This is what we asked for

My activist wife became a JP in our town last year in anticipation of Connecticut’s new civil union law. Really what she had in mind originally was to be able to perform a civil union ceremony for our dearest friends sometime next year. But guess what – the phone has been ringing with a steady stream of couples wanting to ‘unionize’. It’s very exciting. My wife gets verklempt at the each one.

Mostly it’s been couples who have been together for many years wanting to legalize their already committed relationships. Some choose to do it on their anniversary dates – this is something my wife and I are also planning to do next summer.
This past week she got a call from these two crazy kids who wanna hitch up right away. They are young and been together only a short time ( a very short time ). So of course the old fogy in me immediately starts with…they are too young, rushing too fast, not thinking ahead, planning for the future. What happened to long engagements?
Then after some ranting, I stopped, and I realized. This is what we asked for. This is the true beauty of what we asked for. A young, lustful gay couple can make the same silly mistakes as anyone else. Bless them. Bless them for making us normal.

Because she loves the whole holiday season

We are the first in our neighborhood to have our lights up...

My wife LOVES the weekend after Thanksgiving. It's when the kids finally let her listen to Christmas music and start decorating.

Ho ho ho.

Wednesday is Friday

tip-o-day

Today's Tip is for Turkey day.
Do you like a nice thick, smooth gravy on your spuds and foul? Did you know that your thickening agent lumps because of the heat when you add it to the turkey drippings? To avoid this lumpy mess - get a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Add your flour (or cornstarch if you use that) to some cool water and shake vigorously. Be sure its well dissolved and a consistency to pour smoothly. Then in your turkey pan (the one you just pulled the bird from) over medium heat you can slowly add this mixture and cook and thicken - lump free. Add slowly, it may thicken more than you expect. I always reserve a small amount of juices on the side, just in case I over-thicken I can adjust.

Enjoy.
Eat 'till you burst.

New Digs

I moved to a new cubicle today. Well my whole department is moving actually.
The company is growing, so alot of us are getting shuffled around.
Moving is good. Its a chance to purge and re-organized. Plus... these cubicles get sooo dusty, its just good to abandon them now and again.

My new cubicle is quite lovely, altho its not actually new. We got a deal ... a 'gently' used deal. I do beg to differ on the 'gently' part - there more than a few scrapes and bangs. But, with enough tacky cube decor - that shouldn't really matter.
The cubes are beige - very BEIGE. Beige walls, beige work surfaces, beige cabinets. All very beige, except for these new BIG black chairs. The chairs are fabulous. They are brand new, right out of the box, lots-o-chair control levers. Our group is the envy of the entire floor now...because of the new chairs. Pathetic as that may be.

I had the brain-rotting fluorescent lights above my cubicle removed. Fluorescent lights are very bad for my chi. Luckily, I am seating near and around others who worship the dark as well. We will all sit here in the back, in the dark with our little ceramic heaters fired up. We are like mushrooms.

I will be having a space clearing in here later ...just to whisk out any left over bad energy that may be kicking around. You really never know what you are getting when you buy these things used -you can't be too careful.
If these cubes could talk...

Welp. Iths done.

(Sorry I missed tip of the day last week.– I will do a tip of the day on Wednesday this week for the long weekend.)
I am not even sure how many shots of Novocain it actually took. I remember 4 of them clearly. The nerve just wouldn’t get numb. Every thing else was getting numb but not that persnickety nerve. So finally – he just cranked the gas waaayyyy up, exposed the nerve and doused it directly. I felt it…but the gas was soooo high, well actually I was soooo high – that it just didn’t matter. My eye got droopy again but my throat wasn’t as bad so I could speak and swallow. So we went ahead and did the root canal.
While the gas was turned way up I could hear him saying he had never seen anything like this – the root was so deep and there were four roots where he expected 3.
I am a dental freak.
So now it’s done, and I am still numb. He offered me vicadin for the afternoon. Sadly it makes me sick… so no more good drugs for me today. A little ibuprophen and we’ll call it a day. Let’s see what happens when the Novocain wears off.

A little to the left please

oops - he missed.
My dentist.
Evidently I have a nerve just behind my jaw which controls my eye and part of my throat. When this nerve is hit, accidentally, by a large dose of novocaine - the result is a very droopy eye and the inability to swallow...or speak for that matter.
This is what happened today when I went to get my tooth fixed.
I knew right away, as it happened to me once before. I could feel my eye sag immediately. When I asked the hygenist for magazine, that's when I noticed I could not speak. The not being able to swallow thing is the scariest part. I will admit I did get a bit nervous initially. My dentist is very calming and sat with me to ease my nerves. He was willing to do the procedure anyway - but I opted out. The not swallowing thing was too freaky.
So - no dental work for me today. I almost have my voice back now, and my eye no longer looks like I have had a stroke (wish I had my digital camera on me)
but I can't really swallow yet, and almost drown on my last sip of water.
I go back tomorrow morning for another shot at it (and I mean that literally).
Lets see how that goes.

Owwweeeeeee

Clearly its time for my dentist to get a new car, or perhaps a vacation in Maui…maybe a cruise.
I have another tooth in distress. Cold, hot, pressure – everything hurts.
I have not been having good luck with these back molars of mine. They are all filled to the hilt with silver. It was all the rage back in the 60’s.
Now these huge fillings are failing one by one. Gotta give’em credit – most of them have been going strong for over 30 years. So who am I to complain really?

I have had two root canals so far. One was disastrous. I had to visit an oral surgeon. We ended up having a long relationship. On my first visit they asked if I wanted Novocain, gas or intravenous valium. I chidingly asked for all three. When I arrived at the office…they gave me all three. My, my that was pleasant. After that I tried gas and Novocain - which was nice; then I was getting so used to the procedures... just Novocain.
But after many attempts to save the tooth – I finally had to have it pulled. By many attempts I mean they kept cutting open my gum and scraping and poking around at the roots and bone in there– they call this a flap. I will give you a moment to visualize this. (Can you see why I wanted happy gas?) Then they would stitch it up and hope it healed up nicely. This just wasn’t happening so I had just had enough and was ready to live without the tooth. It’s a top-back molar with very little visibility so I have not had it replaced (the bone was so badly damaged I just couldn’t see messing around up there anymore). It pits an olive in a jiffy – so I kinda like it.

I am going to the dentist tomorrow, so he can get to the car dealership before the weekend.
Whatever the course of action I can almost guarantee it will involve Happy Gas.
Oooo I love my nitrous.
My dentist says it makes me a better patient. So much so in fact, sometimes he doesn’t even charge me for it. Happy gas is not covered by my insurance, because my insurance is clearly for hardy people who don’t need to be coddled in the dentist’s chair.
Once, last year – they turned it up waaayy too high. Wheeeeeeeee. But the hygienist noticed I was a bit over the top and adjusted me back down to earth.
O that is some good stuff.

Those aren’t my leaves

Ahhh, the burbs.
And so we begin the annual leaf swap. This is where you either rake all the leaves in your yard – only to be replaced by your neighbors leaves (Heeyyy, those aren’t my leaves).
Or you wait… until everyone else is done and become the bane of the neighborhood (Nope, those aren’t my leaves).

A favorite sport of mine is raking on a really windy day. Makes for a good spectator sport as well.

On Sunday, my strong wife and I were out raking the leaves. When we were done with the side yard she suggested we go rake in front of the stone wall. I told her no worry – all taken care of. I was smirking.
My neighbor has the coveted Cyclone Rake… so with my tractor; I blew the leaves from our front yard out into the road. The cars speeding by whisked them away to the neighbor’s front yard.
Tee hee.
All is fair in love and leaves.

Friday

tip-o-day
Doesn't it smell great outside in the Fall.
Bring it inside. Take your comforter, spread, or blanket and hang it out on the line first thing in the morning. Bring it in after the dew rises (be sure its not damp).
it will freshen up your room for days.
Do the same with curtains or drapes in between regular cleanings. A gently breeze will shake off any dust and they will freshen up any room.

Fiscal Planning

Let me clarify that my regular …and oh so subtle hints about acquiring the CycloneRake are not directed toward my generous wife. Rather I was hoping one of you might kick in.

In our democratic household a purchase of such magnitude would be decided before committee. That committee being my financial wizard of wife and me. This particular item would fall into the ‘capital purchase’ category (have you seen the price of that thing), and currently does not fit into this years fiscal plan. We have been approved however for the purchase of new rakes.

There are a number of items on the table for this upcoming fiscal year to be brought before the committee and voted upon. These include a wide array of projects and purchases, some so exciting as re-sealing the driveway, or having the chimney rebuilt. Also on the list this year is Ferris’ higher education. That will require a sub-budget committee and possibly special council from the daughter who comes highly qualified with her years of under and post graduate experiences. She can help us hone the art of balancing financial aid, dorm supplies and beer allowances.
There are fun things on the list of considered items such as new counters and some new kitchen appliances (yes, we find these fun) – altho these are often pushed to the bottom of the list during the meetings. These meetings take place regularly and often are unscheduled. There are always cocktails at these meetings, and sometimes snacks. You might think that cocktails would increase spending, but we have found the contrary. A cold beer and a fine glass of wine enjoyed on the covered porch or in front of the fire in the winter is just the thing to make us realize – hey, its all good, who needs new counters or a stove where all the burners work, we are happy, we love our lives.

And for anyone who would like to contribute to the CycloneRake fund – I do have a PayPal account.

Danced the night away

There is a fabulous event here in southern Connecticut called Stephanie’s Living Room.
It’s a lesbian dance that’s held, almost monthly, at a local hotel in one of their big reception rooms -- basically a DJ, a bar and a lot of women.

Evidently, back in the 80’s a woman named Stephanie started a monthly get together at her house for lesbians looking for a night out. Word spread like wildfire and these house parties soon became 150 or more with people spilling out onto the lawn. They soon realized the need, and took the event to greater heights. Today it’s still going strong.

Saturday night my wife who-loves-to-dance and I went to this event. This is probably the 4th or 5th one that we have gone too. It was fab. There were easily a couple hundred women there. Saw a couple people we knew, had some beers, and we were even recognized by a fellow blogger (who will remain anonymous, unless she cares to disclose her identity in comment). Oh, and we danced…..

The Fairfield County Weekly names Stephanie's Living Room "Best Place to Dance the Electric Slide with your High School Gym Teacher."

Yhah yhah yho yho yhay yhay yho yho

I am doing a leaf chant.
It's November people - the leaves are green and still clinging to their branches for dear life.
This is not 'normal'. The whole peak color thing is supposed to be done and gone by now. Now is the time for leaf removal. Many of us here in the Northeast still use the more primitive method of removal called - 'raking leaves'. This is a somewhat tedious and strenuous task, and for those of us with many trees also time consuming.
However, in order to rake leaves we need for said leaves to be on the ground. It is also immeasurably helpful if these leaves are not under snow when we are trying to rake them. We call this a window of opportunity -- leaves on the ground, no snow on the leaves.
The window is closing. We are waiting with great anticipation.


altho... I understand if you have one of these, snow is less of an issue - as this will remove 'wet' leaves with ease.

writingwomyn november collab

Dear William,

I am writing, because I cannot tell you in person, to share with you the effects our short relationship had on my life.
Most of what I know about you is from stories that people tell me. Not only people in our family but others who knew you, have made it a point over the years to let me know that you were a great man. Highly intelligent, clever and warm. A kind man. A man with an amazing sense of humor, and an ease about you that made people instantly comfortable, instantly friends.

We knew each other for such a short time, and I was so young that my memories of you are hazy at best. The memories have always come to me like old black and white movies, snippets really, short bursts of time. But even now, as the memories fade despite my efforts to try to keep them, I think of you often.
Mom is always saying I have your sense of humor and she tears up when she tells me how fun it would have been for you to know me now, as an adult. How we may banter with our wit. You were witty she tells me. I know I am.

Grandma told me how you changed the spelling of your last name, to get work. Italians were not highly regarded professors at the time, but a simple change of and ‘i’ to an ‘e’ made the difference. It got you in the door for the interview. You taught me to be resourceful.

I remember in 7th grade history… a class I had no interest in…and even less interest in my teacher – until he said-- out of the blue one day in front of the class, that you were his professor in college, and that he learned more from you than any teacher before.
You taught me to earn respect by being the best at whatever I chose to do.

Uncle Nick told me you turned down a seat on the bench, so you could continue to teach. Even tho you were already struggling on that meager teachers salarly. Because that was your gift, your love. You taught me to do what I love.

Mom says you used to laugh when she would worry about the bills and debt and all the things you needed with small children -- you laughed because you knew it was only money, and that it would all work out. You taught me that love and family are truly more important than income.

At the university, where you taught and where I earned my degree – I visited the room in the alumni hall dedicated to you, with your name on the door, and that painting of you hanging on the wall. You taught me to be proud, you taught me to work hard.

Thanks Dad.
William Biaggio DiSiero
1918 - 1965

Scary

We watched The Exorcist last night, the original with Linda Blair.
I saw the movie as a teenager some… hmm… well that’s gotta be huh… yeah, almost 30 years ago. So, obviously, I didn’t really remember much. Fantastic movie. Much funnier than I remembered as a teen.
To get into the spooky spirit my Halloween-lovin’ wife turned off all the lights and lit candles. Although at our age – rather than making it spooky, we were falling asleep during the exorcism.
After the movie we were tidying up the kitchen before going up to bed, and heard the toilet flush upstairs. We were the only ones home.
OOoooooOOOooOoooooOOoOOooo
The really scary part is that we have known about this for weeks, and have yet to go to the hardware store to buy the parts to fix it. Yeah, you got it – it’s just the flap is not sealing tightly anymore causing a small, slow leak which eventually lets the float ball drop triggering the valve to open and refill the tank. Boo.
We did consider filling a vial with toilet water, standing around the demon possessed tank and chanting “The power of Plumbing compels you. The power of Plumbing compels you.”