Anniversary

Today is my sister Sherry's 37th wedding anniversary.  I was 12 years old and was an usher

at their wedding.

What I find to be very strange is that I still remember this date even though my sister hasn't had a relationship with me in 20 years.  She and my other 2 sisters, and their husbands, and my parents are all Jehovah's Witnesses whose beliefs require them to shun anyone who leaves the JW faith, like me.

Its been 20 years since I disassociated myself from the JW religion and since my family disconnected themselves from me, but I still remember my parents' and siblings' wedding anniversaries.  

Yeah, its a shame I can't celebrate with them but that's just the way it is.

Beardy boy

Surprise!!

Sat was Spouse's sister-in-law Karen's 50th birthday.  Her husband (Spouse's brother) Louis planned a huge surprise party for her at a banquet hall on Sun, but to keep it a surprise and to keep her from being suspicious, he also planned a smaller party at home for Sat night.  We referred to that smaller party as her "fake" birthday party.

To get her to the real party, her husband enlisted the assistance of his sister, Mary who mailed Karen & Louis and invitation to a birthday party for Mary's daughter, Anna.  So Karen thought she was going to the banquet hall for Anna's splashy 21st birthday party.

Spouse & I drove to VA Sun morning and visited with his mother for a while, then we picked up my aunt Mary and met the others at the banquet hall.  When Karen came in and everyone shouted "Surprise!!!" she didn't understand right away what was going on.  She thought that we'd all expected Anna to walk in the door.  But within a few seconds she began to recognize her friends, neighbors, and friends from work that would have no reason to be at a party for Anna.  She was completely surprised.

There was a buffet, music, slide show, and a magnificent cake in the shape of a purse:

Karen loves shoes, purses, and fashion so this cake was right up her alley.

We had a really nice time at her party and I'm sure she will remember it for years to come.

Stoopid lyrics

Here is another installment of my blog feature "Stoopid lyrics" where I share with you a well-known song with lyrics that don't make sense.

Keep in mind this doesn't mean the song is stoopid or that I don't like the song. In fact, most of the time I like the songs and only discover they contain stoopid lyrics when I try to sing along.  But in all cases, the lyrics make absolutely no sense.

You be the judge!

Money for Nothing

performed by Dire Straits

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it

Money for nothin' and chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these color TV's

See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup
Yeah buddy that's his own hair
That little faggot got his own jet airplane
That little faggot he's a millionaire

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchens deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these color TV's

I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free

We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these colour TV's, Lord

Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
You play the guitar on the MTV
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Money for nothin' and chicks for free

Beardy boy

Blurred lines

Likely my favorite song of the summer is Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines".  Its got a great mixture of catchy lyrics and over-sampled bits 'borrowed' from Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson.  Enjoy the song and video:

Then I saw that a group called Mod Carousel had created a reverse-gender parody of the hit song.  Some of the lyrics have been switched out to fit the performers.  Check it out:

Even Jimmy Fallon got in on the fun by performing the song "unplugged" with Robin Thicke on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:

Can you believe that even former President Bill Clinton tried his hand at "Blurred Lines"???

Just because

Cars of cheaters

They say "You are what you eat".  But are you also what you drive?

A recent survey by Illicit Encounters, a UK-based dating website for married people looking to cheat, found that Audi is the most popular car make among its members. Of the 800,000 members surveyed, 22% said they drive Audis.

BMW, Mercedes Benz and Volvo were ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th most popular, respectively, and Volkswagen rounded out the top 5.

Ooops... our single friend Joe P just bought an Audi, and Spouse & I own a BMW and a Mercedes Benz!

Find out what else cheaters prefer HERE.

Happy birthday, Sweetheart!

Tomorrow is Spouse's birthday!

Beardy boy

Bear lingo

When I first 'came out', I was only aware of 4 groups within the gay male culture:  twinks, circuit bois, gym bunnies, and bears.  I didn't feel I belonged in any of them.  But over the years I've come to the conclusion one doesn't need to belong to an existing group.  

Additionally I'm now aware that there are many more subgroups within those 4 original groups.  Take bears for example.  In general, a bear is an overweight gay man with body and facial hair.  But within the bear group there are the following subgroups:

• Cub – a younger or younger-looking bear, typically with a smaller frame
• Otter – A slimmer or less hairy bear, regardless of age 
• Muscle bear – A bear who is large size due to muscle rather than body fat 
• Panda – A bear of Asian heritage 
• Polar bear – An older bear whose facial and body hair is predominantly or entirely white or grey.

Thanks to BosGuy who provided the definitions above.

Just because

Exchange

Spouse & I recently switched over to iPhones and my number was ported within minutes.  Spouse's number?  Not so much.

Both of us were porting numbers from different providers, and both providers were no-contract pay-as-you-go, so I knew the porting process was going to be challenging.  They told me it could take up to 24 hours, but after mine ported almost instantly I knew the delay with Spouse's number was a 'problem'.  The next day his phone was not activated so I had to call for help.  After only about 10 minutes on the phone with Verizon Wireless support, we figured out the problem.
 
Spouse's phone was an AT&T phone.  The guy at Wal-Mart accidentally gave me a Verizon iPhone and an AT&T iPhone.  I didn't realize it even mattered.  I thought that all iPhones were the same and that any number could be ported to it.  Not true.  The phones are manufactured for certain carriers and the way we determined Spouse's phone was on the wrong carrier is by the serial number.

So I had to take it back to Wal-Mart and exchange it for a Verizon wireless iPhone.  That entire 'exchange' process took an inordinate amount of time, but once I got the correct phone and the guy called in the number port, it ported almost immediately.

So now we both have working iPhones.  Mine is classic black, while Spouse's is white.

Call the police!!

(Click to enlarge)

Beardy boy

Joining the iGeneration

Today 'Apple guru' Joe P accompanied me to buy and activate a new iPhone 5 for Spouse & me.  Joe P explained to me the difference between the Apple and Android operating systems and I opted for Apple.  My new iPhone 5 has lots of cool features and a seemingly limitless variety of apps, and I believe this new phone will be a great tool for my business as well as my personal life.  The phones were $129. each with a 2-year contract with Verizon.

But it was not an easy transition.  

I had a Blackberry on a pay-as-you-go (no contract) plan with Boost Mobile.  Spouse had an LG smartphone on a pay-as-you-go (no contract) plan with Tracfone.  Apparently this is the 'perfect storm' of portability, since we both wanted to keep our numbers.

After 2 hours in Wal-Mart, I walked out with 2 iPhones!  Mine worked just fine right away but Spouse's number still hadn't ported over from his old phone to his new one.

Joe P and I went to lunch and he taught me the navigation of the phone, how to download apps, and the importance of my imported contacts list.

However, after several hours of Spouse's phone not working "no service" I decided to call Verizon.  Long story short, the guy at Wal-Mart accidentally sold me 1 Verizon phone and 1 AT&T phone.  They could tell based on the serial number.  Unfortunately I can't get back to the Wal-Mart for a few days so Spouse will have to wait for his phone.  Since its summertime and this is a resort area, the Wal-Mart is just too busy to go there in the evening or on the weekend.  I will have to go on a weekday during the daytime.  Hopefully it will be a simple exchange.

Just because

Sweet Frog vs. SnoYo

I mentioned a few days ago that I've fallen in love with this 'new' concept of frozen yogurt bars after my introduction to Sweet Frog.  They are self-serve bars where you can choose from about a dozen different frozen yogurt and sorbet flavors (mix and match if you like) and then top your yogurt sundae with as much or as little of nearly 100 toppings.  Small or large, you have total control of the amount and size.  You pay by the weight.  I mean really... what could possibly be better?

Steven loves to tease me so after learning of my new addiction to Sweet Frog, he sent me an email advising me that the "frog" in Sweet Frog is actually an acronym: Fully Rely On God.  Its on their website.

Now, I truly believe that people have the right to their own personal and religious beliefs.  But I get a little nervous when their religious beliefs become a part of their business, since religion has been used by many to condemn others who believe differently.  I paused for a minute to consider this new knowledge.  Then to further tease me, Steven made up a fictitious story about Sweet Frog donating to anti-gay organizations.

"Really???  Are you serious?  Because as much as I love this place I will not step foot in there again if that's true."  Steven couldn't keep from grinning and finally confessed to making up the story about the contributions.

But then I discovered another frozen yogurt bar exactly like Sweet Frog called SnoYo.  

They don't have a website, only a Facebook page.  Its the exact same concept, most of the same yogurt flavors and toppings, and its closer to our house!  Its absolutely delicious, and because its frozen yogurt and not ice cream, I rationalize that it is a health food.  Oh, and did I mention that they have a loyalty punch card?  10 punches gets you a free sundae!

Anyone have a similar place where you live?

Beardy boy

Independence Day in our little town

I don't know if our area is just getting more popular these days, or if the affects of Hurricane Sandy have caused some Jersey shore visitors to come to our shore instead, but there is a TON of people here.  So Spouse & I wisely decided to stay in our own little town (and not drive) today.

We started our morning with coffee and a little TV watching.  Then we each chose a flower bed and spent about 30 minutes weed pulling.  Then we decided to clean the back/screened porch.  First we swept the spider webs, dead ants, and dirt/dust out.  It always amazes me how much dirt and dust and bugs are inside our SCREENED porch.  Then we used a rag and scrub brush to clean off the grey mildew-looking stuff from the white trim.  Surprisingly it came off rather easily.  Spouse was happy to use his new Pocket Hose to rinse the suds off!

After a light lunch (the heat reduces my appetite) and several glasses of cold water, we walked over to the canal to watch the 4th of July decorated boat parade.  We opted for a shady spot further away from the water than most people, feeling we really wanted the shade more than the details of the decorated boats.  Apparently our neighbors Dave & Georgia had the same thought so we joined them on a bench and chatted with them during and after the boat parade ended.

After a brief respite in the air conditioning, I fired up Big Ella and drove her to the gas station to fill up her tank in preparation for the Doo Dah parade.  Steven & Thad came over shortly before 5pm to watch the parade with Spouse.  It was hot, but I drove Big Ella in the parade and had a great time!  People are always so appreciative of Big Ella and I enjoy 'sharing' her with them, which makes it worth it for me to endure the heat.  After the parade I met Spouse and Steven & Thad back at the house and we went up the street to the diner for dinner.  Then we went to the beach to watch the fireworks.  Our town doesn't have an official fireworks display, but several people set up "volunteer" fireworks at the beach at dusk and set them off at dark, providing a non-stop fireworks display for well over an hour.  Fortunately the temperature cooled down and there was a nice breeze at the beach so it was actually very comfortable.

It was a very nice day spent in our little town.  Happy Independence Day everyone!

Marry Me, Bill

Today beloved blogger and friend Ron is getting married to his partner Bill on the 49th anniversary of the day they met.  Its been a long wait for them, but the happy day has finally arrived.

Read Ron's blog post, written this morning prior to the nuptuals.

I imagine Ron has been singing this song to Bill in anticipation of their big day.  Congratulations to Ron & Bill on their wedding day and 49th anniversary!!

Just because

Weekend highlights

Our friends Liz & Rob and their children Jonathan and Rachel arrived on Fri.  Rob was a roommate of mine nearly 30 years ago, and Liz was a family friend.

They wanted to go to the boardwalk and have pizza at Grottos so we did.  Rob & I are usually the 'minorities' because we like all kinds of 'garbage' on our pizza, so since we were together and ordered multiple pizzas, we actually got what we like on our pizza for a change.  Spouse, Liz & the kids wanted just pepperoni.  After we ate, we walked along the boardwalk for a little while, but it began to

sprinkle.  Rather than just taking temporary cover, we decided to head back to the car before the rain really got started.  On our way back to the house we talked about the new Sweet Frog frozen yogurt bar that opened here.  I'd never heard of it but Liz raved about it, so we stopped in.  OMG, there are about a dozen flavors of frozen yogart, and you can select as much or as little of as many or as few flavors as you want.  But that's not all... next you add as much or as little as you want of the 50 or so toppings onto your frozen yogart.  Its like a giant sundae bar!!

Sat morning after coffee we walked over to the farmers market, and then to the canalside park.  On our way to the park we ran into former clients of mine and had a short but lovely conversation with them.  Liz was in the mood for Mexican for lunch so we went to La Tonalteca.  Yum!  From there Spouse & I went back home and relaxed while Rob & Liz and the kids went to the beach. Once they returned and showered, we headed over to Saketumi for Joe P's birthday dinner.  Since Joe P had never met our guests before, we decided to play a little prank on Joe P.  We sent Rachel (age 12) over to Joe P with a birthday balloon.  She handed it to him and said "Hey Mister... happy birthday" and then walked

away.  A minute later Jonathan did the exact same thing.  Then it was Liz's turn, andfinally Rob's turn.  Meanwhile, Spouse & I could hear Joe P and the other birthday dinner guests laughing as this parade of strangers brought him birthday balloons.  Then all 6 of us joined the dinner and Joe realized the strangers with the balloons were our friends.  It was a fun prank!  We had a terrific dinner at Saketumi (as usual) and Joe P really had a nice time.  Again, on the way home we had to stop at Sweet Frog!

Sun morning Spouse made a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, blueberry pancakes, and English muffins.  Shortly afterward, Rob & Liz and the kids headed home and Spouse & I hung out at home.  Later that evening we had dinner with Joe P and Steven & Thad at Big Sissies.

It was a full and enjoyable weekend.