OK

So I'm slacking on keeping up my blog. guess it speaks well for my social life since I can't seem to find the time.
So what has happened since I last posted. Jave has been living with me since January. It's not going too well right now. He doesn't seem to care about anyone but himself. Other people's feelings are unimportant. I'm not sure why he's this way, but it's annoying.
I don't know how much longer he'll be living with me. He doesn't seem all that happy. He's begun a Master's program online with American College of Education. He wants to be a principal. This takes up alot of time and he's in his room constantly. It's almost like living alone again.
We done quite a bit in the past few months. The highlights are our trip to Pensacola for Memorial day; our trip to DC for the 4th and many parties (well, two or three) where we sang karaoke.
I had always been afraid to sing in front of ppl till I realized most ppl suck as bad as I do. Now I think it's fun. I haven't tried it in a bar and may not, but at home in front of a small group is great. I even bought my own karaoke microphone.
That's all I'm going to write for now. I'm tired.

Hey there

Just wanted to catch up on my blog since I've not been posting here lately. I've been so busy. The past few months have flown by.
I met a new friend on Nov. 14, 2008 at 3:30 PM. We met in the steam room at the Y. His name is Jave and he is from the Philippines.
I must say I really enjoy Jave's company. From the beginning he struck me as someone with a great personality. He's smart, philosophically deep, very friendly and affectionate, and he's beautiful.
We started out dating, but it has morphed into a close friendship. I hope it morphs into a long term relationship, but he is hesitant to make any commitments b/c he has big plans for himself. He'd like to move to the big city and become successful.
I'm not sure quite how I feel. It's bittersweet, our connection.
Anyway, we have a great time together and we have plans for the time he is in Baton Rouge. I'll show him his first Mardi Gras, to include the SpanishTown parade. We'll attend the events in Pensacola for Memorial Day. I'll bring him to see Festival Internationale in Lafayette, always a good time there.
I'm going to try to enjoy the time I have with him and not worry about what is to come. That is, after all, all I can really do.
I just hope no matter what happens that we remain as close as we are today.

My New York trip

My trip to NYC this year was an eventful, fun time. I arrived in Manhattan, from LaGuardia, at around Noon on Friday, Oct. 10th. I got there before Susie, so I checked in and went on a trek around the Chelsea neighborhood to find some food. I found a small pizza place, one of many, and sat down to eat my slice. It was a big slice, but thin and crisp, with mounds of ground meat and dollops of ricotta and marinara. Not bad.

Susie arrived around 1:30 and we dropped off her luggage as our room wouldn’t be ready till around 3. We found her a slice and had a conversation. Walked the neighborhood till 3 and found our room on the first floor of the Hotel Chelsea to be full of character (i.e. old and not updated). The room was large with two double beds, and a small kitchen. It looked out over an alley next to a residential building with balconies and window unit air conditioners. There was a deck below, where residents must enjoy a little outdoor privacy in the middle of the large metropolis.

That night we had tickets to see the Broadway production of Young Frankenstein. On the way to the show we ate at the Brooklyn diner (see Saturday for the results of that dinner). I had chicken wings with celery and sour cream/gornanzolla dip. I was excited to see the show, as I had seen previews during the Tony’s. I was looking forward to seeing Megan Mulolly, but I would learn later she was no longer in the show. The show was still very good and funny. The many drinks may have helped. Our next stop was Sardi’s. We had enjoyed our time there last year and wanted a new experience. We had drinks and met up with a ‘producer’ and his friend. They were very enjoyable folks. Robert K. Bloom (he was emphatic about the K in his name) and Sal were affable fellows and Robert seemed quite interested in Susie. Sal and I had a nice conversation while Robert and Susie talked politics. Sal told me all about his occupation as a freelance writer for technical magazines.

We closed the place and they all but kicked us out. So we went to a bar on 46th street called Don’t Tell Momma. It was a nice little bar on restaurant row as the locals call it. The schtik was that the employees all sing. It was like a karaoke bar, but the singing is done mostly by the waitresses and bartenders. They were very good, like aspiring entertainers. Susie appeared to be falling asleep, so I dragged her to a cab and headed back to Chelsea.

When we got back to the hotel, we noticed the bar in the basement was packed with mostly men, techno pouring from the door below the street, the noise easily heard in the lobby and in our first floor room. Susie, who makes friends very easily, spoke to the man at the hotel front desk and he was more than happy to get us in the booming bar downstairs. We didn’t stay long. Susie fell down and the beers we bought were $8 a piece. I went back to the room while Susie stayed at the hotel desk to talk to her new friend.

Saturday was a horrible mess. I must have eaten something the day before that gave me food poisoning. I woke up before dawn and threw up all day until around 4. I really felt like I was going to die. All our plans for that day were shot down. No NBC tour, no Beatles lunch, no heavy metal Bee Gees tribute.

Sunday was the opposite of Saturday. We hit the road early and walked thru the West Village, Soho(bought a belt at Yellow Rat Bastard shop), Little Italy and Nolita. I fell in love with Little Italy. So many restaurants and I was still feeling queasy from the night before. I could only stomach a wonderful Tiramisu and iced cappuccino from Cafee Palermo, where 90 percent of the menu was desserts. Further up the road in Nolita we happened upon a benefit showing of John Lennon’s art. We donated $20 and checked out the very expensive art that was for sale. We bought T-shirts.

We then went on a hunt for CBGB’s. It was fruitless. The locals advised us that the legendary place had closed completely a year before. So, we stopped at Slainte’s, an Irish bar and grill, to have a drink and watch the Saints win against the Raiders. Then back to the room to prepare for the Madonna concert.

The Madonna concert was nice. I was surprised at how good my seats were. I had floor seats. The stage had a catwalk, where Madonna and her dancers would spend much of the night. In front of the catwalk was the VIP section, the first three rows. Behind the VIP section was a walkway, maybe 6 feet wide, with a steel gate-like barricade behind it. I sat on the first row behind the barricade and 20 seats to the right of the VIP section, if you are facing the stage. I saw three celebrities in the VIP section; Chelsea Clinton, Kelly Rippa and Lindsey Lohan.

It was a wonderful show. Madonna played many of her most famous songs. Into The Groove, Ray of Light, Like a Prayer, a rock version of Borderline (who knew she could play the electric guitar?), La Isla Bonita. I really enjoyed it. And I met two nice guys, one from Houston (Matt) and one from NYC (can't remember his name). The concert was supposed to begin at 8 PM, but she started it at 9:30 and it ended about two hours later. I trekked back to the hotel room but Susie was asleep.

The next morning we went to 66th street to try and get tickets to The View. We were issued stand by tickets and had breakfast as we waited to hear if we’d be let in. Unfortunately, the show was full and no one on standby was let in. So, we hit 5th Avenue and Rockefeller Center before heading back to the hotel to pick up our luggage. Then to the airport and back home. It was a fun trip. Even with Saturday being a total loss, it was worth it.

Oh the horror

Gustav sucked, but the aftermath was worse. At least the wind was blowing during the storm. Now my power has been out for 9 days and it's freakin' hot. I'm having to stay at my mom's and that's no day in the park.
My house always seems to be the last to get power back. I think it's a conspiracy.
And now every time I turn on the TV I am blasted with that awful Fargo-accent coming from that extreme right-wing radical evangelical nutjob who is running as McCain's VP pick. How can ppl see anything good in that awful person. She has tried to ban books in Alaska and fired the librarian when she wouldn't comply. She's an extreme anti-gay bigot. And by the way I resent my friends who vote for ppl like that. It's like they just ignore that she would do awful things to gay ppl if she ever became president.
She's such a liar too. She claims that she refused pork barrel projects for Alaska, but if you just look it up you'd see that she is lying to the American public. And she's a member of an organization that wants to succeed from the US.
Gosh, I hope they lose. I couldn't stand to listen to that horrible woman for another 8 or 16 years. YUCK!!!

Here again.

I know I know, I don't post enough any more. It's tough to remember to post on this blog. and I don't have all that much time to do it. Or at the very least I work on a computer all day and don't want to be on one at home.
Not a whole lot to talk about right now. The election is on for president and it looks like the democrats will finally win one, if nothing goes wrong. I was a Hillary supporter, but will vote for Obama in the fall. I just can't see another 4 years of Bush-like administration. It would kill our country.
I do have a problem with many obama supporters though. They are so rude. They remind me of Bush supporters. When you tell them you are a Clinton supporter they say the meanest nastiest things. It almost made me want to vote for McCain, but then I realized it was Obama supporters, not Obama who were so stupid. I can't hold their ridiculous actions against him.
Mom and granny are doing OK. Granny fell in her bathroom though and hit her face. She has a black eye. Her memory is getting worse and worse. I sure don't want her to suffer in a nursing home.
I went to Pensacola Beach again this year for memorial day. It was fun. susie and I went and stayed at the Paradise Inn. The room was kinda dank and humid, smelly. Looked clean, but was behind the pool pump room and had a few bugs. But the weather was great.
Now susie asked me to go with her to Washington dc for the 4th of July. I've been before and it will be fun. Her mom lives there so we'll stay with her.
Then in October, I'm going, alone, back to NYC. I have a Madonna ticket for Madison square garden. They are floor seats, section 5 row E seat 4. I'm very excited. I will stay at the Hotel 17, where Madonna once lived. It's downtown in the flatiron district. It's near Chelsea and the village so I hope to party.

Time

It's hard to believe it has been so long since my last post. Time sure flies. Of course it has been very busy due to the holidays. I spent my Thanksgiving and Xmas in Baton Rouge with family. We did make a trek over to Lake Charles for both holidays and stayed a few hours. It's an odd experience visiting my remaining family in Sulphur, near Lake Charles. My granny's sister lives there with her two daughters. My great aunt is nearing 90 years old and her daughters are in their 60's. They never married, but they cook really well. They had a nice shrimp gumbo for both holidays. Boy was that good. They also make me some special cookies for Xmas every year. They are peanut butter cookies with a hersheys kiss on top. I love them.
I got a few good things for Xmas. Dad gave me the money to have the window unit air conditioner that is sticking thru my bedroom wall removed. I still have to get some estimates. Mom gave me a nice Cuisenart blender/food processor. I haven't used it yet, but it looks good in my kitchen. Susie had a picture she took framed for me. It was an enlarged photo of Strawberry Fields in Central Park. It is beautiful and hanging in my living room.
New Years was very uneventful. I stayed home for the first time in a long time. I guess I was making up for last year when I was in New Orleans on a balcony on Bourbon street. That's when my back went out.
The new year did start nicely with LSU winning the national championship. I really don't care that much about it, but it's nice to have a winning team in the area when you are a Saints fan.
Susie and I are going to the Spanish Town mardi gras ball again this year. The theme is Groundhog day oriented, so that's a toughie for a costume. mardi gras comes early this year, on Feb. 5. The highlight for me though is the Spanish Town parade the saturday before. It's way too fun.
That's all for now.

NYC

Well, my New York trip was Oct. 25 thru the 28th and we had a great time.
My flight from BR was delayed 30 min. and my flight from Atl to LaGuardia was cancelled, so I had to take the flight an hour later.
I got to NYC about an hour late and went to get a cab. A guy in a chaffeur's outfit asked me if I needed a cab and I said yes. Big mistake. He ended up costing $75. I should have taken the shuttle.
I got to the Wellington hotel at 7th Ave. and 55th Street. I know I had requested a room with two double beds. They disagreed and we ended up in a room with one double bed and a rollaway. It was a nice hotel with a great location. We were right across the street from the Carnegie deli.
Once I got there, Susie and I went to the drug store then to an Irish Pub (McGee's) for me to eat. That night, we went to see Spamalot on Broadway (Shubert Theater) and it was great! I bought a poster and a magnet. Getting to the theater, we took one of the many bicycle cabs. It was a little scarey and very memorable. After the play we went to Therapy, a gay bar in Hell's Kitchen where Wendy Ho was performing. I had seen her video on LOGO. She takes well known songs and changes the lyrics to obscene things. She was very funny. After that, we went to another Irish Pub and had a beer, then to a smoke shop and back to the hotel.
We had planned on trying to get into Regis and Kelly (with Kevin Bacon and Brian McKnight), but had too bad of a hangover. So, we got up late and had breaky at the hotel diner. We had omelets (Susie's had salmon in it and mine was undercooked). Next we went to 5th Avenue to shop. We had planned on staying just a short while, but it turned out to be longer. We went to Saks, where the coat I wanted was $2500, Armani, Lindt, NBC, Tiffany's (where we saw an $18,000 pair of earrings) and various other expensive places. I bought some cologne at Saks and a belt at Armani. We also had coffee at Primeburger (Kerri from Sex and the City had eaten there) and I had cheese cake so I could take a pain pill for my back.
After shopping, we went back to the hotel and got ready for Xanadu. Xanadu was great (helen Hayes theater). I spent $130 on souveniers afterwards. They were having an AIDS benefit and selling signed posters and pictures with Cheyenne Jackson, the really hot main character of the show (played Sonny Malone). In line for the pics we were shocked to see someone from the movie Hair. Annie Golden played Jeannie in Hair and also was Cliff Claven's girlfriend in Cheers. Her resume is huge, so I can't go into it all here. Check out IMDB.com to see it. We asked and she agreed to be in the pic with us. After Xanadu, we went to Sardi's next door. It's the old New York place where all the celebrities used to go (and still do). It has caricatures of them on the walls. Well, it was expensive to eat, so we went to the bar to have a drink and there was Annie Golden again. She came and sat with us and was very nice and answered lots of questions. We got pictures. It was very exciting.
After that, we went looking for a place to eat. I was hungry. We walked a while and didn't really see an appealing place, so we hitched a ride in a cab and went back to the hotel. We ate at the deli across the street from the hotel. We had some pretty big burgers and some beer. We were intriqued by the piles and piles of pastries behind the counter.
The next morning we had breakfast at Carnegie deli. We both had eggs and bacon (lots of bacon). It was very snug in there, lots of ppl. Then we got another cab and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There was a Rembrandt exhibit Susie wanted to see. It was very nice. I got up close to the landscape paintings and it felt like I was in them. We at at the Petrie restaurant there. It wasn't very good, except for the cappicinno. I bought mom and granny some jewelry from the Met shop. It was recreations of old jewelry (earrings). Next, Susie and I walked thru Central park. It was pumpkin fest and there were ppl carving pumpkins. Went by the big Bathesda fountain (from the Friend's opening credits) and went by the Boathouse with the gondolas. Walked by Strawberry Fields and the Dakota Bldg. (where John Lennon was shot and they filmed Rosemary's baby). Walked thru the park back to 5th Avenue. Then did some more shopping on 5th Avenue. After that we were beat. We went back to the hotel for a while. That night, ppl were celebrating Halloween. There were all kinds of ppl in costumes. Many were standing in line for hours to get into the clubs at Dream hotel. Must be a nice place. We went to have pizza at Angelo's, next to David Letterman's theater. Then walked around, saw the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center, saw the Rainbow room, got lost and then we decided to go back to McGee's pub and have some drinks. After that, that was it. We were ready to crash.
The next morning, our last, we woke up to a street fair type thing on 55th Street. They had the street blocked off and tents selling food and stuff. We decided to go to the bagel place. I had a croissant and susie had a bagel with salmon and cream cheese. After that, it was time to leave. Susie took a cab to the port authority, to catch her shuttle. My shuttle picked me up near my hotel. The guy could barely speak English. He got me and the others to LaGuardia and I proceeded to my flight.
It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back.