Game

I like ducks. I should eat them more often.

September 30, 2003 | 1:33 PM | Link | 5 comments

Frustrations

As I stood in the dealership and thought about how much I want to get rid of my car, I had the most pronounced sense of déjà vu—or was it?

Too many things did not go my way yesterday, and I ended up being extremely stressed out. I had to drive to the dealer at 90 MPH to retrieve my car before they closed. Understand that the car I ended up having to rent was a Dodge Stratus and since I had no time I had to turn it in with less gas than it had when I rented it so Enterprise will be charging me their fee to fill it up! It was a gold Dodge at that! I couldn't wait to get rid of that car!

At the end of the day, my car was not fixed, and I have to take it in again and spend probably $300 more on it. That totals about $1500 that has gone into fixing my car in the past two months. It's only three years old!

*shriek*

Anyway, Joerg saved me by inviting me to his friend's party. He drove, which was a relief :-). We hung out and talked to various people. Some of whom were very nice, and one who was quite strange. People heckled us over the fact that only one of us was driving, and neither of us were drinking.

By the time we left the party, all my stress had melted away! We headed over to Numbers for a bit, where I ended up ordering a Sapphire & Tonic to further loosen my moods. It worked. It gave me a smirk that I had no chance of wiping off my face :-)

When Joerg dropped me back off at home, I crashed harder than I have in a long time, and I awoke to a pillow covered in drool! How nice.

I'm going to go wash my sheets now.

September 28, 2003 | 10:24 AM | Link | 1 comments

Stop

I've been wildly addicted to this game for the past few minutes, and it's really starting to aggravate me. I'm on level 20.

September 26, 2003 | 2:25 PM | Link | 2 comments

Goodbye

Last night was Urs' and Kathy's last in San Diego, until next year. I brought over a big sushi feast for us all to chow down on, and a bottle of champagne for Joerg's mom, Hilde. There ended up being too much sushi for us to finish!

After dinner, we watched the season premiers of Friends and Will & Grace. Both were fun, of course. Monica's hair! Right?!

Joerg and Kathy both opened up packages of chocolate, and we all munched on them while sipping our wine. Hilde had also brought some amaretto cookies from Switzerland that were really good!

As soon as I'm over this dreadful cold, and get my ability to taste back, I'll taste the chocolates Hilde brought me back from Switzerland! They're a dark chocolate grand crú—though I can't recall right now what cocoa bean they're made from—dusted with dark cocoa powder! My mouth has been watering over these for the last two days... unfortunately, so has my nose.

Ugh. Damn cold!

Anyway, Urs and Kathy fly back to Switzerland today. I'm going to miss them. They are so much fun! Ain't nobody can tell a joke like Kathy! Unfortunately, Urs won't be around to witness Joerg's transition from PC to Mac, but we'll be sure and keep him posted.

September 26, 2003 | 9:31 AM | Link | 0 comments

Acetaminophen

I quite feel like I am in outer space right now. May I borrow your satellite?

September 25, 2003 | 2:51 PM | Link | 0 comments

Shine

All work and no play makes Jon a dull boy.

All work and no play while high on Dayquil makes Jon a strange boy.

All work and no play while sick and without any proper tissues makes Jon a sore boy.

September 24, 2003 | 3:33 PM | Link | 2 comments

Done

So, my weekend in Seattle started out very wild, became wild, then finally mild.

Friday night I went to my first-ever college party. I would have had a terrible time had it not been for the bottle of champagne I brought with me. I ended up playing horse shoes and laughing a lot.

After the party, we all headed out to a strange little restaurant/bar called Bleu. This is the first bar I've been to that carried Chartreuse. After that bar, we got some snacks, and I wrote an obscene (I think) message on a canister of Pringles before propping it up on the sidewalk. We then headed over to Neighbors, which I hardly remember. While I was there I called Wes and left a drunken 2 am phone message. I feel so rude leaving drunken messages—especially at 2 am—but I'm sure people get a good laugh out of them.

Dr. Furious and I spent Saturday night painting his room. I love painting! We were so beat afterwards, that we only grabbed dinner then went straight to bed. Of course, dinner was at 1 am, but whatever.

Sunday, we went to the children's science museum by the Space Needle (which is an eyesore in person... seriously disappointing). We spent some time in the butterfly house, which was fantastic! Butterflies are such great creatures, and it's always fun to watch tons of them just flying around you :-)

After running by the mall to get a new pair of pants, Dr. Furious and I headed off to the airport. We said goodbye, and I began my return to San Diego. I sat beside a cute couple who were friendly and nice to sit by. At my stopover in Oakland, I saved a seat for Joerg, who happened to be boarding. It's such a crazy coincidence that on two separately planned trips to two separate cities, we end up coming home on the same plane!

It was great to end the travel with him. I'd had enough of sitting by strangers anyway :-) I was so happy to be back in San Diego. It's home!

Urs and Kathy picked us up from the airport, and we went to dinner before they dropped me off and I fell to sleep.

Thanks again, Furious, for putting me up for the weekend! I had a great time!

September 22, 2003 | 9:46 AM | Link | 8 comments

Like tomato soup, but for alcoholics

I was worried that my plane ride to Seattle would be terribly boring since I was travelling alone. Luckily, that did not turn out to be the case.

The first part of the trip was the flight from San Diego to Oakland, where I had a stop over. I sat between two girls. One was visually attractive, the other was not. I ordered a bloody mary, and felt a slight tingle from the alcohol.

I landed in Oakland, and had about an hour wait. I talked on the phone with Joerg, Janelle, and Sara (separately, of course). For some reason, I always call Sara at work when I'm in an airport stopover. I guess it just makes me happy.

I was in boarding group B, and I saw a butch lesbian board in group A. I sat beside her on the plane. My logic was this: With her sitting in the isle seat, and me sitting in the window seat, the chances of somebody wanting to sit between the dyke and the fag were slim. It worked. We were able to stretch out and have a very comfortable flight.

I got talking to her, and soon discovered that she was a firefighter. She had been in San Francisco visiting her partner. We started talking about relationships in general over the drinks I had bought us with my drink coupons. So, after the first bloody mary, and now two g&t's, I was feeling pretty giddy and drunken.

Dr. Furious picked me up outside the airport, and exclaimed that he could smell that I'd been drinking. I was just preparing myself for the coming weekend. I swear!

We went to dinner, and I sobered up, then we went out on the town. We walked a lot. A lot! Much, much walking. There was much alcohol, and I passed on many compliments to various girls and one guy. I really liked his sweater. He was eying me, and I didn't want to give him the wrong impression, but I had to tell him I liked his sweater. So, I walked over and said "I love your sweater more than atheism." He laughed, and I ran quickly away, so he wouldn't think I was hitting on him.

I told another girl that I liked her outfit more than life itself. Then Dr. Furious approached her and told her that he liked her outfit more than I did. I think he was wrong, but whatever. ;-)

All in all, it was a very fun, very unusual night out. Tonight, we are going to be much less crazy. Go to dinner, see an art show, and then who knows... I do know I don't want the comikaze + ouzo + sapphire tonic + sapphire tonic + comikaze + jäger combo that I had last night. No sir! And I do know that I don't want Dr. Furious to get so drunk that he goes into a grocery store at 3 am and drenches himself in Axe Body Spray before sitting in the shopping baskets again! No, thank you!

September 19, 2003 | 7:32 PM | Link | 8 comments

Leave

Today has been quite good so far. The perfect way to start my little mini-vacation.

Janelle stayed over, 'cause she wanted to drive me to the airport today. While we were watching Sex and the City (again) she decided to lop off a big chunk of her hair. Quite literally, she saw scissors laying there, grabbed them and took them to her hair! I evened it out. All in all, I'd say we cut off about seven inches.

We awoke this morning and went to breakfast, then for a walk in La Jolla Shores. It was very nice outside, so we watched the seals lie out in the sun for a few minutes.

When we came home, I finished getting ready for my trip. My iPod is charged, and my bag is packed! I'm ready to go! Perhaps I'll write while in Seattle, but you never know... my mind is usually put to a complete stand still while on vacation :-)

September 18, 2003 | 11:55 AM | Link | 1 comments

Happy? Yes

I had a breakthrough in gymnastics last night. It may be small in the grand scheme of things, but it felt so great! My last lesson with Sergei, before losing him as my coach, I had finally gotten this skill. That lesson was cut short, and I was out of gymnastics for about a year. When I returned, I had regressed a lot, and would become quite frustrated.

Last night, I finally got back to this skill! I went in with the mind that I was going to do it—no questions about it. I got it on my second try, and continued to improve over the next hour.

Next week, we'll combing giant swings and fly-away dismounts. This is all very basic, but being 23 and having spent so many years out of the sport, it can be pretty trying. I do know that by the end of this year, I'll be way ahead of where I ever was.

After my lesson, Joerg invited me over to have some fresh zupfe that Kathy had baked, and various spreads and cheeses. He's so nice, and it's great to have a friend that lives close to me. Ever since I moved up to La Jolla (and now just outside of La Jolla) four years ago, I'd been a good distance away from all of my friends. Now, I'm feeling lucky.

Joerg, Urs, Kathy, and I watched last night's lack-luster episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy before I went home and fell to sleep.

September 17, 2003 | 8:54 AM | Link | 1 comments

Crack

Holy damn, yo! I'm on a roll this morning! So much work is all of the sudden there for my grabbing, and I'm conquering like a tweaker on ice!

Of course, my morgen latte helped.

September 16, 2003 | 1:31 PM | Link | 3 comments

:-)

If you have already seen this week's Sex and the City, or if you don'y mind having the surprise ruined, please read on...

September 15, 2003 | 6:22 PM | Link | 5 comments

Weekend

This is my third time writing this post, and I've decided there is no way around it: This is going to be a very dry, boring account of my weekend. So if you might be offended by reading such a dull account, please stop reading now.

That said, this ranked among the best weekends I've had.

Friday, I met up with Joerg and Rashid at Bourbon Street. I was pretty tired, and I didn't end up staying very long. On my drive home, I called Janelle and asked her to come over. We sat up and watched Four Rooms until we fell asleep.

I awoke Saturday morning with things on my mind. A little fatigued, I was not looking forward to my gymnastics lesson. Knowing that as soon as I started working out, the endorphins would kick in, I went anyway. It ended up being a very good thing. Since I was out of gymnastics (and exercise altogether) for a year, I regressed on many a skill. Saturday was a day for reclaiming certain lost abilities.

After gymnastics, I showered and stuffed myself full of McDonald's. Pretty much immediately after that, I fell to sleep. A couple of hours into my nap, Joerg called and invited me over for espresso. I stayed in my favorite playboy bunny pajamas, and headed on over. We sat pool-side and visited for a couple of hours. I felt so relaxed! After that, Joerg and I went on a short drive so he could check up on his sandals at the repair shop.

After the drive, I went home to get into some real clothes. Pajamas may be comfortable, but after a while, I need to feel structure. I changed, then soon thereafter returned to Joerg's to join him, Kathy, Urs, and Anita for dinner. Dinner was, of course, tons of fun. Great people + great food + great conversations + great chocolate + great coffee = good times.

A while after dinner, Joerg and I headed out for about a half hour. Joerg wanted to soak in a little bit of nightlife. I was pretty tired, but also felt like going out for a bit. On the drive home, Joerg and I started to have a quite significant conversation. I got some stuff off my chest, and it felt great! We continued to talk until about 1am. It was the type of open conversation that forms tighter bonds. Joerg is an amazing person, and I know we'll always play a role in each other's life, in one form or another.

Sunday morning, I was actually able to get myself to sleep in! These days, that's a pretty amazing feat for me. I arose at about 10:30 and showered before meeting Joerg and friends at Peet's coffee. We all chatted and laughed and relaxed in the cool shade.

After coffee, I drove Joerg home, and went to help François set up his new printer. François and I discussed relationships. It's fun to about relationships with an ex who really knows you...

After leaving François', I went shopping at the Good Guys and Tower Records. I didn't find anything I liked, so I just got some sushi and took it home to snack on. I was about to lay down for a nap, when I got a call back from Dr. Furious! Furious and I talked for about 40 minutes. It's always great to talk to him! I leave for Seattle to visit him on Thursday, and I know we're going to have a great time!

Sunday evening, Joerg's roommate Erin made us all dinner. This girl is cute as a button! She made chicken, polenta, and salad. We carried our conversations late into the evening over Yellow Tail merlot and the Caramel Nouveau collection from Godiva (they were okay, I don't suggest you buy them.. not my particular taste, anyway). Kathy gave me her Tiramisu recipe (YAY!!!) and we're planning on making it together sometime soon (YAY YAY!!!)

While Urs had retired much earlier, the rest of us didn't call it a night until about 11:30. I gave Anita a hug goodbye (she's traveling back to Vancouver today), and wished her a safe trip.

Tired, relaxed, and content from such a full and wonderful weekend, I fell to sleep with a smile.

September 15, 2003 | 9:58 AM | Link | 1 comments

Podwhacking

I liked Jonno's podwhacking idea, and decided to see what I could come up with (omitting whatever I didn't want, of course).

car:

1. How Shall our Judgement be Carried out Upon the Wicked - Diamanda Galas
2. Your Retro Career Melted - The Faint
3. Cars - Gary Numan
4. Scarlet Bedroom - Marc Almond
5. Red River Cargo - Recoil
6. Scarecrow - Siouxsie & the Banshees
7. Carousel - Siouxsie & the Banshees
8. Insensatez - Antonio Carlos

liv:

1. Lush Live, Oh - Chicks On Speed
2. Bottle Living - Dave Gahan
3. You Spin Me Round - Dead or Alive
4. I'm Gonna Live the Life - Diamanda Galas
5. On Broadway (live) - Gary Numan
6. These are the Days of our Lives - Queen
7. Who Wants to Live Forever - Queen
8. You Only Live Twice - Soft Cell
9. Take Me Alive - Tweaker featuring Craig Wedren

Well, that was fun.

September 12, 2003 | 11:22 AM | Link | 7 comments

Shudder

Persuaded more by company, and less by food, I decided to join Joerg, Urs, and Kathy out for dinner last night at Hash House a Go Go. This was despite the nausea I had been experiencing since earlier in the afternoon.

Unsure if I'd be able to eat anything, I ordered anyway. Crab cakes served over a bed of mashed butternut squash (a favorite of mine) and covered in rosemary sprigs and various charred roughage. Ordinarily I would greatly enjoy such comfort food, but not on an upset stomach.

As I saw plates being brought to other tables, panic began to set in. The size of the dishes is a little more than intimidating. Massive plates that can be alternately used as a sturdy foundation for a small single-family home. Food piled highly, towering with inedible garnishes. A meal even Sally Struthers would politely decline to finish.

Perhaps the best part was the honey-coated biscuit they serve before the meal. Crispy on the outside, densely soft on the inside. I wish I could have eaten more of it. Damn the nausea that I assume was caused by the lunch I had eaten that day.

My food arrived on an ovalesque plate that measured roughly ten feet wide by three feet deep. We teased that Kathy's oversized pasta plate was just a repurposed dog bowl, and tried to convince her to eat her food as such. I was only able to eat a few bites of mine, and it is really a shame. I know that normally I would have really enjoyed such a meal. Unfortunately, the supper had gained a permanent stigma of being associated with my nausea and I did not want to take home the leftovers.

It's a shame that crab had to die just to be decorated and discarded.

September 11, 2003 | 9:50 AM | Link | 11 comments

*shivers*

What started out as a plan to educate myself on spiders common in San Diego, ended up just being an exercise in freaking myself out. I came across this list. I feel like they're all over me.

September 9, 2003 | 2:47 PM | Link | 1 comments

I don't believe in magic...

...unless for some reason I do. In which case I am prone to make wishes.

The only time I do make a wish is when I blow out birthday candles. I had two opportunities to blow out candles this weekend, and both times I made the same wish. Before blowing, I always take a steady breath and concentrate. I focus for that split second of eternity on what it is I want. I blow intently, and carry on with hope. If I don't get all of the candles blown out, I become sad. I take it as a very bad sign.

Why would I, a man who does not believe in any sort of hocus-pocus whatsoever, get so emotionally involved in the manner in which I blow out my candles? Why do I feel it may have some fateful outcome? Fate, of course, is another thing I thoroughly do not believe in.

I just want so badly to believe that what I wish for, during that one time of the year, will come true. Just as a little boy, listening to Michael Jackson loudly, I would imagine him driving around my neighborhood waiting to throw a party for anyone he came across playing his music. Boy, would I have been in for a surprise!

September 9, 2003 | 1:31 PM | Link | 7 comments

Hihglights

Among all the great moments in my weekend, the ones that stand out the most are:

1. Being treated to dinner at one of my absolute favorite restaurants by Joerg, then going back to his place to look at photos and eat the rest of the cake I'd made myself.
2. Having a great gymnastics lesson, and seeing new skills develop as my strength increases.
3. Dinner with my mom, where I ordered my last Tandoori Chicken pizza from CPK... they're getting rid of it today. :-(
4. Meeting up with my wonderful friends at Bourbon Street, then taking Joerg to a goth/industrial club for his first time. :-)
5. Dinner with my family, where I stuffed myself full of steak and crab and passion fruit cake from this place.
6. Ending my weekend with a nighttime jabber (a lot of chocolate talk) with my twin™, Rashid, Joerg, Urs, and Kathy.

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birthday :-)

September 8, 2003 | 8:27 AM | Link |

Gusher

I've never had a birthday that has made me feel so extraordinarily sentimental. Let me just warn all my friends now... you're in for a lot of gushing this weekend.

September 6, 2003 | 12:31 AM | Link | 6 comments

Happy Birthday to me

:-)

September 6, 2003 | 12:02 AM | Link | 3 comments

Mmm

September 5, 2003 | 3:42 PM | Link | 1 comments

Well, it's official. I've killed

Well, it's official. I've killed sinthetique.com.

Please enjoy my new site, sex is bad. It's very bare right now (only one entry, at the time of this post). I decided not to bring any of my archives over from here... so you'll just have to start liking me from scratch ;-)

Cheers,
Jean-Pierre Satán

September 5, 2003 | 2:06 PM | Link | 0 comments

My birthday begins

Today is my "office" birthday (my actual birthday is tomorrow, but we'll start celebrating today). My desk, and the floor around it, is covered in balloons, confetti, beads, and other festive items. Pin the tail on the donkey is posted up so we can play after having a couple of cocktails this afternoon.

My mood is great! I'm lucky to have such a wonderful office :-)

My colleagues and I will be going to lunch at Leucadia Pizzeria. After that, I must run home to assemble my cake. Yes, I made my own birthday cake. It's flourless and chocolate, and I made a caramel sauce to pour over it. I'll top it off with some freshly cut strawberries.

"Dessert, anyone? Mmm, strawberries."

September 5, 2003 | 9:29 AM | Link | 3 comments

Oh dear. I'm already feeling

Oh dear. I'm already feeling separation anxiety.

September 3, 2003 | 8:54 AM | Link | 0 comments

As a birthday present to

As a birthday present to myself this year, I will be throwing away sinthetique.com. Usually, I buy myself something expensive, but this is much better. I feel like a totally new man, deserving a fresh start.

I am very happy. I am surrounded by wonderful people, and I look forward to having the best year of my life. 23 will be phenomenal in many ways. I have decided so. I am very excited.

Hopefully, I will get my new site up and running by Saturday (my birthday), but who knows? I haven't really decided what I'll do. I'll keep y'all posted, fer sher!

Lots of love to all the wonderful people I have met through the sinthetique domain. You're all special to me.

September 2, 2003 | 11:36 PM | Link | 0 comments

Please stop by and wish

Please stop by and wish this guy a happy birthday (it was yesterday, but alas, I had no internet access).

Happy birthday, Michael!

September 2, 2003 | 9:45 AM | Link | 0 comments