A celebratory weekend - more than others even...

I had a fun weekend!

First and foremost, Christine came to visit from NY! She joined HotBabe and Stacy on Friday, then I went to meet them and PlanetDan for dinner at Chino Latino in Uptown on Saturday night. We did some good eatin'! I'm sure the others will post pictures, as I still don't have a digicam. Then we went across the river from downtown to a bar called Nye's, where Christine was treated to some good ol' Minnesota polka band music. Hotbabe and I bellied up to the bar - as usual.

Thanks for visiting, Christine!! Glad you could make it here!

In other news: my alma-mater, Winona State, won the NCAA Div2 Men's National Basketball Championship on Saturday afternoon!! The game was on CBS and I actually watched it the whole time! In fact, you'd have thought I was a real sports fan as I yelled at the TV and pretty much had a nervous breakdown worrying they wouldn't win. My neighbors were probably like, "usually we hear showtunes and disco coming from his apartment....is he watching *sports*?!?!" It was a good game.

Anyway - Yay Winona State!!


Friday I met friend Brad at The Gay '90s. His sister and Mom were here from Iowa and they love the drag show. I wound up going to an afterbar in the suburbs and crashed at some guy's apartment. Duh.

Saturday afternoon, I joined Brad, his boyfriend, sister and Mom at the Mall of America for lunch. Then we went to IKEA. I can't wait to get real furniture - I'll have to go back there when I buy a condo. Cool stuff in there.

Last night I met Brad at The Bolt for beer bust/showtunes. I met someone and made out like an 8th grader.....but that's all I'm going to say for fear of jinxing it. We're supposed to go to dinner tonight. So, we'll see....

So, yeah - all in all, a grand weekend!

That crazy Nathan!

Hmmm....as usual, not much going on.

Remember my friend Jeff?? Well, he's been living back at home in North Dakota since January because his dad is sick. Jeff works for Target, so he was able to transfer to a store there while he's home. Anyway, he was back in town this past weekend and we basically drank our faces off. His boyfriend (who lives in Minneapolis) is a social worker and doesn't drink at all. Apparently he doesn't like Jeff hanging out with friends and drinking, so Jeff just non-chalantly called him Saturday afternoon and broke up with him all of a sudden. They've been together since August. I'm sure they'll get back together, but I find that kind of amusing somehow. Just the absolute suddeness of him saying, "I just broke up with J..."

Remember how the sexually questioning straight guys seem to find me all the time? On Friday night, one of Danny's good looking "straight" friends met us at the bar. He's 35 and looks/acts like he's in his 20s. We didn't mess around or anything, but he made it pretty clear to me that he would if he had the chance (if nobody else was around, I'm assuming). We even wound up sleeping together. Okay...next to each other...on the couch. Okay, fine...we just passed out next to each other. Well, my phone wound up being underneath him and when he got up, I was like, "Ohhh...there's my phone!" And he handed it to me and said, "Yeah, and I'm gonna call every guy in there and fuck *all* of them..." Ummmm.... hi, but what straight guy says that?! On the other hand he's not trying to hide anything - he did say something about being bi-curious. I think he's more bi-obsessed, but I'll find out soon enough.

So, my 19 yr-old niece J. has Down Syndrome and she's on this adaptive cheer team for those with disabilities. She and her team came to Minneapolis from their town 80 miles away to perform before the MN Timberwolves game on Sunday. Several of my family was there to watch - it was fun and they did very well! There's one boy on the team, Nathan, who's about the same age. They had to turn the bus around that day b/c he brought a duffel bag full of coloring books instead of his uniform!! Luckily they were still in their town, so they didn't have far to go, but I think that is so funny. His Mom was probably like, "oh, lord...." We kept saying, "That crazy Nathan!" the rest of the time. Good stuff.

So, that was my exciting weekend.

I can really start to tell my gym routine is working. Except I still have that goddamn chin roll in any photo that's taken of me. I hate it!! At least I can tell the rest of my body is getting more lean. Plus, I fall in love with a different guy at the gym every day, so that's just added incentive to go.

Speaking of love interests. Remember my friend who's in and out of rehab?? We dated last spring. The trust fund baby who came here from CA to go to rehab?? Anyway, I heard from him last night for the first time since Jesus wore sandals and he has a boyfriend now. (puke) He suggested we go on a double date. I laughed and texted back, "Yeah...and who am I going to bring - my sock puppet boyfriend??..."

Maybe I'll tote along a bag full of coloring books instead.



I actually had the one on the right!

Luck o' the Irish - ain't got any

Greetings, wee lasses and lassies!

That was lame. I couldn't think of any other Irish ways to say hello.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, anyway!

I don't have any Irish blood in me - not that I know of, anyway. But I'll still go out and have some green beer tonight, I'm sure. And if I'm feeling really wild, Maybe dance a jig - followed by a shot o' whiskey. Watch out, Minneapolis!!

What I want to know is, when can I celebrate my own heritage? If anyone has a good day to celebrate being English, French, Welsh, Norwegian, Swedish or Finn, please let me know!! Let's think of a day, shall we??

ENGLAND -- The Queen's birthday, maybe (recognized June 17)?? Or Pancake Day (Mardi Gras)?
FRANCE -- Bastille Day?? Guess I'll have some cocktails July 14.
WALES -- Maybe Catherine Zeta Jones' birthday? I'll drink to that...
NORWAY -- Syttende Mai? I'm gettin' drunk on May 17! It's their independence day.
SWEDEN -- Sveriges Nationaldag (Swedish Nat'l Day). Gettin' my drink on again June 6!
FINLAND -- Vappu (May Day) - Apparently a lot of booze is had...I'm there!

God bless the Internet (and the Queen).

Black. White.

There's a new show on FX called Black. White. Basically, a black family of three is put together with a white family of three. A mom, dad and teenage child. The black family is made white and the the white family is made black to see what it's like to be the other race out in public. Then they live together without makeup. The makeup makes them look pretty creepy, but that's beside the point.

It's pretty clear that producers chose families who would clash anyway, despite race, and it's heavily edited to show the most extreme events (like any reality show), but it at least inspires some self-examination and thought.

The second episode was on last night and Oh. My. God. Half the time I was so uncomfortable watching it that I couldn't even look. I had to look the other way a few times.

Where did they find the white family?! The daughter, Rose, is fine, but those parents?! They're apparently affluent in Santa Monica, but so weird! And clueless! The mom is worse than the dad. I get so embarrased both for the black family and for all white people, who are being represented by this nut job. You probably haven't seen the show, but at one point the white mom is "inspired" by the slam poetry group that meets at their house, so she goes in to this hippy-like tyrade of her own brand of poetry, addressing each of the kids there and saying things like, "you beautiful black creature..." It's so creepy. I wanted to crawl out of my own skin and felt so embarrased for everyone in the room. The black mom was like, "what the hell...??" Then the white mom and dad went to church in black makeup (they originally wanted to wear traditional African garb, thinking other people would be too, you know, since they're African American - DUHHHHH!!!) and they were totally dancing around and clapping, raising their arms, etc. I wanted to puke. The real black mom and dad just kept looking at each other like, "who are these dumbasses...??"

I do have to say, though, that I'm surprised at the black family's opinion that most white people are basically racist. For instance, the black dad said he thinks most whites are looking for the opportunity to say the N word. Also, he thought it was racist for a white person, while walking down the sidewalk, to alter her path so he and the white dad (in black makeup) could more easily pass. The white dad was like, "She's just moving so we can get by...that happens all the time." Also, the black dad does kinda seem like he's just expecting to be treated poorly or receive bad service b/c he's black. Sales clerks came up to help him in a store just like they would to anyone and he felt they were sizing him up instead of wanting to assist him...I don't know. I just don't agree with the thought that most white people are racist. It would be foolish to say that racism doesn't exist, but I don't think "most" white people are racist.

I mean, anyone can get treated poorly by a cashier, server, customer service rep, etc. I wonder if black people think that a rude waitress or cashier is being racist instead of just plain rude? Never thought about it before now...

Another part of the show that made my skin crawl were two different guys (on two different nights) in the white bar where the black dad works (when he's in white makeup). The guys said things like, "This community is pretty much the only all white bastion left in the area. The surrounding communities have had lots of blacks move in..." The other guy said things like, "Around here, blacks think it's uncool for each other to do 'good' in school. They feel it makes them less white to be dumb." ....Ummm....what???

What do you think? Are most whites subtly racist?

Possibly in older generations. But I think our generation learned about racism, the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., etc., in school and most of us, I hope, were brought up to believe everyone is equal (but with cultural difference) and that racism is wrong. Am I incorrect in assuming that?


Racism can go both ways, though. Take the microcasm of a city bus, for instance. The other night, there was a seat open next to a black guy at the back of the bus where I was sitting. TWO different white guys sat next to the black guy, then moved as soon as a seat next to a white person opened up. I'm not kidding. Then, a white lady got on who had a bunch of bags to hold and there was no room up front to sit. A black guy just watched her. As soon as a black lady got on (who wasn't much older), he got up from his seat to let her sit down. But he wouldn't get up for the white lady. Also, this white guy was taking a while to get his money in the thing and this black girl behind me yelled, "Sit your ass down!!" I don't think she would have said that to a black person...I've also noticed that a few black cashiers I've encountered were all, "Hey, how you doin?" to a black customer in front of me, then not a word when I get to the register....what's that about??

Anyway - Who knows - that show just had me thinking about that kinda stuff this morning. Watch it if you can - interesting. It's on Wednesdays at 9 CST.

Tagged - I'm it

Thanks, Potusol. I didn't really feel like leaving work, so I'll just complete the tag you assigned me to!

The rules are, once you've been tagged you have to write a blog with 6 weird things/habits about yourself. In the end you need to list 6 other people to tag and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment saying "You've been tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog...

Here are six fucked up things about me (I would have thought I could name about 50, but now I'm drawing a blank....hmmm....):

1. I despise hosting parties/get-togethers: What with my social life at the bars, you'd think I love hosting parties and whatnot. Yeah...not so much. Or at least I don't like being the "guest of honor." I can't stand feeling like I have to talk to everyone or that I'm making someone feel left out if I'm not talking to them enough. Really not comfortable. Especially since I have so many little groups of friends who don't really know each other well.

2. I enjoy keeping tabs on my high school classmates. In fact, I'll once again be in charge of planning our upcoming reunion. I'm not the guest of honor, so this kind of event planning doesn't bother me in the least. It's pretty geeky, I know. I cringe when I watch "Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion" and how much of an ass they make the organizer look...trust me, I will not bring my yearbook for people to sign!

3. I have the diet of a six year old. When left to fend for myself, here's what my dinner menus usually consist of: grilled cheese & tomato soup, hotdogs, Mac-N-Cheese, pizza, sandwich (sometimes PB&J). I always have milk, Kool-Aid, popsicles and some sort of chocolate on hand as well. I do have to admit that once in a while, I'll prepare something with a chicken breast, but that's too much work. Hasn't my food pallette progressed since 1984?! Seriously...

4. I am a "year things happened" freak. Do you ever watch Dateline? You know that part where they say, "All of the following happened in what year...?" Then they'll play clips of events. Then they'll say, "Was it 1954, 1955 or 1956?" I really think I've only been wrong once or twice. Also, my friends make fun of me b/c I remember things by years in which they happened, sometimes months too. Just call me Rainman, I guess. Also, I knew what year natives of my hometown graduated from the local high school. It was freakish. (ZeppGoddess = 1982)

5. I enjoy long drives. By myself. In fact, I wake up easily the morning of a drive because I'm excited to hit the road. The longest I've ever driven alone, though, is about 6 hours. I think I'd like to try to go further, but it takes so much time that flying is more conducive when dealing with taking vacation from work.

6. I abhor crowded bars. Even gay bars. A lot of guys I know can't wait to get to a crowded club - the more guys, the better, I guess. This is when my Kennedyesque attitude really comes out and glass starts to shatter. Waiting in line for a drink is of hell. Being bumped in to by strangers is the devil. Having to stand and shift all night is vomitous. Sometimes it can be fun, I guess, if I have a table or a spot at the bar...

Come to find out, that wasn't so bad.

I tag the following six (don't shoot me): ChipChat, Twinkie, Ab, Meg, WalkTrot, AmyD

My barfday

Well, thank god I spent a little social time with a couple friends on Friday and a few on Saturday b/c I woke up with the flu on my actual birthday (Sunday). At first I thought I was just feeling the effects of mixing Wonderous Punch with gin, then a little beer. Oh no - by late afternoon it was clear that I had a pleasant case of the stomach flu. I spent my 28th birthday on the couch, in bed and laying on the bathroom floor. Good times. I was so damn thirsty but afraid to consume anything for fear of more vomiting. Then I remembered that I had some popsicles, so had about 10 of them and those saved me from dehydration. They stayed down too. So, if you should ever find yourself with the dreaded stomach flu, always have some popsicles on hand. They are lifesavers, let me tell you.

Friday night was fine. Just hung out with friends Scott and Roxann drinking at their place for a while.

Saturday, friend Mandy picked me up and we went to the bar Drink! in Uptown. Wow, there's some cute bartenders there. In fact, I want to say that bar was voted as having the best looking bartenders in Minneapolis. Then we went to The Red Dragon for Wonderous Punch, where friends Bill, Paul, Amanda and Michelle met us too. Finished the night at The 19 Bar. Nothing too exciting, or really worth mentioning, but still fun. I didn't even slap anyone! ...Or make out with anyone, for that matter.

To top Sunday off (as if puking my guts out weren't enough), I was also treated to the worst blizzard in 5-7 years. Since I was curled in a ball on the bathroom floor, I didn't even realize it was going on. The only bad part about it was everyone was snowbound at home Monday, so nobody could replenish my popsicle and Gatorade supply...I survived off Kool-Aid, however.

A memorable 28th birthday, I guess!! And just my luck to be vomitous for the first time in six years -- on my damn birthday...

28 -- Learn it. Live it. Love it.

It's my awful birthday on Sunday, March 12. Just kidding - 28 ain't half bad, although the light at the end of my 20s tunnel certainly is becoming brighter...

No real big plans. Think I'm going to have a few cocktails with friends Scott and Roxann -the California natives- tonight. I hope they'll be open to Red Dragon for some Wonderous Punch (one will make you drunk). The last time we went, Roxann wound up hiking up her skirt and vomiting due to an allergy to pineapple. No Wonderous Punch for her, I guess...

Tomorrow night (Saturday), I'll be bar-hopping with some friends. We're going to start in Uptown and work our way Downtown. It won't be pretty, I'm sure. I plan on slapping a few people and throwing empty glasses about whilst declaring my Kennedy lineage.

I took Monday morning off, so the fun will continue on my actual birthday on Sunday. So far the plan is to go somewhere for Bloody Mary lunch (maybe the Uptown Bar & Grill), then to the Bolt for beer bust ($8 all you can drink tap beer from 4-8) and showtunes. The slapping and breaking glass will surely continue to ensue. Then I'm going to make out with the hot bartender. In front of his boyfriend.

Speaking of making out. I went home with a guy a couple nights ago. He's a closeted, butch South Dakota native with that quiet cowboy type nature. My age. He actually works in the hotel that's in my office building. I'm thinking some afternoon delight may be in order. If only I could remember his name. Kidding. I totally know his first name - or at least the first initial.

ANYWAY -- Happy Birthday to me!!!

Some others who turn 28 in 2006:
Jared Fogle (Subway dude) - Jan. 1
January Jones - Jan. 5
A.J. McLean - Jan. 9
Ashton Kutcher - Feb. 7
Lauren Ambrose - Feb. 20
Kevin Federline - March 21
James Franco - April 19
Kenan Thompson - May 10
Jason Biggs - May 12
Shane West - June 10
Joshua Jackson - June 11
Ethan Embry - June 13
Topher Grace - July 12
Josh Hartnett - July 21
Countess Vaughn - Aug. 8
Kobe Bryant - Aug. 23
Wes Bentley - Sep. 4
Benjamin McKenzie (The O.C.) - Sep. 12
Ruben Stoddard - Sep. 12
Usher - Oct. 14
Will Estes – Oct. 21
Justin Guarini - Oct. 28
Nelly - Nov. 2
Clay Aiken - Nov. 30
Nelly Furtado - Dec. 2
Ian Somerhalder - Dec. 8
Jesse Metcalfe - Dec. 9
Katie Holmes - Dec. 18

Predicament

I'm in a self-induced predicament...kinda.

Lately I can't stop thinking about and missing my ex. We broke up in 2001. Pretty pathetic, huh?? The reasoning is two-fold: he was an awesome boyfriend who was very good for me and I'm sick of being single and alone all the time.

I was just so young, ignorant and inexperienced when we were together, that I didn't know how good I had it with him. We started dating just a few months after I came out and stayed together more than two years. Of course I thought if we broke up I'd find a new guy in seconds. Basically treated him like he was replaceable and lucky I was there.

I was a brat to him a lot. He's 11 years older than I, but we were really good together and usually got along very well, generally just enjoying each others' company and interested/finding humor in a lot of the same things. Plus he's pretty good looking too!

Anyway, we broke up mutually and have remained friends. He's had a "new" boyfriend for 4 years now, but I know they're really more like roommates for the past couple years (this comes from several of my sources who still talk to him). We send Xmas cards, an occassional email and see each other once or twice per year.

Should I tell him that I regret not being with him anymore? Should I tell him anything?? He lives more than two hours away and the last I knew (when we were still together), has no desire to move to Minneapolis and I have no desire to live back in Winona...

Otherwise, since we'd probably never get back together, how do you meet new people in a city that's kinda stuck up and/or already has established circles of friends who aren't too interested in talking to new people? Do you approach someone in a bar if you think they seem cool and cute? What do you say to them?? I'm not in to sports, so some sort of gay sports league isn't going to happen. I've half-assed attempted the Yahoo and Match personals, etc. Have made a couple friends doing that, but never seem to have mutual chemistry.

I've been doing the "When I'm not looking, I'll meet someone" thing for a few years now. Clearly it's not working. I'm sick of sitting home alone every Sunday - Thursday night. And I can't really go out drinking during the week because it's too hard for me to wake up for work in the morning.

Oy vay - what to do?!

I need a gay, Yiddish matchmaker.

Turning 40 can be fun...

Had a good weekend with the fam-damily. Left work Friday and drove to my Mom's, where my brother was also staying for the night. We had a few cocktails and relaxed. Nothing too exciting. Always nice to just veg at my Mom's some weekends, though!

Got up Saturday and headed to my sister's small town near Madison, Wis., Dodgeville, for her surprise 40th birthday bash at a hotel there, The House on the Rock Inn. She was very surprised - so surprised, that she started drinking wine immediately. I've never seen my sister intoxicated, so it was entertaining! Once all the older family members were done with their coffee and visiting later that evening, 3 of my sisters, 1 brother, 1 bro-in-law, my Mom and I went barhopping in Dodgeville. Tried to find karaoke to no avail. Wound up at this awful place where all the rednecks congregate and we basically stared at the patrons in horror. My bro, who's a year older than I, started to dance with a really bad group of bachelorette party attendees. My sisters were disgusted. I danced to "Mickey" with the sister of honor and showed them I have the Molly Ringwald '80s dance down to a tee.

Then we went to the other hotel bar and did some dancing there too. My Mother was thrilled to discover that I can jitterbug. I never thought I was doing it right, but she confirmed that I was. What did she expect out of the gay son?! At least I'm not a total disappointment!

Always interesting to party with family that doesn't get out much. My sisters basically quit going out when they hit their mid-20s. They must think my brother and I are wild banshees...but, then, we're single and have lots of friends, so completely different lives.

Yesterday we experienced one of the great joys of living in the Midwest during the winter - especially the snowiest month of March. Everywhere from Minneapolis to Chicago got a lot of snow and we were right in the middle of it. Driving. Almost crashed into one sister's van, then some jerk redneck in a big pickup felt the need to pass everyone - his stupid truck threw muddy snow all over everyones' windshields as he flew by and nearly caused all three of our family vehicles to wreck. I simply can't stand for that kind of stupidity. His ugly girlfriend just sat calmly next to him, oblivious to the fact that her dumbass boyfriend was endangering lives just to make sure he made it back to the great metropolis of Westby, Wisconsin, in time to watch his fishing show - or whatever the hell was so important. Jerk face.

Anyway - we made it to my Mom's safely (finally) and the roads back to Minneapolis were fine. Now I'm at work trying not to fall asleep. I detest Mondays.

Who else is 40: Salma Hayek, Matthew Fox, Patrick Dempsey...to name a few. 40 isn't looking too bad these days!

"Don't touch me there, Doctor!"

I had my annual "check-up" yesterday. Not the most evasive kind a boy can have, thank god, but it still involved having to wear one of those gowns and coughing, so...yeah...you get the picture. Good news! I don't have "the cancer" anyway.

I also had "blood work" done - that's doctor speak for having an HIV Test. You know behind our backs most of them are like, "Yeah, hi, Front desk Dotty? Yeah...this is Dr. Ponytail. Yur gonna need to go ahead and schedule one of them fag tests for my patient tomorrow, mkay? Great. Thanks."

I'm not at all worried about the results, but still just get kinda nervous even thinking about getting the dreaded phone call instead of a computer-generated letter. !Muchos nuerves!

Discovered that at the tender age of almost 28, I've shrunk a half-inch. The doc also suggested I have a cholesterol test. Next thing you know I'll have an AARP newsletter in my mailbox. F'ing geriatric ward. At least my gym routine is starting to pay off. I've lost five pounds and my belly seems like it lost a roll. <> **Focus on the good -- focus on the good -- focus on the good**

Ay, carumba, muchachos....

(I've been randomly speaking in Spanish lately. Well, what little I know of the language however - and even murdering that. I wonder what that means...I must find out sometime)


I knew this bastard went to JoeBob's School for Doctorin'!