Whew! What a week! What a summer!

In fact, where did summer go? I mean srsly? It’s already Back to School! (I capitalize it, because in my industry it’s more than period of time, it’s an event.) I have to say tho, I have been having a blast. Every weekend off Richard and I have had places to go, things to do, and met new folks all along the way. It has been the Summer of Twitter, as we have made a few Twitter friends into real friends. That’s always odd at first. Going from contacting someone online thru Twitter, to actually dialing them up on the phone and getting together for drinks or meals. Heh. I love Twitter. Anyhoo, I think my summer is coming to a bit of an early close, as my work schedule has me booked the next three weekends. I don’t socialize much on my working weekends because the hours are just to extreme, what with the 5 and 7 AM starts or the late closing shifts. After the 3 weeks of work my parents arrive. 7 days of tour guide. Wee! Then we are already into October. Bam. holiday. 2 months of loooong work days, few days off… Another year passes.

Do you see why I am always tense? The passing of time is so cruel for us career retail people! Gawd I am stressed out now. Heh.

tagged: work holiday people twitter retail time friends weekend parents summer

daniel · late morning · say it · ping it

Since moving to San Diego Richard and I have been very lucky to have become part of a circle of friends. We all hang out, separately or all together all the time. We always have fun. Whether it’s our weekly SYTYCD parties, movie nights, BBQ’s, or going out to Hillcrest or Downtown and “painting the town”. I consider these people my San Diego family! But lately we have been noticing that we are a bit of a clique. There aren’t really any new faces (well, since Richard and I). No fresh blood. We just aren’t meeting any new people and that makes it tough for the single kids in the group. Not that we want to be matchmakers. Good gawd no! But when you hang out with new people you meet their people… Maybe one of their people might know another single guy and through just getting together our single kids will be exposed to more quality singles? Cause let’s face it, when you hang out at bars every week to meet people you are going to meet people that like hanging out in bars. And aside from all of that, we are a group that likes to entertain. It’s more fun with more people! Right? We decided that Sheila’s BBQ was our big event. We were all to bring new people.

So for me, I am not surprised by any of this. I have been trying to meet people with interests like mine lately, going to the SD Tweet-ups and Blogger Meet-ups, and actually going out and meeting the people I have been talking to on my various online social networks. My goal has been to get some friends who understand what the hell I am talking about with my SEO, CMS, tweets, plurks, and whatnots. People who understand why I constantly check my phone! In the meantime I have met a fair amount of people that I see or talk to regularly enough. So for this past BBQ I was pretty confident that I could get some new folks to come around. As it turned out, not so much. I do understand tho. One I asked at the last minute, and the others, well I mean given the choice I think I’d pick existing friends over newbies… I guess.

My other friends tried different approaches. One tried picking out someone that looked like they’d fit in with us at Mo’s and just walking up and chatting with him for a bit, followed up with the big invite. The guy actually seemed cool about it after the initial “we aren’t hitting on you” stuff was out of the way. He actually agreed to come by, and we got his number. In the end he flaked. Sheila invited her local barista that she chats with at her coffee place all the time. A good idea, I thought! He was a no show as well. So out of 6 new people invited 100% declined or flaked at the last minute.

I guess my point is this. I understand how to meet people. At least online. (Richard and I aren’t single. In the gay world I find making new friends in real life so awkward… People are out looking for dates, not friends usually.) Besides, I think I have a number of great resources right now that are more reliable than just picking someone out of the crowds. I have met people. How do I get them from the acquaintance stage to the friend stage? How do we as an established group assimilate new folk? I can tell you it was a long time before I felt comfortable with everyone… How do we make that easier? 

tagged: richard gay sytycd online people bbq friends family meeting networking

daniel · late morning · 6 comments · ping it

Today is a shitty day. And we are just 22 minutes in. I should actually be in bed, but I am all worked up.

I got drama coming and going lately. Apparently there is actually drama in RL. I have no idea what is going on with that really.. But I don’t wanna air the laundry here. So there’s that. Then iTunes still hasn’t approved my podcast feed, that they are making me resubmit for mysterious “technical” reasons. I have ran that feed through everything. It is now flawless. They still won’t take it. So I had to turn to feed burner. Sigh. Never ending. Now I await their approval so I can fix my iTunes download link. All for a podcast I never do anymore. Silly. But I feel attached since I was motivated to fix my SEO… Heheh.

Speaking of, the creator of that particular podcast stopped by dp.com. He even commented! Even though I was kinda bitchy in the post. Hi Wes! Now I kinda feel bad about the post… I mean, I am not going for podcasting fame. I don’t care to be “first” really. Who needs labels? Right? But now Wes has removed his label, and he works really hard on his show, whereas I just sort of talk… Sporadically.

Dude, you can totally be first.

Anyhoo. I sent him what was hopefully a nice response. He is a local guy after all. I am always looking for new local peeps! 

tagged: podcast drama itunes friends today life live it up seo

daniel · the wee hours · say it · ping it

Do not text all your friends at once. Chances are that you have got it all wrong and are making a fool of yourself… No mater how innocent the subject matter.
(Yet I can Twitter all day with no remorse?)

tagged: friends oops sms text   embarrassed

daniel · early evening · say it · ping it

I admit. I left the party kinda early. But srsly tho. I lasted longer than I thought I would. It was actually a housewarming, not a ‘garden party’ like I mentioned earlier. But it was in our Sheila’s backyard, which is becoming garden-like. Whatever. You get the idea. I embellished about the garden party. So it was a great little gathering! It’s always fun to meet your good friend’s other friends, right? It was a fun group. Kinda awkward in my regular group though, since there are those we haven’t seen much in a long time. Like a really long time. Like months. It was like hanging out with new people. Plus, I was a bit introverted as it was, what with all the meeting of new people. I don’t ‘meet’ well. That’s Richard’s niche. I can bond, but meeting is tough… Not that I can’t be social, but there is a difference with that. It’s more fake and totally temporary. THAT I am good at. Meeting people I may see again is like total pressure.

Anyhoo. So one of the people at the party I had met a few times. She was getting a bit tipsy, granted. But still, with all the touching! She was constantly touching me. (And swearing. I mean, I love a good f-bomb, but that is a separate issue and a whole other post)

What is with the touching? First of all, I have nothing against people touching me, in most cases. I am not a germ-o-phobe. In fact, there are good friends of mine that I just can’t hug enough… And I get that a ‘hug’ is a friendly greeting totally appropriate among acquaintances. However, it’s the assumed closeness that bugs. Just because you are standing behind me does not merit a hand on my shoulder, as an acquaintance. And wrapping your hands around my face is a bit too much… In fact, way too much. I pulled away saying “oh, that’s.. okay” as I removed her hands. Dumb thing to say, but I was trying to not be rude. I had a Home Ec. teacher once that did that (not actual Home Ec. It was ‘Single Survival’, I am not that gay...) , and I removed her hands from my person and loudly insisted she “DO NOT TOUCH ME”. In the middle of class. Don’t assume you can touch me at random after like 3 meetings.

Anyways, later she tried to hug me again. More touching. Ugh. Our hostess with the mostess caught me backing away… I felt bad, but dude. I was done with it. I had already started strategically placing myself away from this woman to avoid it (and the swearing). I tried to smile, hugged half-heartedly, then I ran for it…

tagged: party friends housewarming garden touchy-feely touching

daniel · evening · 1 comment · ping it

For all my Twitter friends. In the extended yo.

(via)

tagged: links twitter friends shizz shizzolater snoop dogg

daniel · lunch time · say it · ping it

So apparently there is some American Idol buzz that is not so favorable. Instead of linking to a reputable gossip source, I thought it’d be fun to post the email conversation flying about my inbox. Heh. Cause I love my friends. I love them and want them to be a part of my blog… Plus, I have been up since three in the morning and it is now four thirty in the afternoon. I’m exhausticated.

(Oh and all of this reminds me that I totally missed out on doing a Top 24 post. Damn!)

From: C
Subject: Idol Drama

Let the games begin.  Stories are already being released about Carly Smithson, formerly Carly Hennesy.  Apparently a couple of years back Carly had a major label (MCA) deal that went bust.  Her album only sold a couple hundred copies and she was dropped from MCA.  And now she’s on Idol trying to make her come back.  She’s already taken a spot in the top 24.  Contreversy asks whether or not she deserves that spot over some of the ‘unknowns’ who didn’t get in because she did.

What will Idol do?

From: C
Subject: More Idol Buzz

Yahoo profiled the top 24 today and uncovered that Carly Smithson isn’t the only Idol who has had professional backing.  Idol must of been worried about ratings this year and have managed to stack the deck with semi-professional contestants this year.  Apparently the judges weren’t being hopeful when they said it would be the best Idol yet.

From: F
Subject: Re: More Idol Buzz

Isn’t this like the debate a few years ago, where people thought it was slightly unfair that a contestant’s mother was a vocal coach?  I do not think it is unfair to have had a recording contract, and be a contestant.  As long as that said contract is no longer active, you should be able to compete. 

From: C
Subject: Re: More Idol Buzz

The argument is that those who had their chance once (or twice) already are taking the chance away from someone who hasn’t been as fortunate.  Personally I don’t care because I’m all for having experienced singers duke it out.  I’ve always preferred competition such as Nashville Star or the INXS search for a lead singer.  Which were based on more experienced performers.

Hmmm… Have we heard about this? What do you think?

tagged: american idol people drama friends american idol yahoo carly smithson contestant missed   Garbage - Hammering In My Head    
  tired

daniel · late afternoon · 3 comments · ping it

So I was out the other night with some friends. I have pretty friends. Too pretty I think. Somehow we got to talking about music and this one friend was like all aboot Xtina and some other young hotties. So I pointed out that he was like 12. How can I defend Madge with someone so young? It was then that he revealed that he was older than I. Much older. Of course I squealed with delight. Older? Hahahah. But he looks good… But who cares, I was YOUNGER! But we had been drinking… So all points were lost. Then out of nowhere he said he looked younger. Fuck.

Hold up.

What?

Of course I was graceful and let the conversation flow. But inside I screamed. I do not have a single wrinkle. My skin is not only youthful, I still need acne products. I am as moist as can be! So clearly the remark was aimed at my hairline. Betch. So yeah, you got all your hair but I can see every moment you spent in the sun this past summer. All I need is a hat while you have to apply your Cover Girl. But make up does little for wrinkles. Heh.

Still. I’d rather have my hair. I had a lot of hair once. In the right lighting I still do. Aging totally sucks yo. Maybe it’s time to shave my head? A lot of the boys at the bar were sporting shaved heads. I could go that route. Tall, dark eye brows, maybe a goatee? I could do it… What say you? 

tagged: time friends hair boys pretty hotties acne madge xtina

daniel · the wee hours · 5 comments · ping it