Why do I keep posting about Fabio Brandao?
I have a forum with my blog, an ability to reach out to people and keep them informed. No, I don’t have thousands of followers, nor a huge audience but I have the ability to write and let people know that what happened is not ok.
Yesterday I received an email on Facebook from a former high school classmate. As I read it I got a little bit teary eyed. This is someone who has a gay brother who lives in Boston and he thanked me and my friends for having the courage to stand up in court against this man.
It is my duty as a gay man who has survived this to do all that I can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I will continue to reach out to the media, and post to my blog as long as I need to.
We need to see change occur, not only in Boston or Massachusetts but across the country. Violence can not be tolerated. A slap on the wrist is not an acceptable punishment. Continue fighting hate!
Fabio Brandao Gets Off Easy- Globe Article
Click on the title to read the article ran in the Globe today about Brandao gettng off easy
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/29/victims_of_south_end_beating_say_assailants_sentence_too_light/
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/29/victims_of_south_end_beating_say_assailants_sentence_too_light/
Response to Brandao Sentencing
I was in court yesterday, and got to face my attacker for the first time. As a matter of fact it was the first time I saw my attacker. Fabio Brandao and his friends had beaten me so severely that I was unconscious in the middle of the street by the time they got into there car and pulled away.
I knew I was hit hard, but because of the injuries I sustained I did not remember the violent attack. Yesterday, a witness to the crime who pulled her car over so that I wouldn’t be run over described the attack to me. It was like nothing she had ever seen they were kicking you in the head, and jumping on your skull, she said to me. That is when it really hit me I was very fortunate to be alive.
I sat in the courtroom yesterday with my wonderful boyfriend holding my hand and my friends by my side. We watched as Brandao admitted his guilt. At first a weight was lifted, I felt relieved, not only did I survive this attack but I was moving on with my life. My parents always told me not to be a victim, and while I had been attacked I was not going to sit back and let it ruin my life.
As the proceedings continued the weight began to return. I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that this man had tried to take my life and liberties away simply because of who I am. He admitted his guilt on all nine charges, he admitted to civil rights violations, and he is not going to jail.
This crime was fueled by hatred, a hatred for a group of people. This crime is bigger than just me. I had never met or seen the attackers before, they chose me and my friends because they saw us walking down the street an assumed we were gay. That kind of hate is reprehensible, and the fact that the court did not see it this way is disturbing.
Sure this was the first time that Brandao had been caught attacking a group of people, and I emphasize caught. This was the first time he was charged with such a crime, which doesn’t make it any less disgusting. However, because it was the first time he was caught the court was lenient. What message does that send? It tell people that its acceptable to hate a group of people, and then attack members of that group on the street, as long as you only get caught doing it once. This sentence is a slap on the wrist for Brandao.
The other three attackers are still at large, Brandao refused to give them up. Now the other three are free to attack another group of gay men and women one night when they are walking home. If the victims are lucky enough to survive and brave enough to come forward then maybe one of those men will get a slap on the wrist like Brandao because it will be their first time caught.
I believe that the punishment should fit the crime. I believe that Brandao and all three of his friends should serve time in jail because they brutally attacked four people based on their sexual orientation. They attacked four people so violently that two of them were put in ambulance and taken to the hospital. One more kick to the head and they may have died. They next people attacked may not be as lucky as we were. This sort of attack should not happen in this day an age. Hate should not be tolerated, but with the ruling from the Court yesterday, I now realize that Massachusetts does tolerate hatred, they do allow violence to occur on their streets. The message that this sentence is sending is that it is acceptable to hate, as long as it’s your first time hating, and that it is acceptable to attack people, just make sure you only do it once, otherwise you may go to jail the second time.
Massachusetts should be ashamed of themselves for sending this message, and the victims of these crimes should be appalled that it is occurring. Changes need to be made to the system, and they need to be made quickly.
I knew I was hit hard, but because of the injuries I sustained I did not remember the violent attack. Yesterday, a witness to the crime who pulled her car over so that I wouldn’t be run over described the attack to me. It was like nothing she had ever seen they were kicking you in the head, and jumping on your skull, she said to me. That is when it really hit me I was very fortunate to be alive.
I sat in the courtroom yesterday with my wonderful boyfriend holding my hand and my friends by my side. We watched as Brandao admitted his guilt. At first a weight was lifted, I felt relieved, not only did I survive this attack but I was moving on with my life. My parents always told me not to be a victim, and while I had been attacked I was not going to sit back and let it ruin my life.
As the proceedings continued the weight began to return. I was trying to wrap my head around the fact that this man had tried to take my life and liberties away simply because of who I am. He admitted his guilt on all nine charges, he admitted to civil rights violations, and he is not going to jail.
This crime was fueled by hatred, a hatred for a group of people. This crime is bigger than just me. I had never met or seen the attackers before, they chose me and my friends because they saw us walking down the street an assumed we were gay. That kind of hate is reprehensible, and the fact that the court did not see it this way is disturbing.
Sure this was the first time that Brandao had been caught attacking a group of people, and I emphasize caught. This was the first time he was charged with such a crime, which doesn’t make it any less disgusting. However, because it was the first time he was caught the court was lenient. What message does that send? It tell people that its acceptable to hate a group of people, and then attack members of that group on the street, as long as you only get caught doing it once. This sentence is a slap on the wrist for Brandao.
The other three attackers are still at large, Brandao refused to give them up. Now the other three are free to attack another group of gay men and women one night when they are walking home. If the victims are lucky enough to survive and brave enough to come forward then maybe one of those men will get a slap on the wrist like Brandao because it will be their first time caught.
I believe that the punishment should fit the crime. I believe that Brandao and all three of his friends should serve time in jail because they brutally attacked four people based on their sexual orientation. They attacked four people so violently that two of them were put in ambulance and taken to the hospital. One more kick to the head and they may have died. They next people attacked may not be as lucky as we were. This sort of attack should not happen in this day an age. Hate should not be tolerated, but with the ruling from the Court yesterday, I now realize that Massachusetts does tolerate hatred, they do allow violence to occur on their streets. The message that this sentence is sending is that it is acceptable to hate, as long as it’s your first time hating, and that it is acceptable to attack people, just make sure you only do it once, otherwise you may go to jail the second time.
Massachusetts should be ashamed of themselves for sending this message, and the victims of these crimes should be appalled that it is occurring. Changes need to be made to the system, and they need to be made quickly.
The Commonwealth v. Fabio Brandao
It is Tuesday evening and I am sitting at BWI waiting for my slightly delayed flight to Boston. I am heading up to Boston because the trail against Fabio Brandao starts tomorrow. For those of you who don't remember the story I was attacked in Boston right before I moved down to DC because I was walking friends home after a night out. Here is the story from Edge Boston...
Gay bashing on Columbus Avenue by Ethan Jacobs Bay Windows Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Police are currently investigating a possible hate crime after three people were viciously attacked by four men shouting homophobic slurs on Columbus Avenue in the early morning hours of August 24. The victims, four friends in their mid-20s, told Bay Windows that they were walking home at around 2:45 a.m., along Columbus Avenue, somewhere between Dartmouth and West Canton streets, after a night clubbing at the Roxy in downtown. One of the victims, a Jamaica Plain woman named Jenna, said that she and her friends heard a group of men shouting at them from a parked white sedan. They kept walking, but before they could go far, the four men got out of their car and started coming towards them."I saw the men getting out of the car, and I approached them first and said, ’Just get back in your car... We’re just heading home,’" said Jenna, who asked that Bay Windows withhold her last name due to safety concerns. "They were like, ’Fuck you, your fucking friends are faggots,’ and one of them punched me in the face."When her two friends, S of the South End and J of Jamaica Plain, who also asked to withhold his last name, came to her aid, the attackers turned on them. Two of them began beating S and another kicked J in the face repeatedly as he lay on the ground, shouting "Fuck you, faggots" throughout the attack. JCH was furthest away from the incident and was not directly involved in the physical confrontation.The attackers ran back to their car to get away, Jenna said, when she pulled her phone out and threatened to call the police. She ran after them and dialed 911 on her cell phone; when an operator answered, she shouted the license plate number of the car into the phone."I was screaming it repeatedly into the phone over and over again," said Jenna. "That’s when the guys in the car yelled, ’Bitch, you better move or I’m going to hit you.’" She jumped out of the way, and the car sped off. After the attackers fled, Jenna and JCH found J lying unconscious on the sidewalk, but Cain was nowhere in sight. They were able to reach him moments later on his cell phone; he was in his Massachusetts Avenue apartment, but had no idea how he got there. "I woke up in my apartment, completely covered in blood, like from the movies," said S who said that he could not remember the assault itself or the immediate aftermath. Police and EMTs arrived on the scene and immediately brought J to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, picking up S on the way. Jenna and JCH stayed behind to report the incident; police also recovered a cell phone at the scene that may have belonged to the attackers. J and S, who both sustained concussions, were released later that day; S also sustained deep cuts above his eye and his temple requiring stitches. Neither man remembers any details of the assault. The three victims and JCH said they told police that the attackers were four Hispanic males, but they were not able to provide police with any further identifying information. S told Bay Windows the attackers looked like "four frat boys."Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police, said the Community Disorders Unit, which focuses on hate crimes, is leading the investigation, working with detectives from the Area D4 station. She said police are following up on the information the victims gave them and the 911 operator about the assailants’ car, which they believe was a white Honda station wagon."The detectives do have some information to go by and they are in the process of tracking the information down. I don’t have the conclusive information yet, but investigators are working to determine who the owner of the vehicle is and whether or not the vehicle was involved," said Driscoll, adding that detectives are also trying to verify the identity of the owner of the cell phone and discover whether the owner was involved. S said police interviewed him about what he remembers, took pictures of his wounds and took the bloodied clothes he wore that night to use as evidence. Police and his friends have filled him in about much of what happened that night, but no one knows how S got from the scene of the attack to his apartment."The part that scares me the most is what I don’t remember. ... They said they saw me go down, I was unconscious, and when they drove away I was gone," said S, who said his face is covered in bruises and he has had trouble closing his jaw since the attack. J said the concussion he sustained was relatively minor, and he still has some minor cuts and bruises."Ten years in Boston I’ve never felt uncomfortable, and now it’s weird for me to think about walking down Columbus, which I did all the time," he said. "But I also feel very lucky. I got a couple bruises and scrapes, but it could have been a lot worse."Jenna said she has a bruise over one eye, but most of the trauma she endured has been psychological."Emotionally, I’m completely on edge and I haven’t been sleeping, and the smallest thing makes me go off into bouts of anxiety. Even retelling this story has me shaking," said Jenna.
That was all the way back in August and now at the end of May we are all heading to Boston, including the Doctor who is coming to sit by my side. We are all going to re-live that night as we testify against this man, Fabio Brandao, the man who changed our worlds. The man who shattered my confidence in the overall good of people. This man and his friends (who have yet to be caught or charged) thought it was okay to attack friends walking home, just because they perceived us as gay.
I'm trying not to be scared anymore, it has been months of working at it and I am doing pretty well but tomorrow is frightening. Tomorrow is the first time I am going to see this man who attacked me and my friends. Tomorrow is the first day that I have to relive who happened, and I am scared that somehow tomorrow I will start to remember the night.
And I am conflicted, what if a plea bargain is offered, what if he gets off with no jail time? Does that matter? I have been strong, I have been lucky, but what about that next person. What if one of the kicks to the head is a bit harder, what if that next person blames himself. I know it wasn't my fault. I know I can't change who I am. I know that I will be able to put this behind me and live my life. I know I'll get married (no matter what California says) and I will always have the Doctor by my side, but I am the lucky one.
This case is bigger than me, this case means the world to a lot of people. I hope that the right thing happens and if it doesn't then I hope that we can force change. Hate is never the answer, I have said it over and over again and I won't stop saying it until events like this are things of the past.
Gay bashing on Columbus Avenue by Ethan Jacobs Bay Windows Thursday Aug 28, 2008
Police are currently investigating a possible hate crime after three people were viciously attacked by four men shouting homophobic slurs on Columbus Avenue in the early morning hours of August 24. The victims, four friends in their mid-20s, told Bay Windows that they were walking home at around 2:45 a.m., along Columbus Avenue, somewhere between Dartmouth and West Canton streets, after a night clubbing at the Roxy in downtown. One of the victims, a Jamaica Plain woman named Jenna, said that she and her friends heard a group of men shouting at them from a parked white sedan. They kept walking, but before they could go far, the four men got out of their car and started coming towards them."I saw the men getting out of the car, and I approached them first and said, ’Just get back in your car... We’re just heading home,’" said Jenna, who asked that Bay Windows withhold her last name due to safety concerns. "They were like, ’Fuck you, your fucking friends are faggots,’ and one of them punched me in the face."When her two friends, S of the South End and J of Jamaica Plain, who also asked to withhold his last name, came to her aid, the attackers turned on them. Two of them began beating S and another kicked J in the face repeatedly as he lay on the ground, shouting "Fuck you, faggots" throughout the attack. JCH was furthest away from the incident and was not directly involved in the physical confrontation.The attackers ran back to their car to get away, Jenna said, when she pulled her phone out and threatened to call the police. She ran after them and dialed 911 on her cell phone; when an operator answered, she shouted the license plate number of the car into the phone."I was screaming it repeatedly into the phone over and over again," said Jenna. "That’s when the guys in the car yelled, ’Bitch, you better move or I’m going to hit you.’" She jumped out of the way, and the car sped off. After the attackers fled, Jenna and JCH found J lying unconscious on the sidewalk, but Cain was nowhere in sight. They were able to reach him moments later on his cell phone; he was in his Massachusetts Avenue apartment, but had no idea how he got there. "I woke up in my apartment, completely covered in blood, like from the movies," said S who said that he could not remember the assault itself or the immediate aftermath. Police and EMTs arrived on the scene and immediately brought J to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, picking up S on the way. Jenna and JCH stayed behind to report the incident; police also recovered a cell phone at the scene that may have belonged to the attackers. J and S, who both sustained concussions, were released later that day; S also sustained deep cuts above his eye and his temple requiring stitches. Neither man remembers any details of the assault. The three victims and JCH said they told police that the attackers were four Hispanic males, but they were not able to provide police with any further identifying information. S told Bay Windows the attackers looked like "four frat boys."Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police, said the Community Disorders Unit, which focuses on hate crimes, is leading the investigation, working with detectives from the Area D4 station. She said police are following up on the information the victims gave them and the 911 operator about the assailants’ car, which they believe was a white Honda station wagon."The detectives do have some information to go by and they are in the process of tracking the information down. I don’t have the conclusive information yet, but investigators are working to determine who the owner of the vehicle is and whether or not the vehicle was involved," said Driscoll, adding that detectives are also trying to verify the identity of the owner of the cell phone and discover whether the owner was involved. S said police interviewed him about what he remembers, took pictures of his wounds and took the bloodied clothes he wore that night to use as evidence. Police and his friends have filled him in about much of what happened that night, but no one knows how S got from the scene of the attack to his apartment."The part that scares me the most is what I don’t remember. ... They said they saw me go down, I was unconscious, and when they drove away I was gone," said S, who said his face is covered in bruises and he has had trouble closing his jaw since the attack. J said the concussion he sustained was relatively minor, and he still has some minor cuts and bruises."Ten years in Boston I’ve never felt uncomfortable, and now it’s weird for me to think about walking down Columbus, which I did all the time," he said. "But I also feel very lucky. I got a couple bruises and scrapes, but it could have been a lot worse."Jenna said she has a bruise over one eye, but most of the trauma she endured has been psychological."Emotionally, I’m completely on edge and I haven’t been sleeping, and the smallest thing makes me go off into bouts of anxiety. Even retelling this story has me shaking," said Jenna.
That was all the way back in August and now at the end of May we are all heading to Boston, including the Doctor who is coming to sit by my side. We are all going to re-live that night as we testify against this man, Fabio Brandao, the man who changed our worlds. The man who shattered my confidence in the overall good of people. This man and his friends (who have yet to be caught or charged) thought it was okay to attack friends walking home, just because they perceived us as gay.
I'm trying not to be scared anymore, it has been months of working at it and I am doing pretty well but tomorrow is frightening. Tomorrow is the first time I am going to see this man who attacked me and my friends. Tomorrow is the first day that I have to relive who happened, and I am scared that somehow tomorrow I will start to remember the night.
And I am conflicted, what if a plea bargain is offered, what if he gets off with no jail time? Does that matter? I have been strong, I have been lucky, but what about that next person. What if one of the kicks to the head is a bit harder, what if that next person blames himself. I know it wasn't my fault. I know I can't change who I am. I know that I will be able to put this behind me and live my life. I know I'll get married (no matter what California says) and I will always have the Doctor by my side, but I am the lucky one.
This case is bigger than me, this case means the world to a lot of people. I hope that the right thing happens and if it doesn't then I hope that we can force change. Hate is never the answer, I have said it over and over again and I won't stop saying it until events like this are things of the past.
Silly Looking
Have you ever really looked at students in their graduation regalia... like an entire horde of them... yeah, they look really silly, especially with that square hat, multi colored tassles and long hoods, then add on some honor cords and velvet stripes, just plain old silly!
The Bookstore Gods
So the last few weeks have been crazy with end of term book buyback, and because I don't have a floor manager I had to run my in store buybacks and my offsite buyback by myself... the result is that on the busiest day I walked 15 miles and my feet were bleeding. I am serious it was a really crazy week... the good news was it started to die down today, so I started prepping my floor for summer term, which starts on Monday. This required my to disassemble and reassemble some shelves, this is where the problems occured.
The shelves are actually pretty easy to take apart and reattach, but they are large, cumbersome, and sharp. I had to remove the center board from the top so I stood precariously on the fifth step of an eight foot ladder and pulled up, the board begins to move and I lean back to make sure I don't lose my balance. As I make my way down the ladder with the center board, my arms fully extended I feel my pants catch on something as I turn. I move forward and my pants are released, but not without damage. Yes, I ripped the butt of my pants. Thank goodness I was wearing decent underwear, and that it was high enough on my pants that when I untucked my shirt it was covered.
About an hour later as I begin to reconstruct the shelving I move the ladder out of the way and prop it up on the wall next to me. I am leaning over putting shelves in when an employee comes by with a cart and taps one of the legs of the ladder causing it to slide, as it begins to teeter I hear the noise, look up just in time for the metal ladder to slam down on my hard head and knock me to the ground.
Man, the bookstore gods really hate me today!
The shelves are actually pretty easy to take apart and reattach, but they are large, cumbersome, and sharp. I had to remove the center board from the top so I stood precariously on the fifth step of an eight foot ladder and pulled up, the board begins to move and I lean back to make sure I don't lose my balance. As I make my way down the ladder with the center board, my arms fully extended I feel my pants catch on something as I turn. I move forward and my pants are released, but not without damage. Yes, I ripped the butt of my pants. Thank goodness I was wearing decent underwear, and that it was high enough on my pants that when I untucked my shirt it was covered.
About an hour later as I begin to reconstruct the shelving I move the ladder out of the way and prop it up on the wall next to me. I am leaning over putting shelves in when an employee comes by with a cart and taps one of the legs of the ladder causing it to slide, as it begins to teeter I hear the noise, look up just in time for the metal ladder to slam down on my hard head and knock me to the ground.
Man, the bookstore gods really hate me today!
CALL TODAY
As the survivor of a hate crime, I urge you all to call your US Representative TODAY and urge them to vot in favor of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. (202) 224-3121.
That's Funny...
I was reading my book at lunch today when my sandwich arrived. I put my book down on the table upside down so that the back cover was facing up. I eat some of my sandwich and then something on the back of the book catches my eye...
"...son of Prince Charles's wife Camila..."
I immediately reach over and turn the book over, and I think to myself... Funny, he doesn't look like he is the son of a horse!?!
But yes the author of "A Year of Eating Dangerously," Tom Parker Bowles is the son of Camila Parker Bowles!
"...son of Prince Charles's wife Camila..."
I immediately reach over and turn the book over, and I think to myself... Funny, he doesn't look like he is the son of a horse!?!
But yes the author of "A Year of Eating Dangerously," Tom Parker Bowles is the son of Camila Parker Bowles!
The Animals and the House
So it is a georgeous day here in Washington DC and we are keeping it pretty low key, we went to brunch this morning around 11, and then my friend from Boston who is playing down here this weekend (DJR) came over for a bit. We BBQ'd a late lunch and now we are just enjoying the evening out on the front patio. See like I said nothing too exciting. Oh yeah, and then we cleaned this morning.
So I wanted to post today for a few reasons, one... there is not much better to do other than read and blog on our front patio when it is 80 degrees, two... the Doctor is washing the car and I don't want to participate, and three... because I had the camera out today and we took some cute pictures of the animals and the house.
First off, the animals, as I am sure many of you know we have a lot of
animals in the house, even without Tipsy (miss you fat girl) we still have 3 cats and one dog. The Doctor had two cats before we moved in together, I had two, and he had the dog. Now we have a combined family of four animals. We have Val, (full name Valentine) the white Cat who is the ruler of the roost much to Bob's chagrin as he truly enjoyed being the Alpha cat. When it was just him and Tipsy he could boss her around and do whatever he wanted. Now, he has a couple other cats he has to contend with (not to mention Annie). Then there is the Doctor's other cat Indiana. 
Indiana is the resident fat cat who loves to lay around the house all day and lounge in the sun without moving. And then there is my buddy Bob. Bob has been a little grumpier since his sister died and since he was forced into a home with three other animals. He is definitely the step child who has trouble adjusting. However, for the most part all three cats can live calmly in the house with very few disturbances.
And then there is Annie. Annie is a beagle mix who is adorable to
look at but she is a bit hard to live with. She is a very hyper dog, who barks non-stop at anything moving, and in my opinion she is bipolar. She loves me and then she hates me. She will cuddle with me when she is happy and she has learned to weaponize her urine so she can pee on me from a distance when she is mad at me. But she is so darn cute to look at. We obviously love out animals here in the lovely house that I am about to talk about...
So the main focus of the house since the weather has started to get warm is the front patio. We just bought the grill, and the bistro set, and the Doctor wanted a water feature so we bought the fountain. We spend
many evenings out in the front, enjoying the weather grilling, and having a glass or two of wine.
Inside the house we have a huge kitchen, and living room area. The house came with three TV's the one in the living room which is a 55" Sony TV, is amazing, especially since the house is wired with surround sound in all of the rooms. The other TV's we will get to in a second. The center focal area, where we are always entertaining is the kitchen island, which also came with the house, and it glows a soft blue hue in the dark. And yes, the Doctor forgot to put the shoes away when he took one of the pictures.
We have two bathrooms, which is very convenient because we have one for the ca
t food, and litter and another one for the humans. Our bathroom (the human one) is done up in blue and chocolate brown and is a very relaxing room. And here are where the other TV's come into play... each of the bathrooms has a flat screen TV that is hooked up to the cable and the surround sound. Crazy I know but we could never go back to not having one because it is a great way to get the news in the morning (yes I am serous).
One of the two bedrooms in the house belongs to the roomie, so we respected his privacy and
didn't take any pictures, and the other one is our room. It is a very comfortable room, especially since the Doctor loves his pillows and there are about 300 on the bed. And of course another TV for me to all asleep to every night!
So that is our home, with our 4 animals and 3 people in two bedrooms, but it works and we love it!
So I wanted to post today for a few reasons, one... there is not much better to do other than read and blog on our front patio when it is 80 degrees, two... the Doctor is washing the car and I don't want to participate, and three... because I had the camera out today and we took some cute pictures of the animals and the house.
First off, the animals, as I am sure many of you know we have a lot of
animals in the house, even without Tipsy (miss you fat girl) we still have 3 cats and one dog. The Doctor had two cats before we moved in together, I had two, and he had the dog. Now we have a combined family of four animals. We have Val, (full name Valentine) the white Cat who is the ruler of the roost much to Bob's chagrin as he truly enjoyed being the Alpha cat. When it was just him and Tipsy he could boss her around and do whatever he wanted. Now, he has a couple other cats he has to contend with (not to mention Annie). Then there is the Doctor's other cat Indiana. 
Indiana is the resident fat cat who loves to lay around the house all day and lounge in the sun without moving. And then there is my buddy Bob. Bob has been a little grumpier since his sister died and since he was forced into a home with three other animals. He is definitely the step child who has trouble adjusting. However, for the most part all three cats can live calmly in the house with very few disturbances.And then there is Annie. Annie is a beagle mix who is adorable to
look at but she is a bit hard to live with. She is a very hyper dog, who barks non-stop at anything moving, and in my opinion she is bipolar. She loves me and then she hates me. She will cuddle with me when she is happy and she has learned to weaponize her urine so she can pee on me from a distance when she is mad at me. But she is so darn cute to look at. We obviously love out animals here in the lovely house that I am about to talk about...
So the main focus of the house since the weather has started to get warm is the front patio. We just bought the grill, and the bistro set, and the Doctor wanted a water feature so we bought the fountain. We spend
many evenings out in the front, enjoying the weather grilling, and having a glass or two of wine.Inside the house we have a huge kitchen, and living room area. The house came with three TV's the one in the living room which is a 55" Sony TV, is amazing, especially since the house is wired with surround sound in all of the rooms. The other TV's we will get to in a second. The center focal area, where we are always entertaining is the kitchen island, which also came with the house, and it glows a soft blue hue in the dark. And yes, the Doctor forgot to put the shoes away when he took one of the pictures.
We have two bathrooms, which is very convenient because we have one for the ca
t food, and litter and another one for the humans. Our bathroom (the human one) is done up in blue and chocolate brown and is a very relaxing room. And here are where the other TV's come into play... each of the bathrooms has a flat screen TV that is hooked up to the cable and the surround sound. Crazy I know but we could never go back to not having one because it is a great way to get the news in the morning (yes I am serous).One of the two bedrooms in the house belongs to the roomie, so we respected his privacy and
didn't take any pictures, and the other one is our room. It is a very comfortable room, especially since the Doctor loves his pillows and there are about 300 on the bed. And of course another TV for me to all asleep to every night!So that is our home, with our 4 animals and 3 people in two bedrooms, but it works and we love it!
Revenge: Practical Joke Style
Last week I was off on Friday, when I returned to work the following Monday my office had been redone. I was expecting it to be actually redone judging from the email I had received, but I was mistaken.
When I walked in my desk was surrounded, floor to ceiling, with cardboard framing success boxes that had a "gnome sized" door for me to get into my office. The boxes were beautifully decorated and I even had a welcome mat outside my front door. They had finally gotten me, since I am the one usually responsible for practical jokes, like when KE told me she was going to be late because she forgot her pants her entire office was full of pants she could have worn, like pink plaid pajama pants. Or moving JN's desk across the office, throwing her for a complete and total loop. It was funny to watch. I have had many others here and at other stores and many times they have gotten me. All in good fun, my favorite is when I returned from vacation at one of my stores and my desk was shrink wrapped and a large cutout of a crap was wearing one of my extra shirts and nametag hanging from the ceiling.
Anyway back to the point, everybody had been involved in this prank which meant that everybody was going to pay! Now a true practical joker knows when to strike, and I wanted to strike early so they think it has passed and in a few weeks I will get other participants when they least expect it!
So Tuesday night phase one of the strike began, I had 15 minutes in the office by myself, and my boss had already left. The time was right so I walked into her office, closed her door
, and began flipping all of her furniture upside down, except for the chairs and then placing everything back on the upside down furniture exactly as it was. This created maximum impact with very little effort. It was actually funny as all you know what! I left Tuesday night and couldn't wait to return on Wednesday morning for the reaction. Some people would not take it well but my boss loved it and knew she was in for it. She did mention that it was too soon, and that I should have waited!
Oh, I know I should have waited, and I am. I have plans! They may involve shrink wrap, duct tape, or even new springs for some of the doors!
Yes, I know I am evil!
People All Over
I have mentioned this before but I think it is really cool that people from all over the world read all of the silly things I have to say on a day to day basis. Sure I don't get a million hits a day like some of the big blogging folk, but I do have over 6000 hits (sad I know) and they have come from all over the map. Below are the places that people have clicked on my blog from...
United States (US) 1,521
United Kingdom (GB) 47
Canada (CA) 21
Australia (AU) 12
Czech Republic (CZ) 7
Germany (DE) 6
France (FR) 5
Netherlands (NL) 5
Mexico (MX) 4
China (CN) 4
Costa Rica (CR) 4- those are probably from when I was there
India (IN) 3
New Zealand (NZ) 3
Europe (EU) 2
Brazil (BR) 2
Portugal (PT) 2
Argentina (AR) 2
Finland (FI) 2
Poland (PL) 2
Denmark (DK) 2
Saudi Arabia (SA) 2
Slovenia (SI) 2
Greece (GR) 2
Sweden (SE) 2
Norway (NO) 1
Belgium (BE) 1
Ireland (IE) 1
Austria (AT) 1
Switzerland (CH) 1
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR) 1
Netherlands Antilles (AN) 1
Taiwan (TW) 1
El Salvador (SV) 1
Colombia (CO) 1
Peru (PE) 1
Singapore (SG) 1
Kuwait (KW) 1
Egypt (EG) 1
Korea, Republic of (KR) 1
Turkey (TR) 1
Morocco (MA) 1
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (LY) 1
Jordan (JO) 1
Israel (IL) 1
Romania (RO) 1
Ok, so it may be a boring post, but I find it interesting, I wonder if I can find a way to double the clicks by next year. I already linked to my facebook page, I wonder what else I can do?
United States (US) 1,521
United Kingdom (GB) 47
Canada (CA) 21
Australia (AU) 12
Czech Republic (CZ) 7
Germany (DE) 6
France (FR) 5
Netherlands (NL) 5
Mexico (MX) 4
China (CN) 4
Costa Rica (CR) 4- those are probably from when I was there
India (IN) 3
New Zealand (NZ) 3
Europe (EU) 2
Brazil (BR) 2
Portugal (PT) 2
Argentina (AR) 2
Finland (FI) 2
Poland (PL) 2
Denmark (DK) 2
Saudi Arabia (SA) 2
Slovenia (SI) 2
Greece (GR) 2
Sweden (SE) 2
Norway (NO) 1
Belgium (BE) 1
Ireland (IE) 1
Austria (AT) 1
Switzerland (CH) 1
Iran, Islamic Republic of (IR) 1
Netherlands Antilles (AN) 1
Taiwan (TW) 1
El Salvador (SV) 1
Colombia (CO) 1
Peru (PE) 1
Singapore (SG) 1
Kuwait (KW) 1
Egypt (EG) 1
Korea, Republic of (KR) 1
Turkey (TR) 1
Morocco (MA) 1
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (LY) 1
Jordan (JO) 1
Israel (IL) 1
Romania (RO) 1
Ok, so it may be a boring post, but I find it interesting, I wonder if I can find a way to double the clicks by next year. I already linked to my facebook page, I wonder what else I can do?
Cleaning the Grill Can Be Hazardous
We bought a grill a few weeks ago and since then we have become grilling fiends. Every night it seems rain or shine we are firing up the grill, and making dinner. Yesterday evening we were having a few people over and decided to make some meat and veggie skewers on the grill.
We uncover the grill, and being that it is the first time we have grilled in the daytime we notice that the grill is a little dirty. No worries, I will just light it up, leave it on high, and then scrape the grease off when it warms up. In the meantime I will go inside and help prepare the meal. (And by prepare I mean watch other people cook).
A little bit of time passes and I head out to the grill to start scraping, it is quite warm but there is still a bit of grease that needs to come off of the ceramic. I leave it on high and head back into the house. My next time out I look at the window and notice that there is a small crack at the bottom that I hadn't noticed before. By the time I walk around the corner four feet and outside the crack looks bigger. I quickly realized that the heat from the grill was the cause of the crack and damn the window was hot. The crack continued to spread all the way up the window and I can't cool it down fast enough.
I move the grill away but unfortunately the damage is done, the crack is getting bigger and there is no real way to glue glass back together. Lesson learned I guess, don't grill next to your window it can be hazardous to the window!
We uncover the grill, and being that it is the first time we have grilled in the daytime we notice that the grill is a little dirty. No worries, I will just light it up, leave it on high, and then scrape the grease off when it warms up. In the meantime I will go inside and help prepare the meal. (And by prepare I mean watch other people cook).
A little bit of time passes and I head out to the grill to start scraping, it is quite warm but there is still a bit of grease that needs to come off of the ceramic. I leave it on high and head back into the house. My next time out I look at the window and notice that there is a small crack at the bottom that I hadn't noticed before. By the time I walk around the corner four feet and outside the crack looks bigger. I quickly realized that the heat from the grill was the cause of the crack and damn the window was hot. The crack continued to spread all the way up the window and I can't cool it down fast enough.
I move the grill away but unfortunately the damage is done, the crack is getting bigger and there is no real way to glue glass back together. Lesson learned I guess, don't grill next to your window it can be hazardous to the window!
Love Spring Days Off
I am off today and for the next three days. I have to go back to work on Monday and it may be tough. My parents were supposed to come down today but my Dad had to work. So instead I am being lazy.
I started my day by driving the Doctor to work and then I came home, sat down, and watched the Today show. Now I am going to shower and then hit up the Diner with my book for some lunch. I may even bring Annie. Then I am going to do not much of anything. I do love my random Friday's off.
Tomorrow it looks like we may do another wine tour since the weather is going to be over 70.
Woohoo Spring!
I started my day by driving the Doctor to work and then I came home, sat down, and watched the Today show. Now I am going to shower and then hit up the Diner with my book for some lunch. I may even bring Annie. Then I am going to do not much of anything. I do love my random Friday's off.
Tomorrow it looks like we may do another wine tour since the weather is going to be over 70.
Woohoo Spring!
The Angel's Game
Last week I finished reading The Angel's Game from one of my favorite authors and master storyteller Carlos Zafon. Zafon is the renowned author of The Shadow of the Wind. The The Angel�s Game is touted as "a dazzling new page-turner about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love." I was so excited about this book that I called the publisher and requested the advanced readers copy. As soon as it arrived I jumped right into this amazing story.
The description provided by the publisher starts with the following quote from the books, a pure example as to why Zafon is such a beautiful and descriptive writer...
"The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to believe that, when I opened those windows, its streets would whisper stories to me, secrets I could capture on paper and narrate to whomever cared to listen . . ."
The story begins with the protagonist as a young man, and progresses on. He starts out writing for a newspaper, then his own books. He buys a deserted mansion in center of Barcelona and in that house he struggles to write in the evenings deal with a love that can never happen. Then one day he gets a mysterious and lucrative offer.
David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed. He is to create a religion, the power of his words should be able to change hearts and minds. In return, he receives more than enough money to live off of, but as he begins to work on his "religion" he begins noticing connections between his book and the life he is living. There are "ghosts" surrounding him and haunting his life. In true Zafon fashion a tangled web of stories, characters and passions begin to come together. Zafon even weaves a web that contains elements of the Shadow of the Wind. At times you are not sure what will happen, and how these character will affect others. You are amazed at how certain characters meet there end, and how others trigger additional chaos.
And then you come to the end of the book, and it all comes together. I put it down and knew that I would need time to recover. A truly amazing story, heartbreaking, romantic, surreal, tragic, secrets, lies, murder and mayhem. Yet it is still a cleanly written and amazingly descriptive novel.
Zafon is a master, and the power of books is evident once again in The Angel's Game. Run out and buy in as soon as it comes out on June 16!
The description provided by the publisher starts with the following quote from the books, a pure example as to why Zafon is such a beautiful and descriptive writer...
"The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to believe that, when I opened those windows, its streets would whisper stories to me, secrets I could capture on paper and narrate to whomever cared to listen . . ."
The story begins with the protagonist as a young man, and progresses on. He starts out writing for a newspaper, then his own books. He buys a deserted mansion in center of Barcelona and in that house he struggles to write in the evenings deal with a love that can never happen. Then one day he gets a mysterious and lucrative offer.
David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed. He is to create a religion, the power of his words should be able to change hearts and minds. In return, he receives more than enough money to live off of, but as he begins to work on his "religion" he begins noticing connections between his book and the life he is living. There are "ghosts" surrounding him and haunting his life. In true Zafon fashion a tangled web of stories, characters and passions begin to come together. Zafon even weaves a web that contains elements of the Shadow of the Wind. At times you are not sure what will happen, and how these character will affect others. You are amazed at how certain characters meet there end, and how others trigger additional chaos.
And then you come to the end of the book, and it all comes together. I put it down and knew that I would need time to recover. A truly amazing story, heartbreaking, romantic, surreal, tragic, secrets, lies, murder and mayhem. Yet it is still a cleanly written and amazingly descriptive novel.
Zafon is a master, and the power of books is evident once again in The Angel's Game. Run out and buy in as soon as it comes out on June 16!
Beware, Hazards Ahead
This is a warning to anybody in the DC area, Never go to Giant Foods to go grocery shopping... especially if you are used to the upscale feel of the Harris Teeter.
Let me explain, it was Saturday evening and I had just returned from work. The Doctor and I needed to rent a carpet steamer because having 3 cats and a dog makes the light beige carpeting in the house very dirty. The only place that rented the carpet steamer was the Giant Foods in Columbia Heights. At first glance this looks like a fairly nice supermarket, and there isn't much wrong with the facilities per say, it is mainly the fact that it is too small for the onslaught of customers on a Saturday evening and the customers were all screaming, yelling, and crazy!
It was overwhelming with kids screaming and running all over the place and hurling produce at their parents. We knew from the moment we pulled up that we would be in and out as quickly as possible. We literally ran through the store and grabbed the items we needed while avoiding the other patrons. The Doctor ran ahead and got some stuff for brunch while I ran up to grab myself a beer, and Mr. NG went to buy the bacon for Easter brunch, I met up with NG while the Doctor went to get the carpet cleaner, we reviewed the list and realized that we still needed to buy OJ.
We head up the aisle that has the juices, I am walking straight ahead with my eyes scanning for my Tropicana (which is harder to recognize) and I spot it ahead of me. I turn to talk to NG and suddenly a five year old girl is sprinting down the aisle with her pink stroller ahead of her. She is about four feet ahead of me and I jump up to avoid her and end up in a freezer case, of course making a scene. The mother turns to me and looks at me like i am the one causing a problem. She completely ignores her child who running customers over ten feet down the aisle. I remove myself from the freezer case and go grab the orange juice, I put it in the carriage and we head towards checkout as quickly as possible.
We check out, still managing to spend $180, and run out the front door. We have never shopped that quickly, yet we were never quite as exhausted from shopping. I will never go to the Giant again, and I will always be scared of bright pink strollers!
Let me explain, it was Saturday evening and I had just returned from work. The Doctor and I needed to rent a carpet steamer because having 3 cats and a dog makes the light beige carpeting in the house very dirty. The only place that rented the carpet steamer was the Giant Foods in Columbia Heights. At first glance this looks like a fairly nice supermarket, and there isn't much wrong with the facilities per say, it is mainly the fact that it is too small for the onslaught of customers on a Saturday evening and the customers were all screaming, yelling, and crazy!
It was overwhelming with kids screaming and running all over the place and hurling produce at their parents. We knew from the moment we pulled up that we would be in and out as quickly as possible. We literally ran through the store and grabbed the items we needed while avoiding the other patrons. The Doctor ran ahead and got some stuff for brunch while I ran up to grab myself a beer, and Mr. NG went to buy the bacon for Easter brunch, I met up with NG while the Doctor went to get the carpet cleaner, we reviewed the list and realized that we still needed to buy OJ.
We head up the aisle that has the juices, I am walking straight ahead with my eyes scanning for my Tropicana (which is harder to recognize) and I spot it ahead of me. I turn to talk to NG and suddenly a five year old girl is sprinting down the aisle with her pink stroller ahead of her. She is about four feet ahead of me and I jump up to avoid her and end up in a freezer case, of course making a scene. The mother turns to me and looks at me like i am the one causing a problem. She completely ignores her child who running customers over ten feet down the aisle. I remove myself from the freezer case and go grab the orange juice, I put it in the carriage and we head towards checkout as quickly as possible.
We check out, still managing to spend $180, and run out the front door. We have never shopped that quickly, yet we were never quite as exhausted from shopping. I will never go to the Giant again, and I will always be scared of bright pink strollers!
"the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I ever had"
Okay, no I am not suicidal, that is a line from the song that Adam Lambert sang today on American Idol.
It is a sad and haunting song... I had never even heard it before but Adam killed it, he did an amazing job and I felt like I was watching a star being born, that was the moment of the season like Fantasia's "Summertime" that makes the American Idol.
All I have to say is Simon never gives a standing ovation... and he stood up... go Adam!
It is a sad and haunting song... I had never even heard it before but Adam killed it, he did an amazing job and I felt like I was watching a star being born, that was the moment of the season like Fantasia's "Summertime" that makes the American Idol.
All I have to say is Simon never gives a standing ovation... and he stood up... go Adam!
And The Vineyard Trips Resume
A favorite weekend activity of ours (the old married couple as S referred to us today) is to go to local vineyards and enjoy their wine tastings. This weekend the Doctor and I decided to do Northern Virgina's Wine Tour #3 in Leesburg VA. This tour consisted of four small local vineyards that ranged in the type of wine and style made.
The first Vineyard was our favorite, as it offered a wide variety of red wines, and dessert wines including a Black Raspberry Port which was amazing, and we bought despite it being $32.00 a bottle. This vineyard had a really nice setup, with individual tasting areas, very well educated hosts who knew a lot about the wine and a very comfortable feel. Many vineyards have a tasting room that consists of a shoulder high booth and a swarm of employees babbling. This vineyard was calm peaceful and enjoyable, and they had 7 cats so we didn't feel bad admitting we have 3.
While we are at this vineyard, which I picked from the group because I liked their labels the best, we picked up a map of the other vineyards and decided on a path to follow since there were 4 places located within the 6 mile radius on the one we had just visited. All three of these vineyards had different setups and different wines.
The second vineyard was our least favorite because it seemed very disorganized and we both felt that the wines were very light and almost lacking flavor. Vineyard three was fun because of the people that worked there. They came over had a conversation with us and knew quite a bit about wine, as a matter of fact that liked us so much they gave us a 25% discount on the wine we bought.
Vineyard four was voted the best vineyard/winery in Northern Virginia. We were holding out great hopes for this vineyard, the grounds were beautiful as we walked in, and the tasting room was very nice as well. We approach the counter and ask for two tastings and we were charged $21.00! Most tastings are about $3, $10.50 is a little excessive. Overall, the wines were okay here, especially if you like a dry red wine. But it was not worth the price.
After this vineyard, we snacked on some cheese and crackers and then made our way home to relax for an evening. I am looking forward to a few more trips like this over the summer, they always are a good time.
The first Vineyard was our favorite, as it offered a wide variety of red wines, and dessert wines including a Black Raspberry Port which was amazing, and we bought despite it being $32.00 a bottle. This vineyard had a really nice setup, with individual tasting areas, very well educated hosts who knew a lot about the wine and a very comfortable feel. Many vineyards have a tasting room that consists of a shoulder high booth and a swarm of employees babbling. This vineyard was calm peaceful and enjoyable, and they had 7 cats so we didn't feel bad admitting we have 3.
While we are at this vineyard, which I picked from the group because I liked their labels the best, we picked up a map of the other vineyards and decided on a path to follow since there were 4 places located within the 6 mile radius on the one we had just visited. All three of these vineyards had different setups and different wines.
The second vineyard was our least favorite because it seemed very disorganized and we both felt that the wines were very light and almost lacking flavor. Vineyard three was fun because of the people that worked there. They came over had a conversation with us and knew quite a bit about wine, as a matter of fact that liked us so much they gave us a 25% discount on the wine we bought.
Vineyard four was voted the best vineyard/winery in Northern Virginia. We were holding out great hopes for this vineyard, the grounds were beautiful as we walked in, and the tasting room was very nice as well. We approach the counter and ask for two tastings and we were charged $21.00! Most tastings are about $3, $10.50 is a little excessive. Overall, the wines were okay here, especially if you like a dry red wine. But it was not worth the price.
After this vineyard, we snacked on some cheese and crackers and then made our way home to relax for an evening. I am looking forward to a few more trips like this over the summer, they always are a good time.
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