I love touristing people around Seattle. It reminds me of how cool this city is when I'm going around to all the best places with someone. I think Ben is getting a little bit sold on the place. This is partly, of course, due to the wonderful people he's been meeting while here - Abby, RDG, Quita, Becca, The Boy, SBD, Michelle etc. We've also done tons of coffee shops (Improv Jazz should be banned from open mic nights, by the way), good resturaunts, funky stores, and so on. I got Ben to try Milk Tea With Pearls - a Seattle must despite the urge towards the end of the drink to shoot the pearls at pigeons and pedestrians. I'm not sure if the pearls thing is just in Seattle or if it is sweeping the nation yet - but I predict that it's going to be the next big thing. I've watched the phenomenon spread from one store in 1999 to about 20 all over town now. Now the pearls also come in strawberry and green tea flavors! I took Ben to Scarecrow Video tonight just to look around. He was duly impressed. I also found "I was a teenage strangler" and "I was an FBI Zombie" on the shelves tonight. I should really go there more often. Maybe I should get a TV and VCR first.

We went to the Seattle Erotica Art show. A friend of mine had a few photos on display there. As for most of the pieces, Ben put it best when he said "I thought that erotica was supposed to be kind of subtle." Most of the stuff was pretty much hard-core porn. For example: drawing of room full of women sucking mens cocks. I bet I'm going to get tons of google hits with that one. There were also quite a few skeezy characters there. Why is it that the people who are really into kinky stuff always seem to be these really hideous socially inept people? And what the fuck was up with all of the utilikilts? Are they part of the BDSM uniform or something? I was not aware of this. The Boy has a Utilikilt. Hmm. I wonder if I'm too vanilla for him.

Abby and I have been brainstorming themes for my birthday party. I'm kind of feeling lazy about themes. Also, I am having a hard time finding a suitable celebratory date. I could celebrate on my birthday, but it's on a Monday and Mondays suck for parties. I could do this Friday night, but that seems too soon. The next Friday night is the stupidest of all stupid holidays - Valentines Day - and so I bet most people will be busy. And then there is the Saturday after V-Day, but then several important people would be unavailable. And the same goes for this coming Saturday. So - I have to choose, I guess, between a Monday party or a too-soon-Friday party or a V-Day Friday party. Maybe I should just skip the whole damn thing. I can tell that I'm getting old because I'm starting to care precious little about celebrating the passing of my years. Besides, I still don't know what I should DO for said party. Bowling? Too much planning involved. The best I can think of right now is a rousing game of charades. Maybe I should have a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game. Ooo! Or pin something thoroughly degrading on the president. Suggestions are welcome.