Happy New Year!

As the clock counts down towards the start of 2009, I wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Cheers!

Holiday Favorites

When I was growing up, my family would gather together on Christmas Eve at my great Grandparents little house in Chester, PA. My great grandparents came over from Italy, Naples, just after the turn of the century when they were very young to start a new life in the New World. Cousins, aunts, uncles and family I rarely saw were all treated like best of friends. The kids would sneak down into the cellar and be overwhelmed by the giant oak barrels of wine all lined up. Little did I know how much I would appreciate that nectar later in life. Tables were lined from one end of the house to the other, all awaiting huge bowls of pasta and everyone ate until belt buckles had to be undone a notch or two. The tradition of gathering the family on Christmas Eve with my family continued long after they passed on however it was never the same.  The early years at their house is one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Over the years, I've gathered some additional Christmas favorites that I would like to share. By no means is this a conclusive list. There are many favorites that just barely didn't make the list. I love the holidays. I love the build-up, entertaining friends, buying gifts and seeing smiles on faces. Hopefully we can share some holiday experiences together sometime.

Favorite Stop Motion Animated Characters - Heat Miser and Cold Miser and the toys from the Island of  Misfit Toys. Yukon Cornelius and the Bumble are right up there too.

Favorite Songs - Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen (that's the Philly boy coming out in me), I Believe in Father Christmas by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and The Holly and the Ivy by George Winston.

Favorite Traditional Song - Carol of the Bells (rarely have I heard a bad version, with some of my favorites being by the Transiberian Orchestra, George Winston and a funky version by the Pointer Sisters).

Worst Christmas Song - The Shoes. Thankfully I have an iPod so I don't have to hear this sappy piece of crap!

Favorite Food - I love all types of food which is becoming abundantly evident in recent years :). My favorite at the holiday season is cranberry sauced meatballs. Yum! I've made these at parties for years and now that Dave knows the recipe, we're bound to have them for many years to come!

Favorite Drink - This is a tough one. Baily's with coffee and Sam Adam's Cranberry Lambic are the first two that come to mind. If you know a place that I can get SA Cranberry Lambic, please let me know!

Scent - Mulberry and Home for the Holidays from Yankee Candle. I love the clean, fresh smell.

Short Film - South Park's The Spirt of Christmas...."Holy shit! It's Jesus!"

Movie - I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy and in recent years the top spot goes to The Family Stone. Close seconds go to Love Actually and since I'm a child of the 80's, Scrooged with Bill Murry.

Woofiest Christmas Character - Kris Kringle when the red beard comes in. Grrrr.

Favorite Gift to Receive - the company of friends over a good beer or wine.

Favorite Gift to Give - This is tough - no blanket answer. I try to search out the best gift for each individual person and this happens all year long. I always give my dedication and love to friends and family. It doesn't always show, but I try to be there for them whenever its needed.

Worst Gift to Receive - Gift cards. While they are appropriate in some cases, where has all of the creativity gone?!

and finally, my favorite way to spend the holidays is relaxing with friends and family. Good food. Good drink and good friends. 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Safe travels and take time to enjoy the company, the good food and the smiles on the little ones faces. Hopefully we can create some great Christmas memories for them for years to come.

Person of the Year 2008

Barrack Obama has been named Person of the Year for 2008 by Time Magazine.

"In one of the craziest elections in American history, he overcame a lack of experience, a funny name, two candidates who are political institutions and the racial divide to become the 44th President of the United States." See the complete Time Magazine coverage here.

Star Wars Friday Fun

Remembering

I worked in Washington DC during my last two summers in college. With that organization, came many perks that were fortunately bestowed upon me. Access to many embassies, lectures by prominent leaders at the various Departments, the White House and the Smithsonian. 

A sister program took me to NYC to delve into the functions of the financial world. Housed at NYU, I was frequently on the floor of the commodities exchange, watching the clanging of the bell at the NYSE and hearing lectures from prominent members of the financial world. It was here that I met my friend Mark Cambisios from Kidder Peabody. 

Mark was responsible for training stockbrokers. His former life as a high school math teacher lent itself to his ease in front of groups and gave him a quick understanding of finances. We became casual business acquaintances and loosely kept in touch after I returned to Villanova. 

After the stock market crash of October 1987 - Black Monday, I invited Mark down from New York to give a lecture on why it happened. As a resident assistant, part of my job, besides enforcing underage drinking in the dorm (boo!) was to provide some programs to students. He took the train back home after the lecture and a few drinks with me and a fellow RA who challenged him on various issues in society. Mark's responses were my first clues to more about him than just professionally.

Once I graduated from college, my summer employer offered me a full time position in Washington DC. Shortly thereafter, I got my own apartment on Capital Hill behind the Supreme Court building. I was alone in DC - and definitely lonely. My move was primarily to explore who I really was and to see what these "feelings" are that permeated my thoughts more frequently.

On a Sunday morning in the late fall, Mark gave me a call. He told me a few of his friends had finally convinced him to move from Astoria into Chelsea and that he found a five story walk-up. He sensed I needed to talk and I remember being perplexed when he told me that he knows what I wanted to talk about. Hmmm, a psychic amongst my friends?! Years later I would become familiar with the term 'gaydar'.

After telling Mark I had these "feelings", he reassured me that nothing was wrong and recommended a book entitled "Positively Gay" - one which I still have in my book collection. Over the next couple of years, Mark became an unknowing role model for me. He would tell me graphic details of his encounters and I would cringe at the thought. He called me prude and I embraced the term. We became better friends and he would occasionally come visit me in DC and repeatedly tell me that "DC is ok, but New York is the center of the f'ing Universe!" 

I met my first long-term boyfriend not much later and we planned a trip to NYC to see "Angels in America" on Broadway with Mark and his beau. The plays were incredible and we all had a fantastic time. Tony Kushner's work expanded my minimal knowledge of the AIDS crisis and other social and religious issues. I also got to spend time with Mark in person, which didn't happen too frequently. 

Mark got his annual happy birthday call from me in January 1994. The laughing and the bantering quickly came to a halt when he said he had something to tell me. Not until then had the AIDS crisis touched me. He assured me that he was in good health, was taking a mix of pills and never felt better.

We continued to to go to NYC to visit and stay with Mark. In the early summer of 1995, he showed some scars from KS lesions that had been removed. My other half at the time was inquisitive as I shyed away and went into the other room. It was hard for me to deal with. Mark was physically a big strong man and incredibly understanding and supportive of me as I took my first steps out of the closet. It was hard seeing this come full circle.

In January of 1996, I spent a couple weeks in Hawaii for work. My bf was now my ex and I was living temporarily in a friend's condo while waiting to make settlement on my first house. The weeks in paradise were amazing and I returned from the long flight to my little condo delighted and exhausted.

Rifling thru the mail that had accumulated, I came across a small envelope hand addressed to me with a return address of Cambisios in Richmond VA. My first thought was that Mark moved down with his parents - or sent me a Christmas card from his visit with them. Tearing it open, I found that it was neither. The note, from Mark's parents, let me know that Mark had passed away over the holidays - and that he loved and valued his friends. 

Even as I write this, I'm getting choked up. Back then, I totally lost it. Mark was an amazing man - outspoken, brilliant, handsome and not shy from engaging in controversy. Professionally he was climbing higher and personally, he was helping me along and making me laugh at the silliness of it all. 

Mark was the first person that I've ever known that contracted and died of AIDS. Since then I have known more. I think of Mark often - when I watch "Angels in America", when I trash talk like he so frequently did and on World Aids Day. I pour a little of my cosmo on the earth - Here's to you, Mark Cambisios. I wish you were here to share this drink.

Jeers and Cheers

So its Tuesday...the start of my weekend. Since there is always so much to comment on, this is a  quick and dirty week in review.

US Conference of Catholic Bishops Jeer For their less than welcoming statement to the new administration and the warmth coming from Bishop Joseph Martino of  the Popa Nostra in Scranton, PA  "I cannot have the vice president coming to Scranton and saying he learned his values there when those values are utterly against those of the Catholic Church," Martino said. How did I ever get thru Villanova?

Joe the Plumber Jeer Still unemployed and unlicensed, he decides to start a website to sell his upcoming book and to “stop the government and banks from taking peoples' homes away.” Oh, and its $14.95, but you do get free shipping on all “Shop Joe” merchandise!!

Marriage Equality Rallies Cheer Incredible! Rallies in more than 300 cities around the US for equal marriage. And even in Boston, MA where marriage exists to show support.

Andrew Sullivan Cheer For asking the tough questions.

Reactions to the H8 Jeers and Cheers I agree – its time to act up and fight back. Work the legal system, work the legislative system…riot and yell and YELL LOUDER, but don’t touch, hit or break things.

Boycotting Supporters of Prop 8

I cannot say it any better than Jim at Jockohomo. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is crying foul as they now somehow feel singled out by the GLBT community protesting the passage of Proposition 8. In a statement released by LDS; “It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election…it is wrong to target the Church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process.”

 It’s very nearly laughable that LDS and it’s members are now shocked and dismayed by the GLBT backlash, even though Mormons led a distinct grass roots effort to pass Prop 8. To this date regarding contributions, of those, 3,365 (51%) have been identified as Mormon/likely Mormon. These donations represent $15,305,050.17, or 48% of all donations including political contributions from all fifty states and more than twenty foreign countries. It is a fact that LDS chapels across the country had special donation forms in every foyer of their chapels, and individual were encouraged to use the donation forms so that wards and stakes would “get credit for” specific goals and assessments.    Continue reading the whole posting here. 

Keith Olbermann on Proposition 8

"To me this vote is horrible. Horrible" Very moving.

No Limitations

So, no one knows more than Dave...and my friends John and Brian, how much I hate...really hate, watching gory slasher movies. I don't mind reading the plot summary and the graphic details...I just don't want to see it. Knowing this, they remind me with occasional forays into scenes from the movie Hostel. Book me a Hyatt, please!

I think most people that are close to me also know that I am a big softy and will well up at the drop of a hat. It sucks. When the family finally sees their new home on Extreme Home Makeover, during various romantic comedies on those cold winter afternoons and when people with a heart bigger than most take the time and energy to give back. Turn on the waterworks.

It should be no surprise then that last night - and my eyes are welling up as I write this - the anxiety of the election turned into often surprising results. As results from Virginia, our former home state, were coming in, our anxiety increased. We poured over the returns county by county with Dave knowing most since he's a native. Red, red, red...but with some large blue counties not counted yet. And a judge earlier that day allowed the absentee votes to be counted up until November 14 - these would be mainly McCain supporters in the military. Optimism began to wane and I went in the other room to watch the Daily Show election night coverage.

A little while later, Dave woke me up all excited. They called Virginia for Obama! They called Virgina for Obama! I jumped out of bed and ran to CNN.com to check out the details. Sure enough...damn! Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virgina...I did the math adding in the west coast. There was no way McCain could win unless he was perfect in the remaining states. The way he sulked around on that stage during the debates....he's no Nadia Comaneci! Slim chance.

Then came the big announcement. Obama won. As Joe Biden would say, "Let me repeat that" Obama won! We were watching CNN and they made the call. I leaned over and gave Dave a kiss on the side of his head and he rubbed my shoulder. Without a word, we both knew that we were witnessing an incredibly historic event and stared at the TV thru clouded eyes.

The details started rolling in. Obama had 90,000 people at his November 3 rally in Manassas Virgina...where we used to live. Grant Park is expecting hundreds of thousands of people - even up to a million in the surrounding area. A spontaneous celebration of 15,000 in DC celebrating around the White House and up on U Street. People around the world celebrating and congratulating the U.S.- and being shown on TV like when they celebrated the Millenium turning from 1999 to 2000.

More importantly, was voter turnout. A whopping 64% of eligible voters turned out - the highest turnout since 1908...ONE HUNDRED YEARS! Almost 137 million people went to the polls according to the estimate from turnout guru Dr. Michael McDonald at George Mason University. Additionally younger voters turned out in droves! This generation that many viewed as apathetic - moved by Obama, war, the economy and the destruction of the environment. It just took the right motivation to awaken that sleeping giant.

The United States elected its first black President. Only 45 years ago in August 1963, Martin Luther King gave his stirring "I have a dream..." speech when civil rights were being pushed and at the beginning of a volatile time in our country's history - Rosa Parks in 1955, Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a ridiculous Loving vs Virgina in 1967 - all focused on expanding civil rights regardless of race.

This was a time when parents would tell their children when they grow up, they can be anything they want...astronaut, teacher, cowboy, nurse, even President of the United States. I'm sure some parents believed their own words and I'm sure some didn't. How could they believe? They were drinking from separate water fountains, getting bussed to different schools and told they couldn't live here or there or work here or there.

The world woke up this morning with a new hope. Regardless of how you voted in yesterday's election, things are different now. Things have changed. So tonight before you go to bed, kiss your child on the forehead and tell them that now you know for sure. They CAN be anything they want. There are no limitations.

Make Time to Vote

Don't take the polls for granted. You still need to get out and vote. get out of bed...get off the sofa...turn off the TV...go in late to work...work it into a Starbucks/DD run...walk the dog...take the kids...honk your horn...wear your sticker...take off your Ipod...read the amendments...understand what they say...NO on 8.

Ummmm...sure

VOTE!

Between Consenting Adults?

U.S. Representative Benjamin Sinclair (R-Ohio) has a plan to reduce ocular penetration levels in America by 5 to 7%. - The Ocular Penetration Act of 2007.

Get Angrier!

- from Aaron Sorkin and Maureen Dowd
GET ANGRIER! Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist? And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now. Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it. McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too? I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one. And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained. There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for!

My Week

1. Some lady with some yappy little dog yelled at me this morning because my dogs wandered within 20 yards of hers, on the open beach, thus disallowing her dog to do his "business". I told her that if her dog attacks other dogs, then she needs to find another place to let her dog shit since the beach is open and free space for dogs to run. Then I made sure she had a plastic bag since I don't want that mess on my beach.
2. Larry Craig gave his farewell speech on the Senate floor the other day...finally. Apparently the the chamber was just about empty. What a disgrace he is to the institution, his state and to the country, although it did make for some entertaining videos!
3. Joe Biden hands down beat Sarah Six-Pack in the debate the other evening. Does she ever answer a fucking question that's asked of her?! In addition, I am "oh so happy" that she'll tolerate me. She's scary...and a bitch. *wink* The game was fun though!
4. This smell was coming from my foyer this past weekend. After thinking someone tracked in some 'debris' on their shoes, I did some investigating and discovered that some people are just pure trash. In a glass vase by the front door, someone had apparently yakked. Disgusting.

The sun is shining and its a beautiful day :)

My Little Friend

Morning after morning at 6am, I would put the leads on the dogs getting them ready to go on their beach run. And morning after morning, I would search for Jeb's Chuck-it - if you have a dog, you know what that is. The Chuck-it was never on the top rail of the wooden fence under the grape arbor where I left it the day before. So each morning, I would pick the Chuck-it up off the ground and march off to the beach. Last night, Kiana, my female husky was sitting quietly on the patio staring up at the grape arbor, ears perked and head cocked. After taking a few steps back to get the same view, I noticed that two little eyes were staring back at Kiana...and now glaring at me. He comes back every night to eat the grapes on my arbor - Concord grapes that is. I just hope he's getting enough of all four food groups.

Brilliant

Click the truck of fail in the post below this for an additional SNL opening.

It was fun while it lasted.

Sarah Palin is clearly out of her league. I don't even know why I'm blogging about it. Now its being recognized by those in her own party. National Review's Kathleen Parker writes that "Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion." Hmmmm. One of the most humorous remarks by Parker is "If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself." Online, for the conservative magazine, Parker goes on to say that Palin should bow out - drop from the ticket. "Do it for your country." Parker concludes. Yes, it was fun while it lasted, but its time do it for all of us.

Sister Betty and Burqa Boy!

Sister Betty and Burqa Boy have left Provincetown for their 2008 Great American Roadtrip! They are traveling 10,000 miles and touring 48 states in 100 days - in a Smart car! Follow their adventures at www.sisterbetty.org. Suggest places to stay, give them travel tips, look at pics of sometimes beautiful, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes sublime people and places - and you can win some great prizes! Send them some well wishes from wherever you are in the world...and enjoy the trip with them!

DC

When I was in the sixth grade, my class took a field trip to Washington, DC...our Nation's Capital. I'll never forget running around on the Smithsonian Mall with my classmates, taking pictures with the Capitol or the Washington Monument in the background.

Years later, I landed an awesome summer job working in DC while in between my sophomore and junior years in college. Looking back, I should have appreciated the job and all it had to offer even more. I visited embassy after embassy...afternoon tea at the British embassy, weapons briefings at the Israeli embassy, cultural exhibitions at the German, Brazilian, Chinese, Saudi Arabian and numerous others. There were White House south lawn speeches for visiting dignitaries and briefings at the State Department, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, the OEOB and the World Bank. There were times I sat in the chair of the Speaker of the House, ate in the Senate dining room - where Jess Helms once commented that we both must go to the same barber. Ha. Obviously just not the same school of thought. Still the most fun was visiting the Smithsonian again, week after week, with an enthusiasm for the culture that didn't exist when I was in sixth grade. Although on nice spring days, I would find some shade under a tree on the Mall, put my backpack under my head and recline without a care in the world. Of course, watching the hot men jog their lunch hour away wasn't too bad either.

Little did I know that after graduating from college, I would spend the next 16 years in Washington. Living first between DC and NYC at Marymount University and NYU, then on Capitol Hill, then Alexandria, and finally Fairfax after a short stint in Manassas. As time wore on, I did tourist things less and less.

Last week, after being out of DC for just over two years, I had the opportunity to go back. There were lots of cars, tall buildings, people and concrete for days - all things that I'm not used to now living in this small seaside village. The work with the client wasn't all that exciting but my new perspective on the city was.

The food, from anywhere in the world, is really something that was appreciated when living there...even moreso with the lack of good ethnic food diversity in Provincetown. I ate Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, BBQ, some good home-cooked salmon (Thanks Barge and Yurek!) and not once did my feet take me to a Starbucks or Caribu Coffee - it killed me, but it didn't happen!

After landing at National Airport - no thanks Bob Barr, I will not refer to it as Reagan National - my taxi took me up the George Washington Parkway and past the Pentagon where the newly dedicated monument to the victims of the Pentagon attack on 9/11/01. Moving. Then we passed the Air Force monument - wow, very very cool!

And so the week continued...viewing Washington DC thru a new lens - the fresh, new perspective of an outsider...and I liked it. Being back there, albeit for a limited time, the city was fresh and clean, growing and vibrant but most of all, DC is a very beautiful city. Proud monuments, statuesque buildings, rolling fields along the Potomac, traffic jams and some genuinely nice people...I miss it.

Winston...and beer

So, my little pup Winston will be 15 years old come March 2009. That's an eternity in dog...or gay years! He's been with me since he was 8 weeks and 2 days old. Full of piss and vinegar in his younger days, he's mellowed out quite a bit in recent years, although he still likes to wrestle his brother Jeb on the beach some mornings.

Anyway, just since moving up here, Winston has started to freak out when there are loud noises like fireworks or thunderstorms. And I mean FREAK OUT. On July 4th, he pawed open a gate that he never used for two years and ran a good mile away. During thunderstorms, he paces and pants and paws at my leg (or nearest available body part) with the wide-eyed look of horror.

So, a couple weeks ago, during one of the late afternoon thunderstorms passing over the Cape, I was trying to work and once again, the boy was Cr@zY! I turned around from the desk to try and calm him (or maybe to tell him to "relax!") and what to my wandering eyes should appear... but a bottle of Sam Adams Summer Ale. I thought, well, it works for me...Let's give it a shot! After pouring the boy a bowl of the brewski, complete with a big head of suds, he dove right into it like Dad would on a hot summer afternoon at Tea Dance. The beer seemed to relax him a bit. He became less edgy, less hyper and had a mellower look in his eyes - something I learned a long time ago has the same effect on me!

I don't know how much longer the kid will be with me. He's slowing. He's grayed out. His once astounding singing voice coming less frequently and a little more gravelly. But I do know that he likes beer - and it apparently helps him relax. Our time together is surely limited so my spoiled kid will get beer...or anything he wants. Now, if I could only teach him to open the fridge and get Dad another hooch!

Shake the Veep!

Bill Pfeiffer, hot bear and full of talent, sampled Sarah Palin to good use. Sorry if you don't like this photo Bill, but you're handsome in any photo! Download and take a listen! Very nice.

Come on down!!

I don't even know what to say about this but I did laugh my ass off!

Banksy Does New Orleans

Banksy, the British street artist whose works pop up at random and all over the place, has done a series in New Orleans to commemorate the aftermath of Katrina. Banky's works usually comment on politics, culture and current events. Some picture Fred Radtke, the "Grey Ghost" - the New Orleans anti-graffiti crusader known for his practice of covering over graffiti with gray paint. See more of the New Orleans work here or search Banksy on Flickr for more outstanding works. (Thanks to Jockohomo for this info!)
The artist has posted pics of his works, including commentary here.

McSame

I think he's going to make an intensely political choice, not a governing choice," Rove said. "He's going to view this through the prism of a candidate, not through the prism of president; that is to say, he's going to pick somebody that he thinks will on the margin help him in a state like Indiana or Missouri or Virginia. He's not going to be thinking big and broad about the responsibilities of president.

-Karl Rove on Obama's potential running mate choice, Tim Kaine, Gov. of VA. He continued...

With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years. I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I'm really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States? What I'm concerned about is, can he bring me the electoral votes of the state of Virginia, the 13 electoral votes in Virginia?'

Oh, and Palin has been governor for two years and I'm sure Wasilla is just a teensy weeny bit down the line smaller than 105. How can these people take her seriously when their top strategist dismissed her months ago?!

The Death of the Paperboy

Congrats to Rich Morel on another great CD release! "The Death of the Paperboy" officially came out yesterday to rave reviews. Check it out - its an awesome CD!

In addition, we're excited that Rich Morel and Bob Mould will be returning to Provincetown to spin another BLOWOFF party on Halloween night!

Carnival!!

Carnival is here! The theme for 2008 is Wild Wild West! Carnival is one of the best weeks in Provincetown. There are a variety of events, costumes, and hot men all week long. And the crowd is very diverse - a fun mix of bear, muscle, women, twink and average joes...and in this case...Calamity Janes! Click thru the pic for more - and check back - I'll keep adding some!

Slow News Day

This is an old MAD TV skit but one of my all time favorites!

OMG

This is too funny. Paris refuses to be used and makes McCain look like a tool. See ya at the inaugural ball, bitches!

Blowoff

We went to the first Blowoff in Ptown last night. It was fantastic! The music was great, the crowd was hot and there was good energy around the whole thing. I'm really glad the Boatslip took the initiative to bring in some new life to the week. Kudos to Brad and Terry! Thanks to Bob Mould and Rich Morel and Nick LaPata for making it happen. If you haven't been to a Blowoff, make sure you get to one soon!

Bears

Just about all of the Independence Day partying crowd has departed town by now. Yesterday afternoon, Dave took down all of the July 4th decorations ranging from the "Don't Tread on Me" flag to the "Spirit of '76" flag to big US flag made of lights hanging over the back patio. Yes, I know, I still have a bit of that Philly trailer trash in me!

So, no sooner did the Americana come down and up went the bear flags! One of our regular guests in the off-season, a handsome cub in his own right, became very excited thinking that bear week has begun. Upon finding out that we're still a few days from the start of the fur fest and that Dave's anticipation for the bears led him to put up the flags early, he sighed sadly and vowed to make plans to join us in 2009.

Town is already starting to get a fair share of guys ready to celebrate bear week. In our short time living here, we've come to enjoy the friends we have made...as well as the eye candy! Shirtless men show off bodies, bellies and fur as as badge of honor. The five handsome musclebears that rented the house next to us this past week certainly did nothing to calm us! Not only were they handsome, they were also very kind, nice people with whom we enjoyed socializing all week. btw, Happy Birthday Michael!

Anyway, there is a lot of excitement about next week. I've been getting a barrage of emails, calls and IMs asking about this event or that event, what they should wear...hello?!, if there is a naked Tea....ummm, no, but I'll gladly hold auditions! Fortunately, some good friends are renting the house next door for the week and ANT will be here to once again hold court on the back patio during breakfast. To me, the week is something of a homecoming. I get to spend some time with many old friends and hopefully make some new ones. I also get to meet some of the really nice men that I've been chatting with online...JAY!, Chip, Harry, etc. Maybe I'll even get to see Michael after all these years, if he packs that computer monitor and the mood strikes him for a drive! The laughing, the camaraderie, the sights and the fun...I can't wait!

Summer

So today is the first day that I've been able to sleep in until 7:30am since our cruise this winter - and except for maybe a hangover during bear week last summer! Usually its up by 5:30-6:00am to take the dogs to the beach...rain, sleet, snow or sun...the kids get their run on the beach! They expect it. They demand it!

Yesterday was Dave's first day off from school for the summer. Yes, he's off from school but now he's helping to run the business this summer. I have to say that its really nice being able to be side by side with your partner, taking on the challenges and excitement of the day. It is also a great help with the work load during the day. Now I don't have to climb down the ladder from painting every time someone has an availability question...Dave can answer it! :)

It took us a couple seasons to get into the swing of what things he likes and is good at and what responsibilities I like and/or am good at. Except for some minor hiccups once in awhile, we seem to be moving pretty smoothly ahead as we enter this season. The first season was awful as each of us pissed all over to mark our territory, carving out those responsibilities that we liked and wanted to do. Whew! The faster we both realized we're trying to move forward in the same direction, the better our relationship is! btw, after cup number one of coffee, everything is smooth sailing.

So, even though we still differ on how to decorate a room, where our advertising dollars are spent or how many days a week to have chocolate chip muffins (I vote for every day!), its nice being together. Now if only I can make enough money to hire help to do everything! Then I can socialize all day!

Daddy

So when I got my head shaved the other day for the first time, a friend at the barbershop said I was escalating my "daddy factor". I think "daddy" in this case is more a state of mind and attitude then age.

My own Dad took off when I was five, moved away and called me when I was 21. "Hello Jim, this is your Father" is the first phone call. I spent a year getting to know him...and his new wife and many girlfriends. While I started drinking coffee in the mornings in those days, his drink of choice was Budweiser. I soon realized that things were not going to work out...and we broke up. As with some of the men (and women) I dated in the past, it just wasn't a good fit. He died a few years ago...unceremoniously, from liver problems.

There are a lot of great Fathers...and Daddys - younger and older, those that care and nurture. Good men. They should be honored on Father's Day...and every day.

Alpha

So, I'm guessing that at 44, the last thing I need to be doing is starting a blog. I've always kept a journal - since 1984 or so, which I suppose if its ever found, could be held as evidence against me. Yes, I did inhale!
Anyway, I did it back in the day to get things off my mind - and off my chest. I'm going to continue now for the same reason. So get ready...and welcome to jimpossible!