Ever considered what time period you would place people you know? As someone who writes, I’ve considered this many times. I like to use people I know as the basis of my characters. While no character is exactly like any single person, there are aspects of those I know well and they may be able to figure out which character is based on them. Today though I’m going to do a little exercise on putting people I know into a time period that I think suits them best.

First up is Mr. O. His hobbies influence my decision heavily. He would be best suited for the wild west. You know…the guy in the westerns who is a good guy, but always just a bit on the wrong side of the law. So I’d put him on the old west, maybe Wyoming. Rancher or small town sheriff. 1870s. But he would have been born earlier, so that he was around 25 at some point in the 1870s. He probably visits the local brothel too much (sounds like Deadwood).
Next is my friend from graduate school. I think he’d make an excellent gangster in the 1920s to 1930s. I don’t know exactly why. When I picture him and think of a time period, I automatically see him in a pin-stripe suit walking the streets of Las Vegas. He has a choice of women, but they are really the same woman. You know the one…the kind that likes the dangerous gangster and the money. The woman who likes to be treated like princess, but often willing to put up with being treated like a tart.
My mother should have been born sometime in the future, perhaps in a big city like New York or San Francisco. I know that she wanted to go to Woodstock (she was married with a newborn at the time), but she has never seemed like the hippy type. Her art is so modern that it belongs in the future–not now. She often paints what sells–I think what sells is crap–so her real talent is never seen. I’d still make her an artist, but put her in the center of the art world.
Me? I would have loved the 1930s and 40s. Perhaps Hollywood. I love the clothes. I doubt that is where others would put me though. I’m a bit too unconventional even for today.

My sister seems very well suited to today. I can’t really see her at any other time. Perhaps I don’t know her interests well enough. I’m not sure she knows. She’s too busy with work and family to have any time for herself.

My son might belong in Germany or France during either world war. He loves history. I think he might find it an interesting experience. Otherwise, I’d have to place him in the present.

I know a cantor who once dressed up as a flapper. It certainly seemed to suit her. I could see her as a flapper. Dancing, singing. Another person for the 1920s. It is certainly a more unconventional side compared to her life today. Or it seems that way.

As I think of all the people I know, I realize that you really have to know someone fairly well to place them somewhere in history. Some are easy. Some are difficult. Know someone who just doesn’t seem to fit in the present? Feel free to leave your stories in the comments.

For those who missed it in all the other news yesterday (I nearly missed it),Iwao Takamoto died Monday. I had no idea that he worked for Disney on several films that I absolutely love: Lady and the Tramp and 101 Dalmations. I wasn’t that fond of Scooby–mostly because of the storyline, but I really liked Astro. His work has affected generations past and to come.

A friend of mine was a bit disconcerted by a the fact that in a photo of himself, Hanna, Barbera and Takamoto that he’s the only one left. I don’t see any significance there other than he’s much much younger than they. However, he has a wonderful collection of animation cells, photographs and other stuff from working at Hanna-Barbera with the creators’ signatures. Most of us never knew these three people. He did. What a lucky person!

It’s another not very exciting Monday. I have quite a bit to do this week to prepare for my son coming for Christmas break. Cleaning. Present wrapping. I’m still not feeling fully functional after the weekend.

My most important thing today was to take my dress to be dry cleaned. In the daylight, I found dirty spots and other discolorations I didn’t see the night (morning) I took it off. I hope it comes back white. It got snagged anyway, so it’s a bit ruined. I should know better than to wear white silk chiffon, but the dress was so pretty. Oh well. At least I didn’t pay full price. I’d be sick if I had.

I still have to get a podcast out before the end of the week. It wouldn’t be a problem if I didn’t have several files I need from other people. I’m hoping that adjusting the sound levels won’t take too long.

I checked in on a friend last night. He gets down in the winter, but he can be unbearable to be around then. At least he’s extremely busy at work, which means he can’t stew so much. We talked for quite some time. I got another phone call, so I didn’t get to finish finding out entirely how he’s doing. Since his parents moved into the room behind his garage (it’s nice large room…more like a small apartment), I always like to ask how that’s going. I think it can be a bit strange to be an adult with your parents so close by knowing all your business. I wouldn’t want my mother to know everything.

I had a little celebration over my latest news beginning last night and going into this morning. None of the other people involved in the startup live around here. I decided to celebrate with a friend who understands how important this is. So we had dinner and then champagne and creme brulee. The champagne was terrific. I’m tired, and I have a bit of a headache from finishing off the champagne this morning. I will probably need to do double the hula workout to work off all the calories.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who come by here today. It’s so hard to not use the computer for just one day. I’m looking forward to a quiet day of catching up on all the movies I haven’t had the chance to watch. I’ve been away from home so much that I’ve missed just sitting around watching television. Last night was no different. A friend asked me to go to the Warriors game, so I went. It was close, but they lost. Perhaps I will catch up on some sleep. I was hoping to do some catching up on novel writing–which may happen. I have plans to get up early to go to ONE store. If I get that item, then I’m done shopping for the day. I’m still on the hunt for a PS3, but I think that will have to wait until December since shipments are slow.

I hate dating. A friend of mine thinks of dating as like the song “Love Stinks” by the J. Geils Band. For those who don’t know this song, it’s about how one person likes another, who likes a different person, etc. I think there’s some truth to it. Funny how it seems that the person you’re really into often isn’t that into you.

Another person I know asked “isn’t dating just getting to know someone?” I guess there’s some truth to that as well, but it’s more than that. There are often unspoken expectations by both people that really get in the way of getting to know someone. Then there is the fact that it isn’t always easy to get to know someone. Most people play the game of I-want-to-tell-you-who-I-am-but-if-you-find-out-the-
real-me-you-will-leave. So they tell you half-truths, and you have to discover the rest yourself. Some are very good at hiding their true selves for a long time. Many people don’t even know who they are or what they want, so they can’t tell you. The guys often play I-want-to-get-into-your-pants-so-I-will-pretend-to-want-to-
know-you. So then I’m left figuring out whether or not the guy actually wants to get to know me.

I often feel it’s a waste of my time to go on a date with someone when it’s so awful that I’d rather be anywhere else—like the dentist or maybe the gynecologist. Both of those can be less painful and more fun than a date. And getting a free meal? Men hardly do that anymore. It’s more each pays their own way. Sitting through dinner can be agony. If a guy does offer to pay, then you have to wonder if he will be expecting some sort of “payment” in return. No, not all think this way, but an amazing number do.

It’s coming up on holidays when it’s time to visit family again. My mother never gives me a problem about being single. It’s my aunt who does. The day I gave her an announcement of my doctoral graduation, she burst out asking if it was a wedding invitation. As if that is the best a woman can aspire to. That graduation was far more important than any wedding. I’ve thought of some smart retorts. The best comes from a book I bought called “Even God Is Single (so stop giving me a hard time)” by Karen Salmansohn. Here are a couple of my favorites:

“Over 50% of marrieds undo their “I dos”. The way I see it, being careful about whom I marry just means I’ve skipped a few divorces.”

A funny quote from her Granma Nan: “Why make one man happy, when you can make a lot of men happy?”

And one of the best: “It’s easy to become married. 2.3 million people do it a year. If you want to pressure me to become something, hey, why not pick something a little more challenging—like an astrophysicist.”

I was married once. It wasn’t bliss. The divorce was the best thing that ever happened. I got to go to graduate school. Now, I didn’t become an astrophysicist, but I did get that doctorate in chemistry doing laser spectroscopy, no less. What is that, you ask? Ever see “Real Genius”? It’s kind of like that, but the lasers I used couldn’t vaporize people. They could burn your hand pretty good though if you were silly enough to forget that the beam was there (it was invisible).

So, yeah, I hate dating. I’ll bet lots of single people do. I think I’ll go now and take Granma Nan’s advice.

Technorati: dating, single

It’s everyone’s favorite subject. I was discussing my pet theory on sexual identity with a friend last night, and I thought others might find it interesting. I don’t know that it’s original, but I’ve never read it elsewhere.

My theory is that sexual identity is a continuum—a bit like a line with hetero on one end and homo on the other. Everyone fits somewhere on the line, but they are not stationary. I don’t believe that anyone is 100% straight or gay. Any curiosity, fleeting thoughts or dreams puts you away from that 100% even if you never act on any of it.

This little theory makes it difficult to definitively label someone’s preference. I know how much everyone likes their labels. I don’t care much for labels, and I don’t think I’m alone.

I had my theory in mind also because I watched a couple of programs on the LOGO channel (nothing else on and they have good programming) about gay rights and sexual identity. They present both sides. One program was about sex education in our schools and how the textbooks get chosen. I am so surprised by the strong emotional response by those who are against the gays having any rights or teaching sex education. They appear so threatened and fearful. I’m sure that they wouldn’t like my continuum. Although they may think that it means people can change their identity. While I believe that sexual identity is somewhat fluid, one doesn’t flip from one preference to the other. A person only moves a little along the continuum depending on the circumstances.

I am writing this early in the morning, and I just realized how timely this topic is with the current political scandals. I want to know why those who are most vocal against gay rights and sex education are involved in these scandals? How is it that one can be gay and a Republican when their agenda has been anti-gay rights for many years? Is it possible to hate yourself that much?

Technorati: sex, gay, straight

Since I agreed to meet an old “friend” from graduate school this coming weekend, I had to find out where this guy was staying in San Francisco so I could find a coffee house. Well, once I found out I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.

Anyone who knows San Francisco will understand. But I don’t know it that well, so I will explain. The conference is at the Moscone conference center, which is near Market and Mission, putting it in the Mission district. Although a visit to the Moscone center website says it’s in the downtown district. Whatever. It’s near Mission, which is near Market St. Why SF is divided into “districts” I have no idea. They aren’t real districts–marked on a map–just convenient ways to say where you live within the city. It’s a bit like a secret code that only San Franciscans know. You say you live in Nob Hill and people nod and seem to know something about you. Nob Hill means you probably have more money than the person speaking to you. And of course there’s Haight-Ashbury, which has turned into yuppie-ville. The hippies can’t afford to live there anymore and haven’t been able to for some time now.

Anyway, Market and Mission Streets have a unique atmosphere. Anyone who has visited SF will know. Although if you get up to Castro and Mission, it gets even more interesting.

Now, this guy is from Missouri. Hasn’t been outside Missouri much. Missouri doesn’t have the various ethic groups that we have here nor does it have the peculiarities that SF is known for. I have to give him some credit for living in a suburb of St. Louis, so he’s familiar with larger cities. But St. Louis is nothing like SF. There is no city in the world like SF.

I hadn’t heard of the hotel he said he was staying at, so I had to look it up. It’s obviously one of the cheaper hotels in the area. R teaches at a community college last I heard. They make less than professors and much less than teachers at either type of college out here. He’s probably lucky to afford the trip.

My internet search on this hotel turned up some interesting information. The building is from 1909. Not everyone who has stayed there has been very happy. It turns out that this hotel is recommended by a gay travel site as being very gay-friendly, and it is run by a gay man. R doesn’t know this. I am sure he doesn’t know this. All of this will make a very interesting stay in SF for him. I can hardly contain my glee over seeing this homophobic nitwit’s reaction when he finds out where he is staying.

I have tried to talk another friend of mine into coming (to take pictures and act gay—just to mess with his mind), but he won’t. But he’s soooooo good at it. I’m sure there will be plenty to disturb R on a Saturday afternoon on Market Street without any help. Small-minded people like R are so much fun to mess with.

Right now, I don’t have any particular coffee house in mind. It’s Market Street. If I can’t find one, then I must be blind. When I mentioned to a friend that I wasn’t all that interested in meeting R while he’s in SF, he wanted to know why I was. Well, I hate going back on my word. But now it is like a train wreck just waiting to happen, and I have to see. I must bring my camera and actually remember to take a picture or two.

Technorati: San Francisco, travel, St. Louis

I’m feeling pretty lazy today. You tend to know it’s not a great day when you are awakened by fighting cats under your bed before 7 a.m. on a Sunday. A couple of them have been fighting every morning, but not usually so early. And, these are real fights–not play fights.

So, I woke up feeling a lot like Kelly, whose site was the first one I looked at this morning. She’s sending people to my blog today through her “Mystery Blog of the Day.” So if you came here from her site, welcome and I hope you enjoy it. To Kelly: Thanks a bunch!

I have a blogging issue. Not sure what else to call it. Any bloggers out there had some trouble with friends or other people you know taking issue with whatever you put on your blog?

I put things on my blog that I haven’t discussed with other people, and even if friends know what I’m up to, they don’t always know how I feel or think about things. Anyone else gotten the question “Why didn’t you tell me? Why did I have to read it on your blog?”

Technorati: cats, blog, friends