Welcome to Richmond, Serving Your Drug-Related Crime Needs For Over a Decade!

Welcome to new police chief Rodney Monroe, who in his short time at the big post, has shown that he's ready and willing to cut thru the bullshit and kick some ass. Kudos also to Mayor Doug Wilder, who appears to do mostly whatever he wants, but so far it seems to be what this city has been needing for way too long. Bad guys have been getting busted right and left and murders have been solved in record time, this is exciting and hopeful stuff.


These are memorials in the parking lot of a local gas station, for two people who were killed in their car in the middle of the day. Their murderer is in custody. What a nice change, let's hope the good guys can keep it up, and that more people will realise how badly their is needed in these situations.

Goodbye Keswick Gardens, Make Way For Progress

I stopped by Keswick Gardens apartments on my way home today. I felt compelled to take some pictures of these buildings that I've always really liked the look of. They're about to be torn down because they were bought by Gumenick Properties who "decided high-end condominiums were the best use of the Keswick Gardens property rather than renovating existing apartment buildings." Unfortunately it's tough stuff for all the tenants, many of whom had resided there for scores of years, and they were given the heave-ho and most probably won't be on the top of the list of preferred renters/buyers when all is done. How sad, but apparently[Gumenick]'s proposal for Keswick Gardens is consistent with Henrico's efforts to revive older neighborhoods."
And there you are. I will post all my pictures here and also on Flickr.

My new dream of the moment is to become fluent in my imitation of Ariana Huffington.

ifeelloveifeelloveifeelloveifeellove

I'm sitting here in the living room watching "The First 48," a pretty good cameras-following-cops show. They follow homicide teams in various cities, Miami, Kansas City, Phoenix, Philly, and a couple more. Tonite, it's Miami, and one of my favourite guys, Det. Sgt. Joe Schillaci. Something about him I really love, you'd want him to be your neighbor or friend, you'd always want to hang with him for a few beers. Tonite, the show concerns the murder of a strip club owner, a guy that everyone apparently liked. Well, alright, I won't go thru the events so far, as I'm sure it's much more interesting to watch it unfold than to read it on here.
Which leads me to...
Two-Time Oscar Winner Hillary Swank...Wha, you say? Well, she's on the list of Famous People I Have Been Face to Face With. Who else is on this list, you may ask? In no particular order : Donald Trump (in this case, I actually, physically, ran into him, smack into him, my face against his chest, then me, embarrassed, looking up into his face, the face of The Donald, as I think he was more popularly known then), Robert Goulet (non-natural fiber slacks, very colorful acrylic sweater, huge, thick-lensed glasses), Marco Hofschneider, adorable, here filming "The Foreign Student," but known mostly as that point as the star in "Europa, Europa," or "Hitlerjunge Salomon" as it was know in Germany, James Taylor, quiet and sweet-seeming, Tom Brokaw, handsome, Wes Studi, also handsome, no one knew who he was except me, a variety of cycling superstars of the old school that no one cared about except me, and Hillary Swank, when she was here filming "Iron Jawed Angels," which I saw part of on HBO and found to be odd and kind of silly. She dug the Feast's food, in particular the tuna sandwich, and came in herself on several ocassions, somewhat 'in cognito.' I chatted her up a bit, in my patented "I Know You're A Star But I'm Acting Super-Cool Like You're Just Another Regular Joe or Jane, But Secretly I'm Screaming Inside" way, and she was quite polite and well-mannered. I wish her well and congratulations despite "Iron Jawed Angels," and the inconvenience that our city and citizenry suffered because of it's production.
Finally, I feel love because I'm in love, dammit, and Donna Summer still rocks my house.

The Return of the Leemur

Well for starters, congratulate me, I have a passel of new snails, courtesy of Gary and Neal. They are all damn cute. Pictures are forthcoming I can assure you, as soon as they're big enough to photograph.
Elsewhere---I dreamt last night that I was Rachel on Friends, that's right, Rachel, The Rachel, Rach. Anyway, as Rachel in this particular episode, I was dating Chris Rock, who portayed a black guy. He was very good in his role. We were a bit of an odd couple to be sure, but we were digging each others' company. I was wearing a charcoal grey strappy dress and Manolos, and he looked real cute in an oxford shirt under a red sweater that had two holes in the elbows the size of the circumference of the lid of your average cup of Dannon yogurt. We walked down a moonlit city street, me twirling my tiny, fashionable handbag, and he gesturing vivdly as he told me stories about his first job in a cardboard box factory. I felt as light as a feather and as frisky as a kitten. The next thing I knew we were in his pristine white 1983 Mustang that had the most incredible buttery soft leather seats the color of a melting caramel. Then we were racing thru the parking lot, swerving around the many elderly who were there for some reason, and then we ended up in the loading dock of the nation's largest post office. We went inside to look at the pictures of the last big office party and who should be sitting at the biggest desk but my dead grandmother.
Then I woke up.
A free pair of custom Leemur-made earrings to whomever can provide a satisfactory interpretation of my dream. For real.

Misc.

I listened to Terry Gross interview Lynne Cheney on yesterday's Fresh Air (http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=02-09-2005) and though I usually champion Terry the Intrepid, I found her instead, to be overbearing and somewhat obnoxious. As tired as the Cheneys must be of all the "gay" questions, I think that I am actually tired-er. No, I'm sure of it. Why should anyone on either side spend valuable time and brain activity (I'll assume) on Dick, Lynne, and poor, poor Mary, who selfishly refuses to be somebody's gay poster girl. For the love of God and Tammy Faye Baker, (http://www.tammyfaye.com/default.asp), leave these people and their selfishly-private gay daughter alone!
On another, completely unrelated note, I believe that Gary and Neal were engaged in the courting and mating rituals that are appropriate to snails when I got home yesterday morning. I think that's what they were doing... We'll see what happens. I can hardly wait.
I just found out that Julia Roberts produced her twins--wow--and that Brad and Jen might get back together, and holy shit! Nick and Jessica are skirmishing like scorpions. Yes, that's right, I was in line at the grocery store tonite.
Cheers!

Expletive

I'd just like to go on the record saying that I really, really, didn't like or appreciate the awful, horrible, awful, spiteful, smug, mean bitch from Chase Manhattan who called me this afternoon. I hope she reads this and I hope that she gets bitten by a weasel on her way home tonite.
She's probably ruining my life through her computer database as I speak. Nasty mean girl.

My Really Special Day, continued...

A few more pictures, courtesy of Shannon. Thanks, ShannyBean!
I think we've all been talking about how much fun we had (except for you, Anita), and how we should do it again. A plan should be pursued. We need more delicious food! More fun! More fellowship blessed by me, the Reverend! Stay tuned.

Megan, Judith, & Betty mesmerised by my bright head

peeps getting ready to surprise me

Leemur's "Big Night" Night

What I Have to Say About My Friends :
Well, I have the greatest friends in the world, ever. No, really. I'm sure that a lot of people think their friends are pretty cool, but I'm afraid that their (and maybe YOUR) friends, just don't hold a candle to mine. Let me list them, not in order of importance or greatness, or those most likely to smell really good, but in a random, free-form sort of way :
Linda, Megan (congratulations on not being a "looser" anymore, now that you have a job again!), KDA, aka The Rule of Law, Shannon, Bun Buntich, Kiki & TeeTee (or Bunny & Monkey), Judith, Anita, who couldn't make it but tried really hard and came by today to say Happy B'day, and lastly but certainly not leastly, my very own Bunny, Betty.
Also, apparently, they were all lying to me for the past week or so. I say "Congratulations! Good Job!" I was definitely fooled.
In the end, I was treated to an amazing meal with my dear friends and Rosie Clooney, Claudio Villa, Matteo Salvatore, and more, serenading us as we laughed and ate by candlelight.
I am the luckiest girl in the world.

KDA, laying down the law.

Megan & Shannon, actual b'day night @ Betty's

Linda and Bun, skeptical

Bun, Judith, & a little bit of KDA

leemur's "Big Night" birthday birthday dinner

bing crosby, one hell of a good cat

isabel

By The Way,

I am ordained now and raring to marry people, baptise them and otherwise provide counsel...