Vulchers.

(Photo taken from Google Images. By the way, please sir - cut your hair.)

Let me tell you about my experience this morning.

I had an appointment to see an apartment at 8:30.
I walked up to the apartment building and 2 men were sitting outside:

1. Older Puerto Rican man (could be my grandfather)
2. Younger Puerto Rican guy (in his 30s)
Each had a little dog.
The relevance of their ethinicities will be revealed as you continue reading.

The older man turned out to be Armando, the super, and he told me to follow him and he'd get the key to show me the apartment.
The younger guy came inside too, and as we were walking in, he told me I was very pretty.
I just smiled politely and thanked him.
He then went to his apartment (with the dog named Cuddles).

Armando took me upstairs to see the apartment, and we had a short conversation about it, and as we were both walking toward the door, he asked me my name again, and I shook his hand. He didn't let go of my hand, so I patted him on the shoulder with my other hand, and he gave me a hug - and not just any hug, but the Lasting Embrace. I moved around so I could get out of it, and he kissed me on the cheek! I was right next to the door, so I told him it was nice to meet him and I left.

In the hallway, the younger guy was coming down the stairs, and he said goodbye, and it was nice meeting me and whatever.
As he was saying that, a 3rd - ironically Puerto Rican - guy came out of his apartment with no shirt on and started talking to the young guy.
Then he noticed me and said, "Oh. Hello." And tried to talk to me, but I was already running down the stairs.
AND as I was running down the stairs, I heard, "Hey come back! Don't leave!"
I feel like it was the shirtless one.

In conclusion, I'm never going to Puerto Rico.

HIV.

I heard on the news this morning that doctors have found the first safe HIV vaccine.
They said that out of the 2 vaccines tested, the only way they were effective was together as one.
The final vaccine does not contain the actual virus - only man-made proteins and man-made HIV "gene".
What I'm curious about are the volunteers.
Some of them ended up with HIV because the vaccines tested on them did not work.
Does that bother anybody else?
I mean that's the only way we can know...but it's so disturbing to me.
I feel like we, the rest of the non-infected population of the world, are indebted to them and their families for the rest of our lives.

Childhood Heroes.

Last night my dad called me to tell me that PeeWee was going to be on Jay Leno.
Not Paul Reubens, but PeeWee Herman.
And he was.
It started out funny...he showed off his "abstinence ring" and told childhood stories...but then it got weird when the conversation shifted toward "snack time".
As it turns out, it was a plug for Smart for Life cookies.
You disappointed me PeeWee. :(
My dad called me afterward and we talked about how disappointed we both were. But apparently PeeWee's not the only celebrity that's joined the Smart for Life club....

A Weekend Out on the Town.

Feta cheese, pickled onions, swiss chard...mmmmm.....





I was taking down my thumbs up.

Sausage fingers.




























My favorite parts of the show were the view from the window of the gallery, and the windowsill full of plastic cups on the way out.































I want to cover my walls with those football helmets.
























Seafood sausage.