Merry Christmas

However you celebrate today I hope that you had a fun and wonderful time filled with much love and the makings of wonderful memories that last always.  Merry Christmas.

Well That is Good News

My goodness.  I am so glad that the world did not end as I am so looking forward to this Christmas, for obvious reasons :)

Delayed Christmas

Tonight I got to the airport and it was all sorts of craziness because they are redoing the place.  After they finally loaded us up on the plane, they had us sit on the tarmac for an hour.  Then they get on board and say that they loaded the plane with too much fuel and needed 5 volunteers to give up their seat because the plane was too heavy.  Since it was the eve of the Mayan Apocalypse my hand shot right up.  I paid $520 for my round trip ticket and they gave me a credit of $600 to use toward a future flight and booked me on the non-stop flight that leaves at 2:20pm on Friday afternoon.

Although I am so excited for Christmas and hate losing a day of an already short time, this credit is an awesome present.  In August there is always a huge family party because in that month is my birthday along with the birthdays of 3 of my nieces   This coming August is even more special as it will be my parent's 50th wedding anniversary so I have to be there.  Now I know that without a doubt I will be able to get a ticket to come back for it all!

And honestly, in this day and age, the plane being "too heavy" just kinda wigged me out.  It was not too hard to give up my seat.  It just did not sound too right to me.  So I will sleep safe and sound at my house tonight, still have great Christmas fun soon with the family and can book my way to the big shindig in August.

Goodbye Esco

I leave on 12.20's red-eye to head back east for Christmas.  I am scheduled to land at 6:15am on 12.21.2012, the last day of the Mayan calendar.  I certainly hope when it comes time to descend that there is in fact an Earth to descend to!  If not well then goodbye Escondido - I appreciated you so much.  Here is a mural that popped up down on Grand Ave.  You cannot tell by the picture but the mural is about 10 or 12 feet high!  I loved it.  I wanted to use it to make into this year's Christmas cards but I did not send cards this year.  Here however it is for us all to enjoy and even if 12.21.2012 is the last day of the world well then it will live on in cyberspace!  Merry Christmas & cross your fingers.

Joy

I am so into simple right now.  Just listen to the beauty of this simple song.  Bittersweet, lovely and amazing.  Simple is the way to go.  "Because of the dark, we see the beauty in the spark."  Simply well put.

They Are Silly

Here are my parents with Santa.  They are just ordinary folks and they just kill me - posing with Santa.  They are insanity personified and I love it.  I guess I do not know any better but nor wish to know any better.  They have done their best and I could have certainly done worse to have other parents.  I know that soon I will be sitting at their house watching the craziness firsthand and thinking right in the middle of it all with all aspects of sincerity, "How lucky am I?".  Not sure even Freud could figure that one out.  Again they are just ordinary folk and I so respect them for that.  I am very happy to go visit for Christmas this year.  It is the best present.

A Simple Christmas

Debbie said she went last Sunday to the North Shore Theatre to see A Christmas Carol.  I was excited for her but jealous at the same time.  I remember seeing it there before and they did a wonderful job with it, as they do with most everything.  Tonight I happened to watch on AMC the 1984 movie version of A Christmas Carol and I got sucked right in.  I delighted in every minute of it.  I know it is a very simple story but I adore simple.  I am a simple man and strive for a simple life.  Simple however is deceptive and often misunderstood.  Sure Charles Dickens was just one man that wrote one simple story and yet it touched billions.  That is the power of simple.  Just a gathering of words to remind us to count our blessings.  How simple is it to count our blessings and yet how often do we forget to do just that.  Christmas is here and I am happily counting my blessings.  I cannot wait to see my family soon.  Merry Christmas indeed.

Christmas Crafts

No Christmas cards sending this year.  I could not work it into the budget but I do still spend a lot of time thinking of what I would do if I made cards.  Last Saturday was my boss' Christmas party.  It is nice of him to have and I am glad that Loren went with me.  The above picture is a picture the boss' Christmas tree.  I just loved how the lights come out like little dots of sugar.  I added the words and although the font is perfect, I just could not find the right color.  I am getting so excited for Christmas.  I can't wait!

Crisis Averted

I was opening my front door the other day and the key snapped and broke just like in the picture above so the skinny part was stuck inside the lock and I was holding the big round part.  Luckily the door opened first so I was not locked outside but I was still in a panic.  I get so nervous over everything.  I guess I could have call the landlord but instead I took the lock apart from the door and then tried to get the broken key out of the lock.  I worked on it for a while and honestly I was impressed I was able to get the lock out of the door but I knew there was no way I could get the broken part out.  My mind raced as it tends to do.  I was worried about how much if could cost, if I could get it fixed or would have to replace it and what would I do in the meantime.  When things like this happen it just wigs me out.  Like I said I get really nervous and worried and it just kinda shuts me down.  I figured that no one is ever up here - I would just leave the door lock-less until I figured something out - perhaps not the best decision but I went with it.  Finally I looked up locksmiths today and of course there was one within walking distance from my work - really why ever leave Escondido.  I went over today and although it was chilly out I was sweating because I made myself so nervous over what was or was not going to happen.  It was an old fashioned locksmith shop and super cool.  The guy was incredibly nice.  He told me to give him a minute and then he went over to a machine - fiddled around a bit and retured in literally 7 minutes with my lock fixed and a new key and said, "All set - that will be $2.10".  I almost fell over.  I realize the lock is not too intricate but still was not expecting such a cheap and easy solution to something that made me so worried and nervous.  I know there is a great story in there which is why I am writing this post.  Now the big trick to pull out of my hat is that next time I get myself all worked up and worried over something I just have to remember this broken lock and key story.

'tis the Season

This is the extent of my decorating but that is ok as it is fun.  Plus if I did decorate that I wish I could do it like this.  Ah such effortless style.  Merry Christmas!

Found Photos

I posted ages ago how I purchased a used camera off of eBay so that I could replace my digital camera with  the exact same model as I had.  It was two years ago as a matter of fact.  This past weekend I was going through my photo cards (again) and I noticed that one looked different than the others - a brand I did not recognize.  I popped in the card and it was full of pictures that were not mine!  It then dawned on me that it came with my used digital.  The pictures were college pictures and a lot of travel pictures.  In one of the pictures the guy that is in the majority of pictures had a name tag on.  It then dawned on me to check my paypal account and I found the details of my camera purchase and the names matched, plus it had his email address (he is a doctor!).  I emailed him about the card and that I was not a weirdo and he actually replied with his mailing address so I am going to mail back his card to him.  In meantime though  here are some of the pictures and what I have learned!  PS I think the card owner is the blond guy as he appears in most the pictures.  PSS I feel so naughty posting these but they are not naughty at all.

Things I have learned:

1.  He loves Garfield just like me and he also is into the Christmas spirit.  I hope he made this into his Christmas card!

2.  His pictures of Sydney Australia were amazing.  I want to go!

3. He is dashing working his porn mustache but his friend with the freaky facial hair is HOTNESS!

4.  He likes to pose next to very large things.

5.  I say he is straight but even driving this John Deere tractor does not have too much of a butch vibe.

6.  His friends are monkeys - literally.

7.  He went to some amazing places and took more than amazing photos!

  

Providence

Judy lives in RI and while in Providence this weekend she sent me some photos of found art and beautiful sites.  I always liked Providence.  I especially like the name as it means, "God's perception as a caring force guiding mankind".  Now I love Providence.  Thank you for sharing and sending these!

Christmas Cowboys

In Mexico cowboys are called vaqueros and are a big thing in Mexican culture.  Although the Christmas parade was in Escondido, we really are just TJ north so there was a excellent group of vaqueros in the parade.  Their horses were so nice and what a display they put on.  I really enjoyed it a lot so figured they needed a post of their own and not just to be mixed into my general parade post.  I love the picture I snapped at the end of the little girl sitting with her papi she was soooooo cute.

Christmas Parade

Today Escondido held its Christmas Parade so I went on down to check it out.  I love that fact that it is still called the Christmas Parade also and not a holiday parade.  It was such a townie thing to do so I loved every  moment of it!  I met up with Carla as she was working it.  She drives a bus and had to drive a bunch of kids over from the college that were walking in the parade.  I was clapping and cheering and saying Merry Christmas to everyone and Carla, an Escondido hometown girl, was just looking at me like I was a weirdo.  Where is your hometown pride girl?  After her kids went past she had to leave but the parade was only half done so I stayed and quickly made friends with Betty Ann.  Betty Ann is 71 and was born and raised in Escondido and has lived there all her life.  What a find!  We became fast friends because of course, you know that old ladies love me and I will admit I kinda like them too.  We chatted all about Cruising Grand, the 4th of July Celebration, the Grape Day Park parade, the old high school and hospital - on and on just like a couple of townies.  She was so cute.  I took her picture.  It was a fun parade.  They should have one every Saturday.

'Til the World Remembers Your Name

Since I made my video on Sunday, I cannot stop playing my Echobelly cd.  The song in that video is called, "Hot in a Cold Country".  Echobelly are British of course  (be quiet Michelle).  They rode the Brit Pop wave in the 90's.  The song has a shoe gazer tinge to it but they are very pop and the singer's voice is awesome - even if she is not blonde (again be quiet Michelle).  And  my handy dandy ticket stub tells that I saw them live on 04.12.1996 at the Paradise in Boston.  See Matt it is good I save shit.  I remember it was a great show, really enjoyed it.  I think that I saw them with Lisa (aka Beautiful) - that is so ringing a faint bell.  My favorite part of the song is when she pleads, "Feed the Fire, Fan the Flame, 'til the World Remembers your Name...".  I guess I am a vain person.  Actually considering how many times the neighbors have had to hear this cd in the 48 hours I am sure they have much more colorful adjectives that they currently use to describe me.  

It is All About Me!

Oh here is where the truth really is at.  I just love my initials - why because it is me, they are mine!  I have said that before but maybe it is because at times I am self absorbed too.  It is all about me - right?  This whole blog really is all about me by design and I feel egocentric when I think about it but hell that is why I have a blog!  It is a place that I can be egocentric and get things out of my head so I can be normal in the really world and have concern, caring and compassion for humans in the world - which I truly do.  Also I write all this shit, so I can write what I want.  Me, me, me, me --- LOL.  Oh ya - me!

Much like when you go to Disney and you find the hidden Mickey's my love of initials has become a game - of course all about me.  There are GSPs all about!  Check out below - Jane sent me a GSP that she noticed at a recent swim meet of her daughters - thanks for thinking me Jane - love ya.  Then on the bulletin board at the grocery store I found a hidden GSP!  Of course I did not want to take the GSP since then others could not enjoy finding it so I just took a picture of it - because that is so me.  Me - me - me.  Oh did I also tell you I am sarcastic :)  Me, me, me - gotta love me.  If you find any hidden GSPs make sure to send them along and I will love you too!

 

It is All About Him

I wrote how recently when I went to the Irish bar with Loren and made a new friend.  I was so excited to meet a local, age appropriate gay male (who kinda looks like Jason Statham).  I knew I was not his type since he hit on Loren but the joke is that he is not Loren's type either as Loren is straight (yes I love how the world works).  But with that out of the way I thought it would still be awesome to have a local friend.  At his request we swapped numbers.  We ended up getting together last night.  I suggested dinner so we could talk and get to know each other and he was excited.  We went for sushi and after two hours we did end up at Irish bar again.  I am not exaggerating at all - not one bit - when I say he did not ask one thing about me.  For the start of a even just a friendship that is dismal.  I do know a lot about him though!  I heard all about growing up gay in the deep south, 5 tours of duty in the army (one resulting in a near fatal explosion of a road side bomb), the inability to have kids, a fake testicle, 3 divorces, working for start ups, riding his bike to work, his matching thistle tattoos with his sister, the house he owns in AL and his mortgage is $400, father lives in GA, mother lives in FL, sister in AL, last ex-wife is an alcoholic with 3 DUIs, he had a DUI also, his dog is part Corgie and Chihuahua, oh god I could go on an on -  like he did.  So needless to say I got home bummed.  If I bump into him while out then great but not really a friend in which I wish to invest much energy.  I am not upset in the slightest.  I am glad I went and it was a positive experience for me.  It did not work out how I wanted but I would find friend sitting in my house.  Ok so let's focus on the brightside and end on a good note.  Here are the good points:  he did not flake and was not late (that is a HUGE plus in CA), we went to my favorite sushi restaurant and he paid (yay! I did try to pay though), at the Irish bar I tried pear cider for the first time and it was YUMMY, they were playing Kirsty MacColl, and I gave it a whirl with an open mind.  It is all good.

December 2, 2012

Today I had so much to do and I did clean the bathroom and do some laundry but somehow I got side tracked and made this video.  It mostly has found images but I know you will easily see that they fit my eye.  So although I could have accomplished more, I am happy with this accomplishment.