- "What are you going to eat? Nothing?"
Thanksgiving was great, as it always is. My uncle Jerry only made one vegetarian joke this year! I also love to see my cousins and my aunt. It is one of my favorite holidays because it's about being thankful, family, friends, food, and fun. Thanksgiving means a lot to me because it's one of the few times when my family is altogether. It's also about getting tipsy on the wine! :-) And leftovers, of course... but those were gone in two days! Besides, I get leftovers from Nonna's house even when it isn't Thanksgiving! I don't think I've ever gone to her house without returning home with food! - What's the malfunction?
My computer was down for over a week. It stopped working properly the day after Thanksgiving. I'm glad it was still under warranty. My dad brought it back to me yesterday. He and my uncle souped it up with additional memory and virus protection. What a generous family I have! I'm glad to be back online, although I had plenty of things to do while my computer was in the shop. - 'Tis the season... for spending too much money
I've also begun my Christmas shopping. I stayed away from the mall on Black Friday... those people are nuts to go out there at 4 in the morning and wait in line behind thirty or more people! I'm only buying a few things for select people because I can't afford to buy things for everybody. This is the first year where I've actually been able to afford to buy presents for anyone at all. Previous years I've only given cards, and one year I actually gave out homemade cards. I'm looking forward to this Christmas and giving presents to the ones I love. Snow has finally fallen around here, as well, and the grounds are covered with blankets of white. It's also colder than a witch's tit (as my old supervisor used to say)! People keep telling me that we're going to have a mild winter this year, but I know Syracuse weather. The worst has yet to come, and we'll have snow until March, for certain.
Monday, December 3, 2007
And So The Season Begins...
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples and Walnuts
Here's a great recipe for Thanksgiving, or any time of the season!
Ingredients:
3 medium acorn squash
3 good baking apples, or any apples you prefer
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons margarine or olive oil
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch or allspice or nutmeg
salt and pepper (optional)
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Since acorn squash is hard to cut, partially bake or microwave the squash until the skin is soft enough to be broken easily by the pressure of your thumbnail. Allow to cool before handling.
2) Lightly oil a shallow baking dish large enough to accommodate 6 squash halves (multiple dishes or pans can be used).
3) Peel and core apples and cut into small chunks. In a mixing bowl, combine the apples, nuts, margarine or oil, brown sugar, and spices (except salt and pepper) and mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved into the margarine, and the apples are evenly coated.
4) When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise (top to tip). Scoop out the seeds and fibers (save the seeds because they can be roasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds). Wrap each squash half in aluminum foil and arrange them on the baking dish. Spoon the apple mixture into each center, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If there is any liquid left over in the bowl, pour it over the squash and apples. Seal the aluminum foil over the squash.
5) Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
3 medium acorn squash
3 good baking apples, or any apples you prefer
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons margarine or olive oil
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch or allspice or nutmeg
salt and pepper (optional)
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Since acorn squash is hard to cut, partially bake or microwave the squash until the skin is soft enough to be broken easily by the pressure of your thumbnail. Allow to cool before handling.
2) Lightly oil a shallow baking dish large enough to accommodate 6 squash halves (multiple dishes or pans can be used).
3) Peel and core apples and cut into small chunks. In a mixing bowl, combine the apples, nuts, margarine or oil, brown sugar, and spices (except salt and pepper) and mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved into the margarine, and the apples are evenly coated.
4) When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise (top to tip). Scoop out the seeds and fibers (save the seeds because they can be roasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds). Wrap each squash half in aluminum foil and arrange them on the baking dish. Spoon the apple mixture into each center, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If there is any liquid left over in the bowl, pour it over the squash and apples. Seal the aluminum foil over the squash.
5) Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Yield: 6 servings
Friday, November 16, 2007
Tramps like us... baby we were born to run!
On Thursday, November 15, I went to Albany with my neighbor Skip and his friend Joan to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Skip is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and he invited me to go to the show with him. He and I are both great lovers of music. That commonality is the reason we became good friends. We had an interesting road trip, and had a great time at the show. It's one of the best concerts I have ever seen. The energy was great. Bruce performed some songs from his new album, as well as some surprises. We danced, sang, had a few beers, and enjoyed ourselves. We didn't get back until after 2 AM... and I had to work the next day! But it was great. I'm glad I went. Here is the set list:
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason To Believe
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Candy's Room
She's The One
Livin' In The Future
The Promised Land
I'll Work For Your Love
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
The E Street Shuffle
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last To Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Encore:
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Thunder Road
Born To Run
Dancing In The Dark
American Land
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason To Believe
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Candy's Room
She's The One
Livin' In The Future
The Promised Land
I'll Work For Your Love
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
The E Street Shuffle
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last To Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Encore:
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Thunder Road
Born To Run
Dancing In The Dark
American Land
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Good Deed of the Day
On my way to work yesterday I decided to stop at the Sound Garden to pick up a DVD I wanted. I was walking around Armory Square and I saw a woman in a wheelchair coming around the corner. As I walked by, I watched her as she opened the door to enter a building. I noticed that she was having trouble with something and I stopped to see if she needed any help. She told me her shoe had fallen off, so I helped her put it back on. She thanked me, and proceeded to open the door to enter the building. I stayed for a moment longer to make sure she got into the building safely. She seemed to struggle a little with the door, so I asked her if she needed help with it. She politely responded that she was okay, so I continued on my way to the record store.
As I walked away, I was overcome with a sense of fulfillment and contentment. I was in a pleasant mood for the rest of the day. I'm glad I encountered that lady. That experience made my day.
As I walked away, I was overcome with a sense of fulfillment and contentment. I was in a pleasant mood for the rest of the day. I'm glad I encountered that lady. That experience made my day.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Wonderful Weekend
My best friend Stacy came to visit me this weekend. After a crazy week at work, I was looking forward to an enjoyable weekend. Friday night after work, I went down to the Regional Transportation Center to meet her there. She rode the Greyhound Bus. When I got there, I got a call. Stacy told me that her bus was running late. It wasn't going to be in Cortland for another hour. So I waited in the station for an hour and a half for her to arrive. I sat there and drank coffee from Dunkin Donuts and ate junk food from the vending machine. She didn't get into Syracuse until 11:30 pm. Then we had to wait until 12:15 for the next bus to pick us up at the Regional and take us downtown. Unfortunately, by the time we got downtown, there were no more Centro buses running. The last James St. bus was at 12:30, and we didn't get downtown until 12:35. So we took a cab home. We didn't get back to my place until 1 am.
Despite the unexpected delay, the rest of the weekend was great. We had a great time together. We hung out, ate, watched movies (Spirited Away and Fern Gully), and listened to music (Stevie Nicks, Heart, Siouxsie, Tom Petty, Bob Marley, and a band that Stacy likes called Broken Yoke). We also went next door to visit my neighbor Skip and hung out over there for a while.
After that, Stacy had me put highlights in her hair. She brought the kit with her. I'd never done anything like that before, so it was a new experience. I told her that I'm not a beautician and that I really didn't know what I was doing, but she was happy with the results. I told her she looked like a punk rocker, not only with the additional blond highlights, but also with the pink and blue she had put in her hair beforehand. Plus she got a new haircut (the word "bob" comes to mind) and also a lip piercing, so Stacy looked like a whole new woman!
It was nice to spend time with my best friend. I hadn't seen her in months, since she moved to Cortland. I'm glad she came to visit me. She plans on visiting one more time this year, hopefully before the S-N-O-W (a bad four-letter word) hits us real bad! Although we had a wonderful time, we didn't get much sleep. We stayed up half the night anyway, and since I had to set my clock back an hour, we lost another hour of sleep. So now I'm tired, and now it's time to retire for the night, because tomorrow I go back to W-O-R-K (another bad four-letter word)! Good night!
Despite the unexpected delay, the rest of the weekend was great. We had a great time together. We hung out, ate, watched movies (Spirited Away and Fern Gully), and listened to music (Stevie Nicks, Heart, Siouxsie, Tom Petty, Bob Marley, and a band that Stacy likes called Broken Yoke). We also went next door to visit my neighbor Skip and hung out over there for a while.
After that, Stacy had me put highlights in her hair. She brought the kit with her. I'd never done anything like that before, so it was a new experience. I told her that I'm not a beautician and that I really didn't know what I was doing, but she was happy with the results. I told her she looked like a punk rocker, not only with the additional blond highlights, but also with the pink and blue she had put in her hair beforehand. Plus she got a new haircut (the word "bob" comes to mind) and also a lip piercing, so Stacy looked like a whole new woman!
It was nice to spend time with my best friend. I hadn't seen her in months, since she moved to Cortland. I'm glad she came to visit me. She plans on visiting one more time this year, hopefully before the S-N-O-W (a bad four-letter word) hits us real bad! Although we had a wonderful time, we didn't get much sleep. We stayed up half the night anyway, and since I had to set my clock back an hour, we lost another hour of sleep. So now I'm tired, and now it's time to retire for the night, because tomorrow I go back to W-O-R-K (another bad four-letter word)! Good night!
What a Weird Week!
It's been quite a week for me. Last Sunday my allergies kicked in big time. They've been kicking my ass all week! I just can't seem to shake them. I hope I'm not coming down with a cold. It doesn't feel like a cold, as I can tell the difference between allergies and a cold, but I'm going to be cautious. The weather has been strange, as well, and the constant change between warm and cold, humid and dry isn't helping me any.
Wednesday was the last day I had to come in early to cover for someone at work. It was also Halloween. The majority of the day was pretty much the same as always... up until 5:30 when I go downstairs to clean childcare at the end of the day.
Let me tell you about childcare. Anyone who has worked in the cleaning/housekeeping industry will attest to the fact that anywhere where there is children, there is a disaster. I've cleaned in a lot of different places in the past few years, and let me tell you, childcares and daycares are the WORST. But during my time with this company, I have NEVER seen anything like this!
As it was Halloween, the teachers had a party for the kids. They had candy, cupcakes, and the usual. They also had a sensory activity where they put various items in containers and had the kids feel inside. It was supposed to be gross stuff, like wet spaghetti for brains, grapes for eyeballs, etc. When I went in there Wednesday afternoon, there was spaghetti in every corner of the room. There was spaghetti in places where spaghetti has never gone before! There was a glow-in-the-dark bouncy ball lodged in the sink. There was candy besprent from one end of the room to the other, even in the bathroom! There was orange and black paint everywhere. That childcare was so filthy, it was scary. It was almost horrific!
I was so tired. The week was already dragging on as it was, and that was just the tip of the iceberg! By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I didn't do anything to celebrate Halloween, which is one of my favorite holidays.
After Wednesday, things calmed down, but the energies were still weird around me. Something was just "off." I can't explain it, but nothing seemed to go my way. I was pretty irritable for the next two days. I must have been accident prone, too, because I kept tearing trash bags, dropping things, and just fumbling with everything. I even knocked my entire cleaning cart over... all my stuff fell on the floor, and the cart even fell apart! At least I didn't spill my mop bucket...
Wednesday was the last day I had to come in early to cover for someone at work. It was also Halloween. The majority of the day was pretty much the same as always... up until 5:30 when I go downstairs to clean childcare at the end of the day.
Let me tell you about childcare. Anyone who has worked in the cleaning/housekeeping industry will attest to the fact that anywhere where there is children, there is a disaster. I've cleaned in a lot of different places in the past few years, and let me tell you, childcares and daycares are the WORST. But during my time with this company, I have NEVER seen anything like this!
As it was Halloween, the teachers had a party for the kids. They had candy, cupcakes, and the usual. They also had a sensory activity where they put various items in containers and had the kids feel inside. It was supposed to be gross stuff, like wet spaghetti for brains, grapes for eyeballs, etc. When I went in there Wednesday afternoon, there was spaghetti in every corner of the room. There was spaghetti in places where spaghetti has never gone before! There was a glow-in-the-dark bouncy ball lodged in the sink. There was candy besprent from one end of the room to the other, even in the bathroom! There was orange and black paint everywhere. That childcare was so filthy, it was scary. It was almost horrific!
I was so tired. The week was already dragging on as it was, and that was just the tip of the iceberg! By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I didn't do anything to celebrate Halloween, which is one of my favorite holidays.
After Wednesday, things calmed down, but the energies were still weird around me. Something was just "off." I can't explain it, but nothing seemed to go my way. I was pretty irritable for the next two days. I must have been accident prone, too, because I kept tearing trash bags, dropping things, and just fumbling with everything. I even knocked my entire cleaning cart over... all my stuff fell on the floor, and the cart even fell apart! At least I didn't spill my mop bucket...
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sexuality and attraction
Life is a journey of self-discovery. Over the years I've looked to the corners of the earth to find out more about myself. I've found that it's difficult to place a definitive label on one's self. We often get caught up in types: we're either "this type" or "that type," but I've found that not everything is so clear-cut. Our world is neither black nor white, but rather a myriad of colors, shades, and hues.
I've found that this truth applies to many aspects of my own life. I've often tried to define myself in terms of my sexuality, attraction, and romantic ideas, but I've found that I'm not just one "thing" or one "way." Any psychologist will tell you that sexuality and attraction are complicated matters. The Kinsey scale attempts to measure one's sexuality in a number system: 0 is exclusively heterosexual, and 6 is exclusively homosexual, with room in between for variation. I am definitely somewhere "in between," but I don't consider myself bisexual. Bisexual refers to sexual attraction to both sexes, but for me that is not entirely the case.
Sexual orientation refers to the direction of one's sexual attraction. The term is often misleading to some, as "sex" is used as the basis for attraction according to this defintion. An alternative term is "affectional orientation," which is, according to the Wikipedia defintion, "based on the perspective that one's orientation is not limited to sexuality but also to one's affectionality. To holders of this view, one's orientation is defined by whom one is predisposed to fall in love with, sexual attraction being only a part of a larger dynamic." In other words, attraction is more than sexual. I find myself attracted to a variety of people for a variety of reasons, regardless of their sex or gender. I am indeed attracted to both men and women, but I am attracted to them for different reasons.
It is hard to define, but I think that my attraction to men is mostly sexual and romantic, while my attraction to women is more of a reverence, respect, and a more aesthetic attraction. Probably the best way to describe it would be to say that my attraction to men is mostly physical, while my attraction to women is mostly spiritual, although the reverse is also true. I am emotionally and romantically attractioned to both men and women, and even to people whose sex or gender is not clearly defined as "male" or "female" in the biological or social senses.
I usually use the term "gay" to describe myself, as it is the most simple, but it is not totally accurate. Gay, or homosexual, in the most generic definition of the word, refers to sexual attraction to members of the same sex. Homophile is a term that is uncommon, but is sometimes preferred by certain individuals because it emphasizes love over sex. An androphile is someone, regardless of sex or gender, who is attracted to adult males. Attraction to adult females is known as gynephilia.
According to Wikipedia, pansexuality (sometimes referred to as omnisexuality) is defined as "a sexual orientation characterized by the potential for aesthetic attraction, romantic love and/or sexual desire for people, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. This includes potential attraction to people who do not fit into the gender binary of male/female implied by bisexual attraction. Pansexuality is sometimes described as the capacity to love a person romantically irrespective of gender. Some pansexuals also assert that gender and sex are meaningless to them." I like the term pansexual for myself, but as it literally implies "sexual attraction to all," a more appropriate term for myself would be "omniphile," meaning "loving all."
My sex and gender have never been questioned. I have always identified as male. I have never had any desire to become a woman. Physically and psychologically I have always been male. Gender, sex, attraction, and orientation are not the same things.
We are often told that men have a "feminine side" and women have a "masculine side," and this is true. In the spiritual sense, I believe that all people are a composition of male and female energies, regardless of their biological or physical sex. As we are a product of the union of a male and female, we contain aspects of both our father and our mother. The Native American term "Two-Spirit" describes a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit living in the same body. It is known by different terms in different cultures. However, it is not to be confused with the terms transsexual or transgender. A Two-Spirit can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, male, female, intersexed, transsexual, transgender, etc. It is simply a person who is a combination of masculine and feminine energies, regardless of definitions of gender, sexuality, or attraction.
A more scientific approach might be to explain it on a hormonal level. My grandmother once said to me, "It is my opinion that we are all born with both male and female hormones. Females have more of the female hormones. Males have more of the male hormones. Homosexuals are born with a balanced mix... somewhere in the middle. This is just a unique thing and is not a disease or a mental problem. It just is. People are people and bring their own uniqueness to the world. We should appreciate every one we meet. They add to the interest of life." Truer words were never spoken.
It is great to be familiar with all of this terminology, as it allows me some sense of identity. Although there are many labels I could place on myself, I find that labels are too sticky. Labels are made for envelopes and documents, not people. I think the best thing to call myself is "Anthony," because that is who I am, period.
Other references:
http://www.androphile.org/
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2553.html
I've found that this truth applies to many aspects of my own life. I've often tried to define myself in terms of my sexuality, attraction, and romantic ideas, but I've found that I'm not just one "thing" or one "way." Any psychologist will tell you that sexuality and attraction are complicated matters. The Kinsey scale attempts to measure one's sexuality in a number system: 0 is exclusively heterosexual, and 6 is exclusively homosexual, with room in between for variation. I am definitely somewhere "in between," but I don't consider myself bisexual. Bisexual refers to sexual attraction to both sexes, but for me that is not entirely the case.
Sexual orientation refers to the direction of one's sexual attraction. The term is often misleading to some, as "sex" is used as the basis for attraction according to this defintion. An alternative term is "affectional orientation," which is, according to the Wikipedia defintion, "based on the perspective that one's orientation is not limited to sexuality but also to one's affectionality. To holders of this view, one's orientation is defined by whom one is predisposed to fall in love with, sexual attraction being only a part of a larger dynamic." In other words, attraction is more than sexual. I find myself attracted to a variety of people for a variety of reasons, regardless of their sex or gender. I am indeed attracted to both men and women, but I am attracted to them for different reasons.
It is hard to define, but I think that my attraction to men is mostly sexual and romantic, while my attraction to women is more of a reverence, respect, and a more aesthetic attraction. Probably the best way to describe it would be to say that my attraction to men is mostly physical, while my attraction to women is mostly spiritual, although the reverse is also true. I am emotionally and romantically attractioned to both men and women, and even to people whose sex or gender is not clearly defined as "male" or "female" in the biological or social senses.
I usually use the term "gay" to describe myself, as it is the most simple, but it is not totally accurate. Gay, or homosexual, in the most generic definition of the word, refers to sexual attraction to members of the same sex. Homophile is a term that is uncommon, but is sometimes preferred by certain individuals because it emphasizes love over sex. An androphile is someone, regardless of sex or gender, who is attracted to adult males. Attraction to adult females is known as gynephilia.
According to Wikipedia, pansexuality (sometimes referred to as omnisexuality) is defined as "a sexual orientation characterized by the potential for aesthetic attraction, romantic love and/or sexual desire for people, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. This includes potential attraction to people who do not fit into the gender binary of male/female implied by bisexual attraction. Pansexuality is sometimes described as the capacity to love a person romantically irrespective of gender. Some pansexuals also assert that gender and sex are meaningless to them." I like the term pansexual for myself, but as it literally implies "sexual attraction to all," a more appropriate term for myself would be "omniphile," meaning "loving all."
My sex and gender have never been questioned. I have always identified as male. I have never had any desire to become a woman. Physically and psychologically I have always been male. Gender, sex, attraction, and orientation are not the same things.
We are often told that men have a "feminine side" and women have a "masculine side," and this is true. In the spiritual sense, I believe that all people are a composition of male and female energies, regardless of their biological or physical sex. As we are a product of the union of a male and female, we contain aspects of both our father and our mother. The Native American term "Two-Spirit" describes a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit living in the same body. It is known by different terms in different cultures. However, it is not to be confused with the terms transsexual or transgender. A Two-Spirit can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, male, female, intersexed, transsexual, transgender, etc. It is simply a person who is a combination of masculine and feminine energies, regardless of definitions of gender, sexuality, or attraction.
A more scientific approach might be to explain it on a hormonal level. My grandmother once said to me, "It is my opinion that we are all born with both male and female hormones. Females have more of the female hormones. Males have more of the male hormones. Homosexuals are born with a balanced mix... somewhere in the middle. This is just a unique thing and is not a disease or a mental problem. It just is. People are people and bring their own uniqueness to the world. We should appreciate every one we meet. They add to the interest of life." Truer words were never spoken.
It is great to be familiar with all of this terminology, as it allows me some sense of identity. Although there are many labels I could place on myself, I find that labels are too sticky. Labels are made for envelopes and documents, not people. I think the best thing to call myself is "Anthony," because that is who I am, period.
Other references:
http://www.androphile.org/
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2553.html
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