I Don't Want To Talk Anymore

As 2010 comes to a close I thought I'd wrap up the year in a blog but instead of doing a month by month recap I'm just going to sum it up in a few sentences.

The Jewel of the Seas took me to Panama, a Boeing 777-200 to London with our moms, and the Caribbean Princess to Bermuda.  A few too many Embraer 190's didn't get us to Charlotte but a trusty Boeing 737-700 took us to Raleigh where a not so cute Nissan Cube finished the job. The Liberty of the Seas voyaged to St. Maarten and back and a Boeing 767-300 got me to London. A bright orange Airbus A320 whisked me to Barcelona where the Norwegian Jade showed me around the Mediterranean. Finally another Airbus A320 got me to Dublin where an Airbus A330-300 was waiting to fly me home.

It was another great year and while current plans call for a sharp curtailing of travel in 2011 who knows what the year has in store for me.

Lose It

Growing up in a very small town in Northeast Ohio I couldn't wait for the day when I could get out. When it came time to consider what college to attend I didn't look at a single in-state university. All I remember thinking is that it had to be outside of Ohio. I don't think this had as much to do with Ohio as it did with my still present longing to travel and see new places. In the end I chose Eastern Michigan University for two reasons: 1) They gave in-state tuition to Ohio residents and 2) I waited so long to choose a school that they had the latest acceptance date and I was pretty much left with EMU or the local community college.

Whenever I go back to the Buckeye State I am amazed at how different it is from Illinois even though the two are just a state apart. From the way people drive to the way they talk it's as if it's a different world. When my visit comes to an end I can't wait to get back onto an airplane and head west and I always smile when I see the Chicago skyline come into view on our descent. My family will always be in Ohio (unless i can convince my mom to move closer) and it will always have a part of my heart...a small part. The other part of it belongs to the Land of Lincoln...unless it's the part that is basically a Hoosier now, but that's for another blog.

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.

Only Girl In The World

I was reminded the other day that tomorrow is November 1st...which starts NaBloPoMo. For those of you not familiar with the blog world (I'm not really either, I rely on Adam) that stands for National Blog Posting Month. Participants have to write a blog a day for the month of November. Since Adam tagged me on his blog to participate (or as I like to say, forced me to participate) I have no choice but to take his tag (challenge) and run with it. So stay tuned.

You're Mean

I'm a binge eater. There, I said it.

One of the things I wanted to work on when I quit smoking was my eating habits. I had started running and felt that a healthier diet would be a good compliment to exercise. From breakfast to dinner I started to make better choices both at home and while I was travelling. I ate a lot of fruit and veggies and started watching what foods had high amounts of sugar so as to avoid as much of that as I could. For the most part I was very good...going so far as not eating past 8pm. After a few weeks I started to notice good results from my new eating habits and was encouraged to keep up the good work.

There was one area where I did not succeed. I would and still do binge on food. Usually it happens when I am bored at work or home. A "snack" for me isn't one apple or a late night bowl of cereal, it's two or three bowls of cereal, a handful of pretzels, and a couple of Popsicles. This doesn't really help one's diet.

So I've mad a vow to myself to control my eating habits.  After all, I'm really not hungry when I binge so in theory it shouldn't be that hard, right?

Everyday

One of the many things I found interesting about the ship I was on, The Liberty of The Seas, was the artwork. Having cruised many times before I never paid that much attention to the art on a particular ship but this time it stuck out and caught my attention on numerous occasions. Here are a few photos of the artwork...the first one is my favorite and I named it "Cher lounging."

A-Ha

Day 7

Being the last day at sea and of the cruise I wanted to get as much sun as possible. This proved quite difficult as it was unbearably hot. Just sitting on a deck chair without moving produced rivers of sweat from every pore in my body. I spent a couple of hours sitting on a bench drinking Labdoozies in the solarium pool covered by the bridge that goes from one side to the other. When I finally had enough I went back to the stateroom and sat on the balcony in the shade. Sometime that afternoon the ship came within sight of the Cuban coastline. It was neat seeing a land that is so close to the U.S. but yet still so far away.

The rest of the day was uneventful with dinner at Johnny Rockets and a late night glass of wine with Richard & Andrea to say good bye.

Looking back on the week I was happy that it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I was ready to go home and see Adam and Emerson but was also refreshed and more importantly, tan. 

That Was Easy

Day 6

Having a late arrival in our final port of Labadee, Haiti I slept in. There was something about that pillow top mattress that I just couldn't get enough of. I also decided to skip breakfast today as I was tired of the same ole eggs and bacon.

Upon our arrival we looked out over the side of our balcony and saw thousands of jelly fish floating in the water.  I tried to get a photo but it didn't come out much to my dismay. Once the ship was alongside the dock we made our way off and walked through the little "village" of Labadee. It's not so much as a village but a small resort (without the any hotels) that Royal Caribbean leases from a private owner. Once we had taken possession of our rubber floating mats we grabbed two beach chairs, dropped our stuff, and headed straight for the crystal blue waters. As I floated in the lagoon I saw hundreds of star fish laying on the floor of the lagoon. The water was so shallow that you could reach down and grab one...but I didn't. My favorite part of the entire day was the Labadee Labdoozie.

This drink is a mixture of a whole bunch of liquor and some fruit juice mixers. It went down way too easily which enabled me to have two or three of them in a short period of time. As you can see it also came with a take home mug. The name was sort of confusing and my friend kept calling it the Labadee Labradoodle.

After four hours of intense sun, a ridiculous line waiting for the BBQ lunch, and a large family that invaded the area we were sitting in I called it an afternoon and headed back to the ship, snapping some pics along the way.

That night we had dinner at Portofino, the Italian specialty restaurant on board with our cruise friends Richard & Andrea.  It was a great time with interesting conversation instigated by my friend B. We all ended the night with drinks on our balcony.

You Set Me Free

Day 5

For the second time this summer I found myself in San Juan. Being that I've always had a thing for Latin men this really didn't bother me in the slightest but then again I didn't get off the ship at all. Since it was once again an empty boat I had my pick of deck chairs and proceeded with my plan to get a nice, dark tan.

In the early afternoon people started arriving back on board. We had an early departure that day and as the ship embarked the front (where I was laying) filled up. At the same time a VERY attractive, well-built man started running on the outdoor jogging track on the same deck. I noticed that I wasn't the only one that was staring at him. Two other guys were pretending to take pictures of Old San Juan but in reality were snapping pics of the hot guy running. They thought no one realized what they were doing but I was onto their little project. After we had gone out to sea I approached them and asked "did you get a pic of the scenery?" They were immediately embarrassed and just laughed.

After a quick bit to eat I decided to find a less busy area to lay out and chose Deck 13. Deck 13 consists of a small area of deck chairs on top of one of the pool bars. There wasn't much room but I found a spot and quickly shut my eyes. After about fifteen minutes I went to flip over and realized that I was laying in the speedo zone. I was the only one who didn't have on a speedo. Feeling a little out of place and a little grossed out I gathered my stuff together and left.

When I got back to my room I was dismayed to see that no matter how much sunscreen I put on I was getting red instead of brown. Apparently my near continuous application of SPF 15 was fruitless. Talk about annoyed. The sunset run I took that evening made up for my irritation. I had one of my best runs and got to see a gorgeous sunset.

Remember my comment about the kids from the first day? I learned from a bartender that night that there were approx. 1000 children on board. On the very next cruise, only 100. What bad timing on my part.

Why Do You Hate My Friends

Day 4

I had planned all along to only get off the ship in our third port of call. The ship is deserted when you are in port and it can be very relaxing and most importantly, quiet. The thought of not having to fight for a deck chair with a 75 year old lady was appealing to me from the moment we booked the cruise.

By 9am I had worked out and was laying by the Solarium pool with only one other couple. At one point a guy started chatting me up and he and I just sat in the pool talking about what we did, where we lived, and much to my dismay since I was on vacation, all the the types of airplanes he'd been on. Said man (I think his name was Mike?) appeared at my lunch table out of nowhere and proceeded to eat lunch with me, again much to my dismay. What couldn't I just be left alone for ONE day?

After lunch I made a snap decision and got off the ship to grab a quick souvenir for myself and my mom. It was about 100 degrees with 100% humidity so I took a short stroll around the tourist village and quickly made my purchases, made a quick call to Adam, and snapped a few photos before I got back on board.

Back on board I decided more sun was in order and proceeded to get even darker while losing about five pounds through sweating. When I'd had enough of laying on a sweat soaked towel I made my way back to the cabin and took what turned out to be a two hour nap. It was pure bliss.

That night we opted for a very relaxed dinner at Johnny Rockets. After consuming an original cheeseburger, onion rings, french fries, a fountain coke (or two), and one large vanilla milkshake I was ready for that pillow top mattress.

Second Man On The Moon

Day 3

As you can imagine after a long night of drinking I woke up this morning feeling like complete crap. If you know me well then you know how horrible my hangovers are and needless to say I slept all day long. I finally woke up around 5pm and met my friend in the pub and managed to keep down a slice of pizza and a sprite. The rest of the evening was uneventful and we ended up playing scrabble on the balcony and went to bed early. Yes, I know...boring.

I Don't Understand How A Thermos Keeps Things Both Hot And Cold

Day 2

I got up early and hit the gym so that I could run before it got too hot and humid. After a quick work out I managed to run on the outside jogging track even though it was crowded with a large number of Asian travellers who had no concept of personal space. "Excuse me" and "On your right" were useless words that I uttered time and time again to no avail.

After my run I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then hit the Solarium (adults only) pool before it got too crowded. This pool usually fills up quickly on all ships so it's important to get there early because people will camp out on their chair ALL day so as to not lose a spot. I think I only got out of my chair to get in the pool a few times, eat lunch, and use the bathroom once or twice. My friend joined me around noon and we met a very nice couple, Richard & Andrea. We ended up talking with them the entire afternoon while we soaked up the sun and a few strawberry margarita's.

That evening we met back up with our new friends and ate a nice dinner in the buffet with them. After dinner we went to grab some drinks. At some point in the evening my friend was smart and went to bed. I should have done what he did.  I discovered this evening that Kettle One vodka has no vodka taste and for reasons unknown I took this as an excuse to drink copious amounts of vodka & soda until the wee hours of the morning. Oh, and two mojitos were thrown in there for good measure. I also made friends with a guy who was travelling by himself as a gift from his aunt before he shipped off to Afghanistan in November. He was trying very hard to get laid from almost any girl who'd be willing. It was funny to watch him in action and even funnier to hear some of the stuff that came out of his mouth. When I finally went back to the stateroom at around 3am my friend and I apparently had a 20 minute conversation that I still have no recollection of.

This Would Be Touching If I Liked You More

Day 1

After waking up early and deciding that it was too humid to go for a run we grabbed breakfast at the hotel and then took a walk to the local Walgreen's to get a few last minute things for the cruise. As per usual I immediately began to sweat. By the time we reached the drug store my shirt was drenched  since even simple walking seems to be way too much for me and my sweat glands go into overdrive.

Returning to the hotel we packed up what little we had unpacked and made our way to the ship. The entire check-in process and voyage to our cabin was uneventful and surprisingly quick. We explored our cabin and unpacked since we carried our own bags on and within 30 minutes we were ready to hit the ship. We wanted to grab a quick bite to eat in the buffet before a lot of other guests got on the ship but found that many other people had the same idea. After standing in the buffet line for about 5 minutes I was reminded of one of the few things that I dislike about cruising...the buffet line. I had the pleasure of being behind someone who picked each piece of lettuce out individually. Needless to say the line didn't move for a few minutes. After lunch we roamed around the ship and quickly realized that there were A LOT of kids on board. The ship did have a huge kids pool and activities area and we hoped that they would stay there all the time. We were to find out over time that this wouldn't be the case.

For dinner that night I wanted to treat my friend to dinner at one of the specialty restaurants since it was his birthday. He chose Chops, the steakhouse on board. We had a great dinner and I had an excellent fillet. I always enjoy my dinners there and recommend it to anyone who cruises on Royal Caribbean.

That night when we went to sleep I discovered that the mattresses were pillow top, which is a rarity for a cruise ship...or maybe it was because we had upgraded ourselves to a Jr. Suite. In any case it was one hell of a good night sleep.

Let's Move On

Hi, welcome back! I'm sorry it's been months since I've blogged but to be honest, I just didn't feel it. I hope that your summer has been good and you've stayed cool. Personally, I'm ready for fall to come and last for about 5-6 months. As for the blog, it's going to resume with a day by day account of my recent cruise with a friend. Enjoy. 


Day 0 (The day before the cruise)

We thought it would be a good idea for us to fly down to Miami a day early. Departing from O'Hare we grabbed a bite to eat at Macaroni Grille in Terminal 3 (note to anyone who may eat here, the bread they give you is VERY salty, so beware) so that we didn't need to eat when we arrived in Miami late that night. 


The flight was uneventful and we managed to get a very chatty cab driver on the way to the hotel. Unfortunately, her accent was so thick that we really didn't understand what she was saying so we just  agreed with most of it and threw in a few laughs. If she knew we didn't understand her she didn't seem to care and just continued to talk away. We made it to the hotel in a short amount of time and quickly went to bed as I think both of us just wanted to the next day to come so that we could get on the ship.

I Played Along With The Charade

Once again, it's been a while since I've blogged...

Yesterday was 60 days smoke free!

Tell Your Doctor

Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed Betty White on Saturday Night Live this evening. I laughed the entire time and was moved to a little tear (since I don't emote) at the end when she said her thank yous and the cast gave her two bouquets of roses. You could tell she was overwhelmed by all the adoration.

Hollandaise

Yes, the blog is different. I'm going to be experimenting with a few things over the next couple of weeks and I hope to have something new and improved for you in June.

Put Up Or Shut Up

For you Lady Gaga fans I found a great video of her performing her song Speechless. Enjoy!

I'll Never

I spent the majority of my 20's with an unwavering fear of commitment. The minute I felt a guy start to get too close I bolted. This fact was pointed out to me by a few of my friends from time to time but I always shrugged it off. I was happy in my little "commitment phobic" world.  At my fathers' funeral  I stood by my mom while she brushed his cheek and just smiled. I knew she was thinking of all the good memories he and her had made together. I on the other hand was hit with an overwhelming feeling of grief for her, what would she do now that her high school sweetheart was gone? It was after this event in my life that I started to reevaluate relationships. Maybe being with one person for longer than two weeks wouldn't be so bad.

Then I met Adam (for the second time...it's a long story) and it all just fell into place. I wasn't afraid anymore and I let him get as close to me as he wanted. Looking back on it now maybe we took things too fast. Perhaps we should have worked through some of the early relationship issues that befall most couples in the early days instead of letting them fester for months and months until they just explode into one huge fight. We've had our ups and downs as all couples have but one thing is the same today as it was almost four and a half years ago...I don't run from commitment anymore.

Onion Bagels

The brit band The Hoosiers have finally finished a new album due out soon. Their first single is called "Choices." I love it and can't wait for the whole album to come out. Maybe now they can finally tour in the U.S.

Got A Hold On You

Well, I've gotten off to a crap start with the new blog, haven't I? I've got nothing to offer to make up for that...

You've read my previous blogs about quitting smoking and starting a running program so here's a little update about all that. I'm 34 days smoke free today and I think I'm well on my way to being a full-fledged runner again. All the aches and pains have gone from my runs and my breathing gets better each time. The possibilities are endless.

Some of you may know that tomorrow there is a General Election in the U.K. Almost all of you have no idea that I've been following it almost as closely as someone who lives there. With my being slightly obsessed with all things British I can't help but watch it all unfold and wait to see the outcome. My friend Amity, who lives there wrote a blog about it with a slight twist.

We leave in just 13 short days for our vacation. A vacation that will take us to Bermuda, St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk, New York City, and finally Charlotte. I'm excited about all of it and can not wait to get a proper tan, finally meet Teresa, and spend some time in the city that Adam loves so much, not to mention Teresa's back deck. The only negative to our two week vacation is that little Emerson will be all alone. Luckily his Aunt Andrea and Ann will come over to take care of him every so often. I'll miss the little guy even though he clearly prefers Adam to me.

I won't promise to be better about blogging since you see how well it's worked out so far.

Through The Wilderness

Does anyone else notice that the word bi-partisanship is often used by every candidate who runs for office? Then when they are elected they again pledge to work across the aisle to bring a bi-partisan compromise to Congress. I've probably heard this from almost every elected official. Yet, whenever you hear of a particular bill being debated or voted on all you hear is one side saying this and one side saying that. Neither party is ever happy with the other side and instead of working out a bi-partisan compromise they just bicker back and forth. The minority party always complains that the bill goes too far or doesn't go far enough and the majority party just plows ahead without a care for the minority party. The Democratic and Republican parties are both guilty of this. It's simple politics.

All politicians care about is getting re-elected. Some come from reliable districts where they know they will be re-elected short of hell freezing over. Others come from districts that aren't afraid to vote out a one-term politician if they feel he doesn't share the same views or is seen as too willing to work with the other party on certain issues. Instead of going to Washington with the courage to stand up for what's right and listen to his/her constituents they blindly follow behind their party leadership and vote along party lines time and time again. This results in political grid-lock because when do members of both parties ever agree on anything of importance. We've wasted over a year on this health care debate and the result is a bill that still has people fighting and threatening and it's already been signed into law.

A possible solution to all this would be one-term limits for all members of Congress. I know that with age and experience comes wisdom but maybe this would foster politicians to work for the people that elected them and not simply their party and the lobbyists that support their party. There would be no lingering thoughts of "how will my vote enable me to get re-elected?" It's time politicians start working for us, not their re-election campaigns.

Kitty Crack

Once in a while I'll browse the Saturday Night Live website and look at clips from previous shows. Tonight I came across one of my favorites from the 1980's. I used to love to watch the Church Lady and would laugh and laugh. Here's one to make you laugh too.

Shiny And New

This morning I ran my neighborhood 5K which benefits a local food pantry and other services in the area. When my friend Ann first suggested it I was skeptical, mainly because at the time I was still smoking and would often find myself out of breath from simply climbing the three flights of stairs to our condo. The more I thought about it however, I saw the training for it as a great way to get back into shape since I had put on more than a couple of pounds over the winter and it would hopefully propel me to quit smoking. Over the course of the last month and a half I kept to a training schedule and with a little help from my tiny blue friend Mr. Chantix I quit smoking and as my training progressed I slowly started to think "maybe I can be a runner again."

After shaving three minutes off my best training time this morning and feeling great from the atmosphere of the whole event I've pretty much decided, I'm a runner again.

Somewhere In The Night

What's up with the wind lately? It seems anywhere I go across the country it's windy. Take off and landing have been a bit turbulent due to the high winds and it's made me quesy more than once. At home it seems it's windy everyday. Yes, Chicago is the Windy City but it seems like lately it comes at me from every direction. On my run this afternoon it was in my face the entire time no matter what direction I was heading and as I sit here and write this blog I can see the trees swaying back and forth with a little bit of force. When will it just be spring? Why does it have to be cloudy, rainy, cold, or windy? Why can't it just be nice out with nothing but clear blue skies and a temperature in the mid 70's. Is that too much to ask for?

You Only Meant Well

Just a couple hours ago he was in trouble for trying to bring down the blinds. Now, he's so damn cute I can't stand it.

When The Roof Caved In

When I started taking Chantix I wanted to make an effort to begin a good exercise program as well. With that came watching what I ate so as not to defeat the purpose of exercising. After a few days of healthy eating I realized that in addition to unhealthy eating habits I also have a compulsion for food. It's not unheard of for me to eat an entire bag of Doritos by myself in one sitting. I can stand in the kitchen for 10-15 minutes and just pick at this or that, not caring what it is and not really stopping to take a breath in between bites. This may be the reason that while I've been running to get ready for the upcoming neighborhood 5K pretty solidly I haven't lost a single pound. Every time I get on that scale it's a little disheartening and I always wonder why I haven't lost one measly pound and I have to remind myself it's because I eat like it's either A) going to be taken away in a specified time or B) I haven't eaten in days. Part of my stopping smoking was to get a better handle on my health and my binge eating doesn't contribute to good health. So, it's time to break yet another habit along side all the other habits that triggered smoking. I need to eat solid healthy snacks and meals.

I Like It

Today's trip for work was very last minute...like 105am this morning last minute. I was OK with it though as it was for time and a half due to a scheduling shortage. I had gotten a few things together last night in anticipation of this very thing happening but I stopped short of packing my suitcase for one reason or another. Well, this morning after about three hours of sleep I got up with plenty of time to get myself and my suitcase ready, feed Em, and clean out his litter box before leaving for the airport. As I drove to work I realized that I had left a nice turkey sandwich in the fridge that I had made for lunch today. Having no time to go back and get it and telling myself how stupid it would be to turn around and go back home for a turkey sandwich I figured I'd pick something up later in the day.

Once I got to work I sat down to take my allergy medicine and Chantix. Imagine my surprise to find out that I had forgotten my Chantix. My heart started racing. Would I start smoking immediately? And what about the happy mood that little pill had put me in for the past seven days? I was filled with dread that missing it for almost three days would put me back to square one. I knew I had the willpower to resist the temptation if it crept back into my life but I was dreading the possibility of having to endure the first few days of taking Chantix and all that it put me through. I quickly decided to call the hotel I was staying in and see if there was a pharmacy anywhere nearby that I could have my doctor call in a three day supply to. Sure enough, there was a Walgreens nearby. I immediately called and left a message to have the doctor prescribe me my little happy. Within two hours I got a wonderful message from his nurse saying they had called it in. The panic started to lift from my mind and I began to formulate just how I was going to pick up my script. When I arrived at the airport I asked the van driver if he could stop by the store and wait while I picked up pills. He said "I can drop you off and you can call us to get you next time we do an airport run." My response..."Can't you just wait, it'll take five minutes max." His reply "I HAVE to return to the hotel, we're booked on airport runs." "Forget it" I said. It was as if I had been denied my drug. On the drive to the hotel we passed the Walgreens and I devised a plan using the GPS on my iPhone to walk to the store and get it. Walk along four lane highways and through office parks. When we got to the hotel I asked the concierge how long a walk would it be..."maybe 20 minutes?" He laughed and said "more like 30 EACH WAY." At this point I didn't care...it would power walk the entire way and make it my work out for today but I was getting those pills.

In the span of ten minutes I had made it to my room (which is at the END of the opposite side of the hotel) changed and returned to the lobby to begin my trek. Before I could set out the nice woman at reception said that someone would take me and wait for me, that she didn't want me walking as it would be dark soon. Finally, someone who understood the gravity of the situation I thought to myself. The same van driver who was so busy not thirty minutes before now had all the time in the world but I didn't care....he was helping me get my fix and about fifteen minutes later I had those small, white pills in my hands. My day was complete. Looking back on it now I laugh and wonder if my co-workers think I'm some kind of junkie. Either way, I'm still smoke free and happy as a lark!

Page Us

Really, Sheraton Hotels? I think you need to reevaluate who does your in room paper designing.

A Guitar Strumming Solo

If you were a follower of the old blog you know that the title of each blog rarely had anything to do with the subject. This practice wasn't something I did on purpose but a product of something a friend of mine did to me one day and my response to said act. I remember saying right then and there that "this has to go somewhere in my blog." It was that night when I came up with the random idea to make it the title. I had no intention of doing it all the time but the next time I posted I did the same thing with something random that popped into my head.

I intend to continue that practice with the new blog. Maybe no one even notices the difference between the titles and subjects and if you do you probably don't even begin to think what the title means. If you are someone who likes to figure things out good luck to you, there really is NO reason behind 99% of my blog titles. With that said...here's to more complete randomness.

Rushing Into It

If any of you are familiar with the Jay-Z song "Empire State of Mind" you know it's about the state of New York. It's become a favorite of mine not so much because of the state of NY but I like the beat and I love Alicia Keys' voice.

A guy from New Hampshire just did a spoof on YouTube of the song and put his own unique NH twist on it. It's quite funny if you're at all familiar with the state, if not, it's still funny. Enjoy.

1,2,3, and now 4

Here is the second part of my journey on Chantix.

Day two started out very early at work with a feeling of extreme fatigue. I thought at the time that it was simply because I didn't get much sleep the night before. That afternoon I took a long nap and after dinner went right back to bed. I also noticed that my mood was going up and down, I'd be extremely happy one minute and the next I'd be quite sad. Days three and four held much of the same for me with ups and downs and an almost crippling fatigue. When I got home from work on day four I looked at the information packet that came with the prescription and it said fatigue was experienced in a small number of people in studies. I couldn't sleep enough and felt listless all day. That night when I went to bed I thought to myself "how much more of this can I take?" To top it all off, I was still smoking and although I started to see a change in my enjoyment of smoking on the night of day four I thought I was no where near quitting at that point.

Day five brought a complete change for me. Gone were the fatigue and moods swings. My mood stabilized and I felt happy and energetic. More importantly, I had absolutley no desire to smoke. This fact made me even happier and encouraged me to get outside and exercise. It was a complete one-eighty from the past three days of misery.

Now, here I am at day 9 of taking Chantix and day 5 of no smoking. I've had one small urge to smoke but it passed within seconds. I'm working on changing the habits I had that accompanied smoking but that isn't something that can be done with a pill and overnight. Not smoking is still a learning process for me but I feel like I'm on the right track with a positive attitude.

1, 2, 3

I've smoked since I was 15. It's not something I've even been proud of and every time someone asked me how long I've smoked it always made me cringe to tell them. Over the years I tried to quit probably hundreds of times, to no avail. The year I turned 30 I quit on January 1 and didn't smoke for just shy of 6 months, until the day AFTER my 30th when we held a little celebration at our house and in my inhebriated state I picked one up and started again.  Since that day I often wonder why I can't quit like I did for that long period of time. I'm sure I listed many rambling excuses to my friends and family trying to make myself feel better while at the same time not looking like a pathetic wimp in front of them. Many people, including my doctor suggested I try the Chantix route. For months I put it off, not wanting to smoke and afraid of the side effects I'd heard taking the drug could cause. I had visions of going postal on someone when they asked me a simple question at work. In my mind, it was less risky to smoke than to turn into a maniac while trying to quit using Chantix.

Two weeks ago, Adam came home from the doctor (we have the same one) with a prescription for Chantix. It was at that moment that I knew that I needed to take it and make the attempt to quit. Our chances at success were much higher with both of us taking it and supporting each other. So, two days later I had my own appointment with the good doctor and had him give me a prescription for it. A and I started taking it together and set our quit day for 10 days later as recommended. I will admit that I was nervous from the moment I put the first pill in my mouth that in a couple of hours I'd turn into a raging asshole and while I didn't experience anything unusual on day one the second day turned out quite the opposite.

I'll leave you here for now wondering what exactly that tiny little white pill did. The rest of this story will follow soon.

the third telephone

I'd like to welcome you to my new blog. My thought behind creating a new and improved blog started when I decided that I needed to find something to do with my brain that didn't involve reading and crosswords. I also wanted to start fresh without the "tirade" connotation of the old blog. There will be posts that are a little angrier than others but my hope is that this blog shows a more even keel approach to most things.

In addition, with my old blog I was inconsistent when it came to posting.  I often had nothing I wanted to blog about or I was too lazy to type out my thoughts on a particular subject or current event. Well, that changes with this blog. I'm going to hold myself accountable and post regularly on a variety of subjects. The blog layout will also change from time to time to keep things fresh and as I learn how to navigate the word of blogging a bit closer. So with that, I hope you enjoy the new words of a gemini as much as you did Thoughts And Tirades. I put a lot of time and thought into just the right name and layout I wanted to start with and I look forward to hearing from you all.