Happy Holidays!

Ah.. another holiday season.

At years' end, I always take some time to reflect on what happened. And needless to say, it has been a crazy year.

With all that's happened in the world; with the recession, still being in two wars, equal rights set backs. Sigh.

Of course, hope is ever present: moving in with Boopy, a new job opportunity, friends, crazy brunches, Obama, Housewives of Atlanta, amazing sales. Ahh...

The best thing to do in this situation is to acknowledge the bad, and cherish the good; that's what I intend to do. I'm letting those crazy things just wash over me while I let my safety beacon of happiness carry me through. I find that I work best that way - it even helps to propel me to do more good.

And I plan to do more good in the new year. So as this year comes to a close, I want to extend my beacon of happiness to ya'll by wishing you a wondrous holiday season and best wishes for the new year! Oh, and do some good, too.

Video Chat?

Decline.

No.

Why would I want to video chat with you? So you can see me pick my nose?

No thank you!

The Season for... Serving?

So tomorrow I'm helping a friend out by cater-waitering. A part of me wants to help a brother out, but the other part of me thinks it would be fun. I don't exactly know why.

Maybe because it's something different. Maybe because I'm waiting to see how horrible (or not) I would be at it. But maybe it's because I'll pull a Will (from Will & Grace) when Jack asks him to help cater-waiter and he just pretends to be part of the party. Hah!

Did I say "fun"? I meant "funny".

And speaking of funny, I've been in love with the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but this parody my friend Div turned me onto -- priceless.

Happy Thanksgiving!

There's so much to give thanks for this year. New job, new apartment, new president. (Woot woot!)

So I'm giving thanks. I might even dress my turkey up in stars and stripes.

Hope you all have as much to be thankful for and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Protest Against Prop 8, NYC

After I decided to attend the rally last night against the Mormon Church's involvement in the passing of Prop 8, I was questioned why. And to my surprise, even though I felt that Prop 8 was wrong, both civilly and morally, I couldn't readily give a reason why I was deliberately protesting the Mormon church; which boiled down to: I didn't know the facts.

So on the internet, I found out that the Mormon Church had something to do with Prop 8 passing. And given the fact they're a religious institution, I'm sure most others can verbalize in better terms why religious institutions have no right directing public policies.

But the main reason why I protested was because of their hypocrisy: they claim to "promote tolerance" but turn around and vote for intolerance; that's not right. If I a sign, it would read, "Where's the tolerance in Prop 8?"

The turnout was great. And to quote a fellow protester, "Damn, there are too many hot guys here, I can't concentrate!", after he messed up a chant. And now, some memorable chants of the evening:

"Gay, Straight, Black, White, Marriage is a civil right."
"Tax This Church!"
"What do we want? EQUALITY! When do we want it? NOW!"
"A people, UNITED, will never be, DEFEATED!"

Hehe! Okay, that last one wasn't really a chant, I just overheard someone say it, and I can't help but giggle every time I repeat it (because the last part should be 'divided', get it?! eh? eh?!)

Halloween in a Word

Oh yes I did. And yes I went to work like this. And here's another one.

By the way, I'll be participating in the GLWD's Race to Deliver this Sunday, so head on over to my donation page and show some love!

Stuck in a Loop

I recently discovered Adele when she performed on SNL; a show where I consistently find myself cringing when it comes to the musical guest; most of the time because their live performances are atrocious.

So when I was watching the SNL with Josh Brolin (aka the hunky teen in The Goonies) and that Alaskan moose-hunter, I cursed myself for watching it live and unable to fast-forward through.

So I watched it. And then I peed my pants. Seriously. That's how good she was, LIVE!

Immediately, I ran to the interwebs to find her album, 19 (which I downloaded), her website, her facebook. Everything.

And now I have a problem: I can't stop listening to it. I'm stuck in a perpetual Adele loop: the more I listen, the more I want to listen. Especially that stupid, awesome song, Best for Last.

And worse, now I'm starting to sing along without realizing it! Not quite loud enough for the person next to me on the subway to hear, but maybe enough to make them scoot a bit further from me. I guess that's not so bad.

I think I need help. And by "help" I mean a singing partner.

Recipient of the Rainbow Accident Award

The Rainbow Accident Award for the Gayest Way to Sprain an Ankle goes to... Me! For the wonderful lunchtime performance last Wednesday of skipping down the street, missing the curb, and landing awkwardly on their left foot!

Ugh... I still cringe when I picture it!

Weekend in Cleveland

Last weekend B and I took an extended weekend trip to Cleveland. We attended a family wedding, met up with some of his friends, and visited some of his old haunts. Even though Ohio was much more suburban than I'm used to, I enjoyed the change of scenery, and the change in pace.

The wedding was very Catholic. The reception was even more retro - 80's music dominated. They even played the electric boogie; yes, I did the electric slide. The best part was seeing B's super cute niece and visiting his grandparents. Contrary to what you might believe, they were very accepting - in fact, his whole family was. Yes, I know I'm a lucky bastard. They even shared some baby pictures, my favorite part of any family visit.

We stayed with some of Brian's oldest friends, D and W, in their amazing, spacious home. You know, the open spaces that allow for houses is definitely something I, as a New Yorker, am jealous about. But then I just think how easy it is to ride the subway and those feelings melt away. Hehe.

All in all, it was a nice trip, but I could really do without those 8 hour drives.

So Far So Good

Three weeks into my new job and I still love it.

Ok. I've been told I'm still in that 'honeymoon' phase; but if it continues the same way, I can see many many happy days.

So far, I've been given a MacbookPro, been to two training session, and all is well.

Of course, I'm still missing my 'colorful' band of misfits, especially their colorful language; though the tall, vegan I work with now is quite colorful in his own right... like all he eats is horny goat weed. Hah!

As an aside, I'm falling in love again with NPR's On the Media. Everyone who watches the news or reads a newspaper needs to listen to this program; especially during all the election news coverage - it's not only important to be informed about the news, but also know which news informs.

Like that last sentence? That's an antimetabole! And I learned it listening to On the Media! Whee!

So I Wore White After Labor Day

That totally doesn't explain why Britney won best video of the year for "Pieces of Me". Seriously, what kind of standard are they measuring music videos now? It looks like it was shot in a two day period in the back of some lot without a real choreographer (probably because they made fun of Britney's weave; or something). The song's ok.

But what was hilarious was watching Russell Brand make fun of the Jonas Brothers' virginity, and then have THAT be a "top story" on CNN Headline newsthe next day! Complete with teen sex experts! What kind of standard are they measuring "top" news stories now?!

And don't get me started on Sarah Palin.

With all the craziness in the world, I think I get a free pass for wearing white jeans and shoes on September 2nd, right?

A Break and a New Beginning

After two years and a few months, a month of notice, an additional two weeks of 'additional notice', I've finally left my old job to pursue an amazing, new opportunity. The new job introduces me to more technologies I want to learn and puts me in a better position to accomplish my future career goals.

Yay me!

What I'll miss most are the friends I've made and the crazy lunchtime shenanigans, especially all the politically-incorrect hilarity that ensued in the office pantry. If there was an HR fly on the wall, its head would explode in a sparkly shower of racist, sexist, pigist, homo-(and hetero-)phobic ignorance; all over our Go Go Curry katsu... ah, Go Go Curry. Actually, I think I'll miss that the most.

Anyway, that photo is from my going away party at Gstaad.

My departure and start date worked out perfctly, straddling a trip to Provincetown, MA for Carnival week.

Carnival week was fun, and I'm glad I did it once, but that sorry-ass-excuse-for-a-parade doesn't warrant the unbelievably huge crowd and the exorbitant prices. I mean, there weren't that many hot, shirtless guys. Ugh.

And now for your viewing pleasure, a short teaser from my vacation. Enjoy!

Conflicted

I'm truly conflicted watching this years' Olympic games.

First there was the China/Tibet controversy, then the women's gymnastic age controversy, and now I'm not sure whether to cheer for the Chinese or American teams!

Born in America, I've been cheering for America in past Olympics; partially because I didn't think the Chinese teams were all that great. But there's something in the fact that the Olympic games are being held in Beijing AND the Chinese teams are strong contenders makes me want to cheer for them too!

It's like "home team advantage" cheering.

All these things came to a peak during the women gymnastic event; oh the drama! I cheered for the American team, then the Chinese team, stopped myself, then continued to cheer for them! Yes, like a schizo.

Well, if the Chinese spectators can cheer for all the teams, then I'm going to do the same.

I mean, how can you not cheer for guns like these:

photo source

She Gets My Vote

Can it be that Paris Hilton finally made something that is actually witty and entertaining? I mean, her other "performance" was "good", but this response to McCain's ad?

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Not too shabby. Does this redeem her from the Simple Life? I don't think so, bitches.

A Casual Friday

After reading this NYTimes article on men wearing shorts to the office, I decided it would be fine for me to do it at my office. This is what I picked out:

Surprisingly, most people enjoyed it; I saw it through all their laughter.

It was awesome. Unfortunately, no one sent me home. Oh well.

Having A Rough Day?

Well, hit the gym.

And bring one of these.

Also, an interesting, somewhat-related item: Health care provided by your company, in-house?

Damn Hipsters

So tonight I went to Splash (on a Wednesday night, I know), and it was a little tame. There were half-naked go-go boys and good dancing music (top 40s, which I appreciated); but what was up with the "$5 after midnight" ad and starting the charging at 10pm?

Anyway, I forgive that cause they are a business (and the door guy got us in for free). But what was up with the gay hipsters with black plastic glasses, tank tops, super short shorts, and American Apparel gym bags? You're gay, you don't have to pretend to be hip. Seriously. I don't know why but I just wanted to punch them all in the face.

Whew. I'm glad I got that off my chest. Anyway, check out these awesome sneaks I got!

They're so awesome I'm not even going to wear them. Just kidding! I'm totally going to wear them with my cute yellow tank and white super shorts! Hot, right?!

Pride Month Remembered

As evident by my lack of posting, I've been pretty busy. With work, events, volunteering, I hardly had time to think. So here's a quick rundown of Pride Month 2008.

June 1, Japan Day
Standing in line for 20 minutes under the summer sun for free fried dumplings. They were pretty good.

Did I mention they were also free?

June 3-6, Birthday Week
My birthday celebration consisted of a four day feast! Each day I was treated to a wonderful meal, from Next Door Nobu, to Le Cirque, to Grand Central Oyster Bar, to my favorite Szechuan restaurant, Szechuan Gourmet in Flushing.

I probably gained in my belly as much as they lost in their wallets. Tee hee.

But seriously, I really loved each and every meal. The friends, the food. But mostly the food. I mean the friends. I mean the froods. Wha?

Which reminds me, I still haven't had an official birthday party yet, so watch out July!

Oh, and somewhere in there I decided it would be a good idea to go to The Web after a year plus hiatus. What a disappointment. Aside from the half-naked go-go boys, of course.

June 14, 18, Central Park Zoo and Ikea
In mid-June, I visited the Central Park Zoo with my sister for the first time ever! Can you believe they keep two polar bears in that zoo? And out in the open air on a hot and humid day! Don't they have some sort of sub-zero temperature room or something?

Afterwards, we stopped by an event put on by Adventures NYC in Central Park and saw some awesome trampolining.

Mid-June also saw the opening of Ikea Brooklyn. I saw it opening weekend. Take the Water Taxi, it's awesome, fast, and free. Yay!

June 22nd, Celebrating Pride; with Nakedness
For some reason, I decided to agree to my friend's crazy idea of celebrating Pride by having the most expensive lunch known to man - eating at Per Se. Ironic that this friend is still not out to his family? Hm. No judgment.

The brunch itself was flawless, from the food to the service. Thank goodness I took some pictures, because it will be a long time before I get over the shock of the cost and think about returning.

Later that day, I partook in a yearly ritual I like to call Folsom Street East. This year, I went with this man. His first time! I know! I was shocked, too! So shocked I had to take the ball-gag from my mouth so my jaw could drop. Kidding.

Nothing out of the ordinary; just some half-naked people in leather bondage performing fellatio on each other.

That night I continued on the theme of half-nakedness; I went to Broadway Bares 18! The show as good, not great. But the best part (aside from introducing my friend to some culture) was I got to see Step It Up and Dance reality TV stars Mochi and Jerry Mitchell! I even got to tip some dollars in Jerry's undies! Yay!

June 30, PRIDE
The day after a horrendous Pride Run race result, I soothed my wounded pride by marching in the Pride parade with HOP! It was my first time in the parade and aside from small hiccups (the flash tsunami at 2:30pm) it was a total success!

It even earned me a lone ticket to the Pier Dance. Going by myself confirmed the suspicion I had: it's just not nearly as much fun if you go by yourself. But I did see Wilson Cruz, so I suppose it wasn't a total loss.

That's it! And I'm spent! Whew!

Woah...

Where does the time go?

I blame it on work.

Happy Pride!

Happy Pride everyone!

That's me walking in the Pride Parade with GMHC and Heritage of Pride. It was a great experience, spreading the spirit of Pride by making people scream at the top of their lungs. I hope you also had the chance to spread yourself in your own special way. Tee hee.

Tonight's "Uh, That's What I Meant" Moment

Here's part of the dinner conversation I had with my friend Steve after seeing Jumping Blind at GayFest:

    Me: "That play reminds me of this book I read, Suite Française, ever heard of it?"
    Steve: "Nope."
    "It also takes place during the German occupation of France. It's a great read; funny. And endearing. I really liked it."
    "Really?"
    "Yep. What's also fascinating is that this book was written during that time but only published recently."
    "Oh yea?"
    "Yep. She was killed before she could finish writing her books, but they found them, and her notes too, and published them. She was Jewish and the Germans took her to Alcatraz, and that's where she died."
    "You mean Auschwitz."
    "Uh yea, that's what I meant."

Honest mistake, right?

Did I mention that Steve's Jewish? Hah! I'm such an idiot sometimes.

Happy Pride Month!

Wow. Is it June already?

Yep. And that means it's Pride month again! Happy Pride ya'll! Can't wait to see what kind of craziness happens this year!

This post was lovingly brought to you by an overworked, uncreative Jase. *sigh*

My Memorial Weekend

Riddle Time!

What's white, red, frizzy, and found canoodling and sweatin' to the oldies at Penn Station?

Yes! Richard Simmons! And yes, it was completely surreal!

Hints On the Way Home

How do you know when you've had too many Dr. Pepper shots?

What about when

• your boyfriend holds on to your arm when the train approaches the platform,
• you don't care who saw you fall asleep, standing up, knocking your head against the pole,
• and when a nice woman picks up her bags and offers you her seat on the train... and you don't take it!

Yea, those seem like pretty good hints.

A Wolf at Barnes & Noble

Two years after I saw him at his last book signing, Augusten Burroughs was at Barnes & Noble Union Square promoting his new book, A Wolf at the Table, last Tuesday.

Two years is a long time. If I had a baby right after his last book signing, there would be two candles on his little birthday cake (my first fantasy child is a boy, name to be determined). It's no wonder that I felt less excited about his new book coming out than his last book.

I had heard about his book release a few days earlier and penciled it in my calendar, but it wasn't until Boopy reminded me that I realized it was approaching.

Time had taken it's toll and my interest had waned from previous stalker-ish levels. The disappointing movie didn't help either. But as I reached deep down inside, I found that I was still intrigued by him, his writing, his honesty. At the last moment possible, I decided to stop by the reading.

Stepping off the escalators to the top floor of the B&N at Union Square at 7:45pm (the reading started at 7pm), I realized just how many fans he still had; also realizing that I was definitely still one of them.

I listened to the end of the reading and his segue into the Q&A session as I searched for the end of the book-signing line; it had snaked to the back of the building and rounded back towards the middle. If I had to guess, it was about a billion people on line. I texted Boopy to tell him it was going to be a while; but since I was already there, I decided to wait it out on line, half listening to his responses to fans' questions and half reading the book.

After two hours, 55 pages, wondering if he would remember me (stalker-ish tendencies and all), and half-trying to figure out something witty to say in hopes it will jog his memory, we were standing face-to-face. Except he was sitting. Oh look at that tattoo on his forearm.. that's new...

"Hey there... (glancing at the sticky note with my name on it) Jase."
"Hi."
"Thanks for coming out."
"Yea, I try to make all of these..."
"I thought I remembered you. Didn't you send me a picture? And wore my Abercrombie sweatshirt?"

I shit you not.

"OH MY GOD. I can't believe you remembered that!!"
"Yea, I have pretty good memory."

No kidding! I'm surprised I didn't just crap my pants right then. Though it's probably not a stretch to think he was also signaling to his bodyguards to "be alert for this one..."

That small exchange made my night. And now I'm kicking myself for forgetting my camera at home and not doing anything remotely stalkerish; like making a voodoo love card that says, "Like herpes, even though you don't see me, I'm always with you." Or something.

Up and Coming?

Being gay, I'm expected to be on the pulse of fashion. Well, actually, there's a couple of gays I know that violate said rule of nature, but that's another topic; possibly more on that later.

In any case, what has been hot for a bit is skinny jeans; and thanks to Uniqlo, I've got my share, including these Rocker Red ones.

So what should I think now that I hear that gawker has found the Holy Grail of jeans?! You know I gotsta get me a pair of these!

On A Dreary Day In April...

...let's talk about nutz!

TruckNutz to be specific.

Did anyone know about these hilarious "ornaments"? If so, why did nobody tell me?! And why is Florida trying to ban them?

So the question of the day is: where do you hang your Nutz?

Happy Bring Your Spawn To Work Day!

Image shamelessly taken from someecards.com

And speaking of mindless web browsing, this game is totally that. [via gawker]

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone!

In the spirit of Earth Day, my company decided to give each one of its employees a energy saving light bulb. Since all the lights in our office use fluorescent tubes, I can only assume they want us to use it at home.

Additionally, the company turned off some of the office lights in recognition of Earth Day; and it made the atmosphere a lot more pleasant - but that could just be me.

In any case, I'm going to contribute in my own way: turn off my computer and financially support "green" companies.

Uniqlo is "green", right?

April Babies

Why is everyone’s birthday in April? Do blackout always happen in… July or something?

Oh right, that makes sense.

Ass Meets Snow

After nearly three years hiatus from the sport, I spent the weekend before last lying on the snow with a neon green green board strapped to my legs.

Oh, and there I am in the snow. See how happy I am?

That's because I haven't started snowboarding yet. Seriously, I think my ass got to spend more time with the snow than my snowboard.

See?

Is it Fire-Jumping Time Already?

Has it been a year since I witnessed people jumping over a barbecue grill on my roof (and I can honestly say) for the first time?

I suppose so - a friend told me she was going to Fire Island for the fire-jumping event this year, part of the traditional Iranian New Year festivities. How apropos.

Wait, does jumping over homos even count?

Dressed In Green

This time each year, I wonder, "Do they really need another reason to drink?" and "Really? Green beer?"

And each year I see the mess of drunken masses trolling the streets of New York City in their kitschy green outfits and ornaments.

And each year, dressed in a fabulous green outfit - this year includes varying shades of forest, lime, and grass greens, I succumb to it all and have myself a green beer. Now if only I can find a drunk hot mess to troll around with.

Afternoon update: No matter how magically delicious these cuties look in their green jerseys, ball caps, and loose-fit jeans, they can't cover up their nervous energy of trying to find a bar that doesn't card; smelling like beer and urine doesn't help either.

You've Got My Attention

The best thing about working close to a large transportation hub in New York City is that it's a marketers' dream; especially when it comes to handing out promotional samples.

Right next to the hawkers of the free news dailys (amNY, metro), unpaid marketing interns hand out free Kellogg's Special K bars, Dentyne Gum; I even saw Ugly Betty look-a-likes (complete with Guadalajara ponchos) handing out Ugly Betty mask!

Today's free promotional gift takes the cake. To promote the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, a series that I enjoy regularly, they were handing out packages of these.

Here's the link again in case you missed it.

Awesome, right?

Even enjoying my share of 'bizarre' foods, I don't know if I can handle my pack of Salt and Vinegar Crick-ettes.

Two In a Row

Last night I dreamt that I was stuck in the Paris airport without my passport, panicking; only that it was supposed to be Sydney, Australia because that's where my friend was; and I flew over there (for the day) to help him with what turned out to be carrying a package back to the U.S. for him. Did you get all that?

And the night before, I dreamt that I was in a large, "country-style" dance studio and frustrated that I couldn't rewind the right music to play in the tape deck; because I was freaking out that I couldn't remember the choreography and the rest of the dance troupe (about 30 dancers) kept practicing and none would stop to help me. Until someone pointed out that it was the CD player connected to the tape deck; and I still couldn't figure out the right song. Get all that too?

Hm. Two "stress" dreams in a row - I wonder what that is about.

Why Was the Oscars So Utterly...

...boring?

And now, an reenactment: Read more [+/-]

Yay! It started!
...
zzz...
... Oh! Big black girl boobies! Fierce! Did she just say "AR-scar"?
..
..Are they now doing the Oscars in SAP? Or maybe his mom doesn't speak English.
..zzz..
...
Way to go bald chick from Minority Report! Wait, that's not you... where have I seen you?
...
.
.. Woohoo! go French girl! more champagne for me please!
... and it's over! Thank jebus!

Jon Stewart had his moments. And I suppose it would help if I saw more of the nominated films than just Bourne Ultimatum and Sweeney Todd.

I'm thinking not.

Happy Birthday Everyone!

Today is 人日. That's the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, when everyone turns a year older. So Happy Birthday to you!

In following my 'I don't buy into Valentine's Day' tradition, I'm going to tell you about my day at Jury duty instead.

It was boring. And to my surprise, the clerk has to be one of the nicest person in the world! I thought all city employees were jaded.

No offense.

In actuality, the whole jury duty experience was even bearable - quite a change since I last participated. They now have Wi-Fi access! But being able to bring my laptop wasn't the best part of the day; they let us go early!

Worst part? Getting up before 9am has made me susceptible to the flu. Ugh. Nyquil, here I come!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year, ya'll! For your reference, it's the year of the "Earth Rat."

And no, just because the 'mascot' is a rat doesn't mean it's going to be a bad year. Just think of how much you enjoyed Ratatouille.

Gay Sports Frat Boy Cheerleader

"The Giants won!"

That's what I found myself screaming at the conclusion of what must have been the most exciting pro-football game I've ever watched (which really isn't saying much since I watch an average of two football games a year) while I clapped and performed twirly twirls around the apartment. I cheer for the underdogs.

This seemed to surprise Boopy as he's never seen me so into sports before, especially since I was following the game and screaming at the TV like the best of them:

"Did you see that play?!"
"Another false start?!"
"Brother man needs to find another job 'cause he just got sacked!"

Okay, so I didn't say that last one. But still, Boopy was entertained by my machismo and celebratory style; enough to call me "a cross between a sports frat boy and a cheerleader."

I kinda like that. And it's kinda true.

And is it me, or was Tom Brady wearing foundation during the game?

Lessons Learned Planning a Surprise Party

I decided to throw my boopy a surprise birthday party... here's what I learned, for you fools out there who decide to do the same.

Plan early(ier).

I made the mistake of planning it in a week. If I had more time, it would have been easier to collect all his friends' contact info and invite them to the party. Also, it gives them enough time to plan to attend. Facebook and MySpace are great resources.

Don't have it at your unfurnished apartment.

I thought it would be a good idea to have it in my unfurnished apt because there was space (and it could possibly double as a 'pre-housewarming'). But I realized I had to rent furniture. And deal with (any) bathroom situations. And clean up afterwards. So I changed the venue to a lounge down the street and it was definitely a good move.

Choose a cool bar/lounge

The place I ended up picking had a great atmosphere. There was also a cool bartender and they played 80s music. Double plus.

Plan more than one distractions.

Your best idea for a distraction can go up in smoke; literally. Fortunately, I had some good backup options that I could pick from.

Have a good excuse for your own absence (if you want to setup the party yourself).

Preferably one that doesn't make them think, "He's cheating on me." I opted for the "dinner with family," having my sister as the accomplice.

Have party favors.

Make sure one of them is temporary tattoos. Enough said.

Bring backup cameras.

Anything can go wrong - and that's why you want to be ready to capture it forever. Unless your memory card suddenly craps out on you. And mine did - otherwise I'd be posting all those naughty places people slapped on a temporary tattoo. So definitely plan on having more than one camera (or memory card).

The party turned out great. I take back the 'fools' comment I said earlier; seeing his surprised (and shocked) face was worth all the trouble I went through.

A Real Tragedy

Heath Ledger. 4/4/1979 - 1/22/2008.

Thank you for the entertainment; you were truly a great actor.

And thanks to all who commented on the NY Times blog entry; a tragedy would not be complete without your crazy ass comments. My favorites are 52, 74, 174, 292, 339, 344, 466, 468.. (and counting!)

Oh Lordy...

Damn! Another 11 months until Christmas?!

Why I Was Up at 6am, Day After Christmas

Uniqlo.

Sample Sale.

Two.. err.. three words that should never be put together in my presence. And somehow they were. Cursed Racked.com!

As sample sale shopping enthusiasts know, if you want the good stuff, you have to get there early. And did they say $20 cashmere? You know I'm there!

And there I was, 7am in the morning, second in line. By 9am, when the doors opened, the line had grown to nearly 200 people, at least.

While waiting, a manager-type did come out a few times to welcome us and to inform us they had sold-out of cashmere and there was only four racks of clothing.

"Uhm. Excuse me?"

Yep. All gone except for four racks; cleaned out at a 'pre-sale'. What the hell is that about?! Surprisingly, I didn't see anyone leave the line - probably because they didn't believe her. Just like I didn't; she's just trying to trick us into leaving. Well, it's not going to work!

The doors opened at 9am, and everyone beelined it to the sample sale area - and she wasn't kidding; only four racks!

Madness, then disappointment, ensued as 200+ people pulled items from the racks - including myself. I was able to a few items to buy; but definitely not enough to warrant the 2-hour wait.

Throughly disappointed, I decided to take it to the internets - I commented on Racked.com and then emailed Uniqlo. To my surprise, Uniqlo replied! It was a genuine and sincere apology from the regional, and he even promised to give me ample notice about the next sale.

And I read yesterday that the Uniqlo CMO wrote a formal apology about the sample sale.

Even though the sale was an utter failure, I give them credit for good customer service. Plus their new spring stuff is HOT!