I barely got out of bed today. I tried out one of those protein shakes for breakfast. It seems odd that such a beverage would curb your appetite. However, that's what protein does. It makes you feel full and I did after having it.

I got to work and someone was kind enough to place my chair mat in my cubicle. We had to remove our belongings off the carpet on Friday for the carpet cleaning folks. So, I put the chair mat. I guess with all the sharp teeth to hold it in place, I managed to cut my left index finger. I saw blood and had to wash my finger.

So, I made it to the lunchroom to wash it with a bit of dishwashing liquid. The sales coordinator came in and showed me her iPod nano that she got from her sister. It's a 2 GB silver one. It's cute. The best part occurred when neon boy came in. He said good morning to us. We didn't acknowledge him and and kept on talking. No one likes him at work, because he treats people like crap.

I continued working on my operating manual. I've been working on it for quite some time. Well, I barely got around to doing so last week. It's the usual, last-minute documents that need to be pushed out immediately. Today, the IT guy who jokes that he loves me asked if there was a document on how to reset a digital lock that we have. I was pretty sure that we didn't have one. I was correct.

We approached the production manager. He then asked the lead production guy. He ultimately found a leaflet on how to change it. I was so happy. That basically meant that I had to write a new document. I suggested that I send him an advisory on the task that his customer had requested. I'd then work on the guide down the road. This worked out well. He was actually surprised that I had sent him something within the hour.

iPod boy (DJ) and I do not talk as much, partly due to my being busy. It's also partly because DJ has strict dietary needs these days. As a result, we don't go out to lunch and we rarely go on outings. Well, I could tell that he was about to break the silence today. He was on the phone and said that he could send a customer the specifications of one of our products. I have documentation on such specifications.

The president's son (PS) came over to chat. I whispered about meeting him by my car after work. Sure enough, I could see DJ peering behind PS's head. I guess that DJ felt it was the perfect time to ask me and that I perhaps needed some saving from PS's often repetitive chatter.

"Oh, you need to speak to Watty," PS said to DJ.
"I need to ask her a technical question," he said. PS pretended like he wanted to sit on DJ's lap.
"Were you trying to sit on DJ's lap?!" I asked PS. I then looked at DJ. I wanted to see what his reaction would be.
"Christmas came early for PS," DJ said.
"I like Christmas," PS said. I don't think he knew what he had just said and had implied.
"Apparently Christmas is every day for PS," I added. PS left and I was laughing.
"I'll let Watty laugh it out before I asked her that technical question." he said. I was laughing hard.
"Oh my gosh," I managed to say.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked me.
"No, but go ahead," I said.

So, I let him ask me his question. I then said where the document was located on the drive.

"Thanks, Watty," he said to me. It was sincere, but it had a boyish tone to it.
"You're welcome," I replied. "Thank you for choosing Mary's services. Goodbye."
"Your call will be monitored for quality purposes," he said.

DJ's nosiness is a means for him to strike up a conversation. He was looking at a photo I was fixing up, which featured my hand. He said that my left hand looked pale. I am darker than I looked when I took that picture a couple of days ago. I took my silver bracelet off to see if there was a tan line. It was there, but barely noticeable. I pointed out to DJ that I don't tan easily.

I left work promptly at 17:00, saying a general goodbye after telling the purchaser that I was actually leaving before he. Everyone in my area said goodnight back, which was neat. I then saw PS, unlocked my car, and we both got in. Well, the purchaser saw us get into my car. A few seconds after him, I saw DJ walk out. Anyway, I took the behind-the-building exit and drove down to the Danforth. It took maybe forty minutes. It would have been sooner had an indecisive driver in a white Sunfire not blocked the entrance to the parking lot. I completely missed it until the guy inched up to park on the street.

So, we had plenty of time to dine out. We went to the Old Nick pub. Chicken wings were going for 0.35 cents each. We ordered twenty of the mild ones. I had the spinach salad with huge chunks of bacon. It was great, except that the balsamic vineagar was too acidic for my liking. PS had the chicken caesar wrap. It had a lot of fries off to the side.

After dinner, I had to visit the used CD store next door. I bought a couple of CDs. I'll have to go back there. I didn't have enough time to see everything.

We got into the Danforth Music Hall and had assigned seats this time around. The venue was nice, except that it got hot in there and everyone was packing in the place. The woman next to me who had wide hips and huge thighs kept on moving over to allow for more room for her. That annoyed me. It was hot in here already and the last thing I needed was for her body heat to be transferred over to me. I know that sounds sick, but I just wanted to be cool.

I'll add more of my thoughts about the show after this review. I concur with this review, minus a couple of minor points.

The Music Hall, Toronto - June 11, 2007
Rufus gets intimate in T.O.
By JANE STEVENSON -- Sun Media

TORONTO - Montreal singer-songwriter-pianist Rufus Wainwright saved the best for last during the first of two sold-out shows at The Music Hall on Monday night.

Just as the somewhat sedate concert was coming to a close, Wainwright broke out his best Judy Garland drag routine for a spirited cover of Get Happy! while his seven-piece band gamely danced around him in homage to the classic scene from the 1951 film, Summer Stock.

In case you're not a hardcore Wainwright fan, you may not know that he re-enacted Garland's 1961 Carnegie Hall concert at the famed New York venue last year and a live album is due in the fall.

Wainwright also trotted out two other Garland tunes, including A Foggy Day (In London Town), earlier in the evening.

But Judy worshipping aside, that's not why Wainwright -- who donned a black fedora, black tuxedo blazer, black stockings, black stilettos, red lipstick and diamond earrings and a diamond ring for the Garland number to which he lipsynched to his own recording -- is on the road.

He's actually touring in support of his latest record, Release The Stars, which has garnered some of the best reviews of his career that is closing in on a decade now.

The 33-year-old opened the evening with the self-titled track and Going To A Town from his new record,. but with the addition of a three-piece horn section, there was a bigger, booming orchestral sound that sometimes overpowered Wainwright's vocals.

By the show's second half, however, the sound mix had improved so that the audience could fully enjoy Wainwright's plaintive, pretty voice on other highlights like Do I Disappoint You, Nobody's Off The Hook, Not Ready To Love, Slideshow, and The Art Teacher, which matched first-half standouts like Rules And Regulations, Tiergarten, Leaving For Paris No 2, and Between My Legs in intensity.

Too bad overheated patrons weren't allowed to escape the air-conditioned-deprived venue during a 20-minute intermission with a ridiculous "all exits are final" policy in effect.

Unfortunately, the heat dragged down Wainwright's show at times but it's a tribute to the openly gay performer's showmanship -- he's funny, charming and frank about his flaws -- that he was able to overcome the surroundings that verged on oppressive.

Of his new song, Sanssoucci, he joked: "I think of it as the gay Margaritaville."

Wainwright also asked that the lights be brought up on his backdrop, which looked suspiciously like a U.S. flag.

"It's the best of America and the worst of America," he pointed out with the flag's stripes now black and white and sparkling brooches replacing the stars.

In fact, the band was initially dressed in striped blazers and pants adorned with brooches before Wainwright later changed into lederhosen -- in a tribute to the Berlin location where Release The Stars was recorded -- for the show's second half.

Wainwright, who alternated between playing piano and acoustic guitar throughout the evening, also had no problem singing off the microphone for a traditional Irish tune that his mother -- folk great Kate McGarrigle -- suggested he put in his show.

"Whatever Mama says, Rufus does," he said with a smile.

That last quotation is close. It was, "Whatever mama says, Rufie does." He has such a beautiful voice. When he did a cover of the Pet Shop Boys' "Casanova in Hell," his voice was incredibly smooth and sweet. It was fun hearing him start over again and getting distracted by the beam of light blasting in his face.

It was nice how he moved from a German section to feeling like you were in Paris. I enjoyed his singing in French. It was effortless. Really, every song that he sang seemed like it required little energy for him.

Yep, Rufus coming out in a robe, then applying lipstick and clipping earrings on his earlobes, to putting his black high heels on was fun. You anticipated that something big was going to happen. Sure enough, he pleasantly surprised us all. He's such a great musician and performer. No wonder both his shows in Toronto were sold out. He's worth seeing.

The show ended at 23:30. We walked to my car and then I drove PS home. He seems more of a girl to me these days. He can't leave his manpurse at home. He constantly whips out his lip balm, looks at the contents in his manpurse a number of times during the course of the concert, and has this odd habit of looking at his watch, regardless of whether he is bored or not. I don't think he was bored tonight. He was quite enthusiastic by clapping loudly after each song Rufus had performed.

I drove home, eventually getting home just after midnight. I'm turning in soon. It's just after 01:00 right now.

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Song that's stuck in my head: Rufus Rainwright's "Not ready to love"
Yummy food eaten today: Chicken wings
What I crave: A month off from work

Recent thoughts:
Readings, lights, and random thoughts - 2009-03-15
Thoughts about work, school, and peeps - 2009-03-09
Working from home and a mini life update - 2008-12-19
The weekend is here! - 2008-01-06
A new year - 2008-01-01