Tuesday chuckles

Enjoy a few chuckles.

Crush du Jour: Andro Deluca

Weekend highlights

After Spouse returned from his personal trainer appointment, he and I went to Home Depot and looked at backsplash tile, paint chips, and counter tops for the investment condo. Then we had lunch at La Tonalteca Mexican restaurant. Spouse stayed home while I went to the beach. I thought a couple friends were going to meet me there, but I wound up spending the afternoon by myself. But the weather was gorgeous - warm, sunny, with a constant breeze. I really enjoyed it despite being by myself. After showering we grilled hot dogs on the new grill, complimented by baked beans and potato chips for dinner. We ate on the screened porch. After dinner we took Big Ella out for a drive. It was a beautiful evening and we really enjoyed the ride. We treated ourselves to a frozen treat at Dairy Queen.

Sun Spouse & I went to the beach where we met up with Steven & Thad and The Bobs. Bryan & Jason joined us a little later. There wasn't much breeze and the flies were biting like crazy. We only stayed 3 hours. We had lunch at home, then Spouse made a blueberry cobbler. He took a nap and I watched some DVR'd shows on TV. Then we took the blueberry cobbler to a potluck at Richard & Tom's house, followed by watching the Tony Awards. We had a nice time visiting with friends and meeting new folks. The food was great and everyone had fun.

Yet another weekend flew by, leaving me feeling like I need a vacation. I'm working too hard.

Crush du Jour: Duane Roggendorff

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

Trans news

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for transgender folks. As they would explain, their bodies do not match the gender of their minds and hearts. Just imagine for a moment how it might feel if everything about you inside indicated you were male, yet your body was clearly female.

Some embark on the long road of transitioning their bodies from one gender to another, which can last years. Most start with 'top' surgery to either acquire or remove breasts. Some also have 'bottom' surgery to reinvent their genitalia, although this is far less common than top surgery due to the complexity and cost. Some also have other cosmetic surgeries to alter their appearance. All trans people must take testosterone or female hormones to begin the transition. Psychological counseling is also required for those who desire and can afford 'bottom' surgery.

I found it interesting when this story appeared in my local paper. Apparently some male-to-female (MTF) transgender folks were topless on the beach, despite having female breasts. Fortunately they complied with requests to cover up, in accordance with local decency laws. It appears the local police treated the trans folks fairly and sensitively.

Then today a friend sent me this story about how the US government is making it easier for transitioning people to change the gender on their passports. It seems that 'top' or 'bottom' surgery used to be a requirement , but now it is not, providing they have a letter from a physician.

Crush du Jour: Alfonso Herrera

Happy hour with Hadley

You may recall that back in Jan I related the story of Hadley, who wanted to convert her list of local restaurant specials into a blog, with other content as well. She asked me and a few other locals to write for the blog with her. I wrote a few pieces for her and will do more if my crazy schedule will just calm down.

Hadley and I have been wanting to meet her in person ever since Jan, but we just couldn't seem to get our schedules to match up. But finally last night the planets were in perfect alignment and we met in person for happy hour. From our emails and one 15-minute phone call I knew we'd get along great, and we did.

I invited her to happy hour at Saketumi because they have a terrific 1/2 price sushi menu at the bar between 4:00-6:00. My friend/manager Kim was there so I knew he'd treat us like royalty. We met at 5:30, ordered our 1/2 price sushi, she had Pinot Grigio and I had my current favorite cocktail: a Cosmo made with Absolut Berri Acai. (If you haven't tried this yet, what are you waiting for? Its delish!)

I invited Spouse to come along, thinking we'd only be there an hour (90 minutes tops) since I didn't really know Hadley. He passed on the invitation, which was probably good in the long run because Hadley and I sat at the bar talking, eating, talking, drinking, and talking for 4 hours! I couldn't believe it.

We discovered some crazy coincidences in our lives and really related to each other's work and personal life situations. Although very different on the outside (she's straight, female, is a mom, etc) we're surprisingly alike on the inside. We had a really good time.

While telling her about last Saturday's Summer Bash, we were overheard by a couple seated next to her at the bar. Turns out the guy (Chris) is a food broker who donated the meat for the Summer Bash. I quickly told him the barbecue brisket was my favorite item this year, which was the truth. Then we discovered Chris and Hadley grew up in the same neighborhood outside of Atlanta! Chris' girlfriend lived for many years in the DC area, as did I, and we compared notes on each other's work and home towns. It was a truly wacky!

So Hadley and I decided we will definitely hook up for happy hours and dinners again in the near future, and we may even let our spouses come along! It might just be too much fun for 2 people.

Crush du Jour: Jake Mitchell

I need your help!

Friends, I need your help.

My supply of Crush du Jour names and photos is practically depleted. I used to get many of them from films, TV shows, and reading blogs. But lately I have not been able to collect as many as I need, so my supply is almost gone.

I'd really appreciate your help with some Crush du Jour suggestions! They can be famous, but they don't have to be. My criteria are:

• I have to find them crush-worthy
• No duplicates of men who have already been a Crush du Jour
• Shirt on or off - I like both
• Facial hair and body hair a plus, but not required
• I have to have their name

No offense to those of you who post anonymous photos of super hot guys (you know we all love them), but my Crush du Jour men must be identified.

So think about some of your favorite:

• TV actors
• Film actors
• Sports players
• Guy at your mechanic's garage

You don't have to worry about sending me photos. Just send me their names and I will find the photos. You can leave Crush du Jour suggestions in the comments of this or any blog post, or you can email them to me.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Crush du Jour: Poalo Zugalli

Weekend highlights

After Spouse's personal trainer appointment Sat morning, we prepared a shopping bag of canned and dry food items to donate to the Food Bank of DE and headed to the Annual Summer Bash. It was really hot outside (about 90 degrees) but fortunately there was a nice breeze, and the location was mostly shaded. We saw lots of friends, met some new folks, ate, and enjoyed the concert. Its was a really well put together event.

Later that evening we met up with Steven & Thad and one of The Bobs to see "Sex and the City 2".

My expectations weren't very high, due to the disjointed trailers I'd seen and the lukewarm critics' reviews I'd heard, but the 5 of us found the film to be thoroughly enjoyable. Whomever created the trailers should be fired. I think the critics panned the film because they think its 'cool' to hate on "Sex and the City". The scenery was beautiful, the clothes were great, and the story line was solid. We all liked it a lot. After the film we had a late dinner at Saketumi and talked about what we liked, what worked, etc in the film. I started with a Cosmo (made with Absolute Berri Acai) as a tribute to having just seen SatC2, and well, because I just love that cocktail. Without even ordering another, a 2nd Cosmo magically arrived in front of me! Gotta love the service at Saketumi. We had a great time and I got just a teensy weensy bit tipsy.

Sun morning Spouse & I met up with Steven & Thad and one of the Bobs again at the beach. It was really hot again, and the breeze was coming off the land instead of the ocean. Jack & Alisha also joined us for a while, until the wind sent us all packing. The wind off the ocean is cool and doesn't pick up sand because the sand is wet. However, the wind off the land was hot and kept gusting and blowing the dry sand all over us. We cut our beach time short in order to avoid getting an unexpected microdermabrasion at the beach! I had so much sand on me that I felt like a panko crusted tilapia. Fortunately we had a nice time before the wind gusts started.

After removing the sand from my ears, nose, hair, etc we went to Steven & Thad's for dinner. Steven grilled chicken which went nicely with the sesame noodles and salad. Afterward we drove to Dairy Queen in a nearby agricultural (read: redneck) location. I was driving and realized I'd forgotten my wallet. Spouse suggested I drive very carefully "so you don't get pulled over and carted off to jail and told 'you have a real pretty mouth'". The "Deliverance" reference made us all laugh! Once inside the DQ we noticed the specialty Blizzards being offered for the 25th anniversary of the Blizzard.

I made the mistake of thinking that all the flavors under the heading "Chocoholics" were contained in a single Blizzard, and said "Wow, they put all my favorite things into that Chocoholics Blizzard! That's what I'm getting." Thad quickly explained that each of the flavors under the heading "Chocoholics" was a separate Blizzard. The look of disappointment on my face must have said it all because Thad started laughing really hard. Then when I thought about how they could possibly get all that stuff into 1 Blizzard I began laughing too. We laughed about the 'real pretty mouth' and the Choloholic Blizzard several more times before we said goodbye.

Crush du Jour: Hen Amar

Friday fragments

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

Last evening we finally heard from our realtor regarding the condo we put an offer on almost 3 weeks ago. Fortunately it was good news so it looks like this just might happen. Nothing's final yet but I'll keep you posted.

My friend Bill sent me this which gave me a good chuckle.

Here's a semi-entertaining video of several out celebs being interviewed at a recent Marriage Equality NY event.

My friend Jared sent me this. Bob - is this YOUR car???

Tomorrow we are scheduled to attend our friend Corey's Annual Summer Bash to benefit the Food Bank of DE. This will be our 3rd year. There's lots of fun and drink, plus a free concert. This year's talent is Billy Dean, whom I've never heard of because I don't listen to Country music. Oh yeah, and the GOVERNOR will stop by to mix and mingle and say a few words to the group. How many people get to attend a barbecue with their governor? Its a fun afternoon for a good cause. But tomorrow's forecast sounds like anything but fun: chance of thunderstorms and 90 degrees. We may make it a short visit.

Crush du Jour: Kenny Haney

Stoopd lyrics

Here is another installment of my newest 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, I like the music of this installment quite a bit, but the lyrics don't make sense.

So, are you ready?

Don't Know Why

by Norah Jones

I waited 'til I saw the sun

I don't know why I didn't come

I left you by the house of fun

I don't know why I didn't come

I don't know why I didn't come

When I saw the break of day

I wished that I could fly away

Instead of kneeling in the sand

Catching teardrops in my hand

My heart is drenched in wine

But you'll be on my mind

Forever

Out across the endless sea

I would die in ecstasy

But I'll be a bag of bones

Driving down the road along

My heart is drenched in wine

But you'll be on my mind

Forever

Something has to make you run

I don't know why I didn't come

I feel as empty as a drum

I don't know why I didn't come

I don't know why I didn't come

I don't know why I didn't come

Crush du Jour: Toby Madigan

Work

Work has been very busy and stressful lately.
I've been working through my lunch hour, only taking 15 or 20 minutes to run downstairs and eat a sandwich before returning to my desk.

Part of it has to do with personnel changes within the company. Part of it has to do with my new boss' brilliant ideas (insert heavy sarcasm), all of which add more work to me.

Then there's the challenge of working in a field that requires lots and lots of client interaction. Service questions, billing inquiries, complaints, changes, updates, now, yesterday, faster.

Oddly enough this is the time of year when my clients' work tends to slow down, but there seems to be little if any sign that they are slowing down for the summer.

Another challenge I face is working with clients in Europe and Asia and the time difference between us. One of my clients is in Hong Kong which is 12 hours ahead of me. When they arrive at work at 8:30 in the morning their time, its 8:30 at night of the previous day for me. Therefore all of our communication takes place via email, one day at a time.

And to top it all off, we are about to migrate to a new version of the product we provide to our clients and I have been in countless training sessions and meetings to learn all of the nuances. Next will come the undertaking of helping my clients come up to speed on it.

Lately I've had more and more fantasies about resigning and working for myself. Its quite tempting after the last few weeks I've had. But nobody likes to hear people complain about work
so I'll shut up. I should be glad to have a job, right?

Crush du Jour: Heath Pearce

(Long) Weekend highlights

Sat morning I watched episodes of "Sell This House" while Spouse had his personal trainer appointment. A little later my friend Chris came over. We met in a DC gay bar and found out we'd gone to high school together! He's a really sweet guy. He was spending the long weekend at the beach and since it was rainy Sat morning, he called and came over for a visit. He and Spouse & I went to lunch, then sat on the porch and talked for a while. When he left Spouse washed Jordan (the dog) and I cleaned porch and arranged the outdoor furniture in preparation for our cookout the next day. Spouse & I bought a new gas grill at Home Depot. Nothing fancy; just a larger grilling surface than our little mini charcoal Weber. That night we met Steven & Thad, one of The Bobs, and Joe P for dinner at Saketumi. I got a teensy-weensy bit tipsy on Cosmos made with Absolut Berri Acai. Dee-lish!!

Sun morning we had breakfast with Steven & Thad at the Long Neck Diner. Once back home, Spouse fired up Big Ella, picked up Steven & Thad and took them to the "Battle of the Bands" concert and car show. Our friend Rick & Nick added the 'car show' part to the "Battle of the Bands" and it wasn't very well attended but Spouse and Steven & Thad enjoyed it anyway. Instead of going with them, I went to the beach with Bryan & Jason. It was a beautiful day and I wanted to be at the beach more than at a poorly advertised car show. There was a wonderful breeze and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Back at home, I cleaned the outdoor tables and chairs and helped get food ready for the cookout. I grabbed a quick shower before our guests started to arrive. We had 16 for our cookout. The weather was ideal for being outside. There was a nice breeze and the humidity was very low. Everybody brought a dish and we all had a great time.

On Mon it seemed everyone we knew was at the beach. It was significantly hotter, but there was a nice cool breeze coming off the water. We stayed from 10:30-2:30, then had a late lunch at home, followed by showers and a nap for Spouse and email and Facebook for me. Later we had dinner with Steven & Thad and one of The Bobs. It was a great way to wrap up a long holiday weekend.

Crush du Jour: Rob McElroy

Memorial Day

When I think of Memorial Day, I know I supposed to think of this:
but instead, I think of this:
and this:

Before you jump to conclusions about how shallow and unappreciative I am, let me explain.

I grew up in the Jehovah's Witness religion which does not believe in participating in or supporting the military in any way. So my family and the families with which we associated never put flags on our porches or acknowledged the soldiers who paid the ultimate price for our country's freedom.

No, for us Memorial Day was a day off of school and work. It was a great opportunity to have a cookout and/or go to the beach. Now, I have NOT been a member of the JW religion for many years now, but some habits die hard. Like it or not, say "Memorial Day" and I think "cookout" and the unofficial start of beach season.

I am trying to retrain my thinking to be more appreciative of others' sacrifices, but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy a nice grilled burger and some potato salad.

Crush du Jour: Bruno Cabrerizo