Tuesday, December 31, 2013

I've got books filling my shelves day and night...

Books.  The final tally for 2013 was as follows:

I purchased a total of 59 books during 2013 at a cost of $557.39 for an average cost of $9.45 per book.

Also in 2013, I read a total of 44 books, for an average of one book every 8.29 days, or one book in a little more than each week.

Now, I get to keep track for 2014 and see how the years compare!

POLT

Should old aquaintance, be forgot....

It's time for me to look back over my year and list the Top Ten Biggest Things Of 2013.  These won't necessarily be the best things of the year, but they are the biggest.

10. New Friends


I've met several new guys this year: Louis, Derrick, Colin, and Jimmy.  They all started out basically as fuckbuddies, but they've all turned into more than that.  They've turned into friends, more or less.  Oh, not real close friends to be sure, but in addition to great sex with all of them, unlike fuckbuddies, afterwards, we talk, hang out, get something to eat, watch TV.  Just act like friends.  And hopefully, that'll continue in 2014.  Oh, and the great sex with them as well.

9. Rewatching The West Wing


In the fall, I rewatched all 7 seasons of The West Wing again.  The last time I did so was 2008.  And surprisingly I got more out of it this year than before, but I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, than before.  It truly is one of THE best dramas ever shown on TV.  This year, I also watched Spartacus and Downton Abbey on DVD, and I enjoyed them all, but The West Wing is head and shoulders above them all.  Even though it's been off the air ten years.

8. Gay Pride Parade

Justin, Josh, Polt, Paul, Travis

CC, StratCat

Lynda Carter (looking directly at us, making eye contact!)

I always have a fun time at Pride.  But this year was one of the great ones.  In addition to this being my 16th or so year of the parade, I was there with my coworker StratCat (for her 4th time), StratCat's cousin CC (for her 3rd time), CC's son Josh (for his 2nd time) and Josh's boyfriend Justin (for his 1st time).  Also, Paul and Travis were there for their second time.  I was disappointed to see for the first year ever, they had put up barricades along the route, but that was all forgotten when the parade started.  And the grand marshal was the 1970's Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter!  And we made eye contact she and I!  It was magical!  Just a great fun time with great fun people!

7. Lil Chris


My cousin had a baby in July who I call Lil Chris.  It's the first baby in our family in 7 years.  I love kids, they're so much fun.  And Lil Chris is such a good baby.  I've been around his for hours on Thanksgiving and during our family Christmas and he was passed all around to a whole bunch of people and never once got fussy or cried.  I'm glad he's turned out healthy and happy.  He's a great addition to the family.

6. Sebastian paid off


When I bought Sebastian back in February of 2010, it was an emergency thing.  Miss Cleo had thrown a rod in her engine and was done.  So I didn't have any time to plan or save for a new car before I needed him.  I had money of my own to put down on him, but I borrowed the rest of the money from mom.  In December of this year, I finally got mom paid off for that money.  Now, I've got a extra $200 a month I can use for other things....like paying off that credit card.  Or buying even more books!

5. Treadmill


Finally got that treadmill I've been wanting for years.  It's taking up a huge chunk of my dining room, but at least now I have no excuse for not walking.  To be honest, I've been slacking off on doing that as of late, but that's my only New Year's Resolution this year: to use the treadmill as I always intended: at least every other day.

4. Changes at Work



For most of the first decade of my career I was plagued by four people making my life hell there and just ruining all the fun.  In December 2010, Bossy-Know-It-All Coworker retired, and two others left before her.  That left just one: the big boss.   Things with big boss improved after BKIA Coworker left, but he, big boss, was still there and still....well not a good boss.  He had no idea how to manage people and created more problems than he solved.  Well big boss retired this year, which was great news.  He was replaced by someone who was my immediate superior, and HE was replaced by someone who I've always had a great working relationship with.  So now, the top three big bosses at work are all great managers and I can work easily with them all.  Things are SO MUCH better at work now.  This is how they should have been during the first 18 years I worked there, but I'm glad it will be that way for now.  It's great to have bosses that know how to be bosses.

3. Computer Issues


In October my computer started going wonky.  Again.  It would freeze up for now reason.  It would reboot for no reason. I got multiple blue screens of death.  I was contemplating reinstalling Windows. I let it go until mid-December when Corey stopped by for a visit.  He works on computers for a living and he ran some diagnostic on the computer.  I discovered it said there was a problem with the hard drive.  That's all I needed to know and so I ordered a new computer.  Which has arrived.  But since the diagnostic, the computer's worked more or less like it's supposed to. I'll get the new one set up soon, but nonetheless, the wonky computer gave me fits, frustrations, anger, and worries for two month this year.

2. Angel


In June, we had to put Angel down.  She had congestive heart failure, was having breathing issues and would, on occasion, just fall over or pass out.  And she wasn't going to get any better.  We had had her for like 12 years and she lived a good long life.  It was tough, but it was the right thing to do.  It's been tough on mom and me, but we both know she's not suffering anymore, and we always have the memories of her.  And plenty of photos.

1. Stress


I don't know if this is exactly the right word, but it's what I'm calling it. I haven't mentioned this on the blog but some of the people who know me in person know about this.  Starting in mid-August and continuing all the way until December, I had such a feeling of dread all the time.  Like something bad, something REALLY bad was going to happen ALL THE TIME!  It was made worse by some work stresser and by the computer issues and other things, but I just could not get out from under this cloud of fear and uncertainty.  I discussed with my doctor during a regular visit and she said, well basically, it could be like a mid-life crisis.  She put me on serotonin, and amazingly, within two weeks, everything cleared up.  Thoughts that before would cause me to lose sleep, not eat and just lay on the couch and worry, now, dont really bother me at all.  I dont know how long I'll be on the serotonin, hopefully I'll only need to be on it temporarily to get over this hump, but ultimately, I'm just glad I'm beyond it and back to more or less normal.  I can't tell you how horrible I was feeling and how much better I'm feeling now.  It was a really terrible rough time, but the last month of the year has been so much better.  And that's how I want to end the year!

Now, on to 2014.

POLT

The back of your hand, somewhere on my behind (Part 193)...

Tooshie Tuesdays

This week: Tooshies On The Street!






POLT

Monday, December 30, 2013

West of the Rockies on the wildcard line....

So last night, the Cowboys lost.  Again.  They're out of the playoffs.  Again.  But they did their damnests to win.  Considering their defense had more holes than a block of Swiss cheese, they did a good job holding the vibrant Eagles offense back.  And despite using a backup quarterback, they still almost won.  I'm proud of them for getting done what they did.  Happy?  Oh hell no, I'd be happy if they won, but I'm proud nonetheless.

So leaving the regular season behind, let's look forward the first weekend of the playoffs. Here are the matches:

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers.
New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles.
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals.
Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts.

My picks are the Pack, the Eagles, the Bengals and the Chiefs.  





Some of these are made not logically from the head, but emotionally from the heart.  And I don't really think all four are going to win, but this is the way I WANT the games to end up.

POLT
An update: I'm back to typing on the old computer.  The new one is fine, there's no problem with it.  It's just that yesterday afternoon we started downloading all my stuff off of Carbonite, and as of first thing this morning, it was at 10%.  So I've put the new computer up right next  to the router and am letting it send all that stuff there.  And in the meantime, I'll continue to work off the old one, until either this one dies or the backup gets completed.

POLT

You're wantin' my body, I don't mind (Part 436)...

Monday's Hot Shirtless Guy Photos

Since New Year's Eve is this week, let's have a Hot Shirtless Guy Countdown!

Ten....Chippendales....

Nine...some in shorts, some not....

Eight....surfers in Santa hats...

Seven...in cowboy hats...

Six...in swimear...

Five...in jeans...

Four...obviously not wearing anything at all...

Three...in shorts (check out those abs!)...

Two...in tats flexing....

And ONE!!!

Happy New Year!!!

POLT

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Computer seemed to find this obselete....

Okay, first thing, I'm typing this on my brand new computer!  yay!  It's brought to you by A Local Celebrity, Mr. David ParisPeking who came over to watch football and ended up volunteering to unbox the new computer and get it up and running.  This is something I was planning on doing myself, but I AM a procrastinator, so who knows when this week I would have done it.  Now, it's already done.  Once again, YAY!

This is a bigger computer than the old one.  The screen is 17" not the 15" like before.  So the keyboard area is larger as well.  It's got a keypad off on the right, which I love cause I hate using the number at the top, but it's also longer and my hands dont lay on it as they used to.  But this is just something I'll have to get used to.

We're doing the Carbonite restore now....could take a few days.  I hope it doesn't take the ten days to restore that it took to save it all initially.  But either way, whatever, I've got a new computer and it's working.  Yay, for ALCMDPP!

POLT

Let's get unconscious honey (Part 391)...

Unconscious Mutterings

These come each week from http://subliminal.lunanina.com/

I say ... and you think ... ?
  1. Once upon a :: Time
  2. Winston :: Salem
  3. Frost :: ed flakes
  4. Flute :: Clarinet
  5. Antlers :: Deer
  6. Jolly :: Rancher
  7. Mound :: Almond Joy
  8. Gallery :: Art
  9. Trades :: Bartering
  10. Flake :: Corn

POLT

Drive my mini-Cooper and I'm feeling super-dooper (Part 260)...

Superman Sundays

This week, just a super-cool Superman S neon sign.


POLT

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Friday, December 27, 2013

Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me (Part 301)...

Frenching Fridays

This week, since it was Christmas, we have Christmas Kisses!






POLT

Thursday, December 26, 2013

A people, a tongue and a nation (Part 81)...

Luscious Licks

This week, a tongue and a Christmas hat!


POLT

Keeping it together, all in the family (Part 27)...

Gemini Guys

This week, we have two sets of Christmas Twins!


POLT

Get up and move it, to the music (Part 88)...

MOTIVATION

Yeah, lil girl, I've been there with that feeling too on the holidays before.  Thanksfully, not this year though.


POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luthor (Part 57)...

Superhero Anydays

This week, for Christmas, we have a Superhero & A Christmas Hat!


Would this strike terror into the hearts of criminals?

POLT