I'm wearing sandles.

For the first time in months I can do so without seeming crazy.

I'm also wear shorts.

I'm in the park. There are people sitting on the grass. Some are reading, others play on their laptop (like me). The couples exchange kisses before going back to napping while others decide to sleep in solitude.

The tightrope walking club practices their tightrope walk with their makeshift tightrope tied to two trees close in proximity offering a fall only two feet off the ground.

There are hippies playing guitar. The guitarist sings along to his own song while three of his hippie friends sit and listen while contemplating free love and free Tibet.

The bike racks are all full and the Segway division of the Portland Police Department write tickets for the bicycles chained to lampposts instead.

It's Thursday. But more importantly, it's summer in Portland. At least until it rains again.

If I get that tax stimulus check soon, I could buy tickets for Avenue Q when it comes to Portland next month..

I'm not dead. Weird.

Moved in to my new apartment. Aside from the boxes that are scattered everywhere, it's pretty empty. The living room contains my bookshelf, DVD shelf, and that's it. It's in dire need of some IKEA lovin'. My dinning room -slash- kitchen has a table that seats four but has been converted to my homework desk. The bedroom, the most dense room of the apartment has my desktop computer, bed, and TV. The computer is pretty much worthless. It has not been hooked up to the internet for over six months. Basically it has been downgrade to a big black box that contains my music files and recharges my iPod. The TV, HD naturally, is at odds against the aging PS2. Remember when you played a PS1 game for the first time after playing PS2 games and realizing how much the graphics suck? I'm facing the same problem playing PS2 games on an HDTV. Also, the PS2 is a horrible DVD player but, alas, is the only one I have aside from my laptop.

Living in solitude has been interesting. Cooking for one is the hardest thing for me to come to terms with. I like to cook. I like to cook for people. But now when I cook a meal I have to either cook a single meal or end up with leftovers that will last me days. When push comes to shove, I don't feel like cooking a big meal just for myself. An hour of my time for a meal for one.

In my free time I've been able to read and write more. Thank you lack of internet!

Let's see, what else... Two weeks ago I went to what can only be described as a "furry party". Oddly, nobody there called it a furry party. The theme was "dress as your two favorite animals". I was a "Pandog" (Panda + Dog) naturally. There are pictures floating around out there somewhere I am sure.

In terms of movies,
The Forbidden Kingdom felt like it was based off a Young Adult novel.
Baby Mamma was good.
Harold and Kumar 2 wasn't.

Alright, until next time.

I think i'd rather sleep than move my stuff to my new apartment. But, alas, after today I will be all moved. yay.

Ugh, have been hungover all day.

My nephew is a true Portlander. He dressed himself in a hoodie, shorts and sandals. And he doesn't even live in Portland.

As part of my attempt to build a better me, I have deleted my gay.com account.

Michelle Obama on The Colbert Report. Now she seems like the 'first lady' type to me.

Well, fuck.

Yesterday was going so well too. Now I think I may be screwed over so many ways it's not even funny.

Cruising Craigslist, I can't help but be a little disappointed with the selection.

That one is too small.

That one is too big.

Not my type.

Too far away.



Of course, i'm talking about apartments.

As my search for a new living place has been fruitless so far, I have extended my craigslist search results to include rooms/shared housing. However, there are some weird people out there who I would not like to live with:

I would not like to live with a person who hosts folklore song circle.

I would not like to live in a house where you can not cook meat.

I would not like to move in to any place that gets described as "the love shack".

I would not like to live in a house where the other roommate goes out of his way to point out he is NOT gay friendly.

No Zen Buddhists.

Crap. I'm busy. When did school suddenly become to much work? Work too hasn't been great this week. I had grievences filed against me. Basically one of my employees was upset and she told the union rep that I was handling packages (a no-no) and I got written up. But when 3 people don't show up for work and you need to get the job done, what else is there to do? I'm upset about it because she took her angry out on me when she never addressed the problem to myself. Grr..

I'm alone in the house on a Saturday night. It's weird. I can hear the cars driving along the road one street over and the hum of the Xbox 360 waiting for me to do something with it.

Is this what it's going to be like living on my own?

It's kind of scary, kind of intimidating. Tonight I know the Rugby team is having a fund raiser at CC's, but I am low on funds. I'm more of a homebody anyways. I find comfort sitting on my couch watching a movie or reading a book. Going out every once in a while is nice, but that's not what I want to do right now.

Ok, I need food. Food makes things better. Then I think i'll watch Detroit Rock City.

today seriously sucked.

good night.

I had my annual HIV test this evening. It was a year overdue after I failed to get one last year. Needless to say that the results came back negative and they didn't force me to watch Bend It Like Beckham like they did last time.

Now you may be thinking, "Colin, you just got back from San Francisco two days ago and one of the first things you do when you get home is get tested. Just what happened in San Francisco?"

I'll tell you what happened... (and tell you of the soundtrack to my weekend)

Soundtrack: Joy Electric's The Romantic Balloon
Upon arriving in the Oakland airport I was told that I had to get on the BART to take me to San Francisco. Being suave in the ways of Tri-met, I had to problems accomplishing my goal. I find that the best way to not get lost in a city it to act like you know what you are doing. My Mom on the other hand, got directions from a homeless person.

Soundtrack: Ming & Ping's Dream of Pop
Once on the BART it was just a quick trip to the heart of San Francisco where I met my family in Union Square. We dropped off my bags and made our way to our dinner reservation at AsiaSF. While briskly walking to get there by 7 o'clock, my cousin and I passed a store called The Zipper. Naturally, I was fascinated by the store and wanted to go in. However, we were running late, but I vowed to return the next day (I didn't).

Soundtrack: Shania Twain's Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
AsiaSF was a blast. Best gender illusionists I had ever seen. It wasn't your typical drag show. The ladies basically walked out on the catwalk while lip singing and dancing. Our waitress did a killer Diana Ross. We then rode the cablecar to Fisherman's Warf and back

Soundtrack: Karacter's Science Gives You The Courage
The next morning began early for me as I hunted Union Square for a cup of coffee that did not bare the Starbucks logo on it. I failed. Coming from the land of rain and coffee shops, it was odd to find myself in a city where I had to walk a couple blocks to find even a Starbucks. In Portland I find them at every other block.

Soundtrack: Electric Six's I Don't Like You
In typical tourist fashion, we went to Chinatown. Personally I would be happy avoiding places like that because Chinatown is as authentic as Tomorrowland at Disneyland. My Mom wanted to go and pick up some fortune cookies from a little shop where they make them fresh. I would have brought some back with me but I knew they would not make the returning flight back in one piece.

Soundtrack: Disturbed's Liberate
I had some free time to myself Saturday afternoon. The parentals went shopping and my cousin was taking a nap. I decided to call up Dustin, my gay little brother. I have known Dustin since he was 13/14 and I was 16/17. We both shared a mutual disliking for my first bf back in the day. I hadn't seen him in a couple years, so we met for coffee. He had moved from Reno to go to school in San Francisco.

Soundtrack: Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive
That night, my cousin and I wanted to see a real drag show. The kind were the drag queens knew they were drag queens and the hostess of the evening interacted with the audience. Arriving early at the bar, we started the drink and made friends with our bartender (Ron). I am sad that there are no bars in Portland like the one we went to. There was no porn, no loud techno music. It's was friendly. To pass the time I talked with a former drag queen (Prudence). As the show was getting set to get started, we found ourselves front row center. We had the best seats in the house. The hostess (Victoria) took a shining to the people sitting front row center, and since we both were four or five drinks in already, we took a shining to her too. I mean, who doesn't like a drag queen? Anyway, one thing led to another and my slightly drink cousin had volunteered me for Drag Queen Idol. I found myself on stage sporting a big brown wig and boa while trying to remember the words to I Will Survive. Sadly, I came in second place. The first place winner was an actual female. How was I to compete with her? Things went down hill from there. There is a pretty good chance I kissed a drag queen and there is a pretty good chance it was Victoria. But this was right before I was told my cousin was out on the sidewalk, wasted. It seems a 120lb female can not hold the same amount of liquor as myself. We were matching each other drink-for-drink. I'd buy one, she bought the next. It was a dangerous combination. Anyway, we got a taxi back to the hotel but I had to carry her the last two blocks because she had to make an emergency exit from the taxi.

Soundtrack: . . .
Sunday was spent hungover and the flight home.

In the end, I had a great time. I really enjoy hanging out with my cousin and seeing my family. I don't think San Francisco is a place I could ever see myself living. I like my little rut that I have created in Portland.

And that's how my trip to San Francisco has nothing to do with me getting tested this evening.

so much fun last night.

My Mom just suggested that I go check out Castro Street.

After spending some time the Super Smash Brothers Brawl, I have started to create a list of things I would like to see in future versions of the game:

- Portal's Companion Cube as a playable character
- Master Hand replaced with Power Glove

Almost done with classes for the term. Next term I have the following to look forward to...

Intro to Fiction Writing
Intro to Non-Fiction Writing
Canadian Literature
Fencing (a.k.a. Swashbuckling)

It took less then three weeks of being a supervisor to regret it. Putting business before my coworker's wellbeing, grr.