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So Many Thoughts So Little To Say
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Sometimes I just feel like I have so much to say that I don't even know where to start. I guess it's one of those days. I feel like writing and I have a million and two things to say, but nothing that really stands out.
God has my life become this boring?
I do have a word of advice for everyone. Don't put your fingers in the back of the toilet bowel to stir up the lumped remnants of the blue 2000 flushes puck before putting in a new one. If you do so you WILL end up with smurf blue fingers which you will NOT be able to get clean for several hours. Trust me on this one, just don't do it.
Justin and went out last night to find a new picture to hang above our fireplace. Justin had something in mind that depicted Paris, and I personally enjoy cityscapes, so off we went in search of something. We finally came across this print in a black frame, which was exactly what Justin was thinking of, and perfect for the space we had to fill.
If you can't read the text, it's a view of Paris from the Arch de Triomphe circa 1931. I really love these old black and white city shots. We also have one of New York hanging in our hallway.
Anyway I had off yesterday and I was able to spend the day getting the last little bit of the house cleaned up and things put away in preparation of our guests this weekend. Although the weather was a little overcast today, it was almost 90 degrees this past weekend and is supposed to be the same for the upcoming Phoenix Pride weekend. I'm really looking forward to having my friends Philip and Bernard in for the weekend and hanging out with all my friends across the valley, hopefully it will be a fun-filled weekend for all.
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It's That Time Again
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Can you believe that next weekend it's already ...
Phoenix Pride
The Adonis Party
I have heard many people this week talking about being bitter over the entire concept of the Pride Festival and like to go on about how it's rediculous to pay money to go and drink and blah, blah, blah. All I have to say is get over yourselves. It's a damn festival to support our community. It's usually these same people who complain that they don't have this right, or don't have that right. Well I have news for you, if you don't support the community and community events, you really don't have any right to bitch and moan about things. Get up off your asses and go to the festival because it's one of the few chances you'll get to hang out with and be surrounded by the people of all races, colors, and backgrounds that make up our very unique and diverse community, and it's just one small way that you can help support our community.
I do agree with some when they say being gay to them is a non-issue and this event turns it into an issue, but I look at it just like any other street festival. In many cities they have the Irish Festival, the Latin Festival, etc. It's because these people are proud of who they are, the accomplishments they've made and basically they just want to hang out together, have a party and support their respective communities. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. For them or for us.
Oh and one last thing, if you really think pride is just all about drinking then you seriously need to get a clue, it's so much more then that. If it troubles you that you have to pay to go in to pride and you don't take any consolation that they've actually been runing pride at a loss for the past several years, then my advice is perhaps have a few less drinks at the bar the night before since that should be enough money saved to pay for 2 or 3 of you to get in to the festival. Now turn that frown upside down and get ready for a party.
As for Justin and I, well we absolutely love pride. We love to be outside, people watch and just feel like we're part of something big for the day. We love the sense of community and it really is the small things in life that you have to enjoy. I believe life is just too short to not take every opportunity you have to participate in these events. I have many fond memories of Pride events all over the country in years past, and I look forward to many more in the future. Every one has been different it it's own way, and I cherish the memories of friends, fun and community that I've been fortunate enough to experience.
I'm expecially excited this year because my friend Bernard is coming down from San Francisco, and my friend Philip in coming over from Orange County to hang out for the weekend. Even Mark and Andrea are going to hit up the pride festival with us. Following the festival, Justin, Bernard, Philp and I are going to head over to the Icehouse to party it up at the Adonis Party. Justin and I had a great time last year at the Adonis Party with Philip and I'm really looking forward to it again this year.
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Out with the Old, In with the New!
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WARNING! BORING HOMEOWNER POST AHEAD!
Living in Arizona, the day comes when every proud homeowner has to deal the reality that their current central air unit just isn't going to make it another season. Our house was built in 1978 and our unit is still the original, which means not only does it barely work these days, but I can count on our monthly summer electric bill to never be less then $400 a month. The central air units here in Arizona not only provide air conditioning for those days over 100 degrees, but also provides heat for those frigid Arizona nights which frequently drop below 50 degrees (brrrr ... ok don't laugh you Canadians!)
So Justin and I had been thinking about getting a new central air unit this year but hadn't really given any serious consideration to this point. With the price of these things being at least $7k it's a pretty major investment. Well much to our surprise a new unit purchase came much sooner then we expected. No, our unit didn't break down, but we were presented with an opportunity we couldn't refuse. Mark and Andrea are in the same situation as us with an old and failing unit, and they decided to make an appointment with and A/C company to come to their home and give them a quote on a new unit and they graciously invited us over to see what the guy had to say, knowing that we too needed one.
Jake, the sales rep from American Home Maintenance, Inc. gave us all the information we needed, the most important being that now was the best time in Arizona to buy since prices always go up on April 1st, the unofficial start of summer and over 90 degree days here in Arizona. Mark and Andrea received a quote and immediately agreed to go ahead with the sale and installation. After finishing up their paperwork the sales rep agreed to head over to our house to give us a quote as well. I also immediately agreed to go ahead with the sale and installation. Final price, $8999. Ugh, that's almost as much as we spent on the pool remodel, but I figured it would be best to take advantage of the sale pricing and not have to worry about our unit breaking down this summer. We also get 10 year warranty on this puppy, so hello 10 years of worry free heating and air conditioning.
The guys came out at 8am today to do the installation ...
Our ugly, tired, old central air unit on the roof
Watch out, here comes the crane with the new unit,
swing that thing right over the roof and trees!
There goes the old unit.
Buh Bye old rusty piece of crap, you won't be missed!
Hello sleek, sexy new unit, we've been expecting you!
In at 8 and out at noon, the guys were very professional, quick and everything works great. Well that's about it for now. I told you it was going to be a boring homeowner post. I guess it's sort of like having kids with this house stuff, unless you're a homeowner you just can't appreciate the joy today brings for us. Well that's about it for now, I'm off to run some errands and do some shopping.
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A Sad Day For Our Neighborhood
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On Tuesday Morning, Kyle Winfrey, the 15-year old neighbor of Mark and Andrea, passed away from a heart attack. Kyle was the well mannered, funny young man who watched our dogs while we were all out of town. We would often see him walking down the street where he would wave and frequently crack jokes to us. Our neighborhood will surely miss having this young man in our lives.
Here is the article that was published in the Arizona Republic and on AZ Central about Kyle ...
Mesa student shows courage until the end
Friends, family remember teen
JJ Hensley
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 23, 2006 12:00 AM
James Kyle Winfrey's short life was about lessons, those he learned in his 15 years and those he imparted before he died early Tuesday morning.
Winfrey, a student at Rhodes Junior High, passed away at Children's Medical Center in Phoenix after a battle with restrictive cardiomyopathy that resulted in a lot of missed school, a heart transplant and, friends, teachers and family say, an example in how to live and die with dignity.
"Kyle played the hand he was dealt," his father, James, said. "He did one of the most courageous things anyone can do, anyone can go through. He never thought death was a possibility because he was so optimistic about his own well-being and the ability of the doctors and nurses."
Kyle, who friends called James, had good reason to be.
At 13, Kyle was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, which restricts blood flow to the heart. He was put on a donor list in 2004 and received a heart transplant 61 days later on Jan. 30, 2005.
What followed were a lifetime's worth of tests and medical appointments condensed into one year, but like everything, Winfrey said, Kyle took the outlook with a grin and a grain of salt.
"Even Monday morning, we talked, and he was still optimistic," Winfrey said. "He said, 'Man, they've got to get it fixed this time. They've got to get it right this time so I can play baseball.' "
As he waited for that day, Kyle took over the microphone at games, becoming a mini Harry Caray, announcing the players as they came up to bat.
But Kyle never made it back onto the diamond after doctors told the prospective second baseman that his condition would stop him from ever being another Joe Morgan. He came to that realization himself Monday when he was sitting in a hospital bed watching a baseball game.
"When he said that to me, it just broke my heart," Winfrey said.
Hours later, doctors and nurses were working feverishly to revive his son when he told them to stop doing CPR.
" 'You guys can stop now, I've already committed my son's soul to Christ,' " Winfrey recalled telling the hospital staff. "I knew. I could just tell he was gone."
"I don't know how else to say it: I'm a better person for knowing him," said Lisa Knapp, a Rhodes counselor who worked with Kyle to keep up on his schoolwork throughout the last 18 months. "The world was a better place with him and is a worse place without him."
Kyle's baseball coach, Jay Cryder, said he would remember the 15-year-old's zest for life and respect for others, and the contagious nature of Kyle's outlook. The school paid homage to that Wednesday morning when staff members aired a tape of Kyle performing at last fall's talent show at the end of announcements.
"Sure there are people that are mourning, but their mannerisms reflected what James wanted: Today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow," Cryder said. "I had 30 kids in my first-hour class laughing because of his video."
Through the funeral and memorial services, there will be more tears as adults and children mourn the loss of their friend, but Kyle's lessons and his legacy dictate that the laughter will return.
"Kyle's counselor used the word infectious," Winfrey said. "Kyle infected people with, I can honestly say, love."
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Happy St. Patrick's Day
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Alright, I know this one is a few days late here, but I started writing a post the other day and inadvertently wiped it out in the middle of switching to another window so I scrapped it. I was starting to say in my last post that St. Patrick's day was such a great holiday as it's the only one that actively promotes drinking to excess. I haven't actually gone out for St. Patrick's Day in several years. Yes I know that may come as a shock to some of you, but the concept of drinking green beer and getting toasted beyond belief for one night is a really straight thing, because with the exception of the green beer, the gay's don't need a special holiday for an excuse to booze it up.
So the evening started out very innocently. We had actually planned in advance on going out somewhere this year with Mark and Andrea, and afterall it was a Friday night, so who am I to say no to hanging out for a drink. Mark and Andrea stopped by around 6 to see if we wanted to head out early and eat. We assembled the troops and headed out to grab a bit to eat before partaking in any real St. Patrick's Day festivities. We ended up at the Old Chicago Restaurant for some food and wouldn't you know it, but Old Chicago even served green beer so we could get a head start on the party. Who knew the Italians got into the spirit of the holiday? The miracles never cease.
So following dinner we all walked out of the restaurant and heard this ... well ... raining sound. Looking around we couldn't figure out what was going on because everything appeared completely dry. Finally something at the back side of the parking lot caught our eyes ...
Apparently the sprinkler system was going off and this sprinkler head seemed to missing. Lucky for the owner of the truck it was shooting straight up and coming down directly into the bed of his truck. We all got a good laugh out of this one and were glad that it wasn't our car with the sunroof open or M&A's topless jeep. That would have been tragic and not quite as funny.
So we decided upon our options for the rest of the evening and all agreed to head over to O'Kelly's. Now let me explain to you about O'Kelly's. It's pretty much the unofficial white trash capital of the east valley. I'm not kidding you here, the last time we were at O'Kelly's some drunk fat man ripped the bottom of his shirt off, cut holes in it, tied it around his head like a mask and ran around the bar pretending to be a superhero. You see where I'm going with this one? Yeah it's THAT kind of place, you know what I'm talking about here right?
Anyway, the ONLY reason we decided to go to O'Kelly's (really the only reason we ever decide to go to O'Kelly's) was because it's literally a 1/2 mile away from our houses, and we just didn't want to drive to Tempe or central Phoenix to hit up something a bit more fabulous. White trash here we come.
 
Enter the drunk straight people. So as you can see from the photo above, O'Kelly's really gets into the spirit of St. Patrick's Day. They fenced off a large portion of the front parking lot and filled it with plastic tables, porta-potties, and a huge inflatable jousting ring which people would stand on inflatable stands and attempt to beat the living shit out of their opponent with an inflatable joust pole (like they used to do on American Gladiators ... remember that show?).
After finding a parking spot and fighting our way through the crowds of stumbling drunk people who were leaving the bar, falling in the bushes, and on the sidewalk, we finally made it to the inside. We decided to stay outside, watch the drunk fools, and take advantage of the makeshift bar which was setup in the parking lot. No need to fight our way through the crowd to go inside when all we needed was right there.
Well the jousting matches quickly turned into a game of knock the drunk off the post. Yes that's right, we saw both men and women fighting to stay on the post only to get socked in the head by their opponent and knocked completely on their back. One women even got knocked down and rolled completely out of the inflatable into the parking lot. Yeah, see what I mean here, it's a quality place.
I think we made it through our first beer before the really crazy things started happening. This woman walked out carrying a life size man doll with her. She would stop to talk to people and move the guys makshift arms with her hand. Everyone wanted me to take a photo of her with the doll but I just couldn't, it was really kinda creepy.
Next up ... the wet t-shirt contest. Yes that's right only in Mesa, Arizona can you find a wet t-shirt contest outside at a bar in March. Man this is such a wonderful place to live. LOL. Enter drunk mother with ripped jeans and really tight clothing. I honestly though that in order to have a wet t-shirt contest there had to be more then one contestant. I guess I was wrong ...
 
We tried to push Andrea up there to compete, but she didn't really seem too interested. In the end the flashing mother must of won by default because she walked away with the entire $40 pot ... that's right folks, $40. Man it must have been a good night for her. I'm glad I had my camera with me for proof of all this, I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.
So immediatly following the wet t-shirt contenst, we realized the night just couldn't get any better, so we packed it in and headed back to our place for a few additional beers before finishing out the evening. To say the least, it was certainly one interesting St. Patrick's day.Labels: Holidays
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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 |
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My New Favorite Gadget
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Ok I'll admit that I'm a techno gadget whore, it's true. I love my Canon PowerShot SD500 which replaced my Canon PowerShot S110. I wouldn't think of being without my Palm Treo 650 for Sprint (although I am a bit annoyed with the release of the Palm Treo 700W for Verizon only ... bastards!) But when it comes to small electronic gadgets, the one area I've been behind in is portable music gadgets. Of course I've had my share of portable CD players but seriously ... who carry’s around a CD these days, that’s so ... well ... 1990's. LOL. Ok, I will admit that I did buy one of the very first MP3 players that came out a few years ago, you know the one ... it was a combo CD / MP3 player that played MP3's from a disc. I could burn a selection of music only limited by the number MP3's that could fit on one disc. It was wonderful, it was stylish, and it was handy to have my entire CD collection on only a few discs. But ... alas it was big. And as I said before ... who carry’s around a CD these days. Enough said.
So about a month ago, after really taking a good look around the gym, I noticed that almost everyone had some sort of portable MP3 player. I knew that iPods have been all the rave for quite some time, but I never really bought into the whole Apple sales pitch, I've just never been a big fan. Anyway, I just couldn't believe my eyes. Now mind you, our gym just happens to be very close to Arizona State University (ASU), so there are probably more gym members
Yes that's right folks, beaten, worn out, dazed and confused, I broke down and we purchased two 4GB iPod Nanos (one for Justin and one for myself.) I couldn't believe I gave into the marketing hype but I was completely sucked into the entire wall of iPod cases, accessories, components, and everything iPod. It made every other MP3 player appear so ... well ... plain, unexciting, and lackluster. I mean look around, you can get EVERYTHING for these puppies.
Ok in all honesty and kidding aside here, I really did want an iPod for a while now; I just never got around to it, or never felt like outlaying the cash for it. Well all I'm going to say is that I'm overjoyed I finally took the plunge. As I said before, I've never been a real fan of Apple products, but I must say, they're starting to grow on me. As for my new iPod, I LOVE IT! Seriously, it makes my hour long cardio workout seem like a breeze now. I've copied down my entire Masterbeat Collection, some tribal and other assorted dance music. I turn it on, close my eyes and before I know it I'm done with my hour. It also helps out with my weight routine, as the thumpa-thumpa of the dance music just seems to push me to lift just a little harder.
Aside from the Wet Ones Flushable Wipes from this previous post I don't usually inject product endorsements into my blog, but both Justin and I can't even begin to explain how happy we are with our new iPods. I honestly can't believe I went this long without one. I’ll just say that having it for the past three weeks now, its well worth every penny spent. Anywho, that's it for me, I need to get my ass to bed. Happy hump day everyone!
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Finally Rain
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As most people know, we were 148 days without rain here in Phoenix and finally we're getting some rain. It started early this morning and is supposed to rain for the entire weekend. It's actually pretty chilly here for us, but it's a refreshing change from the dry, dusty air we've had for the past few months.
 
Not too much is going on with us this weekend, just the usual routine, work, gym, cleaning, laundry and more work.
 
At this point I guess my blog has become probably one of the most boring things on the internet, at least compared to what it used to be. I just don't have the drive to write much right now, and we haven't been going out or doing much so I really haven't taken any photos, which means since I don't really like posting other people's photos and artwork on my blog very often, the posts are pretty lackluster at this point. I'm by no means throwing in the towel for blogging, but I am sort of on a little bit of an off period right now as I continue to get things in order in my life.
Speaking of my life, I know I posed a while back about how unusually happy I was feeling. Well to update that, things haven't changed. I'm amazingly content and extremely happy with EVERYTHING right now. I think I'm finally starting to settle into my life, my relationship and my home without the need or thoughts of what's next or what's better. It's quite a liberating feeling when you clean out the stress in your life and take an introspective look at your life and realize that every decision you've ever made in the past has gotten you to where you are at this moment, and no matter if those decisions were good or bad you cannot go back and change them. I know my life could be different in so many ways right now depending on the choices I've made, but life is a learning experience and for the most part I believe I've made a majority of great choices which have finally led me to a point of happiness that I could have only hopped for in the past.
April has been dubbed the party reunion month. My friends Philip and Bernard, two of my very best San Francisco friends, are coming out to Phoenix in a few weeks for Phoenix Pride, and then we'll all be meeting up again in Palm Springs for the White Party. There are so many stories we all have together and it will be great to have the opportunity to spend time with them again. Bernard is still living in San Francisco and has turned into quite the party animal since Justin and I moved away. Bernard has really lived his life well and has such a unique take on everything that he always manages to ask the questions that really make you think about yourself, your friendship and your life. We've had our many ups and downs together but he's been a great friend and has always helped me to be a better person. Philip moved back to the OC last year from San Francisco. I will never forget the first day that we met Philip and took him out that night in San Francisco. He was so new, so naive to the community, and so innocent. Oh how things have changed over the past 5 years. Justin and I are really glad to finally be able to spend some quality time with both Philip and Bernard together again. We've all only hung out together a few brief times since Justin and I have left San Francisco but this time all of us will be together for several days, so it really will be a San Francisco reunion.
Alright well this turned out to be a much longer post then I anticipated. I'm off for now as I have to dodge the rain and head out to the gym. Cheers!
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Assumptions
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I was going to write this bitter flame post on how I was irritated about the assumptions that people make, but I'm pretty much over it now. Let me back up for a second and explain.
I just returned home from the UPS Store where I went to ship out a package. While waiting for the clerk to process my package I noticed another customer walk in. I looked over at him and realized immediately that I recognized him from somewhere, but couldn't quite put my finger on where. He was a fairly good looking guy, and nicely dressed. He looked at me and immediately said "Hey ... Where do I know you from?" I replied that I was thinking the same but couldn't remember. I asked him if he worked around here and he said no, in Chandler, but didn't provide any additional information regarding his job. He asked me what I did and I replied that I was a software engineer. He said hmmm ... he then said ... "Which church do you go too ... is it around here?"
<*Insert Loud Record Scratch Here*>
Excuse me I thought ... church? I calmly replied that I did not go to church around here. He shrugged and just agreed that he couldn't remember either. He reached out his hand to shake mine and said "Well hello anyway I'm Mike ..." I shook his hand and of course returned my name as well. I quickly looked down to his other hand to see if he was wearing a wedding band as I always do out of habit (not that it means anything since Justin and I also wear bands, but it's something many of us Gay boys have grown accustomed to doing these days before eyeing up potential prospects ... LOL) Indeed he was wearing a wedding band so chances were greater that he was married (to a woman) and I knew him from a purely acquaintance perspective ;-)
We both returned to what we were doing and settled on the fact that neither could remember where we knew the other from. Walking out of the store right after him, I noticed him get into his car where he wife and newly born child were patiently waiting for him. I immediately laughed, thinking to myself that I was indeed correct about the wedding band.
I was however slightly disturbed about the church question until I thought about it on the way home and realized that for people who actually do go to church (i.e. my Mother), they just couldn't fathom the fact that there are those of us out there that do not. So rather then being irritated at someone asking me a question like where I went to church and automatically assuming that I do go to church, I'll just chalk another one up to narrow minds.
I think things like this bother me because assumptions in the world are not a random occurrence and especially in the gay community, we're subjected to multitude of assumptions from people on a fairly regular basis. Assumptions such that the person you live with is either your 'roommate', your 'brother' or better yet your 'son' ... yes I've gotten that on more then one occasion, but we're not going to talk about that today. Assumptions that because your gay you know EVERYTHING about fashion, decorating and hair (Of course I DO, but that's NOT the point here ... Focus people!) Assumptions that because your gay your an obsessive compulsive neat freak (Of course I AM, but I know plenty of really sloppy gay boys, ahem, *Looks over at Justin's Desk*)
Anyway, my point being is that I really wish people would think with more of an open mind before making assumptions. It's really not that difficult. Ok that's my rant for the week. As usual it's been a busy week. Justin and I are off to see Mamma Mia tomorrow at ASU's Gammage Auditorium. Hopefully it should be a nice relaxing weekend for a change. Cheers.
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Wednesday, March 01, 2006 |
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Wow
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What the hell happened to February? I guess time flys when you're having fun right? It's been a really busy month for me and turning into what I believe is going to be a non-stop continuously busy year. Aside from work, Justin and I have been hitting the gym about 5 days a week now in the evenings. This along with all the other stuff we have to do around the house has left us with very little personal time. I do have to admit that I'm really enjoying going to the gym and have started to see some good results. Since there's only 1 month to Phoenix Pride and just over a month until we head to Palm Springs for the White Party we've both been really committed to our workout and weight routine.
Well that's all I have for now, nothing new and exciting going on in my life. Pretty damn boring actually. I'm just taking a break from something I'm working on, but now it's time to get back. Cheers.
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