Busy Summer Weekend

This last weekend was a good summer weekend which included a lot of friends and a few mishaps.

Friday evening began with a bang... a huge thunderstorm, that is! As a result, our big-gay beach volleyball league was cancelled, yet again! We've already had 5 weeks of no volleyball due to weather, holidays, and 'bye' weeks. Hopefully we'll get a few more matches in before the end of the summer! Just to make sure Friday wasn't a total bust, the team decided to eat at Fontana Grill & Wine Bar on Wilson. It's a great little restaurant with an amazing outdoor patio (which was closed due to the weather, of course) and spectacular brick-oven pizza. We ate and drank and were merry... but hadn't had enough so went out to Scott's Bar for more libations. The evening was still 'young' so we ended up at Berlin for some late-night dancing... it was great! What wasn't so great was leaving my Motorola Droid cellphone in the cab on the way home. Unfortunately, at 3 in the morning, I forgot to do my usual 'get-out-of-the-cab-and-turn-and-look-at-the-seat-for-anything-I-might-have-left-behind-before-closing-the-door' routine. I will miss it, but even more so, I will miss all of the great pictures I had taken over the last 4 months... *sigh*

Because of my loss, Saturday began with getting a new phone from Best Buy (my favorite place in the world!). Hello to the new LG Ally! A good phone so far and I was able to get all my contact's information just by logging into my Google account! Thank you Android OS!
Saturday evening I spent with my new friend from CRU, Steve. We ate up in Wilmette at Convito Cafe & Market. It is a cute little restaurant and foodie store located in Plaza del Lago. I had a Cosmo, a lyonnaise salad and a pizza (again... couldn't help myself). I was also, by far, the only non-white customer there... at least there were the busboys! After dinner we went to Gillson park to watch The Sound of Music being performed by the Starlight Theater of Wilmette. My cousin Anita was performing in it as the Mother Superior... and boy was she awesome! She let those high notes soar! It was a pleasant evening and wonderful to see the Silverts, again.

Sunday began slowly as I allowed myself to sleep in. I then made an important trip to the 'Jewels' to get some supplies for the beach... ingredients to make strawberry & guava vodka lemonade.... They were TASTY! The afternoon was spent at the beach with friends from rowing, chorus, and misc. Perfect weather + Great friends = Good for the soul! :)

Overall, a great weekend!

My Roomie

Well, the time has finally come to talk about my roommate... she is 12 years old, a petite 6 pounds, prissy, loving, playful, friendly, funny, and awesome. Of course, it's my cat, Athena.Originally named after the Greek goddess of wisdom and victory, Athena has been a huge part of my life since my cousin, Felice, and I adopted her from a farm in Las Cruces, New Mexico when she was about 3 months old. She has lived with me ever since, except for about 6 months when she lived with my parents and was quickly made to be an 'outdoor cat' for a while! She then moved with me to Chicago and was quickly deemed 'the best cat in the world' by all my friends. She absolutely loves people... hates other cats! At every party at the house, she is right in the middle of crowd and will NOT be left out.

Here is a pic of Athena in her business-casual clothes:

Yesterday, I was woken-up by this weird sound that I thought was my phone vibrating. I looked around and couldn't see it. Finally, I looked up next to my head, and there on the other pillow all curled up was Ms. Athena snoring away... it was adorable. I realized at that point, how lucky I am to have her share my life... she has been a constant for me. She is always happy to see me when I get home, always wants to be around me when I'm cooking (or even in the bathtub!), watching T.V., or taking a nap. I had been telling people that this was going to be the first time that I have ever lived alone... but now I realize I cannot say that anymore... I still have a roommate! So, Athena, thank you for putting up with me and you can look forward to an extra helping of moist cat food tonight!

I am also posting 'A Pet's Ten Commandments' that I ran across a long time ago. I think every pet owner should commit these to memory and treat their animals as lovingly as they can.

A Pet's Ten Commandments

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me. Don't be frustrated and impatient.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand the tone of your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old and weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old and need love, care, comfort and attention.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~ Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. ~
~ Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.~

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July 4th, 2010

This last Independence Day I had the pleasure of enjoying in our nation's capital: beautiful Washington, D.C.! I had been in D.C. about a month or so before the 4th for a regatta with the rowing team and instantly fell in love with the city. While there, I met a couple of gents from the DC Strokes crew, one of which invited me to come for the 4th. Ironically, he is not an American but from New Zealand... so, I was being toured around the US capital by a New Zealander (Kiwi, as you will) for the 4th of July weekend... kinda cool.

While visiting, I went on a long motorcycle ride out to the Grand Falls in Virginia (on the back of an amazing Ducati bike), had dinner with an Australian, Canadian, and said Kiwi (all who are great peeps), went swimming at an embassy, got to meet up with the DC Strokes guys again, went to an Artist Market, visited Alexandria (beautifully historic), went dancing, and had amazing food and company.

One of the highlights of the weekend was watching the fire works on the mall. It was amazing weather and surprisingly, not nearly as crowded as I expected. We ended up watching the show from ~100M from the Washington Monument. It was an great evening and it felt incredibly 'American'. I loved it!

I thank you, Kane, for a great weekend and all the touring around you did for me! You were a very gracious host and I hope that we remain in good contact and hope to visit you in New Zealand when you get settled again!

New and Old Relationships

Many new people have entered my life recently and it has become increasingly apparent to me how easily connections can be made... and sometimes lost. Having recently started a very new chapter in my life after some rough events, I found myself letting myself be open to new experiences and just letting life lead me where it will. Because of this, I've met some amazing people whom I hope will be my friends for a longtime to come.

CRU has been absolutely amazing for me where I have met a whole different circle of people that I would never have run into otherwise. I was recruited by my friend, Ben Calvert, who I knew from CGMC to join CRU. He came up to me and asked if I had ever thought of being a coxswain. At first I thought he was hitting on me, but then he actually explained what a coxswain was and that I had HIGHLY desirable physical qualities that they needed... finally, a sport where my height/weight are desired! I agreed to try it out and it has been a blast ever since! The boys (and a few girls) are a great bunch of people; I'd say a different kinda gay than the chorus boys in that there tends to be a little less drama or need for attention... guaranteed, there still is that good ol' catty humor! Because I didn't know any of these gents before, I was able to tell them as little or as much about my recent breakup as I chose to and they were all very supportive and instantly caring. Thanks, CRU!

On the flip-side... there have been a few people that I probably will not see or hear from again because of the breakup. In-laws, friends of my ex, acquaintances... people that I liked and enjoyed knowing, but no longer feel comfortable being the one to contact them. I will miss them but am incredibly glad that I had a chance to know them when I did and hope that, at the very least, I will be kept informed as to their well-being.

I guess, overall, I feel grateful that so many wonderful people have been a part of my life and know that if you allow yourself to get close to people, yes, you open yourself to heartbreak and some pain, but the amazingly positive and loving relationships far out-weight the bad... it is worth the risk, by all means.

Highs and Lows...

Last night, my parents (David and Julia) and my friends Michael and Gary, ate at Bandera on Michigan avenue, downtown Chicago. It is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, by far... great live jazz (a great table thanks to the bass player Mark Berls), great ambiance, and awesome food... very consistent, too! It was a great evening and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

This morning I drove my parents to O'Hare and dropped them off for their flight back. I miss them already and had a great visit with them... I love them very much and could not have asked for more kind and caring parents... Thanks, Mom and Dad!

I feel like now I have to start coping and dealing with a lot of things that will not be easy or quick... and I'm not looking forward to it. It has been a hell of a year so far and I just want things to be back to some sense of normalcy... at least for a little while! I have hope that all will turn out for the best and know I have the strength to do whatever it takes to get there... but, damn it, if it won't be crappy for a while!

Pushy or Persistent?

Yesterday evening, after work, was very relaxing. I had drinks out in the backyard with my parents who are in town visiting til Wednesday. My mom bought her grandcat, Athena, a harness and leash so she also joined us in the backyard festivities, albeit a little perturbed! After our libations, we strolled down to Calo's in Andersonville for some yummy 1/2 priced ribs. It was a very enjoyable dinner and conversation.

That being said, it has recently come to my attention that I sometimes am perceived as 'intense' by some people. I am not sure when that term became attached to being a negative trait. I feel that if you know what you want or need, then you do all you can to achieve it! However, I realize that sometimes this pushes some people away or startles them, which is NEVER my intention. I hope my persistence and drive doesn't get mistaken for bullying or neediness... as it sometimes has. I do want to work on this, though!

When meeting people, I usually know pretty instantly if they are someone I want to know better, friendship or otherwise, and I want to know as much about them as I can... I am the inquisitor of the zodiac, after all! Hopefully, that is taken as flattery as it is intended!

Chicago Sprints 2010

This last weekend were the Chicago Sprints down in Lincoln Park on the Lagoon. I recently (March 2010) joined the Chicago Rowing Union (CRU) as a new coxswain and this was my third regatta. I coxed (yes, that's a verb) the Men's Open 4 and the Men's Master's 4+, both made up of members from our competitive squad (we have novice, club, and competitive squads). The weather was amazingly gorgeous, although Saturday was very hot, and the water perfect. The squad did very well and made a good showing; Men's Master's 4+ 1000M time was 3:36... Good job boys!

The first pic is our entire team (minus a few peeps and coaches). The second is me and my fellow coxswains, from left to right: Me, Leo, Ernie, and Cameron. The third pic is me with the Men's Master's 4+ boat; in the bow-loaded boat (coxswain in the front) with Bill, Craig, James, and Paulo, left to right. The fourth pic is me leading the team down to the docks... strutting a little. :0)

Thank you to my parents, coworkers, and friends who made it down to watch me this weekend... it meant a lot to me!