I've finally achieved a long time goal. Whaddya think?
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Ouch! What a Change, What a Change........
Last Friday I woke after a great night's sleep, in a positive mood, full of energy. I had my juice and registered for the fall semester back at school with again 3 classes in addition to my full time work schedule. I got showered and dressed and headed out to go to an acupuncturist to get help with a case of tennis elbow I've been dealing with.
I went to sit in my car and there was a quick, intense "pop" in my my lower back/sacrum area. I was seized with such incredible, severe pain that all I could do was sit there and scream "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.......!" (sorry for the profanity, but that's what I said and no other word seemed like it would work at the time). It ended up being a very long day.
To sum up the last 6 days, I've found out via MRI and consultation with a spinal orthopedic specialist that I have a disc herniation between the 4th and 5th lumbar. Indeed even I can see it on the MRI. I don't have to have help walking like I did Friday and Saturday but the pain is constant, real and debilitating. The Dr says we just wait to see if it gets better on its own, I do physical therapy and take meds.
I'm don't like that prognosis, I hurt and I'm frightened.
I went to sit in my car and there was a quick, intense "pop" in my my lower back/sacrum area. I was seized with such incredible, severe pain that all I could do was sit there and scream "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.......!" (sorry for the profanity, but that's what I said and no other word seemed like it would work at the time). It ended up being a very long day.
To sum up the last 6 days, I've found out via MRI and consultation with a spinal orthopedic specialist that I have a disc herniation between the 4th and 5th lumbar. Indeed even I can see it on the MRI. I don't have to have help walking like I did Friday and Saturday but the pain is constant, real and debilitating. The Dr says we just wait to see if it gets better on its own, I do physical therapy and take meds.
I'm don't like that prognosis, I hurt and I'm frightened.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Lady Bird's Heart
I had the pleasure of meeting Lady Bird Johnson 3 times over the years. Twice in Fredericksburg at the Episcopal Church during holiday services and once about 8 years ago when I was working part time for a catering company and waited on her table during a private party. The times in Fredericksburg I was more amazed than anything else. I'd never been able to shake hands with anyone who'd lived in the White House. It was a cool thing.
Even cooler was waiting on her at the private dinner. It was a small affair, maybe 7 or 8 tables of 8 and I was lucky enough to take care of her table. Seated next to her was Liz Carpenter, well known writer, feminist and her former press secretary. The dinner was held under the stars at a ranch just outside of Austin and it was a pleasant evening...must not have been summer as I don't recall it being typically hot.
Wine was served at the dinner and I recall Ms. Johnson having a glass before dinner and one with dinner. As she got towards the bottom of the glass and the end of her meal, I came around with the bottle and asked if she'd care for more wine. "No dear, I don't think I will" she replied. I grinned and said, "Well Mrs. Johnson, I hear that studies have shown red wine is good for the heart." She patted the back of my hand, grinned and said, "Honey, when you're my age your heart just has to look out for itself."
It was a memorable experience.
Even cooler was waiting on her at the private dinner. It was a small affair, maybe 7 or 8 tables of 8 and I was lucky enough to take care of her table. Seated next to her was Liz Carpenter, well known writer, feminist and her former press secretary. The dinner was held under the stars at a ranch just outside of Austin and it was a pleasant evening...must not have been summer as I don't recall it being typically hot.
Wine was served at the dinner and I recall Ms. Johnson having a glass before dinner and one with dinner. As she got towards the bottom of the glass and the end of her meal, I came around with the bottle and asked if she'd care for more wine. "No dear, I don't think I will" she replied. I grinned and said, "Well Mrs. Johnson, I hear that studies have shown red wine is good for the heart." She patted the back of my hand, grinned and said, "Honey, when you're my age your heart just has to look out for itself."
It was a memorable experience.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
I No Longer Feel Guilty About 30 Minute Showers
So here I sit at work doing a 12 hour day (they offered and I needed the overtime hours), 9am to 9pm and I'm looking out at relative sunshine. That's become a rather unusual thing here in Austin where it's rained virtually every day for over 2 weeks now. Consistant rain....flooding rains. The lakes are overflowing, grass and weeds are out of control, the humidity is astronomical and I've taken to carrying an umbrella.
Having been in a drought for a couple of years now, it was kinda cool the first week of the daily rain. But now that we're going on 3 weeks and it's wearing a little thin. Indeed, it's making me and the folks I know a little surly. Yes, it hasn't been hovering around 100 degrees as it normally is this time of year so that's a plus, but 3 weeks worth of rain goes a long way. I'm thinking maybe I'll move to Seattle where it rains less.
Oh crap! I just looked at the forecast and storms are developing to the west.
Having been in a drought for a couple of years now, it was kinda cool the first week of the daily rain. But now that we're going on 3 weeks and it's wearing a little thin. Indeed, it's making me and the folks I know a little surly. Yes, it hasn't been hovering around 100 degrees as it normally is this time of year so that's a plus, but 3 weeks worth of rain goes a long way. I'm thinking maybe I'll move to Seattle where it rains less.
Oh crap! I just looked at the forecast and storms are developing to the west.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Inflamed Airways and a Plethora of Courting or How I've Spent My Summer So Far
I haven't written in 24 days so me thinks I'm about due. Perhaps a little explanation is in order as to my lack of time/interest in blogging.
My last day of classes was May 10 and I decided that one of my goals for the summer would be to reinvigorate my social life (i.e. I was going to date some). There were 2 or 3 guys that had expressed an interest but going to school while working 40 hours a week was about all I could manage so I had politely declined until school was out.
On May 12th (that's 2 days later folks), I went on the first date. It was nice to be back in the game and have the possibility of a little companionship. I went out with NewsCameraGuy for a couple of weeks and it was enjoyable but he caught a little cold and gave it to me.
The cold turned into bronchitis which lasted fully 4 weeks. I missed work twice and made a trip to the ER once feeling so poorly I was afraid I might have pneumonia. I mostly put the whole dating thing on hold while my inflamed bronchial tubes healed. Finally, this past Monday, I began to feel my old self so the dating game has been back on with a vengeance.
Tuesday - Breakfast and tour of Austin with Mexico City Guy
Wednesday - Movie (300...great!) and dinner with Cute Meeting Guy (who has certainly gotten my attention)
Thursday - rest and solitude
Friday - Dinner at my place with College Kinesiology Guy
Saturday - Dinner and a play with Former Marine Gymnast Broadway Makeup Guy
On Sunday I think I'll rest.
Guys with colds, or any other communicable illness, need not apply
My last day of classes was May 10 and I decided that one of my goals for the summer would be to reinvigorate my social life (i.e. I was going to date some). There were 2 or 3 guys that had expressed an interest but going to school while working 40 hours a week was about all I could manage so I had politely declined until school was out.
On May 12th (that's 2 days later folks), I went on the first date. It was nice to be back in the game and have the possibility of a little companionship. I went out with NewsCameraGuy for a couple of weeks and it was enjoyable but he caught a little cold and gave it to me.
The cold turned into bronchitis which lasted fully 4 weeks. I missed work twice and made a trip to the ER once feeling so poorly I was afraid I might have pneumonia. I mostly put the whole dating thing on hold while my inflamed bronchial tubes healed. Finally, this past Monday, I began to feel my old self so the dating game has been back on with a vengeance.
Tuesday - Breakfast and tour of Austin with Mexico City Guy
Wednesday - Movie (300...great!) and dinner with Cute Meeting Guy (who has certainly gotten my attention)
Thursday - rest and solitude
Friday - Dinner at my place with College Kinesiology Guy
Saturday - Dinner and a play with Former Marine Gymnast Broadway Makeup Guy
On Sunday I think I'll rest.
Guys with colds, or any other communicable illness, need not apply
Saturday, May 26, 2007
"We Will, In Fact, Be Greeted As Liberators" - Cheney
We were....at least by the 200 or so people who, in an event staged by the US military, danced on the statue of Saddam Hussein after it was pulled down by a US tank right after the invasion of Baghdad. Yes, it was supposed to go so smoothly....we'd be in and out in no time, Iraqi oil revenues would pay for the costs, it would spread democracy through the Arab world, etc, etc. But here we are 5 years later, $500 billion spent , 3,442 US dead and over 600,000 Iraqi dead and things aren't going so swimmingly.
If W and Cheney had listened to intelligence assessments made in January 2003, we might not be in the situation we're in. The CIA predicted a surge of sectarian violence and that U.S. occupation of Iraq "probably would boost proponents of political Islam" throughout the Muslim world and "funds for terrorist groups probably would increase as a result of Muslim outrage over U.S. actions." Way to go! Let's make a bad situation worse Mr President and Vice President!
I read stuff like this and I have to wonder who these 30% are that still support W/Cheney and think that it was a good idea to have launched this war.
Friday, May 11, 2007
No RSVP....Not Even a .99 Cent Card
I've often been amazed by the number of people who don't fully understand the importance of RSVPing an invitation they've been given. Even more so, I'm troubled by people who aren't considerate enough to acknowledge a special event in a close friend or relative's life when they have been invited to attend but cannot.
My sister recently was married to a guy that she had a teenage romance with almost 40 years ago. It was a nice wedding attended by a variety of her friends, his friends, family members and a dog or two. I had the honor of walking her down the aisle and "giving her away." It was also memorable in that, besides the fact it's the 1st time my sis has been married, my disjointed, often dysfunctional family was all together for the better part of 4 hours and it all went relatively smoothly.
What's gotten under my skin about this is the relatives who were invited by my sister who not only didn't bother to RSVP, but also couldn't be bothered to send her a .99 cent card congratulating her. No email, no phone call, no card, nada. Now I haven't spoken to my sister so I don't know for a fact that she's hurt or even bothered by this but I suspect it's crossed her mind that people she is fond of absolutely ignored this major event in her life. I know that the boorish relatives certainly know better. It's so goddamned insensitive and rude it's hard to fathom. But ignore it they did.
Sad.
My sister recently was married to a guy that she had a teenage romance with almost 40 years ago. It was a nice wedding attended by a variety of her friends, his friends, family members and a dog or two. I had the honor of walking her down the aisle and "giving her away." It was also memorable in that, besides the fact it's the 1st time my sis has been married, my disjointed, often dysfunctional family was all together for the better part of 4 hours and it all went relatively smoothly.
What's gotten under my skin about this is the relatives who were invited by my sister who not only didn't bother to RSVP, but also couldn't be bothered to send her a .99 cent card congratulating her. No email, no phone call, no card, nada. Now I haven't spoken to my sister so I don't know for a fact that she's hurt or even bothered by this but I suspect it's crossed her mind that people she is fond of absolutely ignored this major event in her life. I know that the boorish relatives certainly know better. It's so goddamned insensitive and rude it's hard to fathom. But ignore it they did.
Sad.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Dammit Velvetsaje Tagged Me!
OK, it's not like I didn't have enough to do with the last 9 days of the school semester. Noooooooo! Velvetsaje had to go and get some goals (guess now that he's the ripe old age of 25 he felt it good to get a few ;) and "tagged" me to do the same. Saje, I have goals. I also have a final next Thursday and a group project presentation (which is working my absolute last gay nerve) due this coming Monday.
But, that said, ok. Goals. I actually start each year with goals I write out and keep where i can see them all year. I hate the phrase "New Years Resolutions"...you know, I gotta be a little different. For 2007 the big three are:
1. Spend more time with relatives and friends, particularly those who are on the older side of life.
2. Continue with my fitness regimen and strive to get my body fat down to a single digit (9% would be awesome).
3. Continue to save and get my finances in order.
Since we're now in the 5th month of 2007, I'll add a couple:
4. Renewal of my spiritual growth.
5. Continuation of my scholastic endeavors. I've just about pulled off this semester with (I think) 2 "A"s and a "B". Not bad for someone who works 40 hours a week.
6. Revving my personal life back up; a boy friend isn't a necessity but it would be nice. No drama though.
OK, I tag Cathie and Brad.
There! Done! Back to school work. Later............................................
But, that said, ok. Goals. I actually start each year with goals I write out and keep where i can see them all year. I hate the phrase "New Years Resolutions"...you know, I gotta be a little different. For 2007 the big three are:
1. Spend more time with relatives and friends, particularly those who are on the older side of life.
2. Continue with my fitness regimen and strive to get my body fat down to a single digit (9% would be awesome).
3. Continue to save and get my finances in order.
Since we're now in the 5th month of 2007, I'll add a couple:
4. Renewal of my spiritual growth.
5. Continuation of my scholastic endeavors. I've just about pulled off this semester with (I think) 2 "A"s and a "B". Not bad for someone who works 40 hours a week.
6. Revving my personal life back up; a boy friend isn't a necessity but it would be nice. No drama though.
OK, I tag Cathie and Brad.
There! Done! Back to school work. Later............................................
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Bluetooth People
I haven't had a good rant in a while so I think I'm due....please indulge me. What the hell is up with these Bluetooth people?! You know the ones I'm talking about; they run around in public places with the little cordless phone gizmo attached to the side of their heads. Sometimes they are carrying on conversations and sometimes they are just walking around with that widget sticking outta their skull with no call on it. It's just there like a high tech tumour or a metallic, shiny wart that needs to be cut off.
When I see these Bluetooth people, I automatically deduct 25 points from the IQ I perceive them to have. 25 points right off the top for not having the good sense not to appear in public looking like some type of droid. It all too often seems these same folks are the ones that don't have the basic sense or common courtesy not to carry on loud phone conversations in public places. I theorize that they just lack common sense and courtesy in general. Observation seems to confirm this. There is a gal in my college math class who walks around with one anchored to her rather thick head. She also is prone to talking during lectures (not on the Bluetooth, just to anyone sitting around her) and complaining because certain things about the class aren't set up to suit her. She's annoying. She'd be annoying even if she didn't have the electrical device growing from her ear but she's even more annoying with it.
Now not all people who own one of these contraptions are annoying or inconsiderate. My friend James owns one but he has the common sense to only use it while he's driving. Smart. Considerate. Makes sense. He's the exception.
The rest of 'em are just bothersome and dense.
When I see these Bluetooth people, I automatically deduct 25 points from the IQ I perceive them to have. 25 points right off the top for not having the good sense not to appear in public looking like some type of droid. It all too often seems these same folks are the ones that don't have the basic sense or common courtesy not to carry on loud phone conversations in public places. I theorize that they just lack common sense and courtesy in general. Observation seems to confirm this. There is a gal in my college math class who walks around with one anchored to her rather thick head. She also is prone to talking during lectures (not on the Bluetooth, just to anyone sitting around her) and complaining because certain things about the class aren't set up to suit her. She's annoying. She'd be annoying even if she didn't have the electrical device growing from her ear but she's even more annoying with it.
Now not all people who own one of these contraptions are annoying or inconsiderate. My friend James owns one but he has the common sense to only use it while he's driving. Smart. Considerate. Makes sense. He's the exception.
The rest of 'em are just bothersome and dense.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Supporting the Troops
In the last week there has been a lot in the news about the abysmal conditions, squalid housing and bureaucratic delays in outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Seems that the military has done a rather poor job of taking care of our returning wounded. Here we are 4 years into the Iraq fiasco and it's just now becoming a concern as to how we take care of our vets. W is supposed to give his Saturday radio address today (which I'm sure he put a great deal of thought into....just like everything he does) in which he will say, "... some of our troops at Walter Reed have experienced bureaucratic delays and living conditions that are less than they deserve. This is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to our country, and it's not going to continue."
Well, better late than never. But I don't want to lay all the blame at Shrub's feet. We've had a history for a couple of decades now of not doing enough for our vets. On the way to work this morning I passed two homeless men at different corners who were holding signs that said "veteran". The National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC) done in 1996, projected that: Each year, 2.3 million to 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America. By taking 23% of that range for veterans, that would indicate there are between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some time during the year. That's a lot of veterans. Where has the support for them been?
It became very fashionable a few years back in this country to buy magnets (which were usually made in China) that say "Support the Troops" and drive around in one's vehicle (usually made in Japan) while burning lots of gasoline (made with oil imported from the Middle East) with those magnets patriotically attached to the back end of said vehicle. I often wonder how many of the Patriots give a rat's ass about those homeless vets or the ones forced to live in squalor at our preeminent military hospital.
Well, better late than never. But I don't want to lay all the blame at Shrub's feet. We've had a history for a couple of decades now of not doing enough for our vets. On the way to work this morning I passed two homeless men at different corners who were holding signs that said "veteran". The National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC) done in 1996, projected that: Each year, 2.3 million to 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America. By taking 23% of that range for veterans, that would indicate there are between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some time during the year. That's a lot of veterans. Where has the support for them been?
It became very fashionable a few years back in this country to buy magnets (which were usually made in China) that say "Support the Troops" and drive around in one's vehicle (usually made in Japan) while burning lots of gasoline (made with oil imported from the Middle East) with those magnets patriotically attached to the back end of said vehicle. I often wonder how many of the Patriots give a rat's ass about those homeless vets or the ones forced to live in squalor at our preeminent military hospital.
Of course, maybe it's more of an intangible, abstract kind of support they mean to offer.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
It's Up to You and Me Bubba
It will soon be 3 full months since the midterm elections and almost a month since Congress convened with a new majority. The new majority was elected because a majority of Americans are fed up with Bush's illegal, immoral and misguided war. I have been proactive in mailing and emailing (yes, old fashioned paper letters and those newfangled digital ones) my representatives and a few who aren't mine to express my view that it's time to end this nonsense. Were I in a minority point of view I could understand the inaction and the political gamesmanship Congress seems to suffer from.
But every poll I've seen seems to indicate that I share a point of view with most citizens. In spite of this groundswell of opposition, we still have the Joe Liebermans of the Senate trying to tell us that not supporting the escalation means we don't support the troops. Haven't we already put that argument to rest? My retort would be how does sending more brave men and women into the meat grinder that Iraq has become count as support? Ending this war is the responsibility of Congress and it is not only a constitutional responsibility, it is a moral one.
Molly Ivins, who we just lost, said in her next to last column that it was going to be up to us to stop this war. She said, "This country is being torn apart by an evil and unnecessary war, and it has to be stopped NOW." She reminded us that "this war is being prosecuted in our names, with our money, with our blood, against our will."
I encourage all of my readers (all 4 of you anyway) to get off your collective duffs and contact your representatives with a demand that they lead on this issue. Cuz lord knows there has been a dearth of leadership so far. You can contact them via email through
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
or
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Like Molly said, it's up to you and me Bubba.
But every poll I've seen seems to indicate that I share a point of view with most citizens. In spite of this groundswell of opposition, we still have the Joe Liebermans of the Senate trying to tell us that not supporting the escalation means we don't support the troops. Haven't we already put that argument to rest? My retort would be how does sending more brave men and women into the meat grinder that Iraq has become count as support? Ending this war is the responsibility of Congress and it is not only a constitutional responsibility, it is a moral one.
Molly Ivins, who we just lost, said in her next to last column that it was going to be up to us to stop this war. She said, "This country is being torn apart by an evil and unnecessary war, and it has to be stopped NOW." She reminded us that "this war is being prosecuted in our names, with our money, with our blood, against our will."
I encourage all of my readers (all 4 of you anyway) to get off your collective duffs and contact your representatives with a demand that they lead on this issue. Cuz lord knows there has been a dearth of leadership so far. You can contact them via email through
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
or
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Like Molly said, it's up to you and me Bubba.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
OK, I Am So Busted!
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So I get an email stating that Cathie has left a posting on my blog that says, "Where are you? You haven't posted for a whole month!!!!" and I thinks to myself, "Self, you sure haven't." So, you ask, what have I been doing for a month?
I started the month counting down to a trip to Las Vegas with my friend Kevin from LA. This was his treat so that I could join him to celebrate his birthday. It's not the first time we've spent birthday's with each other in the 20 years we've known each other. I recall a limo and fabulous dinner at The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego some years ago. It will also always be embedded in my memory that he showed up unannounced at my 45th birthday party in Austin.
We had a fabulous time! We stayed at The Riviera Hotel on the strip. I managed to get Kevin upgraded to a nice, one-bedroom suite for his birthday. He turned me on to the wonder of "Wheel of Fortune" slots. All told I managed to come home $25 poorer than when I went which aint bad for 3 nights in Vegas. Kevin chuckled at my method of stopping play at the slots when I would win a jackpot (I think I won a $400, a $300 and a $100), cashing out and heading straight to my room where I'd deposit the winnings in my in room safe. We saw a show at The Excalibur hotel and had wonderful dinners at the The Steakhouse at Camelot and at Emeril's at the MGM Grand. The dinner at Emeril's was extraordinarily expensive and absolutely wonderful and The Steakhouse dinner was pretty fabulous as well. I had a 24 hour romance and I think Kevin came out ahead about $500 on his gambling (He is a total pro and has the various casino "frequent gambler" cards on a retractable string attached to his waist. I am but a mere amateur). We had a great time and I'm so grateful to Kevin.
I get back to Austin just in time for the "ice storm". Now, for those of you who don't know, it really doesn't take much to shut this city down. And it did. For 2 days. Since I fell on the ice and hurt my back, it was a nice break and I extended it a bit.
Then I launched into my latest endeavor: school. Yes folks, I'm now a full time employee and a student. This is going back after about 20 years. It's been interesting to say the least and I'm still trying to figure out how the schedule of work, school, study, eating, working out, sleeping, taking care of business and having any degree of a personal life works. So, two apologies:
1) To Brad I want to say I now understand why you were unseen for months at a time. I'm sorry I doubted you. Now I get it.
2) To all my friends who may not see much of me. I'm going to make a serious effort to have some times with friends on a regular basis but I make no guarantees.
So, onward with this experiment. Wish me luck and please indulge me if my postings are few and far between ;)
I started the month counting down to a trip to Las Vegas with my friend Kevin from LA. This was his treat so that I could join him to celebrate his birthday. It's not the first time we've spent birthday's with each other in the 20 years we've known each other. I recall a limo and fabulous dinner at The Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego some years ago. It will also always be embedded in my memory that he showed up unannounced at my 45th birthday party in Austin.
We had a fabulous time! We stayed at The Riviera Hotel on the strip. I managed to get Kevin upgraded to a nice, one-bedroom suite for his birthday. He turned me on to the wonder of "Wheel of Fortune" slots. All told I managed to come home $25 poorer than when I went which aint bad for 3 nights in Vegas. Kevin chuckled at my method of stopping play at the slots when I would win a jackpot (I think I won a $400, a $300 and a $100), cashing out and heading straight to my room where I'd deposit the winnings in my in room safe. We saw a show at The Excalibur hotel and had wonderful dinners at the The Steakhouse at Camelot and at Emeril's at the MGM Grand. The dinner at Emeril's was extraordinarily expensive and absolutely wonderful and The Steakhouse dinner was pretty fabulous as well. I had a 24 hour romance and I think Kevin came out ahead about $500 on his gambling (He is a total pro and has the various casino "frequent gambler" cards on a retractable string attached to his waist. I am but a mere amateur). We had a great time and I'm so grateful to Kevin.
I get back to Austin just in time for the "ice storm". Now, for those of you who don't know, it really doesn't take much to shut this city down. And it did. For 2 days. Since I fell on the ice and hurt my back, it was a nice break and I extended it a bit.
Then I launched into my latest endeavor: school. Yes folks, I'm now a full time employee and a student. This is going back after about 20 years. It's been interesting to say the least and I'm still trying to figure out how the schedule of work, school, study, eating, working out, sleeping, taking care of business and having any degree of a personal life works. So, two apologies:
1) To Brad I want to say I now understand why you were unseen for months at a time. I'm sorry I doubted you. Now I get it.
2) To all my friends who may not see much of me. I'm going to make a serious effort to have some times with friends on a regular basis but I make no guarantees.
So, onward with this experiment. Wish me luck and please indulge me if my postings are few and far between ;)
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Being OK With Being Single Makes for Good Dating
As I began this year I made the decision that I would venture back into the dating world. I'd dropped out sometime back and wasn't really dating material for the previous couple of years. When you speak unintelligibly and tend to nod off for 20+ hours a day, people aren't necessarily interested in dating you. I also felt that I hadn't wanted to risk the possibility of hurt that comes with making yourself vulnerable to a another human being. But last January I'd been sober for 6 months and felt like I was in a good place to open myself up to the possibility of meeting new guys and seeing what the world of potential relationships had to offer. I was very content with my singleness and was of a mind that if I didn't meet anyone that I clicked with enough to get in a relationship it would be ok; I was OK with just me and that, I felt, was the perfect place to come from. If one must have another person to make themselves happy then they are approaching the world of relationships from a needy, insecure place. Luckily, I felt very secure.
So I put myself on the market. I met Jamison online in January and we had our first date over dinner within a week. Taller and leaner than myself, Jamison had red, curly hair, a vivacious personality and a snow white smile. He came to my apartment and we went out for pizza. Jamison was intelligent, witty and very funny. I recall that I was very nervous and quite unsure of myself. In spite of that, I seemed to have made a good impression on him and he certainly did on me. We were off to the races!
Jamison and I dated for about 4 months and it was a wonderful time. He's a true romantic and was fully engaged emotionally. I loved every minute of it. But sometimes you begin to realize that you make better friends than lovers and I think he and I both began to flash on this in April. So we had an emotional conversation and decided to end our relationship as boyfriends. But we began a relationship as friends and Jamison has become such a dear, valued confidante to me that I have no regrets whatsoever that I took that chance back in January. The return on that investment has been huge.
The next Gallant Knight to enter my world was Fernando. It seems that Fernando and I had had a rendezvous about a year earlier which I don't recall. At all. It seems I met Fernando during a hazy time which has few memories for me. Benzodiazapines will have that affect. I seem to have made an impression on him however as he was insistent via emails and IM's that we reconnect. So we did. Looking at pictures he sent me he was a handsome, smiling, height/weight proportionate guy. The person that showed up at my door was handsome and smiling but the height/weight proportionate description no longer applied to the tune of about 30 pounds. We went to dinner and the conversation was about as exciting as watching grass grow. On top of our vapid conversation, Fernando mentioned several times how unhappy he was that he couldn't seem to find a boyfriend. I'm sure the fact that he was uninteresting, overweight and needy had nothing to do with that. I arrived home with a huge sigh of relief and mentally crossed him off the potentials list.
Applicant number 3 came in the form of a 5 foot 4 inch, sculpted, muscular, Latino, champion gymnast (he'd been to and won US national competitions) we'll call Joe. I'd chatted on line with Joe for over 2 years and we ran into each other again one night via the magic of high speed cable internet service. Joe showed up at my door a few nights later and suffice to say that we began a torrid series of encounters that lasted a couple of months. Although flighty and often unreliable, Joe impressed me with his passion and he holds the memorable spot as the only guy that has ever done a nude handstand and then walked across the floor on those same hands in my presence. I was impressed. Very impressed.
Joe claimed he suffered from ADD which seemed to explain his inability to complete a thought and his tendency to change plans on a moments notice. He could be very warm, tender and emotionally intimate. He could also be completely unreliable. What I came to discover as the real reason for his flightiness was that Joe, like far too many gay men, was a meth addict struggling not to be one. Our brief, incandescent fling ended when Joe stood me up in San Antonio. That very day I deleted his number and email.
I ended the last third of the year seeing John. John was born in Monterrey, Mexico but raised in the Texas panhandle. 22 years my junior, he was affectionate and very self directed. We had begun seeing one another in September but stopped after two months when he couldn't abide the fact that Jamison and I were still friends. When I advised him that my friendship with Jamison was non-negotiable he advised that we should go our separate ways. I semi-reluctantly agreed but within 24 hours began to receive numerous irrational and unfriendly text and voice messages. I decided I'd been blessed with having dodged a bullet and went on with life.
Stuart was my first and, so far only, date of myspace origin (yes, I finally developed a page) entering the parade at the end of October. He found me through a mutual friends myspace page and the friend communicated that Stuart thought I was cute. After viewing his pics I responded the feeling was mutual. We ended up going out for several meals and one night of movie watching at my place. Stuart was an ICU nurse, very goal oriented and extremely focused on his profession. Speaking for myself, although he was attractive, employed, extremely intelligent, had runner's buns you could bounce a half dollar off of and shimmering eyes, the spark wasn't there and you just can't fake that. I suspect he felt the same way. The calls ended at Thanksgiving.
At the beginning of December I began to hear from John again via emails to my myspace page. His messages were introspective and indicated that he regretted his decision to end what we had going. I finally agreed to meet him on December 5th and I knew when I saw his smile that there was something about him that stirred a passion in my heart. I didn't listen to the little voice in my head that said this might not work. Funny how the heart overrules the mind sometimes.
We made it 20 days before John broke a promise (not the first) and as we tried to work through my hurt feelings and his surly reaction to them, it became apparent to me that I should have listened to that voice. I ended that second attempt feeling love for John and being pleased with myself that I had been a gentleman. I was also warmed by the fact that despite my deep feelings for this guy, I wasn't knocked off center for very long when my hopes that we could develop a relationship were dashed.
I head into 2007 having learned a lot from these experiences. I'm solid in what I value in a potential partner, confident that I have something to offer in a relationship, and reminded that others find attractive qualities in me.
So I put myself on the market. I met Jamison online in January and we had our first date over dinner within a week. Taller and leaner than myself, Jamison had red, curly hair, a vivacious personality and a snow white smile. He came to my apartment and we went out for pizza. Jamison was intelligent, witty and very funny. I recall that I was very nervous and quite unsure of myself. In spite of that, I seemed to have made a good impression on him and he certainly did on me. We were off to the races!
Jamison and I dated for about 4 months and it was a wonderful time. He's a true romantic and was fully engaged emotionally. I loved every minute of it. But sometimes you begin to realize that you make better friends than lovers and I think he and I both began to flash on this in April. So we had an emotional conversation and decided to end our relationship as boyfriends. But we began a relationship as friends and Jamison has become such a dear, valued confidante to me that I have no regrets whatsoever that I took that chance back in January. The return on that investment has been huge.
The next Gallant Knight to enter my world was Fernando. It seems that Fernando and I had had a rendezvous about a year earlier which I don't recall. At all. It seems I met Fernando during a hazy time which has few memories for me. Benzodiazapines will have that affect. I seem to have made an impression on him however as he was insistent via emails and IM's that we reconnect. So we did. Looking at pictures he sent me he was a handsome, smiling, height/weight proportionate guy. The person that showed up at my door was handsome and smiling but the height/weight proportionate description no longer applied to the tune of about 30 pounds. We went to dinner and the conversation was about as exciting as watching grass grow. On top of our vapid conversation, Fernando mentioned several times how unhappy he was that he couldn't seem to find a boyfriend. I'm sure the fact that he was uninteresting, overweight and needy had nothing to do with that. I arrived home with a huge sigh of relief and mentally crossed him off the potentials list.
Applicant number 3 came in the form of a 5 foot 4 inch, sculpted, muscular, Latino, champion gymnast (he'd been to and won US national competitions) we'll call Joe. I'd chatted on line with Joe for over 2 years and we ran into each other again one night via the magic of high speed cable internet service. Joe showed up at my door a few nights later and suffice to say that we began a torrid series of encounters that lasted a couple of months. Although flighty and often unreliable, Joe impressed me with his passion and he holds the memorable spot as the only guy that has ever done a nude handstand and then walked across the floor on those same hands in my presence. I was impressed. Very impressed.
Joe claimed he suffered from ADD which seemed to explain his inability to complete a thought and his tendency to change plans on a moments notice. He could be very warm, tender and emotionally intimate. He could also be completely unreliable. What I came to discover as the real reason for his flightiness was that Joe, like far too many gay men, was a meth addict struggling not to be one. Our brief, incandescent fling ended when Joe stood me up in San Antonio. That very day I deleted his number and email.
I ended the last third of the year seeing John. John was born in Monterrey, Mexico but raised in the Texas panhandle. 22 years my junior, he was affectionate and very self directed. We had begun seeing one another in September but stopped after two months when he couldn't abide the fact that Jamison and I were still friends. When I advised him that my friendship with Jamison was non-negotiable he advised that we should go our separate ways. I semi-reluctantly agreed but within 24 hours began to receive numerous irrational and unfriendly text and voice messages. I decided I'd been blessed with having dodged a bullet and went on with life.
Stuart was my first and, so far only, date of myspace origin (yes, I finally developed a page) entering the parade at the end of October. He found me through a mutual friends myspace page and the friend communicated that Stuart thought I was cute. After viewing his pics I responded the feeling was mutual. We ended up going out for several meals and one night of movie watching at my place. Stuart was an ICU nurse, very goal oriented and extremely focused on his profession. Speaking for myself, although he was attractive, employed, extremely intelligent, had runner's buns you could bounce a half dollar off of and shimmering eyes, the spark wasn't there and you just can't fake that. I suspect he felt the same way. The calls ended at Thanksgiving.
At the beginning of December I began to hear from John again via emails to my myspace page. His messages were introspective and indicated that he regretted his decision to end what we had going. I finally agreed to meet him on December 5th and I knew when I saw his smile that there was something about him that stirred a passion in my heart. I didn't listen to the little voice in my head that said this might not work. Funny how the heart overrules the mind sometimes.
We made it 20 days before John broke a promise (not the first) and as we tried to work through my hurt feelings and his surly reaction to them, it became apparent to me that I should have listened to that voice. I ended that second attempt feeling love for John and being pleased with myself that I had been a gentleman. I was also warmed by the fact that despite my deep feelings for this guy, I wasn't knocked off center for very long when my hopes that we could develop a relationship were dashed.
I head into 2007 having learned a lot from these experiences. I'm solid in what I value in a potential partner, confident that I have something to offer in a relationship, and reminded that others find attractive qualities in me.
I'm also content with just sleeping with myself :)~
Friday, December 08, 2006
W is Just Plain Stupid
I wish I'd written this......but I didn't:
12.08.2006
The Incredibly, Unbelievably, Stupendously, Incurious George Bush (29 comments )
by Cenk Uygur
Never has there been a public official more unequipped to be President of the United States of America than George W. Bush. The man is simply not up to the job. Even if he really wanted to be or cared to be an effective president, he ... could ... not ... do ... it.
He can't do it on a boat, he can't do it with a (pet) goat. He can't do it in the Green Zone, he can't do it back at home. This man cannot be a good president, Sam-I-Am.
He flat out does not have the intellectual capacity to carry out the requirements of the job. This is not some mean-spirited speculation as to the level of his intelligence. The facts are in. There is nothing left to speculate on. And today we have yet another example of his sheer inability to form a cognitive thought.
Lawrence Eagleburger is a Republican. He was the Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush and was a prominent figure in the Reagan administration. He is a party stalwart and one of the bastions of the Republican establishment. This man obviously wants George W. Bush to succeed. When he met with President Bush, along with all of the members of the Iraq Study Group, he said that after they presented their findings - Bush asked no questions.
Eagleburger remarked, "I don't recall, seriously, that he asked any questions."
Stop. Think about that for a second. There are 79 recommendations made by the group. They took nine months and talked to everyone involved about the situation in Iraq. They have interesting, sometimes controversial positions, some of which Bush theoretically agrees and disagrees with - and he asked absolutely no questions. Not one.
That is beyond unbelievable. You would have to be stupendously stupid, mentally stultified and intellectually inoperative not to be able to come up with one question to this group who has presented the most important report of your presidency to you.
No one can be that callous. Forget his legacy, there are people dying on the ground every day. Even if you don't care at all about your own presidency and you don't care about the thousands of Iraqis dying every month, you have to care about the American servicemen and women you sent in to die in Iraq. You'd have to be inhuman not to care about that. No one could be callous enough to receive incredibly important recommendations on how to rescue this mission and not ask a single question.
You know why he didn't ask anything? Because he's stupid. He is afraid that he is going to ask a dumb question, or it's possible that he doesn't even have the capacity to formulate one in his tiny, little mind. So, instead he sits there like a bump on a log. The ISG members must have been at a loss for what to do. I can't imagine any of them anticipated that there would be no interaction with the president. That he would just sit there with a dumb look on his face and not make one comment or have one question.
That might explain some of their harsh comments about the president afterward. Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson intimidated that Bush is so stubborn that he stinks of it. The dude is clearly aggravated.
Later Bush actually bragged about reading the report. He said that most reports don't get read by anyone in Washington, but that he went through the trouble of reading this one. Would you like cracker, Mr. President?
Bush often brags about doing the simplest things related to his job, like meeting with the commanders. He is often fond of saying that he has met with his commanders and his advisers. Of course!!! That's what you're supposed to do. Everyone, except you apparently, already knew that. That is the beginning of the job, not the end.
If this was just one incident, you could rightfully say I might be blowing it out of proportion, but this is part of a very clear pattern in most of the important moments in George Bush's presidency.
Remember the famous meeting before Hurricane Katrina where federal officials warned that the levees might not hold. His response? Not one question.
Remember what Paul O'Neill, the former Treasury Secretary, said about him during their first one-on-one meeting. After O'Neill spoke for an hour about all of the important budgetary and domestic issues in the country, he turned to the president. His response? Not one question.
Remember when he received the Presidential Daily Briefing warning "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." His response? Not one question. But in this case, to rub salt into the wounds, he added to the CIA official giving the dire warnings, "All right. You've covered your ass, now."
Wow.
His contempt for and ignorance of the necessities of the job are stunning. At first when Michael Moore made a big deal about how President Bush read "My Pet Goat" for seven minutes after he was told the nation was under attack, I thought he was being a bit unfair. I thought at the time that Bush was thinking about what to do and didn't want to freak out the kids by rushing out of the room. But now the weight of experience leads me to realize that it was no such thing. The tiny wheels inside that vacuous mind were turning and churning, and in the end he had nothing to show for it. Zip. He had no idea what to do.
He didn't ask Andy Card who attacked us? What hit the buildings? What precautions we should take? What actions and reactions we should engage in immediately? How do we go about defending ourselves? What's happening on the ground in New York? When he was told we were under attack on 9/11, what was his response?
Not one question.
12.08.2006
The Incredibly, Unbelievably, Stupendously, Incurious George Bush (29 comments )
by Cenk Uygur
Never has there been a public official more unequipped to be President of the United States of America than George W. Bush. The man is simply not up to the job. Even if he really wanted to be or cared to be an effective president, he ... could ... not ... do ... it.
He can't do it on a boat, he can't do it with a (pet) goat. He can't do it in the Green Zone, he can't do it back at home. This man cannot be a good president, Sam-I-Am.
He flat out does not have the intellectual capacity to carry out the requirements of the job. This is not some mean-spirited speculation as to the level of his intelligence. The facts are in. There is nothing left to speculate on. And today we have yet another example of his sheer inability to form a cognitive thought.
Lawrence Eagleburger is a Republican. He was the Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush and was a prominent figure in the Reagan administration. He is a party stalwart and one of the bastions of the Republican establishment. This man obviously wants George W. Bush to succeed. When he met with President Bush, along with all of the members of the Iraq Study Group, he said that after they presented their findings - Bush asked no questions.
Eagleburger remarked, "I don't recall, seriously, that he asked any questions."
Stop. Think about that for a second. There are 79 recommendations made by the group. They took nine months and talked to everyone involved about the situation in Iraq. They have interesting, sometimes controversial positions, some of which Bush theoretically agrees and disagrees with - and he asked absolutely no questions. Not one.
That is beyond unbelievable. You would have to be stupendously stupid, mentally stultified and intellectually inoperative not to be able to come up with one question to this group who has presented the most important report of your presidency to you.
No one can be that callous. Forget his legacy, there are people dying on the ground every day. Even if you don't care at all about your own presidency and you don't care about the thousands of Iraqis dying every month, you have to care about the American servicemen and women you sent in to die in Iraq. You'd have to be inhuman not to care about that. No one could be callous enough to receive incredibly important recommendations on how to rescue this mission and not ask a single question.
You know why he didn't ask anything? Because he's stupid. He is afraid that he is going to ask a dumb question, or it's possible that he doesn't even have the capacity to formulate one in his tiny, little mind. So, instead he sits there like a bump on a log. The ISG members must have been at a loss for what to do. I can't imagine any of them anticipated that there would be no interaction with the president. That he would just sit there with a dumb look on his face and not make one comment or have one question.
That might explain some of their harsh comments about the president afterward. Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson intimidated that Bush is so stubborn that he stinks of it. The dude is clearly aggravated.
Later Bush actually bragged about reading the report. He said that most reports don't get read by anyone in Washington, but that he went through the trouble of reading this one. Would you like cracker, Mr. President?
Bush often brags about doing the simplest things related to his job, like meeting with the commanders. He is often fond of saying that he has met with his commanders and his advisers. Of course!!! That's what you're supposed to do. Everyone, except you apparently, already knew that. That is the beginning of the job, not the end.
If this was just one incident, you could rightfully say I might be blowing it out of proportion, but this is part of a very clear pattern in most of the important moments in George Bush's presidency.
Remember the famous meeting before Hurricane Katrina where federal officials warned that the levees might not hold. His response? Not one question.
Remember what Paul O'Neill, the former Treasury Secretary, said about him during their first one-on-one meeting. After O'Neill spoke for an hour about all of the important budgetary and domestic issues in the country, he turned to the president. His response? Not one question.
Remember when he received the Presidential Daily Briefing warning "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." His response? Not one question. But in this case, to rub salt into the wounds, he added to the CIA official giving the dire warnings, "All right. You've covered your ass, now."
Wow.
His contempt for and ignorance of the necessities of the job are stunning. At first when Michael Moore made a big deal about how President Bush read "My Pet Goat" for seven minutes after he was told the nation was under attack, I thought he was being a bit unfair. I thought at the time that Bush was thinking about what to do and didn't want to freak out the kids by rushing out of the room. But now the weight of experience leads me to realize that it was no such thing. The tiny wheels inside that vacuous mind were turning and churning, and in the end he had nothing to show for it. Zip. He had no idea what to do.
He didn't ask Andy Card who attacked us? What hit the buildings? What precautions we should take? What actions and reactions we should engage in immediately? How do we go about defending ourselves? What's happening on the ground in New York? When he was told we were under attack on 9/11, what was his response?
Not one question.
Monday, December 04, 2006
The N Word
Discussion about the use of the "N" word has been very much in the media lately after Michael Richards ("Kramer's") public disintegration into spewing that word and reminding a black audience member at The Laugh Factory of the good old days of lynchings. If you've seen the video of his racist tirade, you know that it wasn't an attempt at politically incorrect humor but rather was the verbalization of some deep seated feelings about African Americans. The way it hit the media confirms that no one took it as an attempt at humor.
The timing of all this came just a few days after I'd watched the movie Crash, a rather deep film about everyday race relations in LA. The movie really made me think about the racism that's buried deep down in most people's hearts. I tend to run around thinking of myself as a very progressive, non-racist, live and let live individual. Watching that movie made me realize that even those of us with the best of intentions harbor some stereotypical view of people of different races that certainly could be seen as racist.
The N word has long given me a tinge of nausea. I wrote once about Richard Pryor teaching me to use the word and then teaching me why it should never be used. One of my favorite columnists, Leonard Pitts, has written a wonderful column discussing how the word has always been ugly and that there simply is no rationalization for it's use under any circumstances, by people of any color. It makes no difference if it's spelled with an "er" or an "a" at the end, the word simply carries the history and the connotations that a few hundred years of usage during lynchings, beatings, legal discrimination, voting suppression have given it.
Now that some high level black entertainers, leaders and politicians are finally saying enough, maybe we'll start to hear it less and less in the lexicon of today's rap/gangsta oriented youth. It's well past time. The word is simply a word of hate. Hatred by a an non-African American person towards someone who is or the ingrained, self-hatred many African Americans often feel subconsciously. The word cant be cleansed or made ok. It just aint possible.
The timing of all this came just a few days after I'd watched the movie Crash, a rather deep film about everyday race relations in LA. The movie really made me think about the racism that's buried deep down in most people's hearts. I tend to run around thinking of myself as a very progressive, non-racist, live and let live individual. Watching that movie made me realize that even those of us with the best of intentions harbor some stereotypical view of people of different races that certainly could be seen as racist.
The N word has long given me a tinge of nausea. I wrote once about Richard Pryor teaching me to use the word and then teaching me why it should never be used. One of my favorite columnists, Leonard Pitts, has written a wonderful column discussing how the word has always been ugly and that there simply is no rationalization for it's use under any circumstances, by people of any color. It makes no difference if it's spelled with an "er" or an "a" at the end, the word simply carries the history and the connotations that a few hundred years of usage during lynchings, beatings, legal discrimination, voting suppression have given it.
Now that some high level black entertainers, leaders and politicians are finally saying enough, maybe we'll start to hear it less and less in the lexicon of today's rap/gangsta oriented youth. It's well past time. The word is simply a word of hate. Hatred by a an non-African American person towards someone who is or the ingrained, self-hatred many African Americans often feel subconsciously. The word cant be cleansed or made ok. It just aint possible.
Friday, November 24, 2006
I'm Way Overdue and Don't Know Which to Write About 1st!!
My goal has always been to post at least twice a month (unlike velvetsaje who is doing some kinda blogging every day competition....but his life is SO much more eventful than mine!) and I find that we are quickly running upon December so this will be a multi-topic posting:
Birthday Party and Surprise: The party I threw from myself on 11/3/06 was memorable for many reasons including having friends and family members that have been close to me there, watching those same friends and family members sing the Happy Birthday song while doing their best Marilyn Monroes (that's a hoot to watch and I highly encourage it for those of you who detest the typical Happy Birthday song being sung to you) and enjoying the best Italian Cream cake in town (Central Market). The best part though was having my long time friend Kevin (who appeared under a pseudonym in an earlier post) surprise me by flying in from Los Angeles unannounced. He was here all weekend and we got well caught up. It was wonderful as was the love and support of everyone there. Now, on to the next 45 years!
Elections: It was a rewarding experience on Tuesday, 11/7/06 to watch the early returns come in with the Congressional races on the east coast. It was evident early on that a tidal change was under way and that one party rule would soon end in this country. I had a sense of personal satisfaction as I'd spent a few hours making phone calls to potential voters in some of the close races via the moveon.org website. As Iraq continues the meltdown into civil war (I'm sure the Iraqi people are so very appreciative of us liberating them and bringing "peace" and "democracy" to them...and killing 30,000 in the process.....thanks Neocons!), there is some small glimmer of hope that we can get our troops the hell outta there sometime in 2007. Maybe there will only be another 500-1000 US military lives lost in the interim. Additionally, maybe, just maybe, the Dems will remember the other reason the R's got booted and will make some serious ethics reforms. If they don't actively work on these two issues, they don't deserve to be in power 2 years from now.
Edumacation: I am now enrolled to get my tush back in school come January. After much searching and assessing, it seems that I'm really good at and interested in helping people and in physical fitness and health. Consequently, I am embarking on a Kinesiology degree with an emphasis on health promotion. I'm gonna see how well I do working 40 hours a week and taking 9 semester hours. One of the more humbling experiences in attempting this was taking a math assessment. It seems there was a reason I got all my history, government and sociology classes out of the way: I suck at college math(algebra)....or, as Madea said, "I don't know nothing about that Al Jurreau." So one of the classes I will take will be something equivalent to a high school algebra refresher.
Love: I've been dating quite a bit this year and have had some great times. One of my dearest friends came from being willing to date starting this past January (ok, not a husband but a wonderful, funny, dependable friend......I'll take it!). I've has some interest from guys that I never in my wildest dreams would've figured would ever be interested. But they are. That's a nice boost for self confidence. What's really nice is knowing that if I remain single, that's OK; I'd rather be single and blessed with calmness and serenity rather than be in a relationship that brings with it chaos and drama.
The Christmas holidays are now bearing down and I'll be doing all that I can to enjoy the good and avoid that negative. This was always a bad part of the year in terms of me being sober; indeed I'd have been planning for a couple of weeks by now just to see how much xanax and morphine I could have on hand to be sufficiently numbed to make it through to December 26th. I'll avoid toxic relatives and acquaintances, my gift buying will be limited to about 2 people, I'll donate some time and/or money to insure that some economically disadvantaged persons have things that I take for granted and I'll try not to get caught up in the frenetic, commercial nonsense that comes with this time of year.
OK, my shift at work is done in 10 minutes, so I'm done here!
Birthday Party and Surprise: The party I threw from myself on 11/3/06 was memorable for many reasons including having friends and family members that have been close to me there, watching those same friends and family members sing the Happy Birthday song while doing their best Marilyn Monroes (that's a hoot to watch and I highly encourage it for those of you who detest the typical Happy Birthday song being sung to you) and enjoying the best Italian Cream cake in town (Central Market). The best part though was having my long time friend Kevin (who appeared under a pseudonym in an earlier post) surprise me by flying in from Los Angeles unannounced. He was here all weekend and we got well caught up. It was wonderful as was the love and support of everyone there. Now, on to the next 45 years!
Elections: It was a rewarding experience on Tuesday, 11/7/06 to watch the early returns come in with the Congressional races on the east coast. It was evident early on that a tidal change was under way and that one party rule would soon end in this country. I had a sense of personal satisfaction as I'd spent a few hours making phone calls to potential voters in some of the close races via the moveon.org website. As Iraq continues the meltdown into civil war (I'm sure the Iraqi people are so very appreciative of us liberating them and bringing "peace" and "democracy" to them...and killing 30,000 in the process.....thanks Neocons!), there is some small glimmer of hope that we can get our troops the hell outta there sometime in 2007. Maybe there will only be another 500-1000 US military lives lost in the interim. Additionally, maybe, just maybe, the Dems will remember the other reason the R's got booted and will make some serious ethics reforms. If they don't actively work on these two issues, they don't deserve to be in power 2 years from now.
Edumacation: I am now enrolled to get my tush back in school come January. After much searching and assessing, it seems that I'm really good at and interested in helping people and in physical fitness and health. Consequently, I am embarking on a Kinesiology degree with an emphasis on health promotion. I'm gonna see how well I do working 40 hours a week and taking 9 semester hours. One of the more humbling experiences in attempting this was taking a math assessment. It seems there was a reason I got all my history, government and sociology classes out of the way: I suck at college math(algebra)....or, as Madea said, "I don't know nothing about that Al Jurreau." So one of the classes I will take will be something equivalent to a high school algebra refresher.
Love: I've been dating quite a bit this year and have had some great times. One of my dearest friends came from being willing to date starting this past January (ok, not a husband but a wonderful, funny, dependable friend......I'll take it!). I've has some interest from guys that I never in my wildest dreams would've figured would ever be interested. But they are. That's a nice boost for self confidence. What's really nice is knowing that if I remain single, that's OK; I'd rather be single and blessed with calmness and serenity rather than be in a relationship that brings with it chaos and drama.
The Christmas holidays are now bearing down and I'll be doing all that I can to enjoy the good and avoid that negative. This was always a bad part of the year in terms of me being sober; indeed I'd have been planning for a couple of weeks by now just to see how much xanax and morphine I could have on hand to be sufficiently numbed to make it through to December 26th. I'll avoid toxic relatives and acquaintances, my gift buying will be limited to about 2 people, I'll donate some time and/or money to insure that some economically disadvantaged persons have things that I take for granted and I'll try not to get caught up in the frenetic, commercial nonsense that comes with this time of year.
OK, my shift at work is done in 10 minutes, so I'm done here!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Sakes Alive I'm 45!
I remember when I was about 20 thinking that anyone in their 30's was kinda over the hill, someone 40 was probably in need of assistance walking and that someone 45 or older was just old and death must surely be imminent. Plain old old. Youthful perspective tends to skew one's viewpoint in that way.
But here I find myself today having achieved that number. I'm 45. There, I said it. Doesn't sound old. To me. Now. Doesn't feel old either. To me. Now. Except of course for the first 30 minutes of the day while I wait for the ibuprofen to kick in (I've told my doctor I think of ibuprofen as a maintenance drug usually required after about 40. He's only 35 so he doesn't quite agree. I'm willing to allow for his inexperience and give him time. He'll come around).
I consider myself lucky as I'm blessed with good genetics, I exercise and I eat right. So compared to many of my 45ish contemporaries, I'm running around looking and acting a few years younger than that. But that doesn't take the sting out of the comment, "Wow, you look really good for 45." Ouch! How does that translate? More like, "You don't look like one of those worn out, half dead, dehydrated, overweight, saggy guys who are your age." How about just a heart felt, "You look really good." Period. There's no need to go to the"......for 45" part......it really is possible to look good regardless of the chronological number of your years even without surgery or botox.
There are things I'm really liking about this age. I'm a lot more patient than I was a few years ago. I take a lot more time in making decisions and I'm more thoughtful as to the ramifications of the decisions I make. I'm calmer. I'm not as rushed. I'm taking better care of myself physically and spiritually. I find that I have excitement about the possibilities in what I hope will be another 45 years with the knowledge that comes from already having 45 years of experience. under my belt. It's a good place and time.
The best thing about being 45? I'm only 5 years away from AARP discounts!
Monday, October 16, 2006
A Lesson in Being Thankful for How Things Are as Opposed to How They Could Be
A good friend and I went to visit an old friend and former supervisor of ours this past weekend. "Cliff" was my supervisor at the hotel company worked for up till about 3.5 years ago and was the reason I stayed at the company. When I applied there, my only reason for taking the job was an immediate need for income. I had no intention of staying until I noticed that there was a department that dealt with the company's very high end, exclusive, 5 star hotels. I expressed an interest and within a month, Cliff had me in that department under his supervision. It was because of him that I stayed and that I was given the opportunity to travel to Hawaii (3 times!), New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, London, Amsterdam, Venice and Rome all the while staying for free or very, very cheap at the nicest hotels in the city. The St Regis New York, The St Regis Rome, The St Regis Monarch Beach, The Wigwam, The Sheraton Park Tower, The Westin Europa & Regina, The W New Orleans , the Pulitzer in Amsterdam and on and on. I went places and had experiences that I might never have had otherwise. I certainly have an appreciation for five star hotels that was only refined and expanded as a result of these travels. Motel 6 will never seem sufficient again all thanks to Cliff.
The friend I went with, Claudette, advised me about 3 weeks ago that Cliff, who had returned to Texas after having been in charge of reservations at the luxury resorts the company owned in Tahiti, was in Odessa, Texas and quite ill with AIDS. Cliff is an alcoholic and had never gotten tested for HIV. When he returned to Texas from the South Pacific, he was wildly active in his alcoholism and drug addictions and burned his way through a number of friends with behavior associated with the addiction in a rather short time. He ended up in Odessa living with his mom in a small, one bedroom apartment, broke and now very ill. Left untreated, HIV devastated his immune system and caused him to spend 11 days in the Odessa hospital being treated for infections that come about when one basically has no immunity to opportunistic infections. From staying at and working in the finest hotels in the world, to barely living in a small, dingy apartment in an armpit of a West Texas town.
We took Cliff out for dinner Saturday night and breakfast the next morning. There was some indication that, although he had stopped drinking out of immune system necessity, cocaine was still very much on his menu. Addiction is a ruthless disease and seemingly a small inconvenience like a wasted immune system is hardly an issue when you need to satisfy a craving for coke. It was a disturbing thing to take in.
On the long drive there and back (7 hours each way; if I never go to Odessa again, that would be perfectly fine with me), I had a lot of opportunity to reflect on how similar Cliff's and my paths were yet how different the outcomes. I could very easily have ended up that HIV positive, broke individual waiting on Medicaide and SSI to kick in. It could have been me wiling away the hours on a couch in a small apartment, taking antiretroviral drugs and watching cable tv all day. It could have been me still seeking a chemical high despite having a precarious health situation. It could have been me unable to get real about life. It could have been me.
But it's not me and for this, I'm truly, deeply, humbly grateful.
The friend I went with, Claudette, advised me about 3 weeks ago that Cliff, who had returned to Texas after having been in charge of reservations at the luxury resorts the company owned in Tahiti, was in Odessa, Texas and quite ill with AIDS. Cliff is an alcoholic and had never gotten tested for HIV. When he returned to Texas from the South Pacific, he was wildly active in his alcoholism and drug addictions and burned his way through a number of friends with behavior associated with the addiction in a rather short time. He ended up in Odessa living with his mom in a small, one bedroom apartment, broke and now very ill. Left untreated, HIV devastated his immune system and caused him to spend 11 days in the Odessa hospital being treated for infections that come about when one basically has no immunity to opportunistic infections. From staying at and working in the finest hotels in the world, to barely living in a small, dingy apartment in an armpit of a West Texas town.
We took Cliff out for dinner Saturday night and breakfast the next morning. There was some indication that, although he had stopped drinking out of immune system necessity, cocaine was still very much on his menu. Addiction is a ruthless disease and seemingly a small inconvenience like a wasted immune system is hardly an issue when you need to satisfy a craving for coke. It was a disturbing thing to take in.
On the long drive there and back (7 hours each way; if I never go to Odessa again, that would be perfectly fine with me), I had a lot of opportunity to reflect on how similar Cliff's and my paths were yet how different the outcomes. I could very easily have ended up that HIV positive, broke individual waiting on Medicaide and SSI to kick in. It could have been me wiling away the hours on a couch in a small apartment, taking antiretroviral drugs and watching cable tv all day. It could have been me still seeking a chemical high despite having a precarious health situation. It could have been me unable to get real about life. It could have been me.
But it's not me and for this, I'm truly, deeply, humbly grateful.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
If The Polls Look So Good, Why Am I So Uneasy?
Here we are 4 weeks from the Congressional midterm elections and the news is awash with the Florida, closeted Congressman who was sending, as White House Press Secretary Snow called them , "naughty" messages and has since resigned leaving the Republican leadership to begin forming firing squads of a circular nature. While this is all amusing in many ways, given the fact that the Congressman in question was the leading proponent of protecting minors from online adult predators (could Hollywood writers have made anything like this up?), it's also rather sickening to watch the right wing spin meisters begin to drag out the Clinton/Lewinsky tapes (ummm, she was over the age of 18 folks) and hear them begin to characterize the exchanges as "overlyfriendly" as Speaker Hastert initially said. I guess you could call questions like "did you spank it this weekend.." overlyfriendly but even as good a friend as I can be, I don't usually ask my buds this.
It seems that, at least in terms of the polls, most Americans (even some Republicans) are finally getting just how out of touch, corrupt, inept and devious the leaders of the Republican Party are. Iraq, congressional pages, deficits, Social Security, Abu Ghraib, Plamegate, Abramoff, Halliburton, the Vice President's energy "task" force, Tom Delay, Guantanamo Bay, signing statements (134 and counting), Katrina, Medicare Drug Program, Afghanistan, domestic wiretapping, the list just goes on and on.
Polls look good and public opinion seems to be changing. But I put nothing past the people in power right now. Nothing. Be it a "terror attack", finally catching Osama bin Laden or some other headline grabbing, fear inducing incident or just plain old election fraud, I have a deep, well founded suspicion that the fear mongers in charge will pull out all stops to maintain power.
And if yet another election in this supposed democracy is stolen, then what?
Saturday, September 16, 2006
The Real Texas Grandma
I was really saddened by the death of Governor Ann Richards. I first met Gov. Ann in about 1981ish at a Democratic Party function at the old Union Station in Dallas. I'll never forget meeting her and shaking her hand as she looked me squarely in the eyes, smiled broadly and said in a Texas drawl so thick you had to cut it with a hack saw, "Eeyt iz soooo niiice to meet yewwww....". I was instantly awestruck. Even then the helmet of white hair was present and she could be seen clearly from across the room.
I had the pleasure of being around her two more times in the next couple of years, both times at the capitol when I was working as a lobbyist in 1983. She always had this wonderful presence.
Bill Clinton was in town today to accompany her casket into the rotunda of the capitol. Clinton called Richards “Texas on parade.” “For 30-plus years, that is certainly what she was to me and Hillary,” he said. “First she was big: big hair, big bright eyes, big blinding smile. She also had a big heart, big dreams, did big deeds.” Indeed. Gov. Ann opened the door to a state government that had, for too long, been the domain of white, straight, male bigots.
I'm gonna go to the memorial on Monday and say goodbye.
Monday, September 18, 2006
I did attend the memorial today at the Erwin Center along with about 4,000 others. Gov. Ann was pretty well liked. The attendees ran the gamut of humanity, black, white, latino, asian, gay, straight, male, female, some seemingly wealthy, some seemingly rather poor. These were the people Ann Richards represented. In other words, everyone.
There was a lot of laughter and a few tears. Sen Hillary Clinton spoke and I must say, having had some feelings of ambivilence about her, she was masterful in this situation. "She went into government because she didn't want her tombstone to read, 'She kept a clean house,' " Clinton said. "Instead, she went into government and cleaned house. Her longstanding advice to young women, Clinton said, is timeless: "Set your own course. Dream your own dreams. Go to places you want to go, even if no one has gone there before. Stand your ground."
The judge peered up at me and said, "How yew, little lady?"
Bullock said, "And this is Charles Miles, the head of my personnel department." Miles, who is black, stuck out his hand, and the judge got an expression on his face as though he had just stepped into a fresh cowpie. He reached out and touched Charlie's palm with one finger, while turning eagerly to the pretty, blonde, blue-eyed Ann Richards. "And who is this lovely lady?"
Ann beamed and replied, "I am Mrs. Miles."
I had the pleasure of being around her two more times in the next couple of years, both times at the capitol when I was working as a lobbyist in 1983. She always had this wonderful presence.
Bill Clinton was in town today to accompany her casket into the rotunda of the capitol. Clinton called Richards “Texas on parade.” “For 30-plus years, that is certainly what she was to me and Hillary,” he said. “First she was big: big hair, big bright eyes, big blinding smile. She also had a big heart, big dreams, did big deeds.” Indeed. Gov. Ann opened the door to a state government that had, for too long, been the domain of white, straight, male bigots.
I'm gonna go to the memorial on Monday and say goodbye.
Monday, September 18, 2006
I did attend the memorial today at the Erwin Center along with about 4,000 others. Gov. Ann was pretty well liked. The attendees ran the gamut of humanity, black, white, latino, asian, gay, straight, male, female, some seemingly wealthy, some seemingly rather poor. These were the people Ann Richards represented. In other words, everyone.
There was a lot of laughter and a few tears. Sen Hillary Clinton spoke and I must say, having had some feelings of ambivilence about her, she was masterful in this situation. "She went into government because she didn't want her tombstone to read, 'She kept a clean house,' " Clinton said. "Instead, she went into government and cleaned house. Her longstanding advice to young women, Clinton said, is timeless: "Set your own course. Dream your own dreams. Go to places you want to go, even if no one has gone there before. Stand your ground."
I read a story about Gov Ann that Molly Ivins has shared before and it speaks volumes about who Ann Richards was and why I liked her so much. The story, as told by Ivins, goes as follows:
At a long-ago political do at Scholz Garten in Austin, everybody who was anybody was there meetin' and greetin' at a furious pace. A group of us got the tired feet and went to lean our butts against a table at the back wall of the bar. Perched like birds in a row were Bob Bullock, then state comptroller, moi, Charles Miles, the head of Bullock's personnel department, and Ms. Ann Richards. Bullock, 20 years in Texas politics, knew every sorry, no good sumbitch in the entire state. Some old racist judge from East Texas came up to him, 'Bob, my boy, how are you?"
Bullock said, "Judge, I'd like you to meet my friends: This is Molly Ivins with the Texas
Bullock said, "Judge, I'd like you to meet my friends: This is Molly Ivins with the Texas
Observer."
The judge peered up at me and said, "How yew, little lady?"
Bullock said, "And this is Charles Miles, the head of my personnel department." Miles, who is black, stuck out his hand, and the judge got an expression on his face as though he had just stepped into a fresh cowpie. He reached out and touched Charlie's palm with one finger, while turning eagerly to the pretty, blonde, blue-eyed Ann Richards. "And who is this lovely lady?"
Ann beamed and replied, "I am Mrs. Miles."
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