Good night Ladies
is the other song I know, but here's Bile Dem Cabbage Down.
Have a listen!
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Look Mom! Sound!

Tracing the arc
Nervous about leaving my heart on top the screen, I would also like to point out that I think Do Topia has become more inclusive in its definition of family and love. I think that's nice.

It's either very important or not important at all
I was happy, but lonely until I got to making my daily blog rounds. Now I'm sorry and reflective. Maybe it doesn't matter what I think, but blog family, DC family, family family, and even the nonreaders, you should all know that I feel very lucky that you're MY FAMILY.

In an effort to make my New Year's Resolution more impactful I have taken to
drinkin', cussin' and womanizin'.

Merry FAKE Christmas
It's what Christmas is all about, minus the religion...
Last night and today, I had the joy of attending a very merry FAKE Christmas. It included food,
holiday cookies, board games, my DC family and lots of frankincense. I lied-- there was no frankincense. However, there was snow and Christmas songs. We got to sing "I'm dreaming of a white FAKE Christmas". And our dream came true! We also got to sing "I'm dreaming of a Dirty Christmas", but that's a story for another time.

Last night we all cuddled up on the floor to watch "Coupling" as Christmas tradition dictates. Then we fell asleep at 3 in the morning and hoped that the sugar plums dancing would not prevent Santa's arrival. I don't remember exactly how slumber parties and Christmas go together, but I'm sure that even Santa has to sleep.

Lucky for us, Santa did come. He skipped munching on the cookies and I think maybe he brought us bagels and oranges. He didn't cut the oranges though, Rob had to do that. Santa also made us coffee, but it was a bad batch.

Then we opened presents. FAKE Christmas ended, and the children were joyful.

Now there's no reason to ever leave the computer
Ultimate-the computer game.

(It's tough, but not nearly as satisfying.)

The Amazing 5th Wheel
I found myself feeling remarkably like a fifth wheel last night. Let me state perfectly clearly: "The 5th wheel for me is a very lovely wheel." It means that I am hanging out with four of my fabulous friends. The funny thing about last night was that I wasn't with two couples. I'm very comfortable as a fifth wheel and last night was no different. It surprised me, but I was almost relieved to fall into that role. Odd.

His Majesty awaits his food
I have never had as many managers and waiters speak to me as I did eating at the Austin Grill. I got the wrong order and sent it back to the kitchen. I wasn't even hungry and not the least bit worried about it as my friends began to eat their meals. I had really come to hear the live music. A manager came over and he addressed the table, but he seemed to be looking at me. "It'll be out shortly," he said looking at me. I couldn't figure out why he seemed to be focusing on me. How did he know that I had asked my friends to come to his restaurant. Then as he left I realized he meant my food would be out shortly, not the music.

My food wasn't out shortly, but I didn't care. The Austin Grill cared. Another manager came over and said, "Where's your food?" and then scurried off to take care of it. The first manager soon returned and looked at me horrified. I joked, "It was great. I ate it really fast." He said shaking his head, "I'm sorry. I'll go check on your meal."

Most of the table finished their plates when a waitress arrived with my order. After a single bite that I hadn't chewed, she said, "Is it good?" It had barely had time to hit my taste buds, but I said "yes." It was good. The Austin Special may be the best meal the grill serves.

We listened to Elizabeth McQueen play her live music and I ate. Then I took a bathroom break and when I returned we had lots of free desserts. When the bill came my meal was on the house. Three more people apologized.

Delightful. I think I'm going to get the wrong order every time.

Like the magnet?
Attraction is a funny little concept, isn't it? I use some form of it quite often. I saw an attractive woman on the Metro. That's an attractive little car. That movie star is the most attractive of all. What am I really saying? I'm not drawn to the woman on the Metro. I don't feel a pull toward the little car. I do not press my lips against the movie screen (lest they kick me out).

Then when I suddenly feel that tug at my innards like someone is trying to pull them through my rib cage, I remember what attraction is. My friend Rodger always used to argue with me about attractive people. I think what he was trying to say was that calling someone "attractive" isn't the same as calling them "pretty" or "cute" or even "dead sexy"; calling someone attractive is saying that you feel that pull on your innards. It's saying that this person has their own little gravity. It's more like a magnet and less like an adjective.

Sometimes it really is just enough to love and be loved.

Everybody needs a mantra for a pillow
Today when "they" came at me with work-related requests that I didn't want to hear I said, "But I saw dolphins from my hotel window." This stems largely from the fact that I saw dolphins from my hotel window.

Keep your receipts
I bought Christmas Gifts that may not be "up to snuff". In a noble display of character, I did buy things that I thought people would want, rather than things I would want if I had the same taste in stuff, even though I resided in their bodies.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful
Please.
It's my parents fault.

Did he have a beard?
I did not skinny dip in the Atlantic Ocean. There was a full moon and hotel lights and I was on business, so it seemed unwise. I did strip down to my corduroys and have a dip.

It was cold.

The dolphins didn't seem to think so.

Room service and laundry warmed me up.

thank you.

Suzy Slush
The oft-ignored step-child of Old Man Winter and step-sister of Jack Frost is greying my 'hood. Go get Jack, Suzy. We always liked him better.

Such great heights
is not only the song stuck in my head, but currently, my favorite song. I am as of yet undecided if I like "the postal service" version or the "iron and wine" version better. Having two versions of a favorite song at the same time on the same CD is wonderous. This must be how people felt when they combinded peanut butter and jelly. And I owe it all to the housemate I hardly see- The Sandwich, not to be confused with peanut butter and jelly.

Epic Battles
After a lenghty and mathematical battle the score remains,
Checkbook 1
David 0

You're so gullible, McFly
Ha! I talked myself into a run with that last post. You might have to see it everyday.
Also, Winter is a feeling, not a time between some dates on a calendar. It feels like Winter, therefore,
it is.

Baby, it's cold outside
If this were the winter of '96, and my buddy Borman lived up the street, this is what you might hear on an after-school phone call.
M: Hello?
D: Hey. It's freakin' freezing. Are we running today?
M: whal, I dunno...
D: Come on.
M: (whiney) but it's cold.
D: So? We want to be good, right? Let's go.
M: I don't know.
(Silence)
M: 10 minutes.
D: See you out there.

Instead it's the winter of '03, and this is the after-work discussion in my head.
D: I should run today.
Mr. Negativity: Why?
D: It's good for me.
MN: So?
D: Um.
MN: It's getting dark.
D: Yea.
MN: Run tomorrow.
D: Yea.

I'm much stronger against a real live Mr. Negativity.

Excitement levels
I am not the type of person that gets excited when you first tell me something. I need time to process it. Then slowly, almost like a leaky balloon I begin to let my excitement out.

So when you first ask me, "Are you excited that we're going skiing in 2 months?"
I say, "uh, yeah."

Then what you might not see is the slow leak. First, I replace the "Colorado" on my SKI2BHI bumper sticker with a very homemade "Wintergreen". Then, when I put my Christmas decorations up, 3 of the 5 ornaments are skiing related. When I go outside I smell the air and am a little disappointed when I don't smell snow. How long will I have to wait? And is it snowing in the hills of what Skiing is calling "the best ski resort in the South"? And what exactly does it mean to be the "best ski resort in the South"? Is that kind of like being "the classiest junkyard"?

Do not mistake those last two questions for lack of excitement. I'm a leaking balloon. pfffffffffffff...

Everything looks perfect from far away
When I look at the pictures all I can see are the good times.
When I look in my brain all I can see are the bad times.
It must have been somewhere in between.

Kansas City here I come
I just got back to the District, I know. However, I am now excited about the 27th of December. On that day I will get to meet the new son of Brian and Amanda. I've been friends with Brian since third grade. We created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle animations using BASIC on an Apple II E. We traded baseball cards. We played street football. We stayed up late. We got in fights. We played tackle Hide 'n' go seek. We talked about everything, as long as everything included sports. We walked to school together. We played video games together. We wrote, produced and starred in a short movie. We went to high school. We went skiing. We imagined a fantasy ski resort called, "Davidsucks" We made different friends. We saw each other less. I ran fast, he hit homeruns. We still talked about everything. We watched football on TV. He got a girlfriend. I went to college. He hit more homeruns. I hurt everything you could hurt below my waist. We played poker with his friends that adopted me when I was home. He came to college. He lived clear on the other side of campus. I had new friends. He made new friends. He was a genius. Once and a while we would meet for a meal. We'd talk about everything. He transferred. He found God. I stayed.
Once a month, once every two months, I'd hear from him. We'd see each other in KC or stop by one campus or the other. We could still talk about everything, but we didn't have to. Now we could talk about anything. I graduated. I didn't get a job. He tried to talk some sense into me. He fell in love. I got a job. He graduated. He had an engagement party. I met his friends. They ruled. He got married. It was beautiful in every sense of the word. He moved to Florida. I wandered about. I moved to DC. I knew he was around. He encouraged me when I was down to the last dimes. I stayed in DC with a job. He had a kid. He disappeared. He reappeared. He is the best.