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Hello I'm Rich Brown and this is my personal website and blog. I'm just your simple, average, down to earth, professional, out gay man and aspiring circuit boy, living in Phoenix, Arizona with a few things to say while trying to find my place among all the scary, conservative, religious nuts in this sick and twisted world.
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Wednesday, December 27, 2006 |
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New Year's Eve in Los Angeles
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So Justin, Jerry and I have decided to head out to Los Angeles for New Year's Eve and meet up with the all the boys. It's sort of a north meets south type of relationship, in what we call the San Francisco Crew hanging out with the San Diego crew.
We're all converging in Los Angeles for the weekend to hit up the New Year's Los Angeles event sponsored by Masterbeat. Manny Lehman will be spinning, and it's suppsed to be the largest New Year's event in the country, so you know it's going to be one wild and crazy weekend.
THE MAIN EVENT:
THE USUAL SUSPECTS:
 |  |  |  |  | Bernard
San Francisco | Philip
Los Angeles | Justin
Phoenix | Rich
Phoenix | Jerry
Phoenix |  |  |  |  |  | Tony
San Diego | Justin
Dallas | Stan
San Diego | Steve
San Diego | Kendall
San Diego |
WARNING:
If you happen to see any of these people, consider them all to be extremely well dressed and fabulous and avoid them at all costs for fear of having an inconcievable good time which could result in projectile vomiting.
I'm really looking forward to our trip and hanging out with my friends again. I'm actually going to be headed out a bit early to meet up with Jerry who will already be there, and Philip who will just be getting back from his trip to Europe. Justin and Bernard will be flying in on Friday night and we'll be meeting up with Tony and the rest of the boys on Saturday. Phillip has graciously agreed to accomodate all 10 of us in his apartment in Santa Monica. This is going to be one interesting weekend. Cheers!Labels: Bernard, Circuit Party, Jerry Timms, Justin Chanley, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Diego Boys, San Francisco, Tony, Travel
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Tuesday, December 26, 2006 |
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It's Hard To Work After The Holidays
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The one thing that pisses me off the most at work during the holidays is how my co-workers just automatically assume that because I'm 'unmarried' and without children, I shouldn't have a problem working over the holidays while they take the time off without question to spend with their family. I mean it almost seems as if I'm not even asked or given an option, it's just assumed that I will work. Just a peeve of mine I guess because it's something that has occurred at almost every place I've worked where my co-workers are married with children. People with children always think they have more rights then those of us without, but I'll save that discussion for another day.
Anyway, it's hard to come back to work after a day or two off, especially after a holiday. At least it's a very short week for me this week because aside from being Tuesday already, I've decided to take off Thursday and Friday since I'm headed out to Los Angeles on Wednesday night to celebrate the New Year with my friends.
I actually had a good holiday weekend. It was spent at home with Justin and my Mother. I thought I would do something nice for my Mother and take her to downtown Phoenix for midnight mass at St. Mary's Basilica on Christmas Eve. While I don't usually go to church much these days, my Mother remains an devout Catholic and never misses mass. It's been years since either of us have attended a midnight Christmas mass together and I thought it would be a nice change for her since St. Mary's Basilica is the largest and one of the most beautiful churches in Arizona. The church was packed and surprisingly I even saw quite a few other gay boys who I know from around town. It was a nice service and by the time we got home it was nearly 2 AM. As was tradition with my family, and has become tradition with Justin and I, the three of us opened our gifts in front of the tree after mass. It was nice.
Monday was spent watching some movies and cooking Christmas dinner which consisted of a ham, some mashed potatoes, corn, deviled eggs and my Mother's delicious home-made cole-slaw. We enjoyed having dinner together, my Mother headed back to her place and Justin and I wound down the evening in front of the television.
To some extent I'm glad that it's finally all over and I can soon get back into my normal routine again. I love the holiday season, but all this gift-giving and present buying really stresses me out, not to mention all the over-eating which usually starts at Thanksgiving. I'm ready to move into the new year, start out fresh again, get back to my normal diet, and get my ass back to the gym again with a vengeance. Cheers.Labels: Christmas, Holidays, Justin Chanley
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Monday, December 25, 2006 |
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Sunday, December 24, 2006 |
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A Night Out with Friends
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Justin and I headed up to Jerry's around 9 to meet up with him and Jeremiah for dinner. We chose Fate, which is a small trendy Asian restaurant located in the heart of the Art District off of 4th Street and Roosevelt in Downtown Phoenix.
Dinner was very good. Fate is a unique place with only a few tables but an amazing menu and a live DJ spinning from the 2nd floor. If you live in Phoenix and have never been to Fate, I would highly recommend it.
After a wonderful bottle of Big Tattoo Red wine, apparently a favorite of Jeremiah, some music, conversation, and a sampling of some delicious appetizers and tasty Asian fare we paid the bill and headed out. Jerry, Justin and I had decided to head over to the Burn Nightclub while Jeremiah was off to do some house sitting.
Burn started off pretty dead. I think we arrived around 11 and there were maybe only a 100 people in the whole place. Surprisingly and very quickly the place filled up and by midnight the dance floor was packed.
The bartenders and cocktail waiters at Burn dance around the bar completely shirtless, and most are pretty damn hot. Having a gaggle of hot bartenders certainly does make the wait at the bar a bit more entertaining.
We took a break from dancing to pose for little photo shoot. I used to wonder what other people were thinking when someone whipped out a camera and started taking photos, but with increased availability and popularity of small digital cameras, I've noticed more these days that so many others are doing the same.
After a few drinks we ran into Jerry's extremely cute next door neighbor Phillip, also from the gayborhood, who was out and about with his friend Ian.
After several drinks, some socializing and dancing the night was over. The lights came on and we were ushered promptly out of the building at exactly 2:01 AM. Jerry, Justin and I headed out to the car and grabbed Philip and Ian, who were waiting for a cab, to give them a ride back as well. We all packed in the Highlander and headed back to the gayborhood.
We dropped Philip and Ian off and then Jerry, Justin and I took a stroll up the street to take a peek at two houses that are for sale on Jerry's street. He's been ever so slightly hinting that we need to get with the times and move ourselves over the the gayborhood. We'll see.
Once back at Jerry's place Justin passed out on the couch while Jerry showed me some of the more interesting architectural details of his 1940's built house, including some of the changes he's made in the back yard. After hanging out for a little bit the three of us decided we were hungry, so we jumped back in the car and headed up to the Gay Dennys (dubbed Gennys by the locals) on 7th and Camelback for a quick bite to eat. I guess everyone from Burn had the same idea because we noticed several familiar faces from the club sitting around enjoying their post-club eating binge.
Following breakfast we dropped Jerry off back at the governors mansion and headed home. It was a really fun night and I'm so glad that after knowing Jerry for about 8 years now, we've been able to finally reconnect and hang out again. He's a great friend and we always have fun together. Cheers.Labels: Burn Nightclub Phoenix, Jeremiah, Jerry Timms, Justin Chanley, Phoenix
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Saturday, December 23, 2006 |
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2 Days Until Christmas & Photos From Our Home
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Well I'm not going to make this post too long because I actually have plenty to say about this year, the holidays and life in general but I'm not ready to write about it just yet. What I have done in this post is included some photos that I just took from inside of our home so you can indeed see that we decorate for the holidays here in Arizona as well.
This year has just been so crazy. I still haven't finished shopping. I never sent out cards. We didn't have our party. I didn't write my yearly holiday letter. It's been a holiday filled with last minute shopping and neglected tasks. Each week I've thought that things were going to slow down, but it's just seemed to work the opposite for me this year and everything just got thrown into overdrive.
It's certainly been a year of change, and yet with all that change my life seems more hectic then ever. Busy with work, busy with travel and just busy with life in general. But in the end that seems to be when I'm at my best, when I'm busy. I'm really looking forward to the New Year and being able to finally get back on track with my life and my career, but for now I just have to get through this holiday season. The main thing here is that I'm still happy, and for me that's all that matters.
Justin and I have to run to the mall today to brave the crowds and get a few last minute things, and then we might go out again tonight with Jerry and Jerry to Burn. We'll see. I'll have more to write tomorrow. Cheers.Labels: Berger, Christmas, Holidays, Justin Chanley, Our Home
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Out with Jerry & Jerry
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Last night Justin and I headed up to Z'Tejas at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall to meet up with Jerry and Jeremiah for a small happy hour with Move Marketing and it's owner Anthony. It was a nice small gathering with an absolutely horrid waitress. She was seriously the worst ever and it took Justin and I nearly 30 minutes to get her to bring us a drink. Aside from the waitress, it was great to see Anthony again and spend some time talking with him. He's a really down to earth guy with some amazing ideas.
Following a few drinks at Z'Tejas Jerry, Jeremiah, Justin and I headed back to Jerry's house to consolidate cars and pick up a few Proton Pump Inhibitors (Prilosec) for our heartburn before heading out to Ticoz to grab a quick bite to eat. Now Justin and I were introduced to Ticoz by Mike & Jonathan on their last trip and it's quite an interesting place. Just north from the corner of 7th Street and Camelback in Phoenix, it's a trendy little restaurant with very tasty menu. Although the place is almost entirely decorated with items from Ikea, and all the food is extremely over garnished, it has a nice atmosphere, great drinks and the food is actually very good. We had a few cocktails and some dinner before continuing our evening and heading down to Amsterdam.
Walking from the street into Amsterdam was almost painful because it's ridiculously cold here right now. I know many of you might laugh because in comparison to many other places in the world, Phoenix is far from cold, however after a full day of rain yesterday it was a damp 38 degrees outside, and that's pretty damn cold for us here. Thank god for the outside space heaters to warm us all up on the patio before entering the building. One certainly does not want to look all cold, and flush before walking into a bar filled with hot people. LOL.
Once inside Amsterdam we met up with Keith & Anthony (The P.B.Loco Boy's), Anthony's sister Lynda, who was sporting a fabulous new dark hair color, as well as Little Keith and Brad. Of course at the moment I found them, Anthony and Lynda were screaming obscenities at Noah, the Amsterdam bar manager, for giving them soda water instead of 7-Up in their drinks. Kieth finally had to go over and resolve the situation before they all got thrown out. We also ran into Lance & Kevin who were there with other friends having some drinks. I introduced all unfamiliar parties and we all claimed space at the back of the bar just far enough away from the back door to remain somewhat warm.
After a few drinks, a conversation about what makes an establishment a club, and many laughs, we finally ended up leaving around 1:30 to drop Jerry and Jeremiah off at Jerry's house before heading home. Justin and I both really enjoyed the night spent with Jerry & Jeremiah, it was a fun evening and a nice way to end a long week. I don't have any photos because if you can imagine I actually forgot my camera. Oh well next time. Cheers.Labels: Gay Bars, Gay Restaurants, Jeremiah, Jerry Timms, P.B.Loco, Penn State, Phoenix
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Friday, December 15, 2006 |
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Back from Delaware
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Yes it's true I'm back from the east. I got in early this morning. My flight left Philadelphia just in time as I heard about 30 minutes after I left the airport was shut down due to fog. I don't miss being back east. My trip was good, very productive to say the least. I did get a chance to drive up to Pennsylvania and spend one of the evenings with my Aunt & Uncle and have dinner with them. It was nice to see my cousins and their kids again. It's always strange for me to return back to the area where I grew up because I can't help to look around and think this is where I'm from, this is my family and this is the culture that influenced the first 18 years of my life. I got a little introspective for a day or two, it was wierd. The rest of my nights were spent in the hotel room doing some work and getting a little extra rest. I almost forgot how cold it gets back there. When I walked out of the office each night I was freezing as the damp, brisk, cold air enveloped my hands and face. It was 75 here in Phoenix today. I'm glad to be home. Cheers. Labels: Travel
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Tuesday, December 12, 2006 |
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Smokers Annoy Me
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Ok I'm just going to throw that out there. I was reading Jerry's blog entry on MySpace the other day about how tolerant we non-smokers are with smokers, but I think we've been forced into that position by the smokers.  Smokers typically exude the attitude of 'I don't give a shit, I'm smoking, Get over it!' This attitude has been reinforced by rude smokers time and time again at clubs, bars, even standing outside the main entry doors at most non-smoking establishments including my office.
As non-smokers we've just learned to deal with the rudeness of smoke being blown in our faces, the floor being used as an ashtray and even having our clothes and skin burned by irresponsible cigarette carrying smokers, all the time knowing that if we said something it would most likely end in an unpleasant exchange of words between parties. We've gotten to a point in society where it feels almost un-pc to tell a smoker that they're being rude.
I personally don't care if people smoke or not, that's their business. I have my vices and I prefer not to be judged based on my choices, but what I do care about is when it starts to affect me personally. I care about my clothes and hair smelling like smoke after a night out or walking through the large group of smokers standing outside of my office doors in the morning. I care about not being able to breathe or open my eyes from the smoke in air. I care about getting burned from someone waving around a cigarette in their hands with no regard for anyone around them. I care about the potential health risks from second hand smoke inhalation. I think smokers should understand that many of of the non-smokers in the world actually care about these things. I mean seriously, there's obviously a reason many of these public non-smoking bans are being passed these days.
The reason I was thinking about this today was prompted by the smoking area here at my office in Wilmington. It's a very nice campus with a beautiful outside courtyard area inside the secure inner ring of the building with flower gardens, trees and some seating areas. I was thinking it would be nice on a crisp day like today to be able to go out during lunch to get some fresh air and enjoy the gardens. That was until I looked through the window and saw all the smokers standing out there huffing and puffing in an attempt to curtail their oral fixation for a brief moment. Frankly it disgusted me. I immediately thought it was such a waste to have such a beautiful landscaped area just to be littered with cigarette butts and filled with smokey air for only a few people to enjoy.
I realized today how much smokers annoy me. I guess I should feel lucky in the fact that most of my friends don't smoke and the ones that do have always been extremely sensitive about their smoking around the rest of us. If only the entire smoking community would be so courteous. Lastly, if you smoke and a non-smoker says they don't mind kissing you, that's the biggest lie you'll ever hear. It's the most disgusting taste in the world and no matter how much gum you chew, it's still there. Sorry but I just thought I should tell you the truth. Cheers.Labels: Smoking
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6 Years Together And Still Going Strong
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Happy 6th Anniversary My Love! Today actually holds two meanings for me, one happy and one sad. First it will always be the day of my very first date with Justin. We spoke on the phone, and agreed to meet at Borders near San Francisco State University. I'll never forget the moment I saw him walking across the street into the bookstore as I was pulling in. My first thought was "Wow, I hope that's him!" After browsing the bookstore and chatting a bit we headed down to the Castro for dinner at the Welcome Home Cafe. While at dinner I received some bad news, a call from my Mother letting me know that my Father had just passed away from his 6 month battle with cancer. I broke down, Justin didn't know what was going on, I finally explained. We spent the rest of the evening walking around the Castro together holding hands before I had to head home and make arrangements to fly back east the next day. Someone once said to me that perhaps at that moment my Father knew I had found someone special who would always love and care for me, so he could finally rest. I wish Justin would have been able to meet my Father to know what an incredible man he was. So that's the story and after many ups and downs, good times and bad times, here we are still together 6 years later. I thought it would be fun to take a brief look back through some photos of us over the past 6 years. 2000 - Our First Few Months 2001 - Our Year Together in San Francisco 2002 - The Move to Phoenix 2003 - The Eating Binge Begins 2004 - The Eating Binge Continues 2005 - The Year of European Travel 2006 - The Year of the Circuit I think it's always funny to go back and look at our photos over time. We started out so young and thin. I think as we settled in with each other we proceeded to let go and get fatter and fatter each year until 2006 we decided a change was in order. I'm very happy and proud of where we both are now. Justin and I have a great relationship. We get along well, we enjoy many of the same things and we complement each other nicely. I'm am however not going to candy coat it and say it's always perfect because there really isn't anything in life that's always perfect. We've certainly had our fair share of fights and even a few days where one of us was so mad we just couldn't look at the other. But after it's all said and done, we've always had this uncanny ability to make each other laugh, which really makes it hard for one of us to stay mad at the other for very long. For me this is it, I mean seriously it's taken me 6 years to get Justin trained so you think I'm going to give all that work up to start over with someone else. LOL. I'm just kidding. We've both grown so much in the last 6 years that it's almost scary. He's introduced me to things I never thought I would like, and in turn I've done the same for him. We've been able to integrate our lives together and share new experiences together even the things we enjoy with each other without ever having to give up any part of ourselves. I sometimes think that 6 years is a long time, and indeed for some in the gay community it is, but I know that it's just the beginning of a long journey for us and I've had such a great time so far that I'm really looking forward to the years to come. Justin, you're the first person to help me not feel ashamed of being gay while holding my hand and walking through the streets of San Francisco. You've helped me know who I am and become the proud and confident gay man I am today. I know I can always count on you, I know you will be there for me whenever I need you and I know that my love for you grows stronger with each passing day. I hope you never forget these things, and know that I love you so very much. Happy 6th Anniversary Piglet! Labels: Gay Relationships, Justin Chanley, Phoenix
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Monday, December 11, 2006 |
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Sunday, December 10, 2006 |
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Back from Vegas, Off to Wilmington Delaware
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That's right we just got back in from an extremely fun weekend in Las Vegas and I'm on a plane tomorrow morning to Wilmington, Delaware for a business trip. It's going to be a long flight tomorrow and I'm really not looking forward to it. Maybe I'll blog if I have time but I'm not promising anything since I know it's going to be a busy week. Cheers.
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Thursday, December 07, 2006 |
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Off to Las Vegas for the Weekend
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Justin, Jerry and I are headed up tonight to Las Vegas for the weekend to meet up with Philip and a few other friends from Los Angeles. It should be a fun trip. I won't have a laptop or access to post but I should have some juicy photos to post when I get back on Sunday. Cheers!Labels: Las Vegas
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Tuesday, December 05, 2006 |
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Photos from Montreal Black & Blue's Supersonic Ball
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I found these photos on Circuit Noise Magazine's website. They are from the Montreal Black & Blue 2006 Supersonic Ball at the Olympic Stadium. Take a look at the crowd and this will give you an idea of the number of people inside that place. The towers with the lights on them were over 4 stories tall.
I just thought for those of you who couldn't image what an event like this would be like that these photos would give you a good understanding of how large the crowd was inside the Olympic Stadium.
You'll notice in some of the photos balloons floating in the air. Some people brought these balloons in and tied them to their wrists so that the rest of their party could find them. This party was an amazing time.Labels: Black and Blue, Circuit Party
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It's That Time Again. White Party Tickets On Sale!
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Yes that's right kiddies it's that time again. White Party Palm Springs tickets are now on sale at Jeffrey Sanker's website. Go get those VIP passes if you haven't already. Offer Nissim will be there this year, so it's a must attend weekend.
And if the White Party Palm Springs wasn't enough look what Jeffrey Sanker is cooking up for us left coasters in the fall.
That's right, White Party Las Vegas. Sweet.Labels: White Party, White Party Palm Springs
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Monday, December 04, 2006 |
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My Mouth Hurts
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Yes it's true, my mouth hurts right now, but aside from that I feel great. The four shots of Novocaine have finally worn off and now I'm feeling the pain of having Dr. Shaun Gardner's fingers inside my mouth for at least an hour this morning. It's getting to be that time of year you know, the end, so I had to go in and get a little bit of minor work done to my pearly whites so I would use up that last bit of dental insurance before I loose it.
"So Rich, How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?" Dr Gardner asks me while I have a block bracing my jaw open and various pieces of dental equipment hanging from my mouth.
Why do dentists always insist upon having a conversation with you when they know you can't answer except for a few grunts. I really think they should stick to the yes or no questions only. One grunt for yes, two grunts for no. I mean seriously man come on.
Feeling Fully Recovered
On a brighter note, I was able to spend some time resting this weekend and have been able to rebound from my nasty sinus and ear infections. I'm actually almost 100% better today which personally makes me very happy. The only downside to me bringing my cold home from work is that now both Justin and my Mother are sick too. Justin usually is pretty good about avoiding my colds but I don't think this one is sparing anyone.
Weight Loss Shake Anyone?
One last thing ... Lunch. Many people have asked both Justin and I what we've been doing to loose so much weight. My answer to that is simple. Aside from working out several days a week you simply have to cut almost all carbs out of your diet. One easy way to do that is to substitute a shake (Target Brand, or Adkins, etc.) for lunch and/or dinner. Look for the ones that have a low carbs or a low carb impact and high in protein. Seriously if you can cut carbs from your diet for several weeks you'll see a huge drop very quickly as your body burns stored carbs. Anyway enough of that. Cheers.Labels: Phoenix, Working Out
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Sunday, December 03, 2006 |
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A Party or Not? What's Different About This Year?
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Every year for the past 4 years Justin and I have thrown a pretty fun Holiday bash. Usually one that involves a ton of food, a fully stocked bar, too much drinking, jello shots and ultimately people passing out all over our house. In past years we've always enjoyed getting ready for the party, stocking our bar, planning the food and organizing the guest list.
This year is different.
Our Bar Stock from the 2005 Holiday Party
I can't put my finger on it but we're just not into it this year. We still haven't even decided if we're going to have a party at all or not. After the party each year we've always said we weren't going to do it again but that usually passes very quickly and by mid November we've already sent out the Evite. Now here we are and it's already Dec-3 and we're still thinking we aren't going to have it. I just don't know. I was pretty firm all year about not really wanting to do it this year. For the past few weeks several people have asked me when we were having our party. I've had to tell them I didn't think we were doing it this year.
"What? You're not having it? Why not?" was the typical response to my answer.
Well there just seem to be so many more reasons against it then for it. First it's always very expensive for us. It's also time consuming, somewhat of a hassle, stressful, messy and did I mention expensive. Let me tell you the boys in Phoenix know how to drink, especially when it's free. The only good part of the whole thing is that we enjoy hanging out with friends and acquaintences and showing everyone a great time.
But now as we approach the time when we usually have the party I'm almost feeling guilty. I'm feeling as if I'm breaking a holiday tradition that I started. I know it's not really a big loss for anyone if we don't have the party, but I guess in the end I always did enjoy people coming over and having an awesome time. I still don't know, I mentioned it to Justin tonight. Maybe we'll just have a small one this year, we'll see.Labels: Holidays, Phoenix
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Saturday, December 02, 2006 |
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A Little of My Past History
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I actually decided to do this post because while I usually post current photos and talk about what's going on in my life right now, I don't talk too much of my past. I do have a great deal of information about me on the rest of my website, but I haven't blogged too much about it.
Prompted by a comment on my blog today from J. David, a Penn State Alum, asking me about the Penn State sweatshirt I was wearing in my sick photo, I began looking through some of my old photo albums today. I realized that most of my photos before 2001 are film photos and I was looking for a particular set of photos but couldn't find them so I just gave up and remembered that I had taken these when I took Justin up to visit Penn State back in November of 2002.
You may or may not know but I too am a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, otherwise more frequently known as Penn State or PSU. Probably one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life was to attend Penn State. Not only has the university name recognition helped me throughout my career, but with Penn State being ranked as the #2 party school in the United States, I also have many very fond memories from that time in my life.
Old Main Building
Probably one of the most recognized and historic building on campus, Old Main used to be the center of the university and built just to the right of the geographic center of the state of Pennsylvania. It's not primarily administrative offices but visually represents all of University Park to whomever walks the grounds. The funny story about the Old Main Building is that at night it becomes a huge cruising area for gay students. On any given night while school is in session you can walk by and find college guys either sitting on the steps or walking circles around the building in hopes of possibly meeting someone.
Me at the Nittany Lion Shrine in 2002
The Penn State football team known as the Nittany Lions were given that name from the mountain lions that roam on the local Mt. Nittany. The Lion Shrine was sculpted in 1940 and is probably one of the most photographed sites on campus. Everyone usually goes here after graduation to get a picture of the lion while still donning their cap & gown. I indeed have that photo of myself in cap & gown post-graduation.
Walking up the 'Mall' between the Elms
The one thing about Penn State is that the campus was always beautiful. All four seasons offered a picturesque view from any part of the campus. These Elm trees are over 100 years old, and this walk between the Elms used to be party of my daily walk to campus for classes.
The Corner Room & Allen Room
Located at whats considered to be the historic front gate of the University, on the corner of College Avenue and Allen Street, sits the Corner Room & Allen Room. Both offering great food and drinks, it was a favorite hangout of my friends and I. An interesting tidbit is that the only gay bar in town, Chumley's, is just a few feet down on College Avenue to the right of where this photo ends. Well if you look at this photo you can see that the Allen Room overhangs the curb and that with the windows, anyone sitting on the right corner of the Allen Room could see practically everyone walking up and down College Avenue. One night my fraternity brother and I, both of us gay and still somewhat closeted at this time, decided to duck in real quick to Chumley's for a drink and to check out the crowd. Well as unlikely as it may have been five of my fraternity brothers were sitting at that very right most table and happened to see us both walk in to Chumley's. Needless to say by the time we got back to the house the word was out that we were gay. That was pretty much the end of me being in the closet and to my surprise, most of my fraternity brothers were really very cool with the entire situation.
The Rathskeller
The 'Skeller' is the place we'd always end up going for drinks and to play pool. This place was a total dive but had cheap beer and was so much fun to hang out with your friends over a case of Rolling Rock Mini's. That's right you could order a case and the bartender would sit it right in front of you. Oh the good old days. I wonder where I got my bad drinking habits from, I simply can't imagine.
Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity House
Last but not least of is a photo of my fraternity house. Living there was a blast. I had so many great friends, met a ton of amazing people and just had so much fun in this house for many years. Things have changed and the fraternities just aren't what they used to be anymore. My fraternity brothers and I started to see things going downhill as the university really started to crack down on all the houses around campus. Penn State used to have the largest greek system in the United States, but since then many houses have shut down and fraternity life seems to be un-pc these days. I really feel sorry for the college kids who won't have the opportunity to experience the same type of brotherhood, camaraderie, and parties that we used to have when I was at university. It was a great experience and something that I would have never changed.
So that's a little background to some of my experiences during my undergraduate years at Penn State. After starting out as a Computer Engineering major and many years of uncertainty, indecision and major switches, I finally graduated from Penn State in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM). Having a Penn State degree has certainly made an impact on my life and my career. While I don't get back to the campus to visit as much as I'd like these days, I still manage to keep in touch with the pulse of the university through newsletters, magazines and the Alumni Association. I continue to be an active member of the Penn State Lion Link program which allows undergraduates to contact me with questions or for mentoring. I enjoy it and I feel it's a way that I can give a little back to a school that gave so much to me. Cheers!Labels: Penn State, Pi Lambda Phi
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Friday, December 01, 2006 |
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World AIDS Day 2006
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In commemoration of World AIDS Day today the Washington Post created a 'Living HIV Quilt' to show the faces and stories of how HIV has impacted the lives of 25 Washington, D.C. residents. It was a very well presented and interesting take on this crisis.
Copyright 2006 The Washington Post Company
I still have a difficult time believing that 25 years later we're still dealing with such a pandemic as HIV & AIDS. It's something that's not only affected the gay community, but people of all ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations world wide. I wish the people in the United States and throughout the world would open their eyes to what's going on with this crisis and demand more funding to be granted for research so that an efficient vaccine can be developed and most importantly a cure for HIV can be found. I'm sorry Mr. President, but your policy of abstinence just doesn't seem to be working very well.
It's estimated that there are now over 40 million people in the world infected by HIV and that by the year 2030, AIDS will join Heart Disease and Stroke to be one of the top 3 causes of death.
The most ironic part of this crisis continues to be that as people are dying all around the world, our Government sits idle and even continues to cut funding for AIDS research and HIV programs in our own country. I know there are many people out there, especially ones here in the States, who think we shouldn't be spending tax money on this type of thing because it's 'God's Will' and doesn't affect them personally, but trust me when I say this, if you wait long enough it will.
I personally donate to the Phoenix Body Positive, a local HIV and AIDS research and resource center for the Metropolitan Phoenix area. It's not much, but it's the best I can do for now. So I ask the rest of you to please find a worthy organization near you and help if you can, every little bit counts. Cheers.Labels: Gay Life
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