To Blog or to Facebook

I've been a bad bad blogger lately because I like to be-bop around on facebook in my free time nowadays.  And yet I find that there are still times when I want to write something longer than 100 characters, or whatever the max length of a status update is.

A lot, or a little, depending on how you look at it, has been going on in my world.  I've been working a lot...too much...an unhealthy amount.  But starting this week, it will all be well again, for the most part.  And I'll be back to working just a silly silly amount.

Like the fool that I am, I volunteered to coordinate the corps' efforts regarding our big fundraising venture for this year.  We are working concessions at a local minor league soccer stadium to raise money to run the corps.  There are 10 more events spread out between now and October, and it is my responsibility to gather all the information on who is volunteering for which dates and communicate everything to our contact with the concessions company.

I had a hell of a time getting enough people to work 8 days ago, and it took up a huge amount of my time, tracking folks down and trying to persuade them, so I've had several conversations with various people on the corps management team, and I am optimistic that a better system will be worked out shortly.  Basically, they need to get people to commit, and I am just the information gatherer...as it should be.

There was a drum corps party last night at an area bar, where we ate food, drank, and watched DVDs of various drum corps finals performances from throughout the years.  It may sound lame to the un-initiated, but it was a blast for all of us there.  People made requests for the shows they personally marched, and it was fun to watch the activity evolve from the 70s to today (though it's been around for decades and decades longer than that).

Guy was there last night, of course.  A lot of people now either know or have figured out that I am keen on him.  And according to Guy's brother, who likes to chat me up on Facebook, Guy knows, too.  So we chat sometimes online, have the occasional phone call that is completely corps-related, and see each other at corps functions and rehearsals.  He gives me a hug at the end of each one of these, but he hugs everyone else, too, so it's not like I'm getting special treatment.  And yet, there is something extra there, though I can't quite articulate it.

I now have a handful of people giving me advice on how to proceed, which I consider and then decide what I want to use, if any.  And so we'll see what happens.    

And now I must get ready for work. 

That's Scarlett with TWO 't's

I can't remember if I ever wrote about the first part of this story, so if I have, you can skip over this next paragraph.

A couple weeks before Thanksgiving this past year, my Dad told all of us at one Sunday dinner that my male cousin has taken to wearing women's clothing.  After the anticipated amount of giggling that one might expect, we calmed down.  Dad then explained how this cousin's brothers and sisters were shunning him for his choice.  THAT we had a problem with.  So when this cousin came to Thanksgiving dinner, dressed smartly in a skirt, blouse, pumps, and jewelry accessories, we were prepared for his looking different and therefore treated him as we always have (with fleeting interest and false concern since we none of us ever cared one way or the other about him before anyway).

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when I called my sister to congratulate my nephew on his first chess tournament.  My brother-in-law was asked to relay the 'new and interesting' news on this cousin.  It so happens that this cousin, who sells jewelry at a very high end department store, had requested that he be able to dress as a woman at work.  To their credit, the department store said yes, and following a week of vacation, cousin returned to work in full ladies' regalia.  

All this is quite nice and accepting, and good for all involved.  And I thought to myself how lovely it is that people outside the book industry are being so accommodating and open about this.  My thoughts were all warm and fuzzy for cousin UNTIL....yes, UNTIL....I heard my BIL say one final thing:

Cousin now wishes to be called Scarlett.....with TWO 't's.  WTF?  Scarlett?  You want me to call a grown man Scarlett?  Come on....Scarlett?  Is he becoming a stripper or something? 

I'm still laughing at that one.  I was with the whole situation until I heard the name he is choosing.  Scarlett, good grief.