Boing

That sound you hear is my new Year's resolution imploding. No necessarily an abject failure but I've certainly not eaten right nor have I made it to the gym yet. It can definitely be said that so far things have not gotten off to the right foot. Heck the left foot would be fine with me right now, I just need to get off of my fat ass.

Dreams

Last night I had a dream. It was possibly one of the more vivid dreams I've had in some time, and equal parts surrealism, reality, and projection.

I joined the US Marines, which trust me is not on my list of things to do before I die. I cannot think of any particular reason I would have dreamt this scenario. My twin brother is a Marine so that is the closest I can think. It is possible that it could represent a focus on the discipline of boot camp that could represent a desire to reform or change the coarse of my life.

Rather than attending boot camp at Parris Island I camped it up in Paris, France. Which begs the question, does my subconscious have a sense of humor and taste for irony? Then there is the phone call from my cell phone to A* during drill. Clearly not reality but at the same time a good representation of a conversation he and I had earlier that day. Who knows?!?

'til later, sweet dreams...

Diet Advice

Interesting read... Why Diets Fail - Men's Health. It should prove a good inspiration when the diet starts to wander. Of course I still need to pick it up to full speed but the last few days have been modestly successful so I'm not too disappointed.

Something ODD is happening to my post as there should have been two in the last few days but the just aren't showing up (they were sent via e-mail post). Hopefully this isn't a big problem as I find it rather convenient to post this way, there is something about writing an e-mail that doesn't seem to translate into posting a blog on the website.

The Big Bash meeting tonight was good. It is hard to believe that it is only two months away now. We definitely need to pick up the pace. I've got a tonne of work ahead of me. Speaking of which...

'til later,

D

Day 01

Ok so some starter information...

I've had most if not all of my priorities thrown up in the air for the last few years and things have slowly spiraled out of control. So what better time than New Year to start over and get things back on track. Now obviously this will take some amount of effort and will undoubtedly be fraught with certain hardship but in the long run I think most people will agree that this will be a good thing. The details of course will work them selves out as we move along. For now let's just try to keep our eyes on the prize.

Happy New Year!

So here we are, time for our resolutions. Some are the usual although I fully intend to keep, I've been there before so I know I can do it, plus with some of my other resolutions this may be easier than I think. So let's see...

1. Eat healthy - This isn't a diet so much as a lifestyle. It isn't as hard as you would think it simply means you need to eat in moderation and eat those things that you already know are good for you.
2. Exercise - Again not so bad when you put your mind to it. I did it for years and just got out of the habit. The two factors against me right now are the 'others' that will fail by March or so and the time that I will spend away from 'A'
3. Worry less - If I am going to live for any period of time I need to recognize that I cannot effect everything. I just need to get over it. And so I shall...
4. Love more - need I say more?!?
5. and lastly I think that I am going to stop drinking - I know, stop the presses but hey it may be a good thing for me and besides it will help with my other resolutions so it is kind of a win-win when you think about it.

So there you have it. I will try to keep ya'll up to speed on my progress. Here's hoping, eh!?!

So this is Christmas...

Actually not a bad night for a pre-Christmas party. Glad that we were able to gather as friends again for the first and in some case the last time. In many ways I know that I have learned and grown from who I've met in this last year. Love has obviously been a major part of that and I am glad for the growth if not just the love and friendship that I have benifited from in these last days. I look forward to so many more.

As always, know that you're loved.

D

WHY MOVE TO CANADA?

Reasons to move to Canada, as cited by www.canadianalternative.com:

1. Canada has universal public health care.

2. Canada has no troops in Iraq.

3. Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol environmental treaty.

4. More than half of Canada's provinces allow same-sex marriage.

5. The Canadian Senate recommends legalizing marijuana.

6. Canada has no law restricting abortion.

7. Canada has strict gun laws and relatively little violence.

8. The United Nations has ranked Canada the best country to live in for eight consecutive years.

9. Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976.

10. Canada has not run a federal deficit since 1996-97.

Gearing up for War

I've not been looking forward to this but it appears there is no real choice. I can sit by and do nothing, but I know I would regret that far more than doing what I can and failing (which I hope does not happen.) The battle for same-sex marriage here in Michigan will be on the ballot this November, making us only the third state in the union to amend their constitution to do so. It is regrettable that this has to happen but it will again put the topic front and center. I am firmly convinced that through education and personal reflection many hearts will change. Perhaps not in time for Michigan but the tide has been turning our way for some time, let's hope it keeps going that way.

D

"Cowardice asks the question--is it safe? Expediency asks the question--is it politic? Vanity asks the question--is it popular? But conscience asks the question--is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right." --Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Happiness is...

Sometime we forget to pause for a moment and appreciate the simple things in life.  You know, all of the little things that while seemingly unimportant for a "big picture" point of view are the very thing that makes our life just that, our.  I like my life and am happy.  I guess sometimes I forget that.  

 

I've been feeling a little blue lately so I guess it makes sense that other have begun to pick up on it.  I know my friends are probably a touch frustrated with me and I know A* has questioned if I still love him or not.  The truth is I could be happier.  I may be frustrated from time to time but then who isn't?  Like I said.  I need to remember to measure my life against what I want and who I am rather than using others as the standard for happiness.  Who knew right?!?

 

Anyway, I hope everyone out there is happy too.

 

As always...

 

Know that you're loved.

 

D

Happy Pride!

Wow,

 

Ok so I've been away for a while.  Go figure this isn't something new.  Well that's OK cause I've been having a blast.  This last weekend at pride was the best.  My hat's off to Labatt and Molson for granting me blurred vision of the last week.  Who knew... oh wait.

 

So there is a tonne to catch up on and no time to do it.  Suffice to say there are many a tale that would be a shame it they were not shared; plus many a pic that could equally be enjoyed.  Hopefully this evening will grant be the time to journal them. 

 

Oh what fun.

 

Oh the Places You'll Go

So I'm back from Toronto. I know I didn't even mention that I went but that is because it was a bit of a spur of the moment type thing that developed while I was in Mexico. Oh Mexico, I forgot about that too...

True to form no trip to Mexico would be complete without some drama, right!?! This time I lost my passport. So let's recap: I've lost my passport, had my wallet stolen, forgotten my luggage in the back of the taxi, been on the plane during an emergency landing due to low fuel (complete with fire engines racing alongside us on the tarmac, been diverted to Memphis due to the Great Power Outage of 2003, and nearly lost my job when I told the assembly plant guard to go have sex with himself in his native language. So I'm picking up a trend here.

Anyway, Toronto was fabulous as always.  We had our fair share of drama there as well (some people just don't know their limits, others are not quite versed in proper party etiquette, but at least there is hope.)

My only hope is that we do not have a repeat at Pride.

C'est La Vie

Sitting at the bar last night I noticed a table of guys sitting around watching the football game on TV. One came up the bar and ordered drinks for the table in perfect Spanish. I was a bit surprise because although they could have been they just didn't look Mexican. First of all they were cute and the cloths they were wearing had a more European style to them. As it happened I knew one of the engineers playing pool which was just behind their table. While I was talking to them I heard them talking, but not in Spanish but rather French. Ou la la. I sat there and listened to their conversation, not picking up nearly enough to understand, but the sound of their language was so beautiful. I'd forgotten how much more elegant French is, particularly when compared to Spanish. It was quite a treat. After re-calibrating my gaydar to account for the Euro-factor they fell off the map, but oh how they would have been a treat.

So I complained yesterday about the tedium that is working in Mexico. Today karma stepped in and took me bowling with the Supplier Quality Manager from our customer. You have to say something about going bowling in the middle of the day with someone who normally inspires fear rather than fun. It was a good break from the norm and I managed to break 100 on each game; not bad for someone who rarely bowls at all. I didn't care for the 'high-fives' that followed each bowler in each frame. I have yet to figure out if they just wanted to increase the machismo of bowling or just needed the ego boost. Straights... go figure.

Of course to balance that out it is the rainy season here and some of the cactus are beginning to bloom. I brought my camera but proceeded to forget the memory card. I have my small one but that holds only a handful of pictures. I guess I get what I can and hopefully post a few later.

Saludos

Sunrise, Sunset

Working in Mexico isn't a whole lot of fun. I leave for the plant about the time the sun is rising. Stand around at the assembly plant most of the day waiting for something to happen. Most of the time it is a completely uneventful day (which in a way is good, but gosh is it boring.) Lunch is usually something quick and dirty, such as the Taco stand across the street from the plant. (My best advice is to not eat there and if you do, do not look behind the counter to see how they do it.) I've survived so far, but then I probably just jinxed myself.

Anyway, after we are done at the assembly plant I head over to my manufacturing plant. There I get to argue with my own coworkers as to what is truly important and where we should be spending the majority of our resources. They do things different down here, I'll leave it at that.

Once I am done with that there is the mountain of paper work that needs to be processed on any regular day. After getting sick of waiting form my internet connection to do something I usually call it a day around 8. At that time I can make it back to the hotel and order room service because I am just too tired to go out at that point. If I am lucky I will get three or four continuous hours of sleep before I wake up to do it again.

So for those of you that say, "Gee, Mexico how nice!" think about that before thinking I am on some sort of boondoggle.

Have a great day

Random Thoughts

Have you ever noticed the moment the lead flight attendant announces that you need to remain in your seats until we are parked at the gate is precisely when most people take their seat belts off?!?

If you are in a line on a moving side walk which is hopelessly clogged, because someone up front is either to ignorant to notice everyone behind him or just doesn't care, do you really need to push your way through that line when everyone else wants to be moving as well but can't.

Don't you think that getting on to an elevator, before everyone that is getting off has had a chance to do so, is kind of like wiping you butt before you shit?

What happened?

So I've realized that in many ways those things that were important to me before have taken a bit of a back seat to other things. I don't go to the gym much any more and while I can definitely tell the difference and want to have a better body I cannot seem to find the motivation to do so. I read some of my early blogs and again realized that at one point I put a lot more into these than I do now as well. Well the fact of the matter is that this isn't because things are bad or my life is so tortuous that I no longer do those things that seemed to give me some degree of happiness in the past. Things are actually really good. And that is just it, while I am extremely busy and find little time for some of the more frivolous things in life (like the time to write a decent blog) many of those things I did previously were more filler than anything else. I did them to pass the time. They were distractions of a sort to get me through the day. I don't have much free time because I am busy doing those things that I want to do.

That said I need to focus more on certain things that have fallen by the wayside because well they are important to me. They just took a back burner while I focused on other more important things.

Besides you all want to know about the "Jungle Juice Party" not my job or my woes. So be it... later, when I have time.

HI

We spent the evening looking at new cars, tonight. A* has had the itch to get something knew lately and is thinking of getting something new and shiny to replace his Saturn. We looked at a few different cars. I would have preferred to look at the new Chrysler 300 C. Way out of budget but a boy can dream right? At the Dodge dealership we test drove a Dodge SRT-4. I nearly wet myself. Now granted it isn’t a Porsche but boy was that car fun. Getting back into my car after that one just didn’t cut it.

The countdown to Toronto Pride is on. I can hardly wait! I definitely need to get myself to the gym and get this body into prime shape for that event! So who else is going?!?

I’m taking a break from trying to re-educate my computer. I had to wipe it some time back (the third time in as many months.) This time Firewalls and Blockers and everything you can imagine is between me and the bad people. So be ware. ‘til later.

Know that you're loved,

D

"Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." -Unknown

This Just In

Breaking News: To good to wait until later. PZ has now made the airwaves in metro Detroit. Flim at eleven.

This is NOT a Test

PLEASE STAND BY. WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING SOME MINOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.

So the worm has crippled my computer. I am slowly backing up files and preparing it for a complete lobotomy. Frustrating to say the least as this will be the third time in 3 months on a brand new computer. Ya gotta love Windows XP!

So in other new Toronto Pride is only 49 days away. I need to get my but to the gym and stick to eatting healthy a little bit better. I gots ta look good fo' my peeps! Trust!

After the blogging Holiday

OK, OK I suck I know. Well of course I do but that is an entirely different story. I have been crazy busy - as usual - but then I really do think I like it that way. I tend to get a little frazzled from time to time and I swear I feel like I'm always on the go but when I sit for even a short period of time I get antsy and cannot help but want to do something. Now that's not to say that I don't indulge myself every now and again but really even when I rent a movie and watch it I end up doing something else at the same time. Multi-tasking that is, or as Michael would say "zat is very Efficient, ya!" or something like that. Thing is in all of my doing a little bit of everything blogging things down just doesn't seem to fall on the list. It also doesn't help that my computer caught a cold.

So anyway as a quick catch up...

Tuesday night A* and I have dinner with ARE at our place and end up at the MB. Complete mess. Why I go out drinking on a work night is absolutely beyond me. (sometimes I wonder why I go out drinking at all, but then again...)

The rest of the week was pretty low key. Did a lot of work around the house and yard. A* headed back to Louisville for the Derby on Friday leaving me to my own devices. I managed to get quite a few little tasks done around the house and managed to hang out with some friends as well. All in all not a bad weekend, although I could have done without the rain.

This week proves to be interesting. I seem to be on a roll with some of the renovations I have going so I am going to try my hardest to stay focused on that. We'll see. Stay tuned.

Good Friends, Good Food

Dinner tonight at Bonfire Bistro with J&R. We meet them on our trip to Louisville last weekend. They are really fun guys, J was my dancing buddy to get the night started. Both of them are in really good shape (curse them) but are really down to earth and a general good time to hang out with. They may join us for drinks after at P!'s. We'll see.

This weekend MUST be an easy one. I swear I am still paying for last weekend.