Love Bleeds

Well here we are at the end of NaBloPoMo. I hope that you've enjoyed reading my month of posts as much as I've enjoyed writing them. Can you sense the sarcasm in that last sentence? If not, then let me tell you directly, I was being sarcastic.

I DO hope you have enjoyed reading my blog over the month of November BUT I have NOT enjoyed the constant blogging. Please don't get me wrong, I do want to continue to blog on a more regular basis but everyday blogging is not for me. As I said in a previous post I don't always have something to write about and when I do I'm often traveling for work and don't have my computer or am too tired to blog.

I give professional bloggers lots of credit for all the blogging they do and enjoy reading a variety of them. Will I participate in next years' NaBloPoMo? Probably. If for no other reason than even though I complain about blogging when it's over there is a small sense of accomplishment one feels when the month is over.

Happy December everyone!

Jump For Joy

Although I'm a fan of quite a few current TV shows such as Modern Family, Cougar Town, and The Amazing Race I've always been a fan of sitcoms from my childhood.

As a gay man I naturally can quote almost every line from The Golden Girls. I could sit and watch every episode in a row from season one through season seven. What was so special about this show I don't know but it makes me laugh to this day. Each of the actresses has a special place in my heart and I know they'll always be there in reruns to make me laugh.

I grew up watching Roseanne with my parents. For them I think it was being able to relate to the trials and tribulations of the Connor family. Many people can not stand to hear that unique laugh that Roseanne has but it always made me laugh. There was something very real about the show and almost every episode was something that an average middle-class family like mine could relate to.

The Nanny is another favorite of mine. Again, like Roseanne, Fran Drescher has a particularly irritating quality...her voice. It never bothered me and I still enjoy curling up on the couch when A is gone (he can't stand the show) and watch her character chase after Mr. Sheffield while teaching his children some valuable life lessons.

What can I say about the four women from Atlanta? Designing Women was also a favorite of mine if for no other reason than I loved to watch Julia Sugarbaker get fired up on almost every episode over some cause or another. Throw in the lone black man, Anthony and you've got a great cast. Who doesn't remember Bernice and her random outbursts of "black man, black man" whenever Anthony walked into the room?

Classic TV may be just that, classic but it still is a part of my life and will be for many years to come.

They're All I Can See

As promised in a previous post here is my review of the Jonathon Franzen book "Freedom."

The Berglund family is dysfunction at it's finest. The book tells the story of both the mother (Patty) and father (Walter) from childhood through middle age. It intertwines their parents, siblings, college friends, children, neighbors, and co-workers. Unlike his previous book, I found this one gripping. There were times I couldn't put it down. Often I wanted to scream at one or more of the characters but as I read more and more I also found myself empathizing with some of them. The authors' style of writing can be a little difficult for me to handle at times but he has a way of portraying each character so that you feel a wide range of emotions toward them throughout the story. 

I highly recommend this book.

Holly

I have to be honest, I'm ready for NaBloPoMo to be over. Between the holidays and travel for work it's often hard for me to have a blog for everyday. So, here is today's blog. I'm going to rest up for the last few days of November so I can amaze you with a few good posts.

Heating & Cooling

After a great Thanksgiving in Ohio with my family we flew home first thing this morning to get our home ready for Thanksgiving with A's family. We'll be hosting his mom & dad, sisters, niece & nephew, and his Grandpa. The past two years we've been able to merge both of our families but due to schedules this year it didn't work out. So, as we sit down to dinner this afternoon I'll wish that my mom was with us like she has been in the past but I'll be glad that we were able to spend yesterday with her.

Here's to yet another turkey, this time with the Hahn clan!

Turkey & All The Fixins'

Gobble Gobble. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

pic courtesy of them

Rebuilding

As Thanksgiving approaches I'm thankful for many things.

My family and wonderful husband
A roof over my head
A stable job (even though sometimes the people I encounter are anything but stable)
Great friends who are always there for me and make me laugh
The color blue
Arcade Fire, Kylie Minogue, and Rhianna
Music in general
Doritos (both Nacho Cheese & Cool Ranch)
Vegetable Pizza
Sleep

What are you thankful for?

Angry Birds

Shortly after we bought our condo Adam started mentioning that we should get a cleaning service to come in once or twice a month. I always replied that there was no need since we are able to clean ourselves. Once we got Emerson and all the hair that came along with a cat it was even harder to keep out condo clean but still I was not open to getting a maid.

When our little guy passed away I quickly discovered that there wasn't as much dust and of course cat hair. Cleaning became a little easier and our home didn't look dirty the day after cleaning as it had come to when we had Em. It was a month of cleanliness. Now that we've gotten two kitties, Lucy & Ali, I've once again discovered that there is hair and dust everywhere and it takes hours to get it all cleaned. After today's marathon cleaning session I'm thinking I may be willing to reopen the cleaning service discussion with Adam in the new year...but don't get your hopes up too much babe.

The Rainbow

This has always been a favorite song of mine for many reasons. It's always uplifting to hear and I take something new away every time I hear it.

Down Down Down

When my aunt got married in 2001 she started spending Thanksgiving with her in-laws. Still wanting to celebrate with her side of the family she has held Thanksgiving Sunday ever since.  It's always the Sunday before turkey day and it's usually just her and her husband, my grandma & grandpa, a few cousins, my mom, and sometimes A and I.  So today, I'm making the quick trip to Cleveland by myself as A has to work. I'm sure he'd rather be eating turkey and listening to my grandma and her witty remarks than flying but he'll be there with us in spirit.

Now bring on the turkey!

Bump

My friend Duane was in town this weekend visiting his brother and he carved out a little time for me today. It was great seeing him as he's all the way in Seattle and even though I travel for a living I don't get out that way often. Having him in Chicago was a plus as he's a huge fan of the city and always loves wandering around and discovering new neighborhoods. We had a couple Bloody Mary's at brunch and then walked around while I did a little Christmas shopping.

After showing him our condo we headed over to Lincoln Square and walked up and down Lincoln Avenue and stopped into a couple bars for a few more libations. It was great catching up with him and having him in my city.

On The Radio

Well it's official, I've failed at NaBloPoMo. While going back through my recent posts I realized that I missed a post yesterday, the 19th. I thought I had set one up but alas I did not. So forgive me the five or six of you that follow my blog. I'm going to finish the rest of the month strong.

Is it sad that I feel a little upset over this omittance?

Say E

Here's an update to my nasal issues because I know you all have been waiting with baited breathe. After viewing the inside of my nose through a telescope that was shoved half way to my brain I learned that I have 1) a deviated septum and 2) abnormally large turbiniates. Both of these conditions prohibit a free flow of air through my nasal passages. I've got another appointment scheduled for December to get a CT scan and to see how the nasal spray that was prescribed to me is working. So, here's to a month of a daily nasal spray and hopefully some easier breathing.

More to follow...

I'm Stunned

Many of you may have heard of Susan Boyle. If not, she is the woman who auditioned for the British TV show Britain's Got Talent singing "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables. At first everyone had their doubts about a middle-aged woman wanting to be the next big music star but once she sang the first note everyone in the audience was stunned, including Simon Cowell. Whenever I want a little pick-me-up I watch the original clip of the audition. So I thought I'd share it with you.

I'll Show You What I'm Made Of

And this, is how Sue sees it.

Autumn

A few days ago one of my co-workers and I were discussing how her husbands' biological clock is going off and she wants to wait another couple of years until they have their first child. She asked if A and I wanted kids. I told her the standard answer I give everyone..."we don't want kids. we have a niece and nephew we spoil. we like to travel." Besides, neither of us has the necessary equipment to have a child and it's VERY expensive to do surrogacy and adoption. I thought that was the end of the discussion.

A day later we came across a lady with a newborn. He was so cute at two and a half months. No crying, fussing, or the usual chaos that comes with newborns in our line of work. For the entire three hours we spent with this lady and her baby he was a perfect angel. I know that this was probably just a fluke, that he's usually not as docile but it brought up the baby talk again between my co-worker and I and I made the comment that seeing the little baby got my biological clock ringing every so quietly. Would I like a little bundle of joy of my own?

One a side note, I may have to pick A up off the floor when he reads this post.

I Hope That You Like This

A couple of days ago I blogged about how I was thrilled that the mid-term elections were over with. Never ending news stories, political ads on TV and radio, and even phone calls from President Obama himself were driving me crazy. Towards the end I finally stopped reading the newspaper and muted the TV when a commercial came on.  Turning on the TV on November 3rd, I was a very happy man.

So imagine my displeasure when I type CNN.com into my browser window the other morning only to see one of the top stories is already about the 2012 Presidential elections. The article was about a recent popularity poll of the top thought to run Republican candidates and President Obama. Seriously? Damn you CNN!!!

I've Got Nothing But Love For You

I think winter is finally upon us. I walked to Trader Joe's this evening and needed my hooded sweatshirt with a coat over it, a hat, and gloves. By the time I reached the store none of the above mentioned articles of clothing were doing anything to keep me warm.

Now bring on the snow, sleet, and ice...just once.

This Is A Travesty

A few years ago I was browsing a book store and came across what I thought looked to be a good book by an author named Jonathon Franzen. The book was called "The Corrections." From the moment I started reading I hated this book. About 100 pages into it I put it down vowing to never read it again.

A few months later a friend of mine was talking about reading the same book and having the same issues I did with it. We made a pact to start from the beginning and get through it together. She lasted two or three chapters while I managed to finish the damn thing. When I read the last page I vowed to never read another one of his books again...until now.

I recently picked up his new book "Freedom." Maybe it was because I wanted a challenge or maybe I'm just crazy but I thought I'd give Mr. Franzen another chance. I'm about a quarter of the way through and I can't put it down. Every page is better than the next. So, look for a short review when I do finish "Freedom."

A Scene

We all have a best friend, right? When I was single mine was my friend J. He and I did everything together. We shared a lot of the same likes and dislikes. One of our particular likes was to wander around Chicago neighborhoods all day.

Then I met Adam. My friendship with J deteriorated rapidly because I started spending all my time with Adam. Adam was the first guy I didn't try to push away...in fact I couldn't get enough of him. This meant less time for J...and he didn't like this. Needless to say our friendship continued to go downhill until one day it was non-existent. I spent a lot of time after this reflecting on what had happened and coming to the conclusion that while J had acted badly I certainly wasn't innocent either.

Over the past five years J and I have run into each other at work and out and about in Chicago. We were cordial to each other but it was still awkward, at least for me. Earlier this month I was surprised to see that J and I were working together. At first I was apprehensive but thought it would be good for us to spend time together. We spent our down time in Boston wandering neighborhoods. We shopped and had dinner and drinks. It was as if things had never soured between us. At the end of the day I thought to myself "this was such a nice day."

Where our friendship will go from here I have no idea but it's nice to know the old wounds have healed, at least on my part.

That Sounds Like Stuarts' Laugh

If you ask anyone who knows me to name one thing about me they'll probably say I'm obsessed with travel. It's always been this way for me. As a kid I couldn't wait for our family vacations. Now that I'm an adult I'm no better. There is something about seeing new places and learning of past cultures that I can't get enough of. At the end of our last vacation we decided that although we love to explore the world we need to start seeing more of America. So here's to seeing more of our country. From Bar Harbor, Maine to The Museum of Flight near Seattle there's so much to see.

Four Minutes

After years of sinus migraines and only one working nostril at a time I finally made an appointment with an ENT. It's time to get to the bottom of all of this. Stay tuned after the 18th for an update!

Sorry for the short post...I'm on the road without my laptop. Happy Tuesday!

You're Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

When I was a kid my dad would load us up in the car and take a "drive" as he liked to call it. Usually it would entail us driving around on dirt roads just looking at other houses while my brother and I sat in the back seat staring out the window wondering when it would end. If my dad was feeling particularly funny that day he'd honk the horn and wave out the window when he saw someone working in their yard, getting their mail, or waiting to pull out of their driveway. Without fail my brother or I would ask him who that was and we were almost always met with the standard "beats the hell out of me" response. Both my brother and I would then sink down in our seats in utter embarrassment.

As a teenager my best friend Kris & I would drive around for hours on end listening to music and talking about nothing and everything. We were on one of our drives when I came out to her. On another late night drive she confided to me that she was in love with the delivery man at the Starbucks she worked at.

Now as an adult I don't love long "drives" anymore. A and I do the Midwest Tour every Christmas to spend time with my mom and his mom because it's nearly impossible to fly to my mom, then to his mom, and finally back home due to schedules and availability. This year we threw out the idea of doing our Midwest Tour for Thanksgiving as well as Christmas and we both came to the quick conclusion that such a drive twice in nearly a month is out of the question. It's just too much time in the car.

Perhaps the ease of childhood allows a child to ride around in the back of a car for hours but the stress of adulthood makes one nauseated at the mere thought of it.

In or Out

As I come to the end of great weekend here are 5 things I've learned in just the past two days.

1) One of my "dear" friends is fantastic at keeping a secret. If there's ever anything you need to tell someone but don't want another living soul to know...they're the person. WOW.

2) I'm not a fan of a cheeseburger without a bun on top and bottom of it. Something is just off.

3) Another friend of mine turns back into teenager when they're drunk. Think screaming while New Kids On The Block came on the radio. It was fun to watch her relive her younger years for a bit.

4) I need some type of light in a bedroom at night. It can be artificial (nightlight) or semi-natural (city light) but trying to find your way out to pee at 3am isn't an easy thing to do in the dark.

5) My new converse sneakers are cute and all but NOT the shoes to wear to a 10am tailgate in 30 degree weather. My poor toes!

NOTE: THIS POST WAS EDITED BY THE AUTHOR TO MAKE SOME SENTENCES LESS ACCUSATORY.

Get Outta My Way

I'm obsessed with this song right now. It's a little unhealthy.

Piano Man

Did you know that Prince Charles and Prince William are not allowed to fly on the same plane together?

Enjoy your Friday everyone!

A Landslide

My job provides me with a lot of time in airports. Sometimes this can be bad and other times it can be entertaining. From the security line to the boarding door I’ve seen people have melt downs of epic proportions, angry tirades that have resulted in an arrest, and even a knock down drag out fist fight. I’ve also seen a marriage proposal, a reunion of a returning soldier and his family, and the faces of children with special needs heading off to Disney.

This career really is a study in people. In the airport and on the plane I interact with a wide range of people everyday. There’s just something about an airport that makes some people lose all common sense. Often times I want to ask some of these people “How have you made it through life?” It seems as if it’s impossible that they could have ever lived to be an adult without a tragic accident due to their lack of common sense. All I can do is sit back and laugh in amazement and feel glad that I only have to be with them for a short time. I have no idea what I’d do if I had to interact with them on a daily basis.

New Message

It's November 3rd and I couldn't be happier. I'm so glad this election cycle is over. Regardless of who won  I'm thrilled that the robo-calls, TV ads, and yard signs will now go away. As I've said over and over again it does not matter who you vote for, our elected officials only work for Lobbyists. The only reason I vote is because unlike being able to marry the person I love, I can.

I've Got The Adavan

I'm a daydreamer. Not in the sense that I sit and think of frolicking in the countryside. More that I can just get lost in a random thought about anything. A wall, picture, or sometimes nothing at all. Adam likes to call it oblivious. He can talk to me and I'll look right at him but I'm not listening to a word he's saying. It's not that I am not interested in what he's saying, it's that I've been lost in thought in the middle of thinking about something else. This aggrivates him to no end and has caused a couple of fights between us but  I'm still of the opinion that while I may zone out once in a while, should I also sit patiently and wait for him to talk so that there is nothing in my mind and I can give him my full attention? He'll probably tell you the answer to this question is yes.

It's not always been this way. As I get older I get lost in my head. At work if I have time to just sit and do nothing I often find myself staring at something for minutes on end thinking of random things. I call it "stuck." It's during this time that I find myself most calm and come out of being "stuck" rather relaxed. It's like yoga for the mind and even though it's annoying to some, I enjoy my "stuck" time.

We Used To Wait For It

One of my favorite cities to have a layover in is Philadelphia. As with any big city there are numerous neighborhoods to discover, restaurants to try, and bars to grab a drink in. Each time I'm here I try to go to a new place whether it's a neighborhood, store, or cafe.

On one of my layovers last Spring I took the suburban train to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood and wandered up and down the streets. I also attempted to find the entrance to the Morris Arboretum but only succeeded in walking around the perimeter fence for an hour with no luck. How hard could it be to find the entrance to a park that's square? Apparently for me, quite. It didn't matter though because I had a great day and it was here in Chestnut Hill that I tried my first (and last...too much cheese) Philly Cheesesteak.

This morning I got up early and headed out to grab a quick breakfast and coffee. The crisp fall air that hit me the second I walked out of the hotel was a reminder that winter is coming quickly. Luckily I had brought my beanie and heavier coat. I stopped at Cosi and opted for a hot apple cider instead of coffee since fall was soon to be over and I hadn't yet had a hot cider...well, at least the non-alcoholic kind. I walked down Walnut & Chestnut Streets and found myself on Independence Mall, home to the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall. I sat on a bench in the sun and just watched the people walk around me. Seeing as this is one of the places that Adam & I want to visit I didn't go into either of them. I look forward to exploring these places one day soon.

On the way back to the hotel I walked down Market Street and through City Hall and discovered that you can take a guided tour of it. Hmm. That may be on the agenda for next time.

I was almost back to the hotel when I was accosted by a homeless man who wanted money and was very angry that I didn't give him any. Ah, the joys of city life. If you ever get the chance to visit this great city do. There is so much for everyone to see and do than just the few things I've talked about. They have great museums, shopping, theatre, and nightlife.