bjarvis: (Default)
bjarvis ([personal profile] bjarvis) wrote2006-07-16 10:06 am
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Saturday Report

Saturday was intentionally planned as a day of leisure & indulgence. I haven't had one of those in a while and I could really use one.

Alas, sleeping in wasn't an option but it was for the best of reasons. Our friend Jeff M. invited us to his home in Arlington, VA, for a lovely brunch: a fruit salad, souffle and breakfast sausages. Having someone else prepare breakfast for you is enough to persuade me to get out of bed before my regularly scheduled noon awakening.

Following brunch, Jeff & I dropped [livejournal.com profile] kent4str off for his monthly role-playing game in Seven Corners area of Fairfax County, then did what all good gay men do when the opportunity presented itself: we went shopping!

More precisely, Jeff is giving serious consideration to purchasing a car. He's never owned one --he prefers to rent if he needs one, and his various travelling friends usually leave a car in his trusty hands when they're out of town-- but he's giving it serious thought. [livejournal.com profile] zzbear had suggested looking at the Honda CRV so we tracked down a used 2004 model at a local Honda dealer for a test drive.

The verdict on the CRV was mixed. It's a nice drive, handles well and has great visibility and head & feet space with some cargo capacity. Still, it's an SUV if a small one: the gas mileage isn't great, only about 25 mpg. (IMHO, there is no earthly excuse why any pickup, SUV or car on the road today shouldn't get at least 40 mpg. Take note: when I become supreme dictator of the universe, there will be some immediate changes to the gas mileage standards.)

The usual mind games of the dealer attempting to close a sale were in full gear. I find it fascinating in an analytical way and love car purchasing negotiations, but the process annoys & tires Jeff very quickly. We left as soon as we could elegantly make a break for the door and thank them for their time & effort.

We made further stops at Home Depot, Crate & Barrel, the Container Store and the Apple Store in Clarington, VA, before returning to Jeff's place. He borrowed my car to tackle a couple more local errands while I vegged on his couch, reading back issue of National Geographic.

Towards 5:30 PM, [livejournal.com profile] kent4str rang me to summon his ride: gaming was over for another month. I collected him and we then headed to NW Washington to meet someone for dinner.

Tom Adkins of Columbus, OH, was recommended to us by our co-trailer trash, [livejournal.com profile] jearbear65oh & David. Jerry assured us we'd find him fun & delightful --and he was right-- and Tom was kind enough to allow us to take him out for dinner. After a lovely meal at a Mexican restaurant at 17th & R NW --under air conditioning, thank you great gods of freon-- we gave him a walking tour of 17th Street, Dupont Circle and Connecticut Avenue before arriving at Sweet Licks for dessert:


Kent, Tom & Brian Kent, Tom & Brian

Mmmm... bittersweet chocolate milkshakes.



We returned Tom safely to his b&b at 13th & R NW. After bidding him a sweet good night, we returned home to crash.
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[identity profile] book-of-daniel.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I havent seen Tom in a long time...looks like he's lost some weight!

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
We've only just met him so I can't confirm that, but I can say that the shape he's in right now is quite fine. :-)

[personal profile] apparentparadox 2006-07-16 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Who took the picture?

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 03:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Tehcnically, me: I set it on a timer and placed it on the counter.

[personal profile] apparentparadox 2006-07-16 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I was wondering if there was yet another hunky guy with you, but you weren't telling about him. Not that you'd ever keep a guy to yourself without sharing, but . . .

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
While we do have plenty of friends who would prefer not be associated with us publicly, that was not the case in this particular instance. :-)
jss: (cthulhu)

[personal profile] jss 2006-07-16 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooh, Daddy, suck on that thick chocolate...





...shake.

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
It was a good milkshake too... not as rich as they usually make them, but Sweet Licks is still one of my favourite ice cream shops.

[identity profile] excessor.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 05:04 pm (UTC)(link)
The Honda CRV is a nice vehicle all around. The gas mileage isn't terrific, but it's not awful, either.

What does bidding him a sweet good night mean?

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
It means my mother could be reading this so I'm being intentionally vague. It's called "constructive ambiguity." :-)

[identity profile] excessor.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 05:18 pm (UTC)(link)
It isn't working, is it?
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[identity profile] book-of-daniel.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I didnt catch that line the first time around... I'll have to investigate that further at the source. I should see him next weekend. :o)

[identity profile] bjarvis.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Um, no, not really.

As they say, denial isn't just a river in Egypt.

[identity profile] trawnapanda.livejournal.com 2006-07-16 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
More precisely, Jeff is giving serious consideration to purchasing a car. [...] we tracked down a used 2004 model at a local Honda dealer for a test drive. [most details of visit to CRV dealership snipped] We left as soon as we could elegantly make a break for the door and thank them for their time & effort.

We made further stops at Home Depot, Crate & Barrel, the Container Store and the Apple Store in Clarington, VA, before returning to Jeff's place.


waitaminnit wait a minute WAIT. A. MINUTE. You can purchase automobiles at Apple Stores, Crate & Barrel, or Homo Depot? (I spoze a case for Container Stores could be made, especially for those trolley-like storage units, but I've never seen anything at CS with an internal combustion engine. or seatbelts for that matter).

DeeSee area shops of those chains clearly have wider inventories than branches of the same stores I've visited.

But then, DC allows groups of Known Homosexuals to be photographed in public places while sucking on firm cylindrical objects to obtain pleasure for themselves. I feel so disadvantaged on this side of Lake Ontario.

[identity profile] geomikes.livejournal.com 2006-07-18 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Actually I met him on Friday night at Titan. He was very nice and very woofy.

not just a good cook

(Anonymous) 2006-07-21 11:04 am (UTC)(link)

Glad you liked the souffle. But in addition to liking to cook, maybe you could also drop that I'm single, 6-4, sllim and well-built, love giving massage, own my own house in a nice neighborhood, have a good job, and sleep on my stomach. And where I can be reached.

A little help never hurts! Jeff :-)