All About Sluggo
Who the Hell is This Guy • What's in a Name? • And Who is Sluggo? • What Do I Like? • Rants 'n' Raves
Sluggo's LiveJournal is here.....
What is this Ministry of Sluggo?
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The website name is based on a hat (yes, a hat). I used to have a black ball cap with the Ministry of Sound logo (at left) on it that was basically the only hat I ever wore. Kevin ( ex #2) used to call it my "Ministry of Sluggo" hat, hence the name of the website, which is a homage to British culture (think Ministry of Information, not a church Ministry.) Unfortunately, I lost the hat in the divorce with Cory, but still have visitation rights. (Yes, I washed it before I gave it back.) (See And Who is Sluggo, below) |
I was born Christopher Cutting Coveney on 2 October 1965 (Look who shares my Birthday!) in Boston. This caused quite a stir, since I wasn't due for another 3 months. At a little over two pounds, the odds were against me (preemies that size don't always survive even now), but despite two power failures I got out of the hospital 6 months later to go on to be raised in the picturesque and historic seaside town of Scituate, about 25 miles south of Boston on the South Shore (AKA "The Irish Riviera). Scituate, from the Indian Satuit, meaning "Cold Brook" was settled in 1636, and is one of the oldest towns in the Commonwealth and the country.
I went to Montessori school (which I blame on my complete lack of math skill and my Mom, at one point, blamed for me being gay) 'till 6th grade where I entered the fine Scituate Public School system. I attended Scituate High, where I was active in the Choir (fag!), the male singing group the Chancellors (Fag!) the Theatre Club (fag!). I participated in the New England High School Theatre Festival (as stage director for Nicholas Nickleby - we went to the semi finals.) In my senior year, I won a spot in the All New England Chorus and performed at Keene State College in Keene, NH.
I spent alot of time at the beach (a perk of growing up in a seaside town!) and was very interested in the history of Scituate, and in particular a creepy old house secluded on a wooded hill. This "summer cottage" was a 12-room Victorian mansion called the Ellis House. I spent alot of time exploring that.
My Mom is a Brown and RISD-trained artist, my Dad (who also went to Brown -- where they met) is retired from owning a sucessful leasing company and is into genealogy and kayaking. My sister Kymm who is also one of my best friends, lives in Barcelona, Spain with her daughters Zaida and Julia.. My other sister, Robin lives in Scituate with her son Anthony.
I went to college at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York (also home to the lesser-known Cornell University) and got my BS in Communications. My concentration was in TV-Radio production. My first day at Ithaca, I met Cory Conley, who was to become my partner for the next 12 years.
I produced several programs on Ithaca's cable-access station and was involved in too many student film and video projects to mention, including no less than four of the infamous "Doorknob films", a film-student right of passage in which you had to make a short film in which someone was killed by an doorknob. In my doorknob film, called "Morning, Pookie!," I killed off my Cory and our best friend Sheri in an earthquake related doorknob accident (really!)
Cory and I moved (back) to Boston in 1987 and settled in scenic Allston, MA where I work at Cablevision of Boston as a Customer Service Rep. Being WAY overqualified for that job, I moved on to work at New England School of Law in 1989, and started working with computers and networking. That stint lasted 5 years. The best thing about that job was it's where I met one of my oldest friends, Cindy Jones.
We stayed in Allston for 4 years, moving to the South End in 1990. Eventually, Cory and I bought a condo on Bradford Street, which the Boston Globe called "slightly shabby" in 1997, something we never forgave. We lived there (though we "divorced" amicably in 1995) with pup Lucas, and cats Roxy and Fenway .
During this time, I'd moved on to work at the Mass. Housing Finance Agency where I stayed for two years working for a boss who, among other things, once called me a "faggot" in Spanish. Although technically true, I let him know I spoke enough Spanish to know what he said and warned him never to do it again.
In 1995, I met Kevin Murphy who was my partner and Lucas' step-dad for almost 10 years until the end of 2004. Kevin moved in with Cory and me - yes, I lived with my ex and current boyfriends for a time, how "adult." (Cory later moved out to live full time with his "new" boyfriend - now husband - Curtis.)
From 1997 to 1999, I've work for the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts as their Computer Operations Specialist, and I'm insanely happy there. AIDS Action was the most pro-gay and fabulous (two snaps!) places I'd ever worked, and the first place I ever 1) respected my boss, 2) respected his boss, 3) felt trusted and 4) could get all the condoms, latex gloves and computer supplies I could ever want free! Unfortunately, in April 1999, I was laid off as a part of a restructuring at AAC that eliminated most of the Information Systems unit.
In November, 1999, after several months of leisure (wow, time doing nothing much at all sure flies!) I started a new job as Network Administrator at the Mass. Historical Society. One hopes a 200+ year old institution offers job security after the layoff at AIDS Action. I was promoted to Information Systems Manager in late 2000 and later Cheif Technology Officer. I am incharge of the computers, network, telephone system and for a few years oversaw the website, which under my tenure was called (my libary colleagues at other institions) "beautiful and the envy of us all."
Mike and I dated from May, 2005 to Oct, 2007, and I can honestly say he's the only person I think I have ever really fallen head over heels for, and still is my BFF -- or as some call us "non-sexual life partners." We still travel together, and have weekly dinner "dates."
So I'm in my early (almost mid) 40's, and single. Wow, single and middle-aged is reallly a bitch in Boston! I'm certainly intersted in a new partner, but that will happen when it's meant to happen (right??!? RIGHT?!)
In September 2008, I decided to move out of my place on Bradford Street, where I'd spent 15 happy years, to a new condo across the South End. It was a good "shakeup" of my life, and it was time to cash out, near the top of the market, after making a 258% profit (yay buying low, selling high!) and allowing me to trade up to a place with a better layout, finishes in a less straights-with-strollers gentrified part of the 'hood i still love to death.
This explanation of my "name" is stunningly accurate. It was generated by a name-ology website:
"The name of Christopher places a limitation on your life because you rarely deviate from normal routine in order to try something new. You prefer situations where you have stability and the opportunity to make slow step-by-step progress, preferably in a technical field. Procrastination and lack of self-confidence restrict your success. Self-depreciation and sensitivity cause you to take a rather negative approach to many things, and to be overly pessimistic. You enjoy associating with others, and would not be happy living or working alone. This name makes you quite dependent upon others, and you find it difficult to face issues or important decisions without relying upon others for help. Your name robs you of positively, causing you to be too easily influenced and easily led. You find it difficult to say "no" and mean it. This name is not conducive to good health, and tends to engender the desire for the wrong foods, for example, sweets and heavy, starchy foods. You could suffer with problems relative to constipation or the fluid functions such as growths, intestinal problems, swelling of the legs and ankles or over-stoutness."
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Sluggo, of course, is Nancy's side-kick in the cartoon Nancy ( which coincidentally and ironically is my Mother's name). The nickname was bestowed upon me by a friend's psycho roommate who didn't like me. Although it was meant to be an insult, I kinda liked it, and it stuck. |
Here are some of the things that
make me happy:
Art Architecture Clothes Etc. Technology Television
Jenny Holzer,Roy Lichtenstein, Barbara Kruger.
Karen Findley
Hardware, Etc.
Christopher Bram, Nathan Aldyne
Evelyn Waugh, Christopher Fowler
LeGuin, CS Lewis, Bradbury
Wallace & Grommit
American History X
Another Country, Merchant Ivory
The Women, Adam's Rib
(and no, I liked it before Jean-Luc!)
Compton's, The Colherne, Barcode, The Block, The Hoist, The King's
Arms, and the late, great London Apprentice
Hyde Park, Regent Park, Soho Square
Also: French & Saunders, Vicar of Dibley)
O.K. these are really just the rants. The raves are above:
- People who breeze through the door you are opening for yourself
- People who don't thank you when you hold the door for them
- Service/Salespeople who call you "Hon" or by your first name
- Telemarketers of all kinds
- SPAM - both kinds
