November 25, 2005

Friday morning in Houston

Jim just told his story at the roundup this morning. He was fantastic, as usual. It's funny how nervous he was last night, tossing, turning, getting up at 2:00 in the morning, when he had it down pat. He's always great, so I don't know what he was so nervous of. Afterall, us alcoholics don't judge people :-)

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November 24, 2005

Morning in Houston

I've just had a lovely breakfast in the restaurant here in the hotel. The buffet was wo-manned by a charming lady who made a killer omlet, pankakes and waffles. The front page of the Times is continuing to report on yesterday's story of the Vatican's new policy to weed out homosexuals from the priesthood. Afterall, we are the root of all of their evil.

Jim and David have gone for a walk and once again, left me to fend for myself in the business center, where David from last night is now hydrating himself in the same spot he was dehyrdating himself last night. He's much cuter after a shower and some water. Darling short blonde hair with a slight curl. Skinny and well-dressed, he's off to a friend's in a suburb to celebrate his first Thanksgiving.

I'll be with a bunch of alcoholic homos tonight, celebrating all that we are grateful for. I'm sure it's going to be a blast, as us sickos generally know how to have the most fun :-)

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My first night in Houston

I'm in Houston with Jim and Dave, sitting down in the hotel's business center for the free internet access. Can you believe they want to charge you $10 a night to be online in your room?

I've just met David in the business center. He's sauntered over from the bar where he is telling me that though I am good looking, he finds it strange that there is such a thing as a "gay non alcoholic texan group." He thinks that because I am already a minority (gay), that I shouldn't further my exclusivity by claiming to be non-alcoholic. I hope that didn't make any sense, because I can't make any of it.

Anyway, he's cute, here from Scotland, and continues to flirt with me. I wonder where this is going to go ...

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November 05, 2005

More Boston memories

I had lost the cord that connects my camera to the computer, so I'd had some photos trapped, unable to access them! Reluctantly, I made a stop at Best Buy last night to pick up a card reader, so I'm back in buisiness. Additionally, I coerced Jim to send me the photos Laura had taken during our visit.

Additional photos from Boston are in the last 2 and half pages of the Boston Gallery, while Laura's photos are here - the first is in Boston Commons on an overcast Saturday afternoon, where they had a pumpkin gathering of some sort. Pumpkins were being hauled in my the semi-load. A large structure was being built out of scafolding, and they were carving and inserting candles into all of them. I saw on the news later that night that somebody had stuck a bomb in one of the pumpkins, so they had to clear the commons while the bomb squad inspected all of the pumpkins, only to turn up empty-handed. What a comotion.


Later that evening we went to see a show down in the south end. Half-way through the show, the male version of Varla Jean Merman entered the audience and watched the remainder of the show from the sidelines. Jim actually spotted her first - and I was surprised that he was able to recognize her out of drag. But sure enough, it was her, so Jim and I got a photo.

For those of you not yet fortunate enough to be aquainted with Varla, check out her website at Varlaonline.com. You may remember her from the classic Girls Will Be Girls. She was in town with her show, Girl With a Pearl Necklace, which unfortuantely didn't open until after we'd be out of town. I was pleasantly surprised by how big of a boy she was - the camera didn't add ten pounds in her case, it had taken off ten inches... a good looking ten inches ;-)

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October 30, 2005

Boston

My trip to boston a couple of weeks back with Jim was a lot of fun. Exploring new places is always an adventure. We stayed at one of Jim's coworker's condo downtown. It's not really fair to refer to Mike as just a coworker - he's a super great guy. Mike's and his girlfriend, Lauara both provided us much entertainment during our stay - thanks a ton, guys!

Our first day on the town, and we headed over Beacon Hill to all the action. The State House - the capital building, lay just beyond the hill. Some important suits passed us at every turn. Boston Commons lie directly across the street. Boston's park system really puts Minneapolis' to shame - Loring Park would have looks like a manure field next to this paradise in the city.

Jim insisted that we stop by Cheers - the absolute must do on your first trip to Boston. We didn't go in, as the smell of fish emanating from the restaurant was nauseating - especially for those of the non-tuna-eating persuasion such as ourselves.

Next up we headed straight for the shopping district - Newberry Street, the Rodeo Drive of Boston. The Ritz Carlton, opposite the Burberry store, are the first two buildings to greet you. Glam-bam, get your credit cards ready!

Beneton, Banana, Marc Jacobs, Kenneth Cole, Crate & Barrel, DKNY, you name it. If you're a designer, and you've made it, you've got a shop on Newberry.

And of course, there's "Louis.Boston". The most ridicuously expensive store I've ever been in. Nothing under $200 - and that's for a plain white cotton t-shirt. I went in, looked around, saw the stares of the salesmen watching me in my hooded sweatshirt and jeans, and casually walked out empty-handed with my head hanging low in retreat. Though my credit cards were itching in my pocket, I was thanksfully able to contain myself.

A short jaunt down from Louis was The Closet - Jim's favorite. I think he was looking forward to this more than anything else on the trip. I followed him down the steps to the garden-level shop to be trapped amongst the packed-in inventory of gently worn clothing. Jim immediately headed down another short, yet steep, flight of stairs to the men's area, where he thumbed through everything at lightning speed. It was as if he couldn't contain himself - he had returned home. After not finding anything, and beginning to feel the claustraphobia close in on me, I waited outside, for an hour before he emerged with one purchase in hand. All that time, and he found only one thing.

We stopped and ate at Abe & Louie's. I had a filet and veggies, trying to curb my tendancies for pigging out on junkfood while on vacation. It worked for the afternoon, but it was all-out anything I put my eyes on after that.

We set out to continue exploring. So many old, old buildings. Some of them had been there for hundreds of years, others were modern. I wish I knew more about architecture to describe it, but what I do know, is that I really dig what they've got down there. It was clear that they had no concept of what "cookie-cutter" was back in their day - they don't build 'em like they used to!

We found a few busses throughout the city that bore the name "Peter Pan". Thankfully, we found one parked to get a good shot. Now honestly - who would want to get on one of these things? I'd like to meet the folks who named this bus company and the group responsible for branding it. Good lord - I wonder if the busses fly with a little bit of fairy dust?

Finishing up our site-seeing adventures for the first day, we found ourselves at the Mother Church for the Christian Scientists. While I don't know much about their beliefs, their church was beautiful!. In front of it was one of the largest reflecting pools I'd ever seen.

Later that evening we went to my first AA meeting in Boston. It was a speaker meeting, though not like any speaker meeting I've ever been to before - they do it a little differently in Boston. A group of four or five people from another meeting came to the meeting I attended and each of them shared one at a time. And that was the entire meeting. It was pretty cool. During the first part of the meeting I noticed my friend Bob - a guy who I had been in treatment with nearly two years earlier! I spoke to him briefly after the meeting - it was nice to run into a familiar face so far away from home.

After the meeting we walked to China Town and found a nice little restaurant to dine in. Boston, being right on the coast, has a lot of seafood - something that's rather sparse here in the midwest. Upon entering, we were greeted by these HUGE fishtanks with live seafood swimming (or sometimes floating upside down) about. Definately something you wouldn't see in Minnesota.

We sat down and the wonton soup was just being served when my new cell phone rang. It was set to a tune that I had found rather amusing when I got the phone, but it couldn't have been more inappropriate at dinner - it was a stereotypical oriental tune that conveyed anything but respect for the culture. I faught to turn it off, but couldn't find it in my pocket until half o the restaurant was staring.

More photos of the trip are in the gallery. More stories and photos to come soon.

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October 25, 2005

Boston

Okay, I promise to post pictures of Boston soon! Crazy insanity abounds in Danland.

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