GLBT love at the Grammys

I tend not to watch awards shows much anymore. 

I rarely see Broadway shows so I have no idea who/what the nominees are for the Tony awards. The Screen Actor's Guild, People's Choice, and Gold Globes awards often get boring with the rambling acceptance speeches.  Why do the winners feel the need to publicly thank dozens of people we don't know?  That's something they should do on their own time!

And then, of course, there is often the dreadful scripted dialog for the presenters to deliver, which most of the time includes insincere self-deprication and 'jokes' that fall flatter than a pancake.

So I really wasn't planning on watching the Grammy awards this year.  Spouse was flipping the channel and nothing interesting came on, so when he paused at the Grammy show we began to watch it.  It was actually much better than I remember from past years.

I was somewhat surprised but very happy to see a 3 distinct occasions where GLBT rights and love were shown or spoken of in a very favorable light.

I'll start with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.  They 1st got my attention a year ago with their debut song "Thrift Shop".  But last night they performed their 2nd hit song "Same Love" which ended with Queen Latifah marrying 33 couples (same-sex and opposite-sex), saying "by the power invested in my by the state of California, I now pronounce you a married couple!".

Many observers (including country singer Keith Urban) were brought to tears.  I've never seen anything quite like it! 

Next came a performance by Kacey Musgrove whose name I'd never heard of, but that's not surprising since I don't listen to country music.  Kacy performed her song "Follow Your Arrow" which contains the lyrics "Make lots of noise, kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls if that's somethin' you're into.  If the straight and narrow is a little too straight..."

Its a catchy tune with a terrific message.  And how can you not love a woman who wears a Mexican Christmas tree skirt?

And finally in Paul Williams' acceptance speech for Daft Punk he said they wanted him to say that "As elegant and classy as the Grammy has ever been, is the moment when we saw those wonder marriages, and that "Same Love" is fantastic and the height of fairness and love, and the power of love for all people, at any time, in any combination." 

What made me stay up late on a school night until the Grammy awards was over?  I wanted to make sure I didn't miss any other support messages during the show.  And then as I climbed in bed it occured to me that I had just witnessed history:  the 1st time a marriage (or 33 marriages to be exact) were conducted during an awards show.  And some of those couples were gay and lesbian.

The times they are a-changin'.

Weekend highlights

Sat I worked til 5.  Then Spouse & I had dinner at Steven & Thad's house with them and Jason & Kevin.  Spouse was in charge of the Weight Watchers-friendly dessert and did a great job with it.  Unfortunately he couldn't quite remember how many points the dessert contained!  We all laughed as his guestimate went from 5 points to 'no more than 10 points'.  We had a very nice time visiting with each other, until we turned on the TV and learned of Whitney Houston's death.

Sun I was scheduled to work til 4 but I took a new couple out and didn't get done with them until 5.  Then Spouse & I went back over to Steven & Thad's for dinner and to watch the Grammy awards.  

We made Weight Watcher-friendly pizzas using flatbreads, turkey pepperoni, low-fat cheese, mushrooms and other diced veggies.  They didn't come out crispy but I didn't care; they tasted good!  We watched the red carpet coverage and then watched the Grammy awards.  Adele sure cleaned up!  Again Spouse was in charge of the dessert.  This time he made a Hungry Girl recipe called Mississippi Mug Cake.  Its a lower calorie version of the original, but made as individual servings in mugs.  They were pretty good but Spouse forgot an important ingredient, chocolate chips.  We had a fun time.

Weekend highlights

As usual I worked on Sat. but it felt like a short day because I was only in the office until 1:30. Then I met a client and we spent a good while at a new home neighborhood pricing out a new home with the sales consultant there. Afterward I stopped in at my client's place to check in on painter. Changing the color from mauve to medium brown made a huge difference. I told the client "Your home is feeling younger by the minute!" That evening we met up with Steven & Thad, Jack, 1 of the Bobs, and Joe P for dinner at Dos Locos.

Sun morning we had breakfast with Steven & Thad at Crystal. It was super cold and windy. Later Spouse & I did some window shopping and then he took a nap while I caught up on some shows on the DVR. I also made a large piece of art. I'd bought a huge painting at a thrift store for $35. that had a hideous 1980s Grace Jones-like print on it. I could never have purchased a blank canvas that large for $35. So, I just painted over top of it.
That evening we went to Steven & Thad's house for dinner and to watch the Golden Globes. We made Weight Watcher-friendly pizzas using Flat Outs (oblong whole wheat flour tortillas), mushrooms, turkey pepperoni, olives, low-fat pizza sauce, and low-fat cheese. They were really good and I didn't feel like I was dieting. Joe P stopped over after dinner to watch some of the awards with us. Like most 'normal' gay men, most of our commentary was about the gowns and hairstyles worn by the nominees.

Spouse had today off since it is MLK day. My office was not closed, but I was not scheduled for phone duty and I had no appointments so I took the day off so we could be together. Hopefully Spouse will help me take the ornaments off the Christmas tree today and pack up the rest of the Christmas decorations. As much as I love Christmas, its time.

An award

Normally on Monday's my posts are called 'Weekend highlights' and I share our weekend activities. But this past weekend we just didn't do anything. I went to real estate school on Sat & Sun. Spouse went to the ghetto gym both mornings, went to the grocery store, and just hung out at home. We ate dinner at home both nights and watched TV. That's it. Spouse said it was "too cold" to go anywhere.

So, since our weekend highlights were summed up in a single paragraph, I'll share with you a lovely award I received: "Stylish Blogger Award". Since I've devoted my life to being stylish, you can imagine perfectly giddy I was to receive this! The conditions upon which one accepts the "Stylish Blogger Award" are as follows:

1. Thank and link back to the blogger that bestowed upon you this high honor
2. Share 7 things about yourself readers may/may not know
3. Grant the award to 5 others

I received this award from my personal friend and fellow blogger Ron who's blog is entitled Retired in Delaware. Thank you, Ron!! Now for the 7 things:

1. When I was a child and teenager my hair was extremely blond. It was kind of strange because my 3 siblings and both my parents all have brown hair. I remember that when I became aware that I was the only 1 in the family with blond hair I asked my mother if I was adopted. She laughed and said 'No', but I think a lot of things would make more sense if I were adopted.
2. Although I enjoy cocktails a great deal, I rarely drink at home. The only exception is when we have weekend guests and we have cocktails at home. But when its just the 2 of us here, I rarely drink at home. Spouse doesn't drink at all and I find it sort of sad to drink at home by myself. It sure is a lot cheaper to drink at home though!
3. I feel very confident about my career change. I don't expect to be anything but successful. This is significant to me because there is usually a good bit of uncertainty and nervousness associated with changing careers. But I am so sure that this is the right direction for me I do not feel nervous. I just wish I could finish my courses more quickly and get started.
4. I do not have an iTunes account or an iPod. I have an mp3 player I loaded with music from our CD collection and I listen to it mostly at the gym.
5. When I was a kid I was given black olives and nearly gagged from the taste. I decided I hated olives of all sorts and didn't eat them for about 30 years. Then it became popular to see olive assortments at cocktail parties and I decided to try some of them. I discovered that I loved kalamata olives, green olives stuffed with garlic, and green olives stuffed with jalapenos. Now I always have a jar of kalamata olives in the fridge.
6. I've been told by more than 1 person that I'm a good kisser.
7. Sometimes I'm surprised at how well things work out when I take my own advice. If I get worried or upset about something I sometimes ask myself what would I tell someone else who was going through this. Then I follow my own advice and things usually work out well.

Now for the 5 truly stylish bloggers to whom I will bestow the "Stylish Blogger Award":

1. cb at the Mangina Monologues
2. Kevin at The Lisp
3. Marc at Deep Dish
4. David at Another Mile Marker
5. Lewis at Spirit of Saint Lewis

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I had another crazy, hectic work week. Yesterday I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown! I suddenly realized I had to go to the bathroom really badly but had been 'holding it' because I was so busy. So I left my office and walked down the hallway toward the bathroom but forgot what I was walking down the hallway for! That's what you call pre-occupied.

My friend Bob sent me this.
My 1st thought was: Nevermind the naked guy; wouldn't it be AWESOME if cookies really WERE that big???

Well, it looks like this rental investment condo purchase just might work out. We received an updated sales contract and several addendum (due to the fact that it was a foreclosure), signed them, faxed them back and mailed another earnest money check. Of course it won't be a done deal until we go to settlement, so I'm trying not to get too excited. But picking out the flooring, counter tops, and paint colors is fun!

Since our 1st summer in this house we've wanted to expand our screened porch. It is just 6' wide by 17' long. Its kind of like a screened hallway. Plus, there are 2 sets of french doors and the exterior screen door that open into the porch, so about 6 feet of the 17 foot length is unusable. For months we've been trying to get the contractor who did such a great job on our garage/bath/closet addition to give us an estimate for expanding the porch. He finally did and we decided we'd go for it. Then the condo deal came along and we questioned spending the money to do both at the same time. But yesterday the builder called me at 3:00 and said he had the permit and the concrete guy lined up; they'd dig and pour the footers the next day. Yikes! Sure enough, we have the beginnings of a larger, much more functional porch. The finished porch will be 14' by 17'.

The Tony Awards come on this Sun night. Spouse & I have not been keeping up with the theatre so we normally wouldn't watch the Tonys or be concerned with them at all. But our (gay) neighbors invited us to a Tony Awards potluck so we're going. I think awards shows are SOOO much more fun when watched in a group setting.

Hope everyone has a terrific weekend!

Crush du Jour: Nicolas Kiefer

Weekend highlights

Fri afternoon Spouse & I tidied up the house and prepared to host 'the usual suspects' for a birthday dinner here at our house. Spouse made homemade ziti with meat sauce and homemade apple cakes, and the guys brought salad and bread. We had a lovely time celebrating Ted, Rick & Nick's birthdays.

Sat it began to snow around 10:30 AM and didn't stop until some time after midnight. The prediction for our area was "snow showers with a possible accumulation of 1-2 inches". We actually got about 7-8 inches, which is rather unusual. The air over the ocean is warmer than the air over the land, so we don't normally get more than an inch or 2. It was quite windy too, so the snow drifted in several places. Next to the garage you could see the grass poking out of the snow, while next to the driveway there was a drift about 2 feet deep. It was a great day to just stay inside and relax, which is exactly what we did. Spouse took a big nap (since he has a cold) and I watched TV and spent some time on the computer. Lots of HGTV shows and the Mecum Auto Auction.

Around 5:00 I decided to go for a walk in the snow. It was still coming down like mad. I bundled up (including ski goggles to keep the snow and wind out of my eyes) and walked around the neighborhood. It was eerily quiet but oh-so beautiful. Once back inside I slipped back into my flannel PJ pants, heated up left-over ziti for our dinner, and watched more TV and chatted with friends on Facebook.

Sun we met Steven & Thad for brunch at the Long Neck Diner. It was our 1st time eating breakfast there and we were impressed. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store, then returned home where Spouse enjoyed a nap. His cold really seemed to kick into high gear on Sun and he felt lousy, so he stayed home while I went to Steven & Thad's to have chili and salad for dinner and watch the Grammys. I thought Elton John & Lady GaGa's mash-up was great as the opening!

It was a nice, relaxing snow weekend!

Crush du Jour: Joao Caneco

I am an award winner

I'm honored and flattered to report that, in addition to being a writer and an artist, I am also an award winner. The Kreativ Blogger award was bestowed upon me and I couldn't be more proud!

So here's how it works:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
Thank you to my handsome and talented friend Stephen in Portland, OR!

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

Stephen at Post-Apocalyptic Bohemian.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

a. My 1st birthday I ever celebrated was when I turned 30. This is because prior to that birthday I had belonged to the Jehovah's Witnesses religion which prohibits the celebrating of birthdays and other holidays. My new friends planned a surprise party and I had NO idea. It was wonderful!



b. I started taking piano lessons at the age of 9. It took my teacher 2 years to figure out that I wasn't reading the music. I knew how, but found it tedious. Instead I would listen to her play and quickly memorize the song. Then I'd look at the music but play from memory.




c. Since I came out later in life (almost 30) and immediately entered into a relationship, I can count the number of sexual partners I've had and still have some fingers left over. Sometimes I wish that wasn't the case.


d. As much as people tend to gravitate toward that which is like us, I also crave diversity among my friends. I enjoy older and younger friends, married and single friends, gay and straight friends, white and non-white friends. I've had transgender friends and am currently seeking a drag queen friend.

e. I look heavier than I am. I've compared my weight with several friends who are approximately the same height and everyone always thinks I weigh more than they do when the opposite is true. This is despite the fact that I work out 2-3 times per week. Maybe its my clothes.

f. Although my carpet matches the drapes, my wallpaper is much lighter. The hair on my head is light brown with a slight sprinkle of grey, but my eyebrows and beard are very blond. The hair on my head used to be blond too when I was younger. So why didn't my eyebrows and beard get darker when the hair on my head turned darker?




g. I believe everyone needs to do some kind of volunteer/charity work at least once a year. Its a good reminder that many are less fortunate than we. It makes you feel good. It builds a sense of community. You often meet other nice, like-minded people. I know a couple who met while volunteering. They are still together many years later.


5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers and post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
I had no trouble thinking of 7 kreativ bloggers, but since several had already been tagged, I decided not to double-tag them and selected other kreativ cats!

Bugsy a day in the life of bugsy
cb Mangina Monologues
Paul Dangling Carrots
David DavidDust
Bob I Should Be Laughing
Tony Spewing Truth in the Face of Lies
Kevin The Lisp

6. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Thank you again for the award, and congratulations to the award winners above!

Crush du Jour: Bjorn Barrefors

Award

I am honored to mention that I am a recipient of the "Circle of Friends Award" from fellow blogger Larry. Thank you Larry!!

Larry & his husband Greg live in OH and have been together 17 years. They got married in CA in 2008. I had the pleasure of meeting them both at the Equality March in Washington, DC in Oct 2009. To learn more about Larry and read his blog, click here.

Upon receiving this award I am to mention 5 things I enjoy or like to do, then pass the award on to 5 others. So, here goes!

1. I love jazz standards, vocal jazz, and a capella music. I remember hearing The Manhattan Transfer sing "Operator" back in the 70s and I knew this type of music was for me. Then I discovered Ella Fitzgerald and felt as if I'd found a kindred soul. (Who else can perform a song for over 9 minutes without boring the audience?) In the 90s I discovered The Real Group and am in love with their lush, tight harmonies with no instrumental back-up. If you listen to all 3 clips above, you will know me musically.

2. I love cars. Ever since I was a kid I have had a fascination with cars. As an toddler I would sit on our Electrolux and ride it around the house. Then came the Matchbox cars. On road trips I would bring to my parents' attention any car with non-original hubcaps. As a teenager I started going to local car shows and narrowed down my favorite era to 1950s-1960s. My 1st car was a 1979 Chevrolet Chevette; my 1st cool car was a 1978 VW bug convertible; I've had 2 Honda Accords, a Civic, and we currently have a CRV and a BMW 325i convertible. Finally at the age of 45 I finally my very own vintage car.

3. I strive to be an authentic person. I really don't like feeling that I have to do something or be a certain way because its expected of me. I want to be myself; my own genuine person. Traditions and expected social behavior are fine suggestions, as they give everyone a general idea of what's 'normal'. But I enjoy the freedom to be unexpected, unconventional, and spontaneous sometimes; an individual who uses good judgement when deciding when to color outside the lines.

4. I really enjoy cocktails. I'm not the kind of guy who drinks to get drunk. Even in my '20s I didn't do that. But I enjoy the endless combinations of alcohol and mixers that people can dream up, and I pretty much like everything. My favorite cocktail to make at home is a Blue PomeCosmo (aka: Marktini). My favorite to order in a restaurant is a Cosmopolitan. My favorite to order in a crowded bar or club is Malibu and diet soda because I enjoy the taste and its really easy and fast for a bartender to make. Occasionally I'll feel like having a beer, but not very often.
5. I have always enjoyed writing. I still have several 'creative writing' assignments from middle school. I wrote a short play when I was home from (high) school with pneumonia for 2 weeks. Shortly after coming out I began chronicling my thoughts, feelings, and actions that lead to that decision, which I have since updated and shared on this blog. Blogging is a wonderful outlet for personal expression, learning from others, and for keeping track of events. Its hard to believe that I will celebrate my 5th year of blogging later this month.

Now, I will bestow the illustrious "Circle of Friends Award" upon 5 other bloggers and anticipate what they'll write about themselves. So, will Mark at Behr Blather, Bob at I Should Be Laughing, David at David Dust, Jeffrey at I was Half in Love by the Time We Sat Down, and Rob at JavaJunkie kindly bow to receive your award? Click on their blogs for some good readin'.

Crush du Jour: Seth Cooper