Wednesday, November 30, 2005
15 Minutes
I love it when we get our 15 minutes of fame. It is not my turn. I am very excited for my friend. It's his time to shine. He works so hard in an industry that he loves.
There was a write up in the Houston Chronicle about the Nutcracker Ballet put on by the Houston Ballet.
I went to see this ballet a few years ago. When I was growing up, my sister-in-law always wanted to go, but we never did. Andrew gave me some comp tix and off I went with my friend Keith. Another friend was working the Box Office that particular day. She moved my seats - BOX SEATS! That is how one should see the ballet. I was on the edge of my seat - watching. Suddenly transported in a fairyland- another world where my inner child was just in awe. I will always treasure that experience. Thank you Andrew.
You can read more about the write-up HERE. Enjoy your Fifteen Minutes of Fame, my friend - you've earned it.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Bloggers, Bloggers, Bloggers
We were able to get a few bloggers together on Saturday night for a photo op. These are not all of the bloggers. It is difficult to get bloggers to stay put while rounding up (I made a funny) in a crowd of 300. They (we) all wanted to mingle, goof off and run amuck! Those that stayed put are here.
front row: Attitude of Gratitude, One Day One Step, Step by Step, & ME
back row: One Gay at A Time, Higher Powered, A Sober Thought,
LoneStar Steve, and i am somebody, The Boy Who Knits
And just because:
We can always use a handsome guy with a great smile to look at.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
What A Weekend
I am absolutely beat! This past weekend has been surreal. I have heard everything I need in my life and I have a few new "lines" I can use.... Just waiting for the right moment.
The Houston Round Up went off with out a hitch. If there were any glitches, they were minor or were handled very well, so that no one was the wiser.
I got to hang out with so many wonderful people, Jim and Dan and David and Chistropher and Cece and Sue, and Mike and Jack and of course all my friends from Houston. I am soooooo happy to have made new friends 8 at least that I just mentioned. This is such a small world. Jim knows my friend, The Southern Belle from New Orleans - they grew up together. Isn't that just great! It is six degrees huh? It is three degrees for the gay community - and probably one point five degrees for gay and recovering community LOL
I am so tired. I have one more guest staying with me and he leaves tomorrow. I am looking forward to a nice long talk tonight. It has been so long since I have felt connected.
If you had a Thanksgiving half as good as what I had you should feel SUPER LUCKY! I feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world. This weekend is just such a great and wonderful time.
The Houston Round Up went off with out a hitch. If there were any glitches, they were minor or were handled very well, so that no one was the wiser.
I got to hang out with so many wonderful people, Jim and Dan and David and Chistropher and Cece and Sue, and Mike and Jack and of course all my friends from Houston. I am soooooo happy to have made new friends 8 at least that I just mentioned. This is such a small world. Jim knows my friend, The Southern Belle from New Orleans - they grew up together. Isn't that just great! It is six degrees huh? It is three degrees for the gay community - and probably one point five degrees for gay and recovering community LOL
I am so tired. I have one more guest staying with me and he leaves tomorrow. I am looking forward to a nice long talk tonight. It has been so long since I have felt connected.
If you had a Thanksgiving half as good as what I had you should feel SUPER LUCKY! I feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world. This weekend is just such a great and wonderful time.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
When I first got sober, I heard the difference between being grateful and being thankful summarized like this: If you borrow your mom's car to go on an interview you return it in one piece, not wrecked, and say Thank You. When you are grateful, you return the car in piece, you fill up the tank, clean the car, hand over the keys and say Thank you.
Five years and 7 months ago, yesterday was the last time I drank or did drugs.
Five years and 7 months ago, today I came to.... and was "THERE" again. Two days later, when I got out I did something about my problem. I never want to forget that. I never have to go "there" again.
Today I am grateful for:
My sobriety date - today it does not have to change.
My best friend - he is always there
My little dog. Coco - she is so precious to me.
My mom and family. Their health.
My friends and family of choice. They lift me up.
Getting to meet Jim and Dan
Seeing my friends, Christopher & David
Lambda Center - enough said!
The guys and girl that I sponsor.
The YOGA – Namaste
My Fearless Leader in San Fran
My Sponsor - soooooo patient.
The Southern Belle in New Orleans
LLama Lady - such inspiration, hope, strength, beauty.
Work, work, work, - some people dont have it.
My new car - Lupe! so beautiful and still has the new car smell.
My own health.
The Houston Round Up - our theme this year, Desire: The Only Requirement
For Having that DESIRE
For Peace
I could go on and on. There is a lot to be thankful for.... There is much to be grateful for. I know the Holidays can be nerve-wrecking especially being around family.
As you go through your day today, remember......
Let No One Steal Your Peace
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Round Up
The Houston Round Up begins tomorrow. I am very excited. It is always fun to meet others in the fellowship from all around the U.S. I am also very tired. I have had quite a bit going on. And I have been trying to be as helpful as possible on the committee. So much to do..... All of our speakers arrive today adn tomorrow.
I served as co-chair for speakers. I will be meeting Jim and Dan from Minneapolis. jim is speaking at the convention. i've spoken with Jim several times and emailed a lot. He is nice. Dan is coming to have a good time and support his friend. These are the only two bloggers I am aware of. There lots of other bloggers, but the live here in Houston.
I am excited to meet everyone. Gaaawwwwwd! I am such a country boy. I just love TEXAS and I want our guests to feel at home.
I have friends that I only see at Thanksgiving coming too. I will try to post throughout the weekend. There is a lot to be grateful for.
I served as co-chair for speakers. I will be meeting Jim and Dan from Minneapolis. jim is speaking at the convention. i've spoken with Jim several times and emailed a lot. He is nice. Dan is coming to have a good time and support his friend. These are the only two bloggers I am aware of. There lots of other bloggers, but the live here in Houston.
I am excited to meet everyone. Gaaawwwwwd! I am such a country boy. I just love TEXAS and I want our guests to feel at home.
I have friends that I only see at Thanksgiving coming too. I will try to post throughout the weekend. There is a lot to be grateful for.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Meet Lupe
I have been going back and forth on what to buy. First there was the Lexus RX330. Then, I thought about a 4Runner. I have to think about gas. I drive a lot....No seriously. a good 3 thousand miles a month. I was also thinking used...or how do they say now? "PRE-OWNED". Well, then I saw the Toyota Highlander. I fell in love. It gets pretty good gas mileage. I test drove one. I LOVED IT! Back to mileage. It is pretty good but not really good.
So I went to HONDA. I know what I am getting. a good car that I can put lots of miles on. I also decided to go new. I am not gonna trade it in in a few years. So why not go new and keep it? I have a had a Honda Accord before - back then i could only afford the base model.
So after much thinking and talking and more research. I went with Honda. I could get an Accord EX-L for what would be a base-model Highlander. I have some really big expenses coming up...that are gonna take a whie to pay. I am being responsible while still having taste.
I am really happy with my decision and purchase. yay!
Today, I went and bought Guadalupe...Lupita, Lupe.
Here she is.
I got a really good deal too. It was a long negotiation. (honda does not really negotiate their prices) I was just $500 more than what I originally wanted to pay. And I did not have to put a down payment down ( we can thank my brother for that). Just my trade in on Sally. I got full blue book trade in. yay! My brother told me that if I could walk away from table, and be serious about it, I could get a better deal. They came and told me that what I wanted was not what they could do and apologized. (at this point we were only $800 more than what I wanted to pay) So I asked for my car keys back and they gave them to me. The Sales Manager came out to the parking lot while I was getting in my car and said he would take $300 more off. I told him I would think about it. ( i was already under their invoice before this last offer) So I took it.
I bought my new car for about $4,000 under MSRP. My actual drive-out was $500 under invoice. i felt like I had done such a grown up job.
Here is one of the emblem on my steering wheel a-la-ChadFox mirror project. You can kinda see my in the reflection. Not as good as ChadFox, but who is?
So I went to HONDA. I know what I am getting. a good car that I can put lots of miles on. I also decided to go new. I am not gonna trade it in in a few years. So why not go new and keep it? I have a had a Honda Accord before - back then i could only afford the base model.
So after much thinking and talking and more research. I went with Honda. I could get an Accord EX-L for what would be a base-model Highlander. I have some really big expenses coming up...that are gonna take a whie to pay. I am being responsible while still having taste.
I am really happy with my decision and purchase. yay!
Today, I went and bought Guadalupe...Lupita, Lupe.
Here she is.
I got a really good deal too. It was a long negotiation. (honda does not really negotiate their prices) I was just $500 more than what I originally wanted to pay. And I did not have to put a down payment down ( we can thank my brother for that). Just my trade in on Sally. I got full blue book trade in. yay! My brother told me that if I could walk away from table, and be serious about it, I could get a better deal. They came and told me that what I wanted was not what they could do and apologized. (at this point we were only $800 more than what I wanted to pay) So I asked for my car keys back and they gave them to me. The Sales Manager came out to the parking lot while I was getting in my car and said he would take $300 more off. I told him I would think about it. ( i was already under their invoice before this last offer) So I took it.
I bought my new car for about $4,000 under MSRP. My actual drive-out was $500 under invoice. i felt like I had done such a grown up job.
Here is one of the emblem on my steering wheel a-la-ChadFox mirror project. You can kinda see my in the reflection. Not as good as ChadFox, but who is?
Monday, November 07, 2005
So Sorry Sally
Meet Sally. That is what I named my 93 Lexus SC300. She was a present to myself for my 2nd Anniversary. I got her in April of 2003 from Mary Christmas' cousin. Timing was right. I had a little money. I was also very tired of driving back and forth to New Orleans in my Jeep Wrangler with a torn canvas top. No matter how many times I replaced that canvas top, it would tear and it was a bitch to have that damn thing flap in the wind. So, for a while I had two cars. It was nice to drive around in the Jeep topless, BUT I Loved driving Sally around.
Not quite a month after I got her, a huge branch fell from a pecan tree during a storm.....it fell right across Sally. Got that fixed. About six months later, a lady was backing out of her parking spot, while I was parked in mine at the SubWay, and she just backed up into Sally. A year later, I was rear ended by a taxi cab - minor but still had damage. The very next day, some one hit Sally either pulling in or backing out of their space at the Center. Jeez! Ok there is one more. I was in Austin, a year ago September, and got a little turned around as to where I was going. While on the feeder road, I was not looking and changed lanes, hitting the car next to me. OOOOPS! Minor accident, no one was hurt, but there was damage again!
Sally has been a great car. She has been great to me. We have travelled a lot of miles together. We drove to Los Angeles, California to the Bikram Yoga training. Just the two of us on that wide open road. I-10 the whole way. I can honestly say that this is the very first car I took very, very good care of. Maintenance was all done. When things broke, they were repaired immediately.
She has been having a few problems lately. During my little "rough patch" in late August/early September, she overheated and I had the radiator replaced. At thatpoint, my mechanic said, "Boy! You better get you a new car. You are just gonna keep bring this one bak to me and sink a lot of money in it." I took his words to heart. She was not picking up when I presses the accelerator like she used to. She was also starting to have a hard idle - a shudder almost.
When I went to get her inspected and she failed the emmissions test,I had to the the mechanic's words to heart. They did not tell me exactly how, they just gave me paper and said I should take her to a mechanic and they could do the work. That was it.
So I am getting a new car...... So sorry Sally!
Not quite a month after I got her, a huge branch fell from a pecan tree during a storm.....it fell right across Sally. Got that fixed. About six months later, a lady was backing out of her parking spot, while I was parked in mine at the SubWay, and she just backed up into Sally. A year later, I was rear ended by a taxi cab - minor but still had damage. The very next day, some one hit Sally either pulling in or backing out of their space at the Center. Jeez! Ok there is one more. I was in Austin, a year ago September, and got a little turned around as to where I was going. While on the feeder road, I was not looking and changed lanes, hitting the car next to me. OOOOPS! Minor accident, no one was hurt, but there was damage again!
Sally has been a great car. She has been great to me. We have travelled a lot of miles together. We drove to Los Angeles, California to the Bikram Yoga training. Just the two of us on that wide open road. I-10 the whole way. I can honestly say that this is the very first car I took very, very good care of. Maintenance was all done. When things broke, they were repaired immediately.
She has been having a few problems lately. During my little "rough patch" in late August/early September, she overheated and I had the radiator replaced. At thatpoint, my mechanic said, "Boy! You better get you a new car. You are just gonna keep bring this one bak to me and sink a lot of money in it." I took his words to heart. She was not picking up when I presses the accelerator like she used to. She was also starting to have a hard idle - a shudder almost.
When I went to get her inspected and she failed the emmissions test,I had to the the mechanic's words to heart. They did not tell me exactly how, they just gave me paper and said I should take her to a mechanic and they could do the work. That was it.
So I am getting a new car...... So sorry Sally!
