AerialPJ's Xanga

Discretion...

Fri, 09 May 2008 19:11:16 GMT

Overheard at a Dolly Parton Concert...

So, E! and I were at Dolly Parton last week. What a great show; she performed a few songs from her new CD, "Backwoods Barbie," but the bulk of the performance was classic Dolly. As E! and I were waiting on line to look at the souvenir counter, I heard some queen behind me remark on the 3XL T-shirt on display, "Ugh, who wears a 3XL that comes to Dolly Parton." At which point, the very large (tall and wide) man behind me turns to the queen and says, "Hi, my name is Brian." The queen must have stared at him funny, because he repeated it and said, "I wear a 3XL." I felt bad for both of them...

I saw the queen a little later...he was mortified.

I have more on this...but I have to go get ready for a tag sale at my house this weekend...

Wheee.

Laterz...

Busy Busy Busy...

Tue, 06 May 2008 09:27:21 GMT

All 4 One...

The show is going so well...but there is so much to do. We've been rehearsing roughly 4 nights per week. Last Monday night, I had a "first" experience. In addition to the songs associated with my lead-role, I (and all the principals) was asked to learn and practice the chorus numbers. Everyone then went into a recording studio and laid down the tracks to play. This way, the chorus gets the benefit of the leads helping to fill out the sound, AND the theatre company doesn't have to incur the costs of mic-ing everyone. I and the rest of the leads will still sing live. It was a great experience to be in a recording studio and the background CDs sound great.

We're at the point now where the cast is exploring the nuances of their characters and the show is really starting to fill out.

If you're in NY and so inclined:

The U.S. Premiere of the New

Three Musketeers Musical

- ALL 4 ONE -

will be performed on

Saturday May 31st & Sunday June 1st

at UPAC in Kingston at 601 Broadway.

The stories of the 3 Musketeers

will be brought to you as a Musical

with an exciting new score and adventure -

complete with sword fighting, love,

intrigue and suspense.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster!!

I'm just an old-fashioned girl...

So on Sat., myself, E!, C&P, Captain Fantasticus (new friend who shall be blogged about later) and Random Guest 1, met at the premiere str8 bar in the Hudson Valley to say goodbye to one of my closest friends, May and his wife Jolly. May and I met...damn....had to be more than 5 years ago. I flirted with him at a coop event for my company. We would then run into one another a few years later at one of my shows.

He turned out to be str8, and we turned out to have a wonderful friendship with an amazing amount of things not in common...LOL...We had a lot in common...but it was our things that weren't in common, I enjoyed the most and gave us the most to talk about and share. We were both single at the same time, so we afforded one another a lot of companionship. That friendship has continued on, through moves and marriage and now, his wife just got a job in DC, so that's where they headed.

I wish them well, and I'm putting on a brave face about the whole thing...but the fact of the matter is, I just don't do well with relationships of any distance (that started out physically close). As much as technology is fun and enables the sharing of info...it's not the same. Most of my relationships that begin as "real-world" ones, don't last when the majority of time is spent online.

We won't have our weekly coffees, or our random lunches, or bumping into one another. And then, I'll just get replaced. Now, many of you may say that's silly. "You can't be replaced." "You'll always mean the same to him."

I was just reading C's (of C&P) blog for this morning. In it he shared that his worst fear is being alone. My worst fear is being replaced. Fears don't have to make sense and they don't have to be rational...so that's mine. The funny thing is that I know May has a similar fear...and even watched him go through something similar...so maybe it won't happen. But in this world of passive friendships based on Facebook and Twitter...well...let's just say...we'll see.

Passive and Active and all in between...

So I mention passive friendships above. These are friendships that are maintained solely through things like Facebook & Twitter. It allows people to feel a connection to one another without putting in any effort. In days past, you had to call people or even send an email to find out what's going on...you needed to have an interaction. These days, communication is one way, waiting to be digested. Is that a friendship?

I look at blogs as that space in between...I'm putting my thoughts, ideas, stories down...you have to digest it, and comment...and then you share something similar and I do the same. The interaction isn't exactly the same as an active friendship...but the difference is that on Facebook & Twitter, the information here is substantive. In those other mediums, it's a line...or a status...It feels somehow lacking to me. It's why I just can't seem to spend too much time in either of those mediums...and prefer to just put more thought into my blog.

Funny enough, May and I have talked about the ad nauseum. I'm an extrovert by nature...which in strictest definition means that I get my energy from groups of people (I love parties full of strangers...it's my drug)...Facebook & Twitter can't provide me that energy...and so I have a harder time getting any value out of them.

OK - I have more thoughts...but for now - I have to go run a meeting.

Laterz...

What would the title of your autobiography be?

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:14:52 GMT

"Lights...models...guests list...Just do your best darling!!!"

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Quick Blog...More to come!!!

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:36:18 GMT

Sometimes, I'm impressed by so little!

My home office over-looks my front yard and the road. Tuesday morning is garbage day. The truck for lawn debris just came by and picked up my my bush trimmings which were in a garbage can. Not only did he take the empty can and put it upside down on the lawn (where it wouldn't fill with water...it's raining and wouldn't blow away or into the street), he picked up the garbage can from the regular garbage, that the previous collector had just tossed on it's side practically in the road.

What does this tell me?

It tells me he cares; that even if he doesn't like his job (he may, I don't know), he wants to do it well. This makes me think of the administrative people in my college, whom so often I wanted to say, "I'm sorry you don't like your job, but could you do it please and not make me suffer." (either with your bad attitude or incompetence).

I've actually often thought about what I could do nice for my garbage men...I really appreciate them!

Laterz...

I'll sue! What a fool I was!!!

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:49:38 GMT

I feel like Sally in the pumpkin patch...

...when the Great Pumpkin doesn't show. Why you may ask...and even if you don't I'm going to tell you. I was listening to a friend of mine yesterday recant the newest development in his dating life. It got me thinking about my own dating past, my friends' current and past dating experiences and I got indignant.

We were lied to, robbed, misled...by fairy tales.

I remember fondly listening to "Cinderella" and "Snow White." Little did I realize they were just a pack of lies. No where do they mention Cinderella or SW creating profiles on match.com and chemistry.com and every dating site in between (except eHarmony if you're gay, cause they don't like us). They don't mention Prince Charming Right Now. They don't mention meeting the man of your dreams only to find out that he has someone else...but it's a bit strained right now, so we can hang out, but as friends, until we end up making out, then we have to talk, and the conversation goes somewhere along the lines of "How can you be with him if you like making out with me...and why are you calling me from his house when you're supposed to be spending the weekend with him?" (True story). Cinderella and SW never got broken up via text message or heard the words, "Things are going too fast."

And what about "happily ever after?" Was there a whole portion of fine print afterwards with disclaimers? Something along the lines of "Happily ever after exists for today only. We make no guarantees about tomorrow. This relationship may prove to be less than what you hoped/expected." Happily ever after also doesn't go into all the work that happens in relationships...mainly because I am sure Prince Charmings are never passive aggressive or uncommunicative.

(Althought it should be mentioned that SW lived with a group of "trolls." So that was sorta true to life about dating...we all get stuck with a troll or two in our careers)

Music is fun again!!!!

For the longest time, music was a real drag. There was nothing good coming out...maybe onesy/twosy songs, but nothing really stellar or noteworthy...especially no FULL ALBUMS.

So here are some recommendations:
Leona Lewis - Spirit (Pop - Last year's winner of "UK Idol")
Schiller - Day & Night or Life (Ambient, "Chill" with guest vocalists such as Sarah Brightman)
Madonna - Hard Candy (Release 4/29, but the first single is awesome...and really...she can do no wrong in my book)
Paramore - Riot (Think Avril Lavigne only better)
Danity Kane - Welcome to the Doll House (Strippers with talent...really good pop CD)
Mariah Carey - E=MC2 (I can't speak too much about this one since I'm just getting into it...but so far...so good)

Work annoyance...

I think I need a vacation...why...because I am getting very snarky in my emails lately. In the fast-paced environment that we are in, I am losing patience with people who ask stupid questions or don't think.

Here's the best example: You are having a meeting that you need (not want, but have to have) my participation at, but you schedule it during a time I'm not available...nor does it seem you even bothered to look at my calendar and you certainly did not ask me if the time was a good one. He also hasn't responded to my emails asking to change the time.

OK...that's it for now...

Laterz...

Faggots...a posting!

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:42:01 GMT

Lois, I'm just warning you. If this movie turns me gay, I'm gonna start bringing gay guys home. And I don't mean the classy, "maybe-they-are-maybe-they're-not" gay guys, I mean those big, "Oh-my-God-here-they-come-floating-around-making-noise" gay guys. Not the "fix-up-your-house" gay guys.

Today's post is all about The Gays!!! (And as such, my title pays homage to Larry' Kramer's novel!)

Reader: How is that different from any other day?
PJ: I'm being more outwardly observant, than just looking in my own naval.
Reader: OK...so it's a "smile, nod and say sure PJ" kinda thing.
PJ: Yep

I am one of those suckers who buys into advertising; especially if it's a product for something that I struggle to overcome, e.g. four blade razor blades, extra moisturizing shaving cream...or body moisturizer. I suffer from really dry skin, so when Olay claimed that their new body moisturizer could moisturize AND rebuild the moisture barrier of your skin, I jumped at it.

Lemme tell you, it works. My skin is soft, well moisturized, and it lasts all day long...there is however, a problem...tiny bits of glitter. The lotion contains glitter. Granted the product is marketed to woman, and I assume they like that crap...BUT DAMN IT. So yes...I am glittery...but damn am I soft.

Straight face...

There is an episode of Will & Grace where Grace asks Will if the reason he hasn't introduced his new man friend to her is because the guy has "gay face." When she said that, it immediately gave me a name for something that I had always known, but never gave a name to...gay men whom you can tell are gay just by looking at their face. It's something genetic...the best example I can come up with is Carson Kressley...he totally has gay face.

On Saturday, we attended dinner at P&B's. The reason for dinner was to introduce us to P's former colleague, and friend Bianca and her husband Corbin (not real names...but still fun). Bianca was delicious...fun, interesting, smart and girl can drink. Corbin was equally delicious...for all those reasosns as well as all sorts of others.

Anyway...as I was chatting with Corbin, I realized, Corbin has straight face. Just looking at his face, there is no question he likes girls. Corbin is hot in a way that gay guys just aren't and never can. Think NYC stoner, but clean and not on drugs...funky t-shirt, trendy jeans and stylish sneakers. It's a polished style with a lack of care that makes it something no gay man...no matter how "non-stereotypical" could manage.

OK I lied...

Now I am gazing at my naval. There is a guy in the show I am working on, whom I tease. I mean mercilessly...and the director has asked me to back off him. Fair enough...so I was sitting there thinking about why I pick on him...

Whatever anyone might like to say about me. Whether they want to call me a big Mo, a little flamey at times...what have you...make no mistake, I can be a very aggressive alpha-dog. In this instance, I smell weakness...he is weak and makes an easy target and I go for it.

I'm going to be more cognizant of it...and leave him be to limp around and lick his wounds. There are all sorts of things I started thinking about in relation to this...whether I would be a good dad; would I push a kid too hard, would I not accept less than perfection...and then I decided the weather was too nice and I was done looking inward and wanted to sing along with my iPod and drink my iced coffee.

Laterz...

It's amazing how much better...

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:47:07 GMT

...I sleep with the windows open.

Last night I slept with all the windows open in my bedroom. It was about 70ish all day long, so it was a beautiful night. The seasons always seem to come, just when I need them most. I was getting sick of the winter, sick of being stuck inside. Some of the things I love about this time of year...

Open windows
Ice coffee
Getting in the car and feeling the warmth...feeling all comfortable and content.

Some other things I love...

Hearing a great song in a TV show, only to find out you already own the album!!
Friday night drinks with friends.
Lunch-time runs to the gym
Looking forward to dinner parties on Sat. night.

So real, you can almost touch them...

As I mentioned, I was at a technical leadership conference. One of the sessions surrounded working with/managing Millenials; the generation that is currently entering the workforce (Born ~1980 and after). The study of generations is a very complex one, as your generational moniker can be made very complicated by a couple factors. It's one part the year you were born, one part the year your parents were born and one part the way you consume information.

Sidebar...I tend to confuse most surveys of the sort...Technically, I am a gen Xer (real tail end) by my date of birth; because my parents are older (Industrial revolutionist generation), I have a lot in common with baby boomers; because of the way I consume information, I have a lot in common with Millenials. I'm an odd one I am. dur

Anyway, the millenials session started a discussion around blogging/social networking and the friendships we make. Many of the older employees couldn't fathom friendships with people they have never/will never meet. Can these people really be friends? Are they as close as "real" friends? Do you really trust them?

The presenter made a good point about the fact that in an on-line community, people tend to be more open and honest...that there is less to lose in being truthful. I like and think about my online friends as much as my "real world" ones. The people who I am friends with online are people like me. We've found one another through common interests and opinions. (Most of the blogs I read are people with whom I share commonalities). Most of them are gay (but not always), intelligent, funny, fans of culture/media/etc and all around people I would love to have at a party. We just don't live near one another...so if we didn't have a virtual world/friendship, we might not have never met one another...

...and wouldn't that be sad. My world is better for it.

So, my house is clean, I'm planning a gym-run for lunch...and drinks this evening. I have a dinner party on Sat. and rehearsals on Sun. (with some lawn care in the morning). May your day and weekend be as fun and full as mine...

Laterz...

I'm going to Disney World!!!

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:12:59 GMT

Well...actually...I'm back from Disney World.

I work for a very large technology corporation. So large, that we occasionally have conferences in Disney with ~4000 global participants. I was lucky enough to have been invited this year. It's a great honor, and I learned a lot, but in typical PJ fashion, all I could do was note interesting things to make fun of or blog about.

Sitting in the airport, getting ready to leave, it was plainly obvious that there were two types of people getting on the plane to Orlando. People from my company and families. The families were easy to spot...children screaming. I would be too, it's 6:30am on a Sunday and they're being dragged through the airport. There was this one cherub who screamed from well before I got on the check-in line...until we landed. As I was checking my bag (which I got made fun of because it was so big for a 4 day conference....all I could say was..."Shoes"), the attendant looked at me and said, "I'm sorry...he's on your flight." Part of me feels bad for the parents...and part of me hoped they were embarrassed. There just comes a point with a child who shrieks for 4 hours...that I firmly believe there is something wrong with the parents.

The other group of people...the geeks/freaks/nerds from my company. These are some ugly people. I mean circus freak ugly in some cases. And in most instances very very poorly dressed. This theme would reappear frequently throughout the conference. Some examples:

The director of research presenting in an orange blazer...the same orange as the backdrop. He looked like a floating head (with a bad haircut) on the monitors.
One gentleman wearing a see through, white, polo...with his hairy nipples showing through.
One presenter, gave a talk...with his fly open the whole time. At first I thought maybe it was the pants, until he stuck his hands in his pockets and widened his stance...at which time it was very clear that yes, it was indeed open.

Now, there is an exception to the "ugly people" rule. It's called Europeans. Since this was a global conference, we had participants from all geographies. You could tell the geography someone came from by the color of lanyard around their neck. Invariably when someone cute walked by...it was attached to a while lanyard (Europe). In the odd instance it was orange (Americas), sure enough, they were Canadian.

I've always had a penchant for British men. My favorite ex...whom I am still friends with...was British.

Just so you know, I am not a hypocrite...

As fabulous, stylish and polished as I am (and modest)...there are moments when it makes perfect sense that I am a technical manager...and a former techie. For example, I have to carry a Tide stain stick with me at all times, because on days that I need to look nice...I will invariably spill coffee on myself.

On the first day of the conference, it rained. While running from my hotel, to the bus headed for the convention centers, the folder I was carrying got wet. I then made the mistake of drying it on my shirt. It's important to mention that they folder was blue...and the shirt was white. I had to walk around the beginning of the conference with streaks of blue ink all over me. I became necessary to leave my first presentation early and take the 30min (don't get me started on that fact) bus ride back to the Coranado Springs Hotel to change. I was not attending a mixer and meeting one of my employees for the first time, looking like a dork.

The conference for the rest of it, was a great experience. I learned a lot, networked like crazy (I love meeting new people) and enjoyed being away.

It's a theme...

So, E! and I have been on quite the Broadway kick. He's been dying to see Patti Lupone in "Gypsy."

The show just opened, to fabulous reviews. We were lucky enough to get front row mezzanine seats to this past Saturday's matinée. It was a good show...Patti was phenomenal; a little over acted, but it's a very big character and she sung it beautifully. I've always said, I want to star in the all drag version of "Gypsy." I would kill to play Mama Rose.

Since it was a matinée...we decided that it would be fun to do a double feature. We hoofed it over to the New Amsterdam Theatre to see about tickets to...

(Yep...I'm a dork)

Now, as much as I love Disney...I was ready to hate this show!! I was so wrong. It was wonderful. Bright, well written songs; well acted and sung...and the sets were amazing. We managed to snag some great orchestra seats...Yes...I am a Broadway snob...I don't sit in crap seats!!! The price point difference between good seats and crap is sometimes so little that it makes no sense.

The real stand-out of the show for me was Gavin Lee, who played "Bert." He was thoroughly enjoyable and very charming in the role.

OK - I should probably actually start my work day...have a good one.

Laterz...

It was a weekend of invitations...

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:33:40 GMT

...Happy Birthday to...

My friend J was trying to get some folks to dinner...but no date seemed to work...except his birthday. He was adamant that he wasn't trying to scam a birthday dinner...but I wondered...why not? We're his friends and we wanted to celebrate his day, the same way he celebrates ours.

We had a lovely time Friday night, with a great group of 11 people. The company was wonderful, the food and service...not as much. I was really disappointed. It was a restaurant that I've been to thousands of times and always had a good experience. (It was actually my default 1st/2nd date restaurant...close to the highway and a movie theatre). They changed names and everything went downhill.

Last minute...

So I decided to have a last min. dinner party on Sat. evening...a few friends...giving P&B an opportunity to share their experiences in Italy (where they just spent 9 days). We had a lovely evening. I made a brisket, Parmesan mashed potatoes, braised carrots and sauteed green beans. E! brought some tasty treats for dessert. A nice time was had by all!!!

When I am hosting a dinner party, one of the things I spend a lot of time thinking about is the music. I like to create something pleasing, that isn't too distracting and will be able to play the whole evening (one really large playlist). I lucked out and found a great group that I had not been exposed to before, "Schiller." Ambient, chill, club music; mostly instrumental, but occasionally with such guest vocalists as Sarah Brightman. If your interested, the two CDs I bought from iTunes are "Life" and "Day and Night." I got a lot of compliments from the assembled guests.

Sundays are for booze and shopping!!!

So, P&B bought me the most beautiful mixing bowls from the Nigella Lawson collection:

They are a really great light blue color with a very pleasing shape (egg) and texture (smooth inside and matte out). I love them so much, that when I found out the matching serving dishes were on sale:

I had to go out and get them!!! P and I decided to make a day of it. We went out, had lunch and cocktails in Rhinebeck, NY, walked over to Hammertown for said purchase, then off to CHANGES for some high end clothes shopping. It was a beautiful day (weather) and a beautiful time (company and activities). It was just the kind of Sunday I needed.

Well, it's time for me to head back to work!!

Laterz...

I have a sense of grandeur and entitlement!

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:44:29 GMT

I want...

I want a lot of things, but this morning, I want a priority line at Starbucks. I spend a lot of money there, and I would like to be rewarded for it. I don't want to have to stand behind a line of 14 year olds or some snot with a blue tooth cemented in his ear, who says things like "Gimme that muffin." (He and his lady companion had the stupidest shoes on...they looked like kiwano fruit (horned melon). They were his and her bad taste.

Anyway...more to say...and say so I will...but I'm getting ready for an important meeting in a few min.

Laterz...

And I am back!!!

The Easter bunny was good to me this year...E! put together a cute basket...Broadway was the theme. All my favorite candies (including the spiced jelly beans), CDs from "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Mary Poppins," and the DVD of "A Chorus Line." I got him plenty of candy and Season 1 of "The Tudors." The night before Easter, we went to see "Miss Pedigrew..." A more charming movie, I've never seen. It was good fun and very well done.

Easter is one of those holidays that I love!!! No expectations...no committements...my Dad comes up and we go out for Chinese at my favorite place in Rhinecliff, NY...The China Rose. There was this great old couple in the corner...just boozing it up and having a nice dinner...I liked them.

One of those moments...

So I had one of those "a ha" moments the other evening. I won't bother to explain the situation or the why...because it wouldn't make sense to anyone outside of me. The realization however was just how much I have grown and matured in the last few years. Moments like that are quite exciting...and a little scary at the same time. Good because growing is important and it's exciting to see yourself move forward. A little scary, well for me atleast, because I wonder, as I grew, did I lose something in the process that I might have enjoyed? This was one of those moments where I don't think anything was lost...but I always think of that whenever I realize that I have changed.

OK - going back to work.

Laterz...again...