If I hadn't had a last minute clothing crisis, I would have loved to see the Lion Dancers at the Diving Swallow grand opening party. Instead I clumsily bumped into them with my bundled wool coat as I came up the stairs to get to the bar. "Oh, pardon me ..."
The barkeep looked so good in his blacks. Black buttons, a delicious bit of neck, black apron to his shoes, ties wrapped about his hips that wanted to be pulled. He poured mineral water as though it might have been a rare wine. I fell in love with the way his wrists snapped up neatly when he topped off a glass. "Nice tip jar. Champagne, please."
Again, I neglected to carry my sketchbook and regret came quickly. It was such an interesting lot. ('Lesbians everywhere! Even the non-lesbians are lesbians,' Vince grinned.) Beautiful space, too -- a converted Korean beauty salon in Oakland, now a spacious and elegant women artists' co-op tattoo shoppe, complete and resplendent with pink neon storefront sign. Ah, life as it should be.
Jade Blue was a no-show, unfortunately. I would've really like to see her. To make up for it I started pouring drinks alongside D and pretty soon it was 8. I was full on strawberries, chips and hummus, smoked tofu bits, raffle tickets, and 4 (bio-friendly) cups of lavendar lemonade.
I wished for a few moments that J didn't live 2 hours away so I could have kidnapped her for the night. Sometimes even a good lesbian tattoo parlour party can use a lesbian comic book artist to lend it more nuance. Or maybe she would have just liked the food, I didn't know ...
In the end I convinced the bartender to go home with me and we watched Les Triplettes de Belleville in my bed. He was late for work this morning, too. I vaguely recall numerous goodbye kisses and a deadly charming smile before he left the apartment.
Then he took my truck. Without asking.
Perhaps it was his way of telling me I'd be seeing him later ...
of course, I can't wait.
* * * * * * *
It's funny that everyone should call it a Hallmark Holiday. Hallmark just came to my university Thursday for a presentation to dazzle some new recruits, and
... Well -- even though I would never refuse acceptance to 'Paid Graduate School' --
Their product portfolio was simpy as all hell. I thought maybe people had started exaggerating as to how drippy sentimental they were. Isn't Shoebox Greetings a division of Hallmark? (Isn't everything a division of Hallmark?) I thought maybe they had branched out to meet the more sophisticated demands of the rest of the country. But as it turns out, it seems the midwestern sensibility of Kansas City has enjoyed complete saturation.
The thing that puzzles me most is: Why is it so hard to get in?! They're really particular about their interns. From what I've observed, they really know to pick the best people from the program but they don't always keep them on for hire. I'm not sure why. I mean: Natalie, Lizette, and even Dave C. weren't called back.
Maybe Hallmark knew all along they weren't maudlin to the core. Who really is nowadays? Mushy effusiveness went out with the 50's, I thought.
Do I really just live in a bubble of progressives, or is Hallmark as outdated as I think they are?
It's probably just me. Sangalli said I seemed the analytical type -- I'm beginning to think he's right. Hallmark is outdated. Valentine's Day is misguided. This whole day is for homework.
Happy Homework Day, everyone.
The barkeep looked so good in his blacks. Black buttons, a delicious bit of neck, black apron to his shoes, ties wrapped about his hips that wanted to be pulled. He poured mineral water as though it might have been a rare wine. I fell in love with the way his wrists snapped up neatly when he topped off a glass. "Nice tip jar. Champagne, please."
Again, I neglected to carry my sketchbook and regret came quickly. It was such an interesting lot. ('Lesbians everywhere! Even the non-lesbians are lesbians,' Vince grinned.) Beautiful space, too -- a converted Korean beauty salon in Oakland, now a spacious and elegant women artists' co-op tattoo shoppe, complete and resplendent with pink neon storefront sign. Ah, life as it should be.
Jade Blue was a no-show, unfortunately. I would've really like to see her. To make up for it I started pouring drinks alongside D and pretty soon it was 8. I was full on strawberries, chips and hummus, smoked tofu bits, raffle tickets, and 4 (bio-friendly) cups of lavendar lemonade.
I wished for a few moments that J didn't live 2 hours away so I could have kidnapped her for the night. Sometimes even a good lesbian tattoo parlour party can use a lesbian comic book artist to lend it more nuance. Or maybe she would have just liked the food, I didn't know ...
In the end I convinced the bartender to go home with me and we watched Les Triplettes de Belleville in my bed. He was late for work this morning, too. I vaguely recall numerous goodbye kisses and a deadly charming smile before he left the apartment.
Then he took my truck. Without asking.
Perhaps it was his way of telling me I'd be seeing him later ...
of course, I can't wait.
* * * * * * *
It's funny that everyone should call it a Hallmark Holiday. Hallmark just came to my university Thursday for a presentation to dazzle some new recruits, and
... Well -- even though I would never refuse acceptance to 'Paid Graduate School' --
Their product portfolio was simpy as all hell. I thought maybe people had started exaggerating as to how drippy sentimental they were. Isn't Shoebox Greetings a division of Hallmark? (Isn't everything a division of Hallmark?) I thought maybe they had branched out to meet the more sophisticated demands of the rest of the country. But as it turns out, it seems the midwestern sensibility of Kansas City has enjoyed complete saturation.
The thing that puzzles me most is: Why is it so hard to get in?! They're really particular about their interns. From what I've observed, they really know to pick the best people from the program but they don't always keep them on for hire. I'm not sure why. I mean: Natalie, Lizette, and even Dave C. weren't called back.
Maybe Hallmark knew all along they weren't maudlin to the core. Who really is nowadays? Mushy effusiveness went out with the 50's, I thought.
Do I really just live in a bubble of progressives, or is Hallmark as outdated as I think they are?
It's probably just me. Sangalli said I seemed the analytical type -- I'm beginning to think he's right. Hallmark is outdated. Valentine's Day is misguided. This whole day is for homework.
Happy Homework Day, everyone.
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Bonus points if you figure out why I had to edit this.
[Edited on Feb 18, 2005 11:34PM]