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Back to U Street
After a rough day at work, I went to Borders to pick up some DVDs as a super-belated birthday gift for a friend. So who should be there but motherfuckin AL FRANKEN.
At first I was like wow, it's Al Franken from Saturday Night Live! (Because I could care less about the political commentating he does.)
Then I was like oh HELL naw, he is in the music and DVD section all in my way!
But I was able to shop while he talked. So that was my celebrity sighting.
Then I called my frat Kwame and was like yo, where you at? Let's get wasted, it's been that kind of day. (I didn't mean it literally, that's just how we joke.)
Se we met up at Cafe Nema on U Street. Although there were some mix-ups with the order (I ordered a chicken kabob entree, and they gave me a chicken kabob sandwich, which I ate half of, then they came back and MADE me take the entree, lol) I really enjoyed it! The food was good, the music was nice, and the ambiance was good -- kinda like Takoma Station.
I had an amaretto sour which was tasty, thanks.
Then we walked a few doors down to Creme Cafe Lounge.... that was a little more upscale. Though I didn't eat there, I definitely would.
The drinks, however, were ON POINT. Try their Pink Lemonade....by the time I got to the bottom, I was like whoooooa.
I came home after that and had some moments that were reminiscent of my late grandfather Gus. I will leave it at that.
All in all, U Street is the spot.
And it was great to hang with my frat last night.
Today I'm meeting with a potential photographer for Old Gold Soul and I think giving a tour of Georgetown for some black folks.
Have a great Saturday!
Posted by Rashid on September 30, 2006 at 11:51 AM | Comments (3)
In the news...
Did y'all hear about the recent tragedy in the Simmon's house? It seems as though there were complications during the birth of Victoria Anne Simmons, the daughter of Reverend Run and his wife Justine...she passed away shortly after birth. I was really hoping that the story was just a hoax, but the family issues a press release. So terribly sad. More information here.
Do you believe T.O.? Not that it matters, but I don't think I do. His story (and he's sticking to it) is here, but the Smoking Gun has the real tea.
Car bombs, little girls dying from the dentist, and school shootings..... you see why I typically focus on entertainment in my blog? The real world is TOUGH.
Enjoy the weekend!
Posted by Rashid on September 29, 2006 at 8:43 AM | Comments (2)
Inspiration
Milt wants to know where do I get the inspiration for my characters...
Well Milt, that's actually a great question -- a much better-phrased one than "How much of this is autobiographical?" Argh! I hate that question!
In all of my work, the characters are fully developed before the whole story is mapped out. In a project I am working on now, for instance, I am starting with the characters and a situation -- no clue how the situation resolves, but I can tell you what the characters look like, what kind of cars they drive, what their kids do, how they were raised, etc.
So by the time the story begins, I already know these characters....I know how they would respond in a given situation.
Are they totally, one hundred percent fiction? Nah, maybe only 99 percent. That one percent is one of two things:
1) A character may visually have been inspired by someone I know.
or
2) A little bit of a character's experiences mirror experiences I have researched, read about, seen, or experienced myself.
But mostly, my stories evolve from what-if scenarios.
What if.... a guy pledged a fraternity and got outed halfway through?
What if....a guy dated a varsity basketball player?
Etc, etc. Did I ever date a basketball player? I WISH! Did I get outed while pledging? Nope.
Does Adrian Collins talk like me? Yes.
Does Adrian Collins look like me? No.
Does Savion behave like me? Yes.
Does Nina joke like me? Yes.
You see? It's not merely a retelling of my life -- it's a story that reflects various parts of my life, the parts that are also reflected in yours.
Posted by Rashid on September 27, 2006 at 8:59 PM | Comments (2)
My Humps
Well, it's hump day.
Work has been....work. The older I get, the more I understand the value of the weekend. Back in college, the weekend was when you did homework during the day and partied at night. And yeah, sometimes I miss being able to walk to a party a block away and walk home safely again.
Oh yeah, tomorrow night is "Meet the Chapter" at my undergrad APO chapter....I gotta go to that. Should be a nice way to kick off my weekend.
Got a lunch meeting with a photographer on Saturday -- should be fun! He's feeling my vision for the shoot.
There are lots of changes in store, kicking off with the long overdue release of Covenant. After some paperwork gets done today, I should FINALLY have a release date.
Alright....shower time....have a great one.
Posted by Rashid on at 6:47 AM | Comments (3)
Take it easy!
Friends! Fellas!!!
I can't have any back and forth arguing in Old Gold Soul Land....I had to delete some comments from another entry because they got too heated.
IIIIIIII'm the only person allowed to get heated up in here! LOL
On the real, I do appreciate your concern on the matters I mention in my blog. It makes me feel good to know that people care.
But please ma'am and please girt, keep it nice.
Posted by Rashid on September 25, 2006 at 5:02 PM | Comments (3)
On Noah's Arc
Last year I became part of a large crop of gay black male writers who had debut novels. It was me, Alphonso Morgan, Fred Smith, Dayne Avery, Trent Jackson, and Eric Ware. Of these, I became closest to Fred and along the way got (re)acquainted with Brent Dorian Carpenter. If I could describe how it felt to be surrounded by all these men and so many others who were part of the gay black literary explosion, I could only use one word: renaissance.
Black gay blogging reached epic proportions and the accompanying drama was legendary. We had infiltrated the internet in a major way.
And yes, we even had The Ski Trip so we could see ourselves on screen, albeit in independent movie houses and film festivals.
When I peruse the emails from my readers, I become keenly aware of what my work has meant to other gay black men, young and old. It means something to be able to pick up a book and see yourself in it. Yourself -- not a white character, not a straight character, but actually you.
I didn't have digital cable, so I wasn't exactly excited about the Logo network, just happy that an alternative venue for entertainment was available. Maurice Jamal could show The Ski Trip, for example. But I was still skeptical because it's an MTV network.
Then Noah's Arc premiered. I thought to myself, gee, that's great for Patrick-Ian Polk. I've never met him, but I did see him when he presented a sneak preview of the pilot for Noah's Arc back in....wow, it must have been 2004. I thought it was very sexy. But I never really thought there would be a venue that would welcome it. I thought at best maybe I could buy it on DVD.
But, as I said, Noah's Arc did finally make it on TV, though Logo. But damn, did it have to be digital cable? I couldn't see myself plopping down the extra money for what would amount to Noah's Arc, Degrassi, and Sesame Unpaved, the only three shows on digital cable that I would really watch. Well, and the day's rerun of Days of Our Lives.
Then the DVDs of the first season came out. I was like man, if people don't stop asking me if I've seen Noah's Arc..... plus, hell, I owe it to a fellow black artist to purchase the work.
So I bought it from Lambda Rising here in DC. I watched it.
And I loved it.
Sure, there are things about Noah's Arc that are worthy of a critique, but that's not what I am here for. I am here to let you know:
1) You need to buy Noah's Arc on DVD and watch the new episodes on Logo if you have it.
2) Noah's Arc has solidified the culutral renaissance among gay black men.
When I see Noah's Arc, I see myself.
In Noah I see the writer in me.... I see a young man who is struggling to find his big break in the world while maintaining his identity. I see someone who is unafraid to be himself. And most importantly, I see a man who only wants to love and be loved.
In Chance I see the nerd in me -- the little angel on everyone's shoulder who tells them to do the right thing. I see the scholar side of me...the person who absorbs knowledge like it's going out of style. And even in Eddie, I see the faces of men I have loved.
In Alex I see my inner queen -- I crack up EVERY time he says "girt." I see a man who has character traits that not everyone understands that sometimes leave him out of the loop. And I see creativity and passion. In his man Trey, I see everything that balances out those qualities -- someone who is as level headed as I am passionate. The type of man I need.
In Ricky I see my inner slut -- he and Noah are on opposite sides of the same coin. Both just want to love and be loved. Ricky is the version of myself without a strong moral compass....I have been Ricky and I might be him again. He is deeply scarred and I am eager to see the further development of his character.
In Wade.....oh lord, that Wade. Wade is the type of guy that has so much love to give he doesn't even know how to use it. I've been there before, too.
Noah's Arc brings together all types of men, all gay. One might not see themselves precisely in a character -- for example, Noah is way more "fabulous" than I'll ever be, and none of the male leads are as.... how can one say it... "down to earth" as most of my gay male friends are. And yes, for me, having nothing but gay friends isn't realistic or necessarily desired.
But I still see myself in the show. More importantly, I see everyone else. I see men who I would have shied away from ten years ago because they were flamboyant or even drag queens. ow...who cares? I love me a man in drag, especially if he's fabulous!
Noah's Arc has some solid actors and some pretty faces. Followers of the show might be surprised to learn that Baby Gat is my new favorite supporting character. He is charismatic, dynamic, and flamboyant, but in a heterocentric way. Plus, he's British. How can I not love a black British character?
Noah's Arc also seems to be that show that black actors want to be on. Last season they had Renaldo Rey and Garrett Morris, for example. This season so far they've had Victoria Rowell (in a deliciously melodramatic role as the Lesbian wife of Eddie's boss), Keith Hamilton Cobb (who portrays a progessive blogger and media pundit), and Raz B, as a patient in Alex's clinic.
And let's not forget Wilson Cruz, who has shown off his chops as Dr. Junito Vargas. Let me just say that if you boo-hooed during the Christmas episode of My So-Called Life (remember when he was in that?) then you will be pleased at the dramatic evolution of Mr. Cruz.
The the brave soldiers who portray these characters, I salute you. Regardless of your sexuality, it is important that gay black men, especially the youth, see images of themselves. You have taken on the challenge of playing a role that could mean career suicide -- fight the good fight, for the sake of the craft as well as the people who look to your images for affirmation.
I especially salute you, Doug Spearman. You are an out gay black actor. Is there anything more to say?
To Patrick-Ian Polk....a man of my generation (and if not, you sure look like it to me).... life takes us in strange directions. In 2004, Punks was out but you were on your grind trying to make Noah's Arc a reality. I probably got no more than 20 feet away from you, but I admired your tenacity. Now your dream has been realized. You inspire black gay men (hell, all men and women) with every new episode of Noah's Arc, and every public appearance you make.
You have solidified the black gay renaissance through your efforts. Because of you, and all the other soldiers out there, you have put faces to our stories. You have transmitted our lives to the homes of people in the 'hood and in the cornfields.
I hope you're proud of yourself, because I sure am proud of you.
Posted by Rashid on September 24, 2006 at 2:29 PM | Comments (3)
Stood Up!
Well, I had a lovely dinner on U Street last night at a place called Sula Thai. I had satay (chicken on a stick with a peanut dipping sauce) and pad thai. It was my first time having fresh, "real" pad thai, though my Little once made me some, and she's half Thai, so that counts for something.
I ate alone.
See, I called up a friend on Friday because I was going through some things. I told him "I need to see you." I hadn't seen him in months. We chat online every now and then but rarely on the phone. I keep our relationship at a certain level because...well, I'm attracted to him but he has a boyfriend.
I'm not a homewrecker, so I leave him be.
The things I was going through were something he could directly relate to, and I needed to talk to him, face to face, to sort through these things.
"I need to see you...."
"Um, okay, where is this coming from?"
"...." and with that I explained the importance of seeing him to talk about this.
Now I know some of you are thinking perhaps I wanted to see him because I'm attracted to him....it's not even like that. This thing I'm going through is so unique that only he could identify with it and he could give me some good advice.
Plus, he's my friend.
So he said sure, he'd see me. We decided to meet at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street -- it was a reasonable location for me, the carless, and he agreed to come into the city. 5pm, we said.
I also had to work until 4pm, so that gave me time to get there. Well, turns out we were done before 4, so I was down there by 4:10. I walked about U Street and ended up buying me a juice from The Mocha Hut, which was very nice on the inside but had no free seats! EVERYBODY had a laptop (including me).....which kind of disappointed me for a few reasons. One, what if I had a date and wanted to eat? There were NO seats for two people....just lots of single people taking up all the damn space with their laptops and work. I dunno, I think that's a bit rude. Then, I mean if U Street is supposed to be part of this new cultural renaissance, there sure isn't a whole lot of...mingling. I dunno, it was quiet or somethin. In terms of atmopshere, Busboys and Poets had more hustle and bustle.
So I waited for a table outside to get freed up, after considering asking somebody if I could share their space. I really wanted to just sit down, sip my juice, and wait to go back to Ben's to meet my friend. I whipped out my laptop and started typing some notes for an upcomign project.
After a while, a dude with an Alpha Phi Omega lanyard keychain sat down at a table across from me and started talking to some dude. As I got up to leave, I said "Alpha Phi Omega?" and he was like "Oh no, these are just my friend's keys." And I was like "Oh, I see. Well, I'm your friend's brother. Have a good one."
I should tell you that my friend doesn't have a cell phone, which is important to why I got stood up.
So I'm at Ben's, I peep inside, don't see him, and I begin waiting around in front of the Lincoln Theater. I'm wearing my Batman t-shirt, partially because it's black and gold and partially because since I've lost a little weight this year, it fits a lot better than when I first bought it.
This guy who I assume is homeless saw my shirt and was like "Hey, Batman! Batman rocks!" and then he threw the universal "rock n roll" sign, which to some of you is the Sigma sign, lol.
I smiled and hoped that he didn't ask me for any change.
I waited ten minutes and called Shari.
"Shari, he ain't gonna come."
"No, he's not. Because he's a bastard. TEE HEE."
She and I are sarcastic like that. We laughed....I don't know what inside me didn't think he was coming, but I hoped he would prove me wrong.
Called my mom at 5:30.
"Mom, like, how long should I wait for somebody who's agreed to meet me for dinner but doesn't have a phone where I can reach him?"
"He hasn't called?"
"Naw."
"Well, wait fifteen more minutes, then go on about your business."
I knew she would say that. I also knew from watching Noah's Arc that I'd probably be kept waiting 45 minutes....alone...on my birthday. (LOL it's not really my birthday though)
So 45 minutes seemed fair. To be waiting on U Street for a friend who agreed to meet me to help me work through some things.
Obviously, I got stood up. I called Shari back and told her I was going to Sula Thai. And that's just what I did.
The food was good. I wasn't too depressed or anything, just disappointed. Very, very disappointed.
Thinking to myself only once or twice "Why does this always seem to happen to me?"
Stood the fuck up.
On the upside, I had some good Thai food and really really enjoyed being on U Street! Let me tell you -- that place is the black DuPont Circle. You can't tell me all those old black men walking in pairs weren't married! (To each other, that is.)
I feel like I got some looks from some of the younger dudes, too. Ones in their 20s or 30s. I was like whoa, you look straight than a mug, are you looking at little old moi?
I mean, nobody approached me, which is fine, but it was nice to be looked at, and to look back.
I haven't heard from my friend. I could assume a lot of things.... maybe he's sick, maybe his boyfriend is sick. Maybe he had car trouble. Maybe he lied to his boyfriend about where he was going and got hemmed up. Maybe the boyfriend doesn't trust him around me.
I don't know. All I know is that I needed somebody and they weren't there for me. All I can do is be disappointed, maybe even talk about it with him, and move on.
Oh yeah....remember my birthday dinner? He was a no show for that, too. Didn't even mention it until a month later.
....shame on me.
Posted by Rashid on at 9:21 AM | Comments (2)
Blogger updates and work reminiscences
So as you all know, I don't blog nearly as much as I once did when I was but a poor boy struggling to get by as a teacher in the DC Public Schools. I miss those days to an extent..... working daily with kids who were happy to see you just because you were a sub. I mean come on....everybody loves the sub!
I would roll out of bed at 7:30, shower, grab a snack, and walk the two blocks to work. If I got there early enough, I might grab some breakfast in the cafeteria, put up my daily agenda if I was subbing, or just chill if I was functioning as an aide.
I worked nearly three full years at that school! That's the longest I ever worked in one place, second only to my high school and college job at NIH, which was five years. It was sad to leave, but I know I moved on to something even greater.
My current job gives me supervisory experience, a chance to work directly with community members, opportunities for professional development, and probably the thing I like the most is working on college campuses again. It helps that I still look like a collegiate -- please believe that I remain flattered every time someone asks "What year I you?" and I say "Class of 2001."
Love that! I still got it! *bumps afro*
But one major drawback to this job is one that I anticipated: time.
I frequently work ten hour days, sometimes twelve. This has severely hampered my efforts to get Covenant out on time. In addition to that, I don't have the energy to blog every day anymore. That, my friends, will change. I am currently crafting a plan that will get me blogging on a regular basis again, at least four days a week. Work with me.... Old Gold Soul is coming back.
But, that said.... I had even less time to read my favorite blogs....in some cases, even months. So as I went down the list, I discovered some things....
Felecia Pride and The BackList is still up and running, with brand new colors. (New to me.)
Bernie is still blogging every few days.... I love his entries. I'd like to meet him some day.
malik hasn't updated since early august. But I talk to him via email sometimes, so I'm not worried.
Butta done got herself a gig writing at Vibe Confidential!
More later....
Posted by Rashid on September 17, 2006 at 10:57 AM | Comments (1)
We won!
Goooooooooooo Fenty!!!!!!!
Posted by Rashid on September 12, 2006 at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)
Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins: A Review
So you know how I never get a chance to read anymore? Well, I made time to read a trashy Jackie Collins novel. Woo hoo!
I haven't read one since Rock Star, which I read at WAY too young an age! I remember that Rock Star was obviously "about" real people, or at least inspired by them. Lovers and Players was no different.
There is a primary story and a secondary story here, and my only major complaint about the novel is that although it takes the reader about five seconds to figure out how the storylines are related, it takes Jackie Collins the majority of the novel to finally tell us.
So the primary story is that an old and cruel billionaire named Red Diamond has summoned his three sons to New York for some stunning revelations. Each son had a different mother, and each mother was dead, except for one who is a drunk and doesn't appear much in the story.
Max, the eldest son, is a businessman who reminds me of a young Donald Trump. Not as wealthy, but just as ambitious. He has an ex-wife, Mariska, and a little brat of a daughter named Lulu, whose ass I wanted to whup for the entirety of the novel. He also has a new, virginal fiance named Amy who has money's grandmother -- literally.
Chris is the middle son who has a gambling and sex addiction. He is also a lawyer to the stars. I felt like I wanted to know the most about this character but it never quite happened.
Jett is the baby of the family and the biggest fuck-up. Big time alcoholic and a model. Has a girlfriend named Gianna who reminds me of all the fabulous European/South American Georgetown girls I went to school with.
So......somebody gets killed, somebody has an affair, everybody kinda wants Red's money, but nobody really WANTS his money.
The second story is about Red Diamond's housekeeper's estranged daughter, named Liberty. She's a light-skinned waitress at a coffee shop and an aspiring singer.....hmmmmm, who dat sound like?
Yup, sounds like an Alicia Keys video to me, too.
So she's an aspiring singer and links up with a very Diddy-inspired music mogul. He's married but seems to be Fallin' for her.
I'm loathe to say much more about the plot, but overall it was a great read! Long as hell, but that's Jackie Collins for you. It satisfied my need for a light read with fantastic storylines that could never happen to little old me. Don't you just love characters with unlimited money?
I liked that Jackie attempted to give an authentic voice to her black characters. In terms of dialect, I probably wouldn't have used all the same grammar/spelling choices, but I give her points for trying.
It was a great novel and I recommend it.
Posted by Rashid on September 9, 2006 at 7:26 AM | Comments (0)
This dumb skank.....
Look at what Linda Crapp said, as reported by the Georgetown Voice today:
“I want to have a D.C. ‘Peace Corps’ for education, to provide extra support for non-performing schools,” she said. She later clarified to The Voice that this organization would be composed of college students, adding, “There’s so much talent that hasn’t been tapped in the universities.” Her own record on the school board, often held up by opponents as a failure, became a point of pride as she related her fight to open and save Banneker High School, which has since become one of Newsweek’s top fifty high schools nationwide. The story ended in cheers from the crowd.
First of all, "Peace Corps for education".....???? Um, I am pretty sure there's a little thing called TEACH FOR AMERICA that does the same thing. And if you can't get enough of that, there's a little thing caled the DC TEACHING FELLOWS. Both are very good programs through which I've met some very good teachers.
So Linda Cropp wants to reinvent the wheel.....typical of politicians. But what ticks me off even more is her statement about untapped talent in the universities.
Are you kidding me??? Try this on for untapped resources:
After School Kids:
The ASK Program addresses the needs of juvenile offenders who have been or may be subject to incarceration. The program's goal is to assist the youths in successfully completing the terms of their probation while helping them to build self-esteem through the development of life skills and constructive patterns of behavior.
ASK participants, referred to the program by their probation officer, meet twice weekly in groups of 10-12 at several different sites in the District of Columbia. The youths are matched with Georgetown University volunteers for one-to-one tutoring sessions and group activities on topics ranging from conflict mediation, interviewing and job-search skills, African-American history, and artistic expression to current events. Youths also participate in cultural and recreational activities such as trips to the theater and museums, as well as camping expeditions and community service projects. Staff members maintain contact with each youth's family, teachers, and probation officers.
***
DC Reads is a tutoring program for low-income children in the first through third grades who are not reading at grade level. DC Reads began in 1997 as a local response to the America Reads Challenge, a literacy initiative established to improve reading proficiency for all elementary students. America Reads Challenge allowed university students who are eligible for financial aid to receive work study funds tot tutor children in reading.
DC Reads provides on-site, one-hour tutoring sessions twice a week in public schools, parochial schools and community-based organizations...
DC Reads currently has approximately 60 Georgetown University students supporting the literacy development of approximately 75 of Washington, DC’s struggling readers in the primary grades. Tutors are paid through federal work study or volunteer their time.
***
The DC Schools Project, a program of the Center for Social Justice at Georgetown University, recruits Georgetown students and gives them the support necessary to effectively provide English as a Second Language tutoring services to the District's low-income youth and adults of immigrant backgrounds.
***
Heads Up: A University Neighborhood Initiative
Founded in 1996, Heads Up is a non-profit organization that runs education and enrichment programs for children and families living in the most under-resourced parts of Washington, D.C.
A unique type of organization, Heads Up draws particularly on the untapped potential of the city’s college students as its tutors, teachers, and mentors. At the same time, Heads Up helps these college students understand their social responsibilities and trains them in the leadership skills to carry them out.
Today, our efforts include daily after-school and summer programs for elementary school students, weekly college and job readiness activities for teenagers, and a service-learning curriculum for college students.
Our entrepreneurial spirit, our commitment to results, and our belief in the principles of service, learning, and leadership guide us towards the day when all children have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams of a better life.
***
Those are just snapshots of programs I know about....come on, now.
But finally, let me talk about the white elephant in the room, Banneker High School. Banneker is not normal and never was. It is my belief that the existence of schools like Banneker damage neighborhood schools by drawing away the talented youth in the communities. Meanwhile, Banneker is consistently highly ranked among high schools. Well d'uh, no shit Sherlock -- you have to apply to get in. You have to already have quality grades, so it's not like there are any dummies in the first place. And unlike a regular public school, they don't have to keep you if you're failing. So graduation rates are always at a hundred percent, as are college placements.
But what they don't tell you is that Banneker kids struggle as hard as everyone else during that first year in college. What they don't tell you is that yes, some Banneker alums flunk out of college on their firs try. I've seen it. Much love to Banneker, but you can't use that as a measuring stick for success in the DC public schools. Show me schools like Dunbar, Wilson, HD Woodson, and Coolidge. Ordinary schools for extraordinary kids.
Anyway....that really rubbed me the wrong way this morning. Hope everyone has a great day!
Posted by Rashid on September 7, 2006 at 6:38 AM | Comments (1)
Gay, Black, Crippled, Fat!
From Gay, Black, Crippled, Fat! by Adarro Minton
It’s Just a Dream
I have this recurring dream where I am confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life because the chair fell in love with me. Every morning when I wake up, it’s there by the side of my bed waiting, genuflecting, demanding I join with it just once more. Then it will leave me alone. But it lies, and the next day it is there again feigning compassion. While clandestinely leaving it’s accessories around the house. When I confront it, it threatens to leave, rolling to the door, leaving me and my lifeless legs on the floor. Only after I beg does it return, daring me to ever again rebuke it.
End.
A look at the base, vile, twisted, deviant world of, GAY MARRIAGE!
James didn’t smell food or hear pork chops frying in the kitchen. Mike, even though he had the whole day off, didn’t find it necessary to carry his lazy black ass into the kitchen to cook something for dinner. James, pissed off now, began pulling take-out menus from the junk drawer, and slamming them, one by one, onto the counter. Trying his best to intentionally disrupt Mike from The Oprah Show, and the simultaneous phone conversation he was casually having with his best friend Rita.
He didn’t want Chinese, SLAM, not tonight. He didn’t have a taste for Indian or Thai either; SLAM; SLAM. Mike heard and slid into the kitchen, his normally smoldering curly hair all fucked up and pushed grotesquely to one side, crusty boogers dried in the corners of his eyes, still dressed in the same drawers he slept in and asked James, “Hun, can you run back out to McDonald’s?”
James, awake since 5:00 a.m., two and a half hours commuting, eight hours at work kissing white mother fuckers ass, and then commuting three more hours to get home, picked up his briefcase, walked past Mike to the front door, and tossed it out onto their manicured White Plains lawn.
Mexican landscapers had carefully clipped crisp lines where the grass met the sidewalk, perfectly rounded hedges, and small happy pink, red, and yellow flora that only the crazy old “cat lady” at the end of the block knew the name of. James clapped his hands together and declared:
“THAT’S IT, I’m gonna take two years off and go back to school!”
“And work free-lance from home like your lazy ass.”
“I’d sure like to sit on my ass for awhile.”
“Maybe when we go broke I can get a decent meal on a fuckin’ soup line!”
Mike stood, repentant. His head down, appropriately soundless. James brushed by him, thumped the drawer closed, and slapped the menus off the counter. Mike flinched as their bedroom door slammed shut.
Vexed for letting the day get away from him, Mike grabbed a pair of shorts from the hamper in their downstairs bathroom, and went outside to retrieve James’ attaché. As he headed back into the house, Harriet Ludwig, from across the street, gave him a “toot-toot” on the horn, and a smiling wave as she passed him in her mini-van; on her way to get her daughter from ballet class.
Mike picked up his car keys as he passed through the living room up the stairs and stopped halfway and said:
“James I’m going to Boston Market!” James didn’t answer.
Mike tried again, “James, you want Mac and cheese or rice with your dinner?”
James answered, “I don’t care.”
“James, do you want food from Boston Market or not?” Again, there was no answer.
James, hoping to parlay this minor/major transgression, into some GOOD oral later on, was trying on the ginger and black suede shoes he’d bought a few weeks earlier at Bijan, and planned to wear to a party at Rita’s house on Saturday night.
“J-a-m-e-s”, Mike sung, pleading. “Do you want Boston Market or not”.
“no.”
“You want me to go to Manarola, get that pasta you like,” willing to pay any reparation even REALLY GOOD oral, after dinner.
“Do you, J-a-m-e-s?”
“yes”.
“Okay, I’ll be right back”.
As Mike made his way back down the stairs he heard the bedroom door open,
“Don’t forget the,” Mike cut him off,
“I know, extra garlic bread, and marinara on the side.”
“I don’t know why you brought my briefcase in, I’m not going back to work.”
“I know baby, we’ll talk about it when I get back.”
Mike walked out the door, jumped into the car and went to Manarola. James, already undressed, took a shower and put on his spaghetti sauce shirt, an old t-shirt he could eat in comfortably without fear of staining it with this sauce or that, and a pair of sweats with pockets, he would control the remote tonight.
End.
Posted by Rashid on September 3, 2006 at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)
YES!
THANK YOU, Days of Our Lives!
I just read that you're now getting rid of the actors who played Frankie and Patrick.
Let me say that I really do like the both of them as actors, but.....it just never really worked for me.
Frankie would be so much better with Eve (not Eve the cop, but Eve Donovan). I remember their chemistry before they left the show before.
And Patrick....I mean, they never really gave him a history. He never seemed like a Lockhart to me. He wasn't a very believable big brother to Mimi....he didn't seem to like his on-screen mother....I dunno, I liked the fact that nobody knew whether he was good or evil.
As usual, Days didn't know what to with all the actors they hired.
In sadder news, they recasted Shawn-Douglas. :-( I SO wanted them to get rid of Shawn, Belle, Mimi, and Phillip all at once.
I reckon I should get a TiVo or something soon so I can watch the madness unfold again!
Posted by Rashid on September 2, 2006 at 3:24 PM | Comments (0)
Why I'm Voting for Adrian Fenty:
1) He supports education, and in particular will appoint a Deputy Mayor of Education. That's hot.
2) Though he understands that the schools need to be improved, he supports the current superintendent's plans for rigorous academics AS WELL AS a vocational education plan. (Yeah, while you weren't looking, Voc Ed in DC was all but phased out!)
3) He's not afraid to be the lone dissenter. I like the fact that he didn't vote in favor of that runky-dink emergency crime bill. If the cops would DO THEY JOBS in the first place..... (As a side note, why were the pigs giving out tickets for jay walking on capitol hill? I was like are you shitting me? JAYWALKING TICKETS, when somebody somewhere in this city is getting raped or murdered?)
4) He spoke out in favor of marriage equality EARLY on. (Fall 2005) None of that namby-pamby civil union shit, either. I want a husband and Fenty wants me to have the right to have one!
5) I like his energy....after my childhood with Mayor For Life Marion Barry and Sharon Prett Kelly, and my young adulthood with the ultra-dry Anthony Williams (whom I do love), I am ready for someone who mirrors the passion that I feel for my city.
Those are my big reasons. There are many other ones, but in a nutshell I support his platform and my gut has been leading me in this direction ever since he was elected Ward 4 Councilman. (GOOOOOO WARD 4!)
So DC residents check out his site, make a contribution, and VOTE FENTY for Mayor on September 12!
PS -- We'll ignore the fact that he made the ultimate error in pledging Krappa. :-/
Posted by Rashid on at 2:50 PM | Comments (2)