Kiddo78

2009 Trip to England....Part II

2009-07-24T02:49:00.002-05:00

(....Continued....March 12, 2009 - My 31st Birthday)

Upon leaving Alnmouth, we went back to Robin's, changed clothes, then went to Katie's flat for some wine before going out, where Michael and Luke joined us. Katie lives right in the main, "downtown," part of Alnwick. From there, we went to a pub/bar called Hairy Lemon for a few. Oddly, nobody really recognized that it was my birthday (of course, I told everyone). Of course, I wasn't bothered by it, b/c I didn't really know the ppl with whom I was hanging out. Still fun! We wound up back at Penny Black, which was also a lot of fun. Michael and I talked quite a bit until he got asked to leave...??? Afterwards, Robin and I walked back to his place while he told me what the Brits like to see when they come to America, i.e., yellow cabs, fire hydrants (they don't have them there), blue mail boxes, etc.

And that was my awesome 31st birthday in England!!

** FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009 **

I decided to wander around Alnwick again while Robin was at work. Had lunch at some dump across from the town hall...It looked cute at first, but then realized it was probably a dive. The food was nasty, but had a pint and read some English newspapers. Also, stole some beer coasters. A few other tourists (but English) came in. I took some pics of the town hall and then came across Penny Black & took a pic so Steph could see which building they are talking about (it's opened since she left Alnwick). Then I went to a bar/restaurant inside Alnwick Castle for a pint, signed the guestbook and made my exit, which led me back to Hairy Lemon. The staff recognized me as Robin's friend from America, so started talking to me and let me take a pint glass for a souvenir. I talked to Gemma, Jody, Martin...also the owners...for a while, then realized that I better get back to Robin's, as he would be home soon. Jody was finishing her shift, so offered to give me a lift. Since I had his keys, thank god he was just arriving as we were.

Robin informed me that it was "Red Nose," or "Comic Relief" day. We went to the store for some wine, since he had invited Katie, Luke, Donna and Ben over to watch Comic Relief. I did my part for humanity by purchasing one of the red noses (1 pound went to charity for each red nose sold). We had a good time watching British humor variety hour(s)! Then, after they all left, Robin and I wound up having a few more drinks and a good talk -- stayed up late!

** SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009 **

In the morning, Robin's Mom had called wanting him to go shopping with her...She had seen something on sale at a local store that she thought he'd want. So, he dropped me off in the main part of Alnwick and I went to a little restaurant called Grannie's. The host took me downstairs, to the "tea room," where lunch was served. It was really small, but very quaint...(Note to self: to replicate an English Tea Room, add a fireplace and exposed beams)

After that, Robin picked me up and we went back to the Lemon, where Michael met us. Then Katie and Luke showed up. After a little while, they left so Katie could find a new skirt and a new bangle or three. Robin, Michael and I just wound up hanging out there with a few pints for a while. FUN!

It was my last night in England, so we all decided to have a pre-pub at Katie's. Robin and I went to change, then picked Michael up and then to an "off-sale" for wine. We proceeded to Katie's flat, which is above a store, where she made fajitas for us. Robin informed me that her building was at least from the 1700s (another history buff, I guess).

Upon leaving there, we went to the Lemon for one, where I said "bye" to the people I had met. Then to Penny Black for a while....or, maybe we went somewhere else first. Unless Penny Black has an upstairs (??), we went somewhere else for one. Anyway, at Penny Black, Katie and Michael and I were having quite a time dancing, etc. Robin saw some other friends and told me he was going to the Alnwick Squash Club (a bar) if I didn't mind, or wanted to go with him. I told him that I'd see him there later and stayed with Michael and Katie. We went to the Squash Club a little later and it was PACKED...waited in line, up a stairwell, for a while, but then finally got in. The crowd was a little young for my taste, and PACKED....so I didn't really like it there.

Robin, Michael and I walked back to Robin's and crashed.

** SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2009 **

Got up late the next morning...frantically packed and we sped off to Alnmouth, where I had to meet my train to Newcastle. Robin told me that flights from Newcastle to London were sometimes only 35 pounds...I called, but they were way expensive that day (of course). We barely made it to the train on-time, where I was pleasantly surprised to see Katie and Luke waiting to say good-bye to me! I thought that was really nice. Anyway, I quickly said my "thanks" and "good-bye" and was off to Newcastle. The train was pretty much empty.

NEWCASTLE....Nightmare finding the train to London (you'd think it would be easy). The train that was supposed to leave an hour before was cancelled, so now there are two train-loads of ppl to go on one train...needless to say, nowhere to sit. I shoved my way through and found a little spot to set my luggage down, which provided me a place to perch during the long ride to London. We had to get off the train at some town b/c the tracks were under construction...I had no idea where to go, but finally figured out where the others on their way to London were going and boarded a BUS. Took that to some other town, where I had to transfer again to catch a train to London. Not just London in general, but to Kings Cross Station. NIGHTMARE. Finally got there, and realized I needed to take the Tube to Heathrow. The Tube was packed and I'm starting to worry b/c I'm an hour behind where I thought I'd be. Finally got to Heathrow and again...a nightmare b/c I didn't have actual tickets, just e-tickets, so the people at Air Canada thought I was suspicious. It was awful, but finally got through and took my flight to Toronto.

I actually slept most of the way from London to Toronto...even missed the breakfast call. All I really recall is that there was a very cute set of twins in the seats ahead of me who were my age and from Toronto. Also, that nobody was sitting next to me, so I got two seats all to myself!

Landed in Toronto late...realized my flight to Minneapolis wasn't until the morning, so used the hotel connect line to find a cheap room. Waited forever for their shuttle (while directing other confused people which shuttle they needed to board) and finally got to a room, where I immediately crashed.

** MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2009 **

Flight was the next morning and I thankfully woke up on time to catch the shuttle to the airport.

Experienced claustrophobia during the flight because I was wedged between the window (I asked for aisle) and some dude. I seriously started kinda freaking and the dude tried to help me pull the sleeves on my jacket to get it off....then the flight attendant let him take a set of seats to himself so I could have that set of seats to myself. I seriously felt trapped, hot and panicked...

Landed in Minneapolis. Took the lite rail to downtown. Lugged my suitcase to a bus and FINALLY got home at about noon on Monday....which meant about 6:00 PM in England...which meant about 32 hours of traveling to get home (including the sleep in Toronto).

AND....I can't wait to go back!!!!

Spring 2009 Trip to England (a new beginning)...

2009-04-30T06:31:00.007-05:00

I spontaneously went back to England last month...since I'm laid-off and have nothing better to do (hence, no worries about vacation time). I have since come up with documentation of the trip :

I had a trip back to England booked several months prior thinking I'd just charge it...plus, I had some frequent flyer miles and a little $$ socked away. Then I got layed-off and intended on cancelling it altogether, but kept putting that off (maybe in the hopes that I'd win the lottery or find a grant....??).

Anyway, I finally called the requisite 24 hours before departure intending to cancel. The lady told me there were now MUCH cheaper flights available since it was last-minute....So, I decided to go. Again, departure is next day....so I had a little while to pack/get ready. Yet, had absolutely no plans or agenda after my arrival to London Heathrow.

Luckily, my friend Steph has a friend in England whom I've met before, Robin. He came to Minneapolis for a visit last fall...Steph knows him due to her study abroad experiences to Alnwick, Northumberland, England...(which, by the way, is the same place I was supposed to do a study abroad during the spring/summer of 1998, but had to cancel due to financial aid complications). Also, it's pronounced Annick.

ANYWAY...Danny gave me a ride to the airport and I took Air Canada to Toronto. Then proceeded to make my obligatory "I'll be away for a while" text messages and phone calls...and responded to the "What the hell???" responses from everyone. Next, the flight to Heathrow....I watched Changeling (and some other movie...don't remember) during the long flight across the Atlantic Ocean (7 hours). I can very rarely sleep on planes.

I arrived in London with only the expectation that Steph would call/e-mail Robin that I'd travel to Northern England a couple days later....no reservations were had for my stay in London.

Landed, then customs was a nightmare b/c I didn't have an actual ticket (my booking was all done electronically), nor a specific address of where I'd be staying in England. Let's just say she was not a native English person and I suspect she doesn't like Americans. Anyway, I finally got thru...was the LAST on my flight to do so...

I have been to London before, in 1999, so their subway (The Tube) was not foreign to me...I knew there was some train that went directly from Heathrow to Paddington Station, so I found that pretty easily and off I went. Arrived there and it hadn't changed a bit. Took another line to Picadilly Circus and realized that I can't just wander around looking for accomodation, so went back down into the station and found a help area. She directed me to a British Tourist Authority and I lugged my stupidly-large suitcase through those busy streets of London a while before I located that office. There, a nice guy named John helped me find a 3-star hotel at a very discounted, last-minute rate at The Best Western Burns Hotel in Kensington, which is the same area of London I stayed at in 1999. I had to take the tube to Earl's Court Station (again, same as 1999) and found the place quite easily. The last time there, I was 21, so stayed at a Hostel (sharing a room with Canadians and Australians), so this time, my own room was a novelty....although it was about the size of an American walk-in closet....But, no worries, since I only intended to sleep there anyway....

Slept for a while, then went to the hotel's little pub (it was night by this time) and had a typical English sandwich and a pint. Then decided to see what was around the neighborhood. Ran across some girl who asked, "Have you a fag, love??" I knew that meant cigarette. So I gave her one and then she, in Cockney accent, asked if I was there for business or pleasure. I said I was there on vacation and she said she had business if I was interested....I did a dumb American look and realized what she meant by "business" and promptly went on my merry way. John said he thought that area of London might be a little on the gay side...but I only found one "club" (pubs only stay open until about 11:00...clubs stay open later), which was just Mediterranean in theme. It was BORING...the only others there were a college-aged American couple from Michigan. Tried to find a bus to Soho (or is it SoHo?), then wound up taking a red taxi. He dropped me at a place that he said was between 2 different main gay streets. Well, nothing seemed open except this downstairs place called The Arts. Went down there and had a couple drinks. It was apparently '80s night and a few drunks were dancing. Then, a guy in a suit started flirting. He was drunk. But, about 40 and good looking, named Martin. His friend, a girl, asked me to dance and I declined (not in the mood yet). She called me pathetic and I could hear that she was American...later, I found out Seattle (duh). Martin thought I looked to be in the CIA since I was just sitting there, not talking to anyone. Then a guy named Ian, an ex-pat from Canada, came up to me and encouraged me to go with Martin, claiming that Martin is a rich business man. I still declined and Martin finally quit trying (he was really drunk). Ian and his friend (a little guy of Asian decent) and I got a Mercedes car service to find another club. Instead, our driver found an off-sale, so I just went back to my hotel....even though Ian and friend wanted a different outcome.

Next day was Tuesday in good ol' London. Slept a little late and found a SuperCuts on Earl's Court for a desperately needed haircut. Then took the tube to Picadilly Circus and then walked thru Central London to Westminster Abbey (very nice to be on the tube without the stupid suitcase). Decided to spend the L12 (12 pounds) to tour that since I never did in '99. Saw where Queen Elizabeth II was coronated (and I stood there a moment for dramatic's sake). The same altar area where Princess Diana's funeral was held. Then saw where Queen Elizabeth I (and Catherine of Aragon and Mary, Queen of Scots), as well as many ancient Kings, were entombed. In the same chapel, there is still a small hole in the wall (glassed-in)...left as a remnant of those damn German bomb attacks (Blitzkrieg) during World War II.

After that tour, I went to a cafe for fish-n-chips at a place called Churchill Cafe...it was okay. I never had fish-n-chips during my 1999 trip, so thought I better this time (Note to self...next time, get it from a street vendor).

Walked thru the Royal Parks (or is it Gardens?), past the WWII headquarter buildings and then past Buckingham Palace (btw, the Queen was in residence)....then finally back to the hotel. Wrote a couple postcards at the Blackbird Inn near my hotel and went back to change clothes. Walked down to a place with a rainbow flag, which I saw the night before...a sign said they opened at 8:00, so went to some random pub across the street for a pint of Carling. Went back to rainbow flag place and discovered they had recently closed down. So, took another cab (their back seats are huge...like an American limo) to SoHo. Went to a place called Comptons, where I had a couple pints and nobody talked to me. So went to some other random place, where they were also pre-occupied with their own groups (understandable...we are also like that in Minneapolis). HOWEVER....when in Minneapolis, if I see someone standing alone, I will usually ask them what's up...But, whatever...London is a lot bigger. Took a rickshaw taxi to the 2:00 Club (or is 3:00 Club). VERY 21-ish type-place...a little like The Saloon in Minneapolis, or Roscoe's in Chicago. All the guys were wearing "FITCH" or "Abercrombie" or "A&F" shirts...kinda like we did from 1999-2004. I was actually a little surprised, b/c, seriously...anyone under 30 was wearing that. Some dudes, while I was out smoking, guessed that I am American and we all talked for a few minutes. Saw them a little bit later and was ignored. Apparently my non-FITCH attire was a problem. Took a cab back to hotel.

On Wednesday, took the tube to Kings Cross station, where I knew my train to Northern England would be. Called Robin (again, my friend Steph's friend who was in Minneapolis last fall) to confirm my trip there and took a train to Newcastle. Went thru several towns...most typical, some rather "English cute," but mostly noticed they actually have scarecrows in the countryside! Also, people park near railroad bridges and seem to just be sitting there...some with binoculars. I couldn't figure out what they are looking at....maybe Trainspotting?? Also, there was a weird guy on the train who kept walking up/down the aisle and smiling at me. Freaks love me.

Got to Newcastle (about 3-hour train trip) and thank God Robin was there (even though we had never actually spoken about my going there)! We had a pint at the train station pub and then walked thru Newcastle, which is a lot bigger than I thought...I'm guessing it must be about the size of St. Paul. They have a lite rail and we took that to Robin's car (he was already in Newcastle for work anyway). Then the 30-mile trip to Alnwick in his little blue Vauxhall (I think that's the make -- popular in England, anyway). We got to Robin's and watched Paul O'Grady (popular talk show there) while Robin got his friends rounded up for the evening.

We walked down, thru a "gate," to a pub/club called Penny Black, where Katie was waiting for us. She's a tall, cute, funny blonde. Then Donna and her boyfriend, Ben (a member of the Royal Air Force), met us...she is also very cute and fun! Then their friend Michael, who manages the BP in Alnwick, met us....as did Katie's boyfriend, Luke (also an RAF member). We just had a rather mellow night. Discovered that Michael was BORN while my sister, Kristen, was studying in Alnwick! Then Robin and I walked back to his house...about 10 minutes, or so, from the main area of Alnwick.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009 (MY 31st BIRTHDAY)

Robin went to work in a nearby town called Ashington and then I got up and went to explore Alnwick. The castle was closed and I didn't want to spend L12 to see the Duchess Gardens, so I just walked all over the town taking pictures....Stopped by Oddfellows and Ye Olde Cross (The Bottles) for a pint while waiting for Robin...which was fun! The Bottles is considered by locals to be a trashy place, but I thought it was very quaint....very "Olde English" with exposed beams...very English pub'ish.

Also went to Bailiff Gate Museum, which is all about Alnwick and surrounding area. Then called Robin from an agreed-upon location (a restaurant where his friend works) and then walked back to his place to meet him. On the way, some little boy was walking home and he didn't realize I was behind him...he was singing in his little high-pitched English accent and it was very cute! I chuckled and carried along. Anyway, Robin & Katie returned and wanted to go to the beach. I, thinking "the beach" may be a pub, asked Katie what that was...She looked at me like an invalid and replied, "Ummm....the seashore??" DUH -- Remember, we don't have 'seashore' in Minnesota! Anyway, we drove to a quaint village called Alnmouth (I still don't know how to pronounce it...ALN-mouth, I think). We walked along the shore and I pocketed a couple English coast rocks. Robin told us how the Germans used to drop their bombs around that area during WWII in order to get rid of weight after attacking London....one house in Alnmouth got hit. It is a very cute little village...We stopped at a quaint pub called The Sun Inn, where there's a fireplace lit, several small tables and locals quietly chatting...and someone brought their dog in. Again, exposed beams and very "English...."
(I am stopping for now b/c this is getting very long....and not even finished....!!) Pictures later...

In Memory of Bill

2008-09-13T10:46:00.004-05:00

Some of you may remember me commenting about my friend Bill a lot on here. He's the first friend I made when I moved to Mpls 4 years ago. Tragically, he died last month of a heart attack at 34 years old. It was a shock and a really rough week. I was in the middle of Iowa, on my way back from Kansas City visiting college friend Tara, when friend John Jon called with the bad news. I don't even remember the rest of the drive back to Mpls.

No '80s party, or White Trash party, or any party around here will be the same without Bill. I miss him...

(I went a whole 6 months without posting...I think that's a record.)

March 12, 1978 ---- It's What's Happenin'

2008-03-12T10:06:00.002-05:00

I was born 30 years ago today!!

Here's what was happening:

March 12, 1978

President: Jimmy Carter
VP: Walter Mondale

PRICES:
House: $64,370
Car: $4645
Milk: $1.44
Gas: .65
Bread: .33
Stamp: .13
Income: $10,671

Top Songs (March 1978):
Night Fever (Bee Gees), Stayin' Alive (Bee Gees), Emotion (Samantha Sang), Lay Down Sally (Eric Clapton), Thicker Than Water (Andy Gibb), Can't Smile Without You (Barry Manilow), I Go Crazy (Paul Davis), Sometimes When We Touch (Dan Hill), Dance, Dance, Dance (Chic), Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)

Top TV Shows (1977-1978 season):
Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, Three's Company, Charlie's Angels, All in the Family, Little House on the Prairie, 60 Minutes, M*A*S*H, One Day at a Time, Alice

Top 1978 Movies (from film.com):
The Deer Hunter, Midnight Express, Grease, Superman, Halloween, Animal House, Dawn of the Dead, Same Time Next Year, Days of Heaven, Up in Smoke

SPORTS:
SuperBowl XIII: Dallas Cowboys over Denver Broncos
NBA Championship: Washington Bullets over Seattle Supersonics
World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers
Stanley Cup: Montreal over Boston
NCAA Basketball: Kentucky over Duke

So long to my 20s

2008-03-11T16:03:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of my 20s...Yep, I turn 30 tomorrow.

It's kind of weird in a way, but then again, I feel like I've been in my 20s for-ever! I'm not feeling at all old, so that's good, I guess. It's now cliche, but it seems that 30 is the new 20. I don't really even know what that's supposed to mean, but I'll go with it!

I wouldn't want to be 20 again anyway. Nor would I want to relive my 20s. There have been A LOT of fun memories, but I think my 30s will be much more productive and stabile. I still look about the same (maybe better), make more money and "know" myself better now than I did in my early and mid-twenties. Plus, the whole job situation and relationships were both pretty much a nightmare in my 20s. I've learned a lot from all those bad experiences, however.

In addition, everyone I've talked to who've been in their 30s for a while always says that your 30s are better than your 20s....And since I'm smarter now than I was at 20, I'm going to listen to my elders and believe what they say!

It was an interesting 10 years! I started this age decade as a shy, closeted college boy at a small state university and am ending it a lot more confident in every way possible with a career in the city...My 20s will probably be the most change I'll ever see in one decade again.

So....20s, you've been fun and we've had a good 10 years together, but it's time for you to quietly slip away. I will revisit you often with the photos we took and in our stories with old friends of all the fun times that were had! So long.....

And hello to my 30s!

Dreaming of Dionne

2008-03-05T11:02:00.004-06:00

I guess my new-found appreciation of American Idol is even finding a round-about way into my dreams.

Last night I had a dream that I was a Ryan Seacrest-ish type personality and had some sort of show to host. Where did I go to get ready for the show?? To Dionne Warwick's house of all places. She was in the bathroom teasing her hair and I had to stand in her hallway to give myself a trendy look (although in real life, my hair is far too short for the messy, tossled look).

Anyway, in the dream, Dionne and I were friends so I didn't find it strange at all that we were getting ready for the show together (nor that she lived in a one-bedroom apartment). I asked Dionne if she had any gel or MOUSSE I could use (yes, I asked her for mousse...is this the '80s?). Ya know what kind of gel Ms. Dionne Warwick uses?? DEP.

In the end, I couldn't get my hair to look right and finally just gave up...

The awards show was pretty casual because I was wearing jeans and a black button-down shirt. Dionne suddenly went from casual to wearing a gown. Once we got to the podium and said hello, I turned to Dionne and started singing, "From the moment I wake up....Before I put on my makeup.....I say a little prayer for you...."

To which the crowd was delighted. Dionne, however, was not.

And then I woke up and realized that it's just a snowy Wednesday morning in Minneapolis.

I'd rather be on my way to San Jose....

I (heart) Wisconsin

2008-03-03T13:27:00.002-06:00

During work on Friday, I decided that an impromptu visit to my old stomping grounds of La Crosse, Wis., were in order. I hung out there quite a bit from 2002 - 2004, before I moved to Minneapolis. Calls were made and I discovered that both Bill and Danny wanted to join me. So, I picked up Danny after work, ran home to grab a change of clothes, then we picked up Bill and were on our way to La Crosse - about a 3 hour drive.

Actually, nothing too exciting happened, but it was fun. Ran into the group of guys I used to hang out with and it was fun to see them again. We also wound up meeting a couple guys who were also visiting and went back to their hotel room....Well, Bill stayed in our room with some random dude he met. Sorry I spent a good amount of money on a room that I didn't even sleep in....Oh well.

Danny and I made it back to our hotel room just before we were supposed to check out. Then we proceeded to another bar I used to hang out at and had a couple beers in there while playing the fun juke box. I had to really limit myself to a couple since I was driving.....blah!

We stopped in Winona to eat on our trek back to Minneapolis and met a really funny group of girls who were about 27. They were actually freshmen at Winona State during my senior year there, but I didn't know any of them...

Roadtrips are fun. But my car is a freakin' mess inside now. Drunks are messy, I've discovered. And things just seem to be taming down a little bit now that I'm nearly 30. If it had been the same road trip even just a few years ago, I'm sure we would've wound up staying in Winona b/c I would've wanted to have 8 beers before realizing that someone needed to drive the car....Oh, the joy of getting smarter as one grows older!

Dream Board.....Really?

2008-02-23T01:20:00.003-06:00

I DVR Ms. Oprah every day. God knows I've grown up with Oprah, but I really only started watching her in the past several months....when my life really fell apart.

No, I am not a screaming, suburban white woman....Nor a teary-eyed single mother of two (nor any teary-eyed person, for that matter).

I do, however, sometimes get inspired by our moral gatekeeper: Oprah.

Love her!

Ya know what?? I actually did get inspired by the whole "dream board" thing. Seriously.

The idea comes from a book called The Promise. The jist is to envision what you want in life and then make a bulletin board or list with those things on it...somewhere where you'll see it everyday. Then you are always thinking about the possibilities and you naturally start creating a path that leads to those good outcomes.

I guess my upstairs neighbor watches Oprah, because his list is coming true for him every weekend....He's either a serial killer or a hot dude because there is always some sort of female moaning going on at all hours of the night up there (note to self: if a few Minneapolis women go missing....we know where to look). I'm guessing he envisioned all this lust for himself and it's clearly coming true (unless he's killing people, of course). Sidenote: Wow -- Is there a porn movie being filmed upstairs? Oh -- somebody just stomped, or fell off a bed.....or got violently shoved on the floor. It's not for me to say....

Back to the point: I think my own Oprahfication is starting to pay off!

Leading up to Oprah's Dream Board:

I had the worst late 2007 ever. I got fired for no real reason (I really wasn't given a reason and was performing well -- not to use the "gay card," but my boss really was a homophobe). Anyway, after being fired, I got the attitude of "well, just fuck everything then!" THEN, my boyfriend (the first I've actually cared about in 6 years) dumped my ass....for having a "fuck it" attitude after being fired. THEN -- I got a new job that is....well, just punishment for being a negative person.

And then along came Oprah.

I saw that "dream board" episode and just got typically bitchy / bitter about it. Here I am, laying on the couch in 3-day old pajamas with M&Ms and booze bottles all over the goddamn living room thinking, "Yeah right, lady...."

But then I saw some people who really felt that envisioning their happiness helped them (I know -- puke, right?). But they did make me start to think...

Well, I thought I can either sit here and continue being miserable and bitchy or do something about it.

I made that damn list. Here are the first few items:

1. Wake up on Monday and not scream bloody murder

2. Make good commission (and therefore, quit worrying about bills / money every damn day)

And guess what?? Two weeks later, I was connected to a new job opportunity out of the blue by a former colleague. They found me...I wasn't even looking! They asked if I would come in and meet them....everything sounded great and exactly what's missing from current job. The meeting went well and long story short, they made me an offer to join their team and I accepted! The base salary and commission plan are both better than what I had at the job that fired me for no reason....I just "know" this is going to work out for me (even though the job isn't in downtown Minneapolis, where I prefer to work, it's in a suburb, but oh well)!

And that's the first of many things to come, I think. For instance (after landing a new job that doesn't make me want to slit my wrists every morning), now I will focus on the rest of my list:

3. Buy a condo downtown (with a view) - until I can afford a real house.....

4. Buy furniture and get rid of the "1976 American Garage Sale" theme that I've had since college

5. Meet a good looking, classy, smart, stylish, fun, charismatic guy who thinks I'm the one --- and who would never get rid of me....even if I ever happen to be in the gutter

6. Eat more of what my upstairs neighbor is eating (unless it's va-jay-jay or humans)

7. Get a cool old house in the Kenwood neighborhood

8. Drive a black Mercedes

9. Retire at or before 60

10. Not die alone

So.....Thanks, Oprah! Now I have a headache from forcing myself to be happy....it's an acquired feeling that I'm sure I'll get used to!

Black Thursday

2008-02-14T10:06:00.004-06:00

Yeah, Happy Valentines Day. I don't really even know why I realized that it is V-Day....Oh, that's right. Because everyone at work has to fucking talk about it all fucking morning.

The last time I was with someone for V-Day was 2001.

Oh well....Maybe next year! In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy the good things about being single, like doing whatever I want!

Tonight I plan to go to Walgreens and stomp on a few boxes of chocolate, tear up a few Valentine cards and whip some shit around. Then calmly exit (before the police arrive).

Traffic Can be Dangerous

2008-02-09T00:24:00.000-06:00

The 2000 movie, Traffic, starring Michael Douglas and the always-lovely, Catherine Zeta Jones, was on TV last night. I DVR'd it (in case you're not familiar with DVR, it's the same as Tivo).

I had a sort of "flashback" while watching it this evening. Something I had forgotten about. Allow me to become Sophia Petrillo-esque for a moment, will you?

PICTURE IT:
South Chicago - 2001
I was 23, a year out of college, and had just moved to Chicago from Minnesota. In a quest to find a job, I was using the computer lab at Moraine Valley Community College (somewhere in the south suburbs --- if you're familiar with Chicagoland, I was living in Oak Lawn at the time with a college friend and his roommate).

Naturally, my Internet job search also ventured into seeking a boyfriend and/or a few gay friends with whom to hang out.

On Gay.Com, I met a closeted Chicago cop. We started e-mailing back and forth.

After a couple weeks, I agreed to meet him at a total south Chicago neighborhood bar -- I think it was near Hyde Park. The people were all of Irish or Polish heritage, anyway...

Well, he turned out to be kinda interesting and good looking (even though he arrived about 30 minutes late). Hi -- It's a Chicago cop. I didn't question his timeliness. We agreed to go to his house to hang out since it was kinda loud in that little bar.

The first thing that struck me as kind of odd was that he insisted that I was a college student. I reminded him a couple times that I had actually finished college the year previous. Then, he said that on our way to his place (we drove seperate), that I should go into the liqour store and buy beer. Not just "some" beer, but a 12-pack of Heineken. At 23 and unemployed, buying Heineken was like buying Giorgio when Designer Imposter would suffice. Also, he's 31 and gainfully employed, yet tells me to go buy expensive beer....I should have just kept driving home.

Well, we get to his place and I "listen" as he proceeds to explain to me the intricacies of being a closeted Chicago cop and how annoying it is to see the "Gay Cops" float in Pride parades, etc. Being 23, in new city and pretty inexperienced, I just thought "whatever."

THEN -- he proceeded to keep calling me college boy and kept insisting that Minneapolis sucks compared to Chicago and how the skyline in Minneapolis has nothing on Chicago's. I did manage to declare: "Well, first of all....I'm not from Minneapolis. I'm from Minnesota, but not the Twin Cities metro area, so I don't really care. Also, I'm not a college boy anymore. Finally, I would hope that Chicago is "better" and has a more impressive skyline, considering it's about 2-3 times bigger than Minneapolis / St. Paul."

With that, we put in the movie Traffic (a very good movie, BTW).

Then, yes, I did wind up hooking up w/ his Gay Chicago Cop arrogant ass.

In my own defense (if I'm even allowed anymore at this point), he did call me a few days later and I didn't call him back.

So, anyway, the movie Traffic just reminded me of that little story.

PS /// South Chicago cop, Steve --- We don't care if your skyline is better. Jerk.

Gays Mills? No, Gay's Movies...

2008-02-08T00:15:00.000-06:00

Friends have been borrowing movies from my collection lately.

In an effort to take inventory of my DVD collection (there are still VHS too, but we won't count those yet), I offer you:

The. Gayest. Movie. Collection. EVEEERRRRR!!!!!! (in alphabetical order)

1. 9 to 5
2. A Place in the Sun (Liz Taylor)
3. A River Runs Through It
4. The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert
5. Alex & Emma (shitty movie randomly sent to me by Columbia House)
6. All Over the Guy
7. Biloxi Blues
8. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Liz Taylor)
9. Closer
10. Clueless
11. Cruel Intentions
12. Empire of the Sun
13. Erin Brockovich
14. The Goonies
15. Gosford Park
16. Gypsy
17. Hoosiers
18. Hope and Glory
19. Hush
20. Jawbreaker
21. La Bamba
22. Mean Girls
23. Mommie Dearest
24. My Best Friend's Wedding
25. Office Space
26. One True Thing
27. Ordinary People
28. The Others
29. Peggy Sue Got Married
30. Postcards from the Edge
31. Riding in Cars With Boys
32. The Royal Tenenbaums
33. The Rules of Attraction
34. Shag
35. Sixteen Candles
36. Splendor in the Grass
37. Stand by Me
38. Steel Magnolias
39. Stepmom
40. The Sweetest Thing
41. Terms of Endearment
42. There's Something About Mary
43. Titanic
44. V - The Original Mini-Series
45. V- The Final Battle (God only knows why I have these)
46. Vacation
47. Walk the Line
48. War of the Worlds
49. Wet, Hot American Summer
50. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Liz Taylor)
51. Wonder Woman: Season One

STOLEN (by some cute breeder guy who shared a cab with me and said, "Dude, I just need a place to stay tonight....my friends left me....Do you mind?")

1. Chicago
2. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
3. American Beauty
4. Animal House
5. Dazed and Confused
6. A couple more that I can't think of yet....

I'm guessing he pawned them for cigarette money the next day...And this is why I never trust breeders anymore. All I got in return was his socks (that I threw away). I guess still-drunk straight guys don't notice the "no socks effect" when they put on their shoes.....Must be the fact that they're making away with a bunch of free DVDs. Bastards!

I will get even. Oh, I *will* get even.....

I'm sorry....Did I turn fat??

2008-01-26T03:39:00.000-06:00

I remember when I was the cute, young guy. It was 1999 and I was barely 21, with a goatee (we all had them then). I was brand new to hanging out at gay bars....and a guy even bought a beer for me.

I guess I'm getting older b/c nobody has sent a beer in my direction since 2003. Oh well!

You breeders don't even know how hard....ahem, difficult....it is.

Gay guys are so picky!

"God, give me the strength to be gay in this Society. And lead me not into temptation. For, thine is the.....Well, just please help me from being fucked over again. Amen."

And to this, I pray....

Happy (Belated) New Year.

2008-01-25T13:11:00.000-06:00

It's 2008. The year I turn 30.....Yay, me!

Christmas was once again a drama. My eldest sister attended for the first time since 1997. Not due to distance, but just having no desire to go. Well, it only took a couple hours for tears to be shed and the "I'm leaving" announcement. Another sister managed to calm her down and she stayed. I would have been rather disappointed if nothing like that did happen, truth be told. It's never a true all-family get together for us until someone says, "What's that supposed to mean??" (I stole that line from Ellen, by the way)

Anyway -- It hit me this year that my Mom is getting older and not wanting to do Christmas the same way I remember since as long as I can remember. There were fewer gifts...a couple of our traditional foods were missing....the huge Christmas tree replaced with a medium-sized. Kind of sad, really. I can see how older people don't really enjoy Christmas anymore.

<>
Christmas 2057 -- I'm 79 years old and alone (still) -- my last boyfriend dumped me 50 years prior. I haven't had a significant other over the holidays since 2000.
Most of my siblings are now dead. I imagine that one of my nieces is hosting Christmas this year. The niece yells to her adult children, "Somebody has to go get Uncle Kiddo78! We can't forget again like we did last year! He's all alone, you know!!"
A great-great nephew sighs and is burdened with driving to pick me up.
I've been ready to go for 3 hours and am almost annoyed that "Titanic" is on TOOCMC (The Old Old Classic Movie Channel) and now I won't be able to watch it for the 2,395th time. But, satisfied that I have watched nearly the entire marathon of "A Christmas Story" on TMC, I shuffle to answer the door when I finally hear the great-nephew pounding on it with a brick.
I let my great-nephew help me to the car.
"Oh, great," I think. "I can smell that one of his kids vomited in here this morning."
We ride in silence.
All I want is the warm food and a piece of pie and a blanket. Then I'm taken home with my gift of a jigsaw puzzle (and I'm nearly blind) and some slippers.

Wow -- that's a nice thought to look forward to.

I can't wait until Christmas 2057!

OH WELL --- New Years was okay. Danny and I went to a party at his friend's condo downtown. Fun, but nothing really to write home about. I did almost throw the host's cat to its death off his 20th floor balcony, but I was scared to go too close to it, for this cat is of the devil and certainly evil. I started calling it "Lucy," short for Lucifer.

Merry Christmas.....Dammit!

2007-12-07T10:09:00.000-06:00

To anyone who think it's "offensive" for people to go around saying "Merry Christmas" this time of year. Please read what was written by Ben Stein, who happens to be Jewish:

Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart:I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important? I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is, either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are. Is this what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.Next confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

When did all of this controversy start about saying "Merry Christmas" to someone? It's not like you're telling them to go to hell, or something else that's understandably offensive. I'm not even a practicing Christian, but it is Christmastime, after all. And it's also Hannukah and whatever else people celebrate these days (Festivus?). If someone wished me a Happy Kwanzaa, I'd smile and politely say, "Thank you. And Merry Christmas!"

What's so damn insensitive about that?!

Like it or not, the majority of Americans are the "Merry Christmas" type. So were our parents and their parents and their parents and their parents......and on & on......Deal with it!

Do the Hustle!

2007-11-16T15:51:00.001-06:00

Well, at least it only took me a week to post again. Maybe I'm weening myself back into Blogger Land??

You've missed my wild weekends, haven't you?

Here's what's in store for this weekend - and might I add, in every sense of the term, Thank God it's Friday!! Uggghhh.....what a shitty week at work. Blah.

Anyway, this weekend:

Tonight, wild friend Jess is celebrating her 30th Bday! I don't know if I ever blogged about it, but she moved to Colorado last December to be with her boyfriend, who is now her fee-ants.

Anyway, we're going to Buca di Beppo in stupid Eden Prairie b/c Miss Jess waited until this morning to make reservations for downtown Buca!! Duhhh... I haven't eaten at Buca in a quite a while, so that should be good. Judging by how I feel about everything at the moment and my craving for a good hard drink, however, I'm not sure how much I'll partake in the dining as much as I'll partake in whatever booze they can offer besides wine (not a big wine fan here). I think there are 12 of us going.

THEN - it's off to the Gay '90s in good ol' downtown Minneapolis (or as I sometimes call it, "the hell away from the suburbs"). We're going to boogie the night away a la 1977 at the Retro Bar within this esteemed landmark. All that's played in the Retro Bar is '70s (mostly disco) and '80s music. It's fabulously fun. Nothing like celebrating someone born in 1977 than doing The Hustle at the Retro Room. I thought about dressing up in a leisure suit, but I'll save that for my own 3oth birthday in March...

Saturday - Not sure yet, but at some point, I'll venture over to NE Minneapolis to a little place called Elsie's Bowling Center (I think that's the official name, anyway). It's this place that my brother and his friends kind of adopted as their official group gathering spot. His ex-girlfriend (with whom we're all still friends) is having a going away party....she's moving to Utah to be with her new boyfriend. Maybe I'll have to go visit her so I can see some real polygamists, since Big Love is one of my favorite shows. I guess she's moving to Salt Lake City. All I think about when I think of SLC is The Osmonds and Ted Bundy (I remember watching that TV movie about him called The Deliberate Stranger, and he moved to SLC to continue his killing spree - yikes)!

Anyway - they will all be bowling, as usual, but I'm sure I'll just be sitting at a table with this girl named Rachel gossiping about everyone else! It's kind of a tradition we have. Actually a funny site to see all these 30-year-old yuppies at this neighborhood bar / bowling alley with the locals...Usually a good time, anyway!

Sunday will be my typical day of vegging and drinking Gatorade on the couch.

Liquor-ridden, waste of time & money to some.....but a little piece of heaven type-weekend for me!!

We may do "The Foxy Trot" tonight too...

Second to Last Titanic Survivor Dies

2007-11-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Awwww.....There's only one more Titanic survivor alive in this world (and she was only 2 months old at the time). Poor thing.

The second to last one died recently. Here's the story:

Barbara West Dainton, believed to be one of the last two survivors from the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, has died in England at age 96.
Dainton died Oct. 16 at a nursing home in Camborne, England, according to Peter Visick, a distant relative. Her funeral was held Monday at Truro Cathedral, Visick said Thursday.
Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean of Southampton, England, who was 2 months old at the time of the Titanic sinking, is now the disaster's only remaining survivor, according to the Titanic Historical Society.
The last American survivor, Lillian Gertrud Asplund, died in Massachusetts last year at age 99.
Dainton, born in Bournemouth in southern England in 1911, was too young to remember the night when the huge liner hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic in April 1912, killing 1,500 people, including her father, Edwy Arthur West.
He waved farewell as the lifeboat carrying Barbara; her mother, Ada; and her sister, Constance, was lowered into the ocean, according to Karen Kamuda of the Titanic Historical Society in Indian Orchard, Mass. His body was never identified.
The Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all of 2,200 passengers and crew. Only a small number of those unable to find a place on the boats survived the freezing waters.
Dainton returned to England after the accident. She married in 1952.
She avoided publicity associated with the Titanic and even insisted that her funeral take place before any public announcement of her death, Kamuda said.
"We respected her privacy," Kamuda said. "We're so open with everything and our emotions nowadays, but people at that time, they just didn't talk about it."

I've been oddly fascinated in Titanic since I was a kid - Way before the over-hyped, over-romanticized movie (although I did like that too for the historical aspect). My interest probably stems from its rediscovery on the ocean floor in 1985 (or so). I remember there being quite a few survivors around at that time who would be interviewed - a majority of whom actually remembered being there. Now there's just one left...who was just a baby in 1912.

Apparently, the last American survivor died in 2006 and she was 5 at the time of the sinking, so had memories of it, yet didn't speak publicly about that night, nor her father, twin brother and 2 older brothers who drowned.

Anyway, I'm willing to guess that the last known survivor didn't have a tryst with Leo DiCaprio that night. Nor anyone named Jack, for that matter...

Minnesota Nice? Or Minnesota Ice?

2007-11-07T23:32:00.000-06:00

While driving to work the other day, one of our local radio stations ( KQRS ) was the host of a discussion (or debate) about whether Minnesotans should be labeled "Minnesota Nice" or "Minnesota Ice."

Most people across the country have probably never even heard the term "Minnesota Nice," but since I live here, it's of interest to me. So deal with it and read on.
Everyone who called in had moved here from the almighty Coasts (whether it be East or West) expecting to be the most popular kid on the block from day one due to their automatic superiority of gracing we Midwestern hicks with their Coastal (or the Midwestern Saving Grace, Chicago) influence -- added to the fact that, upon moving here, they heard something about we natives being "Minnesota Nice."

The story goes that everyone (in general) is "nice" in Minnesota. As in, we treat everyone like a neighbor or friend with a welcoming, friendly "Hi! How ya doin'?" type demeanor. Or that we display the epitome of "giving the shirt off our backs," and "we treat everyone like we live in a small town" type mentality. (Sidenote: I grew up in small town MN with some of the most mean f'ers you can even imagine - seriously, a few of my HS classmates are in prison now).

Being a native of this state, I guess I'm probably biased, but I can see both sides.

I'd say it's fair to say that most people who move anywhere in Minnesota, whether it be from Alaska, Alabama, Seattle....or just from one area of the state to another.... experience more Minnesota Ice than Minnesota Nice. It doesn't matter if you're moving to Minneapolis....or Duluth....or Crookston....or Dodge Center (small town).....the fact is, we're really only "nice" and welcoming if you come up to us first and say hi. THEN we'll be nice to you. But probably won't call you the next day and invite you our next house/garage/apartment/bonfire party.

Reason: We Minnesotans (and I really suspect that everyone around the world is like this) -- We already have, and have had, our own circle of friends established before you moved to this country / state / area / town/city / neighborhood....It takes meeting you a few times before we'll remember to give a damn who you are or invite you to the next social gathering.

Isn't that the same in Chicago....New York....Seattle....Calcutta?!?

Why are we Minnesotans the ones blamed for being icy instead of nicey?? High expectations, perhaps??

SO --- those of you who move here and expect to be "one of the gang" from day one because you've heard we're supposed to be "Minnesota Nice," just toss that idea out the window and remember what you were like in your own comfort zone before you moved here. In your own neck of the woods, did you automatically invite a new member to your little group outings as soon as s/he said hello?? I doubt it.

FURTHER -- if moving here, or moved here already and disappointed by the fact that you weren't elected neighborhood Homecoming Queen upon arrival -- get over the shock and prepare yourself to be the outgoing life of the party (or just willing to put yourself out there and approach others) if you want to become part of a group.

Okay, now my own objective opinion:

First off, let me say that I use to travel a lot for work…and I’ve done a little leisurely travel too…so, I’m not exactly well-traveled like the rest of my Kennedy brethren, but I’ve been to a few places…AND....I have had the experience of moving from MN to Chicagoland (albeit just for an internship) and from out-state MN to the metro area....

FRIENDLY (in my experience): London, England (or England as a whole): Edinburgh, Scotland (or Scotland as a whole), Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.; Hilton Head Isl., SC; Ontario, Can.; Detroit, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wis., Bloomington, Ill; Ocho Rios, Jamaica (the other tourists, not necessarily the locals); La Crosse, Wis.; Madison, Wis.; Winona, Minn.

UNFRIENDLY: Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Tex.; Chicago, Ill.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Rochester, Minn.; Springfield, Mass.; and last, but not least, my own hometown of Dodge Center, Minn (well, the whole county).

I don’t need to go into details…it’s just my experience. However, those are the places I’ve been to that come to mind as either being friendly or unfriendly.

I moved to Minneapolis from Rochester, Minn. *gay hell*, in 2004. It really was hard to meet people at first. I even went to bars (gay bars, mind you, where almost everyone thinks they have either a reputation, or an image, or a boyfriend/trick to maintain) alone thinking I might strike up a conversation with someone. Of course, in my mind, I was the semi-cute guy standing there alone. In my former neck of the woods (non-metro, or “out-state” Minnesota), we embraced new-comers with open arms – and maybe more than that – delighted to see a new face in the lonely crowd of small-city gays. I quickly changed my tune. I realized that everyone in Minneapolis / St. Paul already had a group of friends established….and they were all at the bar with them.

So, one night, basically out of frustration, I just started talking to this guy who was standing beside me at the bar waiting for his drink. I declared that all the people (especially gay guys) in Minneapolis sucked. That they were either socially retarded or just plain unfriendly. That led into a conversation….and a hook-up….Anyway, that’s what it took for me to enter the elusive “Minnesota Circle of Friends” cult. After that, this new friend, Bill, and I hung out a few times and I met a few of his friends…and a few of their friends….and a few of their friends. Now, I have my own little group of friends (which includes Bill – as just a friend).

Point being – we can seem unfriendly or cold (or maybe even overtly nice at first), but just like anywhere else in the world…in a new area, you have to make the effort to first, introduce yourself and show your true colors (aka Cyndi Lauper), to enter a new crowd.

And if you’re of the type who’s always lived in the same area, and hung out with the same crowd….Open up your mind and start talking to potential new members of your little clique. You might just have more fun…or get laid….or whatever.

Conclusion --- Fuck Minnesota Nice. We all, as regular people, find it hard to either enter a new comfort zone, or allow someone new into it.

So, there!!

THIRTY --- 30! --- It's near....

2007-10-13T02:51:00.000-05:00

I'm 29. And I have been since March. I've quite obviously known, for some time, that age 30 is fast-approaching. Yes, my brother (who's one year older than I) turned 30. And other friends from my high school days, who were also in my brother's grade, have now turned 30. It didn't really hit me.

Until today. My childhood friend and classmate, Kevin, turned 30 today. I didn't celebrate with him or anything...Lord, I haven't even seen him since we were about 21...But I woke up today knowing that October 12th was somebody's birthday...I knew it was someone I had known quite well. Then it hit me. "Kevin is fucking THIRTY years old today!"

"Oh. My. God. I'm going to be THIRTY on my next birthday?! --- THIRTY?!?"

Mind you, it's not that I think thirty is old. It's just that thirty was always the age that 'adults' were. I never pictured my friends and I being grown-ups. We don't even look like the people on that '80s show, "Thirtysomething!"

Do we??

I suppose teenagers probably do think we look old. And that we ARE old. Ugghhh....when did that happen?? The last I knew, we all had flat stomachs and were drinking illegaly in a cornfield. Now....we're just 30 (well, I'm still 29, mind you).

Anyway - I think the whole turning 30 thing is starting to hit me now.

As Scarlett O'Hara would say, "Well, I just won't think about that now....Tomorrow is another day!"

And, tomorrow, I'll still be 29.

Mustang Sally!!

2007-10-13T02:03:00.000-05:00

Here I am again! Thrilled, aren't you?? Yeah - thought so.

Well, my life has been somewhat of a....what would Carol Burnett say?? Ummm....a.....NIGHTMARE?!?!?!?! For the last few months.

I was happily strumming along doing my same old thing. Well, this time with a boyfriend and a stable (or stabile?) job (whichever one means regular - not working in a barn). Of course, I should've known that would all come crashing down - God forbid, I have a life that somewhat resembles normalcy...

You see, Matt wasn't what you would call particularly...."wild" in any sense of the word. In fact, kind of a creature of habit (go to work at 6:30 AM, home at 3:00, routine home stuff, bed at 9:30).

We broke up. I didn't see it coming and was devastated. I guess I can see how it happened now....what with all my getting fired all the time and living my "f-you and I don't give a damn" Kennedy-esque lifestyle. I can see how that threw a wrench in his daily life.

So - anyway - Matt and I broke up. And I got fired....again. This time it really wasn't even due to my attendance. It really was due to the stupid office politics thing and one certain bitch getting me fired b/c she had an "in" with our VP and felt threatened by my getting more hires than she (when she was the one used to getting the most hires every month). ANYWAY -- go figure, I'd unwillingly find a way to get fired - and into confrontation.

Well, that's whiskey under the bridge.

I do find it funny that at least three female friends have reassuringly told me, "You know, Sally Jesse Raphael got fired TWELVE times....All the way to the top!!"

At this point, I'd settle for the TOP of a circus tent.

God, I hate: passive-aggressive Midwestern bitches who avoid confrontation at all costs....homophobic VP's in New Jersey (who always have to remind you of how 'close' they live to NYC [like we give a shit]....interviewing....people who call the Midwest the 'fly-over states' [keep flying, fucker]....corporate life.

Look out, Sally Jesse....I think a Kennedy is looking for a talk show...and he's wearing big red glasses too. Bitch.

Checking in...

2007-07-25T17:47:00.000-05:00

Hi to anyone who still checks my blog! I haven't posted anything for so long....Got over the whole blog thiing, I guess, but kinda felt like giving the 2-cent update today.

I don't even know the last time I posted. Was it about my class reunion that happened last September?? That's pretty bad.

Not a whole lot has happened, I guess - Exciting, I know. Oh - I still go out w/ friends quite a bit, but I haven't slapped anyone or anything in a long time. Guess I'm getting older!

Well, actually - my Grandpa did pass away in February. He was 87. I don't really even know what he died of....just old, I guess. He was my Dad's dad. Come to think of it, I think maybe I did post about that before now....Oh well.

Went to NYC and Springfield, MA, back in March. Winona State was in the NCAA Division II Nat'l Men's Basketball Championship again. I flew to NY on Friday morning and took the subway to Rockefeller Center, where Meg works. We went to lunch and she had to go back to work for the afternoon, so I went to the Museum of Natural History. It was somewhat interesting, but frankly, I expected more of a well-known museum in NYC. Saw one corner of Central Park too (which I don't think I saw the first time I went to NY)... We went to eat at a place called Tortilla Flats that night (I think it was the Upper West Side, but not sure) and that was really good. Then on to a gay club somewhere by Time Square...I forget what it was called, but it was a trendy place. Then back to the Candle Bar (where Meg and I went during my first trip to NY) and it appeared that this establishment has since become a lesbian bar. Of course it didn't stop us from having our fill of cocktails.

Meg and I got up really early the next morning and took the subway back to Midtown where we rented a car for our trip to Springfield. The trip allowed me to add another state to my list of places visited: Connecticut. We ate a Dennys-type place, so that was about the extent of my time outside the car in CT.

Once in Springfield, we met up with my college friends Lee & Heather, who are now married and live in Nashua, NH. We walked to some bar where all the Winona State fans were supposed to be....and it was packed!! We sat and talked to two 20-year-olds who drove all night in the fan bus and were pretty shitfaced, but really funny. Lee bought their purple and silver beads for $20 -- they kept calling us "rich alumni." I think they thought we were pretty old! The game was really fun. Winona State played some college from North Carolina. We had a ton more fans there and the four of us sat in the student section -- fun!! WSU kids have much more school spirit than we ever had....And they have a bunch of special little cheers that they do during the game. It was funny.

Anyway, we were ahead the whole time and wound up losing during the last few seconds!! It was horrible....but, once back at a bar with all the other fans, we were soon back to having fun.

That night, I decided to check out one of the "special" bars near the one we four "old alumni" had just been partying. I met a local guy who told me I should go with him to the bar around the corner. I was still wearing my WSU shirt and bandana, so a guy in the alley (outside another bar) saw this and said, "Hey! Tough loss today, man....That sucks for Winona State!" Then he saw that I was walking toward the back entrance of the other gay bar and said, "Fucking faggot." I just told him to fuck off and kept walking. The local guy I went there with was mortified and said he'd never seen that happen in Springfield before....Whatever - it happens everywhere! It still kind of takes me aback...don't expect to hear that in 2007! Oh, and that other bar turned out to be really boring too. I took a cab back to the hotel. We drove back to NY the next day and I flew back home - it was a fun, but exhausting weekend!!

I started dating Matt over Memorial Day weekend and it's going well!! He's met almost all my friends and everyone really likes him. We've already been to a wedding together and my college friends' parents' cabin in Wisconsin! So, maybe soon my family can start to meet him...but, we'll see. That's kind of weird to me still.

Oh - Matt and I had a couple incidents of anti-gay stuff too, which is so weird. A couple weeks ago, we were just standing on a corner on the edge downtown Minneapolis waiting for a cab and this stupid Ford Explorer full of drunk guys sped by and one of them yelled "Faggots!!" out the window. In Minneapolis!! In 2007!! I yelled back to them, "Go back to Anoka, you redneck fuckers!!" (Anoka is an outer ring suburb)

THEN - When Matt and I were in Winona for a wedding a couple weekends ago, I accidentally booked a room in this ramshackle motel called The Sugar Loaf Motel (I thought I was booking at the HOTEL across the street). The owner was from India and wouldn't let us get a single bed room (cheaper) because we weren't "married couple." You better believe I started voicing my discontent over that...the wife then came out and was speaking Hindi (or something), but you could tell that she was telling him to not rent us the room. He kept saying, "Single room only for married couples..." I yelled, "We...ARE...a...couple...!!!!!!!" I could tell he was getting ready to ask us to leave (and hotel rooms in Winona all get booked during summer weekends due to it's scenic location on the Mississippi River = tourists), so I shut my mouth and signed the receipt.

Anyway - if you ever find yourself in Winona, MN, DO NOT stay at The Sugar Loaf Motel. You wouldn't want to anyway - it's pretty much a dump.

But the wedding was fun. It was my friend Alison's. She and I hung out A LOT and partied A LOT back in the late '90s!

So - yeah....That's pretty much it, I guess. The summer has been going by quickly and have had a lot of fun weekends.

Work is alright. Some days are good, most are okay and some suck. You know the drill.

Well, Hello.....Bloggie

2007-02-20T23:36:00.000-06:00

Wow. It's been a while since I've been in town, huh?? I don't expect any of my old faithful readers are around anymore...and I only have myself to blame. Oh well. To each, our own, I guess. At least my "Goonies - Where Are They Now?" post is still very well-frequented.

Well, it's 2007 now. And, much to my dismay, nothing is new since the Autumn of our year of late (2006).

Here's what I've been up to:

- Pause
- ummmm....
- Well, not much!

Surprised??

I didn't think so.

Let's think, shall we??

I don't hang out with Jeff or Danny much anymore. Jeff is still with his jerk boyfriend who shuns anyone who drinks. They still break up once every couple weeks -- when Jeff wants to go out. Danny finally dumped his loser boyfriend (also named Jeff, with whom I had a stormy relationship, if you recall). Danny is now dating the keyboardist from Air Supply (I'm not kidding). Danny and his friend Jill follow him all around the Midwest (apparently Air Supply plays at a lot of Indian casinos these days). Oddly enough, the keyboardist's "real" boyfriend's name is also Dan...Danny followed his dream and became the other woman.

Jessica moved to Colorado with her boyfriend. We still communicate via phone.

And me?? Well....as I said before...nothing new in my little corner of the world. I'm now living vicariously thru the characters of: "The L Word," "The Sopranos," "Big Love" and "Oz." All of which are on HBO and Showtime "On Demand" lists.

Wow - I feel like I just wrote a little Christmas update on the life of Kiddo78. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Oh, by the way ---- In remembrance of my Dad's father, who just died, RIP Grandpa!!
--- His funeral was Monday. My eldest cousin took control of everything at his funeral and left the rest of the cousins to feel like we didn't even know him or have any memories (because he didn't raise us and buy us jeans, cars, etc., like he did for her and her little brother (who is now nice and not the Devil like his sister)) --- SHE wrote the "memories of grandpa" eulogy and didn't ask any other cousins to contribute their memories. Thanks, Eldest Cousin (who shall remain nameless)!!!

As long as I'm venting....can I add a couple more tidbits of info about her???

Thanks.

She stole stuff from my Mom (jewelry, etc.) as a child and blamed it on me because I was a baby....She was a stripper at some dive in the '80s - very classy. Then, a few years ago, when some distant cousins from Sweden e-mailed me for our geneaology information to put on Ancestry.com, bitch cousin actually CALLED Ancestry.com and made them take our family tree off the Internet - because she wasn't 'comfortable' with "private information about HER family" being online....she then even tried to get me fired for posting it (no lie). Did I mention that she was a stripper at a trashy place??

Bitch.

Anyway --- so, now you're caught up on me.

Oh - and I'll be 29 on March 12. Geeeeeez-us......Oh well.

See how he grows...

2006-11-28T11:58:00.000-06:00

My friend Jessica sent me this odd little site. This dude is documenting himself age....from about 20 (in 1998) until present day. I'm enthralled.

Here he is in October 1998

Two years later - October 2000

October 2002

October 2004

CURRENT (Sept 2006)

So, now it's documented how one progresses from innocent college kid to angry hippy. And we thought this metamorphosis was the stuff of our parents' generation!!

Speaking of --- is it still "cool" for college kids to be neo-60s-hippies?? I remember kids of the late '90s, when I was in college, reclaiming that look...they danced to acoustic punk bands, smelled of vinegar and wore ratty clothes....we in our Abercrombie and American Eagle uniforms were highly annoyed....and not impressed. I remember one girl presented about the Haight(sp?)/Ashbury district of 1968 San Francisco in our speech class. According to her, it was "a bitchin' time..." Gag.

Yet, somehow - I'm oddly curious in this guy who documents his own aging process. When do we go from looking like a fresh-faced youth...to "adult" looking...to "parent" looking...to middle-aged...to 50'ish...to 60'ish....to old??? Are there certain days?

It's interesting to me....

(Also, by the way, I think he was cute in the 1999-2001 period.)

My favorite part, I think, is in his FAQ section. One viewer writes:
- Are you gay or are you just really bored.

His reply:
Huh, I never knew homosexuality was a cure for boredom.

He also says that one lady professed his homosexuality (which he is not), then went on to "deliver" him from it. F'ing bible beaters -- I swear they're going to blow up this whole goddamn world someday with all their evangelical jesus bullshit.

Anyway, if you want to see for yourself, go here: http://www.c71123.com/daily_photo/

And good-bye.

It's back....

2006-11-17T22:15:00.000-06:00

I've suddenly reclaimed a blog addiction. I'm sure it won't last - well, maybe....Anyway, I've been catching up with "old" blog friends tonight by reading their entries - the first Friday in months that I can just stay home. That sounds so of the mindset of "nothing better to do...," but true in a way. I guess winter is descending upon Minnesota and we don't covet our time outdoors anymore once Thanksgiving time rolls around...funny how there's always something planned until our lovely winters descend.

ANYWAY -- you'll read in an earlier post from today that nothing is really new for me. I have not checked into Betty Ford yet. I haven't declared my Kennedy heritage to the point of a knife fight lately. I haven't even slapped anyone in a while....well, unless you count my friend Danny's dumbass boyfriend....and a bartender....but that doesn't count since they both clearly started it.

Now all of a sudden, I can think of a million things I would have "posted" had the present time been two years ago - wow, two years now I've been documenting my weekends. Has it been two years since we've known each other?? Now that my mother has internet, I PRAY she doesn't stumble across my blog. That knowledge (on her part) would not make for a very festive family dinner...

I think the icing will come when Hot Babe and I get together again Thanksgiving night and I get kicked out of, piss on, curse and puke on an Uptown Minneapolis bar. Then fall asleep in my hallway.

Hot Babe, are you game?? Or are you STILL in law school....??? Maybe PlanetDan will join us again - and if we're lucky, Stacy will drink a thimble full of booze and get hammered.

We'll see....

Triton High School - Class of 1996 Reunion

2006-11-17T16:42:00.003-06:00

Yep, I'm still alive....Nothing new. Work is obviously SUPER busy, which is good. I think I'll take some time to read through your blogs this weekend since I don't have anything going on. Haven't been dating anyone since Tony last summer...just hanging out with friends as usual. Mostly Jessica, who lives at the same apartment complex as friend Jeff...we just celebrated her 29th birthday last night at The Independent in Uptown Minneapolis....

Anyway - my class reunion happened during the last weekend of September. Here's a recap and a couple pictures (finally)!

Triton High School's Class of 1996 reunited in my hometown, Dodge Center, MN, starting that Friday.

We were in the school's Homecoming parade - about 10 of us showed up for that, which was actually more than I expected, given the parade happens Friday afternoon. Our old teachers and others who remember us, etc., were like "OMG - you guys have a float!" And things like, "Hey!!" were being shouted as we drove by -- we just decorated a pick up truck with signs and balloons/streamers and we all rode in the back. That was fun - no pictures of it, though. I stupidly forgot my camera...

The best of that had to be when we met at the high school parking lot to decorate. Tina, Jill, Jenni and I sneaked a cigarette and a beer in Tina's car -- losers, I know, but we felt like we were in high school again! It was kind of funny - thank god nobody saw us. I would be mortified to "get in trouble" at my high school at the age of 28...DUH.

After the parade, a few of us went to Dodge Center's local watering hole, Harold's Club, for a couple beers before we headed to the Homecoming game, which Triton won. We stayed until half-time and went back to Harold's. There were only about 10 of us there that night too, but it wasn't part of the official schedule or anything.

The next day a few of us met at the high school to take a tour of it....it's all been vastly remodeled and added on to since we graduated. We didn't really even recognize anything. Our old "commons," which is where we ate lunch, is now the choir room. Our locker area is gone. The gym looked TINY compared to how I remember it. Very strange feeling to be back in there. We were like, "umm....where are we??" Or, "...what was this area when we were here...??" The senior classes now take a group picture and they hang them in the office. The seniors now paint a section of a wall in the hallways now too. I wish they did that stuff when we were there. Looks like it all started with their class of 2000. We also noticed that a few of our old teachers are still plugging away at Triton. Most of them have since retired or left.

That afternoon, we met in the park for a class picnic. About 20-30 classmates attended that with families, which is what I expected since we were only a class of 100. As expected, people were broken off into groups they would've talked to in high school. Kind of annoying. Nobody was really helping me keep the shy people attended to. Also annoying. Some were bitching about the "booklet" I put together - basically a "where are we now" thing that people needed to fill out and send back to me. I finally just yelled, "Everyone can just fuck off - if you wanted it done differently, do it yourself!!" For the most part, though, it was a decent time. At least the weather was good. We took a picture - someone suggested taking it against the wall of the bathroom building so that there would be a plain background. Instead it just looks like we're standing next to a park bathroom....See for yourself:

I'm in the back - Not everyone who showed up was there for the picture

It got more fun as we who didn't bring kids got a good little buzz going off the 4 cases of beer consumed! My friend Jeff drove down from Minneapolis and got there for this - my friends liked him.

That evening we met at Dodge Country Club for the "real" reunion event. No dinner or anything, just cocktails and socializing. I can imagine how many people would've complained if we had a dinner since that would've increased the cover charge. I don't think $20 is bad ($15 for single) - especially if you also went to the class picnic, where food was served. I mean, don't people know that it costs money to have a reunion and rent a place to have it?!?

Anyway - this was really fun. I'd say about 45-50 classmates attended this at some point during the evening. We also invited the other Triton classes of the 1990s to attend if they wanted to (there was an ad in the paper announcing it). In total, more than 100 people were there, I'd say. It was fun! We got a keg and charged another $10 to drink out of that...which didn't go over well, but it cost about $150 since we had to buy it from the country club! People "mixed" pretty well at this and everyone paid me this time (not everyone did at our five-year reunion), so it went well!

Again, not everyone who was there made it in the picture, but most of us did. I'm in the back row - the obnoxiously tall one! Crystal, front row in white hoodie, traveled the furthest - she now lives in Boulder, CO.

Jeff, a few of the others and I finished the night at an after-bar hosted by a member of the class of 1989!!

All-in-all, a good reunion.

I will, however, NOT be planning the 15-year. People are so weird about reunions. One disappointing thing was that a good number of our "A-List" classmates didn't attend. Since they must have LOVED high school (being really active in activities, lots of friends, etc.), you'd think they would want to go to the reunions. Oh well...those of us who did go had a good time. I did, anyway!

Nothing crazy happened. Well, that I heard about...

In other Triton news, their football team played in Minneapolis at the Metrodome last night and won, which means they will play in the state championship game next week, also at the Metrodome! We were there both my junior and senior years (1994 and 1995). Our team won state in 1994, but lost in 1995....those games were pretty fun. My brother, in fact, still holds the state record for most touchdowns in a championship game - I think that's the record, anyway! I, of course, didn't play. And no, I wasn't a cheerleader, smart ass!

Triton also won state in 2000. Clearly, a big football school. We used to joke that the football team got new uniforms every year, but we didn't have new books in the library since 1985...typical of a small town, I guess!

Class of 1996

2006-10-03T20:14:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while since I've updated, I know...

I had my 10-yr class reunion this past weekend. It was fun! More later, hopefully with some pictures.

Here we are THEN, Triton High School Class of 1996

Bitches

2006-08-31T00:18:00.000-05:00

I get it. I'm being punished for my blog hiatus. Seriously, if you have a memory of After School Specials (or what not) you can talk about it.

Speaking of After School Specials --- and I can't believe I didn't blog about this before ---

My friend Jerry died a few weeks ago. Jerry who was trying his damndest to be a couple with me....

He was 30. Apparently when he was college-aged, he was in to the "heroin." I guess they have to take Methodone forever afterwards (do they??) and that's what killed him all of the sudden - the Methodone. I just feel awful over it - especially since I ditched out on our plans the Saturday before he died. Ugh...

The worst part: His only two siblings died in a car accident last September. So now his parents live with the fact that all THREE of their children are dead.

No wonder I drink...

Who knew....I DO Have Emotions!!

2006-08-30T11:05:00.000-05:00

I saw Latter Days the other night and actually shed a tear. That's right - I nearly cried. I don't know why, really...something about it was just really sad. And God bless Mary Kay Place as Elder Davis' mother. LOVE her. Especially in one of my all-time favorites, The Big Chill. Oddly enough, she couldn't get pregnant in that picture show and now she always plays someone's bitchy Mom - a bitchy Mormon Mom at that. She's pretty good in HBO's Big Love too. Have I blogged about that show yet?? I must do that sometime. Good stuff there in Utah. Wow - this was supposed to be a post about Latter Days and it turned in to one about Mormons and Mary Kay Place. Anyway - I thought Latter Days was better than Brokeback Mountain. I didn't even come very close to shedding a tear at the latter, in fact I laughed a couple times, but did come close to weeping during the former. Warning, though, there's some gay action in it...

After School....Specials??

2006-08-27T22:39:00.000-05:00

I love NetFlix. I recently received After School Specials: Class of 1982 - 1986. At the time I thought they were about the best thing since Bewitched and Wonder Woman reruns. After watching them 20 years later, I have to wonder...who the HELL came up with this crap?! And how did they think their intended demographic (13-18 year olds, I imagine) would relate to it?!

The four I saw (none of which I remembered watching back then) were shit. I mean, really corny and I felt like covering my eyes out of sheer embarrassment the whole time.

One was about a girl named Susan and her turmoil over being placed in the same violin contest as her new beau. She had just moved to that town from Arkansas, and they really gave her one helluva caricature of a good ol' Southern gal. Her mother even clogged while she did a Hootenanny type violin/fiddle performance. Ugh. The worst part was that the title was "Two Loves for Jenny" instead of Susan. Duh.

The next dumbest went to the one called (get this) "Ace Hits the Big Time" about a 15'ish boy moving to the city and being afraid to go to school for fear of gangs beating him up. The gangs had original names like the Pythons and the Fangs (or something). The Fangs signature color was purple and they danced like West Side Story queens. They even had bandanas tied around the leg, bad high tops and head bands!! Oh, and who could forget the boy's solution to his dilemma? Just throw on a pirate eye patch ("Ahoy, matey!") and wear a satin jacket with a dragon on the back. Oh, and call yourself "Ace" instead of Hugo. Good one, Ace. The theme song was even worse. I mean B.A.D. I seriously gagged it was so ridiculous. Rob Stone played "Ace" - he was also in another one about teen suicide co-starring Malcolm Jamal Warner (aka Theo Huxtable).

Ughh...I'll never get that 4 hours back again. I DO have to say, though, SWEET mall hair, cords, tennies and tight jeans...

The ones I remember (and would like to see again) are the one about drunk driving with Michelle Pfeifer - that one scared me when I was little. I also remember the one about bulimia with a girl who ate a huge plate of peanut butter & jelly sammiches...and puked them up. Her sister was really concerned. Then, of course, the teen pregnancy thing. That was so overdone in the '80s.

Great - now I'm hungry and a'scared (of Michelle Pfeifer being run over by her boyfriend's Mustang, not so much of pregnant or vomitous teens).

Thanks A LOT, After School Special people!! And I mean it...

Ahhh...the good ol' days

2006-08-22T15:34:00.000-05:00

This has been going around as an e-mail forward for quite some time, but thought it would be something to blog - since I'm dry in that department lately. It's an arcticle that was published in Good Housekeeping, May 1955.

For those who are married or demostically partnered, take heed, these are words to live by:

The Good Wife's Guide

- Have dinner ready, Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

- Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

- Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

- Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives.

- Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc. and then run a dustcloth over the tables.

- Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

- Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

- Be happy to see him.

- Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

- Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

- Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

- Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

- Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

- Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

- Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

- Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

- Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

- A good wife always knows her place.

My Mother, who got married in 1958 (at the tender age of almost 18), had this to say: "Boy, that is the way it was supposed to be! Can you imagine a 'modern' woman doing or thinking that today?! And now you know why some women ran away, drank, had affairs, and sometimes committed murder!!!! I did my best ---- !"

No wonder she was divorced in 1976!

Off to C.H.I.C.A.G.O.

2006-08-18T15:07:00.000-05:00

Like Shirley McClain (sp) in Postcards From the Edge, "I'm still here!" Wow, it's been almost a whole month since I've posted - a new record for me, I think. I doubt if any of you are even still checking...

I'll catch a train to the airport in about an hour. Am flying to Chicago to see my old "sorority sister," Tara, who actually lives in the suburbs - the great Naperville. We'll be in the city tomorrow, though, where I can revisit my old stomping grounds of North Michigan Avenue, or the Magnificent Mile...I interned there five years ago and worked right next to the Wrigley Building and across from the Tribune Tower.

We'll have fun people watching and commenting on bad outfits and hairdos. We'll do happy hour in the city but will need to go back to Naperville to go out tomorrow night...It doesn't bother me, Tara and I have fun no matter where we are.

We became friends at the end of freshman year. She wound up leaving Winona during sophomore year, but we obviously stayed in close touch. We pretty much just laugh the whole time we're together whenever we hang out, which sadly isn't very much. Haven't seen her in two years, so this will be fun!

Maybe I'll start posting more soon...maybe...

:: Good ol Chicago ::

The man's bringin' me down...

2006-07-19T23:22:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've given up on me at this point. I'm in my "bad blogger" cycle again. I wonder if it's like the female cycle. I wonder if we all hang around each other enough if we get on the same cycle??

Anyway - I did start at a new company. This time I'm getting paid a base salary that equals what I was making in base AND commission at the last place. I'm at a big company again with an international presense and will be able to get more hires -- so it's all good, homies. BUT, I've been working an average of 12 hour days. I don't care, though - what else do I have to do but ignore grocery shopping, cleaning and watching "Roseanne" reruns??

I'm still downtown too, which is cool. The co-workers are nice/fun/funny and my boss isn't just out for himself, which is always nice. I suspect he's "family." He actually delivered my offer packet to my apartment--I met him outside--- and I saw a guy sitting in his passenger side. I know he doesn't have kids and there's no pictures of a girl on his desk (only a cat). I think the cat picture is what tipped me off. Well, also that he's really nice.

One funny thing has happened so far. A sales lady had my cube before I went there and left a bunch of junk in the drawers. Apparently some sales guy who left the company had the cube before she did. As I was rummaging through it on my third day there (I'm now in my second week), I found a one-hitter...the kind that looks like a cigarette. I marched right over to her office (she's a TX native, kinda kooky...funny) and said, "Care to explain this...??" And I slammed it on her desk. She was mortified and blamed the guy who had the cube before she did. It was kinda funny....

Anyway - the other recruiters are all pretty cool and have funny personalities, as do the sales people.

In the words sung by Annie after she arrived at Daddy Warbucks' estate, "I think I'm gonna like it here..."

What have I gotten myself in to???

2006-07-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

Sorry if you've been tirelessly wondering what happened w/ my job! My year anniversary was approaching and I asked to either get a raise in my base salary, or get my original commission structure back (the boss cut it twice for the company overhead). He said I'd just have to get more hires if I wanted more money, so I said I'd just have to start looking and he suggested that I start right away (in other words, he's cheap and was mad that I would quit because of it). So - there ya go!! I've got three offers on the table now and will make my final decision on Monday. The one I'm leaning toward is also downtown Minneapolis, so at least I still won't have a commute and can walk to work!

I'm planning my ten-year high school reunion...pretty much alone. Finding addresses is a big undertaking! I don't remember it being so much work for our five-year reunion. It's kind of fun, though, to see where everyone has wound up living. There are 100 of us in my class - almost all still live in Minnesota. I read somewhere that 80% of the world's population lives within 50 miles of where they were born....this has held true in my class's case!! A majority of my classmates still live within 20 miles of our hometown...nothing wrong with that, but glad I don't!! Okay, I'm only 90 miles away, but still away nonetheless!

So - that's all that's new in my little corner of the world. I'd also like to add, "God bless Air Conditioning...."

Oh - and Happy (belated) 230th Birthday to America!!!

Pride and Stuff

2006-06-25T13:58:00.000-05:00

Happy PRIDE, y'all!

I guess I just look at it as a reason to celebrate summer, my friends and the fact that we're not ashamed to be gay...anymore.

Yesterday I went to the festival at Loring Park with friend Scott. Then we met Jeff in Uptown and proceeded to the Retro Bar at the Gay '90s, where hometown friends Jill and Melinda were.

Today is more of the same...

Oh, and I quit my job. Have interviews going on. None tomorrow, thank god!

Mama, I'm Coming Home

2006-06-17T13:56:00.000-05:00

I'm leaving for my hometown, the great metropolis of Dodge Center, Minn., in a little while to attend a "dear old" friend's 30th birthday. I use the term "old" sparingly, of course, being that I'm quickly nearing the end of the tunnel that is my 20s as well.

Whilst visiting my old stomping grounds, I will attend the theatre and visit several world-renowned museums of art. Wait...oh yeah, I'll be drinking beer on her deck with several people I've known since the '80s, eat a hamburger and potato salad, then head to Main Street's only bar, Harold's Club, where I'll see many others whom I've known since the greatie '80s!

I like going home - it's fun to be around people who have known me forever and don't have any expectations other than a few beers, a few cigarettes, a dance or two and several laughs. And my being the token gay guy, of course...

Good ol' Dodge Center!

Main Street, Dodge Center, Minn.
Population: 2300

Somebody Stop Me...seriously...

2006-06-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I went and shot off my big mouth again. Now I'm sure Danny and I won't talk again for a while.

You see, Danny is dating this big loser...let's call him....Loser, shall we? Three out of the five times I've been around this joker, I ended up going off on him. They started dating about three months ago - actually, the same weekend I met Boy From New York City (that has since fizzled out...surprise, surprise). Incidentally, Loser had just moved back to Mpls from NYC too. He's in his late 30s and kind of looks like that weird little thing from "Lord of the Rings." Apparently, he's some sort of designer and worked for some show rooms in NYC (and did Madonna's pillows -- yeah right) before moving back to Mpls for "spritual reasons." Seriously, it's Minneapolis, not New Mexico, genius. Catching on?? He's a lying loser.

Loser's roommates kicked him out and he moved in with Danny - this is about 3 weeks after they met (what are they, lesbians??). Even with all of his "fabulous" NYC design experience, Loser can't find a regular job in Mpls and has yet to give Danny money for anything, yet he goes out drinking every night. He brags about his Hugo Boss suit, knock off Prada shoes, these ugly pieces of crystal fruit that were supposedly "so expensive," yet he doesn't have money for rent or a car. I distrusted him from the start. Others agree. Except Danny (he's starting to get it through his head thank god).

So last night, my friend Michelle and I went to see Martin Zellar (formerly of a MN band called The Gear Daddies) at a free show he was doing downtown. We met Danny and Loser at Mpls's gay "stand & model" bar, The Saloon. Then we proceeded to The 19 Bar. Loser's friend Rose was pissed that we wouldn't let her drive there (drunk), so she took off once Danny got out of the driver's seat. Danny and Loser were arguing whether or not Rose should/could have left. I said, "Well, it's done now, so let's just go in..."

Loser: Excuse me, was I talking to you??
Kiddo: Umm...it's not about you.
Loser: It's none of your business. Is this your relationship? Why are you even talking?? From what I've heard, you're a fuck-up at relationships anyway, so just stay out of me and Danny's business...
Kiddo: Oh?? Hmmmm....#*$&#(*&UTROEUR(*%(*&#@(*&$#(*#@&)%(*)@(*%#)%$)@(*)(^T$$ *&!!!!

I like to think that I simply replied with things that were very true...and frankly, needed to be said.

The words trash, loser, liar, parasite, trash, idiot, fucker were used several times.

Pretty sure Danny and I won't be talking for a while, although I apologized to him before I threw my cigarette at Loser and walked away...to another group of friends in the bar.

It's rather discomforting because I really do like to avoid all the gay drama...but this was just a timebomb waiting to go off. And it really did.

Sybil's Music Collection

2006-06-14T15:22:00.000-05:00

Many days at work are spent with iTunes Radio for background music. I usually listen to a station called Eye 97, Top Hits of the '70s, '80s, '90s and Today. Otherwise, the Atlantic Sound Factory, 40 Years of great music from the US and UK is always a good choice too.

Anyway, I started to document the songs that I need to download when I **finally** get an iPod or MP3 (apparently, spending as much at the bar every two weeks is more important). These are songs that I would never think to add if just conceiving a list from scratch...Reviewing the list today, I had to laugh at the randomness of it. Some might say weird or freakish...I prefer eclectic.

SONGS

Novaspace – Time After Time
Britney Spears – Everytime
Enrique Iglesias – Escape
1, 2 Step – Ciara
Days Go By – Dirty Vegas
Milkshake – Kelis
Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here (dance) – Deborah Cox
Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
Better Off Alone – DJ Jurgen
Get Together – Madonna
Thank You – Dido
Let Me Take You Away – Jen Cuneta
Trouble – Pink
All These Things That I’ve Done – Killers
Always and Forever – Chocolate Puma

Old School
Robbie Dupree – Steal Away
K. Rogers / D. Parton – Islands in the Stream
D. Warwick – Heartbreaker
ELO – Livin’ Thing
D. Parton – Here I go Again
B. Mandrell – Sleepin’ Single in a Double Bed
J. Cash/J. Carter – Jackson
The Pretenders – Brass in Pocket
Tracy Ullman – Breakaway
The Clash – London Calling
Bee Gees – Tragedy
ELO – Hold on Tight
Cyndi Lauper – All Through the Night
Journey – Faithfully
When in Rome - The Promise
Howard Jones – No One is to Blame
Blondie – Sunday Girl
REM - Radio Free Europe
The Moody Blues – Your Wildest Dreams
10,000 Maniacs – Few and Far Between
Stevie Nicks – Leather and Lace
Bellamy Brothers – Let Your Love Flow
George Harrison – My Sweet Lord
Chicago – If You Leave Me NowAlan Parsons Project – Eye In The Sky

Nice. Pretty sure my brother's ears would be bleeding five minutes into this list. And that ain't even a drop in the bucket compared to the collection I used to have on Kazaa. Weirdest group of 400+ songs ever.

F'ing losers...

2006-06-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

I just read that a shitload of money was misappropriated by FEMA to Hurricane Katrina evacuees. I suppose FEMA should have had a better process for providing the people with money, but c'mon...you know the media would have just blasted them for "taking too much time" to provide for these people -- who apparently don't have one single, goddamn person in their lives who they could've gone to stay with....that's weird to me.

What's more weird is what these fucking losers spent our tax dollars on - prepare to get angry. Very angry (from Associated Press):

The investigative agency (GAO) said it found people lodged in hotels often were paid twice, since FEMA gave them individual rental assistance and paid hotels directly.
FEMA paid California hotels $8,000 to house one individual — the same person who received three rental assistance payments for both disasters.
FEMA paid an individual $2,358 in rental assistance, while at the same time paying about $8,000 for the same person to stay 70 nights at more than $100 per night in a Hawaii hotel.

Items purchased with the debit cards:

an all-inclusive, one-week Caribbean vacation in the Punta Cana resort in the Dominican Republic.
five season tickets to New Orleans Saints professional football games.
adult erotica products in Houston and "Girls Gone Wild" videos in Santa Monica, Calif.
Dom Perignon champagne and other alcoholic beverages in San Antonio.
a divorce lawyer's services in Houston.

Nice, huh?? Maybe the next time Minneapolis has a blizzard, heat wave, flood or tornado, the government will give me money for a Hawaiian vacation, where I can attend a football game, drink champagne, order porn and hire an attorney -- all on YOUR dime!! God knows I could use a vacation since I probably don't even have a job in the first place...

Sound like a plan?

The good news is that a lot of these jerks have been identified and hopefully prosecuted.

What a bunch of fucking losers...

Good lord...

2006-06-10T05:33:00.000-05:00

As Jim Morrison once sang, "People are strange...when you're a stranger...."

So, I meet this dude online tonight. Pathetic? Maybe. Realistic for the gays? Definitely.

Anyway -- I meet this dude online tonight and we're chatting. He's good looking...about my age and also in Minneapolis. Then he wants me to come over. Well, let's be honest. He wants me to come over to....well, you can imagine. I told him I didn't think that would happen. Then here's what happened:

OtherGuy: are you a niggie?
kiddo78: a what??
OtherGuy: a niggie
kiddo78: what's that?!
OtherGuy: i'll give u one guess
kiddo78: ummm.....black??
OtherGuy: ding ding ding
kiddo78: do I look black??
kiddo78: and why would you ask that anyway??
OtherGuy: jesus, you stupid ass
OtherGuy: i'm not asking you
kiddo78: i'm not stupid
OtherGuy: you play one on tv
kiddo78: you said, "are you a niggie?" --- that's asking a question, isn't it??
OtherGuy: that might be a question
kiddo78: i think you have problems
OtherGuy: just cuz i'm a racist......that's a problem?
kiddo78: racist?!?!
kiddo78: you're kidding, right??
OtherGuy: i don't like the darkies
kiddo78: are you drunk??
OtherGuy: No

I guess when looking at his pictures (he is cute), the Appalachian Mountains and bottle of beer in both hands should have been a red flag....so yeah, ONLY me, folks.....only me. I sure can pick 'em!!!

GAWD!!!

Do I have "Freak Magnet" written on my forehead????

Blah, Blah...Boring Sheep

2006-06-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I've been on a blogging hiatus again. Mostly because nothing is new. Nothing exciting going on. Just everyday life type stuff.

Memorial Weekend was good. I got drunk with some friends Friday night. I don't remember what I did or where I was, so nothing exciting! Drove to my Mom's in Lake City the next day, where two sisters, a brother, 2 bro-in-laws, 2 nieces and my Mom were to be. A day of boating was planned on Lake Pepin. I actually got there on time. Pretty sure they all nearly had a heart attack over that one.

We got everything to the boat landing and the sun went away. The water became very choppy. We decided to brave it anyway. My sister's family-sized boat nearly sank as the waves were flooding on to my niece and me at the front of the boat (is that the bough or the stern??). One sister screamed, "It's Poseidon!!" And I yelled, "We're capsizing!!!" With that it started to rain and we turned around and went back to my Mom's. I had several brandy slushes and we celebrated my niece's 7th birthday and my grandmother's 88th birthday -- Happy Birthday, Grandma!!

On Sunday the weather was very nice, so we had a successful boat trip this time. I came back to Minneapolis and met a couple friends at The Bolt for beer bust and showtunes. I love not having to work on Monday!

Actual Memorial Day was spent in my air conditioning on the couch, as it was very hot.

Work is boring and I'm in a slow slump/bad luck streak since FEBRUARY!!

This weekend is busy.

Tonight I MIGHT drive up to a MN city called St. Cloud. It's about an hour north of Minneapolis. Friend Jeff will be here. He's FINALLY coming back to our Minneapolis from his North Dakota hometown. He did a temporary move back there in January to be closer to his father, who was dying of cancer. Sadly, his dad did pass away in late April. He's driving back to Minneapolis as I type. He's stopping to spend the night with an old friend of his in St. Cloud and I'm thinking about going up there too...

My niece graduates from Mayo High School in Rochester tomorrow, so I'll go there in the afternoon for her party. She has Down's Syndrome, so we're happy for her! She wants the newest Playstation 2 game, Dragonball Z: Budokai Tagenchi, from her Uncle Kiddo...That should be fun asking the clerk to find. I'll just write on a piece of paper and throw on the counter and say, "I need that. Now. Thanks."

After the graduation, I'll drive back to Minneapolis and attend the soiree of dear old sorority sister Amanda and her husband. They bought a house in a northern suburb called Blaine. I don't get to the northern suburbs...ever...so, I'm a little excited! Kidding. Anyway - it should be fun to see their friends again, many of whom I also went to college, but didn't know very well.

THEN - I think Jeff will be back in Minneapolis, so I'm sure he'll want to hit the queer bars after being in North Dakota for 4 months.

HOPE Y'all have a splendid weekend (and apparently now I'm from Texas)!

Jeff (in the cowboy hat) and me are in the center of this picture, taken a year ago at Minneapolis Pride...

The Skull Cracking is Over

2006-05-30T14:26:00.000-05:00

Study halls across the land are mourning the death of actor Paul Gleason, who played mean principal Richard Vernon in 1985's classic The Breakfast Club. He was 67 and died of mesothelioma, the type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

Neither Barry Manilow nor John Bender were available for comment.

Not too shabby for 60

2006-05-19T17:55:00.000-05:00

I don't think I would be a proper gay man unless I wished CHER a Happy 60TH Birthday on May 20!!

That woman just doesn't quit. I saw her in Milwaukee a few years ago and it was a blast. The show is a retrospective of her career - I liked it a lot.

Gay men love Cher. I think it's the costumes and wigs, mixed with sassiness. Plus the sense of kinship you get from one outcast/freak to another, maybe. Anyway, most gay men love, or at least like, Cher (those who say they don't are lying just a little). One summer day, two gay friends and I were driving along a city street when Dark Lady came on the CD. We were stopped at a stoplight with all the windows down, sunroof open, etc., song blaring. Another car pulled up alongside us to stop at the light and the three of us gay guys clapped in unison at the clapping part of the song. The people in the other car all just slowly turned their heads to look at us like, "what...the...hell...??" Anyway, it was a good gay, Cher moment...

I hope I have half her energy and youth when I'm 60, not to mention money...Although I doubt I'll even make it to 60 with the way I smoke & drink, but you never know.

Anyway, Happy Birthday, Cher!! You old fag hag, you!!

So long, farewell to Count Drunkula, Jack 2000, Wilma and Gracie

2006-05-18T16:56:00.000-05:00

After eight seasons, tonight marks the end of Will & Grace. It's kind of sad, really -- the end of an era, of sorts.

Will & Grace was in the NBC Fall lineup of 1998. I was a junior in college and only out to a few people at the time. It really was a big deal for there to be a TV show featuring two main characters who were gay -- and out of the closet...wasn't it?? I don't remember it being a *huge* deal, but people certainly were remarking about it.

Sounds kind of simple and stupid, I guess, but I think the show really did help with the acceptance level from mainstream society, and therefore, helped the younger gays realize they weren't freaks and that they could find acceptance. I know it opened my eyes a little wider...

It seems that by 2000, maybe before, most girls either wished for or "bragged" about having their own Will. God knows I had a few girlfriends calling me their own, personal Will. It's kind of funny looking back on it.

A lot of the "radical" gay critics denounce the show for the obvious stereotypes, etc., but also for the gay characters being rather sexless. Sure, they talk about guys and relationships, but nothing intimate is ever shown, they say. Well, I say, who cares...I personally don't want to see Jack taking care of business with his trick of the day anyway!

So, anyway - here's to Will & Grace. A landmark and very funny show. I'm going to miss Karen the most, I think.

Favorite Karen moment that comes to mind: When Grace tries to throw a dinner party and makes it Japanese'ish because she doesn't have a table and chairs. Karen walks right over the dishes & tablecloth in her search for the liquor. Love her!!

Line that my friends and I use that should have been uttered by Jack: I met a guy last night and went home with him. Guess I won't be seeing him again, though, because when we woke up this morning he didn't ask for my number...or my name. Just threw a Pop-Tart and a bus token at me and I was out the door. Typical.

Reunion in Jamaica

2006-05-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

This is me at the swim up bar in Jamaica with that girl I had gone to elementary school with. I still can't believe we saw each other - and realized who we were (without recognizing faces).
Yep, this was after our second full day on the beach and at the pool bar. I'm just a little red. That usually happens to me - it was a good tan by that evening.
T., if you happen across this and don't want your picture on - email me.

Happy 128th Birthday!

2006-05-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I really believe this, but apparently, this lady, Cruz Hernandez, turned 128 yesterday. Yes, one hundred twenty-eight years old! She lives in El Salvador.

That means she is 100 years older than I am. She was born in 1878. Her childhood was the 1880s. She would have graduated high school in 1896. Could this be for real??

Apparently she doesn't talk anymore and spends her days sleeping. Can't say that I blame her.

I wonder what I'll be doing in 2106? I bet a lot of napping. And mumbling.

At any rate, Happy Birthday, Cruz!! And many more...

ARTICLE

I'm Goth now

2006-04-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

How appropriate that Spring has come to Minneapolis and I change my profile picture to that of one Azrael'ish goth punk. Let's just say that it expresses my thoughts on coming back to reality from Jamaica. With peeling skin. I seriously didn't know your calves could peel from sunburn. Well, they can.

I'm baaack....

2006-04-25T17:25:00.000-05:00

Got back from Jamaica in one piece. It was a good time. Pretty much just cocktails at the beach and poolside bar the whole time - suprise, surprise. Oh, and the wedding was very nice too!

If planning a trip to Jamaica, I would not recommend you stay at Sandals Ocho Rios resort. It was still nice & all and I liked the bungalow style rooms, but there just seemed to be something missing...a few of the staff seemed "put off" by the guests a lot, there weren't many boating options offered (they only do a booze cruise twice per week), we had to wait for dinner service much of the time, the beach wasn't that great, etc., etc. It was still nice, but just seemed like we should have gotten more for the money we spent. I have heard that Sandals' resort in Montego Bay is really nice, however.

HIGHLIGHTS:
* My friend Mike and I flew there & back together. We saw Hulk Hogan and his family at the Miami Airport. Mike even got a picture taken with him. I'll post when I get it. Hulkster is really nice.

* 15+ hours door-to-door to get there and about 14 coming back --- NIGHTMARE

* At the poolside bar one day, it was discovered that I went to elementary school with someone else sitting at the bar back in tiny Dodge Center, MN!! She was a grade below me and moved away after 4th grade in the late '80s, but we remembered each other....it was really quite strange. I know some people hate this term, but I think it's appropriate to use: Small world!!

* I got sunburned on my shins of all places!! My legs have never burned before, so I didn't really bother with sunscreen on them. NOte to self: put sunscreen on all body surfaces when that close to the Equator!

As usual, pictures to follow in about six months when I get them developed.....

The daughter was with him too...I forget her name. Have never seen that show yet...

Jamaican Me Crazy

2006-04-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

Wow - the blog world is dead lately. Are we losing our will to blog??

Maybe my vacation will inspire, for I'm flying to JAMAICA tomorrow morning! Am going for college chums', Jess & Paul's, wedding. Paul and I were roommates and had a big party for Winona State's annual *and now defunct* SpringFest '98, where I introduced the happy couple.

Good friend Mike and I will be flying and sharing a room there together. I guess we're going to a Sandals resort called Ocho Rios. I'm excited, but don't really know what to expect since the whole place is geared toward couples' activities. Hey, with the all-inclusive rate (free booze), I'm sure I'll manage to have a good time!

While you suckahs are toiling away at work, etc., I'll be thinking of you while enjoying a nice pina colada on a sandy white beach.

Now let's just hope I can get to the airport by 4:30 in the morning tomorrow! Yikes!!

PS // The Boy from New York City and I are still doing well! I found out he's 46. Not sure how my family will react to that if the time ever comes to introduce him, but it doesn't bother me...

Devil in Orange

2006-04-12T12:14:00.000-05:00

This stupid f'er has been on mind lately, what with his trial and all. The expletives he yells in the courtroom, like "God curse you all" make me sick. Then again he's just digging himself deeper.

I don't understand their magnitude of hatred and evilness. I guess we aren't meant to...

Hearing those poor peoples' phone calls to 911 while trapped in the towers that day is so sad and disturbing. I guess I stupidly never really realized that it was unbearably hot in there, hence some victims' decision to jump out rather than suffer the heat a moment longer.

I hope bringing Zacarias Moussaoui to justice for his part in 9/11 will bring some comfort to the surviving families and friends of the victims. Although, some say executing him is what he is hoping for in order to achieve glory for the "cause" and martyrdom. I think it would be more shameful to him to spend the rest of his life confined by "infidel" Americans, don't you?

Hard to believe it's been nearly five years since that day.

Meg be here

2006-04-07T15:38:00.000-05:00

Meg is here from NYC this weekend. Should be a fun time.

She flew in to Minneapolis this morning and thankfully another college friend of hers was able to pick her up and hang out until I'm done with work. We'll probably grab some din-din downtown and maybe go to happy hour somewhere.

Tonight, we shall see the illustrious '80s cover band, "Hair Ball," at some dump in a dump of a suburb called Hopkins. I saw them in Winona once and they really are pretty good/fun. They do all '80s hair band music and dress up like the groups they are covering, like Motley Crue, GNR, etc. Too bad ZeppGoddess isn't here. Another time!

Angelo and Bobby are apparently going tonight too, but I don't think they're really fans of the bar scene, so we'll see if that happens or if they make it very long. God only knows where the night will take us.

Tomorrow night, Meg and I are bringing Angelo and Bobby to see the drag show at the Gay '90s. They've never gone yet! I think they'll be surprised by Minneapolis drag queens (since they're from NY). I hope they have fun. God, please let Roxie Marquee do some good Madonna...and I hope someone does Shirley Bassey. If so, Bobby will certainly pass out in shear bliss.

Meg wants to go to Beer Bust/Showtunes on Sunday afternoon/evening. I guess this is her uber-gay weekend! I'm thinking Meg is trying to avoid the straight MN boys. Either that or she is a bit transfixed with the gay MN boys. Who knows. I'm just glad she doesn't want to see the shower contest at The Saloon.

BACKSTORY: I've known Meg since I was a senior in college. She was a wee lil' Freshman. She was the front desk girl at the campus office we worked at and was quite the freshman in every sense of the word. We had to send her home once due to her attire -- or lack thereof. I also like to tease her about asking the other employees and me (we were all seniors and 21-22 yrs old) if we've ever been to the bars in Winona. Anyway, we kept in touch while she was still in college and now, a native or rural Wisconsin, she's a career girl braving the Big Apple - she's an associate editor for a major publishing house. And to think I knew her when she was 18 and boy crazy...she videotaped my ass at a party once, so that tells you how boy crazy she was. God help her if that tape is still in existence somewhere.

Anyway, it's not quite 4:00 and I'm already fidgety for happy hour. Clock, hurry up!! I need to relive some college glory!!

This is Meg and me (with a guy named Clay) at a party in college - she and Clay got well-acquainted that night, I believe! Shame, shame...

ALSO - need to give a shout-out to the girls from my hometown of Dodge Center, some of whom recently discovered my blog, I believe!!

But ya ahh, Blanche, ya ahh....

2006-04-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

Bette Davis - April 5, 1908 - October 16, 1989

Happy Birthday to my favorite bitch, Bette Davis!!

If you haven't already, you must see her in Jezebel, All About Eve, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte - to name a few.

Go on - git!!

...Talk about the boy from New York City...

2006-04-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

Well, the guy I met last Sunday and I spent the week and weekend together. He is a laid-off flight attendant for Northwest Airlines (not the flamboyant kind) who moved here from Brooklyn last summer. Then NWA laid him off -- how typical of them.

Anyway, let's call him Angelo, shall we (since he's from Brooklyn and 100% Italian)??

He has a 4-bdrm house in a suburb called Eagan. I spent every night there for the past week. His best friend, Bobby, moved here from Brooklyn too. They are a riot. Everyone they talk in front of is like, "Are you from New York?? Why did you move here??!" Yep, they've got the Brooklyn accents. Bobby even refers to the Mall of America as the "Maul of Americas!" They wanted to live in the suburbs after spending their whole lives in Brooklyn. They love it. Angelo is still amazed when he wakes up to birds chirping, ducks quacking and geese flying overhead (he lives by a pond) instead of horns honking, Spanish music, shouting, etc., like he was used to in Brooklyn. He jumped in fright the other day when he saw a rabbit out of the corner of his eye. He thought it was a rat.

Anyway, he's good looking, well-built, works out, funny, nice, smart, affectionate and we get along very well. So far, so good anyway...

I have a suspicion that he's a little older than his Internet profile says, although we've never come right out and talked about it. His birthday is tomorrow, so I think that would be an appropriate time to tactfully say, "so, how old are you anyway?" He's in his 40s...which doesn't really bother me. I mean, I was kinda thinking I'd like to date someone in their 30s, but I've been in Minneapolis more than a year now and he's the first one I've met where there's a mutual connection, so that's the way it is, I guess. He looks, acts and dresses like he's in his 30s, and I like him, so that's what really matters, right?

Had a pretty quiet weekend, really. Went to his house Friday after work and the gym and got to meet the TWO cats he adopted that day - orange tabbies that are brothers. We named them Byron and Boris. We spent the evening having a few Captain Cokes and listening to his gigantic CD collection with favorites by Nancy Sinatra, Petula Clark, Helen Reddy, The Carpenters, Mamas & Papas, '70s One Hitters, etc. It was fun. On Saturday we met Danny at the Uptown Bar & Cafe and had a few beers for happy hour, then just went home and crashed. Lazy day yesterday. A relaxing weekend. The one sad part is that Boris ran away - either that or he found one hell of a good hiding spot. Poor thing.

So...that's about all that's up with me. It's moving pretty quickly. I'm already doing laundry at his house tonight...

You can just call us Mary and Rhoda, as I'm the native small town Minnesotan and he's the native Brooklynite - both living in Minneapolis. It's pretty coincidental since I'm a huge MTM Show fan. I think it's funny, anyway!!

We'll see...

sickening, i know...

A celebratory weekend - more than others even...

2006-03-27T13:57:00.000-06:00

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!

2006-03-22T10:36:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-17T16:50:00.000-06:00

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.

2006-03-16T09:49:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-14T18:57:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-14T13:28:00.000-06:00

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.

2006-03-10T10:54:00.000-06:00

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

2006-03-07T15:58:00.000-06:00

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...

2006-03-06T13:47:00.000-06:00

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!"

2006-03-02T17:52:00.000-06:00

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'!

Happy Birthday, Dame Elizabeth

2006-02-28T10:26:00.000-06:00

Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Feb. 27, 1932

I think it's pretty clear that I'm a little borderline obsessed with this lady. I guess that's probably my gayest quality. Anyway, Elizabeth Taylor turned 74 yesterday. She was born in London in 1932, but she and her parents, who were Americans, came back to the U.S. at the outbreak of World War II. They went to Los Angeles, where a family friend noticed Elizabeth's striking beauty and suggested they take her in for a screen test. The rest is history and here it is from IMDB:

Her test impressed executives at Universal Picturs enough to sign her to a contract. Her first foray onto the screen was in There's One Born Every Minute (1942), released when she was ten. Universal dropped her contract after that one film, but Elizabeth was soon picked up by MGM. The first production she made with that studio was Lassie Come Home (1943), and on the strength of that one film, MGM signed her for a full year. She had minuscule parts in her next two films, The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) and Jane Eyre (1944) (the former made while she was on loan to 20th Century-Fox). Then came the picture that made Elizabeth a star: MGM's National Velvet (1944). She played Velvet Brown opposite Mickey Rooney. The film was a smash hit, grossing over $4 million. Elizabeth now had a long-term contract with MGM and was its top child star. She made no films in 1945, but returned in 1946 in Courage of Lassie (1946). In 1947, when she was 15, she starred in Life with Father (1947) with such heavyweights as William Powell, Irene Dunne and Zasu Pitts. Throughout the rest of the 1940s and into the early 1950s Elizabeth appeared in film after film with mostly good results. Her busiest year was 1954, with roles in Rhapsody (1954), Beau Brummell (1954/I), The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) and Elephant Walk (1954). She was 22 now, and even at that young age was considered one of the world's great beauties. In 1955 she appeared in the hit Giant (1956) with James Dean. Sadly, Dean never saw the release of the film, as he died in a car accident in 1955. The next year saw Elizabeth star in Raintree County (1957), an overblown epic made, partially, in Kentucky. Critics called it dry as dust. Despite the film's shortcomings, Elizabeth was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Southern belle Susanna Drake. However, on Oscar night the honor went to Joanne Woodward for The Three Faces of Eve (1957). In 1958 Elizabeth starred as Maggie Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). The film received rave reviews from the critics and Elizabeth was nominated again for an Academy Award for best actress, but this time she lost to Susan Hayward in I Want to Live! (1958). She was still a hot commodity in the film world, though. In 1959 she appeared in another mega-hit and received yet another Oscar nomination for Suddenly, Last Summer (1959). Once again, however, she lost out, this time to Simone Signoret for Room at the Top (1959). Her Oscar drought ended in 1960 when she brought home the coveted statue for her flawless performance in BUtterfield 8 (1960) as Gloria Wandrous, a call girl who is involved with a married man and later dies in an auto accident. Some critics blasted the movie but they couldn't ignore her performance. There were no more films for Elizabeth for three years. She left MGM after her contract ran out, but would do projects for the studio later down the road. In 1963 she starred in Cleopatra (1963), which was one of the most expensive productions up to that time--as was her salary, a whopping $1,000,000. This was the film where she met her future and fifth husband, Richard Burton (the previous four were Conrad Hilton, Michael Wilding, Michael Todd--who died in a plane crash--and Eddie Fisher). Her next handful of films were lackluster at best, especially 1963's The V.I.P.s (1963), which was shredded by most critics. Elizabeth was to return to fine form, however, with the role of Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Her performance as the loudmouthed, shrewish, unkempt Martha was easily her finest to date. For this she would win her second Oscar and one that was more than well-deserved, but her films afterward didn't approach the intensity of that one. Since then she has appeared in several movies, both theatrical and made-for-television, and a number of TV programs. In February 1997 Elizabeth entered the hospital for the removal of a brain tumor. The operation was successful. As for her private life, she divorced Burton in 1974, only to remarry him in 1975 and divorce him, permanently, in 1976. She has had two husbands since, Senator John Warner and Larry Fortensky.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Your mutha slept with men...for money...

2006-02-24T17:18:00.000-06:00

Absolutely nothing is new. Not one damn thing.

I met a cool guy at The 19 Bar a couple Fridays ago and purposely didn't mention him on here for fear of jinxing it. We got along really well from the get-go (I demanded he light my cigarette) and both of us just kind of "dug" each other.

I need to quit sleeping with guys I like right after the bat. Well, we basically just fooled around. In fact, we went back to his apartment and sat around for a while. Then I went to use the baffroom and when I got out he was standing there kinda smiling. He pushed me (not violently...really...) into his room...you can imagine the rest.

He's 32 and grew up in my college town, Winona, which is only about 30,000 people. So we even had that in common - knowing all about Winona landmarks, etc.

On Saturday he and his roommate had to run errands for out-of-town visitors who'd be arriving soon, but he asked me twice if I would call him that Monday. I stupidly called him at 2 a.m. that night and left a quick voicemail just to say hi and ask if they had fun that night.

I called and left a voicemail that Monday (the night before Valentines Day) and haven't heard from him since.

Fucker.

I need to start hanging out a different bar. I'm thinking maybe one that's called BOOM. It's known for being the hangout for more "well-to-do" 30-something Minneapolis gays. Yeah...that's the ticket.

Danny and I went to see Brokeback Mountain last Saturday night. All I can say is that it's good, but depressing as hell...very sombre and gray throughout most of it. Danny and I exited the theatre and exclaimed, "I need a drink..." I proceeded to have about 8 thousand martinis. We went to a bar/restaurant called Azia and I met these two awesome girls. Yeah...apparently they were f'ing long lost best friends because I paid their $200 tab!!! God, I'm a reject...

Have a good weekend. I'm watching North & South Discs 2 & 3 from Netflix and sipping some Mint Juleps. I need me some good ol' Southern hospitality circa 1860!

I wonder what Ory Maine and Madeline will be up to this time!!

My favorite is Ory's little sister, Ashton, that bitch...

Back in Black Tuesday

2006-02-14T16:31:00.000-06:00

It's the most wonderful day of the year. My beloved Valentines Day!! Or as I like to call it (this year, anyway), Black Tuesday. The day when those of you who are in love celebrate! I'm happy for those of you are are (honestly), but I don't really get it. I don't think I've really ever been in love. Not the kind that's reciprocated, anyway. I was very fond of my ex-boyfriend of 2.5 years, but I don't think I really loved him in a "grown up" kinda way. If we got back together now, I think I could feel that and would definitely appreciate him much more. But oh well. We broke up in 2001 and he's been w/ "new" boyfriend since 2002, plus he lives more than 2 hours away, so the chances of that happening are slim-to-no chance in hell.

In honor of Valentines Day, a brief recap of my failed attempts at relationships since the ex and I broke up:

I played a lot for the months proceeding the breakup.

In early 2002, during Valentine's Day, actually, I was "seeing" this guy named Chad, whom I pretty much went Glenn Close over. I was totally infatuated with him and was picking out china patterns during every trip to Marshall Fields...and he was commenting on every cute young guy who walked by. He was a small town kinda guy with a butch job (landscaper/lawn sprayer). He is/was 7 years older than I and really cute. He reminded me of Scott Wolf from Party of Five and somewhat like a young Ed Harris. But, of course, I made the drastic mistake of letting it be known that I really liked him, so that didn't...really...work...out. Throughout that spring & summer, however, he did take every chance he could to accost me at parties and practically rip my clothes off in front of the other guests. All I can say is God bless the vodka and Mt. Dew mixtures that he was so fond of...

In the spring of 2002, I was "seeing" a younger guy. Very pretty. Very flirtatious. He actually made out with an acquaintance of mine while we were at the bar together. He also got a phone number from the biggest little man whore in town. In front of me. His excuse, "Well, we're not really together...just hanging out." He proceeded to sleep with both of them. But, he was pretty hot, so I kept my mouth shut. I randomly met three guys from all over the tri-state area who knew of this kid and had slept with him. Seriously. Didn't take long to get over that joker. I still see him out from time-to-time and we cordially talk.

Summer of 2002, I dated a Go-Go Boy who danced at Minneapolis' Gay '90s. He had just exited the Navy and was 20 (I was 24). He was always broke and I paid for everything. He took me out to eat and for drinks once. Later that evening he told me how he got the money. Yeah, some regular customer paid him and another Go-Go Boy to have sex while this customer watched and paid them each $2500. That was pretty much the end of that. Good pick, Kiddo...Real classy guy you found that time.

Late Fall of 2002/beginning of 2003, I had moved back to my college town of Winona and started to date a cute, funny guy from nearby La Crosse, Wis. He was a year older than I and we'd known of each other since college days, but never really met. We actually really liked each other and he pretty much moved in with me from Day 1. Then he lost his job and went kinda nuts. Couldn't find a job in Winona, so he moved back to La Crosse one day while I was at work. I'm still not really sure what happened there...The next guy he dated after me sure was ugly...and didn't charge any rent.

Spring/Summer of 2003, I met my friend Meg's cousin and we started to date. I was 25 and he was 21 and still in college - living about an hour away. Very cute, very nice guy. He came to Winona pretty much every weekend and he had roommates, so I never wanted to go visit him. This got a little old for him, so we pretty much just stopped seeing each other. I kinda screwed that one up.

Since then, I've gone on random dates with guys and hung out for a few weeks. I've developed new crushes, but nothing really lasted past a couple weeks. Some are now friends. Funny, I moved to Minneapolis in late 2004 to expand my dating pool and it seems to have shrunk. Oh well.

My real plans for tonight are:
1. Leave work
2. Visit Marshall Field's V-day displays. Kick a few over and tromp through them.
3. Do my cardio at the gym
4. Take skanky bus home with other jagoffs
5. Do about 235 loads of laundry
6. Eat a Lean Cuisine meal
7. Maybe do a little vaccuuming
8. Watch an episode or two of Mary Tyler Moore
9. Watch an episode or two of Sex and the City
10. I just decided to stop for a bottle of Captain before home

My fantasy plans:
1. Be picked up from work in a limo
2. Be greeted by my new hot boyfriend, Olymic Speed Skater Chad Hedrick
3. Dinner and cocktails at a nice restaurant (I'm not picky)
4. Private jet to Italy
5. A fun night in the hotel
6. Watch as he wins tons of gold medals and the camera always cuts to me in the crowd, cheering enthusiastically for my loyal new boyfriend who's infatuated with me

**Sigh** A boy can dream can't he?!?

Oh well. I'm usually pretty fine with being single. Gets a little old sometimes, though. Better luck next year!!

My Chad...god he's hot...thanks to ChipChat for letting me discover him

Take That, Breeders!!

2006-02-13T18:20:00.000-06:00

This was on OUT.Com and I couldn't help myself. Found it kinda funny - Seven Reasons Why We (Gays) Are Better Than You (Straights):

1) When we have kids it’s because we really want them.
Goodness knows we all hear about those silly “breeders” who practice unsafe sex and then get a “surprise” one day. Gay people don’t have it so easy. When we want to have children there’s always a third party (be it a test-tube, a surrogate, an adoption agency, etc.), adding to the already great challenge of deciding to become a mother or a father. We’re not saying it makes us better parents, but… OK, that’s what we’re saying.

2) We have better style.
If we didn’t, would there have been a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? We think not. And given that most celebrated male fashion designers bat for our team, we rest our case.

3) We set the trends.
How else can you explain us wearing $500 designer jeans years before they were popular? And where would metrosexuality be if we hadn’t been getting ourselves plucked and waxed for eons? These may not be good things, but still, we were there first.

4) We take better care of ourselves.
You know you walked into your 10-year high school reunion with more hair, fewer wrinkles, less fat, and better fashion than any other guy in your class. Be proud.

5) When it comes to partying, we do it up right.
Every straight gal pal of yours (and some of your hetero guy friends too) tells you they have more fun at a gay club than they do at a straight club. And naturally most of the hottest party planners are queer. It’s because we’re more fun. No really, we are.

6) We are devoted.
Be good to us, we’ll be good to you. No matter the generation, we stick with our divas (see Judy, Barbra, Bette, Madonna). And, hey, we’re brand loyal too!

7) Watch out for our wit.
Growing up as outsiders (to one degree or another) forces us to be verbally fast on our feet. So be nice, or a cutting remark will slice you down to size.

*****
I think #7 is especially true for me...yeah, that's one to be proud of...

I've been a bad boy...

2006-02-10T17:15:00.000-06:00

Good thing it's not Christmastime because Santa would certainly be putting little checks by name. I 'been bad lately!

It all started last weekend. I was actually pretty good on Friday, but then Danny and I went to an after-bar at some dude's condo. Danny said something that apparently angered me because I did my famous move. That's right, folks, I slapped him. Hard. Then some old Bear guy pushed me down for slapping Danny (NOTE: for you non-gays, a Bear is a term for an older, hairy gay dude) . I laughed. All was fine after that. I think I made out with the owner of the condo. He's at least 45...So, yeah...Good one.

Saturday, Danny and I left the condo at about noon and proceeded to a bar in Uptown called The C.C. Club. Danny and Jeff have been kicked out of there before. It's all vague to me, but we got kicked out. I think it was Danny's fault to be honest. He can get really loud when he's drunk. In response to being kicked out, I slammed my glass on the floor and smashed it good. We gathered our coats and stumbled out of there victoriously.

We went to a liquor store and picked up a case of beer. Proceeded to my apartment (that's in desperate need of a good scrubbing) and watched Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? for the 8 millionith time. E. Taylor has such good one-liners in that picture show. Apparently a little of Martha (E. Taylor) was implanted in my brain. More on that later.

Danny fell asleep on the couch and I began to watch Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with E. Taylor and a hot 1958 Paul Newman. I fell asleep in the chair. My friend from high school, Jamie, called and said she was downtown at a new Mexican restaurant/bar called MASA. I agreed to meet her. I was obliterated by this point, but managed to pull myself together enough to walk to the bus stop. This is at about 8:00. I sat there with Jamie and her friend as they drank Cosmos and I guzzled water and tried not to slide out of the bar stool.

SIDENOTE:
I started to tell them that a bartender down the street at the News Room Restaurant/Bar was in the movie Drop Dead Gorgeous and he was also the bartender at my favorite college bar in Winona, Bullseye. Everyone called him Otter then, but I don't know his real name. Anyway, If you know the movie Drop Dead Gorgeous, he's the bartender at the end who makes out with Loretta (Allison Janney) after he catches an olive in his mouth. He's really cute.

The News Room - Nicollet Ave - Minneapolis

So, we trot down the street to the News Room. Otter wasn't working, but oddly enough, happened to be there as a patron. We waved. He's still cute. I've talked to him once since college - he said he remembered me coming in to Bullseye a lot back then. Great -- bartenders remember me. I had had quite enough of water and decided to order a great big martini. Bad mistake. That's pretty much the last thing I remember about the evening.

The rest is all hear-say.

Apparently some guy sat next to Jamie, her friend and me at the bar and kept looking at us.
Kiddo: What're *you* lookin' at??
Guy: I dunno.
Kiddo: Well, who the hell are *you?*
Guy: I dunno.
Kiddo: Yeah?? Well, I do. You're a NOBODY!!!! Ya hear me? A NOBODY!!

Shortly thereafter, Jamie and friend were leaving and I said, "I'm staying right here. Now order me a drink!"

Jamie said I did agree to leave with them and I caught a cab. But did I take it home? Oh no. I felt the need to go to The 19 Bar by my house. Danny had since woken up and went there to find me. He was with my friend/neighbor, Mike.

Apparently I sat at the bar and yelled at anyone who walked by. The bartenders were like, "Kiddo...knock it off..." And I said, "Ahhhh....leave me alone ya bastards..." Danny went outside to smoke and some guy came up to him and said, "That friend of yours is really *angry*..."

I left on my own accord and walked home. I fell down three times. I remember laying in the snow and being terrified that I wouldn't be able to wake up and I'd freeze to death. Luckily I somehow managed to get to the apartment and fit the key in the door. It's a miracle.

WHAT A DUMBASS!!!! Ughh....no more drinking all day and mixing beer with martinis. Not good at all....

So then Tuesday I was running late and got to work 20 minutes late. Not good either.

Wednesday night I got a call from Danny at 2:30 a.m. slurring that he was at The 19 Bar and was coming over to drink beer and talk. I told him he woke me up and to take a cab. He said, "I hate you, you F#cker..." He proceeded to keep calling & calling. Then I awoke to my door buzzer incessantly ringing. I finally let him in and told him to crash on the couch - that I was going to bed and had to work in the morning. The first thing he did was to come in my room and think we were going to chat. I told him to get the hell out. After telling him that a few more times, he stumbled to the refridgerator, grabbed 5 beers and walked out the door. I got up, told him to get the hell back in the apartment and crash on the couch. This happened three times. The third time, I grabbed the beer from him, pushed him and said, "Fine - getting a f#cking DUI then, idiot..." slammed and locked the door. He kept knocking and knocking and yelling, "Kiiiiidoooo!" Hoping he hadn't woken any neighbors, I let him back in and *screamed* at him to stay the f#ck out of my room and crashing on the goddamn couch. A few minutes later, I heard him rustling through the fridge again and walk out the door. I waited a few minutes, then called him:
Kiddo: You just came over here b/c you knew I had beer, you f#cker. You didn't need a place to crash your drunk ass. Ya know what?? Lose my number and lose it for good. Also, have fun in jail because I'm...calling...the...f#ckiinggggg....COPS!!!!!!!"

I haven't talked to him since. I don't really care to.

Went to The 19 Bar last night with a new friend of mine, Greg, who's a Michigan native and 27. He's cute, but really would rather just be friends. The 19 Bar was kinda boring (I was thinking maybe they wouldn't let me in, but they did...), so we went to The Bolt. We went back to my house and talked for a long time. I even pulled out the ol' h.s. yearbooks....lord....then we made out.

I overslept for work today and my boss was mad. He made fun of me for it this afternoon, though.

I'm so going to hell. Or the Betty Ford Center. First, I'm meeting an old co-worker at a bar for happy hour.

As Dolly Parton sings, "Here you come again...."

Glimpses of college days

2006-02-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

They say the older you get, the more quickly time goes by. I have started to find that to be true.

As my college years become increasingly distant, I constantly find myself longing to experience that time in life again. A song will come on the radio. The smell of a certain food, cigarette, cologne, store - even air freshener, soap or shampoo - will suddenly take me back to a place in time somewhere between fall 1996 and spring 2000. And for a moment, I'm there again.

Granted, it wasn't that long ago, but life has changed tremendously since then. It's odd that I don't experience the same with high school years, nor for my first years out of college...all-together enjoyable years as well.

A song came on the radio this morning as I hustled about preparing for the day. I don't even remember which song it was. My thoughts suddenly raced back to May 1999...finishing my junior year...enjoying the warm weather outside a crumbling Victorian/college apartment house with a few friends; sitting on a ratty old couch someone's parents had given them; smoking Marlboro Lights; drinking cans of Miller Lite and listening to that pathetic "Yesterday's Hits and Today's Favorites" radio station in Winona.

At that moment, wearing a navy blue American Eagle T-shirt, khaki cargos and fisherman sandals, I remember thinking that we were lucky to be 21, in college and with friends on a beautiful Saturday afternoon...

I suppose someday I will long for it to be 2006 again. Maybe.

A typical Winona college house we would have partied at...

Here's some money for dropping out...

2006-02-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

This was from the AP this morning:

WASHINGTON - If President Bush gets his way, the venerable $255 Social Security death benefit will fade into history. And 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts will lose their monthly survivor payments.

Oh, CRY, you poor little dropouts.

Here's a solution. STAY IN SCHOOL, dipshits.

I can't believe they even get a SS check each month as a reward for dropping out.

DUH.

Oh, and as a former Mass Communication: Journalism student myself, an objective account would have read (somewhere in the beginning of the story, but certainly not first paragraph):

...President Bush's revised Social Security plan calls for elimination of a $255 death burial benefit that was established in 1939 and revised in 1952. Also eliminated will be monthly payments to 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts.

Stupid liberally-biased media. Make it sound like he's cutting huge death benefits. Journalism is, by nature, supposed to be fact-based with no hint of the reporter's own feelings on the subject...During college media studies courses, the only source I remember illustrating objectivity was the BBC...

Oh well. Never going to change.

What happened to e-Brechi?

2006-02-06T17:37:00.000-06:00

Since my blogging hiatus, I see that my fellow Log Cabin Republican, e-Brechi, has vanished. Or moved to Switzerland. Wha' happened?!

In case I mysteriously disappear...

2006-02-06T17:29:00.000-06:00

I'm being stalked by a helicopter pilot. Normally this sort of thing might be welcomed by me, but not when he's still in the helicopter and he repeatedly flies by my office window.

Did I somehow get on that list of people to spy on by the President?? I'm probably unknowingly recruiting a member of Al-Qaeda for one of my clients' open jobs...Great. Just great.

The least he could do is wave while he soars by. I'm taking the skyways to the gym this evening in an effort to avoid sniper shots.

Wish me luck.

I need a moment...

2006-02-01T18:17:00.000-06:00

Sorry, but I really need to vent or I'm going to choke someone.

Am working on this tough job requirement one of my clients has and finally find someone who has their resume online with all the skills. Of course it's someone came here to work from India, since apparently all those Americans with Computer Science degrees take jobs outside the field (seriously, if there's a really technical job opening, the only qualified candidates are foreign nationals...).

Anyway - I'm thrilled because I see this guy has worked in the Midwest (our neighbor Wisconsin, even!) and usually you find people who live in California or New Jersey for these tough jobs. So I call him up and guess what? He says Minneapolis is too cold, but Milwaukee isn't. Ummm....Milwaukee is just a few hours southeast of Minneapolis. I try to explain to him that Minneapolis is in the southern part of Minnesota and therefore our weather is really more like Chicago's - a few degrees difference, usually, but feels the same. I even tell him that I've lived in both cities and there really isn't a noticeable difference. He refuses to believe me. He keeps saying, "I work in Chicago or Milwaukee, but Minneapolis too cold..."

I finally said, "you're ignorant" and hung up.

GOD-AHHHH!!!

That is such a HUGE pet-peeve of mine!!

Tomorrow's forecast for Minneapolis is 39. Milwaukee is 41. I should email that to him just to prove my point.

I can't say it enough -- it's not winter here all year long! People are so ignorant.

GASP! Summer in Minnesota?!?!

My Gym Vacation is Over

2006-01-31T18:39:00.000-06:00

I'm finally cracking after 1.5 years of not going to the gym. Decided that I'm going back and am leaving to join one after I leave here in a few minutes.

It's the gym closest to the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, where the Timberwolves play. Maybe I'll get lucky and see Wally Szczerbiak, the hottest MN Timberwolf ever. Although he just got traded, so I better go there a lot to catch my first real life glimpse of him.

My ten-year reunion is this summer and I want to look decent for it. Well, I couldn't care less about that really...I just want to get some energy back mostly. Have felt so lazy and pathetic lately. Would be nice to go to the lakes/pool this summer and feel good about myself too.

Wish me luck! God, I hope this dump doesn't have communal showers...

(And what's with my talking about professional sports two posts in a row?!)

Hottie Wally Szczerbiak

Nothing new - still alive

2006-01-27T17:50:00.000-06:00

Nothing exciting has happened since Jan. 6. Not one.

I went to a MN Wild (hockey) game last week in St. Paul with college friend Amanda. Her hubby works for the Wild. I had never been. It was actually fun, but I rediscovered my paralyzing fear of heights. He sat us in the very top section (actually they are good seats) at the goal in the first row. The stairs down are as steep as a ladder. I was literally paralyzed with fear. We had to move down to a lower section. I fell in love with one of the players but I can't remember who he is now. He had 2 goals. I was his good luck charm. We beat the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time ever. Yay.

I hurt my foot at the bar 2.5 weeks ago. I kicked a bar stool (on accident). I think I bruised the bone. Somedays my co-worker calls me Gimpy b/c I'm still limping. Stupid bar stool in my way.

I signed up for Netflix. I have 31 selections in my queue (sp?) right now. All Elizabeth Taylor pictures. Kidding. Kind of.

There's a new guy who calls me a lot. The jury's still out, but I'm going to hang out with him, have cocktails and watch movies tomorrow night. He's 27.

I'm going to Jamaica in April for my college friends' wedding. I introduced them to each other in 1998.

I need a drink. Time for Boozie Hour, kids.

I can read, Mama, I can...

2006-01-06T01:37:00.000-06:00

Okay, you fuckers.

I'm still reading all of your blogs. I am.

I'm still in my blog funk. So, don't be...offended. I love all your comments and I can guarantee that I'll be back to my old self one day. Once work less resembles a "sitting at computer / mindless" all day hell.

I love your entries -- I read them.

My Sissies are gonna bitch...

2006-01-06T01:09:00.000-06:00

Alright.

My asshole dad died in 1997. Since then, my awesome Mother hasn't had even one date.

A Readers' Digest version of her:
Popular in h.s., a Queen....met the cute jock when she was a freshman in 1955. Got pregnant in 1958. Got married in 1958. Had first baby in 1958. Proceeded to have 6 kids with him. Divorced in 1976. Met my dad in 1976 (he saw her POW bracelet for Vietnam Vets and she was vastly unhappy -- he was a small town football coach afterall). Got pregnant and married again. Had my bro in '76, then me in '78. Got beat up for the next 19 years. He died of Agent Orange (from Vietnam) in 1997.

She hasn't dated since.

All she wants now is nice, good looking, older man (62-70), who knows how to Jitterbug and play bridge.

So, I created a Match.Com profile for her.

(Insert Brooklyn Accent)

Is that so wrong??

I want her to know that she's still very pretty and that classy men will still find her to be worthwhile. I tell her, "get out of that small town," but she's a small town kinda gal....

Whatever...I'll let you know what/whom develops....

Caddie Driver No More

2006-01-03T17:39:00.000-06:00

I *did* go and get a new car on Thursday night. I'm leasing a 2006 VW Jetta. It's black with black leather interior. Me likes!! I already put 500 miles on it this weekend. You see, I drove all over the place just to get both my Cadillac and the Jetta switched. Then high school friend Crystal, who now lives in Boulder, CO, came for a visit on Friday night and I wound up giving her a ride back to our hometown of Dodge Center on Saturday morning. Did some running the rest of the weekend and 500 miles later, here I am. Still have to drive to my Mom's, more than an hour away, to get the Cadillac back in her driveway.

Normally I hardly ever drive, so I'm not worried about going over the 39,000 miles in 39 months.

I got the automatic transmission, so didn't get the new car with $0 down, but only had to pay for the license plates, so it was still cheap.

Yay for getting a new car for the first time since 2000!!!

Here it is:

Move over '05 - Here Comes Something 2006'ier

2005-12-29T17:02:00.000-06:00

Happy 2006 to all my blog readers!!

I hope it's filled with fun, happiness and success for all of us...although sometimes the alternative can lead to some interesting entry material...

I don't do resolutions but am going to try to get in better shape. I do have my class reunion in '06, afterall...Speaking of, that's some classmates of mine when we were in high school. Wait - I guess I wasn't class of 1956...it was 1996. Oh well. It's a picture of some drunks at New Years, anyway.

Am going out with Danny and some of his wild, crazy friends for New Years Eve. Highly doubt I'll have anyone to kiss at Midnight...as usual!

I have tomorrow (Friday) and Monday off, so YAY!!

Oh, and I think I'm getting a new car this weekend. Going for the ultimate gay car, the VW Jetta. I like them and there's a big promotion going on!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas!

2005-12-23T16:28:00.000-06:00

Here's hoping you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!

I love old Christmas cards...

I'll be at my Mom's with much of my immediate family. Actually, only 5 of we 8 kids will be there this year. Well, of course the sisters will bring their husbands and kids too. My eldest brother has to work, my second eldest brother lives in San Fran and my eldest sister doesn't like Christmas...but, we'll have a nice day anyway. We don't really do anything Christmas Eve. It's just my Mom, brother and me -- everyone comes home Christmas Day.

Tonight, however, I'm hosting friends Scott and Roxann for dinner and drinkies. They moved here from California and aren't going home, so I thought they might want to get out of their apartment for at least a little Christmas fellowship!

I have this huge bag of egg noodles and some chicken breasts, so thought I could use those. I found a recipe that sounds easy and good to me. What do you think?

Ingredients:
7 1/2 cups (12 oz.) CREAMETTE Wide Egg Noodles, uncooked
OR 7-1/2 cups (12 oz.) CREAMETTE Extra Wide Egg Noodles, uncooked
2 cups (16 oz.) dairy sour cream
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
Salsa or picante sauce (optional)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
Sliced pitted ripe olives (optional)

Instructions:
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, stir together sour cream and taco seasoning over low heat until warm.
Serve sauce over hot noodles; top with salsa, Cheddar cheese and olives, if desired.
7 servings (1 cup each).
VARIATIONS: Stir in 2 cups chopped cooked chicken pieces or cooked ground beef.

We'll also have some treats, salad and wine. They are bringing a dessert. Later will be a little gift exchange, some Trivial Pursuit and Cap'n Cokes. A very festive gathering, indeed! At least someone other than myself will see my Christmas tree, candles and other decorations...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas in the 'Jects

2005-12-23T15:07:00.000-06:00

You better listen...

They're baaack....

2005-12-22T18:00:00.000-06:00

And I couldn't be more disgusted.

How in the good lord's name did these ugly ass coats become popular again? They're horrendous! Those of you in warm climates are lucky you don't have to see these every day! And it's not just a Midwest thing -- I saw them in New York too. Yick.

Worse is when they're pink or purple. An '80s horror.

Coach is for little people

2005-12-21T13:39:00.000-06:00

I got spoiled when I worked for Keane and traveled so much. My frequent flyer miles always allowed me to upgrade to first class. Well, when booking my travel to NYC recently, I was faced with a dilemna. Either fly Northwest and deal with a 2-hour layover in Detroit; pay the same and fly directly to JFK on Sun Country; or pay $200 more and fly directly on Northwest. I opted for the "pay less - direct to JFK" on Sun Country flight. That was a mistake.

Actually the flight there wasn't too bad. Probably because liquor was involved.

The flight home was HORRID. It was pure misery.

I requested an aisle seat and got a window. For the first time in coach history, all three seats were occupied, meaning there were two people (a 20-something couple) between me and the aisle. I don't usually need to use the facility while flying, so wasn't too concerned.

The flight attendant announced that there were still two first class seats available for $75. I thought about it and decided I would be able to handle the 2 hours in coach. After all, I was just reading a book and not all together uncomfortable.

We sat in line on the runway forever waiting to take off. The captain announced that we'd be sitting there another forty minutes. Suddenly my claustrophobia overwhelmed me and the chair in front of me felt as if it was crushing my poor long legs. I had to get out of that chair. I rang the service bell and attendant said she wouldn't be able to get me to first class until we were in the air. I felt as if it wouldn't be worth it at that point.

The feeling of wanting to crawl out of my skin and escape that confined place did not go away until we landed. Even reading didn't distract the panic of being trapped. I couldn't even get up to move to first-class, much less just stretch my legs, during the flight b/c the attendants had their carts out, then the people next to me were sleeping...To top it off, the dude of the couple was farting the whole time and it was putrid.

As Carol Burnett says, "it was a nightmare. A NIGGGGGGHHHHHHHHTMAAAAARRRRRE!!!!!!!"

Never flying coach again. It's too crowded back there, the food sucks and the booze ain't free. Yick.

Get me out of here!!!

My Kinda Town

2005-12-19T17:42:00.000-06:00

Well, I arrived home from NYC safely last night. What a trip. Of course, I still don't have a digital camera, so no pictures yet. I hardly took any anyway. It always seems like such a good idea after the fact, but when it's actually happening, taking pictures is such a pain. Plus you look like an idiot tourist. So, I didn't really take any pictures.

Here's my trip in the written form, however.

FRIDAY: Left work early to take the lite rail from downtown Minneapolis to the airport, where I caught a 2:30 flight to JFK.

Meg picked me up at JFK (thank GOD the transit strike hadn't started yet) and we took the subway to her place. She lives in an area called Washington Heights (I think), which apparently isn't too popular of an area to live in, but I liked it just the same. I thought it was a neat area. It's about 140 blocks from the area of Manhattan most people recognize. On my first NYC subway ride, we saw a group of performing gospel/do-wop type singers. They weren't very good. I didn't give them any money. We also saw a crazy Charles Manson'esque type guy across from us drawing a picture of a woman. We both watched for a minute and Meg said she hoped he wasn't drawing her. I was thinking the same thing. That would be really creepish. If he was drawing her, the likeness wasn't very accurate. He had some lovely maroon plaid pants, however. Very '70s.

We sat around her two-bedroom walk-up for a little while and talked to her roommate, Jackie, who is very personable and funny. We also had a glass of wine. Then it was off to the races. Jackie had a final the following morning (both grad students), so she wasn't able to join us.

We went out to eat at a cute little restaurant where our waiter was an Iowa native. I had Jambalaya and ate about three bites of it. Too hot for this Midwestern boy. However I successfully consumed a martini (surprise).

Then we were off to a little place Meg was curious about called the Candle Bar. As soon as we set foot in the place I knew it was a gay bar - the dance music and bar full of only men gives it away every time. I leaned over to Meg and said, "You managed to find a gay bar on accident..." Then we heard a guy say to his buddy, "...They don't know this is a gay bar, I bet..." We ordered gin & tonics anyway. Later, Meg's cute friend Igor (straight), a Russian born NY-native, met us there. I went out to smoke and Meg was accosted by three gay men asking if I was #1.) gay; #2.) single and #3.) local. Of course none bothered to ask ME that. Ugh...gay men. Two of them were cute, though. I decided to focus my attention on friends instead of potential one-night friends.

Igor then decided he should take me on a whirlwind tour of downtown Manhattan in his little Benz SUV. We whisked past Times Square, lots of well-known headquarters, the Flatiron Building, etc. Then we went to an Irish bar in the Wall Street district. Igor isn't a drinker so he dropped us off in the same area as Candle Bar. Meg and I found a cozy little downtstairs pub and proceeded to drink more and talk to the bartender. He wound up sharing a cab with us and paid for it all, so that was lucky. He wanted a lil' som'n from Meg, I suspect...We got home at 5:30.

We slept way late on Saturday and decided we could do the real sight-seeing on Sunday afternoon. So we watched "Beautiful Girls" with Jackie. That's always a good movie. Very enjoyable. Most of it was filmed in good ol' Minnesota, by the way. Meg and I finally got motivated well after noon and primped ourselves for another evening out. We took the train to Brooklyn Heights and wandered around the waterfront and the shopping areas. Met up with her friend Michelle who lives there and is a fellow grad student at Pace University. We went to a pizza place called...Patsy's or G-somethings -don't remember. The white pizza was delish. The other one wasn't. And it was super-crowded in there. A good food experience none-the-less. Then it was off to a little pub nearby, where we proceeded to sit & drink & talk about books/movies for about 3-4 hours. My bill alone was $100. Michelle is very intellectual and well-read. She wanted to slap me when I didn't know Woodward & Bernsteins' first names, but most of it went well! Oh, we also talked a lot of sex talk, which is always good.

THEN, it was off to Christopher Street. Apparently this is where the bears of NYC hang out b/c bars for older, hairy gay men were all Meg and I could find. The one we tried smelled, so there was only one beer consumed there. We instead chose somewhere of a name that I can't remember near Christopher Street, but it was mostly a 25-30 crowd and played a lot of '80s music. I cease to remember anything past the first martini. Apparently we were entertaining the bartenders and half the patrons with our "'80s dancing while sitting at a bar" skills. I broke a martini glass by hitting the stem on the bar. The stem fell off, but I managed to not spill any of the martini....go figure! Wow, I'm talented.

Meg had to man-handle me to the train. Once aboard and moving, I insisted on peeing off the train. Meg had to hold on to my back and belt loop to keep me from flying off. It's a wonder I wasn't killed. SOmetimes I can't believe some of the stupid things I do. We made it back to her apartment okay and it's a freakin' miracle. Number one that someone didn't beat me. Number two that I didn't fall off the train. Number three that I wasn't electrocuted. Number four that I didn't impale myself on my broken martini glass.

We got up at about 11:00 on Sunday and trekked back to "where all the stuff is" Manhattan. Before that, however, Jackie and I waited outside a store for Meg to get something. A cute young guy (but kinda trashy looking) came out of a bakery and exclaimed, "Ohhh, my nipples hurt." Then he went in to the same store as Meg and said, "Did anyone call for a stripper b/c here I am!!" Then, upon exiting, he barked at a dog. Crazy New Yorker - yay!!! Awesome.

We saw Ground Zero (very sad/solemn) and walked all over the place - along the waterfront a lot. We also went inside Trinity Church, which is often featured in stories of 9/11. Plus, no tour would be complete without entering a church. We met Meg's friend Todd at some park where a Christmas Fair was going on. Then we went to Rockefeller Center and I had to take a touristy picture of the big Christmas tree. I was hoping to see Al Roker, but no such luck. Some man from some charity attacked us and convinced us to buy NYC ski hats for $10. Mine is brown. He called Todd a "Rent-a-Hunk", Meg a Victoria Secret model and me Drunk of the Month. I suppose that's appropriate, but geez...

I was exhausted by the time we took the train back to Meg's, where I picked up my suitcase and they put me back on the subway to JFK.

I am NEVER flying coach again. Ever. Flying can be another post, but I'll save for later. Needless to say, I arrived home safe & sound and am now no longer a New York virgin. It's a great city. I can see why people love it. Could actually see myself living there someday...

Thanks, MEG (and Jackie and Igor and Michelle and Todd)!!!!

I'm a' leavin' on a jet plane...

2005-12-08T15:34:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I know it's been a while. Told you I was going thru blogger exile. But I'm still here...

In relationship news: lack thereof. No longer have any potentials. What is my problem? To quote All Over the Guy, "I'm like man poison -- penis RAID!" Whatever.

Exciting news: I'm going to NYC to visit college chum Meg for the weekend of Dec. 16-18. Hey, PJS, you gonna be around?? Email me...

This means I'll have to go shopping for a couple new outfits so I don't stick out like a sore, Midwestern thumb. I hope Banana Republic has some suitable clothes that the trendy NY'ers won't deem completely out of style...who knows.

Haters

2005-11-28T18:51:00.000-06:00

Wow. I just noticed how many comments there are on my post about my political opinions! Apparently I was linked to some sort of website for extremely angry gays and extreme leftists.

I'm getting more hate than Brechi does when he talks politics! Maybe I should post more shirtless pictures of myself to hinder some of those Anonymous commenters/haters! Does that work well, Brechi?? Then again, it's been rather entertaining.

And what's up with the attacks on poor AmyD! Some of them are likening us to Hitler and Eva Braun. Funny how people just don't seem to possess reading comprehension skills anymore...

Although mostly hateful and nasty, thanks for all your comments anyway. Like my post referenced, a good thing about living in a democracy is having freedom of speech.

My suggestion:
Go get 'em, Extreme Donkies! Beat the Man!!
Because your lives, under our current President, I'm sure, are so horrible!

Talk about people spreading hate...lordy.

THAT went over well...

2005-11-28T18:21:00.000-06:00

So, my family didn't even fight at all this year during our annual turkey feast. Usually there's slipped comments followed by awkward silence. But, nope - not this year! The worst was probably in 2002 when my brother and I were *screaming* at each other, including the f-bomb. It was because I was a couple hours late. My Mom was crying and I stormed out saying, "See you f'ers at Christmas." That was fun. As Ellen DeGeneres so brilliantly said, "You know things are starting to go downhill when somebody says, 'What's *that* supposed to mean...??'" Or, in my case, "See you f'ers at Christmas..." Maybe it had to do with the fact that not all 8 of we kids were there at once...

My sister Becky attended her first family function in two years. It was a little awkward at first...kinda searching for conversation, but by the end, all was well and we were all talking and laughing about family stories. My blind grannie recanted her recent mishap that involved stepping in dog-doo. She said, "Your Mother and I got back to my apartment, sat down, and she said, "Why, Mother, you've stepped in dog shit!!" Had to be there, but it was funny to hear a blind 87-yr-old woman exclaim that.

The rest of the weekend was spent drinking with friends. Jeff's family was here from North Dakota - his sister and I have a good time together. She's a riot.

Hung out with a guy on Saturday night whom I haven't seen in a couple years or more. We met at the Gay '90s and hung out in the Retro Bar for a little while, watched Roxy Marquis do her Madonna "Time Goes By So Slowly" (or whatever it's called) in the drag show lounge, then we went to Minneapolis' pretty boy bar, The Saloon. It was packed as always and I felt old. We did dance a little and I left right before close. This same guy and I hung out at my place last night too. Don't really know if there's any potential there. We'll see, I guess.

At least I didn't pass out in my hallway or burn the carpet this year!

Heeeeeere, turkey, turkey, turkey....

2005-11-23T16:16:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I'm still a blogging bitch. I'll get back to my old ways sometime soon.

Nothing is new.

Don't really talk to New Guy/Healthy Boy anymore. No worries. Knew that would happen.

Just wanted to wish all my peeps a Happy Thanksgiving! Even to those of you who don't celebrate....eat a turkey sandwich or something and think of we Americans proving ourselves, once again, to be gluttonous overeaters.

I can't wait.

I'll be at my sister's in Rochester. In attendance will be: Grannie, Mom, brother Rob and his daughter; sister Becky and her 2 kids; sister Marylee and her 3 daughters; sister Melissa (hostess), her husband and daughter; brother Judge and myself.

Last year, on Thanksgiving night, HotBabe and I went to a bar called Herkimer and got drunk. I locked myself out, then HotBabe rang every buzzer till someone let us in. Then I passed out in my apartment hallway, just short of my bedroom. I burnt a hole in my carpet. Missed work the next day. Good times.

Scared him off good

2005-11-17T19:49:00.000-06:00

Bet you thought I was talking about New Guy, huh? Nope. Well, not yet, anyway.

Last night I went to happy hour at The Local with a co-worker who recently left my current company - just a couple weeks ago. Anyway, we decided to meet up for drinks. He's one of "the gays" too, and surprisingly, we've never really hung out outside of work before. He's 25. We get along well.

Of course it wound up being five increasingly happy hours with about 8 million drinks. I barely remember leaving the bar. Today he e-mailed "That was fun, I've never seen you like that before!" And I said, "I just hope I didn't yell at anyone or otherwise do something else stupid." After that he claimed that we made out outside the bar!

I still don't know if he's kidding. The last clear picture in my head is of him running down the street - away from the bar - so that's not a good sign...

WARNING: Amstel Lights by the pint in an Irish pub are stronger and more intoxicating than you might expect.

Do you ever feel blogged out?

2005-11-15T19:07:00.000-06:00

I've been really bad about reading blogs lately and haven't felt much like posting either (aside from my marathon this past Friday). I go through blogging phases, I think. Plus, not that anyone cares, but work hasn't allowed any time to fool around lately either. Plenty of time to make me feel like hurling a chair through the window, but none for blogging!

Brechi asked me to try the guest-blogging thing, which I want to do - so hopefully some inspiration will appear soon. I'm still not really sure what it's all about (the guest-blogging thing). Am I an idiot for not "getting" it, or am I reading too much into it?? I mean, should I just write something I'd normally write, but publish it on someone else's blog? Is that all it is?? Funny that this is stressing me out. Welcome to my world - where little things are cause for much sweat.

On another note - hung out with New Guy again last night. It was much the same...just sitting on the couch, not making any contact, and kind of chuckling at the TV. We watched the end of Gremlins and then an episode of Golden Girls. Welcome to zany, crazy world of dating Kiddostyle, my friends...Pathetic...

I'm kind of nervous of him. He's almost 36, but looks late 20s. He's in *such* better shape than I am and is all health-conscious. He's only been that way about a year, but I can't help but wonder...what's he going to think when he sees that I could stand to do a couple situps? What's he going to think about the unhealthy items tossed in my cart while grocery shopping? What's he going to think if we go to a bar together and sees me throwing back a few (dozen) beers??

I feel like I'm on the road to inevitable doom.

Ay' carumba, muchacho...

To Our Veterans

2005-11-11T11:02:00.000-06:00

Thank you, veterans, for your service.

I know, I for one, am very aware and appreciative of the sacrifices made to ensure our freedom and way of life as Americans.

In college, a friend declared she didn't know what Pearl Harbor was. I was enraged. I said, "How the fuck did you get into college - and you don't even know what Pearl Harbor is?!" People were like, "God...big deal..."

Well, it is a big deal. If we had been in our early 20s in the 1940s instead of the late '90s, all the guys we know would have been away at war - risking their lives fighting for our freedom.

I know it sounds clicheed and all, but it's true.

Oh, and not to mention the fact that my Dad died as a result of his service during Vietnam. He got cancer from the Agent Orange the United States sprayed on the Vietnamese vegetation.

So, thanks veterans.

Ten Things I Hate About You

2005-11-11T02:01:00.000-06:00

Rules:

List ten things you want to say to people/someone, but know you never will.
Don't say who they are.
Disable comments.
Never discuss it again.

If you want to say something about my thoughts feel free. Just know I won't be revealing who I am thinking about, so don't ask.

1) You're a spoiled, clueless brat
2) You're not cute
3) You're jealous
4) Your "talents" are a f-ing dime-a-dozen, bitch.

5) Get over yourself for moving. You know you'll wind up back here.

6) The "real" Carrie Bradshaw would find you to be boring.

7) I hate it for finding a boyfriend right away.

8) I hope you fail.

9) You're the Rhoda.

10) I'm glad you're unhappy.

Go, Elephant! Sis boom bah...Rah Rah!!

2005-11-11T01:35:00.000-06:00

WARNING: I'm on a tree stump.

Alright, I'll admit it. I'm a faggot Republican. Given my sexuality/generation/"audience"/friends, I'm hesitant to admit it, yet I'm not ashamed. In fact, I'm tired of being on the defensive about it. It's sad that I have to feel like this is yet, another, "thing" to hide from untrained ears, but it's true. This is not a "dig" on any, but I'm sick of feeling lambasted all the time by liberals. They clearly scream out their opinions left & right (and good - glad they do - it illustrates our democracy), but it seems that most Republicans our age shy away and keep their mouths shut. Why?? Because all of us, at some point, have expressed our opinion and, in return, have been literally yelled at for it. Lots of people in our generation seriously get angry when they discover a Bush supporter in their midst. I mean, violent. Others just become extremely vocal and declare their dismay. SO, to avoid hearing "What?? How can you even think that?!," most of we Republicans are kept in the closet. We only talk about it amongst ourselves.

Well, not I. Not anymore.

I'm a Republican. I'm so glad we are fighting the war on terror. I love big business. I love success stories like Trump's and Martha Stewart's (whether they're Dems or not). I love libertarianism. No offense to most of my friends, but I'm sick of liberals screaming their opinions on every street corner -- then myself feeling like I have to shut up & sit in the corner. I've just grown so weary of it.

I'm a recruiter. Therefore, my job/career relies on a healthy economy.

Yes, when G.W. was new in office, the economy busted -- I was laid off twice -- I had to change careers for a couple years because nobody was hiring recruiters. Was that G.W.'s fault? Certainly not. Did it have everything to do with a dot.com bust that no President could have prevented? YES. Did it have everything to do with the Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks, which, by the way, were planned during Clinton's administration - ?? VERY. (I don't blame Clinton, but I'm sick of G.W. getting blamed for 9/11 -- he had been in office LESS THAN A YEAR!) If any president is to "blame," Clinton should be held just as accountable by anyone who points the finger at G.W. Anyway, the fact remains that our economy has rebounded and we are strong again. The proof lies in the fact that I'm busy hiring for new jobs and doing very well.

Before ye cast judgement, listen. My great-grandfather didn't support FDR...and he was a poor farmer in South Dakota -- so, you can see it's a family thing. I was raised Republican. Clearly, I don't support President Bush's opinion about the queers. But, really...this country has more to deal with than whether or not I can get my marriage recognized by the state/federal government. When society is ready for it, it will happen. And the church marriage thing? Moving to the other side: LISTEN YOU EXTREME RIGHT-WINGERS: we couldn't care less if your stupid church recognizes us. I want the goddamn right to see my partner in the hospital if he's dying of cancer (not AIDS - we don't all have it). Is that evil?? Is that going to make your husband/wife turn queer?? Ughh...that extreme conservatism frustrates me too.

Anyway -- Back to my own moderately conservative nature. In the meantime, I'd rather not see my Minneapolis IDS Tower (where I work), nor any other American city, be crashed in to by a plane. Fighting terrorism is what we should focus on.

Swear at me all you like. You won't change my mind - just as I won't change your mind. And don't even play the "uneducated" card. I went to college just like everyone else, and guess what? I studied my ass off and finished with a 3.6 GPA. I was accepted to law school (but decided not to go). So -- abandon any thought of my being uneducated and/or ill-informed.

I'm tired of feeling like I have to keep my mouth shut in order to appease the opinions of my peers. I won't do it anymore.

There - I feel better. Carry on.

Oh - and by the way, my Dad would have turned 59 today. Regardless of the message, I'm sure he's happy that I'm expressing my opinon. When he was teaching, he wore a button that said, "Impeach Nixon!" He wrote it on the chalkboard, too. I guess we're alike in our expressiveness.

Pride Weekend 2005

2005-11-11T00:28:00.000-06:00

Yep, I told you it was gonna be a while before you saw any pictures. Anyway, here's some pictures of Minneapolis (Twin Cities) Pride Weekend - 2005. I need to get copies of Jeff's pictures, because we dressed up for Saturday in the Park. He wore a kilt with pirate shirt and big-ass "fuck me" boots and I wore my Roman Julius C. toga....those pics will come later.

In the meantime, here we are:

Friday night. Trevor, "guy who wishes to be anonymous," Craig, Kiddo, Jeff, Danny, Bill at The Bolt

The most fabulous fruit-fly, Bridget (who just turned 40), with Jeff and Danny - she's awesome. We drank together and listened to 8-tracks a few months ago. She brought her 8-track player out of the dust. Love it.

Do I even need to comment?? After-Bar.

The only decent picture anyone took the next day. Of course, it *had* to be Jeff and his roommate, S. Fucker.

Disclaimer: Anyone here wants their picture removed, let me know.

Pitcher Show

2005-11-10T23:38:00.000-06:00

Yep, it's Picture Page time, kids. Well, only two pages...but for me, that's a landmark. Posting them is such a pain when you have shitty software and a tendency to forget.

Ready for a view of Kiddo and some of his....gasp....relatives?!

"We are fam-ily....I got 2 of my sistahs...a brother...and my momma with me...."
Yep, this is last December at my sista's (in black leather) 40th bday. We rebels decided to leave the hotel party at...11:00 p.m (woo)! My Mom is drinking a Captain Coke. My bro sang Johnny Cash. I just stood there and looked cute amongst a bunch of "Townie Harley People" as the other sister and I so affectionally called them. Believe it or not -- first time I'd been to a bar with any of my sissies. It was a special night.

Hail, Winona, Hail

2005-11-10T23:10:00.001-06:00

Okay, let's just say that I'm posting ONE-YEAR-OLD pictures because I *hate* the Kodak picture editing thing and (obviously) procrastinate using it. However, I do like to share some visuals of Kiddo in action since so much of what I post is just verbal dribble.

I did crop these pictures, but stupid-ass Kodak software wouldn't let me save the edited versions. Anyone have something better??

Anyway, it's my "sorority sister" Jocelyn and me at the annual Winona State football game at Minneapolis' Metrodame game...in Nov. 2004 – I think they played Concordia. We were drunk by kickoff. DAMN those tailgate parties!!

Nice vest, Kiddo. What are you, in Red Dawn? Clearly a poor shopping judgement.

During the game. Shortly after I spilled my beer on the dude sitting in front of me and I gave him $20 for drycleaning. All I really remember was that #20 was hot.

After the game, Jocelyn and I saw the, I'm pretty sure, oldest WSU alumni couple still alive. They said they met playing Ping Pong in a residence hall in 1940. Jocelyn and I said we, too, were married and met playing darts(?) in 1996. We're going to hell.

Oh. My. Gawd.

2005-11-10T01:14:00.000-06:00

Yeah - remind me to not drink and blog at the same time. What the hell was that?! Geez...And then I decided to call ZeppGoddess at two a.m. No more Tuesday happy hours! Lordy...

Lord, Jesus, help me...

2005-11-09T02:14:00.000-06:00

I get out of control while drinking. On weekends.

Should I check into the Bette Ford??

Tawk amonst y'selves....tawk....

"God, is this a hint?"

2005-11-08T17:54:00.000-06:00

I had a date last night.

We met online and have been chatting for a few weeks. Nice dude. Cute. 35. North Dakota native. Server at a nice restaurant. Just moved back from Chicago. Runs a lot. Found out he's a recovering alcoholic.

What is up with me and meeting guys who don't/can't party anymore?! This is my third one so far (in 1.5 years). It's not a big deal, but rather ironic, since my friends and I still party all weekend. Hmmm....

Anyway. I picked him up at his apartment in the area of Minneapolis known as Uptown. This is known for being the area that single twentysomething live in. The hipsters, artists and goth people like it, as well as the young professionals.

Anyway...he called me at work and the plans were very last-minute. So, he had already eaten and I was starving, but we agreed to go to Old Chicago anyway so I could eat. I thought he might get a beer, but he just wanted water. The conversation was good - no awkward moments. We talked about Chicago most of the time, since both of us use to live there (although I was only there for 4 months as an intern). But, it's always good to have a conversational date instead of staring at each other the whole time wondering what question to ask next.

Then we got back in the ol' Caddie and I asked if he wanted to go grab a drink or maybe get a movie. He opted for the movie, so we went to the "gay Blockbuster." It's a Blockbuster that has a lot of the independent films about gay characters...so we call it the gay Blockbuster. Anyway, it was here that I told him I go to movies quite often with my recovering addiction friend (b/c he doesn't go out anymore) and he said, "Yeah...I am too...I quit drinking 6 months ago." We didn't find anything to rent, so decided to just watch something at my place.

He chose "All Over the Guy," which is a few years old, but really funny. You should check it out. We watched it and chuckled quite a bit. We started to sit closer at the end, but never actually touched. I'm a big chicken when it comes to the first move.

So, the movie finished and it was about midnight and I offered to drive him home. Upon arriving, we hugged and agreed to hang out again - we both said we wanted to later this week.

We'll see...Oh, and what should we call him? How about New Guy? I'll name him later. If he turns out to be nameworthy.

A nerdy gay guy is set up on a blind date with a jocky gay guy by his good straight friend. The jocky gay guy's fag hag likes the nerdy gay guy's straight friend. Got it? Actually, it's pretty simple. It's the story of two men meeting, dating, running into problems and dealing with it. Alongside their story, their respective guy and girl friends, also meet and date. In between, they all discuss issues of love, life, relationships and their futures together. Love this gaymedy.

Richard Ruccolo plays hot Tom. LOVE him. Richard, if you're out there, call me!

I couldn't agree more

2005-11-04T17:56:00.000-06:00

Sing out, Louise!!
Yeah....sing it, bitches!!

I'm going home and having a big, hard....drink.

T.T.F.N.
(yes, I'm a 13-yr-old girl)

In Memory: Rosa Parks

2005-11-02T12:51:00.000-06:00

1913 - 2005

The ordinary woman who sparked extraordinary change in this country, Rosa Parks, often referred to as the "Mother of Civil Rights," passed away last week at the age of 92.

I watched The Rosa Parks Story on, whatelse, Lifetime and I'm glad I did. I had obviously heard Mrs. Parks' story and knew of the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott that she inspired, but not much else about her. I didn't really even think about her contribution to Civil Rights movement or her NAACP involvement. After watching the movie, I really saw how her refusal to give up her bus seat to a white person (and subsequent arrest) in 1955, sparked a chain of events that led to the end of segregation in the South...and equality throughout the country. Obviously, the struggle isn't over, but she was a very historic figure in this country who inspired much change.

Thinking about her story, is it really so wrong to see similarities between the African Americans' struggle for equal rights to those of gays and lesbians? I mean, we *are* treated as lesser citizens (because of a difference to the majority that is out of our control) and do not enjoy the same rights guaranteed to everyone in the U.S. constitution.

Anyway - that can be saved for another time.

For now, I would like to take a moment to honor Rosa Parks.

Also, if that lady who wouldn't let Rosa register to vote is still alive, I hope she is ashamed for how she acted. The bus driver too. And all the others who were so awful. It's infurating to watch movies like that...and embarassing.

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T17:56:00.000-06:00

This has been the most long, boring, dumb day at work. Ever. Clearly a Monday.

The weekend was keee-razy. Went to a little Halloween get-together in the 'burbs on Friday night. Nothing spectacular, but pleasant. Danny, Jeff and I stayed up all freakin' night and drank everything but our shoes. We decided to start all over again bright & early Saturday morning. I don't really even remember any of that day. Stupid, huh??

We went back to Jeff's at about 4:00, chowed on McDonalds, then Danny and I crashed. I woke up on Jeff's couch at 9:00 and wasn't sure if it was AM or PM. Duh. Jeff's roommate informed us that Jeff went to the American Legion (what's with me and the Legion lately) that's right by their apartment. He was fo'shizzled when Danny and I got there. We just played the jukebox and then friends Mandy and Tom met us there.

Jeff was refused service and walked home. We proceeded to get a ride back to the city with Mandy and Tom, where I was to meet Denverboy and his friend. It was a Halloween party, but I'm not sure if we were in someone's apartment or a bar. I mean, the place was in an old apartment building, but it totally didn't look or seem like an apartment...kinda crazy. Anyway, my favorite costume I saw there were two girls dressed up like '70s Roller Derby. It was awesome. And I was obsessed with this girl, whom I kept calling Jackie Kennedy, even though she was supposed to be Audrey Hepburn. Pretty sure her boyfriend wanted to kick me in the back.

Ugghhh...I'm still recuperating. Will NOT be going out tonight - but *will* be vegging on the couch watching a scary movie, maybe...

I moved to Minneapolis one year ago yesterday! It's gone by fast...

TRICK OR TREAT!!