2009-04-03 
 

myomusings 2009

I just helped Mom post her 2009 myomusings update.

If I haven't said it before, or often enough, she's an incredible woman and an inspiration to me!

Labels: shout out

* posted by me at 4:02 PM

(0) comments



2008-11-11 
 

things i remembered this weekend

A minute is actually an incredibally long time to wait.

Rocks with a quartz ring around the middle are extra lucky.

Any noises the body makes are SO funny.

"I don't like it." is the natural response when confronted with an unfamiliar food.

There's no shame in saying, "Oh yeah!" and chowing down with gusto when reminded that you actually have tried it and liked it quite a bit.

Penguins are super cool, but not as cool as dragons.

The grownups will ALWAYS get tired before the kids...even though the kids are the ones who are supposes to be in bed already.

There's nothing better than a bad pun.

A hug from an eight year old is the best because they hug you with all their heart.

This entry brought to you by the letter E!

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 5:20 PM

(0) comments



2008-09-07 
 

dudelyweds

The wedding has come and gone. Dude and I stayed up extra late the night before just talking and listening to some of his older songs. Not the best thing for clear eyes the next day, but wonderful thing to be able to still do with my brother. I had the redness reliever with me...along with all the hair product that Dude normally wouldn't deal with. G put it all to good use yesterday getting Dude's hair (and mine) ready to deal with the humidity.

Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am to have G in my life? He put up with me agonizing over the wedding in general (and the toast in particular) for several weeks now and didn't slap me upside the head once. Then yesterday, Mark wakes up cool as a cucumber and I'm literally shaking with nerves as we put on the tuxes. I don't think it was just the thought of having to speak in public. I had the nausea I'm used to experiencing up in front of any public speaking, but this was different. I was in a state of high agitation. Not the sort of state you want the best man to be in. Anyway G kept up a steady refrain of encouragement that everything would work out and managed to calm me down enough so that I could be there for my brother when he needed me.

About 45 minutes before the outside ceremony was supposed to start, the sky opened up and we got our first taste of Hanna. A secret part of me was happy about this. I had on four layers of tux and just stepping outside onto the front porch caused an immediate sheen of sweat to pop out on my face. A move inside would mean blissful AC. That said, I knew how important it was for both Dudette the bride and Dudette the photographer to have the ceremony outside, so I joined in with everyone who was trying to push the rain away for an hour or so. There were a lot of people actually praying, but I chose instead to try and channel Storm and push it away with my crazy mind power. The rain broke long enough for us to have the ceremony and cocktail hour/photos outside in front of the house. The Daniel Webster Estate is truly a gorgeous backdrop to have in pictures, so whether it was the prayer my X-Men like ability or some strange combination of factors, I'm very glad it worked out.

I remained pretty nervous throughout the ceremony. (I would make a lousy sentinel as I have a very hard time standing still.) Fortunately, the ring bearer was dealing with the same struggle and having someone to be an example for can be very good incentive to hang in there. I must compliment him. At eight years old, standing in place for five minutes is a struggle let alone for a full twenty. Sure, bribery may have helped a little bit, but he even came through when the minister asked him to kiss the rings...something that nobody prepped him for during the rehearsal.

An odd thing for me was that the moment the Dudelyweds turned to walk back down the aisle I stopped being nervous. As stressful as this wedding prep sometimes got over the past months, it was all very worth it. Seeing them so happy up there saying their vows made me even happier that they've finally taken this step.

So, there I am, an hour or so away from the toast and I actually felt deeply calm...even though I'd left my copy of the toast sitting on Dude's bureau and normally would've been freaking out. Turns out that Dude and I really do compliment each other. I'm feeling calm for the first time all day and he began to get agitated about how long it was taking to start the dinner. Hopefully I helped him a little bit there. I managed to snag some of the meat on a stick appetizers and a beer for him and kept him company while we waited for everyone to get their turn in front of the camera. The photos did take a pretty long time, but I'm guessing that happens a lot.

Then came the toast. It went well. I got some compliments and a few confirmations that people got teary at appropriate moments. The caterer did tell me at the end of the night that it was the best toast she'd ever heard, but I truly believe that's something she must say to "all the guys."

My original intent was to have this entry right after the wedding just be what I'd written for the toast, but I varied a bit from the original and I think it came out a bit better because of that. I hit all the main points I'd originally written out, but I'm actually very curious to see the video to figure out how just how much I ad libbed. The scary part about watching that will be realizing just how much champagne I spilled on one of the maids of honor during the whole thing. I do have a tendency to gesture with my hands when talking and that's not very wise with a full glass in my hands. It will also be interesting to see how much I was sweating during the whole thing. Humid weather plus enclosed tent makes for a squelchy atmosphere. I'm pretty sure I was looking a bit like a drowned rat in a rented suit, but pretty much everyone else was in the same boat...or swimming alongside it I guess.

The rest of the evening was great. Good food, lots of dancing and just general fun catching up with familiar people and meeting new ones. In fact, G and I have been invited up to Maine this fall and we're planning on accepting, but more on that later. Right now we're at the Dudelyweds' apartment cat sitting for them while they honeymoon far away from hurricanes in Aruba.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 6:07 PM

(0) comments



2008-08-17 
 

bachelor jam

No, it isn't the latest toast topping for cannibals. Just my version of a bachelor party. Dude's request was to skip the gambling and strippers and just give him a night of beer and music making with his old jam group. G and I transformed our living space back into a room full of amps, drums, cords, more cords and several guitars. The guys sounded pretty good, especially considering that they haven't had a chance to get together for quite some time.

Later on, after everyone else crashed out, I got to sit by the fishpond with my brother and just hang out together. This was around 3:30 after large quantities of empty bottles and cans had already piled up and several delicious, but rather greasy foods had been consumed. I mention this because the following events may seem mundane to the sober reader, but at the time they had a wonderful surreal quality.

Shortly after we sat down, a family of raccoons appeared at the top of the little waterfall that runs into the pond. They seemed quite disconcerted that two crazy humans were awake at that hour and hogging their watering hole. They slowly ambled away, but in a manner that said, "We're not scared of you, just not that thirsty tonight." Before the oddness of that meeting left us, a pin prick of red light flashed across the water causing both of us, in our beer sodden state, to start wondering if a UFO had just tried to message us or if the raccoons had discovered a way to divert humans. I confirmed later that it was only G and one of Dad's laser pens that he'd found on the desk. I should've known he wouldn't sleep before visiting with Mr. Computer one last time.

After that, things settled down and Dude and I just talked about life in general, the wedding in particular and how wonderful it was to sit together by the fishpond. Shortly after dawn, we finally found our way back into the house and got a bit of sleep. Quite a nice night, and hopefully a nice little break from the wedding hustle for Dude.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 8:07 PM

(0) comments



2008-05-04 
 

the dirty gay play

A good friend of mine is directing a play in New York called F*ck Me, B*eat Me, L*ve Me, but given the difficulty of pronouncing an asterisk in normal conversation, he also refers to it as the dirty gay play. G and I had a chance to see it this weekend and enjoyed ourselves. Great acting and interesting structure. (and, of course, superb direction!)

While I'd love to recommend it to everyone, the play isn't for the faint of heart. It's about a couple searching for something deeper in their relationship and focuses heavily on the sexual side of things with full on nudity and simulated sex. I'm happy to report that the actors are both very nice to look at AND very good at actually acting, an often hard combo to come by. As for the sex, other than one particular scene which I ultimately decided was sweet, it ends up being either comic or slightly sad versus sensationalistic. That said, there's a S/M slant throughout the play that could prove challenging, even to those who have no issues with the gay part. (If it weren't for certain friends who've been wiling to share that side of their lives with me openly and honestly, I would have had a much harder time understanding the L*ve Me side of the play. As it was, it was only in a conversation with B after the play that I realized I'd allowed two bits of the text to color my interpretation of the action throughout and ended up experiencing a much less hopeful ending than was intended.) If one of my tens of readers can make it, please do so and let me know. I'd love to chat with you about it after the fact and hear your reactions to it. Hopeful or not, the acting and text make it a worthwhile way to spend the evening.

In other news, I want to say hooray for meeting up in NYC! We got to see, not only a group of my college friends who all went to dinner and then the play, but also V, P and little D. D has grown up so much in the short time we've been gone and it was very nice to see her turning into her own person. (I think that ages 2 through 5 are some of my favorite ages to watch. So much potential and so many possibilities!)

Labels: local getaway, random review, shout out

* posted by me at 3:06 PM

(0) comments



2008-04-12 
 

go fly a kite

Reports of nasty weather were only half accurate. The early afternoon was actually quite nice so G and I drove into Marshfield for the North River Arts Society SNAP show and finally saw Dude and Dudettes pieces. Quite nice. Dudette really has a good eye for composition of a piece.

Ended up at Web park wandering along the beach, skipping stones and combing the sand for treasures washed up on the shore. No treasure, but we did find a kite amongst the detritus which we untangled and got aloft for a good 20 minutes. At that point, the fog rolled in, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees within ten minutes, and my hands were suddenly in need of gloves again.

I'd forgotten how spring jumps from one extreme to another here in New England. It may seem odd, but it's afternoons like this one that make me really glad to be back.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, local getaway, shout out

* posted by me at 8:59 PM

(0) comments



2008-03-27 
 

proud to be her son

Hi all! I am currently experiencing some technical difficulties and cannot get Blogger to upload new entries. Fortunately, my alternative FTP is working just fine so I can sneak in this little note. (CuteFTP rocks!)

I am working with various folks on the problem and will hopefully get it resolved quickly. Then there will be new and fascinating entries about my dazzling life to distract you from the work you ought to be doing.

All kidding aside, until I figure out the issues with my own site, please check out the 2008 update we just made to my Mom's story on her site: myomusings.

Even with all of the obstacles that myositis has placed in her path, she constantly searches out ways to overcome them. She has an incredibly strong spirit, and I'm proud to be her son.

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 3:27 PM

(0) comments



2008-01-17 
 

waving the orange hanky

We interupt this blog for a very important announcement. My very good friend Brian is putting up a show in New York. For those of you who don't know him, I consider Brian to be one of the most creative and funny people I know and to top it off, he's a really nice guy too.

As you can tell from the title of the play, "F*ck Me, B*at Me, L*ve Me" is not for the faint of heart, but it is very much worth supporting. If it weren't for my current barely-able-to-squeak-by status, Orange Hanky would be getting most of my tax deductible donation dollars this year. For those of you who know me, that's a pretty big deal and I'm only hoping that this shout out will get Brian a little help during my time of unplenty. You can click through the following link to get the full story, but I'll leave you with a few of Brian's own words.

Official Link: ORANGE HANKY PRODUCTIONS
(NB: While the following site is text based, some folk may still consider it NSFW.)

"For the past year and a half, I've been working on an original play, "F*ck Me, B*at Me, L*ve Me", with playwright Kevin Podgorski. Kevin and I workshopped the piece in the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Unit, and now we've formed a company, Orange Hanky Productions, in order to produce it. The show will be going up in May at the Kraine Theater in New York.

Producing a show is expensive, so consider this...my virtual hat in my virtual hand. We're a non-profit, so any money donated is completely tax-deductible."

Be a good sport and throw some support their way!

Labels: linkage, shout out

* posted by me at 1:42 PM

(1) comments



2008-01-10 
 

where did those days go?

Logged in and realized that it's been almost a week since I last posted. Since my current unemployed status would seem to offer me time to actually come in here more often I need to think back.

Well, we had a weekend. Spent Friday night hanging out with Stuffed Animals and his hilarious wife. (she always has me giggling) This is becoming a Friday night habit I'm not willing to break.

Somewhere in there the weather started to succumb to global warming - or maybe just a shift in the jetstream - and we've been in the 50s ever since.

Spent Monday eve with Dude and Dudette, which was lovely and mellow and involved good food and good wine and great company. In fact, I think I need to start using a new nickname for them as a couple...Dudzes? The Almost Wed? Cute Young Couple? Maybe I'll keep it simple and call them the Sibs. That's what they are after all.

Headed down Cape on Tuesday so Mom could look at a new chair. Ended up spending some quality time afterwards on the Sandwich Beach boardwalk. (and enjoyed the oddly warm, albeit windy, weather)


G with the Sandwich Beach Christmas Tree

Yesterday I had a nasty misunderstanding with a good friend, but that's all over now though it made me realize that I'm skating on rather thin ice mentally with the whole money issue and need to keep tabs on that to prevent cracks.

In an attempt to thicken the surface a bit, I did turn to the best therapy I know of and finally typed in the first chapter of the ghost story that's been bubbling around in my brain for a while now. We'll see if I actually do something with that, but it was quite nice to sit up towards the top of the parentals' garden yesterday and tap away at it.

Today I'm just glued to the computer doing the odd job search and finally updating in here. That and playing Scrabulous on Facebook. Only on my first game and already pleasantly addicted to the whole idea.

Oh, should mention that I've been accompanied on all of the above, except the misunderstanding by G. (though he did offer sane and calming comments when I mentioned it all to him) The best bit about not having a job right now is getting to spend more time with him. Also, he's been a saint over the past few months with all he's doing to help out and keep a big smile on his face when I need to see it and really deserves a special shout out for being such a good monkey.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, g, shout out, writing

* posted by me at 10:43 AM

(1) comments



2007-10-15 
 

hard drive

Today we're on our way to Crater's of the Moon National Monument.
Will do the 7 mile loop and then make our way to Yellowstone and Old
Faithful.

Yesterday was all about driving. Six hundred miles from Roseville, CA
to Jerome, ID. We did stop briefly in Winnemucca in honor of
Armistead Maupin. I won three dollars on the quarter poker machine
and then we were back on the road.

After turning north at Wells, we were on the home stretch, but I have
to say that Greg's the reason we made it all the way. Driving at
night is not my forte.

Labels: cross country, dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 1:59 PM

(0) comments



2007-09-21 
 

myo mom

Off to G's neice's wedding, but wanted to post quick that Mom's in the paper today. Check out the article from the Patriot Ledger.

Labels: g, linkage, looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 4:33 PM

(0) comments



2007-09-14 
 

100 things

It seems that no blog is complete without one of these lists laying around somewhere. I'm going to be kind and give it a page of it's own so that you can feel free to ignore it if you wish. Also, please note that the page this links to has been available since March. I just now realized that the entry announcing it never got published. That said it, I reread it today and it's still all true.

RANDOM LIST OF 100 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, g, memes, memory lane, random review, rant, reading, san francisco, sharketing, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 8:18 PM

(0) comments



2007-07-15 
 

walk the walk

We walked in the SF AIDS Walk today. It was slightly overcast and pretty much perfect weather for walking. Thanks again to everyone who donated! There may be a picture later, but no promises.

(Oh, and vacation last week was lovely, but more on that later.)

Labels: dose of mikey, g, san francisco, shout out

* posted by me at 6:47 PM

(0) comments



2007-05-10 
 

message to moscow

Cousin Barbara!

I've been trying to email you, but the address you gave keeps bouncing back as incorrect. Please let me know the correct email. Thanks!

Labels: shout out

* posted by me at 12:01 AM

(0) comments



2007-04-27 
 

new name

They've just renamed my department at work. Can't tell you to what because of my rules. That is, I can tell individual yous out there one at a time, but not the grand unknown you who may be reading this because you are thinking of hiring me and are doing the typical internet check. See? I'm a good boy, I don't blog about work other than in oblique ways. You want to hire me, yes you do! After all, I can use oblique in a sentence! I can copyright on the side...and edit stuff too! (Just so you know, I'm aware that I omitted the technically required multiple hyphens up above...in the interest of keeping things pretty...we are in Marketing after all)

Anyway, they changed the name of my department and it ROCKS. Will look very impressive on the aforementioned resume.

And Dad, if you're reading this, I just got your message and I love you too. Let's catch up this weekend.

Labels: dose of mikey, sharketing, shout out

* posted by me at 11:05 PM

(0) comments



2007-03-23 
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!

That's all...just wanted to let everyone know that the best brother in the world has a birthday today.

Labels: shout out

* posted by me at 6:23 PM

(0) comments



2007-03-10 
 

mother's day comes early

If you know my Mom, you already realize what a wonderful and strong woman she is. She is definitely one of the blessings I have in my life.

If you don't, you can now find out at her new website! In it, she tells of her two decade struggle with Inclusion Body Myositis, a disease for which there is no cure and relatively little treatment. There's still many little tweaks we'd like to make, but I think it's safe to consider this a Beta launch. Check it out!

MYOMUSINGS

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, looking eastward, medical mystery, shout out

* posted by me at 5:59 PM

(0) comments



2007-03-06 
 

m friends

My very good friend m called me last week. It was in the middle of a busy work day, but she wasn't calling to have a long conversation, just to connect for a minute and allow us to hear each others' voices. Crazybusy workweek with lots happening last week, but that's what I remember. The smile I got on my face, and the immediate relaxation my shoulders experienced from that simple, quick "Hi!"

A week or so before that, another m was in town on business. Crazybusy as we both are, we made the time to have breakfast together and had a wonderful time catching up. Later we had a nice email exchange expressing gratitude that we've stayed in each others' lives for all these years. That's what I remember from that work week.

I believe we have the power to focus on whatever moments we want to, and that's what our memories will be full of later in life. I'm glad I have these to look back on instead of dwelling on spreadsheets and office politics.

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 12:33 AM

(0) comments



2007-02-01 
 

you may not know meme

TNTP tagged me on this.

Four things you may not have known about me! (but probably do if you're a regular reader of this blog)

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Paper Boy

2. Ice Cream Scooper

3. Parking Attendant

4. Writer for local GLBT Magazine

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. ST: First Contact

2. Star Wars (original theatrical release)

3. Big Business

4. Labyrinth

C) Four books I have loved:
1. Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein

2. Dragon Song - Anne McCaffrey

3. The Mouse and His Child - Russell Hoban

4. Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
I know it's the obvious choice, but with the release of Book 7 having just been announced, I'm all giddy again.

D) Four places I have lived:

1. Weisbaden, Germany

2. Weymouth, MA

3. Quincy, MA

4. In my car (while crossing the country)

E) Four TV shows I love:

1. Lost

2. How I Met Your Mother

3. The Amazing Race

4. CBS Sunday Morning
This last one's thanks to Tivo...don't think you can be calling me before noon on a Sunday.

F) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Germany

2. Austria

3. France

4. Hawaii

G) Four of my favorite foods are:

1. A nice, rare to medium-rare filet mignon with asparagus and small portion of lightly cheesed macaroni on the side. Must be served with a slightly oaky Cabernet.

2. My Mom's lasagna

3. G's squash soup with home made G Bread on the side.
G Bread is a variation of sour dough that makes regular sour dough look like wonder bread. It is, quite likely, the most delicious bread in the universe.

4. G's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie

H) Four places I would rather be right now:

1. I'm actually pretty happy right now where I am

2. But wouldn't mind a jaunt back to Weymouth, MA

3. Or a stroll down the Champs-Élysées

4. Still want to get over to England and Scotland someday

I) Four friends I think will respond first:

1. I don't usually tag people

2. Besides, Michael tagged me first, and he's the one who I normally tag

3. Chris might, if he's bored, but no pressure

4. Anyone else want to surprise me?

Labels: memes, shout out

* posted by me at 11:04 PM

(0) comments



2006-03-23 
 

happy dudeday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DUDE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DUDE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DUUUUUUUDE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DUDE!

In honor of that special day when I stopped being an only child, I've scanned in a little series of brotherhood through the years.











Note: In search of a recent picutre with Dude, Dudette, G and myself. (Plenty of pictures with two or three of us, but since one of us is usually behind the camera I couldn't find one with all four of us which is really what I wanted to end this series with.) If anyone has one, I'd love to get a copy.

Labels: 1000 words, dose of mikey, looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 6:23 PM

(0) comments



2006-03-04 
 

march forth

They said,"March forth!" and he did.

Welcome to the world Jack! (and congratulations to Michelle and Jon!)

Labels: looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 6:29 PM

(0) comments



2006-02-16 
 

searching for umlauts

For the record, the plumbing's back to normal. Gott sei dank!

That last bit's in honor of Mom who's got a birthday next week. Being her super hero son with powers of procrastination that defy reason, I just made the card tonight. Chances are that it will not arrive in time for the actual day next week and I'm making it up with a smattering of German.

Ich wünsche dir alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Note: The Babel Fish told me that "dir" should be "Ihnen", but I chose to ignore it...I really went there to borrow some umlauts.

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 11:29 PM

(0) comments



2006-02-02 
 

peace of cake

I met Brian in college. T and I were driving by on our way to CVS and she noticed him walking in the weather. (not raining really, but it had been and was at the nasty point inbetween mist and rain where an umbrella is only useful to test puddle depth)

He was "gasp!" gay, or so said the rumors. Her suggestion that we offer him a ride scared the pink right out of my closeted gay self, but we ended up driving him back to his dorm.

T and I both came out officially after college. Hmmmm, maybe it IS contagious.

Seriously though, his courage to officially come out while still in school inspired me to start being more honest with myself and with the people I was closest to. Thanks Brian! (and thanks for sticking with me through the ups and downs since then...you are a true friend and I'm lucky to still have you in my life)

He's over in my blog links now as Peace of Cake. For those of you who know him, he's just as funny and thought provoking as ever, for everyone else...what are you waiting for? I mean, I know I'm fascinating and all, but this entry's finished now.

Labels: blogging, memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 1:39 AM

(2) comments



2005-10-01 
 

auntie mame is hung

I had a friend back in Boston who would throw that quote at me quite regularly. For some reason, she popped into my mind this morning, and I wondered how she was doing. (Okay, the reason is probably strongly linked to the fact that I had about 20 martinis last night and a generally all around good time.)

We fell out of touch after I moved to SF, but the memories still bring a smile to my face. Sure, today the smile came after a couple of aspirin and a strong cup of coffee, but it did eventually make an appearance and I'd like to give a shout out to Grace to say thanks.

Labels: memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 5:44 PM

(1) comments



2005-09-28 
 

sunny g

G had a doctors appointment today. Everything's fine. (In fact everything's great. His viral load is undetectable and his T cells are still nice and high.)

G mentioned something to the doctor about how thankful he was to have been under his care for the past 15 years and the doctor gave it right back. Thanked G for being a good patient and willing to participate in any number of surveys and test trials over the years. Mentioned how G always made it in and never complained about the gallons of blood they needed to take away. How he always had a good attitude and that, basically, he helped save lives.

G would never mention any of this to you because he has a hard time believing that anyone else would've done it differently. I'm a bit more jaded than that. Sometimes I'm so proud to know him and so happy that he's mine that I could burst! (Which would be messy and quite unpleasant, so I figured I'd blog about it instead.)

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 10:29 PM

(1) comments



2005-08-19 
 

oh wondrous thunder!

Oh wondrous thunder!

Anastacia, vixen of years past, grown full with your own potential. The waxing one now full. Your words bring joy to an unsteady heart, to a soul buried beneath electronic bits and bytes and forced to endure congresses in which only future congress is discussed, ne’er solutions or escape.

Indeed, is this what I have become? An automaton with no rest but that which dear sweet death shall bring? My voice cries out, weakly at first but then stronger and more assured, buoyed by the sweet sound of your voice rising inside of me.

The seeds you have planted grow more than that rarest of beauty now. My hope also grows.

Yours as always –

Stephan

Labels: memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 1:22 PM

(0) comments



2005-08-06 
 

hiv evening

I recently found out that a good friend is positive. Later, after being there for him for a while, I went home to G...and I cried. Cried because the disease had infiltrated into yet another corner of my life, cried because it still scares me.

G held me in his arms and comforted me. Reminded me of all the things I already know:

It's not how it used to be. People live. Life continues to go on and there's beauty to be found, even on the harshest of journies.

G, who's danced with the disease for over 15 years reminded me that everything may yet be okay.

There's the answer. That's how I do it.

Alone we may falter and fall, but together we stand strong. Never be afraid to lean on those who love you.

That goes double for you my friend. If you need me, give a ring. I'm done crying and my shoulder's there for you...Thanks to G, and everyone like him who's willing to step into tomorrow.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 11:32 PM

(2) comments



2005-05-06 
 

mom always said...

Got some disturbing news from a close friend tonight. He'd been messing around with his girlfriend and punctured an eardrum. Errrm...okay, first off get your mind out of the gutter. Then explain to me exactly what you think that they were doing?

The details are actually rather mundane and really aren't that important.

Point is, I hadn't thought about how much this particular person meant to me in a long time. The second he started telling me about it all, I forgot how tired I was from working and how disgruntled I was feeling. I just started saying silent prayers to the powers that be. Suddenly all that mattered was that he be okay. The doctors have told him that the eardrum should heal back to normal, but I'm going to keep sending good thoughts his way. He may think it's a bit corny, but I know he'll appreciate the thought.

Meanwhile, in less intense news, this link from Super B makes me smile. I may be a bit of a fair weather fan, but I know someone truly hardcore!

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 1:58 AM

(2) comments



2005-04-23 
 

camera vanisho

So I'm back! Did an amazing ammount of shopping in upstate New York. (Well, maybe it wasn't that amazing given that we spent our days inside various shopping centers.) Many new shirts and sweaters were found for both G and myself, but no jeans or khakis because that would be WRONG.

Anyway, filled up the suitcase so tight it was a wonder it all fit in...until I wanted to show G my pictures and movies from Niagara Falls and realized that the camera was still sitting under the passenger seat of the rental car.

Hopefully the people at Hertz are honest and caring folk who'll place my missing item in their lost and found to be safely returned next week. Otherwise I've lost about 350 dollars worth of camera, memory cards and rechargable digital batteries.

Truth is that the monetary loss doesn't bug me as much as the loss of the pictures and movies. Fleeting bits and bytes to help me remember a fun day I once had.

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 6:18 PM

(1) comments



2005-04-08 
 

wonder woman

I often joke that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but the truth is that I'll be happy if I end up half as cool and caring as my parents are today. Got an email from my Mom a few days back about her latest project: Wings of Hope.

I spoke with her today and found out that she plans to eventually expand the site to tell a little bit more about her own story of living with myositis, but she's off to an admirable start and I hope you check it out.

Labels: linkage, shout out

* posted by me at 8:38 PM

(1) comments



2005-04-06 
 

a peek ahead

Consider this a teaser. A hint of something to come.

Labels: 1000 words, shout out

* posted by me at 1:49 AM

(1) comments



2005-03-23 
 

day of dude

On this day in 1974 my life changed forever. This little ball of strange noises and odd smells entered our home and took most of the attention away from my cute self.

He's one of the best things to ever happen to me, so it's with a loud and happy voice that I shout out:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!!

Labels: shout out

* posted by me at 10:43 PM

(0) comments



2005-02-22 
 

sidewalk snapshots

Let me start the day by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most beautiful woman in my world: Mom! Wishing you the very best birthday and a wonderful year.

In honor of my Mom, from whom I inherited both shutterbug fever and a tendency towards environmentalism, I'm posting this little photo essay of sidewalk art I discovered on my way to work the other day.


chemicals from factory leak into bay


water turns green and bubbles


jogger wets headband in water to cool off


jogger's hair smokes and falls out


mass hysteria ensues


city drains entire bay and has it paved

Labels: 1000 words, shout out

* posted by me at 10:06 AM

(0) comments



2005-02-16 
 

beam me up

Bun's back in town! Got a call from her yesterday and she's hoping to have me/us over for a dinner soon in the temporary digs she's sharing with other members of her family. Not sure how long she'll be around, but excited to see her for a good old catch up.

I'm still selfish enough to want her all to myself, but willing to own that emotion so I can enjoy her as part of a bigger group now. Still, that's not saying I won't try to get her to myself for at least a moment or two. After all, it's been over two years since we last met in person.

Insert appropriate wavy lines here. Then picture a montage of short clips featuring B and myself in a mulitude of merry situations. Ready? CUE VOICEOVER:

For most of my first years in SF, B and I were constant companions, spending most of our free time with each other. Shortly after I met G she made the jump up North to move in with her new family and our closeness swam down to a deeper level. It breached the surface whenever we spoke on the phone, but drifted down again after goodbyes were said.

OK, the friendship/whale metaphor turns out much weirder than I intended, but it comes closest to expressing thoughts that haven't quite formed fully in my mind.

We always travelled different paths, yet they constantly paralleled one another. Often so closely that the path become as one. At other times, further apart, but never placing us out of site from one another. I sometimes wonder if we met before this life and planned our individual "nesting" phases to coincide. I wonder if we knew about the median strip that would spring up between us, blinding us to each others experiences save for the occasional glimpse when we crossed bridges.

OK, friendship as parallel path not as odd, but too cliche and transition to highway image rather harsh. Will return to these thoughts at a later date.

END VOICEOVER

In other, non-metaphoric news: The comments are finally working for ALL users and not just folks with blogger accounts. Yay!

Labels: blogging, memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 12:11 AM

(0) comments



2005-02-09 
 

DOUBLE FEATURE: triple giggle and pimp pine pictures

Click through to GAWKER to see an article that made me giggle thrice. (Thanks to Michael for pointing out this particular story.)

1. I like the idea of myself as a "sartorially-challenged, shut-in computer nerd with a sicko crush on Scarlett Johansson and the skinny guy from The O.C"

2. Directly below the article they have advertising banners flicker in and out from various national brands and the following plug: "Gawker Media - Gawker and seven other weblog titles - brings a young and influential audience to brand advertisers." That's either sadly hypocritical or deliciously ironic, but it's funny either way. (I vote for the latter. I've always liked Gawker...and several of their seven other weblog titles.)

3. Well, you'll have to guess at the third giggle, but if you know me it'll be pretty obvious once you read the article.

In other news: I spent most of last night organizing two years worth of photos. There were a lot of pictures to go through, but the time consuming part of the task became remembering all the good times and retelling stories with G. This one in particular had a lot of good associations with it.



Imagine my surprise when a closer examination revealed a frolicking Sponge Bob sprinkling his special brand of love around my old stomping grounds.



Belated thanks to Dude and Dudette for the doubles you gave us at the last barn bash. Can't wait for the next one!

Labels: 1000 words, blogging, dose of mikey, g, linkage, looking eastward, sharketing, shout out

* posted by me at 10:17 PM

(0) comments



2005-01-24 
 

things are looking up

G and I did some errands around the city on Saturday. He volunteered to drive, so I decided to have a little blue and took random pictures out of the car window. Some samples:



blue skies



i took MANY pictures looking up



we both shouted, "Dude!" when we saw this



and, of course, sometimes a random biker gets in the way

Labels: 1000 words, g, san francisco, shout out

* posted by me at 11:40 PM

(0) comments



2004-12-04 
 

what would william think?

When I was younger I created a variation of an invisible friend. His name was William, and I met him for the first time on a day I'd stayed home sick from school.

I lay in bed, finally bored of the many puzzles Mommy had brought in to amuse me. My little world of the bedroom had become tiresome since I know that doing anything too noisy will cause a scolding to come my way. Looking at the bookshelf, I can't find anything that hasn't been read at least two or three times already. So I curl up into the bed and pull the blanket over my head.

The realization that I'm a caterpillar in a cocoon hits me suddenly. I feel my body slowly morphing. Little legs are sinking back into my body, while at my back I feel wings sprouting. I can't see them, but I know that they're the most beautiful wings in all of the world! With a sudden burst of energy, I throw off the covers and stand wobbling on the soft mattress. Then another burst of knowledge. I'm not a butterfly at all! I'm William, and I must be having an incredibly odd dream. You see, I'd gone to sleep the night before, laying on a most comfortable pile of hay that I'd pushed into the corner after cleaning out my master's stable and tending to the horses. I remember settling in to the comforting straw and falling asleep giving thanks to the heaven's that they helped me to find such a good master. His given name was Ethan, though I had to call him Sir Gothardt as a sign of respect. I did so gladly. Sir Gothardt was a good master, and I led a good life as his squire.

But the world around me looks nothing like the stable I know so well. What, after all, could that strange object in the corner be? It was tall and looked a bit like the harpsichord I'd seen on a visit to Lord Darkwind's castle, but it was made from a strange purple marble. I remembered Lady Ursula explaining to Sir Gothardt that the harpsichord sounded better than any other in the country because of the fine wood it had been crafted from. This marble object couldn't be a musical instrument, could it?

Glancing down, I can see my feet causing an indent in a bed of some sort. But what a strange bed it is! And how unsteady I feel trying to keep balance on the softest of mattresses! My unsteadiness convinces me that the best course of action would be to sit down. So I do.

I pull the sheets up over my lap and realize that I must be in one of Lord Darkwind's rooms. After all, the material is soft and colored a pale green, I decide that this must be the silk Lady Ursula raves on about. I look behind me and see a pillow wrapped in a patterned field of hundreds of flowers. It's then that I notice the strange device sitting on a short table at the side of the bed. It's black and made from a shiny black substance that is slick to the touch. On the very front is a very small and very odd metal bar. Above the bar someone has written the word "ON" upon it in a very neat hand. A short bit below the bar, I see the word "OFF" in the same writing. I puzzle over this for a bit. What does it mean? As I run my fingers over the bar, it shifts upward.

I jump back as a bright light shines suddenly from the top of the device. Fire! I look around for some water to throw on it, but my panic subsides as I see that the flames are not spreading. In fact, the light is steady and not flickering at all. Cautiously, I reach toward the object. It is much warmer at the top, but not at all hot. The little bar remains cool. I flick it back down, and the light is extinguished. It makes me sad to lose the light, but after a moment, the significance of "ON" and "OFF" comes to me. I push the little bar back upward and the light once again shines on the room around me.

As I switch the magical light on and off joyfully, I know what my mission must be. This isn't Lord Darkwind's castle at all. It's a wondrous new country that I've somehow traveled to in my sleep. It's clear that I've been sent to this place as a scholar, and must detail and catalog everything I see so that I can share them all with the people back in the lands I came from.

I go slowly around the room, discovering any number of other magical items. The craftsmanship of the shelves amazes me, but more wonderful are the small framed paintings. Paintings made with such skill that no brushstokes are visible. Then there's the unending supply of exotic toys! I do feel a bit silly playing with them at first. After all, I'm an old boy now and a squire to boot. Toys are things for small children of 5 or 6...but the discovery that some of them boast the magic of "ON" and "OFF" and can MOVE ON THEIR OWN, convinces me that they fall well within my mission of discovery.

Finally, I'm finished with the shelves, and approach the marble structure in the far corner. I feel it tentatively expecting cold stone, but am surprised to find that it's much softer than that. In fact, it's made from wood after all. Someone has only painted it to resemble marble. When I touch one of the little white planks on the front, it does indeed make a sweet sound, just like the harpsichord back home. This too, must have fine wood underneath the purple and grey paint. But it looks so strange! I hit more of the little planks and marvel at the minds that must have decided to create such a strange object.

Then a voice calls out, "Michael? Was machts du?" It's German! At least I think it must be German. It sounds quite like the language Lady Ursula and her sisters talk when they're telling secrets.

I decide that the best course of action is to crawl back into the bed, pull the covers over my head and return quickly to my own country.

Pulling the soft cotton covers down from over my head, I'm Mike again. But a much happier Mike who is willing to see what a great world we live in.

Since that first time, William's been to visit me many times. He never comes in such a dramatic fashion anymore. In fact sometimes I'll just be pulling on my sock and he'll be there, wondering what marvelous technology created such a comfortable and finely spun garment.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Rereading that, I realize that it might have been clearer to call William an alter ego from the start, but isn't that exactly what invisible friends are?


This entry is dedicated to several people:
Emma, whom I hope finds someone as magical as William in her own life.
Mom and Dad, for never stifling my odd creative bursts
Mark, who asked me to blog something soon.
and Greg, for always reminding me that there's magic in the world

Labels: dose of mikey, memory lane, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 10:17 PM

(0) comments



2004-01-23 
 

old friends


In every friendship there are moments when we take each other for granted. I'm sorry if I've done that these past weeks, months, years. I can't promise to get less self involved, but I can try to remember that the world needn't stop and start with the company that signs my paycheck.

Can you imagine us
Years from today,
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange
To be seventy.
Old friends,
Memory brushes the same years
Silently sharing the same fears
'Old Friends'from the album 'Bookends' (1968) - Simon and Garfunkle

Labels: looking eastward, memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 4:41 PM

(0) comments



2003-11-28 
 

gay thanks


Spent yesterday lazing around until about 2 and then scrambled to help G prep the desert dishes for Hug's dinner. Arrived at 5 and proceeded to stuff ourselves for several hours on everything from California salad to mussels and crab. Spent most of the time watching movies on Hug's ginourmous new television.

Y Tu Mamá También and then Chicago. I've seen YTMT several times and find something new to appreciate every time. Chicago, while being one of the best stage to screen translations I've seen, is only wonderful if you love the music. I don't love the music. I don't hate it, but the movie didn't open up my eyes to something new the way several friends told me it would. As far as screen musicals go, I'm still firmly in the Moulin Rouge camp. I love po-pomo.

Things to be thankful for; gay marriage edition:
i have a family who truly wished my partner and i could be with them yesterday
i have many good local friends who invited us to spend the day with them yesterday
i have many good far away friends who would gladly have had us over yesterday
i have a partner who's happy being a bit nontraditional on thanksgiving (eg: crab and pear galette)
i may someday get to call my partner husband in the eyes of the law

Quote for the day:
"There ought to be two distinct kinds of marriage: one governed by the state with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the church with rules enforced by her on her own members." C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, random review, shout out, the gay

* posted by me at 2:49 PM

(0) comments



2003-11-21 
 

r.i.p. zip

Today I said goodbye to Zip. He's been with me since Scree and I parted ways 9 years ago. Scree and I had an uneasy bond. Never sure that we could trust each other.

With Zip it was different. We were solid. Got to know each other over a typically horrid New Enland winter and then packed up for the west coast. He took me all the way across the country carrying just about everything I owned, and then suffered patiently through the indignities of San Francisco street parking without complaining once. The past year was hard. We knew his time was coming, and I don't blame him for finally conking out. I'm just grateful that he stuck around as long as he could.

I'll miss him.

Labels: dose of mikey, san francisco, shout out, travel

* posted by me at 8:47 PM

(0) comments



2003-11-15 
 

massahhhhhge

Before she left for the other coast JerseyGirl gave G and I a gift certificate for a couples massage at the Nob Hill Spa at the Huntington Hotel. Mmmmmmm. Very relaxey morning. The therapist was very good and really helped to get some of the "computer sitter" out of my shoulders.

Wish we could afford to do that everyday, but very thankful that we got the opportunity and will be looking back with happiness. Cheers to JG!

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, shout out

* posted by me at 8:26 PM

(0) comments



2003-09-27 
 

ramekins

We had V and S over last night for V's belated birthday celebration. G made zucchini ramekins, emptied them onto a plate of buttered chive noodles and topped it all off with diced tomatoes and basil. Needless to say, it was a big hit. Also a big hit was the yummiest chocolate cake in the world. I may be gaining weight in this relationship, but it's worth it!

Happy Birthday greetings also go out to Dad who hit 63 yesterday. (Ouch, hope it didn't hurt too much.) Hee hee!

Today will be a lazy day with nothing serious discussed. The world is a very f'ed up place right now and I'd like to have a bit of a vacation from all that.

Ramekins....what a fun word! (It's going to be my new favorite term of endearment.)

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 7:28 PM

(0) comments



2003-09-16 
 

just another manic monday

(whoa-woah) It was a looooong day. There's a palpable tension at work as we all wait to hear about the next round of lay-offs. Everyone's trying to do their jobs, but the sluggishness and inability to concentrate that permeated the cubes and offices today couldn't just be chalked up to the Monday blahs or too rough a weekend. We all just want to hear what's going to happen so that we can get on with it. Came home tonight, ate a yummy piece of quiche with G and promptly fell asleep on the couch while he went off down the hall to make sourdough bread. (Yum Squared!)

Woke up about an hour later feeling refreshed but befuddled, so I'm blogging while I can.

Met up with Stacia yesterday afternoon. First time since she moved back to the city that we've managed to get together and it was GOOOOOD. I was feeling a bit down. G's leg is much better but the antibiotic is mucking about with his other meds and giving him a hard time...naturally it's all about ME though, so I started worrying about his health in general...also been thinking a lot about New England and the fact that we might not make it back for more than visits over the next few years...and ruminating on upcoming reorg/possible layoff at work (the fact that I'm actually quite happy about in forces me to realize I haven't been as happy as I ought to be over the past couple months)...and Bun being far away....and wanting to cry because someday I'll be all alone...) I told you it's all about me.

Anyhoo. A session of tea and dolmas with Stacia was just about what the doctor ordered. We've both changed quite a bit from the bright eyed pessimists we were back in school...but surprisingly in many of the same ways. We've both learned that embracing change is not a crime; that a willingness to believe that you deserve something often leads to the attainment of that thing; and the ultimate importance of living in the now.

Got home and couldn't stop kissing G and giving him little hugs. I think he thought I was zany, but very happy to see me out of my crank. That reminds me, time to go cuddle up on the couch with him and enjoy the now.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, looking eastward, shout out

* posted by me at 2:35 AM

(0) comments



2003-09-10 
 

hurting the ones you love

Got to sleep in a bit for the second day in a row...had originally planned to be up in Harbin Hot Springs for a mini break, but G's hole in his leg would've made that more agony then restful so we cancelled and spent the time here letting him recoop and doing this and that around home and very locally. (It's good to get him walking around a bit, but we don't want to push it until hearing more from the doctor on Thursday.) Want to say a hearty thanks to Nurse C since he not only gave us wound care tips, but assisted and talked me through it yesterday when I had to change the dressing and clean out the hole. It's on the back of G's leg, so he can't really get a good look at it to do anything himself. This leaves me to take care of it...not a happy task, but I'd rather do it and have him get better than any other option.

For those of you wondering why it's up to me to clean out the wound with some monster cotton swab, swish in some sterile water and then poke it full of seaweed, let me remind you that our healthcare system sucks. I pray you never have to depend upon the system, because, unless you have bundles of cash, the system depends on you to get it done yourself and honestly would probably be glad to have one less person around to bother it if you screw up. Thanks again to Nurse C, and prayers out to those in need that they too have a good friend around to help out.

Today I flew solo on the cleaning/dressing of the much healthier looking hole in G's leg. Other than the pain I was obviously causing him, it went ok. We headed over to Chow for some food to celebrate it being over for today and then to Crossroads for some retail therapy. We ended up trading in some jeans and tops that we never wear for for two cool sweaters and a funky hat. It's the little things in life.

In other news. Back to work tomorrow. Yuck.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, medical mystery, rant, shout out

* posted by me at 12:49 AM

(0) comments



2003-08-16 
 

arrgh

Just typed in a very long post that was eaten by Blogger...no desire to type it all again, so to sum up:

What a week it's been.

Lovely dinner last night...authentic Thai. (and congrats to Vivianka and Fireboy)

Need FTP software...if I'm ever to update pages beyond the main home page.

Desire webcam.

Also have fondness for Kenneth Cole shoes.

Money, money, money!

Oh how I desire webcam and wish to join the 21st century.

Need for virus protection software overrides all right now.

Thank the powers that be for the existance of G who knows a bit about computers.

Ooh look! New donation button to right in hopes that random rich person takes a shine to me and this site.

Yes, TANSTAAFL, but I'm willing to try.

Excited to see Keeks tonight.

Bye for now.

Labels: blogging, dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 8:46 PM

(0) comments



2003-08-09 
 

uncles!

Just a quick note to say congratulations to Buddah and OG...and baby makes three!

You can see cute pix here. All G and I have to say is WOOOOO HOOOOOO!

Labels: linkage, shout out

* posted by me at 12:51 AM

(0) comments



2003-07-19 
 

firestarter

Tonight we had Firestarter over for barbecued steak and an evening of chat. Ended up in front of our fireplace getting flame retardant wood to burn in our little fireplace. We managed. With a bit of late night sawing, some boyscout water, a few candle stubs and the sheer tenacity that comes to one after several glasses of wine and a six pack of Sam Adams Light.

Thus did he earn his new nickname....and we saw that it was good.

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 5:15 AM

(0) comments



2003-06-02 
 

speak up

I know I've written about this before, but it bears repeating. Gay couplehood is just as legit as hetero couplehood and there should be no legal distintions between the two. If marriage is in need of defense, as some right wing folk would claim, it is because it is one area where church and state are still quite tied together. Seperate them already! The California legislature will soon be voting on AB 205 which would grant many (though not all) of the rights given to straight married folks to registered domestic partners. Read more about this and other important issues at the Equality California website. In related news, I've read that Massachusetts may be the site of a decision that will turn the tide for the rest of the country. Gathering more info. Will report back soon.

In other gay news: Richard Chamberlain is officially out of the closet. It's a small step. He's not an A List movie star, but thanks to Shogun, The Thornbirds and other parts he played, he is relatively well known to millions of people. This is one of the first times I remember a romantic leading man of his fame coming out while still alive. (and happily living with his partner of 26 years in Hawaii.) Cheers!

There it is again. The island I've been dreaming of. G and I will either be back in Massachusetts in the end of June or visiting the Big Island.

Have I mentioned that I'm blogging from my own computer again? Kudos to G who figured out a way to fool the software into thinking my machine had the "new and improved" performance capabilities that the provider now requires.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, rant, shout out

* posted by me at 10:40 PM

(0) comments



2003-05-22 
 

dancing

This morning on the way to work, I heard Lee Ann Womack's I Hope You Dance. I'm not a big fan of country music, but this song always gets me. (Yes, I own it, I'm a sentimental geek...and quite happy about it.)

The refrain in particular sticks with me. I think of my Mom and Dad, who sent me out into the world with similar sentiments. Never telling me what to do, just what they wished for me.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
Dance....I hope you dance.
...
Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone?

I got in the car this evening to go home and turned it on to hear the song playing again. I can be dense sometimes, but when the universe shouts I pay attention. Gave a call home and had a great conversation with Dad. I try and call about once a week, but life and the moment we're in often gets in the way of the to of us doing more than exchanging news and passing along love. Mom and I have always have an easier time of getting deep into it when we talk. I think there's enough of her mother in both of us to want to explore our deepest thoughts and share them. Tonight, Dad and I talked about everything and nothing and had one of those deeper conversations. We both laughed a lot and yes, when I told him about the song, it choked me up. (told you I was sentimental)

If I haven't said it before in this space, I love you both very much. I thank you for always being honest with me and accepting of my own honesty. I thank you for letting me fall down now and again, as much as it must've hurt to not snatch me back from learning things in my own way. I thank you for congratulating me in the times when that fall turned into a "triumphant dismount", and I thank you for helping me get up in the times when I landed flat on my back without ever saying "I told you so." Now that I'm an adult, I thank you for letting me pick you up now and again when you need it, without ever expecting me to. I thank you for becoming more than parents to me as I've gotten older, without ever stopping caring about me as only parents can. Most of all, I thank you for always encouraging me to dance.

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 12:42 AM

(0) comments



2003-04-11 
 

happy day

Well, work was crazybusy this week. My boss was away so I ended up having to take over for him for the first three days and still do my own job. On Thursday morning when he returned, I went into his office and let him know that as of that point I'd already put in a good 40 hours so I would be taking Friday off. Being a pretty cool bean, he had no problems with it so I've been home today, sleeping in late, making some chicken stew and sending birthday cards off to M. HAPPY 33!

In other news, taxes are due on Tuesday and I still haven't done mine. Ugh. It's because last year I ended up owing a little bit and I'm scared of finding out that this year will be the same. Tomorrow, I plan on getting it over with. Today is about taking a little break. G and I are heading over to Cole Valley for a nice cafe au lait and tartines at the appropriately named Boulange de Cole Valley. Yum!

Labels: dose of mikey, g, linkage, sharketing, shout out

* posted by me at 7:41 PM

(0) comments



2003-04-05 
 

big round head

I'm not fat...a little pudgier than I used to be maybe...but not huge. However, looking at the picture below I see a big round head. Looking back at pictures of me when I was skinny...big round head. Where did it come from? Mom and Dad don't have big round heads. Dude doesn't have a big round head. I fear a Chandleresque moment. I'll be minding my own business when suddenly someone close by will freak out and start shouting,"Big Head! Big Head! Big Head!"

In other, less self obsessed news: spoke to Bun today and it made me a little nostalgic. I'm happy that we've both figured out different ways of finding happiness, but I do miss the days when it was the two of us vs. the world (and we always seemed to be winning.) I was a bit sad too, because trying to talk to G about my feelings afterward is hard. They had a bad meeting way back when and never had another one to really figure each other out. She was in a place where her viewpoint was very important to her and he's pretty set in his viewpoints, so BOOM. Me? I just sat back and watched it happen because I couldn't bear to get in-between two people I loved so much. I've learned not to have regrets, but that was a big lesson for me. Sometimes you have to step in and get your hands dirty.

I have hopes that someday we'll all meet and realize what good friends are, but I have a feeling that isn't going to be. While it's putting thoughts into their heads that they may not be having, I think that G's not as open minded as I am about her particular situation...and I feel that she's probably not as open minded about his. C'est la vie. If we all agreed all the time, this world would be a very boring place. But it all makes me a little sad nonetheless.

Oops...guess this has been pretty self obsessed as well, but that's what you get for reading my blog.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, memory lane, shout out

* posted by me at 6:41 PM

(0) comments



2003-01-19 
 

hedwig

excellent, excellent, excellent

I was a bit afraid that my repeated viewings of the movie would color my experience of the stage version, but it was all for naught. The power of live performance really lends itself well to the story of Hedwig and I'm very happy MP thought to take me along with her. THANKS! I know it's playing at various venues across the country, but seeing it at the Victoria in SF was everything it should be. What better place than a theatre that has seen everything from Vaudeville to Burlesque? Another very good thing about the SF version is Kevin Cahoon as Hedwig. He's able to play with the audience in an unforced way that really helped make us part of the performance. (Being her second time at the show, MP mentioned that last night's weekend crowd had much better energy than the weeknight audience she saw it with the first time.) Since it's just been extended through March, I'm thinking that G and I will go on a Friday or a Saturday night. Yip, it's that good. It almost has a Rocky Horror type of feeling with the audience really willing to play along. (the 60something hetero couple who eagerly volunteered for the carwash reminded me of why I love living in this city...I don't quite see that happening in Boston)

In other news: I've begun the framework for the art page. Thanks to M for pointing me to a great site for that!

Still bored? So was this person. Singing Horses! Just goes to show what wonderful things you can do with too much time on your hands.

Labels: linkage, random review, san francisco, shout out

* posted by me at 6:01 PM

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2002-05-24 
 

soup and hope

Lately, my sisters out in Massachusetts keep coming to mind. Hoping that they're doing well. Not sure if it was actually her doing, but would like to thank Stargirl for sneaking the following quote into my life this past week. It was just the sort of thing I needed to hear.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
- Anne Frank

As for KB, what happened to your e-mail? Empty that box girl! I miss you both lots.

Labels: shout out

* posted by me at 4:24 PM

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2002-04-12 
 

information day

Today is 4-11. It's m's b-day. I hope that she and little e are doing well in their new digs. If I had the power to teleport, m's the first person I'd pop over to see for a cuppa.

Tonight G's out with a friend, so I've got the place to myself. This is nice since I'm not often able to be here all alone, and one of the most important things I've learned about myself in a relationship is that I still need me time. I can always go out, but it's nice to be in our space all by myself every now and again. Unfortunately, I'm a bit too tired tonight to really do anything much.

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 2:11 AM

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2002-04-04 
 

rising from the ashes

Had dinner with Phoenix recently. It was really good to see him and catch up. And for the first time, I felt ok talking to him about the darker side of my relationship with G. I finally fessed up to the fact that I had avoided talking about problems I might have been having because I was afraid of further souring him on the idea of love. Every couple worth it's salt is going to have some hard times, but I wouldn't even mention anything to him a year ago, so it felt good to talk about that. It was also good to talk to someone who understands G's need to shut down when we're arguing. Especially when my strategy is usually to talk everything into the ground. (Dude has always understood G's way as well, and has been a great source of insight, but reinforcement is good.)

In other news: he's moving northward. Not sure why, but this feels like the right move for him. I'm sad that he's going away, but happy that he's on a path of his own choosing instead of just concentrating on getting one foot in front of the other.

Yay! Good food and good conversation. Love that!

Labels: dose of mikey, g, shout out

* posted by me at 12:42 AM

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2002-03-21 
 

choice

Mom's still in the hospital. She's calling on reserves of strength to get her through all the tests. Must be very frustrating to endure them only to be told that they can't figure out what caused the problem in the first place. It's times like these that it's very hard to be a full country away from where they are. G and I talk about moving east now and again. G's all for it. I want to be closer to the family, but I'm very nervous about my quality of life back there. Right now I have a job that drives me crazy and stresses me out, but deep down I know how lucky I am to have some passion for the work I'm doing during 1/3 of my waking hours. I'm scared of jumping to another company and finding that the corporate culture there isn't as flexible as the one I'm in now. (For all my complaints about the business side of things here at the American I, they really do promote freedom of choice in your personal life.)

Nevertheless, a move to the east is unavoidable over the next few years, and I ought to start looking forward to it. (If you can't change the situation, you can always change your mind!) If I can move up at least one rung here at the American I, I'll be in a better position to ask for the same flexibility of schedule that I enjoy now in a new company.

OK, I'm sure you all cared SOOO much about that, but this is my blog after all so...thpppt.

Labels: dose of mikey, looking eastward, sharketing, shout out

* posted by me at 10:52 PM

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2002-03-20 
 

the other coast

Mom's in the hospital. Felt like a heart attack, but the ekg came out normal. The docs are thinking that it might be a reaction to a drug she had just started taking for the flu, but are keeping her overnight for observation.

G's out with Nate this eve, so I'm going to pour myself a nice stiff drink and fall asleep in front of the tv.

Labels: dose of mikey, shout out

* posted by me at 11:19 PM

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2002-03-14 
 

sipping ambrosia

I've been a bit sad over the past few days. A very good friend of mine lost her mother last week. She'd been ailing for a while, but that never makes things any easier. One of the many things that helped Stasia and I become as close as we did in those post college years was our ability to empathize on the subject of mothers whose bodies were rebelling against them. While I never became as close to her mom as I might have if Stasia and I had chosen paths that stayed closer to home, we did have some comfortable moments together. I remember sitting and talking with her while I waited for Stasia to finish getting ready for one of our nights out in Boston. She'd always offer me a g&t and sit down to get the scoop on what was going on in my life and tell me a bit about hers. And almost invariably, she'd lean forward and conspirationally ask, "So, Michael, how is my daughter doing, really?" I'd always reply with some positive remark - never hard to do in Stasia's case. Her mom would then lean back contented that her mother's instinct was still on target and state, "I knew it." She was one of those genuinely friendly people that the world could use more of. I look forward to bumping into her again some day when I too have moved on to greater things. We'll sit down over whatever ambrosia they serve over there and have a nice chat.

Labels: dose of mikey, memory lane, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 2:04 AM

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2002-02-22 
 

across the universe

The site I post from was down last night, so I just surfed around instead. So much out there! Just got lost in sputnik7 which is a site that G pointed me to. They have wonderful video of Rufus Wainwright singing Across the Universe. Speaking of across the universe...

Spoke with Bunny G again today. Once again, wonderful to hear her voice, but I was still feeling a bit weird about it all. Last week, when I first dug down into my feelings on the matter, I was choosing to feel abandoned, but I'm choosing to feel otherwise now. I'm choosing to feel happy that we're both in good spaces in our lives and accepting that to continue on our current happy paths, we'll have to remain apart for now. I'm also giving up on worrying that we won't have quite the same connection in the future when we do get together. I was just being scared of change. Of course it'll be different! I keep forgetting that change is desirable and keeps life interesting.

With that in mind, I'm forwarding on a link to the Bun herself so we won't have to be quite so far apart anymore.

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, shout out, spirit

* posted by me at 2:29 AM

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2002-02-17 
 

i'm going to disneyland

After a bit of a rough start, today turned out to be quite nice. Around 2pm C and I arrived at Disney Land. My very first time at "The Happiest Place on Earth"

I'd been to Disney World back at age 13 with the parentals and Marcus, but somehow I've always wanted to see the park that started it all. The one that always seems to get featured in those too-late at night specials on the DisneyChannel. So today we went and...it was just an amusement park. A rather nice one, with fewer gumwrappers than most, but oh so crowded with every type of dusty human being imaginable and some of them not very nice people. Admittedly not the staff, who were almost eerie in their unerring smilingness. But the visitors were not the clean shining examples of Americana, waltzing down Main Street hand in hand that I'd somehow expected to find.

Now I'm fully aware that I, having survived three full decades on this planet of ours, shouldn't be so naive as to think that some marketers mouse house was truly as wonderful as they proclaimed, yet there was a part of me that did expect it. Did I therefore spend the rest of the day wallowing in sad dissillusionment? No, I was actually overjoyed to find that a part of me still exists that expects the universe to be as wonderful as we sometimes imagine it to be. And the day kept getting better.

We didn't go any many of the rides, but in a twist of good luck we did start out at Thunder Mountain. As we sped up and down this ride, which seemed tame to my adult mind that's experienced highs of many sorts - both natural and un - I suddenly remembered the 13 year old I had been who sped from exit back to entrance with my little brother right next to me so that we could go on it again - and again. That in mind, I spent most of the day letting my inner child run free. Ignoring the gumwrappers and too tired parents and just soaking in what is, after all, a pretty neat place. A big shout out to the dude himself, I was back there today and boy was it fun! (and to any errant wanderer whose tripped onto these pages...I know this is just so much mental masturbation but it's my blog so THBBBT! If you don't like it, you can just go play somewhere else.)

In other news, we all went to see The Royal Tenenbaums tonight. Which greatly pleased my inner English Major. I recommend it to anyone who likes their comedy a bit darker than the usual fare offered up at the cineplex. I confess. When I was younger, I wished I was more like Margot Tenenbaum...that is until I realized I could be interesting in my own right. (bit full of myself tonight aren't I)

One last note before sending this off into the ether. A big thanks to C for being the kind of friend who can wander aimlessly around an amusement park with me just...well hang out. I miss having you around up north!

Labels: dose of mikey, linkage, memory lane, random review, shout out, spirit, travel

* posted by me at 4:02 AM

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