Napa with Negative Energy

This is one of my favorite pictures from the family vacation/birthday trip in June to San Francisco, Napa and San Diego. In all the "Trouble-related" drama of late I often forget that I had a great rather expensive trip to California for my birthday. It started off so swell, filled with fun, good beer, awesome beer actually and lively entertaining company and as it neared the end, the last couple of days to be exact, the fun just fizzled like a dying flame. I had to travel from North Berkeley to San Francisco and then on to San Bruno for one night. Then at San Bruno, the hotel was quaint and then nothing else. The Neighborhood Bar (pictured below) where I went to drink off the news of the fraud alert on my credit card was fun but nothing else. Then, I had to make the long journey home.

But back to this picture. This picture was taken on the grounds of the Francis Ford Coppola winery estate. My mum and I had stepped onto the grounds to admire the lush landscape and then, she asked if Trouble had called on my birthday. Once I gave the details, meaning, NO, not even as much as a text or a response to my text, we started with our male bashing conversation which was rather amusing. It's funny how you can be in a beautiful place like Napa and still be thinking of the assholes you left back in Georgia. 

In between our fun dialogue my sister joined us, and then, her husband took the picture. So this is my face when I bring Atlanta's negative energy on a trip with me to Napa. Never again. 

Art with Panache

Aspiration and Artifice: The Constructed Visage | Opening Reception: Fri, July 8, 6-9pm | 

I was fortunate enough to attend the Opening Reception to Greg Lotus, Aspiration and Artifice: The Constructed Visage show at the Bill Lowe Gallery. This also marked Bill Lowe's 22nd anniversary, and the opening reception to an exhibition of pieces from Thornton Dial.

I don't know how I got on their mailing list but I am glad I did. The event, the exhibits, the pieces were nothing short of amazing. It attracted some of the Atlanta artsy who's who and everyone was fashionably dressed just as meticulously and fabulously as the art pieces that were on display. The food, it flowed all night long. A nice assortment of hors d'oeuvres to accompany the wine which, sadly, at Trader Joe's did not match the opulence of the evening, but this is a recession after all.

Either way, I had a great time. I spent hours maneuvring through the gallery making sure to catch all the pieces, talk to my friends, meet new friends, enjoy the wine and just take in the magnificence. Even when you think you've covered a certain area and you go round the gallery the second time you find that you missed something the first time, something always causes you to stop, stare and be amazed. I particularly loved the pieces from Greg Lotus, pictured above. They were avant garde with a certain quirkiness to them, and the texture of the colors were so rich, they practically bounced off the prints. I'm just sad that I didn't get to meet him: as the man of the hour his attention was very limited.

Great event, very well-organized with great choice of pieces on display. Don't you hate it when you attend an art opening and the pieces just seem like some mediocre abstract crap that you can get at Target, you wonder, is this an exhibition? Not so here. The pieces here deserved to be on display along with the perfectly styled coifs of those in attendance. If I had any suggestion for them it would be to step up on the choice of wine (Trader Joe's, really?), apart from that, I am glad I am on their mailing list, and if you love art, you should be too.

Buffet Table

Thornton Dial 

Two Week Anniversary

As the 2 weeks anniversary rolls around, I pray for more strength. It still seems like just yesterday, I was sitting here on a Friday after sending vibes all night long and then, instead of hearing good news, I heard something that sounded like a bomb, with several little bombs later. Something that seemed oddly familiar that I had heard before and had somehow seen in a vision but I tried so hard to deny. It just seems like such a bad dream that I hope to wake up from but I cannot seem to awaken. Two weeks later, it is actually my reality, my sad reality...a reality that I cannot seem to heal. A reality that no one understands why it hurts not even the culprit, no one except me.

It's not really about winning. This time it's about understanding why this keeps happening. It's about understanding what really happened, was it meant to happen, what was I supposed to learn from it, is it bad that I totally regret it? Did I totally imagine it? And if I didn't, am I imagining the connection we have now.

Two weeks have passed by and I am still here...waiting for some type of answers.

July 4th Weekend 2011

I have to admit I was very apprehensive going into this long weekend. My first holiday weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, was not so great - personal issues, female weaknesses, etc. So with the personal issues still in existence, somewhat escalated at this point, I was hesitant of having to spend another weekend by myself, caught up with thinking about my personal issues. However, the God of all things solo was looking out for me and in His infinite mercy He brought out some fun, fun, fun in the sun and out of it.

Here's a quick recap:

Friday, July 1st.

No one at work. Left work early even though I had a lot to do. Went home and popped open a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate the start of (what I hoped to be) a good month and freedom from the personal issues that had plagued me all through the month of June. With a slight buzz, (only slightly) I went over to the video store to rent some more movies to keep me company as I finish off the bottle of wine. Driving home I thought, "This is pathetic!" It's a holiday weekend and I am driving home to watch some foreign movies on my couch. Truly, heart wrenching. So I went over to one of my favorite bars, P'Cheen to see what was up. They usually have a DJ play a cool set by 10pm that never disappoints. I hate that they still allow smoking but the crowd is always fun, it's laid back, not too dressy or stuffy, just casual drinks with nice music. While there, I met some really nice people, joined them for some more drinks and had a rowdy ole' time. Mind you, I don't know these people, it was just the luck of the draw that I happened to meet some really cool people (in a cool bar, it's hard not to) to hang out with for the rest of the evening. My night ended close to 2AM.

Saturday July 2nd.

Hungover central. No headache, just exhaustion. Woke up close to Noon, famished. Bought some Thai Food at my local neighborhood restaurant and settled in to finally watch the movies I had rented the day before. Finished the movies at 8pm, and stepped out to Park Tavern. Why? There was supposed to be a free concert at the Park with a rap/funk band called HeavyMojo. Band was great (actually pretty awesome for a band I've never heard of), went on stage closer to 10, played a tight energetic one hour set, wished they had played for longer. They ended right at 11, no encore because according to them, Park Tavern rules to end right at 11pm. Went home, went to bed.

Sunday July 3rd.

This was a toss up. For some strange reason I wanted to see Transformers 3, I don't know why. I had a sparkling wine meet-up event to attend at 2pm but instead I wanted to blow them off and go to the movies. I don't know why. I went to the wine event, hesitant. If you've been reading this, you probably know that I am a bit of a wine enthusiast, fine food and wine is actually on my "perfect things to do" list. I also like movies a lot. But then I thought, I haven't shared fine food and wine with some adult banter in a long time so this may be a perfect time as any to do so with fellow enthusiasts (nothing like that to get you out of your funk, aye!). It was just what the doctor ordered. Educated, mature crowd and some of the finest sparkling wines around. I just had a smorgasbord of sparkling to imbibe in and little nibbles here and there to fend off the buzz. The conversation was light and enjoyable, nothing too heavy just enough to get my mind off things.

Absolutely stuffed, I drove to a friend's house. My new friend from Friday night was having a barbecue later in the day. On my way there, I remembered that the local tattoo parlor had invited me to their grand opening party on that same day. I got there and the entire block was closed off for a big party, one at the tattoo parlor and another at the corner pub, The Bookhouse Pub. One had free booze and the other had barbecued delicately spiced food, corn on the cob, sausages and prawns. And of course, all the tattooed people that Midtown Atlanta has to offer. I haven't seen that much ink in one setting since Austin.

After getting my fill of the spicy sausages, I proceeded to my final stop of the evening - my friend's barbecue. More food - steak, wings, chicken, corn on the cob. Everywhere I looked there was food. The conversation here started off light and slowly moved into the R rated territory, as we drank we let our hair down and eased into the evening. It was fun, perfect way to close out a very unassuming day.

Went home, went to bed, sans hangover, but with slight heart tremors from all the heart clogging food.

Monday, July 4th.

Decided to take myself up on spending the day at the movies. Planned on seeing Transformers 3, and anything else that happened to be playing right after it. Hopefully by the time all this was done, it would be time for fireworks. I would then catch the fireworks display, go home, go to bed early - that was the plan. Caught 30 minutes of Super 8 (good, but it seemed like a PG movie and I can't really handle PG movies), Transformers 3 (What can I say, I love Shia to bits...very engaging actor) and then Green Lantern (Ryan Reynolds...what a waste of a hunk in a movie..who's idea was that?).

On my way home I remembered that one of the ladies from the previous night had mentioned a pool party over at Melia Hotel. Since this was close to home, I decided to stop by and see what was up. Don't know how much of a pool party we can engage in, it had rained while I was at the movies and there was more rain expected. As I walked in there was a crowd, I suppose everyone wanted to have a little roof top pool party fun in their lives. But there were also a lot of (flaming) gay people, then it hit me, this was a gay party. The lady had mentioned it yesterday but in between all the movies I saw earlier, I just conveniently forgot. Oh well! Since I didn't really have plans for the evening, this didn't make that much of a difference to me but yikes! I crashed a gay party on July 4th. Quite unexpected!

All in all, it was a fun evening. Gay people are so welcoming (of heterosexual party crashers like myself) and they sure do know how to party. The party started at the pool and some folks were in costume, at the pool what costumes can you possibly come up with, I know. Once the rain started we moved it over to the penthouse lounge and the view was amazing for such a sexy evening. DJ was intense, disco and house music jamming from the speakers. Danced and sang at the top of my lungs. Had to tear myself away from there because I had to work the next day. Missed the fireworks due to the rain, but danced my ass off and scored free booze and dinner instead.

Went home, absolutely and positively stuffed, thrilled to bits that I had made the best out of the July 4th weekend solo.Lesson - always make the best out of life, it's the experiences that keep us going in our quiet time. I will always recall this weekend and smile.

Happy July to me!

Happy July to me!

Happy Second Half of the Year to me.

And hopefully, it would be a wonderful (much better) second half, whether my horoscope thinks so or not.

Well, I survived this week work wise. I can only hope I survive the weekend, long holiday weekend for that matter without being besieged with thoughts of what he could be doing, how much fun I should be having (with him) and just feeling general malaise. May and June were quite awful to me (shudders).

It is going to be a good month. I feel it and I claim it. I haven't been put through this ringer for nothing. God has a plan  for me and a reward at the end of the storm.

How am I? 

Heavy hearted but good. Hope is lurking in the corner.