September 5, 2003

Happy Birthday to me!!  #42!  It's been quiet so far.  Delena and Dylan are off school for some teachers meeting or something.  That always makes my day better because I don't have to get up early and push them out the door, then Nathan has company for the day to keep him busy. He tends to get bored and clingy when they're not here. 

I've gotten some lovely gifts from my friends and I feel very loved and honored.  Eric is completely confused about what to get me, so we're going shopping tomorrow.  We don't have a lot of money to spend, but I can definitely make good use of what we've got!

I'm much more rested up now, but could still stand a nap.  : P  The cold is starting to know who's boss now and back off a bit.  Eric is getting it, so he's due to be feeling really rough today or tomorrow. 

I found a money saver!  Well, it's not really a money saver since I don't by the thing it's saving money on, but it does make my kiddies happy.  This is like that rare window of time where you can convince a two year old that he's playing an arcade game without putting quarters in the machine.  A couple of months ago, I caught "Waffle Sticks," which are made by Pillsbury or some damned company, on sale for a tiny price.  It's basically serrated waffles that you put into the toaster, then dip into these little cups of syrup.  They usually cost about three times as much as regular waffles and my kids loved them.  On a whim, I made regular toaster waffles (the kind that are a buck something for a pack of 12), cut each one into 3 pieces and dumped some syrup into a tiny Dixie cup.  The kids were thrilled and fully consider them to be legitimate waffle sticks!!

And, for my birthday, I have decided to give you a little Kiss:

I'm not completely sure why I find this picture disturbing. Either there is no clear reason or there so many reasons it jams up my head.  In all logical fairness, little people (what is the pc term?  I don't think we're supposed to say "midgets" or "dwarves" any more.  "Vertically challenged folk?"  Pfft, I don't know) should have complete freedom to enjoy their own version of rock and roll.  They should be able to put on make up and get down with they bad selfs and have PBR drinking frat ho's licking on them, but I have to wonder what Peter Criss thinks of this.  Are he and the other KISS boys creeped out by having little Mini Me's running around getting the groupies?  Does the one in front really look like a miniature John Belushi?  Is that another band member in the back or is someone wearing a skull shirt?  Does the girl on the right resemble Garth Algar as much as I think she does?  So many questions... so few midget boy bands.

Georgia sent me this, which gave me a bit of a Diva Giggle.  I'm so easily amused these days.  The thing is, if you're easily amused, you can work more giggles into a day and go to bed a lot happier at night. 

As much as I'd love to, I can't find a picture from the Emmys (or People's Choice or whatever) one year when Kirsty Alley won for something.  She walked past the absolute finest woman in television, Bebe Neuwirth (right - Lilith from Cheers/Fraiser) and the two women turned to each other, let loose these two enormous, serpentine tongues and simply touched them together, then up ran Kirsty to get her award.  My jaw was on the floor.  It was the craziest, most spontaneous, most DIVA moment I'd ever witnessed. 

It's amazing the duality we as a society have for homosexual displays of affection.  Madonna and Brittany are cute and OMG!!!!  If David Lee Roth had laid one on Justin Timberlake, it probably would have been edited out and their invitations to all future events would have been torn up.  Is it because we live in a patriarchal society and since men think lesbian are hot (and all, of course, look like The Barbi Twins), lesbians are given the edge? 

I didn't even know homosexual behavior existed until I was in high school.  It never, ever dawned on me.  When I first heard of it, far from being repulsed, I was intrigued as all get out.  What an interesting idea!!  It sure explained a few folks I knew anyway.  I was not then nor have I ever been attracted to women beyond the fleeting thought and occasional verboten fantasy when I was in my 20's.  I'm probably about the most heterosexual woman you'll ever meet.  I love men.  There's not much about a nicely built man that I don't seriously appreciate.  I've always found sex to be very fulfilling and enjoyable.  I went straight from Kentucky to being an Air Force wife, so there wasn't much exposure to the gay life in either place, but I've had several friends who are gay (love you, Sage) and it hasn't much fazed me.  I figure we love who we love and are attracted to whom we're attracted.  Other than the "only consenting adults need to apply" rule, I don't really have boxes into which I feel love and attraction should fit.  "But it's unnatural!!" so many people scream!  I figure it's unnatural to THEM, not to mention that birth control is unnatural and you'd better believe my tubes are tied.  As it harms none... who cares?  If the world needs anything at all, it's more love.

I think the only time it's been even a moment of weird for me is when I've had best friends who are bisexual.  On one hand, you're loving spending time with your friend, but then you're thinking "What if she's attracted to me?"  If you're both straight, that's not even a factor and you don't deal with it.   If your friend is gay or bi and you aren't, it can go the route of the guy in high school who was crazy about you, but you just didn't dig him in that way and you have to let him down easy.  But then, there's the other side of that where you're totally straight, but if they aren't attracted to you and you're wondering "HEY!!!  What the hell is wrong with me??  Bitch."

I happened upon the show "Boy Meets Boy" the other night and the relationships on the show seemed very comfortable and natural.  I was surprised that they actually went the distance (even though it was Bravo, which is fast becoming my favorite channel) and had a male-male reality "The Bachelor" show, but I really thought it was crappy that they threw straight guys into the mix.  I'm not much of a reality show person, but judging purely from the commercials, it seems like these shows are getting more and more bitchy all the time.

I do quite enjoy "Queer Eye on the Straight Guy," and have watched it off and on since it started, only missing an episode or two.  I'd love to have those guys do over my house.  On the other hand, I cringed on the one episode where the guy was surprising his wife for her birthday.  They were making really catty remarks about her housecleaning and man, she was leagues better than I am.  Would it be worth it to have 5 queens sniping about what a slob I am on national TV to have my house made over?  Pfft.  I think so.

Talking to Sage about his love life is no different than talking one of my best gal pals about their love life.  OK, that's a lie.  Sage is gorgeous.  Whatever you THINK you know about Sage, he's ten times that.  He's totally fine, totally sweet, totally funny and totally sexy.  We also are attracted to the exact same men.  At least Eric isn't threatened by him, so we can be friends without weird vibes. 

It has taken me the whole day to write this around kids and such, so I'm going to wish me a happy birthday and likely go crawl up into bed with the remote control and the Sopranos DVD's and call it a night.  Eric has offered to watch kiddies and I'm ready to take him up on it.

I hope you all have a stellar weekend.  I'm going to take it very quiet and easy and have a kickback time.

I'd also like to share these wonderful pictures of painted hands with you that some friends of mine have shared with me.

Take care and be blessed,
Katrina