Fuck.

I may start avoiding these little quizzes. Sometimes, despite their essentially random nature, they zap me.

I finished catching up on heterodoxy's journal and now I'm browsing through todc's. It's like having my friends with me even when they're elsewhere. Anyway, I found todc's post on the book quiz (he was Watership Down) and I linked to it on a whim.

You're The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!

by C.S. Lewis

You were just looking for some decent clothes when everything changed quite dramatically. For the better or for the worse, it is still hard to tell. Now it seems like winter will never end and you feel cursed. Soon there will be an epic struggle between two forces in your life and you are very concerned about a betrayal that could turn the balance. If this makes it sound like you're re-enacting Christian theological events, that may or may not be coincidence. When in doubt, put your trust in zoo animals.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

This gave me chills. It actually made me want to cry, which would probably have made my client concerned for the status of the project. My life has always seemed to advance by coincidences, both big and small, so getting this kind of message isn't unusual.

Amazing. One moment, I'm reading todc's words, clicking on a link, laughing to myself at the questions. The next moment, I feel like I've been hit by a bus.

Book quiz musings

I haven't written about my experience at the Body Electric workshop, Celebrating the Body Erotic, but I was reminded of it by the line in my Book Quiz profile, If this makes it sound like you're re-enacting Christian theological events, that may or may not be coincidence.

At the culmination of the weekend, the participants are each blindfolded and massaged by six other men in turn while coached in breathing excercises. Then, at a signal from the facilitator, the man being massaged takes a few deep breaths, clenches his entire body and then releases.

For me, this triggered an ecstasy of grief and sorrow. I was wracked by huge sobs, my face and neck contorted by the emotion. I cried like this for a few minutes, then rested a bit and then was overcome by more crying. It was indescribable.

After a short time, the man watching over me lifted the edges of the sheet that I was resting upon and covered me with it from head to toe. I rested like that for about fifteen minutes. At that time, I was uncovered and he carefully wiped off all of the massage oil and helped me to remove my blindfold and sit up.

During all of this, I was struck by how much the experience I was having resonated with the story of Jesus on the cross -- the grief and sorrow were just overwhelming, then I was covered with a sheet like a shroud. Through it all, I knew that someone was watching over me -- caring for me, even though he couldn't comfort me with his hands (the witnesses were asked not to touch us).

After that, the gentle cleaning reminded me of the women caring for the body of Jesus, and the removal of the blindfold hit me like the rock rolling from the entrance to the tomb. I felt reborn as I sat up, blinking in the light.

This felt like a true baptism to me; it felt like a far-off echo of what Jesus must have felt. At that moment, I resolved never to see Mel Gibson's Passion -- the movie sounds too brutal and my experience was wonderful.

Re-enacting Christian theological events, indeed.

Fool me once...

Every month the HOPE Foundation organizes a social for HIV positive gay men someplace in the DC Metro area. I've been trying to go for two months now, and each time, I've had the offer of a ride from someone else who's been planning to go. Each time, he's cancelled on me at the last minute.

This month's social is this Saturday and I'm going to make my own way there via the train from Baltimore to DC, even if it does mean that I'll have to sit in Union Station waiting for the 3 am train to return me home. It wouldn't be the first time. :-\

This guy hasn't called me to offer me a ride for this weekend yet. If he does, I'll just tell him that I'll meet him there. If he shows up, then I get a ride home. If he flakes out, then I'm sleeping in Union Station.

Moose Call

I had posted my latest entry about the social on Saturday and then having to amuse mysel.... er, sit and wait in Union Station until 3 am. I was preparing to go grab some groceries for dinner when legalmoose called me up to offer a spot on the floor at his place for the night! What a sweetheart!

I had a smile on my face all the way to the grocery! Of course, then I became awash in an orgy of consumerism and greed and forgot all my friends and relations until I stumbled out in the daylight, satiated. Or something like that. :-)

I better get paid soon!

I was shaken by the Narnia thingie earlier, and a little bummed out.

So, what do you do when you're feeling low? Retail therapy!

But I was working! At the client's office! How to procure something mood-altering on such short notice? Think, man, think!

Enter the iTunes Music Store. Yay!

I bought ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits and started playing it just as soon as the first track came over the wire. Put me in the mood to work, and I would have completed my project and gotten the client's sign-off, except they still haven't given me what I need to interface my web application with their fax system. :-(

I've just synchronized my iPod with iTunes and I'm listening to Dancing Queen on my stereo. Yay!