Monday, April 30, 2007

Baby Isabella


Baby Isabella, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Baby Isabella


Baby Isabella, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Its a new day, people


Its a new day, people, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Coffee's in the house

--Reese

Sunday, April 29, 2007

LABYRINTH

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Where the children play


Where the children play, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Webtastic

--Reese

a few new thoughts and amazing photographs from Ariana, that great Woman of the World, during her adventures in Ecuadar with the Peace Corps:

"It has been over 6 months since I last sent a mass update, so I thought it was time for another one. Plus I have big news!

"Pierre and I are engaged! We went to the Galapagos at the beginning of this month and Pierre proposed one night when we were walking along the beach at sunset. He timed it so that it was the night of the full moon, so we had the full moon on one horizon and the sunset on the other. We had climbed to the top of a lookout point, and that's where Pierre popped the question. We were surrounded by volcanic rocks and marine iguanas blowing snot rockets. Very romantic no? (Marine iguanas are the world's only ocean-going lizards. They swim out in to the surf to eat algae and have special glands to remove salt from their bodies. They get rid of the salt by blowing snot rockets. See attached photos of our proposal witnesses.)

"Pierre and I are thinking Chicago summer 2009, somewhere outside along the Lake Michigan waterfront. Save the date! It would be awesome if the Cubs are in town that weekend, and also a Wilco concert. I have decided that I am not going to a bridezilla. Instead, I am going to be the great delegator. So that everyone can start thinking about their role, here at the tasks I´ve already assigned:

Grandpa Rickard: minister
Nathan: all playlists
Julia: flowers
Sasha: all fashion decisions, picking out outfits for entire wedding party
Cindy: writing the letter to Wilco asking them to perform or attend the wedding (She wrote the letter to DMB inviting them to Nathan and Julia's wedding, so she has experience in this sort of thing)
Carrie: catering decisions
Jamie & Kristin: bachelorette party, you know what i want
Mollie: invitations
Rakhi: choreographing all dance-offs at reception

"Pierre and I had a great time in the Galapagos. The highlight for me was snorkeling with sea turtles and seeing the penguins. I also think my brief time there bleached parts of my hair. Or maybe it's because I dyed my hair reddish in September. For the first time in my life, parts of my hair are blonde! Very weird. Here's a link to my pictures:

"Pierre's photos are much more organized and informative than mine. He also went a little crazy with Google Earth

"The Peace Corps gossip chain is very quick. I told a couple of people my good news, and pretty soon everyone heard about it. One of the Peace Corps nurses congratulated me yesterday, and I have no idea who told her.

"I am currently in Quito to hang out with some friends and celebrate the new group of trainees swearing in as volunteers. It's kindof sad, because at the last swear-in celebration, lots of people from my training group came and it was super fun. Last night, there were only 4 people from my group at the party. My group has been dropping like flies. We started off with 35, and now we are down to 26. My friend Joseph went home last month. He was my 3rd good friend to go home. First Michelle, then Mike, and now Joseph. Both Mike and Joseph were in my Rebelde dance group. My group is falling apart! But I know who I want to recruit to replace them, if we ever need to perform again =) Mike is actually back in Ecuador visiting this month, so he, Maggie, Mike's girlfriend, Amarilys and I are going to see Rebelde today in Quito! I'm very excited. Should be us and thousands of screaming pre-teens and teenagers. It'll be awesome!

"Joseph's departure was tough. But I still have Maggie, Trent, Lindsay, and Nick when he's not being a brat. And I've been using my tried-and-true coping mechanisms: journaling, reading, private dance parties, and the O.C. (I wonder if Pierre will join me for my private dance parties when we're living together or just run away scared like my cats.)

"But I can't complain. I'm going to Machu Picchu next weekend with Nathan and Julia. And I did go to the Galapagos this month. The Galapagos and Machu Picchu in the same month! They don't call it the Posh Corps for nothing. I have 11 months left of my service (but who's counting?) and I'm going to make 3 more trips to the Amazon, plus a Galapagos cruise with my family, and 4 more groups of visitors to entertain. So I should be busy and not too lonely.

"In other news, some pickpocket got my Peace Corps phone when I was either on the bus or waiting for the bus. The buses in Santo Domingo are so crowded, it´s hard to keep control of all my stuff. Anyway, no big deal, I´m just glad they didn't get my wallet, Ipod shuffle, or good phone. I am now on to my 3rd phone...

"I'm still working on the same projects I've been doing for awhile now, and starting some new ones. I started the botany and herpetology projects at the nearby forest preserve, which is fun. I'm starting a computer class next month and I'll start teaching English again next week.

"Thanks for reading! Send me an update if you can. Hope everyone's enjoyinging lovely spring weather =)

Love,
Ariana"

P.S. "Just wanted to share the pictures I took this week of frogs and an opossum at La Perla. I haven't actually sat down and tried to identify these frogs yet. A lot of the them are Jordan's casque-headed treefrogs. I'll be going back to La Perla next month with Paul Hamilton, so I should have more photos of hopefully new species then."

Friday, April 20, 2007

'Elegant Hippie'


'Elegant Hippie', originally uploaded by Reeses World.

"'Elegant Hippie' attire encouraged but not required"... how'd I do?

--Reese

A literary salon


A literary salon, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

The library's big event

--Reese

Thursday, April 19, 2007

"Today's decision shows Bush's appointees have moved the Court in a direction that could further undermine Roe v. Wade and protections for women's health. The door is now open for politicians like George W. Bush to interfere even more in our personal, private medical decisions. The Court has given anti-choice state lawmakers the green light to open the flood gates and launch additional attacks on safe, legal abortion, without any regard for women's health.

"The bottom line is clear: elections matter. An anti-choice Congress and an anti-choice president pushed this ban all the way to the Supreme Court. In fact, the same politicians behind this abortion ban also block stem-cell research and interfered in the Terri Schiavo case. We need to elect more pro-choice members of Congress and a president who will stand up for—not attack—our fundamental values of freedom and privacy."



Take the pledge with me by clicking here:

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, I am joining with hundreds of thousands of people all across America who are standing together to declare that America won't stand for abortion bans that threaten women's health.

I believe that a woman's personal medical decisions should be made by her, in ways consistent with her own values and in consultation with her doctor and family. And I am deeply offended by politicians acting to take these intensely private decisions out of women's hands.

My message to politicians seeking to capitalize on the Supreme Court's reckless decision is clear and simple: We won't let you get away with it.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Disturbia


Disturbia, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Disturbia


Disturbia, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Scenes from a mall


Scenes from a mall, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Or maybe in disturbia

--Reese

Scenes from a mall


Scenes from a mall, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Or maybe in disturbia

--Reese

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

new column

"Spider-Man vs. Ex-Men"

"With great power comes great responsibility"- Spider-Man

"The time is coming when all that we are afraid of will be all that can save us."- X-Men



Ten years ago I was in love. Deeply, desperately, passionately in love.

Ten years ago I was dumped. Left alone. Emptied. Bereft. Devastated. And, yet, I was still deeply, desperately, passionately in love.

Ten years ago I couldn't see any future of my life without my then-boyfriend. My future seemed so intermixed with his that to consider a life without him seemed implausible, unimaginable.

It took a long while to finally realize he wasn't going to come back to me. It took a long while for me to realize I was on my own. All those late night talks about our love and future together and hopes and dreams and the little things in life were gone.

He cheated; he lied; he broke my heart into tiny little sharp-edged pieces. And my life seemed to be without a purpose any longer. What I had thought was the person closest to me in the world, who was my soul mate, had not only hurt me deeply, but also simply disappeared from my life in an instant.


Ten years on I look back at all of this and find some nostalgia and some wonder, but mostly I am proud. I made it through one of the worst periods of my life, when I could see no future, and I am a stronger person for it. I know now that my future was not with him and that it was for the best, in the long run, for us to separate. Yes, he did me wrong, but, well, people are like that sometimes. We're all a little bit confused when it comes to relationships and what works and what doesn't.

Since that relationship, I've had a few other ones where I've been hurt, or maybe they've been hurt, or maybe there was nothing really felt at all. Part of relationships is realizing that we each have our own responsibilities and powers over ourselves and each other and what we do and where we go.

While in a relationship, we can choose to work at it, be kind to each other, love fully and openly, understand that we're both human, try to do our best... Or we can choose differently. After a relationship ends, we can choose to heal ourselves, understand our own failures, forgive them for theirs, hold our heads up, try to do our best... Or we can choose differently. And while playing the part of a bitter old Queen does have its shining moments, I do try my best to forgive and understand.

As in the lines from the movie Spider-Man, there truly is 'a hero in all of us.' And what we do with our powers of love and life are up to us. Ultimately we are the ones responsible for utilizing our powers for the good of ourselves and those around us. The Ex-Men have their own responsibilities and powers and will make their own choices. And in the end, what we most fear, an end to a relationship, may indeed be what actually saves us all.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

www.apiqwtc.org

--Reese

Apiqwtc 20th anniversary banquet

So much food!

--Reese

Apiqwtc banquet with mc's Honey Labrador and Mia

--Reese

Thursday, April 12, 2007

the debate from last night is online in two different places and from two different angles. so choose and enjoy. it's about an hour, but totally worth watching. fascinating stuff. it may take a while to get the video to upload since it's an hour's worth, but again, worth it. you can see it here or here. also, a fun read about the night here

tonight was a very busy work night where my boss, Mark Leno debated his opponent for the senate race next year, the incumbent Senator Carole Migden. there are a few video clips here and the whole hour-long debate should be online very soon, particularly at this link. it was quite fascinating to say the least

fun cover and interesting read...

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

i miss my mom

normally we talk just about every day, in the morning, on the way to work, but i was away in dc for about 10 days last week and didn't talk to her very much then as i was kind of 'zoned out' (as i've been phrasing it lately) of everything in my daily routine here in sf. upon my return to sf, she and my dad went on vacation for a few days and i haven't really had a chance to chat with her or catchup on everything. she's supposed to return tonight, so hopefully we can finally have a big catchup-phone-talk sometime today/tomorrow.

in the meantime, i still miss talking to her...

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Jessie and Justin


Jessie and Justin, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

i'm home

Saturday, April 07, 2007

I hate flying


I hate flying, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

I hate flying


I hate flying, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

I hate flying


I hate flying, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

I hate flying


I hate flying, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Julia, Nathan, and Sasha


Julia, Nathan, and Sasha, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Friday, April 06, 2007

Cedric and Nathan


Cedric and Nathan, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Andrea, Walter, and Gerry


Andrea, Walter, and Gerry, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

the ol' dupont circle metro station

--Reese

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Nathan and Julia


Nathan and Julia, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Nathan and me


Nathan and me, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

i am swimming in nostalgia this week. some things in dc have changed dramatically-- like the development that's swept the various neighborhoods where i lived and near where i lived. many of these we didn't travel through ever, let alone at night. now they're the hip, swinging yuppie places where condos are unaffordable and regular people are priced out and moving. my neighborhood is hardly gay anymore, as the gay world has moved further from one circle to another (dupont to logan). i barely even knew where logan circle was back when, and i certainly rarely went there. now it would probably be more of my hood, i guess. although it seemed rather straight to me there too. ugh, why are straight people always in love with our neighborhoods? bleh.

anyway, i digress

some things don't change at all. my coffeehouse, soho, is amazingly the same as it ever was. which brings out so much nostalgia in my mind. the only difference from then and now is that everyone has laptops (with free wifi and plug-ins) and i actually drink coffee while here. i never drank coffee until i moved to san francisco; i just loved to hang out at coffeehouses back when, as i do now. and soho was the place for me. night and day. night time it was open til very late and i would often close the place after the nightclubs and bar-hopping. daytime i would hang out, read books, chat with friends, make dates, have dates, discuss politics, all the good stuff. what's striking about soho is how it seems lost in the 90's, as they continually have on rotation music from the 90's. it's fantastic! i feel transported back to my life in many ways here. i probably will be here at soho everyday that i can until i leave dc this saturday. it's my home. much like cupajoe is in sf. it's just where i live and feel at home.

another amazing nostalgic thing happened yesterday while i was hanging out at soho. Jasa and Scott walked through the door. they didn't know i was here and i didn't know they were in the neighborhood. it was random. and just a perfect sense of a time-warp. seeing Jasa walk through the door took me back to days past when he would meet me here and we would hang for hours, or get a drink before clubbing, or whatever we might do together. i miss Jasa so much and it was just wonderful seeing him walk through that door.

one more item i want to mention. i've never cried at a wedding before. i cried at jasa and scott's ceremony. i couldn't help it. it was the most beautiful thing i have ever seen. they had a rather unconventional ceremony where they did a short piece with each other, and then everyone in the audience got up, one by one, and spoke. there were about 25 of us, almost all family members of theirs, with a few friends. i was the only Gay person there other than Jasa and Scott. the rest were straight people and they each said the most amazing, beautiful things about how much they love them and how they can see how beautiful their love is. each of their parents said the most beautiful, emotional, tear-inducing items about how proud they were of their son and new son-in-law. everybody cried and hugged and it was a gorgeous amazing beautiful day i'll never forget.

Soho bath


Soho bath, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Ok, so yeah, its just a bathroom, but its funny how the little things,

even rather crappy and useless, are nostalgic

--Reese

Monday, April 02, 2007

More soho coffeeshop


More soho coffeeshop, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Love this place

--Reese

More soho coffeeshop


More soho coffeeshop, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

Love this place

--Reese

Soho coffeehouse


Soho coffeehouse, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

I used to live here day and night back in the 90's

--Reese

The ol' office...


The ol' office..., originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Ww2


Ww2, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Ww2


Ww2, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Ww2


Ww2, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cherry


Cherry, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Fdrm


Fdrm, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Fdrm


Fdrm, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Fdrm


Fdrm, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Fdrm


Fdrm, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Thomas


Thomas, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Thomas


Thomas, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cherry basin


Cherry basin, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cherry basin


Cherry basin, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Full of people


Full of people, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Tulip library


Tulip library, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Tulip library


Tulip library, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Tidal Basin


Tidal Basin, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese

Cherry picking


Cherry picking, originally uploaded by Reeses World.

--Reese