HeeeHeeeeeeee *pound* *pound*

Whooo. :-)

For a quiet middle-aged woman living out in the woods of Quebec.. Marn makes me pee my pants with a far-too disturbing regularity...

Dear Diary:

Nobody wants to make me their bitch, eh.

I am so depressed.

I know this has nothing to do with My Life in the Wilds of New York City, but ..... :-)

--------------

A sign of spring..

Even though there is a major storm due, there are already migrating birds flocking around the house and the trees.

I even saw a Blue Jay among the crowds of starlings searching the still-brown grass and dried leaves for food.

Its nearly 50 degrees outside.

They'll stick around, even with the snowstorm. Because they know, that too will pass.

I think Im gonna go out, take advantage of the warmth before the storm, get a few supplies and grab a cuppa Starbux.

Mmm. I wish the camera was working, but ah well.
---------------

Tricianna found this treasure...

Within this treasure Ive been browsing, I found:

...but I have no money.
I like having no money.
I do not like having no money.
I only like to have contempt for people who have a great deal of money and are unhappy even so, or are happy with money in a way that I find contemptible.

- Jamaica Kincaid

Gad. I identify, but I wish I didnt.

And this is what Ive discovered these last few years as I write and take photographs..

The primary benefit of practicing any art, whether well or badly, is that it enables one's soul to grow.

- Kurt Vonnegut

True dat.

Random bits. Bullets, if you will...

- Someone is getting madd brownie points from me today.

That person wrote:

> Hey, ...i don't remember how I
> found your site, but i
> think you write well, and you tell good stories.
> plus, i love hearing about
> new york because i enjoy it so much.

Nothing about pictures. Thank you boss.

It's sort of a pet complex of mine.. but the joy of doing this is the chance to do some writing, no matter how idiosyncratic my style.

To me the pictures arent the point.

Yes, good folk like Lissa and Brian do give me high, madd praise for my writing - but I would honestly like to be recognized more for my writing than for the pictures I take.

So, thank you Greg.

- Today, I helped someone get some of their faith back by showing a little faith in them.

Sweet. :-)

It wasnt a big deal for me, but it was nice to see them get inspired because someone validated what they already know to be true.

That helped my own faith. :-)

- Good god, this winter will *not* end.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
1025 PM EST FRI MAR 2 2001
...THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A MAJOR WINTER STORM FROM LATE SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

...SYNOPSIS...
THIS NOREASTER HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HEAVY SNOW...GALE FORCE WIND SPEEDS AND COASTAL FLOODING FROM SUNDAY NIGHT POSSIBLY THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY.

BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCING AT LEAST 10 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

THIS COULD BECOME A DANGEROUS NOREASTER.

Translation: This will be a Blizzard that may go down as one of the biggest in the last 40 years.

Gurghh. Id better go stock up on soy milk, beef patties KFC chicken and candles today.

Lemme repeat:

Good god, this winter will *not* end.
---------------------------

Today's horrorscope:



It's not like you to keep looking back, but according to your chart, you are still brooding on things that are over and done with.
You may have good reason to feel you were mistreated, but you cannot go back and change the past.
You can only try to make sure the future is different.


Normally, Id go lose myself in my work. But, I have nothing engaging right now.. except for the need to provide an income.

As Judge Joe Brown would say.. "You got off cheap, son. Recognize it an' get on with yer life."
----------------
Ive known Fred for years now, but she didnt have my current IM name, so recently she asked for it.

Since we have never actually talked on IM - I gave her my AIM rules:

- I will almost never talk to someone first.

Although the reason is to ostensibly give people space.. It goes back to my state of mind.

If someone doesnt wanna talk and acts nasty about it, that is almost due cause for that person to be on my shitlist.

If that person acts like Im stalking them or something.. (and it has happened) .....oooh, they've gone and massaged a REAL sensitive spot o' mine..
I DONT like people thinking that Im inclined to give unwanted attention. Ever.

No matter what they do after that, I will always treat that person like a drunken suspect, if I think of them at all.

So yeah, even if I see you online.. Im not gonna start a convo unless there is a good reason.

Actually, thats about my only AIM 'rule', which I disregard on occasion.

Most folk on my list are cool wid dat.
---------------
With a start, I recognized a reason why Im not rich.

I'd rather not work with assholes.

A friend called me up yesterday about setting up an interstate network/extranet/vpn for a physician's office.

Right up my alley, even tho I said Im getting away from that kinda work.

Because he is a friend, I started to entertain the idea.. the lure of a decent paycheck, travel and free laptop dancing in my head.

Then he said the wrong thing to me. Being a pompous ass.

He's asking for my help and he's acting like an asshole.

At that point, Im thinking - fuck this.
I may need the money, and even tho it would be a healthy chunk of change.. Im not gonna put myself through this kinda crap again.

Eventually, he clocked onto the fact that my enthusiasm had cooled considerably, and asked if his attitude had spoiled it.

I told him bluntly, I didnt need the grief. No amount is worth it.

I'd give him my opinion if asked, but that would be the extent of it. I would not be working with him.

His feelings were hurt.. but fuckit. He'll get over it.

If I were young and ignorant, it'd be one thing.. but as god is my witness, I will never again hesitate to walk away from what I know will be a clusterfuck.

I know better.
---------------------------

Ach. Brother George is thinking Im pissin on his dreads.

Noooo. Wasnt thinking of you when I wrote about my pet peeve against all the dreads stylin popping up around the world.. usually by folk ignorant of its significance.

That outburst came the same day as I stood in line surrounded by literally 10 folk with 3-foot dread extensions.

Unwashed dread extensions.

How can I tell? Real dreadlocks take commitment, dreadlocks that length would take 3 or 5 years (or more) to grow.

After months of seeing the explosion of braided, distressed hair-extensions.. Im sorry.. my years-old irritation boiled up.

Ive HAD this opinion/peeve for many, many years now, as Rashid will tell ya, way before dreads-maintenance was standard at the "Oh My Nappy Head" salon.

Why? I dont really ken onto the Rastafari/Coptic faith, and the Old Testament, "Jah is King" mumblings sometimes makes my eyes glaze over..

But

As the old saying goes, "You can laugh at a man's religion, but never ever laugh at a man's faith."

I RESPECT folk who, as a symbol of their faith, refuse to conform to demands that they look, act and walk a certain way.

Fuckers have been killed for having those seemingly low-maintenance dreadlocks. Not just laughed at, discriminated, disowned, locked-up, persecuted and scorned - killed.

Decades before it became fashionable.

Although I dont believe Bob Marley had any real articles of faith, (I never liked the fucker after he impregnated scores of women not his wife, one of whom was my grade school girlfriend.. and my father arrested his ass countless times for petty larceny..) he did adopt the dreads as a symbol of a much greater struggle.
(Although it partly gave him a raison d'etre to smoke weed copiously and publicly..)

Not because its a low-maintenance, cool style.

No, George - I wasnt thinking of you when I expressed my opinion - but my peeve runs deep.

Its not really a 'Jamaican', 'you must be genuine' thing.

All I ask is for people to understand where it is coming from.

------------------

Random thoughts

- Uh, Winnie? Happy Birthday, luv.

Also.. now are ya feelin' part of the reason as to why I dont make it easy for folk to reach me?

The process of having to work to contact ya, sorta weeds out the idjits..

You meet a better grade of folk that way, Ive found.

- I went to Chinatown, got some soy milk at Cyn's favorite soy shoppe. (@ Lafayette & Canal).

Not ez to find on Staten Island.

Later that evening, the fine people at Canal Fun looked at me funny when I ordered roast pork fried rice... as if "you cant be serious".

Nope. You get the best fried rice in Chinatown... so what if Im being a tourist?

- Link by George

According to this site, the Number 1 US Hit song on the day I was born was "Where Did Our Love Go" by the Supremes.

Oooh. Love that song. Not a big fan of Ms. Ross, but I love that song.

The #1 song in the UK was.... "Have I The Right" by The Honeycombs.

Huh? Hmm.. I'll have to see if its on Napster...

- The weather woman on Channel 4 said "As spring gets nearer, it just gets colder."

Aint THAT the f&#^%$^ truth.

Man, by mid-february, the hedges are in full bloom down in Jacksonville.

Im starting to look at Florida in a whole new light.

By the time I let HappyCat back into the house this afternoon, he was a VERY cold an' miserable camper.

When I let myself OUT of the house this afternoon, I was a very cold and unhappy camper.

- I had just gotten off IM with Gigi (who lives and works in the Seattle), and as I walked outta the the study ten minutes later.. CNN was showing live pictures of the aftermath of the earthquake there.

No way I was gonna be able to raise her on IM.

Good to hear, she was ok.

- Thank you to my newest faithful readers who have made it possible by linking me from their blogs...

To have a whole bunch of THEIR faithful readers traipse through, leaving mud all over my nice clean site.

Thanks Tim and Emily. :-)
------------------------

I hated tea.

I used to wrinkle my nose at it when Ma would put a hot steaming cup in front of me ever since I can remember.

Therefore I was the one who always got an ice-cube in my cuppa.

Even now, Ma will force a vile concoction of condensed milk and some unkown, generic brand of leaf upon me every time I visit.

She is absolutely convinced that a daily cuppa is the secret to a long and healthy life.

I still could do without. I only drank it because her feelings would be hurt if I didnt.

Nowadays, since Ive been hepped to the therapuetic values of green tea, I drink it daily.

Jules of LA asks:

> Good god, what do you eat all that honey on?

Tea.

It makes Green Tea palatable.

I dont use sugar anymore. And this raw honey makes me feel good.

Otherwise, Ive never really liked honey either....
------------
Sistah Cyn.. thanks honey. :-)
---------

Tisha was right..

tisha: hey joey!
JPennant: hola
tisha: how're you?
JPennant: doin good here
tisha: mr. busyman :-)
JPennant: heh
tisha: eat something first... or else you'll run out of energy.. :-)

I crashed, and hard, after 7pm.

I struggled to stay awake, but my body wasnt having any of it. So I stayed unconscious until midnight.

Of course, by midnight, my mind is working a mile a minute again.

I feel like Im in the Arctic Circle, running on a manic sleep cycle during the long daylight hours.

I would love to visit Alaska.

Out of all the college recruiting letters I got in High School - the ones from Anchorage and Juneau still stick in my mind.

Although then, I thought it was ludicrous they expected me to go to school and live up there.. I think my curiousity was piqued.

I still read, with interest, articles about Alaska. I used to marvel at the location shots of Alsaka from Northern Exposure.

I occasionally wonder what it would be like to live up there.

The Trans-Continental Highway is on my list of great North American driving trips I want to take before I go exploring the rest of the world.

I would love to meet the schoolteacher whom I adjusted her connections so that she could stay online through her satellite uplink during arctic solar radiation storms.

Prolly has broadband access now.

Never will I forget her telling me of having to send a kid out to shoo the Polar Bears before she could send the rest of the kids out for recess.

Yeah, I still occasionally wonder.
------------
HappyCat is mewling outside the study.

He got put outside. For what transgression, I dont know, because I was unconscious.

Prolly clawing the furniture and the carpets, which pisses off Rich no end, as he never touches his scratching post. Never..

The last time, I brought him back in when I heard him mewling. This time, I'll let Rich decide as to when he gets back in.

Its not my cat. Not my house.

And its chilly outside.
------------
Oh yeah.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATWOMAN!!!

There is only one Kate S as far as Im concerned. :-)

There can only be one, who is my current Pisces angel in the long line of fishies who have taken turns to watch over my silly ass...
------------

Under the No-Shame-In-My-Game-Dept

Im running out of my current supply of Cole's Orange Blossom Honey,folks.



Normally, Im too proud to beg, but this hey - this is dire.

Dont let me have to do something drastic.. like *shudder* show actual emotion.

Hm. I have no shame.
-------------------

This makes me smile. :-)



Jules of LA's son Alex rocking to the techno-funk.

When the planet Mercury goes retrograde, or appears to reverse its forward motion (an optical illusion), astrologers advise that communicating and thinking becomes difficult. Things are likelier to go haywire because of miscommunication.

Makes you feel like youre under a cloud, according to astrologically aware folk, so try to avoid making important decisions during that time.

That period ended yesterday.

I figure no matter what, you have to deal - but this morning its as if someone snapped a switch and my mind is working a mile a minute.

This may last a good, oh 3 hours or so. So, Im taking care of biz and multitasking like mad.

My outlook has prolly been helped by the recalcitrant client finally coughing up the cash she owed me.

After I threatened to sue, naturally.

Anyway, the sun is bright and Im rocking to a non-matching mix of mp3's picked under the guidance of "Eh, what the fuck..."

George Clinton - Atomic Dog (Extended Mix)
Digital Underground- Sex Packets
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus
Heiroglyphics - The Who
Nina - 99 Luftballoons (German)
Ol' Dirty Bastard - Shimmy Shimmy Ya
SNAP - Rythm is a Dancer
Tone Loc - Wild Thing
Tony Toni Tone - If I Had No Loot

----------------

HappyCat is definitely glad to see me back at the ranch, circling and nuzzling between my legs like a chirping, purring, furry eel.

I tried to ignore him, but he got the attention by toppling every stack of box he could jump on...

And then jumping into my arms for some love. A two-step process actually, leaping into my lap then clambering up to rest his paws and head on my shoulder, all without extending his claws.

No easy feat that.

After 10 minutes of having under his chin scratched, he jumped out of my arms and disappeared to the comforters.

Im nae fooled.. he'll be back in 20 minutes to get me to bed.

Sorta good to be home, but this isnt my home.
---------------

Ive always liked JettaGirl, not just because she's a Jetta-drivin' woman :-), but because what she says always has that ring of truth to it.

Other folk have sounded a tad defensiveabout it, weakening their opinion.

Without doing that, I think she hits the nail on the head about the subject, as well as putting further insight on the matter:


> I feel the overwhelming desire to respond to your blog entry, probably because you said lots of other people were.
>
> I'll be the first to admit that I like a guy with money, it just makes
> things sooo much easier and we can generally relate better.
> Call me stuck-up, but I like a man who doesn't have to rely on
> others or is always scraping by. But anyhow.
>

> What I think is more important than money is
> Success. I think that women
> instinctively look for a man with success. Money is
> good, but, success is
> better. A college professor, passionate about his
> job, loving life and
> everyone around him, but making chump change is much
> more attractive than a
> boy who is making money, but has no education and
> doesn't know how long his
> success will last. Money shouldn't be the issue,
> success should.
>
> And with that, I gotta get back to work *sigh*

Well said. Thanks hon. :-)

As a genuine, glad-to-see-YOU smile makes me weak in the knees, I am a sucker for voices.

Thats one reason I like traveling the country.. I am just fascinated by regional differences in voices and accents.

I walked into the local bagel shop a block from the ferry around lunch hour this morning and just listened to the voices..

"Hey, a parmegan on a hero wit lettuce dere johnny."
"Youse want a pickle wit dat?"
"Yeah"
"Hey listen, you put it in d'ere AFTER da cup.. you want salt an pepper wid dat?"
"Yeah. Oh yeah. Beyooty."

Beauty. I like that.

The day, after the rain and fog of yesterday, is clear and breezy, forecast to turn windy later.

I just stood on top of the hill and watch the ferry cleave the blue of the bay, the skyline bright against the cold, but bright mid-day sun.

The breeze cleared all the haze, and I could see all the way up the Hudson to the mountains.

The pretty young things walked by, said hello (they do that in Staten Island, more readily than in the city anyway).

I enjoyed it all.

Beyooty.
-------------

Ive been getting a mild amount of flack for what I said about women seeking a good catch or security.

To paraphrase what I said:

"The reality is most women look for men who have good prospects and look like they can take care of themselves."

Now, some folk thought I meant I didnt like it.

No, all I said was Im not at that point right now, therefore Im not a good catch at this present time, as experiences over the last two years have taught me.

Everyone who responded also said... most women arent about money, that it isnt the major factor for what they look for in a person.

Shoot, Im not damning every woman.

But..

The reality is that IS a factor, whether or not they'd want to admit it out loud. Particularly if they think they have choices.

It may not be the only factor, but it almost always is a factor in deciding about someone.

She told me I was deluding myself about her.

No, the fact was - I was deluding myself about myself and where I need to be.

Thats all it comes down to.

There will be more on this subject, Im sure.
---------

Virgo 101


Jules of LA writes:

> AAAARGH!!! Okay, I give up. *waving white flag*
> You're being too cryptic for me.
>
> I'm going to stop analyzing you now. :-P


She is being unknowingly ironic, Virgo's being past masters at analyzing EVERYTHING to death....

Editor's note: At that point, blogger craps out for the rest of the evening. After several unsuccessful attempts to recreate my "Only Virgos understand us Virgos" rant, I go snooze on the couch with Moo sprawled out on my belly, the History channel and the rain playing as background noise...

Mmm, umm.. there was a point to this, and a reason it was brought up..

Eh, ferk it.. I fergit what I was about to say....doesnt make any sense now.
---------------------
Lazy evening...

Gabz: hey..
JPennant: hey honey
Gabz: howzit?
JPennant: bored, hmm?
Gabz: me? naw...
JPennant: jest hangin out, eh?
Gabz: yah.. watching the simpsons
JPennant: damn. missed it. Me and the cat were out on the couch, sleeping to the sound of the History Channel
Gabz: aw!!
Gabz: cute!
JPennant: This has been a nice 'vacation' of sorts for me.
JPennant: Nothing to do cept feed the kitty.
JPennant: Rainy day
Gabz: aw!
JPennant: yup
JPennant: Heh. By the way, I have a semi-like thing going on for a NY web chica
JPennant: Im not even sure why
Gabz: ooh! :-)
JPennant: First time ever Ive ever wanted to go out with someone Ive only known online (present company excepted, but youre just so all sexy, so its a given all men want you)
Gabz: oh stop....
JPennant: Its troo. :-)
JPennant: Anyway :-)
Gabz: heheh...
JPennant: ooh, Julie busted my chops a bit for it :-)
Gabz: go jules.
JPennant: lol :-)
JPennant: Im gonna start looking for an apt in this area.
JPennant: I like the view and the closeness to the ferry.
JPennant: Oh man, I love it. Pea-soup fog with the smell of the sea :-)
JPennant: <-- just looked out the window
Gabz: ooh...that's sooo nice! like from a book.
JPennant: yeah, I think this would be a perfect place to be a writer.
JPennant: Part of NYC, but quiet
Gabz: ah
Gabz: nice.
JPennant: For Staten Island, this is a bad neighborhood, but for New York.. this is the suburbs.
JPennant: It helps that New Yorkers think there is nothing but a landfill to Staten Island and wonder why its even a borough. :-)
Gabz: :-)
JPennant: I love the view though. To my right is all of Brooklyn laid out
Gabz: gotta love that.
JPennant: To my left is the Manhattan Skyline above the bay.
JPennant: Of course, the visibility is like 50 feet right now. :-)
Gabz: hehe
JPennant: aw damn, the cold air came in and the fog blew out.
JPennant: well, now the visibility is 100 yards
JPennant: so you can hear the fog horns of the ferry and the tugboats.
Gabz: nice!
Gabz: k, i'm gonna go eat a salad. :-)
JPennant: okie. enjoy..
----------------