Official website for humorist, Twitterist [it is so a word] and occasional fiction writer Benjamin Kissell.
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Jesus Had Galilee, I Have GoodWill: Angels in America(n Eagle) a.k.a. a shopping miracle
Benjamin Kissell
insert your own pithy commentary
Look, I realize it's been about two years since I wrote anything new on here let alone anything funny for you to read.
I'm sorry?
At some point [and I couldn't quite pin the tail on the donkey with it] I began to veer away from self-aggrandizing situational humor towards (what editors have told me to call) speculative fiction and fantasy with lots of descriptors and enough adjectives that Tolkien and Dickens worry about my word count [and my editors to bring out the red pen o'doom].
It wasn't that I don't like sharing my life and foibles with you. It wasn't that I disliked sharing details of my forthcoming/came-and-went wedding or the everyday moments with my husband [seriously, two years flew by!]. It's not really that I didn't think of funny things to share with you guys. It wasn't even that I didn't have it in me [I'm pretty sure I could have sat less on the couch eating pizza/casserole/tater tots and more writing OTHER things than faerie short stories and allegory pieces]. It simply boiled down to the classic aphorism: It's not you, it's me.
You see, somewhere, somewhen, I began to stop feeling all uber-narcissistic towards what I do on a daily basis [read: working some, cooking more, writing in-between kitteh scritches and laundry] and finding it enthralling to detail it in a self-aggrandizing/effacing manner.
Again, I'm sorry?
And then, this [redacted and softened around the edges] photo happened.
[edited out of the picture: the faces of two random folk and my husband who also got dragged into posing]
You see: While it has been pointed out that I would be considered "attractive" in this photo [the word "bear" may have been bandied about]; I felt, when looking at my jeans - my oh so comfy and cherished, favorite leg-lenthening and flattering jeans ... GAH! I felt betrayed and absolutely GAH! towards them. They weren't flattering. No. They were liars (and so was the angled floor-length mirror in our bedroom which reflected my legs look long and lean in these jeans); they were 'leg-chunkening and shortening because they can' jeans. No. My GAH! feeling towards all of this was my own undoing.
From sitting in said jeans and the blurring of the photo for posterity (and promptly discarding them in the laundry bin in lieu of basic black cargo knee-length cargo shorts before walking out the door) my handsome husband and I thence proceeded to the same low-price/up-scale namebrand boutique [cough Burlington cough] where we had procured our wedding vests in the search to procure a new vest for our mildly-similar-to-Newt Scamander-esque vibe to our joint crafting venture. And, for me, to hunt for something that made me feel good about myself.
A pair of miracle ego pants, if you will.
[the vest search plays no part here except that it embedded in me the desire for a specific slim-fit, skinny-leg BRIGHT HIPSTER BLUE jeans that Burlington had, but in sizes too big or laughably far too small]
Scamander-esque and absolutely squee-worthy vests in-hand and my NEED FOR NEW PANTS still burning away, we continued on to my favorite string of thrift stores [cue Macklemore's 'Popping Tags' if you get where I'm going here]: GoodWill.
Yes, at the first one we found gator shoes (those are blue) and a sweet, look-like-they-were-still-untouched pair of Converse snearkers, but the pants? The 'okay, these have possibility' pants on offering?
No.
Honestly? If I wanted to look like I rolled up into K-Mart's mom jeans section circa 1996, then they would have had me covered.
"Oh look, they come in just my shame ... I mean, size"
The second and third offerings panned out just as successfully for my miracle pants-longing as the first. By now, hungry, angry and frustrated, we agree to hit the last of the chain in the area before nabbing a late lunch at a favored restaurant. [to drown our disappointment in queso blanco? Why not?] While in the past this particular outlet had been rife with great finds, in the last year/year-and-a-half it had waned to more miss than hit; yet, we said "why the hell not?"
Because, when you're hunting for your miracle you'll take ABBA's advice: and take a chance (on me).
As we pulled into the parking lot we realized that the sunshine and Sunday sales drew in a heady crowd of post-Church-goers. Wishing I brought a taser [oh, come on - I wouldn't use it ... probably] and, despite having to resist smacking the grabby 10 year old who felt that he HAD TO TOUCH EVERYTHING WITH HIS SNEEZE COVERED HANDS and wait for the be-mulleted man to sidle away from THE GORGEOUS PAIR OF BEACH CORAL RED SLACKS I WILL CUT A BITCH TO OWN, it was an uneventful beginning. Within a few minutes I had, like before, a full armload of jeans and pants that held appeal and I was willing to take a chance on in the changing room; but, like at the previous stores, I was ready to be disappointed. (For example, the absolutely adorable pair of straight-leg acid-wash jeans that looked to be EXACTLY my style turned out to be 1) ones I had actually donated several months prior and 2) still too damn small as they wouldn't make it halfway up my thighs.)
But, oh, how I whispered a fervent prayer as I eyeballed the seven, I mean five - they only let you take five items into the changing room - pairs of pants on the hanger.
"Please, if you are a kind,just and loving god/deity/Cher, please, let me find at least one pair of jeans that A) fit and B) don't make me look like a "What Not To Wear" promo. Thank you"
And, as I slipped on the I WILL KICK SMALL CHILDREN FOR THESE PANTS red slacks they not only fit past my thighs, they ... gasp ... went about my waist and comfortably zipped! No Moose knuckles for me today, kids! [if you have to ask what a Moose Knuckle is, just urbandictionary.com that shit - oh, and Camel Toe] I was ecstatic! Wiggling my bum in a probably-more-embarrassing-than-its-worth-to-tell dance, I bumped my knee on the small bench before hanging them up in glee.
Would the denim-in-sunset colored slim-cut straight-leg slacks fit, too? Oh joy-of-joys, yes!
A thousand times, yes! They fit! And look! Oh Sweet Baby Ray's how they make my legs look long and lean in this unflattering overhead fluorescent lighting. If I look bangin' in this, I look fantastic. Period.
And now, the moment of moments: will the super-cute, super-Hipster, super-affordable American Eagle skinny-leg, baby blue jeans fit?
Like.
A.
Fucking.
Glove.
The overhead lighting dims and, suddenly, it's like I'm in my own soft-focus Angela Lansbury (patent-pending) lighting. I look sexy. I look svelte. I look ... like I'm only slightly heavier than I was when I met my husband; whom I realize is still on the other side of the changing room's door. And, just as I go to unbutton the not-tight-at-all top button I hear it. Like the silence descending upon the world as dawn breaks, I hear it:
"Life is a mystery / everyone must stand alone ..."
Oh, blessed be Madonna.
And, for a moment, god/deity/Cher with a fantastic sense of humor and timing grants me my little miracle of emporacular proportions.
Are you God?
And that, dear readers, is why I felt the need to share - perhaps overshare - and (even if momentarily) return to give you a laugh or two, too.
DESPERATELY SEEKING ... ATTENTION [how many glasses of wine will it take to get this to happen or will I give up before it does]
Benjamin Kissell
Why yes, I assume that mocking Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey is a brilliant and oh-so-time-appropriate commentary. Right? I'm totally cutting edge, here ...
I've never made a secret of my intense, full-bodied disinterest in Twilight from the get-go [think of an oak-barrel aged Cabernet Sauvignon]. I made pithy, under-my-breath comments about it to its face like some mean girl bitching about 'that' skank in school; penning snark-fueled tweets like I was Taylor Swift after a break-up [pick one - I love the girl, she knows how to write some scathing ex-songs]. As an openly gay man who has a penchant for awesome hairdos, you would think I'd be right there with the rest of the world fawning over Robert Pattinson. But, you would be wrong. In short, I did not like Twilight, its author, most of its actors, its media saturation ... and truth be told, nor was I a fan of its odd effect on the populace.
That is ... except when it came to my paycheck.
When Twilight began baring its fangs with the herds of Twi-Hards (teens and moms) my store - the now, lamentably gone Borders Books Inc. - took note. We saw the rabid fans queueing up outside of the Young Adult bookshelves hunting for copies of Twilight, New Moon and their ilk as well as the as-many-as-possible and the are-you-kidding-me weird concoctions we tossed on the shelves to tie-in to the Twilight brand.
Hell, there are (somewhere) even photos of me in white-tinged make-up and glitter posing with customers (and their mothers) as I played ring-master in our Twilight parties. [Yes, I am aware how hipster it is of me to both mock them and yet partake in their excesses ... in my defense, I'm a narcissist who loves to have an audience (as evidenced by my article "Pavlovian Responses"). ] We all played a part - audience, readers, book-sellers and even detractors - in the media and hype that became the Twilight typhoon of popularity. [How Fraudian is my subconsious; I had to type 'popularity' three times there ... the first two times I misspelled it as 'poopularity'.]
I even tried to make my way through the movies a few years back; my ex-roommates decided we should have a 2-day Twilight-a-thon in honor of the series ending. Between distracting myself with texting my friend John - who would go on to be my boyfriend fiance - and the nigh-criminal levels of wine I chugged to make it through the first 3 films ... well, you'd think I was at Gitmo the way I whined, bitched and moaned. Of course, by the second bottle (and end of the first movie) I was actually - dare we say it - enjoying the movies. I found myself texting John little gems like "drunkety juice makes plot holes disappear" as I got progressively more shit-faced and enjoying the hyper-over-acting and piss-poor rip-off writing [seriously; read Romeo & Juliet, watch Roswell and then compare them to Twilight ... you're welcome]. Of course, I woke up the day-after with cotton mouth and a sense of shame on-par with being dumped by a Kardashian.
Why no, I didn't crash and burn ... or wake up wondering if I might be Rosanna Arquette. Eventually I HAD to make a reference to the movie whose title I'm homaging for this article.
[Random Twilight Reference: If you want a good laugh, check out the wickedly-witty Jen Lancaster's twisted takes on Twilight reenactments (with toys! pets! snark!) on her original site,Jennsylvania]
Twilight is, oh-so-grudgingly-admitted, a cultural phenomenon [of course, so were the Taco Bell Chihuahua and Crazy Town ... so we're not talking the best-of here] and, like any true cultural phenomenon, it spawned everything from spoof books (National Lampoon did it right) to rip-offs and prolific fan fiction. In the rare instance of genuine talent trumping subject matter authors like Cassandra Clare shot into the spotlight - and bestsellers list - when their Twilight Fan Fic writing found its way onto various literary agents' screens [I so heart Cassie - such a sweetheart; I've yet to hear anyone speak an ill word of her].
Of course, just as soon as I'm about to forgive and forget with Twilight and its hellspawn, we're gifted with the oh-so-what-the-f#@k-ness of Fifty Shades of Grey (the ultimate BDSM fan fic of Twilight) and its omnipresent popularity.
Can I just ...
Uhm ...
I mean it's ...
Yeah, no. The tampon thing? Eww. I'll just be over here waiting until the furor over the novel/movie/everything-else-associated-with-it dies down. Go on, entertain yourselves with it - I have a good book and I learned how to wait years ago. [Of course, if wine is involved while I wait, lawdd knows what shitty things I may begin to stop hating ... perhaps even Kanye West? Nah. The amount of sweet, sweet Moscato needed to make that happen would kill me first.]
You know, come to think of it, the rampant narcissist in me keeps wondering if I should start writing Twilight Fan Fic in a get-rich/famous-quick scheme. I mean, I've no qualms admitting that I want massive attention called to my writing - even when I don't always have something deep to say. Ooh! Perhaps, I could call it 'Middle of the Day' and make it about a struggling artist and her creep-tastic stalker-esque anger-management-needing agent-turned-lover ...
'BLESS YOUR HEART', 'HAVE A GOOD NIGHT' AND OTHER SNARKY TIPS FOR THE RETAIL-MINDED [in other words ... how to say 'f#@k off' with a smile]
Benjamin Kissell
It's a lovely day in your neighborhood ... when you can tell that jackass across the street to 'f#@k off' with the sweetest smile.
When you work in the customer-service or retail industries your patience, serenity and good humor are brought into question more often than Amanda Bynes' sobriety. [I'll let the brilliant timeliness of that sink in for a few ... >pause< ... has it sunk in yet?]
Despite the fact that by and far the most prevalent customers you deal with on a daily basis are apathetic at best - neither truly offal [hehe - I crack myself up sometimes] nor wonderful - it is the complete asshat f#@ktards who stand out in your memory. Think about it ... that sweet older lady who said you reminded her of her granddaughter with your cute pixie cut made you smile? Or that exhausted businessman who said you made his day when you were able to snag him an unavailable room at an over-packed hotel gave you warm fuzzies? No, it's the jackass who told you to go f#@k yourself because your coupon-rate was "still too f#@king high" who will dominate your memory of the day.
And that? Is not cool.
It's completely unfair.
And I? Am happy to share with you a few of my hints and tips for taking the sting out of it. [Without going so far as to suggest actions which would land you in a libel-suit or arrested for jamming bananas up ungrateful asshats tailpipes whilst backing away into shadows flipping the bird ala Bitch Pudding.]
............................................
It's true. And "you're so sweet" means 'you're so full of shit you're attracting flies' ...
"Bless Your Heart" This classic Southern aphorism is a tried-and-true method to passive-aggressively toss a snarky remark at someone while making it seem like an almost compliment (or at least a 'not your fault'). If done correctly, you deliver the stinging barb with such accurate timing and saccharine sweetness that not only does the dickwaffle not realize he's been insulted, but he wonders if it may be a compliment.
"It's my pleasure" ... to help brain-dead asshats like yourself who seem to think the world revolves around you [however, you leave that last part unspoken]. Whenever you have a particularly grating customer-service situation, simply inserting this one-liner into the conversation will both possibly diffuse the custy's inherently piss-poor mood and give you brownie points (especially if they're Chik-Fil-A patrons with any regularity). [However, you lose all brownie points and go back to start when you do this with gritted teeth and a barely-contained snarl on your lips.]
"Have a Good Morning/Night/Afternoon" Nothing helps deflate an asshat custy quite like the perfectly delivered [with an unironical smile] 'Have a good morning/afternoon/night' as they wind down a "F#@k you and everything about your establishment" rant. Again, this only works when you smile sweetly and innocuously - do not show teeth. To boost the effectiveness of this, I've found it helps to tilt your head in a sympathetic and humble angle while delivering your best Dolores Umbridge impersonation.
Lifetime Movie it When in doubt, act it out ... in your head. Re-cast the 'situation-giving-you-just-shy-of-ulcer-stress' as if it were a Tori Spelling, Catherine Bell or Nicholle Tom movie-of-the-week on 90's Lifetime (television for women and gay men). Imagine that puffed-out loud-mouth with teased and larger-than-a-labradoodle fried hair, lip-liner in brown-tones, 'nude' eyeshadow and shoulder-pads the size of airport runways and your stress? Will suddenly be passe faster than Caroline in the City.
Accents. Accents. Accents I cannot stress how much fun it is to slip on an accent and use it as a shield between you and the insane people who populate our customer service industry - whether it is a foul-mouthed custy or dictatorial manager, hiding behind your best Scarlett O'Hara impression or Harry Potter affectation will give you a laugh while they scowl their nasty little hearts out. [WARNING: despite its ease, do not try and use the classic Cockney English accent - you'll just sound like you're auditioning for a local dinner theatre's production of My Fair Lady.]
Go home and read 1) Retail Hell 2) RetailHellUnderground.com or 3) Retail Hell short story collections ... or a combination thereof I know, I know - completely self-serving, but there you go. The website is a great source of commiserating stories. The memoirs by Freeman Hall are riotously funny and all-too-familiar for anyone who works retail. The collections feature stories from people just like you (and, admittedly, a few of my stories as well).
AND THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED ... [Despite it All (and With Profuse Apolgies to Jen Lancaster) Sometimes Pie IS the Answer]
Benjamin Kissell
My best friend Nate always says ... "Real men have curves"
If Literature is food for the mind and Art is food for the soul what should be food for the body? Well, in my case, it's been microwave pizzas, Old Bay-Crab potato chips, McDonald's and Wawa subs; which explains a lot.
I mean, it really explains a LOT.
As in, I've gained ... some weight.
I've known I'm not the svelte 154 lbs it says on my driver's license for a goodly while [the last time they updated my height/weight on there I was 5'8" and still sporting an unbridled sense of Only In Your Early 20s Entitlement and early 2000's hair]. A big "PAY ATTENTION" clue came when I had foot-surgery two years ago and the amount of local-anesthesia they gave me for my supposed 154 lbs had ALMOST NO FREAKING EFFECT ON ME.
I've grown as a person in recent years and that has gone on to include my waistline (and apparently my ass).
I could go on and on about my occasionally-sugar-heavy diet, my incredibly visceral hate for all-things-exercise and my stress-eating-inducing job ... but, let's face it: whining? Is not funny.
Instead...
DISCLAIMER / WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS NOT ME CALLING MYSELF FAT OR ATTEMPTING TO MAKE YOU FEEL PITY FOR ME (OR BAD ABOUT YOURSELF) ... IT'S SIMPLY AN ARTICLE ABOUT MY STILL-RATHER-RAMPANT NARCISSISM AND NOW MILDLY RAMPANT BACKSIDE AND WAISTLINE.
"Oh gawdd - not another whining-about-being-chunkier article. How creative ..."
Picture it; Sicily, 1914 ... wait. I'm not that old. Nor - discounting family-by-marriage - am I anything even remotely close to Sicilillian [I'm about as Sicillian as Wallace Shawn in The Princess Bride ... which is to say, not at all] ...
Picture it; Fredericksburg, 2014 ... After yet another oh-so-ridiculously-long day at work sans break [Hello OSHA! *waves*] I'm homeward bound. Instead of coming home to our still-bare-from-prepping-for-vacation pantry and coercing my loving boyfriend fiance into magicking another culinary masterpiece [the man channels The Food Network and I? Shan't gainsay that], we've agreed that I should pick up dinner. Having spent the last several hours at work fighting hunger pangs and the urge to punch people coming in with delicious-smelling food I realize that dinner is a must-get-fast deed tonight.
Let's face it, there's only so much of my bitter, bitter black coffee I can drink that will curb the beast that is my stomach.
By the time I've clocked out, my stomach is practically threatening to hire scary guido-types to kneecap me if I don't get some damn dinner already. I know I could walk the half-block from our building to McDonald's [don't judge], but as 1) it's cold and raining, 2) I intend to get a decent amount of food and 3) I don't want to carry our hot dinner back to my car through the cold rain [and my aforementioned loathing of exercise] I opt to drive.
Of course my driver's side window once again doesn't work so walking into the lobby is my only option [well, cooking some random assortment of pantry-items is another ... but, no]. So, it is with a smile on my lips and a song in my heart (and possibly my stomach, too) that I pull up, park and begin to get out of my car.
And that's when it happened ...
I heard it as if it were in one of those Riddley Scott/Crouching-Tiger-Hidden-Drag-Queen-style slow-mo scenes.
The sound I hadn't heard since I was a child in the late 80's when I would climb trees in sweatpants.
The sound every grown adult with any awareness of their expanding ass fears:
*SHRRIIIIPPPPPP!*
As I extend my left leg out of the car my pants decided that they've had enough: the fabric slicing cleanly apart mid-thigh in what looks like a run-in with Freddie Kreuger. I've gained enough weight that my thighs have decided to slasher-flick (literally) my pants - this is awful.
I'm embarrassed.
I'm chagrined.
I'm devastated [these are adorable American Eagle slacks from 2007 which make my legs look long and lean].
I'm ... still hungry and there is zilch chance I'm gonna be able to go through the drive-thru.
Gathering my dignity (and my pants-leg), I boldly step out of the car and into the lobby; I queue up and wait through the annoying hipster teenagers [Kids: it's 11:30 on a Thursday night - there has GOT to be somewhere more interesting than a McDonald's to hang out at] vacillate between McFrappy-crappy drinks and "I don't know - what do you think?" vapidity as I stand there and weigh [heh] whether to try pseudo-healthy or our tasty stand-by ...
All of this - from the awareness of my stomach's hold over me to my standing-in-public-with-shredded-pants - makes me pause and ask: *Am I happy and comfortable with my weight gain? *Am I ashamed or dismayed that I am no longer the twig-thin and "size-small t-shirt thank you" person I was from my mid-20's through early-30's? *Am I happy with myself?
By the time it's my turn [finally] I confidently lean forward and order - who cares if a little bit of leg shows? It's a ruddy McDonald's for crying out loud.
..............................
Also? Yes, I will have apple pie to go with our double quarter pounder meals, thank you. Because pie? Is never wrong. And I am okay with me.
[ For an awesome update on Jen Lancaster, check out the fantastic podcast interview "The Big Questions" from Oct 24th, 2014: INTERVIEW HERE]
Love: -Lifts us up where we belong. -Will keep us together. -Is a many splendoured thing ... even when it's brought into the harsh and unflattering light of everyday reality.
Marriage is, indeed, what bwings us togevver [thank you The Princess Bride for that most awesome of wedding scenes]. Whether you're getting married in the conventional sense [SQUEE!!!!! APRIL 2015!] or living in sin with a safety pin waiting for him to put a ring on it, marriage is the true-bonding of a household.
Having found the man I intend to spend the rest of my life with a whiles back, we decided to move in together last summer and began what could - charitably - be called "a f#@king insane" amount of packing and merging: You see, we're both consumate packrats [read: not quite hoarders, as we only have the one cat who is quite alive and not squished under a box somewhere, thank you ] who've yet to meet a vintage action figure, series of humor/sci-fi/fantasy novels or X-Mencomic book we didn't like.
We lived to tell the tale despite having enough boxes to fill a warehouse and being the stereotypical idiots who decided to RENOVATE the apartment while we were in the process of moving in [why yes, I realize the irony of me mocking and calling the people on Property Brothers who go through the same thing "wussies"]). Thus we ended up with what is affectionately called "Comic/Bookstore Geek Chic" for our place. Warm greys and blues accenting off-white/"antique-bone" cabinetry; aqua/teal love seat and small cerulean wingback chair and comic books, 'geek' posters and action figures as our tchotchkes help the whole apartment feel cohesive and ... well ... "us".
Of course, getting there was only half the battle ...
................................................
"Chores? I'm so thrilled I could scream ... oh, wait ..."
You see, despite our being 'the same person', John (my loving boyfriend fiance) and I had a few differing opinions on things when it comes to what makes a household run. And, thus the war was born on multiple fronts and a sweeping conclusion had to come ... Win or lose, the battle was chosen.
Over Vs Under: the toilet paper siege
I don't know about you, but there is only one PROPER way for toilet papr to hang: OVER, so that a simple tug will provide you with endless bounty of soft tp instead of requiring you to do the hand-crawl-of-awkwardness as you search and grope for that elusive edge so you don't end up that miserable "Not a Square to Spare" victim [Hrmm, look at that - 2 Seinfeld jokes in just as many articles; what's up with that?]. This battle can also spread to the paper towels and will spoil any goodwill in the kitchen if you don't catch it in time.
Socks: the vicious enemy of the dryer
We both are veterans of doing our own laundry [admittedly, if I could have someone else do it for me before - namely my saintly Mum - I fully took advantage; BAD Benjamin! BAD Benjamin!] and neither is a stranger to the drudgery of hauling our baskets from bedroom to washer/dryer, thankfully, now my machines are not coin-operated and this is spoiling me rotten ... and yet, we still found a conflict: socks. I won't say which of us was the offender [both], but one of the singularly most irritating things I've discovered in the world is having to unroll wet socks so that they are not bunched-up or inside out (to dry more evenly).
Inside the sink or beside it: When dishes clash and clutter
No matter who I've lived with in the past, friend or family, no one has come to a consensus of where and how long it is socially acceptable to leave dirty dishes. In the sink? Beside the sink? For a few minutes? Hours? Days? Early on in our relationship a friend told John the secret to getting me to do dishes: make me angry/pick a fight. [Apparently I only get into the dish-washing zone when I'm pissed off; weird.] Neither one of us has been consistent in this - both occasionally light-heartedly mocking the other for leaving a pile in one such place or the other.
This battle is a draw - you could say we both win, but since this involves washing dishes let's be honest, nobody does.
I am insanely competetive when it comes to board games like Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly and Mad Gab. 'Nuff said.
My thoughts at the beginning of any board game ...
...............................................
At the end of the day and the small battles - win or lose - I am happy to lean back and muse: for love and marriage; for better and for worse my life and his are tied together forever ... and I? Am very okay with this.
You, sir? Are a dickwaffle [and other observations on the breaching of the social contract]
Benjamin Kissell
I'm told 'Shut The F#@k Up' is more tasteful than calling people names ... oh ... wait ...
Some days it doesn't pay to wake up and face a world full of people who believe that the focus and extreme epicenter of all-things is their own narcissistic butt. When in fact, most of these self-centered asshats wouldn't even register on the radar of others if it weren't for their extreme selfishness.
Believe me; my not bitch-slapping each and every one of them is no mean feat ... and I am aware that I only achieve my own part of upholding the social contract by sheer force of will [read: buckets of my bitter, bitter black coffee]. I'm not perfect; although some of my more ... vocal dissentions are from having my patience rubbed raw by f#@ktards whose self-blind runnings often lead me into snarky rants where my naturally-sweet temper is shattered and left with jagged edges [or the occasional profanity-blistered-victim].
*whoops*
The social contract - (that basic tenet of societal norms, responsibilities and manners that were drilled into our heads as children (The Golden Rule, for example) where we had a baseline respect for others as we say 'please' and 'thank you', letting people cross the street without getting hit or respecting personal space and people's opinions) - seems to be not only null-and-void, but thrown out the window in lieu of the vitriol of the internet troll and the safety of its relative anonymity [notice: I have pictures of myself all over the internet - no anonymity here]. Each generation's growing sense of entitlement hasn't helped, either. The idea of affording others the same respect we ask to be given ourselves is horribly out-of-fashion.
*massive sigh*
In the interest of warning/advising/possibly-getting-myself-off-of-a-future-premeditated-homicide-charge, here are a few of my 'favorite' self-centered every-day jackasses.
We've all been late for something in our lives [if you're me and perpetually want to put off dealing with work, you're almost late ... a lot]. It's a basic fact that 9/10ths of people are in a rush to be somewhere whenever you deal with them. Another basic fact is that they will be impatient (and possibly erratic in said impatience).
Of course, this neither excuses nor alleviates the Asshat whose impatience cuts you (and those behind you) off.
Whether in traffic - and they run up the lane that is clearly marked as ending so you had better sodding merge waaaaay back there like everyone else - or in a queue at your local coffee shop - because they need their triple-sugar-infused-flavored-coffee drink RIGHT THIS F#@KING MINUTE OR THEY WILL EXPLODE IN PIECES OF SELFISH STUPID - these line-cutters are complete jackasses and should be tasered.
On sight.
THE C.A.B.:
Affectionately called C.A.B.s (short for Carbon Arc Bastards), these are the jackasses who not only believe that brighter is better, it is necessary for their very existence. These are the drivers who go around 24/7 in High-Beam mode because ... well, f#@k, if they can see what else matters?
Obviously, it won't matter that your high beams are so disgustingly bright that when you came headlong at me I was LITERALLY blinded so badly I swerved into oncoming traffic taking us both out. Sidenote: at least you saw my little old Honda coming at you, right?
Personally, I don't advocate bashing their headlights in on a regular basis ... but ... um ... I saw Wal-Mart was having a sale on aluminum bats this week.
The only appropriate salute when greeting one of these malefactors.
THE DICKWAFFLE:
These are the jackasses who believe that a conversation via cell-phone and delivered at TOP VOLUME is needed for every possible situation in life; often filling the world in on EVERY SORDID DETAIL of their personal life [like why they can't figure out why they developed a weird rash on their no-no bits] or bitching about the interminably long wait in-line.
Of course they hold up the line as they cannot end said over-share conversation while trying to check out at the register.
When I worked in a bookstore I refused to be cowed by them or awed by their flagrant and dirigible-sized senses of self-worth. I refuse to be admonished for wanting to shove their smart-phones either up their rectums or into a wood-chipper [possibly in that order ... but that might make it homicide - which I, also, refuse to be convicted of].
THE F#@KTARD:
We all remember the Seinfeld epsiode 'Close-Talker' [yes, even I occasionally watched the show] - but, this is no laughing matter.
Daily, more and more people lose the little bit of vestigial socially-conscious-brain-tissue that regulates perception; replacing it with a lump of dead-weight known as the TUMOR OF ASSHOLE-NESS. This tumor completely kills any remaining social awareness and produces extreme levels of smugness [which can create a visual hazard - hence the need for extremely bright headlights!], de-regulates the censorship function and creates a dense lens of f#@ktardary which focuses all of the victim's perceptions into an extremely central image:
The world completely revolves around them.
Personal space? Non-existent. Awareness of others as legitimate thinking/feeling/needing people outside of self? Don't make them laugh. These are the people who make the zombies on tv and in movies look most considerate.
Of course, if one occasionally slipped a foot out in front of one of these dickwaffles as they walk by zoned-out-staring at their tablet/phone/ipad BECAUSE THEY CANNOT POSSIBLY EXIST IN A WORLD NOT CONSTANTLY ENTERTAINING THEM EVERY BLOODY MOMENT OF THEIR LIVES and tripped a nascent carrier of the F#@ktard TUMOR OF ASSHOLE-NESS? Well ...
Something to Take the Edge Off [i.e. coping with another birthday]
Benjamin Kissell
These little f#@kers SOO aren't going for .99 apiece on eBay these days ...
To declare a simple truism [and homage my love for Jane Austen wit]:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person in possession of a looming birthday must be in want of a cake or party. However little known the feelings or views of such a person may be on his or her first entering the birthday month, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding friends and families, that the birthday is considered the rightful property of some one or other of themselves.
... That is to say: whether I like it or not, my 31st birthday is here and whether I'm ready or not, we're celebrating it.
Keep in mind, there is a ridiculously high standard set by the bar of last year's birthday (my first with my amazing boyfriend fiance John); an 80's cartoons themed all-day costume party. We co-hosted as Skeletor (him) and She-Ra (me) - with decor in various shades of neon and crepe, vintage toys and books scattered around the living room and friends and family alike attending in costume. We had the Mario Bros., a Treestar, Rainbow Brite, Miss Piggy, Care Bears and Carmen Sandiego (from the game cartoons in the 80's). It was amazeballs. It was stupendous. It was ... a lot to live up to.
Like ... a f#@king lot.
I didn't even try to compete with it for John's birthday this year and was completely okay/very happy to let my 31st birthday slide by quietly - accepting the occasional gift and Facebook or Tweet well-wish. Of course ... well ... you knew it couldn't be that easy. Instead, I am facing down my 31st birthday [trust me, 31 is actually not that scary at all ... except that it firmly entrenches me in my 30s and I can no longer claim that I am 'just out of my 20s'] and having a dual celebration Pizza Party/Arcades of the 80's themed birthday party shared with one of my best friends. Full-on mocking the idea of maturity going hand-in-hand with age.
If you were curious, yes I was Jerome ... sans the class, skill and bow-tie.
Why a pizza party?
One could assume it's because (in theory) pizza parties are more affordable to throw than a traditional birthday party - of course, one would be wrong when said party is thrown at home [between decorations, food and recovery-from-last-minute-cleaning-via-online-shopping]. It's because we had our childhood heydays in the 80's and both my amazing boyfriend fiance John and I have rather fuzzily-warm-and-friendly memories of just these sorts of parties. Also? What was a more fan-f#@king-tastic way to have a birthday circa 1987 -88 than a pizza party at Pizza Hut?
Go on, think about it. I'll wait.
*waiting*
*still waiting*
See? Nothing. Told you - there wasn't.
And because we're not about to put the sheer awesomeness of a bunch of 30+ year old friends and family celebrating like it's 1988 on-display in the mess that has become Pizza Hut [I'm sorry, but their little Wing Street re-launch? No thank you. Give me a darkened pseudo-Italian wannabe pizza restaurant steeped in grease and unfettered teenage angst for authenticity any day] we're doing the apartment up in red-and-white checkered tablecloths, crepe paper, and as many vintage tchachkes as possibe crammed in the kitchen, living room and sun porch.
And no, before you ask, despite the fact that I MAY friggin' resemble a hipster AND I am over 21 there sure as shit isn't gonna be a giant ice chest filled with PBR or cheap wine [although the sheer pathetic-ness of an ice chest full of PBR would be in-keeping with the theme ...] we prefer to take the edge off of this birthday thing not by getting blitzed, but by celebrating it. By actively engaging it. By taking its fangs out at the roots as we mock it.
... Although, if there were to be booze, my Trashcan Blue Mopeds would be APPROPRIATE.
uhm ... yeah ... pizza party ... yepp.
[PS - if I can ever find my f#@king The Land Before Time puppets, you can bet your bottom quarter that I will have some vintage authentic shit up in this joint.]
[PPS - a Trashcan Blue Moped: Monster + cheapest-brand-of-white-wine-you-can-find + Blue House Brand Fruit Punch ... you're welcome.]
Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody - Hell, I can't do it
Sometimes, it doesn't pay to take my head out of my ass and actually listen to what's going on around me.
"You know who you remind me of?"
"Y'know, you're just like ..."
"Ooh, did anyone ever tell you you're very similar to ..."
"Hey, aren't you ..."
Growing up with a successful older sibling, I'm sure, would have enured me to comments like these and I wouldn't cringe occasionally when well-meaning people approach me with them. However, I was raised as an only child and as the comments didn't begin until I was 18 ... well, it's taken the better part of a decade-plus to roll with them.
You see, ever since I was 18 comments like the above have been an almost-daily event and they aren't unkind in their intent. These comments are, in reality, compliments as the person is likening me to someone impressive - someone who not only is the life of the party wherever she goes, but is also an award-winning presenter AND Jeopardy! Champion. In case it wasn't obvious, people compare me to my Mum.
[seriously, read the articles ... how cool is she?]
True, we do look alike. As I've commented elsewhere, our humor is the same. Creepily, our handwriting is almost identical [and no, I didn't try to forge her handwriting in school ... tho', now I wonder if I should have tried]. The way we comport ourselves and deliver casual or caustic wit is ... well, the same. Hell, whether I want to own up to it or not we even do the same little 'groove' dance. Whether you can cite Nature or Nurture, I am undoubtedly her son.
And, nine-times-out-of-ten I am flattered when this comment/compliment is tossed my way. It took a few years (after all, at 18 who wants to be compared to their mother?) but I not only came to peace with it, I began to revel in it. Why not? We make an adorable Mother/Son pair [tho', don't get me started on the 'ick factor' regarding the times we were asked if we were brother/sister or husband/wife ... EWW. EWW. EWW. I'm sorry, but the word Oedipus is not tattooed on my forehead]. Hell, back in 2012 we won a Mother's Day jewelry contest due to our AWESOMENESS (and photogenic-ness).
Pearls (hers are white, mine black), hair dye-tinted (hers a hint of purple, mine ... black) and we've both left our glasses somewhere (hers purple and mine ... black ... are we seeing a theme here?) [July, 2008]
However, when the next step is taken, that's when I glance askance at the mirror hoping to see a different face.
You see; we have always said that my Mum is her father in looks as well as brains and temperment [he often tells the joke that they had to hunt through a lot of Gypsy children on doorsteps to find one that looked like him] and ever since I grew into my face [big headed kid, let's just say] I've stopped definitively looking like my Da and, instead, I heavily favor Mum. So, if my math is correct (and no one ever claimed I was a Math-spert) and A = B = C ... then ...
OHMIGAWDD OHMIGAWDD OHMIGAWDD
I'm my grandfather.
>take a moment of silence to digest this, please - I know I shall<
Okay - now that I've crawled out of the fetal position and back to the keyboard, I think I can begin to piece this together. Why did it take until I'm practically in my 30's to put this together? [Okay, so I AM in my 30's, but, doesn't it sound less depressing/insulting to insinuate I'm not there yet when I put this together? Well, fine - go with the truth, then.]
My high school graduation (June 2001): Mum and Grandpa flank me - 3 generations of the same person [and yes, I am aware of the absurdity of my hairdo and goatee, thank you]
Please don't take this as me commenting negatively on my Grandpa - I've already probably done irreperable damage calling out my Nana for her WASP-y behavior. I love him. He was and has remained the strongest constant male figure in my life. He was Navy and Pentagon after excelling in every Physics class offered in college [again, I am no math-spert ... what's up with that?] and helped raise 2 generations of our family. He cares deeply about us; treating my Mum, her brother and myself as his three kids. We've bonded over working on my various cars over the years. Hell, he's the one who endured the most insanity while I was learning to drive in the first place.
So why the ennui? The angst? The not-quite-abject-horror at this realization?
Because I'm not yet ready to become my Grandfather. I'm happy to be the younger, gay male version of my Mum, but I'm not quite ready to grow up that much and take on the level of dependence or responsibility towards others that he has. I like being a little bit selfish (although I'm fine with maturing past the raging narcissism) and spending some of my money on impractical toys instead of a mortgage.
Can't I stay just a teensy-weensy bit immature still? Or is that too Peter Pan of me?
PAVLOVIAN RESPONSES [are some of the best responses]
Benjamin Kissell
Trigger + me = ... wait, I didn't get a treat - those other guys got a treat, why don't I?
It has been said that into every life a little rain must fall. Trials and errors will be endured and - hopefully - one will pass muster and do so with flying colors. One must endure to ensure. Trial to triumph. What do these trite little sayings have to do with anything I am actually writing about ... um, I couldn't tell you.
And why is that? Well, it's because, even though I'm writing this, I'm not really paying all that much attention as it's been several minutes and three interrupting conversations since I wrote my own name on the top of the page and ... um ... my focus has drifted.
Um, that isn't a good thing methinks. Perhaps this is a new depth of narcissism that I need to look at.
Early on in our friendship, before the notion of falling in love even flitted through our minds, John joked that he had to either A) say my name every 30 seconds or B) say my name every 5th sentence so that my focus would remain on whatever it was we were talking about. He said this in humor. He said this with a wry grin and completely dry tone.
He said this not realizing just how true it was.
Benjamin
I'm aware that we all live in our own worlds where we focus on ourselves and how the outside world's interactions impact us - The World According to You theory. Not a tough concept, nor a new one. However, I fear that I've taken this to a rather unhealthy extension. A hipster-like extension. A Julia Roberts-like extension - and let's be honest, that? Isn't good for anyone in a five-mile radius.
In fact, I'm pretty sure that if push comes to shove, you could describe me as a Raging Narcissist these days. Why? Let's examine the evidence:
I don't like to read other people's Facebook posts - unless they're commenting on me/something I said/something I'm likely to comment on/something a friend may comment on involving me. Although I receive quite a few people's Twitter feeds as text messages (and they are all people I like/love/respect/cherish), my likeliest response is "F#@k one more thing to delete" unless they are tweeting something that pertains to me/Direct Messages me/mentions me in the tweet/retweets me or my postings about these articles. [You get the picture here, right?]
[Also? Can more of y'all retweet or tweet about these articles? Facebook "LIKE"s are also welcome. Please and thank you.]
Benjamin
[Double-also - seriously, Instagram? I'm sorry, I just don't get you. Instagram feels like Facebook's attention-defecit cousin who doesn't want you to invest any actual time in producing anything, instead spending hours cruising someone's SUPER NARCISSISTIC POV with shiny GIFs - at least I make you guys work for the GIFs I use: there's words surrounding them.]
Putting this lackadaisical/selfish attitude under the Microscope of Personal Growth recently[nifty name?], after realizing just how close to home John's joke was, I saw the extent of sheer narcissism I exude ... and not always the cute, endearing funny narcissism I joke about. I've begun to accidentally start cutting people off with complete non sequitors segueing into whatever random thing has popped into my head, sans filter, with trademark lines like "Speaking of which ..." True, I grew up in a family where we had to talk over each other (despite it being only the five of us) and that old habit is hard to break ... but when I've begun to preemptively talk over and take over a conversation; automatically steering it over to me and about me?
Um. So not good.
I know that the Pavlovian response trigger - my name - has been how I've conditioned myself as of late to make sure I'm still in the game; my head on the matter instead of musing and rambling on other random thoughts which trigger and flow and just meander wherever my twisted narcissistic self will lead them through.
Benjamin.
I need to wake up, shut up and put up ... with conversations about other things than myself. Pay attention and listen to other people's opinions; opting to actually MULL over what they just said instead of taking the quiet time while their mouths move to think about a cute/witty/funny way to steer the conversation back over to/about me. The first step? Is to actually sit down with someone - say, my wonderfully patient boyfriend fiance - and just listen. Quietly. Not thinking about what I would say/could say/should say. Instead, just listen and pay attention to what goes on in his world.
Who knows, I might just learn something fun.
[And if I don't? I'm sure I can always turn the conversation back to me, right?]
I'm A Smart Mouth in Any Language [i.e. a wicked tongue is fun when you're learning tongues]
Benjamin Kissell
I wonder why I look so angry: could someone be calling me out on my plaid shirt and torn denim?
Every so often it's pointed out to me that my raging narcissism and snarky tongue have been around far longer than I may be aware of. Recently I was taken to task for the declared self-perception that in high school I was a mildly popular geek instead of a sarcastic, eye-rolling, smart aleck with a filthy mind and foul mouth whose quasi-egocentrism presented a somewhat cocky and yet alluring persona. A smart mouth in any language, so to say.
Huh. Perhaps this warrants examination?
.................................................
Perhaps this isn't the best photo to try and persuade you that I was "cool"? Please ignore the insane face I am making behind my mother and friends.
In high school I was sure I had "geek cred". Not because of my expansive Star Trek/Wars book collections or penchant for comic books, but because I was a card-carrying member of the school Latin club.
Initially I didn't have much of a say in the foreign language matter [my Mum is a kick-ass Latin teacher, have I mentioned?], but by Junior year I relished it. A good chunk of this was due to having Mum for my teacher - only occasionally awkward because I never knew what to call her (Ms. Kissell seemed too formal since everyone knew I was her son and Mum wasn't respectful enough in a classroom). The fact that I have her twisted sense of humor sealed the deal on the cool factor; put the two of us together and we're practically a small Vaudeville show for you. We entertained the snot (sometimes literally - I'm looking at you, Jeremy) out of my classmates and friends and, yet, we still found time to be educational!
One of the best factors in our two years of upper-level Latin was that our classes were small and tightknit. We all knew, liked and played well off of each other (tho' Mum and I were in a league of our own ... crap, there's that narcissism. Whoops) often breaking the relative dryness of translating Vergil or Caesar with snark [see, I wasn't the only one doing it!]. Frances, Katie, Robbie, Katrina, Sara and the rest of us tossed bawdy translations and ribald jokes with practiced ease ... well, all of us that is, except Zack.
You see, Zack was ... um ... the nice one of us. The polite one. The quiet and properly All-American guy whose humor was straightforward, clean and sweet like apple pie. And yet, despite this, he was one of my best friends.
Go figure.
Between two years of class and Virginia Junior Classical League Conventions we slowly chipped away at his innocent veneer - most especially Katie, Sara and me. We found it our moral duty to help indoctrinate Zack into the sarcastic, mildly-filthy-minded and snarky world we inhabited.
[Okay, I see the point made earlier - I definitely was a smart-aleck and kinda wrong back then ... not the dorky, squeaky clean nerd I thought I was. But, hey: I never went to a high school party that wasn't Homecoming or Prom as I didn't want to lose what few cool points I had by having to refuse beer/drugs. Wow, I just lost them again, didn't I?]
VJCL Convention November 2000 Front row: Sara, Katrina, Frances Middle row: me, Katie, Zack, Lindsey Back: Jeremy photo courtesy of Mum and my shitty camera.
Probably the finest example of our corruptive influence - aside from Zack's/my Freshman year in college [stories for another time, perhaps?] would be when we would translate Catullus' love poetry.
Catullus, you see, is a famous (possibly infamous) Roman poet with a wicked wit when it comes to love and - like any good poet - couched his raunch in hyperbole and metaphor. One piece about his lady-love (pseudonymed Lesbia) comments about her stroking/petting his pet sparrow in the stands at the games; his jaunty wobble and hopping into her lap; his loving it when she'd stroke his red head; his deep sorrow when Lesbia leaves him and his sparrow dies.
[You get the picture, right? Your filthy mind is rollicking in laughter, correct?]
Zack's not-filthy mind wasn't in the gutter beside ours.
While Black-Adder-loving Jeremy sniggered in front of me, brawny Robbie rumbled his chuckles beside me, I could see Katie's shoulders heaving with suppressed giggles ahead, and Mum's face open with glee and a quirked eyebrow ... Zack's hand was raised in consternation.
"Guys, it's just a bird - why are you laughing?"
"His pet sparrow is dead - what're you laughing at?"
"Robbie, why're you laughing - it's sad when someone's pet dies. Jeeze."
The following 10 minute conversation as the class teamed up to explain - and prove we weren't just pulling his leg about it - was filled with such wide-eyed innocence on his part it almost made me feel guilty force-opening his eyes.
Almost.
Despite his heated protestations that "it's just a sparrow" we eventually convinced him otherwise. I think.
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: [aka my fashion sense stalled in the 1990's and yes, I'm aware of the amount of shredded denim this implies I own]
Benjamin Kissell
Preach it Cher Horowitz: the epitome of uber cool 1990s fashion [and by extension, what I've subscribed to ever since ...]
"Honey; it's like Dylan walking into the Peach Pit"
"Wait ... um, is that good?"
"Well, it's accurate if that's what you're asking."
This is the conversation my wonderful boyfriend fiance John and I have as we walk into our favorite 1950's retro-style Greek/American diner, Tito's. [Why yes, I realize how weird that sounds - mediterranean food AND a 1950's flair? But, it works. Trust me.] He says this not looking at anything on the walls or tvs. No, he says this whilst looking directly at me and giving me a once-over.
I'm currently sporting shredded faded jeans, kn0ck-off converse sneakers and a dark grey form-fitting t-shirt and the ubiquitous Aviator frame sunglasses - my long-sleeve plaid grey/black/pink shirt was left behind due to the sudden arrival of late spring's heat and humidity.
Despite my love of the 80's for cartoons, toys and comic books I am a 90's kid when it comes to my personal fashion.
In fact, my fashion style would best be described as an outgrowth of my surviving 1997-2000 wardrobe [you think I'm joking, but I'm not] ... including shredded jeans, plaid flannel overshirts and, of course, oversized as well as form-fitting band/movie t-shirts. Think Nirvana crossed with No Doubt combined with Natalie Imbruglia with a KabbalahMadonna touch [you know, for the spiritual depth and denim jackets].
If one had to hazard a guess, the movie Cluelessobviously had a MASSIVE influence on me [for good or ill, you decide]. Grunge? Oversized jeans with tight-fitting t-shirts? Over-sized t-shirts with cargo pants? Shredded jeans with sweaters? Preppy chic? Clueless has it all! As a consequence of seeing the movie I wanted it all, and I wanted to fit in. I was a short and skinny kid with BIIIIIIIIIIG hair who was picked on routinely so this brilliant window onto the world of 'cool' gave me insight into how I could (possibly) stem the tide of almost daily name-calls and fisticuffs.
Beverly Hills 90210 cast photo or a bunch of strangers going through my closet? Your call.
I've chosen to opt for comfort and personal style over continuously changing fashion [some would call it cheap, I prefer to think of it as cool that I can still wear many of the clothes I wore in my teens/early twenties now in my early thirties]. In an effort to 'update' I've pruned my ever-expansive wardrobe recently, donating over a third of said clothes to either GoodWill or friends [Daddy loves you, Maeghan, in his old shirts!] when I moved in with my boyfriend fiance.
Of course, this (awesome) personal style comes with a price. A label has begun to circulate amongst folks. A nickname of sorts. One which began in the mid-2000's with whispers about Aberzombies ...
Okay, you know what? I dressed like this before it was cool [and yes, I realize how Hipster that sounds ... bite me]. Even my best friend, bless Nate's heart, has been so forward as to describe me as the "grandfather of hipsters" for YEARS because of my almost ever-present combination of thick-rimmed glasses and knitted caps . It's true, I've been so used to my ubiquitous jeans and tees with splashes of plaid that I've practically stalled my fashion development and have been in a rut long enough that it makes sense to liken me to a grandfather.
I don't like your music, young people [dubstep - ewww]
I don't like the way you just hang out in cafes and whatnot instead of getting jobs or at least going places other than the nearest wi-fi hotspot.
Seriously, I'm all for tattoos and holes in heads, but ... um ... mightn't you want to remember that these things can get infected and if the state of your hair is any indiction that infection is due sooner rather than later so please do me a favor and don't come near me as I'm going to assume you're Patient Zero.
I'm totally okay with shaking my fist - and possibly a broom or rake - at you in an effort to get you to JUST STOP LOUNGING AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT SMOKING YOUR F#@KING CLOVE CIGARETTES AND GETTING ASHES AND TRASH ON MY CAR!
...*ahem*....
And that? Is okay. I'm comfortable with this knowledge. I am self-aware. I love what I wear [HAH - admit it, that was funny ... no? Just me?]. I'm also okay with having to explain that 'No, I'm not being ironic ... I just dress this way because I found a look in 1997 - three years before you were born - and have stuck with it' to random hipsters [and Hot Topic kiddies: I shopped the house down when many of you weren't even born yet and am still wearing that indie-esque swag. Of course, most of the Hot Topic kids have crossed from emo/rock/punk wannabes to full on hipsters ... so, this side-point is moot] who look at me askance.
Down to the shredded jeans and busted-ass shoes ... I've worn this exact outfit for years (you've probably seen me in it, actually and judged me harshly when you did).
To be honest, it wouldn't be the worst idea in the universe if I took a chance and probably should embrace a little change in my fashion - I could add new things to it that step outside of my comfort zone. But, unless one of you sells me out, I don't see myself ending up on What Not To Wear to make that happen.
Senior year of high school (on the left) - please note how young I looked. Also note that I still wear that olive plaid shirt (2000)
Manho photoshoot - note the shredded jeans and tight-fitting tee (2006)
Selfie circa 2008 - PLAID is totally the new black. As are rainbow scarves and Kabbalah bracelets, apparently
Ignore the blonde chunk of hair, instead, please note the STILL WEARING SHREDDED JEANS factor (plus a vest - very Blossom, yes?) (2010)
Yes, I wear glasses almost 24/7 these days; it just happens that the Hipster-style ones help cover up the wrinkles which crowd my eyes. (2011)
And how cute are we? The boyfriend fiance and I strike a pose ... and yes, the hat, the v-neck shirt scream Hipster. Bite me.
After all, to quote my friend Brittany Scott, I've "been the height of hipster fashion since hipsters were in elementary school wearing un-ironic clothing without beards or PBR."
The following article is infused with geek-commentary and stems from my undying love for (almost) all-things Storm. [Despite immense respect and love for Halle Berry, we shall just gloss right over the X-Men movies - okay? And I’ll admit up front, there are years-long gaps in my massive X-books comic collection.]
Storm, leader of the often outlaw band of misfits known as the X-Men, is not only a fantastic icon of strength, power and leadership - but one badass mother f#@ker fashion-plate unafraid to buck convention. Topping off her decades of awesomeness, with the impending Death of Wolverine in September, Storm looks to be the central-focus figure for the X-books (what with Cyclops still remembered as 'the guy who killed Professor X') [sorry for the spoiler non X-Fans ... whoops].
Debuting in the Giant Size All-New All-Different X-Men of May 1975, Storm was a key figure from the get-go and a standout as the first African-American female co-lead in one of Marvel's main titles (X-Men returned that fall with issue 94 after years of reprint issues 67-93). Under Chris Claremont this new team centered around the complex relationships between a new team of young adults who had already survived everything from being the misfit to the maligned to the revered and how each adapted to this brave new world and all the peoples in it. Ororo Munroe was one of Claremont's first characters fully-fleshed out with an established back-story and firmly defined personality which helped catapult her into the center ring from the get-go ...
Quick Backstory Bio:
Born to David and N'Dare Munroe (a photojournalist and African Princess in-exile) in Brooklyn, Ororo spent her formative years in Cairo until a falling plane [depends on the era of the telling, sometimes it's the Six Day War, the Sinai invasion or simply a border skirmish] crashed into their apartment killing her parents and burying the 6 year old (or 5, depending on writer) Ororo in the rubble next to her mother's corpse (which incited her life-long claustrophobia). From here, she was raised in the back-alleys and streets of Cairo as a street urchin and pick pocket par-excellence until her heart called out and she began a months-long trek from the Nile Delta through the heart of Africa into Kenya. Here, as a young woman, she manifested her mutant ability to psionically manipulate the weather and was hailed as a goddess to the local tribes - it was during this time period that Professor Charles Xavier found her and recruited her (in the aforementioned Giant Size X-Men).
Come on, how could you NOT want to read about a character with this kind of backstory? Worshipped as a goddess? Awe-inspiring power? Capable of picking locks AND a super hero? From the first page of my first X-Men comic I was hooked. Storm had everything my nine year old self didn't: control. Control of self and through her leadership and powers, control of things around her.
Promo-poster detailing various Storm incarnations: original (1975-1983), Punk (1983-88), her Asgardian garb (New Mutants Annual 1, X-Men Annual 9), iconic 1990's look (1991-96) and her modern era variant (2007-2013)
In the first Uncanny X-Men issue - a copy nabbed from Mum's comic book stash (she built it up over the years, including when she worked at Walden Books [you remember them, right?]) – I was absolutely enthralled. Despite the cover featuring some doof topped in a blond mullet (Longshot) the title splash page was all Storm. Black leather costume. Wild 80's mane of white hair. Lightning bolt across her chest. Thigh-high boots over a form-fitting, mildly-shoulder-padded costume. I was in love. She matched perfectly the uber-cool LIGHT UP [ERMHEHLERDD SHE LIGHTS UP!!!!] Storm action figure which stood on my Mum's desk at work. After reading and re-reading the issue, I “accidentally” nicked said action figure. [Mum then bought a new one for me so that hers would reappear and thus started off a life-long obsession for Storm action figures and a 7 year Toy Biz buying frenzy of X-Men toys.] Marc Silvestri's art hooked my eyes and Claremont's writing ("'Twas the Night", issue #230) took my 9 year old mind for a ride.
I decided then and there that I? Was an X-Men fan for life.
Seriously - is this not a wall of awesomeness? People don't seem to believe we have walls full of toys ... heh. Whoops? Check out the shelf in the center featuring no less than 13 Storms and the X-Men's blackbird.
Whether reading her as the naive-about-American-body-image ingenue (circa Classic X-Men #2 and #4), the in-your-face-stabbing-Callisto-in-the-chest-'cos-Storm-is-the-baddest-ass-amongst-a-team-of-badasses (Uncanny X-Men #170) [okay, yes, on the cartoon it was all cute and they were light sticks and whatnot but let's be real ... Storm has NO compunction with a blade and this issue? Showed that brilliantly] or even dithering over trusting a man again with her heart (Uncanny X-Men Annual #1, 2006), Storm has always been an amazing character.
Beginning with the ‘borrowed’ – [seriously, I’m sorry] – comics I nabbed from my Mum’s stash, I started amassing a veritable collection of Storm-centric issues and soon found myself doodling my own iterations of the X-Men and wannabe comics [what started, when I was 9, as the X-Kids soon became the X-Teens and evolved into X-Strike … who knows, maybe one day I’ll get to write an X-book *le sigh*]. Despite my liking Jean Grey (even loving her as the Phoenix) no other character connected with me in quite the same way – I’d draw Storm in doodles when I should have been paying attention to my teacher, but let’s be honest: who would you rather focus on, an awesome literary character who sparked your imagination or a teacher who took your Tootsie Rolls because she didn’t believe they were your lunch that day.
[Grudge still held, 21 years later.]
Thought so.
My collection began to grow as I quickly found myself on a first-name basis with each of the comic guys in the various stores in-town (bonus points for having a Mum who was as big of a comic nerd as I was); they practically salivated when we’d walk into their stores. They knew that all they would have to do is mention Storm was a “key player” or had some great art in an issue or trade paperback and it would be in my greedy little hands and I wouldn’t let it go until it was paid for. A prime example would be when I walked out the door of Penguin Comics with Classic X-Men #34 (prelude to the Dark Phoenix Saga) and the 1993 Fatal Attractions poster ostensibly as 10th birthday presents because both had lovely art of Storm front and center. [You say I wheedled my uncle into paying for them with his meager allowance, I say they were birthday gifts … poh-tay-toe, poh-tah-toe.]
....................……………………………………….
True, I loved her lengthy tresses – after all, Storm with billowing white hair is how I first encountered her – but it wasn’t long into my collection that I discovered the mid-80’s issues (1983-88) where she had embraced the conflict within and eschewed the ‘gentle goddess’ image in lieu of the most 80’s of 80’s looks – Punk. Leather and mohawk. To say that my mind was blown would be an understatement. To admit that my ridiculously long hair received a trim that summer which may or may not have been longer in the center and short on the sides miiiiiiiiiight be admitting too much. What shall be admitted is that I loved it and my insecure, picked on self knew that here was truly an icon of inner strength and self-awareness.
[Sidenote: my Mum has ALWAYS been my personal hero in these regards, but sometimes you need to just have a super hero y’know?]
Tough and beautiful; Storm was able to make a popular 'everyday' look of the time into an iconic costume *le sigh*
This self-awareness and possession were catnip to the kid most likely to have to hide in a tree during recess to avoid the verbal (and literal) slings and arrows.
What stood out about his writing of Storm, and her fellow outlaw misfits, is that Claremont plots - he plots well and has far-sighted story-arcs for characters allowing their personalities to grow; he writes one-shots with as much depth as the storylines which pay off several years down the road AND YET would NOT regularly drag a simple story out over 4-6 issues making you feel like a bloody stooge for sitting there waiting for SOMETHING TO JUST FINALLY HAPPEN ALREADY! [Perhaps this is me just venting here, but who else is tired of comic book story-arcs taking for-freaking-ever to tell even a simple story anymore? Cross-promotion books tying in to tell the tale? I get it, you up sales but ... um ... when you can't even tell a simple self-contained story in a solo issue I take umbridge, guys. I do. ]
As my collection grew, so too did the character of Storm who developed into someone who questioned not only actions (her own as well as others') but their results. She questioned and she pushed - she exemplified what made an 80's super hero to me: someone who strove towards the ideal of good but was acutely aware of the shades of grey that fill in the space between black and white and how her actions could fall within them. For example:
Stab Callisto in the heart to stop the battle between the X-Men and Morlocks gaining their leadership and thus saving her team? (1983) Check.
Defend the decision to keep Wolverine on the team because of his capacity for good despite his berserker nature, violent streak and rather hard-headed attitude which pushed away teammates like Angel? (1981) Check.
Let the world (including friends, family, ex-teammates) think the X-Men were dead because it allowed them to strike out at their enemies without entangling their loved ones (i.e. the fall-out from the Mutant Massacre) like The New Mutants and their civilian families from a base in the Australian Outback which they took from homicidal cyborg thieves? (1988) Cha-check.
Kick major ass and kill various demonic-versions of said Marauders and their ilk while battling to save the life of an X-Man-turned-villain while New York raged in a demonic inferno ... all while sporting a seriously fierce hairdo AND shredded costume? (1989) Mother fucking check.
Yes, mistakes were made, but her journey (and that of her fellow X-Men) was one that the reader couldn't help but be drawn into. Come what may, the family that Storm was a part of was one that I wanted to be included in.
Despite never-enough Storm-heavy episodes there were a few during the 5 season run of the X-Men Animated series … which may or may not have influenced my childhood weird accents.
[Cute story: there is THANKFULLY no photographic evidence of me as a nine-to-ten year old playing in my backyard with my friend Jeffrey at “X-Men”. Why thankfully? Well, we weren't always content to play with our action figures and let them have all the fun. No. We'd take around-the-house items and dress up as our favorite mutants. Jeffrey would alternate between Wolverine and Cyclops and I? Was, well. DERH. I would tie my black and white Free Willy towel - a gift from Video World, thank you very much - to my wrists and pull my longer-than-average hair back to become Storm. See why I said, thankfully there's no photographic evidence? I mean, a Free Willy towel as my cape? ICK. My grown-up aesthetics are gagging as I type this. And yet, I can't help but mention that it still beats the hell out of the majority of the costumes worn in the first three X-films ... ]
Awesome print, fun team and a great adaptation of her mid-90's costume mess. (seriously, could even two artists agree how it was drawn? )
Over the years, as I grew from outcast kid to still-pretty-awkward teen, I watched artists I was ambivalent towards leave the X-books [sorry world, I am not now nor will I ever be in love with Jim Lee] and artists I adored come along [I <3 Madureira, Pacheco and Bachalo]. Storm led her gold strike force through each of the summer blockbuster cross-overs and I still held Storm and the X-Men in my heart (and my mother's pocketbook). By 1998 with the return of Nightcrawler and Shadowcat from across the pond [Excalibur was one weird but fun run - I don't regret collecting a single issue] [also? What's up with taking her codename away now? Seriously, half the women on the teams these days go by their names; Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey ... GAH!] and the return of Pacheco art I was firmly entrenched in back-log collecting and keeping up with the rambunctious and ever-expanding family of X-Men ... as long as each story or character somehow/someway tied back to Storm. I was set. I was golden.
What can I say? I had my priorities.
That is, until I didn't. Until 2000 and the release of the X-Men movie.
Now, as a polite – and hoping to avoid libel suits – writer, the less said, the better about the 2000-2006 X-books, tv series, movies and universe as a whole.
Skipping ahead.
Of course, by late 2006 I had already fallen back on the wagon and was buying the new X-books featuring Storm with renewed gusto and collecting the graphic novels compiling my favorite weather goddess' adventures. The fact that from 2007-2011 I worked in a bookstore and had a discount on them didn't hurt this, either. [Also? Full circle there - Mum had begun my X-Men obsession with books she'd brought home when working in a bookstore.]
I may have turned my back on the X-Men for a few years, but between working in Borders and stepping into my new local comic shop I vowed I would never do so again.
In fact, in 2012, the first time I hung out with my not-yet-then boyfriend fiance one of the first things we did was peruse the new issues at said comic shop together. By the time we began dating in 2013 our connection over Storm and the X-Men [and as mentioned in previous articles, He-Man and She-Ra] was one of the things which firmly cemented that we were each dating ourselves and perfect for one another.
Cover to the debut issue of Storm. >SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!<
The culmination of a life-long [okay, just 20+ years ... give or take, okay?] obsession/love/adoration/other less creepy sounding words comes this summer with the release of Greg Pak and Victor Ibanez' beginning of the amazing ... the ultimate ... the stupendous ... (and hopefully long-running) Storm solo series. Just in time for my 31st birthday (in case you needed any prompting).
AM I OPINIONATED OR WHAT? a.k.a. try these reading suggestions on for size
Benjamin Kissell
Beatrice knew she heard the muffled cries of her children from the other room but chose to turn the page regardless ... they could always beg on the streets for food; she had these books to finish.
Some have called me opinionated. Some have called me egocentric. Some have called me so full of editorializing that I have to insert witicisms into my witicisms ... side-tracking you from the original thought process so much that you stop to wonder what it is I'm really saying. [Admit it; you've thought this before, haven't you?] Friends/loved ones/family/the boyfriend fiance/random strangers on the street/internet trolls have all called me out on this narcissism.
And they would be correct.
I am opinionated. I believe I have amazing opinions - even when those opinions are only about whether the pizza I'm about to consume is fantastic or merely tasty [see previous articles]. I am one person who isn't usually afraid to voice his opinion and assume that you want to hear it. Even if you don't ... well, you didn't have to read this, did you? [But thank you for doing so, anyway! I luff you!]
It isn't enough that I'm opinionated in general [we went ahead and established this, right?] but I've been constantly consulted and cultivated for my opinion in a particular regard for years: Books.
When I worked at Borders (and ever since), I was regularly asked "Is this a good book?" and "Should I read this?" or "What do you think I need to read?" Is it any wonder I have raging Literary Narcissism? To that end, after Borders closed in 2011 I began posting "Summer Reading Lists" but this year I've decided to kick it up a notch - I'm going to randomly begin posting OPINIONATED STATEMENTS ON WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY because ... well, you should just read these books already.
Whether you're a reader of light-hearted fare or deep and heavily introspective works, I know some great authors and books that belong in your personal library. They range from the brilliant Stacey Ballis, Caprice Crane, Kelly Barnhill, Brian Farrey, Maggie Stiefvater to the absurdly funny Celia Rivenbark, Freeman Hall, Laurie Notaro and Jen Lancaster. And don't forget classics from Jane Austen and Vergil.
Stacey Ballis:
"Off the Menu" and "Out to Lunch" Stacey - aside from being a wonderful, lovely and loving person to know - is one of those brilliant authors who can effortlessly weave a fantastically fun story with depth and characters you can't help but both identify with and fall a little in love with. Each of her hit-novels have been a-can't-put-down read which I may or may not have devoured in the course of an evening each. Stacey writes with such depth and passion that you cannot help but be pulled into her wonderful take on modern life in Chicago nor can you help but be pulled into the entwining lives of her broad cast of characters (after you read a few of her novels, you'll notice cameos! SQUEE!) These two most recent additions to her pantheon of awesome are must-buys! The added bonus recipes at the end of her books? ERMEHLERDD! If you have even the barest hint of good taste, you'll order both of these and then demand another helping!
Caprice Crane:
"Confessions of a Hater" and "Family Affair" Caprice is in a class by herself (whether as a staunch friend or writer) and when it comes to injecting poignancy and hilarity into a story she has no peer; having honed her skills between screenplays, television series scripts and several amazing novels she has a distinct and terrific narrative voice which she is able to blend into a myriad of characters and story-levels (she is at home writing for a young adult audience as she is writing adult fiction). Whether you love them or love to hate them, her characters comprise believable true-to-life (and yet sometimes over-the-top) worlds; a feat which assuredly stems from her own background between NYC and LA. Caprice's ability to deftly tell even a painfully awkward story with wit and poise is a never-lauded-enough talent and one you're sure to enjoy! Take it from me.
Kelly Barnhill:
"The Mostly True Story of Jack" and "Iron Hearted Violet" Kelly is one of those rare talents that writes not only beautifully dark tales for adults (her catalogue of short stories for Sci-Fi/Fantasy anthologies is impressive to say the least) but pens layered and rich tales for the middle grade set (which, since I'm recommending them, are also easily enjoyed by the ... um ... not-so-middle-grade set). Her work wends its way between believable reality and heightend fairy tale in such compelling ways that when the story involves a cantankerous princess in a world rife with magic arguing with a dragon ... you don't even pause; you're right there with her entrenched and caught up in the tale one hundred percent.
Brian Farrey:
"The Vengekeep Prophecies" and "With or Without You" What is it with Minnesota? The state seems to produce more fantastic authors than you can shake a stick at (Kelly, Brian, Anne Ursu and more!) and each one stands apart with skill and taste. Brian is able to weave tales on a myriad of levels; his innovative middle grade action/adventure/fantasy trilogy which kicked off with "The Vengekeep Prophecies" is both endearing and hilarious; producing just as many "Aww" moments as not-so-quiet chuckles at the easily connectable first-person narrative. "With or Without You" is a stand-alone award-winning piece of art: think "The Outsiders" crossed with "Rainbow Boys". A heart-wrenching and amazing tale which will break your heart and remind you that you have one at the same time.
Maggie Stiefvater:
"Lament" and "Ballad" Maggie is a demi-local NYT bestelling author (whom I was 2 years behind in college and have met a few times after when she'd shop/sign at my bookstore) whose work spans the YA genre gamut. As popular as her Werewolf series and more recent books are, her first two novels are what I first read and loved. Set in a very-similar-to-where-we-went-to-college town, Maggie's Dark Faerie novels are captivating and vastly enjoyable. To say that I've been pining over a possible third novel in the series for the last REDACTED years is an understatment.
Some people often wonder where all of my paycheck goes ...
Celia Rivenbark:
"Rude Bitches Make Me Tired" and "You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl" Celia is one of those suave, sweet and swearin' Southern ladies you have to read to believe. I had the great fortune to meet her while on vacation two summers ago and she is just as funny and sweet in-person as you could hope. Her humor essay collections range from the poignant to the absurdly hilarious as she takes on everything from Bubbas to Da Hubby with wit and pinache reminiscent of Nora Ephron (yet, even funnier - yes, I said it). You'll find amazing (and amazingly funny) advice in her newest collection, "Rude Bitches Make Me Tired" and if you can keep yourself from snorting in laughter ... well, I'm not sure if we should be friends.
Freeman Hall:
"Retail Hell" and "Return to the Big Fancy" Freeman is a fantastic friend (he pushed me to start this website!) and an entertaining writer whose deliciously devilish humor memoirs about work in the retail world (as compared to his hilarious spoof of "Stuff White People Like" entitled "Stuff That Makes a Gay Heart Weep") are a MUST READ for anyone who has ever worked in retail/customer service or had a friend/loved one/passing acquaintance who has. Despite (in my opinion) never-enough publicity for his second memoir the word has gotten out - and that word? Is "HILARIOUS". Freeman's voice is both uniquely singular and, yet, the perfect everyman. Think "The Grapes of Wrath" but with snark, handbag sharks and caustic wit set in the world of retail ... you won't regret adding these to your library.
Laurie Notaro:
"The Potty Mouth at the Table" and "I Love Everybody (and other atrocious lies)" Laurie Notaro is practically a household name in humor; her memoirs and novels each garnering NYTbestseller status and these are two fine examples of why. Whether you're the uncomfortable-singing-in-public-type who lip-syncs along with Christmas Carols so as to not appear rude or the type who just isn't comfortable with anyone touching your shower puff [I'm sorry, but just because I'm marrying you does NOT give you the shower puff touching rights - amiright?] or someone who wants to yell at pretentious Yoga Snobs ... Laurie is the right touch. Judging from the hoarse voice I got reading her out-loud on a road trip to entertain my Mum, everyone should love this potty mouth.
Jen Lancaster:
"Bright Lights, Big Ass" and "Twisted Sisters" Jen Lancaster is best known for her debut humor memoir, "Bitter is the New Black", however her follow-up, a collection of humor essays, will probably retain position as my favorite laugh-producer ever. Admittedly, this may have something to do with the fact that I was lucky enough to read it in manuscript form [Jen is not only my literary hero, I'm lucky to call her my friend] and would consider it better than even the most popular David Sedaris collection (blasphemy schmasphemy). Her most recent foray into fiction is a deliciously delightful read (although, I all-too swiftly devoured it #FirstWorldProblems). Ooh, and if you pronounce a certain antagonist/hero character's name you MAY notice a (purposeful) similarity to ... well ... you get the idea.
Jane Austen:
"Pride and Prejudice" and "Persuasion" If you haven't lived under a rock (or slept through 9th grade through college English classes) you are more than passingly familiar with the iconic Jane Austen novels. Yes, we all want to find ourselves a Mr Darcy (an arch humorist with snarkily cynical outlooks and a creamy center); yet, no matter how brilliant you consider P&P, I'll always have a soft spot and abiding love for her comedy of errors and role-reversal novel, "Persuasion".
Publius Vergilius Maro/Vergil:
"The Aeneid" If only Vergil knew JUST how influential his "throw it in the fire" masterpiece would turn out. Iconic imagery and important historical information about the era and aftermath of the Trojan War wouldn't have made it to the modern era if not for Vergil's propaganda machine! In much the same manner as Homer's "Odyssey" the Roman poet chronicled the 10 year escape/journey of the last Trojan prince, Aeneas, as he wends his way through the Mediterranean and sets off a chain reaction which led to the founding of Rome! [Vergil wrote this 12 part epic poem on behalf of Caesar Augustus as a way to emphasize his divine heritage: Venus begat Aeneas whose bloodline begat Romulus and Remus, Romulus being the ancestor of Caius Iulius Caesar, the divine uncle/adopted father of Octavius Augustus. However, he was so unsatisfied with the occasional meter slip and unfinished nature of the poem that he requested Augustus burn it upon his death ... which the emperor conveniently forgot to do. Whoops!]
and special notation of "Will Grayson/Will Grayson" (for the John Green fans out there). You should read this NOT because John Green co-wrote it (although he is brilliant and funny and a bajillion other fantastic things) but because it was co-written by the dazzlingly talented and wonderful David Levithan whose ground-breaking novels of YA and LGBT literature are a MUST HAVE for anyone and everyone! "Boy Meets Boy"? "Two Boys Kissing"? "The Realm of Possibility"? *sigh*
MY BIG FAT ASS and other insulting newsflashes ... [a.k.a. my own weekend update]
Benjamin Kissell
Ooh, all the latest shitstorms fit to ... well, not to print, but definitely to kvetch about; right?
Every year I get to run a harrowing gauntlet of Family Get Together Hurdles that togetherwould make any decathalon-minded Olympian blanch in fear and possibly ask to 'sit this one out'. Why? Well, within a 10-day stretch is: Mother's Day, my Mum's birthday, my Da's birthday and my Uncle's birthday (which coincides with Cher's, so it's a double-whammy holiday). As usual, this year to save time/sanity/possible shouting matches my family combined Mother's Day and my Mum's birthday - double the presents and all the delicious cake we can eat #hashtagwinning!
So what makes this so harrowing? The forced gift-giving and expenses? The over-eating? The deliciously dangerously fattening cake? Well, each of these is a danger in and of themselves. However, the worst offender is the actual getting together of my family.
You see, my family is comprised of dangerous folk. No, not ex-CIA Spooks (that we'll own up to, anyways). No, we're a family of sharp-tongued warriors clad in sarcasm, armed with wit and veiled commentary.
As a veteran combatant in the Passive-Aggressive War of Attrition, known to the outside world as "family bonding time", you would think that I've seen/heard it all. One would assume that I'd become inured to the politely couched slings and arrows of misfortune tossed off as "sentimentality" and "concern for your welfare". But, you would be wrong. Whether from my WASP grandmother, my "too blunt for words" grandfather or the constant high/low snark that comes from all three sides (my uncle, my Mum and myself) there has always been an almost- Cold War level of hostility below our love; something I'm told isn't in the standard nuclear family.
Huh.
I know; this doesn't sound too warm and friendly or even terribly Norman Rockwell of us, but that's just how my family is. We love each other - we do! Sadly, we don't always relate too terribly well with one another. We exist in a state of detente that makes the gloom of an 80's Sting song sound positively upbeat. Despite being a family with large vocabularies, extensive literary collections and various highly respected degrees [and JEOPARDY! championships] our communcation skills towards others within our family unit are ...
Stunted.
Stilted.
Possibly more arrested than a combination of Sheen, Lohan, Britney, Bynes and Bieber.
Which is not to say that we don't give it the ole college try - we get together for family birthdays, holidays and, occasionally, just to see one another. We'll meet up for dinner at my grandparents' home [think Yuppie Colonial cross-bred with repressed repression] and often follow the post-dinner conversation with a rousing game of Scrabble before scattering to the four corners of town to live our separate lives. (My family quite thoroughly refuses to play any iteration of Trivial Pursuit when my Mum is around; perhaps something about the whole JEOPARDY! win sets them to nervous?)
With the closeness I've often publicized with my Mum, you'd think that at least our Dynamic Duo-ness would help offset this whole Rockwell-from-Hell vibe.
Again, you would be wrong.
............................................
Eerily, this looks a lot like my grandparents' living room ... complete with passive aggressive undertones to the carpet, panelling and brickwork.
The usual and most repeated offender on this watch list of Passive Aggressive Heavy Weights is my loving Grandother, Nana. [Author's caveat: please understand, before I go any further, that I love my Nana very very much and will kick you in the jimmies if you say one mean word about her ... I'm just aware of how strong the Passive Aggressive Force is with this one.] Best described as a cross between Maggie Griffin and Blythe Danner, Nana is known to break out with such colorful commentary like "Benjamin, when we were growing up the Jews in-town were a VERY clean people" (upon seeing my Star of David necklace when I first converted); or "Lori, I just NEVER know what size shirt to buy you" pause and wait for it "here let me cut that cake for you - you need a bigger slice" and the ever-classic "I always love when you visit, Benjamin; it happens so infrequently".
Ouch. Like a knife-wound to the gut, that is.
So, with that sort of build-up it shouldn't come as a surprise that this weekend's festivities of family togetherness brought out a comment from my Nana that made my head swim in confusion. During the unwrapping of presents and camera-phone flashes my grandmother turned to my mother and, with nary a trace of irony/condescension/passive aggressive WASP to her voice, said "Benjamin's face is filling out nicely".
"Filling out"?
"Filling out" what the hell does that mean? Does it mean my face is a teenaged girl just developing a bra-worthy chest? Should I be looking for teenage-onset acne and worry about my voice changing? My face is suddenly a bike tire getting a quick fix at the Wawa free air pump? I can't help but read into this based on the decades of WASP commentary that have been the basis of our family's communication.
What does she mean by this?
True, my cheeks are no longer the rakish cheek-bones that could cut glass they were in my youth [*le sigh*], but I didn't think I had suddenly developed Chip'n'Dale Chipmunk cheeks in the last 24 hours. Yes, I've put on a few lbs to my ass, but wouldn't I have noticed if that fat had suddenly flown up to my face?
Yet, when my grandmother says this in an offhand comment I begin to obsess about it.
I am aware that between my exhaustive work schedule, my extreme and personal dislike for exercise and love of delivery food my ass has ballooned a tad. My formerly trim 31-32" waist is a tad wider these days [a fair bit more if that asshat scale at the doctor's office is to be believed]. Of this I am painfully aware every time I fasten my dress pants for work and feel their waistband cut a little into the area-formerly-kn0wn-as-my-middrif. This doesn't normally discourage me as I am a grown adult man in his 30's who isn't actually unfit, just not super-skinny.
Of course I pick at this and focus on it so badly that for the next two days it's all I can do not to text her all Shannen Doherty-like in Extreme Caps Lock with grade school-isms "OH YEAH!? THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!" It isn't until I'm home, fuming, sitting next to my wonderfully patient boyfriend fiance Saturday night that it occurs to me [okay, he points it out, satisfied?]: Nana actually meant exactly what she said - my face is filling out nicely. Not rounding out in a late-80's/early-90's Drew Barrymore way, but in a healthy adult way.
Huh. Whodathunkit?
I guess I just got my own not-so- little newsflash this weekend: even the Cold War had to end - perhaps my maturing body [*heh* try NOT making that sound like some lame after-school PSA] and waistline aren't the only things growing around here?
THAT ONE TIME I EMBARRASSED MY BOYFRIENDFIANCE IN PUBLIC
[okay, so it's happened more than once ... I'm allowed SOME creative licensing occasionally]
Benjamin Kissell
Go ahead and raise your hand if you've never been the one causing your boyfriend fiance's friends to ask "What the f#@k is he doing with him?" ... put your hands down, I know you're lying.
Move over Laurie Notaro and Jen Lancaster - my favorite reigning queens of "Well, shit; I shouldn't have said that in front of your coworker/colleague/friend/boss/classmate/whatever" - and make room for someone new to join you in the "Fuck; did I really just say that?" Club. Hell, I think I should take a center seat ... or at least a nice plush one to recline in as I recover from the mortification that my very big, very loud, very persistent mouth got me into recently. Perhaps with some chocolate and a hot compress?
I have a big mouth - this I know - which is locked, loaded and apparently a hair trigger on an itchy trigger finger.
It's bad enough when you get yourself into trouble/awkward situations/mute staring contests when your mouth goes on autopilot and Verbal Diarrhea is produced [i.e. the inability to shut the fuck up and ERMEHGERDD STOP THE WERD FLOW ALREADY!]; but when your verbosity causes ripples in the fabric of reality impacting those around you? Well, it gets dicey. And when the one impacted the most is the one who's promising to stand up in front of God, your friends and family and probably more than a few protesters to begin a life together? Yeah. It's a whole new level of Oops I Crapped My Pants-isms.
My mouth is not unknown to cause these issues - one could say it's a condition which has plagued me since I made the unnerving mistake to open it and talk (back). My family was made aware of this situation early on and friends have experienced the occasional social setbacks when I blurt out something that might cause even the most Peter Griffin-esque person to reconsider the need for a verbal filter [for example: despite being about a decade in the past, I am NEVER living down meeting my best friend's Buddhist temple leader and lamenting losing my place to my ex as 'the most popular date in town' within a five-minute period. NEVER].
Let's rewind the scene to where the amazingly patient victim [i.e. my boyfriend fiance] was completely sideblinded despite being patently aware of who he's marrying [you know, the guy whose mouth has been off-and-running since the mid-1980's].
In short: I blame low blood sugar, lack of sleep and a natural propensity for a constantly running mouth on the following experience. I blame Red Barron for everything else.
"What an idiot!" If what follows causes you to shun me in shame ... well, you're probably not alone.
If the appropriate music for the situation could be piped through the tinny and gawdd-awful speaker-system which courses through the veins of Wal-Mart it would be the Muzak equivalent of the Jaws theme.
My innocent and loving boyfriend fiance and I were doing the shopping tango; alternating between what we affectionately call the "Wonderland of Crap" side (where all of the stuff we actually need is located and often hidden behind open pallet jacks and annoying Wal-Mart shoppers who don't understand the concept of MOVE ALREADY YOU CREEPY OLD BRAIN-FRIED METH HEAD IN NEON JEGGINGS) and the Produce/Groceries side (where we usually end the trip) when the first notes of the dreaded music should have flared.
Duh Duh.
Duh Duh.
Coming off of my third week in a row vacillating between overnight and mid-day shifts back-to-back-to-back and getting little-to-no sleep (and even less consistent food intake) my internal monologue filter was stripped to 'Well, maybe they won't hear me and even if they do, so what - I'm muttering' which is never a good sign. When an incredibly rude jackass pulled his cart out in front of us, cutting us off and almost causing the cart's handle to embed itself in my solar plexis, I stopped myself from slipping off my boot and tossing it at his head. Barely.
"mumble mutter mutter dark statement mumble mutter"
"Honey, what'd you say?"
"Nothing, mumble mutter mutter mutter"
This scene quickly mimicked itself several more times with increasingly snarky mumbling on my part by the time we'd meandered through the all-too-minimal dvd selection - [come on guys, enough re-packaged Rob Schneider flicks; they weren't worth paying to see in theatres and they aren't worth the cost of the $5 Discount Bin sticker you just slapped on them, either]. My stream-of-consciousness commentary and our debates on what to get/put back/not even reach for were shaving down to almost monosyllabic commentary at this point. To salvage our afternoon and good moods, we would have to finish the shopping toute sweet. And that? Meant a harried and hurried run through the grocery section grabbing whichever scented room spray caught my eye [Fresh Linen EVERY TIME NO EXCUSES], whichever brand of cat food we could grab and lift [Meow Mix, 20lb bag of indoor cat formula for Bitch Pudding] and pushing whichever off-brand of House Made Oreos, honey buns, imitation crab meet, soy/almond/lactose free milk and non-red dye #5 powdered drink mix we could get our hands on into the cart.
Duh Duh. Duh Duh.
Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh.
We were wending our way through the frozen foods section ogling our potential pizza purchases [why yes, frozen pizza is a staple in any household I choose to live in] when the water went dark with chum and the sleek silouhette dove under the unsuspecting victims.
My poor doomed boyfriend fiance looked up from our heated debate on which (and how many of each) Red Barron Pizzas we should just "toss in the damn cart already" and caught the eye of a striking middle-50's housewife a good head shorter than me. A more suspicious [read: less secure] person would wonder why they both beamed at one another before launching themselves into an animated and earnest conversation.
"What are you doing on this end of town? I thought they had you chained back at the store?"
"Occassionally I gnaw my foot off at the ankle and break free."
A polite chuckle ensues from both.
Ahh - of course! The fact that my boyfriend fiance is a well-liked and rather popular guy at his work neatly explains this. I begin to tune out after my attempted rejoinder falls on not only deaf ears, but possibly muted faces (I'm sure she was only being funny when she rolled her eyes, right?). Of course being as that I was only half-listening due to my intense focus on pizza [I want this goddamn pizzaalready] my strictest attention to the verbal banter wasn't exercised and possibly missed a joke or three between them when I interjected.
I cannot quite fully explain what happens next as my memory of what happened is hazy and blurred. When I come to, I found out it was a feeding frenzy full of bloodied water, bruised ego and - from eye-witness accounts [the harangued and now quite shell-shocked boyfriend fiance] - full on Verbal Diarrhea explosion worthy of any 24/7 news channel around-the-clock special as I spontaneously segue from normal, if not mildly introverted and exhausted Benjamin into ... wait for it ... Persistant Seller Man.
It seems the phrase "speaking of which ..." is now banned from my vocabulary as I attempted to steamroll into their conversation with this ominous segue change not once, but twice. Used car salesmen don't have the fanaticism I seemed to possess as I slipped into the waters and went for conversation-blood. Between the "not enough food in my system or caffeine" and "too many work-hours" my exhausted brain went right over the edge of what is appropriately lengthy and approachable conversation and right into "dude, not to sound all judge-y, but does he need medication or what?" depths. She was a leggy blonde all alone on a midnight swim - completely doomed.
"Speaking of which ... have you tried the Red Barron's Nacho Pizza? Because the Red Barron's Nacho Pizza is beyond amazing. It's like the best spicy nacho you ever had ... but better because it's freaking pizza! Look how cheap it is - I mean, you could get two of these for the same price as a Digiorno's! Here - let me grab one for you and you can switch it out!" Between my rounds of extolling the brilliance of such a culinary experiment, her protestations of fitting into her dance girdle and the possibly manic look to my eyes the middle-50's housewife made an abrupt and surprisingly courteous departure.
What was probably running through my wonderfully loving and patient boyfriend fiance's head as I embarassed his poor ass.
To say that my future husband was a bit off-put by this encounter would be an understatement of epic proportions. He was flabbergasted and - to be honest - a little mortified. This was one of his semi-regular customers and the likelihood of his seeing her repeatedly in the near future was ... um ... certain. I'm sure a thousand excuses played in his mind on how he would write this off [foremost among them would likely be that I was indeed out of some much-needed ADHD medication]. Here he had been assuming I was his nice, normal [okay, demi-normal?] boyfriend with whom he lived and shared a cat and instead? I was apparently a stark raving nutter on the payroll of Red Barron Pizza. [Look, I'm not saying I'd never purposefully promote something or shill for a product - I'm only human ... I'm just saying that if I did, well, I'd be honest about it from the get-go and it'd be for something more impressive than pizza.] The drive home was tense as I tried to find the words to adequately explain what had happened and to sufficiently apologize for the carnage wrecked.
Low Blood Sugar? True - I'd eaten maybe one meal in the last 36 hours.
Exhaustion? Also true - I'd slept a cumulitive 8 hours over the last 48.
I'm possibly batshit crazy with a side of Running Off At the Mouth Syndrome which puts the floodgates of your standard Verbal Diarrhea victim in the shade - both of which come firmly from my mildly-insane family? Let's face it ... that's pretty accurate.
So, I said the only thing I could: "I'm so sorry" because I was and am. I love my boyfriend fiance and cannot wait to celebrate our union ... even if he has to pretend I'm Lucy, Jeannie, Samantha or any one of the bajillion sort-of-embarassing-home-situation 50's and 60's sitcom housewives the husbands always seemed nervous to bring company home to.
Thankfully, he loves me beyond the pale and seems to have accepted this new revelation of batshit crazy with a wink-of-the-eye and a wry sense of humor. Proof positive? He began more than a few jokes over the last week with "Speaking of which ...". Between his loving laughter and my own sense of self-effacing humor we were back to normal swiftly [for which I'm eternally grateful].
Lesson learned - I have GOT to get a handle on this running-off-at-the-mouth thing ... and I will. At least, I intend to at least work on it and possibly keep a candy bar and/or coffee in my man-purse at all times to best avoid this Snickers Commercial-level of insanity again.
But, never ever forget: the genius of Red Barron Nacho Pizza is not to be denied.
How does one end up living with a self-absorbed, malcontent who callously walks all over you constantly and ambles through your every day absent-mindedly destroying your things? Well, if you're anything like me ... it's because you've brought the world's biggest asshole into your life.
That's right, I adopted the surliest (sometimes sweetest), most psychotic bitter cat of them all: Bridget a.k.a. "Bitch Pudding". [Even as I type this, I can hear her batting around her favorite toy in the living room - NOT one from the expensive bag of cat goodies we bought her for Christmas this year. Oh no no that would be too normal for my cat. No, instead she plays with a balled up wad of computer typing paper worth approximately .02 cents.]
Readers may recall her debut whilst upchucking all over the carpet as I was attemting my first-pass at hosting a family get-together [for the full introduction check out "Gobble Tov"] last year. Suffice it to say, that was not the first (nor the last) time that she has awoken either my loving boyfriend [shit, there I go again ... I mean fiance] or my ass to sounds of horror. She is also just as happy to wake us up to her heavy, awkward gait as she hops onto the bed and walks ACROSS OUR FACES to sit her happy butt on the pillow right above our heads so she can sit and stare out of the large windows which serve as our headboard.
Bridget "Bitch Pudding" Lee-Kissell (sometimes affectionately called 'Milk Jug') came into my life a little more than a year ago; in the last week of March, 2013. I had been dating John for a little over 3 months and we had only just recently dropped the "L" bomb, begun staying at each other's apartments overnight and all of that wonderful stuff. Our relationship was new and still baby-soft.
So, of course, it was the perfect time to add a new, unknown, variable into the mix.
I worked mornings in a hotel which allowed for great freedom and flexibility to my evenings [YAY! Dates!!!] and, to be honest, didn't hurt my purse-strings, either. Being that we were pet-friendly we attracted a lot of the more interesting folk [read: batshit crazy but in a usually harmless way] - who had some cool [adorable puppies] and some freaky [what's up with birds as pets, people? They stink and sqwawk] pets. That day, a kindly gentleman with the most twee adorable Dachshund checked in a few hours earlier than our normal time and went straight to his room.
A few minutes later my phone rang at the front desk.
Me: Thank you for calling the Front Desk, this is Benjamin, how may I assist you?
Guest With Problem: Hello, I just checked into my room.
Me: Yes, sir; what may I do for you?
GWP: I know that this is a pet-friendly hotel, but, I didn't know that the room came with a pet.
Me: >stunned silence< Huh?
GWP: I just walked into the bedroom side and there's a small cat curled up on the pillow.
Me: >still in shock< Um, I'll send one of my girls right by to pick it up - my apologies! I haven't the foggiest of how that could have happened! I'm so very, very sorry!
And, honestly, I didn't how - the only logical explanations that sprang to mind were 1) that our Housekeepers often will leave the doors open as they're finishing a room up and the cat could have gotten in that way for a quick nap as cats are wont to do ... or 2) that a guest from the night before had accidentally left behind their pet.
Visions of Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey in my head I waited for Conseuala [yes, my hotel had a completely Hispanic Housekeeping Staff ... just like every stereotype; and just like the stereotypes they spoke little-to-no English] to come to the desk with the errant feline.
The emaciated and woe-begotten cat whose gaze met mine when she came in bespoke a not-terribly-happy recent time. Her face had a scratch, her look was haunted, her stomach sounded empty and she was nervous and skittish. Despite her having a bright pink collar (with stains and dirt smudges) on, there was no name or identification on her tag. I called the phone number of the guests who had stayed in the room the night before - and subsequently the rooms around it - to no avail: no one remembered the cat.
Having no other better recourse - and thankfully my GM was a cat-person [despite his being a complete and total asshat in every other regard] - we decided to set up a small home for this wayward soul in our back office. She would be our mascot. Our little spirit animal. Our patronus.
Unfortunately after a few days, despite her losing her rheumy-eye-gaze and getting a healthier stance, her front legs were still wobbly [and still are to this day; the top two theories are in-breeding creating weak legs or that in her life-bef0re-me/us Bridget had had them damaged in a situation] and her attitude towards people-in-general was still ... um ... not pleasant shall we say. Despite her affection towards my GM and myself (aforementioned cat people) she was skittish and downright aggressive towards the rest of the staff.
The dozens of phone calls and web-searches I made for the local animal shelters, hospices and foster/half-way homes met resistance and no luck. I'm not going to name names, but ONE PARTICULAR PERSON BOUNCED ME AROUND FOR A MONTH AND A HALF PROMISING TO FIND HER A HOME AND TAKE CARE OF HER. [I'm genuinely not bitter for the way it turned out, I love my cat, but do. not. lie. to me.] True, there was room at the local city shelter but they were NOT a No-Kill Shelter and - to be honest - I had already begun to fall in love with the little ginger-colored cat and the idea of her being in a shelter only to be gassed when no one chose her clawed at my insides.
So, I made the fateful decision - after I spoke it over with John, of course; we agreed that I would bring the cat home with me after work one night and we would set up space in my bedroom [at the time I lived in an apartment with two roommates and two other cats] as an ad-hoc home for her until we figured out a better solution.
I can haz all your carpets, yes.
April through September saw our relationship strengthen and our bond over our furry adopted demonspawn grow. We both fell in love with her - although it took her a few days after the transition to stop hiding under my bed and her comfort enough so that so we could play with her, showing said affection with the newly-minted Bridget (named for her brilliant green eyes and beautiful ginger coloring).
[NOTE: regarding her eyes ... Bridget has very unsettling eyes. Sometimes they are the gorgeous classic cat eyes and sometimes? Well, do you remember the creep-tastic freaky Orc eyes from the Lord of the Rings movies? Yeah. Those. When she gets her 'Orc Eyes' going it's best to just back off and let her be. Of course, sometimes I forget this and then get a sharp reminder of why.]
When we moved in together in October one of the first orders of business was in-choosing how and where in the apartment we'd set up Bridget's things. Of course, where we chose and where she wanted them were in two different spots.
World's sulkiest cat upon the world's gayest bed [so nicknamed by my boyfriend fiance]
Bridget earned her subriquet "Bitch Pudding" one early summer evening when she began to socialize and roam around my old room; she has the unerring ability to not-give-a-fuck wherever she walks [personally, I think moreso than your average cat] and due to her wobble is a tad uncoordinated when she does so and ... well ... is at times a bit clumsy. So when she hopped up from my bed and onto the small shelf underneath the windowsill summarily knocking down the ceramic cup on the edge, she caused John to giggle and say "Dah Dah Dah Daaaah!".
And a nickname was born.
We began calling her "Milk Jug" after we moved into our apartment as, one evening, we came home and saw her sitting on the stairs. From behind, her silhouette was a perfect one-gallon milk jug; and when she slowly tromped her way down the stairs [I have a tendency to coddle pets and perhaps come-close-to-overfeeding them in shows of affection] it was one of the most adorably comic sights either John or I had seen. Imagine a furry milk jug slowly sliding down a flight of stairs. Her look of affrontery when she paused on the landing to look up at us laughing was pure spite. It was precious.
BP standard spite-face
Occasionally, her affection comes out in weird acts; for example, one evening she seemed to be trying to smother John ...
Of course, one should never forget that this milk jug? Has claws. An oversight on my part when one night after a particularly trying day at work I played with Bridget on the carpet and John sat making art on the sofa [have I mentioned what a brilliant artist he is? Because he is]. BP and I sat facing each other and playing with her favorite toy - the balled up wad of typing paper; batting it back and forth to each other. Now, normally I am not one who is wholly susceptible to peer pressure [shut up folks in the peanut gallery, let us pretend 1986-2000 didn't happen in that regard, okay?] but, I am amenable to ideas and suggestions from my dear and wonderful boyfriend fiance.
John began giggling as I kept calling her "Milk Jug" and soon he began wondering if she would make the weird hollow sound you get when you blow into a jug. I didn't think twice before leaning over to my fuzzy little chub-chub to test this theory. My cat who I snuggle constantly with. My cat whose drool I wipe off when she falls asleep on my chest/legs/wherever. My cat whom I love and loves me. My cat that I just leaned forward and blew in her face.
My cat who until 2 seconds ago was adorably purring as we batted her toy together.
My cat who has suddenly morphed into a Cold War-era Soviet Secret Agent swifter than if I said the code word over the phone.
My cat who has suddenly sat back onto her haunches and sprung her front paws out neatly boxing both of my ears. Which are suddenly ringing from the shock of it. Unbeknownst to me I have myself a Kung Fu Kitty.
Sometimes, despite how much affection she enjoys, I tend to overdo it (in the words of my loving boyfriend fiance I "Elmyra" her [and if you need an explanation, look it up. Think 1980's-1990's kiddos]. And others? Bridget is a stubborn little bitch for no discernable reason - those times we use the most obvious answer: Cat.
Dear BP, your daddies love you [we really do, even your daddy who got saddled with you because he's marrying me] - your soft fur, that contented purring you do when we nuzzle you under the chin even the way you bread-dough-knead us in the chest when you're happy and all that jazz - but when you express your tender affection for us by tenderizing the flank steak known as my hand/thigh/whichever-is-nearest to your maw with your sharp-blood-honed fangs, well, don't be surprised when I soak you with my handy-dandy water bottle.
Which is filled with love ... and water.
Also? You're one smug and self-centered little fuck ... okay, I know you're a cat and all, but you're pretty damn self-centered even for your average cat.
Tired? I'm Right There With You a.k.a. [one dastardly long day ... I'm sure you've had one of those]
Benjamin Kissell
Millions of smiles and millions of miles ... yet today? I am neither smiling nor looking forward to going that extra mile with these tires ...
You ever have one of those days?
I'm sure you have. One of those soul-shredding, brain-draining, mind-numbing, emotion-testing days where all you want to do, at the end of it, is collapse into a warm bubble bath and sip some fine, fine Wal-Mart Moscato until your eyelids droop and you nod off into a much-deserved rest ... your well-worn paperback copy of Bright Lights, Big Ass(or whichever all-purpose entertaining read you default to) slipping onto your fuzzy bath mat beside the tub.
Instead, you end up sipping cold coffee while you hope against hope that it's bitter blackness will not only keep you awake and lucid, but non-snappy and head-bite-off-y towards employees and customers alike until you can go collapse (face first) into your cold bed.
It all began innocently enough - as it always does.
Ever since I'd dropped REDACTED on car repairs back over the Christmas holidays [why yes, the perfect Christmas/New Year's gift to myself were these repairs *eyeroll*] and gotten my car back, it'd been a little shaky in the steering and handling. Being a complete car newb [as I've mentioned before] I wrote this off as a 'new fixin's be new handlin's' and ignored it. That is, until my boyfriend [oops, fiance - still getting used to that] texted me the night before while I was at work.
John: My parents saw metal in your tires - you need new ones baby. Don't touch them!
to which I brilliantly replied
Me: I what? Huh?
Apparently, the reason the car had been shaking even more en route to work was because the steel underneath the rubber was EXPOSED DUE TO THE DETERIORATION OF THE FRONT TIRES!
*pause*
Were shredding. I'm going to let that sink in for you ... my tires?
With me so far?
Being the mature [read: it had to happen sometime, amiright?] person that I am, I asked John to join me in a run to Wal-Mart after my 9.5 hr shift at work was over and hunt down new tires.
Completely forgetting to note the size/pressure requirement/etc before entering the behemoth known as Tire Central we were swiftly overwhelmed and soon resorted to stilted Google searches on our phones for what would/wouldn't be an appropriate new tire for my Oh-God-Is-It-Really-That-Old Honda. After finding what I thought was an appropriate fit/size/etc I took the pragmatic approach of running outside (still exhausted and friggin' hungry, thank you) and trying to take a photo of my tire to make sure I got the right data.
Um. Apparently no one had informed me about how difficult it would be to take said photos in a SUPPOSEDLY well-lit parking lot. As it turns out, it's really bloody hard. After spending 10 minutes on my knees trying to capture the image (and possibly getting tetnis from the shard of rather grey-brown and unknown metal I was kneeling on) I finally had a half-decent pic.
Which of course wouldn't send. Not enough signal my ass.
'No need', I said to myself (rather smugly, if I may be so honest) 'I can just type down the numbers/letters and text them to John. Brilliant, I am!'
[Why I hadn't thought of this BEFORE kneeling for 10 minutes exhausting and frustrating myself is something I'll chalk down to low blood sugar.]
After hiking the impressive distance back between the main entrance and the Tire Center - the rough equivalent of two city blocks [or as my tired ass was calling it "Fuck this"] - I discovered that the tires we'd picked out had been wrong all along and the ones I wanted were the ones RIGHT THERE. The ones $20 more expensive.
Bucking myself up with promises of "Ooh, this will be easy - I can buy the tires and just install them myself! I am so smart! I shall save so much money!" and empty carbs [a.k.a. the fine, fine return of Swiss Cake Rolls to my diet and anything Reese's] I let John steer the cart on with the promise of tire switches in the morning.
......................
Some people bolster egos with booze ... I'll stick with self-delusions and c0pious quantities of chocolate.
Cut to this morning.
Realizing that my smart economic choice was really inappropriate - what with all of the amazing and smug-inducing tools I used the last time I did this not being mine and living over in my Grandfather's garage - I plopped myself down on the couch and dialed Wal-Mart's number. The smug definitely evaporating in the already-too-damn-warm weather. Luckily, they promised that they could install the tires - both of them - for a paltry sum of $20 and a disposal fee of $3 for the old tires. GENIUS! Victory! #WINNING!
My optimism and foolish hopes were due to be sent askew because the sight greeting me as I stood in front of my Older-Than-Dirt-But-Still-Running Honda was a depressing one: one of the two about-to-be-replaced tires had decided - in the time my in-laws had been out-and-back to BJ's - to go flat. This was no mere 'flattish flat'. No. This was 'IN-YOUR-FACE-MUTHA-FUCKA-SEE-HOW-FLAT-I-CAN-BE flat'. Thankfully, this wasn't something that some wonderful application of time, grease and father-in-law aid couldn't conquer.
Okay, despite the setback, I could handle this. I would be happy to slide my card through the machine paying the mere $23 when they were done. I was ready, willing and able to get on with my day and work this afternoon.
Of course, my afternoon ground to a halt while waiting for the Tire Gurus to get back to me: My evening shift person wasn't feeling well and wasn't able to be there tonight. 'No problem', optimistic me said. 'Just get your other evening employee to fill in - he'll love the overtime! Everybody wins! Still #Winning!' And yet, unlike his usual enthusiasm for money, he did not leap at the chance. In fact, due to circumstances beyond his control ... well, he wasn't up to being in this evening either.
Well, fuckballs. What to do ... what to do ...
Between the distraction of laughing myself into an awkward public display of braying jackass laughs while reading some Laurie Notaro and the back-and-forth texts with my originally-covering-that-shift employee I soon had it solved: I would come in at 7pm and be there until 2am when he would be able to muster up the strength to be there. Success! Britney Spears-level-comeback here people!
So, of course, it was time for the Universe to kick me in the stomach again. ARGH!
The oh-so-kind Tire Guru sat me down to explain why he wasn't able to put the second tire on: apparently, in their zeal to get my car repaired back in January, my mechanics had not only forced the tire lug-nuts on, they had cross-threaded and possibly stripped two of them. In terms of car repairs, this isn't normally something to cry about (as it is often easily repairable) nor is it something to scoff at (as you cannot legally or safely drive without three solid ones). Being as this was out of their league repair-wise, they suggested I go over to the nice folks at TIRE STORE NAME REDACTED FOR FEAR OF LEGAL ISSUE who would be able to switch the lug nuts and I could come right back for the finished repairs.
Still, setback aside, I could soon be #WINNING! I had a plan of action; Charlie Sheen, eat your heart out. Of course, my plan of action didn't take into account the fact that today is the Busiest Day In The History of Forever at TIRE STORE NAME REDACTED FOR FEAR OF LEGAL ISSUE and the earliest they could see me would be tomorrow morning.
Deep breaths. Calming Breaths. Inward breaths that make me center myself ... chocolate center with a creamy peanut butter crunch ... *ahem* Snap back here, Benjamin.
The very nice young man at TIRE STORE NAME REDACTED FOR FEAR OF LEGAL ISSUE was very supportive and helped break down the various scenarios that could be wrong with the repairs and gave me a cost/expense line-by-line on it. In terms of cost it was somewhere between "pfft that's just one less meal in a restaurant" and "Oh gawdd, oh gawdd, the hemorraghing is going to kill me" ... suffice it to say, I was seeing red as my green was evaporating.
On the still-somewhat-shaky-because-only-one-of-the-needed-tire-repairs-was-done drive BACK over to Wal-Mart and the Tire Guru I made up my mind to pick up my tire and either drop off my car with my in-laws' preferred mechanic [35 years they've been going to them and never been swindled once] or throw a small hissy fit over the phone and demand my mechanics fix the problem for free "OR ELSE". [Can you guess which one it ends up being?]
Sadly, this plan of action hit yet another snag, what with the Tire Gurus losing my tire.
Yes, say it with me boys and girls; They - the Tire Gurus - had lost my friggin' expensive-enough-I-wasn't-eating-out-with-family-next-week new tire. I may or may not have blacked out before pasting a forced-Southern-charm smile on my face and politely requesting my tire appear. Pronto. [I would like mad props for neither spitting, screaming nor striking anyone during this scene ... I deserve them].
.........................................
The newer-than-new tire snugly in my trunk [no, they didn't find my originally bought tire, they just grabbed one off the wall ... how's that for a solution?], I slowly drove home to leave the car in the driveway until dropping it off for repairs in the morning after deciding to call and give my mechanic the best venting of why this was their problem and not mine possible. [Terse and short words are very effective when combined with a "you will fix it" attitude.] A nap - and chocolate - called to me a siren song. Something positive for me, since John was at work and we'd be missing each other until I crawled into bed tonight.
A nap will always be the perfect way to get a quick bolt of rejuvination. A nap after inhaling half a box of Swiss Cake Rolls is the perfect way to wake up with an extreme case of cotton mouth reminiscent of my most fabulous hangovers [the high points of my early 20's]. A nap, inhaling half a box of Swiss Cake Rolls and waking up to continue your already-too-long day is a guaranteed way to groan loud enough you scare your cat.
..............................................
Chocolate: sometimes the most comforting of friends ... while others, the great pretender delivering stronger cottonmouth than a freshman mixer of trashcan punch and screwdrivers
The Universe, perhaps taking momentary pity, let the evening progress rather nicely. True, it was a busy time at work, but, it didn't promise to be insane or ri-fucking-diculous like it had been the last four days, either.
The hours smoothly tracked by; 7-8pm, 8-9pm, 9-10pm, 10-10:30pm ...
And when 10:30 rolled around the Universe - enough okay? KTHXBAI - gave me the big old middle finger and my still-sick employee called with a painful update: he wasn't going to be able to come in at all ... which set up the 11 hour shift for me as the perfect whipped-cream non-dairy [still lactose intolerant, thanks] topping to this fucktard of a day.
When I get home after dropping off my car at my mechanics WHO BETTER FIX THIS ALREADY AND DO IT FOR FREE and being up-and-running for a good 24-hours-plus straight my prize? Will be to crash into bed beside my wonderful, understanding, amazing, sweet, sometimes-snoring boyfriend [dammit, I mean fiance] for a whole four hours before I have to get up and do it all again.
It's enough to curl up in the fetal position and declare this a "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" ... or maybe just to get a little hate on for the Tire Guru Gods.
FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL fabulous secrets were revealed to me ... [That's right ... FABULOUS secrets]
Benjamin Kissell
I could never tell: was Light Hope a Discotheque or just the result of She-Ra spending too much time at the local Bath House? *cough* Can you say ... 'Fruit Fly'? *cough*
Everyone, I suggest you sit down for this.
I apologize for the double-length article ahead but it feels warranted as I am about to drop some science on you. Impart some possibly-little-known-facts. Share with you some incredibly fabulous secrets.
I love She-Ra and He-Man possibly as much now as I did as a 6 year old.
[*silence*]
Okay, guess it wasn't that much of a surprise or secret.
As a child of the 80's I still harbor a not-so-secret love for all things MOTU [Master Of The Universe, the He-Man line of toys and books] and POP [Princess of Power, the She-Ra line]: I had the action figures, the playsets, the costume-accessories, pillowcases and sheets, the banks, the books, comic books and quarterly magazines ... and even once the cereal.
Apparently I had a mother who really wanted me happy [or wasn't a fan of seeing me toss a tantrum that put Linda Blair to shame - complete with pea soup shots].
It goes without saying, that as a gay boy who grew up in the 80's I wanted to grow up to be She-Ra: The Princess of Power. Quel shock, right? I could knock you over with a feather - or a golden boustier. She was everything I wasn't as a child: strong, confidant, popular, assertive and ... let's be honest here ... a kick-ass hero in high heels and perfect hair.
[Coincidentally, this is where I developed my intense hatred for all-things wedge-heel: the Princess of Power toys were supposed to represent She-Ra and her friends who, mostly, ran around Etheria in heels ... yet the toys? To support and allow them to stand-up without assistance, the designers had them in these garish (to me) WEDGE heels. Um. No Mattel. No.]
"Now to even the odds a little bit - for the honor of Grayskull ..." OOH LOOK! SPARKLY RAINBOWS! SPA-ARKLY RAINBOWS!
But it's true.
One of my grandmother's favorite memories to trot out - admittedly telling it in a less-than-super-gay way - is her explanation of how she knew I was going to be so "artistic" and a "good writer" because I had such a "superb imagination":
Nana: Benjamin, you've always had a superb imagination - I knew you'd grow up to be artisitc. You're such a good writer; you have such a strong way with telling stories.
Me: Aww, thank you Nana *hugs*
Nana: Remember, when you were a kid - maybe three or four - and you would run around yelling ... what was it you yelled? Oh yes 'Sword to rope'
Me: *snorted laughter and an eyeroll*
Nana: You'd run around the backyard with Jay and you would pretend that baseball bat of his was your little sword. Oh the fun you two had.
[Explanation: She-Ra's sword was able to transform from sword into whatever plot-device she needed that episode to help solve the mystery/snare the villain and her memories here are of me and my uncle - with whom I played Battle Beasts/He-Man/SilverHawks/Thundercats in the mid-80's - playing baseball in the backyard; the only way he could convince me from ages three to five to play the game with him was to allow me to pretend to be She-Ra. So, whenever we would play, I'd stand there, at home plate, announcing "Sword to baseball bat". True Story.]
"Sword to rope!" Gurrl, I lost track of how many times I tried this. Sadly, it never worked.
I know, it's hard to believe; but I really was an effeminate, big-haired, skinny [oh, to be that skinny again naturally - I'm just not up for all that exercise and dieting] and geeky kid who didn't get along with the other boys in-class when they weren't playing with their He-Man action figures (Silverhawks, Transformers or Thundercats were also acceptable). I was lost mentally (and physically walked away) when the subject of a 'Hulk Hogan' or 'Wrestlemania' passed their lips. On more than one occasion at my elementary school playground I was seen stomping my (purple) corduroy pantsed butt away from the conclave of boys under the monkey bars and slide to the more girl-friendly gymnastic bar corner.
At least there my talking about She-Ra, JEM and Rainbow Brite didn't garner me severe mocking.
Ususally.
Although I do often wonder about Valerie Maxwell ... between her penchant for dressing like Vickie from Small Wonder and her EXTREMELY Mary Lou Retton hairdo it's a small wonder [*snort*] she didn't try to kick my ass for intruding on her all-girl-all-the-time little club. [Perhaps I should Facebook stalk her and see if she ever revealed her love of Beaches, softball and mullets - if so, that'd be awesome.]
Regardless, it was a love of She-Ra which gave me strength many days to face the bullies and walk into school with my head held high despite being the epitome of "weird" and "different" [as my kindergarten-through-fifth-grade-required counselor described in her first write-up of me: "possible homosexual tendencies"]:
1) smaller than the other boys in my grade in both height and weight - check 2) smaller than most of the girls in my grade in both height and weight - check 3) better hair than most of the girls in my grade - check 4) better taste than most of the girls in my grade - BIG. FAT. CHECK. 5) the ability to walk on my toes reminiscent of high heels [learned from JEM and She-Ra] - check 6) a love of all-things Unicorn (including a rainbow unicorn towel for naptime) - CHA-CHECK 7) a voracious appetite to read almost anything I could get my hands on - check 8) the only boy in the 1st and 2nd grade taking gymnastics and begging for tap shoes [what? I liked the way they clicked when I walked] - check 9) being one of the VERY few students at my school in what was considered a shameful minority ... a child of divorce - check [which was far healthier, trust me, than their marriage had been]
My mother (the rock throughout my life, who raised me while working full-time AND attending college to get her teaching degree) has understood and supported me despite the fact that my differences drew attention and polarizing like/dislike from students and teachers (and parents) throughout my childhood ... yet, never once did she do anything other than have my back. I needed that new Princess of Power Frosta toy to feel better after Scottie Gayle kicked my (purple) corduroy pantsed butt? If she had the money, she went out and found it. My She-Ra official costume didn't come with a red cape? She was right there tying our red bathroom towel to my back so I could rock it out in full regalia ... sometimes [possibly under duress] she would put on the Hordak mask and play along with me.
If any of this looks familiar, then you, too, were a child of the 80's ... or possibly a compulsive shopper like me. And yes, I had those Golden Girls (top row), JEM dolls (middle) and She-Ra toys *sigh*
When I grew up, and went through more bad dates than the entire collected series of Rock of Love, I Love New York, Tila Tequila and other assorted MTV/VH1 dating show COMBINED [see my bevy of date-themed articles over the last umpteen years], it was my latent and rekindled love of She-Ra that helped shine the light on the man who would turn out to be my soul-mate. My one true love - John. Someone who doesn't need me to have the golden boustier, bouncy blonde hair, giant muscles and super powers to be super-powered to him.
[I still say it was madness spending that amount of money on an ACTION FIGURE honey! But thank you! *kiss*]
My love of the original toys has bonded me, as an adult, with friends like Irma Eriksson (creator of the popular webcomic Imy) [Irma's shown her love of She-Ra in various strips and Illo-art]. My love for the new line of MattyCollector toys has been a common bond with George O'Connor (author of the award-winning Olympian graphic novels) [more than one of his video interviews has shown a background of MOTU figures along the shelves of his home-office] and a not-so-hidden shared love has connected John and I with new friends like Josh Bethka here in-town. [Who knew there was a sub-culture of He-Man geeks in the area?]
My 30th birthday, for example, was a portrait in He-Man and She-Ra excesses: an 80's cartoon-themed costume party saw us hosting as Skeletor (him) and She-Ra (me, natch).
"FAAAAAABULOUS SECRETS!"
When we moved in together and set up our apartment our living room soon boasted a bevy of original 80's He-Man and She-Ra toys, the modern Matty Collector action figures (complete with $300 Castle Grayskull) and vintage comic books and mini-books on display ... all of which we both love.
And, of course, when it came time to propose to John, I did so in the only way which seemed reasonable: with the help of She-Ra and her twin brother, He-Man. Taking several hours to come up with the perfect idea (hopefully) and then eventually posing our He-Man and She-Ra action figures around the room with little love notes building up to the inevitable question ... I took the biggest leap of faith in my life. The answer? Well, our matching He-Man/She-Ra Swords of Power/Protection engagement-slash-wedding rings should answer that.
For the Honor of Love - By the Power Above! We have the power so can you ...
Keep calm and call me a drunk ... but only if you mean it.
Benjamin Kissell
It's been 7 days, 10 hours and 34 minutes (and a handful of change for seconds) since I last had a glass.
A full week since a single cup brimming with the wonderful, life-giving and -sustaining liquid push itself past my lips. It's been over a week since I was able to look someone directly in the face and smile clear past my red-rimmed [okay, so I've been debating adding kohl or guy-liner to them to help diminish the red, I mean ... I'm not a monster, dammit] eyes and speak to them without the urge to wring their neck for DARING TO HAVE A SERVING OF THAT WHICH I AM CURRENTLY FORBIDDEN.
It's been a full week since I began living off of a cocktail of Alka-Seltzer cold fizzes, Tylenol PM, Sudafed and enough anti-histamines to possibly tranquilize Anna Nicole Smith [*cricket chirp* ... What? Too soon?]. In the intervening time I've been running myself ragged at work - between my double-duty as de-facto AGM and Front Desk I'm known to clock 10 hours at a sitting - much to my loving fiance's [I know, right? Long story for another article; suffice it to say, he makes me so very happy and I can hardly wait for our wedding] chagrin. Since I'm not sallaried, this at least amounts to some usually pretty decent overtime in my paychecks.
A solid week of a stuffy nose so clogged I wonder if I'm going to need a Brooklyn Sanitation Worker to come unclog them. Coughing so strong I could probably hack up a cabbie or at least his horse. Congestion so strong it's moonlighting as He-Man and so many light-headed spells in which I feel my brain is not only light enought that it could float up to the second-floor landing, but it would hover and do an Ewok victory dance as it did so. Enough congested and mucus-laden tongue moments where I genuinely contemplate visiting my Nana so I can chew on the naugahyde uphostery monster that is her old sofa in the basement den in hopes of actually tasting something ... even if I'm sure that taste is guilt-swilled-shame.
Ooh, goodie - I can't tell if I opened my medicine cabinet or a box of Mike and Ikes spilled into a tub of Skittles and Tic-Tacs. I'll share the licorice ones with you.
Why am I going a on and on complaining about all these things? I know I'm hardly the first - nor perhaps even the most important - person who's ever suffered seasonal allergies and sinuses. No, I am lamenting these things because they have come between me and the other One True Love Of My Life [you know, aside from the afore-mentioned fiance]. A tall, full glass off ...
... Coffee.
What, did you think I had a drinking problem?
I've extolled my love of coffee before, in previous articles, and honestly it's probably the only thing that allows me to pretend at being a nice, mildly-perky [Okay, sometimes I try so hard I'm so perky/annoying I make myself cringe and if I were talking to me I'd have the urge to slap me so hard my teeth rattled] and anything basically resembling "polite" when in the workplace. Because I? By nature? Am not so nice.
I'm actually kind of a bitch.
Or a bastard. But a few chugs of my bitter, bitter black coffee and it pulls the old switcheroo and the next thing you know ... that old black magic has me smiling, being personable and downright hospitable to random strangers. Friendly Benjamin. Personable Benjamin. Non-Stabby Benjamin. Someone sometimes so unrecognizable friends and family have had to do a double-take to reassure themselves that yes, it is me.
So, this week at work without coffee has been ... interesting. I've snapped at no-less-than four employees of mine and accidentally [?] made a malcontent non-bill-paying guest cry. Twice! Which of course meant that the minute I walked into work tonight there is a full busload of 18-19 year olds on two floors, a complement of their alcohol-riddled "chaperones" in my lobby and absolutely nowhere to park as the giant asshat Harley Davidson truck occupied even THE NO PARKING FIRE LANE when I spent 20 minutes trying to find parking ... *cough* ahem ... anywho. Suffice it to say tonight? The first thing I did after grabbing my paperwork and setting things right was to ignore the very large warning of "do not mix with coffee". And I poured myself the largest, blackest double-mug of bitter, bitter black coffee I could.
Here's hoping those warnings are wrong. And if they're not? That at least the results will be entertaining as fuck. I could use fodder for more new articles.
chic is always chic ... except when it's paired with the wrong accessories.
Benjamin Kissell
Some colors are the ultimate in complimentary [and I don’t mean they blow smoke up your arse]. They are your best friends and finest allies in helping to make yourself feel and look better.
They can flatter your skin-tone: turning your pale Edward Cullen palette into a fresh-from-the-tanning-salon-Snookie-esque glow. They are capable of making your eyes pop: accenting or contrasting that lovely earthy green in your eyes, turning them from matte-finish moss to glowing emeralds. They have cache; they carry weight and help you feel like you are perfectly garbed in [fashion] armor for battle – ready for any eventuality and feeling secure and attractive.
In days past people would look at their complexion, hair and eye color as indicators of which “color season” we were: for example, your snow white skin with coal black hair marked you as a ‘Winter’ [and possibly the Evil Queen’s next intended victim, or a villain in a C.S. Lewis novel or Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale].
Admittedly, this probably ages me as 1) the seasonal color delineation has gone the way of Vanilla Ice over the last 2 decades and 2) as a kid I would sit in as my Mum and Gran discussed which we fall into, eventually joining in as a 20-something [I consider myself a Winter, but am more likely a late Fall … an Autumnal Winter Cusp?]. Shallow? Possibly. Vain? Probably. But entertaining nonetheless.
Some things never came into fashion ... I mean, I love me a sweater, but belted sweaters? And those hats? Who do those guys think they are - Carly Simon?
Fashionable color trends come and go; in the 80’s neon was king, in the early 90’s Grunge held sway with earth-tone plaids, the mid and late 90’s saw the bubble burst with the pastel palette and stark bold basics holding sway. The 2000’s? Well, I’d make some pithy comment about colors and styles in the millennial era, but to be honest most of my wardrobe hasn’t really evolved from the large selections of black t-shirts – black by itself, black with logos, black with iron-ons, black with, black, etc etc [sweet lord do I buy a lot of black tees] – with the varying over-shirts and a plethora of jeans I started wearing at 18. You’d think I were Neil Gaiman or something with all the black I buy.
You’d also think I would evolve past my ‘look’ at 22 … and yet, here we are.
I admit, I’m not the arbiter on all things hip and trendy. There is a difference between fashion and style: some of us have it … and [must not name names and point fingers] some of us don’t.
However, that being said, there is something that we can probably all agree on as a complete fashion faux pas. A color that flatters nobody: highlighting only the worst features and drawing attention to the biggest flaws …
Stupidity.
Stupidity is a color which looks good on absolutely no one.
You have a slightly offset eye? Stupidity only draws attention to it and when we see that, Margaret Cho-esque lines will come tumbling out of our mouths [“Gurrl, you should get a monacle – it’d be so coot!] You have a hyper-fake-hideously-orange-fake-spray-can-fake tan? Well, no one’s perfect. But stupidity draws our eyes to it and our sharp tongues to comment quicker about it than a Kardashian divorce.
Simply put; stupidity is that fashion accessory few can afford, yet too many seem to have in abundance.
Stupidity, despite the glaring evidence to the contrary, is gauche and tackier to match with than plaid gauchos [PLAID GAUCHOS!]. It truly is the ultimate fashion faux pas. It’s been remarked [by my mother. Repeatedly] that stupidity seems to be the only color some people seem to recognize or pair with across the fashion spectrum.
……………
Of course, bitchy will always be in style.
To quote my friend, Misty Barfly, “Bitchy, unlike stupidity goes with every outfit. It was Versace’s and Chanel’s biggest inspiration. It’s like the little black cocktail dress” always in fashion and forever desirable.
The Tao of Fabulous [where I drag my boyfriend, my mother and our friend with me as we brave a tropical storm, Northern Virginia/Washington DC traffuck, line nazis and a waffle house breakfast to follow the Tao of Jen Lancaster ... on a leg of her book tour while bedecked in pearls, pink and plaid as is required by the Tao of Fabulous] [man, I think I outdid myself on long subtitles with this one]
Benjamin Kissell
If you don't either laugh yourself into a near-pants-wetting fit (or at least cause your coffee to spill while you fall out of your chair) I'm not sure we can be friends. I mean, I guess we can ... but, I'll secretly worry you're always judging me and then where will that get us?
A quick apology in-advance: this? is going to be a lengthy article (roughly 4400 words, compared to my usual 700-ish).
Also? I realize I should have posted this back in June, but between work and ... okay, I'm just a reeeeeeeeeally good procrastinator.
That is, the root of Jen Lancaster's newest hit humor memoir lies in the edicts and strictures laid down by Martha [let the record show that I have had an affinity for all-things Martha since she became the bane of my neurotically fastidious and home-make-y grandmother's existence in the mid-90's]. Thank you Doyenne of Domesticity for helping to inspire my literary idol to new heights.
It's because of Martha's composure and regiment of straightforward dictates that Jen took on a year of Living to help make 2012 suck far less than 1) it would have otherwise and 2) than 2011 had. [For the full story, pick up a copy of THE TAO OF MARTHA at many of your fine, fine book retailers.]
In that vein, I realize that for chunks of the last 7+ years I've been subconsciously attempting to live the Tao of Fabulous. Which is ...
The Tao of Fabulous: the philosophy, and state-of-being, embodied by humor memoirist, chick lit enthusiast, snarky, occasionally-foul-mouthed, NYT bestselling author, queen of the madras plaid and doyenne of pearls - Jen Lancaster.Thou shalt wear pink, plaid, pearls and/or some combination thereof.
I take the Tao of Fabulous seriously because Jen isn't just my literary idol, she's also someone I've been lucky enough to call my friend. I may have mentioned, in other articles over the last few years, that we met through Myspace [don't judge] the week her first book, Bitter is the new Black, came out and through a series of back-and-forth e-mails we struck up a friendship. Who knew that a snarky ex-sorority girl and a bitchy gay guy would get along famously?
Cut to the obligatory 80's sitcom audience laughter/chuckle.
Ever since 2008’s Pretty in Plaid Tour I haven't missed an opportunity to see her and this year I plan on seeing her twice: once in the DC area - technically Bethesda, MD - like usual, followed by another either north or south. As her closest other appearances are Philadelphia, PA and Cary, NC and as I would sooner cut off my left pinky toe than return to PA any time soon [a long story involving family, small-towns and a distinct lack of humor] it was an easy choice naming Cary as a must-see.
Which is why my ever-patient and loving boyfriend has just walked into my bedroom to find me amidst what can be politely called a shitstorm of clothing. I’m in the middle of my room with a travel bag on my desk chair while a multitude of shirts in hues of pinks and greens surround me as well as several pairs of ‘dressy’, ‘not dressy’ and ‘distressed’ jeans. I will not be caught unawares this year [2010 I am so looking at you, that is … if I could stand to look at those photos].
“Um. Benjamin are you ready?”
“Almost.”
“Almost? Are you sure?”
“Yes, just have to pick out what I’m actually wearing is all,” I reply while I hold up a particularly vibrant pink t-shirt to my chest, folding it and placing it in my ‘possible’ pile.
“Oh, that’s all.” His dry humor tone is matched by a cocked eyebrow as he eyes the 3 large stacks of ‘possible’ piles. Okay, so I admit it – packing light is not my forte and packing for a 3-day, 2-night road trip with photo-ready clothes in specific colors and styles? Tasking me, it is.
“Yes, that’s all – I’ve narrowed it down to these 2 pairs of jeans,” I say as I set one pair in the bag and begin to shimmy out of my house-pants [read: grey flannel shorts] and into the new [splurge because I? Deserve it] grey-black jeans. “And down to these stacks of pink, green and grey t-shirts to match with those,” my hand pointing over his shoulder to the stack of dress-shirts tossed on my bed pillows. I lean in to kiss him as I zip and buckle up.
“Which go with which?” I defer to John’s eye a fair bit as he has a fantastic sense of color – which may or may not stem from his side-career as an artist. “I only need an outfit for tonight’s event and tomorrow’s and then the drive home. Oh and pyjamas. By the way, do you know if the hotel room Mum got us is a queen-sized or full?”
“Queen.” Another kiss. “You can wash anything you need to at my place when we get home tonight.” He pauses and hands me two stacks of shirt/over-shirt combination, “These work, baby. Now hurry and get dressed; we’re meeting Edie in Bethesda in just over two hours.”
Edie, one of my Mum’s best friends and one of John and my good friends, is joining us tonight for our first stop and we’re going to pick her up in the morning tomorrow on our way to Cary (Mum would join us tonight, but, as a teacher it's presumed that she needs to be there on the last day of school). A professional ballroom dancer, Edie has a quick wit and dry sense of humor – another reason she gets on with us.
I’m proud of myself, by the time I get out of the apartment and into John’s freshly cleaned out [yes, Mum, he really did clean it out for you guys] yellow battle tank – one tough and tumble yellow Nissan SUV – I’ve been able to pack all of my stuff for this trip into one decent-sized travel tote with only the snacks and water-bottle loose. I’m genuinely impressed with myself here.
I’m garbed in my sea-foam green gingham dress shirt and bright pink tee – pearls [given to me by our friend Dani] clutched and threaded through the collar which I’m debating on popping or not. I believe I pass muster.
Traffic leaving Fredericksburg and passing up through Springfield goes smoothly until we’re about 10 miles south of Washington, DC. While sitting in yet more traffuck [admit it: a funny and accurate term] – we notice that the air blowing out at us is no longer the refreshing not-as-hot-and-humid-as-it-is-outside-in-June air but on the other side of warm. Almost scalding. Looking down, John utters a stream of well-chosen expletives as we slowly move half a car length forward.
“What’s wrong?”
“The temperature gauge,” he says pointing down at it. From my side and experience – and let’s be honest, I’m never going to be known for being auto-mechanically inclined – I can guess that the shift on arrows here isn’t the usual for his tank. “The longer we sit in this shit, the hotter the engine’s getting.”
“I’m betting that’s a bad thing.”
Thankfully, John knows when I’m joking in an attempt to lighten his mood and he reaches over to grab my hand while we watch the gauge rise steadily.
……............
The good news? Pulling off the highway and letting the car rest for five minutes pushes the engine’s temperature back to normal.
The bad news? After relaxing with a bag of Funyons [how I had never had them in the first 29 years of my life, I shall never know] in a Catholic school parking lot, finding our way back onto the highway from this adorably cliché uppity yuppie enclave and finally making it over the DC border onto the Clara Barton Highway we are once again stuck in re-donculous traffuck.
Between the still fluctuating engine temperature, the steady warm rain beating on the car windows, the angst at being still a good 10 miles and 30 minutes away from where we need to be and the shit-tastic driving skills of this Maryland asshat in front of us our moods are frayed.
This jerk in a tiny little ragtop sports car has been driving down the middle of the road, half-in/half-out of both lanes and constantly is swerving to block attempts at anyone passing him on either side.
Yepp. Northern Virginia traffic sucks ass.
After what feels like 16 years [or just took 16 years off of my life] spent cursing out just about everyone around us, the GPS [who seems to enjoy interrupting me whenever I start to say something to John] and Washington DC in-general, we pull into an overpriced, well-lit, very packed parking garage and I quickly hang up the phone seeing Edie walking towards us in a cute sweater/dress ensemble. I primp while John has a stress-cigarette.
We made it.
Definitely good news.
In fact, we actually made it in good time, ahead of our projected schedule, that we were able to pick up copies of Jen’s new book, a copy of Pretty in Plaid for John, and eye the escalators for signs of the Barnes & Noble café on the third floor. Thankfully, my policy of neurotic panoramic observing [some call it paranoid-based-spying, I prefer my term] paid off when I spied a caramel ponytail topping a lovely blue’n’green striped top and knew that Jen was in the house.
Thankfully, Jen isn't caught offguard when we approach; in fact she's enthused and glad to see me - pulling me into an immediate hug - and thrilled to talk about both knitting and John. Having now learned to knit [see chapters of Tao of Martha] she understands and is doubly-so impressed with the scarves my Mum knits, as well as the one she knitted for Jen last year. Pulling John into a bear hug, she just gives me a huge grin over his shoulder as she knows about my lackluster/hillarious dating history and I may or may not have gone on at length about him in various e-mails with her since we began dating back in January.
............……
The event's gone off without a hitch … well, except that the microphone kept going in and out, they held an adult humor reading/signing in the middle of the children’s book section (fully decked out in 100 Acre Wood regalia - HOLLA!) and the handler was either mildy incompetent or masively lackadaisical [and as someone who did that when I worked in a bookstore I can tell you it isn’t that tough to ride herd]. Basically without a hitch, right?
Why yes, Bennifer 2.0 is still fucking fabulous ... AND MATCHING!
Jen was fabulous, looked fabulous and was fabulously amazing – shoring up plans for us to all see each other tomorrow in North Carolina … that is, if this fachachta tropical storm doesn’t destroy the east coast – and taking the time to chat and pose for photos with her myriad of fans that filled up the large room.
I sure hope the wet roads are better in the dark. I mean, traffic home can’t be that bad, can it?
.................
Thankfully, it’s smooth sailing back to John’s house where we collapse in a heap on the bed. I fall asleep mumbling something about DC’s traffic being the fourth circle of Dante’s Inferno.
............……
Car packed with snack food for 300+ mile road trip? Check. Car filled up with gas? Check. Multiple packs of caffeine pills, bottles of Monster Java and a very large mug of my requisite bitter, bitter black coffee? Holy-you-bet-your-ass check.
Boyfriend in the driver’s seat, Edie in the seat behind me and my Mum in the seat behind him we pull out onto the highway – her travel bag, while honed after a dozen-plus business trips to conferences over the last few years, is still roughly twice the size of mine, dwarfing it in the way-back. A fact I rag her on.
Of course, I forgot to pack a back-up pair of socks – this round to you, Mum. This round to you.
Why yes, I realize I do need to develop a steady hand when taking photos ...
Passing back and forth another bag of Funyons, a batch of chocolate and thin mint cookies and some delicious toffee Edie baked up this morning (inspired by the chapter Jen read at last night’s event in which she tackled “Easy Toffee”) we’re making good time as we head south, through and past Richmond.
How friggin' awesome is John? Also? Still blurry, I know. I know.
A-and I just spoke too soon: the rain just found and bitch-slapped us.
............……
What looms above us is probably best described as ‘God’s intestinal distress’.
Clouds roil, winds howl and the rain is coming down in sheets so strong and solid I’m pretty sure that Noah’s somewhere texting “Enuf Dude, we get it”. The storm is (of course) coming from the south. Which direction are we solidly heading? South. Jen is tweeting - @altgeldshrugged – updates on her plane/car/plane travails as she tries to make the journey from DC to Raleigh to Cary.
If mental will were capable of dispersing the rain and clearing the weather up not only would we have sunny skies right now, but the level of concentration I’m bending towards it would produce rainbow-farting unicorns. Alas, all I see is more grey; more clouds; more rain … ooh, and jerkwads without their headlights on while the rain is pouring out of the sky’s asscrack.
What proceeds as we drive down the road is a blur [literally and figuratively *sigh*] of rain, grey skies, goofy photos, more rain, a slew of inappropriate jokes and yet more rain. When we make a turn and pull past a tall copse of pines, somewhere about forty-five minutes into North Carolina, and the bright azure blue of a rain free sky greets us I may be muttering along the lines of “all rain and no sky make Homer something, something” [ten points if you got The Simpsons Treehouse of Terror Halloween Special ‘The Shinning’ reference – for the rest of you, go and look it up. I’ll wait].
Huh, who knew: North Carolina is actually kinda pretty when you’re not drowning in a tropical storm.
Maybe that should be their new advertising slogan?
............……
Our hotel is off the beaten path [and by that I mean we practically have to make an illegal U-turn to pull off the street and into the shopping center surrounded by lovely pines – this state seems chock full of pines, what's up with that? – flanking the hotel] which affords us a lovely bit of privacy and view of some lovely pine-y vistas out of our room.
Speaking of our room, I hope Mum and Edie’s is even half this nice; a large and comfortable bed, well-sized desk with – ooh, is that a plush desk chair? And, unless I’m completely nutters, that’s a fully-accommodating kitchenette. By the time I’m finished spinning in the room taking photos to document the trip [for both posterity and for you, Dani] to flop down on the bed beside John, the room phone’s ringing.
No time for romance, I guess.
YAY! Less blurry ... perhaps I've developed a photographer's hand?
I pick up on the third ring, but not before stealing a quick kiss; Mum’s voice greets me.
“Boys, are you ready?”
“Almost.”
“Almost? Are you sure?”
[Can you see a theme here? Do these people know me and my penchant for stalling and taking for-fucking-ever to get ready? One of the first things Mum and John bonded over was my habit of changing an outfit two or three times before I even leave the house.]
Throwing caution to the wind – and the perfectly chosen outfit of pink and black I was ALREADY WEARING, GAH! Why did I just abandon you, Tao of Fabulous? – I change into a cross between grunge and prep [Prunge? Grep?]: pink tee, pink/grey/black/white plaid flannel shirt, the requisite pearls and nice jeans with way-too-expensive leather boots. Still spraying on my cologne, I allow John to usher me out the door (taking long enough to note that the bathroom has great lighting for doing hair but absolutely NO fan for air circulation. WTF?).
I’m already regretting my wardrobe choice – malfunction? – by the time we’re in the car and fighting with the sassy GPSes. Mum’s refuses to believe we aren’t still in Fredericksburg and John’s refuses to a) pick up a strong enough signal for us to hunt down the address and b) do anything other than talk over me. Every time I seem to open my mouth – at this point, I’m surly when I do – the GPS’ English-accent lilt proceeds to gain volume and passive-aggressively hush me.
“We can’t be that lost, I mean the hotel’s only a mile and a half from the boo-”
“Gaining signal, please wait.”
“What the? How big does a nail supply store have to be? That thing is at least half the size of Wal-”
“Would you like to direct me to your destination?”
“I swear, if we didn’t need that fucking GPS to get us home, I’d throw it out the d-”
“Proceed to the highlighted route and you will arrive at your destination.”
If her little tinny voice could sound any more smug I’d suspect her of being a female Newman [Seinfeld reference, kiddies – look it up]. As it is, I grumpily lean back in my seat while we search for, eventually pull up to and hunt for a parking spot at the rather-full Barnes & Noble. Hrmm. I guess Jen has a lot of fans here in North Carolina. True, she’s probably not coming back for a while, so I’m sure a lot have come out to see her. We’re also not running that late, are we? Her event starts at 7:30 and it’s only 7:40 by the time the demented offspring of Hal 2000 has led us here.
............……
Of course we’re late.
Of course we’ve missed a good chunk of Jen’s reading (true, John, Edie and I had heard it last night, but Mum hasn’t). And of course it’s packed. And of-freaking-course even though John and I stand a good head taller than the majority of fans who are filling out this 200-ish packed room it’s a bitch trying to see past the Bride of Frankenstein Hippie Housewife [if I could take a photo of her without drawing attention to myself, I would, but I’m afraid she’d claw my face off before hissing down my neck-hole] and the lovely large column smack dab in our view.
How would the Tao of Fabulous have us deal with this? Poise sounds about right.
Ha! I know: it’s a good thing neither of us is a stranger to heels so that we can stand on our toes to better our vantage without much strain as we lean on each other.
............……
When we walked in and picked up our books we were all given colored slips of paper; red, orange and yellow. The lovely slips in Mum’s and John’s hands are yellow [at this point I have so many books signed for me, friends and family I could possibly set up my own store, if I were willing to part with a single one – I’m just here for the Jen-ness] which means a decently-long wait is ahead of us, if I make my guess right.
As we stand and mill around the oh-so-short-man-complex event wrangler goose steps around the audience checking to make sure we only queue up when our color AND group are called. And lest anyone here were to misstep, mishear or goof-up somehow, he loudly reminds us that he WOULD be regularly walking through the line checking our color slips.
Where last night I railed against the lazy half-assed-ness of the lady in Maryland, I am now almost crying in mourning for those halcyon days of yore. One extreme to the other it seems: lazy to uptight dick-weasel.
When John and I leave the seating area to pick up food in the café – I did mention I’m a sucker for their frou-frou coffee drinks and over-priced sandwiches, no? – he glares at us. When I walk back to the bathroom to hit the loo because the frou-frou coffee drink has already cycled through my system? He glared at me. When I threaten to take his lanyard and choke him with it, he glared … well, he would have if I hadn’t just fantasized about that last part, writing it into a quick text to a friend.
All the while, Jen – like last night and countless other stops over the years since she began touring with her second book, 2007's Bright Lights, Big Ass [probably my favorite collection of humor essays. EVER] – smiles, makes personal and intuitive talk and poses with her fans for countless photos. You can tell that despite the heat, the gyganormously wicked weather and crazy traffic, Jen truly enjoys meeting and interacting with her fans.
After waiting for the Color Threat to pass Code Orange – people came out of the woodwork to appear with that damned orange slip of paper; I wouldn’t be surprised if dickwad Line Nazi had plants hidden throughout the store just to muck with Yellows [the name feels almost pejorative at this point]– and make it to Code Yellow, the four of us wend our (sweaty) way up to Jen. [Yes, I know this is the South and the heat is natural, but we live in an age with the blessings of Central Air, please take advantage of this, okay?] The five of us chat away while photos are snapped with classic Ikon cameras, iphone camera apps and everything in-between. I sure hope the photos of me in this outfit don’t suck [they will].
See? Told you the photos would suck of the outfit ... hence only one. Heh.
Before it hits me that we’ve made it, Jen is hugging me and we’re saying our good-byes and promises for next year.
...........……
Having survived an all-too-early wake-up [I'm on a vacation road-trip, 10 am is too-damn-early] Edie suggests, while Mum and John second the motion, we throw caution to the wind (and possibly our intestinal stability) and break our fast with the ubiquitous Southern roadside fare of The Waffle House. After all, what road trip is complete without a morning filled with stomach-gratifying grease to kick it off?
Between the angry Serbian(?) man who cannot grasp the concept of tax on food, the actual queue of people dressed UP to dine here, the 20-something waitress who cannot quite figure out a bill’s total with both a calculator and our waitress’ aid and the creepy little man (woman?) in an ill-fitting page-boy wig of indistinguishable color – is it black? Brown? Animal? – there is enough going on around us to keep me entertained as I slowly come awake [aided by the bitter, bitter black coffee] waiting for our breakfast to arrive.
To say we devoured breakfast would be an understatement: despite my natural aversion to all things The Waffle House [long story, don’t ask] I happily tuck in and only leave enough on my plate to warrant a doggie bag for the remnants of John’s hash browns and my sausage and ham. The acrid taste of the industrial vat-made coffee is very soothing and soon I’m playing footsie with my sweetie while we all laugh and talk over one another about how we feel this road trip is going.
Consensus: well.
After a cadet blue sky, overcast and dull, when we left the hotel, the weather is now bright as we step out of The Waffle House; white wisps of cloud frame the brilliant blue of the pastel sky as we walk out to the tank, my fingers entwined in John’s. We have several hundred miles to go, true, but we are on our last leg of this whirlwind tour. Who knows what stop we’ll make en route home? When we make it over the Virginia state line we can hit the Visitor’s Center and make a decision where we’ll stop on our way back to Fredericksburg: Williamsburg, Lynchburg, Petersburg, another ‘burg? Perhaps the Hipster enclave of Careytown in Richmond?
The road is open and the Tao of Fabulous says to go where we will – but just to do so with flair and fabulous wit.
And pearls – don’t forget the pearls.
............……
I would be remiss in not thanking those who went with me and endured my plethora of neuroses and bitch fits [okay, a few hissy fits probably happened, too – mea culpa] up, down and back again.
Thank you to Edie Orazi for being an unexpected joy on this trip – your delicious toffee was only outdone by your fabulous company. We’ll have to do this again. Consider it a date, young lady!
A HUGE and repeated thank you to my Mum, Lori Kissell; every time we take a trip – whether it be a road trip, a train-driven escape or a cross-country flight – I find myself walking away even closer to you and loving you all-the-more. The rest of our family may be leery of playing Trivial Pusuit against a Jeopardy champion, but I’ll always be happy to play (and even occasionally win) with you!
I cannot express how thankful I am to my wonderful, usually-patient, always understanding and perennially smart-alecky boyfriend, John; you are my rock, my best friend, my wicked other half. Thank you for being the driver to my mental getaway and for your steady hand behind the wheel when it’s a literal getaway – I can’t say enough how lucky I am and how much I love you!
And a huge thank you to Jen for being both an inspiration and a fantastic friend to know the last 7 years. I still occasionally pinch myself in glee to be your East Coast Gay! When I grow up - if I have to - I want to be a lot like you: smart, funny, kind, generous ... and snarky enough to put the fear of God in hipsters.
CARRIE BRADSHAW AIN'T THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN [a.k.a. that article I trot out every few years to show I'm not a knock-off Sex And the City writer; proving it when I toss you a purposefully SATC article to show you the difference in my voice, tone and ... man, this is a long title, isn't it?]
Benjamin Kissell
"I don't know about you girls, but I can't fathom what I was thinking looking back at those outfits from seasons 1-4." "Yeah you do - we were being paid to be walking mannequins, Kim."
In my early 20's, there wasn't a cheap fad, fashionably chic course or retro neuveau tack I didn't try to stay ahead of and yet, it somehow wasn't UNTIL my very early 20's that I finally landed on the bandwagon that the ENTIRE FREAKING WORLD had been latched onto [like a hipster in skinny jeans latches onto his organically-grown coffee] - I found my love for Sex and the City and became one of the herd. And it was fun.
Don't get me wrong, I'd heard about it before then - its popularity had been as ubiquitous as the heretofore mentioned hipsters in skinny jeans are now [seriously, walk down a sidewalk or through your local mall and count them up ... you'll thank me - or be so depressed you down half a box of wine (white, not red you heathen)], however, despite its popularity I hadn't discovered how SATC related to me. True, I was a mildly-fashion-conscious gay man living in a large small-town (or a small large-town, whichever you prefer), but whenever Sarah Jessica Parker and her emaciated frame showed up on my television screen shilling for HBO's newest season of bobbleheads I took a 'Not me' stance.
That is, until I made the fateful mistake that haunted my mother for weeks afterward ... I caught the first mini-marathon when TBS began airing it [I may have subjected her to a viewing of the entire first season when I ran out and bought it on dvd the next day ... 8+ years later and I'm not sure if she's forgiven me yet].
By 2008 and the release of the first SATC movie, I already owned 5 out of 6 seasons, had a myriad of pink and high heel-themed accoutrements and had discovered a love of all things chick lit [of course, for the last part I really can lay that at the feet of Jen Lancaster, but that's another article]. I was a gay man hooked. I had a sickness and I had also discovered my love of writing in the similar dating vein as the fictional Bradshaw and her real-life counterpart (and creator) Candace Bushnell.
My humor posts about my dating life (the ups and downs) on various pages [okay, mostly my rotating Myspace pages ... don't judge me, 'twas 2005-8 when it was still slightly popular] had garnered me a slew of fans and, of course, more than the occasional comparison to Bradshaw and Bushnell. In an effort to show how different my voice was from the SATC vibe, and in celebration of the release of the film, I penned an article where I took on the role of Carrie Bradshaw in my own little community.
That article is what follows, please enjoy ... and if you don't? Well, who forced you to read it?! Oh, I did? Well, still. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride anyways.
..........................
"If I pose awkwardly in designer couture, no one will be able to tell I've been starving the entire production and would happily gnaw off the knee of the nearest Grip. Right?"
Cue the “dah, dah dah, dah dahdahdah dah …"
Fredericksburg
is a moderate city, in the picturesque riverside of the Rappahannock,
and in that city, there are thousands and thousands of single people,
all colliding in an attempt to find themselves and that “special one” they can call their own.
On
any given day, there are several hundred thousand stories going on in The City which sometimes dozes in the sun, but here we'll focus on 4 friends; 4 single ‘girls’ who just want to
make it through the day and have some fun – because girls do just wanna
have fun.
Today is a Tuesday evening and a light rain is falling
upon The City, but this doesn’t deter any of the twig-like
overly-made-up and designer-dressed girls and their friends from speeding around the area,
walking in knock-off labels and shopping the high-end stores while they totter on stalactite heels which promise future crippling.
It's on this kind of evening that these 4 friends – me and mine – decide to
meet up at our favorite restaurant and around the table our day’s
events are re-capped and gone over with a fine-tooth comb. Where we have
no qualms about our ‘kiss and tell’ stories.
.........................
Outside of
downtown lives and works Sarah, who speeds past obstacles and itinerant drivers in her stylized green sedan:
confident, stylish, a sexy brunette, she works by day in the financial
district doing banking work. Recently 21, she is the kind of confident and curvy woman that men throw themselves at and many female
co-workers eye with envy. She lives with her best friend and close
confidant, Johnny, but still finds time for her work, close
“girlfriends” and yet, more time to work her way through college while shopping like there's no tomorrow.
Past downtown, in the western suburbs we find Christany winding her way in her black pick-up truck: vivacious, energetic, larger than life, Christany is the sort of
petite blonde bombshell not seen since the days of Marilyn and Mansfield. She
may be the youngest of our group, at 19, but, don't let that fool you,
she is full of spitfire energy and wisdom, her firm convictions lend
themselves to her stalwart character and a bright future. She works in
the private sector, in her family-held company. Many have mistakenly
assumed that the earnestness and baby-blue sweetness of Christany means
she is lacking in worldly knowledge – a big mistake. Just because she
lives by the credo “a ring and a priest” doesn’t mean, she is naïve.
While
across and from uptown, Nate drives by in his smart and sensible blue compact car:
smart, kind, caring, long-minded and stalwart, at 22 he is the most
successful of our group, working deep in the corporate sector. Tall, at
6’2, his dirty blond locks, short-cut of course, are accented by his
deep blue eye, he gains and garners appreciative looks from men like a
Park Avenue Socialite collects shoes. Much like Christany, he has enough
confidence in him to light up the city, allowing others to bask in his
brilliance. Quick witted, Nate has often been the comic center of
whatever group he is in, and if there isn’t one, he draws it to him.
And
then, there’s me, Benjamin, driving from the outlying northern 'burbs to the chic bistro in my classic clunker – a powdery blue
sub-compact: at 24, almost 25, I am the oldest of our group, having seen
a sometimes-too-much of the world and yet remaining so sheltered that I almost naively
hold onto optimism (an oft-dangerous quality, or at least a
get-me-into-a-bad-situation trait). In the 7+ years I’ve been dating, I've seen so much; yet, it’s but a drop in the bucket to the drama and man-troubles available to us. At almost 5’11
(a solid 6 foot with gelled hair and couture shoes) I attract a
moderate amount of attention from men … some good, some bad, and many just plain funny.
We meet up, I arrive last, at
our usual dining spot. Having just missed Sarah (I wave at her as she
drives past me in the parking lot, called back to work without a cocktail to sooth her), I sit next to Nate in the booth.
Sidling in, I reach for the drink menu as a new and different waitress
leans in and joins our conversation in a welcome manner, enjoying the
banter. Giving her my ID, I decide to order a Cosmo, in honor of the
day, and I lean in for the commentary from my girls.
Christany,
it seems, is in-between assignations with the company, having finished a
job earlier in the evening, she is waiting for the call to head to the
next. Like is often the case, she and Nate engage each other in fierce
(but non-combative) conversation, debating everything from the case of
“nature vs. nurture” to religion. Tonight isn’t any different.
The
waitress arrives with my heavily vodka-laced pink drink, which burns pleasantly on the way down giving me a warm glow on this rain-drippy evening.
Realizing I don’t want to drive drunk – well, mildly intoxicated – I
decided to pick up an entree of “loaded potato skins” to help stave off
the effects.
While we talk and gab, Nate and Christany
trading quips and smart barbs, I fill them in on my day at work,
mentioning that after leaving retail-hell, I met up with my other friend
(the gorgeous brunette, Christine) at the movies, where we shared
popcorn, soda, and a love for the girls of “Sex and the City” (me,
appropriately decked out in pink and chic). As we chat, we also keep an
eye on the inhabitants of the bar, and even note a well-muscled young
man who brushed past us as he made his way back to the bathroom and
returned to the bar. Christany, as the least subtle of us (a feat Nate
closely follows her in and I am fast gaining on), has made mention of
his “gawgeous ass”, to which I reply in a not-too-hushed “mmm”, while I
bend my head in his direction.
Men-watching, intense
conversation, drinks and fun are our norm, and with the weather turning
mildly on us, we are not surprised when Christany receives the call to
head to her next job. Getting the checks, we pay and turn to leave.
And that is when Fredericksburg’s innate sense of humor comes to pass.
I
hug Christany, and as I turn to walk past – in my pink and grey finery, my hair not-quite-as-coiffed as I'd like –
I notice a familiar face dipped forward in conversation, one eye on
me, the other on his dinner partner. Like his hand.
My own most recent mistake. My Mr. Big.
It’s
been months - almost a year - since I cut him out of my life. Over nine
months since last I saw him. Apparently, The City decided I had a ticket for unclaimed emotional baggage that it wanted me to pick up.
Especially if I'm not having a good hair-day, asshole!
In shock, I said the first thing which came to mind: “Mother-fucking cocksucker”.
Hoping to slip away before I'm noticed, I turned to breeze past, tossing a goodbye wave to Christany and Nate. All hopes to gracefully exit the
restaurant before I caused a scene fled when I had to shove the doors open which caused the wind to catch my jacket and flip it open and into my face as my currently no-longer-gel-held hair whipped into something reminiscent of Something About Mary. Flushed with embarrassment, I realize that I'd shoved my feelings about
what had happened out of the way - zipping them closed in a Louis Vuitton suitcase which I'd been doing my best to forget where it'd been left - instead of dealing with and then getting past them.
Nate
calls these moments, 'Toldja So's' – because he usually has.
When I get home, I slough my finery in lieu of comfort-clothes and a knitted cap over the fly-away hair in my bedroom and soon find myself at my desk, staring blankly at the laptop
screen when I begin to wonder …
When we end something with someone, is
it really over? Or do they have to end it with you, too?
Can you present your ticket and release your emotional baggage with someone? Or do you both have to pick up your luggage to let it go? Does the unclaimed
emotional baggage just trail behind you; eventually
going unnoticed until it’s just a regular part of you
Deciding
not to let these questions go unanswered, I unblock Big’s screenname from
my Instant Messanger long enough to see that he was online. Hemming and hawing, I take a swig of my coffee and begin to type a direct and simple message.
Of course, he immediately responds.
Politely
engaging him in conversation for a few minutes from there I realize he
hasn’t changed at all: he's still a selfish and petty, self-centered
little boy in a grown man's body. He tells me all about the cute new guy he's been
seeing (the slim, effeminate boy with cashmere and express jeans he had
his hand on at dinner) - whether he thinks this will bond us or brag, I don't care to know.
It's clear that the baggage has been picked up and discarded on his end.
Deciding that the healthiest thing I can do is to end all contact between us on a clean and honest note, I decide to be blunt and tell him that I
know all about his cheating and the lying that he thought he'd hidden from me and that he needs to be more selective in his
trysts. And then I hit the 'Block' button and lean back in my desk chair.
As I sit there, my knees at my chin and my
computer screen glowing in front of me, I begin to glow in turn. Smiling
to myself, I feel the cold weight of the anger I’d been carrying around
since the end of me and Big lift off. My smile is genuine, for the
first time since his caustic words at the end of us I don’t
hate him.
I don’t want to avoid him, forget him or hate him. I just want to move past him.
Of course, this means Nate was right. Again.
In the end, though, we have to claim the emotional baggage - whether to keep it with us, or to hopefully let it go on its merry way and our part in packing it so heavily. Sometimes all we need is a little self-confidence and the temerity to go through with finding the answers.
That ... and some really good friends with cocktails.
SUMMER READS 2013 [or, read what I tell you to, because they're damn good books]
Benjamin Kissell
"Marjorie, will you pass the sunscreen?" "Sure, just lemme finish this chapter." "But that's what you said 30 minutes ago." "Mm hmm, and you believed me then; it's not like you're getting any less Jersey Shore tan, is it?" "Marjorie, remind me to smack you when I finish this page."
What happens when you run out of wine, daquiri, vodka and reads - then eventually patience and tolerance - while you're at the beach? Well, if you're anything like me [and let's face it, if you read my articles, you're prolly already on that path] you reach for your phone to protest about it through twitter before you get up and hunt down a combination thereof.
Some [read: many] might hit up the bar to replenish waning stock and glare at the annoying hipsters and scantily-clad men and women who completely-destroy-your-self-esteem, but I would like to think that my influence would lead the rest to either turning on their e-reader and downloading a new book or hitting up their vacation hotspot's bookstore.
[Last year, while on the twee North Carolina island we took our vacation on there was 1) so little cell signal that I couldn't tweet my displeasure at running out of Chardonnay let alone download a new book and 2) such weak internet for the first 3 days that it rendered my tablet next-to-useless. So, instead of whining - yes, I do more than just that - I went to the local wine and book shop and bought several new reads which got me through the week.]
[Yes, I do realize how awesome it was that I found a store which sold wine AND books.]
[Double-yes, they fucking sold chocolate, too!]
*Ahem* Anyways; the best way to either get through such a situation or recover from it is to have a list of fantastic reads to pull from. Names and titles to keep an eye out for.
Wonderful books recommended by yours truly.
Whether they are from some of my favorite authors, friends or someone I've never met but enjoyed, the following books are all ones which ought to find their ways into your beach bag, your back-pack, your purse or your deck's chair-side table.
As she read Jaws, little Abigail decided that it was quite a good thing she was already floating in a warm pool ...
The newest memoir from multiple-time NYT bestselling author (who also happens to be my literary hero and friend) of fiction and non-fiction came out June 4th. Jen took on LIVING [baddum bum ching] a year under the precepts and guidance of Martha Stewart where she learned: What to eat, how to pray and who to love. I can't tell you how impressed I am that she successfully merged the brilliant dictates of all-things Martha, the empress of domesticity, within her own life while retaining her signature wit, self-effacement and connectivity to her audience. Think Julie and Julia ... but funnier.
A summer run doesn't feel complete now without a romp with the brilliant Notaro (whose own books helped inspire Jen Lancaster) [and three of whose books kept me from losing my mind on the aforementioned NC trip last year], a multiple-time award-winning and NYT bestselling author of fiction and non-fiction. Her newest collection of essays and wit feels like you're sitting in the corner of your local coffee shop telling apalling and hilarious stories you-probably-shouldn't-be-sharing with your best friend, regaling yourselves with embarassment and brilliance.
The anthology which inspired the Sundance Channel's hit series follows 20+ brilliant writers' points of view and tales on being the fag hag, the fruit fly, the gay-best-friend and many permutations of the relationships between gay men and straight women. Edited by the author of the super-huge-hit YA Blue Bloods series, de la Cruz, this collection features work by some of my favorite authors and several friends. For example, Stacey Ballis' love of gay men showcased here helped influence the relationships of several protagonists in her best-selling novels. It's been a distinct pleasure to chat with David Levithan over the years and this read gives even more insight into why we get along. Brian Sloan, the genius behind WTC View (play and film) who I helped set up a tour with back in 2008, wrote a piece that I can identify with in so many respects it's almost eerie (which is partly explained that we grew up in the same general area). A must-read for any gay man, straight woman or anything in-between.
Humorist, satirist and bullshit-call-out would all be appropriate words to describe Brandon Mendelson and his book, Social Media is Bullshit. Tired of all the empty hype and complete bollocks that social media gurus preach through Twitter, Google+ and what-have-you? So is Brandon. There is nothing wrong with a little elbow grease and hard work, but, so many of the social media (which he correctly points out is an oxymoronic phrase) sellers want you to believe that you get something for nothing and that's just plain bullshit. Delivered with Brandon's distinctive wit and verve, this how-to-survive the upcoming dot-com 2.0 burst with straightforward truths left me laughing and thinking.
Return with Freeman Hall into the world of Retail Hell in his 2nd memoir, the follow-up to his hit Retail Hell and his collection of humor essays, Stuff that Makes a Gay Heart Weep [Okay, I'll admit, not only is Freeman a friend - we met after his first book's release - but, I helped edit STMaGHW and was a regular contributer to its website ... in fact, my writings for both of his websites helped launch my website through here - so THANK YOU FREEMAN!!!]. Join him as he shows you the windows onto the tortured retail soul complete with roaming Shopasaurus/i, thieving and deceitful children, lying and conniving discount rats and a slew of co-workers you wouldn't want to be within 10 leagues of, let alone work with. You'll laugh and you'll cry with Freeman on this follow-up journey of introspective thought and biting wit.
Okay, MASSIVE confession time: each of these e-book anthologies includes an essay or short story by me. But I'd recommend them regardless because there are some damn fun stories which will bump your blood pressure to lethal levels, make you laugh so hard you'll cry in pain and roll on the floor wincing in sympathy. Collected from the various regular contributers to Retail Hell Underground and chosen by Freeman, these e-books are sold through Amazon but will convert to any digital reader device. My pieces to look out for in them are as follows: Little Monster Hell - "Sticky Fingers" Discount Hell - "Maryland Brown'n'Dirty" Stolen Hell - "Stabiliity is Overrated" Coworker Hell - "The Devil Wears Wal-Mart"
Caprice Crane's sophomore novel, the delightful comedy of errors, was so good that I couldn't put it down upon buying it and devoured it in one night, staying up until 7am - I just HAD to know how it would end. Would she recover? Was her memory truly gone? Would she marry the wrong man? The right one? Released in 2007, Forget About It has held a place of affection in my library since its release [NOT just because I adore Caprice and am lucky enough to count her as a friend] and I can bet it will for decades to come. Full of wit, heart, depth and sparkling dialogue it isn't hard to see why it's both audience-loved and critically well-received. Caprice brilliantly weaves a tale of mistakes, criss-crosses and confusion that will keep you holding on until the end.
And after you read it, pick up Caprice's newest novel, Confessions of a Hater, when it hits bookstores in August. Caprice brilliantly and deftly mingles her Hollywood and New York City roots in each of her novels and this one looks to be no exception, promising biting wit and some unbelievably fun snark.
Stacey Ballis, who makes me laugh every time I am lucky enough to chat with her, constantly delivers in her novels - whether it is one where she turns the food world on its ear or plays with your expectations and catches you unawares. Spinster Sisters helped me feel better for a good long while that I chose to be single because I made it for the right reasons. Chock full of three-dimensional characters, dilemmas, drama and dazzling wit you'll hate when the book ends, wanting more.
Coming out in December is Stacey's newest novel, Out to Lunch, which draws from the rich literary and culinary world she lives in and creates a fantastic new tale ... which may or may not have a fantastically gay character with a name you might recognize. Just sayin' - keep eyes peeled.
Why yes, Jen writes fiction as well as non-fiction ... but, both will keep you on the edge of your bed laughing. In her 2nd fiction debut, Jen tackles such immense roots as Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Whitesnake and Hot Tub Time Machine in a journey of self-discovery where our completely feckless hero faces her high school demons which make LiLo and the Heathers look positively sweet in comparison. Will she come out the other side better for it? And who will pay the price for her learning curve?
The fourth installment in the Heather Wells mystery series from the acclaimed writer of The Princess Diaries, follows former pop-singer turned-collegiate-administrator and part-time detective Heather as she is forced to confront a murderous mystery involving attacks on her ex-boyfriend's fiancee (whom he cheated on her with) all in her school's dorms. Cabot had me with the first installment, Size 12 is Not Fat, and has kept me tangled in the drama and the death with each successive (and successful) mystery, year after year.
And this September, catch the fifth volume, The Bride Wore Size 12, when it hits shelves. What will happen when Heather's looming wedding develops interesting, and morgue-linked, entanglements?
Okay, how I didn't know that there was FINALLY a fucking sequel to The Devil Wears Prada? Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVED the movie - Meryl bloody Streep, Anne ruddy Hathaway and Emily buggery Blunt are three of my favorite modern actresses - but it had very little resembling the original, biting and satirical book (including a very different, and much more happy-go-lucky ending than the book). I can hardly wait to read Lauren's newest and return to the world we all fell in love with. Of course, now when I read it I won't be able to help hearing Blunt and Streep's voices in my head jesting with the reader.
The conclusion to Simner's ground-breaking and brilliant YA series comes to bookstores near you! Simner took the post-apocalyptic genre and turned it on its ear with the release of Bones of Faerie. Gone were the stereotypical undead clamboring after the pockets of human resistance, in their place were pockets of surviving humans under siege from the magical destruction rent upon their world from their war with Faerie. The most inoccuous of things could kill you, a homicidal sunflower or man-eating willow tree, and the world was darker and more beautiful in her telling for it. Now, in the third chapter the fates of Faerie and Earth are entwined on the decisions made by our brave, and young, heroine. I can't tell you how eagerly I've awaited its release.
I picked this book up back in 2007 when it appeared on the new hardcovers table in Borders and found myself awash in a snarky, raunchy and rather accurate [at least to my myth-minded self and my Latin teaching Mum] depiction of a family of Greek Gods trying to make their way through 21st century London. In fact, it was such an impactful read that it (and the novel Venus Envy by Shannon McElden) inspired my short story, "winnebaGODS on High" for a forthcoming American Travels anthology. Phillips deftly wound a large cosmological-implications tale with one of the human condition, something I aspire to and hope to one day achieve.
The newest team-up from the award-winning and brilliant minds of the two Charles [I was lucky enough to meet them both in 2011 at FaerieCon in Baltimore and get autographed art and books] is an elaboration on their tale, A Circle of Cats which, in-turn, was partly inspired by ideas appearing in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series. The reader gets the privilege of following the journey of a little girl as she is rescued from Death by the magic of cats and is set upon a path of discovery, delightfully told and illustrated by this wonderful team. Vess' work has appeared in a multitude of comic books, graphic novels, novels, and innumerable images throughout the internet and has a uniquely dreamy quality which makes his work on Faerie tales all-the-more appropos. De Lint has written more fantasy novels than you could shake a stick at and one day I hope to own them all.
Patricia A. McKillip is one of those prolific authors whose work has yet to dissapoint me, despite the pile of her books which takes up a large corner of my largest bookshelf. Whether she makes you squirm from the implications of a philandering spousal nymph or longing for answers to what happens to a stranded Undine, this collection of her short stories - including a previously unpublished speech - is a lovely display of her 30-odd years in the Fantasy genre.
What happens when you take your classic Fairy tale about princesses, stable boys, a kingdom in peril, a dangerous cosmological force and a dragon and turn them on their ear? Well, you get this terrific and at moments almost terrifying middle-grade novel for all-ages from Kelly Barnhill [and yes, the chats I've had with her are always fun, whether debating Doctor Who or the merits of the Grimm's fairy tales]. Princess Violet isn't your average princess and Barnhill makes sure that you walk away realizing what a strong-willed, iron-hearted, and positive figure a non-Disney princess can be ... for all of her flaws, Violet is one of those rare protagonists who not only inspires but aspires. In between work and friends, I still made sure I wasn't going to bed before I finished this delightful novel in one day.
Whether you think you know where the story will go or not, it doesn't. Follow in the adventures catalogued in the first volume of Vengekeep - a stunning and fun, epic-minded middle-grade novel for all-ages. Farrey crafts a bewitching and oft-times hilarious world somewhere between The Princess Bride and The Chronicles of Spiderwick. [Like with his demi-neighbor, Kelly, Brian and I have had some fun conversations on The Doctor and Star Trek: TNG] The fact that the second volume, The Shadowhand Covenant, is due for release this October isn't helping things as I want to know what happens NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW! And I'm betting, like me, you'll wanna know it too.
One of the perennial favorites of fantasy authors world-wide, Emma Bull's novel helped truly usher in the modern era of Urban Fantasy. Dark, gritty, real, lauding, uplifting, tittering, teetering on the precipice and a thousand other adjectives could be thrown out in attempts to describe this novel, but, all would fail to capture the stark brilliance. I discovered her work in the same anthology I found Patricia A. McKillip in, as a young man, The Faery Reel. Her breadth of tale in short form is something I can only hope to capture one day. War for the Oaks helped usher in an era where authors could play with Faeries in more than just the Victorian gardens or lush warfields of Middle Earth and for that, I couldn't be more thankful.
Speaking of Urban Faery stories, Wicked Lovely - the debut novel from Marr back in 2007 - is the perfect melding of classic Irish faery tales and the Urban fantasy genre spearheaded by War for the Oaks. Marr launched a beautiful and harsh series with this twist on the classic story of the battle between Summer and Winter crafting an epic-minded world just slightly different from ours for its inclusion of the Good Neighbors. Simple rules for the Faery-sighted helped keep Aislinn's world rooted ... until they were broken and the repercussisons shook her very world to its core and changed her life forever. Four follow-up novels followed the Dark Court, the High Court, The Summer and Winter Courts and the solitary Fey as their worlds began to collide.
Deftly, and dizzyingly, mixing together The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Aasimov-ian sentient robots, a dystopian future rife with death and beauty, and the startling worlds of the Olympian Gods as they interfere in the decade-long Trojan War this 2-volume story will cause you to scratch your head as you go back and re-read to be triply-sure that you got what-it-was-that-just-happened ... did that really just happen? And did he really just put that together? Simmons, best known for his psychologically-thrilling suspense and horror novels and his classic watershed Sci-Fi Hyperion (the 4-volume series), has set the bar to an almost unimaginable height with this mash-up of Sci-Fi, history and mythology.
AND THUS CONCLUDES ANOTHER INSTALLMENT OF ME TELLING YOU WHAT TO READ ... for now.
Kicking and Screaming [sometimes, the only way to get me to go to work]
Benjamin Kissell
"Steady work, he says. Visible position he says. Yeah, mother f$#@er - holding up this newspaper sure is steady work."
Some days are wonderful; full of light, giggles, smiles, rainbows flying out of unicorn asses and puppies rolling in fields of kittens ... while others are known as "work days". On these "work days" [*shudder*] it requires a little more than my usual 'roll out of bed and wake up to the sound of birds and mice singing a Cinderella chorus' to get me ready to face the day with anything other than a tight-mouthed grimace. I have to be dragged, kicking and screaming to face the day.
What is required is a combination of denial ["What, me work-y?"] and coffee to perform this.
No. I'm not talking that light, cinnamon-dusted, pleasantly flavored, ooh-the-barista-thinks-I'm-cute-'cos-he-put-extra-skim-whip-foam-on-the-top, stuff that your mother and the hipster behind the counter drink. No. I'm talking the black, industrial-vat sludge that MY mother would approve of - coffee strong enough to both dissolve asphalt AND be confused for it. Coffee so bitter and black that you could call it "Gary Coleman, the later years" [what, too soon? Oh come on, Avenue Q did it].
................................................
I began my love affair with work-based-coffee at 20, sneaking a clandestine liaison with a cup of "artisan coffee"; light tappings of French Vanilla non-dairy creamer liberally swirled in - I was unfaithful to my relationship with my expensive beakers of tea. I needed that extra jolt of caffeine that my blackberry and currant blend wasn't providing that day - a double-shift at work on top of classes in college. I snuck around the counter, eyes casting around to make sure no one saw my secret shame, and poured out a nutmeg-gy cup of coffee.
From that first cup of adulterated java, I was hooked.
A bottomless cup - one that mean it could never be full? Were there 50 Danaides continuously filling it from sieved vessels? Don't get me wrong tho', the idea of a bottomless cup of coffee appeals to me in ways that are prolly illegal, if not outright immoral.
I'd loved the smell of coffee brewing at home growing up - it's a rare day that my Mum doesn't have a pot brewing, whether at work or home. But something still felt wrong - not necessarily the splitting of my love [I'll always love tea - I have a whole cabinet in my kitchen devoted to flavors of tea and my special tea-only mugs] ... one could call me a big-a-drink-ist? No. It was the flavor. Specifically, that it had one. I remembered looking up, as a child, at my Mum's mini-poster at work of Garfield and a killer cup of joe so strong it dissolved the spoon.
That coffee, right there, was what I wanted. What I needed. That concoction is what grown-ups drank by the tankard, by the gallon; what kept my
professors, co-workers and family running and alive. And perky.
Or pseudo-perky enough [i.e. scary enough] not to be second-guessed.
The following years saw me drinking more and more coffee to survive work days and school. I'd slink through the Student Union - The Eagle's Nest - and stand in front of the college's massive coffee-by-the-gallon maker and breathe in the fumes knowing that this 'industrial sludge' was the concoction I desired - nay, needed - to make it through the days. Not the lovely and Starbucks-y coffee the hip and uber-cool kids chugged. Screw that. I wanted the stiff stuff. Strong fumes would waft out of my various travel mugs; whether sitting in class or at a corporate job, my days at Borders, or at home writing with evil cats nicknamed 'Bitch Pudding' scratching at my desk chair.
Coffee which looks like Hexxus clawing its way from my cup is what I craved and what still pulls me out of bed in the mornings so that I may smile my way through a myriad of obstacles
... better known as co-workers and customers.
IF YOU DON'T GET THIS REFERENCE, please go kick yourself ... close enough to someone who was alive and cogniscent during the 90's. 'Kay?
A FASHION INTERVENTION ... STAT! [how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child ... or outfit]
Benjamin Kissell
Popped collar: check Oversized quintessential 80's hair: check Ubiquitous 80's model staring off to her right at the hideous outfit the photographer wears while he shoots a 'high end fashion ad': mother fucking check.
Uhm, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love shit from the 80's - if my collection of He-Man, She-Ra, the Thundercats, Jem and Rainbow Brite toys [oops, I mean action and collectable figures], shirts and paraphanalia are any indicator.
And when it comes to 80's fashions I've been known to rock an izod in classic pastels [if I MUST wear a polo, those are the ONLY kind to wear, right Jen Lancaster, Stacey Ballis and Caprice Crane?], I'll pop a collar and wear straight-leg jeans or even the odd fuschia cut-off sweatshirts on occasion - ala Flashdance [yet, burn the photographic evidence]. In theory I don't have a problem with 80's fashions - I even laud some of them - despite the Hipster perversion of seemingly everything I love.
However, there is a distinct line between 'love for', 'trapped in' and 'can't escape from' ... Sadly, I don't think that the pleasant and lovely woman this morning understood this theorem - if her outfit is anything to judge by.
........................
Walking through the entrance lobby to my building I spy a small crowd of folks milling about, including an early 40s mother who catches my eye and I stop dead in my tracks.
Me: >silently gawpping in her direction<
Patently Unaware Fashion Victim: >smiles broadly and sweetly as she carries a brilliant blue and white gift bag [with glitter and pearl accents, thank you] across the room, looking for someone<
Me: >drags jaw up off the floor in order to not look like the highly judgmental and bitchy queen that I am<
Patently Unaware Fashion Victim: >opens her eyes widely and smiles even more beatifically as she nods at me; acknowledging my stare<
"Good morning," I say as we pass - her smile is warm, her glow is genuine and her eyes ... oh, her lovely cornflower eyes what evil doth transpire here? Electric blue shadow with hints of purple tint frame her lovely and smiling eyes from lashes to brow. Oh no, no, no, no, no.
And is that - Oh dear, sweet Jebus it is! - a denim scrunchie in her thick, almost-crimped, chestnut hair. And are those [*shudder*] blown out poodle bangs? Madre de Dios - who does she think she is; Tonya Harding circa 1989-1994? All she's missing is the Sun-In coloring. Should I warn any nice girls in the room named Nancy to watch out?
Thankfully, I've almost never eaten by this hour of the morning and there's only so much black, black coffee that can threaten to come back up.
I'm about to ... Whoa! Shitballs: Is that an over-sized and heavily pilled off-white sweater? It's loose in all the wrong spots, giving her petite frame the false impression of a ponch-belly and the sleeves are so loose and bell-clapper-y I fight the urge to ask her to throw her hands up in the air like she just don't care to see if they catch the breeze like sails. Geeze, this sweater looks like it hasn't pulled its way out of the graveyard of shouldn't-be-worns since 1986. At least its cuffs match the denim in her scrunchie and the up-turned cuffs of her acid wash jeans. This woman doesn't just think she's Stacy's Mom: she still thinks she's Stacy.
I shall spare you, dear reader, the full-fledged image as the combination of these pieces is enough to stun you into stone in much the same way as Medusa's glare, however ... the pieces look a little something like this:
Hair by Doctor Frankenstein Jeans by Dolce and You Gotta Be Kidding Me Sweater by Cosby, Bill Cosby
I look up into her sweet face as we pass [admittedly, to not look directly at her outfit]
and return her heartfelt smile and I feel a twinge of something
somewhere south of my appendix. Could that be ... is it possibly ...
guilt for judging her from one [admittedly scrutinizing]
glance? I know I am far from the paragon of fashion or style virtue,
something about wearing a lot of the same clothes since the early 2000s
and even one or five pieces from the late 90s. Do I actually have the
right to judge another for this sartorial time capsule? Her outfit may
be trapped in a fashion disaster hell [I believe that would be Dante's 7th Circle] but since when does that give me the right to judge her as a person?
As a fashion disaster, sure - she's free game. This newfound warm-fuzzy guilt-stuff doesn't mean I'm gonna stop judging her clothes.
C'mon, I'm
still me [bitchy, acerbic and snarky]: I have to look at the damned
outfit, don't I?
Shady Verandas Are The Only Fun Kind [throw some shade, throw some shade throw some glitter make it rain ... let's have a kiki]
Benjamin Kissell
"TGISB" "Huh? What's TGISB?" "Thank Gawdd It's Saturday, Bitch!" "At least you know your grammar; now shut the fuck up and have a cup of T; hold the shade."
To throw shade ~ adv./adj. "to make a witty and catty
remark to individual(s) while casting aspersions about the legitimacy
and capabilities of a particular person - specifically used in reference
to drag queens." [in other words: bitch will cut you with her words!]
..............................
Here’s a riddle – what do cranky octogenarians, Anti-Abortion
Activists and Drag Queens all have in common? They tend to book-end my Saturdays with stress and laughs. Thankfully I have some amazing friends who know how to help me de-stress and put it all into perspective [and possibly more than a few drinks on my tab] while we sit and bitch ... err, kvetch after our Saturday night drag show. [And yes, most of them are in boy clothes yet still in-face while we do this ] The only downside to these 2AM chats post-drag show is that I work Sunday mornings at 7AM.
Sitting outside with my friends in the still-t00-damn-chilly night air [why yes, Spring, I assume you are ignoring Puxatony Phil like the rest of us] we sit wreathed in fur, feather and leather coats tossing out witicisms and criticisms about our day and the shows in general. I quirk my eyebrow and turn to John, my amazingly patient - and snarkily brilliant - boyfriend, before I begin to break down my Saturday for them.
Oh the shade of it all ...
............... Morning ...............
>RING RING<
“Thank you for calling [REDACTED], this is Benjamin – how may
I help you this morning?”
“Excuse me young Miss,” a voice filled with gravel and
senility is on the other end of the line.
“Ma’am?” I throw as much masculinity as my Surrey-affected
voice will allow.
“Yes, Miss, I was calling to ask about your price for a
night.”
[Despite the urge to
tell the old bag that she couldn’t afford me if I were of that inclination and
snark to her that this YOUNG MAN would be placing her old-ass on hold,
discretion, manners and coffee won out – instead I sighed and tried harder to
sound masculine.]
“Our rates are [REDACTED] a night, although we do
offer discounts through AAA and AARP,” I start but am swiftly interrupted.
“That’s too God-Damn much,” her voice – which had been
saccharine senile but a moment ago – is now cranked up to crotchety coot. The sound of a thousand un-filtered cigarettes choke through her sudden rasp. I can
picture her standing on her porch and waving a shovel at passersby … which
would be more of an insult if I hadn’t done the same thing recently to the
chain-smoking Hipster dick in the parking lot of my apartment complex.
[Seriously dude, use a
fucking ash-can to stub out, don’t just toss your butts where I park.]
“And why didn’t you offer me the Senior Rate? I’m 80 God-Damn
years old!”
“Ma’am,” I try to salvage my politeness which is hanging by
a delicate thread, here. And fail. Instead I fall back on the patter, "if you have a coupon for the lowered rate, we accept that as a walk-in, otherwise I'm terribly sorry that our rates do not meet your needs."
>CLICK<
She hangs up on me with the force of an angry toddler.
The next (and thankfully last) four hours of work pass by in a blur of rude, rather incompetent and particularly spiteful folks - and those are just my co-workers most days. The end-of-shift highlight of a Frog looking directly at me as he let loose a very wet belch ... just left me with warm fuzzies [and a need for a vat of Purell].
............... Afternoon ...............
To say I bolt for the door when I leave work at the end of my shift is a bit of an understatement - I'm a grey-green streak as my car zooms out of the parking lot with nary a backward glance. [I swear, I didn't hit that small family of picnickers, but if I had ... they would have deserved it.]
I'm already halfway home when I seem them. Lined up like they were waiting outside of Wal-Mart on Black Friday in hand-me-down pants, next-best-thing-to-thrift-store sweaters, cankle-length denim skirts and an array of hats that would make even the stodgiest English Matron glance askew. Who are these guys, the Charge of the Tasteless Brigade?
Not a single smile flickers on their faces, children in denim and flannel onesies and gaudy bright blue sweater-sets cling to their mothers and siblings in something resembling obstinate denial of the fact that they've been set out here: hide behind mommy and it won't be real.
And then I put two and two together; those aren't atrociously large handbags in the women's hands - those aren't ill-fitted ponchos on the men and teens - no, those are drab signs they're holding. I'm pretty sure that when I'm near enough, even with my windows rolled-up [have I mentioned that Spring is still nowhere to be found?], I'll be able to hear their words. I'm also pretty sure that I don't want to.
By the time I've pulled alongside this March of the Tackily Dressed, I can hear them clearly and angrily denouncing the evils of the modern world: the Hellfire and brimstone awaiting those of us who practice sex outside of marriage [practice? I used to all-but be a Gold Medal competitor, fucktards] and the most colorful (of the color-less) posters and signs they hold up are giant-block-letter vitriol on abortion and the sanctity of marriage.
Because yes, my want to eventually marry [and have EQUAL rights under the law] my boyfriend will totally invalidate your cult-based marriage. *eyeroll* [Oh, don't look at me like that - anyone who has that kind of single-minded dedication to wearing denim skirts HAS got to be in a cult. Or at least is lacking the common sense and fashion gene ... and that's as-good-as.]
After I pick up my jaw, while simultaneously holding back derisive one-liners and choking-laughter at their simpleness and hideous couture I make sure my back window is rolled down enough so that when I 'accidentally' turn up the volume on Madonna [Girl Gone Wild] singing out "Girls they just wanna have some fun/get fired up like a smoking gun/on the floor 'til the daylight's come/girls they just wanna have some fun" they have the best chance of hearing it and toss off a wish-it-were witty piece of advice over my shoulder: "If you want to be taken seriously, stop dressing like you stepped out of a thriftstore denim nightmare from 1986".
"Man, this tuck is killing me - I think my balls are checking my colon for polyps." "Maybe - but, gurrl, your make-up is flawless."
By the time I finish describing my day before coming to the show this evening, I have John snickering beside me and the various half-un-made queens high-fiving me as we laugh together. Not the usual scemario while chain-smoking outside of a drag show-hosting sports bar, but, then, I don't really smoke [hi Mum! I just chill outside with the popular queens] and never will again [if the fear my roommate and boyfriend both possess of my Mum has anything to say about it], but it sure is one helluva fun way to end the night:
"One drink, two drink, three drink FLOOR!" [what happens when I don't have an implied limit on my tab ... I tend to double-fist (or even triple) drink]
"They call 'gay' an epidemic." "Dumbass, bad fashion's an epidemic; gay is clearly fabulous." "Bad fashion? You only wish you could pull off these gay-jamas."
My head aches. My body quivers. I have a fever. I see dots before my eyes.
I am definitely unwell.
I have, what is in colloquial terms is called, the "I Don't Want To Fucking Be At Work"s.
Admittedly, my body aches because I'm generally hunched over at the computer all-day either at work or writing and editing ... and yes my head hurts - but, when doesn't it? Writer's block often is a physical throb in my forehead.
I'm not sure I so much have a fever as a 'I hafta watch this Project Runway marathon with this pint of Rocky Road' fever [and if you're anything like me, when the mood strikes, it's like a sucker-punch]. The spots before my eyes are sequins shining on my Bob Mackie-designed Cher Barbie doll on the upper-left bookshelf.
I almost never miss work; I've worked while *not* high on pain medication post-foot surgery, I've been at the desk smiling through the nausea of food poisoning and I've been known to stand and schmooze folks with a fever which may fell a moose. That being said, this bitch wants off today.
And inspiration strikes! I? Shall ... call in gay.
"Hey, it's Benjamin. *cough cough* Sorry, can't work for you right now - I just had a flare-up of sodomy and need for dancing to Madonna."
"You what?"
"I'm calling in gay."
"Oh, okay. See you tomorrow?
"Yeah, unless I have a remission and find myself in bed eating double-fudge chunk ice cream while playing Ethel Merman records and lip-syncing to Gypsy before chugging cocktails and shaking my money-maker at a gay bar named 'Scruff'."
Cut to my bosses chatting in the back office, both are 'good ole boys' ...
"Benjamin called; couldn't come in today - called in gay."
"I didn't know you could do that."
"Me either. But it's legit: While we were on the phone I heard an outbreak of Madonna and Britney Spears in the background. And a bunch of voices cheering - I think there were guys doing body-shots off of a naked Bolivian stripper."
"Excuse me sir, may I measure your inseam?" "Buy me dinner first." "Certainly; just remember it rides up with wear."
Let me preface this bitch-fest with the caveat:
I? Had never been suit shopping before. Not properly, I mean. I've watched Are You Being Served and I love [almost to an unhealthy extent] shopping for clothes ... well, shopping in general. I have assloads of separates and suit pieces [enough ties to choke the whole of the Kentucky Derby] which all fit and fit nicely. But, a lovely - well-tailored suit?
This, I did not have.
So, inexperience in-hand, and vain hope for a perfect "wedding suit" in heart I got my roommate to go with me [read: begged, pleaded and asked politely] as back-up and support and we embarked upon The Hunt For Red September [creative license, people].
Suit goals:
flattering and slim-fit style
a soft, but colour-flattering shade of grey (preferably in the deep pewter or charcoal family)
something that doesn't make me look like I'm wearing a hand-me-down Daddy's suit
... and of course, NOT BREAK THE BANK!
Simple requests? You would think so ... and we both would be wrong.
Freshly shaven, but clad in PURPOSELY schlubby clothes [like I want to imply I've money to burn? Nuh uh] I walk in the door, Melanie at my side and within seconds, Mufasa moves in for the kill [Mufasa - ooh, say it again! Mufasa - oooh *giggle*]. A well-groomed young man in the heterosexual Arabic equivalent of Manolo Blahniks and a Chanel suit; he was - in truth - a shark in dress clothes.
Cue the Jaws music ... dum dum, dum dum, dum dum dum dum
Opening polite remarks fly, like chum in the water - pleasantries and descriptions of what I need with [stressed] POLITE references to 'on a budget' - and I'm soon doing a twirl in the full-length mirror.
[Oh come on, who wouldn't when presented with one? Let alone two three-way mirrors?!]
Five different suits line the display racks, held there as 'possibles' - a dove grey, a soft charcoal grey, an olive/grey mix and a sandy-wash - and I've a decision on my hands. Well, not really. The Buy 1/Get 1 Free sale makes it easy ... and Melanie makes it easier.
"Those two, definitely. They both look good on you."
Of course, she's right - that's one of the reasons I asked her along: Melanie has fantastic taste which, thankfully, mirrors mine enough that I feel bolstered. The chosen two are the soft charcoal and olive/grey suits. Despite Mufasa insisting that both jackets may need to be taken in at the wrist, we all agreed little-to-no tailoring was required for these tops.
The bottoms? Are where the fun began.
Yes, at 29 my weight fluctuates somewhere in the mid/high 170s, and my waistline lives between 31-33" [GAH!] depending on bloating, consumption of wine and the amount of chocolate in my immediate vicinity. So, I err on the side of caution and shop starting at 33" and when that [usually] is too big, I smily goofily and go down a size ... or two.
So, when the Suit-Shark Mufasa loosely - LOOSELY - tosses the tape measure around my waist and with a condescending look declares my waistline "A perfect 34" I froze. Melanie froze. Time? Froze.
The sound the sales staff heard was my jaw hitting the floor.
Look, I'm not saying 34" waistline is fat - far from it - however this bitch? Right here? Has been a consistent 32" since the 90s (dipping down to 29" in 2003 when I dropped 20lbs freshman year of college and up to 33" 4 months ago and back down to 32" last month).
In a hateful haze I tweeted vengeful remarks as I tried on the afore-mentioned size 34 pants ... hoping against hope that they would slump to the floor, sliding right off of my narrow hips and (all-too-small) bum.
Spitefully, they sat on my waist comfortably - with an admitted half-inch to spare.
Traitors.
Sucking it up, I modeled, twirled and allowed the seamstress to adjust [who remarked that I had perfect shoulders and was a slim-build - HA!] and declare the needed work.
From there, Mufasa tried to pair my beautiful soft charcoal suit with bright walnut leather shoes [seriously? Your taste is in your mouth] and proceeded to declare my avowed shoes were the wrong size - I wear 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 shoes, depending on the makers - he said size 10 -11.
Suit Shark here is losing points - fast.
Swim faster, fucker.
After pairing and putting this all together, he announces that he shall leave us in the competent hands of Unnamed-Woman-in-Cast and Mo'. Stepping back, he leaves us in their well-tended grasp for all of 30 seconds before barrelling in and trying to press shirts and socks and ties on me, despite protests of budget and lack of need [or want].
An interminable time passed between his unctuous complimentary commentary and snide remarks about saving money and the escape that the counter promised.
Freedom.
Standing with Melanie at my side we heard the siren call of escape as the outside world beckoned. We were quickly queued up at the register as he played suit/shirts/ties/socks/discounts juggling acts.
And that? Is when we saw it: Mufasa's special deal ... the discount he threw my way ... the super savings at hand ...
"Your total comes to $1121.42. Will that be debit or credit?"
Uhm.
Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me?
After my repeated protestations of "I'm on a budget - I don't wanna spend more than $300" to Mufasa this is his "on a budget" price?
My voice drops from Southern-tipped Surrey-English honey to a full-on Ozzie Osbourne on a Bender thick Anglo-English as I spew incoherently along the lines of "bloody buggery" and "bollocksed price?!" And Mufasa sees his hefty commission begin to fly out the window.
Between his 'under the table' [my arse] discounts and weeding out the chaffe from what I don't need - seriously, a suit, just a suit - we finally arrive at a number both parties can deal with.
Well, my bank account can with a little infusion of "investment" from Mum.
A well-tailored suit is the mark of a well-made man: an over-priced suit is the mark of an easily swayed man ... sometimes the use of a cane is the only thing that separates the two.
Standing in front of the hall mirror at home, modeling my new and oh-so-lovely [read: pricey, still very pricey] tailored grey 100% wool Italian suit I look myself up and down ... this whole thing was a hassle, true.
BONUS! As requested (not the best, but here are a few) PHOTOS of me in the suit before the ohmigawdd 900% humidity and high 80s temperatures of the outdoor wedding of my beautiful friends Katie Nebel and Brandon Hawes.
"Welcome to the home of the babyback ribs, I'll be your waitress this evening and please do remember, 'tipping is not a city in China'."
I should have known better than to say 'yes' when he asked me out - my best friend had called dibs on the tall, auburn-haired 'boy-next-door' several weeks prior. I should have known it was 'too good to be true' when a guy relatively close to my age, with a job [sad that I have to state this ] asked me out.
I should have put two and two together when I was told he spent a lot of time on Grindr [I'm one of the five gays who isn't on there].
And I really should have taken the fact that he was besties with every. single. one. of the bar-hopping, drink-toting, skanky guys in-town I avoid like the plague. [Hi out there if you're one of the local gays reading this, I didn't mean you, I mean every other guy in your circle of friends.]
In short ... bitch should have just said "no".
His name was Dan, and being the fool that I am I accepted his friend-request on facebook and ... mortal sin that it was, said yes when he asked on a date.
True, part of the acceptance lay in the fact that the boy was cute as pie [and probably easier than kindergarten math] on top of my being date-less for nigh unto 5 months ...
Trust me, I am NOT nice when I've been attention starved.
I hemmed and hawed for three days, mulling over the implications of a first date - would he think I was too much? too forward? too loud? too gay? too old? too sexual? not sexual enough? etc etc etc - and the best-possible locations for it (throwing the what to wear dilemma to the back of my mind).
We both worked in shopping centers about a mile from one another and, through texts, agreed to meet at the Chili's up the hill for a first date; and we would go "Dutch". [For those of you born after 1990, that means you both pay your way. Thank you Women's Lib! Who pays is one of the most annoying questions in gay dating ... at least in my experience; it ranks right up there with how to tip the cute waiter and slip him your phone number without your date noticing.]
"Oh gawdd, what the flaming fuckball hell should I wear, Nate?! I don't have anything I look good in!" I practically wailed into the phone a mere 45 minutes before I was due to step out of my car at the restaurant.
Ignoring the shameless ploy for empty appeasing plattitudes, he sighed. "Just wear something flattering and simple." Pausing for emphasis, "but not something which draws attention to your crotch."
Tossing sweaters, aging Hollister/Hot Topic/Abercrombie & Fitch/Banana Republic/American Eagle tees [why yes, I deftly ignore the 'dress your age' decree] and shredded jeans into heaps on my bedroom floor, I plop down in my computer chair.
"Everything I own is either too young for me or too sexual ... or shit I wear to work."
"Well, yes, it probably is." [ouch] "But, there has to be something you can wear in there. What about your new brown cardigan?"
Ooh, I hadn't thought about that. I loves me some pseudo-preppy clothing. There's something about the frat boy meets geek chic look that has always felt right ... unfortunately, hipsters [and I does NOT loves me some hipsters] have ruined the joy in so much of what I wear. Assclaps.
Maybe if I layer the cardigan over a simple brown button-up collar and pair them with my flattering [and despite Nate's advice rather ... uhm, 'flattering' below the waistline] pinstripe jeans and oh-so-loved Calvin Klein dress shoes. Not too too, not too hipster-douchey, not too much.
Between Nate texting me off the ledge and my doing the too-tight-jeans-shimmy I soon found myself wedged into my decidedly perfect first date outfit and ready for the fireworks to start.
Okay, aside from the physical chemistry there are no fireworks.
A lackluster dinner [who the fuck's idea was it to come to Chili's? Can you name a restaurant that screams SEXY less? Aside from Waffle House, I can't] melded with lukewarm conversation.
Between his slow-to-build (so fucking slow-I-could-go-out-and-build-an-actual-mansion) stories and my Jerry Lewis-like nervous attempts to fill in the blanks [bullets are fired with less force than my quips] and not be super-obvious about undressing him with my eyes [and avoiding the actual act of undressing him with my hands at the dinnertable] conversation was stilted. Yet, sadly, I counted this as a success. He reached across the table and held my hand momentarily - and yes, I squealed on the inside.
Beside a chaste cheek kiss at our cars as the wind blew, we both played it cool as we made tentative plans for a second date.
Tossing my jacket and cardigan in the passenger seat, I drove over to give a blow-by-blow to Nate at work and figure out how best to proceed - eventually deciding [Nate's guiding hand] not to be overly eager and to leave the ball in his court.
Another four days after that he texted me - explaining he'd been "camping" with his family [yeah, mmhmm. My friends on Grindr swore that day in/day out he was a mere 3 miles away the whole time - friends, they'll look this shit up for you] and soon asked if I wanted to skip ahead of our next date and, instead, just hook-up.
On the one hand, do I seem so cheap that I'll toss out an adequate date for some quick sex? On the other, he is pretty damn cute [and easy, don't forget easy]. On one hand I'm pushing 30 and I really should be aiming for looking for depth and a relationship. On the other, he is pretty damn cute [and let's not forget, easier than twist-off lid.]
And on one hand, I'm better than that. *sigh*
Instead, I listened to that quiet, nagging voice [*cough* Nate's *cough*], said 'No' and deleted him from facebook and my cell.
YOU LOOK FAMILIAR (I guess I just didn't recognize you with your clothes on)
-Benjamin Kissell
"Say, have we met before? Your pleats look awfully familiar." "I don't think so; I'd remember a pipe like that."
“Hey, don’t I know you?”
This is the usual greeting I receive whenever I take a break from work, deadlines or boxed-wine-and-chocolate-cake-night-at-home-alone and find the time to show my face at the local bar – which is about once a month … or five. I’m familiar enough to elicit looks of recognition [and all-too-seldom appreciation] but, my irregularly-timed visits allow for some anonymity.
At least, that's the goal.
“It’s possible; I was here a couple weeks ago.”
“No, that’s not it. I know you from somewhere else, don’t I?”
The guy asking this is slurring his words through a haze of fetid cigar smoke [yuck] and really cheap beer [if one drinks please drink dark, expensive beer, okay? Or wine. Or nice, chilled vodka] and his already lazy eye is wandering towards the wall.
Lucky me.
Maybe he recognizes me from my tenure on the Board of Directors of the local Pride organization – I’d walked in the Christmas Parade and was omnipresent at several Pride In The Burg events. He could have seen my face anywhere downtown at any time. I’d love to say it’s from the photo attached to the byline on my occasional humor column.
But no.
“Didn’t you sleep with my best friend?”
And then there’s that.
The question I like the least when I plop my ass onto a seat.*sigh* Sadly, it happens more than I’d care to think on. ‘Didn’t you sleep with/date/hook-up with my best friend/roommate/brother?’
The results of a misspent youth [but oh-so narcissism building] being the sort who made Snooki or a Kardashian look positively chaste are that people have a set of assumptions when they recognize me from that period.
And, unfortunately [for them], I usually don't live up to the hype - happily choosing to be a homebody and no-longer-at-all-promiscuous-boy. [C'mon, my nickname was The Brian Kinney of Fredericksburg not exactly an endearment.]
Thanking Lazy Eye for the conversation [eyeroll], I pick up my drink and return to the table where my beautiful roommate Melanie and her friend are sittin in wait for the start of the Drag Show.
Turning around, I survey the crowd of about 48 men and women [gay men, fag-hags and lesbians] in the small bar's dim lighting and am greeted with four looks of recognition from various men seated throughout. Four sets of eyes roam from my probably-too-tight-jeans [I say flattering, you say camel foot] to my geek-chic glasses. Four men attempt to lock eyes with me. Four men who have seen me either fully naked or in various states thereabouts. Four men, in a crowd of less-than fifty who can answer that awkward question directly: 'didn't you sleep with/hook-up/date me?'
Not, what one could call a proud moment. And sadly, not the first time I've run into an ex ... but four at once? What is this a bad porn segue?
[Hi mom, I'm still a virgin and don't know what porn actually looks like ... ignore what this article says. Better yet, just stop reading it. 'Kay?]
So, it's a bad idea to be in a situation where a former date and your current/most recent will meet each other? Well, shitballs - there goes dating in a small town ... or community. -me talking with The Gay Dating Bureau
First is Oswald (Oz); we met on myspace and had several friends in common [anyone else miss the feature where you searched local gays? Anyone? Anyone? Just me?] including an ex-bf. We slept together on our second and third dates. Afterwards, we both pulled the 'whoops I lost your number' schtick on the other and didn't get around to talking again [tweeting each-other twice counts, right?] for the better part of the last 6 years.
Then there's Michel; an adorable twink with a bubble-butt you'd want to squeeze like your Bubbe squeezes those more appropriate cheeks. An emo [I thought they'd all morphed into Hipster douches], he spent the entire time we hung out at my work tossing his hair in that signature move that seems to come with the skinny jeans, eye-liner and knock-off-vintage tees that make up the uniform. Of course, when he followed me home [like the adorable puppy he is] I wasn't above rounding third base ['cos I'm classy like that].
With the exception of running into each other a few months back on facebook we've not spoken in the nearly two years since.
Of course there's That Guy Whose Name I Never Got. After a particularly traumatic dumping in 2009, I rebounded with "Oh yeah, I'm still hot - if you don't want me there are plenty of guys who do! Like this guy right here" and proceeded to make out with an attractive, slim-built guy in the middle of the bar's dance floor. After some well-placed bumping and grinding I slipped him my number [he tried to slip me tongue - I'm easy, but I'm not that easy] and never heard from him again - barely seeing him the occasional times I sauntered into the bar.
Bonus: he's here with Oz - they make an adorably sickeningly-sweet couple ... you could just gag! [I know I am]
And then there's my ex-bf, Saul. Somewhere between the stereotypical ginger and a ghost-pale brunette, his awkward uber-geekiness appealed to me - or maybe it was his inappropriate grabbing of my ass within 10 minutes of meeting [for which I returned the favor]. Either way, we started dating and had a lot of laughs. Of course, I was 23 to his barely-19 - an age difference which lent itself to financial arguments, family-centered fights and hot-headed debates like who was the better Darrin in Bewitched [I'm a Dick York kinda guy ... he was a Will Ferrell - can you see why we fought?].
We broke up that October - and by 'we broke up' I mean he sent me an e-mail declaring he 'wasn't in a place where [he] should be dating' before he began a relationship two weeks later. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't admit we've had more sex since we broke up than the entire time we dated.
...........................................
As the four stare at me our little tableaux vivants paint themselves across their eyes .
Shit. Shitty. Shitballs.
I guess they do recognize me with my clothes on.
Nodding my head in their general direction - bonus of a small bar, everyone's in the same basic area - I set my glass down and join Melanie at the table, suddenly jealous of her being-a-hot-straight-woman-surrounded-by-uninterested-gay-men thing ... and enjoy the show.
[Insert witty description of a drag show: here. If you've seen one, good. If not, use your imagination.]
At intermision [Tuck'n'Smoke Break - a drag queen thing] I join the hostesses and performers outside and it isn't but a moment before Oz and That Guy Whose Name I Never Got [are they surgically attached?] sidle up to the group. Why yes, it was several minutes of awkward attempts at forced conversation and pointed un-aknowledgement.
I've heard of elephants in the room, but this was one of those bubble-tutu elephants from Fantasia.
After ducking several daggers thrown by That Guy's glare. (Did he and Oz compare notes?) I decided discretion is the better part of valor and in hopes to avoid a scene/maiming/bad threesome joke; I turn to return to the bar and that's when I felt it.
A distinct feeling.
A deep, soothing vibe throughout my right butt-cheek: My cell's vibrating. Being that I haven't changed my cell number since 2007 [lazy? You bet'cha] it shouldn't have been surprising that they had it still. Yet, I still cringed at the two texts:
Hey - cute ass. ;-) and You look 2 sexy :-D -Michel -Saul
Oi. You know what? This is just a bit too much for me - a little too intense if you know what I mean. To borrow a line from my former roommate, "I could deal with this, or I could get drunk".
So, I know I keep promising folks lists of recommendations for great reads [which, fyi, was so effing easy when I worked in a bookstore] and each summer I end up making it harder on everyone and end up tailoring my lists to individual friends on twitter and facebook.
Well, bump that. I decided that this year I'd go through with it and write up an all-encompassing list (with quick and [hopefully] witty quips) for everyone.
[Caveat: I do know a few of these authors personally and we are friendly/friends. Regardless, any read I recommend is because it is just. plain. damn. good.]
Why 21? Well, why not? It's a good number - you're a legal adult with the capability of buying your own boxed wine.
Shall we?
.........................
In the vain hope of organizing this into some semblence of order [a guy can dream], I've broken it down into the basic constituents: Fiction vs Non-Fiction and within under different groupings.
Smart, witty and full of humor, Caprice gives depth and fun with her fourth novel. Full of verve (and a little superstition-shy), LA DJ Berry Lambert knows that bad things come in 3s - which makes her worry that a third doomed relationship is headed her way. Will bad luck strike? Or will DJ Ryan Riley break the cursed luck? Find out if love can be the best luck of all. For me, I couldn't walk away from Caprice's layered characters or always-witty work. A definite pleasure.
Having come out July 3rd, Stacey brings her classic culinary brilliance to the forte again with the adventures of Alana Osterman whose life - organizing the world of chef Patrick Conlon - is thrown into chaos with the delivery of a surprising man who sweeps her off her feet. Romance, affection and rivals combine for the perfect recipe of a story. Pulling from her own life and wonderful true-love story, Off The Menu is decadent and delightful - you won't want to bus the tray with this surprise order.
The inspiration for the show, GCB from ABC - aside from sharing a few names and the central character with the show, the novel is a world unto itself (which initially set me askew). A fast-paced laugh and insightful view into the world of Dallas (big hair, big jewels, big egos and big gossip) and the plights of poor dear sweet Amanda Vaughn. Think First Wives Club (the movie) meets Sex and the City (the novel) ... and all without having to look at SJP. Everybody wins!
From the author of the hit series The Little Lady Agency, comes another brilliant turn of British 'chick lit'. Hester throws her heroine - antiques appraiser, Evie Nicholson - into a situation rife with conflict and brilliant historical fun. Sent to appraise the worth (covertly) of Kettlesheer Evie may be in over her head ... or swept off her feet by love. With the immense popularity of the ITV series Downton Abbey and early 20th century drama, the novel blends humor and history seamlessly and has some great in-jokes for fans of the series. Will Evie survive the ball and fall in love or will she lose herself to a mystery 80 years in hiding?
Stina Leicht blew me away in 2011 when I came across her novel, Of Blood and Honey, and the sequel (somehow) was even better. Liam, reeling from the events of the first novel (PICK IT UP!!!) is quite truthfully haunted by this past. Being half Mortal and half Fey, he is caught between the worlds on top of the struggle for Irish independence in 1977. Historically accuratte, layered in rich detail and characters and an all-too-quick read (the 300 pages fly by) you'll get caught up with Liam and his world and simply not want to let the story end.
The follow-up to her insanely popular Austen-esque fantasy novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, finds our heroine (appropriately named) Jane back in trouble and vexation. A loving tribute to Jane Austen's works, the novels are a world where magic is as everyday as a lady's make-up or gentleman's cravat and set within the social interactions that Austen made popular yet done with such a turn of mind and creative wit that the story is not only fresh, but intoxicating and heady like a glass of wine. For fans of magic and Jane Austen, this series is a must-not-miss.
The 4th novel in the brilliant Matthew Swift series by Catherine Webb (real name of Kate Griffin) picks up after the previous The Neon Court and actually stands up as an even better read. Matthew Swift, the human sorcerer brought back from the dead by the Electric Blue Angels and caught in the magical turmoil which burns in the soul of London, is back and this time the danger affecting the city isn't only from an outsider, but the Aldermen sworn to protect the city's innocents. A heavy read, true, but the story flows nicely (altho' with no chapter breaks, finding a stopping point can be tricky) and in the end, you wish it weren't.
The dark and rich ride Brom - acclaimed illustrator - weaves is intense and a wickedly re-imagined take on the classic story of Peter Pan. Pulling Welsh and Irish myth as well as modern/urban fantasy Brom compells the reader to look at the story with open eyes. Filled with hauntingly beautiful illustrations, the book is a work of art from cover to cover. Pulling the original story where Pirates slew children (and vice versa) with wanton glee, this new take follows streetwise Nick and Peter - the Child Thief - on a twisted journey through a Never Neverland untouched by the sugary tales of Disney.
With the craze of all-things-Jane (yes, I am a Jane Austen-holic, what of it?) a lot of forgettable reads have been put out with her name attached; however award-winning and bestselling author Michael Thomas Ford's take on Jane is not one of them. The first in a series of 'what-if's, we meet our beloved Jane as a frustrated writer and bookseller in upstate New York. Wait, did I neglect to mention that she's a 200+ yr old vampire? Chock full of humor - I dog-eared about half the book with 'must-remember-lines' - and originality, the novel (and series) has a unique take on our beloved authoress of Pride and Prejudice. Surprise guest stars pop up and everyone's favorite rivalry - Bronte v Austen - even makes a cameo or two.
The newest in the popular, fun and locally-set/written (WHOO HOO Virginia shout out!) Lacey Smithsonian novels is another fast-paced and laugh-out-loud read. Lacey, a fashionably chic reporter who uses Fashion Clues to solve crimes and stuck in the Land that Fashion aware reporter has to head back to Sagebrush, CO when her ex-beau is accused of a string of grisly murders. What's a girl to do when she's kidnapped and put in the position of finding out whether he really did the crimes? The first and third novels were adapted into Lifetime movies back in 2009 (Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover).
The "lost Jane Austen diaries" begin here. Discovered and organized by Barron, we get to discover a whole new side of Jane - the sleuth. Mixing historical fact and brilliant ingenuity, Barron weaves a beautiful series of novels that explore more and varied layers of Our Dear Jane. In this first installment of the series, Jane is pulled into a murder intrigue while visiting an old friend which takes her from the sitting rooms of Scargrave Manor all the way to the dank gaol cells and introduces the readers to the rich tapestry that is another side of Jane Austen. An addictive beginning to a fantastic series.
Not the first work by award-winning author, Wolter, but definitely some of the best; these short stories are some of the most intense and culturally inventive you'll get the chance to read. Rich and dark like a heady wine, Wolter's phantasies are darkly erotic and horrifying - you want a deep, soaky bubble-bath (followed by an abrasive shower) after you finish reading the 11 brilliant pieces in this collection. A must-read for any horror fan and the finest gay horror you'll find in the market.
Not enough could be written in advocacy of this must-read novel. Brilliant doesn't even begin to describe Brian Farrey's work. Intense, and emotional, the story follows two loners - Evan and his best friend Davis - who are beaten up for being themselves ... for being gay. Evan and Davis' story is at once poignantly unique and painfully universal. You won't want to be without this fantastic read.
Kelly Barnhill, whose original voice is one of those surprises you come across like a kid opening Christmas presents, came onto the YA/Independent Reader author scene with a vengeance. Jack is an invisible boy - shuttled around by a family who never seems to see him - suddenly seen ... but for who he really is? Welcome to Hazelwood Iowa, where his odd Aunt and Uncle - and the denizens of the town - seem to have been waiting for him for a long time ... and where the magic of the ordinary (and the extraordinary) lies just under the surface. A unique blend of magic, friendship and the true mysteries of childhood, this book is a surefire addition to the canon of Americana.
Paul Ruditis may best be known for his behind-the-scenes work with television series synopses, novel spin-offs and the fantastically popular Charmed comic book series, but, he first came to my attention with this hilarious and distract-my-ass-from-work series: DRAMA! Centered around the friendships (and not-at-all friendships) of Bryan Stark (our narrator) in this A-List school in Hollywood this kick-off for the series follows the school's show, the classic Wizard of Oz. Of course, when egos get in the way you get 4 Dorothys, 2 Glindas, 2 Scarecrows and a whole lot of headaches. The drama gets amp'd up when the Dorothys begin to have accidents ... Pick up a copy to find out how it turns out and how the series begins to a great start. The bonus? Bryan Stark has a secret - can you guess it?
"The Bitch From Bitter is Back" headlines the return of Jen Lancaster to her memoir roots. Following her Culture Up Manifesto from her last time out - My Fair Lazy - Jen realizes that it's time to stand up, shut up and put up ... the Fruit Loops for dinner [ring of fire anyone?]. Snarky and on-point as only the Governer of Jennsylvania can be, we get to join her as she learns the hard lessons of growing up (eventually) and she shares them so that we don't have to make the mistakes she did. Life Lessons and fun adventures filled with witicisms abound and the age-old question is addressed: Funnel Cake or Elephant Ears?
The debut memoir from Freeman Hall follows our hero from innocent shopper to survivor of the Milton and Dante-esque Circles of Retail Hell. Born from his open website, www.RetailHellUnderground.com, Freeman makes you laugh at the insanity that is the life of a Retail Slave. He followed up with the gay man's answer to Shit White People Like with the humorous Stuff That Makes a Gay Heart Weep. Introduced to Freeman's work by my co-worker Glenna with the phrase "Ben, this guy is you" a deep understanding and a very lucky (truly amazing, to me) friendship was born. I was lucky enough to help edit STMaGHW as well as regularly contribute to the supporting site (www.gayheartsweep.com). After you read Retail Hell, keep an eye out for his follow-up humor memoir, Return To The Big Fancy.
Susan McCorkindale is a woman of impressive strength; capable of wearing a pair of Louboutin 6" heels as she runs through the cow-pie filled field and making it look completely natural as she pulls her blonde blow-0ut into a perfect ponytail. The follow-up to her sensational hit first memoir, Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl, we re-join Susan as she copes with the life as an urbanite Jersey-raised mother of two still coming to terms with being a Fauquier Virginia-based farmer [local-based writer, holla!]. Where her sons and husband (and oh-gawdd-what-did-Tucker-just-drop-on-the-stoop dogs) she adjusts to the ups and downs that come in life. Intensely personal, funny, insightful and all-around amazing, this read should take you through the ringer.
A fun and interesting mix of points-of-view, this re-edited and re-released humor memoir follows a mother and son team from coming out to coming to terms to coming to fun. Previously released in 2006 [a certain author friend of mine sent it to me and Mum - and of course, we totally bought the matching Mother/Son t-shirts ... yepp, I's gay] the 2011 re-edit has more stories, more laughs and some juicy fun at its heart. This original take on the trials and tribulations (and fun) of an honestly open relationship between a gay son and his mother is one of the best gifts you could ever give to a PFLAG member.
The Queen of Southern Wit returns (she totally is) with a hilarious collection of essays and articles to her slew of already-New York Times best-selling memoirs/essay collections. Called the female Dave Barry, her work continually garners accolades (and for good reason), Celia is back with a bite and a word or two to say on the matter. Whether it be smart-alecky remarks on the state of The Learning Channel (hah!) or the merits and pratfalls of the impending menopause and the foibles of Twitter and Facebook, Celia's insight and original voice land her as an anytime-must read (but even better while sitting on the beach with a large glass of sweet tea and wine).
The current Countess of Carnarvon tackles the life and times of Lady Almina, a previous Countess whose life and times inspired the hit ITV show Downton Abbey - in fact, the estate of Highclere is where the show is filmed. Culled from thousands of photos, multiple first-hand accounts, memories of the family and newspaper articles, the story follows Almina - the illegitimate daughter of the banking magnate, de Rosthchilde - as she marries into the aristocracy and witnesses the end of the British Landed Gentry as we knew it. The fantastic and almost-too-amazing-to-believe events of her life (opening Highclere as a hospital during The Great War, for example) continue to inspire generations of storytellers.
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Anyone else notice that I have a tendency to read PRIMARILY female authors? Anyone? Anyone? Hrmm, guess it's the pearls and gay thing, heh.
Enjoy! As if we hadta guess I loves me some books?
I've been working (off and on, regrettably) on a short story for my friend, Drew's American Travels Anthology. When he asked if I were interested in doing a short story for it, I was flattered. I was overwhelmed. I was in over my head. I was ... flummoxed.
I really don't travel that much. I sat and stared at the computer screen for the better part of a day trying to see what ideas may leap to mind.True, in Jan '06 my best mate and I, Nate, packed bags and drove up for 3 days in NYC.
In Jan '07, I took a Greyhound bus from Fredericksburg VA to New London CT and back - by myself.
In Oct '09 I took a bus to NYC and back in a 23 hr period to see a friend's book-signing.
This past spring I flew to LA and back with Mum for her Jeopardy taping.
It all sounds so grand, but, really, I haven't done much real "traveling" suitable for a Travel Antho.Then it hit me, it doesn't hafta be all-true travel, does it? What if it's fiction, or even - G*D forbid - fantasy American travel? This opened things up for me; if I can write it how I want it (and with approval) how do I want to? I still was stuck sitting in front of a computer.
Only this time, I wasn't alone.
Joining me, is an image - a small family in a Winnebago, bickering and stressed by being crammed altogether in a small, ramshackle Winnebago (too few of them by choice). Athena, her lovely black tresses pulled into a ponytail sitting next to her brother Ares, bickering with his selfish-ass, their lame brother Hephaestus occupying the spare bed, offering pointed remarks as he busies himself with his tools.
Their parents, Zeus and Hera, trying to figure out the best-route to their camping grounds in upstate New York - him in anachronistic mash-up clothing, her in a Martha Stewart-inspired wardrobe, not a hair out of place. Zeus grousing about traffic, Hera squaring her shoulders and biting her tongue - she had warned him not to take this stretch of 395.I could see this clear as day.
Of course, the internal conflict was what drew me to tackling the short story (and spawning the idea for at least another, if not several more). But, the external conflict? What sort of Greek Mythological story could I adapt for an American Travels tale? How about a Native American Algonquin Myth - the Wendigo! Wanna see how I did it? Wait for the short-story to come out in print. But, until then, check out this sample - If you would, lemme know what'cha think?
“Quit it!” “No, you quit it!”
“Da-ad, he’s touching me!”
“No I’m not. She’s poking me with her pen!”
“Am not, your arm’s just in the way!” “So isn’t; her arm’s on my seat!”
“Is not, that’s my armrest!”
“Nuh uh, is not!”
“Uh huh, is too!”
“Is not!”
“Is too!”
“Is not!”
“Is too!”
“Knock it off right now or so help me I will pull this Winnebago over and incinerate the both of you.”
I may have snickered; after all, when you’re Immortal, that sort of threat doesn’t really hold water.
“I heard that, young lady,” his tone deepened. “I wouldn’t be so cocky; remember, there’s no Aegis with you.” Damn, he’s right. I hate it when he’s right. And he’s almost always right. “You’re not too old for me to take over my knee.” Of course, he’s also sometimes wrong.
“Dad, I was too old for that the day I was born,” I muttered. Which, technically is true … the fact that I’m now about five thousand years old doesn’t really help his argument. I swear, I could hear his eyes rolling at me.
“You tell her, Dad,” my annoying and bratty big brother chimed in, before sticking his tongue out at me – always hoping to score beaucoup brownie points with the parentals. He can be such a namby-pamby prick sometimes. Others? He’s just an outright arse with major bloodlust and a Gods-complex. Before I could resort to effective name-calling (and possibly violence), my mouth open and ready for the words to come out, Dad gave me the look in the rear view mirror.
You know the look. It’s that look your parents give you through their furrowed brows; the look which says ‘one more toe out of line and you are in seriously deep trouble’. Yeah, he gave me that look. Times, maybe, a couple thousand.
Deflated, I slumped back into my seat. Of course, not before resorting to said violence. Placing a well-aimed fist right into my bratty brother’s tender nether zone wiped the smug look off his face and earned me another look and a thunderclap right on my side of the RV. Totally worth it.
Bratty winced in pain, while my other brother – the prince of brooding – snickered at his discomfort, offering me a not-so-silent “Good shot” rumble from back in his bunk. I may have laughed indelicately at this.
“If you three do NOT shut the Tartarus up and behave, I will pull over and drop your sorry Godling butts on the side of the road THIS INSTANT! Do you understand me?”
“Dear, would you mind keeping your eyes on the road? You’re swerving.” Her eyes glued to a copy of Elle, Mum calmly murmers. “And, darling, please do not antagonize your father while he’s driving.” Ooh, we’re onto me now. “Or your brothers for that matter; you know what that does to a road-trip.” You mean, what that does to your magazine reading on a road-trip, don’t you?
Is it just me, or is it blindingly obvious that my brothers are her favorite? Anyone? Nope? Never? Totally can’t tell she favors those two boys over me. Of course, being my step-mother probably doesn’t help sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I know she loves me and we usually can get along pretty well, but, we’ve been known to fight – and when we do, we do it right.
Prime example; back in the day, when we fought over the Golden Apple we both said some very petty and snide things (the terms ‘shrew’ and ‘frigid bitch’ may have been thrown out). After Gods-know how long of constant bitter fighting we ended up asking that dopey (but oh-so-pretty) shepherd-boy to judge us in a beauty contest. I know, I know – a beauty contest? But, it had Kallistei “For the Most Beautiful” in Greek on the apple, so, we went there. Our divine pride was on the line, here. He really didn’t show good taste, though, picking my scantily-clad cousin (*cough* slut *cough*) over both of us. Although we disagreed with the judgment, it did bring us together: Mum and I teamed up to punish him and scorn her – that’s what family’s built on, right? Mutual animosity and love. Keep that going for a few thousand years and you end up with us.
So, there you have it; we’re a group of five Immortals traveling through the country in a Winnebago. Bickering along the way. What part of that doesn’t scream ‘Greek Gods’?
Procrastination is a lost art form, so I shall try to resurrect it - no, no glittery vampires or goth-made-up zombies here, just avoiding actually finishing this draft of Those Things Which Go Bump in the Night (short story to introduce the world, properly, to Simon Drake and a world filled with denizens like daemons and the Fae.
Ever notice that our two most popular 'Otherworld' figures have been romanticized into almost identical roles?
Vampires (thanks to Stoker, Rice and *shudder* Meyer) are highly sexual, gorgeous (and now glittery, igg) figures who steal you away in the night who can either use you up and throw you away or turn you into one of them.
Faeries (have always been and still are, thank you) are highly sexual, gorgeous (sometimes glittery, thank you Ridley Scott) figures who steal you away in the night who can either use you up and throw you away or turn you into one of them.
It made me ask, back in March 2008, what if Faeries and Vampires were more entwined in our cultural subconsciousness than we think?
The Eirish and Scandanavian folklore combined with classic Greek mythology as I searched out this answer and helped form the world of Simon Peter Drake, Daemonslayer and the book Revelation/Annihilation. I hope you enjoy this second sample from his world, and this teaser scene from my short story, Those Things Which Go Bump in the Night.
Rose Allon was a shopkeeper. Rose Allon was a kindly spirit always giving to her friends and co-workers. Rose Allon was a sweet, quiet girl and, tonight, Rose Allon was running for her life.
Glancing behind her, she barely saw her pursuer in the mountain twilight. The fleeting look cost her precious seconds as her toe stubbed on the uneven pavement slowing her flight. Catching her stride, she blindly threw her purse behind her at the unknown assailant hoping to slow it. She doubted if it was even noticed.
After locking the doors on her shop (the Rose Boutique) that night she had hastened toward her car. Parked in the back lot along the tree-line, she'd left it under the streetlamp – after all, with those disappearances, one could never be too careful (as her mother routinely reminded her). As she pulled her keys from her Coach bag a stiff breeze caught her blonde bob and, reaching up to pull the hair from her eyes, the keychain clattered as it fell onto the pavement.
Dropping to her knees, her jeans pressed to the asphalt, she groped for the missing car keys touching upon them right next to the driver’s side front tire. She paused: something caught her gaze as she looked across to the shadowed trees from under the practical mid-size sedan. A slight motion of a darkened figure. Large, definitely bigger than her. It could be a bear – didn’t her mother harangue her about the black bear population of the Shenandoah Park? God, why did this kind of stuff happen to her?
Snatching at the keys, Rose went to rise from her crouch when the rustle of leaves caused her to catch the sudden movement of the (bear?); like a shot, it sprang towards her.
Run, her instincts had told her. Run fast.
As she turned and ran, Rose knew it was no bear. Deep down, she knew whatever – or whomever – it was chasing her was the source of the local disappearances. Panting, she bolted down Sylvan Street, away from the wooded side, in the direction of the town square where she was sure the all-night coffee shop would be an escape.
The dull thud of her purse hitting the pavement emphatically told that her rearward throw had met with no success.
The dead grass poking through the fissures in the pavement scratched at her ankles as she passed. Sweat streaked her face and hair. Rose felt her pulse pounding in her ears and the bile rising in her throat. Sprinting for the light and the needed safety of the public venue, her hopes for escape escalated.
She was only seconds from breaking from between the buildings and into the well-lit square when the cold hand grabbed ahold of her sweat-slick hair, firmly pulling her up short.
Her shoulder wrenched itself with a painful crack as she was thrust against the brickwork wall.
The shadows seemed to gather around him (she was sure he was male), hiding him from her view. Her fear was pungent, palpable in the air. His sharp sniffs rent the silence. Rose felt like prey cornered and seized by some great predator; sheer terror held her faster than his stone-stiff grip. The light glinted in shards, throwing a halo about his head and casting his face in gloom. Wrapped in the inky-blackness of the night, his features held in contrast, he leaned in close, crushing the air from her lungs. She could feel the cool hiss of his breath upon her.
As Rose began to pass out, a blood-black haze overtaking her vision, she could have sworn she saw a skinny kid hurtling at the monster in the dark and a certain death beside her.
Leaning over the prone woman unconscious upon the ground, her blonde hair framing her young face, Simon searched for a pulse. Her shallow breaths and thready beat gave him hope. Pressing her neck, his fingers came back sticky with blood; the puncture wounds were blessedly shallow. He had interrupted the bite in time.
Watching for her to slowly come around, Simon readied his short list of questions so as to not upset her too much. The woman, whom he recognized as the young proprietress of the upscale clothing store in the Sylvan Shopping Centre, described her attack in sparing detail (he guessed at a glamour) which fit with what he’d gleaned from the other disappearances.
There was no doubt about it, the monster who’d been about to end her life (and had attacked the four missing people) had been a Fae. A Fae dark and blood-minded enough to feed upon mortals and instill such fear. A Fae who was obviously a member of the Unseelie Court.
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