It was an interesting
show to say the least. We're about 20 minutes until we go live. Time
to do one last check... the phone check.
No good. The fuse
is blown in it... AGAIN ! It really chaps my ass because here
i am, a liberal arts major and i can rip apart and put back together
most any computer there is. Most electronic devices are constructed
in a way that are meant to be accessed easily. From what i understand
about replacing the fuse on this particular device, it is easy and would
require all of about 10 minutes to train someone on how to do it.
But no. The Powers
That Be (ie: the day crew) either won't do it, or don't know that it
needs to be done. Either way, myself and all the other weekend live
producers get to pay the price.
As far as the show
goes, there were a few calls that provoked some sort of thought in me.
One woman, 20 years
old. She starts the conversation off by telling me how much she loves
sex. She describes herself as a "nymphomaniac"; a word used out of convenience
rather than an actual medical description.
Now, being the kind
of bloke who enjoys women and horny women at that, i'm thinking "cool".
And while that was just the little head thinking, it was her next comment
that brought an air of sobriety to the evening. Apparently unbeknownst
to her and a previous partner, she became infected with herpes.
One time, one partner,
one disease that will be with her for the rest of her life.
And to think... one
75 cent condom could have prevented it.
Perhaps it was wishful
thinking on my part. Perhaps it was my being naive (again), but i really
felt that this kind of experience merited a response from others in
the community who have had to learn to live with this disease. In other
words, i felt that she deserved support and that the support would be
out there for her.
And maybe there is.
Maybe i'm giving myself too much credit when i think that there are
more than 10 or so people watching Austin Access. If you have something
you'd like to share with her, feel free to write
me and i'll pass your message on to her.
On a more lighthearted
note, i had a call from a guy that I was SURE was a prank call at first.
"Hi. I used to have this girlfriend a while ago who used to use this...
thing on me that I really enjoyed."
It's a prank."Oh please...
i must know." My voice is flat.
"It was this string
of beads that she would... insert in me..." And you can figure the rest
out on your own. He wanted to know where he could get some. Hmmmm...
well, being the person i am, i want to help him out but at the same
time, i am not an expert on recommending things to stick in your
ass. Sorry, but that's a job that's best done by places like Forbidden
Fruit. For those of you who haven't been there (but you know you've
wanted to), Forbidden Fruit is for open minded adults who are willing
to either: 1) expand their perceptions of sexuality and what turns them
on. And 2) Adults who are willing to take their pleasure into their
own hands. I've been there a few times with ex lovers looking for toys
for them or just looking in general. The people who work there will
explain everything you need to know about their products and their use
(as well as what the other customers or they know about it from personal
experience) and yaknow what? They are not the least bit embarassed for
you nor themselves. They are a sex positive environment and they know
what i have known for years: A healty and adjusted attitude towards
sexuality lends itself to a healthy and adjusted life.
There were other calls
that merit a response, but for now i'm going to need to wrap up a few
other thoughts and call it a night.
Oh! Before i forget,
an old friend of mine, Melissa (yes, as in Melissa, the woman who worked
on Catharsis with me for years!), is getting married very very soon.
I haven't seen her in years, but it will be a nice surprise to see her
all dressed in white and sharing her vows with a man she will spend
her life (and perhaps the next) with. I, for one, am happy for her and
wish her nothing but the best.
Unfortunately i get
to go to this event alone. Since my ex left me, there are a few
things i find very difficult to do alone. Seeing as how i was only a
few days away from asking her (my ex) to marry me before she put a bullet
in our relation, i'd say that of all the things that i hate doing alone,
going to weddings is pretty much at the top of the list. But this time
i'll make an exception.