Busy, Busy, Busy

I've been busy.  My buddy, Fragile Industries, has been in town for the past 10 days, three of them spent with me.  Houston's mother, Dorothy, has been here for the past couple of days, en route home from her grandson's high school graduation.  Fragile Industries mother is also named Dorothy.  Our friend, Kaiser, also had a mother named Dorothy.   Years ago we formed a 12-step program for Adult Children of Mother's Named Dorothy.  I adore Fragile Industries' mother as much as I do my own, and she adores mine.  I never got to meet Kaiser's Dorothy. 

I got another bid for my kitchen.  This first bid came in at $19,000.  The second bid was for $5,500.  Both bids are based on the premise that I'll be buying everything myself.  The first cabinets I priced were Kraftsmade, and they came to over $8,000 for the configuration I want.  Saturday I went to Sincere Plumbing in Oakland and they sold me an even better configuration of cabinets for $3,200.  Okay, I think we have winners in the first two categories.  The only things I have left to buy now are (1) a stove, (2) a dishwasher, and (3) a hood.  I'm going with the Sears Kenmore Elite Dual-Energy stove which I can pick up for $1200 at the Sears Outlet.  I've tentatively decided on a Bosch dishwasher for $950, and the hood will run about $600.  Let's see, what's left?  Oh yeah, countertops.  I'm going with granite which I'll buy from Sincere for about $2,000, and also my kitchen floor, which will cost about $300 for the tile, and about $1,000 for the installation.  This leaves me with enough money to do my bathroom and recarpet my bedroom.  I'm a happy camper.

This next week is Gay Pride Week in San Francisco.  I'm pretty blase about it.  I think I got turned off by the nitpicking that took place back in the 80s and 90s between the various Gay and Lesbian groups.  Gays are exactly like everyone else in the world, in that there is no one single idea about who we are as a community.  Anything you've ever heard about the complications arising from political correctness run amok is accentuated and compounded by the various groups who wish to sit in the shade of the Gay political umbrella.  We used to have to have two co-chairs, one Gay and one Lesbian.  Then, of course, we had to make room under the umbrella for people who identify as Bi-Sexual.  Then there are the transgendered people who did not wish to be invisible members of the coalition.  So the Gay-Day Parade became the Gay and Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgendered Celebration and Parade.  I always thought that was silly.  Why did I think it was silly?  Well, because the word Gay can include all of that if we say it does.  Gay does not mean "White Male Homosexuals."  It doesn't mean anything except happy and cheerful, but that's just my opinion.

There will be a few parties next week-end, and I'm all for that.  The parade on Sunday I'll skip, and on Monday I leave for Vancouver.  I'm meeting up with a buddy and we're taking off for a nice, leisurely drive up to Kamloops to meet up with another friend, and then we're off to Calgary by way of a pleasant drive through the Canadian Rockies.

I'm not due home until July 10th, at which time roommate leaves for the Canaries and I get to supervise the destruction of my kitchen and its rebirth from the dust.   I'll also be celebrating my 58th birthday on July 17.  I'm told that 58 is the new 40.  Yeah, right.

Age doesn't really mean anything to me these days.  My mother is 78 and looks and feels great.  She drove to Oregon and back by herself.  Roommate is 70 and is off to an exotic vacation at the expense of a young admirer, and I'm almost 58 and I'm off the a huge party in Calgary.  I don't think you have to become boring just because you're older.  I'm not ever going to become boring. 

Friday night I saw the new Batman movie.  It was much better than any of the previous Batman movies.  The young man playing Batman is a real cutie-pie hunk.  Tom's new girlfriend that played the female lead had about as much depth as scotch tape.  I came close to yelling out "Scientology sucks" as the movie began, but resisted.  Who among us thinks Tom's going to marry this young starlet without a prenuptial agreement, despite his professed love (on Oprah, no less) for this young thing?  I read that he's hired a Scientology keeper for his young fiance.  Is that creepy or what?

Still, Scientology is  no more creepy that Christianity as practiced by most Christians, and certainly isn't any weirder than Islam as practiced by most Muslims.  I'm not even going to talk about Mormons.  I think the newest cult on the block, though, is celebrity worship.   Did you see the weirdos at Michael Jackson's trial? 

Hey to everyone.  I'm closing down so I can go read.  I'm finishing up an Allan Eckert book, Wilderness Empire.  I'll check back in later.

Comments

[Jaye]

I have major lust for a Bosch stove/oven drop in and dishwasher and I may purchase this summer. May be post bar and new job.

I am just thrilled my husband-bear purchased an ice crusher.

[wanda]

" I don't think you have to become boring just because you're older. I'm not ever going to become boring."

Of this I am positive, my friend.
Good luck on your kitchen remodeling. Good times and good fun on your trip.
I've heard that Oprah said , 50 is the new 30 so why can't 58 be the new 40? Works for me.
As for Tom & Katie, well, I adore Katie. Have ever since Dawson's Creek. Can't stand the Tomster, but I wish them nothing but happiness. Why not? There's way too much misery in the world as it is. If they make each other happy then more power to them
Now, regarding Michael and his celebrating with the jurors who gave him carte blanche to molest and abuse as many children as he likes, well no big surprise. Who knows they were probably all paid well for their work. We live in a sick world.

[oldwhitelady]

Good Golly, Houston, you are busy! Sounds like the kitchen is coming along just fine. The Canada Cowboy & Indian trip is coming up, and your birthday, too.

Houston, I doubt you will ever be boring. It sounds like you are having too much fun.

As far as Tom and Katie... well, No, I don't think he would marry her unless she signs the pre-nup. I'm sick of hearing and seeing him. He was never my favorite actor.

[Piggy and Tazzy]

Oprah was wrong, Wanda. 50 is the new 21.

58 is the new 18. We get 'younger' as our years progress, young lady.

And (I know I shouldn't start a sentence with 'and' before anyone screams)... we don't get more boring as we age. It all gets more exciting.

Just think of all that fun we have trying to remember where we left our teeth/spectacles/toupee's/colostomy bags - It'll just be like being 5 all over again!

Toodle pip!

[ruggerjohnnyd]

Wow dude... you are busy. Make sure you make time for relaxing too.

[Bowietrek]

Have a good trip to Canada and a very happy birthdy. It is good that you are so busy. I enjoy reading about it, especially since I can't be very busy now, due to this illness. I am keeping a list of all the things I want to do when I get better, then just watch me. Right now, I watch my friends busy lives. Enjoy every minute of it!!!

[millie]

I found your blog when I googled Sincere Plumbing. I live in Oakland and am looking at a complete gut and remodel. May I ask what cabinets you ended up choosing? Were they also Kraftmaid? Any tips or referrals would be greatly appreciated.

[Kathy]

Apparently if you're a scientologist and you want to have a home page, there's a certain way it's supposed to look:

http://google.com/search?q=%22welcome+to+my+website%22+site%3Ascientology.org