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September 30, 2001

gurl of the game

I'm the Gurl of the Game!!! Well, Man of the Match as they call it. Saturday's game was yet another sad day for the Renegurls, but I played well in the eyes of the coach and got awarded MVP of the game. However, he wasn't able to see my bad passes into the scrum, and I didn't seem to get called for all the illegal high tackles I did - but the boys went down anyway. I even tackled a guy after my cleat had fallen off. It's been tough getting our team to score frequently, as player turnover is high, collective experience low, and athleticism needs improvement. But I'm still having fun, so choose rugby for now as my source of recreation for the time being.

Later that night Bobby and I donned tuxedos, my first since high school, and had a photoshoot from a friend that rivaled a Dolce & Gabanna runway show. I'll develop and scan 'em soon. Bobby got free tickets to a fundraising gala for rainforest preservation at the fabulous National Building Museum. It was interesting and fun, and nice to play dress up. Then we dressed back down to a darker theme and hung out at the Eagle for a bit.

Today we looked around at houses, as Bobby is selling our current home soon. Saw a wide array of possibilities, most of which have much more space than our current abode.

Posted by jimbo at 11:04 PM

September 28, 2001

dca

Posted by jimbo at 2:00 AM

September 27, 2001

Enterprise

Enterprise was a hit with Jimbo. Our favorite new crewmember is Commander Charles Tucker, especially after we saw what he was packin' during the shower scene with the Vulcan. We now know that this Enterprise is fully armed with at least one jumbo cannon, even if their phasers suck.

It was the first Star Trek series with a pop vocal opening score, which was interesting. Also amusing is the shaky Vulcan/Earthling relationship. I thought they would save first contact with Klingons for later, but they even opened with one. Temporal plots will also return, I suspect. We now also know why Uhura had that thing in her ear all the time...she was aurally picking up signals from space and interpreting them for the captain. Some aren't impressed with Bakula as the new captain, but I'm a bit biased in his direction, ever since the opening shirtless scene of him in Quantum Leap. Cool and mysterious villan, we hope to see more of him/her/it later in the series. Don't call me between 9 and 10pm on Wednesdays, thanks.

Posted by jimbo at 9:03 PM | Comments (2)

September 26, 2001

"...something about a little box

"...something about a little box with a mirror and a tongue inside."

Prince's Gett Off coated the early 90s with that fluid you just have to use soap to get rid of. Today's artists like 'lil Kim are just a new look for the same 'ol Purple Badness. He made you feel guilty for all your future thought crimes for another, made it hard to say what's right when all you wanna do is wrong. Taking me back, back into time this morning was my favorite She's Always In My Hair, 7 ("And I saw an angel come down unto me, and in her hands she holds the very key: words of compassion, words of peace...and in the distance...an army's marching feet. But behold: we will watch them fall."), and Good Love. Many were B sides or tracks found only on bootleg or limited distribution vinyl, many of which are somewhere deep in storage at the moment. He's come up with little lately, having fallen into a deep canyon of recycled R&B grooves. Come back, bring me another album surprise, like Around the World in a Day!

Posted by jimbo at 4:19 PM

tornado

Yesterday as I was waiting on the Metro platform for my train, I heard a low buzzer alarm going off at the airport. I ignored it as I've ignored every loud noise new to this area, and boarded my train. It turns out the alarm was an advance warning alert, and minutes later a tornado dropped down near Pentagon City, and wrecked my coworker's home. Another coworker's yard got stirred up and a tree went down. What next? A tsunami? Perhaps I shouldn't ask.

Well, after much bitching and screaming, I will be playing on Saturday's rugby match. Hopefully a message got through that playing is better than winning at this point for our team. Sure, I want to win too, but the Renegurls are not contenders for any rugby cup at this point.

National airport's status is still in question. From within the airport, we hear that we'll open "soon". However, from the daily news reports from without, we hear something different. Northwest just withdrew from its lease agreement.

Posted by jimbo at 2:52 AM

September 24, 2001

drama!

Yaaay! I slept three full nights over the weekend, and even got to sleep in until I couldn't sleep anymore on Sunday morning. Add that to having had sex with my sugar snoogums sweeite, and I have a much better outlook on life this week. Amazing what a little R&R (Rest and Release) can do for a body.

Saturday I attended a rugby match. I say I attended as I did not play. Playing in my stead were three rent-a-ruggers that arrive at our matches having not practiced with the team, don't know the names of my teammates, some of whom didn't play all that well anyway. Even though the opposing team could have used a substitute, I still did not play. Apparently there was some misunderstanding by the coach that I had played last weekend, but I had not. I left the pitch rather enraged on Saturday, and contemplated quitting the team the rest of the evening and into the next day. Why a person in better shape than 80% of the team, who's been playing with the team for two years, who attends practice regularly is not played is beyond me. The Renegurls will probably never win any cup, so ruthless rostering will only damage morale in the end. I've talked to all three coaches, and will seriously consider quitting if this continues to be the trend.

Saturday night Bobby and I went to Annapolis to have dinner with some friends of his. I like Annapolis, and the Navy footbal game had just gotten out, so there were beefy Navy boys all over the place.

On Sunday we went out with another friend of Bobbys' on the Potomac. We anchored just north of the Three Sisters and just lounged in the sun like lizards all day. Probably the last bit of sun I'll be allowed before it gets cold.

Posted by jimbo at 1:36 PM

September 21, 2001

more

If I can overlook the reason for their presence, I need to note a nice benefit to Jimbo regarding the current situation in DC. DC and National Airport is crawling with beefy, hunky Federal Marshalls ans special agents. They provide a pleasant distraction to the homosexual male population of the DC Metro region.

National is still a ghost town, and they're closing most of the terminals completely tomorrow to save expenses. We don't really know when we'll open again, but I'll still have a job as Dulles still needs a Web page. I'm changing the site around like mad keeping up with the alerts and changes. They think there'll be a 10% layoff with the Authority and with my contracting company. People are kind of glum right now, but I'm happy my job is somewhat secure. We have to go with what the FAA says, so we can't make a decision to open. Bondholders and local business interests want to keep the annual 5 billion in cash flowing freely, and are feverishly lobbying all over the place.

Some friends are just beginning to deal with things. I think because of my proximity to the Penagon disaster, and the panic on Tuesday, that I've dealt a lot earlier. I'm sleeping better now, but a lot of my friends are cranky or just plain panicky. We don't know if we should prepare for the worse, hope things get better, or what.

Posted by jimbo at 12:10 AM | Comments (1)

September 19, 2001

sleep

I'm not going to try to sleep tonight. I'm just going to mess around on the computer and have a beer as Brian suggested, until I get tired.

Brian also had another good idea this weekend: capture all the Talibani children, and all of bin Laden's children, neices, and nephews. Bring them to the United States. Raise them as we would any American Children. Give them Dreamcasts, Playstations, Trek Mountain Bikes, Gameboys, cargo pants, Levi jeans, Barbie dolls, 'lil Kim albums and whatever else comes to the surface of the roiling boil of American Capitalism. Entice them to love what we have, our excesses, our comforts. Raise them to be productive Americans, and then send them back to the arms of thier narrow-minded parents.

An extension of that would be that after we invade Afghanistan, set up a stable infrastructure with a benevolent regime. Create a solid import network of cheap American goods like that mentioned above. Make them feel they must to have the next big thing, the shit from American culture. Make them want to have something before the neighbor on the other side of the mosque has it. Assimilate them.

Posted by jimbo at 3:39 AM

ups and downs

Ups and Downs. This afternoon I felt like I was in a pit, and then by this evening I was back out of it again. I guess mood swings like that will be commoon for a while. I didn't help that the neighbor's dogs were yapping last night either.

National Airport is a ghost town. Eating lunch outside is still a quiet, peaceful experience, as opposed to having lunch with jet engines. People are starting to ride their bikes around the arrival/departure areas. There's sort of a hubbub at work as to wether or not it will open again, and who might lose their jobs. I think with a 5 billion annual effect on the local economy, the powers that be will open it again. This is America, and money talks. I noticed the other day that there are armed police officers at every Metro exit.

I'm a birdwatcher and former park ranger. Normally, when I look up at the sky, the thoughts that go through my head are about sky color, cloud patterns, and what's flying overhead with feathers. Today, I realized my outlook has changed dramatically. When I looked up I thought about smoke, fighter planes, and jumbo jets. I hope I can get back to my old view of things, but I suspect if things get worse, I'll be looking up and getting a feeling in the pit of my stomach instead of wonder.

Posted by jimbo at 3:06 AM

September 15, 2001

far and away

What a difference location makes. We made it to Ocean City, but felt the tension lifting as soon as we hit Delaware. Brian and Myra agree that they feel physically tense. Muscles aching, joints in pain. It's from being tense so much, every time we hear a siren in the District, every time we have to evacuate, or alter our normal routes through life in the city.

This morning I went to the gas station for some coffee. The clerk noticed my drivers license, and looked at me and said "You're from DC? How is it over there?". I replied that we all had to leave for a while, and were happy to be at the beach. We're watching movies, playing D&D and Pokemon, and just getting away from things for a while. It's nice. The difference in perspective has helped a lot from this view.

On Friday I noticed people were just starting to deal with things, whereas some were dealing on Tuesday or Wednesday. Earlier in the week, Jon was freaking out, and I kept having fits of crying from Tuesday through Wednesday. Other people began that process later in the week, like Brian and Rob. Myra remains stoic. Even though she is black, I think she's just fresh out of a reincarnation as a Midwest Scandanavian. I think it was the reality of seeing the smoke from the Pentagon overhead at work early on Tuesday, and knowing an acquaintance had died on one of the planes that made things hit quicker for me. I learned later that a neighbor just across the street from my old residence on Swann St. is gone. I remember him walking his little beagle/poodle mix with his boyfriend. Never chatted with him, but he's gone too. I'm pretty lucky though, as no one I really knew well is gone, but I'm just a degree or so away from things. Kerry and his superior Col. Paul at the Pentagon are all right, which was good to hear. People don't really know what it's like outside of NYC or DC, but they're getting an idea.

It was Bobby's idea to go get drunk on Tuesay, and rent stupid movies on Wednesday. He later admitted they were deliberate efforts, through skills learned at a crisis hotline center where he used to work. Do silly things, dull your mind for a bit, get away from e-mail, the Internet and telvision. Work out, dance, eat foods that you like, get drunk, get away for a bit and deal how you have to this weekend. Commit to nothing for a while, and heal yourself your own way. Be with friends, discuss things, cry alone or on someone else's shoulder. Tell your family and friends that you love them. Value your life, be good to yourself, because you are alive.

Posted by jimbo at 11:06 PM | Comments (2)

September 14, 2001

vamos a la playa

I'm going to the beach. Time to get away from cranky emotional people, television, the Internet, bomb threats in DC, jets, helicopters and traffic snarls. See you on Monday.

Oh, Jerry Fallwell and Pat Roberston have just stated that the terrorist attacks are a result of the ACLU, homosexuals, and abortionists. Just goes to show that Christianity has as many kooky ultra-conservatives as Islam does. Currently, anyone with swarthy skin and a big nose is a threat, but soon the scapegoating may spread to other, different people.

Posted by jimbo at 3:15 PM

September 13, 2001

dude

Thanks to the help of two hits of Tylenol P.M. (For Pain and Sleeplessness) and a bowl of cereal before bedtime, I managed to get a fairly good night's sleep last night. I'm looking forward to a gym workout and rugby practice tonight, to work off some steam.

It turns out that Mark Bingham may have been one of the passengers who may have rushed the terrorists before their plane crashed in PA. I can tell you that he would have felt confident in his skills to take down a man or three unarmed, and would have no fear of being stabbed with a knife or box cutter. He was a big guy.

Last night Bobby had a great idea: rent movies instead of obsessing over the sad news. He got two lighthearted, silly movies, and the one we watched was "Dude, Where's My Car?". It was just stupid enough to take my mind off things. I highly recommend that movie at this time. It was also a plus to have Seann William Scott distract me for two hours too. Woof (Now THAT'S the Jimbo we know!).

There are armed humvees on every corner in DC these days. The airport is still quiet and grounded. I really hope the WTO protesters have a considerate bone in their bodies and stay clear of DC for a while. They are welcome back next year, but leave us be for now. I'm afraid there would be some backlash if they decide to cause a ruckus at the end of the month.

Posted by jimbo at 2:21 PM

September 12, 2001

Mark

I took a walk down to Gravelly Point for lunch to look out over the quiet runways at National. The smoke coming from the Pentagon has lessened. I learned last night that a member of the San Francisco Fog rugby team was one of the people who dialed his family before their plane crashed in Pennsylvania. His name was Mark Bingham, and he was in DC for our International gay rugby tournament this May. I got a nasty cut to my chin early in that tournament that's a mere scar today. Also early in the tournament, Mark badly dislocated his shoulder, and we were driven to the George Washington University emergency room together in the same truck cab. I didn't know him at all, and all I remember is him howling in the truck every time we turned a corner on the three-block route to the emergency room. He was admitted before me, as was a rugger from Buenos Aires who broke his arm in a few places. I only recall him in the truck, and seeing him in another section in the emergency room after he had gotten his shoulder reset and arm put in a sling.

The Fog shared an e-mail that he sent to his team when they were admitted into the California rugby league:

When I started playing rugby at the age of 16, I always thought that my interest in other guys would be an anathema -- completely repulsive to the guys on my team -- and to the people I was knocking the shit out of on the other team. I loved the game, but KNEW I would need to keep my sexuality a secret forever. I feared total rejection.

As we worked and sweated and ran and talked together this year, I finally felt accepted as a gay man and a rugby player. My two irreconcilable worlds came together.

Now we've been accepted into the union and the road is going to get harder. We need to work harder. We need to get better. We have the chance to be role models for other gay folks who wanted to play sports, but never felt good enough or strong enough. More importantly, we have the chance to show the other teams in the league that we are as good as they are. Good rugby players. Good partiers. Good sports. Good men.

Gay men weren't always wallflowers waiting on the sideline. We have the opportunity to let these other athletes know that gay men were around all along - on their little league teams, in their classes, being their friends.

This is a great opportunity to change a lot of people's minds, and to reach a group that might never have had to know or hear about gay people. Let's go make some new friends...and win a few games. Congratulations, my brothers in rugby.

Mb

Posted by jimbo at 7:17 PM | Comments (1)

no buzz

It's after lunch and now my lack of sleep is starting to hit me. I think I finally went to bed around 2am, and then woke up when Bobby had to go to work at 5. I can usually go back to sleep, but I was too wired, and remained so for the rest of the morning. When I got up, I walked the dog and was remarkably fastidious, even though the cleaner was coming.

The Pentagon was still smoking this morning as I crossed over the Potomac from DC into Virginia on the Metro into work. When I went outside for lunch at National airport, I realized the usual background hum of jet engines was absent. I could hear birds and the metro cars from far away.

Posted by jimbo at 4:56 PM | Comments (1)

still OK

11:30pm, and I feel like vomiting. I certainly can't sleep. I'm not sure if it's stress release or the margaritas. I made a flurry of calls to make sure everyone knows I'm all right. I'm glad Jon doesn't work at the Pentagon anymore, as the estimated death toll is higher now. How is Kerry? Is his boyfriend Steve doing all right? Is someone taking care of his dog? It's hard to worry about the details, but so many others have much more to worry about. All of my friends in NYC are alive and accounted for, and I'm glad about that.

When I went past the Pentagon subway stop on the way back home from the airport, everyone in the car went silent. As we zoomed through the station, there was no one there on the platform, and I wondered who was above. Chatter resumed soon after. I used to get my haircut there, where I could get it done in ten minutes for under seven bucks. Military precision.

Yep, I'm an Ugly American. Born here and proud of it, despite it's faults. Enraged at some ignorant power monger overseas who gets off on riling people up with dogma, and getting his/her drones to kill innocents, people I know. I will not feel guilty about being born here. I will not think twice about where I was born or how I've conducted my life to date. I will not be judged by this act of destruciton.

Posted by jimbo at 3:42 AM

I'm OK

I'm OK, I'm OK, I'm OK. I'm in NE DC safe at home with the dog and cat and Bobby, and I'm OK. No terrorist is going to bomb this minority area, so I'm safe. I guess that's one advantage to living where I do.

I guess I'll go back from now, watching stunned the devastation on TV. We went out to down a couple of pitchers of margaritas to calm down with friends at a Mexican restraunt in the neighborhood. As we sat and pondered the nature of what happened, fighter jets soared overhead in twos, and four of the President's copters went overhead.

I want some ass to be kicked. If the soil is sand, let it be glass. If it's temperate, let it be ash. Time for America to show that it's a major power not to be fucked with. Luckily, none of my friends were killed, but Bobby, who lived in NYC for many years, has lost some acquaintances.

I had to go back into National Airport by foot after evacuating southward, as some alerts needed to be posted to the Washington airports Websites. I'll probably have to go into work tomorrow after Noon to do some more. Don't worry, I work in an obsure converted hangar North of the main terminal, not likely to be a target.

jimbo, who lives in Brooklyn, has some interesting shots from her home, and an interesting perspective.

On the Metro ride home, there were people finally getting home from the Pentagon. I hope my former roomate Kerry is OK, and his Colonel supervisor Paul. Everyone is reacting differently. I was in a daze most of the day, later feelings coming through strongly. I'm furious, I'm sad, I'm exhausted, but I'm alive. And for that I am thankful.

Posted by jimbo at 12:19 AM

September 11, 2001

awful

I got called back into work after trying to leave the airport going south into Alexandria. I managed to get on the Metro as far as Crystal City, but had to walk the rest of the way back to our office. I'm one of the few people here today, to post airport updates on the home page, since phone lines are so gummed up in the city.

I'm OK though. On the walk back to work, I could still see the smoke rising from the Pentagon, which is only 3 stops from where I work. This is awful.

jimbo, Timmy, Izzy, Jayke, Mike and all my friends in NYC, I hope you are doing all right. (1:30pm Tuesday).

Posted by jimbo at 5:31 PM

terrorism

All: (9:45am Tuesday) we can see the smoke at National Airport from the fire at the Pentagon. I don't think much work is going to get done today, and Our Nation's Airport probably isn't the best place to be today. I'm going home ASAP.

Posted by jimbo at 1:54 PM

September 10, 2001

me bum hurts

This Saturday was the first 15s rugby match of the season. It was another loss for the Renegurls, but the rookies showed remarkable skill and potential. I attribute it to a growing base of experienced members to tutor them, regardless of our losses to injury and drama.

I played a new position, the scrum half. Scrum halves take the ball away from the fat guys in front or from any pile of guys who might bring the ball to a halt. He then throws it to the hopefully fast skinny guys in back. Since the scrum half has the ball a lot, he gets hit a lot too. They even hit you when you have just thrown the ball, for good measure. I was literally knocked on my ass several times, and let me say it's a good thing my ass is as meaty as it is, or otherwise it would hurt more than it does today. I also got a nice bonk or two to the head. The scrum half always has to be where the ball is, and since I played all 80 minutes, I was a tired puppy.

However, I'm going to Ocean City this weekend to recover, so I should be ready in two weeks to play again.

Posted by jimbo at 9:32 PM

September 6, 2001

conversations with God

Last night I chanced upon the Barbara Walters interview with Anne Heche. SHE'S A MESS! Anne, that is.

"I had a fantasy world that I escaped to. I called my other personality Celestia," she explains. "I believed I was from that world. I believed I was from another planet. I think I was insane."
Gurl, where I come from, that's called a good Saturday night at Nation. And MY other personality is Salsa Juarez, thank you very much. I'll give her points for a nice alter ego name. I kinda like it. Somebody has to tell her never to waste a hit of Ecstasy in Fresno, of all places.

Posted by jimbo at 8:30 PM | Comments (2)

September 4, 2001

Labor Day

I can't say that my Labor Day weekend was relaxing, but it was certainly full of appointments and commitments. Saw a friend from Peace Corps I hadn't seen in a while on Saturday, and then later reluctantly out to a club where another friend promised that "we will all be there". We all were, but said friend was with another group and didn't bother to look for the rest of us, being in a post-pubescent drunken stupor. Miss Disco Manners agrees that the onus of gathering an invited group lies with the organizer, not with the invitees who would otherwise get the guilt trip for not going. Next time I won't feel so guilty ducking out on him when I really don't feel like going out in the first place.

Bobby, Max and I went out to the Arboretum the next day for some lovely time in the sun. We had a pretty glen with a fountain almost to ourselves. Max got lots of fetch time in, and was a tired puppy the rest of the day. He has recently been weighed in at 130 pounds! Big Orange Puppy.

Massive allergy/sinus congestion and drainage today, worsened by an oppressive stench at work, the result of over-application of cheap cologne by one my coworkers. Cologne is to be dabbed, not splashed, especially if it's as irritating and oppressive as one's personality.

Posted by jimbo at 3:46 PM