Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Run, Ethan, Run
I'm getting a day behind on my journal so it's time to get caught up.
Sunday I went to see Ethan finish running his first marathon. He completed the 26.2 mile (42.1648 km) Marine Corps Marathon in just over four and a half hours.
Ethan got into training for the marathon after his friend (and now my friend) Vu invited him last spring. They trained all through the summer, running every other day, either after work or at 5am on Saturdays. They also worked out at the gym 5 days a week. In the end, Ethan ran along with Vu and Vu's cousin Louise, and they all finished the race.
It's been hard getting the chance to see Ethan these last few months, what with his training schedule and all. In addition to the marathon he's helped other friends out by appearing in local dance productions and modeling contests, all in addiiton to starting a new job. I have been very impressed by Ethan's dedication to his goal and the balance he somehow maintains in his life...while his life right now is not exactly what I would want for myself -- everyone is unique, of course -- the example he is setting is one I hope to emulate.
More pics are available here. And yes I do have some other Ethan pics that I will post soon, for someone out there who really likes to see them. (He stopped by last night to borrow one of Adrian's suits, and suddenly there were wigs involved)
Last night I got a call from Linh to borrow some of my clothes from Afghanistan for a Halloween costume. After trying on a few things he decided on a set then we hung out and talked and looked at photos for a while. Nice night.
Tonight Adrian and I and a bunch of friends went to see the annual 17th Street High Heel Race here in Washington DC. This is a big race consisting of drag queens running down the gayest street in town. It starts with a 2-hour "work the runway" parade, followed by a 100-yard dash. I was there to support Dayna, who raced as Mulan (her photos are in my Halloween party pics from this weekend).
Then got home and found that my car, which has a dead battery, is parked in a spot that as of 7am tomorrow needs to be vacated for some building renovation work. After a bit of scrambling I managed to jump start it and move it out of danger. This was not what I needed, after Adrian and I had a late night argument Monday that left me with only 2 hours of sleep. there are some dark storm clouds brewing over that one.
But then I got to finish baking cookies for an office function tomorrow, so that's cool.
Sunday I went to see Ethan finish running his first marathon. He completed the 26.2 mile (42.1648 km) Marine Corps Marathon in just over four and a half hours.
Ethan got into training for the marathon after his friend (and now my friend) Vu invited him last spring. They trained all through the summer, running every other day, either after work or at 5am on Saturdays. They also worked out at the gym 5 days a week. In the end, Ethan ran along with Vu and Vu's cousin Louise, and they all finished the race.
It's been hard getting the chance to see Ethan these last few months, what with his training schedule and all. In addition to the marathon he's helped other friends out by appearing in local dance productions and modeling contests, all in addiiton to starting a new job. I have been very impressed by Ethan's dedication to his goal and the balance he somehow maintains in his life...while his life right now is not exactly what I would want for myself -- everyone is unique, of course -- the example he is setting is one I hope to emulate.
More pics are available here. And yes I do have some other Ethan pics that I will post soon, for someone out there who really likes to see them. (He stopped by last night to borrow one of Adrian's suits, and suddenly there were wigs involved)
Last night I got a call from Linh to borrow some of my clothes from Afghanistan for a Halloween costume. After trying on a few things he decided on a set then we hung out and talked and looked at photos for a while. Nice night.
Tonight Adrian and I and a bunch of friends went to see the annual 17th Street High Heel Race here in Washington DC. This is a big race consisting of drag queens running down the gayest street in town. It starts with a 2-hour "work the runway" parade, followed by a 100-yard dash. I was there to support Dayna, who raced as Mulan (her photos are in my Halloween party pics from this weekend).
Then got home and found that my car, which has a dead battery, is parked in a spot that as of 7am tomorrow needs to be vacated for some building renovation work. After a bit of scrambling I managed to jump start it and move it out of danger. This was not what I needed, after Adrian and I had a late night argument Monday that left me with only 2 hours of sleep. there are some dark storm clouds brewing over that one.
But then I got to finish baking cookies for an office function tomorrow, so that's cool.
Labels: Friends, Life, Relationships
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Big Halloween Party
Made it back from Chicago in plenty of time for Saturday night's annual Halloween party at Josh and Angelo's. Actually, "annual" Halloween party is a little redundant, I guess - it's not like they have a monthly Halloween party. Though I think "Halloween in April" would be a cool idea for a party.
Anyway, I had a fun idea for a costume. The party theme was "Heroes," so...
Imagine my surprise when someone showed up with the same idea! But he didn't have a hat. At least I had a hat.
Many thanks to Adrian who loaned me the jacket, Paul in NYC who helped me find the shirt, and A-Look Eyewear at BTS in Kuala Lumpur for the glasses -- though I know my friend David is a better optician, these guys are a close second.
Adrian spent this week putting his costume together. He went as Edna Mode, the superhero costume designer from The Incredibles. Fabulous. He made the whole thing from scratch. You can see it in my photos from the party.
This is my second Halloween party there. I always like parties at Josh and Angelo's, they know so many fun people. I was sorry that some folks I know didn't make it but I met a couple new people, and even had an old boyfriend (and still very good friend, Arlington Michael) stop in unexpectedly...that was very fun!! One of Josh's co-workers, who has been a client of Adrian's was there, and he's a very nice guy I hope to get to know better. I also met someone new, one of Josh and Angelo's neighbors who works very close to me...hopefully we can hang out some at work and after as well, as he seems to be a really nice guy and someone good to know
I actually woke up today with a bit of a hangover, the first one in a long time. That's what happens when the punch is made from vodka and Kool-Aid mixed 1-to-1. But it was yummy!
Today I went out to support some friends running the Marine Corps Marathon, but I think I'll save that story for later. And yes, QR, there will be pictures of that.
Anyway, I had a fun idea for a costume. The party theme was "Heroes," so...
Imagine my surprise when someone showed up with the same idea! But he didn't have a hat. At least I had a hat.
Many thanks to Adrian who loaned me the jacket, Paul in NYC who helped me find the shirt, and A-Look Eyewear at BTS in Kuala Lumpur for the glasses -- though I know my friend David is a better optician, these guys are a close second.
Adrian spent this week putting his costume together. He went as Edna Mode, the superhero costume designer from The Incredibles. Fabulous. He made the whole thing from scratch. You can see it in my photos from the party.
This is my second Halloween party there. I always like parties at Josh and Angelo's, they know so many fun people. I was sorry that some folks I know didn't make it but I met a couple new people, and even had an old boyfriend (and still very good friend, Arlington Michael) stop in unexpectedly...that was very fun!! One of Josh's co-workers, who has been a client of Adrian's was there, and he's a very nice guy I hope to get to know better. I also met someone new, one of Josh and Angelo's neighbors who works very close to me...hopefully we can hang out some at work and after as well, as he seems to be a really nice guy and someone good to know
I actually woke up today with a bit of a hangover, the first one in a long time. That's what happens when the punch is made from vodka and Kool-Aid mixed 1-to-1. But it was yummy!
Today I went out to support some friends running the Marine Corps Marathon, but I think I'll save that story for later. And yes, QR, there will be pictures of that.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Back From Chicago
I'm back, in plenty of time for tonight's Halloween party and Angelo and Josh's. Adrian is finishing up his costume right now, and I need to shower and shave and slip into mine before leaving in a couple hours.
The trip was...eh. Nothing too special at the conference. Friday I just watched, and I met up with a couple folks from my past professorial life, but not folks I'm close to. I did meet a professor from Singapore and I'm going to try kissing his ass to get his department to bring me over for some guest lectures. I await the comments on me kissing Singaporean ass (sometimes I swear I make it too easy). The papers I heard presented yesterday were nothing special, though there was one on China and Taiwan that may be useful for my office, so I guess I justified the trip.
This morning I chaired a panel discussion that went pretty well...if anything, I took up too much time that the audience wanted to use for questions and answers...there were many more questions than I expected so it would have been better if I'd shut up earlier. After that I was off to another panel where I was presenting my paper, discussing some research I'd undertaken for my job (research that my office has been uninterested in, because it's only about the future of our organization, certainly nothing important). That went OK, though there was only a little interest in my paper...actually, the audience for this discussion was about 1/4 the size of the earlier panel, which was too bad. After that I made a mad dash for the airport and got there about 20 minutes before the plane boarded...I'd upgraded to first class so at least I could stretch my legs and not feel squished.
The one bright spot of the weekend was dinner last night with Seen Meng, who is from Malaysia. He came here to earn his PhD in economics, and decided to stay here for work once he was done. He visited home in KL this summer after graduating...in fact, it turns out we were in KL at the same time last month. It was fun to compare notes on the city and the culture there...he and I saw many things the same way, which made me feel very Malaysian. Anyway, he took time out from his busy schedule (he has a big professional exam on Monday that he's preparing for) to have dinner, and I'm glad he did because that was the best part of the trip.
Well, that, and running into the Thai boxing team in the hotel lobby. And no, of COURSE I didn't change my route just to walk with them a couple extra minutes. Well, maybe I did.
The trip was...eh. Nothing too special at the conference. Friday I just watched, and I met up with a couple folks from my past professorial life, but not folks I'm close to. I did meet a professor from Singapore and I'm going to try kissing his ass to get his department to bring me over for some guest lectures. I await the comments on me kissing Singaporean ass (sometimes I swear I make it too easy). The papers I heard presented yesterday were nothing special, though there was one on China and Taiwan that may be useful for my office, so I guess I justified the trip.
This morning I chaired a panel discussion that went pretty well...if anything, I took up too much time that the audience wanted to use for questions and answers...there were many more questions than I expected so it would have been better if I'd shut up earlier. After that I was off to another panel where I was presenting my paper, discussing some research I'd undertaken for my job (research that my office has been uninterested in, because it's only about the future of our organization, certainly nothing important). That went OK, though there was only a little interest in my paper...actually, the audience for this discussion was about 1/4 the size of the earlier panel, which was too bad. After that I made a mad dash for the airport and got there about 20 minutes before the plane boarded...I'd upgraded to first class so at least I could stretch my legs and not feel squished.
The one bright spot of the weekend was dinner last night with Seen Meng, who is from Malaysia. He came here to earn his PhD in economics, and decided to stay here for work once he was done. He visited home in KL this summer after graduating...in fact, it turns out we were in KL at the same time last month. It was fun to compare notes on the city and the culture there...he and I saw many things the same way, which made me feel very Malaysian. Anyway, he took time out from his busy schedule (he has a big professional exam on Monday that he's preparing for) to have dinner, and I'm glad he did because that was the best part of the trip.
Well, that, and running into the Thai boxing team in the hotel lobby. And no, of COURSE I didn't change my route just to walk with them a couple extra minutes. Well, maybe I did.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
If It's Thursday, I Must Be in Chicago
I'm here in the Windy City for a couple days. I'm at an academic conference, the first one I've been to in a year and a half. Even though I'm not a professor now I might want to be again someday, so I need to stay in practice. I'm running a panel discussion Saturday morning, then later giving a paper on some research of my own. Immediately after that I head to the airport and fly home -- it's Halloween party time and I've got one to go to Saturday night. Yay for parties! I haven't been to one since...last Saturday. :P
I know a couple people here in town but won't get to see them this trip. I wanted to try to meet up, but because I'm here such a short time I have to meet with a bunch of work-related folks in the time available. I'm not yet sucking up for my next job, but I'm getting close to that point.
I just pulled out a shirt to iron for tomorrow and suddenly remembered it has French cuffs...and I forgot my cufflinks. Good thing I packed an extra shirt!
This is the third or fourth time I've been to this city, I can't remember, always for conferences, and I've always stayed at this hotel. It seems like this is all I've seen of Chicago, so I definitely need to schedule a fun trip here instead of a work trip. I'm sure it has a lot to offer but I don't really know what.
Oh, and there's some sort of international boxing tournament going on here, and the boxers are all staying at my hotel. I came back earlier to find the Brazilians and the Russians warming up in the hallway outside my room. Is that giving anyone any naughty ideas???
I know a couple people here in town but won't get to see them this trip. I wanted to try to meet up, but because I'm here such a short time I have to meet with a bunch of work-related folks in the time available. I'm not yet sucking up for my next job, but I'm getting close to that point.
I just pulled out a shirt to iron for tomorrow and suddenly remembered it has French cuffs...and I forgot my cufflinks. Good thing I packed an extra shirt!
This is the third or fourth time I've been to this city, I can't remember, always for conferences, and I've always stayed at this hotel. It seems like this is all I've seen of Chicago, so I definitely need to schedule a fun trip here instead of a work trip. I'm sure it has a lot to offer but I don't really know what.
Oh, and there's some sort of international boxing tournament going on here, and the boxers are all staying at my hotel. I came back earlier to find the Brazilians and the Russians warming up in the hallway outside my room. Is that giving anyone any naughty ideas???
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tired Tuesday Night
Because someone (a different someone this time) asked for it, here are two more pics. But seriously, that's it.
On a less gratuitous note, Adrian and I had a long talk last night, a couple hours' worth. A lot of things that had been building up during the last few weeks finally came out, things I'd been thinking about, things underneath (and often hidden by) the bad emotions that had been simmering. Last night seemed to be a turning point, but then, there have been a few of those during the past year, and I've been disappointed each time, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up TOO much. But at least we talked about these issues and Adrian agreed on the need to do some things, so there is a faint glimmering of hope. One thing I've realized, if we are able to come back together, our relationship will be a bit different from what it was before. Part of that is because whatever we had before led to a breakup, and that's not good. And part of it is, considering this has dragged on now for over a year, we've both changed during that time...whatever we had is gone because those two people are gone. But that's not necessarily a bad thing...maybe this is just a way for relationships to naturally evolve.
Hmmm, that's getting a bit heavy. My advice: just go back and look at those pictures again.
On a less gratuitous note, Adrian and I had a long talk last night, a couple hours' worth. A lot of things that had been building up during the last few weeks finally came out, things I'd been thinking about, things underneath (and often hidden by) the bad emotions that had been simmering. Last night seemed to be a turning point, but then, there have been a few of those during the past year, and I've been disappointed each time, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up TOO much. But at least we talked about these issues and Adrian agreed on the need to do some things, so there is a faint glimmering of hope. One thing I've realized, if we are able to come back together, our relationship will be a bit different from what it was before. Part of that is because whatever we had before led to a breakup, and that's not good. And part of it is, considering this has dragged on now for over a year, we've both changed during that time...whatever we had is gone because those two people are gone. But that's not necessarily a bad thing...maybe this is just a way for relationships to naturally evolve.
Hmmm, that's getting a bit heavy. My advice: just go back and look at those pictures again.
Labels: Bars, Friends, Relationships
Monday, October 22, 2007
Ethan
Because someone out there was a big fan of my friend Ethan's photo in my last entry, here are two more for your viewing delight:
Labels: Friends
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Birthday A GoGo
After attending a birthday party last weekend I meant to do this meme about birthdays. I'd been tagged by Queer Ranter, one of my Gaylasian friends (or should that be Magaysian?) a couple weeks ago and never got to this one. So, rather than write about what's really on my mind, which I'd rather not do at the moment even though I should write about it because it helps me think through things, I am instead going to work on this fun little project.
When is your birthday?
Thursday, 13 January, 1966
How old are you now?
Bitches, you should NEVER ask this question. You should instead always assume that I am in my early 30s. Or younger. But the reality is, I am 41 years, 9 months, and 8 days old.
Where were you born?
I was born at Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas, where my dad was a junior military officer. The base has closed down since then, so I guess I truly have no hometown.
When did you first celebrated your birthday?
I was one year old...we were living with my grandparents, as my dad was fighting in Vietnam. He also went to the war during my brother's first year, 1969-1970. What some people will do to avoid changing diapers...
When will you next birthday be?
2 months, 23 days. Start planning now.
Do you remember getting birthday presents on your birthdays?
You know, it's funny, but many of my birthday presents have faded into memory (for the reason behind that, see the first answer above...there are a few downsides to getting older, one is that your brain can only seem to store only so many good memories). The gifts I remember tend to be those from friends in the last 15 years or so. Some presents...one in particular, from 2 years ago...make me sad when I think of them, but that's all I'll say about that for now.
What are the 3 things you want for your upcoming birthday?
Once again, let me say, start planning now...
I would love an iPhone. Seriously. I have never thought of myself as much of a gadgetboy, but this would do it.
Photography lessons would be fun. I love shooting photos but need to know what I'm doing.
Lastly, some new sexy undies. Someone out there awakened an interest in me and I am enjoying following it to see where it goes...
What kind of presents you want for your birthday?
Truthfully, I'm more into "experiential" gifts, like the aforementioned photography lessons. I would rather do something than have something. Except I want to have sexy underwear, too.
Who would you like to celebrate your birthday with?
I would like to be with all the new friends I've made in the past year.
How do you want to celebrate your birthday?
A party at a friend's home. Something where we don't have to end it by a certain time, something I don't have to be in charge of because I'd rather talk to people, something where someone else can drive me home if the need arises. Oh, and it should be in Hawaii.
Remember the date, boys and girls: January 13. At that time, of course, I'll be 42...a special number for all the hitchikers out there...
When is your birthday?
Thursday, 13 January, 1966
How old are you now?
Bitches, you should NEVER ask this question. You should instead always assume that I am in my early 30s. Or younger. But the reality is, I am 41 years, 9 months, and 8 days old.
Where were you born?
I was born at Blytheville Air Force Base in Arkansas, where my dad was a junior military officer. The base has closed down since then, so I guess I truly have no hometown.
When did you first celebrated your birthday?
I was one year old...we were living with my grandparents, as my dad was fighting in Vietnam. He also went to the war during my brother's first year, 1969-1970. What some people will do to avoid changing diapers...
When will you next birthday be?
2 months, 23 days. Start planning now.
Do you remember getting birthday presents on your birthdays?
You know, it's funny, but many of my birthday presents have faded into memory (for the reason behind that, see the first answer above...there are a few downsides to getting older, one is that your brain can only seem to store only so many good memories). The gifts I remember tend to be those from friends in the last 15 years or so. Some presents...one in particular, from 2 years ago...make me sad when I think of them, but that's all I'll say about that for now.
What are the 3 things you want for your upcoming birthday?
Once again, let me say, start planning now...
I would love an iPhone. Seriously. I have never thought of myself as much of a gadgetboy, but this would do it.
Photography lessons would be fun. I love shooting photos but need to know what I'm doing.
Lastly, some new sexy undies. Someone out there awakened an interest in me and I am enjoying following it to see where it goes...
What kind of presents you want for your birthday?
Truthfully, I'm more into "experiential" gifts, like the aforementioned photography lessons. I would rather do something than have something. Except I want to have sexy underwear, too.
Who would you like to celebrate your birthday with?
I would like to be with all the new friends I've made in the past year.
How do you want to celebrate your birthday?
A party at a friend's home. Something where we don't have to end it by a certain time, something I don't have to be in charge of because I'd rather talk to people, something where someone else can drive me home if the need arises. Oh, and it should be in Hawaii.
Remember the date, boys and girls: January 13. At that time, of course, I'll be 42...a special number for all the hitchikers out there...
Labels: Life
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Back in the Saddle Again
I got home from my parents' house Thursday night. Blogging has been on hold while I catch up with work, and also with the 104 e-mails from Malaysia about a little girl and her grandmother and some porn and I don't know what. It's all fun.
The visit was good, though short. Actually, maybe it was good because it was short. I get along OK with my parents, but they aren't comfortable with me being gay, so that limits our conversation some. But I hadn't been to see them since getting back from Afghanistan over 2 months ago (and in the meantime I'd been to Asia and New York) so it was time to see them and show them all my pics from that experience.
Friday night I went out with friends to a fundraiser at a club for our gay film festival here (I went to see one of the films today -- a Filipino film called Manay Po -- but I didn't really care for it). Anyway, some fun was had with friends Friday night.
Danny and I did a little pole dancing:
He looked a little mean, but that's only because he was a little drunk, as demonstrated here:
(no, that is NOT my hand)
Ethan, on the other hand, was having fun:
And everyone around Ethan had fun, too (nice nips)
Oh, and in honor of Will I Am I will post the following photo from dinner at home earlier this week:
Lastly, I met a new friend from Fridae today...Linh, who's a student here in DC. VERY nice guy, very outgoing and smart and charming...hope to get to know him better, seems like he'd be a great friend.
The visit was good, though short. Actually, maybe it was good because it was short. I get along OK with my parents, but they aren't comfortable with me being gay, so that limits our conversation some. But I hadn't been to see them since getting back from Afghanistan over 2 months ago (and in the meantime I'd been to Asia and New York) so it was time to see them and show them all my pics from that experience.
Friday night I went out with friends to a fundraiser at a club for our gay film festival here (I went to see one of the films today -- a Filipino film called Manay Po -- but I didn't really care for it). Anyway, some fun was had with friends Friday night.
Danny and I did a little pole dancing:
He looked a little mean, but that's only because he was a little drunk, as demonstrated here:
(no, that is NOT my hand)
Ethan, on the other hand, was having fun:
And everyone around Ethan had fun, too (nice nips)
Oh, and in honor of Will I Am I will post the following photo from dinner at home earlier this week:
Lastly, I met a new friend from Fridae today...Linh, who's a student here in DC. VERY nice guy, very outgoing and smart and charming...hope to get to know him better, seems like he'd be a great friend.
Labels: Friends
Monday, October 15, 2007
Randomosity
My overseas friends seem to add a lot of local language into their blogs. Some guys write with Chinese characters, some go with their native Korean, others spell things out with English letters...interesting, but confusing for this poor boy who has enough trouble with his native tongue. So I will just say wo de yin jing hen da
By the way, while I'm in the Google results for "Thai porn" as predicted, I'm unfortunately nowhere near the top. However, I seem to turn up when someone searches for "Japanese lady porn."
I satisfied Sam's meme (but not sure if I satisfied Sam) so next comes Queer Ranter's. But that has to wait until later.
Tuesday after work I head off to my parents' house for a couple days. their internet access is pretty bad and they have no mobile phone coverage, so i will likely be out of touch until Thursday night. Don't be alarmed.
By the way, while I'm in the Google results for "Thai porn" as predicted, I'm unfortunately nowhere near the top. However, I seem to turn up when someone searches for "Japanese lady porn."
I satisfied Sam's meme (but not sure if I satisfied Sam) so next comes Queer Ranter's. But that has to wait until later.
Tuesday after work I head off to my parents' house for a couple days. their internet access is pretty bad and they have no mobile phone coverage, so i will likely be out of touch until Thursday night. Don't be alarmed.
Labels: Wandering Mind
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A Slightly Quieter Weekend
No trips to New York this time, just a couple relaxing days here. Friday night's activity consisted of a movie at home. Saturday's highlight was Danny's birthday party. Today, Adrian helped danny make his costume for the upcoming High Heel Race, while I helped Ethan pick out some stuff for a modeling contest he's reluctantly entered. Then tonight, Adrian and I were off to see Merrily We Roll Along, a Sondheim show playing at a local theater here...a good time was had!
Last week I got tagged by both Sam and Queer Ranter (and believe me, I would love to get stuck in between those two...GRRRRRR!). Anyway, I'll get to Sam's first because, well...because it's the easier of the two. :P
I'm supposed to show my desktop. Having finally figured out how to do that (Shift-Apple-3), and having finished reconfiguring it earlier this week, I can do it:
Yeah, it's a collage of friends. Every now and then I swap this out for something abstract, but then I go back and make another one of these with more recent photos. Maybe it's kinda nerdy, but I like being reminded of the folks around me.
Oh, and for those who didn't know...yeah, I'm a Mac boy.
Last week I got tagged by both Sam and Queer Ranter (and believe me, I would love to get stuck in between those two...GRRRRRR!). Anyway, I'll get to Sam's first because, well...because it's the easier of the two. :P
I'm supposed to show my desktop. Having finally figured out how to do that (Shift-Apple-3), and having finished reconfiguring it earlier this week, I can do it:
Yeah, it's a collage of friends. Every now and then I swap this out for something abstract, but then I go back and make another one of these with more recent photos. Maybe it's kinda nerdy, but I like being reminded of the folks around me.
Oh, and for those who didn't know...yeah, I'm a Mac boy.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Videosity
Thursday, October 11, 2007
NCOD
October 11th is National Coming Out Day. However, I neglected to come out to anyone today, so this will just have to do:
I'm gay.
There. Instead of coming out to only one person, I've come out to the 12.7 people who read this blog. And that's cool. Even though a couple of you may have already known that.
To be honest, I'm still kinda in the (non-gay-related) closet about one or two things, mostly having to do with work and such. People who know me in person generally know the details...those of you who want to know, well, come and meet me (this means you, Aryudata).
OK, OK, I will reveal ONE more thing about me: I live on the top floor of an 18-story building with no other buildings immediately next door, which means I can watch porn and touch myself in a naughty way while leaving the blinds open and getting natural lighting.
Or is that too much information?
I'm gay.
There. Instead of coming out to only one person, I've come out to the 12.7 people who read this blog. And that's cool. Even though a couple of you may have already known that.
To be honest, I'm still kinda in the (non-gay-related) closet about one or two things, mostly having to do with work and such. People who know me in person generally know the details...those of you who want to know, well, come and meet me (this means you, Aryudata).
OK, OK, I will reveal ONE more thing about me: I live on the top floor of an 18-story building with no other buildings immediately next door, which means I can watch porn and touch myself in a naughty way while leaving the blinds open and getting natural lighting.
Or is that too much information?
Labels: Blogging, Life, Wandering Mind
And We're Back
Ouch! My whole site went down for over 8 hours last night. I noticed at about 6pm that the website -- which had been working fine at 5pm, as far as I remembered -- wasn't responding, and my e-mail seemed to be down too. A call to the hosting company revealed that some settings on my account had been changed. Uh oh. Not sure how that happened but since Tracy in California (my friend who bought me the domain) still manages the admin for the domain, I didn't have the password to go in and fix things. Fortunately, a quick note to Tracy via my emergency backup e-mail account (and we all need at least one of those) got the fix started and YAY all is well today. Thanks, Tracy!!!!
This showed me how big a part of my life this website and my e-mail have become. I was scrambling around rying to fix it last night, checking the site every 15 minutes or so...it was the first thing I looked at this morning...my day is already a good one because it's working again...I had text messages from Malaysia concerned about what happened (thanks Alex!)...yeah, it's like there was a sudden illness in the family.
But all is well now. Guess I don't need to call in sick today after all.
This showed me how big a part of my life this website and my e-mail have become. I was scrambling around rying to fix it last night, checking the site every 15 minutes or so...it was the first thing I looked at this morning...my day is already a good one because it's working again...I had text messages from Malaysia concerned about what happened (thanks Alex!)...yeah, it's like there was a sudden illness in the family.
But all is well now. Guess I don't need to call in sick today after all.
Labels: Website
Monday, October 08, 2007
When Electrons Become Flesh and Blood
I’ve been very fortunate when it comes to meeting my online friends, something that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s been following this journal recently. My recent Asia trip introduced me to some folks I’ve only known electronically, and out of that experience came not only a nice collection of folks to know but also a couple friends in particular who I think can grow into really close friends. Lightning struck again this weekend when I finally met Paul in New York after a year of e-mailing back and forth (I looked in my archives…he first wrote me on October 26th last year). After spending Saturday together, where we talked about everything under the sun from marketing strategies to relationship problems, we agreed to meet up again Sunday. I’m not sure at what point Saturday I realized I wanted to spend more than the planned afternoon together but I guess it was during lunch that I knew I wasn’t going to get to know him well enough in just 5 or 6 hours. Hanging out until after midnight was great, and he introduced me to new places, and then Sunday night I got to show him something new. He fell in love with Don’t Tell Mama, realizing it was the sort of place he’d like to hang out, and I hope he’ll visit there again soon. We stayed pretty much until closing, around 3:30…yeah, I didn’t get much sleep on this trip.
Monday I got to finally meet up with Faustus, a charming (and, according to his blog, sexually supercharged) writer whose online work I’ve been reading since living in Colorado. His blog maintains a thin veneer of anonymity (though by reading the details a stalker would have little trouble finding him) so I’ll try to avoid giving away too much here, such as his photo or phone number or where he’ll be at 6:20pm this Thursday. I will say that he is blond right now (on the outside, not the inside) and is as delightful a conversationalist as he is a writer. When I read his stuff I always feel like I’m having a conversation with him – or spying on one he’s having – and now that feeling will no doubt intensify. He suggested a very cool bakery/café on the East Side and we settled in there for an hour and a half, he taking time from running errands around town and me loving every minute of it. Paul came as well, as he wanted to see me off on the train so he accepted my invitation to lunch, and he said later that meeting new people is something he’s trying to do, so he had a great time (another goal of his is finding a place that makes great bread, and he accomplished that today, too – I took a photo of the bakery and will send it to him so he knows how to find it again). I’m bringing home some stuff from the bakery as it was just too yummy to leave it sitting in New York. Faustus is a charmer and I can see why his partner loves him (of course, his partner is also a psychiatrist, and may simply see him as a useful case study for continuing education – then again, why can’t it be both?).
This was a great weekend, friend-wise. Meeting Faustus and matching a grin and a hug with the words on the screen – not to mention enjoying his charming way of dispensing advice – will add immeasurably to the pleasure I get from his writing. Paul and I clicked right away, and found in each other someone with whom we can wander the city and wander through a bit of life. Of course, there was a third friend this weekend, and that was New York City himself. We needed to get reacquainted, the City and I. I’ve missed him, and I’d like to think he’s missed me a bit. We’ve certainly had some adventures over the years.
Naturally, another reason for going this weekend was to try to catch the filming of the Sex and the City movie, but I never saw them. So obviously another trip – and soon – is in order.
Monday I got to finally meet up with Faustus, a charming (and, according to his blog, sexually supercharged) writer whose online work I’ve been reading since living in Colorado. His blog maintains a thin veneer of anonymity (though by reading the details a stalker would have little trouble finding him) so I’ll try to avoid giving away too much here, such as his photo or phone number or where he’ll be at 6:20pm this Thursday. I will say that he is blond right now (on the outside, not the inside) and is as delightful a conversationalist as he is a writer. When I read his stuff I always feel like I’m having a conversation with him – or spying on one he’s having – and now that feeling will no doubt intensify. He suggested a very cool bakery/café on the East Side and we settled in there for an hour and a half, he taking time from running errands around town and me loving every minute of it. Paul came as well, as he wanted to see me off on the train so he accepted my invitation to lunch, and he said later that meeting new people is something he’s trying to do, so he had a great time (another goal of his is finding a place that makes great bread, and he accomplished that today, too – I took a photo of the bakery and will send it to him so he knows how to find it again). I’m bringing home some stuff from the bakery as it was just too yummy to leave it sitting in New York. Faustus is a charmer and I can see why his partner loves him (of course, his partner is also a psychiatrist, and may simply see him as a useful case study for continuing education – then again, why can’t it be both?).
This was a great weekend, friend-wise. Meeting Faustus and matching a grin and a hug with the words on the screen – not to mention enjoying his charming way of dispensing advice – will add immeasurably to the pleasure I get from his writing. Paul and I clicked right away, and found in each other someone with whom we can wander the city and wander through a bit of life. Of course, there was a third friend this weekend, and that was New York City himself. We needed to get reacquainted, the City and I. I’ve missed him, and I’d like to think he’s missed me a bit. We’ve certainly had some adventures over the years.
Naturally, another reason for going this weekend was to try to catch the filming of the Sex and the City movie, but I never saw them. So obviously another trip – and soon – is in order.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Fantabulous So Far
I love New York.
This has been a great weekend. I got up here Friday night on the train and made it to my hotel very easily, with plenty of time to spare before I wanted to head out. I went dancing at The Web, a "gaysian" club, my favorite club here (and for once, I'm staying on the same side of town as the club) and had a very good time...talked to one nice guy for a while, chatted with a couple of the go-go boys (though Christian, a very nice guy who was dancing there last winter and spring and who always remembered me, wasn't there -- not sure if he's still dancing or not), and danced for about 3 solid hours. By the time I got back to the hotel it was about 4am, and after spending 10 minutes trying to figure out how to set the alarm clock I gave up and set a wakeup call for 9:30am, which came WAY too soon.
Up and about, out for coffee, and soon enough I was meeting up with Paul, a friend from Fridae. Paul first e-mailed me almost exactly one year ago and his timing then was perfect as it was a pretty dark time for me. I think I got a note from him every day while I was in Afghanistan...that's pretty cool, especially considering he had a pretty busy life with interning and working and such this summer. We started the day by meeting up at a park a little before noon and walking the West Village looking for a nice place for lunch, and ended the day in the East Village eating pie around midnight. A great day, he showed me a couple places I hadn't seen before and helped me find something for my Halloween costume and took me to his favorite Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. I always like to walk the city and look around but it's much more fun with someone like Paul who has his own favorite haunts and out-of-the-way places. He's coming over in a few minutes and we're heading out to Don't Tell Mama, my favorite piano bar, so I can introduce him to some place new.
Today I wandered a bit by myself during the day, doing a little shopping in SoHo and on Canal Street, watching people in Chelsea, mingling with the crowds in the theater district, and generally just having a nice day. Later in the evning I stopped by The Web as they have some sort of late happy hour, but the only people in there were middle-aged white men (does that include me?) so I left after one beer. Just as a couple cuties were coming in. Sigh. Oh, well, I have much more fun plans for tonight than standing in a dark bar. How much do you think I would need to drink in order to get up and sing tonight?
OK, time to put on my socks and shoes, Paul should be here any minute. Oh, and Monday I'm meeting up with another blogger friend for lunch before coming home...can't wait to meet you Faustus!!!!!
This has been a great weekend. I got up here Friday night on the train and made it to my hotel very easily, with plenty of time to spare before I wanted to head out. I went dancing at The Web, a "gaysian" club, my favorite club here (and for once, I'm staying on the same side of town as the club) and had a very good time...talked to one nice guy for a while, chatted with a couple of the go-go boys (though Christian, a very nice guy who was dancing there last winter and spring and who always remembered me, wasn't there -- not sure if he's still dancing or not), and danced for about 3 solid hours. By the time I got back to the hotel it was about 4am, and after spending 10 minutes trying to figure out how to set the alarm clock I gave up and set a wakeup call for 9:30am, which came WAY too soon.
Up and about, out for coffee, and soon enough I was meeting up with Paul, a friend from Fridae. Paul first e-mailed me almost exactly one year ago and his timing then was perfect as it was a pretty dark time for me. I think I got a note from him every day while I was in Afghanistan...that's pretty cool, especially considering he had a pretty busy life with interning and working and such this summer. We started the day by meeting up at a park a little before noon and walking the West Village looking for a nice place for lunch, and ended the day in the East Village eating pie around midnight. A great day, he showed me a couple places I hadn't seen before and helped me find something for my Halloween costume and took me to his favorite Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. I always like to walk the city and look around but it's much more fun with someone like Paul who has his own favorite haunts and out-of-the-way places. He's coming over in a few minutes and we're heading out to Don't Tell Mama, my favorite piano bar, so I can introduce him to some place new.
Today I wandered a bit by myself during the day, doing a little shopping in SoHo and on Canal Street, watching people in Chelsea, mingling with the crowds in the theater district, and generally just having a nice day. Later in the evning I stopped by The Web as they have some sort of late happy hour, but the only people in there were middle-aged white men (does that include me?) so I left after one beer. Just as a couple cuties were coming in. Sigh. Oh, well, I have much more fun plans for tonight than standing in a dark bar. How much do you think I would need to drink in order to get up and sing tonight?
OK, time to put on my socks and shoes, Paul should be here any minute. Oh, and Monday I'm meeting up with another blogger friend for lunch before coming home...can't wait to meet you Faustus!!!!!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Way to Go, Smith!
Last night I met up once again with one of my favorite authors, Bob Smith. Bob, who has written collections of hilarious autobiographical essays -- Openly Bob and Way to Go, Smith -- has just published his first novel, Selfish and Perverse. Based on the reading he did last night, this is going to be great. I'm going to dive in as soon as I'm done with Christopher Moore's Dirty Job, suggested by Tony in HK.
Bob, who is also a wonderful standup comic, seems to have made the transition nicely from essayist to novelist. "The nicest part," he said last night, "is that now my family won't get mad at things I say about them." Given that all of his past works have been about his own life I asked which character in here is him. From what he says, there's a little bit of him in each of them, even the big lesbian. I haven't read this one yet, but I'm already hoping for a sequel...I just know it's going to be that good.
I first met Bob when he came through DC on a book tour for Way to Go, Smith. He did a reading at Lambda Rising, the same bookstore we were at last night. A friend swore he was flirting with me, but I'm pretty sure he was just being a good speaker making strong eye contact. Adrian and I caught up with him in 2006 when we lived in Colorado and he was in a comedy show in Denver. He was quite the charmer and Adrian was very sorry he was working last night because he really enjoyed meeting up with Bob last year. Oh, well, he may get to read the book before me.
I'm off to New York for the weekend so I may be out of touch (though I've heard they've gotten the Internet up there now, so I might be able to get online). I'm a little concerned because the website for my favorite club has disappeared...let's hope the club hasn't disappeared as well!! Anyway, I'll finally get to meet Paul, a Fridae friend I've known online for some time. Yay!!
Bob, who is also a wonderful standup comic, seems to have made the transition nicely from essayist to novelist. "The nicest part," he said last night, "is that now my family won't get mad at things I say about them." Given that all of his past works have been about his own life I asked which character in here is him. From what he says, there's a little bit of him in each of them, even the big lesbian. I haven't read this one yet, but I'm already hoping for a sequel...I just know it's going to be that good.
I first met Bob when he came through DC on a book tour for Way to Go, Smith. He did a reading at Lambda Rising, the same bookstore we were at last night. A friend swore he was flirting with me, but I'm pretty sure he was just being a good speaker making strong eye contact. Adrian and I caught up with him in 2006 when we lived in Colorado and he was in a comedy show in Denver. He was quite the charmer and Adrian was very sorry he was working last night because he really enjoyed meeting up with Bob last year. Oh, well, he may get to read the book before me.
I'm off to New York for the weekend so I may be out of touch (though I've heard they've gotten the Internet up there now, so I might be able to get online). I'm a little concerned because the website for my favorite club has disappeared...let's hope the club hasn't disappeared as well!! Anyway, I'll finally get to meet Paul, a Fridae friend I've known online for some time. Yay!!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Happy Moments
For the last few days I've been Mister Negative Nancy (only in the gay world would "Nancy" be preceded by "Mister"). There are a number of reasons for that, mostly due to the situation at home that has left me unhappy with myself and the way I've dealt with things over the last year. Fortunately, though, I got tagged by Janvier to come up with some happy memories, and thinking through that (as well as getting support from my peeps, and making some progress at home) has helped pull me out of my funk. Somewhat. I think I'm only sinking up to my ankles now instead of my shoulders.
He didn't specify how many happy memories or put a time frame to them, so I'm going to just list the first 10 that came to mind, in no particular order:
- doing a "giant stride" off the back of a boat in the Caribbean, wearing my scuba gear and headed for 40 feet down, and thinking in mid-stride "THIS is where I belong."
- the first time I told Adrian I loved him: at the 2002 Winter Olympics, after watching the Men's Figure Skating Finals, on Valentines Day.
- subbing for another professor one day and after class having one of his students come up and hand me a note that said "You are an excellent teacher. Never stop doing this."
- the airplane pulling into the gate as I arrived home from Iraq in 2005.
- dancing at Heaven in London to Geri Halliwell's "Lift Me Up."
- the moment I realized that being over 40 doesn't make me too old for anything at all.
- walking out of a Bangkok coffee house with Raberd at 3am and having him take my arm as we walked down the street.
- coming home from a business trip this spring to find that a new book -- with a chapter by me -- had arrived in the mail.
- sneaking out of the hotel, then calling Adrian from the US Tennis Center while we were on a trip to New York and saying "get out of bed, I just got us tickets to the US Open and it starts in 3 hours."
- walking around KL my second day there, waiting for an SMS from Eddie about when he was arriving, and walking into the hotel to find him in the lobby.
Lots more out there, of course, and while I can remember flashes where I thought "wow, I am so happy right now," I am having trouble with the details. Thanks, Janvier, for making me do that.
And since it's so theraputic, I'm going to tag these people so they can enjoy the feeling as well:
Tracy, because he can always use happy thoughts.
Jase, because he had a bad day last week.
Faustus, because I don't think he will do it and I want him to surprise me.
Mr BunnyBan, because I want to know what he's thinking inside that cute head of his.
Aryaduta, because grad students need all the happy thoughts they can get.
He didn't specify how many happy memories or put a time frame to them, so I'm going to just list the first 10 that came to mind, in no particular order:
- doing a "giant stride" off the back of a boat in the Caribbean, wearing my scuba gear and headed for 40 feet down, and thinking in mid-stride "THIS is where I belong."
- the first time I told Adrian I loved him: at the 2002 Winter Olympics, after watching the Men's Figure Skating Finals, on Valentines Day.
- subbing for another professor one day and after class having one of his students come up and hand me a note that said "You are an excellent teacher. Never stop doing this."
- the airplane pulling into the gate as I arrived home from Iraq in 2005.
- dancing at Heaven in London to Geri Halliwell's "Lift Me Up."
- the moment I realized that being over 40 doesn't make me too old for anything at all.
- walking out of a Bangkok coffee house with Raberd at 3am and having him take my arm as we walked down the street.
- coming home from a business trip this spring to find that a new book -- with a chapter by me -- had arrived in the mail.
- sneaking out of the hotel, then calling Adrian from the US Tennis Center while we were on a trip to New York and saying "get out of bed, I just got us tickets to the US Open and it starts in 3 hours."
- walking around KL my second day there, waiting for an SMS from Eddie about when he was arriving, and walking into the hotel to find him in the lobby.
Lots more out there, of course, and while I can remember flashes where I thought "wow, I am so happy right now," I am having trouble with the details. Thanks, Janvier, for making me do that.
And since it's so theraputic, I'm going to tag these people so they can enjoy the feeling as well:
Tracy, because he can always use happy thoughts.
Jase, because he had a bad day last week.
Faustus, because I don't think he will do it and I want him to surprise me.
Mr BunnyBan, because I want to know what he's thinking inside that cute head of his.
Aryaduta, because grad students need all the happy thoughts they can get.
Monday, October 01, 2007
7 Years and Counting
7 years ago today I started this blog.
Considering I'd never kept a written journal for longer than 2 weeks, that's quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself.
I still need to get my remaining archives posted here...the external hard drive where they're saved (the ones I managed to retain after the Diary-X crash) has gone bad, and I need to get a new drive and get the data off the old one if I can. I hope so...there may be a book in all this material. perhaps not a good one, but...
Here's where I was when this started, and where I am today:
OUR STORY THUS FAR
My name is William...Bill for short.
Now, of course, I go by Will. Except by those who have known me longer than 10 years and can't change. Or by those also named Wililam who want to avoid confusion.
I'm 34, a grad student pursuing my PhD.
Now I'm 41, have finished my PhD, and taught at a university in the meantime.
Washington, DC is home for me.
Washington is still home for me, though since starting this I've also lived in Alabama and Colorado, then returned here last year.
I'm dating a wonderful guy named River (who, sadly, is in Dallas for a month)
Well, River made it back from Dallas. But three months after starting this, we broke up. We remain very good friends, though, and he works less than a mile from me now, so we meet up for lunch pretty often. He's still very cute and very sweet. Soon after that breakup - 10 days, actually - was when Adrian and I met.
I love to travel.
No change there. Except now I've gone beyond Europe, which was my main destination at the time, and have had 3 trips to Southeast Asia and a few to Canada, as well as one trip to Russia. I've also been to a couple wars. Those were not so fun.
I'm an eclectic Wiccan, practicing as a Solitare rather than part of a coven.
Though I still believe in the philosophies of Wicca, I haven't been actively practicing for years. For me, it was always more of a philosophy than a religion, and it remains a factor that shapes my actions and my life. I think, at the time, I was looking for some more structure in my life, and Wicca provided it. Also, I look good in black.
As I re-read the first month's entries today I'm struck by how many of the people I mentioned still play a key role in my life. The bloggers I mention in there I have now mostly met, and one of them has become a very dear friend (hi, Scooter!). The friends in Dc are, for the most part, still here, and they are all still friends.
In the intervening years I have made a number of new friends all over the world...at the time, I had a philosophy that I wouldn't bother getting to know people online if I didn't think I would meet them someday. That philosophy has been good because it kept me from going overboard with online-only friendships, it encouraged me to get to know really good people, and it led me to make the effort to meet these people, which has thoroughly enriched my life, something as true during the last month as it was all those years ago. Most of those folks linked over on the left are people I've gotten to know since starting this...my life is so much better for knowing them.
Back then I seemed to be a much happier, much more relaxed writer. Certainly a bit funnier. I think part of it is, I had more to write about. The nature of my job now doesn't lend itself to much detail in a blog like this, and I also fear that I'm doing the very thing I tried hard not to do: falling into a boring, predictable pattern in life rather than experiencing lots of new things. Of course, I say that, then think about the trip I just took, and realize that can't really be the case.
Naturally, I had more time to write in school...I'd be working mostly at home so it was no problem to jump onto my blog site and write an entry. Now, I get home from work after sitting in front of a compuer all day and it's hard to take the time away from other things to write.
And of course, I am not the same person I was then. There have been some improvements, I've learned to relax a little bit, but on the whole, I'm not as happy with the person I am today. The changes that have occurred in me come from a variety of sources, some in my control and some not so much, but regardless of the reason, I don't like myself as much now as I did back then. Thinking about today's anniversary has given me a chance to reflect on why that is and consider what I might do about it.
One of my reasons for starting this journal of my life was I thought it would be cool to go back and look at old entries every now and then. I was right; it is. I can see what I was thinking all those years ago and trace the fun currents in my life ever since. I can see how I thought things would go and know how they really did. I can reflect on decisions and look at their results, unpredictable at the time but all too well-known now. I like that guy from 7 years ago. I think you would have liked him, too.
So...
Happy Anniversary to Me
Happy Anniversary to Me
Happy Anniversary to Wiliam/Bill/BillinDC/Will/BluDragon/'Tater Tom/Wei Lian/Doctor Goodenbed
Happy Anniversary to Me
I hope you'll stick around for another 7 years. I know I plan to. Thanks for reading.
Considering I'd never kept a written journal for longer than 2 weeks, that's quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself.
I still need to get my remaining archives posted here...the external hard drive where they're saved (the ones I managed to retain after the Diary-X crash) has gone bad, and I need to get a new drive and get the data off the old one if I can. I hope so...there may be a book in all this material. perhaps not a good one, but...
Here's where I was when this started, and where I am today:
OUR STORY THUS FAR
My name is William...Bill for short.
Now, of course, I go by Will. Except by those who have known me longer than 10 years and can't change. Or by those also named Wililam who want to avoid confusion.
I'm 34, a grad student pursuing my PhD.
Now I'm 41, have finished my PhD, and taught at a university in the meantime.
Washington, DC is home for me.
Washington is still home for me, though since starting this I've also lived in Alabama and Colorado, then returned here last year.
I'm dating a wonderful guy named River (who, sadly, is in Dallas for a month)
Well, River made it back from Dallas. But three months after starting this, we broke up. We remain very good friends, though, and he works less than a mile from me now, so we meet up for lunch pretty often. He's still very cute and very sweet. Soon after that breakup - 10 days, actually - was when Adrian and I met.
I love to travel.
No change there. Except now I've gone beyond Europe, which was my main destination at the time, and have had 3 trips to Southeast Asia and a few to Canada, as well as one trip to Russia. I've also been to a couple wars. Those were not so fun.
I'm an eclectic Wiccan, practicing as a Solitare rather than part of a coven.
Though I still believe in the philosophies of Wicca, I haven't been actively practicing for years. For me, it was always more of a philosophy than a religion, and it remains a factor that shapes my actions and my life. I think, at the time, I was looking for some more structure in my life, and Wicca provided it. Also, I look good in black.
As I re-read the first month's entries today I'm struck by how many of the people I mentioned still play a key role in my life. The bloggers I mention in there I have now mostly met, and one of them has become a very dear friend (hi, Scooter!). The friends in Dc are, for the most part, still here, and they are all still friends.
In the intervening years I have made a number of new friends all over the world...at the time, I had a philosophy that I wouldn't bother getting to know people online if I didn't think I would meet them someday. That philosophy has been good because it kept me from going overboard with online-only friendships, it encouraged me to get to know really good people, and it led me to make the effort to meet these people, which has thoroughly enriched my life, something as true during the last month as it was all those years ago. Most of those folks linked over on the left are people I've gotten to know since starting this...my life is so much better for knowing them.
Back then I seemed to be a much happier, much more relaxed writer. Certainly a bit funnier. I think part of it is, I had more to write about. The nature of my job now doesn't lend itself to much detail in a blog like this, and I also fear that I'm doing the very thing I tried hard not to do: falling into a boring, predictable pattern in life rather than experiencing lots of new things. Of course, I say that, then think about the trip I just took, and realize that can't really be the case.
Naturally, I had more time to write in school...I'd be working mostly at home so it was no problem to jump onto my blog site and write an entry. Now, I get home from work after sitting in front of a compuer all day and it's hard to take the time away from other things to write.
And of course, I am not the same person I was then. There have been some improvements, I've learned to relax a little bit, but on the whole, I'm not as happy with the person I am today. The changes that have occurred in me come from a variety of sources, some in my control and some not so much, but regardless of the reason, I don't like myself as much now as I did back then. Thinking about today's anniversary has given me a chance to reflect on why that is and consider what I might do about it.
One of my reasons for starting this journal of my life was I thought it would be cool to go back and look at old entries every now and then. I was right; it is. I can see what I was thinking all those years ago and trace the fun currents in my life ever since. I can see how I thought things would go and know how they really did. I can reflect on decisions and look at their results, unpredictable at the time but all too well-known now. I like that guy from 7 years ago. I think you would have liked him, too.
So...
Happy Anniversary to Me
Happy Anniversary to Me
Happy Anniversary to Wiliam/Bill/BillinDC/Will/BluDragon/'Tater Tom/Wei Lian/Doctor Goodenbed
Happy Anniversary to Me
I hope you'll stick around for another 7 years. I know I plan to. Thanks for reading.
Labels: Blogging, Friends, Life, Relationships, Wandering Mind, Website
