T, gegging is what happens when you misspell kegging.

Sunday I went to a co-workers Oscar party. The crowd is very different from my usual friends. Many enthic people-- indians, chinese, moroccans. They were younger, nerdier, but still a fun crowd.

Friday night, C2, H, R and I went to Siams for dinner.

Saturday I gegged the beer I'm brewing. It will be another couple of days before it is carbonated enough to drink.

Even flat, the beer smells and tastes good.

Last night RO and I went to see Jaded 52. Ryan is a guitarist in Jaded 52. They are a fun band. They play punk and ska, not really my thing

Saturday night I had dinner with Matt and Sandy. We watched Secret Window, a thrille with a twist. I didn't really like it. The twist was too cheap.

Sunday RO and I worked on the wine. It's about 3 weeks away from bottling.

I've been working a lot.

C2's leaving for Iraq on March the 6th. I think he's stressed about it. I'm, not sure. Last friday he says he wants a change, that he wants a partner very badly, and that working on these dead end contract jobs isn't helping.

I wish him the best.

Working a lot. Did much maintenance on the house last week. Small things-- install a towel rack, change the oil in the lawnmower, the list goes on.

I went to C5 and J's for a superbowl party. We would talk during the game and pay attention during the commercials.

C5 and J have a very firey relationship. When ever they get drunk, they argue. They went out Saturday night and got into a fight. J punched C5 in the forehead. It blead. You can still see the mark.

C2 says:
there?
Barry says:
Yes
C2 says:
I was chatting with KBR.
Barry says:
KBR==the Halliburton unit?
C2 says:
yea.
C2 says:
we're at the point where it's now in my court. Looking at a 21 Feb departure.
Barry says:
Wow. How long before you answer?
C2 says:
I pretty much told him yes as I don't have too much else that is much better.
C2 says:
and it would be an adventure and different.
C2 says:
so to speak.
Barry says:
Congratulations then buddy.
Barry says:
You know I have to throw a going away party for you.
C2 says:
no, I don't want that as I'll be back in 4 months. If you want to do something, that would be better as I don't want to think I'm really 'going away'
Barry says:
Ok. I'll have a generic dinner with Chris and Friends then.
C2 says:
I'm not changin much, I'll keep the place at IR, cat, etc.
C2 says:
Ok, I've got to go grab something to eat, chat in a bit.

I did a lot this last weekend.

I bought a wine kit to make my own wine. It was kind of fun to setup. It's not that hard. You just need to make sure everything is clean.

If all goes well, in 3 months I'll have my own wine. 30 bottles of it. 30 bottles of wine raises it's own set of problems. I'm not a big drinker so 30 bottles may last for years. We'll see how it goes.

I also cleaned and organized the workshop. There was a lot of dirt back there. I need to do a dump run to get rid of all the garbage.

I had lunch with C6 today. He said he's tired of his managment. His manager doesn't believe she has a problem.

We talked over his laternatives to quitting. He could take a long vacation. He could switch devisions. He said he no longer wanted to be a middle manager. And that the only way to do that was to leave the company.

When it rains, it pours...
C6 called me. He's also leaving. He's taking a year off work. No definit plans.


The Law of Unintended Consequences...
Over lunch C2 mentioned that the Haliburton recruiters are unintentionally hiring many gay men for work in Iraq. Due to the nature of the job, they need mature men who can stay way from the U.S. for months at a time. Not many married guys fall into that category. Gay? Bingo.

C2 IM'd me.

C2 says:
are you there? busy?
BC says:
I'm here. Spinning my tires in the mud. So, not busy.
C2 says:
how are things?
BC says:
Not bad. Quiet. You?
C2 says:
it's 'fine.' I have a guy (recruiter at Halliburton) that wants to send me to Iraq!
BC says:
Wow.
BC says:
You going through with it?
C2 says:
Hey, want to lunch today with G and U?
BC says:
Yeah.
[lunch details deleted]
C2 says:
See you there at noon.
C2 says:
do you really think I'm crazy to go to Iraq?
C2 says:
you didn't seem too opposed when I first mentioned it.
C2 says:
not like others that REALLY were opposed.
BC says:
You're not entirly crazy. I just hope you realize everything won't be rosey and keen when you get back.
BC says:
Your dad won't change just because you go to Iraq.
C2 says:
and I've not even told liberal commie pinko crazy IR. I may have to move out.
C2 says:
Oh my dad will never change (too much.) I know that and things really won't be too much different. And it's not like I'll be away for ever.
C2 says:
I just found out that you CAN return to the US throught the year!
BC says:
kewl.
BC says:
I'll miss you.
C2 says:
but you cannot spend more than 33 days here total per year.
BC says:
tax?
C2 says:
yes, that's the reason why.
BC says:
I've known a number of people who have worked in Saudie Arabia and the UAE.
BC says:
so, I have a general feeling for the paperwork.
C2 says:
I want to do a bunch of things and this'll be Great opportunity for you to travael to some great strange places with me.
C2 says:
I want to hike the Kyber pass.
BC says:
You know I'll be there.

C2, Matt, Sandy and I had dinner on Friday night. I couple of times Sandy squeezed or rubbed C2's leg. C2 told him off.

Sometimes I worry about C2. I think he's deperessed and has been for a long time. He's too stubborn to see a doctor and I don't know how to snap him out of it.

RO and I drove out to Allyn and Shelton Both are very small towns.

On our way back we stopped for dinner in Tacoma. Apetizers and drinks at Stanley and Searforts Dinner at the Southern Kitchen. They serve very rich food.

Tommy, in the south do they really fry everything and add a cream sauce?

Tommy Boy and I talked with each other about how our journals have changed. They are not as juicy as they used to be. Three years we would mention the hot sex we were having or the trouble we were getting into.

Now... let me see... I write about shopping and movies.

I can't say I'm in a rut. If anything I'm out of a rut. I'm doing what I want, it's just that what I want doesn't involve S&M or slutty Daddies. I spend my evenings with friends. I work hard. I have a good quiet life.

Weird.

It's been dark and rainy here. Saturday was freezing rain. Sunday and Monday are just regular rain.

Friday night, C2, RO, BearOrgy and I had dinner at Siam's. BearOrgy had to leave early to watch the new Battle Star Galactica.

C2, RO and I went to Espresso Vivance for coffee. It didn't work out that well. The music was loud and the tables were large so it was difficult to hold a conversation.

Saturday RO and I went surplus shopping. First we stopped at the Boeing Surplus Store. They have lots of stuff there-- large sheats of aluminum, drill bits, tools, cables, old computers, old office furniture, on and on. You can get a good deal if you know what you are looking for. You can also buy a lot of crap.

After that we went to the Gourmet Standard Outlet Store. It's a tiny kitchenware store at the back of the Gourmet Standard warehouse. I bought a great new set of pots and pans. The manager was very helpful-- telling us why some things were cheap, what was trendy, what professionals used, what made good cook ware and what the good buys were.

I bought non-stick again. Professionals usually buy regular 'stick' pans. I wonder why. Probably because they last longer and are easier to maintain. On the other hand, it's so hard to cook low fat unless you have non-stick.

Last night C2 and I went with the movie bears to see Million Dollar Baby. It's a good film. Kind of like Rockey except Rockey breaks his neck at the title match. Don't worry. I haven't given the ending.

After the movie we want to CC's and ran into Faf and Officer Rob. Officer Rob told us about his mace training.

To use mace, the police force requires it's officers to be maced. When it was Officer Rob's turn, the guy spraying the mace accidentally sprayed Rob in the mouth. The sprayer said "Sorry, that's not good enough, I have to spray you in the eyes." So Officer Rob held open his eyes and was sprayed a second time.

Officer Rob's eyes swelled shut-- which was expected. He had to be guided to the shower. It sounds like mace gets deep into your eyes. For two or three days later Officer Rob said he could feel little bubbles of mace under his eye lid. Now and then a bubble would pop and his eye would sting again.

Steven got back from a week in California. His father was very ill and hospitalized a week ago so he went to visit. One week later his father is much better.

I didn't do much over the weekend. Fixed some plumbing. Cooked. Cleaned.

Saturday night RO and I went to a party. It was a large party but neither of us knew many people there.

I've been working a lot and still have the cold. Today is the first day I didn't use cold medicine. It feels good to be less groggy.

A third of the people I work with have this cold. Some much worse than I. Whever I get a two-week cold, I always worry "Do I have AIDS?" So seeing so many co-workers be sicker for longer than I is a comforting.

New Years eve I had a few friends over-- Matt, Sandy, the Tease, Bib, C2 and the Designer. It was a quiet evening. The Tease and I both had lingering colds so we didn't party hard.

Sunday, the Designer and I went to Leary House for an afternoon beer, wine and snack social held by the achivist at Leary House. Leary House is a huge mansion that's now 100 years old. It's full of beautiful wood and tile work. Some of the carpets are the original 100 year old carpets.

Steven and C2 are both very stressed. Both have work and family problems right now and it's draining their energies.

I'm back from Pembroke.

For those of you who got here by googling for "Gay Pembroke" let me warn you that there are is no gay community, no bars, no associations, in Pembroke. Pembroke gays who want to be around other gays leave.

Pembroke was an ok trip. Very cold. Temperatures around 5F, so I didn't get out much.

The difference between the rural and the urban hit me much more than usual. When you have ambition, when you want to do more for yourself, you tend to move to the cities. There are more opportunities there. I'm not saying that rural people are not ambitious. They can work hard. They can work smart. It's just that their goals are not as money and power focused. They want to raise a family, or farm. You don't need 'greater opportunity' to do that.

My parents give a lot of alcohol at Christmas. 40ozs of rum or whisky, or a 24 of beer. They gave their old neighbours a 24 of beer. However the wife had to work on Christmas, so mom&dad worried that the husband would drink the whole 24 by himself.

Stuff like that doesn't happen in Seattle