I'm a little horrified

So my brother in law's brother is on TV right now... I'm watching as I type. He's on a show called Hit Me Baby One More Time. First off, I had no Idea that he sang lead on that song (You're My Obsession). I always just thought he was one of the "boys in the band". Great voice. really. I was relieved that he still looks good. Unlike so many of the other guys on that show, he has NOT become a sad, bloated has been. Like I said, he still looks good. UNFORTUNATELY, the girl he was singing with was a freakin' TRAIN WRECK!!!!! What was that dress about? WHAT WAS THAT HAIR ABOUT??????? and, um... who "choreographed" their little routine? that was a bit sad. I was a little horrified by that. Actually, as i watch more of the show, i think they lucked out by not having the cheesy "back up dancers" shakin' they money makers as they sang.
I hope they win.

HELP!!!!!!

Every year, I'm given the task of writing, producing, directing and choreographing a show for a conference. I'm also IN the show... this year it's all pop stuff. I re-write the lyrics to songs and make them "applicable" to the company. This year's numbers include Oops, I Did it Again, She's Got a Way, No More Tears... I'm not happy with my number - American Woman. It's really wrong on so many levels, but the main thing is that the song goes NOWHERE. It's boring and repetitive. And since I don't have the abs and pecs of L. Kravitz to distract an audience, I'm in trouble. I NEED A SONG!!!!!!! so I'm putting it out there. All suggestions will be considered and appreciated... Time is short. Gimme some ideas fast!!!!!!

Belated Shopping List 6/27/05

To my legions of fans, sorry for posting this so late....
no biggie, I guess. as you'll see, not too much damage.
2 PS2 Games
+/- $80.00

Not bad at all especially considering that we went out on Sunday with MAJOR intent to do damage. Everything is on sale right now, and I hate shopping when everything is on sale. don't get me wrong, i LOVE getting a deal. I just hate having to DIG for a deal. even a place like Neiman's basically puts out a bunch of tables down their aisles and just piles stuff on them. who really wants to shop like that? who CAN shop like that???? not me.

Conversation Geek

So yesterday we went to a wedding. A friend of the SOs from HS. This was the smallest wedding I've ever been to - about 80 or 90 people. I was gonna wear the Armand Basi suit. Glad I didn't. Suffice to say, not one, but TWO pairs of Berkenstocks were in attendance. The wedding was at the Danville Community Center. Nice enough place. The ceremony was outside in a pretty grove of trees, the weather was perfect.
I'd imagine that most people would not think that I'd be nervous in a situation like this. I was. Whenever I go to non-family weddings, I get this weird, paranoid scenario in my head of someone from the brides family coming up to me and demanding to know who I am and accusing me of crashing the wedding for a free meal. Rediculous, right? RIGHT???? Jeez. Anyway, on top of the non-family wedding paranoia I had anxiety about meeting the SOs friends. In retrospect, I can't understand why I was so nervous... I'm not stupid. I don't think I'm boring. I know when to shut up and listen (I check myself constantly to ensure I'm not talking too much... scanning faces to see if anyone's eyes are glazing over). In my pre-event pep talk I reminded myself that I was a guest of a guest at this wedding - just dancin' in the chorus, no feature. Stay out of the spotlight, lay low and it will all be over before I know it. So I'm flying under the radar when, much to my dismay, I get caught in one of those cross table conversations. I hate those. The anxiety escalated when two more non related cross table conversations started up. Six people talking all at the same time from opposite ends of the table about different things. I tried to end my conversation immediately, but the guy I was talking to wouldn't let up. ugh. He was one of those suburbanites who ended up in the big city and was desperately trying to "out-restaurant" me. He kept asking if I'd been to this restaurant or that restaurant. I was really surprised to find that I'd been to every one of the many restaurants he mentioned. He finally gave up and asked what my current favorites/must-go-to's were. I was at a loss. He'd mentioned almost every place worth going to in the city... I finally said, that I really couldn't think of anywhere I wanted to go that I hadn't already been to. nice. how dumb was that?? and when I was doing so well! The SO chimed in with Limon. Excellent save! Yes! Limon. I love Limon, had been there 2 or 3 times and found that I enjoyed Peruvian food. Limon made me think of Destino where I'd been last week. The newly urbanized guy had never been to either one but had heard great things about both of them and they were on his list of must-go-tos. phew. Like it was a contest or something. sheesh. I need help.
Side bar, sort of: the wedding photographer makes his way over to our table. As he's art directing the group, moving us into the perfect composition for the wedding album, barking directions from behind the lens, he drops the camera from in front of his face, looks at me and says, "I recognize you from the Gap". My mind goes into overdrive searching for any memory of this guy. nothing. I get nothing. I stammer something about how he must be wrong. I haven't worked there in ages... "You're Mike, right? Used to work in kids... you drove a blue bug". AACK. How could he know so much about me when I have absolutely NO recollection of him??? All heads turn to me waiting for my reply.
"Wow. Good memory."
Genius, shuboy. You're a freakin' genius.

shopping list 6/20/05

Hmm... let's see... this week's list is a bit strange... anyhow, here goes:
2 tickets to Mambo Kings on Saturday Night
2 tickets to Mambo Kings on Sunday afternoon
10 bags of Lion Vanilla Macadamia Nut Coffee that i got online (I know that foodstuffs aren't supposed to be on my list, but I figured I didn't get it from the grocery store, so it counts)
1 Navy Suede Jack Spade Bag (on back-order, but paid for)

+/- $800.00 (ouch)

could drop a couple hundred if i get reimbursed for a couple of the MK tix. not counting on it, but hey! I can dream, can't I?

Mambo!

TMK200b
Originally uploaded by shuboy.

bwahahaha... well, i got out of going to F-day with the SO by saying that I was taking the 'rents out for brunch at Absynth. now... that's not necessarily a lie as I DID invite them. Seems dad is more into watching the golf on tv than tasting the AMAZING corned beef hash as Absynth.
anyhow, we went to see Mambo Kings last night. The show itself needs a bit of tightening up, but the DANCING!!!!! OhMYGOD!!!!!! Absolutely, flat out INCREDIBLE. all mambo, all the time - big surprise, right? anyhow, the dancing FAR outweighed any of the rest of the shows weaknesses. So much so that I decided to take mom today. this morning, i got up and immediately went online to check the seating availability - i was a little nervous as the show is closing today - I was pleased to find 2 tix in the center orchestra.
the SO hated the show. i think he just didn't get it. He's currently in a "I'm a DIRECTOR" mode. (can you feel me rolling my eyes?) I mean, it's a wonderful story. like i said the show needs to be tightened up a bit and I'm sure it will be before it opens on broadway. the second act dragged a bit and there are a couple of scenes that could be cut, or better yet, replaced with dance numbers. did i mention the dancing was incredible???? i just sat there thinking, "you cannot teach this to dancers". it's something that you just have to be born with or born into. it reminded me of going to a quinsinera (sp???) and seeing everyone - including the really little kids - dancing so naturally to incredible latin rhythms. the steps didn't come as naturally to me, but i could keep up. i AM filipino after all, and i can dance a pretty mean cha-cha. but the mambo is different. there's a little catch step in there. the catch happens in the feet and it's like it's directly attached to the hip, shoulder and head. the chin even gets involved as it juts out just a bit with the step. there's a sneer that creeps onto the lips... it's just so incredibly sexy. i was amazed at one of the girl dancers. she was the BEST girl on the stage and I have a feeling that she was one of the dance captains. anyway, not only was she completely FIERCE (how GAY is that word???), but she was also the oldest dancer on the line. it was so clear that this woman was born with these steps in her blood. I can't wait to see it again this afternoon. I'm sure mom will enjoy it. I hope she does... who knows, maybe i'll just start ordering an extra ticket for her whenever we go to shows... Mambo, baby. Mambo.

big 'ol lamp

big 'ol lamp
Originally uploaded by shuboy.

This is a big 'ol lamp!!! that's not a doll house chair next to it, that's a full size chair.
Must have this!!!!!

navy suede Jack Spade Bag

navy suede Jack Spade Bag
Originally uploaded by shuboy.

YUM!!!!!
Must have this!

follow up to BOREDOM

Well, it wasn't the spectacular day I had dreamed it would be... I DID get out of the house. I was happy about that.
I didn't really do much, though. I went down to the beach for a bit and walked around. The weather was absolutely amazing. After that i headed over to J-town in search of Lion Coffee. Lion Vanilla Macadamia Nut coffee to be exact. I dunno, maybe I was looking to relive the spectacular early mornings i spent on the veranda in Maui. i still don't know why i didn't buy more before I left. Sure, I can order it online, and I probably will... i just thought it would be fun to be able to find it out here. I walked all over J-town and didn't find any Lion Coffee. I DID find Diamond Soda crackers, so i guess it wasn't a total loss. (by the way, food doesn't count as an item on my weekly shopping list)
I got Mini washed. I was contemplating going to the monster car wash over on S. Van Ness, but decided instead to go to the guys at the gas station on geary. support the local entreps, y'know?
This coming weekend is looking like it might be interesting... we just got invited to go see Mambo Kings on Saturday night. I called the SO to see if he was up for it and lo and behold, he was. S and his new b/f extended the invitation. sweet.
Sunday i've been invited to go to Father's Day with the SO's family. ugh. I'm definitely planning on NOT going to that. I'd rather do something with my own dad, and I think I will. Brunch at Absynth might be nice. I'll see if Ver's into that. whatever the case, i think he might like to spend time with the girls... we'll see.
Y'see, i've been basically abandoned for the last couple of weekends. I think the last weekend we spent together was labor day (or whatever that last 3-day weekend was) and i got to spend the 3rd day sitting on the couch while he was in the bathroom with his usual stomach ailment. I actually have a draft blog from that day just sitting around rotting... I was all hateful and bitter. I'm still not over it, but i'm not gonna go back to that draft and I'm definitley not going to publish it. All I have to say is that he'd better get to a Doctor and quit taking the medicine that his mother, the RECEPTIONIST, keeps getting from random drug salemen that drift into the Doctors office where she works as a RECEPTIONIST. Rediculous. Anyhow, after being abandoned for the past couple of weekends while he goes to his rehersals and his auditions, i'm not about to spend a day with his family. i'd like to present it to him that way, but i know he won't take it well. i'm hoping that he'll figure that out, but I really don't think he will. shit. i'll probably end up going with him. shit shit shit. whatever... it'll probably just be brunch. plus i think if i go, i can wrangle a side trip out of it. maybe hit The Magazine to shop for a floor lamp. or maybe i'll just fall asleep in the car on the way home and end up sitting around for the rest of the day. we'll see.

shopping list 6/13/05

NOTHING!

boredom

so here i sit... hair dried but sans product...
wonder what i'll do today. would go to the gym, but my neck is acting up again due to the Degenerative Disc disease that i was diagnosed with last year. i keep getting these brief urges to run downtown and buy Pumas. brief and passing, leaving me at a loss as to what to do today. the SO is at auditions... I'm once again left to my own devices. not that we would've done anything if he was home. sigh.
could go see the girls... but I don't feel like driving that much... I could sit around the house, but i HATE wasting a beautiful day off. the 'rents are out of town, so i can't even go take them to lunch.
maybe explore some little neighborhood in the city? noe valley? the mission? modern furniture row on gough? surf the net and look for a decent dance class? all decent options, yet none seem too compelling.
what do i NEED to do today? hmm... GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!!!!! definitely. get my car washed. yup. mani/pedi? maybe. i could call nickel and book something, but i have a feeling that might be tough. apparently, my m/p girl left nickel. do i dare book a massage? *shudder* i almost did last time i was there. i don't know what came over me. *shudder* have i mentioned i have massage "issues"? everyone i know rants and raves about them, but the thought of being touched repels me. oh relax. i guess it's not so much the touching part. it's being touched by a stranger... ugh. okay. that's outta the options column.
i could work on my bamboo plants. i still haven't landed on the perfect arrangement... run out and find the perfect container, get some stones, do the arraingement. yeah. i could do that.
we'll see.
i'll let you know what - if anything - happens.
sigh.

Shopping List 6/7/05

well, here it is Tuesday and I didn't do my shopping list...

Last week:
1 Jack Spade Bag from Flight 001
1 Hooded Sweatshirt with "Go Ugly Boy" on the front from Neighborhoodies.com
1 Pewter Box with the words "beauty wonder devotion" inscribed on the lid (i'm using it as an ashtray) from Zonal

total: +/-220

now... i'm not sure what was up with that Pewter Box... beauty? wonder?? devotion??? It was more about the font than the actual words. it wasn't expensive. under 50 bucks, I think. I liked the weight of it. I liked that it had a lid on it. I immediately thought of it as an ashtray. it's about 3x5 inches. good ashtray size. and I like to be able to close an ashtray. the lid let's me do that.
hmm... the Jack Spade Bag. Yeah... like I really needed another one. I've been looking at this one for a while... and something my sister said to me came flashing back into my head when I saw it at Flight 001. We were in Maui and when she noticed that I was transporting my poolside essentials around in a plastic ABC Store bag, she said something like, "Don't you have some Jack Spade bag to carry your stuff around?" I've got like 25 of them... but none were right for carrying to the pool or the beach. I needed a tote. this is a tote.
I think that this "keeping track" is actually a good thing. I'm revisiting purchases. I'm not necessarily reTURNing purchases, but at least I'm rethinking. maybe the next step will be PREthinking purchases. we'll see.

I'm waiting...

Let's start off by saying "Hello" to Jess. Thank you for stopping by. Dunno if you'll ever swing through here again, but it was nice that you did and even nicer that you bothered to post a comment.
Moving along... I've been "outed" on my sister's blog. That's probably the wrong word - "outed". Or the right one... whatever. She posted a link to my blog on hers and referred to it as "Brothers who shop too much". Please define "too much".
Anyhow... all this time I thought she was the only one reading things in Shuboy Land. Seems she's not. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this...
Pfft. Whatever. Read all you want. But play fair and post a comment if you drop in.

Yet another train wreck...

Hit Me Baby 1 More Time... i'm witnessing, as I type this very moment, A Flock of Seagulls covering Ryan Cabrera's "On The Way Down". I'm terrified. How sad... so very, very sad.
Last night was "Dancing with the Stars". Now I EXPECTED that to be a train wreck. Not to worry. More like a fender bender. it was actually kinda' fun. I think that they intentionally made the professional dancers out to be asses to draw attention away from the fact that the "stars" were kinda' terrible. I was amused by the Jon Peterman guy from Seinfeld... his footwork was lousy, but his heart was in it. He was dancing with the biggest ho in the world, though. Maybe it wasn't just his heart that was in it... Joey McIntire from NKOTB was on. Not too bad. He had fun and it showed. He and his partner danced the cha cha. I shouldn't have bene surprised that he handled himself okay... it was definitely a hip-hop/cha cha that he was working. the fact that his professional dancer partner was completely CRUSHING on him made her the most endearing of the pros.
Oh my god. Tiffany covering Kelly Clarkson's "Break Away". her voice is not nearly as bad as her horrible outfit. poor thing. why didn't anyone tell her not to wear knits?