So I went in to get my eyes checked and order new contacts on Monday. My eyes having been getting bad and reading and computer work was really starting to make me squint and hurt my eyes. So in I go and get checked...

And my eyes have gotten better! Now, this is the first time in my entire life that the doctor didn’t make the face and tell me that they are still getting worse... he actually said the prescription will be less strong and that’s why I am having so much trouble reading, even with my reading glasses, because the lenses are too strong. Seriously, it’s like having your Doctor tell you your hair is shrinking into your head instead of growing... up is down, left is right, republicans want socialized medicine!

It’s a world gone mad! But I am pretty excited to get my new lenses tonight and see clearly again!

Frank D. Hargrove Sr., a Republican from Hanover County, Virgina commented on Tuesday, in a newpaper interview, that, “I personally think that our black citizens should get over it,” regarding slavery, and criticizing a proposal for the state to issue an apology for slavery asked, ““Are we going to force the Jews to apologize for killing Christ?”

Wait, it gets, er, better…

So Delegate David Englin from Alexandria - who is Jewish- held up a picture of his 7 year old son, stating that he was now, because of that comment about Christ-killers, “that much more likely to be verbally attacked or physically attacked.” According to Marc Fisher, “‘I didn’t know you were Jewish,’ the delegate said, patting Englin’s arm. ‘And I really don’t care.’ And this about Englin’s response to the Christ-killer remark: ‘I think your skin was a little too thin.’ This brought gasps even from Hargrove’s Republican colleagues.”

LA Times reports on Elfriede Lina Rinkel, age 83, a former dog handler at the Ravensbruck slave labor camp for women between 1944 and 1945. After the war she married Fred William Rinkel, a German Jewish refugee from the war and relocated to the States, in San Francisco.

And never told her husband about it.

Her lawyer, Alison Dixon, said she never told Fred, her husband. Not during their romance after the war, on their wedding night in Germany, or their voyage to a new life in America. Always, she kept quiet.

"He did not know," the lawyer said, "because all these years she was totally embarrassed."

Wow, I think that that may be one of the most offensive parts of the story. She was embarrassed? EMBARRASSED? Pardon me Ms. Fancy Lawyer Lady, the terms you want are guilt and shame. The dark soul eating shame of someone who walked the perimeter fence of a camp with her dog and where in the single year she worked there, 10,000 women were murdered. How dare you cite what she did (let's set aside the lying to a Jewish husband about it for 50 odd years) as something embarrassing? Tripping in front of a crowd is embarrassing. Getting those damn chalky deodorant marks on shirts is embarrassing. Watching as 10,000 human lives were snuffed out? Um, no.

/rant

Oh and yesterday's thing that was getting me through the day? The Project Runway? Nope, it was reruns. Oy!

No doubt many of you who know me will know that I rarely do things half way. When I was making a Chargers sweater I spent more time designing the thing than it took to knit it. When confronted with a conference I had to put on in 3 months I unplugged my life and did it.

I figure, why do things halfway? Why smoke a half a joint when you can pop a couple pain pills and down a shot of tequila? Why make love to someone when you can slam the hell out of them in 1969 convertible Mustang with top down in the Disneyland parking lot. Why flirt deliciously with a sexy man at the bar when you can just walk up, smartly rap him the on the side of their head and drag the limp body home?

But I gotta tell you. I am seriously being forced to let the halfway crap do. Work has turned into a sort of competition for the new boss to see if he can accomplish nothing by having everyone rush at one project, get halfway done and then demand they shift to a new emergency. So what is getting finished? Well not much, but we look busy and he gets to have lots of meetings, which makes him happy.

I on the other am not happy. And I am about to go all the way and put a cap in a couple of asses. Honestly, it's getting very close to the day when the eye tick I have developed pushes me over the edge.

What's getting me through? A new Angela and Vincent free episode of Project Runway is on tonight.

Okay, so I love Franklin... yes I would tower over him like some sort of Treebeard to his cute little Pippin. But he's cute and hot, and he knits okay?

I was so devastated when my trip to Chicago coincided with his trip to the knitting camp (and who even knew they had camps for it? Of course, my people don't really enjoy being sent to camps anymore... but if there was knitting I might consider it). Anyhoo, I browsed over to his site and what do I see? This:


Now admittedly, I wish I was clever enough to find these things... but thank g-d for Franklin keeping all of us up to date on the latest trends. I must say that is clearly the work of heterosexuals. No gay man needs sugar to sweeten a nice ass.

By the way, did I tell you all about the man at the conference? I don't think I did. Let's say the ass was divine and I needed no sugar. He was walking funny too by the end of the night. But you didn't hear it from me. If you want more details, let me know... I might be persuaded to reveal all.

Rimming Sugar... I love it. All the supermarket foods should be dirty double entendres. I mean sure, we got the wienies and the tarts. But why not start a line of dirty named products. You could have frosting called "Moist Lickins" and creampies called... oh nevermind that one. Anyway, I think there is a mint in this! Dirty Mint Jelly that is!

My coffee cools while I am lost in thoughts of you. I wish you were here to share with me the warm sips of love and caffeine. I long to hold you in my arms and fall even deeper in love with you. I feel myself longing to call you, just to hear your voice... just to feel closer to you... just to know you are speaking to me. For when you speak, my heart listens. When you speak, my whole being is attuned to your voice like flower is to the rays of the sun, focused on the nourishment it provides.

You are all the nourishment I could want. You could sustain me with a smile or a look. A candid glance is a meal. A kiss, a banquet. A smile, a glass of wine sweet with springtime. I am drunk with your smiles.

I love you so desperately... tell me you will be mine and make me whole.

Yours forever and always,

Ethan

Okay, so upon returning from the Chicago conference... my life went insane. Literally. Insane. We had downsized (in an office of 18, we lost 5 people... HELLO!) the friday before I left and suddenly life became work. It’s been awful.

I would like to say thank you for everyone who has put up with my insanity and short temper over the last 3 months. As most of you know, the downsizing resulted in me essentially getting two other people’s jobs. And as a result I was responsible (with Julie) for putting on the yearly conference (aka the project that ate my life). Well as of September 1st, the conference is over and done and maybe now my life can begin to return to normal (well, what passes for normal anyway).

I would like to thank all of my friends for sticking in there while I worked absurd hours, never returned emails or phone calls, was crabby and short tempered, and frankly unpleasant to be around.

I hope to get back in touch with folks and let the know that the support was not missed and I owe you all big time! Here is a picture from the conference: