22 October 2005

Picture This

You had a really bad day at work. Hell, the entire week was utter crap. You worked 9-10 hour days five days straight, getting home after 8pm each night. Happy that it's Friday, all you want to do is come home, eat dinner and go to sleep, glad to not have to wake up at the ungodly hour you normally do Monday thru Friday.

Upon arrival at your doorstep you go to put the key in the lock of your front door when you notice a note stuck on the window. You peel it off, read it, and it says"

Quote:
After days like today, we simply deserve each other....


Intrigued, you unlock and open the door to find the house completely dark. Except there are candles lighting your way down the hall, with rose petals lying in a trail, and soft music playing in the background. Giddily, you follow the path to your second floor stairway, follow the path of candles and rose petals up where it leads to your bathroom. You walk through the doorway to find your partner in the tub filled with bubble bath and rose petals. Beside the tub are more candles, some grapes in a bowl, and your favorite drinks chilled on ice.

Smiling, you say hello and give your partner a tender kiss while he helps you out of your clothes and into the tub for a relaxing time. The warmth of the water and the scent of the rose petals immediately relax you, and the sight of your partner's smiling face make you forget about whatever was troubling you. You both sit in the tub, sharing cocktails and enjoying each other's company in a most romantic setting.

Me and my beautiful man in Malibu

After sufficient finger pruning, you leave the tub and the bathroom and move to the bedroom, where the bed is covered in rose petals, and candlelight softly illuminates the room. Your partner pours both of you a cup of warm white tea to further relax the two of you, and you both lie down on the bed. You then have the most amazing lovemaking session you've had in recent memory, and afterward bask in the afterglow and warm touch of the one person who makes you happy when all else seems like life is garbage. The evening ends with the two of you falling asleep side by side, smiling and glad to be alive.

That was my night last night. My partner Nick is one amazing man, and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

20 October 2005

White men can't jump....but they sure can run

I just don't get it. People running for the subway, people running for the commuter trains. Why? So they can beat the other people who are running and knock over a few hapless pedestrians along the way? And why is it that only the white folks that are running?

Commuting each day into NYC has definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things I took for granted before. When I lived in the city and took the subway daily I just went with the flow and scurried along like the rest of the 9 million worker bees. Now I just take my time, allow myself enough time to get from A to B without having to run, dodge and potentially knock over a grannie in the process.

But each day there are quite a few men and some women as well who are running through the subway stations and running in Penn Station to catch their LIRR, Amtrak or NJ Transit train. The funny thing is, it's always the white people running. Running to get down the stairway to get to the main station, running to the track to get downstairs to the commuter train, running to get that slice of pizza and a beer so they can then run to the train with a fistful of food in addition to their briefcase and laptop bag. Why are you running white people, why? You don't see the Blacks or Hispanics running. HELL, even the Asians don't run, and they're known for scurrying around like cockroaches. I know I know, that sounded racist but it's true. I have nothing against Asians, its just that they are really fierce when it comes to walking around Chinatown. Have you tried it?

So my milquetoast brethren, SLOW DOWN. Take a nice stroll. Leave work 5 minutes earlier so you don't have to run and knock into me with your goddamned briefcase, or plow into me from behind and nearly shove me down or up the staircase. Because one day I will turn around and queen out and bitchslap your ass!!

19 October 2005

New Book Review -- Magical Thinking

Augusten Burroughs has done it again. Magical Thinking is his latest collection of memoirs, this time from his late 20's and onward. Here we learn of his life in advertising, his desire to ditch it all and become a bona fide writer, the dating scene, as well as a collection of his daily observations. Once again he manages to entertain his readers with his wit, yet relate his experiences in a way that many can identify with.


I particularly enjoyed the chapters in which he describes his relationship with Dennis, his boyfriend. These are clearly two men in love, despite their differences. Despite his insecurities and flaws Dennis loves him for who he is, a point driven home in the chapter titled "Total Turnaround." An argument ensues over a seemingly inane incident, yet by the end of it Augusten realizes that what he's found in his boyfriend is true love. I smiled as I read this chapter, glad to see that one of my favorite, dysfunctional authors has found love.

As with Running With Scissors, Augusten Burroughs delves deep into his past to reveal more of himself, exposing his pink underbelly for all the world to see. Whether he writes his memoirs as a cathartic release or to make money off of his past, it doesn't matter to me; Augusten Burroughs is a wonderful writer, and I often find myself identifying with him throughout his books.

14 October 2005

Happy birthday to my sweetie!

Yesterday was my partner Nick's birthday. I so wanted to take the day off from work and spend it with him since he's been on vacation all week, but alas, I had to work. I felt really bad too but according to him he had a great day on his own. He had what I like to call a "me day" -- do a little shopping, putz around the house, take a nice long bath.....things I would have loved to have done with him.


I was able to scoot out of work a little early yesterday and surprised him by getting home a little early. We spent the night on the couch eating dinner, cuddling, and then going to bed for.......well, you know. I am always happy to come home and see his smiling face, and yesterday was even better than usual.

He's the best thing to have happened to me. He loves me despite my faults, is there for me when I need him, and is the one true love of my life. I couldn't imagine a more perfect fit for me.

Happy Birthday, my love.

10 October 2005

Happy birthday to me!

Yes boys and girls, children of all ages, today is my birthday. I am 33 years of age as of 2:10PM today. Funny, I don't feel a year older, but when I look back on pictures of me from three or four years ago, I see it. We all grow old, and its a fact of life we must all come to accept. I can honestly say that I've had a good life until now. I have a successful career, a family that loves me, a great circle of friends, and a partner in life to share my heart.

So where will the next 33 years take me? Hopefully on the same course that I'm on, with a few twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I look forward to my life with my beautiful partner Nick and building on what we have; continued success in my career; watching my younger brothers and sister turn into mature young adults, and having them as an integral part of my life; help to shape Zachary (our son) into a fine young man and be an example of a solid relationship; and to be able to somehow give back to the community, be it through financial means or volunteer work.

Oh yeah, we're going to the U2 concert at Madison Square Garden tonight! Yay for us!

06 October 2005

Danger Will Robinson!!!

So a well-timed news alert (the height of rush hour) came out today letting us know that there is a terror threat against the NYC Subway system. Yeah. Great. Just what I needed to hear. I have to take the subway each day to and from work, and I happen to plod through the three most busiest stations in NY -- Grand Central, Times Square, and Penn Station. how lucky am I?????

Nick called me from Chicago to let me know about this latest bit o' information, and I could sense the concern in his voice. I left work at 6:00PM to make my 6:21PM train home, and he told me to call him as soon as I cleared the tunnel on the LIRR. I did, and he seemed a bit relieved but I could still sense he was nervous. When I got home he called again to say goodnight, and his nerves turned to sleepiness, and I suspect he's in dreamland now, hopefully at peace.

As soon as I heard this news, I began to get shaky. I started to think to myself, "I travel through the busiest train stations in the system -- the chances of something happening in them are rather high." I started looking at people suspiciously, hoping that the guy with the carry-on suitcase wasn't packing explosives. I made eye contact with everyone I could, hoping they'd engage me as well and give me the signal I needed to believe they weren't dodgy. If one of them had looked away suspiciously, I would've either tackled them or screamed like a girl. Probably the latter.

Last month when I began commuting back into NYC for work Nick and I had a conversation about the possibility that something along the same lines as September 11 or worse could happen again, and what we would do in the event that we couldn't communicate when we were separated. We devised an emergency plan, which helped ease some of my fears, but not the fear that something actually might happen.

As I got home, I thought about the latest news, and considered the possibility that it's bullshit. Some news outlets said the warning was uncorroborated while others claimed it's a specific threat. I then thought back to the oil prices dropping like a stone this week, with analysts claiming it will fall into the $50 range next week. Today's news will surely prevent that. What if this is a bullshit threat conceived by our ever so caring administration, helping their oil cronies continue to line their pockets while keeping the fear factor high to rally support for their failed war in Iraq? Seems like it to me.

I don't know. I don't have inside information, nor do I claim to know if the threat is credible or not. All I do know is, I'm tired of living in fear. Why do people have to hate so much?

05 October 2005

Losing My Virginity

I'm reading Sir Richard Branson's autobiography at the moment and I have to tell you, I have a new found respect for the man. He didn't complete his high school education, never went to college, and built up the Virgin empire from scratch. His family didn't have money -- typical middle class English family -- and from his entrepeneurial beginnings at his magazine Student, he went on to build one of the most recognized brand names in the world.


Big toothy grin.

We've all heard about his publicity stunts and his zany antics like fly around the world in a balloon and crossing the Atlantic in a catamaran. Everyone has either heard about or saw his TV show on FOX "The Rebel Billionaire" and probably came to the same conclusion I did -- that Branson is a megalomaniac who would do anything for attention.

In reading his autobiography I've come to respect him for his entrepeneurial spirit and his desire to further his company. In his early years he had a few bad business dealings which taught him to always be on the up-and-up; he hates firing people; and rather than take the profit and pocket it, he reinvests the money into the Virgin Group to explore new business ventures or expand existing ones.

This is a man to admire. I wish I had the same spirit as he does, and had the balls to do what he did when he was young.