Feb. 3rd, 2005 @ 11:14 am Gym Puppy
Current Mood: sore
Current Music: Janet Jackson - Janet Megamix '04 (Chris Cox Club Mix)

The first day back at a gym wasn't too bad. It took wayyy too long to get there, way over the hour I thought it would take. The gym itself was a lil frustrating at first, trying to find everything and figuring out what the "rules" were. But I managed. Luckily, they use mostly the same machines and brands that I'm used to from my other gym, so the numbers in my notes started to make sense again.

I even found my first cute gay boy. =) Short, chunky, hairy as a beast... and bright purple hair. Hehe.

I'm not incredibly fond of the shower situation. Community showers... one big room with a few spigots sticking out of the walls. It's like Oz... only cleaner and not nearly as hawt. But I've gotten better about being so shy. And for the number of kids that use the place, they should probably have a few more cardio machines... but whatever. I have to admit, they're a bit more germ-conscious than the last gym I went to. People actually use the spritz bottles laying around. lol

The "sign-up sheet" for the cardio machines are a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you can see just how long the person on it is planning to be there, so you know when the next machine will be available. But it's also based on the honor system, and there's nothing to stop a person from just crossing you out and putting their name in..... which happened to me. I actually saw who did it too. Stupid jock prick. There was an empty one right next to him, so I just took that, but I didn't understand why he felt the need to take mine when the open one was right there. Whatever. I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it.

I got out of the gym at the exact same time Nick was leaving work, so I got to ride home with him. Yay! We stopped at the store to pick up Charmed and a couple other things.

Poor Nick hasn't been feeling well, probably due to the new meds he's on. So I let him be and let him sleep.

...Ouch. I forgot about those day-after-the-gym pains. My calves refuse to function properly. Ugh.
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Feb. 2nd, 2005 @ 09:52 am Scatterbrain
Current Mood: lazy
Current Music: Juanes & Nelly Furtado - Fotografia

My brain's been kinda all over the place the past couple days.

* * * * *

Y'know, it's one thing to have a song stuck in your head... it's another to have a song you don't fully understand in your head. For the past few days, I've had snippets of Fotografia by Juanes and Nelly Furtado stuck in my head. Now, I really like the song..... but not over and over again. There are some people who like to think that music plays itself in your mind for a reason, but I'm totally lost on what the reason for this would be... considering I looked up a lyrics translation once and barely remember them.

* * * * *

Like [info]bearluvver, I watched the George Lopez special again. I really wish my mother could see it. Too much of it rang true for our household. I actually kept covering my mouth so my giggling wouldn't wake up Nick... which is ridiculous because he doesn't wake up to anything. Not even when I lovingly shove him over to his side of the bed.

I suppose that is a sign of "old-married couple"-ness. Once upon a time, I came to bed and would whisper in his ear, "Babe... babe... move over honey.... babe..." Now it's "Poppa.... move!" which is received with a grunt and a grumble.

* * * * *

So I guess I can understand why they're called briefs. I mean, they're cut short. And I guess I can understand boxers, a.k.a. boxer shorts, even though I highly doubt boxers actually wear them while they're boxing. However, why the hell is it called "commando"? I mean.... are soldiers really out there fighting without any underwear?

* * * * *

Last week, Nick and I signed up for the gym at the university he works at. Now there are all kinds of pros and cons to this.

Pro: It's closer to Nick so he can go and do stuff that will help his back.
Con: It'll take like an hour just for me to get there. (But as one friend said, "It's not like you've got anywhere else to go.")

Pro: College Boy Eye Candy.
Con: College boys.

When I went there last week to sign up with Nick, it just felt... weird. Being back on a campus again brought back all kinds of memories. Never mind the fact that U of C's campus could swallow my old campus whole. I could just feel that youthful rebellious whatever in the air. Or maybe college folk just smell funny. Whatever it was, it made me feel old. I know, I know, I only graduated a couple years ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago. It was a different life, a different time.

But anyway... so yeah, here I sit. All the paperwork is finally taken care of, and I can go, no hitch. Only.... well, it's the first-day jitters, and I'm having a hard time motivating myself. "I won't know where anything is... I can't remember my routine... What if it's too crowded.... Do I really feel like going...."

Ugh.

Oh yeah, and if anyone else does have a weekly routine that works well for them, let me know. Cuz I really am having a hard time remembering everything I used to do each day. I wrote down notes... but I can't find most of 'em, and the ones I can find.... well, they've only got a bunch of numbers on 'em. At the time that I made them, I would've known what they all meant, but now... I'm not really sure.
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Feb. 1st, 2005 @ 01:52 am Vote.... AND Die....
Current Mood: tired

Happy belated to [info]wjo1972, [info]bullbear82, and [info]leatherguychi.

Textbook history made its mark in the desert sands.

It's awe-inspiring... and sickening. Americans like to think of themselves as living in the best country on earth... and yet, they take so much for granted. We have to plead and beg with our citizens to take a few minutes out of their day to vote.... while in Iraq, people literally risked their lives to reach the ballot boxes.

And yet, while Bush goes on and on about the victory of freedom and liberty, the challenges ahead are no less scary than they were yesterday. Iraqis truly have made a step in the right direction, but we all must remember that it is a single step among many that need to be taken.

Of the 140,000 troops Bush claims Iraq now has, only 10k are trained and only 4,000 are prepared enough to survive on their own.

So the likelihood of our boys coming home anytime soon.... you guessed it. They're going to be needed there for a long... long time.

Democracy is a grand step indeed, but the work is far from over.
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Jan. 28th, 2005 @ 09:26 pm AstroFriends
Current Mood: full

You scored as Aquarius. You get along best with the sign of Aquarius. Although Aquarians can be seem very odd, or over opinionated, they are good generous people. They are the humanitarians of the zodiac; they always put others in the place of themselves. Aquarians have a strong sense of individuality, and likewise, can be very eccentric. They usually have many friends because they are very easy to get along with, although at times, Aquarians can be withdrawn and introverted when they choose to be.

Aquarius

90%

Virgo

85%

Gemini

85%

Pisces

75%

Scorpio

70%

Sagittarius

65%

Leo

55%

Libra

55%

Taurus

50%

Capricorn

50%

Aries

45%

Cancer

35%

What sign of the Zodiac are you meant for?
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I'm not surprised by this. Even in my own personal experiences, Cancers tend to get a lil more emotionally attached than I can handle. Virgos are definitely a flip of a coin; they're either an Aquarian's best friend or worst enemy. And Aquarians generally best get along with themselves...

...and yeah, Nick is an Aquarius also.
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Jan. 27th, 2005 @ 12:18 pm Test Results... Baby... Baby... Pirate?
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: LMC vs U2 - Take Me to the Clouds Above (Radio Edit)

Happy belated to [info]standardtom.

Happy Birthday to [info]fuzzyhugger!

1. I can't blow a bubble with bubble gum.
False. It took me quite a while to learn actually, but I'm pretty good at it now.

2. I can't ride a bike.
True. I never did learn how to ride a bike. When I was younger, my parents had bought me a bike for Christmas. The snow and cold outside were not conducive to bike-riding, so we waited until spring. My father took me out to ride it once... quite unsuccessfully. A few days later, it was stolen out of our shed. I never got a new one.

3. I can't swim.
True. Yes, I realize I live right off one of the Great Lakes, but I never bothered to learn to swim. The pimply-faced teen counselers tried to teach us at summer camp, but I never trusted the kid to successfully hold me up if I started to sink. I made up some excuse so that I wouldn't have to do it. Now, pools in general are just a touch outside my comfort zone.

4. I once dated "the son of a preacher man."
True. I dated Otis for only a few months. He was 6'2" or 6'3" and had to be over 300 pounds. He was cute... but he was only 18 at the time. It was the first and last time I would ever date someone younger than me. Our maturities and senses of responsibility just did not match up.

5. I once dated a former drag queen.
True. He was the cutest lil pocketbear with a Southern accent that hooked me right in. Drag was the farthest thing from my mind when I met him in Colorado. After a few weeks of "dating," he showed me pictures of himself in drag from a while back. He didn't perform anymore, but I had to admit, he did make a pretty girl.

6. I once dated a guy on my college football team... also named Matt, of course.
False. Oh, I only wish. Matt was probably one of my first lusts in college, a big beefy math major on the football team who was in one of my very first classes at college. I could not stop staring at him. About a year or so later, he came Out... much to my delight. He was in one of the frats, so I figured all I had to do was go to a frat party, introduce myself, yada yada yada... Unfortunately, not long after his Outing, he transfered to another school (though rumor had it he was kicked out. Can you really get kicked out of college?)

7. My oddest sexual experience was a threesome with another gay guy and a lesbian.
True. I'm not one to go into gritty details about my sex life, but yeah... this experience is another reason why I don't get high (and drunk) very much very often. I certainly don't regret it though. It was... interesting.

8. I've never been sexually involved with anything more than a threesome.
False. And that's all that really needs to be said.

9. I had my first sexual experience at 15. Boy Scouts are fun. =)
False. Although in hindsight, I had a crush on several of my fellow Scouts, I never did anything with them. I was not a big fan of Scouting, since it was mostly just a way to keep us boys "off the streets". But back to the question, I did not have any kind of sexual anything until I was almost 19.

10. I once went without masturbating for 6 weeks.
True. I was probably about 15 or so and after a number of attempts (lotion, soap, etc), I finally found the right method to get myself off. However, I started to wonder if I was doing it too much, so I decided to challenge myself and see just how long I could go without it.... It was a fascinating experiment. I found myself getting frustrated easily, and nightly emissions became pretty common. However, after 6 weeks of penting up, the 'climax' was not as climactic as I thought it would be.
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Jan. 26th, 2005 @ 11:30 am Pop Quiz
Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Counting Crows - American Girls

I'm bored-ish, so why not....

Six are true; four are false...

1. I can't blow a bubble with bubble gum.

2. I can't ride a bike.

3. I can't swim.

4. I once dated "the son of a preacher man."

5. I once dated a former drag queen.

6. I once dated a guy on my college football team... also named Matt, of course.

7. My oddest sexual experience was a threesome with another gay guy and a lesbian.

8. I've never been sexually involved with anything more than a threesome.

9. I had my first sexual experience at 15. Boy Scouts are fun. =)

10. I once went without masturbating for 6 weeks.
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Jan. 24th, 2005 @ 12:16 am Sorry kid, nothing rhymes with Orange
Current Mood: happy

It looks like that time of year again
where I take up my creative pen
and think and ponder
and sit and wonder
just what to say to my handsome husband.

The first time around was witty at best,
and all that rhyming left me quite stressed.
But before I knew it,
I fin'lly got through it,
and my dear hubby seemed quite impressed.

The second time was hard but fun
The perfect ode to my honeybun.
A good ol' lim'rick
for my man Nick,
a partner who is certainly second to none.

So with incredible sense of ambition,
I continue on with this mission
to take my time,
come up with a rhyme,
and carefully continue this tradition.

For me, no greater man exists
He certainly has filled my life with bliss
Gladly I say
Happy Birthday!
Now c'mere for your great big kiss.

=)
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Jan. 23rd, 2005 @ 06:32 pm 12 Inches of Glory
Current Mood: devious
Current Music: Wilson Phillips - Hold On

Ah Johnny.... Alas, JC went off the air in '92, when I was all of 12 years old, and I wasn't doing much late-night television-watching back then. I really don't have any memories of watching him then. I have seen a few clips now and then, and I know that the world has lost a truely admirable gentleman.

Like many other places, a foot of snow has fallen in front of our door. And of course, lots of people are posting pictures of it and saying things like...

"Uuuu.... pretty..."
"I love snow!"
"I'm so jealous. I wish we had snow here!"
"Yay! More, more, more!"
"How can you not like snow?"

And then they take pictures that are artistic or full of irony like this...


...with snow plastered to the walls and a pointless air conditioner.

Yes, indeed, how could I not like snow?

( How indeed... )
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Jan. 20th, 2005 @ 11:54 am As If I had one Damn Dime to spend...
Current Mood: bored
Current Music: Blaque - As If

You have two lengths of string and a book of matches. If you touch the flame to the end of the longer string, it will burn for exactly 10 minutes. Similarly, the shorter string will burn for exactly 1 minute. How do you measure 5 minutes 30 seconds using the matches and strings?

Yesterday was my brother's 18th birthday. Gawd, I feel old.

Stupid inauguration crap. I hope I have something good recorded on the DVR, cuz I know I don't feel like watching that idiot...

Like most memes, I'm sure I've done this before...

A - Accent: Don't have one. Really. Mine is plain, boring Midwestern, which really isn't an accent. Coincidentally, I have the slightest hint of a Chicago accent when I say the word "Chicago."
B - Breast Size: Erm.... a handful
C - Chore You Hate: Cleaning the bathroom
D - Dad's Name: David
E - Essential Make-Up Item: I rarely leave the house without some kind of scent and never without my piercings.
F - Favorite Cologne: I don't know very many, so I'll just say Eternity for now.
G - Gold or Silver: Silver
H - Hometown: Chicago, IL
I - Insomnia: Nah, just a late night owl.
J - Job Title: Smartass
K - Kids: Don't have any, don't want any
L - Living Arrangements: With my hunky hubby.
M - Mum's Birthplace: Hrm..... Actually... I think it was Chicago, but I'm not sure.
N - Number of Apples: I prefer pears
O - Overnight Hospital Stays: None.
P - Phobia: Needles/piercings. One of my LJ friends has/had an icon of a nipple getting pierced. My stomach would turn every time I saw it.
R - Religious Affiliation: Um... good question
S - Siblings: 2 younger brothers
T - Time You Wake Up: Usually between 8-10
U - Unnatural Hair Colours You've Worn: Red, Purple
V - Vegetable You Refuse To Eat: Olives, spinach, cabbage
W - Worst Habit: Probably that smoking thing
X - X-Rays: Do teeth count? Otherwise, none.
Y - Yummy Foods You Make: Tuna sammiches! That's about it.
Z - Zodiac Sign: Aquarius.
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Jan. 19th, 2005 @ 01:42 am Social Moth
Current Mood: tired

Happy belated to [info]susobear, [info]lonestardreamer, [info]travelingcub, and [info]kjvbear.

I've been oddly social the past few days, and I've so far been getting better this year about getting out of the house.

Thursday was spent with my writers' group. They have found a more permanent location to meet in that isn't too far from my place, so definitely easier on me to get there and not worry about getting lost. I volunteered to update their mailing list though, and I didn't realize just how many people were on it. I've already gone through 40 names, and I think that's only a quarter of the names on the list.

Friday night, I met up with [info]kjvbear and his handsome partner, Rob at the bar for Karaoke Night. It was really great to see them, but unfortunately, I didn't get the courage to go up and sing anything until after they had left. Sorry boys. I don't think I did too bad, but my heart was still pounding a mile a minute.

Sunday I hung out with an old friend of mine for a good chunk of the day. I hadn't seen him in probably about 3 years, so it was great to chill and catch up. I also finally watched the movie Chicago. We own it here at home, but I had never taken the time to watch it all the way through. It was actually pretty good... for a musical.

And today I stopped by a new friend's place to watch Puppetry of the Penis. OYG, that was wrong on so many levels, but so so funny. I now have some creative things to try when I'm bored. lol

I'm finally reading Wicked. It's creative, but it seems to be moving sooo slow right now. Maybe it'll pick up as I go along.
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Jan. 13th, 2005 @ 10:11 pm MeMeMeMe
Current Mood: cold
Current Music: Beyoncé - Naughty Girl (Calderone & Quayle Club Mix)



Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence



You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well.
An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly.
You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view.
A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary.

You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.




You scored as Loner.

Loner

100%

Drama nerd

56%

Geek

56%

Punk/Rebel

44%

Goth

44%

Ghetto gangsta

19%

Prep/Jock/Cheerleader

19%

Stoner

0%

What's Your High School Stereotype?
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Jan. 12th, 2005 @ 04:58 pm It's January... Time for Shorts!
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Alejandro Fernandez - Me Dedique A Perderte

Y'know... Nick can be humorously dramatic at times... crying out "I'm dying" for every ailment from a raging migraine to small sniffle.... to which I usually just roll my eyes and continue on with my day. It would figure he would have to prove me wrong just once. Y'know, cuz I don't worry about him enough.

I'm usually not one to rant about the weather because, hey, I've lived here all my life, and I know what to expect. But what the hell! Christmas week was full of subzero windchills. New Year's brought downright balmy temperatures. Then there was over a foot of snow last week. And today it hit 60. Sixty! This is wreaking havoc on my sinuses.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the proper pronunciation of "zoology" is Zo Ah Luh Gee. Because people associate animals with zoos, Zu Ah Luh Gee became a common and eventually acceptable pronunciation.

And I guess this is somewhat comforting... anyone care to guess how old I am...?



You Are 24 Years Old



24




Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.


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Jan. 9th, 2005 @ 05:50 pm Wha Chu Say?
Current Mood: hungry
Current Music: Village People - Megamix

Happy belated to [info]comatt1, [info]kybearfuzz, and [info]woogy.

Happy Birthday to [info]madhugger!



And just cuz it's been a long ass time since I've done one of these....

Poll #415616 Pro Nun See Ay Shun
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

The branch of biology that deals with animals and animal life is...

View Answers

Zoology -- Zu Ah Luh Gee
11 (61.1%) 11 (61.1%)

Zoology -- Zo Ah Luh Gee
7 (38.9%) 7 (38.9%)

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Jan. 7th, 2005 @ 07:34 pm Conspiracy...
Current Mood: frustrated
Current Music: Holly James - Touch It [Wally Lopez Weekend Mix]

It would figure that when I get antsy and fidgety enough to want to get out of the house and do something, a foot of snow would fall, blocking my way.

It would figure that after said snow finishes falling, I somehow manage to catch a cold, coughing and blowing my brains out through my nose. My path of travel is now restricted from the couch to the washroom and back.

It would figure that now that I have no energy to leave said couch and not even the slightest thought of sex, a slew of boys (and mens) would flirt with me online, asking me to come hang out with them and engage in naughty behavior.

Bastards.

Nick brought home meds tonight. All I can say is, come tomorrow and Sunday, there's a slew of boys (and an Uber) that better watch their asses backs.
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Jan. 3rd, 2005 @ 10:26 pm Happy LJ Birthday
Current Mood: accomplished

Wait... weren't we just here? Have we ever left?

Today marks four years on LiveJournal. Of all the things I thought I'd commit to, I don't think I ever thought this would be one of them. LJ certainly has brought me some interesting friends and stories. I'm certainly not ashamed to admit that it plays a certain role in my life. It is, after all, a social gathering of sorts, where people can come exchange ideas and insults, share dreams and damnations, and revel in highs and haunts. LJ has allowed me to watch myself grow and learn. I'm quite obviously not the same person I was four years ago. I'm a bit more cautious, perhaps a bit more jaded. I'm also more experienced and can sense trouble coming a lil more quickly. I've learned a lot, usually the hard way, and this journal was always there. Recording... archiving...

So here I am. Four years older. Four years... wiser? Who knows.

Time for some review. And as always, repeats are in italics.

Things I've learned in the past year
  • Jumping to the worst-case scenario is never the way to confront an issue.

  • There is no such thing as a random act of behavior.

  • An emperor's son taught me that even I can be wrong once in a while.

  • Competition is not a healthy way to live my life.

  • I'm a stickler for manners and signs of respect.

  • The truth is the truth is the truth... but it's all in the presentation.

  • Some things are meant to be bitter. No amount of sugarcoating helps that.

  • Pride is a deadly sin... and weakness.

  • Some people really... really... don't get it.


Significant Stuff
  • Supposedly, the two-year mark is one of the roughest points in a relationship. After two and a half years, Nick and I have will have our squabbles now and then, but at the end of the day... he is the man that I cuddle with at night. He is the man that I protect and that I love.

  • I joined a couple organizations in an attempt to be more social. I'm still don't feel very "included" in one of them.

  • The truth is weird. Getting closer to one friend caused a rift between us; getting closer to another was probably the best thing I could have ever asked for.

  • My grandmother passed away.

  • Bears in the Woods 5 fell apart.

  • I came Out to my brother. Yay!

  • My father surprised me by becoming a lot more open and comfortable about me being gay.

  • I got to meet and visit a lot of old/new friends. I can't name them all here, but I hope to see them all again sometime soon.


Things I need to work on
  • If I don't want to diet, then I'd better as hell exercise.

  • I'm sure my friends would actually like to see me in person a lil more often.

  • That whole "worst-case scenario" thing? Yeah... that needs to not happen.
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Dec. 31st, 2004 @ 09:29 pm 2004 -- A Clip Show
Current Mood: full
Current Music: Billy Currington - I Got A Feelin'

Right Wing, Wrong Time -- One can't help but think of the old fable of the turtle and the hare. We scoffed at those slow bumpkin Red States, knowing that they'd never win.... and then they did. We could do little more than stand with our mouths open out of pure shock. The celebrity endorsements could not compete with the heart-tugging 9/11 pageant at Madison Square Garden. Whatever the case, our country was never so divided as it is now.

War in Iraq -- Remember when Bush said Iraqis would be back in power by July? Over 1200 Americans have died in the 'quick' resolution, some of them no older than 19. I'll be in shock and awe if this crap ever ends...

Was It Good For You? -- Sex & the City came to an end.... finally.

"Big House"keeping -- Martha, the perfect princess who could create a ten-course meal for five out of mustard and pine cones, apparently has other talents as well, involving a lil cheating, a lil lying, a lil stealing. And yet through it all, she kept her cool. Even in a jumpsuit, she maintains her Sainthood among the people, and her viewers anxiously await the day where she will pick up where she left off, continuously showing them just how much better she is than them, despite her prison time.

Sirius Gets Serious -- I'm sure people laughed when first presented with the idea of bottled water. "It's free! What idiot would actually pay for it?" They're kicking themselves now. There was probably a similar reaction to satellite radio. Who in their right mind would pay to listen to the radio? Apparently, a lot of people. Satellite radio sales boomed in 2004, offering less commercials, better reception, and most importantly, no nasty FCC.

Hippies: the Next Generation -- With plenty to get upset about, there was an incredible rise in protests, both on the grassroots and organizational levels. MoveOn.org broke fund-raising records. Fahrenheit 9/11 brought in millions. Famous artists organized festivals and readings. "Vote or Die." The word activism started to mean something again... until November 3. Watching all that hard work crumble away was just too much for some to bear, left with nothing more than a "What now?" feeling.

Documentary? Blockbuster? Huh? -- There was once a time when people yawned at the very mention of a documentary, and the biggest outlet the film could ask for was PBS. Moore changed all that. We were a people yearning for a scapegoat... and Moore gladly provided one in Fahrenheit 9/11. I'm sure the fact that he made $120 million doing it was a very small incentive. Spurlock fascinated us all with Super Size Me by telling us the obvious: too much fast food is bad for you. *shock!* No one stopped to think that too much of any food would be bad for you. If he ate nothing but fancy foie gras and frou frou filet mignon, I'm sure his body would've suffered quite a bit, but hey, it's much more fun to pick on a national food chain, isn't it? It's also more profitable, at $27 million.

I Want My MTV DVD -- Watching reruns of your favorite show on basic cable is no longer efficient enough for us instant-gratification Americans. Rather than watch a show faithfully week after week, you can now wait for the entire season to come out on DVD and just watch it all in one sitting. Television shows' ratings are becoming less and less of an indicator of who's watching, as more people are skipping the television airwaves and heading straight to the DVD shelves.

"I Am A Gay American" -- A strong statement by New Jersey governor James McGreevey. Although a simple statement, it was quite reflective of how many Americans had felt over the year. Illegal civil marriages in San Francisco brought tears to our eyes. The moment may have been fleeting... but it was real nonetheless. We all shared and frolicked in the newlyweds' joy after the legal ceremonies in Massachusetts. We cried tears of sadness as eleven states stripped gay couples of any legal protection. We have made great leaps this year, but we must continue to be strong because the hurdles will only get higher.

Trashy, the New Black -- You know who they are. The popular girls. Whether you loved or hated them, you knew who they were... and what they did. Paris Hilton and her sex tapes. Nicky Hilton and her 2 1/2-month marriage. Nicole Richie and her arrest for heroin. Mary-Kate got an eating disorder. Lindsay Lohan's dad needed a half million to post bail, and Tara Reid pulled a Janet... and didn't even notice. Oh how we love our Wild Side Girls... don't we Martha?

Peas in an iPod -- Pod People are everywhere now. iPod, that is. 3.6 million people bought iPods this year, though half of them bought it to listen to their iLlegal downloads.

Curses! -- The Red Sox. Do I really need to say anything else?

Poker, Anyone? Everyone? -- ESPN2 played hour after hour after hour of Poker. Bravo played hour after hour of Celebrity Poker. If you don't know how to play by now, you're obviously not from this planet.

See? One Can Be Fake and Smart... -- The Daily Show won two Emmys and put out a book that spent several months at Number 1 on the Times' bestseller list. As ratings spike and big-name guests continue to visit the show, we see that laughter is a much better form of education than endless repetition. Even though CNN reports the same news over and over again, its viewers are obviously not paying attention. Studies have shown that The Daily Show's viewers are better informed than those of CNN's. How's that for "a show that follows prank-calling puppets"?

End of an Era -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, a Nobel prize-winning peacemaker, died at 75 years old from a brain hemorrhage.
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Dec. 31st, 2004 @ 06:44 pm An Old Dad Learns New Tricks
Current Mood: shocked
Current Music: Chayanne - Cuidarte el Alma

Happy belated to [info]lostlakebear and [info]misterr.

Happy Birthday to [info]guinnesscub!

The day after Christmas, Nick came home from visiting his relatives in Michigan, and I dug into my lil Christmas bag to give him the gifts that my parents had given to him. Last year, it was obvious that they were gifts from my mother, since she does all the shopping anyway and the gift tags were written with her handwriting. I hadn't bothered to look at the gifts closely before giving them to Nick, so I assumed it would be much the same this year.

But as I gave them to him, I let out a incredible gasp of shock: "Holy Shit."

There on the gift tag was written.... "To Nick... From The Folks"

....in my father's handwriting.

!!!

Okay, I realize this may not seem like a big deal to some people, but it really really is. When I came Out to my parents about 4 or 5 years ago, my father told me that I was going through a phase. While my mother and I had several conversations about my "gay life" and whom I'd been dating long after my Outing, my father and I never brought up the subject. I knew that he just wasn't prepared to accept it.

But now, here was blatant evidence that not only did he accept me as gay, but he also accepted Nick as a part of my life. These five little words required a conscious acceptance and acknowledgement that I never thought I would get from him.

Even today, when I stopped by the apartment to help my father move some of my grandmother's old furniture into their place, he asked me how my Christmas was. I told him, "I was with you guys all day," to which he responded, "Well, yeah, but I didn't know if you had any other plans with Nick."

I thought, "Nick? You're actually mentioning his name? Asking about him and how we live together? Holy crap...." My father then asked if Nick liked his gifts. Whoa.

It may not seem big... but I'm still reeling a bit.

I have to give my father a lot of credit. I never thought he'd come around or handle conversation as comfortably as he did today.

Nice to know that my dad can still be pretty damn cool.
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Dec. 27th, 2004 @ 09:57 pm (no subject)
Current Mood: shocked

Everyone already knows of what is happening out in Asia, but I wanted to just make a quick note in my own journal, so that I could look back and remember.

The magnitude 9.0 quake struck about 7 a.m. Sunday and was centered about 100 miles off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island at a depth of about 6.2 miles.

Tsunamis swept across the Indian Ocean, killing more than 22,000 people. The giant waves also left thousands injured and missing as well as hundreds of thousands homeless in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Sri Lanka had been suffering from a civil war, and land mines uprooted by the tidal waves make relief efforts difficult.

"The entire Maldives, I think, for a moment disappeared from the planet Earth. Some islands may have completely disappeared, we don't know yet. But all the islands have been affected." -- Hassan Sabir, Maldives' high commissioner.

The earthquake was so powerful it made the Earth wobble on its axis and permanently altered the regional map, moving small islands as much as 66 feet.
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Dec. 26th, 2004 @ 03:05 pm Christmas Outing
Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Christina Aguilera - The Christmas Song (Thunderpuss Remix)

Happy belated to [info]mindcrime414.

Happy Birthday to [info]funkymonkey70!

Whew, it has been a rough couple of days. Nick and I had to do some last-minute pick-ups on Thursday, so we each headed our separate ways and by pure luck met up in Boystown at the same time. We decided to have Chinese at our fave restaurant there. Something in the chicken though didn't sit well with my stomach, and I had an awfully rumbly tummy for about 36 hours after that. Nothing too horrible though.

Since Uber and I would be visiting our respective families for Christmas, we exchanged our own gifts on Thursday night. As I've mentioned before, I'm not very good at telling people what I want for Christmas. I did manage to come up with a small list for Nick though because he kept bugging me about it. I have to admit, I was pretty happy about the stuff I got, including a few DVDs, a new hoodie, a new camera, and Jon Stewart's America.

Tangent: I'm definitely not one of those people who make long lists/posts about who I received Christmas cards from. "I got a card from Joe... and Flo... and Beau..." Bleh. It reminds me of junior high during Valentine's/Halloween/Christmas time, and lil Tommy's or lil Nicole's desk would be piled with cards from his/her friends in class. You looked down at your five, knowing that they came from those kids who bought their cards in stock and gave everyone the same one.... and there was probably one "crush" card from that kid in the back who liked to eat glue. Lil Tommy or Nicole would come over and say "Look at allllll my cards!!" Oh shut up already. Anyway, thanks to all those who sent cards and/or well-wishes, and here's hoping the ones we sent got there on time.

Moving on... I spent most of Friday afternoon wrapping presents and watching various Christmas movies on television. I layered up (bbrrrrrrr......) and stopped by my best friend's house for a lil get-together that she was having that evening where we had a few hors d'ouerves and opened presents. I received a couple of new candles, vanilla-scented incense, and a bottle of wine. Nikki and Grace both were happy with the different types of candle holders Nick and I had gotten them, but everyone seemed especially fascinated with the small butane lighter I got for Nikki. It flashed a number of bright lights when opened, and although a bit cheesy, it was perfectly Nikki, so I had to pick it up.

After Nikki's party Friday night, I was utterly exhausted, so I came home and plopped into bed for a couple hours, waking up around midnight, realizing that I still had presents left to wrap. Unfortunately, somewhere around 2 a.m., I fucking ran out of tape. GrrrrrrrrRRR.... I can really only blame myself though, since I should have picked some more up when I bought the wrapping paper. Oh well. I decided to go to sleep, setting my alarm a lil bit earlier. After approximately 4 hours of sleep, the alarm went off, and I layered up, preparing for my trek through the bitter cold. I ventured to 7-Eleven, hoping they would have some tape so that I could finish my wrapping. Nope. "All out," the clerk told me. Ugh. Walgreens would not be open until 9, and I needed to be at my parent's church by 9. Dammit. So I walked 3/4 of a mile to a gas station, praying to the gift-wrapping deities that they would have some tape.

Now, normally, 3/4 of a mile isn't very far. But in below-zero wind chills, it felt like one of the longest walks I had ever taken. Having been outside for almost a half hour now, I was definitely feeling the cold. I kept rubbing and scrunching my nose, just to make sure it was still there.

( A Christmas Story.... )

But perhaps the best part of the evening came just before the Grab Bag Gift exchange. My aunt, who lived there at the house, called me up to the kitchen. I thought she wanted help with something, so I followed, but when we got there, she turned and said, "I don't know how to approach you with this... but is there someone special in your life?"

I assumed that she had noticed the wedding band on my finger. Yes, there is.
"Okay... well, I didn't know if your parents knew about it or anything--"
They do...
"I just wanted to let you know that your significant other is totally welcome to come whenever I'm holding an event."
Thanks... I really appreciate it. It's just kinda difficult...
"Well, I am totally cool with it. I have a number of gay friends, and it's no big deal..."
Like I said, thank you... really. It's just awkward because I know some relatives wouldn't be so cool with it...
"Like Butch and Danny..."
...right. Plus, I only see you guys on holidays, and that's really not the best time to bring up something controversial.
*laughs* "Yeah, that's for sure."
But really... thanks. I appreciate it so much.
"Okay, no problem."
*big hugz*

It really was an interesting moment. She also had to be going on pure assumption, since I know my parents haven't said anything to her about me being gay. It did feel good to have her support. But now that she has confirmed it and will be sure to talk with my mother about it, I wonder how long it will be before it starts leaking to the rest of the family. This could actually turn out for the best though, since it is probable that they will only tell folks that they know will also be supportive, so by the time the not-so-cool relatives find out about me, they'll be outnumbered. Also, perhaps in this scenario, it is best for them to hear about it from a relative that they are closer to than me. Since I only see them at special events, it might be better for some of them to hear about it from people they see on a more regular basis and for them to also see how comfortable they are with it. Ah well... we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out, but I certainly feel a lot better knowing that at least a couple relatives have my back.
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Dec. 21st, 2004 @ 07:48 am Don't Mind the Bullet Hole in the Alarm Clock
Current Mood: cranky
Current Music: Lonestar - Mr. Mom

As I have warned many folks and as Nick has learned full well by now, I am not a morning person. Upon waking, I communicate via grunts, grumbles, and burning glares of death. Even if I do manage to form words, it's probably best that I don't because I can be one mean bitch.

It has now dawned on me (no pun intended) that I probably should not read LiveJournal first thing in the morning. I did hold back from making quite a few comments, but I found myself saying internally:

"Pft, who cares..."
"Whatever."
"You're not posting about that again, are you..."
"Moron."

Happy posts just annoy me all that much further because honestly, I cannot handle cheery people in the morning. As [info]ericdabear witnessed at BitW, I do not deal well with people who can shout "Good Morning!" with a bright smile on their face. Ugh. *thwack*

Anyway, my point was, I'm not that mean of a person. Really. No... really. It's just that first hour or so of waking up that I resemble that cranky old man down the street who sits on his porch and yells at anyone who crosses his line of vision. I'm really not sure why either; I've just always been like that.

Now where's my damn coffee.
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