Sick again - myspace blog post

Sorry for the long delay in posts. Things have been crazy busy. I finished up my summer at the firm, and I have to say that overall, it was a great summer. I enjoyed the firm, the people, and the work I did. I hope they make an offer, but if they don't, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Que sera, sera.

In other news, I am of course sick again. Just a cold, but that doesn't help when I'm trying to start school. I think I was just trying to do too much as the summer ended...MPRE, friends, family, etc. Oh well, not much I can do about it. At least it's not strep!

Anyway, once this cold is done, I'm ready to hit the dance floor with my peeps, so shout out if you are ready too! Perhaps it's time for another adventure to the magical place of Lowertown. I could use some campiness in my life.

Enough for now. I'm tired and my brain is foggy from the cold. Love to all.

Deep thoughts... - myspace blog post

Don't worry peeps...I'm not melancholy or anything like that. I just heard this song on my ipod and I like the lyrics. They can really sum up life at times. Something to think about at least.


The Be Good Tanyas Lyrics

In Spite of All the Damage
Written by Frazey Ford

If I wanted to say to you
That I wanted to see your face again
That I want to hear you laughing
In spite of all the damage I've done

If I wanted to hear you talkin'
Or to hear your sense of things
Or to call you up on a Sunday morning
In spite of all the damage I've done

Well I broke up our home and left you nowhere to run
Yes I broke up our home and left you nowhere to run

I'm living out my days away
I think you understand that I could not stay
But I like to hear you laughing
In spite of all the damage I've done
In spite of all the damage I've done

Well I broke up our home and left you nowhere to run
Yes I broke up our home and left you nowhere to run

Time goes by...so slowly...or not. - myspace blog post

I guess I haven't written for a while again (patience folks, patience). Life is seriously flying by these days. What with work and various Harry Potter activities, I barely have time for sleep! I can't believe school starts August 22nd (or something close to that). That gets a major thumbs down, as I'm LOVING having a life again. I love seeing people, meeting people, doing fun things, and not having to study. Alas, if I actually want to BE an attorney, I must complete my third and final year.

As I know you are all dying to know, here's a recap of what I've been up to as of late:

1. The Harry and the Potters concert. When Karen and Paige invited me to go, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I knew the concert was being sponsored by the Mpls Public Library and that it was at a park, but other than that, no clue. Well, let's just say H and the Ps is good stuff. Totally silly, totally dopey, but I also couldn't stop smiling the entire time. Indeed, I even found myself singing/dancing along. How can you not dig a band that promotes reading and shouts out references to various scientific terms, such as ATP (and a bunch of other things I cannot spell)? I also really enjoyed seeing all the different types in the crowd enjoy the show (kids, teens, young professionals, people like my parents, etc.). H and the Ps: a nerdy boy's dream band. I say this with much love. Good times all around.

2. The Aquatennial Torchlight Parade. Okay, this was quite honestly the worst parade I've ever seen. There was no music, and the few floats were totally lame. The parade mostly consisted of various emergency services vehicles. Did you know that the Saint Paul Fire Department has a fan boat (they might actually have a bunch, because the one I saw was numbered 21)? Are there a lot of river fires that need attention? Did we develop a bayou? I know my firefighting knowledge is limited, but I didn't follow. Anyway, this parade also had tons of different pageant winners, but they were from places like Robbinsdale and other suburbs. I don't follow; isn't the aquatennial a Mpls festival? Finally, there were also random high school bands, none from the city. All quite odd, and the whole thing lacked in entertainment value. Boo.

3. Sweeney's. I met up with some school friends and had a few drinks out on the patio. No complaining at all here. Good times.

4. Working like crazy (which involves lunches and more drinks, diet coke for me). I've been putting in quite a few hours at the office, but I'm still enjoying the job. In fabulous news, my bridesmaid's dress still fits, even after all the many crazy lunches. I just have to hold out until Friday now, but I'm not out of the woods yet, as I have a lunch EVERY day this week. Insanity. Fun, but insane too.

5. The Art Car Parade. I went to the art car parade on Saturday, which I think is also part of the Aquatennial festival. Who knew I was so dedicated to the Aquatennial? Not me, but I went with it anyway. Now this was a pretty interesting parade. Fortunately for Karen and Paige, I found us some lovely seats on someone's yard (which was quite uncomfortable actually. The grass was dead, and for a brief while, I missed the lush suburban lawns of my youth). The parade was neat, but because of traffic issues it went rather slowly. Obviously, we had no patience and took off for beverages, where we met the lovely ABB and Tobias. Food and drinks for all, and the memories of the scratchy yard were soon lost.

6. HP 7. I read the entire book on Saturday (well, into Sunday morning actually). I very much enjoyed it, and that is all I will say because I don't want to give anything away to my friends who haven't finished.

7. Twins game. I went to the Twins game with my dad, Sarah, and Carolyn on Sunday. Unfortunately my team did not get the job done. Clutch hitting is lacking, and it's painful to watch at times. Also, the two guys behind us clearly should have just stayed at the office, as they only spoke about business (quite loudly) for the entire game. I feel like I should have had paper and pen ready to go so I could record stock tips. They annoyed me to no end, and I think they even annoyed my dad. I bet they don't even know who won the game. Boo to that.

8. Drinks at Lake Valusek. I met up with two school friends tonight for dinner and drinks at Lake Valusek (aka Karla's backyard with a fountain). Karla made fabulous food and mojitos, and I got to spend time with two fabulous, smart, funny, attractive women. What more can you ask for?

9. Preparing for K and D's wedding. I haven't done tons, but I've been trying to help out. I'm very excited for the big day on Friday, and again, as I said above, I'm relieved my dress fits. I better go with salads all week.

10. Trying to spend time with Sarah (and talk to her) before she leaves. I'm very much in denial about the move...thank God for cell phones (with the same service plan), IM, email, and airplanes. It's gonna be rough.

Okay, so that was obviously more than a recap. I just feel like I've been doing tons of stuff...I wish I had blogged about H and the Ps much sooner, as that experience truly was unique. Alas, I delayed and now words just don't capture the magical evening in Pershing Park.

Well, enough for tonight. Love to all my peeps!

Home town pride...woot! - myspace blog post

I just glanced at the strib's headlines and noticed that Money magazine named my home town, Chaska, as one of the best places to live in America. Now, I do think Chaska was a great place to grow up (except for the complete lack of queerness, which was a bit tough to say the least), but one of the best places in America? Wow! I'm not sure I would go that far...anyway, if you want to read the strib article, check out:

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1305002.html

Check out this link for a more descriptive story:
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103234/Best-Places-to-Live

Home town pride baby! Woot!

Wisdom from a jigsaw puzzle? - myspace blog post

As some of you know, I enjoy jigsaw puzzles. There is something relaxing about them, and I've always liked working on them. Basically, it's a good way to take "me" time and to really think/ponder life/etc.

So, this past weekend I was trying to finish one I started long ago (I finished; woot!). As I worked on it, a thought popped into my head: Love is like a jigsaw puzzle. You can force pieces to fit together for a while, but eventually, if you want everything to come together in the end, you have to find the piece that fits perfectly.

I actually stopped working on the puzzle to jot this thought down. Sure, it can be phrased better, and some of you might think it's hokey, but it really made sense to me. Thus, wisdom (reinforced wisdom I should add) came to me from the simplest of all places, a jigsaw puzzle.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and has a great week!

Who knew I looked good in 3D glasses? :) - myspace blog post

I went to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the IMAX theater last night, and part of the movie was in 3D. So, as we walked in, we each got a pair of GIANT 3D glasses. I put mine on, and let me tell you, I don't know why I wasn't beating the ladies off with a stick! I looked so good I thought about stealing my pair. However, since they were quite dirty (ew I know), I decided that I can just go out and buy some of those giant black sunglasses that old people wear when they are driving. I know, I know, you all can't wait to see me looking so fine. Watch out for me on Shepard Road, W. 7th, or Lexington, my main roads these days, or perhaps I'll even wear them on the good old LRT. HOT!

Oh, as for last night's lovely image, the good news is that Klecks took a picture which will soon be posted on here. Good times!

Shout out to my peeps for going to HP!

The Basilica Block Party and Me - myspace blog post

I know, I know, I just wrote an entry. However, I have another interesting experience to share: The Basilica Block Party (BBP).

A while back, Sarah asked if I wanted to go to the BBP, as Amos Lee and Brandi Carlile were scheduled to play. I said sure, why not? I've never been. Of course, Amos and Brandi played on different nights, so we had to buy the two day passes. At the time, I thought, no big deal. I love music and it will be fun.

Fast forward to tonight, the first night of the BBP. Sarah and I decided to meet at my office, eat dinner, and take a cab over to the Basilica. All went smoothly and we arrived in good shape. Neither one of us had ever attended a BBP, so we had no idea what to expect upon entry. We walked in, and bam, it was honestly like one giant Catholic college reunion. A very, very straight, young college reunion. With lots of alcohol. In fact, it turns out that more alcohol is sold at this event than at any other similar event in the Twin Cities. Gotta love Catholic fundraisers.

Anyway, we made our way to the main stage (when they said block party, they actually meant block party, who knew?), and we actually ran into one of Sarah's professors, perhaps the only other gay person at this entire event. Except the priests. But I digress. We chatted with her for a bit, and then she was on her way, leaving us alone in the sea of drunken straights.

Despite the craziness, the music soon started up, and things improved quite a bit. The delicious ice cream cone helped even more, and then it was time for Amos. While I'm not a huge fan of his, I really enjoyed the show. He did an excellent job, and I even sang along to some of the tunes. Additionally, the weather was perfect, and it was really cool to be outside watching music with the Mpls skyline in the background. Thus, despite the drunken frat party in our midst, the night turned out to be quite fun. However, I'm not sure it was good enough to want to go back tomorrow, even if it's for Brandi Carlile. Two tix to the BPP anyone? JK, I love Brandi!

A note to my readers: Know that for the most part, I write with tongue in cheek. Take it for what it's worth and know that I don't hate the world. In fact, I have a good life, and it's dang good to be alive! Sounds funny to have to clarify, but that's the way it is.

A magical place called Lowertown - myspace blog post

On Tuesday night, I went out with some friends (shout out to K, P, G, A, E, and S!) and wound up experiencing the gayest of all gay music at a new bar in Saint Paul. While I know you are dying to know more, I must tell the entire story first.

So Tuesday during the day, Karen sends me a note saying I should come out with them later that night, as Wednesday was America's birthday, which meant we didn't have to work. I said, sure, and suggested Psycho Suzi's in NE Mpls, as I had never been there and had heard good things about it. However, I wound up working late (and taking some friends to the airport), so by the time I got home, I texted Karen and said I needed a rain check. She texted back, and I quote, "fuck that. Get over here." I guess I didn't need a whole lot of convincing, so I changed and climbed in my car for the trek to the far NE (I really didn't know it was that far!). I pulled up, parked, and then realized, oh dear lord, I forgot my bag, which has everything in it, including my ID. So, no Psycho Suzi's for me! I had to drive all the way back to Saint Paul, and by the time I got there, the gang had decided to move to Pi. Fortunately for me, I had regained some of my energy by this point. Thus, off to Pi I went.

Pi was dead, but we had a nice time chatting. We soon realized there would be no dancing though, and that's what we wanted. Poor G went to request a song and the DJ actually said, no man, I'm spinning vinyl tonight. Or something very close to that. Now, I get what that means, but to flat out deny a request without some sort of effort seems odd. We did dance for one song and then decided it was time to bail on Pi. So, off to the Townhouse we went.

Upon arrival at the TH, we discovered it was karaoke night. I didn't even go in, and we concocted a new plan right there on University Ave. Someone brought up the new gay bar in Saint Paul, and we decided to try that. We decided this without even being sure of the bar's name or location. All I knew was that the bar was supposed to be in Lowertown. Unfortunately, I was the only person in the car who had ever heard of Lowertown. The lack of knowledge did not stop us, and we were off to Lowertown.

We arrived in Lowertown (which involved me pointing to the sign and saying, look peeps, Lowertown), but at that point we had no idea where to go. I mean, we were in Lowertown, but we really had no idea where the bar was. We checked out the new place that replaced Trixx (sp?) (we knew where Trixx used to be), and that looked more like a restaurant than a dance club. Finally, a stroke of genius hit me: call 411 idiot. I called 411, gave the partial name of the bar (I think it's Rumors and Innuendo), and voila, we had an address. We were about 2 blocks away from it at that point, so we drove, parked, and went in. And thus began the trip into the land of the gayest of gay music.

First, I loved the space. Very cute, and they had decorated for the 4th. Also sort of cute. However, as noted above, there was a slight problem with the music. It was like one continuous soundtrack from Priscilla/Birdcage/name any other gay movie here. Among the many songs played, we heard It's raining men, We are family, I will survive, stuff by Cher, YMCA, Gloria Estefan, you name it. It was wild. However, we still danced like crazy fools and fun was had by all (well, except poor G, who did NOT enjoy the tunes at all. However, I still think she had fun. She wouldn't stop talking about the crime of kidnapping though...hmm...). As time went on, we sort of became the darlings of the bar, as we were pretty much the only lesbians there and we danced like crazies. Karen and I got free Jag hats, though only Karen could pull off actually wearing one. (Hooch, I saved the hat for you!) Eventually, the time came to leave and I dropped the gang off at their cars, all danced out and believing in a magical place where only the gayest of gay music is played, a place called Lowertown. Peeps, I give you Lowertown. Thank God for second winds! Woot!

PS: Happy birthday to my mom and Stacey!

PPS: Safe travels to all of my family and friends flying tomorrow!

Survey before bed - myspace blog post

So I tried to post this on the bulletin board several times when I was traveling over the weekend and then again when I got home. It's not even that important. I just feel that since I filled it out about five times, it needs to be shared. Enjoy...I know you will! Ha!

Don't Lie Survey

EIGHT Lasts
1. Last cigarette: Forever ago, and even then, my friends teased me because apparently I don't smoke right. I think this is a good thing.

2. Last beverage: A Diet Coke

3. Last phone call: Kristin

4. Last text message: Dad

5. Last CD played: CD? Hmmm. On Ipod, Brandi Carlile. I love her stuff right now.

6. Last bubble bath: Way too long ago

7. Last time you cried: Pride weekend, long story.

8. Last meal: Leftovers and watermelon. I'm currently obsessed with watermelon.

EIGHT Have You's

1. Have you ever dated someone twice? Yes.

2. Have you ever been cheated on? Not that I know of, but I'm not as sure as I used to be.

3. Have you ever bought condoms? Yes.

4. Have you ever kissed someone & regreted it? Oh yes.

5. Have you ever fallen in love? Yes

6. Have you ever lost someone? Yes

7. Have you ever been depressed? Melancholy yes, clinically depressed, no.

8. Have you ever been drunk and thrown up? Oh god yes. I still don't drink strawberry daquiris. Ick.

Name SIX things you did in the past three days:
1. Worked
2. Had lunch with an old friend
3. Flew on an airplane
4. Visited a new place
5. Texted my dad and he texted back!
6. Saw an alarming number of disgustingly dirty apartments in Northampton

List THREE people you can tell pretty much anything to: Kristin, Sarah, my sisters

List THREE favorite colors: Blue, Red, Green

List TWO things you want to do before you die
1. Have kids
2. Travel more. I wonder if my answers are mutually exclusive. I guess there are always roadtrips!

SO FAR IN 07'…

Been to school - Oh yes, unfortunately HUSL and I are tight.

Made a new friend - Yes

Fallen out of love - No

Done something you swore never to do - I don't think so.

Laughed until you cried - Absolutely

Went behind your parents back - No, I'm 30

Met someone who changed your life - Lots of people change my life in little ways all the time.

Gotten close to someone- Yes

Found out who your true friends were - Yes

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF……

1. Bush? Love it! Oh wait, you meant the president. Opposite of love.

2. Gay Marriage? It's a civil right and everyone is entitled to it.

4. Straight, Gay, Bi? Guess! Hehe. Gay peeps, gay.

5. Do you have a crush? Actually, I sort of do!

6. Who is the best hugger that you know? Kristin gives good hugs!

7. Do you believe in love at first sight? No. Strong connection/attraction, sure.

8. Is there something you want to tell someone? Actually, yes. And it's not related to the crush. :)

9. What brand of shirt are you wearing? Old Navy

10. Would you kiss anyone on your top friends? I already have...

11. Do you have "A thing" for anyone on your top friends? Nope

12. How many people are on your top friends? I think 16.

13. How many kids do you want to have? 2ish

14. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? Yes

15. Do you wanna change your name? No I like my name.

16. What did you do for your last birthday? It was my 30th so there was a big party at Nyes

17. What time did you wake up today? 6:15

18. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping

19. Name something you CANNOT wait to do: Sleep in.

20. Last time you saw your dad? A few weeks ago.

21. What is one thing you wish you could change about yourself? I like myself, but I could lose a few pounds. Also to always believe in myself.

22. Which hand do you like better? Mmm, both are good. Oh wait, that wasn't the question. I'm right handed.

23. What are you listening to right now? Nothing

24. Have you ever talked to Tom? No

25. Have you ever donated money to a good cause? Yes

26. Have you ever talked about someone behind their back? Yes, but I try not to say mean things. It's more like venting about what people do, not who they are. Mean people blow, and not in a good way.

27. Least favorite month? I don't know if I have a least favorite month, but March tends to drag on sometimes.

28. What's the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone? A sweatshirt from K and D. I need to get that back to you guys! It's all clean and ready to go.

29. Who's getting on your nerves right now? No one really

30. Most visited webpage? comcast for email, startribune.com

31. Would you help your best friend fight if he/she is losing? Yes, I would sure try

32. Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke

33. What's the worst day of your life? Not sure, I've had a few bad ones.

34. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week?Not romantically!

35. Do you disagree with a lot of things going on in the world? Currently yes

36. Do you think there's some models/people out there, that should lose a few pounds? WTF, no. I do not find super skinny women attractive. I like my women with a little meat on their bones.

If you answered honestly to all these, repost as:Don't Lie Survey....

The airlines sure know how to take the fun out of traveling - myspace blog post

I'm currently sitting in Midway Airport in Chicago, and I must say, the airlines sure know how to take the fun out of traveling. Our Friday night flight into Chicago went well and landed close to on time, but our flight into Boston was delayed by more than 2 hours. Of course, we never received any explanation or apology for this. Why would we; we were stuck there with few to no choices and they just don't care. Eventually, we landed in Boston at midnight and then had to drive another 1.5-2 hours to Northampton. (I really don't remember how long it took. The Garmin, we named her Susan B, was set to avoid toll roads so it took us a while to really get going) Ouch. Needless to say, it was a late night and then an early morning.

Anyway, back to the subject of airlines. So on today's flight from Boston to Chicago, there was a very nice family sitting next to me; husband, wife, and two little kids. Unfortunately, their young son, Ethan, became ill during the flight and threw up all over himself (and his car seat, etc.). From the instant odor, the flight crew had to know that someone was sick. You could also tell that this family was having a hard time managing the situation (who wouldn't really?). Despite this, NO ONE from the staff came to help them. Fortunately, they had diaper wipes or something, and were able to clean up somewhat. The poor mom looked at me (Ethan seemed to like me and we had been chatting earlier), and I just said, "are you guys okay?" And she said, "yeah, I just feel bad for everyone else." I assured her that it was okay, that it happened a lot and that I just wanted to make sure the little guy was okay. Sarah, who was sitting behind me, got up and got them some napkins and a plastic bag for his clothes. Throughout the flight, he continued to be mildly ill (but nothing nearly as bad), but still no one came to help them. The mom eventually got up and went to the bathroom to clean his clothes and herself, and she was able to get some more wet wipes. Still no help from anyone. The family managed to get off the plane and then made their connecting flight to Sarasota (I'm sending them good wishes for easy travel as I write this), but AirTran sure could have made their lives easier with a little help and kindness. Yes, it's true, vomit is not pleasant, but come on people! Get with it.

Now, if airline trouble happened only once in a while, it might not be a big deal. However, it's pretty much my regular experience with flying. Last summer, my Northwest flight home from London was cancelled (after a full day sitting in an extraordinarily hot plane and the gate area), and my reward for that experience was a hotel stay and a $50 Northwest voucher. I could go on and on, but I imagine each of you knows and has experienced the drill. It's frustrating to say the least. I wish there was something we could do about it, but that doesn't seem likely. I will of course continue to fly, as I love to travel (though I LOVE road trips too). It's just too bad that the whole thing can't be easier. I normally don't mind going with the flow, but when the flow is regularly ridiculous, it gets tough.

One more random thought, the new liquid rule (I guess it's not so new anymore, but I haven't flown since it went into effect) seems quite hilarious. At MSP, they didn't even check to see if I had liquids, though I diligently placed all of them into my allotted 1 quart bag. If they are so dangerous, why didn't they check to see if I had them? I don't get it. The security at Logan was much better, but perhaps that's because the 9/11 terrorists came into Logan. Anyway, the check in there was quite amusing. I had to take my shoes off, place my laptop into a separate bin, and then send all the rest of my stuff down the belt as well. I think I used 4 bins alone (I didn't check any luggage since the trip was so short and my bag is small). No wonder it takes a while to get through security. All amusing, and while I get the point, if someone really wanted to do something, they still could. They sell liquids (among other potentially harmful items) in the gate area for pete's sake. Again, I get it, but the whole situation sort of just cracks me up.

In good news, Sarah found a place to live. That's all I will say about that as I imagine she might want to share the good news herself (she's not with me right now because she went to see her brother who was picking up her mom).

Northampton and the surrounding area seem quite similar to Minnesota. At times, I forgot I was in MA. I wonder if that's why I like Boston so much. Out of all the places I've travelled to, Boston is the only other American city I can see myself actually living in. Who knows, maybe it's just a rockin' place. I think part of it might be all the history, and I feel like I just fit there.

Okay, I've rambled on long enough. I need to track down Sarah as I'm hungry and would like to walk around a bit. Talk to everyone soon!

PS: Shout out to my family and friends in Montreal. I hope you are having a fabulous time!