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Monday, 10 January 2011 (melting loop trip) 8:29am Ugh. Well, that's an ignominious way to start the week. Phoebe's front driver-side wheel has been making a horrible screeching side, most likely the brakes, so I called my usual mechanic, Eugene. Except his number's disconnected. That cannot be good, and holy shit, I do not want to have to deal with finding a new mechanic, especially since I have, like, work to do. But a running car is very important, too, particularly for someone as privileged and entitled as myself. So, I'm going to drive to Eugene's to see what's what. My iPhone is also continuing to die—a strip of the screen, basically the height of the first row of icons above the dock, is almost completely unresponsive—but that's gotta be way down on my list of priorities right now. At the very least, it can wait until I have a decent income again, and/or when the new model comes out in June. But not right now. 1:53pm Eugene's is in fact closed for good, and my new mechanic (a bit further up and over, recommended to me by the kids at the hippie store) tells me that he retired. Fair enough. And this new guy seems nice enough, and his reviews on Yelp and otherwise indicate he's trustworthy. Either way, he's doing what may amount to several hundred dollars' worth of repairs on Phoebe right now. Good thing I'm not going to be driving as much in the near future. I walked the mile and a half home from the mechanic's shop, and will be walking there again later to pick Phoebe up. No gym this morning, but I'm still getting exercise, I am. 5:11pm As usual, drone music has been helping me conentrate as I'm working. They haven't put out anything new for a while, but I still loves me some Drone Forest. | ||
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Sunday, 9 January 2011 (not just the cool kids) 8:41am The anthology editor rejected the story. Oh well. Not the first time that's happened, certainly not the last, and it just means I'll submit the story somewhere else. 11:42pm Pretty good crowd at Bad Movie Night for The Last Airbender. The new year has now officially begun, and tomorrow my first full week on the new job begins. My goal: not to blow what's turning into a pretty damn good gig. | ||
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Saturday, 8 January 2011 (illustrating the point) 10:39am So, I'd say my first week on the new job went well. Things are still gearing up, and I expect in coming weeks and months I'll actually have more to do. But it's a good start, and they seem happy with me. 11:12pm Killed at Perverts Put Out tonight, if I do say so myself. It was especially tricky because the performer before me was his usual confrontational self (I've worked with him before and pushing the audience is very much his thing, and he's one of the few people in town whom I think deserves to be called a "performance artist," itself a term which I do not consider to be a pejorative), but I managed to charm the audience and bring them back, if I do say so myself. That one of the just-published (in The Book of Hours, which sadly has not arrived yet) stories I read was the second sequel to the story which had lead to my censure several years ago felt like a major victory. Living well may be the best revenge, but just being able to say fuck you, i'm a survivor is way up there, too. Marta was there as well as a couple of friends, and when I mentioned during my set that we were going to Frolic afterward, the general response from the audience was yeah, no thanks. Which was pretty much what I expected. As usual, the things that I like to do are a bit too weird for the San Francisco sexerati. Understandable, since they have reputations to protect. Also in the "if I do say so myself" column: I rocked the "Knives in her Sex Bob-Omb shirt" look as much as a 37 year-old caucasian can reasonably be expected to. Thank you, Hot Topic. sometime after midnight Yep. Speak of the devil and all that. | ||
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Friday, 7 January 2011 (the first of many) 2:20pm According to my agent, Bottomfeeder is still in the hands of various editors. But it hasn't actually been accepted by any of them yet, of course. 7:23pm Another Friday night at home. I'd thought about hitting Midnites for Maniacs, but really, I've spent enough money this week, plus I already have a late night coming up with Perverts Put Out and Frolic tomorrow night. Gotta pace these things. 10:12pm I saw my upstairs neighbors giving someone a tour of their garden earlier today, and now somebody above my bedroom is banging away on an acoustic guitar. This can't be good. | ||
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Thursday, 6 January 2011 (long time gone) 12:22pm Finished my first batch of articles on the new job, and the marketing guy seems happy with them. More are on the way, and he's already making references to things that'll be happening in a few months. That's gotta be a good sign. (And, as always, the anxiety of starting a new job feels a hell of a lot like the anxiety of starting a new relationship, because that's pretty much what it is. My landlord came by a while ago to have me sign the new rental agreement, including the increased rent. On the plus side, it turns out that I'd read it wrong, and I will not have to start paying part the energy and water bills like I'd expected. He says it just's easier to make it a flat part of my rent (which is what the PG&E costs have always been) than having to divide it all up, and I couldn't agree more. Once again, I'm grateful to have such a great landlord. Inspired by my mom's house, I've also been installing full-spectrum light bulbs. They really do change the quality of the light, and, thankfully, make the inside of my home more palatable to Marta. (The black sheets on the walls don't have the calming effect on her that they do on me.) | ||
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Wednesday, 5 January 2011 (and probably with someone else) 8:26am Time to get my Peggy Olson on. 11:08pm This Saturday's Perverts Put Out got a nice writeup in the current SF Weekly: Ground Zero in the Culture WarsShould be a fun one. 3:02pm Ran into Collette at Target, the first time I've seen her since May, when I weighed about thirty pounds more. Considering the way she looked me up and down now, it's working, since when you're as shallow as me, looking hot to an ex is a major victory. 5:11pm I think I'm becoming a Hot Topic shopper again. Not something I'll mention out loud in certain circles in this town of course. 9:07pm For all the media lust over Sofía Vergara, I personally find Julie Bowen much hotter. But I've always been more attracted to skinny than voluptuous. (Which is also something that I wouldn't mention out loud in certain circles in this town. It's hardcore cultural heresy—thought-dreams and guillotines and all.) | ||
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Tuesday, 4 January 2011 (lights down low) 11:39am So far so good on the copywriting gig, I think. There's definitely a learning curve, but the marketing guy not only acknowledges that curve, he's said I'm their "guinea pig" as I learn their new CMS and discover bugs. This may work out. 3:38pm Challenge accepted! (The challenge being: "Can Sherilyn get into good enough shape to pull off the Quarra look by November?") (And, November rather than the more predictable October since November is when we're doing the movie in question at Bad Movie Night.) Marta and I are going to see Patton Oswalt at City Arts and Lectures tonight. He's my favorite living comedian (with George Carling topping the "not-living" category), and if I'm not mistaken, it'll be my first time at Herbst Theatre since Philip Glass in 2007. God, I miss that perk so much. Also, SyFy is dumping the final five episode of Caprica tonight. Frak. And just to make it real, the props and costumes are being auctioned off. Not that we could afford such things, but Marta has her eye on Zoe Graystone's purple dress, whereas I quite like Amanda Graystone's black party dress, not that I'd ever fit into a size 6. And as awesome as it would be—as Marta points out, Patton probably even touched it!—I can't begin to justify spending over fifty dollars for a Backtalk with Baxter Sarno mug. Alas. | ||
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Monday, 3 January 2011 (no matter how casual and laid-back it might strive to be) 11:16am Independent Contractor Cat is independently contracted. The trick now is to both not screw things up, and to make them wonder how they ever got by without me. 3:11pm Talk about crossing the streams: Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation got namechecked in an X-Entertainment comment thread, and without a hint of snark. 4:25pm My iPhone 3G is getting brickier by the day. Ideally, I'll be able to hold out until the next version is released this summer (by which time I'll be able to afford it). Ah, the troubles of the privileged. | ||
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Sunday, 2 January 2011 (as an incentive) 4:12pm Just saw Tron: Legacy at The Castro with Marta and KrOB. Still not sure how I felt about it, especially as an unapologetic fan of the first film. sometime after midnight We didn't quite sell out at Bad Movie Night this evening for Snakes on a Plane, probably because we've sold out the last few years, so of course we jinxed ourselves by expecting to do so again this year. Oh well. Still a good crowd, and it was fun, even if I got roped into hosting in spite of not having scheduled myself. (Jim had to bail because he's out of town, writing the script for the next play. Which is valid, but, still.) Hung out for a while afterward with Sister Mable, which I hope to do more of in the future. | ||
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Saturday, 1 January 2011 (like a new emotion) 11:37am Rain, huh? Oh well. Not the best way to start the year, but not the worst. Everything has its plan, either way. 12:11pm Really, without musicians like Diamanda Galás and Bob Mould to steal from, I think all my stories would be called "More Stuff That Happened." 3:12pm Marta and I are at Target. I always have the best luck here, and moreso lately. It's nice that the things I want to fit are starting to fit again. | ||
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