Anxious and Excited

Waiting here at the airport, might as well be bouncing in my seat.

Hate that this is a two hour flight, but it's SO worth it. Much rather a two hour flight than a fifteen hour drive!


-- Post From My iPhone

Ho hum

So, I'm bartending at Actor's Express, one of the best companies in Atlanta. Today, we had a matinee and then a 7:00 show.

Today is also Sunday. In the state of Georgia, a place must sell more than 50% food in order to sell alcohol on a Sunday. Don't even get me started on that.

I am paid $10 an hour, plus tips to bartend. For the matinee, with 29 patrons, I sold $10 of Cokes and candy bars and made $2 in tips.

What a waste of money for the theatre.


-- Post From My iPhone

Leaving for Dallas

Downloaded new blog app for my iPhone! Maybe now I can keep this up to date. I love my iPhone.

But, so tonight I get to see my Lukie after a month and a half! I'm very excited.

-- Post From My iPhone

Sorry it's been a while

I'll try to fix that. I promise!

"Bible Spice"

With apologies to one of my Twitter friends, I'm going to start calling Carrie Prejean "Bible Spice." Partly because it fits and mostly because it's funny.

Word on the street is that she's going to lose her crown tomorrow.

Good.

I say that not as a gay man, which I'll get to in a minute, I say that as an outsider who sees someone who does NOT represent the "ideals" of California, nor as a contender to represent our country. The majority of America is in favor of marriage equality now. Even if you're against gay marriage, there are better, more diplomatic answers to the question. But then to keep talking about it, over and over, when the Miss California pageant is telling you that they might be taking your crown back, that's just stupid. You do not have to talk to everyone that calls. I'm sure you send some of your friends calls to your voicemail on your cell phone, Bible Spice. I'm ready for her and Joe the Plumber to go have ignorant babies somewhere in the middle of Montana where they can't hurt anyone.

Now, as a gay man, I appreciate her honesty. I'd hate to think what we could have been praising ANOTHER two-faced Mary. But as a gay man, her opinion offends me. How dare she tell me that I'm less worthy than a straight person to get married. I don't wish her ill, I just wish her off my tv. And I hope she does lose her crown. And I hope the conservatives cry foul that she's being discriminated against. Frankly, if I didn't have such dear, close friends, I'd advocate some serious straight discrimination and see how "they" like it.

I'm tired, I'm going to bed now.

Today

Since Shayera and I are stuck in the coat closet because the tornado sirens are going off, I decided I should take the chance to update my blog. This is also a handy means to distract myself, because I've never been in a tornado before. Can there be a tornado if there's thunder going on? I don't know.

Well, the love dare challenge failed, mostly because the only pace I was getting the information was from my friend Matt Thien's blog, and I never checked it until later in the day, and by then it was too late. I apologized to Luke, but he told me I didn't need to do it anyway, because he felt my love anyway. I think Matt's wife said the same thing to him, though. :/

We got joint checking today, which is nice. It's stupid and silly, but both of us felt like it added some more legitimacy to our relationship. It means no more transferring money back and forth between accounts, our savings can be accessed jointly, it just feels good.

I'm nervous and excited, and a little heartsick about going to Atlanta. I'm excited because Atlanta is home to me, I lived there most of my life, so I know where everything is, and I know so many people there. I'm excited because Luke and I are going to be in our own place again! Plus, I just love the city. I think it's a beautiful city. I'm nervous because it will be the first time that I've been my own boss, my career depends entirely on the kindness of others, and it's just a whole new venture. I'm heartsick because I HATE being without Luke, I had to do it for almost a month when we moved out here, then there were essentially two weeks where Luke was in Toronto helping his sister move, and now I'm going to have to do it all over again, while I go to real estate school and he finishes up his internship.

I'm also a little sad to be leaving Jim & Sara. Paul is most likely coming with Luke and I to start school at Georgia State, and we'll be back with Jake & Erin, so that's all good, but I really do like Jim & Sara. They're pretty awesome people. If I couldn't have my parents as my parents, Jim & Sara would have been a solid plan B.

But, Luke and I are officially engaged. I'm pretty sure that anyone that knows this blog address is my friend on Facebook or follows me on Twitter, but on the off chance that you do not know me from either of those places, there you go.

Our first decision has been that we will have two weddings, unless Georgia becomes sane and allows gay marriage before we plan ours. We will either go to Massachusetts or Vermont, because we want to get married some place that we have ties to. My aunt and her partner of 31 years live in Mass, and I think they'd have problems coming to our wedding in GA, so that's my first choice. We vacationed in Vermont with my family last year, so that's our only tie to Vermont, but when you only have a few states to choose from, even a tenuous tie is something. So we'd go to Mass or VT and get married, and then come back to GA where our life is and have the big ceremony and have all the friends and relatives come to that one.

I think that the tornado thing is over now, but I'm not really sure how you're supposed to know. What a weird thing.

I had picked out the wedding ring that I wanted, but then Luke came up with the idea that we pick out each other's wedding ring, which I think is probably nicer. Unfortunately, it means that I probably won't get the ring that I wanted, but I WILL get something that HE wants to give me, which is nicer, I think. On the other hand, I also have no idea what to get him, because I think it should symbolize our relationship, yet be specifically for and about him, and at the same time, it has to be something that he can either wear while giving massages or he'll have to put it on a chain while he does the massage. It's kind of a lot to take into account. I guess that's why people go ring shopping instead of just picking out the first one they see, huh?

Ok, so I've come out of the closet. For the tornado thing, I mean. I'm back in the living room.

I think that pretty much covers where things stand at the moment. I'll catch you back up later on!

Love Dare Challenge, Day 3

Love is not selfish
Romans 12:10

The Dare
- Buy your spouse something that says, "I was thinking of you today."

So I didn't get a chance to look at the challenge today until just now, but I ended up doing it without knowing.

Luke's been having some dental work done, and has a hole in one of his teeth. It gets icky for him sometimes. I picked up some Listerine without being asked today!

Yea me!

Love Dare Challenge, Day 2 Update

I did good!

I took all the dishes downstairs, something I usually leave for him. I also left him alone to play WoW while I watched ANTM season 2.

Love Dare Challenge, Day 2

Love is kind
Ephesians 4:32

The Dare
- Do at least one unexpected gesture as an act of kindness.

This one should be a breeze. I feel like I do this a lot all the time, so let's see if I can do it today!

Love Dare Challenge, Day 1 Update

Well, I think I did pretty good. I only got frustrated with him one time, and it was because I had to repeat myself four times. When he's playing "World of Warcraft," he's in the zone. He hears nothing unless he starts the conversation.

However, he did tell me he didn't want me to do this challenge because he thinks we have a pretty stable, healthy relationship and have great communication.

I would agree, but I think there's always something to improve, so I will try.

Love Dare Challenge, Day 1

So, I've been checking out my friend Matt Thien's website, following him on Twitter, etc. (Yes, I do ACTUALLY know Matt Thien. Touch me twice!) He keeps talking about this "Love Dare Challenge" thing, and so once I found out what it is, I decided I would try it. It's a 40 day commitment to do small things for your spouse/partner to make sure they know you love and appreciate them.

Today will be day one. My challenge:

Love is patient
Ephesians 4:2

The Dare
- For the next day, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your spouse at all.

Why This Could Be Hard For Me;
-I am not a patient person, and have NEVER been mistaken for one.
-I love to complain. I don't mean it in a negative way, I complain to get things off my chest and then I'm done with it.

Why This Could Be Easy For Me:
-I adore Luke, and have a forgiveness with him that I don't have for my own brother (working on that, I promise!)

WIll update you by day's end.

Are you an ECHO fan?

Luke & Shayera

She always looks like she's pissed, but I swear, he didn't make her do this.

Updated Thoughts on "Dollhouse"

So, "Dollhouse" continues to be a subject of much rancor and speculation.

I may be a "blind fanboy." I don't think I am. I can admit that some of the "Troi episodes" of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" were some of the weaker ones. I don't think they gave her a fair shake.

But Luke's as objective a person as I know, and he likes "Dollhouse" a lot.

We don't overlap a lot on tv shows and things like that. He'll never like Christina Aguilera the way I do, or get excited over a new Amanda Bynes movie. But we have yet to miss an episode of "Dollhouse," and that's just as much his doing as mine.

The show had a rocky start. I don't think it was as bad as some do, but I'll admit, I wasn't astounded by it like I was with "Firefly."

But the second episode was good. And the third was better, I thought (an unpopular opinion as well, I know, but there you have it.) And like Christina says, it keeps getting better.

The sixth episode blew my mind. Completely. Both of us sat there with our jaws dropped. It was phenomenal. The mythology, the acting, it was all there, and Joss was "back."

I think the show is more adult, it's a heavy thing, and I think people need to wise up to that fact. Can you imagine if Joss had done a show in which women were glorified sex slaves and treated it lightly? And yes, the show is way more than that, but consider that for a minute.

The show is brilliant. The concept is amazing. What is a "self?" It's an entire series about that question Angel asks Buffy at the end of season 2. Take away all your memories, all your knowledge, your family, your friends, and "what's left?" Are you still you? Are you still a person? This is not a story that can be told with teenagers or vampires. It can be told with humor, and is, but if Joss keeps using the same jokes, people would turn on him, too.

Eliza's doing a great job. She's been dealt a bad hand in the press, some of which is deserved, but she's an actress that responds to strong direction, which I think she's been getting. The rest of the cast is great, too! I don't think she's the least interesting character, but I also think the strength of Joss is in ensemble.

I hope the network has greater faith in the show. I see good numbers in ratings, better when you add in DVR numbers, iTunes purchases, and Hulu viewings. I think the audience is there. And I, for one, will take part in whatever Save The Dollhouse campaigns there are.

Atlanta

So, my friends, prepare for my arrival.

That's right. Luke and I are going to be back in late August or early September. Once Luke is done with school, we're blowing this popsicle stand.

And I'm going to get my REALTOR®'s license! I know, you've heard that song before, but this time, it's FO SHO. We're saving up $8,000 for the trip, getting a cheap apartment, and going to set up our businesses!

d(ˆ_ˆ)b (That's a thumbs up, not ears)

Latest Picture

Luke and I at the Dallas World Zoo/"Aquarium" when Jen & Greg came to visit in February.

This is the most recent picture of us!

Tomorrow, though, Luke is buying the supplies to do Swedish Body Wraps, and so I will be thin and pretty!!

Ugh

I lack the fortitude to go to the gym without boyfriendal assistance.

Damn you, Felicia Day, for writing such a hysterical, enjoyable, and smart series that would make me watch it for two and a half hours, non-stop.

The Guild

Just started watching it. Watched all 20 episodes, the Christmas specials, trailers, and blooper reels.

I'm very tired.

www.watchtheguild.com

It's hysterical.

Bless their hearts

The music industry is so strange to me.

I'm listening, as some of you know, to the greats: Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and Billie Holliday. There's some Robbie Williams, Emmy Rossum, and the Puppini Sisters thrown in for good measure.

It got me thinking: I miss the days when it wasn't just about singing well, it was about emoting. You've got fantastic singers like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Janis Joplin. Great singers, right? But they don't have what you'd think of as Beautiful Voices. I miss the days when it was more important to convey the feeling rather than sounding pretty. The exception, I say as you may groan, is Christina Aguilera, because I think her voice expresses pain, longing, and all that while she sounds fabulous doing it.

I guess we're kinda getting back to that, because people like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Nelly Furtado don't have well-trained voices, but you don't care because it sounds good anyway. But there again is another problem with the music industry, because Amy Winehouse came "first," and Duffy has a similar sound. I guess it's all a game of copying until someone comes along and shakes things up by doing something old again in a new way.

I don't know how to fix it, I certainly have no inside connections, and I don't even think the system is all that broken, but I'm free to comment on my blog, right?

My thoughts on "Dollhouse"

Ok, so I'm getting a little annoyed about some of the other reviews that I'm seeing about "Dollhouse," so I thought I'd post my thoughts.

Yes, I'll agree, it doesn't seem like Joss. YET. Eliza says to hold on, and I'm gonna trust her.

I still think it's a compelling piece of television, with a great amount of potential. The flaws that I see bear all the fingerprints of network tampering, so I'm going to stick it out, beyond the fact that it's Eliza and I'll eat anything up.

I have great, ahem, faith in her. She's a good actress who responds to strong direction. There have been some missteps, but I always remember seeing her in "True Lies" and thinking "who's that girl??"

People say her acting chops aren't there, or she plays a tough girl too often so it lessens their appreciation of her performance as Faith. What they're not taking into account is the reason her performance as Faith was so electrifying was not because she plays "Tough Chick" so well. (even though she does) it was the vulnerability and desperation she brought to the early performances, and the recovering person seeking redemption "act" that she NAILED in the later performances. Don't believe me about the early performances? Go back and watch the first half of Season 3. It's all in the eyes. Even as she's turning "bad," the look she gives Buffy is always "forgive me," or "I'm really sorry about all this." She nails the fact that Faith is seeking Buffy's approval, even as she's beating her face in.

As far as the later performances, as someone who has sought redemption myself, there is a certain amount of exasperation and still having to prove yourself that you have to do for the rest of your life, and she conveyed that perfectly.

The characters in "Dollhouse" are being pretty well defined, I think. The character development, even for characters that aren't being seen so much, like Dr. Saunders, is pretty good. Obviously, it's the first season, and everyone's working on it, but I think it's pretty good.

All said, the first season of "Buffy" was pretty rocky, and look how that turned out?? HAVE FAITH, stick it out, and enjoy it. It's only getting better! Episode one was ok, Episode two was better, and three was better than two!

Ugh.

I'm sick.

I can't freakin' believe it!

I'm not a sick person! But boy, when I get sick, I get SICK.

I don't mean to be a guy about it, I'm not like crying for mommy or anything, I don't mind taking care of myself, 'm just freakin' annoyed by the fact that it wipes me out.

I'm dizzy, I don't feel good, my head is all stuffy, and boy, does it hurt to turn my neck.

It SUCKS not having insurance.

Ooh, and my fingetips are numb. Is that normal for the flu?

Luke and I started looking at apartments in Atlanta yesterday, which of course, means that we started the arguing over apartments yesterday. I have an area of town that I want to live in because it will be convenient for both of us for work, and he has a price issue, which I totally get, but I'm a little more concerned about WHERE we live.

Funfunfun.

Funny!

Ok, so I just thought my boss asked me if I was trying to die.

What she really asked me was "Are you trying to dial."

My boss is Israeli and has a very thick accent.

I was kind of scared for a second, there.

Dear Nicole Kidman

Dear Nicole,

And I do mean "dear." I've been completely twitterpated with you since I was 12. "Far and Away" continues to be one of my favorite films, even though He's in it, and I never did like him. I think you could film yourself reading the telephone book and it would still be Oscar-worthy.

Sweetie, what's going on? I understand what you're doing, wanting to work with creative people that inspire you, but it's getting bad.

You're starting to turn into Christopher Lee- someone who's always better than the movies he picks.

I have seen almost all of your movies, and lately, they're getting bad. I miss the glory days of "Moulin Rouge" and "The Others" and "The Hours," because you were really showing people what you could do. They were good movies, and you were good in them. I wish you'd been able to do "Panic Room," because it would have been new territory for you, but, sadly, injuries kept you from that.

I love you, Nicole (not creepy, stalker-love you, but I do think you hung the moon) and I know you can do better.

It's ok to work with creative people who inspire you, but you don't have to jump at the first project they come to you with. "Stepford Wives?"

I'm so glad your personal life has turned around. Your new daughter is beautiful, you've married the one man on the planet who's as pretty as you are, and you look so happy. I'm glad you're free of Him, cuz, wow, did he jump into the deep end, and so I hope very much that this newfound happiness translates into better projects for you.

Please, please make people remember why you're great! I'm rooting for you, even when you make stinkers.

Dallas Sucks

Ugh.

Boy howdy, do I miss Atlanta.

Atlanta was so cool, because it had all these little pocket neighborhoods. At first glance, yes, it's all very spread out, and it is, but it's really just a collection of all these little communities. Each one has its distinct feel, and has all these little gems in it and the people in them know each other.

It ain't like that here.

I know this because I'm trying to set up a closing package for each of our buyers after the deal's closed, kind of like what we sent out from Fourteen West every month to our old buyers. Boy, am I meeting with resistance. No one knows our real estate office, even though we've been here for almost five years. No one wants to give out coupons or business cards because they don't recognize the value of setting up a community. I understand a large company not wanting to do that, because they have to go through corporate and it's a big headache. But the locally owned mom-n-pop organizations? Who thrive on word of mouth and rely on the community??

I miss Little Five and Virginia Highlands and Midtown and Decatur and Druid Hills and all.

Been so long

Oy. Sorry I haven't been keeping up.

Those of you who know me know that I have the attention span of a gnat, yet somehow have an amazing memory for details.

For example, this agent called today that we've been trying to lure to our brokerage. All he said was his name, and I remembered that he'd been on a cruise from the beginning of December through the 20th with his wife for their anniversary.

I've never met him, just spoken ONE TIME over the phone.

Who remembers shit like that??

Anyway, to update:

Life is pretty good, though not at all what we'd expected when we came out here. Who hasn't said that, though, right?

We were expecting my in-laws to not have moved out yet, but the anticipation, from both sides, was that they'd move out by October. And then the market crashed. Well, they lost more money than Luke and I made in a year in Atlanta combined, so naturally, they could not afford to move as they'd planned.

Which means that Luke and I are living in a bedroom upstairs, while all of our things are piled in poor Jim & Sara's garage, so they can only fit one car in. Living with my younger brother-in-law is great, though for the first time, I'm glad that I don't have a younger sibling.

Luke tried his hand at working for a theatre company in administration/management, but due to our inexperience in the area, he picked a stinker with a bad reputation who was way too disorganized for Luke to be able to help. He has since found a job teaching theatre after school with a great company called Junior Players Guild, and is happy as a clam doing it.

I worked for the Disney store, which is not the happiest place on earth, but I did like some of the people that I worked with. I then found a job at a shutters and blinds manufacturing company that hired me to run their office and do their marketing, and then refused to let me do either of those things. Finally, I found a job as an office manager for a real estate company, and again, I couldn't be happier! It's exactly the type of job that I want, even though one of my agents won't let me help her. I've found out the best real estate school, I'm making great money so we can pay off our debts... life is good.

We just got back from Florida for my family's Christmas, which turned into helping my brother move into his new house. I somehow managed to become very, very sick, so it was not as pleasant a time as it could have been. I also celebrated my 29th birthday on Janury 2nd, so I'm older as well as sick.

That's it for now, but I'm hoping to be able to update with random thoughts later. Much love!