Sun and Fun

I posted the other day that I was taking a trip out west, but didn't realize that it will be the same weather at the Grand Canyon as it will be here, but with much more snow and mostly everything shut down... you don't think about cold and snow in the desert, but I guess it's higher in elevation than Denver.  Anyway, I switched my trip to Ft. Lauderdale... and my friend Elaine was nice enough to get me a room at a Marriott Courtyard property... and the flight and car were about $400.. so it will be a nice, cheap wrap-up of the landscaping season for me for the week of December 12th.  I'll see a few friends down there as well, and a few are heading there the same week.

Blah Weather Equals Good Movie Time

Today, I went with my friend Matt to see "Due Date" with Robert Downey Jr. and that Galifinakas guy that's in every movie right now... it was hilarious... in fact, I was in hysterics a few times throughout.  Not that it was such a great story, but the chemistry of the two together along with the premise of the movie made you cringe and laugh all at the same time.

I'm off Saturday heading back down to camp.  With the freezing temperatures, camp is turning the water off early, so Matthew and I have to drain the lines in the trailer before they freeze.  I'll be coming back on Sunday morning.

YUM !! (Sportin' Chance)

Warm Milk

I've been on a weird sleep cycle lately.  Here it is 3 am and I'm wide awake... and I'll be up at the crack of dawn.  Even with working hard at the Marriott this whole week, I'm not tired.  Ugh!

President Obama spoke today at his press conference.  He was particularly somber and acted as though he was humbled by the 'shellacking' that he took in the elections.  And while he stuck by his decisions that got the economy stabilized and growing, he said he could have done more to get through to the American citizens.  In the throws of the emergency situations, he had to make tough decisions that the people saw as intrusive or that they didn't understand (or only understood what was told to them on Fox News).  The people have to be responsible for getting accurate, truthful information... when you get it from twisted sources, you have to accept that you didn't do your job.  The job that he failed to do is communicate... communicate the hope and confidence that he exuded in his campaign... and communicate the progress made over the last 18 months.  He has accomplished so much in such a short time, given what he inherited.  I hope that the two parties can work together to continue the progress.  I have never felt since what I felt during the Bush years, but I have confidence that things are getting better.

Life in These "United" States

I registered to vote in 2004 during the Gore/Bush election (I picked a great one to get involved in politics).  It's hard wrapping your head around the fact that your vote matters, and I guess that was a good one (being such a close race) to learn that lesson.  Still, I'm not sure if the aggravation, frustration and high blood pressure is worth the feeling of being involved and doing my part.

In recent elections, it seems like the process is so out of control.  It's maddening when you think of all the wasted money on the campaigns, between the mailers and ads (mostly negative) and the campaign trail costs.  It's obvious that the whole process is broken and should be regulated.  I like the debates and the town hall meetings, but the rest of it seems ineffective.  I totally block out ads on TV, especially negative ones.  I honestly don't trust anything I hear, which means that you really can't make intelligent choices.  Even when it gets down to a politician's choices (like on a particular vote), there's so much that goes into it behind the scenes that it's never black and white.

I am a registered Democrat and have been described as a bleeding-heart liberal, meaning that I am always concerned with every single person in an issue, being overly sympathetic.  I try to see all sides of an issue (the Gemini in me) and not put my perspective or needs first in a situation.  I never was a selfish person, so I have a hard time understanding the perspective of most Republicans, with so much concern over their own financial situation and what they're going to get out of a situation.  Most times, it almost seems like they'd screw anyone to keep everyone else down (civil rights, healthcare, welfare, social security, medicare, environment, social services).  The funny thing is how when they are in need of help, they have no problem using it (evidenced by a poll outside of a Rand Paul rally in KY, where most of the supporters were the elderly, riding out on their scooters paid entirely by Medicare after they just chanted 'down with government spending'), which is where the hypocrisy comes into play.

The party seems to use fear to excite panic into the members (with the stereotype of them mostly clutching their guns in one hand and the bible in the other), and most of which are either the wealthy or the poor.  It kind of makes me think of how the same group of down-trodden individuals shops at Wal-Mart, after the giant retailer put the small company they used to work for or own out of business with unfair competition and price squeezing small manufacturers.  This 'pied piper' mentality is utilized at the polls, it seems.  The Republicans seem to get them to vote solely with the fear of the loss of their guns, free-roaming homosexuals and higher taxes.  It was Ronald Reagan who started the demise of the middle class, and other than votes, Republicans don't seem to have much use for the common man, in fact, mostly everything they are for is against the common man, especially when he is down and out.  Sadly, the common man doesn't see that.  And while this isn't necessarily a Republican-bashing post, I'm just trying to understand the mentality of all parties involved.  It's hard to make sweeping generalities, but the extremists on both sides always are the bad apples that ruin the bunch.  At the end of the day, I am proud to look myself in the mirror at who I am and what I stand for... not saying that it's better than anyone else.  I am always open to hearing another point of view, but be ready to talk about it and not run when the shit gets deep.  It's time for the Republicans to put up or shut up.  Likewise with the people who didn't vote in this election.

Since President Obama took over the mess that this country is in, all he has gotten has been opposition.  It's convenient for the Republicans to forget that it was under their watch that the country went to pot.  And for them, and the Democrats as well lately, to be disgruntled by what they see as no progress (although facts point to the contrary), is just an example of how we as Americans are so impatient and have a 'give it to me now' mentality.  Surely, a person in their right mind would understand that 8 years of fuck ups is going to take more than 18 months to fix.  Surely, that person would check out the facts rather than the propoganda fed to them by a political pundit trying to sell a book or enticing fear for monetary gain (Rush Limbaugh makes $58 million a year, Glenn Beck $33 million, Sean Hannity $22 million).  Surely these people can think for themselves... or do they go from inside the church straight home to Fox News?  Think for yourselves.

Now that the elections are over, it is clear that Americans are sick of the status quo.  They want to see change, mostly in the system.  They are sick of the bickering.  They are sick of butting heads and not getting anything solved.  The results of the elections are not the blood baths that everyone expected.  And while it's unclear of how things are going to pan out with the Republicans getting the majority over the house and not the senate, it will remain to be seen if we can get anything accomplished in Washington, or will it finally come to a meeting of the minds to do what's good for the country.  The Republicans have been talking about what they want to get accomplished... and now is the time for them to deliver.  Without a strong Republican candidate for the 2012 election,  we may be able to get things accomplished, but if they find someone, they will spend all of their time keeping the president down to promote their person.  There's a record that when Republicans have the power of subpoena they go after a president, but there's also a record in the recent past where a few presidents (Truman, Eisenhower and Clinton) were met with opposition in mid-term elections and went on to a second term, so who knows what will happen. 

I am proud of my president... he is a good man with good morals... is caring and isn't out for personal gain.  Knowing that he probably only had 2 years to get things done, I believe that he tried to accomplish all that he could.  It's my job as an American to support my president, and I do.  He talked a lot about hope and change (and I believe he is delivering, however the speed)...  and I have have had more hope in two years than the 8 Bush years where I wanted to leave the country and move somewhere else.

The damage is done now.  The 'slaughter' is over.  All you can do now is laugh, otherwise, you'll spend all day crying.

I Couldn't Resist

I was going to take this opportunity, on the eve of an election, to get preachy about how important it is to vote... and what's at stake if you are voting Tea Party or Republican... but instead, I will just post this, because I have to believe that  people are more intelligent:

Potpourri for $100, Alex

I had fun at camp this past weekend, but it's really hard to when it's so cold.  I really didn't feel like I ever got warm the whole time, and can't get the smell of campfires out of my head.  I finally broke down and turned the heat on last night.  It's 28 degrees outside.  This week is Fall clean up week at the Marriott, cutting down perennials, pulling out flowers, trimming trees and shrubs, edging beds, getting rid of leaves...  even though it's hard to say goodbye to Summer, it does feel good to clean up after it... especially one that was so brutally hot and dry.  Its only supposed to go to a high in the low 50's this week, but it's supposed to be sunny though.

A few weekends ago, I accidentally met this guy named Giuseppe through some friends.  He's 28, has a good job, a car, a house and a cat and is very responsible.  That being said, he's already light years ahead of the majority of guys out there.  We've been hanging out, going to dinner and watching our favorite TV shows... and yesterday, we headed to the outlet mall an hour from here and had a great day.  After dating Jesse, I'm not used to someone going 'Dutch' or even paying for me, say, at a restaurant... and I surely am unfamiliar with someone gathering my tray and garbage and taking care of that for me, opening doors and being concerned about whether I'm cold or not.  It's nice to have someone respect you... value you, and look after you.  I can't tell you how good that makes me feel when he does it.  And while we're only at the beginning stage of what seems like something that just fell into place, I'm looking forward to getting to know him better and spending more time with him. Tonight (and I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not), I'm bringing him to dinner with some friends that will surely eat him up alive, chew him up and spit him out like a spicy chicken wing bone by a redneck at a Nascar raceway.  Much like a dysfunctional Italian family, my friends tend to talk over everyone and cut you off mid-sentence, fighting for the spotlight.  Giuseppe is Italian as well, so I think he may hold his own.

Now that the house closing has gone through, I'm in the process of paying some of my Dad's things off and switching around some things, like bank accounts, etc.  I am at a total relaxed point with all of that and while I still maintain that it hasn't hit me yet, I can feel an inner peace.  I have been thinking in my mind about getting away for long time now and right on the heels of the workshop surrounded by 30 interactive guys... and camp this past weekend with 200 gays, I long for some alone time.  Friends of mine invited me to Ft. Lauderdale... but I impulsively booked a trip the other day, flying in and out of Las Vegas, with most of the trip being in the car on the road.  I plan to hang with a few friends in LV for a few days, but head up to Brice Canyon, then down to the Grand Canyon (hopefully taking a helicopter ride into the canyon like I did before) and perhaps heading down into the Phoenix area (since I've never been) before rounding back to LV.  I leave December 3rd and will be coming back on the 11th.  When I used to live in Vegas, I used to love driving in the desert.  People say 'there's nothing there, why do you like it so much'... and I find that it's what USED to be there that makes it so mysterious and serene.  I have a real connection to the desert for some reason.

It's Campful

I'm down at camp this weekend for the Terror Ridge Halloween Spectacular.  Thursday night was a shock, since it was around 35 degrees.  I guess I focused on the high for the day and really wasn't expecting it to be that cold and didn't bring any really warm clothes.  We made a fire at the trailer and had a weenus and some s'mores.  Yesterday, I went into town and stopped by the casino for a little bit.  I also bought a tossle cap and gloves at the store.  Last night, they planned a big weenie roast and a huge bonfire.  The plan was to board a hayride, pulled by a big tractor... but when we got on it and started riding around the property, the trailer got two flat tires and we had to disembark and walk down to the bonfire.  I had to wear several layers of clothes... and nothing says sexy like a runny nose and being dressed like the kid in A Christmas Story that fell over and couldn't get up.  Tonight is the Terror Ridge haunted house, which is usually really great... followed by the Halloween dance.  There will be people dressed up like women, freaks and trolls... just another night at gay camp.

We're The Bestest

A study recently released named Pittsburgh as the best place to live in the country.  Based on employment, recreation, pollution, crime, climate and other factors, the city topped many other cities that you'd normally expect to see.  I guess the 'yinzer' mentality didn't factor in.

Leaves Me Alone

Finallygetting a sunny day, I was able to make it to the Marriott today to basically blow the tons of leaves around the parking lot in no certain direction or purpose.  With a persistent wind blowing, it was futile to clear anything off.  If it weren't for the platinum Marriott rewards members (who have been groomed to be the most irrational people alive, with outlandish hoops jumped through by the staff in the hopes of a good customer service score)... who miraculously expect there to be no leaves falling to encumber their royal arrival, I wouldn't even bother doing anything with the leaves until they've all fallen.  I have to go back tomorrow morning and finish the grass cutting... then I will be leaving for gay camp for the Terror Ridge Spectacular Halloween weekend with my friends.  With the whole Jesse relationship and the post-massage business processed, I am expecting to just have a great time with friends.  There's a bonfire planned with some weenus' roasting... and the dance hall is decorated like Area 69... isn't that supposed to be Area 51?  Leave it to the gays.

Closure on the Closing

Other than the freak wind and rain storm that blew through at the start of the closing, it went off without a hitch and we have check in hand.  I have been dreaming about this day for years and, now that it's done, I don't even know what to think.  I'm in shock.  I suppose, at some point, I will be able to process it and it may actually be more emotional for me.  Right now, I'm concentrating on a fun weekend at gay camp for Halloween, leaving on Thursday.  Thanks to everyone for dealing with my anxiety, depression and rants through the process.

Jinx

I hate to jinx myself, but we are finally able to and supposed to close today at 5.  We'll see if it falls apart by then.

Hurry Up and Wait

Lately, I feel like I've been just going through the motions with the majority of things going on, and it was more of the same with my weekend workshop in Philadelphia.  In a state of heightened agitation and lack of focus going into it at the start, I'm not sure if I was just dead-on-balls accurate in my prediction or that I made it a self-fulfilling prophecy, but the experience was more what I expected and less than I had hoped.  Originally leaving on Wednesday, that would have given me some time to spend with my friends out there but, after being jerked around by the closing (or lack thereof), I didn't get there until Friday evening.  I was supposed to be staying with a friend outside of the city, but decided to get a room downtown, which proved to be a good thing, being around the corner from the class and not having to worry about taking the train into town each day, reducing the stress of logistics.

The class was the same exact class that I attended last December.  The instructor was different and of course the participants were as well, but otherwise, pretty much the same thing.  I think that I thought that taking the workshop (supposedly) right after the closing would have given me some clarity and focus... but it didn't do any of that, since I was pretty much in my head the whole time rather than in my body.  Taking it the second time was interesting... I already knew what was coming so the element of innocence and nervous energy from surprise was absent... which kind of made me live through the experiences of the people around me in their first-time experience.  This isn't entirely bad since I would like to become an assistant in future classes, now that I have the two-time requirement filled.  The bad thing is that my experience was limited to what I would allow myself to feel, and I've done such a great job of blocking most feeling lately.  I was consumed with the anxiety of wanting the class to come to an end so I could get out of there and get back here, thinking that I'd be making progress and moving forward (lol)...... (lol)............(lolololololololol).

The workshop took place Saturday and Sunday from 9 am until 7pm.  I went back to my friend Eddie's house to get my truck around 8pm last night and was looking forward to my therapy... getting into the truck and hitting the open road.  I was supposed to stay overnight, but I was so mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted... as well as claustrophobic and overstimulated... that I just needed to get out of there and spend some time alone.  By the time I got gas and something to eat, it was 10 pm... it was a beautiful, clear night for driving and I shaved about an hour off my travel time by driving at night.  I got in around 2:30 am.

I have calls in to my agent, the buyer's agent and the banker... and still haven't heard anything so far that remotely sounds like a closing.  It's pouring down rain, so the Marriott is out, so I not only stuck around and cut my trip short on the front end, but I uneccessarily rushed back to nothing here.  I really need to move forward from this.  My knees are ready to buckle from standing in one place so long.  I need some comfort food.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

I had a great drive today... plenty of sun, turning leaves, no traffic... after living here for 12 years, it's always good to be back.  About 125 miles ouside of Pittsburgh, I looked in my rearview mirror and coming up behind me were my two friends, Dan and Mike.  What are the odds?  We chatted a little on the way... we may be planning a joint vacation to Ft. Lauderdale in a few weeks.

Tomorrow is the workshop, and I feel like I was able to forget about everything going on back home, proving the slogan "what happens in Pittsburgh stays in Pittsburgh... and I'm looking forward to the class.  The pics are of the turnpike, almost getting into Center City Philadelphia and the view from Eddie's hi-rise window right on the park in Cherry Hill, NJ.

On the Road

To spite myself, I left for Philadelphia this morning and figured the 6 hour drive would clear my mind and provide an outlet for my anger with some good old fashioned road rage. Look out turnpike drivers, here I come .

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Barely Moving Along

Today was another day of sitting by the phone waiting for the closing to happen and another day I didn't leave for Philly.  At this point, I'm so disgusted that I don't even want to go to my workshop.  I couldn't possibly focus on anything and, it being an interactive workshop, I don't want to be around anyone right now.  I'd lose the $300, but I'm really close to cancelling the trip altogether.  I know I have this trip, then camp next weekend... but I REALLY need to get away somewhere where there isn't anyone... like the desert... or the moon.

Moving Along

Turned out to be a nice day for grass cutting yesterday, although it didn't start out that way.  With the frost we had last night, looks like I'll be doing the Fall clean-up soon since everything will be dead. 

I was supposed to be leaving for Philadelphia today, but after three calls into my real estate agent/friend, I am totally in the dark as far as when the closing will be still.  I'm hoping that it happens tomorrow morning, then I can head out afterwards.  I don't want to delay it until I come back.  I'm getting really angry.  I absolutely have to be out there Friday night for my Saturday morning workshop, so I have some time... I just wanted to visit with my friends while I'm there.

I had a date last night with a very nice Italian guy that I met through friends over the weekend.  His name is Guiseppe, he's 28 and runs a country club... has his own house, a car and a cat... seems very responsible... not to mention adorable, smart and we have a lot in common.  Wait... could there actually be someone decent out there?  I'm looking forward to our next date, probably not until I get back from my trip.

Leaves and Leaving

I spent the day blowing leaves around the parking lot.  Splitting it in half, I blew one side out and by the time I got to the other side, the wind picked up and blew them all over what I had just done, so I had to blow the other half over top of what I had just done.  8 hours of blowing leaves.  I didn't even get to cut any grass, so that's what I'll be doing tomorrow.  They are having a corporate visitor come in on Wednesday, so I'll have to probably stop by early Wednesday to blow off more leaves.  5 minutes after I do it, more fall and it doesn't look like I've done anything.  I don't think I've ever wished for everything to die and the trees to get bare so much in my life. 

I stopped by my Dad's house last night.  The prospective buyers were there fulfilling the requirements of their FHA loan by painting some things that had chipped paint.  They pretty much painted both porches (one cement, one wood deck) the stairs and the entire foundation of the house.  They also tore down the lattice around the deck, put a railing up in the dining room and some other things.  Meanwhile, we haven't had the closing yet.  And while that's a little alarming, they better crack open their piggy banks to make the deal go through now that they did all that... I don't want it back (who paints a foundation white anyway?).  I stayed there an hour and I was so glad that I did.  They were a really nice young couple and they LOVE the house and everything about it... the fact that's it's older... the wood floors... the yard... the lilac trees.  I feel so much more at ease that I know they can't wait to get in there once and for all... and that they appreciate the property and the house.  My Dad was excited as well.  It will make the transition easier for us, emotionally, than if we sold it to someone who wanted to tear the place down and build a McMansion.  They are pushing for a Wednesday or Thursday morning closing, but nothing is set yet.  I will be leaving for Philly right afterwards for my class over the weekend.

I'm Featuring You, John Gray

I've told the story of how and why I started this blog a few times now... and January will start the third year for me.  "I'm Featuring You" is a segment where I get to shine the spotlight on my friends.  A month or so after I began this blog (Feb, '09), I started getting comments from a guy named John... and from his comments, I put two and two together that he was British. I also found out that while a spinal injury nurse, he did a stint at a Pittsburgh facility years ago.  I suppose that's how he came across my blog... with a connection to Pittsburgh.  This post will mark his 500th visit to my website... and marks the continuation of a great long-distance friendship with someone that I've never met, but has been so integral in my progress in his comments, advice and words of encouragement.

John, and his partner Chris, moved from a small English town called Sheffield (which is an official sister city to Pittsburgh) to their current location of Trelawynd, North Wales (just off the Irish Sea).  They have a quaint little cottage that they share with a gaggle of animals, including dogs and cats and every type of foul that you can imagine... turkeys, guinea fowl, chickens, quail, ducks and others I've never heard of before... for a 90+ total, all named... most after famous people (early on, before I realized that he named his birds after famous people (from his penchant for disaster and old films), one of the birds had died, and I thought it was the real person... I was in shock).  You see, along with being a part-time nurse, he is a farmer... breeding, hatching and raising all kinds of foul... and growing his own food at an allotment that he runs for his town.  His partner, Chris, has a PhD and is a reasearch fellow (like a professor) in University and travels a great deal...it's the modern-day Green Acres, of sorts.  His day starts out with walking the dogs down the country lane... then feeding the birds and collecting eggs, then heading to the post to pick up the mail and deliver some eggs and maybe get a scone from the towns-people... and finally... maybe there's a minute or so for him to catch an old movie at the theater a few towns away or keep up with his blog Going Gently (which he has been doing for years now and has over 100,000 page views from visitors in 30 countries), AND... keep up with 30+ blogs of his friends.  I have spent not quite two years getting attached to his animals, in wild anticipation every day to see whats going on in the bird yard.  His life is a testament to times past where things were simpler and hard work was something you just did and didn't complain about.

I am very fortunate that he has stumbled into my life.  He offers encouragement and support that is matched by my life-long friends and offers a perspective that is both honest and to the point... often times keeping me in check and tirelessly returning daily marking the importance of my life, as I do with his.  I admire the work that he puts into his family and into his life, and who he is as a person... caring, kind, genuine... all with an innocent humor.  I thank him for not running away... and appreciate the security I feel with him being there day after day, even some 3,500 miles away.  Perhaps some day we'll meet.

Xmas in the Woods

Today, Julie and her daughter Kayleigh, Matt and I went to Shaker Woods for the Xmas in the Woods Festival.  With all different vendors (geared more towards Xmas), it made for a fun shopping day out... and we got to eat some great food again.  It was the perfect weather day as well.