I will post my run-down of Prog tomorrow, when I’m up and about. But I’d just like to say it was wonderful being part of crew again this year. Those guys rock my socks, and I still have a welt on my leg from my towel fight with Shane.

So far, so good. The concert is going well, spent the last couple of days hanging with the guys from Orphaned Land, really great group and their music rocks. They’re also the only band here who can talk about me in my presence and I have no clue what they’re saying. Unfortunately, they know that. The rest of the bands have figured out I know what they’re saying, though, they still say it anyway. I’m having fun and meeting people that I’ve missed in the last 3 years, but it’s awesome to put names to faces and meeting the new folks. I haven’t taken many pictures, but I’ll definitely link to galleries by others. I’m running on little sleep right now, but thankfully the couches are very comfy, and the bass lines during sound checks make them reverberate quite nicely and rock you to sleep.

Now, off to shower and prep for the evening.

Scorpio for this week:
FreeWill Astrology

Sometime in the coming weeks you could begin a project that will take at least 12 years to complete. Will it be worth spending that much time? I believe it will, though you might not think so now. In fact, you may not even be inclined to launch the project if you imagine it can’t be completed by 2008. From what I can tell, though, the purpose of the long adventure is bigger than you’re able to foresee, and the ways it will change you are important in ways you cannot yet understand.

Hrm. No idea on this one.

So ET and I are finally checked-in to our hotel. Talk about a clusterfuck. This morning, I get a phone call at 8.30A, me, thinking it’s my Zoomie asks my Scotsman to pass the phone. I look, and it’s Residence Inn, calling to ask me if I’d be willing to downgrade my room. WTF? Seems, despite the fact that the hotel has had this weekend 100% booked for months, they’ve decided to kick the people with reservations at the last minute to take care of evacs. Now, that’s nice and all, but they could have asked first, not the day of. I say no, because we need the space, just in case they refuse to honour the reservations of others, and we needed the space in general. We get here, the room isn’t ready yet, they say 3pm, so ET and I hit the mall to restock my war paint and smelly things. We get back here at 3.30 and they have to go check to see if the room is ready. On top of that, they ask me AGAIN, if I’m willing to downgrade. Uh, no, said that this morning.

Now, this is where I’m going to bitch about the hotel. The convention hotels in this town are currently at 50%, 2 of which, are owned by Marriott (I have the inside on this one), so I’m curious as to why they’re picking the smaller hotels to place these people in, vs the larger ones that are better able to handle a large influx of people. Last year, when Ivan hit, they evaced people from FL to the D*C hotels, and put them in the rooms that had no-shows (D*C also takes up only 80% of the hotels anyway – least as far as the rooms reserved to D*C). This is a fuck-up on Marriott Corp’s end, because they know this hotel is stocked, it always is for this concert and there’s very few, if any cancellations. Why are they not relocating the evac’s to the hotels near the airport and downtown, ya know, the larger ones? Instead, they’re trying to relocate us to those hotels, the people who’ve had reservations up to 8 mos in advance. Yeah, I sympathize with the tragedy that has befallen those people, but Marriott is screwing them, and everyone else over….which gives me a little more sympathy to the evacs, because not only did their state fuck them over, but now Marriott is too.

Anyway, the Whipping Boy is down in NOLA doing recovery work. Least, I’m hoping that’s what they have him doing. I’d hate to see his talents in s&r/security wasted handing out fliers for FEMA.

Scorpio for this week:
FreeWill Astrology

Please don’t sit on your ass any more than you have to in the coming week. That’s always a good rule to observe, but it’s especially important to honor it now. The cosmic truth of the matter, Scorpio, is that you can’t possibly make the right decisions if your physical energy is stagnant or if your field of vision is unchanging. For the sake of your future, for the health of your emotions, for the love of God, get out into the wild open spaces. And if that’s not feasible, at least saunter around the neighborhood more than usual. Here’s your motto, courtesy of St. Augustine: Solvitur ambulando, which is Latin for “It is solved by walking.”

Hrm, yep, my Scotsman has been on to me. Gonna track down some numbers today, to make calls tomorrow for various rehab and med clinics that might be looking for Massage Therapists. He suggested the VA clinic, which I’m going to try anyway, despite the fact that the VA program has been kind enough to ditch most of their “alternative therapies”. I think they’re relegated to Bethesda and Walter Reid right now. Bah! Today is house-cleaning day, and hoping to get to the lawn today too. That’s my workout today, tomorrow is gym day.

FYI: this time next week all my friends start gathering for Prog…including my Zoomie. *bouncebouncebounce* Mraowr. And yes, you locals, I will be bringing him out to introduce around, so you’ll have a face to put to a name. He’s looking forward to meeting you all too.

Alright, I’m alive, I think. My eyes feel like they weigh about 20 lbs, but at least they’re open, barely. I’m really pissed off at the D*C people who deal with registration and fees. Went to grab my night badge last night so I could go hang with my friend on the venue floor, cost went from $10 to $20. Pissed me off to no end, but great thanks and a drink next year to the woman who fronted me the extra $10. Anyway….my latest friend is totally cool, it was really interesting to converse with him and get a view into the person he is, wish I could hang out with him more often than D*C. I guess it’s my thing with assholes, I get along with them too well. 😀

With that said, I’d like to issue a clarification to those who might get the initial impression that he had during one conversation…the people who end up classified as playmates in my friend structure, they’re not toys that I call up when I feel the need or desire for the things I can get from them. I like to get to know these people as friends, I care about them as friends and they ultimately get a special spot in my circle based on their position in my life. They know a more intimate part of me that some friends don’t get to see and I respect that, as well as what I end up knowing about them. I don’t use people, and I don’t like to give the impression that I am using someone, which goes back to why I don’t talk about details and some things regarding my sex life. Ultimately, those details are just between me and the partner/bf/playmate I was with for the evening. Hence, why if I do discuss what I do at certain points, names do not get passed, and identification details are not given. Yes, there are a few friends who know the names and visuals of my playmates, but that is because I trust them with keeping that knowledge to themselves, or they get lucky in picking up via a social setting.

So yeah. Don’t be expecting much in that regards, I loosely use the old Geisha code in this realm.

Anyway, D*C was great, enjoyed the time with my friends. Missed my Evil Sister (so remember, I have the Clam).

Also, those of you who got pictures of me, if you’d be so kind as to send them my way so I can post a gallery?

Alright, last night was a good redeem for my shitty day. My friend Franki got me in to the fight for free, Spoonman remembered who the hell I was and actually came up to me and started up a small conversation (if you read this, you have a nice ass, but it got in the way of Kyle’s tapout, which I was trying to see), which was nice. I got to watch two Muy Thai fights that were on the women’s card, don’t get to see those that often. My Zoomie called me during the intermission for the fight before the main event, and I got to vent a little. I never made it to the PJ party because I had a migraine kick in, and while my mood from the day wouldn’t have interfered with my partying ability, my headache would have. But I will be heading out shortly to enjoy the afternoon at the hotel, and hopefully get some play time in. Mraowr. Oh yeah, I’m supposedly going to get paid today.

Scorpio for this week:
FreeWill Astrology

Painter Henri Matisse (1869-1954) departed so recklessly from the traditions of his art form that some critics believed he threatened to undermine civilization. That seems unbelievable to us today. Can you imagine any modern painter, musician, writer, or filmmaker being accorded power like that? I can’t. Those whose creative expression carries the greatest clout do their work in the areas of business and technology. Having said that, I’ll now make an exception: You currently have the potential to wield a dramatic influence with your creativity in every realm except business and technology.

Damn it, that is where I need it! Anyway, getting a lovely bruise up my shin, my arms and knuckles still hurt, I am beat but I am not dead. Gods that was fun. 😀