Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Bad news bears...
So Last night I had an oh so uncomfortable chat with my mother. Things appear to be a tad bleak this holiday season for my family as my mother's job has cut her down from 5 days of work to only 2 or the occasional 3... My Father apparently was layed off from his job with the hopes they can bring him back on in the spring. Both my parents are in their late 60's and live on a very fixed income, this isn't good. My own financial situation isn't pretty either. Swamped with student loans, and other piles of bills, Zack finds him nearing the end of one job, with two weeks off till the following one starts... with no pay in between and maybe some paltry amount of unemployment that will arrive to late to help, this ain't lookin' pretty. I'm worried for them.
So after that bomb shell, my mother asks the question i've been evading lately... "When are you coming for Christmas?" Oh. Shit. "Well mom, I am kind of flat broke and can't afford to come this year... the cheapest ticket I could find is $550 and that isn't gonna work for me." She started to cry. My mom has had me there every single christmas since I was born but one... and that's a good track record for 29 years, well this would be number 2... It was tough to tackle all of this stuff in one session for the both of us, so we hung up morose and kind of bummed about the whole discussion. It's hard leaving things like that for me. I don't like that creepy unspoken hurt hanging in the air between me and others. Over-all it kinda sucked ass, so I didn't sleep very well.
On a more positive note, I did get an interesting possible offer this morning for where to spend my Christmas that would be much cheaper, and could be great... Fingers crossed that it pans out for me. *smile* We'll see...
This weekend I am going out with some friends on their Gay Scuba Club "The Barnacle Busters" christmas lights harbor cruise for a few hours Saturday. I'm really excited as this might be just the thing to get me into the holiday spirit, and a little booze and good company is always fun. Long Beach here I come!
So after that bomb shell, my mother asks the question i've been evading lately... "When are you coming for Christmas?" Oh. Shit. "Well mom, I am kind of flat broke and can't afford to come this year... the cheapest ticket I could find is $550 and that isn't gonna work for me." She started to cry. My mom has had me there every single christmas since I was born but one... and that's a good track record for 29 years, well this would be number 2... It was tough to tackle all of this stuff in one session for the both of us, so we hung up morose and kind of bummed about the whole discussion. It's hard leaving things like that for me. I don't like that creepy unspoken hurt hanging in the air between me and others. Over-all it kinda sucked ass, so I didn't sleep very well.
On a more positive note, I did get an interesting possible offer this morning for where to spend my Christmas that would be much cheaper, and could be great... Fingers crossed that it pans out for me. *smile* We'll see...
This weekend I am going out with some friends on their Gay Scuba Club "The Barnacle Busters" christmas lights harbor cruise for a few hours Saturday. I'm really excited as this might be just the thing to get me into the holiday spirit, and a little booze and good company is always fun. Long Beach here I come!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
10 things you may or may not know about Zacki: Christmas Edition
(Idea ganked from Dirk Mancuso... thanks hehe)
1. I despise the song "Little drummer boy" parumpapapum except for the version by Grace Jones on Pee-Wee's Christmas Special!
2. I love the idea of tacky christmas trees in theory, but feel sad when they are actually executed: EG:Pink tree, or goth tree..
3. I secretly love the nutcracker and have found myself oddly enacting moments in my socks leaping about hardwood floors... go figure
4. I like to believe I have been given my mother's gift for gorgeous gift wrapping, but must now admit it, mine look just average...
5. I try the fruitcake every year and always make the same grossed out face, when will I learn?
6. I own 14 different christmas cd's and would never admit that in public... oops
7. I try to sit on one sexy santa's lap each year in hopes that eventually the damn boy will bring me my christmas wish
8. I don't eat much of anything on Christmas eve... I find it funny that this tradition started with me protesting my mother's lame attempt at dinner one christmas eve, now it just makes sense
9. I still get excited when two things happen... a. when I wake up Christmas morning and b. when I see a sexy santa, did I mention I like sexy Santas?
10. I once asked santa for a house... I got it. My dad made me the coolest Playhouse ever!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, January 07, 2008
Back in the blogging saddle: Holidays 2007-2208 edition
How many times can an airlines lose your luggage in one trip? Oh that's right, twice... once on the way to Seattle and once on the way back. All in all flying home to see my parents was a good experience, despite the luggage fiasco. My mother has lost a whopping 87 pounds (an entire Linsay Lohan) and she looks great. My sister and I noticed a few days into it that the house was like her personal catwalk with about four outfit changes each day. My parents both have adapted to eating healthier and are on a pretty unrestricted diet as long as it is a vegetable or on their program dietary list. They both still managed to lose a little weight even with the holiday rich foods. I'm really proud of them.
My trip into Seattle alone the first Friday I was home, a pilgrimage that I do at least once a visit, was fun and sad this time around. I was disheartened to see how many relics from my past had been torn down or were slated for demolition to make way for pre-fab condo buildings. So. so. sad Seattle, how could you? The city loses more of its funky heart every time I visit, and soon all it will be left with are condo lined streets with a wet discarded flannel shirt lying in the middle of the street to remind it of its grunge induced past.... At least the coffee was good, and I could still get my hair cut at the Rudy's in Capitol Hill. A trip to Market Spice in the Pike Place Market flooded me with memories of helping my roomies with inventory and getting paid minimally. If they only knew how much our kitchen had been stocked with stuff that "fell of the shelf" or was "Discontinued" or just "walked off," they'd have charged us to do inventory. We had every spice, tea or coffee known to man those bizarre few years we shared that house on 12th avenue in Caitol Hill.
With Christmas in full swing, it was one of those times of year I actually don't mind hearing all the standard Christmas tunes, except for my anger filled hatred for the song "The Little Drummer Boy." I did however find a version of this song that both warmed my heart, and made me enjoy this holiday jewel: "The Little Drummer Boy" as performed by Grace Jones on the Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special. It is a version at once horrific, nearly pornographic, and commanding.... in a word hilarious. My mom had to run into the room to see what was making me cackle so loudly.
After I returned home I helped work on a Rose Parade Float for the city of LaCanada/ Flintridge. My sister and brother once worked on this city's float and I always wanted to be part of the action as a kid. It was a fun experience, ended all too soon as my stomach wasn't co-operating in allowing me to stand upright about halfway into my shift. I enjoyed those I met, and getting to paste some love onto the big goofy masterpiece, but was a little pissed the day of the parade when my tivo was surveyed and the damned float didn't even make it into the coverage. C'est la vie!
New Years was a drink induced evening of fun and merriment with hugs all around, fire spinning, having to put out a friend's pant leg after said fire spinning caught him ablaze, and lots of good company. Just the way you want to spend a New Year's Eve. The next day......they rested....and slept in......long past noon.....even past 4pm.... feeling like a lump and moving to the couch.....and then returning to sleep.
Today its back to work, and back to reality. I'll be posting more frequently again too, I promise.
My trip into Seattle alone the first Friday I was home, a pilgrimage that I do at least once a visit, was fun and sad this time around. I was disheartened to see how many relics from my past had been torn down or were slated for demolition to make way for pre-fab condo buildings. So. so. sad Seattle, how could you? The city loses more of its funky heart every time I visit, and soon all it will be left with are condo lined streets with a wet discarded flannel shirt lying in the middle of the street to remind it of its grunge induced past.... At least the coffee was good, and I could still get my hair cut at the Rudy's in Capitol Hill. A trip to Market Spice in the Pike Place Market flooded me with memories of helping my roomies with inventory and getting paid minimally. If they only knew how much our kitchen had been stocked with stuff that "fell of the shelf" or was "Discontinued" or just "walked off," they'd have charged us to do inventory. We had every spice, tea or coffee known to man those bizarre few years we shared that house on 12th avenue in Caitol Hill.
With Christmas in full swing, it was one of those times of year I actually don't mind hearing all the standard Christmas tunes, except for my anger filled hatred for the song "The Little Drummer Boy." I did however find a version of this song that both warmed my heart, and made me enjoy this holiday jewel: "The Little Drummer Boy" as performed by Grace Jones on the Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special. It is a version at once horrific, nearly pornographic, and commanding.... in a word hilarious. My mom had to run into the room to see what was making me cackle so loudly.
After I returned home I helped work on a Rose Parade Float for the city of LaCanada/ Flintridge. My sister and brother once worked on this city's float and I always wanted to be part of the action as a kid. It was a fun experience, ended all too soon as my stomach wasn't co-operating in allowing me to stand upright about halfway into my shift. I enjoyed those I met, and getting to paste some love onto the big goofy masterpiece, but was a little pissed the day of the parade when my tivo was surveyed and the damned float didn't even make it into the coverage. C'est la vie!
New Years was a drink induced evening of fun and merriment with hugs all around, fire spinning, having to put out a friend's pant leg after said fire spinning caught him ablaze, and lots of good company. Just the way you want to spend a New Year's Eve. The next day......they rested....and slept in......long past noon.....even past 4pm.... feeling like a lump and moving to the couch.....and then returning to sleep.
Today its back to work, and back to reality. I'll be posting more frequently again too, I promise.
Monday, December 10, 2007
From the Suggestive Ornaments Department
Anyone else see what this ornament is an abstraction of? (Thanks to BoingBoing)
Thursday, December 06, 2007
New meaning to "trimming the tree"
Picture is from LATimes.com
Does this not look a little suggestive? "Putting up a tree" where I ask?
Friday, December 15, 2006
Workin' the door... again
I'm off to "local Gay Bar" in about 3 hours... I must say I can't frickin' wait. It really is my non-job job... Too fun and easy to pass up, as well as blending nicely with the rest of the workweek so I still feel like I get a weekend. (Drop by boys and girls, I'm gonna wear my spikey santa hat for some good ol' fashioned alterna-cheer... I know its tacky.) I'm excited to get a break from my other job: "Hate Hatey." This has been too long a week. First thing when I get to job #2 will be to get myself a drink.. and then perhaps another. I may as well while the job still exists. We'll see how the end of the year goes and if local gay bar is still a friendly place to work.
I need to get my ass outta bed tomorrow and finish some damn christmas shopping! I was so gung-ho a couple of posts ago about the holidays, but now all I want to do is crawl under those covers and finally get some rest. The end of the year is just exhausting. I'm excited to go home to Seattle though. (Sidenote: I'm a little sad the trees are back up at sea-tac airport as I wanted to get a chance to do or say something bitchy when I walked through.) It'll be great to see my parents. This year has been a really rough one for me and for the first time in a while I've found myself repeatedly thinking or saying I want my mommy.
Well, before I get out my credit card: any of you bitches want something special in your stocking/ stalking, you better speak up or forever hold your peace/ piece!
I need to get my ass outta bed tomorrow and finish some damn christmas shopping! I was so gung-ho a couple of posts ago about the holidays, but now all I want to do is crawl under those covers and finally get some rest. The end of the year is just exhausting. I'm excited to go home to Seattle though. (Sidenote: I'm a little sad the trees are back up at sea-tac airport as I wanted to get a chance to do or say something bitchy when I walked through.) It'll be great to see my parents. This year has been a really rough one for me and for the first time in a while I've found myself repeatedly thinking or saying I want my mommy.
Well, before I get out my credit card: any of you bitches want something special in your stocking/ stalking, you better speak up or forever hold your peace/ piece!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
A bad day to be a whore near London...
So much happens around the holidays. It's amazing how many news stories get blown out of proportion, or plaster the screen on every channel to capture the attention of busy, overworked Americans. The news has never necessarily been a fuzzy cuddly thing to sit down and watch. I remember horrific images splashed across the screen as a kid, watching the news before dinner with Dad. As of late, there are a few stories that have caught my attention.
1st: "Tis not the season at Sea-Tac Airport" Apparently the war on christmas continued in Seattle this week. In an attempt at an "all inclusive" holiday display, a local Rabbi in Seattle petitioned for a menorrah to be added to the displays at the airport. What started as a good natured petition quickly accellerated into a full on war over words and intentions. The Rabbi went from asking, to demanding with his filing of a lawsuit if the airport would not let him put up a large lit mennorah. In a very Seattle way of handling things, the airport decided to take down all decorations to avoid any suit, and rethink the display for next year. Gotta love the rage this caused in not only the community, but all over the country. Suddenly the Rabbi looked like a crybaby, and the airport looked like the Grinch. Only in Seattle would this sort of story turn into a passive aggressive finger point fest! After much bickering back and forth over who was "doing the right thing" and who wasn't at fault, the suit was dropped and the trees are being put back up. I kinda wish they had kept them down and then perhaps a large christmas decoration "sit in" would have happened! oooo, or Maybe people will secretly stash mennorahs all over the place now that the trees are back up! I may have to carry a mennorah to hide when I go home for Christmas!
Here's a photo of the lonely lobby:
2nd: A woman actuallyput her baby in the microwave.... sick sick bitch. May she get the same treatment!
Now that that anger is out, let's all take a break and laugh: http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=666e6d17f370d90eac0a8ef_20061207
3rd: There is a new "jack the ripper" type killer on the loose near London. He appears to be targeting prostitutes, but I know I wouldn't want to be outside alone if I were any female with that shit going on. I always find the killing of a prostitute somehow sadder than just some person... I don't know, maybe it's the idea that these people have reached a place in their life where they have to sell their bodies and they already have given up so much in life. The idea that these downtrodden souls are being killed just because they appear expendable is really frickin' creepy and sad. (Maybe I'm just being fed too mucch hooplah and hootenanny about the poor whores of the world, so I'd love to hearsome good ol' fashioned devils advocate here. "I'm a whore and I'm incorporated, have a big house, health insurance, I am even on the PTA.") Next time you see one, give a whore a hug. (They might just charge you though.)
1st: "Tis not the season at Sea-Tac Airport" Apparently the war on christmas continued in Seattle this week. In an attempt at an "all inclusive" holiday display, a local Rabbi in Seattle petitioned for a menorrah to be added to the displays at the airport. What started as a good natured petition quickly accellerated into a full on war over words and intentions. The Rabbi went from asking, to demanding with his filing of a lawsuit if the airport would not let him put up a large lit mennorah. In a very Seattle way of handling things, the airport decided to take down all decorations to avoid any suit, and rethink the display for next year. Gotta love the rage this caused in not only the community, but all over the country. Suddenly the Rabbi looked like a crybaby, and the airport looked like the Grinch. Only in Seattle would this sort of story turn into a passive aggressive finger point fest! After much bickering back and forth over who was "doing the right thing" and who wasn't at fault, the suit was dropped and the trees are being put back up. I kinda wish they had kept them down and then perhaps a large christmas decoration "sit in" would have happened! oooo, or Maybe people will secretly stash mennorahs all over the place now that the trees are back up! I may have to carry a mennorah to hide when I go home for Christmas!
Here's a photo of the lonely lobby:
2nd: A woman actuallyput her baby in the microwave.... sick sick bitch. May she get the same treatment!
Now that that anger is out, let's all take a break and laugh: http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=666e6d17f370d90eac0a8ef_20061207
3rd: There is a new "jack the ripper" type killer on the loose near London. He appears to be targeting prostitutes, but I know I wouldn't want to be outside alone if I were any female with that shit going on. I always find the killing of a prostitute somehow sadder than just some person... I don't know, maybe it's the idea that these people have reached a place in their life where they have to sell their bodies and they already have given up so much in life. The idea that these downtrodden souls are being killed just because they appear expendable is really frickin' creepy and sad. (Maybe I'm just being fed too mucch hooplah and hootenanny about the poor whores of the world, so I'd love to hearsome good ol' fashioned devils advocate here. "I'm a whore and I'm incorporated, have a big house, health insurance, I am even on the PTA.") Next time you see one, give a whore a hug. (They might just charge you though.)
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Joy to the world, I can't feel my arms!
So it's Thursday and postings have been a tad sparse this week, but I'm mainly just trying to survive the week. Last night a few friends and I had a mini bitch session party with pizza! We got to catch up on how bad eachother's lives are going, how much we hate or don't hate our jobs... It was just what the doctor ordered. It's funny how sometimes I forget how much fun "girl's night" can be. I hang around with so many MOs at "local gay bar" that I don't realize how much I miss hangin' with the chicks. My posse used to be full of awesome females... It was the gay boys who were fairly sparse in my life. Hell I had never had a group of gay male friends 'till about grad school. It was nice to settle in, have a glass o' wine and just listen to the bitching commence. I think we all needed to vent a bit. (PS: "Ghostie" I love your place and your really cute animals.)
Other things of note this week, a new Friday event at "local gay bar" is starting at the end of the year by an infamous LA gay promoter... AKA: Zack may be out of a job on Fridays and now needs to consider taking back Saturdays..... Is that worth it? How badly do I need this second job? Stay tuned to find out... Even if the position is still mine on Friday, I'm not sure I want to work there with the crowd THAT promoter's events bring in. If Tuesdays crowd is any idication of the horror to come, forget it!
Let's see...what else..... OH! I missed my mom's B-day by one day. I have never felt that spacey and awful before. I can tell I totally disappointed her. I had every intention to call on Monday night and wish her a happy b-day, and instead discovered it was on Sunday and I had missed it. What an ass I am... I'm sorry again Mom, I can't say it enough. I kept having flashbacks to "Sixteen Candles" while talking to her. Oh how Sam must have felt!
I'm finally gearing up for Christmas... Most of you who know me, understand that I want nothing to do with the holiday until December has finally arrived. I am the guy who says things like "Jesus, soon Christmas is gonna start in July!" "Look at all this tacky crap they've already slung everywhere and Halloween only ended yesterday!" This bitching and moaning ends abruptly and I begin to embrace it all, right around now.
Yesterday, I was flipping through the Seattle Men's Chorus mailer magazine, and couldn't help but reminisce. (Alright bitches, don't judge me... I used to be in the Seattle Men's Chorus, and I liked it... alot.) Every Christmas the chorus does a huge holiday concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. It was so exciting and such an honor to stand up on that stage with them. I've been back a few times and seen them perform, it's always so good. One Christmas season when I was a Sophomore in undergrad, I made a bad judgement call. I was living at the time in a large 4 story house on 12th ave. and every now and then would smoke up a little with my roommate, we'll call her "Hippie." Hippie had a new dealer, apparently, and forgot to tell Zack about the new weed experiment he was about to undergo. Two long tokes off a Jerry Garcia head pipe, and Zack was getting too high too quickly. I went to my room, shut the door and prayed when I woke up all would be fine. Finals were over, and all I had to do was get through the next day of parties and meet and greets with teachers and visitors. I woke up and everything seemed to be in stop animation, both visually and skin sensations. I. Was. Freaking. Out! I think my Teacher knew I was on something when she said hello and I lept back and slammed my back into a locker. I still had three more concerts with the chorus to get through (one of which my family would be attending) and all sorts of x-mas shopping to do. I remember moments where I was trying to pull money out of my pocket to pay for stuff and it felt like I was digging into a can of live worms. I must have looked so scared.
That Friday night, I went to perform with the chorus unsure of whether or not I could get through it. One of the Upper Baritones, and a friend of mine took one look at me and knew something was up. He was a doctor, so I told him everything hoping I wouldn't be stuck like this forever. He talked me down out of my freak out and said that the pot was most likely laced with something, possibly pcp. These effect would only last as long as it was in my system and my body had probably had an allergic reaction to it. He was so nice... He helped me get into my tux, which is a hard feat to accomplish when everything you touch seems to be in stop animation too. I stood on stage and sang, and survived. I saw my family briefly telling them I didn't feel too well, and would see them the next week for Christmas. I discovered that shopping for family while still drugged out from some strange pot you smoked with a roommate produces humorous results. I bought dad a huge thing of popcorn kernels, mom got a crappy blowdryer, sis got a weird christmas cd, and for some reason the cat got a huge stocking. I relaized when they were tearing into the packaging, I had no idea what was inside. Yay, Christmas!
Memo to me: never smoke up with that Hippie or any other again!
Other things of note this week, a new Friday event at "local gay bar" is starting at the end of the year by an infamous LA gay promoter... AKA: Zack may be out of a job on Fridays and now needs to consider taking back Saturdays..... Is that worth it? How badly do I need this second job? Stay tuned to find out... Even if the position is still mine on Friday, I'm not sure I want to work there with the crowd THAT promoter's events bring in. If Tuesdays crowd is any idication of the horror to come, forget it!
Let's see...what else..... OH! I missed my mom's B-day by one day. I have never felt that spacey and awful before. I can tell I totally disappointed her. I had every intention to call on Monday night and wish her a happy b-day, and instead discovered it was on Sunday and I had missed it. What an ass I am... I'm sorry again Mom, I can't say it enough. I kept having flashbacks to "Sixteen Candles" while talking to her. Oh how Sam must have felt!
I'm finally gearing up for Christmas... Most of you who know me, understand that I want nothing to do with the holiday until December has finally arrived. I am the guy who says things like "Jesus, soon Christmas is gonna start in July!" "Look at all this tacky crap they've already slung everywhere and Halloween only ended yesterday!" This bitching and moaning ends abruptly and I begin to embrace it all, right around now.
Yesterday, I was flipping through the Seattle Men's Chorus mailer magazine, and couldn't help but reminisce. (Alright bitches, don't judge me... I used to be in the Seattle Men's Chorus, and I liked it... alot.) Every Christmas the chorus does a huge holiday concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. It was so exciting and such an honor to stand up on that stage with them. I've been back a few times and seen them perform, it's always so good. One Christmas season when I was a Sophomore in undergrad, I made a bad judgement call. I was living at the time in a large 4 story house on 12th ave. and every now and then would smoke up a little with my roommate, we'll call her "Hippie." Hippie had a new dealer, apparently, and forgot to tell Zack about the new weed experiment he was about to undergo. Two long tokes off a Jerry Garcia head pipe, and Zack was getting too high too quickly. I went to my room, shut the door and prayed when I woke up all would be fine. Finals were over, and all I had to do was get through the next day of parties and meet and greets with teachers and visitors. I woke up and everything seemed to be in stop animation, both visually and skin sensations. I. Was. Freaking. Out! I think my Teacher knew I was on something when she said hello and I lept back and slammed my back into a locker. I still had three more concerts with the chorus to get through (one of which my family would be attending) and all sorts of x-mas shopping to do. I remember moments where I was trying to pull money out of my pocket to pay for stuff and it felt like I was digging into a can of live worms. I must have looked so scared.
That Friday night, I went to perform with the chorus unsure of whether or not I could get through it. One of the Upper Baritones, and a friend of mine took one look at me and knew something was up. He was a doctor, so I told him everything hoping I wouldn't be stuck like this forever. He talked me down out of my freak out and said that the pot was most likely laced with something, possibly pcp. These effect would only last as long as it was in my system and my body had probably had an allergic reaction to it. He was so nice... He helped me get into my tux, which is a hard feat to accomplish when everything you touch seems to be in stop animation too. I stood on stage and sang, and survived. I saw my family briefly telling them I didn't feel too well, and would see them the next week for Christmas. I discovered that shopping for family while still drugged out from some strange pot you smoked with a roommate produces humorous results. I bought dad a huge thing of popcorn kernels, mom got a crappy blowdryer, sis got a weird christmas cd, and for some reason the cat got a huge stocking. I relaized when they were tearing into the packaging, I had no idea what was inside. Yay, Christmas!
Memo to me: never smoke up with that Hippie or any other again!
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