(no subject)

If the commute weren't so hellish, I'd want to move the loft building to Santa Monica. I spent Sunday morning there at epilady and chestertodd, having brunch as prepared by riverafire and her sprogs. The pancakes and mango and luscious strawberries and bacon and scrambled eggs and orange juice (mimosas, or buck's fizz as our commonwealth friends know them) and home-made strawberry ice-cream just kept coming and then there was the lying on a bench in the shade when everyone's gone, talking to epilady about everything and nothing as we always do, before I got up and hunted fruitlessly on La Brea for a futon store that had an actual king-size futon in stock.

You could tell I was being myself at a brunch because I got asked if I had a hollow leg or something. And really, it wasn't that much food, bitty has enabled worse when she brought out the fresh warm banana-bread at brunch. Far worse. (In fact, it ended up like that of the two loaves, one was for me and one was for the other guests, who bemusedly looked on as this guy was consuming banana bread.) This time I invented pancake tacos by taking left-over pancakes that had been turning crispy in the broiler, and folding them up with fruit in them. Hey, it was ok -- I knew I wouldn't be eating much the rest of the weekend. When I am not on a strict schedule like during a work week, I always forget to eat.

Martin (my carpenter) was there, and everyone likes him, and the Pico Place people, and the softest breeze, and it made me feel happy and normal and connected. However, the topic came to some funny addiction like si-fi books or something, and I, vaguely remembering the addiction questionnaire, asked "Is reading Sci-Fi books making you hang out with people you normally wouldn't?" and then Helen wondered whether that questionnaire wouldn't then also indicate she was addicted to work or sleep, so I tried to remember some other ones. Well, here is the whole list, and I have to say...

Twenty Questions List

Ask yourself the following questions and answer them as honestly as you can.

1. Do you lose time from work due to drinking/using?
2. Is drinking/using making your home life unhappy?
3. Do you drink/use because you are shy with other people?
4. is drinking/using affecting your reputation?
5. Have you ever felt remorse after drinking/using?
6. Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking/using?
7. Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking/using?
8. Does your drinking/using make you careless of your family's welfare?
9. Has your ambition decreased since drinking/using?
10. Do you crave a drink/drug at a definite time daily?
11. Do you want a drink/drug the next morning?
12. Does drinking/using cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
13. Has your efficiency decreased since drinking/using?
14. Is drinking/using jeopardizing your job or business?
15. Do you drink/use to escape from worries or troubles?
16. Do you drink/use alone?
17. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking/using?
18. Has our physician ever treated you for drinking/using?
19. Do you drink/use to build up your self-confidence?
20. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution because of your drinking/using?

If you answered yes to any ONE of the questions, there is a definite warning that you may be alcoholic/chemically dependent.

If you answered yes to any TWO, the chances are that you are alcoholic/chemically dependent.

If you have answered yes to THREE or MORE, you are definitely an alcoholic/chemically dependent person.

(The above test questions are used by Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, in deciding whether or not a patient is alcoholic. The questions have been revised by CareUnit, Inc. to include other drug dependencies.)

...Helen and I seriously need to get our asses into Employed Anonymous. Or Sleepers Anonymous.

Then that night I went dancing at a Big Gay Dance in the Mayan Theater, but that wasn't much of a success, as I went alone and didn't know anyone really. I have had stupendous luck going to Big Gay Dances and connecting with people and having a smashing time and dancing together and meeting new people, like at Woofclub LA or the Black Party two years ago, but sometimes it's also a total miss, like last night. The dancing was fun, but that was it. I went home a little depressed.

Also, bleached my hair and hung track curtains in The Loft. More on that next time or so.