All Tied Up

God Didn't Give Men Bellies Just To Hang A Button On It!

2005-08-09T22:49:00.000-04:00

As I sat on my bed eating a huge plate of grilled chicken, sauteed mushrooms and a side of red potato salad I watched an episode of All In The Family that dealt with Archie's weight problem. His doctor told him that if he didn't go on a strict diet he could risk dying. So, of course, Edith, being the good little wife, puts her fat man on a strict diet. After the first day of his diet Archie was going nuts. I know how he feels all too well! I am in a constant struggle with my weight. It's like a fucking Yo-Yo!!! Up until this past March I was never larger than a 32 waist. I had to buy 34's for work. I almost ran to the bathroom and shoved my finger down my throat. But I was to afraid to make myself gag so that idea went out the window. I bought the pants and sucked it up and started devising a gameplan in my head on how to handle this fat issue. That idea also went out the window. I basically just try to not eat so much and stick to 3 meals a day instead of 6 or 7. I can say I haven't put on more weight, but nothings come off. Every day I stand in front of the mirror and grab my fat and try and wish it away. That doesn't work. Go figure! But something that Archie said tonight made me just say fuck it, have a blast. He said, "God didn't give men bellies just to hang a button on it." I felt so much better that I went into the kitchen and grabbed some Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies!!!

Does This Really Work?

2005-08-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

I recently started working in the clothing industry again and came across this Japanese video on how to perfectly fold a t-shirt. I can't tell if it's a trick or just edited well but I will definitely try it today at work. I really don't deal with this type of garment but it never hurts to learn something new to make my day a little easier.

You Know You're a Pothead When...

2005-08-06T19:43:00.000-04:00

02462, originally uploaded by The Green Giant.

You Know You're a Pothead When...

You think the song "Truckin'" by the Grateful Dead should replace the national anthem.

Your music collection is worth more than your vehicle.

Your bong is taller than your dog.

It takes you more than 30 minutes to roll a joint.

You set your wedding date for 4/20.

You take off April 20th every year and treat it as a holiday.

You spent your last bit of money to score some herbs and don't have enough gas money to get home but you don't care.

You start every sentence with - uhhh!.

You intentionally roll seeds in your joints on independence day so you can hear the popping because you don't have money to buy fireworks.

You eat at Taco Bell more than 8 times a week.

You wear sunglasses at night, and see better.

You go to the corner store and the clerk automatically tosses a pack of rolling papers on the counter.

Your pot tray is fuller than your refrigerator.

Your bong gets washed more than your dishes.

You sell your car for gas money

You are the only tobacco smoker in the room and you look at the cigarette in the ashtray and ask, "Is that my cigarette?"

You're eating something on your way home thinking about what you're gonna eat when you get home!

Every cylinderical object you see, turns into plans on a new smoking device....

Just to be religous, you observe 4:20 in every time zone.

Someone has ever come up to you on the street and said "Hi" and you said "Yep."

You thought the ebola virus was a type of weed.

You think being stoned to death would be a damn good way to go out.

You have ever smoked pot before 8 o'clock in the morning.

You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other pothead friends.

Get Your Own Addicted Meme Here

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Maybe We Can Go For Some Pizza?

2005-08-06T19:22:00.000-04:00

Meatball Pizza

Unusual and uncompromising.
You're usually the first to discover a new trend.
You appreciate a good meal and good company.
You're an interesting blend of traditional and modern.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Where can I pahk my cah?

2005-05-06T15:14:00.000-04:00

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted in almost a month! It must be the ADD...LOL! I am checking in from the Newbury Street Internet Cafe. I love it, they use iMacs. That's what I use at home. It's an interesting little setup. They are located on the thrid floor of a brownstone. It's one of those old one family, multi level homes that's been divided up into three or four businesses. The "cafe" is in what I would consider a bedroom if this was still used as a home. It's not that big. There are 7 iMacs and a couch. It doesn't feel cramped though. The name is a tad misleading, they don't sell cafe of any sort, but they have soda!!! It is a nice little escape from the family visit though. They can be a bit overwhelming. I hope to post several pictures from my visit. Look for those soon. I'll write some more soon.

Posing With Ronald

2005-04-15T08:33:00.000-04:00

mcdonalds, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

Jack has finally reached his goal of posing with every Ronald McDonald statue in America. This woman posing with Jack is not his wife. Her name is Diane. They met at a Ronald McDonald Statue Lovers Association meeting in Tuscon, Arizona this past December. Jack plans on popping the question this summer at the first statue he ever posed with. We wish Jack and Diane all the best!

Golden Arches of Sturgis

2005-04-15T08:14:00.000-04:00

Golden Arches of Sturgis, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

In Sturgis they love Bikers and Burgers! Mmmmm!

2005-04-15T08:11:00.000-04:00

3746197_17152bf4ab, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

No matter where you are in the world, you can always find some good ol' home cookin'!

Happy 50th Birthday

2005-04-15T08:01:00.000-04:00

biz2, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

I grew up on it and still love it!!! No, I am not obese. I am one of those smart people who realized early on that you cannot feast on this greasy delight all the time. It's all about the moderation people!!! I will be posting some pics I found with McDonald's as the subject . Enjoy with a Double Quarter Pounder meal Large sized, with a diet Coke of course!

What Boredom Leads To

2005-04-07T20:34:00.000-04:00

This is the shit that you find when you are surfing the internet after puffin' a lil smoke and are bored off your arse!!!

"Statue Molestors.com"

I did, however, laugh my ass off for a couple of hours looking through all of their pictures.

Just Thought I'd Share Pt. 2

2005-04-03T10:46:00.000-04:00

My friend RJ responded to my stupid customer email with this:

NOW I HAVE TO VENT

Today a woman told me that our restaurant smelled 'fishy' and how ridiculous it is that we pride ourselves on freshness, and all this mess...
meanwhile, she was standing next to some lady's catfish... which provided the smell. a light, but pungeant smell. and as far as the truth is concerned, we serve the freshest fish on the east coast. nothing has been dead for more than 4 days when they get it on their fucking plate.
not fucking fresh. get out of my restaurant.

RJ's Space

You Want To Put That Where???

2005-04-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

Which Trainspotting Character Are You?

Just Thought I'd Share

2005-03-30T13:26:00.000-05:00

sharks, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

This is an email exchange I had with my friend David in Athens, GA.

My Original Email:

Subject: The Customer is NOT Always Right!

Body:
I thought this was a great story. I think we've all
dealt with someone like this, and if you haven't,
trust me, YOU WILL!

Eddie

I used to work for a major credit card company as a
supervisor in the customer service area. Although it
has been merged and changed names several times since,
at that time the company's name was First Card. One
day a woman called in, absolutely irate. She was so
angry that she proceeded to scream at me for about
five minutes. I had no information, no name or account
number to work with, so I was completely unable to see
what she was angry about. She ranted about the "shabby
treatment" she had recieved, our "insulting" credit
card, the "humiliation and embarrassment" she had
suffered at our hands, etc. I tried to interject with
a question or two to clear up what the problem was,
but she would not have it. It became clear that she
would just have to vent, and I would just have to
listen until she calmed down enough to tell me what
had happened to upset her so. Eventually, she screamed
at me that at her age she didn't deserve to be so
humiliated. That she was in her 60's and even if this
was the first credit card she had ever had, we had NO
RIGHT to ANNOUNCE that to the world by printing the
words First Card RIGHT ON HER CREDIT CARD! It was then
that I interjected that our company name was First
Card and our company name is printed on every card we
issue, no matter how many other credit cards a person
has. I was greeted with a pause, followed by an "Oh."
which was then followed by the click of a very
embarrassed woman hanging up the phone.

David's Reply:

That kind of reminds me of a woman that came to DePalma's, the Italian restaurant where i work. The restaurant has two doors, one leading to the entrance, and one in the main dining room that has a sign right in front of the door saying "entrance two doors down." She started by ignoring the sign and then looking confused when no one greeted her at the door. The other sign, right over both doors, says "DePalma's Italian Cafe." The woman walked up to me and said really nasty and condescendingly, "do you serve REAL Italian food, or is it just fake Italian." I said, "well lady, are you REALLY in Italy?" It just came bursting out of my mouth and I think that she complained to the manager, luckily he was over serving people food about three years ago and just laughed his head off. My other favorite was the woman a few weeks ago who asked me how we cooked our grilled swordfish!!!!! If our restaurant didn't have a bar i'd never be able to get through a shift.

My Reply to His Reply:

It just goes to show you that everyone on this earth has one thing in common: Stupid People! We all know one or two or three, heard stories about them and even live with one. I happen to be one of those living with one. AJ, Jimmy and Jason were sitting around one evening discussing what to have for dinner. AJ suggested pizza with roasted eggplant. Jason turns to AJ and says, "Eggplant? But I thought you were allergic to eggs?" A classic I think!

I'm off to our shark infested beach!!!

"I've Got 7 Minutes Left!"

2005-03-26T14:51:00.000-05:00

Summer in South Florida is here!! I love it! We went to Deerfield Beach this morning. I haven't been to the beach for a long time. I live so close to it, I need to go a little more often. The beach was packed today. There were cars everywhere and a bitch to get a parking spot, but not impossible. We were about to circle around a second time when we noticed this lady was getting into here car. So we pulled right up behind her car and did the "are you leaving" look. You know the one. "I have 7 minutes left!" she shouted back to us. Did she really need those extra pennies that would've been those 7 minutes? Who knows, who cares. At this point we were so hot and sweaty and desperate for a spot that we decided to take a ride around the block and find something else. I didn't care if we had to walk. The Karma Police were watching cuz when we came back around Ms. 7 Minutes was about to pull out. It was a sweet spot! Right on the beach, no walking to do!!!!

After we baked in the sun for a little over an hour we walked up the road to Flanigans for some grub. When we got back to the car there were still 23 minutes left on the meter. Damn, good timing. My first instinct was let's go back to the water. Nope, my roomie didn't want to. Fags! Ugh! So we gave up the sopt early for this old couple that had pulled up behind the car and gave us that "are you leaving" look. We accomplished our good deed for the day! Happy Easter.

9lbs, 2oz & 21 inches long!

2005-03-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

After several hours in labor, Ramona gave birth to little Miss Anais Ariel. The proud mama called me tonight from her hospital bed to let me know the great news. I asked if it took long but Mona said it was pretty quick. "She came flying out!" is how she so eloquently put it. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to visit Mona and little Ariel. I'll take some pictures and post them for you all to see! Gnite!

When Did Common Courtesy Go Out Of Style?

2005-03-19T09:51:00.000-05:00

Whatever happened to common courtesy? It's a rare thing here in South Florida where I live. The only time I experience any sort of commmon courtesy is when someone wants something from me. It's a sad reality.
I recently moved in with my boyfriend and his friend and his friend's boyfriend. I am not working right now so 99% of the time I am in the apartment. My boyfriend works two jobs so he's gone most of the time. I really don't mind it.
I try to interact with "the boys" whenever I can. I feel that if I am going to be home that much I might as well be friendly. I love to cook and do so often. I've always been a fair person. Whenever I make something for myself I ask if they want some. Most of the time they decline my offer. Usually it's because I cook from scratch and they heat frozen food in the oven so what I make scares them. I call them uncultured gay boys, as contradictory as that may be. A fancy meal to them is chicken parm with bread sticks.
Anyway, before I lose focus, let me get back to the point of this entry. They seriously lack in common courtesy. A good example is what happened just a little while ago. The skinny one went to Dunkin Donuts without asking if I cared for something knowing full well that I love big cup of D&D in the morning. That just pisses me off. Just last night they ate a bunch of the cookies that I made without even asking me if they could have some. I didn't say anything because I don't want to rock the boat but that's no the first time they've done that sort of thing. They ate most of the brownies I made two nights ago as they bemoaned the fact that I use mayonaise in my brownies to make them more moist. (Cooking tips in a future entry)
Should I speak up and make an issue out of it? I don't know if that's the right move. Maybe I should do what my boyfriend suggested: keep all my baked goods in our room. I find that silly. If I ate someone's baked goods two nights in a row, without even asking first, at the least I would offer to replace them. Hell, asking If I want something from D&D would suffice!

!!!!!NEWS FLASH!!!!!

They did it again as I am writing this! The skinny one picked up two magazines, which they got for free from a neighbor, from the coffee table and threw them into the garbage can without even asking if I wanted to read them. I just don't get it. Maybe someone out there will have the common courtesy to leave me a comment on how to deal with these guys.

She's Almost Here!

2005-03-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

DSCF0105, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

My good friend Ramona, or 'Mona' as I call her, called me this morning from her bed at the Boca Community Hospital to let me know that her baby is on it's way. Mona and her boyfriend, Clarence, have been at the hospital since eight o'clock last night. She was 5 months pregnant in this picture. Doesn't she look beautiful? Mona thinks the baby will be here very, very soon. She told me she is a lot of pain but she'll call me after the baby arrives. So I asked her if she was going to go it natural or take the drugs. She is doing it the natural way. What a strong woman. I pray to God that everything goes well. Mona was supposed to give birth last Friday. Hopefully by the end of the day there'll be a beautiful and healthy new baby girl in the world. I'm still not sure what they're naming the baby. They've been playing around with some different, and might I say odd, names, but they haven't told me what they finally decided on. I'll post my next entry when I know more.

Ciao Mario! But hopefully not for long.

2005-03-14T14:51:00.000-05:00

vazquezmario, originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

I didn't think I cared that much until I heard the news of Mario Vazquez's sudden and premature departure from the 2005 American Idol competition. It was odd how I found out. Try and follow. I woke up way too early this morning, around 5 a.m. When that happens I usually turn the television on and channel surf until I find something semi-interesting and more often than not fall asleep watching. This morning I landed on CNN Daybreak. I was out like a light but that weird thing that happens when you fall asleep listening to something and it seeps into your dreams happened. I dreamt that Mario Vazquez withdrew from American Idol due to family issues back home that were more important. Or so I thought. I logged onto IdolonFox.com and scanned through the list of the 12 finalists. Um, where's Mario? I scanned it a few more times until I realized I hadn't been dreaming, that in fact "the boy with the nice ass," as my friends and I have nicknamed him, was off the show.
He left. Just like that. How dare he! He was supposed to win!

Even PaddyPower.com, the online betting site, has him down as a 4 to 1 sure bet to win! As I write this entry he is still listed on the site and this is the entry they have under American Idol:

"Nikko, Travis, Amanda & Janay are gone. There's now twelve left and one will be voted off each week until America chooses their Idol. Betting available on American Idol 4!"

Time to update your site guys, Nikko is back. Yup, Nikko, the son of sport great Ozzie Smith, has been called in to replace Mr. Vazquez in the top 12. Nikko got the lucky break because between him and Travis, the other guy who was booted last week, Nikko got more votes.

Of course all the rumors are flying around speculating why the latin crooner left the show at such an important stage in the competition. Some say he's been offered a record contract, others say Nikko's dad payed him off so his kid could be put back on the show. American Idol fans are going nuts over this. Just check out the show's websites' community section where you can post comments about the show and you'll see just how rabid Mario's departure has made the fans.

One fan posted an excerpt from an interview "Extra" did with Mario. :

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX MON MARCH 14, 2005 13:01:22 ET XXXXX
MARIO: IT'S PERSONAL
Sources close to "Extra" spotted American Idol front-runner Mario Vazquez in Las Vegas at an Alicia Keys concert this Saturday. Then on Sunday, in an announcement that shocked millions of fans, FOX announced Vazquez was leaving the hit reality show. "Extra" caught up with Vazquez in New York City today where he declared that, "this is not the last you've heard of Mario Vazquez!"
Vazquez tells "Extra" that, "It was a very, very hard decision on my part. American Idol was only positive and wonderful with me, but overall, my intuition told me there was things I really needed to take care of, personal areas in my life that I'm trying to keep private...to me that meant that I couldn't continue on with the competition." Vazquez goes on to say, "Everything is great! I'll be expecting some bad press and some good press, but that's what comes with being in the public."
"Extra" asked Vazquez if his former contestants know why he left the show. He said, "The contestants don't know. It's a very private issue amongst myself. It was very sad, I've come so far to do this and my friends - not my competitors - my friends were shocked and really sad to see me go. They respected my privacy and what I thought and it came down to these are my personal reasons."
Vazquez says, "To all my fans and friends, thank you so much for your support. I'm so grateful and very honored that you enjoyed what I did...I just gotta take care of some business."
"Extra's" interview with Mario Vazquez will air tonight, Monday, March 14.

What are you trying to keep so private Mario? His poor mother didn't even know he was leaving the show. She was just as shocked as we were.

Well, I guess we'll find out all the juicy facts in due time. I just hope you made the right decision Mario. I'll miss watching you on the show but I'm still a fan and hope to hear from you soon. Maybe you'll read this and ask me to record a duet with you in spanish. Hmmm...wouldn't that be interesting?

The Weekend Is Here

2005-03-11T23:46:00.000-05:00

I just finished Christoper Rice's "Light Before Day." After taking a break from it for a couple of days I picked it up again this morning and haven't been able to put it down except for food breaks. I'm kind of worried though. My roomies have been gone since about six tonite and it's almost midnight and they're still not home. It's strange because they're usually in bed by nine thirty. There'll have to be some explaining to do in the morning. I'll have to corner Jason in the kitchen while he does his saturday morning chores. Or maybe I'll tag along when he makes his weekly trip to the grocery store for garbage bags and Entamins (that's how he spells it). I'll let you know what I find out. I hope it's juicy. So far they've proven to be pretty boring gay boys. Goodnight.

Yo Lil' Bro!

2005-03-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

This is usually how my brother titles all of his emails to me. This is one of those Yo Lil' Bro! emails. It's in response to an email I sent him this afternoon letting him know that I got the package he overnighted for me. The email came about 5 minutes ago:

COME ON LIL BRO...NO NEED TO THANK ME. WE MISS YOU UP
HERE.

BE SURE TO CALL HER...SHE'S ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT YOU,
WHETHER YOU EAT OR NOT
AND WHAT YOUR DOING. I TRY TO CALM HER DOWN...BUT YOU
KNOW MOM. SHIT, I STAY
OUT THE WEEKEND TO GET SOME ASS AND SHE'S QUESTIONING
ME LIKE I WAS A MIDDLE
EASTERN DUDE ON A PLANE!

I LUV YA LIL BRO...I'M GOING FOR FULL CUSTODY OF
MICHAEL TOMORROW. I'VE ALSO
BEEN LOOKING FOR A THREE BEDROOM TO RENT FOR ME,
MICHAEL AND DARIUS. ITS'
TIME FOR ME TO BE THAT DAD...FULL TIME TO BOTH OF MY
SONS. THEY'LL NEED ME
KNOW THAT THEY ARE REACHING MANHOOD.

I LUV YOU AND MISS YOU DEARLY

CHEGUI

Obviously I live in a different city than my family. In a different state and in a different part of the country in fact. I don't get to see them too often. And they don't come here either! Out of all my family members my brother is the most honest with me. This letter proves that. I think he's that way because I don't judge his decisions. A good ear I guess. I wanted to share this letter with you.

Lil' Bro!

Light Before Day - A Novel

2005-03-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

Christopher-Rice,
originally uploaded by InAMinute2005.

This is the third novel by young gay author Christopher Rice (pictured). Isn't he adorable!?!?!? I first discovered him when a friend suggested I read his first book, "A Density Of Souls." After the first few pages I was hooked. I read it in about a day and a half. Not that it's an easy read but the fact that Christopher's writing draws you into his world. You become the fly on the wall to his characters, so to speak.

When he released his second novel, "Snow Garden", I was living in Atlanta and he came to town to read from it at a local gay bookstore. I can't even remeber the name of the bookstore, but I remember how packed the place got. He seemed to have fan of all sorts, mostly gay, but they were old, young, and everything in between. Christopher walked in and the place broke out into a rauccous applause. His face was bright pink, totally adorable! I was all his! Whatever he wanted, he could have. Man, was he cute! Of course, after the reading I had him autograph my copy of his latest gay-infused thriller.

Christopher's third book just came out and it's just as good if not better than the first two. This novel takes place on the west coast, (L.A. to be exact)whereas the previous two take place on the east coast. Light Before Day is some more juicy reading. In it he deals with the drug fueled underbelly of the gay lifestyle in West Hollywood.

I highly recommend all of these books. They make for good beach reading too.

You're Still Here

2005-03-02T16:01:00.000-05:00

AJ just called that he'll be home soon from the restaurant. It feels good to be in a relationship again. I just hope that we are able to make it last this time. Over the past year we've both become more self aware. I definitely have. This newly found self awareness is good for the both of us. We both wanted to escape the problem , whatever it was, instead of facing it head on. Now it seems we can face the problem and deal with it no matter how severe the circumstances. AJ's dealt with his problems better than I have. I am so proud of him for that. He's been on a fucked up journey since we broke up. Come to think of it his fucked up journey began even before we broke up. Mine started after I moved out on my own. That's how I got onto the Lexapro. Now AJ and I live together again. Not the way we wanted it to happen but all things happen for a reason. My problem is I haven't come across the reason yet. I'll let you know when I do.

It's Windy Out

2005-02-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

It's windy out today. Very windy actually, and cloudy, too. But I kind of like it. I wish I had some smokes. I havent bought a pack of Marlboro Lights in a long time. I miss them. I've been bumming Newports from AJ but it's not the same. I like to have a lit cigarette going when I'm writing. Somehow that cigarette makes the words and thoughts flow a little better. Maybe it's just my imagination or the withdrawl.

I need another hobby. The days are melting into one another. I could read more but, once again, I need that cigarette in my hand to make me a more comprehensive reader. It's a damn vicious thing, cigarettes are. The worst thing about this all is that the other two guys I live with do not smoke. Goody Goddies!

On the flip side, since I cut back my smoking by almost 99%, my sense of smell is so intense. It's weird because up until now I always thought my sense of smell was pretty keen. My OCD really flares up now becuase I have to constantly sniff things: my sheets, the chair, the bathroom, the rug, the cats. There is just so much that can and does give off some sort of odor. Maybe I'll go to the dollar store and pick up some air freshener. The plain old spray kind. I wonder what flavors they have?

Here's Goes Nothing

2005-02-26T12:42:00.000-05:00

Like the title says, I'm on an unexpected break. Right now I'm in the middle of it and still can't say if it's a good thing or not. For almost the past 2 months I've been unemployed. It sucks!!! There's so much Lifetime Television and FoodTV I can watch!

I was surfing the web one lovely afternoon and came across a really neat blog. It's called Secret or Secrets or something like that, but the point of it is is that you can mail them a postcard anonymously with a secret on it that you wouldn't normally share with anyone. Some of the things people have sent in are incredible. My point is that I started browsing through all the blogs on here and came up with the brilliant idea of starting my own. I figured what could it hurt. It would keep me busy and maybe avoid my mind from going to mush from all the tv watching.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to talk about here, but I thought I would just log on and whatever comes out onto the page is what I'll post. So I guess this is my way of trying to make sense of what's stirring around in my head. It's cheaper than going to a therapist. But I think I'll keep taking the Lexapro.