Really? Really?

So I hop onto MySpace and see this ad:

Thoughts that ran through my mind:

1) Why is he ripping off Blue Steel? Oh wait. That's definitely more of a "Le Tigre" look. But nowhere near Magnum.

2) Apparently in the time he's spending waiting for me, he's waxing his chest hair and...other areas.

3) Does he not know he is radiating douchebaginess from every pore? The carefully cultivated stubble, the meaningless cross, the "hey girl, whassup, can I buy you a drink?" look he's been using at the club every weekend since he could illegally sneak in at 19?

4) He could either be a low-level thug, or a guy trying to look like a low-level thug. I'm not sure which is worse; either way, he looks like he'd slip me a mickey. *

If this is really what's waiting. For Me., I'd like to find out where it is so I can avoid it, please.

*Note: His tattoos have nothing to do with my impression of him. I rather like tattoos, with these exceptions: Southern Pacific tribal designs when you're as WASPy as me, or if you're Mike Tyson; Chinese characters that have no specific meaning to you; any religious symbol you've co-opted for the look; tramp stamps (I saw a chick with a "Baby Girl" tattoo across her lower back today...nuff said); boob tattoos. Rant done.

Trashy or fantastic?

I figured out how to open a beer bottle using an eyelash curler.

I admit it.

I kinda want to go to this.

Let me explain the evolution of my love (a great song) for Justin Timberlake. It started very, very reluctantly. I wouldn't even buy the album; I asked Sean to (OK, made Sean) burn it for me. He was still the guy from n*Sync! He wasn't even cute!

But then... "Like I Love You," and "Rock Your Body," and "Senorita" slowly wore me down. And really, if you aren't converted by "Cry Me A River," you have no taste, and possibly no soul.

Now even at this point I wasn't a full-on JT fan, though I did feel hip enough to initialize him. I didn't go to the "Justified/Stripped" tour, which may be one of the most egregious mistakes of my post-teenaged youth.

Yet when I heard he was working on a new album, I was a little bit excited. Hmm.

But lo, and hark, and behold, there was the advent of "SexyBack," and anyone who is not compelled to dance when he or she hears that song should really run to the convent or monastery now, or somewhere else where you can be secluded from normal human beings. That song is GENIUS. It doesn't sound like anything else. It doesn't even sound like "Justified" Justin. When that song comes on, I will pretty much stop doing anything else I'm doing at that point, and if I can't break out into dance in the given situation, I will dance IN MY MIND and lament the fact I can't tear up the floor. I've danced in many places to this song -- clubs, bars (many in Europe, at my and Shereen's request/behest), when I'm in line at the store, in my car (well, however you can dance while in the car), when winning a contest at Lucky Cheng's drag restaurant/bar in NYC (eh, if you really want to know what kind of contest it was, ask)...you get the picture.

Oh, FutureSex/LoveSounds, I pre-ordered you on iTunes, and I have no regrets. "My Love"...well, I think Shereen could wax more eloquently about that song. It's good stuff. And "What Goes Around" is a brilliant "Cry Me A River" sequel. I don't care who he says it's about. You don't fool me, JT! You are still haunted by the ghost of Brit-Brit! When she was hot! But yeah, genius. LoveStoned is really fantastic, and I'm surprised more people don't rave about that song. I love it. And he hasn't released it as a single, and probably never will, but the title cut off of that album is damn. sexy. Perhaps he hasn't released it because there would be roughly one million more babies nine months later. JT doesn't want to be responsible for overpopulation, aite?

And as a sidenote, anyone who could actually pull off the sheer ridiculousness of "D*ck in a Box" is stratospherically awesome.

So yeah, I would like to see Justin Timberlake in concert. Anyone want to come with me?

Loneliness broken.

Today it snowed, and it was gorgeous. It was that pretty, light powdery snow that falls really gently and drapes itself in a lace-like blanket over the evergreens. I watched it through the huge windows, thinking for the very first time that the snow here, when it's like this, is magical.

I've finally pushed past the sadness that's been pushing on me. I attribute my shift in attitude to two people, directly: Matt and Bob. They're both coworkers, and I'm close to both in different ways. Matt is like my more scatterbrained (yet possibly more ambitious) twin; Bob is like my work dad. Matt arrived to Valley Forge yesterday; Bob arrived today. I couldn't have been happier to see them. I'm even tearing up about it. Damned little bottle of pinot grigio...

But see, I'm drinking that little bottle because I'm happy. I'm not one to drown my sorrows, but toast my joy. To finally being OK with being here. To realizing that I need friends and people who care about me, and I need them near me and around me. To getting a whole hell of a lot of work done today, because those friends inspire me to get my butt in gear. To getting everyone together for a delicious dinner at a great restaurant, and handing off my laundry to my extremely gracious ex-boss who's going to take it to the fluff n' fold for me.

There are always things to be happy about, and through the loneliness it's been hard to see those things. But friendship and companionship open your eyes and make you realize that sometimes, snow is beautiful, work can be good, and living in a hotel isn't all that bad of a deal. After all, it is across the street from a great mall. :)

That being said, I can't wait to get home tomorrow. I look forward to temperatures that break 50 degrees, possibly seeing the Pacific Ocean, doing makeovers, seeing my wife, having a prime rib dinner, and riding CalTrain, which would seem a weird thing to anticipate, but when you miss California, you love each and every little train stop, because it reminds you that you're home.