Such an ominous title, but honestly, it’s just what popped into my head as I started writing this. I really only mean that another work weeks begins today. We’ve made it back around to Monday again. My weekend did not go as expected. I had a great outfit ready for the Burly Bears event Friday night, and I actually looked good in it, or at least looked like I came out of the 1970s. However, I developed a migraine Friday afternoon, and it only got worse and worse. I had been excited to go, but I knew that driving to and from Burlington at night would be torture with a migraine. Bright lights always make my migraines worse, so oncoming headlights are difficult to handle. Anyway, I ended up going to bed before 8 pm and slept for nearly nine hours. 

I mostly felt better on Saturday, but I’d planned on doing absolutely nothing just to be sure. I had ordered a new blanket for my bed from Walmart, and it was delivered Saturday morning. The problem was that I had ordered light gray but got “gray mist” instead. Gray mist isn’t actually gray at all but more of a sea foam green. I used to have a car that color when I was in college. I hated that car mostly because of f that hideous color, but my parents had bought it for me. But I’m getting off topic. However, just like that car, I did not want sea foam green. The good thing about Walmart is that you can notify Walmart of your intent to return it online and then just take it to the customer service counter at your local Walmart. So, I braved Walmart on a Saturday afternoon. Truthfully, it wasn’t that bad. I got in and out relatively easy and walked away with a nice gray blanket. T wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it will do and t is warm.

Sunday, I left my apartment exactly once to go pick up a pizza for lunch. The rest f the day was spent watching tv. I watched a movie called “Stage Mother” on Hulu. I had seen a trailer for it back when it came out, and it looked interesting. The story follows a conservative church choir director who inherits a drag club in San Francisco started by her deceased son, from whom she was estranged after he came out as gay. The movie was very sweet and heartwarming. I cried, and I laughed, and I cried some more, and laughed some more. I found the movie very emotional, although maybe a tad cliche. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

And that was my weekend. Now, on to the week ahead.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Burly Bears get together in Burlington with the theme 70s Sexy. I had not planned on going, but with some of the great suggestions I got, I think I will go tonight. I have my jeans and black boots with a Mr. Owl t-shirt that says, “How many licks?” Some of you have to remember those commercials. As a kid, I thought they were funny. Anyway, I thought the shirt would be cute and a bit suggestive. I’ll also have on my black leather jacket and possibly a hanky in my back pocket. I may have been born in the late 70s and not remember it, but I’m still a historian and know my gay history. Hopefully, it will be fun.

I don’t really have much (or anything really) to say today. I’m glad it’s Wednesday, and the week is half over. We are expecting 8-12” inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. It’s going to be a messy night and morning, but luckily, I don’t have to go into work until the afternoon tomorrow because I’ll be working late tomorrow evening for an event. So far, the week has been pretty boring. We’ll see if that continues. Hopefully, it will get at least more interesting if not exactly exciting.

Do you ever have those days when everything seems to piss you off? Honestly, I think we all do. Yesterday was one of those days to me. Someone pissed me off because they were putting their nose where it didn’t belong. They made a comment that they should have kept to themselves, but instead of backing off, they doubled down and made it even worse. I tried to be the better person about it, but they just kept pissing me off. It put me in an incredibly fouls mood. I did my best to go to my “happy place” before I fell asleep last night, but the whole thing was still bothering me. Sometimes, it’s just too difficult to try to always be the nice person and try to defuse bad situations. Most of the time I want to just scream, “Go fuck yourself!” However, I know I won’t. Instead, I’ll just remove that person from the equation and go about my business. Quite honestly, they just aren’t worth my time and effort.

Before the pandemic, there were a group of men who’d have a get together every month at one of the bars in Burlington to party and raise some money for charity. It was the only gay men’s event I knew of. The group is called Burly Bears, and the monthly events were always fun when I’d go. Burly Bears has been getting together for 16 years. While the Burly Bears were not able to get together during most of the pandemic, and I have not been to one since 2019, it looks like they are trying to get back to doing this monthly.

There’s one on the last Friday in January for the Burly Bears Birthday Bash. Each of the events has a theme and suggestion for how to dress. This event will be “70s Sexy.” I doubt I’ll go, but it is always fun trying to decide what to wear to one of these things. I was born in ‘77, so I don’t remember the 70s, and it’s too recent of a history for me to have studied. If I was going to go, I’m not sure what I’d wear. 

I’d considered this Tom of Finland t-shirt with a pair of jeans, but I can only find it on Amazon from a place in Thailand. It wouldn’t arrive until at least next month. I thought this shirt could classify as both sexy and campy. However, without that possibility, I’m kind of at a loss. Any suggestions? I would prefer campy but not too outrageous because I’m pretty sure I can’t pull off sexy.

Like the majority of people who work weekdays and are off on weekends, I hate Mondays. Back when I was in school, I was always full of dread on Sunday nights. I knew I’d have to go to school the next day. It wasn’t any better when I was teaching. Having to face those hellions I tried to teach was enough to drive anyone crazy. I love my current job, though of course there are things that drive me crazy there too. It’s just that after being off for the holiday break, I didn’t get back into the swing of things last week. I only worked in my office half a day last week: migraine, work from home, medical appointments, etc. So, this is really my first Monday back at work.

I’ll be going in late because I have an 8 am doctor’s appointment for a regular checkup. I had my annual bloodwork done last week, so I have an appointment to talk over the results with my doctor and check on other things. One good thing is that he will probably take me off my diabetes medication. My A1C is still low (5.7), and he’d said last time that if it was still under 6.0, he’d declare me a diet controlled diabetic. We’ll see if that happens. I like my doctor and have a great relationship with him, and for the first time in my life, I can be completely open and honest with him and he’s a good listener.

So, even though I didn’t want to get up this morning, it is Monday after all, hopefully, the week will go smoothly. I hope all of you have a great week.

I wrote out a post last night asking about what little I did for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. However, it disappeared, and I was in no mood to write it all over again. Basically, my plans for New Year’s Eve fell through, watched football instead, and on New Year’s Day, I cooked my traditional meal of collard greens, black eye peas, ham, and cornbread. There was actually little preparation to be done, which is a good thing because I had a terrific migraine all day. I had written more than just that, but instead of recreating what I’d written before, I’m going to ask the questions I ended that post with. What did you do New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? Do you have any New Year’s traditions and do they have any special meaning?

Here’s to a wonderful 2023!

So far, I have survived Christmas with the family. I’ll be running errands and seeing other family members and old neighbors tomorrow, which should be nice. I’m looking forward to seeing some of them. It will get me away from my parents for a while. Yesterday was our family Christmas, and for the most part, things went well. I couldn’t do all of the cooking because of my broken hand, but what I couldn’t do, I was able to direct what should be done. It all turned out pretty well. I was pleased with most everything. I’m just glad it’s over with for another year. The next few days will see if my parents are on good behavior. Hopefully, they will be. They’ve been aggravating because they fuss at each other so much, but I’ve been able to get away from them when they are at their worst, so that’s helped. I just go to the other end of the house.

I hope that all of you had a “Wonderful Christmastime.” I have a few more days in Alabama before I fly back on Thursday. I think I can make it without losing my mind.

I’ve had a bad migraine for two days, and my hand is still hurting. I know part of the migraine is being caused by emotions that I just don’t want to talk about. I’d probably feel better if I did, but sometimes talking about things just make it worse, for me at least, especially when it’s something beyond my control. I’m flying to Alabama tomorrow, and I’m dreading every bit of it. There is absolutely nothing that I’m looking forward to while I’m there. So, I’m a bit blue at the moment. 

It also doesn’t help that I have to go to the dentist this morning. I hate going to the dentist.