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Happy Times

2006-03-22T11:28:00.000-06:00

Hello, everyone. I’m sorry it has been so long since I’ve last blogged. I’ve had lots going on lately, all good, that has been occupying most of my time. Here’s a brief synopsis of events since my last post.

Band Together .. I’m on the board as secretary this year, so I’ve been more involved in the management side of the group. It has been interesting learning all the caveats of a not-for-profit organization. Our 9th Anniversary concert was this past Saturday. My solo went very well, and so did the entire concert. We had members from Chicago’s Lakeside Pride Clarinet Choir , the group Harmonix from St. Louis’ Gateway Men’s Chorus and last but not least Mr. Midwest Leather (Wes Kassulke - piano soloist) join us as guest performers. The audience was well over 700 and judging by the standing ovation at the end I am sure they enjoyed it.

Working out.. It really hasn’t been working for me lately. I was going with my roommate but his shifts have been so inconsistent at work and we both caught colds, so we got out of the groove. I have a year’s membership and hope to get back to it soon.

Dating.. This Friday marks 6 weeks that I’ve been with R. We discovered each other online but decided to meet because he works with my roommate’s boyfriend. Once we realized that we had that connection and he actually knew of me from K, we met for a beer and the rest is history. We have so much in common, and I feel very lucky that he is a growing part of my life. It’s about time!!

Work.. I’ve been very busy implementing a Call Center here at work. We dropped our first catalog to the public last month and have created a call center to handle the load of calls for orders and customer service. It required tons of thought and learning to configure the routing and reporting. I had my first review here on Tuesday and I couldn’t be happier with the results. A FAT bonus and a big raise. The review process here is so much easier than my old company. I didn’t have to do anything for it, and it only took 5 minutes to receive it. Yay for that!

Vacation(s).. I have several planned in the coming months. I took Friday off last week to attend the St. Patty’s Day Parade in Dogtown. T and I are headed to Memphis the first weekend of May for Memphis in May, otherwise known as the Beale St. Music Festival. Then R and I are going to Vegas the middle of May for a little R, G & R. (rest, gambling and recreation) :-) I still have 2 days left to plan before June 30th. Any suggestions anyone?

It’s time for me to go back to work, I’ll try to be better about updating the blog more often. My friend Eric is coming in town this weekend so I’ll try to take some pictures and update after that! Take care and Happy Spring!

All's calm..

2006-02-15T11:23:00.000-06:00

I'd be posting more often, but honestly its February in the 'Lou and there just isn't much going on to report! My Uncle's came into town and stayed with my Mom for a few days and we accomplished a lot of 'honey-do' list projects. The most significant being the basement bathroom which has been out of commission for 5 years! It's now all remodeled and functional again, a task that I am very glad is complete.

Band Together's 9th Annual Anniversary Concert is Saturday March 18th @ 8pm. I will be playing the 1st movement of Concerto #1 for Horn by Richard Strauss. The concert should be a good one, and my solo debut, so mark your calendars!

I have been going to the gym pretty regularly, and after taking a week off to let my sore shoulder recover, I'm back on track and its getting to be a routine. At first I was worried that the muscle people there would look down on a one handed guy working out, but surprisingly I've had some support and suggestions. Last week I met with a trainer and was floored by the amount of money they want me to pay so that they can give me a pre-planned diet and work with me for 6 hours. I'll be working out on my own for a while, so far I'm seeing results.

Fletch and I are on our own for a few days as my roommate is vacationing in Miami. Hope he has a good time ;-)

Some things never change.

2006-01-30T10:37:00.000-06:00

Last night on my way home from bowling I decided to stop at Clem's for a beer. As expected I ran into some of the guys from bowling and had a pretty good time. While there, this guy whom I'll call R walks up and appears to be interested in the friend I'm talking to, and so therefore starts a conversation with me. No big deal, he seems harmless. After a while, he asks me what happened to my arm. I give the typical "I was born this way, don't miss what I never had" answer. He mulls that over for a second, then looks me square in the eyes and says "You mean you grew up this way and still chose to be gay?" I think my jaw dropped and I repeated his statement for the 8 of us standing there in the group so they could all hear what he said. I replied with the fact that I did not 'choose' to be gay any more than I 'chose' to not have a right hand. This exact statement is why I choose not to go out that much in STL. It sure would be nice to live in a city that isn't so chock full of shallow, hateful people. I'm really not that different than any other gay guy out there. I like the same things. It was an awkward moment and he spent the rest of the night trying to tell me he didn't mean it that way. Doesn't matter, it still got under my skin. I appreciated him asking me what happened rather than assuming anything, but his statement was over the top. Am I overreacting? Feedback please.

In other news, I joined Gold's Gym last week and have been several times. I have a long way to go but I'm looking forward to seeing the results in a couple months.

January Blahs

2006-01-24T08:57:00.000-06:00

I read somewhere that January 23rd is the most depressing day of the year. Maybe its true, but maybe it isn't but I've definitely been feeling blah lately. It's been a while since I've posted again, mostly because I can't seem to get in the blogging groove. Oh well. I've been to a couple movies in the last week. Rumor Has It was very cute and made me laugh, out loud, a LOT. Friday night I was supposed to have a date but he got involved with a friend's taxes and didn't call. Later that night my roommate took me to see Underworld: Evolution. He was all into it, but I would strongly suggest watching the first movie because I was lost for quite a while. It was fun though, because T wouldn't tell me where we were going or doing and even went a long way driving to the theater to throw me off. I love original stunts like that, definitely made my night.

I did manage to get new dishes over the weekend! I've been wanting Fiestaware for a long time and had been growing tired of having a mix of IKEA stuff and other hammy-downs we were using. FB had 40% off this weekend, score! I didn't think about how much buying all of that would mean multiple trips to the truck with all the bags though.. hehe.

My friend Eric and his bf David are supposed to come down from Rockford this weekend. I'm excited to have him visit again. The St. Louis Auto Show is this weekend so we'll probably go there and I want to take him to the City Museum. It's an adult jungle gym and is so so so much fun to explore. And I guess I'll take a break from my bar hiatus and hit a few for them.

Last night T and I looked at a few gyms. We both want to start working out, but there isn't anything that is convenient for us location-wise which sucks. We have 3 more to check out and then seal the deal!

2005: Who Moved My Cheese?

2006-01-11T08:50:00.000-06:00

So I've been thinking about this post for quite a while and haven't been able to get started. 2005 was definitely a year of change for me and those closest to me.

January 2005 - Mom is hospitalized for chest pains and is ultimately diagnosed with acute asthma and COPD(sp?). She is doing well with it, but is now required to have breathing treatments and inhalers. Love you Mom. Our family dog, Winston was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma in November 2004 and was undergoing chemotherapy.

February 2005 - An announcement came out that my employer, MAY, was going to be acquired by Federated Department Stores. I started with them on November 16th, 1992 when I was 17 and a senior in high school. I worked my way through college by standing in the young men's/sportswear departments on most evenings and weekends. One summer I went to a temporary agency to get some easy money and ironically was placed at May Merchandising. After the summer was over they wanted me to stay, so I switched to night school and transferred to corporate. The rest is history. The buyout was a big blow to me and my financial security. I had been looking at houses with a realtor, and planning to buy a home. Not anymore.

March 2005 - After the news of the buyout my roommate took over the house hunt and put money down on a cute yet smallish house not too far from where we are living. After some thought, I decide to move with him and we start making plans for the new place. Winston's hanging in there but the chemo isn't helping much anymore. The tumors aren't going down like they initially did. I have lunch with a friend of my director that may be hiring in a few months.

April 2005 - T closed on the house and we started a month long process of removing carpet and installing hardwood floors on the main level. We went from 2700 sq. ft. to just over 1100 sq. ft. so I had a lot of consolidating and goodwilling to do.

May 2005 - Winston passed away on May 15th, 2005. He was a great little dog who had more personality than half the people I work with. RIP. I get a call to meet with the EVP from the company I interviewed with in March. It goes well, and the next day I get a job offer. I took it. Taking the offer I gave up 32 weeks severance, but I gained stability, more money, less stress, and did I mention financial security.

June 2005 - New job started. Was very hard to leave my friends. We are finished with the remodelling and can start settling in at the house.

July 2005 - Mom finds an Australian Shepard on Petfinder who recently lost her owner from cancer and needed a home. Due to the odd connection of cancer and needed companionship, we drove the three hours to meet her. Mom brought her home and she is turning out to be a very sweet, but very dominant little girl :)

August 2005 - I am working in the backyard at Mom's and twisted my ankle shoveling mud out of a trailer. The next day I cannot put any weight on it. I tore the talio-fibular ligament and spent the next 7 weeks in various forms of walking casts.

September 2005 - My brother is filling in for me at Mom's cutting the grass since I'm in a cast and our lawnmower dies. It was 2 years old and a Honda, so that shouldn't have happened. Turns out I was checking the oil incorrectly and the engine burnt up. That was an $800 mistake. I spent a great weekend at Lake Geneva, WI decompressing.

October 2005 - I turned 30. It wasn't as big of a deal as I'd anticipated. Given where I was at 25 financially and emotionally, I am a much stronger and more independent person now. I bought myself a new truck as my present to myself.

November and December 2005 - These months always fly by! We did manage to get all the decorations up early this year and that resulted in a much more relaxed holiday!

So much change, so little time! I like to think I took it all in stride, but wow it sure meant I had some sleepless nights and headaches! Here's to a happy, healthy 2006!

Goodbye 2005

2006-01-04T10:46:00.000-06:00

I've been a busy boy the last few days! Last night I uploaded tons of pictures from Christmas and other events this season. Would you believe that I've taken nearly 500 pictures since October? Anyway.

I took Friday off to move my childhood twin bed *small sniff* from my Mom's to my brothers extra bedroom in Champaign. It was a race against the rain since the mattress wouldnt fit totally under my cover but we made it. Not an hour after arriving though, the biggest snowflakes I've ever seen started falling. We went to dinner and then came home, started his first fire in the fireplace. Later, some of his friends came over and we played Texas Hold'em until 2am. Good times.

Saturday morning we drove back and I started getting ready for our party. My roommate did all the cleaning which was nice since I was out of town but I was responsible for the food. We had about a dozen people over. Good friends, good food and good liquor made for a nice New Year's. Definitely better than last year when we all went separate directions and didn't have as much fun. It was fun to hear everyone's cells blowing up as friends called at 11 for the east coasters, then again at midnight etc. My friend Michael called Marty and we wished him a Happy New Year. It was cool to talk to him, even if it was brief! Everyone left around 4am after a couple movies. Here's some pics:

Look for a year-in-review post coming soon!

Gotta Love Bob

2005-12-28T11:15:00.000-06:00

Every day I read STLToday, the online version of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. One of the columns I read is Suburban Fringe whose author is a 30 something, straight, married male with a couple kids and a very unique way of presenting life's challenges. This weeks column compares Brokeback Mountain and King Kong, as viewed on consecutive nights. Read it for yourself, I really enjoyed it :)

Memory Lane

2005-12-28T09:51:00.000-06:00

Last night after work I was expecting to make dinner with Mom and Dave at my house since I have HD and am trying to talk Mom into buying herself a new tv. They were too sleepy and I wasn't in the mood to head over there. I'd heard that some friends from my old job that have moved away were in town so I decided to make an appearance at LZ for Showtune Tuesday. The place was out of control packed so I didn't stay long, but I must have run into 25 people that I hadn't seen in forever. I made a quick stop at Freddie's on the way home and it was busy, but at least I was able to get a drink without waiting 15 mins! My friend Geof who is moving to Athens, Greece in April was there with his husband and friends. It was nice to see them before they go as he lives in DC now and was just home for a visit. Made a big breakfast dinner with the roommate after all that and crashed.

Not sure what tonight brings, but work is slow again today, ugh!

Post Christmas Blahs

2005-12-27T11:53:00.000-06:00

So the braggin' rights game went as expected with Illini winning 82-50. Despite having way too many beers I had a great time ;) Had a great two days at Mom's without ever getting out of my pajamas over the holiday. My brother is in town for the rest of the week and my mom took the week off too, so they are running around and sleeping in and here I am at work :-( There is nothing going on here either, which is good and bad. Good that I didn't waste the days when its not a challenge to be here, and bad because there's really nothing to do. I could be like Marty, who's been blogging up a storm this week, but hell, my life just isn't that interesting right now. I'm going home after work to see my puppy :-) Its been since the 24th and I need my Fletch fix!

Does anyone have any exciting New Year's plans? I had been planning for the last month to spend NYE with my best friend up north, but alas, as of last night he has made private plans with the bf, so I am now hunting for something/somewhere to go. I often wonder if friends that change things like that for relationships remember the sacrifices they've made when they come crying on your shoulder after it's over, but I digress.

Braggin' Rights

2005-12-21T13:47:00.000-06:00

Tonight Mom, Dave and I head to the Savvis Center for the 25th Annual Illini-Mizzou Braggin' Rights basketball game. It's usually a good time, and the Illini are hot again this year so I'm looking forward to rubbing the win in here at work tomorrow (hopefully). Go ILL-INI!!!

In other unrelated news, my Christmas shopping is nearing completion. Just a few random things to pick up and then wrap it all. Ran around last night and was able to knock out quite a few stops in just a couple hours. Monday night was the Holiday Dinner at Ameristar and i have pics HERE.

"Leo will know what to do"

2005-12-19T08:35:00.000-06:00

As I sit here at work with my coffee catching up on the news from the weekend, I read that John Spencer from The West Wing passed away on Friday, December 16th, 2005 after a heart attack. The West Wing is and has been one of my favorite shows for years. I borrowed the quote "Leo knows what to do" from my brothers blog. Dave's right, what will happen in the show now? I guess we'll just have to see. Rest in peace, John.

Saturday night was Band Together's Annual Holiday Concert. I was very pleased with the turnout. Given that it is the holiday season, and I know everyone had at least one party to attend that night, our attendance was almost 600! BT is only 9 years strong, and I can remember when we had 24 members and our concerts were in the cafeteria/rec room at MCC. Now we have over 80 members and have quite a large following. Our concerts are held in a beautiful hall that was once a synagogue. It feels good to be a part of this organization. Last week we had our Board elections and I'll be serving next year for the first time.

I wasn't feeling that well after the concert, but my roommate and I decided to make an appearance at a party and out to meet my band friends. I have some great pics from that night in my flickr, but here's a few as a teaser. Click on the pic or on the box to the right to see them all.

Gotta love my double chin and sickly lookin eyes but its cute nonetheless..

Me and my horn buddy Mary

Thomas, Steve and Kurt at The Festivus for the Rest of Us

Sunday after bowling I was headed home and got a call to see Brokeback Mountain. I really enjoyed the movie, and highly recommend you see it. I went with friends that had not read the story so it was nice to see their reactions, and that they were similar to what I felt when I read it here at work so many months ago. I can't seem to find the link to the full short story right now, so I'll post it later on if I come across it.

Tonight is BT's Holiday Dinner at Ameristar. I know, its odd to have it at a casino but their buffet is full of variety and we have a private room.

That's all for now, have a great week!

Upcoming concert...

2005-12-14T15:07:00.000-06:00

WHAT: BandTogether's Annual Holiday Concert “Holiday Memories”

WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2005, at 8 pm

COST: FREE, but donations and applause graciously accepted.

WHERE: E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall
The Community Music School of Webster University
560 Trinity Avenue (in the Delmar Loop)
University City, MO 63130
314-968-5939

NOTE: Map to venue is on the BandTogether website

WEB: www.BandTogetherSTL.com

EMAIL: BandTogether@hotmail.com

CONTACT: Gary Reynolds, Director, 314-313-9294

BANDTOGETHER PRESENTS: "Holiday Memories"

On Saturday, December 17, reminisce about your favorite “Holiday Memories” as BandTogether, the St. Louis GLBTA community concert band, presents its annual holiday concert. The program will include a wide variety of selections for symphonic wind band, including a concert suite from "The Polar Express," Mannheim Steamroller's "Fum, Fum, Fum," Strauss’s famous “Blue Danube” waltz and Alfred Reed's "Russian Christmas Music." Let the band's warmth, great music, and humor melt away your winter chill.

Although the concert is open to the public and admission is FREE (no tickets required), tax-deductible donations and applause are greatly appreciated. Consider becoming a BandFriend with your donation; information will be available at the concert or at www.BandTogetherSTL.com.

If you cannot make this performance, please pass the word on to someone you know that might enjoy a relaxing, free evening of music, away from the bustle of the holidays. Word-of mouth continues to be our best source of advertising. Thank you for your support!

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

BandTogether was formed in 1997 and has grown to include over 90 musicians and dozens of volunteers and boosters. As a volunteer community band, BandTogether's main purposes are to provide the GLBTA community's instrumentalists a musical outlet and to offer unique musical offerings to the community and beyond.

BandTogether produces four public performances each year and participates in the annual PrideFest parade as well as several smaller performances throughout the community.

BandTogether is a Missouri 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and operates on donations only. All donations are fully tax-deductible. Visit www.bandtogetherstl.com for information.

Politically correct or just plain crazy?

2005-12-14T13:13:00.000-06:00

A forward I received today and thought might make a few people scratch their heads..

The following is what it takes to be politically and legally correct in this holiday season:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the Western Hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Happy Holidays, I think?? ;-)

Here comes the holidays

2005-12-12T09:58:00.000-06:00

Have y'all started your holiday shopping? My company website received over 1200 orders this last weekend, more than double a normal weekend! I'm about halfway done, and am pleased to say that the tree is now up at Mom's. I know for a fact that this is the first time its made it up and decorated this early in my adult life. Last year we were putting ornaments on it still on xmas eve, and I am glad we'll be able to enjoy it for a while. I have some pictures, but the camera is at home. My brother came in for the weekend, so we made some of our thanksgiving favorites that we didn't have in Michigan and decorated the tree. My best friend stopped by with her new camera and wouldn't stop taking horrible pics of me. She uploaded them to my Flickr. Here's a few of the good ones:

Here's a gingerbread tribute to the recently fallen Busch Stadium, constructed by L and some of her friends.

Keep in mind I had been working in the garage and also hadn't made it to the shower yet when she took the next few. Also, I had just finished frying onions and celery for stuffing so my eyes were still in shock :-) She seems to like to capture my receding hairline, so after the first few I ran for the first hat I could find ;-)

Here's a couple of Lori in her Christmas garb

Tonight I head to Grandma's to help with baking and for dinner. Hope y'all have a great week!

Very cool!

2005-12-08T10:57:00.000-06:00

A former co-worker just forwarded me a link to a slideshow of the stadium demolition. Click HERE. Very Cool.

Snow!

2005-12-08T09:24:00.000-06:00

St. Louis is getting its first snow of the season! We are projected to get 2-4 inches by this afternoon. Not a major storm but it is still gonna slow people down. I used my 4WD coming in today because the roads were already covered. I need someone to explain exactly why it is so hard to make a tight turn in 4WD. I understand that it has something to do with the front wheels spinning at different speeds but it isn't making sense just yet.

This is a busy week and I can't wait for parts of it to be over. The SIUE Orchestra/Choral concerts are tonight and tomorrow night so dress rehearsals were Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I also have Band Together rehearsal on Wednesdays and that concert is next Saturday so I felt I needed to be both places last night. I've used a tank of gas in the Beast since Monday and am exhausted, but I think I've kept everyone happy. Concerts tonight and tomorrow night, then a mini-concert at MCC on Sunday morning with Christmas decorating/shopping mixed in the rest of the weekend.

After all the rehearsals last night some friends met me for a drink or three at Crusoe's, a bar a couple blocks from the house. This bar is typical south city, you never know what you're gonna walk into. Last night was no exception, fo' sho. This morning she called me to say that as they were headed back home by the old stadium around 12:30a fireworks went off and apparently there was a large crowd watching the last of the stadium fall. It's gone now. No more big wrecking ball. Read the story HERE. Below is a pic from the webcam this morning.

Has anyone else been keeping up with Noah's Arc on LOGO? The season finale is next week, and I'm mighty glad to have Moxi :-)

Almost done

2005-12-07T11:32:00.000-06:00

In just a few hours the last of the original 96 arches of Busch Stadium will fall. It is 10 degrees in STL right now and from what I hear there are people there watching. Yesterday I took a little detour down by the grounds and I may do the same today. Goodbye to the arches!

Greetings!

2005-12-06T15:48:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long since I've updated my blog. I've been a busy kid. Hmm, where to start. I think I'll start with the Thanksgiving trip to Michigan.

We drove up to Kalamazoo on Wednesday amidst some of the worst crosswinds I've ever experienced! Some of that has to be because of the truck, but mostly it was just very windy. Lori, the family Australian Shepard went with us. Everything fit in the truck with room to spare. We got there without any bad weather other than the wind, and started unpacking. My Aunt and Uncle have a 2 yr old Chocolate Lab. Turns out that Lori is an alpha bitch and wasn't a very good guest at all. We had to separate them the entire trip. Thursday morning I woke up freezing and couldn't figure out why. The power had gone out overnight and was not projected to be restored until the next day at 6am. So, my Aunt and I packed up all the food and headed out into the snowy cold weather to cook at my cousins. It may sound stressful, and I'm sure that my Aunt was stressing, but we made the best of it, had a good time and the food was great. That night the power came back on and all was back to normal. Friday we went to a Christmas Barn and out to eat for lunch. Saturday we did some shopping and drove home on Sunday. There are tons of pictures on my Flickr site, but here are a few of my favorites...

Before dinner

Bacchus

My cousin Tiara and her son Ian

Tiara Feeding Ian

Everyone likes this picture but me.. It is Ian and me and my receding hairline.. *sigh*

I like this one better :-)

The view from the kitchen window

Uncle Mike, Aunt Anita, Tiara and Ian

OK, that's a few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Back to work for a few and I promise to update more frequently!

What I've learned since turning 30.

2005-11-10T09:16:00.000-06:00

These may not necessarily be in the order they occured.

1) When you are really craving a particular fall treat (aka pumpkin pie), make sure that all your ingredients have not expired before mixing everything else. Rotten evaporated milk, yeah, not so nice.

2) Fall colds suck! The weather here has been 80 one day (Monday) and 40 (right now) the next. I have been congested and coughing for two weeks and I want stable weather!

3) Having never owned a vehicle as large as the Titan, I'm very quickly learning which stores have small parking spots. Yesterday I went to Whole Foods to get a refill for my water cooler at home, only to discover that if I park in the spots as designed I would not be able to open my doors. I guess I'm destined to take up two spots in the back or bring someone with a handicapped hangtag with me when I shop there. That said, I'm still loving being up high and also the Sirius radio I had installed.

4) I'm nearing 1000 visits. My Flickr site is doing well, I've been good about taking pictures and updating it too. I've even had random comments from people there about my dogs. Charlie and Matt have added me to their list of Bloggers, and I've been meeting new people because of this! How awesome is that? I can only hope that my random thoughts and photos I post out here keep people coming back.

5) They actually make mini-fridges that run on 12V power. My Titan has a 12V power supply in the truck bed. Every year when we drive to Michigan for Thanksgiving we have to buy at least 10 Best's Kosher Salami for my Uncles since they can't find it anywhere but here. I can't believe I'm actually considering buying one. A cooler would be just fine, but how cool would that be to have a mobile fridge! Still thinking about that one.

6) Be responsible for your actions. Several weeks ago I misplaced the battery charger for my Canon. I have only had it a couple months, and actually am still on the first charge on both batteries after over 300 pictures but I did not want to get up to MI and go to shoot a picture and it die. Lesson learned: Keep it in the same place, and remember that it cost you $45 to replace it.

That's about all for now, simple days lately. Happy leaf raking everyone!

Crazy Dog.

2005-11-08T09:34:00.000-06:00

Last night I played domestic goddess and did 5 loads of laundry and some cleaning in between fixing a friends laptop and also picking up another friend from the airport. At some point, I turned around and Fletch was asleep on my bed. This is normal, but his position was not. See below:

Crazy greyhounds! You wouldn't know it from looking at him, but he eats 6 cups of food a day! I wish I had his metabolism!

And the ball drops..

2005-11-07T15:17:00.000-06:00

Today at 3pm the construction crew at Busch began demolishing the old stadium by wrecking ball. I watched it via webcast on KSDK. They are running a webcam throughout the entire process so if you get the urge to see what's going on check it out.

As a kid, a close family friend had season tickets in section 248. I can still remember learning my way around and the fun and fascination and excitement housed there. It is hard to believe that they are tearing it down to build something that houses 10k less 'commoner' seats, but as usual, money talks and boxes bring in more money.

Goodbye Old Friend.

New Truck!

2005-11-02T15:32:00.000-06:00

As you may or may not know, I've been looking at big trucks lately. I've driven several, and last weekend I test drove a Nissan Titan and decided that my search was over. The local dealer here has been known to be shady in the past, and didn't have the model/color I wanted. So, I started searching the internet. I found what I wanted HERE. On Friday I sent them an email, and was it quickly responded to by a very helpful salesmen dedicated to internet sales. His offer was great, and I made arrangements to pick it up on Monday afternoon. My work gives your birthday off (you pick Friday or Monday if it falls on a weekend), so I headed north in my Accord on Monday morning to trade it. It was raining really hard half of the way there. Between the rain, and the stress of the new bumper ouchie and other issues, I was stressed out and very glad when it all turned out great and I was on my way in an hour or so. Here are some pics as it was getting ready for delivery.

Note the super-shiny chrome inserts in the grille. They couldn't find the price (I bought the owner's demo and he had this done himself) so they threw them in. Bonus.

From the back:

After that, I stopped at my friend Eric's house for trick or treats. They had more children on their street that night than I have ever seen for Halloween. Good times. I stayed the night there, and drove back early yesterday morning. Click HERE to see some photos from that night.

Time to get back to work.. Hope you enjoy all the pics :-)

My birthday weekend.

2005-11-02T14:46:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

Sorry I've been MIA the last few days. My 30th was Saturday and I've been a very busy boy ever since!

Saturday, we took the dogs to a Meet and Greet at a pumpkin farm in Creve Couer. There were about 15 greyhounds there, along with a snake, and about 200+ people buying pumpkins and playing in the park. Here's some pictures of the dogs:

Tuck's in front, posing with another foster hound.

Thomas has Fletch, and you can see Kurt and Kris in the background.

Fletch and a very shy girl who wouldn't tell us her name :-)

After this, we went to the Greater St. Louis Marching Band Competition at the Edward Jones Dome. It is an all day event, of which we caught the last 3 hours. I had a great time driving down memory lane. We sat near the top, and it was kinda fun to see all the kids getting excited as awards time came. When we got back to my car, someone had hit my bumper and ran (again). Sigh.

From there I went to Freddie's where they were having a halloween costume contest. Having already been on the run for hours at that point I did not feel like getting into my costume. Next year I will though. I have a couple pictures from there too :-)

Josh and Sonia

Jason and Dieta Pepsi

Our Group

Round 1 of the costume contest:

Good times were had by all. I crashed late on Saturday night. Sunday morning I woke up and went to Mom's for the day. When I got there I found my brothers car in the driveway. He decided to surprise me and come home for my birthday. We had a nice day working around the house and making some new recipes. I bowled and crashed pretty early after all that.

CAUTION: Milestone approaching.

2005-10-25T09:16:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all. Here's the short version of my weekend. Concert went well, had some good down time relaxing at Mom's. Bought new tires for the old family truck, thats about that only highlight of the weekend. Sunday T and I took Tuck to a Meet and Greet. Hopefully he will be adopted soon.

Saturday is my 30th birthday and I have been deep in thought about it for several weeks now. At first I wanted to try to make it a big deal. Try to go to dinner, go out, the whole nine yards. Last year we had a huge party at the old house and it was fun but I didn't want all that hassle. Last week my roommate mentioned he could switch days off and we could go to dinner and go out, etc. So I figured that would be an ok way to celebrate it. We've been invited to a party too, but I haven't really talked to the hosts in a long time. Last night I was informed that my roommate has made other plans for the evening and will be available later maybe to go out. So now I'm rethinking it again. Anyone have any suggestions? I guess I'll go to the party by myself. Sad that I'm 30 and have exactly noone that considers me a priority, other than my family. Thank god for them.

All this is probably just an early version of a mid-life crisis. I'll make it, I always do.

Come on weekend!

2005-10-21T09:05:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy this week. I have not had a night at home since last Friday and I'm worn out! Tonight is SIUE's Orchestra concert. I've been on campus three nights this week and its about 45 minutes from home so it will be a nice relief to be done with that for a while.

Yesterday i got a summons in the mail for a parking ticket that I received in June. In July I went to court to contest it and won so I was very surprised to receive this! This morning I called the Parking Bureau and they did have my court information on file and to disregard. OK, fine. Wonder whether I'll get pulled over and arrested for this sometime down the road. I think I'll put the court paperwork in the car just in case.

Speaking of car, the TCS light is still coming on. It has every trip since Wednesday night. Fun times.

Tomorrow is a Mom day, probably clean up the plants and bring them in, then hopefully a trip to Eckerts. I'm overdue for some apple pie and fresh cider!

SuperSperm!

2005-10-18T16:02:00.000-05:00

Yup, that's me. I have never laughed so hard in a costume in my life. It was a LOT of fun to wear and experience the reactions of my friends. I must say that polyester can be VERY hot when it surrounds your head. I was miserable after the first number and had to pull my head out of the costume to finish the concert. Click HERE and HERE to see the pictures from that night.

I've managed to catch the cold that has been flying around the office and am trying something new to me called Airborne to treat it. So far, it has helped a lot! I feel pretty good and not nearly as weak. You do have to take it every 3 hours which is a pain and it isn't cheap but I'm giving it a college try.

My car is done, apparently the code causing my TCS light to come on is due to low voltage. They cannot find the cause of it at this time, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Me thinks a new battery may be in store soon. The good news is that they aren't charging me to test it, which is nice since I'm no longer under warranty.

Good weekend, long week ahead.

2005-10-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a very nice one in St. Louis. Not a cloud in the sky for most of the weekend. After work Friday I went to the opthamologist to see about the cyst on my eyelid. It can be removed, with a few shots, stitches and a patch for a few days. I'm fine with all that, however I will be finding another doctor to do the procedure. This guy had the bedside manner of a telephone pole. He pushed my head back to put drops in and didnt warn me that they were going to burn, and then got pissy with me when he wanted me to open my eyes and they were burning and tearing. To top it all off, as he has my eyelid inverted his cell phone rings and he actually answers it. Holding my eyelid with one hand and talking to his daughter about dinner plans. I was floored. I have never seen a doctor be so unprofessional during an exam. After all that I looked at their glasses to replace my 6 year old ones. The dr.is on my plan but their optician is not. Grr.

Saturday morning we went and picked up the new lawnmower *swallows pride*. The service guy in the shop came out and told the salesman to be sure that I know how to check the oil. Fine. No problem. But he didn't have to whisper it to him when I was standing next to them both and heard everything he said. Later that night was BandTogether's Annual Halloween concert. I will have pics in a separate post tomorrow probably as I haven't uploaded them to flickr yet. The concert and post celebrations were a lot of fun.

My ankle is feeling pretty good. Yesterday I mowed the lawn and then went to bowling without any pain. An occasional reminder if I twist just right, but that's about it.

Tonight my car goes in the shop for TCS light issues, and I have rehearsal for Fridays orchestra concert.

Busy times.

Sh*t happens

2005-10-13T11:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday really was not a very good day. After spending almost an hour talking to Belleville Honda, we agreed on a price for a new lawnmower altogether. We get to spend $800 instead of $1k. At least it will be over today. Click HERE to read about the Honda Masters Series. I didn't want to spend that much, but it was either $640 to get a new engine that was only warranted for 6 months (most of which would be stored for the winter) or get a new one that is good for 2 years. Oh well.

In the midst of this, I stepped out to Amighetti's for lunch. Even that was a challenge! I wanted 3 1/2s of LBI and a 1/2 of Special (some for lunch, some for later). I didn't care how it was packaged but when the kind Italian woman told me the total, she gouged me for $4 more because they were individually wrapped. I tried to tell her to give me the whole ones and re-wrap but she couldn't grasp why I wanted that. Defeated, and hungry, I paid the extra money and left.

After work I took a power nap to get ready for BandTogether's dress rehearsal. On my way out through the garage I locked the door into the house and closed it without my keys. My roommate was at work, and the only other person that has keys was unreachable. Luckily I had my Horn with me, and Mom was able to bring the valet key to my car so I could get to rehearsal. Afterwards I only had to wait a short while for T to get off work and let me in. I felt and still feel pretty stupid.

So far so good today.. *crosses fingers*

Wow, its been a while

2005-10-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, I'm very sorry that it has been so long since my last post. I have been extremely busy lately. Here's the short versions of the sagas going on in my life right now:

Mom's car is fixed, but not without a fiasco. I was called Thursday afternoon to pick it up that night. I returned the truck, and when I got her car it had a big crease where they started buffing that was not there when I dropped it off. As it was the very end of the day, they told me they would call me on Friday to let me know whether it would be done Friday or not. Enterprise came back for me, and I got the truck again. Friday comes, and I am busy at work so I don't call them. I left work and hadn't heard anything so I assumed it would be Monday. At 4:54 they call and tell me it is done. First of all, I was more than a half hour away from the shop at the time and they were closing at 5:30. Big fiasco. Sorted it out with the general manager and he agreed to rent the truck for the weekend and I picked it up Monday afternoon.

The lawnmower saga continues. I've looked at other new ones, and have decided i want what I had. Do I spend $625 and replace the motor, or $850 and get a new one. That's today's decision.

I see an opthamologist on Friday for the stye and cyst on my eyelid. I haven't been able to comfortably wear my contacts for about six weeks and since the torn ligament in my ankle has taken care of meeting medical deductibles for the year, I may as well get this done too. I'm not sure if he will handle it or if I will have to see a plastic surgeon like last time.

The TCS and i triangle in my car have been coming on in city driving, indicating that there is something wrong with my Traction Control. That goes in Monday afternoon, and I'm about 5k out of warranty. More money out of my pocket.

When is it going to end?

I did manage to find a really fun costume for halloween that I'll share with you after the BandTogether concert Saturday night.

Hope Murphy isn't spending as much time with you as he is with me lately.

Who's limo out front?

2005-10-04T10:25:00.000-05:00

At work today, we had a visit from the singer Chilli from TLC. She wanted to see our product and talk to our management about advertising possibilities. There sure was a lot of hub-bub and hoopla. Her bodyguard was probably the best part. He was dressed in tails that were bright purple, and completed the ensemble with a pair of matching purple sunglasses. Too fun.

In other news, today was my last day in the walking boot! I've graduated to a heavy duty pantyhose lookin' ankle brace for the next 2 weeks and then I'm done. This makes Aaron a very happy boy. I can finally join my bowling team, mow the lawn again (my roommate doesnt care about the yard as much as I do so its been bothering me) and wear sandals. Oh how I've missed them :)

After going to the podiatrist I took Mom's car to Collision Plus as they are a qualified estimate/repair provider for the woman that hit us. $954 and they can start tomorrow. Bonus. I dropped it off, and Enterprise picked me up. The kid that gave me the ride was really cool, and hooked me up with a 2006 F-150 4x4 that was just delivered that morning. I was supposed to get a Taurus, and I love big trucks, so the next few days are going to be fun :) Hopefully it doesn't give me the new car/truck bug again *crosses fingers and stump*.

I've been fighting a sore throat for a few days and now my roommate has a fever and doesnt feel well. I think its the freaking weather here in the 'Lou. This time last week it was 50, today it was 89, tomorrow a big cold front is coming through and will be 60 if we are lucky on Thursday. Make up your mind please, my body doesn't like the yo-yo!

BandTogether Press Release

2005-10-03T20:13:00.000-05:00

WHAT: BandTogether's Annual Fall/Halloween Concert
WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 2005, at 8 pm
COST: FREE, but donations graciously accepted.
WHERE: E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall
The Community Music School of Webster University
560 Trinity Avenue (at the western end of "The Loop" by the stone lions)
University City, MO 63130
314-968-5939

NOTE: Map to venue is on the BandTogether website
WEB: BandTogether
EMAIL: BandTogether@hotmail.com
CONTACT: Gary Reynolds, Director, 314-313-9294

BANDTOGETHER'S FALL/HALLOWEEN CONCERT

On Saturday, October 15, BandTogether, the St. Louis GLBTA community concert band, kicks off its 9th performance season by presenting its annual Fall/Halloween concert. This event features a variety of Halloween-inspired selections for wind ensemble (with the occasional sound of hanging pots and pans) ranging from classic Rachmaninoff to totally fun fare, and even (gasp) a musical attack by Godzilla! John Williams will also "make an appearance" on the program for a night of performance you won't soon forget. Check out the Band's costumes for the second half of the concert!

If you cannot make this performance, please pass the word on to someone you know who might enjoy a relaxing evening of enjoyable music in a comfortable atmosphere. Word-of-mouth continues to be our best source of advertising. Thank you for your support!

As always, the concert is open to the public and admission is FREE. Your tax-free donations and applause are welcome and greatly appreciated.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

BandTogether was formed in 1997 and has grown to include over 80 musicians and dozens of volunteers and boosters.

BandTogether produces four public performances each year and participates in the annual PrideFest parade, as well as several other community events around the St. Louis area.

As a volunteer community band, BandTogether's main purposes are to provide the GLBTA community's instrumentalists a musical outlet and to offer unique musical offerings to the community and beyond.

BandTogether is a Missouri 501(c)3 non-profit organization, making all donations tax-deductible. Donations are graciously accepted at the door of every concert, through the BandFriends Rainbow of Giving program (see our website), through corporate matching grants (ask your employer), or by mail to:

BandTogether, 4579 Laclede Ave. # 259, St. Louis, MO 63108

Three's

2005-10-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

We've all heard and used the expression 'bad things always come in threes.' First it was the metal in my tire that led to 4 new tires. Then the lawnmower throwing a rod and costing an arm and a leg to repair. Number three happened today. Mom, her dog Lori and I were in her car on the way out of town to see my brother. I had backed out of a parking spot at the grocery store, put it in D and looked to the left just in time to see a green Town Car backing right at me. Boom. It isnt too bad, a crease or two, a few dents and scratches. The woman that hit us was very nice and has insurance so it will not be my nickel. Here's the irony. We stopped there because I had bad luck Thursday night unloading my trunk. An $8 bottle of Hot Pickled Asparagus broke through the bottom of the bag and shattered at my feet on the street. They exchanged it with no problems, but still, that was the only reason I was there to begin with. Shit happens, but that is the 3rd time her car has been hit in a parking lot, once when parked and twice when I've been driving. Moral of the story: silver cars must really be hard for others to see!

Anyway, its a nice night here in Champaign. We went to dinner and then Meijer and now watching a movie that I'm half watching. Working on the deck and making a good dinner tomorrow, then heading back. Hope everyone's having a good weekend.

Punkin Beer?

2005-09-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

When I went to bed last night I opened my window to let the cool air in for the first time since May. This morning I woke with my teeth chattering but smiling because fall is finally here. I love cool mornings, sunny days and wearing layers. Unfortunately, I foresee a shopping trip in my future because I have very few collared nicer long sleeve casual shirts that go with jeans to wear to work. My previous job was business dress so I have 30 or so dress shirts but there is no way in hell that I'm going to dress up unless I have to. So, look out mall, Aaron's heading there soon, again.

As a tribute to fall, my local brewery is launching a seasonal series of beer. Click here for the story. Oh, for those of you wondering why I call them local, the complex is less than two miles from my house, so when the wind blows from the north I can smell the yeasty goodness! :-)

Growing up.

2005-09-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

This week has been pretty status quo, no major arguments or drama at work or natural disasters to worry about. Therefore, I've been able to focus on my personal life a little bit. The reason I'm posting this is because I'd like to see if others actually have this same problem. Have you ever met someone you've been interested in and start bringing him around your friends, and then have him and one of your friends hit it off and they don't tell you? It's happened to me at least 5 times in my adult life. Most recently, this last week. I'm not entirely sure of all the details because I'm not 'in the know' just yet, but I can definitely sense that something is up with J. Someday it will come out in the wash, but I'm giving up any efforts.

On tap for the weekend:
Dogsitting for Dad on Friday, then a possible mini roadtrip up to Champaign to help my brother powerwash and stain his deck before winter. I haven't been up to stay at his house since we moved him in there last July. I'm looking forward to it. My childhood twin bed is heading up to his spare bedroom, so there will be room for the queen mattress thats been propped up against the wall at Mom's for a while now. I usually stay there one night a weekend so it will be nice to have a big boy bed there :-)

Into the Wayback Machine..

2005-09-29T08:20:00.000-05:00

My hot friend Matty tagged me yesterday to add this meme to my blog. Here goes..

1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

My 23rd post was And the nerves Settle in.. which was just a few days ago. Here's what I said in my last sentence..(and it is so true -- I'm exactly one month from turning 30)

It sucks getting old.

Now for the tags:
Marty--He's got a 'past' with a good friend of mine here, just proves how small the world really is.
Lyndsay--She's my best friend and new and sassy and I love her.
Jason's Room--Just discovered his blog yesterday and kinda like it.
Charlie--He's cute, and apparently successful in Austin, a city that I really like.
Jamie--Just found him too, and I needed people to add here. He's cute too, though.

So there's that, my first and maybe the last meme... :-)

See you in 6 months!

2005-09-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

Whew! Finally done with one aspect of my medical issues. Yes, the drilling and shots are overwith. It's now been 5 hours and I'm starting to feel my upper lip again. Don't you just hate that tingly feeling when the drugs are wearing off? Anyway, I made it, it wasn't as bad as the last one, and I don't hafta see Uncle Jimmy for another six months.

And the nerves settle in..

2005-09-26T13:19:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned how much I really hate going to the dentist? This afternoon I have the third and (hopefully) the last visit to drill and fill 2 cavities. The drugs did their job last time and it didn't hurt, but I still hate laying there with my mouth open for over an hour with the potential for pain. *sigh* It sucks getting old.

Wet Weekend

2005-09-26T08:47:00.000-05:00

I wish I had exciting news to report, but honestly, most of my weekend was spent catching up on sleep. Lately I've been staying up late and getting up early way too much and it pretty much knocked me out for almost 24 of the 48 hours of the weekend! Yesterday was a good day for it to, as the rain never really slowed down during the daylight hours.

Friday night I went to Goosed, which is right around the corner from my old house. I used to walk up there for drinks and quesadillas on weeknights when they were dead so I had time to get to know the people there. It is owned by two very nice lesbians, Deb and Melissa. They are breaking up after who knows how many years. I'm sure its going to be a challenge running a business together during a breakup! I couldn't imagine. After that I went to The Grey Fox for the drag show then a brief appearance at the Complex, which never changes. I only seem to have the desire to go there about once every 6 months anymore.

Just one other final comment, don't ever assume anything based on conversations held while intoxicated. Ugly lights and quiet spaces can totally change your opinion of someone! *raised eyebrow*

Expensive lesson..

2005-09-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

As you all know, I've been in a cast for the better part of a month now. I'm responsible for mowing my Mom's lawn as well as my own. My brother has come home a couple weekends to help her around the house since I can't, and her neighbor has been helping out too. Last weekend while my brother was mowing our lawnmower made some nasty noises and died. Mom and I split the cost of the mower I wanted a little over 2 years ago. Needless to say, it was expensive but I am happy with it. Turns out I've been checking the oil wrong and it threw a rod. It's going to cost me $350+ to fix. Sucks. So, everyone go home and read the manual on your lawnmower. Apparently on mine you are not supposed to screw the oil dipstick back in when dipping it back in to check the level. I was checking it regularly but because I was screwing it all the way in, it was showing full when it really wasn't. Fucking sucks!

Thursday already?

2005-09-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, this week is really moving quickly! My body has been cranky with me all week, punishing me for not giving it a regular weekend of rest. Oh well, I had tons of fun. I was originally going to post what I did each day, but the flickr set of Lake Geneva pretty much takes care of that. Here are a few that I really like:

Rebecca and Laura at Old Chicago in Rockford on Friday night...

Eric making a funny face later that night..

I think I'm going to get this picture printed and sent to Eric's Mom and Dad to put on their fridge, I really like it..

In other news, my viewer scope is going up. It's been nice to see emails from a couple friends and even my cousin who I don't normally stay in close contact with. A few have asked what a 'blog' is. Since I didn't technically know the anwer myself, I went to Dictionary.com and found this.

I cannot believe that there is another cat5 hurricane threatening the Gulf again! It just blows my mind! Part of me wishes it would hit NOLA again because there aren't many people or salvagable buildings, but I realize that if I were living there I wouldn't want that. So, here we go again. Hopefully it hits the cooler waters and gets downgraded before hitting land. My thoughts are with the Gulf coast folks right now. Hang in there and be safe!

FlickR!

2005-09-21T17:43:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all. Busy week as usual here but I have managed to get a flickR account created and placed on here. My pictures from last weekend are up now, and more are to come :)

In other news, saw my podiatrist yesterday and I'm in a smaller cast for the next 2 weeks, then hopefully I'll be done with all this! Thank God.

Gotta go, but be sure to mark your calendars for BandTogether's Fall Concert on Saturday, October 15th, 8pm at Webster University's E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall in University City! For more information, click here.

Stay Tuned..

2005-09-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, you've been checking daily for an update. I've been away for the weekend. Check back later today for a link to the photo album and what I did :)

Go-Go Kid

2005-09-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

It's been a few days since I've posted. I have lots to report so stay tuned..

- Murphy always seems to strike whenever I do something frivolous. Saturday I buy the new camera (love it, but haven't set up the card reader yet to get anything off). Sunday morning I go out to get the paper off Mom's driveway and my left rear tire is flat. I have 39,xxx miles and the 4 inch metal gash wasn't repairable. So, 4 new tires for me, and now I've spent a grand with two swipes. Sure is easy. I let my fingers do the walking and found a deal I was satisfied with, but the tires weren't available at the place I had the flat looked at, so we had to move my car, and get me home to borrow T's Rodeo. Then back to Mom's where we spread grass seed and straw over the area in the backyard. Very busy day. T worked double-time overnight Sunday and Fletch didn't know what was going on. He kept me up most of the night running around or crying. *sigh*

-Yesterday morning I went to our warehouse to deliver and configure a new wireless IP phone from our vendor. In theory, I should have been able to turn the phone on, enter our WEP information and be good to go. Not!!! Three hours later and after I broke one of the other IP phones there looking at the settings I gave up and came to the office. I think the vendor is still there as we speak trying to get it all up. I then had 2hrs of meetings with conference calling vendors, no time for food. Then it was off to the dentist to get my cavities filled. Turns out he only did one, and I have to go back under the drill in two weeks. Lovely. Picked up my car, took Mom back to her house, came back to my house, then out to eat with T after all that. It was a late night!

-Today should hopefully be a lighter day. I go to the podiatrist this afternoon to check the progress of my foot. It does feel much better, but I don't know if I'm going to be freed of the big black boot. Keep your fingers crossed!

I finally got the "I wanna" outta my system!

2005-09-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

But first, a review of last night.. It really does pay to be flexible. My plans for the evening changed 3 times over the course of the day.. Initially I was going to head out of town, but that all changed (see previous post) then was going to join T and BF2 for dinner but they decided pretty last minute that they wanted alone time so as I was contemplating what to do next a friend who I rarely do things with outside of weekly band rehearsals invites me to dinner and drag. Perfect. We had a great time, the drag was fabulous, and it was nice to see a good crowd out on a Friday night (a rarity for STL).

Slept in, and then headed to Mom's where we pretty much did chores and ran some errands. Not all that exciting, except for a Best Buy trip. I've mentioned in previous posts that I've been looking for a laptop. Well, after looking around and pricing different models, I decided that my work laptop is just fine for the home purpose I'm seeking. I don't need the 2lb $2k laptop just to read email and browse the web in front of my TV. This one will do just fine. That rationalization aside, I went back to the digital cameras and took the plunge. I've never owned one of my own, and was tired of having to borrow for trips. Read here. I haven't really done much yet, but am looking forward to having it around. It is light and small and will be able to go with me and in turn, maybe make this blog a little more interesting :) I will say this though, I spent almost as much as the camera by getting a bigger SD card, carrying case, card reader for my pc, and 4yr performance agreement. That was surprising, but I figured that I may as well go all the way.

Look for more exciting photos coming soon. Tomorrow: First day of gay bowling league, I'll be going to sign up but I won't be bowling in the cast :( I love bowling.

Sorry for the rambling post, and sleep tight y'all.

TGIF

2005-09-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

Man, am I glad it is Friday! For a 4 day week, it sure has been very long and draining both physically and mentally. I had planned to go to Lake Geneva, WI this weekend to see a good friend but he has plans tomorrow and I wasn't all that enthused about a 5hr drive after work today. So, I'm going next weekend. Maybe by then I'll be out of the cast and won't have to hobble.. *crosses fingers*

I was a music major/business minor at SIUE. I play the French Horn and for years after I graduated I continued to play in their orchestra because they needed more horn players. Well, after 10 years of playing for them, I took two years off and was asked back this year. Last night was the first rehearsal I attended and I was immediately glad that I am making time for it again. I also play in BandTogether which is a local GLBT community band. I love the organization and have been around to watch its membership triple in the last 5 years. While I love all these people, sitting down with a bunch of music majors and playing for 2 hours is a completely different experience, and I am glad that I have the opportunity to do both.

Work is quieter today, and I have finally had time to clear some of the clutter off my desk. Hopefully I can post more this weekend. Be safe everyone, wherever you are :)

Disappointed.

2005-09-08T08:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I added a friend to my list and gave him a shout out. He's new to the blogging thing and is being very frank about his sexual addictions. Also, he's chosen to reveal where he works and what he does in the parking lot there. If you read Dooce, you will find that her co-workers read her blog and she lost her job because of this. As we have several mutual friends (his boyfriend included), I've chosen to remove any links to him in the hopes of avoiding drama. And yes, you really are a ho.

Pretty

2005-09-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

When I started here I had a new Dell laptop and 15" flat panel. I knew there were new 17's around but I had to wait until someone needed the 15". Today was that day and I'm lovin' it.

Pretty.

Recovery

2005-09-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after work I went to the optometrist. I have a stye on my left eye. Prescription is: heat, and lots of it, to get it to drain. If not, it has to be cut out. Thrilling. This, combined with my foot, the skin and teeth (3 cavities) problems I'm addressing next week, depressed me. The big 30 is next month and seems like I'm falling apart! I felt like getting out of the house so I met a group of friends for drinks. 8 or so beers and no dinner later I'm at home talking nonsense to my roommate. I feel much better today, but kinda sad that I let myself feel so bad for myself that it was upsetting me so. Sigh, I guess everyone has those days, right?

Turns out my roommate decided to start blogging too, so this will be fun ;) You may get to read both sides of our lives at home! Look out! UPDATE: I had his link here, but it has been removed. Those of you that know him and want to read his blog, contact him.

Back to work, more later!

Weekend Summary..

2005-09-06T09:39:00.000-05:00

Friday night we had a good time at CASA, then headed to American Electronics to look at new toys. The greeter in front saw me waddling in and offered up a wheelchair. I happily accepted, it was nice getting my roommate to push me around, until of course he popped a wheelie and I was forced to ride around the store on 2 wheels. Very embarrassing and funny at the same time :) Leaving American, we headed to The St. Louis Mills to see The Brothers Grimm. I highly suggest you brush up on your fairy tales before going to see this movie or you're not going to enjoy it very much.

Saturday I headed to Mom's where I spent the balance of the long weekend relaxing. My brother was in town and we ran some errands, did some shopping. Nothing huge to report.

I have decided that I want to buy a laptop for use at home. I bought a kickass TV in April with HD and Moxi etc.. and rarely use it because I'm up in my room at my computer when I am home. In my previous job I was given an IBM X40 to use. It weighed less than 2lbs when off its slice and I took it everywhere. I now have a Dell Latitude D610 which works great but is larger than what I want for home/personal use. We looked at iBook since I've never had an Apple product and think I should have some experience with them given my field. Anyone out there have any suggestions? Should I make the switch?

OK, back to work, but before I go, give a shout out to Blogger's newest victim, my best friend Lyndsay.

Movie anyone?

2005-09-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to CASA for drinks, then a lil shopping. T's boyfriend wanted to see The Brothers Grimm. We got tickets and then got some dinner. Maybe it was the fact that the theater was warm and stuffy, or that it started after 11p but I had a really hard time following the movie. Supposedly it had a bit of all of Grimm's fairy tales in it. I strongly suggest brushing up on your fairy tales before you go. 'nuf said.

This morning I ignored GW's advice and topped off my tank before heading to Mom's. Figured that half a tank at $3.09 was better than a whole tank at $5 or so. Sigh. $25 used to fill my tank.

Just watched The Butterfly Effect and am gonna make some food for the weekend. Have fun, y'all!

What a week!

2005-09-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

I'm really glad that Friday afternoon is finally here. I haven't been sleeping well this week for numerous reasons. It's been busy here at work, the foot crap is annoying, and there's Lori. Lori is my Mom's recently adopted 7 year old Australian Shepard (see below)

Those of you that know me know that we had an Aussie named Winston that passed away on May 15th of this year after a 7 month battle with Lymphosarcoma. We tried extensive chemo to no avail. Mom wasn't sure she was ready for a new dog just yet, but when Lori showed up on PetFinder because her owner had recently passed away from cancer, she felt the connection and we drove down to the Ozarks to adopt her. Soooooo, she had a small bump next to one of her nipples and has been getting bigger. Today she had surgery to have it removed. There is a 50/50 chance that it is cancer. I really hope it isn't. It was hard enough the first time!! We'll have the pathology results in a week or so. Keep your fingers crossed.

In other news, I think the trip to Champaign is off as Mom needs my brother down here to mow and do the chores I normally do for her since I can't. Tonight is dinner and a movie with my roommate then off tomorrow to Mom's for a family-ish weekend :)

Some people have asked what a walking cast looks like, so here it is:

Success

2005-09-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

Lookie to the right! Matty helped me with a few things and now my sitemeter is where I want it. Thanks again! You made my day.

In other news, the Astrodome is already full, WTF?

Got a haircut tonight, nice and short.

Bedtime.

Progress

2005-09-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

Photobucket account created, link works, sweet. Sitemeter, not so easy as they described. I'll have to dive in. Meanwhile, although I'm enjoying myself, I am beginning to wonder if anyone is reading this? Comment or email me please. I somehow need the validation :P

Photobucket

2005-09-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

Site Meter!

2005-09-01T00:07:00.000-05:00

Wow, they make these things simple. I think it may be up soon.

Service with a smile?

2005-08-31T15:15:00.000-05:00

Today I had a fax waiting when I came in. It was from my podiatrist and was an application for a temporary handicapped placard for my car(read as rockstar parking), sweet! Anyway, these are handled through the Illinois Secretary of State office. I usually go to a branch that is smaller and often times has a very short line. Not the case today. I was a page and a half down on the sign in sheet and it took more than 90 minutes to finish the process. On a sign behind the counter was a personal note from Jesse White.. Striving to make service better or some shit. All the while I couldnt help but wonder how only having two people to run six lines and also do CDL road tests would be considered effective, much less better? *climbing off soapbox*

I've fixed the links on the side and if I have time tonight, will work on some pictures. Stay tuned!

Katrina

2005-08-31T08:54:00.000-05:00

Last night after running a couple errands I put my feet up in bed, and tuned to FOXNews to catch up on the disaster down south. I've donated to the Red Cross and urge you to do the same! My cubby neighbor to the right has a brother-in-law in Gulfport, MS that they cannot get a hold of. They are driving down tomorrow to see if they can find him, and pitch in a helping hand. My heart goes out to them.

UPDATE: Joe's brother-in-law called from the Red Cross station, they are ok but have a list of items for him to bring (sump pump, generator, etc..) I'm glad to hear they are ok!

In other news, I'm realizing how ignorant I really am when it comes to html code. Ask me to fix registry problems or seek out conflicts in device manager and I'm all over it. Matty suggested I put a site meter up, I have NO idea how. Google, here I come.

My foot is still swollen and sore, but I'm not in any pain unless I take the cast off.. 3.5 more weeks.. sigh.

You can help!

2005-08-31T08:52:00.000-05:00

You can donate now to the American Red Cross. Call 1800 Help Now or visit the Red Cross online.

Splash!

2005-08-30T16:08:00.000-05:00

So,here I go, taking the proverbial plunge into blogworld. May as well just dive on in!

Sunday afternoon I was working at mom's unloading a trailer full of dirt (mud after all the rain lately) when my ankle popped as I was loading the shovel. I kept at it as the trailer had to be emptied. Normal right? Not this time, by Monday morning I was unable to put any weight on it without pain. Sometimes its good to have connections, this time was no exception. My Dad moonlights in network services and has been helping a friend that is a podiatrist. Cha-ching! A quick call, 2hrs later and I'm in a walking cast for the next 3-4 weeks. with a torn anterior talio-fibular ligament. Thankfully its one of the few in the foot that heal on its own with immobilization, lucky me as I'm not fond of the knife.

Today's been a day of telling the story over and over as people ask and I'm really tired from hobbling around. The couch is calling my name tonight!

Oh and if you were wondering about the title of my blog, as a kid I was always the one that wanted to push the button, no matter where we were.. elevators, soda fountains, ketchup pumps.

Another thing, I've got a lot to learn as I'm just doing this quickly during down time at work. Can someone tell me how to modify the links and other stuff on the side of this page? Thanks