Progress

I can't even put into words how excited I am about Spring.  I know I've been going on and on about it... Today, I went over to my Dad's... with the real estate agent coming on Monday, the goal is to get as much done before then to get it listed.  I walked into the house and wanted to cry, actually.  Although I've done a great deal of the work, there's still a lot that has to be done... it's overwhelming.  I wish a tornado would just pick it up and dump it in Salt Lake City (preferably on the Mormon church)... but I digress...

I ran into a little bit of a plastering problem (much like in Florida, where a large chunk of the wall fell off)... so, rather than painting over the wallpaper that was there, I tore it all down and I'm fixing the plaster.  I also removed all the old plugs and switches, built-in microwave that didn't work, trim, and anything else.  I got a new range hood and some things to complete the bathroom.  I'm contemplating putting in a new sink and countertop in the kitchen.  After crying a bit, then tearing everything down, then getting what I needed to fix it, I'm better now and tomorrow is another day.

Those Funny Religious Folk

This-n-That

What another beautiful day... I'm loving the sun.  More and more, my perennials are sticking out of the ground.  It seems strange since it was only weeks ago that they were covered with 4 feet of piled snow.  Daffodils are my favorite flower not only for the simple beauty, but because they are the first flower to come up in the Spring.

I met with the real estate agent today... and we're finally getting the house listed, but not before I have to spend the next 3 or 4 days over there painting and cleaning.  I also got my landscaping contracts to my clients... and I have another 10 trees to remove from the snow knocking them over, making it 13 tall pines and 7 large bushes in total just at the one client.

Camp opens in 29 days and I've comitted to doing massage again this season.  I'm adding another massage and increasing the price of my therapeutic massage in the hopes that the new one (slightly more Swedish-styled and utilizing techniques learned in my class in December) won't be as taxing on my body, especially when I have to do 8-10 in a day, one right after another.

Although in the bottom 3 tonight, looks like Tim was given another chance on AI.  With the song choices being from the Rolling Stones, it's hard for kids 19 years old to connect with a group that started twice their age ago.  Anythings better than Barry Manilow though, I guess.  I was able to keep Tim's spirits up though... and he felt better after a quick workout at our house.

I've been doing more research on the Master Cleanse and actually bought the ingredients today.  Lemons, purified water, organic unprocessed maple syrup and cayenne pepper mixed together sounds horrible, but it actually tasted ok.  I managed to get two glasses down today.  Drinking 8 glasses of that and eating and drinking nothing else for 10 days will be a little difficult, but the benefits are supposedly worth it.  I'm probably going to start it on Sunday. 

Yum !! (Little Green Men)

Happy Green Beer Day

A Few St. Paddy's Pints @ Yahoo! Video

Alice

More like Alice in wonder-why-I-paid-twelve-bucks-to-see-that? land... I was not a fan of the movie tonight... for a few reasons... First, although the movie seemed to go fast, it went slower than that fucking rabbits' watch.  I was squirming in my seat dreaming of the end of the movie. Next, it's hard to have 3-D glasses on anyway (let alone overtop of my real glasses)...  and all the 3D effects were things flying at you or whizzing past your head... it was visual vomit overload.  There was so much to look at... you could probably see it ten times and not see the same stuff twice.  Lastly, I consider myself fairly grounded in reality (oh, did anyone see my bf on American Idol tonight... miss you Tim... see you after the show)... so it was a little bit over the top fairy taleness for me. 

As far as the acting, I'm sorry... Johnny Depp is just strange no matter what he plays (which seems to always be some strange individual)... and he looked like a mix between Madonna and Frodo Baggins... Helen Bonham Carter was excellent as the Queen of Hearts... she stole the show.  Alice was a little tart... and there's no one else worth mentioning.  All in all, it was visually interesting but a bit tedious.  I'd give it a 6 of hearts out of a full deck.  Wait for the DVD... squint your eyes and move your head around a bit... same effect. 

There's a Spring in my Step

Today turned out to be a fantastic day!!  63 degrees and sunny... and putting aside that I felt a bit like crap, I was able to get my room and bathroom spring-cleaned... moving everything away from the walls, changing the linens on the bed, washing the comforter, organizing the closets... Fun fun fun!  I love cleaning!  I was also able to make an appointment with the real estate agent to get my Dad's house listed finally, even though I have some stuff to do on it yet.

Tonight, we are finally going to see Alice in Wonderland 3-D, XD, XLT, BLT, NYPD..... blah blah blah.  Whatever happened to a container of stale popcorn and a slightly bigger screen than the TV displays at Walmart?  Hand me a 42 cent pair of 3D glasses that you're going to take, shake off and resell, turn up the volume a little more and then charge me $12.00?  If this is the trend in movies... forget about it.

I've been in a fog lately... I missed the Ides of March... Daylight savings time (we have 14 clocks in our house)... and tomorrow, I guess, is St. Patrick's Day.  Pretty soon Peter Cottontail will be hopping down the bunny trail... outside, some of my perennials are already poking their heads out!!

(Get Your) Piece of Sky

When I was younger (full of piss and vinegar to climb the corporate ladder), I used to listen to this song on my cassette player in my car on the way to interviews.  It's always been a great motivator of mine throughout my life.  This is Streisand at her best.... listen to the last note (at 3:40)... bitch belts it out and holds it for over 20 seconds... if that doesn't inspire you to get off your butt, nothing will.  

Today, with the sun, I feel energized and awake... I have so much to do and it's time to get to it... no more giving in to my cold.

Anything (Short of Ajax Cleanser)

I abuse my body, I know that, and I know better.  Whether out of stress or convenience, I ingest so many bad things. (candy, pop, fast food).  Stress equals food equals guilt equals stress...  It's a viscious cycle.  And it's only magnified that this has been one of the most ill years I've had.  Time for some changes.

I've been reading about the Master Cleanse diet.  Only consuming a recipe of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup, the ingredients work together to give some nutrients and provide more of a cleanse to the body than a fast would by shocking your system, removing toxins and cleansing the colon... and shedding weight as well.

With the start of my season/Spring, coming off my depression meds and trying to get over being sick, it's the perfect time. I'm overweight, sluggish, and have concentration issues.   I'm going to look into it more and hopefully be able to endure it for 10 days.

Listen

Breakfast With Butch

I think I've posted in the past about my Mom's revolving 6 meals 7 days a week.  Somehow though, it always ended up that we'd have a dried-out roast on Sundays... which I think has to be the sole origin of my interest in leather and a slight incomprehension to cycles in math.  In my Mom's defense, I was a pretty finicky eater growing up.  I pretty much grew up on ketchup sandwiches (Town-Talk bread and ketchup only), jumbo and ketchup, peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese.  With H.J. Heinz headquartered in Pittsburgh, you pretty much had to put ketchup on everything... it's a rule.

I'm the worst for eating out... I very rarely eat at home.  Still, my Dad makes a meal on Sundays and I try to eat with him, even if I've just eaten.  Having been a baker in the past for Jenny Lee, he's actually a pretty good cook, although it's usually simplistically cute.  Steam-n-fresh veggies... pop-n-fresh biscuits... all stuff that's pretty simple.  My Dad's specialty is pancakes... he makes the best.  He'd make me really small ones called 'itsy bitsy' (pronounced "eatsy beetsy) and you always had to wonder what was in them.... sometimes oatmeal... sometimes wheat germ... sometimes who knows? Whatever, it always makes me feel special when he makes them for me.

Tonight, we had a meatloaf, corn, some potatoes and biscuits.  He'll cook, and I'll usually clean up.  And although it was really excellent, it's priceless to have this time with him.

Sunday Funnies

Yum !! (Barefoot)

Dog Day Afternoon

Whenever I get the blahs, I usually post pics of puppies.  I guess it's my 'child therapy' for some... my 'drink therapy' for others... puppies usually do it for me.  Having Bronchitis has really knocked me for a loop.  I don't usually give in to sickness and try to ignore it or push through it... which is probably what got me to this point in it, and I probably should have taken better care of myself.  It's the first time that I've made any personal headway on allowing myself to be human... and not guilt myself out for giving in to it.  Still, I have ripped through my stash of saved things on my DVR and managed to watch 8 hours of the new show, Spartacus.  Twist my arm, he's in a loin cloth most of the time and they show real, live pee pee's... I'm sick, not dead.

We had a few power outtages today, so I haven't had any internet.  I'm at Barnes and Noble (surprise).  It's probably a good thing that I got out of the house.  I've been lonely lately and it seems that any plans made with my friends fall through or no one is around.  I'm always the 'if I can fit you in' friend... people caught up in their own things and relationships.  Oddly, at my most lonely, I always turn inward and I don't want to be around anyone anyway, but it's times like these that I wish I had someone special... someone who puts me first for once and makes me feel special.  It's times like these that I miss my dog, Shelby.  Unconditional love.

Happy Birthday Matty...

Today is my friend Matty's birthday... he's 39 (again).

Some American Idol Chatter...

Looks like Tim Urban has made the top 12 (thanks to my representation)... so has Lee Dewyze. Surprisingly, Paige and Lacey made it when they never should have. What a loss to send Alex Lambert, Lilly Scott and Katelyn Epperly home. I think that Paige and Lacey's spots (and possibly Tim's) should have gone to the others. America got some of it wrong.

Man's Desiring

There are many things that happen throughout our lives that can affect us in different ways.  Lord knows, I've had my share of them.  With my recent trip to Philly, I walked by the house that used to be the interior design firm that I used to manage back in the early 90's and it brought up some memories, good and bad. 

When I got out of high school, I wanted to go to school for accounting, but never did.  I moved out to Philly and worked in restaurant and retail management for some time, before being introduced to a gay couple that ran a high-end interior design firm out of their house.  Behind a beautiful courtyard was an equally beautiful office attached to the house.  A friend of mine introduced me to the couple and they hired me to do accounting work, most of which I was grateful to learn on the job.  I quickly took over the entire business operation, including a showroom in the local design center.  I became very close to them, one being slightly older than myself, and the other, quite a bit more.  They were there for me when I went through some things in my life and I for them.  Over time, their relationship started to crumble under the constant pressure of the business.  Living and working together was taking it's toll on them, as well as me.  Constant fighting slowly turned towards me to solve their problems, both in their business and their personal lives.  While the much older one was out of the office for most of the day, he became a father to me, with mine back in Pittsburgh and not being around much growing up.  The younger one became the brother that I never had, spending most of the day in the office with me.  Sadly, it manifested into me providing the things that they couldn't get from each other, pitting me against each other... and then looking to me to try to get their sexual needs as well.  The younger, in the office with me all day, would try to get me to come next door with him every day... and the older would just simply walk into the office and either stick his hand down my shirt or try at my crotch.  I felt myself unconsciously pulling my chair in when I saw him coming.  It got to the point where I actually considered just giving in to them so that they'd leave me alone, but I never did.  All the while, the incestual feelings built and the mental strain of why exactly they had me there... because I was doing a great job or I was a challenge/diversion?  This continued for 4 years before I simply couldn't take it any more and had to leave, forcing me to bring a sexual harrassment case against them to get the pay that they owed me.

Sexual harrassment in this situation is deemed ridiculous since, being a gay male, aren't we all oversexed and looking for it all the time?  I should have been flattered, I was told.  And although I won my back pay, etc, I lost so much in the process, including my friendship with them.  Most of all, it made me not trust anyone... always trying to figure out what someone wants out of me.  The experience has made me turn inward, not feeling secure with my abilities and keeping people at arm's length.  It also makes me expect the worse from someone and to look for a hidden agenda.  Lastly, it has effected my relationships with friends and intimate relationships.  What's sad is how they didn't see anything wrong with it.  With no boundries in friendships or just human relationships, some people just think that you're there for their desirings... whims... agendas... with no concern for what it's doing to the other person and that's wrong. 

Tim Urban Under the 'Bubble' Label and Management Team

Could it just be a coincidence that Tim Urban's performance was superb tonight?  Hours after I brought him onto my label... took him under the wings of my management expertise and well as moved him into my boudoire... and he got 4 excellent reviews and the only EVER judge that ran around to give a contestant a hug (and it was Ellen, who's a lesbian, so it's not that she wanted to get all up on him and do her business)... It's no coincidence... it's now a pattern...since it was this time last year with Kris Allen that he shot to fame with my help.

See you at home, Tim.  Get your clothes laid out for tomorrow and get your homework done....

I will be taking on additional clients... please direct all inquiries to my talent department.

Doorbells and Horns 4 U

From Saturday Night Live.... I love her....

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Press Conference

I want to thank you all for coming... please hold all your questions until directly after I make my statement...

As you know, there was some speculation as to who I would be picking for my 2010 AI boyfriend.  As I was waiting to assess the situation taking singing abilities, etc. into consideration, some shocking pictures (see below) have surfaced on the internet that the press worried would sway me in one direction or the other.  Since I consider myself a rational individual, I can assure you 100% that they did not affect my judgement in the least bit, and I resemble... err... resent any implication to the contrary. 

So, without further delay, I'd like to announce my 2010 AI boyfriend is............

Tim Urban