four years (!) I'd had it. Sure enough, the day I left, I went to change the time and realized it had stopped ticking.

My 2007 resolution: STFU!

I have others, of course. Healthier lifestyle, more risktaking, less drama. That last one is a big one.

I don't think it's possible for this NYE to be any more ridiculously dramatic than last year's, when I learned that my fairly recent ex was dating again. And not just anyone. A really good high school friend (with whom I had hung out a few times). Who is not a gay man, but rather a woman. Who was totally lesbionic previously. That's enough of a shock to the system, but then there was the effed-up timeline of how everything ended and began, not to mention the sitcom-style (but not really funny at all) misunderstandings leading up to the actual realization that my ex boyfriend now had a girlfriend who previously had girlfriends (and all this on what would have been our fifth anniversary).

I think the most interesting thing about it all was that it made me really question my openmindedness when it comes to sexuality. I basically rolled my eyes at the idea that these two people could be truly bisexual. And talking to other people about the situation (it makes a really great brunch anecdote or icebreaker when interacting with strangers), I realized how common my new belief was. I think I'm over it, for the most part. But it was really interesting to me how quickly an idea I held changed when it touched me personally. Bisexuality in general? Sure! Of course. But with those two? Oh hell to the no! They're so ... gay.

So that's another one: I wouldn't dare pledge to be less judgmental. It's what makes me me, really. But I do want to be more willing to really consider new ideas without balking right away. And if that's not possible, at least STFU a little more often.

WTF?! Is this a joke? I am so frustrated.

An Inconvenient Truth, anyone?

What. The. Fuck.

Dear lord baby Jesus,

Please allow my flight, which is scheduled to arrive just two hours after the earliest estimated reopening of Denver International Airport, to land as planned. I will, like, totally be your BFF, OK?

Yours (unless you dis me tomorrow and then I will most definitely become a Scientologist),

T.J.

I love Christmas. On account of because of the presents. Chickity check it:

I had another of those San Francisco moments yesterday. Well, the whole day was quintessential San Francisco, from brunch with the gays to the gorgeous views from atop one of the city's innumerable crazy ass hills to drinks with the gays in the center of the gay universe.

But the real San Francisco moment began after drinks, while three of us were waiting for the old-fashioned F Market streetcar to stop taunting us and actually start moving. This seemingly normal woman approached and asked (without even saying "hi" - how rude), "What do you call a deep-fried Santa? Crispy Kringle." Then she quickly realized the word crispy didn't begin with a k, she cursed old age for stealing her ability to spell and she said something about the KKK - I'm not sure what.

At this point I wasn't sure whether she was batshit crazy or just a Berkeley-style eccentric. But once she sat down next to us on the train and started talking about her HOME PLANET of Zontar, I realized she was truly special.

She taught me many things. She taught me that there are two Zontars - Zontar 1 and Zontar 2 -- and she taught me that new pal Todd is one of the greatest straight-faced bullshitters of all time. I'm pretty good at lying to someone's face, but I was in awe of his ability to engage her in crazy talk. At one point he was doing his gay snapping and the woman, Anna, laughed and asked, "Why are you doing the castanets. Without a moment's hesitation Todd said, "I was a flamenco dancer in Buenos Aires in my last life."

Don't you know, Anna was just dying to hear all about that.

This is my new favorite video: