So there I was, right....minding my own business

This morning

2007-10-23T08:35:00.001-04:00

On my way to work this morning, this is what I saw.

I've been a bit off lately and for some reason, seeing this on the way to Metro made everything seem alright....or maybe it was hearing "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne on my ipod. God, I love that song!

The End Times or the Best Thing Ever?

2007-10-17T10:36:00.001-04:00

Stephen Colbert is running for President.

See here and here and here.

I think it is both wonderful and horrific. Have our elections have become this much of a joke? I think so. It is the only thing that really explains why we the 2008 campaign began in 2006.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Colbert is going to do pretty well in South Carolina and quite possibly in many other states. As of right now, I'm not prepared to say that I won't vote for him. Seems to me that at least with him in the White House, we can expect to laugh because he wants us to, rather than laughing because we can't cry any more.

2008 part 2

2007-10-15T08:46:00.000-04:00

Evidently my last post about potential Democratic nominees for the Presidency in 2008 was a bit harsh. I have even been called a Republican for writing out what I bet a lot of us feel. In order to be fair (ish) I have decided to go through the GOP candidates as well. (You might want to get a nice stiff drink)

Mitt Romney - I really don't care that he is Mormon. I think Mormonism is a bit kooky, but honestly, so are most religions if you really step back and look at them. That's where faith comes in, it doesn't have to make sense to believe in it. What I do have a problem with is his obvious pandering to whoever he thinks has the votes to get him elected. He did the same thing in every election he has been a part of. Quite the opposite of his father, who doomed his nomination to the Vice Presidency for being honest and forthright.

Fred Thompson - Are you kidding? You look like the Emperor from Star Wars. Your claim to fame is being on Law & Order? What in the world makes you think you are qualified to be the President!

Ron Paul - He has absolutely no chance at the nomination, but if GOP voters were smart, they'd take a second or third look at him. He has stood for the traditional GOP values of low taxes, small government and a restrictive foreign policy. While I don't agree with much of what he believes, he seems to be a good man.

Sam Brownback - Opus Dei in the White House? Really? Since when do evangelicals like the Catholics? Regardless, he's a crazy nut. He doesn't believe in evolution, which is his right, but I'll be damned if he gets the opportunity to make us the laughing stock of the world. Being in the Senate from my home state is bad enough.

Rudy - Oh Rudy.... why are you doing this? You know you can't win with the conservative right wing and the liberals don't trust you. Besides, there are pictures of you in drag, flyover moms in the Midwest and South don't want their baby boys to see that, even if those future gays are already listening to Cher and Madonna.

Mike Huckabee - You did a fantastic job as governor of Arkansas. You made a difference in people's health and were a fantastic example to them. You are, however, nothing like Clinton. You have a name that evokes ridicule and a blue cartoon dog. Sorry bud, but that does not make people feel safe.

Duncan Hunter - Yup, you are a conservative. Nope, you have no power in the minority. Did you just get bored sitting in the House? You are a respected congressman on defense issues, why are you screwing it up?

Alan Keyes - Look, I enjoy seeing people make themselves look ridiculous as much as anyone else, but come ON! You've already run for President twice and for the Senate three times and you have NEVER won anything! Give it a rest. Call Clarence Thomas and bitch about whitey or something.

John McCain - You are too old and are a bit too angry for me. Even though you want to destroy my livelihood, I have a lot of respect for you, drop out of the race so that I can keep some of that.

Tom Tancredo - We all know you are running to get your issues (or issue, immigration) on TV as much as possible. Anyone with a brain knows that nothing is going to happen legislatively on immigration until January 2009 at the earliest, so feel free to keep spouting your vitriol and I'll make sure I don't listen.

So there are my thoughts on the Republicans - I am back to where I began. I don't like any of them, but in the end it really doesn't matter because I live in DC and my vote doesn't really count.

2008

2007-10-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

The first GOP debate to include Fred Thompson was held last night. I didn't watch it, as I haven't watched any of the seemingly innumerable debates for either party. Personally, I don't like debates. The only thing I have ever learned from a debate is that I didn't like either or any of the candidates. They all seem fake to me when "debating." Now, if there was an honest-to-God debate, where candidates truly faced off on a single issue and were required to be truthful, I might watch.

This actually brings me to another point, I really don't like ANY of the candidates running for President. As partisan as it is, I'm not even remotely considering any of the GOP candidates, but even the Democrats leave me wanting so much more. Please note that the statements below are not going to backed up by facts, they are just my personal feelings.

Hillary - She seems overly greedy to me. I don't really know why, but I have a hard time trusting her.

Barack - Good lord, I have more experience as a lobbyist than this guy does in federal government. How am I supposed to believe you have the knowledge for the job? It certainly didn't work for W.

Edwards - I admit it, I liked the guy in 2004, I supported him over Kerry. I have seen the light, he's too smarmy. He's a trial lawyer and can't even get one labor union to endorse him. That's a problem.

Richardson - great guy, good governor - oughta run for Senate.

Kucinich - this guy is great.... as a nutty member of the House. Stay there!

Biden - I think he is one of the smartest people running for President by far. That's why I dont understand why he is running at all. JOE! We need you in the Senate! Quit running for President!

Chris Dodd - Again, stay in the Senate, you are a great guy, but really... a liberal from the Northeast CANT WIN!

Mike Gravel - um, weren't my parents in elementary school when you were in the Senate? Give me a break! Do something more worthwhile, become the anti-Bill O'Reilly, but don't waste my time!

So yeah, I am not excited about this election. I'll be a good little sheep and vote for whatever ticket the Dems put up....again, but can't we TRY to find some candidates who really will unite America and fulfill the rhetoric we spout?

UPDATE - Ryan sent me this link - maybe I should just trust my vote to it ;)

SFO, Folsom and other things

2007-10-03T15:13:00.000-04:00

Another week has passed! My apologies.

Long story short, I went to San Francisco this past weekend to visit my great friend Chris. Curt came with me from DC and bestest bud Ryan came in from Vegas. It was a grand gay time. It also happened to coincide with the Folsom Street Fair. If you haven't heard of it, I suggest you check the link. I am also going to include a link to the pictures I took at this year's fair. WARNING!!! Some of these pictures are not suitable for work, young children, mothers, conservative Christians and others who might take offense at sexual content.

All in all it was fun. I drank too much, especially at the fair, but it was fantastic seeing Chris and Ryan again after way too long. And being back in SFO was nice as well.

Curt and I flew there and back on the new Virgin America airline. I strongly recommend you fly it. It was fantastic! They have these little touch screen monitors in the back of every seat where you can watch movies, listen to music (3500 MP3s), watch TV, chat with others on the plane (either seat to seat or in chat rooms), play video games. Best of all you also can order food and drink through it. So if you feel the need for vodka, but the cart isn't coming through... no problem, just swipe your credit card (no cash allowed) and within 2 minutes very attractive flight attendants (at least the 3 on the way back to IAD) will bring it to you.

Lastly, I had a slight health issue yesterday. Nothing permanent and I am fine now, but I had a pretty nasty reaction to my allergy shots and went into anaphylaxis, a form of anaphylactic shock. I was able to get back to my doctor's office in time - they shot me full of drugs and after awhile I was ok.

So yeah! That was my week, how's yours?

Where did a week go?

2007-09-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

Has it really been a week since I last posted? Weird.

Anyway - things have been very busy for yours truly, professionally and socially. Work is work, I am still trying to cover for folks that are no longer with the company, but there is probably going to be a break for the rest of the week while Congress passes a CR. I will only be at work 3 days this week though, so I really don't care that much. Our first new intern started today- seems like a nice kid, has only screwed up once today. I think that is pretty good for your first day.

Dating is going, I suppose. I am still hanging out with the 22 year old. Having a really good time, but still not sure how much of a match we are. Until then, the options are open. :)

Moving back to why I will only be at work for three days this week. I am going to San Francisco to visit Chris and see Ryan. Some of you might know that I was supposed to go out in March for my birthday, but my flight got cancelled. :( While there we will also be going to the Folsom Street Fair. I am a both excited and scared about that. ;)

New York City

2007-09-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

Ah, New York. I think I have told you all before about my dislike for the city before my trip in July. This weekend's trip solidified that change in opinion. It is a great place to be and I can honestly see myself living there, if certain things were different, namely my occupation (it is a bit more challenging to be a federal lobbyist when not in DC).

My bus Friday morning was full, but very clean and new. It still had new bus smell, in fact. I got there early enough that I was second in line so I had my choice of seats. By the time we left, a very elderly Asian man was my seat mate - he slept most of the trip, so I count that as a good bus karma.

Friday afternoon, Daniel and I went shopping before Curt arrived. I have been on a fairly strict budget for about nine months and shopping was not included, but my new salary went into effect Sept. 1 and I think I was able to spend most of that first paycheck this weekend. ;) We went to bars in Midtown that evening - had a great time, finally arriving home to Daniel's apt around 4AM.

Saturday, we putzed around the city most of the day. Ended up having dinner at a really nice place called Bar Stuzzichini. It was reviewed in the Times last week and is a Italian tapas kind of place. I highly recommend it- the food was excellent and the service, impeccable. After dinner, we hit the East Village bars. All I can say is now that I have been there, I really don't feel the need to go back....ever.

Sunday, after a disappointing brunch at Cafeteria, Curt and I walked around Chelsea (including the Piers and Market) and then headed to Central Park. It was a beautiful day and, after studying, Daniel was able to join us before we had to head to catch the bus home. The ride home was nice as well, about 4.5 hours, although it was again a full bus. Nevertheless, I would recommend the company, DC2NY, to anyone wanting an option between the train and the chinatown buses.

I want to thank Ryan, Cooper and Adam for meeting us out at various times during the weekend. It really meant a lot to me.

PS My sincere apologies. I forgot to mention that I went to the Mets game on Saturday with Daniel. We had seats on the top deck, so top, in fact, that I had a great view of NYC. A great view of the game as well, even tho the mean ol'Phillies won. It was also Bucket Hat Day (see below)

Crazy Times, Rude People & Dating

2007-09-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

So interviewing potential interns is not my forte. I have now interviewed almost 15 young people who think they are the shit and tomorrow I get to tell probably 12 of them that they are not wanted. We have a number of good candidates and a number of really poor ones. They all look pretty good on paper, but over the phone a couple have been utterly depressing. I think we are going to hire one former Navy guy, wonder if he is cute....

On Monday night, well after work hours, one of our staff sent an e-mail to my bosses informing them that he was resigning, effective immediately. Now, he was not critical staff by any means and was definitely not happy working here, but seriously - quitting with no notice? How professionally destructive can someone be? My bosses are furious, not so much over the fact he is gone, but because less than a week ago they asked him directly if he was looking for another job and he said no. My bosses can handle a lot of stuff, but directly lying to their faces is not one of them. Many of you out there are probably thinking, "I would probably lie as well if I didn't want my bosses to know I was looking." The problem in this instance is that the young man in question knew for a fact that I had been looking for a job for a while and was completely open and honest with my bosses about it, including telling them when I had interviews and such. So he KNEW that they would not react poorly to an admission that he was searching for a new position. Long story short....well, ok not so short - I am glad he is gone. I cannot abide rude, stupid and unprofessional people.

I had a fantastic second date with the older guy. We got some drinks and then went to a movie screening. He actually gives me butterflies of the stomach. It's fun. :)

The younger guy got sick this week so I likely won't see him until I get back from NYC. The more and more I think about it, I really see him as a friend and not a lover. Kinda sucks.

Another busy weekend

2007-09-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

I swear I am going to have to leave town in order to get a relaxing weekend. Not that I didn't have a great time, but I am exhausted and very much not looking forward to interviewing 8 potential interns over today and tomorrow.

Friday evening, I met up with Marcus and Curt at Bear Happy Hour. For those who have not attended, it is actually a lot of fun. Everyone is very friendly, even tho the bar refuses to properly cool the space. After, we staggered to the Green Lantern for more drinks.

On Saturday, I woke up wicked early and gathered 3 folks to head to the Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association Stampede (read big gay rodeo). It was a lot of fun, much better than last year. Kudos to my friend Matt, the Rodeo Director. The weather was great, if a bit warm and even with sunblock I got a nice burn. Oh well.

After the rodeo, Paul and I refreshed at my apartment before going to snag some free booze and food at the GMCW new members party a couple doors down from my apartment building. I had a good time and later was very glad that I had stuffed myself.

I then met up with Mike, Scott et al for Scott's birthday. We had many many many drinks at Chez Mike before walking over to Cobalt. Not usually my favorite place, but the company made the evening a lot of fun.

Sunday I woke up early to meet up with Ben, the guy from Philly. We had a long brunch at a place in Arlington. He invited me to visit anytime and specifically for a party he is having in late October. Yet another man I wish was living in DC. Oh well. Maybe I should take him up on his offer to visit.

They mentioned it

2007-09-05T14:50:00.000-04:00

See post below about why, but the bosses just called me in. They did not accept the terms I outlined for them, but did offer a very nice package so I accepted. I am now supposed to consider myself management. Pretty neat :)

Yet another

2007-09-05T11:03:00.000-04:00

So back in February, the GMCW sang a traditional concert with the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus. After which, we had a small party. At said party, I met a very nice young man from Philly named Ben. Ben is going to be visiting DC this weekend and has called repeatedly to ensure that he gets to see me while he is here. He is a really great guy and yet another person that I wished lived in DC. Damn logistics!

My bosses haven't mentioned a word to me about my requests for staying with the firm another year. I wonder if I should mention it to them. What do you think?

And another thing, my office floor is undergoing renovations, so now I actually have to take an elevator just to fill up my water bottle.. how annoying!

Back to Work

2007-09-04T12:53:00.000-04:00

Stupid September, stupid Congress, stupid work.

It was a really fun weekend. Got to see some friends that I haven't seen in ages. Met a nice guy at Nellie's on Saturday - had a good date with him on Sunday. Had a date with the youngster on Monday, ran into him Sunday & Friday night as well. All in all a good time.

Was also able to get back into strength training at the gym. I've been focusing on cardio for a while, but decided to try adding some strength training to kick start my metabolism. I haven't been losing weight as quickly as I would like. So we shall see. I am currently in the good kind of pain after three straight days of multi-hour work outs. I am walking a bit funny (No comments, Cooper) because my hips are sore, putting on a shirt is almost torture and I kinda like it. :)

Labor Day

2007-08-31T11:36:00.000-04:00

I have no huge Labor Day weekend plans. It damn well better be a nice relaxing three day weekend, because Congress comes back on Tuesday and the proverbial feces is going to impact on the air circulation device!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Back to Normalcy

2007-08-29T10:44:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the former President for that invented word, but I am back in my office. My parents are off, now knowing more about me and my life. I have a date tomorrow and plans with great friends over the long weekend. Life is pretty darn good.

How are you?

PS - I want to really thank everyone who has called/texted/emailed/left comments of support for me. It really means a lot.

I did it!

2007-08-27T08:01:00.000-04:00

It is such a beautiful morning!! The pic above is from my office window about 20 minutes ago (I know, how in the world did i get to work at 7:40AM on a Monday?!?!)

Anyway, my parents are in town and last night, I made dinner for them. After dinner, I told them I was gay. They were really great about it. They said they raised me to be true to myself and they were proud that I had finally told them. They did ask why it took me so long to tell them, oh well. I also asked them what they thought about how the extended family would react. They said, "who cares? If they are fine with it great, if not screw them."

I come from good people. :)

Where is Paul Revere?

2007-08-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

I needed some warning! My parents called yesterday, they are coming to DC.... on Saturday! I am glad they are coming and I am hoping to get to spend some good quality time with them.... and not want to kill them. :)

Square One

2007-08-21T13:04:00.001-04:00

I am back to it.

Monday's Suck, But I Am Still In A Good Mood

2007-08-20T08:55:00.000-04:00

It is almost 10AM, I have been in my office two hours and haven't done a darn thing yet. Granted it is August, so there isn't really a whole lot to be done, but still. I should try to knock out some things. Maybe this afternoon. :)

So the hanging out/dates this weekend.... the first one was a good time. We went to see an exhibit at the Library of Congress that has been open for over a decade, but was closing Saturday -- nothing like waiting till the last minute, I suppose. Decent conversation with the guy, enough to warrant lunch after the exhibit. We groused about annoying tourists. Turns out he used to work with my good friend Curt. All in all a very nice guy, but I didn't really feel any romantic attraction. Oh well.

The second didn't start too auspiciously. He asked to push back the time and then was late to that. I don't deal well with lateness. However, he made up for it quickly by just being himself - a very vibrant, outgoing and friendly person. Made me feel at ease and very comfortable. We had a couple drinks and played pool (even tho he didn't really want to) at a bar called the 18th Amendment. Then we headed down to Remmy's to meet up with some friends of his. I had a great time with all of them. I was a little disappointed to not get some more one on one time, but it sorta makes sense to have friends in the area when on a first meeting, ya know? Anyway, at the end of the evening, he drove us back to the place he is housesitting and after meeting the dog, I walked home. No funny business or anything.

Before the evening ended, however, the date invited me to brunch and dinner with his friends on Sunday. I already had some plans for Sunday so wasn't sure I could go, but I did end up heading over to play some games and have dinner with them. It was a lot of fun. Hopefully, I'll get to see him again soon. :)

Is it a full moon or something?

2007-08-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

I ask because it is too hot for Hell to have frozen over. Regardless, in the last week, I have been asked to have drinks with not one, not two, but seven different gentlemen. They range in age from 22-45. Thus far, I haven't met any of them (with the exception of the date mentioned in the previous post - who, btw, echoed my feeling that there was not a romantic connection between us), but I think I probably will at least have drinks with 3 of them. Some of the others strike me as just looking for sex and while that is quite flattering and often a bit too descriptive, it isn't really what I am currently looking for.

Monday Morning Ouch

2007-08-13T08:50:00.000-04:00

It sounded like such a good idea. Two dollar vodka drinks on a nice Sunday afternoon with friends. Doesn't that sound pleasant? Well, it was a lot of fun until this morning. Stupid vodka.

The date/hanging out over lunch yesterday went well. He is a nice guy, we had decent conversation (except for a few problems including him remembering he has told a few of my friends they are racists and him telling me all about his date from the night before). Regardless, I didn't feel much romantic interest in him, so I'll be sending him an e-mail today saying that. *sigh* oh well.

How was your weekend?

Finally Friday

2007-08-10T08:38:00.001-04:00

August is always a really slow month in DC. Congress is gone, most folks are vacationing and its too freaking hot and humid to be outside if you don't have to. For the first time since I have been in DC, I am not going anywhere in August. I usually go to Montreal around the first of August for the Divers-Cite event (sorta half Pride, half community party), but couldn't get the funds together for it this year. Oh well. Some friends from Connecticut went and I am sure had a grand time.

So I saw gym guy again last night. We were on the exact same machines as the last time I saw him. Maybe I will MC him this time.

The guy who I was supposed to hang out with yesterday night had to cancel because of work, so we are doing brunch on Sunday instead. I found out that we know a few people in common so I am going to do some asking about him before Sunday, as I am sure he is doing as well. I am still looking forward to meeting him, at the very least it is a new person. I have come to the conclusion that I want to broaden my pool of people I hang out with, so this is a good start.

Tomorrow, I am helping another friend move (why do people always choose the hottest month of the year for this crap?) and then probably going to see a movie, I think it is called Stardust - Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and some other A-listers. It looks weird and sci-fish and I will probably love it.

New Office

2007-08-07T16:28:00.000-04:00

I just moved into my new office. My first with a window and it overlooks the Mall, well it has a view of it at least. I can see the Washington Monument and Capitol Building. Below is a phone pic of my view. Sorry its blurry, but it is the best I can do so far.

A slight plug for a great organization

2007-08-07T09:10:00.000-04:00

I volunteered last night at Food & Friends. For those of you outside DC, or those in who haven't heard of F&F, the mission of Food & Friends is to foster a community caring for men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling. It really is a great organization and I have a great time volunteering there.

After I got home, I just vegged for a bit before going to bed. I did get a message from a guy on friendster. He seems nice, we are going to meet up for a casual dinner on Thursday. At the very least, he is very smart and will undoubtedly make for some great conversation.

Tonight, I am heading to the gym (I wonder if cute boy from Friday will be there) and then to dinner with Paul and Guy. I am really looking forward to catching up with Paul - it has been way too long.

Weekends are supposed to be restful

2007-08-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

This one wasn't. I was crazy busy. I worked the second job on Saturday, then did some great cardio at the gym, went to dinner with my friend Chris, then met up with Malaika and Carol to head to the lesbian bar (where they almost didn't let me in, again), and was supposed to meet up with Brian later at Remmy's but he never showed. I did, however, meet a very nice young man named Gabe. His way of saying hello was certainly unique. He asked if he knew me from a website called Bear411. Now, I certainly do have profiles up on a number of sites (myspace, facebook, friendster...), but Bear411 is not one of them. He was very embarrassed, so I sought to sooth him by striking up a conversation. It was quite fun. JP was the good boy, however. I did not ask him for his number, nor did I give him mine. And no, Cooper, I did not take him home anyway. He did make sure to let me know where he would be this upcoming Friday, so who knows, maybe I will see him again.

On Friday, at the gym, I had an amazing workout due to a wonderful young man in an orange shirt. Simply put, he was beautiful. He was on the stairmaster in front of me, while I was sweating off the calories on the elliptical. Stunning. I had thoughts about MCing him, but chickened out. Oh well, maybe next time. :)

And, most exciting of all, my friend Katherine is now a DC resident! We moved her into her new digs on Sunday. She has a fantastic place over by the stadium, very close to metro. I am wicked excited for her to be closer in than the wilds of Silver Spring.

Just found out

2007-08-02T14:36:00.000-04:00

I didn't get the job.

Vacations

2007-08-02T09:38:00.000-04:00

I need a vacation. I am coming to the conclusion that I say that more often than I should, in large part because I haven't been taking as much time off this year as I have previously.

I hereby resolve to take more trips this fall. My hope is to make it to NYC at least 3 times before Xmas and to SFO at least once. Some road-trips/weekend jaunts are also necessary. Maybe I really will rent that cabin in West Virginia that I've been talking about for a year or so.

I love planning trips. It makes the work day go so much faster.

Other duties as assigned.

2007-07-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

One of my bosses' favorite terms when assigning crappy work or bizarre tasks is to say that it falls under the "other duties as assigned" section of our contract. I have a few problems with this clause.

First, literally every possible task can fall under it. Some of the tasks most unrelated to my job function I have had to perform include being a chauffeur, going with the boss to buy a new car for him, picking up cigars, getting coffee, etc. Granted, since I work in a small office, some of these things are to be expected, but now that I am much nearer to the top of the hierarchy than the bottom, I expected these tasks to decrease.

Second, it just gets old to hear the same excuse all the time. Some of the folks I work with, to put it bluntly, are not performing to an acceptable level. Therefore, the bosses often task me with things others should be doing, but aren't. My question is, how are these other people supposed to learn how do to their jobs effectively if A) they aren't told they are failing to perform necessary tasks and B) they don't get the chance to perform tasks?

Wow, I feel much better. Not quite as much better as I will when I polish off another bottle of wine tonight, but some.

Hope you are all enjoying your Mondays!

PS - I just learned that a friend of mine was attacked on the bus in SFO. He intervened to protect a woman. Kudos to him for being brave enough to step in and say something. I hope I would do the same in his position.

Memories and Booze

2007-07-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

Last night, some friends and I went to Nellie's for a few drinks. Readers will remember that Nellie's is the new gay sports bar in DC. We had a grand time just talking and drinking. We also had a few shots....well, not shots really, Irish Car Bombs. If you have never had one, I strongly suggest one. They consist of 3/4 of a pint of Guinness, half a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey and half a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream. You drop the shot glass into the Guinness and down the whole thing. The Bailey's tends to curdle a bit so you have to drink it fast.

I was a good boy and was home by midnight. Woke up this morning refreshed and with not a touch of hangover. Unlike a certain friend who called me on his way to work this morning and was feeling pretty rough. I tried not to laugh, but it was funny!

This weekend is shaping up to be a busy one. My second job e-mailed me and begged me to work this weekend so I will be doing that on Saturday and maybe Sunday. I have a going away BBQ on Saturday evening as well. Most importantly though, one of my dear dear friends, Daniel, is having two going away dinners. He is moving to NYC to attend Fordham Law School. I know he will be a big success, but I will miss him very very much. *tear*

NYC, I am giving you fair warning. If you hurt Daniel, I will end you.

Dinner in DC

2007-07-25T08:40:00.000-04:00

All week I have been really tired and sorta bored at work. It isn't that I don't have things to do, but none of them are all that pressing and therefore, I procrastinate. Oh well.

Last night, I tried out a new restaurant in my neighborhood called Locanda.It is sort of a Mediterranean/Italian mix. We started out with a very good dry white wine called Bianco, I think I may have to pick up some bottles, quite refreshing. Anyway, we had an appetizer of calamari fritti (always a good choice with JP). It was good, but overly salty. My guest (who I will talk about more later) had the gnocchi with a pesto sauce and I had the baked macaroni (they used some fancy name, but it was just thin penne) and cheese with some prosciutto on top. If you live in DC, I would strongly suggest giving this place a try.

So.. my dinner guest was the infamous NYC rugged man, Billy. He was in town for a mix of personal and business reasons and agreed to drive all the way into the city, just to have dinner with me. (collective "Aww") As I have said in previous posts, Billy is a great guy and if he lived in DC... well, who the hell knows what would happen. Anyway, he is an excellent dinner companion and I highly suggest finding him quickly, men of NYC, because he surely is a catch.

Q & A

2007-07-24T08:38:00.000-04:00

Today's post, boys & girls, is a simple question and answer. I am hoping to provoke some discussion and some reflection. Let's see if it works.

What do you do when you are happy?

What do you do when you are angry?

If the United States is a global exploiter, should we change this and if so, how?

What do you think of the Harry Potter phenomenon?

Something old, something new

2007-07-23T08:36:00.000-04:00

There is a bar near my house called Remington's. It is a wonderful, if unlikely, combination of gay and country western. On every third Friday of the month, a group of men called the DC Cowboys perform. They are a semi-professional dance troupe that raises money for HIV/AIDS causes. Now, I love the Cowboys, they are a lot of fun and always entertaining, but I am officially announcing a personal ban on going to Remmy's when they are performing. The bar gets filled with annoying wannabes that drive me nuts. One of the best things about Remmy's is the fact that you don't have to come all dressed up with the perfect jeans, hair, etc. Sometimes, I just want a bar that I can hang out with my friends, have some booze and not focus on how my butt looks, is that really too much to ask?

On Saturday night, Daniel, Davey, Kris and I met up at a new bar in DC called Nellie's. Now, it is a gay sports bar (stop laughing). It has a very large roof deck and two fairly small bars, one upstairs and one down. There are a few TVs around showing sports, but I quickly noticed I was in the minority for watching them. It was a great time tho, Sam and Dave were there too. We call Dave the Mayor of Gay, he knows everyone and has slept with many of them. Good for him, I say.

On Sunday, I went to a small game night (read poker) at Adrian and Andy's beautiful condo in Bethesda. On the first hand, I lost about 75% of my money and wasn't able to stay in on a number of hands. That really annoyed me, however, it was all better at the end. In the very last hand, I took all the money. This is a lesson to people, when the chips are down, don't mess with JP. ;)

It is likely to be a fairly busy week, so I will try to keep you all updated, but no promises!

I wonder.....

2007-07-20T08:47:00.000-04:00

Is it sorta bi-polar if two days ago I was pretty depressed and today I woke up with a very positive feeling? Eh, probably not.

Moving on. Yesterday, I had my third and I believe final job interview type thing for a job in a Congresswoman's office. Those that know me, know that I have wanted to be working on the Hill for years. This is the first time I have ever come so close, so it is pretty exciting. I really like the Congresswoman and all of her staff that I have met. I think I would fit in there well. The only possible (well, more like likely) drawback about the position is that I would have to take a pay cut. Granted, this is all still cart before the horse, since I haven't actually been offered the position, but I've worked hard to get to the salary level I currently have and it would be a real pain to go back. However, after working on the Hill for a few years, my earning potential would be doubled. I promise to keep you updated.

The weekend ahead looks quite full, but only with things I really want to do, including dragging my sorry butt to the gym. I hereby resolve (again) to go to the gym like other gays do, often and for long periods of time. I also resolve to avoid the locker rooms, showers, saunas and steam rooms, cause they are just icky. Maybe I'll be able to fit into that wicked cute square cut I bought a couple summers ago by Christmas. OK, so I didn't actually buy one and even if I had I wouldn't actually wear it, but a goal is a goal, right?

Today is therapy day. I am looking forward to telling him about a conversation I had with my mom over the weekend among other things. I really wish he would take notes though, if I am paying this much, I just think it would be nice to not have to remind him of stuff.

Final thought - Do you all know Catherine Tate and Little Britain? Ever since watching "Are You Being Served" on PBS as a kid, I have been fascinated with British comedy... Monty Python, Absolutely Fabulous, the Vicar.. the list is long. Catherine Tate and Little Britain are two sketch comedy shows from BBC. If you get a chance, YouTube search for them, I think you will enjoy it.

I just had a thought, if I do get the job with the Congresswoman, I'd have to completely redo this blog. How annoying...

Today's Mood

2007-07-18T10:29:00.000-04:00

I am a bit down today. Have been for a week or so actually. Some of it is due to my stupid cold that won't go away and work stress (see below), but some is due to a feeling of disappointment.

I am disappointed with myself and with other people. One of the things I have been working on in therapy has been to be able to express what I need from friends. In the past, I rarely did this. I would usually just accept whatever little they decided to offer and try to ignore my other needs. I know it isn't healthy, but that's who I was.

Recently, some friends have not been providing me with true friendship. It is putting me in a very apathetic and non-committal mood and I need it to stop. I worry, however, that by telling these friends how I am feeling, it will leave me incredibly vulnerable. And yes, I understand that vulnerability is a core part of deep and lasting friendships. It's the whole "you know too much for us not to be friends" syndrome. So I probably will have the conversation with these people, they are really great folks overall and I really enjoy having them in my life.

Nevertheless, I'm disappointed in them and even worse, I am disappointed in myself for allowing the situation to arise.

Quote for the day, provided by Boyd - "You were once shoved head-first through someone's vagina. Why are you acting so dignified?"

Night OUT at the Nationals

2007-07-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday evening, Team DC (an umbrella organization for all the gay & lesbian sport teams in the area) hosted Night OUT at the Nationals. I believe this is the third year they have done so. The Nationals give us a good deal on tickets for the game ($10) and for the second year in a row, the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington has sung the National Anthem at the game. I have participated in the singing each year and am always a bit nervous about how the crowd will react to our presence.

Over 2000 tickets were sold in conjunction with the Night OUT event. The Chorus was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the stands when we went onto the field to sing. After we finished, the entire ballpark went crazy. As we were exiting the field, people in the good seats were shouting words of encouragement and thanks to us. It was an amazing feeling.

Recently, the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus sang the National Anthem at a Padres game. It may have been the first time they have done it, but I am not sure. There was a very strong reaction against them. Some members of the community were outraged that the Padres would allow them to sing, saying that it was immoral and unpatriotic. These people are idiots.

I am a gay man and damn it, I like sports. With a couple friends, I have season tickets to the Nationals this year and plan to do so again next year. Why should I ever be made to feel uncomfortable for that? When are we going to arrive at the day when people worry more about their lives than mine?

High School Reunion

2007-07-16T08:11:00.000-04:00

I arrived back in KC last night from my 10 year high school reunion. If you haven't been to a high school reunion, I strongly suggest going, if only for the "I'm so much better than you" factor.

Ours was held at a ballroom/reception hall thing. OK, so it was in a strip mall.... with a Long John Silver's (one of my secret pleasures). It also happened to be right next door to the private school I attended until 4th grade. Strange coincidences!

Anyway, there were lots of people there, not anywhere close to all of our class, but a good number. I was expecting that most people were going to be married and have children, but it still was a bit of a shock to see pictures of and talk about kids with the folks that I used to skip class with.

After dinner and some drinks, my friends and I went to a bar called the "Revolver." It was a crazy little bar, but lots of fun. Eventually, most of my classmates also showed up at the bar, so we continued our getting reacquainted. At one point, one of my classmates had to be physically removed from the bar by three bouncers. WHOO HOO for JP not being "that guy."

By the end of the night, I was just exhausted. A couple guys were way too intoxicated to drive, so I got them all safely back to their various hotels (no funny business). I think I finally got home around 3AM. Woke up at 7AM, still a bit tipsy, and packed, showered and went to church with my mom. I am such a good son!

Anyway, I had a great time, but am wicked tired. Tonight, the Chorus I am in is singing the National Anthem at the baseball game. Should be a fun time!

Reunion

2007-07-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

I am leaving this afternoon for my 10 year high school reunion. I was really excited about it until last night. I had a really bizarre dream in which my current friends and I were back at my high school. No doubt, it was just some subconscious nervousness about seeing everyone popping through, but still made me a bit wary.

Anyway, I might post from my Mom & Dad's house, but you may just have to wait until Monday. For those that have the info, I will have my phone standing by all weekend for texts/e-mails of encouragement or even some good old fashioned drunk dialing.

Ciao!

Work and other things

2007-07-13T08:43:00.000-04:00

I have been having a lot of stress related to work in the past year or so. Some of it has to do with the fact that I don't really want to do this job anymore and some is related to a number of the people I work with. On the second point, I really enjoy the personalities of everyone in my office, however their professional behavior is appalling. A few are down right rude and disrespectful and I don't tolerate that well.

My bosses have announced a "reorganization" in which the size of our company (already small at 9) will be reduced to a core group, likely no larger than 6 or 7. My bosses know that I have been actively searching for a new job for some time and they have asked me to quit looking and give them a commitment for one year. In exchange, they have offered a raise.

I'm not really sure how to reconcile the first point above with this new information. I do enjoy the work here, but it truly isn't going to be a job I want to make a career of. So I am in a bit of quandary.

Currently, my thought is to take the raise, but under certain conditions, including asking the bosses to restructure my job function so that I can gain additional skills that I will need (and currently don't have) in the future.

Has anyone been in this position before? Have some good ideas for me?

Bullies & Movies

2007-07-12T09:42:00.000-04:00

So last night, I got home after a long day and put some laundry in (I think I may do laundry more often than anyone other than the cleaning lady), and sat down to watch a movie. Now it was already about 9PM by this point, I was trying to make/eat some dinner, do laundry and just felt like sitting on the couch for a bit.

Now I am a netflixer. I think it is a brilliant concept, sending dvds through the mail. Anyway, I have been a bit negligent in the past year in watching the movies I get. In fact, Since last August, I think I've only sent movies back twice. So I'm not really getting my money's worth. (I never realized how often I go into tangents while writing, interesting) So I put in Donnie Darko. I've never seen this flick, but Jake is cute so I figure it can't be that bad. Well, I watched about 15 minutes of it, turned it off and put it back in the package to send back to Netflix. The scene that pushed me over the edge was one where Donnie, two of his friends, and a few other folks are at the bus stop on the way to school. One of the other folks is an overweight Asian girl. One of Donnie's friends starts make fun of her and I about went postal. I have no idea why it affected me so much, but I was furious. I had to go outside for a smoke to try to calm down.

I think some of why I got so mad so easily is the upcoming reunion and remembering the folks that teased me and my friends in high school. I am sort of hoping that one or more of those folks will be at the reunion and will start teasing again. I am sure I know what to do this time and let me tell you, once I've had a drink or two, JP is not a man to mess with. I can be blisteringly honest.

So yeah, I didn't finish Donnie Darko, maybe I will someday. Instead I watched an amazingly cute Euro-film called Little Voice. I highly recommend it for some easy watching. Besides Ewan is in it and I think he beats Jake any day.

A new day dawns

2007-07-11T10:52:00.000-04:00

They say you should never start a diet on Monday because it is more likely to fail. I could lie and say that's the reason I started this blog on Wednesday, but it isn't the truth. The truth is I am starting this blog on a whim. It just sounded like fun. I've been reading other folks blogs for a while, and have had a blog for awhile on another site, but haven't really kept up with it. I promise to try to do better on this one.

This past weekend, I traveled to New York City to see some friends that I haven't seen in quite a while. There were actually two sets of friends, from completely separated times in my life. It was really great seeing each set and reminiscing about the past.

When I first arrived, by bus (an interesting way to travel - all in all a decently positive experience and wicked cheap), I checked into my hotel and headed down to the Museum of Modern Art to see a sculpture exhibit my friend Kevin suggested. It was exactly as he suggested, quite breathtaking and beautiful. The visit was only slightly marred by the presence of half of the population of the U.S. Mostly tourists. Living in DC for any amount of time will give anyone a healthy hatred of tourists and their broods, I have no doubt NYC is any different.

I met up with the first group of friends for dinner at a place in SoHo called Salt. It was a fantastic meal. If you are in NYC, I strongly suggest giving it a try. This group included Lisa and Kelley (friends from the college days in Texas -- in fact Lisa was my first college girlfriend), Lisa's sister Mia and a friend of hers. Conversation was largely focused on people we knew in college and what they were up to. After dinner Mia convinced us to take a quick trip down to my hotel so that Lisa and Kelley could see the WTC site. I had a great view of the Hudson and WTC from my 34th story window.

After saying goodbye to the ladies, I took the subway to meet up with my friend Cooper. He and I met when I was in grad school in Connecticut and he is now in law school in NYC. When I arrived he was at Gym Bar with his friends JP (no relation) and Billy, and his new roommate Alex. I was welcomed into the group easily and it certainly made my previously negative thoughts about NYC dissipate. As often happens with Coop and I, we began drinking copiously. We gained and lost additional folks along the way including Wayne and Darren. We eventually traveled to Barracuda, one of the few bars in NYC I had previously been and continued drinking. I ended up having a great connection with Billy (a remarkably ruggedly attractive man who kisses very well). In fact, everyone made a good connection that night.

On Sunday, I woke early (around 10AM) and phoned Cooper about his brunch plans. We he awoke (hours later) we made plans to meet at a very nice French bistro in Hell's Kitchen. It was a wonderful meal and after words, Cooper, JP and I walked to Chelsea staring at attractive men, talking about diet pills that require dark pants for accidents, and many other things.

I finally got back to DC fairly late on Sunday evening and when I awoke Monday I was feeling pretty icky. I had not felt quite right for a week or so, but Monday convinced me I had yet another sinus infection. Luckily, my doctor was ready with the drugs to make it all better.

This upcoming weekend, I am heading back to Kansas to attend my 10 year high school reunion. I have been working hard to get as many folks as possible to attend, well, maybe not that hard,but some. I am really looking forward to seeing more folks from the past and spending some quality time with my mom. I don't often go home, usually just for a couple days around the holidays. Many reasons for that, which I am sure will eventually find their way in a post.

Well, I think that is quite enough for my first post. There will be many more, so keep coming back.