If You Don't Know Me
Oct. 10th, 2005 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwardsWay back on Friday I was leaving work to go to the re-scheduled happy hour for Big Ed who left the company the same week that Hurricane Rita was coming towards the Texas coast. The happy hour is a requirement now for people leaving the company, and we seem to have one about every week. Ed was coming back to the area to scatter the ashes of his late partner, so it seemed like a little bit of an odd time for a party, but it was probably the last time we could do such a thing.
I had to make my way around the large crowd going to the Greek Festival to head over to Guava Lamp. Leave it to Big Ed to have the first happy hour at a gay bar. unfortunately, that was one of the reasons it wasn't so well attended. I was the only guy from the office who was there. Now with Big Ed's leaving, I'm the only gay male in my department (we used to have several), so I guess the lack of the other manly ones didn't surprise me.
I paled around with the gals from the office, a couple of them who just recently did the math on me. they had plenty of questions for me, some work related, others not, but I also got to meet Francisco, a friend of Big Ed's partner who worked with him as a designer. Francisco wanted to get my opinion on a lot of business related issues. no, not my business, but advice for starting a franchise business of his own. At times I don't know how I get involved in such odd conversations, but I managed to hold my own, and I believed I gave as good advice as any radio talk personality or Dear Abby would give. Heck, they don't know the people they are talking to either, so what's the harm?
Now I don't know about the success of Francisco's design work, but I do know that he's done well with decorating the home he shares with his partner. Big Ed was housesitting a few weeks ago and invited us over. It's nice, very ornate, and happens to show of that somewhere in the household there's a good deal of cash. One might say that it's a little too overdone where it becomes more palace than home and becomes uncomfortable, but after meeting Francisco's partner, I'm thinking that's where his tastes enter the picture.
Now I also met Francisco's partner, Joey. Joey's a year older than I am, but I'm going to claim some sort of intellectual generation gap here. During a part of the conversation he mentioned the fact that the federal government was assisting airlines stay in business, and seemed disgusted by it. I threw in that the government was trying to prevent the creation of a monopoly and joey replied, "what about Social Security, that's a monopoly!" I was suddenly very confused, but i also knew that he made no sense.
When Big Ed introduced joey to me he said that I was big into bears, and then Joey said that he was sometimes called Bear. I'm not sure if this was an attempt to bond or what, but he really just seemed more like a sad guy with a bad personality. I politely listened to him for a while, and quickly became bored with his prattle. He explained his whole coming out story and how he tried to push Francisco away when they met, but managed getting together with him anyway. Truly, love is a strange thing.
When things really went strange was when he decided to ask me about my relationship. I told him a little about Chris, but not enough to really give him much info. I mentioned that I was looking to move to Dallas and suddenly he was all over that idea. How could I want to move to Dallas? Didn't I know that Houston is an international city and Dallas continues to fade? He made a big point that I should grow a pair and tell Chris to move to Houston.
Now I didn't even get to tell him about the several reasons why I want to move to Dallas...and being an international city isn't really one of my worries. Frankly, he had already lost credibility earlier, and now he was just getting me to really dislike him. His arguments about the oil industry being the driving force to keep Houston growing was just one of the reasons I'd argue that Houston is going to have a rough time in the future as oil runs out. It will all deal with the ability for oil companies to reengineer themselves as energy companies, and if they do, they don't necessarily have to do it in Houston. most of them aren't headquartered in Houston. Also, guess who isn't in the oil business? I'm not tied to this town.
Still, this guy made me rather defensive about my choices, or maybe the lack of choices on the move at this point.
Now I know that my job change has been a regular, boring staple of this blog, so I'm sorry to bore you, but it's one of those things that is constantly on my mind, since it's the lynchpin to the move. I know I'm getting closer and closer to just chucking it all and moving, and then looking for a job, but I still don't want to put Chris in a bad position, financially. I'm very adamant about pulling my weight, and would feel very bad about being a freeloader.
I'm looking at finances now, and I have very little savings, and more credit card debt than I'd like. I know I need to pay down some bills before I can make a change where I might take a job that would pay less. Heck, given the jobs I have been qualified for, i probably would be earning less, so I might as well try to make hay while i can, right? I feel like something really good will need to come along to make this work, but it just hasn't yet.
I know I want to move, and I know Chris would like me there, but I'm thinking it now may be next year. Nothing seems to be on the horizon, and like I said, I need to pay off some bills. I'd also earn some extra money for my 401(k) if I make it to January 2nd, next year. After that, that would be a better time to cut bait, so to speak.
So here I am, thinking I have it all worked out, but you know, then there's some loudmouth who makes you wonder. No, not about staying in Houston. on that he's a fool. heck, he couldn't keep Big Ed in Houston, so apparently his BS doesn't go far. He does make me wonder if I'm playing it too safe, or that I'm not trying hard enough. He makes me wonder if I'm not doing right by Chris by being so slow on this. Once again I'm much more dreamer than do-er.
Still, he was an incessant blowhard. Francisco tried to bring up the franchise idea with Joey and Joey suddenly smacked down the idea and balderdash, without even hearing the idea. He stated that he was in business and he knew that his partner couldn't cut it. I'm just guessing Joey lives to squelch everyone's dreams.
When asked to go back to their house to continue the conversation by francisco, I declined. There was little reason to feel aggravated or upset this guy when I can do it to myself so well.
I had to make my way around the large crowd going to the Greek Festival to head over to Guava Lamp. Leave it to Big Ed to have the first happy hour at a gay bar. unfortunately, that was one of the reasons it wasn't so well attended. I was the only guy from the office who was there. Now with Big Ed's leaving, I'm the only gay male in my department (we used to have several), so I guess the lack of the other manly ones didn't surprise me.
I paled around with the gals from the office, a couple of them who just recently did the math on me. they had plenty of questions for me, some work related, others not, but I also got to meet Francisco, a friend of Big Ed's partner who worked with him as a designer. Francisco wanted to get my opinion on a lot of business related issues. no, not my business, but advice for starting a franchise business of his own. At times I don't know how I get involved in such odd conversations, but I managed to hold my own, and I believed I gave as good advice as any radio talk personality or Dear Abby would give. Heck, they don't know the people they are talking to either, so what's the harm?
Now I don't know about the success of Francisco's design work, but I do know that he's done well with decorating the home he shares with his partner. Big Ed was housesitting a few weeks ago and invited us over. It's nice, very ornate, and happens to show of that somewhere in the household there's a good deal of cash. One might say that it's a little too overdone where it becomes more palace than home and becomes uncomfortable, but after meeting Francisco's partner, I'm thinking that's where his tastes enter the picture.
Now I also met Francisco's partner, Joey. Joey's a year older than I am, but I'm going to claim some sort of intellectual generation gap here. During a part of the conversation he mentioned the fact that the federal government was assisting airlines stay in business, and seemed disgusted by it. I threw in that the government was trying to prevent the creation of a monopoly and joey replied, "what about Social Security, that's a monopoly!" I was suddenly very confused, but i also knew that he made no sense.
When Big Ed introduced joey to me he said that I was big into bears, and then Joey said that he was sometimes called Bear. I'm not sure if this was an attempt to bond or what, but he really just seemed more like a sad guy with a bad personality. I politely listened to him for a while, and quickly became bored with his prattle. He explained his whole coming out story and how he tried to push Francisco away when they met, but managed getting together with him anyway. Truly, love is a strange thing.
When things really went strange was when he decided to ask me about my relationship. I told him a little about Chris, but not enough to really give him much info. I mentioned that I was looking to move to Dallas and suddenly he was all over that idea. How could I want to move to Dallas? Didn't I know that Houston is an international city and Dallas continues to fade? He made a big point that I should grow a pair and tell Chris to move to Houston.
Now I didn't even get to tell him about the several reasons why I want to move to Dallas...and being an international city isn't really one of my worries. Frankly, he had already lost credibility earlier, and now he was just getting me to really dislike him. His arguments about the oil industry being the driving force to keep Houston growing was just one of the reasons I'd argue that Houston is going to have a rough time in the future as oil runs out. It will all deal with the ability for oil companies to reengineer themselves as energy companies, and if they do, they don't necessarily have to do it in Houston. most of them aren't headquartered in Houston. Also, guess who isn't in the oil business? I'm not tied to this town.
Still, this guy made me rather defensive about my choices, or maybe the lack of choices on the move at this point.
Now I know that my job change has been a regular, boring staple of this blog, so I'm sorry to bore you, but it's one of those things that is constantly on my mind, since it's the lynchpin to the move. I know I'm getting closer and closer to just chucking it all and moving, and then looking for a job, but I still don't want to put Chris in a bad position, financially. I'm very adamant about pulling my weight, and would feel very bad about being a freeloader.
I'm looking at finances now, and I have very little savings, and more credit card debt than I'd like. I know I need to pay down some bills before I can make a change where I might take a job that would pay less. Heck, given the jobs I have been qualified for, i probably would be earning less, so I might as well try to make hay while i can, right? I feel like something really good will need to come along to make this work, but it just hasn't yet.
I know I want to move, and I know Chris would like me there, but I'm thinking it now may be next year. Nothing seems to be on the horizon, and like I said, I need to pay off some bills. I'd also earn some extra money for my 401(k) if I make it to January 2nd, next year. After that, that would be a better time to cut bait, so to speak.
So here I am, thinking I have it all worked out, but you know, then there's some loudmouth who makes you wonder. No, not about staying in Houston. on that he's a fool. heck, he couldn't keep Big Ed in Houston, so apparently his BS doesn't go far. He does make me wonder if I'm playing it too safe, or that I'm not trying hard enough. He makes me wonder if I'm not doing right by Chris by being so slow on this. Once again I'm much more dreamer than do-er.
Still, he was an incessant blowhard. Francisco tried to bring up the franchise idea with Joey and Joey suddenly smacked down the idea and balderdash, without even hearing the idea. He stated that he was in business and he knew that his partner couldn't cut it. I'm just guessing Joey lives to squelch everyone's dreams.
When asked to go back to their house to continue the conversation by francisco, I declined. There was little reason to feel aggravated or upset this guy when I can do it to myself so well.
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no subject
Date: 2005-10-11 05:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-11 12:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-11 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-11 03:14 pm (UTC)b) Acting like Houston becoming an international city (whatever that means) is SUCH a twink thing to say. Why would you care if your city is becoming "international"? You just want to live with your partner. Next time tell him to fuck off.