Horse

I may have posted this before, but its so perfect that I'm taking the chance of possible duplication by posting it again.  This makes me laugh every time I see it!

Beardy boy

Politics

Just in case you've noticed the lack of political posts on my blog during this historic campaign season...

Just because

Remembering George

Our good friend George passed away on Sept 11th, which is also his daughter Kelly's birthday.  He was 87 years old and had cancer.  He chose to leave this world on his own terms rather than undergoing chemo and radiation at 87.  He was a very unusual man, in a good way, and will be sorely missed.

George was a retired JAG officer who also had a small law practice until he fully retired.  He loved to read, followed politics, and was an extremely liberal democrat.  George noticed things.  When I changed my haircut, lost weight, or happened to wear glasses, George always noticed and complimented me.  He was famous for several catchphrases which we've repeated with respect for years and will continue to do so.

George told his daughters he did not want a funeral or memorial service.  But after talking with his eldest daughter (and my dear friend) Kerry, we decided that funerals and memorial services are not for the one who's passed, they're for those remaining.  So out of respect for his wishes and the need for closure for his loved ones, Kerry decided to have a "party" to celebrate her father's life.  It was yesterday in VA.

Spouse & I drove back to the area in VA where I grew up.  So much has changed since I lived there!  The "party" was in a banquet room of the clubhouse in the community where George had lived.  It was exactly what I'd hoped for:  lots of friends who knew and loved George, visiting with his daughters and each other, talking and laughing and hugging and looking at the hundreds of photos of George over the years.  No eulogies, no sad speeches; just love and light.

Here are some photos taken with my phone:

Spouse, Kerry, me

Me and Gini, a friend from high school and a former neighbor of George

Me and Harriet

Me, Kelly, and Spouse

Me, Dee Dee and Spouse

Afterward Spouse & I grabbed a bite to eat, made a stop at Trader Joe's to pick up some goodies, and headed back to DE.  It was a long day but a good one.  It was wonderful to be with others and remember George.

Patrick's visit

My longtime friend Patrick came for a short visit.  We've known each other for over 35 years, and he was instrumental in my coming out and self-acceptance.

Patrick arrived on Wed evening just after I got home from work, so we chatted for a little while on the back porch with Spouse, then went to dinner.  We went to Ruby Tuesday because I was craving a good salad bar.  Afterward we talked some more on the porch, then came inside and watched a little TV together.  Marvin & Walter remembered him right away.

On Thurs we hung out at home for a while, went to the local diner for a late breakfast, then ran a few errands (car wash, dry cleaner, etc) then came home to change clothes and go to the beach.  It wasn't the greatest day for tanning, but at least it was warm and breezy so we enjoyed a couple hours of relaxation by the ocean.  After coming home and taking showers, Patrick took a nap and I checked in on work stuff.  Spouse came home and then went to his personal trainer appointment, and then Patrick and I went to have dinner and listen to a local entertainer we'd heard on his last visit.  However, the wait for a table was 45 minutes and we were hungry, so we decided to have dinner elsewhere.  We ended up eating at a window table (my favorite) at the Blue Moon.

Cheers!

Patrick had the sesame encrusted chicken and I had the short rib.  Both were outstanding, as were our cocktails.  After dinner we walked next door for karaoke.  I couldn't get Patrick to sing with me even though we used to perform together in high school, but we had a fun time.

This morning we had coffee and conversation, then decided to go for a late breakfast.  Afterward Patrick headed back home and I got prepared for a walk-thru and settlement.  It was nice to visit with my old friend!

Beardy boy

Obssession

I'm not a big snacker.  I try to eat at mealtimes and not between.  However, sometimes my lunch is light and my dinner is going to be late so I have a snack in between.
 
My latest snack obsession:  Snyder's Butter Snaps and whipped cream cheese.

Snyder's Butter Snaps are buttery, salty, waffle-shaped pretzels that are delicious on their own.  But... when you dip them into whipped cream cheese the result is nothing short of sheer heaven!

Try it and let me know what you think.

Just because

He is what I'd call "devastatingly handsome"

Weekend recap

Wow, what a fun, full weekend!

On Fri evening Steven & Thad and Spouse & I met up with my new friends Charles & John for dinner at Dos Locos.  I met Charles & John (who live in Philly) a few weeks ago after my show at the Blue Moon.  As usual our food was great and the atmosphere was fun. 

While my Blood Orange Margarita looks huge in this photo, its really just a medium

After dinner the 6 of us stopped in at the Blue Moon and caught the last few minutes of their drag show, then hung out on the patio and talked.  The weather was really nice.  We got home at midnight.

On Sat I worked until 3:30, then went home to change clothes and pick up Spouse.  We went to a cocktail party at Deb & Greer's house.  Their friend Paul is a chef and gave them the cocktail party as a gift.  There were lots of yummy appetizers and desserts and we had fun visiting with everyone there.  We went home to change clothes again and rest a bit, then went to our friend Tim's 60th birthday dinner at Touch of Italy, an Italian restaurant.

There were 11 of us there, including Steven & Thad, and a friend from Tim's childhood.  The food was delicious and everybody had a good time.

Tim & Michael

After dinner Steven & Thad and Spouse & I met up again with our friends from Philly Charles & John at Aqua, a bar with a large patio area.  As soon as we walked in we saw our newlywed friends Kevin & Jason, so we introduced them to Charles & John and we all hung out.  The weather was terrific so we really enjoyed being outdoors.  We didn't get home until 1am.

Sun was part 2 of Tim's birthday celebration, which included a BBQ lunch at the beach.  He had reserved the pavilion which has picnic tables, a grill and electricity.  We had a great lunch which included hotdogs, hamburgers, barbecued chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad, and various beverage options.  Since Tim is a retired teacher he always includes jeopardy-style games in every party or gathering so we had fun with those, too.  Steven & Thad offered to bring the cake:

Notice the creative spelling of Tim's name  ;-)

When we got home I took the dogs for a walk and Spouse took a nap.  Later we met up with Steven & Thad again for an easy dinner and then watched some of the Emmys.

Whew... I'm exhausted just retelling this!

Fascinating

Hope you have a fascinating weekend!

Beardy boy

Impromptu trip to VA

Spouse & I decided to make an impromptu trip to VA yesterday.

Originally Spouse was going to go by himself, leaving in the morning and returning home the same day.  He wanted to see his mom's new space since she moved into a senior living center.

However, late Sun evening we learned that our dear friend George had passed away that day.  He was 87 and had cancer.  Spouse & I both felt like we should go to see George's daughters so we quickly decided that we'd both go to VA and would see his mom on Tues, stay overnight at his sister's, and visit with George's daughters Kerry, Kelly, and Kimberly on Wed.

We brought the dogs with us since they travel so well and Spouse's sister no longer has a dog.  Spouse & I went to lunch with his sister, then the 3 of us went over to the senior living center.  At first we couldn't find Spouse's mom!  We checked her apartment, the dining area, and the common TV area but she was nowhere to be found.  One of the employees suggested she might be out in the back yard with her dog so we finally found her there.  She had gotten her hair done at the on-site salon and then came outside so her dog Romeo (who has now become the 'house dog') could enjoy some time outdoors.  

Spouse's mom and sister

This is not a very good photo of either of them.  Both are usually smiling but in this photo they aren't.  I couldn't see the photo very well after taking it so I didn't realize it wasn't very good.  While sitting outside we also met Spouse's mom's new friend Betty who has an adorable little long-haired Chihuahua named Dusty.

Dusty

Dusty is a tiny little thing; only about 3 or 4 pounds and as sweet as can be.  He let me pick him up and hold him, and after softly stroking his head and neck he leaned up and gave me 'kisses' on my chin!  Once we'd left the senior living center I said to Spouse "I wonder if I can get Betty to leave Dusty to me in her will".  He told me I was terrible. 

We hung out a Spouse's sister's house for a few hours then went back to see his mom again after she'd had her dinner.  Her space is very nice with a good sized bedroom, private bath, den/TV room, and a kitchenette.  She really likes it there which is a relief.  After our 2nd visit we picked up Spouse's sister and her husband and the 4 of us had delicious Thai food.

Today we met up with our dear friends Kerry, Kelly, and Kimberly for a late breakfast.  It was really good to see them and talk about the recent changes in our lives.  We'd not had a chance to tell them about Spouse's mom's move, and they'd not had a chance to share with us the circumstances around George's decision not to receive cancer treatment.  But the general mood and disposition was upbeat and positive.  We laughed a lot and really, really appreciated our friendship.  I don't know who needed the visit more, them or us.  I can't believe I didn't take a photo of the 5 of us.

Once we said our goodbyes we returned to Spouse's sister's house and visited for a little, then grabbed our overnight bag and the dogs and headed back to DE.

Just because

So true

Wedding

Tonight we went to our friends' Jason & Kevin's wedding!  They met 6 years ago this month and got married in their front yard.  After the short but sweet ceremony, everyone carried their chair from the front yard to the side yard where a long dinner table was set, which you can see in the left side of this photo.

The happy grooms

The food was inside so everyone made a plate and brought it to the table outside to eat and converse.  Of course no occasion would be complete without a selfie!

Spouse & I take a selfie with the grooms

 A professional photographer took the photo below which absolutely captures the personalities of these 2 fine men.

I love this photo!

While the weather wasn't ideal for an outdoor wedding (93 degrees and humid!) everyone had a wonderful time.  Lots of love, laughter and joy.

Beardy boy

Phone

Just because

Labor Day weekend

Happy Labor Day!  

I hope you are enjoying a 3-day weekend.  Since I'm a realtor and typically work on most weekends, there is no such thing as a 3-day weekend unless I request to be off.  Our friends Mike & Clark planned to spend the long holiday weekend with us so I requested to be off, but due to the death of a friend, they cancelled their visit.  But I kept my 3-day holiday weekend off work anyway.

Unfortunately weather was rather iffy/unpredictable due to tropical storm Hermine.  Our area was told to 'batten down the hatches' and prepare for heavy wind and rain.  But it turned into a big toodoo about nothing.  Sat morning it rained for about an hour and it was breezy, and that was it!  The rest of the weekend it was partly cloudy and partly sunny at times, but no more rain.

My Elton John wig, glasses, and tips

Sat night I performed as Elton John in the last Legends show of the summer season.  Typically the show's introduction includes a notice that the performers do not accept tips during the show, but will be available for photos and tips immediately after the show's conclusion.  But since it was the last show of the summer season the owner decided NOT to make that announcement and instead told us performers that we could accept tips during the show as long as we did not compromise our impersonations.  I'm not sure if the audience was feeling especially generous or if I 'pulled out all the stops' in my performance, but I was shocked at the tips.  I received at $20 bill from someone!!  After the show I had lots of fun greeting the patrons, posing for photos, and talking to the folks about where they live.  There was a bachelorette party there, which can be good or bad.  When its bad the women are drunk and sloppy and loud.  But on Sat it was good and the young women were ladies.

On Sun Spouse & I had breakfast with Steven & Thad, then stopped at the grocery store on the way

Thad's custom cake

home to pick up a few things.  Later that evening Steven & Thad and Joe P came over to celebrate Thad's birthday.  The weather was pleasant so we had dinner on the screened porch.  Thad came up with this special menu of things he'd been craving, so Spouse made exactly what he wanted.  Homemade meatballs in sauce, homemade potato salad, an orange-flavored cake with the center hollowed out and filled with chocolate mousse and covered in butter cream icing, and rosemary mint lemonade.  We also had rolls so Spouse and Steven made meatball sandwiches with them.  Everything was very tasty, we had candles and lanterns lit and music playing.  We had a nice time.


Today was very low-key.  I did a little bit of laundry (even though you're supposed to rest from your labors on Labor Day), took the dogs for a walk, watched some TV, and poked around on Facebook.  While it wasn't the Labor Day weekend I was expecting, it was a pleasant one none-the-less.

What did YOU do this weekend?

Haircut

In past photos here you may have noticed my haircut.  Its called a disconnected undercut.  Awhile back I wrote about how I expected it to look once the top grew out several inches, and shared photos of celebrities and other hot guys with this haircut.

This is me at a work training

Unfortunately, despite my patience in letting the top of my hair grow, I could never get the look I wanted.  I determined that my hair is too wavy, and although I was able to tame the waves with lots and lots of heavy hair products, it was difficult to keep it that way.  Summer humidity was constantly trying to coax the waves back, and you don't even WANT to know what I looked like after riding in the convertible with the top down.

Occasionally I would pull my hair into what I called a "Samurai knot", and while I felt cool like a hipster, it didn't seem quite right for work.

Samurai knot

My outspoken friend Thad recognized that my disconnected undercut and Samurai knot were hip and contemporary, but said they belonged on someone half my age.  

Gulp.

But that's not the reason I cut my hair.  I cut it because I was spending way too much time and energy on my hair style.

So my new style is similar to a pompadour; close on the sides and back, longer on the top.

So this is me now.  Who knows how long I'll keep this look, but for sure its easier to take care of and more 'forgiving' than before.

Beardy boy