Today I...

...

...went in almost 2 hours late because I had time I had to use from working late a few nights.  Thus I enter the weekend a little less needy for sleep.

...worked a lot of customers during the lunch hours, instead of just doing title and e-recordings and mail...  it a nice diversion; i like both mindsets...  but... today's customers were more fun oriented... for some reason a lot of music types getting DBAs ("doing business as" AKA "assumed names")...

...left work right on time and came home and took a nap...and probably will read in book for book club

...enjoyed the windows/doors being open

...got two calls confirming next week's MDA appointments

...got on facebook after my nap and was a little blown away because I...

...learned a long time friend was found by his maid in a coma today and died later in the day...

...learned that another friend from way back and his husband are selling their house and much of their furniture and things in an "estate" sell tomorrow in order for them to downsize, so that they and their two boys can concentrate on fighting his cancer...

...learned that Mayor Leffingwell was one of many mayors of major American cities today who signed "right to marry" pledges to work toward establishing the rights of gays and lesbians to get married... and was glad I live in one of those cities.  (Ask your mayor if he/she signed.)

...learned that apparently a number of gays in Houston attend Joel Osteen's mega-church, in spite of the fact that he preaches regularly that being gay is a sin...  (did so on Oprah apparently too...  great post on this on Huffington post...)  a friend of the facebook friend who posted the comment is apparently one of them and jumped in defending him.  Was more than a little blown away by the subliminal self-hate--or more softly stated, internalized homophobia.  We all go through that because...well... see next comment...  but to claim that all preachers call homosexuality a sin or else they'd be accused of not going by the bible is a bit...much.  (I could name a whole list of pastors that don't--and churches that welcome gays and lesbians...)

...thought that all parents should read that story on Huffington post:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-kort-phd/joel-osteen-gay_b_1217447.html?ref=fb
How many times do you joke about a little boy and a little girl being boyfriend and girlfriends? do you post a pic of a kid and jokingly call the opposite sex other kid their boy/girlfriend?  How many times do you ask little boys if they have a girlfriend yet or "who's your girlfriend?" Actually, this is much more likely of friends of parents and extended family like grandparents and uncles and such.  When you're a kid and whether you really know you're gay or not, this question is just horrible.  This kind of teasing re-inforces how wrong you are inside... even if you don't really know why yet...

...learned that Etta James died, and even though  I thought she'd died a couple of weeks ago, it made me sad all over. 

...watched a couple of Etta James videos on facebook

...saw pics of what people who weren't filing documents did outside today on this stunning Texas winter day...

...saw a pic of the suspect in the NY Eve murder that happened not too far from here, and for the first time since I've lived here, wondered for about half a second about having the front door open.  In case you're wondering, it's still open.  At least they've apparently got a name and pic and are narrowing it down.

...saw cute pics of dogs and kids and food and creeks and things.

...watched a very cool (short) dance video... made cooler by the twist...  Steve Ochoa, a dancer friend of mine posted it... here, watch it yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OR-n3Rg6E8&feature=player_embedded

...sat on the porch with a beer and looked at the stars and the Speedway moonlight tower through the trees

...wilted some Poteet Spinach, ground sea salt and pepper on top, and ate it with some cheese slices and was thinking it was about as perfect a meal as there is  (get it while it's in season at CM!)

...learned on facebook that it's National Cheese Day

...saw the obligatory fb posts about Newt (I'm seriously over the R's this year.  I hope you are too.)

...saw a Perry post or two (I'm seriously over the Perry Period.  I hope you are too.)

and I,
sat down to update Squirrels in the Attic... 

I think I'll go read my book.
Cheers.