The early music ensemble I sing in, Jouyssance, just completed a wonderful weekend of concerts of comedic/entertaining music from 1500s through the late 1600s.  Here are some pics of our rehearsals and concert prep.




We've also just released our newest CD, A Tour of Christmases Past.  You can hear samples and buy the MP3 album on Amazon
If you like what you hear please support our efforts of keeping this wonderful music alive.

As I'm rapidly approaching 40 (a couple of years), I've noticed an interesting phenomenon-younger cubs and chasers having been approaching me.  I've never really considered myself a cub, but I know my Chinese Chicken days are long past.  I've especially noticed it at work, where most of my coworkers (who are mostly in their 20's) stare at me blankly when I talk about Schoolhouse Rock or even Kick-the-Can (one younger (and CUTE straight redheaded cub) coworker answered with "Oh, I've heard my dad talk about that".  I only hope he was teasing).  Even with my 20th high school reunion coming up next year, I haven't really felt "old".  I suppose we all have a sense of self that developed in our mid-20's, and continue to view ourselves at that stage of life.  And as gay men we tend to couple later in life, and don't have children as most of my old high school friends already do (some in their teens!)

Mind you I'm not complaining at all about getting older, but when does one transition from cub/bear/whatever to daddy (is there such a thing as a daddy panda)?  I don't think I'll ever get used to someone calling me "daddy" (no, it  hasn't happened.  Yet), and I know some people who are in their 40's who still consider themselves cubs.  For those out there in LJ-land who are near my age, have you noticed this, too?  

We were given a digital camera as an award for winning a sales contest at work, so I've been snapping some pics.  Here are some of a paella I made last night.

For the last few days I've rediscovered the HBO series "Oz".  I watched it off and on when it was on its first run, and have always loved the human side of the storylines, especially between Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni) and Tobias Beecher (Lee Torgesen).  It was TOTALLY fucked up, twisted, convoluted and destined for disaster (which it was at the end), but we all rooted tor them and wanted them to be a happy couple.  Besides all the hot man-on-man action (Keller seemed to kiss A LOT of guys in Oz) they played them with real complexity and depth, struggling like real life couples.  I've really fallen in love with the show and the two characters.

I came across quite a few fanvids on Youtube, but this one is probably the best one I've seen.  This is a "rewrite" of the ending of the series with music set to "My Immortal" by Evanescence.  It's made by a superfan and artist Colleen Detroit.  It made me weep like a little girl.

NOTE:  This video has lot's of men kissing-so may not be safe for work.

A friend had some passes to an early screening of Disney/Pixar's Up! and we saw it tonight.  It was FANTASTIC!!!  Definitely a must-see.  Pixar has always had the knack of setting the emotional tone perfectly, and this was no exception.  It was the sweetest, most touching movie, animated or not, I've seen in a long time.  Sweet without being sacchrine, funny with heart, and well timed comedy relief to break up the heavy moments (much darker at times than I expect from Disney).  And yes, I cried like a little girl.  Several times.  Great details including a quick shot near the climax that I won't spoil.  Just look for the shot with the dogs around the table.


Highly recommended.  Can't wait to see it in 3D

I finally have DSL.  I was pirating a very low signal wireless network before.  Fast porn from now on...

Since I live in sandals when I'm not at work or have to wear dress shoes, I'm always on the lookout for comfortable and fashionable sandals.  I came across these.  Topless sandals.  "Huh" you say?  I was intrigued by them when I saw them online, and bought a couple pairs for the novelty (they were only $11 a pair).

They feel REALLY weird-you feel bare feet yet you have cushioning on the bottom.  And they do work (almost) as advertised; my sweaty feet cause them to start detaching after a couple of hours, but they do come off without leaving any residue.  A gental washing restores the adhesiveness.  We'll see if they hold up for the year that they claim.

(click on photo for more)

A few months ago I had come into a bit of extra money si I decided to indulge myself on something I've wanted for a while- aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena; the "real" stuff from the Modena and Reggio Emilia regions of Italy.


And yes, I paid $200 for 3 ounces of this stuff, but it's not used like we use vinegar; it's drizzled over grilled meat, chunks of parmigiano reggiano and even strawberries (which was FANTASTIC!)  It's now sitting in the back of my pantry away from heat and light, awaiting for a special occasion.

(More pics here)

Just a couple of coworkers' birthday celebration.  Mmmm. Cupcakes.

Well, it seems to all happen during the holidays, doesn't it...

My father has been having bad hip pains for awhile and finally had some scans done.  The doctor had thought it was something called Paget's disease (a strange disease where bone cells break down and are redeposited on the outside of the bone).  It turns out to be cancer.  And apparently it began in his lungs (he'd been a smoker for decades) and has now spread to his hip.

They're trying to get a specialist/oncologist who's a friend/doctor of someone they know but he's very busy with many patients and with Christmas a few days away it's been difficult getting a hold of him.  The search continues today for someone else.

More to come...

As a kid, I LOOOOOVED Strawberry Quik.  Chocolate was fine, but the pink stuff was my fave.  And as someone who grew up in the Orient, milk was not a common drink at all.  It was almost always sold flavored as a soft drink... A couple of weeks ago I made a chocolate torte for my church choir director's birthday and I served a raspberry sauce along with the cake.  As Trader Joe's only had frozen black raspberries at that time, I made it with them.  A few nights ago I was having a glass of milk and saw the leftover sauce in the fridge...A few tablespoons later and I was in lactative nirvana...It was like Quik, only more adult and WAYYY more sofisticated.  I could have bathed in that concoction.  Maybe I should think about commercializing it...

I was tagged by colleenky 

Rules:
A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz & those who are tagged cannot refuse. [Don't worry.  Merely a request.] These people must state who they were tagged by & cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

01. What is essential for your happiness?
Contentment.  And butter.  And chocolate.

02. What clothes are you wearing at the moment?
work clothes

03. What games did you recently finish?
haven't played in more than 2 years

04. What is your favorite scent?
Natural-citrus.  Cologne type-Alfred Sung

05. What books are you reading at the moment?
Cookwise-Shirley O. Corriher

06. What do you drink the most?
water

07. Do you trust easily?
No.

08. Who was your first big crush?
Erik Estrada.

09. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Doctor (the medical kind)

10. Do you have a good body-image?
not really

11. What's your guilty pleasure?
Easy Cheese on Triscuits.

12. What websites do you visit daily?
LJ, aprilwinchell.com

13. random pet peeve?
stupidity

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
kind, (geekily) fun

15. What's the last song that got stuck in your head?
Ave Maria-Parsons

16. What's your favorite item of clothing?
comfy shorts

17. What's better: to give or to receive?
Tol give, but I AM a food bottom

18. What turns you on in your preferred gender(s)?
sexy hands and feet

19. Is there anything you want so bad right now?
health

20. What should you be doing right now?
going home

21. What's the meaning behind your LJ username/name/nicknames you go by?
It's my name in Taiwanese.  As in Margaret Cho's "Moran". And it was also screamed across alleyways and streets in the suburbs of Taipei.

Tag, you're it!

anim8rbear , bearfuz , bobaloo , chris_gardner , liquid_wayno , popebuck1 , shake_it_up , uspinmeround 

Being a (transplanted) Angeleno and having lived in this town for about 27 years, I'm almost never star struck.  I think most of my friends' reaction (and mine) when seeing a caravan of trucks set up for a location shoot is "great, there goes traffic."  Working at the FedEx Office (formerly Kinko's) in Woodland Hills, we see a few celebrities every once in a while.  In fact, I've gotten somewhat friendly with Marion Ross, who lives nearby and comes in fairly often, and she usually asks for me to help her.

Today began typically for a Friday; harried customer needing things done before the weekend.  I was near the front counter during the afternoon when three or four people walk up.  I see the man in front and greet him; average looking guy-a little shorter than me, about 5' 8", slightly husky, backwards baseball cap, glasses, white long sleeve T.  He puts down a box with some documents in them and asks for them to be bound.  I notice the voice first.  Very distinctive, but I haven't placed it yet.  I know I've heard that voice before, and start looking at him closer and at the document (scripts).  The eyes, the lips....OMG Becky, IT'S SEAN ASTIN!!!  Samwise Gamgee right in front of me...I SOOO fell for him in Lord of the Rings.  He was so cute and cuddly and adorable.  Still keeping my cool and acting professional, I get started on his job and still haven't fawned over him. 
After I rang him up (actually his wife) and thank him and gushed a little (the standard "I really enjoy your work")  He reaches out and shakes my hand at that [<sigh>I'll never wash this hand again...]  He then asks my advice on how to place a label for his production company on the scripts I just bound.  I nervously blabber out some placement ideas and stupidly say "I don't want to take sides" (his wife, assistant (I think) and even his daughter were giving different opinions).  So I think the exchange is over and move on to other customers.  As I'm working with other patrons he and his troupe are putting packets together, writing personal notes to include in them and I hear a snippet of his cell phone conversation about having to get this script to Beverly Hills  quickly.  As I'm consulting with another customer he waves at me and I respond with the "I'll be with you in a minute" palm salute.  When I finally get back to him he asks if he could leave a package to be picked up by a messenger.  I, of course, say yes and walk over to get the envelope from him.  He hands me the packet along with the card you see to the left <sigh>  (the "Band Rocks!!" is a reference to a brief exchange we had earlier about my being a band geek in high school and his trying to play trumpet but failing.)  He even wrote his cell number on the back in case anything happened and I needed to get a hold of him.  They finally leave the store and me with stars in my eyes.

Here we go again.  I'll be moving to a new place on Tuesday, July 1.  If any LA LJ'ers are available mid-morning, I'd love some help in moving.  I don't have a lot of furniture (couple of dressers and a bed), and will be quite a few boxes.  If anyone can help around 10am please send me a note.  I'll have cold beer!!!

Okay, here's the meme/answers from shake_it_up

a) Tell you why I friended you.
b) Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, etc.
c) Tell you something I like about you.
d) Tell you a memory I have of you.
e) Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
f) Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
g) In return, you must post this in your LJ

Okay, let's try this again.  Thanks to e_ticket here's my (VERY geeky) custom Star Wars crawl.  (BTW Jouyssance is an early music ensemble I sing in)


If you don't see the window (again) try this link

Got this when I was surfing through The Jesus Chris Show website (a show on KFI).  Thought it was funny and very clever.