Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Post-Modern Art

She says, “He is the Magician.”

I say, “I am the Fool.”

There are only two kinds of songs. Love songs and songs not about love. Same, too, about letters. This is not a love letter. But, it is not, not a love letter either. It may be a love song. 

She says, “He is unavailable.”

I already know.

I say, “He is a treehouse.” Insubstantial, temporary, solitary, and yet, a shelter.
 
I already know, but I'm pretending that I don't, just in case, just this once. Maybe he's just busy. Or maybe he's shy. Or a part of him is unsure. Maybe part of him is unsure, and the other part of him could be convinced to give it a go. Even though...I know.
 
I know things won't work out. They never do. But, I'm usually the indifferent one, the shrugger, the sigher, the "whatever" sayer.
 
I'm too cynical for crushes, I'll admit to being sideswiped by this one. 

Like a slug of cock sauce and duck blood: delicious, exotic on the tongue, fire in the gullet, foreign in the belly.
 
Maybe it happens to him all the time. 

Maybe that makes him the Fool. 

And me, the Magician.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Jawbreaker

I had a low-key Halloween after last year's debacle: parties with toddlers, chicken noodle soup and the World Series. That doesn't mean we shouldn't revisit Halloween 2014 or The Day of The Dead. You know, to remind ourselves of that particular life lesson.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Brunette Bouffant (Kipling)

There was an after work reception in your building last night. This morning, left as a "gift" or an afterthought, the remnants of the veggie tray are tucked in the fridge. Through the plastic clamshell tray lid are the dried-out pieces of too-large-to-eat-in-one-bite broccoli, the perfectly-round-never-to-be-ripe mini-tomatoes sure to squirt down your blouse, the tasteless nubs of fluorescent carrot and the stringy stick-in-your-teeth-anemic celery. It's all arranged, artlessly, around a pot of white glop. Is it ranch? Blue cheese? It is highly caloric. The whole tray is nearly untouched. 

You'd had a conversation prior to the reception. Food would be served. What would it be? Sarah guessed shrimp. Served on the same clamshell tray the pinky prawns, harvested by slave labor in Thailand, would be cooked to rubbery blandness. You'd guessed cheese cubes - perfectly uniform 1/2 inch squares in various warm shades arranged in a pile, the orange ones revealing a flavor profile no different from the light white ones and the light yellow ones. Is it mozzarella? Is it cheddar? Is it food? It is simply cheese-ish. Perhaps there would be some meat slices - pink meat, white meat, brown meat - rolled and tucked between the cubes. A bowl of guacamole, over-pureed, under-seasoned, the color - the off-green of an old refrigerator, would tempt a few dippers. 

There would be white wine of unknown origin and varietal, perhaps a pinot grigio, a sauvignon blanc, served in brittle clear plastic tumblers. There would be "cookies" - dried out disks of white flour, white sugar scented with palm oil. For dessert. 

You found yourself wondering - does anybody like this? Do they find it delicious? Are they happy to see these plastic trays and plates of cookies? To you, it is a joyless spread. There are so many better options. Aren't there? So why are you still here?   

It's been better for some, you know, but relationships your late-30s have been like that reception, that veggie platter, that shrimp. During the relationship, the food resembles food; technically you can eat it, though it provides little nourishment, sustenance or satisfaction. You eat it but you don't crave it, you don't savor it. You try a different bite of something, maybe this will taste like something, maybe you'll have just enough of that pinot grigio to think something on this table is delicious. But it's not. And when it ends what remains is just unappetizing, inedible leftovers: in 9 months you've accumulated nothing but an old t-shirt, a couple of unflattering Instagrams and more bagels in your freezer than any single girl should consider eating in a lifetime. And the emotional leftovers: more mistrust, worry, insecurity to add to your already substantial piles. You feel proud of yourself for never getting drunk enough to say "I love you." You feel relief that you saved the receipt from his purchased-too-early- birthday gift. You feel disgusted with your pride and relief. You know there is better but where is it? The fridge? A different building? A different town? 

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Friend or faux? (You)

So we dated. And we broke up. What happens next? Will we be friends? Choose-your-own-adventure. Actually, you already have. Here's how it all plays out.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Moonrise at the King Dome (Joce)


I’ve talked a lot about break up strategies over the years. How to make the pain go away. How to hold on to it, wallow in it, set your clock by it. The best things to do. What not to do. Break-ups are always different: the tone, the length of suffering, the particular variety of misery (acute, aching, suffocating, slight). But, also, break-ups are always the same. They suck.

Then, weeks later, a month, a couple, and inevitably it starts to fade – the worry, the hurt, the anger. Your first thought in the morning as you wake isn’t about him anymore. You forget his birthday, the date of your first date.  The way he said your name. The smell of him no longer lingers in your memory. A friend texts you “I liked him ok, but you’ll do better.” And you realize he is right. And that’s kind of exciting.

Another friend sets you up. Get back on that horse! Go have fun, a drink, a meal, a conversation. You wear a new dress, perfume. Your hair looks cute. You smile a lot. He thinks you’re funny and smart. You are. It’s not a love connection. But, it’s a date, a first date back in the saddle. There will be other first dates. And a few second or third. And then, at some point, you will have a boyfriend again.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Raiders of the Lost Art (Joce)


From Joce's journal, Aug. 8, 2005
Wanted: dead or alive. Preferably alive.
So how come, in a town with 38,000 people more or less my same age, half of whom we can assume are male, is it so freaking hard to meet anyone? I mean, I had waaaay better luck in my po-dunk little home town. Is it because I'm getting pickier, or compared to all the little short skirted hootchies I'm less appealing to the hot-blooded man?
My mother says that when you want something, you have to state very specifically, out loud, what it is you want. Something about putting it out into the world will bring it back to you. Then, when the boomerang comes your way, you have to be open to receive. So, I'm gonna put it out into the world.
Wanted: Darling boy between the ages of 24 and 34. 6 feet tall +, with muscles from working like a man not from being all vain and working out at the gym 5 days a week. Educated, with at least and undergrad and preferably graduate degree. Not obsessed with some trivial, absurd aspect of pop culture, like the Smurfs or Star Wars. Well-read, but if not well-read, than at least, read. And something other than comic books. Animal lover, though no cats because I don't want to have an asthmatic attack when making out on your couch. And you'd better HAVE a couch, or at the very least, a love seat (riiighht?), or a chair big enough for you and me both. Must like to dress up at Halloween and/or any other day of the week when costumes might be called for. No vegetarians or vegans. I'm a very good cook, but this ain't no short-order house. No alcoholics or drug addicts. I like beer, wine and cocktails but I don't want to have to hide them from you when you come on a my house, a my house a come on. If you're totally obsessed with porn and you'd rather jack off into a sock in front of the t.v. than have sex with me, move ON. Been there, done that, and it was real dumb. One word, HUMOR. You must have it, and appreciate it in others. I will tease you recklessly, but it's meant in the nicest possible way, so you gotta be able to take it. Must not be poor, you should be able to take me out to dinner once in awhile and I do like to go to movies and the theaataaa. Must like art and appreciate that I may stay up too late painting when you'd rather just crash. Extra points for piercings, tattoos, brooding glares and big, strong hands. Bad kissers need not apply.
Yes, I realize it's a lot to ask, and I don't mean it to seem unreasonable. I think you'd find that I'm quite forgiving and understanding and willing to compromise on just about anything. As long as I'm being honored with the same respect. In return for all that this Mr. Man has to offer, he will find I am a devoted, fun, sassy, cheeky 'lil redhead with a heart of gold. A bit of a spitfire that can totally pull her own weight. I'm ambitious but not obnoxiously so. I can cook, clean, and keep house like a mutha fucka. I'm crafty and can sew. I can drink like a fish and smoke like a chimney, but only when the occassion calls for it. I can be loud and crazy but also very subdued and introspective. I will spoil you rotten and treat you better than you ever thought you deserved. Soooo, I'm pretty much perfect (according to my mother, and who am I to argue with that)?
Okay boomerang, ready, set, GO!

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Fifty/50 (Rocco)



Fairy Tale Scenario #1
Your second date is Valentine’s Day. He gets you calla lilies and you cook dinner together. The chemistry between you is off the hook. You talk about dating history – always bleak and a little embarrassing – and mention that you have a blog, specifically about your ridiculous love life. “Wouldn’t it be funny, if this worked out between us, and you could have a happy ending to your blog?” He always says exactly the right thing.

Fairy Tale Scenario #2
You finish dinner at a restaurant overlooking the river. He’s hurrying you, wants to get out to see the sunset over the high cliffs. The wind is blowing, hard, and you’re both laughing over some shared silliness. You try and get a picture with the canyon and the sunset and the water below, but he grabs you by both arms and holds you tight. He looks you dead in the eye and for the first time says, “I love you, Joce. I really, really love you.” After, you get the perfect picture, all canyon purples and blues and sunset oranges, with the light from your heart radiating out through your eyeballs and your teeth.

Fairy Tale Scenario #3
You celebrate the anniversary of your first date every Thursday, usually beers at the “scene of the crime.” The waitress knows you now, always asks you how long it’s been. You love the story of your first date and tell it often. It always makes you both laugh. How earnest, how excited you both were, how the evening completely careened off track to your mutual horror. And how you fixed it, found common ground again, fell in love despite it all. You think of your relationship as a classic screwball comedy – the brainy beefcake and the busty bombshell – fast-paced repartee, courtship hijinks, slapstick and pratfalls, with a “happily ever after” thrown in for good measure. Another Thursday comes around – Cheers!


Fairy Tale Scenario #4
Sunday drive. He loves to go fast. In the passenger seat, your body sways and rolls with the turns, the acceleration, the music. He conducts the stereo – prompting the swells and beats with two hands, returning a finger every now and again to the wheel, his car is so fancy, it could probably drive itself. He takes your hand and squeezes it, “Hey, Babes.”
“Hey, Babes,” you say back, tugging on salty bit of his salt and pepper hair.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

SCORING "The Real Deal" Joce Compatibility in Dating Quiz


SCORING
__ out of 324.5 possible points

ANYTHING OVER 300: You’re a goddamn liar. Lucky for you I like liars. And rogues. Traitors of the heart. Let’s move in and see this train right through to wreck.

274-300: Congratulations on your complete and utter perfection. We are über-compatible and therefore doomed. As much as I would like to embrace you for all eternity, I will instead shun you from the get-go – my darling, in truth, I find you repellant. My sincere apologies, to both of us, for my inability to appreciate your shining golden light. And mine.

267-273: The answer is yes.

248-266: This is so fun! This is so intense! Bliss bonanza – bananas! We are goo goo ga ga over each other, aren’t we now? Drinks, dinner, dancing, movies, hand holding, kissing, sleepovers, laughing, day dreaming, can’t wait to see you one more minute – I want to eat you up like birthday cake! Wait, what? It’s over? No, I didn’t see that coming. No, no, of course, I understand. Goodbye.

223-247: Brace yourself. I am going to fall in love with you. At first, you’ll be totally into it, curious, excited by the prospect, there will be mutual attraction. You’ll find me funny, charming, kind. Then, you will decide it’s just too much. The flattery, the cookies, my genuine interest in your happiness and success; I’ll insist on spending time with you, buy you presents, do your laundry. This will test your independent spirit; you’ll feel suffocated by the attention. In the end you may have genuine love in your heart for me but will insist on having zero contact going forward. Predictable, changeable, like the gulf stream.

151-222: We will date – for a short period of time – not long enough to be considered a relationship. We will part ways – at my insistence – or yours. Months will pass, and the tiny seed I’ve planted in your brain, things I’ve said and done, the vision of my singular smile and wink, will grow and grow – and you’ll find yourself thinking of me at unlikely times and under weird circumstances. The seed will grow until it explodes like a green shoot from one of your eyes or the top of your skull, like one of those ants that has been infected with a parasitoidal fungus. And you’ll realize that you’ve never loved anyone as much as you love me. It will be too late. I will have moved on. But, every six months or so, you’ll try again, for the rest of your life. The answer will always be no.

91-150: Welp, there’s no two ways about it, we are genuinely incompatible. That doesn’t mean you can’t buy me a nice dinner.

0-90: Don’t make eye contact. Just turn around. Walk the other way. Now, RUN.

PART THREE "The Real Deal" Joce Compatibility in Dating Quiz


PART THREE

HOBBIES AND RECREATION AND TRANSPORTATION  (__ out of 21 possible points)
Give yourself one point for each item that is accurately describes you:
a) I'm a dog person
b) I currently have 1 or 2 dogs
c) I can hold my own at trivia
d) When I travel, I take something to read
e) I have visited a foreign country for something other than military service
f) I am a Pisces, Cancer or Libra
g) I love to hike
h) I love fresh air and try and get outside as much as possible
i) I like to swim
j) I like to boat
k) I own a bike and have ridden said bike in the last month
l) I love competitive lawn sports such as bocce ball, cornhole and j’arts
m) I'm happy to play a board game with friends
n) I like to go to the fair or carnival and I will go on rides
o) I do not own a video game console
p) I own a car
q) My car is an automatic
r) I can drive a stick shift
s) My car does not require premium gasoline
t) I drive a car other than a Porsche, a Jeep or a Subaru
u) My car has more than 2 doors

MANNERS AND SKILLS (__ out of 26 possible points)
Give yourself one point for each item that is accurately describes you:
a) I am handy around the house
b) I am computer savvy
c) I know how to start/tend a fire in a fireplace
d) I can light a grill, charcoal or gas
e) If we’re going out on a date, I will pick you up
f) I will pick you up and I will pay
g) When someone calls and leaves a message for me, I usually call them back as soon as I can
h) I'm not much of a texter
i) I have a green thumb
j) I can lift 40-50 lbs. no problem
k) I own a selection of tools, including but not limited to, a hammer, a Phillips screwdriver, a flat-head screwdriver and a pair of pliers
l) I own a drill
m) I own a cordless drill
n) I have built a piece of furniture (bookshelves involving bricks do not count nor does anything made out of a discarded pallet)
o) I can do basic home improvement including re-tiling, reseating a toilet, refinishing a wood floor, or, at the very least, taping and painting a wall
p) I know how to change the oil in my car
q) I do my own laundry
r) I know how to use a dishwasher
s) I know how to use a washing machine/dryer
t) I know how to re-light a gas water heater
u) I know where the fuse box is in my house
v) I am not opposed to cussing
w) I don’t cuss all the time, especially when I’m not sure of my audience
x) I hold the door, if someone else (man, woman or child) is leaving or entering
y) Bad traffic? Sure, you can merge
z) I think tailgating is aggressive and rude

Okay - let's get your score!

Monday, January 28, 2013

PART TWO "The Real Deal" Joce Compatibility in Dating Quiz


PART TWO 

HOME (__ out of 23 possible points)
Give yourself one point for each item that accurately describes you:
a) I know how to cook at least a handful of dishes
b) I own more than one fork, one spoon and one knife
c) There are at least 2 matching wine glasses in my cupboard and they aren't dusty
d) Not all my cookware is non-stick
e) I own “pots and pans,” plural
f) I own a set of dishes
g) I have at least 2 of the following items: spatula, whisk, vegetable peeler, garlic press, Chef’s knife, measuring cups or spoons
h) I have purchased a new pillow in the last 18 months
i) My bed consists of a mattress (at least queen size) and a frame (futons don’t count)
j) I purchased my mattress new
k) I own a matching sheet set
l) I own a set of towels
m) I own a mop AND a broom
n) I own a vacuum
o) I own a coffee maker and I use it (Gevalia machine or Kuerig don’t count)
p) I own a coffee grinder
q) I own a tea kettle or tea pot
r) I have cleaned my bathroom in the last two weeks
s) I have changed my sheets within the last two weeks
t) I have cleaned my bathroom in the last seven days (including the toilet)
u) I made my bed this morning
v) Right now, this very minute, there are no dirty dishes (in the dishwasher, excluded) in my sink or on my kitchen counter
w) I currently have a living house plant

ARTS AND CULTURE (__ of 14 possible points)
Give yourself one point for each item that accurately describes you:
a) I like trying new restaurants or bars on occasion
b) I enjoy going to live music events
c) I am not opposed to going to see a play, the ballet or the opera
d) I have visited a museum in the last year
e) I have visited a museum in the last 6 months
f) I like to try different kinds of beer and don't limit myself to canned domestics
g) I have never said "I only drink sweet wine"
h) I subscribe to a newspaper
i) I own a piece of original artwork
j) I speak the Queen's English or have a European accent
k) I will watch a film with subtitles
l) My TV is less than 36"
m) My music taste has substantially changed since high school
n) My music taste has substantially changed since my 20s

Give yourself .5 (1/2) points for each publication you subscribe to and actually read (__ out of 4.5 possible points):
a) The New Yorker
b) The Atlantic
c) Lapham’s Quarterly
d) Harper’s
e) New York Times
f) Wall Street Journal
g) Bon Appetit
h) GQ or Esquire
i) The Economist

FASHION AND STYLE (__ out of 26 possible points)
Give yourself one point for each item that is accurately describes you:
a) I prefer swim trunks to a Speedo (competitive swimmers exempt)
b) I own swim trunks that are less than 5 years old
c) I own a suit and tie
d) I own a nice pair of shoes
e) I own more than one tie (“novelty” ties, including anything holiday, Looney Tunes or Disney, don’t count)
f) I wear a hat on occasion, not everyday, unless it’s for sun protection for my job
g) I prefer boxer briefs
h) I have purchased new underwear in the last year
i) I have purchased new underwear in the last 6 months
j) I own a winter jacket
k) I only wear shorts when it's over 60 degrees outside and I'm recreating
l) My tattoos can mostly be covered by clothing
m) I’m not opposed to dressing up for weddings, holidays or other special occasions
n) I will gladly wear a costume for Halloween or a costume party
o) As socks go, I own something besides white tube socks
p) I am over 5'10"
q) I am over 6'2"
r) I do not wear cologne
s) I have ironed a piece of clothing in the last month
t) I own at least one item of clothing that needs to be dry-cleaned and I have taken it to the dry cleaner
u) I am regularly clean-shaven
v) I bathe regularly
w) I wear deodorant or anti-perspirant
x) My jeans are not “skinny” or "blinged out"
y) My clothing consists mostly of natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool and silk
z) I’m not afraid of retiring a piece of clothing especially running shoes, commemorative t-shirts and underwear

Go to PART THREE

Sunday, January 27, 2013

PART ONE "The Real Deal" Joce Compatibility in Dating Quiz


Okay, kids, this is a doozy, honestly more of a final thesis exam than a quiz. This is the kind of thing that happens when you review and edit and add and subtract on one piece of writing for three plus years. The result is a behemoth that's either the next great American novel or firewood. Either way it'll keep you warm during a long, cold winter. It's too much to post in one entry, so over the next couple of days, I'll post sections. You should think of the sections as cumulative. If you do seriously crappy on the first part: personality, smarts, family and relationships, and health and habits, than don't bother with what comes next. This first part represents what I feel are the most important things, obviously, unless, I suppose, you are physically like a God or as rich as a sultan, in which case I might be able to overlook the fact that you didn't graduate from high school. Good luck and extra credit (5 points) to those who actually complete and report their scores. Oh, and if you find inconsistencies on the math, keep it to yourself. It's not my strong suit, and I'm over it.

"The Real Deal" Joce Compatibility in Dating Quiz, version 2013 

Give yourself 10 points if you are a single, heterosexual male, between the ages of 30-47, that lives in the western United States. If you’re not single or heterosexual, or you’re older than 55, or live in a foreign country, let’s just not bother with the rest. K?

PERSONALITY (__ out of 56 possible points)
Give yourself 2 points for each word that you would use to describe yourself: a) creative b) imaginative c) resourceful d) cerebral e) funny f) cheeky g) big-hearted h) loyal i) sweet j) kind k) optimistic l) flexible m) adventurous n) responsible o) caring p) friendly q) generous r) game s) hospitable t) silly u) capable v) compassionate w) forgiving x) self aware y) dependable z) nurturing aa) affectionate bb) hopeful

SMARTS (__ out of 44 possible points)
Give yourself two points for each statement that accurately describes you:
a) I graduated from high school
b) I was considered a good student
c) I was considered an exceptional student
d) I have a college degree
e) I have an advanced degree
f) I can muddle through a vacation by speaking limited Spanish, French or Italian
g) I can speak a foreign language
h) I am fluent in a foreign language
i) I can speak multiple foreign languages
j) I have a job
k) I have a full-time job
l) I would consider my job a “career”
m) I am using my degree in my job
n) I like my job
o) I volunteer
p) I volunteer with kids
q) I volunteer with animals
r) I vote
s) I’m a good writer
t) I have never been in jail
u) I have never been arrested
v) I’m not a particularly religious person

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS (__ out of 52 possible points)
Give yourself two points for each statement that accurately describes you:
a) I have never been married
b) I have had a relationship that lasted longer than 3 years
c) I have never cheated on a girlfriend or wife
d) I have never led a “double life,” maintaining two (or more) girlfriends or wives simultaneously
e) My parents are still married
f) I have at least one sibling
g) At least one of my siblings is a girl
h) At least one of my siblings is married
i) At least one of my siblings has kids
j) I have a conversation with at least one member of my family once a week
k) I have been the best man or groomsman at a wedding
l) I almost always remember my significant other's birthday
m) I always remember my mother’s birthday
n) I live alone
o) I don’t have kids or all my kids are over 18
p) I have made reservations for a Valentine’s dinner more than one week prior to Valentine’s Day
q) I believe relationships are partnerships with equal give and take
r) I look forward to being an active partner in a relationship
s) I realize that a relationship often takes work
t) I believe that communication is key in a relationship, but hugs are even more so
u) I believe the occasional argument or disagreement in a relationship is healthy
v) When faced with an argument or problem I don’t just disappear physically or emotionally
w) I am capable of accepting the blame for something I’ve done wrong and will apologize
x) I consider myself forgiving and understanding in a relationship

HEALTH AND HABITS (__ out of 26 possible points)
Give yourself one point for each statement that accurately describes you:
a) I clean my plate when I eat
b) I like my coffee black
c) I will go to the doctor if I am ill
d) I will take medication if it has been prescribed to me
e) I don’t currently have a prescription for Viagra or anti-anxiety medication
f) I have had my teeth cleaned in the last year
g) I have had a hair cut in the last 2 months
h) I don’t think there is anything wrong with going to a counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist
i) I don’t have a long term therapist and I’m not in “analysis”
j) I rarely drink soda pop
k) I never drink “energy drinks” ie: Monster, Red Bull, etc.
l) I have written a letter in the last 6 months
m) I have read a book in the last 6 months
n) I have read a fiction book in the last 6 months
o) I have read a fiction book in the last 3 months
p) I’m usually juggling several books at a time
q) I like poetry
r) I write fiction or poetry
s) I have a gym membership; I go to the gym no more than 4 days a week
t) I prefer outside recreation to gym recreation
u) I eat both meat and fish
v) I have never been in the military or my military service ended at least 10 years ago
w) I am not lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts nor do I require a gluten-free diet
x) If my hands are dry I will put some lotion on them
y) If my lips are chapped I will put some Chapstick on them
z) If I have a cough I will suck on a cough drop

Give yourself .5 (1/2) point for each item that is currently in your refrigerator/freezer (__ out of 13.5 possible points): 
a) pineapple b) strawberries c) rhubarb d) Brussels sprouts e) beets f) an avocado g) fresh herbs h) Sriracha i) a bottle of champagne j) eggs k) sharp cheddar l) butter m) bacon n) curry paste o) green beans p) spinach or other leafy green q) Greek yogurt r) micro-brew beer s) half and half t) homemade salad dressing u) non-yellow mustard v) some kind of imported cheese w) cilantro x) a bottle of white wine y) ice z) Spanish chorizo

Give yourself .5 (1/2) point for each item that is currently in your pantry (__ out of 13.5 possible points):
a) oatmeal b) a bottle of red wine c) olive oil d) coconut milk e) baking powder or soda f) balsamic vinegar g) sweet potatoes h) sweet onions i) brown rice j) risotto k) bittersweet chocolate l) Earl Grey tea m) local honey n) flour o) sugar p) brown sugar q) molasses r) soy sauce s) nuts t) Whiskey u) non-imitation vanilla v) cumin w) Spanish paprika x) dried chiles y) sea salt z) sesame oil

Take me to PART TWO

Friday, January 18, 2013

The Joce Compatibility in Dating Quiz (Version 1)

Start with 100 points. Subtract 1 point for each of the following statements you believe accurately describes you.
  1. I am an only child or I only have brothers
  2. I live with roommates or my parents
  3. I am 10 years older or 10 years younger than Joce (Joce is 35)
  4. I have kids
  5. I am not employed or I only work part time
  6. I have been convicted of a crime or I should have been convicted of a crime but somehow I didn’t get caught or I got off
  7. I would consider myself “over-educated and under-employed”
  8. I am in debt up to my eyeballs (for reasons other than medical or law school)
  9. I have been called “cheap” by a former girlfriend, I prefer to go “dutch,” I live paycheck to paycheck and/or I do not have a savings account
  10. I pawn goods for cash
  11. College wasn’t for me or college was the best thing that ever happened to me
  12. I was in a fraternity in college
  13. I eat fast food/pizza at least once a week
  14. I am a vegetarian or vegan
  15. I don’t drink alcoholic beverages and/or caffeinated beverages
  16. I drink to get drunk on a frequent basis
  17. I drink my coffee with a lot of cream and sugar or I prefer tea over coffee
  18. I have an allergy to nuts, wheat, or milk
  19. I would consider myself a “picky eater”
  20. I prefer chain restaurants to local places
  21. Currently, the only items in my fridge are beer and/or condiments
  22. I chew gum
  23. I drink more than one soda pop a day, and/or I regularly drink Monster, Red Bull or the equivalent
  24. I am a smoker
  25. I consider myself a casual or recreational drug user
  26. I have been through a 12-step program
  27. I need “meds” to get through the day or I probably should take “meds” to get through the day
  28. I suffer from PTSD, panic attacks and/or night terrors
  29. I have been diagnosed or currently have a sexually transmitted disease
  30. I sleepwalk
  31. I was raised or am currently a practicing Catholic, Southern Baptist, Scientologist, Wiccan, Nazarene or Mormon or a religion that participates in speaking in tongues or snake handling
  32. I am from the northeastern part of the United States, Florida or Nebraska
  33. I am a Sagittarius, Scorpio or Capricorn
  34. I have taken a picture of myself in the bathroom mirror with my shirt off with my phone
  35. I have videotaped myself having sex, I have posted an ad in Craigslists Casual Encounters, I have participated in a threesome or I have paid for sex
  36. I refer to myself an existentialist
  37. I own a gun (for something other than military service or my job as a police officer)
  38. I have never left my home state and/or hometown
  39. I do not have a best friend and/or nobody considers me their best friend
  40. I currently have a girlfriend, wife and/or am gay
  41. I am divorced
  42. I have never been in a relationship that lasted longer than 6 months
  43. I have cheated on a former girlfriend
  44. I have never been in love
  45. I hate my mother and/or my mother hates me
  46. I refuse to dance even when I’ve had a couple of drinks and I’m at my best friend’s wedding
  47. I think women should open their own doors
  48. I own a giant television
  49. I have an “entertainment center” and/or I collect DVD’s
  50. I own a light-up beer sign and/or “kegerator”
  51. I collect empty beer, liquor or wine bottles and display them on my windowsill/headboard/fireplace mantle
  52. I do not own a couch, my couch is 20 plus years old, and/or I have a couch on my front porch
  53. I sleep on a mattress on the floor, a couch, a blow-up mattress, and/or a futon
  54. I don’t remember the last time I changed the sheets on my bed
  55. The last time I read a book it was required reading
  56. My preferred reading materials include “Maxim,” “Men’s Health,” graphic novels, tabloids, and/or USA Today
  57. I have a subscription to a porn magazine
  58. I do not know what NPR, NASA, and/or PMS stands for
  59. I am under 5’8”
  60. I don’t wear deodorant and/or I wear cologne
  61. I do not take a shower or bathe every day
  62. I never or rarely floss
  63. I own sweatpants and will wear them in public (other than the gym)
  64. I wear baseball/trucker caps regularly (even if I’m not playing baseball or truckin’), and/or when I wear a baseball/trucker cap, I turn it to the side
  65. I wear flip-flops more frequently than any other footwear
  66. I wear “tighty whities,” or “novelty” or “holiday” boxers/socks/ties
  67. I am going bald and growing my hair out at the same time, my hair is long enough to pull back in a pony tail and/or I highlight or dye my hair
  68. I have a full beard, mustache, "soul patch" and/or muttonchops
  69. I have a tattoo of a Looney Tune, Disney character, comic book character, woman’s name (other than my mother), barbed wire around my bicep, rosary around my neck, and/or a face tattoo
  70. “Bro,” “Bra,” “it’s all good,” “no worries” and/or “and whatnot,” is something I say frequently
  71. I consider myself a “regular guy,” or an “average joe”
  72. I use the terms “lol” and “lmao” on a regular basis
  73. I refer to women as “females”
  74. I have used the phrase “I carry my God in my pocket”
  75. I have used the phrase “artsy fartsy”
  76. I never exercise, I go to the gym every day and/or I am a former world champion power lifter
  77. I run marathons and/or am in training for an extreme sport competition
  78. I play in a band and/or I play Rock Band
  79. My hobbies include dirt biking, 4-wheeling, and/or snowmobiling
  80. My favorite game is Risk, D&D, or Magic, The Gathering
  81. I have an obsession with Star Wars, Star Trek, comic books, comic book characters, Lord of the Rings, Twilight and/or anything to do with vampires or zombies
  82. I have an obsession with football, NASCAR, and/or ultimate Frisbee
  83. I LARP and/or I participate in historical reenactments
  84. I have participated in a farting and/or belching contest when I was over the age of 18
  85. I participate in recreational tanning
  86. I regularly play the lottery
  87. I enjoy singing karaoke
  88. I like Jimmy Buffett
  89. I would consider myself “the life of the party,” or a “party pooper”
  90. I have over 300 friends on Facebook
  91. I tweet
  92. I prefer texting to calling
  93. I do not own a car
  94. I drive a Hummer, Aztec, Brat, Baja, minivan, conversion van, PT Cruiser, Taurus, new(ish) Mustang, or school bus
  95. I “lowered” my car or drive a “monster” truck
  96. My car has “rims,” “curb feelers,” a chain link or miniature steering wheel, a “No Fear” sticker, a Calvin peeing on or kneeling before a cross sticker, and/or my last name in gothic text on the rear window
  97. I never wash my car or I wash my car weekly
  98. I consider myself a “cat person”
  99. I own a snake, lizard, rat or ferret
  100. I love my chow, pit bull, Chihuahua, cocker spaniel, pug, beagle, Jack Russell terrier, Doberman pinscher, miniature pinscher, wolf mix, or Rottweiler
Scoring
96-100
Clearly you are a big liar…or my knight in shining armor. Call me immediately for a date! Or to propose! I’ll be happy to give you the best (or next) 4 years of my life.
71-95
Three scenarios are possible: we will go out on 1-2 dates and you will fall in love with me and I will find you wretched OR we will go out on 1-2 dates and I will fall in love with you and you will find me tedious OR we will go out on 1-2 dates and decide we’re better off as friends. Things will be awkward for awhile but we’ll appreciate each other in the end. This is the most likely scenario.
51-70
The best opportunity for a “bad date.” We have just enough in common, or you’re hot enough that I’ll agree to go out with you. I will probably even be hopeful about it. Give him a chance! Maybe he’ll surprise you?! It will be painful and embarrassing and a huge waste of precious time. Of course, it will be fun to tell my friends about later. Sayonara suckah.
31-50
It could never and will never work. Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t go out with you. I’ll give it the old college try and will hate every second of the “experience.” I will vow never to see/call/talk to you again and I will resent you and look forward to mocking you at my earliest convenience. Or, we will move in together.
0-30
Move along. You should be ashamed of yourself. I’m ashamed of you. Your mom is, too.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Fight or flight (Joce)


A couple of years ago, after a holiday visit to my parent’s house, I went to the airport to fly back to Arizona. As I was walking up to check in to my flight, I recognized the girl behind the counter as someone I went to high school with. Sasha and I had belonged to different cliques (she was a cheerleader, I was a neo-hippie intellectual), and therefore, obviously, we had never been friends. I said a quick prayer that she wouldn’t recognize me as I placed my suitcase on the scale.

“Joce? Hi! How are you?”

Unfortunately, God, once again, wasn’t about to interfere in my favor. I feigned surprise and responded with a similarly enthusiastic greeting.  

“And, where are you going today?”

“I live in Tucson now, just going home.”

“Great. And the name is?”

I’ll admit to being more than a little confused at this question. She had just called me by my name. “Oh, Joce, Joce Stevenson?”

As soon as the answer was out of my mouth, the look on her face changed. No longer was she chipper and smiley. Now, she tilted her head and gave an exaggerated frown, furrowed her brow.

“Really? Still a Stevenson, huh?”

It took me a minute to realize what she was saying, what she was offering up her condolences for: my name hadn’t changed. I wasn’t married. What a poor, pathetic loser. I glanced down at the dime store speck on her ring finger. “Yep, you win the popularity contest, again, Sasha,” I thought to myself.

She printed my boarding pass and slung my bag on to the conveyor, “Good to see you, Joce, and best of luck to you.”

“Yeah, thanks, Sasha.”

Monday, August 6, 2012

Navigating Treacherous Waters (Kirk)


Hey Joce,
You're quite the writer ...are you really that quick and witty???
Either way it's rather sexy and appealing, and well I suppose your cute pics help as well.
I've always swooned for a lady arm wrestler and one who could navigate treacherous waters!
Anyways fire back I'd like to chat with you!
Kirk

Hi Kirk,
You look like quite the lady killer with your spiky hair, North Face jacket, and shiny teeth. Why on earth are you attempting to pick up chicks on Facebook? Though I guess if you're the kinda guy looking for lady arm wrestlers than maybe this IS the place.
Up early on a Sunday morning you must be headed out for a round of golf. Don't spill anything on your white pants! 
Joce

LOL that's hilarious. I'm not sure about a lady killer but I'm rather outgoing and flirtatious ...
You are correct...I was up to play golf just finished up And now it's time to head back to town.
I managed to keep my white pants clean :-)
Whatcha doing later !!
Kirk

Saturday, July 21, 2012

School Lunch


Dear Ramon,
You’ve been coming into my work for over a year now, once or twice a month. You never look me in the eye when I talk to you but I can feel your stares, hot on the back of my neck, when I turn away. I know you have no interest in what I’m selling, and still you come back, again and again. Listen, Ramon, I know you want to ask me out, that you have a “big crush” on me; it’s pretty obvious (plus, your mom told me.) And, yet, you can never seem to get the guts up to ask me out, or get my phone number, or flirt without stammering. 

Dear Ramon, I’d like to give you a little tip, because I think you should know after all this time: don’t even bother.

I get it. You’re nervous. I’m intimidating: I look people in the eye, I’m conservatively dressed with some artsy flair, I’m friendly and I give really good customer service. But, the thing is, it’s my job. In my real life, when I’m not at work, I’m not generous with the friendly smiles – my clothes are eccentric, weird even – my demeanor has lots of hard edges and unpredictable holes.

I may not be the most beautiful girl, or the smartest, but I am full of meaty, juicy guts. I’ve been knocked on my ass more times than I can count, but because of these guts, I’m still standing, still fighting. Because of these guts, when I want something, or when I believe something, when the future needs wrangling, I pull out all the stops, I hitch up my bootstraps, I push through the barriers, I overcome my shyness and worry and I go for it.

And you know what I’m looking for in guys that I date? Guts, Ramon. I’m not looking for the handsomest, strongest, most charming, smartest, richest guy. I’m looking for a guy with guts. I know if you can’t even muster the guts to ask me out, after an ENTIRE YEAR, that you don’t have what it takes. If you can’t suck it up, reach out, look me in the eye, act like a man, offer yourself humbly but with confidence, than you are not the guy for me. I’m not interested. Fact.

Dear Ramon, just let it go and move on. Take it from me: I eat guys like you for lunch, with pickles and Baked Lay’s on the side.

XOXO, Joce
 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Pursuit of Happiness (Richard)


She is called Sunny. Her real name, matronly, monotonous Martha, was only used very briefly in her early life. Very briefly until one day, as she sat glowering and gloomy in her high chair, silently passing judgment on the creamed corn and mashed carrots being served to her on a thick rubbery spoon, her mother observed, not unkindly, “well, aren’t you just a cloudy day! We should call you Sunny.” And as those things so often go, they did.

As a child Sunny learned that it’s a lot of trouble to be gloomy. People were forever asking her what was wrong and trying to help her, solve her problems, cheer her up. She found them pandering, patronizing, annoying. She wished to be left alone, to color, to read, to play with her dolls, and didn’t need some meddlesome adult suggesting that she go play with the other kids, or sing along, to pull her sleeping bag up to her chin and share her deepest giggly secrets like the girls did in the Young Adult books she bought through the Troll Book Order.  Eventually she found it was easier to feign cheerfulness, to invest in a little smile and force a little laugh than it was to maneuver through awkward probing questions from concerned teachers, parents, strangers. Though she never lost the murky shadows that tainted her outlook as she got older she forced the darkness inside and on the outside she became, well, Sunny.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Middle Spring (Xander)

Oh, spring, bursting forth cheerfully with your tiny puckering buds, waves of fresh and tender green tendrils breaching the winter-hardened soil, your precocious pink and whisper white first flowers. Oh, spring, heaving with the humid light of a virgin birth, promising the exhalation of sweet scented breath, inviting, welcoming the growth and bloom of the months to come. Oh, spring with your naïve insistence, your youth choir of daffodils and tuplets of tulips. Oh, spring, there is a treachery, an insincerity in your perfection.

I’m always getting fooled by spring. It’s hard not to be hopeful at the freshness and warmth and the robin’s egg skies. The clouds are so full and downy, surely they must house piglet plump cherubim: the littlest and most brazen, a silken sashed archer. No?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Sea Salt (Unknown)

Mid-week work trip. Drive 5 hours, eat a burger and tots at the Shoshone Snack Bar and check in to an old Best Western with a “river view.” There is a great big TV but nothing on and nothing to read but a Holy Bible. “Good Lord,” you say out loud and sigh.

You wash your hands, your face. Eye cream, Vitamin C serum, overnight cream, hand cream. Tomorrow someone will tell you you look younger than your 35 years. Have you fooled them with your snake oil elixirs…or maybe it’s the big zit punctuating your chin.

You turn in early.  Ghosts of the motor inn age: squeaky screens, metal car doors slamming, wafting smoke from a Lucky Strike, interrupt your already compromised sleep. “Good Lord.” Sigh.

The next morning you attempt to fortify yourself at Buddy’s Drive Thru Java Stop. This is a mid-western vanilla mocha double-whip with chocolate chip town and your cappuccino is resolutely thin.

It’s a four-lane road, wide and pitted and dusty. Up ahead and to the left, a digital billboard flashes pixilated fireworks and a robotic American flag. Your name in lights, misspelled. Welcome!!! You pull in the parking lot and park. The air is humid with the smell of chilidogs and pizza. Someone somewhere is practicing duck calls. It is a flat, desperate sound.

Standing there, behind your plastic table with the plastic tablecloth underneath a striped tent you turn on your alternate personality: you smile at everyone, chat easily with strangers, coo at children, tilt your head and nod knowingly. You answer questions and make jokes.

Hours go by, you meet hundreds of people. You chew on ice cubes and feel your voice weakening, cracking from use. You find it exhausting.

About 3 p.m. the throng thins and quiets. For the first time you can just make out the Muzak through the tinny speaker overhead. Don Henley. Sting. You sit down. You check your phone. No messages. You look up and out into the multitude.

THE BEST OF THE WORST.