I had a very nice walk today. I started off at the house_of_clocks. I wasn't intending to walk, I was just sitting on the porch killing time waiting for purpleglitter to pick me up in about 45 minutes. I lit up one of the Romeo y Julietas that Christian gave me, and took off.

I went down to Spy Pond, walking past the sundrenched flower gardens by the sidewalk. I turned onto the park path, which I haven't actually done since the park was reopened. I have to admit the park improvements look nice and there were plenty of geese pecking at the grass on either side the path - as there should be.

Sitting alone on a rock by the path there was a grey-haired woman singing. Her song was in perfect harmony with the shining pond and trees. I stood there and listened and looked out over the pond. I gave her a wish pod before I continued on in my journey.

I walked under the bridge, and back to Mass Ave, then back home. The walk put me in one of the best moods I've had in some time. purpleglitter soon picked me up for travels to Home Depot and the Chai Café and here I am still glowing from a perfect walk.

purpleglitter, iamacliche, and I set off yesterday afternoon for the Arlington Town Day festivities. When we arrived at Arlington Center we could see no tables or booths or crowds of people. purpleglitter and iamacliche stayed behind as I scouted ahead to see if things were set up a bit further up the Mass Ave this year. But no, they weren't. A nice old lady informed us that Arlington Town Day had been postponed until next week because of the weather. That is very disappointing, because Cindy Sheehan was supposed to be at Town Day. I doubt she'll be there when it actually occurs next week.

After finding there was no town day, we all popped into the Chai Café for lunch. I had a Limca and chole kulcha with naan and bought some cheap microwavable Indian meals. I have yet to try them, but purpleglitter says they're delicious.

Back at purpleglitter's apartment, recoiling joined the three of us to make a four of us. We watched Monsters, Inc.. While I very much enjoyed the short film For The Birds that came before the movie on the tape, but the movie bothered me. They did have some innovative ideas and some parts would have been quite funny if I could have gotten my mind past the heavy-handed sexism and gender role enforcement. The Monsters, Inc. factory has only two female employees that appear in the film as opposed to countless male employees. Out of those two employees, one is the cute, ditzy, and braindead receptionist whom everyone loves, and the ugly, pushy, and hoarse-voiced filing clerk whom everyone hates. It was like watching a film from the fifties, only this was set in a bizarre form of modern times. And this crap is for the children of the 21^st century.

Patriarchy brainwashing please, extra sudsy.

I've noticed similar problems with rolls for women in a many of cgi movies. While other mediums are far from perfect, cgi movies are decades behind live action movies and even other forms of animation in terms of feminism. Granted, I haven't seen every full length cgi film there is, but I've seen enough to know that the problem is a very pervasive one in the industry, even though it is possible there is an exception or two that I have not seen. I guess these films are free from being politically advanced because they are technologically advanced.

Thursday, zarthon took purpleglitter and I to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Michelle, Howard, and Alex. I had little doubt that it would be amazing with the combination of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Depp was truly unique as Willy Wonka, with a very grown-up child performance. Something was definitely amiss in Willy's brain, and I like that. Crazy is good, and positive crazy characters are even better. I've never seen the 1972 adaptation with Gene Wilder, I have read Roald Dahl's book so I already knew the general plot.

After the movie, the six of us went to dinner at Bennigans. The veggie burger there was so realistic that I thought they had actually gave me a meaty burger. But, zarthon (an avid meat aficionado) tasted the burger and assured me that it was most definitely not meat. I was still a bit hesitant to eat it, but I was hungry and trusted zarthon's meat tasting abilities.

-----

scattermew came over to the house_of_clocks today. We hung out in my room watching the light show in the sky. A house across the street got nailed. It was actually the building that houses the electrology office that I had some work done at in 1999. I never ended up getting the whole job done, only about 20% of it. But that is a tangent.

In the middle of the storm we decided to walk to the Chai Café. We stopped briefly in front of Video Horizons, where scattermew hid under the overhang. I stood between the street and the sidewalk and held the umbrella as high I as could yelling "lightning!". The pole in the umbrella is metal, but not 10 feet long, so I it really wasn't quite the right tool for the Ten Foot Metal Pole Dance.

At the chai café I had Chole Kulcha and a Limca, my usual. It was as usual, quite good.

-----

This evening purpleglitter and I went to the Super 88. It's a large Asian supermarket in at the South Bay Plaza in Boston about a half hour drive from the house_of_clocks. Unfortunately, when we got back to Arlington, I realized that I forgot my pocketbook in my carriage. We had to drive all the way back to get it, causing purpleglitter to miss all her Sunday shows. I'm always making stupid mistakes like that.

Christmas was great. Spent the day with purpleglitter and merryperseis. We sat around our foundling tree in the morning and opened presents while drinking tea and cocoa. I got a bunch of purses purpleglitter made by hand for me. purpleglitter also got me a subscription to Scientific American, soap, and made me a recipe database. merryperseis gave candy and a pre-registration to Anime Boston and candles. From merryperseis's mom I got a small stuffed Canadian goose, which completely my collection of totem animals (my other totem animals are the raccoon, squirrel, and skunk).

For Christmas dinner, merryperseis took purpleglitter and I out to the Chai Café for Indian food. Not traditional, I know, but Indian food is fabulous for any occasion. After dinner we headed over to purpleglitter's apartment to watch Rudolph, during which I fell asleep.

All in all I had a wonderful Christmas.

The Chai Café has stopped selling Limca. I don't know where I will get it now.

purpleglitter drove me to my pdoc appointment, which I thought was at 10:30am, but turned out to be at 10:00am. Luckily, I arrived at 10:20am, and was able to at least get in a short session. She increased my Geodon by 20mg, so now I take 60mg in the evening and 40mg in the morning.

-----

After my appointment, purpleglitter drove me around Mount Auburn Cemetery. It was very rainy, so purpleglitter didn't want to get out of the car. After driving around a bit, the rain let up, and we walked up to the tower. The view of the Boston skyline over the multicolored trees and silent gravestones was breathtaking. The wind ripped past me as I stood on the precipice above the garden of the dead.

-----

After Mount Auburn Cemetery, purpleglitter took me to Punjab Food & Spices a.k.a. the Chai Café. She bought me a yummy Indian lunch, after which we enjoyed cigarettes together on the benches nearby.

-----

Last, but not least, purpleglitter's power is back on. Yay!

I'm back home after a relatively short stay at Cahill 4. purpleglitter picked me up. We stopped by Punjab Food & Spices where purpleglitter bought me Indian food. I'm going to go give mazzycat a big hug now.

Went to the Goodwill in davis_square. The second time we went there this week, but purpleglitter needed items from the downstairs which is closed on Thursdays. purpleglitter picked up several baskets and a little wood wagon for her apartment. Then across the street to the Family Dollar, where purpleglitter picked up a nice lamp and shade.

purpleglitter decided to go to Pep Boys to get her oil changed on Monday or Tuesday rather than today, figuring there would be more of a wait on the weekend.

Upon returning to Arlington, purpleglitter treated me to some samosa chole chat at Punjab. Yummie.

Next to Walgreens, where I picked up lightbulbs (both in my room were out), hydrocortisone, and a refill on my spironolactone.

zarthon and purpleglitter came over Tuesday. zarthon made very yummy chili that fed me and merryperseis for several days. I see far too little of zarthon. I wish he'd come over more often.

-----

Yesterday dan4th came over. We discussed my conversation with Cyndi. He was very helpful. Again, I see far too little of dan4th. I wish he'd come over more often too.

-----

I had a very rough night last night and a rough day today. I'm going over and over all the bad things I've ever done and trying to accept them. What I'm really doing by doing this is driving myself crazy. Well, more crazy. I feel like a horrible nasty person not fit to live. Maybe Cyndi wasn't trying to help. Maybe she is just trying to torment me a new way. I don't know, but if that is her game, it is working.

-----

merrypersies took me out for Indian food at Punjab today. Spicy food always cheers me up. On the way back, I bought a lottery ticket. A few million dollars will be sure to cheer me up too.

dan4th surprised me by randomly showing up at the house_of_clocks.

We got pakoras for lunch at Chai Café in Arlington Center. The pakoras at Punjab are yummy and cheap. Punjab's tamarind sauce is excelent as well. Good tamarind sauce is a necessity to smother the pakoras in. I have a feeling I'm going to become a regular customer.

After lunch, dan4th took me to the hardware store where I picked up some things for a project I'm working on at the house_of_clocks.

Next we went to a tent sale at Video Horizons. I picked up two movies: Stigmata and Cecil B. Demented.

dan4th is a wonderful friend. One that I'm time and time again thankful I have. Things often seem much clearer after talking to him. I hope he randomly shows up more often.