Brutus Rocks

So that's what bone looks like

2006-04-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I almost cut off my finger tonight. Not quite but I did catch a glimpse of bone before I got 13 stitches at the urgent care facility. I never knew that washing dishes had such health risks.

Two Things

2006-03-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

First, and most importantly, it's my birthday! Well, tomorrow (which is in an hour) is. March 16, 1980, the world became a much more fabulous place. Sandwiched between the Ides of March and St. Patrick's Day, I am the best of both worlds: a bit of luck, and a bit of not-so-luckiness.

Second, there is a new word to be used far and wide: "prexactly". This, obviously, is a combination of precisely and exactly, bringing together two synonyms to form a word with more emphasis than either one on its own. Please, spread the good news of "prexactly" to everyone you meet!

That is all.

Last one

2006-03-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

There are many other pictures from the cruise that I will be glad to share with anyone who is interested. This is my last cruise-related post though. Besides, wasn't I supposed to be staying away from this blog being a personal post-driven thing? Oh well. This is me and William in front of the "Steamboat Willie" sculpture which is in the main lobbey of the Disney Magic. This, along with the other picture posted, is a great summary of the cruise, so I'm stopping with this.

Cruisin'

2006-02-28T23:58:00.000-08:00

It's difficult to talk/type (mostly type) about the cruise. I tend to babble about random little details and forget major points. I blame the excitement that still wells up inside of me when thinking about it. It's also difficult to pick just one pic to share. So I'll probably add a few more rather quickly. But this one is a good starting place. Yes, that's me - underwater. Yes, that is a statue of Mickey Mouse as well.

If you believe the Disney version, this lil baby was not planted in the man-made snorkel lagoon, but happened here by chance. After one of the many hurricanes ravaged Castaway Cay (Disney's private island used exclusively for their cruise line), this Mickey was blown off the roof of one of the buildings where he, apparently, used to gesture to the seagulls as opposed to the aquatic life. After losing him for a while, he showed up, oh so conveniently, in the aforementioned snorkel lagoon where he is now marked so as to be easily found by novice snorkelists (snorkelers?) like myself.

So yes: Mickey, me, water. Disney Cruise Lines, horray!

Together again

2006-02-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

So here it is, a new post! Where have I been? Nowhere really. I'm just lazy and haven't posted.

I suppose I could post about my amazing cruise back at the end of January/beginning of February (pictures to follow, maybe). Well, it was amazing and I didn't want to get off the ship. Disney does an amazing job (like always). I gained like 10 pounds in a week, but it was worth it. So yeah, yay. I'm going back in September; it's that good.

School is, well, school. I hate it, though my classes are interesting for the most part. I'm finishing in May, whether that means I graduate or I quit. What's next? I don't know. Stop pressuring me!

How about those Olympics? *Yawn* I tried to be interested, but it didn't work. At least the Google doodle is fun to look at.

So yeah, I'm back. Maybe I'll post more frequently, maybe not. Give me an idea for a post, maybe that will help. Probably not, but maybe.

I made up a drink!

2005-11-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the Holidays, I found a new way to imbibe! Granted, it's not hugely original, but I like it. It's so-far-called an egnoggtini (I'm still accepting name suggestions). It's rum (Bacardi Superior for me), Kahlua, and eggnog, shaken, and served up (in a martini glass). I tend to put more rum in drinks than most people would find acceptable, but the ratio I'm playing around with for the general public is a 2:1:2, or maybe 1:1:3 if you need a lighter drink. So, following the first ratio, it's...

2 oz. light rum
1 oz. Kahlua coffee liqueur
2 oz. eggnog

mix over ice in a shaker
serve in a martini glass

Enjoy!

Late Night

2005-11-18T02:24:00.000-08:00

When sleep doesn't come, the words do,
taking me places my dreams never knew.
Let's explore things that are more real than life.
I want to find the answers, regardless of strife.
Freedom, beauty, truth and love: raw.
These are stronger and more powerful than any law.
Honesty can lay open our deepest beliefs,
open like a fresh wound, but with great relief,
the beliefs we never admitted were lies:
"religion", some friends, most family ties.
Time passes us by, regardless of clocks.
Yes, in the end Brutus Still Rocks!
When sleep doesn't come, the words do,
taking me places my dreams never knew.
-Bear Waters, 11/18/05

Food is good

2005-10-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

I whine too much on here. I had a great meal this weekend. I mean, it was absolutely amazing, and not just because of the 4 bottles of wine consumed at the meal (this coming after having a wine tasting, cocktails, and more wine before even starting the meal). Yay food.

But boo my belly!

Gay Days...

2005-09-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

...at Disneyland. I know what you're thinking: isn't everyday Gay Day? Well, yes. But Saturday, October 1st is a concentrated dosage. Wear a red shirt and show that you're gay or at least gay-friendly. Call me and wish me a happy Gay Day. It will be the 3 year anniversary of my first trip to my own personal mecca. Horray Disneyland!

Brutus Still Rocks

2005-09-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

After a summer of saying goodbye to many friends (and helping most of them move), summer is effectively over: school has started back. I'm in my third week actually. Life returns to its scheduled boredom. I truly have no drive for school. I still love my theatre work, which is a workstudy job. So, I'm tied to school so I can be in a job I like, even though the job doesn't pay enough for me to meet my expenses. Oh well, life is full of sacrifice.

I miss all my friends who have moved away, the ones documented on here, and the ones who left while i was blog-lazy (blogzy?). Scottie-pants, I hope SF treats you amazingly well. I'll come visit soon. Melissa, how am I supposed to teach dance to 30 kids without you? Lara and Andrea, come back soon. Stephanie, you didn't move that far, but it seems like it. I won't even go into the amount of Starbucks baristas I've lost to other stores, locally, not-so-locally, or even internationally. Don't forget me, guys. You are what makes my life so great, all of you!!

Yes, there are new students this semester, and some really awesome ones. I continue to meet new people and make new friends. But it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier.

When all else fails though, Brutus still rocks...

Dearest Andrea, and Oh-most-sexy Alan

2005-06-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

I told you it was coming. North Carolina (Wilmington to be precise), I HATE YOU. You have stolen the hottest couple Claremont has ever seen. All is not lost, however. Now, when I go back to visit family, I have a sane place to escape to, and it's beach-near (not beach-front) property. Horray for the little things.

This is going to be trouble

2005-05-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

As most of you should know, I am a bit enamored with Disney, especially Disneyland. Well, much to my combined dismay and delight, there is now such thing as the Virtual Magic Kingdom (*lightning flashes*). It's currently in beta testing, but I am already beyond addicted to it. There are mini games (including a Jungle Cruise-inspired one and castle fireworks one), a hidden Mickey search, and just a whole lot to explore and waste time doing. Needless to say, I'm there a lot! Come join me if you think you'd like it. Oh, here's the link.

Here's to you, Lara

2005-05-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

Friends moving away sucks!

Seattle, I hate you.

(Coming soon: North Carolina, Arizona, San Francisco, I'll hate you too!)

Kung Fu Hustle

2005-05-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Go see this movie! It has no worth as far as bettering oneself in the process of viewing, but it is hilarious and oh so worth seeing! Horray for the randomness of it all!

School's Out for Summer! (should be sung/yelled)

2005-05-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

Horray and all that! Sad that all I can think about is the hell of another year of higher education in which I will once again be forced into a mold that is neither flattering or wanted. I am at the point of questioning the very purpose of this degree for me. I should take a hint from the fact that whenever anyone asks me what degree I'm getting, and I tell them, I can't finish the conversation with any logical conclusion. "If not a minister, then why this degree?" I am asked. I reply, oh so feebly, "Well, I'm not really sure."

Any thoughts? Words of encouragement? Anything but the sound of crickets in the background?

Those crazy Methodists

2005-04-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

Forgive the improper titles for the Methodist committees/boards/etc... I claim no real knowledge of their actual names and am too lazy to look it up.

So, Beth Stroud will be/is reinstated. But she will not perform any of the duties reserved only for ordained clergy in the UMC (her choice, not the ruling's decision). She got off not because the Methodist Church has finally had an epiphany about their dumbness, but because of legal error, or so they say.

Perhaps I'm missing something. Actually, i must be missing something. Is this the Judicial Board's way of skirting the issue? "Yes, we think Rev. Stroud should be a Rev., but our denomination is totally dumb, so we'll find a technicality to let her off the hook." What is this solving? It just creates more confusion for so many in the GLBTQ community who are looking for full inclusion in their denomination; it also just confuses the wider GLBTQ community who already think most of us Christians are total nuts. And who can blame them?...

We have a faith that is supposedly based on this really cool guy who threw all of society's norms out of the window and introduced this crazy idea about loving other people not because they are like you, but just because! Now we have societal norms that teach that Christianity and war/invasion/USA-centrism are synonymous. What happened?

Ok, yes, I'm currently rather fed up with organized religion as a whole (and any institution of higher education that claims to bestow the proper knowledge needed to work in organized religion). But when we have sh*t like this going on, then how could I not be?

I have a very good friend who is one of the most amazing people I've ever known: an amazing student, a heart truly on fire with love, radically ready to change whatever part of the world she ends up in for the better. She is denied in her application for ordination or whatever it is called. I forget (ie. block out the stupidity as to) the reason she was given that she was rejected. The real reason: she is too liberal (read this as "too open-minded and unconditionally loving") for the UMC denomination. What-the-f#ck-ever.

Sorry that it seems that UMC got the brunt of my attack tonight. It wasn't intentional, but it's the result of me being at a Methodist seminary for three years now. I'm just surrounded. Name a denomination and I'll complain about them too. So there!

What's on Jesus' iPod?

2005-04-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Protest anthems, Zeppelin, gospel, classical and, of course, Nine Inch Nails. And, yes, Jesus does P2P Amazing article. Reposted from Katherine's blog. Go, read, enjoy!

The first post

2005-04-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

So yeah. I have finally caved. Here's Bear's blog in all of its non-splendor. Expect this to be a place for social musings, MDiv complaints, and general merriment. Do not expect to see personal details about my life. For that, you have to ask me directly. Well, that's that.