12.2.06

happenings of sorts 2

I worked on downloading the columns to edit when I awoke. I fell asleep quickly and woke just as quick because I needed to be up in two hours. I needed to submit my columns to the paper and head to Dee Jay’s for ‘Coffee Talk’ before I was set for class. (Do not ask how I thought all of this was to happen.) When I woke there was a bit of snow on the ground, I needed to sweep snow off my car. I headed to the newspaper and my car started sliding back down the steep driveway because the school had not laid down salt the night before. I parked illegally to run in and submit the columns. Of course the network was down so I was unable to do so.

I move on to my next destination DeeJay’s house for ‘Coffee Talk’. ‘Coffee Talk’ is a weekly event where this group of lesbian friends gets together to have coffee and breakfast at each other’s home. Somehow, Dee Jay has been accepted into the lesbian enclave and therefore I get to tag along. Score! When I arrived I helped Jarrod in the kitchen before everyone started to arrive. Poor Jarrod had to go to work so he did not get a chance to stay for breakfast. After breakfast, everyone then goes to work on house projects, shop or see a movie together. Today the project was to go pull up the carpet at one of the girls father’s house. (I was not expected to join in on this. Thank goodness!) These girls were super-nice to me and made sure I was included in the conversations. I was invited to the next ‘Coffee Talk’. Double score!
At one point earlier in the day, I decided either I was not going to class or I was going in late. I opted not to go, helped DeeJay clean up, and got a chance to watch the L Word while I edited and submitted my columns.

We watched more tv and decided that we were hungry so we took a chance and tried to cook without Jarrod. We came out with some delicious pasta. Sleep was taking over my mind so I headed home with a to-go container of our chicken pasta mixture. I told DeeJay to call me later as we were both invited to Jarrod’s White Trash Birthday party. I got home and fell fast asleep. Set my alarm to wake me in five hours. DeeJay had called me at some point to make sure I was still going. I got dressed and headed out the door.
Once there I got to meet Jarrod’s friends and cousin. The one other person I knew there was Holly. She is a nice girl with an awesome haircut. I had fears before that he was trying to hook her up with Bianca but I think she is way too smart and perceptive to tackle that project. I hope we can become friends as she has plans to move to Kansas City soon and knows no one here.
Dinner consisted of chicken fries from Burger King accompanied by an array of dipping sauce packets, green eggs and spam, rotelle cheese dip, tater tot casserole, and coca-cola cake. We divided ourselves into three groups and played Cranium. For the first half of the game we were playing completely wrong. Upon further reading of the directions we finally figured it out but not before some groups were way behind and others way ahead – we then started everyone from a middle point and continued to play. Throughout the evening Bianca kept calling both DeeJay and Jarrod - it was a bit much after a while. Between smoke breaks, humdingers, and blind sketches we finally finished the game after what felt like two hours.

I decided to leave as I wanted to head by the paper and then find food and my bed at home. That was not to be as I received a phone call from my mad scientist friend, Tiff. She demanded that I join her at Fric n Frac due to being ignored by her girlfriend and trapped with a bunch of under-21 lesbians – most of who have slept with her girlfriend. This is never good if you have half a brain. So of course I went.
I got there and Tiff ran to me and hugged me tight. This isn’t too out of the ordinary for her but I was taken back because her girlfriend was there. I spotted Ashley across the table and decided to greet her. She looked up to see who poked her and jumped up to hug me. As she did Tiff shouts, “That is a kiss me look not a hug me look!” Ashley and I roll our eyes and talk a little bit. The server comes up to ask if I wanted to order. Got an beef/lamb gyro – one of the reasons I could never be a vegetarian.

I sit on the stools off to the side so Tiff can tell me her girl troubles. By this time, I have stolen Ashley’s phone and her glasses as well. I take photos of myself in the glasses . Have I mentioned that I look absolutely adorable in glasses? It’s true.
I cannot get her damned phone to set my picture as the caller id so I leave the photo on her phone. I snap a picture of her for my caller id. Talk to Tiff some more. She goes to talk with her girlfriend and I make Ashley sit down with me to update me on the changes she is making. It seems she has matured a lot lately. Decided to step back from falling in and out of love (yea right) and take care of her health and overall life. I think this is awesome and wish her all of the luck in the world. We tackle the gossip surrounding her. In between this Tiff is trying to hug up on me and stand between my legs, luckily her girlfriend starts paying attention to her, she leaves to pda with her. Ashley then tells me what her actual numbers are. Find out that I was definitely the first to get her off. I gave a cheer and she laughed. Sex is such tricky business in the world of lesbians.

More younger lesbian showed up. Make some small talk with Cassondra. At this point, I decided to escape just as everyone had decided to check out Ashley’s new stereo system. After I pay my bill there is a good 10 to 15 teenage lesbians standing around the parking lot with loud music playing. I was frightened as I had my ‘old moment’. I pretty much sped out of there.
Home for sleep. Had to get up early in order to start/finish my Boykin article. Worked through most of that when it came time for me to leave, I wanted to get a chai from the Planet before I headed to class. When I arrived Kathryn, Maria, Melissa, and Destin greeted me. Maria and Destin asked what happened to me on Friday night. I told them that we were at the Planet and elsewhere. Maria gives me a funny grin and laughs under her breath – she knows we will talk about it Monday morning. I get chided for my bad phone skills and having others make phone calls for me. I feel bad but not.

I sit down and immediately turn around to talk to Kathryn. The rest leave soon. We talk for a bit before I need to head off to class.
Class was so boring but really short. Our lab only took a couple of hours. I have time to kill and an article to finish so I roll back to the Planet. I decide to get some artisan tea and grab a pack of smokes – writing is so much easier with these tools at hand. The gay men and Britney Spears had invaded the coffeehouse but I still got the article finished.
Headed back to the paper with pizza and soda for our workshop and meeting.


Workshop and meeting over I have been sitting here writing. It has been a happy but hectic week. I am sure this week will be less hectic but I still need to work on modifying my schedule. I need to keep a better balance between social and work so I don’t fall into these over-social patterns. I wish I didn’t work so much but if I didn’t I wouldn’t get to go on the trips I have planned for this year. I want my weekends back, dammit!

happenings of sorts 1

I have a little bit of downtime as I am avoiding going to the Planet for the third time today and have nothing to do at the newspaper at this moment.

This has been quite the week, mostly on a social level.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with classes and getting ready for the rest of the week.


Wednesday was Pin-Up Grrrls: Feminism, Sexuality, Popular Culture with local feminist art historian Dr. Maria Elena Buszek. I was drafted into the Women’s Center Event Army. For most of the day I hung out in the Women’s Center and helped make buttons for the Sex Fair. I got to handle food shopping with Maria and technical nonsense for the actual event. If the Women’s Center did not offer me so many cigarettes, food, and entertainment, I would have to start charging for my services. Technical difficulties and overcrowding had us running around manic. Jacob, Destin, and Elyse showed up to the event. I suggested that we go to the Fetish Ball that Maria and I were planning to go attend. They agreed (this will be something to remember for later).
Awesome lecture. At one point, I was the only black person in the room, which is quite startling when Elena started talking about Ebony magazine – that is another entry within itself.

That day I also sorta lamely asked a girl out – there is a blog somewhere that details how lame but I am not inclined to provide a link. Just know that she agreed, which I would not find out til Thursday.

Yes, we have cell phones and each other’s numbers but we are also lesbians. Somehow, that explains it all – just ask my roommate, Nick.
After the event, I helped clean up a bit and went home to try to pass out because the next day would be just as hectic.
Classes and trying to get my interview together took up most of the morning. Still no word about the damned interview so I figured Boykin’s shitty personal assistant was blowing me off. Maria suggested we go out to Independence Center to shop at Torrid for outfits for Friday’s Fetish Ball – I got nothing to wear but I did get some blue and red acrylic talons.

Went home to eat a bit and sleep a bit as well, there were plans to go out after Boykin. Boykin was awesome and touched on a bunch of subjects that I was very happy to hear. He lingered a bit too long on Christianity but as a black man raised in a religious household that is to be expected. Black homosexuals and the black church is often a touchy subject. The question and answer session was mortifying as one of my friends got up to ask him some questions. Nice girl but the phrase, “I licked a vergina,” was repeated multiple times.
I got Boykin to sign a copy of his book, One More River to Cross: Black & Gay in America, he wished me good luck with D.C plans.
Afterwards Maria, Tasha, and I went to McCoys for drinks and bruschetta. Dee Jay joined us, then Jarrod. We decided to head to Re: Verse for half-price Mojito night (my new favorite drink). Tasha decided not to join us. Re: Verse has awesome Mojitos and there was much conversation to be had. We talked about everything from urban development tax credits to my sex life and current Kansas City lesbian nonsense (the names/details have been left out to protect the innocent and not-so innocent).
Went over to the DJ to talk about his set and compliment him on the set he did on my birthday. Nice mini conversation with him, he seemed very happy for the momentary company and appreciation. When we left he grabbed me to give me this mix cd he made earlier in the day, on it he wrote his website and name. I talked with DeeJay and Jarrod after Maria got in her car to leave. It was so cold but there was more that I needed to say about the women in my life. I got home at a horrible hour and needed to wake up in time for work.


Thursday I woke a bit late but managed to get to work on time. There was much to actually get done today. Lots of installing of software and fixing profiles and whatnot (my job at the lab is pretty boring most of the time).
In between installing software, I was actually able to check my email and whatnot. Included in one was an invitation to the Nelson with a very interesting woman (the same that I had asked out earlier in the week.). I, of course, said yes. Somehow I was going to manage to cram in Fetish Ball shopping, dressing, Fetish Ball attending, a nap, a date, and newspaper editing (let’s just say that last part didn’t get done until later the next day).
Jam packed I asked to leave a half-hour early. Stopped to talk to Maria briefly before the mad dash to get everything done. Shopping with Dee Jay at Target, also ran by Lane Bryant for long-line bras and TJ Maxx for cute underwear (the dress I planned to wear was super-short.). We took way to long at Target grabbing up super clearance nonsense. DeeJay got so much that we knew not even half of it would fit in my little Civic. I had to take him home to his car and he went back alone to get all of his stuff. I needed to head out so I could head by Pricilla’s for fishnets and a garter belt. I was able to get in a tiny nap in before I needed to head out to meet her at the Nelson. (Must think of a nickname or something.) We met at six for New Perspectives on Art: a World of Stories. Interesting stories but after the second story we inconspicuously set down our safari stools to find her friend Jess and decided to go out to eat as Electromediascope had already started.


She took me to this Thai food restaurant. I had these chicken thai pad noodles, it was so big I couldn’t eat it all. There was much discussion throughout dinner and we camped there for at least a good hour after we were finished. At one point she asked me how did I know that I would not get back with my ex. I was not expecting this answer but I’m not sure if the answer was understandable. Basically I know because I have decided to mentally move on. If I thought that I would like to get back with her then I would not break all contact with her; in my mind and heart, it is over. Now I hate to say ‘never’ but I do not think us every getting back together is in the cards.
I also got a call from Ashley to come join her and her friend Cassondra at Fric n Frac for pool – I declined. Not so surprisingly, we headed to the Planet afterwards.


[I guess I must explain how I met this girl. I had been checking her out at the Planet, I didn’t go up to her before because she had people surrounding her. She then found my profile on MySpace and added me. I accepted her invitation and sent her a message promising to introduce myself in person. I think that was a couple of weeks ago. Throughout these two weeks, we email back and forth. We talk every time we see each other - not exactly short conversations either.]


I got phone calls from DeeJay about not being able to get a hold of Maria. I told Jacob that I still had not heard anything either. We still had plans for the Fetish Ball. I was not too concerned because I was enjoying her company. We stayed until closing.
This is where the night gets a bit strange as far as me remembering in a linear fashion. She showed me the house she was originally looking to buy, I then asked to see the house she did buy. Her house is huge with this awesome triangle-like window in the back. We then head to my apartment, we talk in the car. I get concerned about her using her gas to idle so I invite her up. She declines citing the time as a factor. This was around 1 am. I had forgotten about the voicemail icon that appeared on my phone – I assumed it was my mom since she had called me and I had ignored it.

We continued to talk more. She then asked if I had ever visited the Federal Courthouse (where she works in the library). [I know you are probably reading this, let me know if I need to cut this out.]
Around 1.30 we end up at the Courthouse, where the cleaning crew is now leaving. She gives me a tour. We enter the law library and she shows me the view over the entire city. From this giant window, we can see the lights of Kansas City, KS, downtown Kansas City, and North Kansas City. Absolutely gorgeous view. The lights are dazzling. If only I had my camera. If there is one thing people should know about me is I love night city views and bright shiny lights. After we leave the library, she shows me the bell room. Then to the main entrance where we they have these giant statues in the entryway – the guardians of justice or something. The building is entirely empty and the elevators talk to you.

We then headed back to my apartment where we talked until 4.30 in the morning. At one point it started snowing. We talked about everything from racism and black culture to DNA; we also talked about exes, childhood and other assorted nonsense. It was quite the night and I did not even get to the Fetish Ball.

To be continued…