Category: all about me

omigod, omigod you guys…

This weekend, we were lucky enough to get the chance to see one of the currently playing Broadway shows; Legally Blonde: The Musical… and we didn’t even have to go to New York to see it! MTV aired the entire show on Saturday, and I have to say, it was awesome.

Not only was the musical totally cheesy, campy, silly, and fun, but it was awesome to have the opportunity to see a show that one might not otherwise be able to see (i.e., lack of access to NYC, lack of funds to pay for expensive tickets, etc). I am a big fan of musicals (of the ones that I have seen, that is), and having seen a couple on Broadway, trust me, I get the importance of the quality and presence of the show. However, I always leave the show wishing that it were a movie, or wishing that there was a recording of the show (not just the cast recording), because, of the ones I’ve seen, I enjoyed them so much that I would like to be able to see them again. I have never understood how a show that has such a high budget for production, and rakes in so much money ($100 a seat per night for most new shows), wouldn’t want to to capitalize even more, and bring the show to the masses… especially considering that some Broadway shows barely make back the upfront costs of production!

Sure, they do tours, and have touring casts for certain shows, but those just aren’t the same (trust me, I saw Wicked on Broadway, and I saw it again when it came to Atlanta… TOTALLY different show). Also, you have to be in one of those select cities to get to see the show, which again, plays into that whole concept of access. I just wish that some of the great shows could be recorded like Legally Blonde was this weekend; I can bet that it would make the show way more popular in the long run. I am, however, really glad that a lot of musicals have been adapted into feature length films recently; and super happy that the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing. There have been some EXCELLENT films come out over the past few years, and I hope upon hope that some of my favorites (ahem, Wicked), will follow the same path.

Overall, I loved the concept that MTV had, and I really enjoyed the show. James and I are talking about going to NYC over Christmas (James has family in NJ), and I know that I would REALLY like to see Legally Blonde now that I know what to expect. I personally hope that MTV decides to put the show that they aired on DVD, because I would totally be in line to buy my copy (hint hint, MTV!!).

Other than watching the show with friends, the weekend was pretty relaxing and nice. As I mentioned yesterday, James and I celebrated four years and one month last night, by ordering in some pizza, and just enjoying each other’s company. I am not big on flashy plans and expensive restaurants, personally… I am all about the simple things. (Like musicals on DVD!) I hope that everyone is at least adjusting to the start of a new week… I am personally avoiding the fact that I have an anatomy test this week… grrrr.

four years… and one month

James and I were talking this week about what we wanted to do today, to celebrate our four year anniversary.

It dawned on my just yesterday (!), that in actuality, our four year anniversary was LAST MONTH. So, here’s to four years and one month, since we both somehow forgot that our four year anniversary was actually last month.

I guess we have both been a little busy/distracted, eh? No matter… so long as we have each other. Here’s to many, many more!

today’s national coming out day…

A day that represents something important that most gay people will go through; the process of putting everything on the line for the purpose of acceptance and belonging. A day where we that are out can appreciate everything that we went through on that faithful day we when first uttered the words “I’m gay” to another person. A day where we stand proud, and realize how strong we are for coming out of the closet in the first place, and understanding how it is so difficult for those that have not and even more for those that cannot. Today is a day that we get to celebrate being “out”, and relish what it means to truly be who you are for the first time, and for every time.

I have written my “first” coming out story before, but I thought I would include it here, with some edits, since it has been a few years since I first blogged it. While my story of coming out is focused on the first person that I came out to, it doesn’t truly highlight the journey that coming out has been for me, as it is for most. Being out to one quickly became being out to many, and eventually, I was out to everyone, including my family. Even though I have been far, to this day, there are people that have not come out to officially. There are still people from my past whom I have not had the opportunity to tell, who I hope will accept me for who I am, if and when they discover the fact that I am gay. Many people struggle to come out, and I was no different. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I could go back and tell my younger self how much better I would feel once I had finally “taken the plunge”. I think that given the opportunity, I would, but I honestly don’t know what good that would do; I came out when it was time for me to do so, and all I can be thankful for today, is that I had the courage to do it in the first place.

Without too much more sappy-ness, here’s my first (of many) coming out experience. In this story, I was almost “forced” to come out to one of my best friends, all thanks to my urge to catch the debut of a little show called Queer as Folk. I hope that it is a story that is both enjoyable, and inspiring, because sometimes, those little curve balls that life throws us are big signs of change; and as with this case, change for the better.

(note: the story is rather long, so I have cut the entry here to keep the mere sight of the entry manageable; I know that some people freak out when they see an extra long entry.)

right past overwhelmed into “study freak out”

That’s where I am…

I don’t remember this in school, because, honestly, I don’t really remember studying in undergrad that much. It didn’t really matter to me as much as it does now. Take for instance, my statistics class… I got back my project one results yesterday: a 92. Instead of “woo hoo!”, I was like, “wait, only a 92?”.

I have officially become obsessed with “making the grade”.

The bad part, is that it has made me exhausted, and I have hit the “study freak out” mode, where, instead of studying, I procrastinate like crazy. I must focus.

I will be memorizing as much statistical information and anatomical terminology as humanly possible until further notice. I need all the luck I can get.

busy week ahead…

This week, I have two midterms, one each in Statistics and Anatomy Lab. Needless to say, I have hit the “frustration, procrastinator-to-the-max” level of stress; I need to study, but I am too worried about the tests that I just end up wasting time being frustrated about them. Gah. I am sure that I will get to studying later on this evening though, because the sheer amount of information that I have to have memorized for the Anatomy lab is amazingly terrifying. There really is no winging a 50 question fill in the blank test. The statistics test isn’t much better… she isn’t giving us any formulas. Also, she must really hate us, because there is not only new content today and tomorrow that WILL be on the midterm, but there is also a quiz tomorrow. Seriously. I mean, I know that things need to be structured and whatnot, but this class is insane. I just hope that I can get it all done in time, and be prepared for both tests; which are nicely on the same day: Thursday.

Just some thoughts that I have been pre-occupied with today (when I should have been studying):

  • The Bird and The Bee are awesome. I picked up a new EP called “Please Clap Your Hands” over lunch, and I am really enjoying it. I love their CD, and am not surprised that I like this too. Definitely a fun group.
  • Now, I know there are tons of opponents to socialized medicine out there, but I don’t see how providing health care for children that don’t have it is a bad thing (healthy children is a GOOD THING!). I just don’t. You are not going to convince me that spending $60 billion dollars over five years on something that is necessary, like health coverage for children that don’t have it, is a bad thing; especially when you consider that we have already spent $450+ billion on a war in Iraq. Is it really that bad to want to take care of Americans? What’s the point of being “free” if you are sick and dying? I am over this whole, “Love the fetus, hate the child” mentality that much of the Republican party clings to, and I for one, hope that Bush doesn’t veto this bill. Now, bitch and moan about why providing health care to those that don’t have it is bad; just be sure to refer to world health statistics and figures regarding life expectancy, and make sure you see where we fall on that list.
  • This just pisses me the fuck off. Seriously, we do NOT support our troops; that is, our government doesn’t support them. If there is one priority that is PARAMOUNT in this country, it is taking care of those that served FOR us. SHAME. SHAME. SHAME. I am sick of this. Many of you have accused me of “not supporting the troops”, and obviously, I am expecting more support than is currently being provided.
  • If you have commented on this blog, and you don’t see your comment show up in a reasonable amount of time, chances are, one of two things has happened: 1) your comment was eaten by my spam filter, and you should try and post it again (this is usually ONLY for new commenters, or comments that have lots of links in them); OR 2) your comment is not adding anything to the conversation, other than hateful, meaningless remarks that I don’t have the time to validate, reply to, or approve for appearance on my blog. I am saying this, because there is at least one person that continues trying to “get my goat” by leaving ridiculous and baiting/hateful comments, and I just wanted that person to know that unless there is something that you wish to add, that isn’t just hateful and absurd, then keep it to yourself; as I no longer have time to validate your asinine behavior.

Well, I guess that’s about it, really. Hope everyone is making the best of a Monday! Now… back to the books for me!

just a few thoughts and observations: wednesday edition

I watched Knocked Up last night (well, most of it), and I must say that Seth Rogen is totally cute. Totally. I don’t really have an opinion on the movie yet, as I didn’t finish it, and was focused on Seth’s cuteness.

I watched the season premiere of The Unit, and they totally brought it in a way I wasn’t expecting. This show definitely wins over House, hands down. Also, I watched the series premiere of Reaper, and it was fantastic!!! Well written, witty, and cute! I am definitely adding a season pass for this one. So far, one new show has definitely impressed me! I was also glad to see Tyler Labine in the show, because I liked him in Invasion, and well, I think that he is really cute. Also, the lead guy, Bret Harrison, is totally cute too! I love good shows with cute boys. That is a double hell YES!

Side note: OMG, I just looked at the IMDB entry for Reaper, and I had NO IDEA that it was Kevin Smith’s project! No wonder I liked it so much! YAY!

Is anyone else just completely embarrassed by our president? I mean, that speech yesterday was just a complete hypocritical slap in the face of the rest of the world; not to mention a complete “out of left field moment” at times (BURMA? REALLY? WTF?!). It is becoming more and more obvious that America has turned into that total bitch from high school who everyone hates and talks shit about behind her back, but she still walks around shoving her finger in people’s faces, and acting like her shit doesn’t stink; all the while, creating more people that hate her. Hello Regina George!!! But in all seriousness, it is no wonder (to anyone with a progressive bone in their body) that more and more people are expressing hatred over America. At this point, I think the best thing we can do is distance ourselves from this man, and show the rest of the planet that he does not represent what all of us think. Gah. Also, it would be REALLY NICE if we could actually practice all of the “human rights standards” that we are constantly calling the rest of the world out on.

If probability is such a simple concept as “it happens x number of times out of the possible number of times”, then why in the FUCK do they have to try as hard as possible to turn it into this amazingly difficult concept to grasp? I will never get statistics and why people try so hard to make it more difficult than it has to be. Taking a simple concept and turning it into something that is almost impossible to understand is beyond me.

Finally, as some of you know, James made a purchase. A big purchase. And I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. It stresses me out that he constantly puts his needs before mine, and sometimes, doesn’t even consider mine at all. Money has always been an issue between us, and no matter how I try to make it a non-issue, he really forces it. The worst part of it, is that I know where it comes from, have talked with him about it, have taken him to therapy and talked about it, and yet, it still permeates every part of our relationship. It isn’t something that I would leave him over, but it is definitely something that I have to vent about from time to time, in order to prevent lashing out at him about not having $10 to buy food, when it is clear that these are self imposed limits that serve to meet his needs and not ours. Ugh. Relationships are definitely a lot of work, and thank god I am willing to work at this one. I am still a little angry about the purchase, but I am sure that I will eventually let it go… I just wish that he could learn WHY it upset me. We’ll see.

Hope everyone is having a great hump day…. this was my 2 cents.

fall TV: what are you going to watch?

Well, it’s that time of year again… time to get excited about (well, hopefully) fall television. It’s also the time to sort through the new stuff, and add that to the old Tivo schedule. Of course, that is tricky, because you also have to work it around the stuff that is returning from last year that you have already fell in love with. Now, let’s examine my TV viewing plans, shall we?

Returning shows that I am excited about/am already getting back into:

  • Heroes: First and foremost, last night’s premiere was great. I am glad that they went forward 4 months from the season finale, and they showed us how the characters had progressed since then. I was also excited to see that they still have some great secrets up their sleeve, so that this season will have us hanging on like last season. For me, this is THE show to watch this year. I love my Heroes! Also, I almost spit out my drink when none other than Mr. Julian Sark, one of my favorite Alias villians, showed up! Hell yes! I hope that they have him on there more in the future (although, it doesn’t look like they will, based on his character, but I digress).
  • Prison Break: After getting into this last season, I was glad to see this show come back. I also thought, “how are they going to keep calling it “Prison Break”, when they aren’t in prison anymore”; and well, if you watch the show, you know they wrapped that up nicely. Also, I have to say, that these two brothers seem to find themselves in a world of mess. The good thing is that they know how to deal with it, and provide us with some great drama and tension in the process. Oh yeah, and they are both smoking hot. I am definitely glad to see Prison Break back this year. (I also recently bought season one, because we never saw it, and I can’t wait to watch it and catch up… but I am saving that for later.).
  • Family Guy: Definitely one of my favorites, and always a good watch. I still need to pick up the newest DVD set, because I missed some of last season’s episodes. I watched the (I guess it was) season premiere last night, and I have to say, I have never really cared for Star Wars, but that was brilliant. Any Star Wars fan should have enjoyed the hell out of that episode; I know I did. I am glad to see this great show back for more.

Other shows I am glad to see coming back, that I have added to my recording schedule:

  • America’s Next Top Model — even MORE campy and BITCHY this year! What’s not to love about that?
  • Smallville — OMG, Supergirl! I seriously can’t wait to see what they are going to do this season. This show just gets better!
  • Ugly Betty — I love this show!
  • Brothers and Sisters — This show is seriously one of the best shows on TV, IMHO.
  • Desperate Housewives — I heard a gay family is moving in! I didn’t think this show could get any gayer, then it does!
  • House — to be honest, I am not sure about this one yet… I got annoyed with him last year, and may opt to watch the Unit instead.
  • The Unit — a good Alias-like show that we watched all of the previous season; I have to pick between this and House, and I haven’t decided yet which one I will choose.
  • CSI — for James… I like it, but am not as into it as he is.

Whew! That’s a lot of returning shows! I didn’t realize there were that many! Either way… Here are the NEW shows that I am looking forward to checking out:

  • Chuck — Monday at 8. Nerds and espionage? I’m in! I haven’t viewed the premiere, which came on last night, but I am looking forward to checking it out later this week.
  • Pushing Daisies — Wednesday at 8. I have been looking forward to this one ever since I heard about the concept. Sadly, it looks like one of those shows that may be great, but might not pick up the audience it needs…. I hope that if it is as good as I hope, that people tune in; as stated in the past, I hate to see good shows canceled too soon.
  • Bionic Woman — Wednesday at 9. They really payed attention at the success of Heroes, obviously, because here is another “comic-type” show; one which I am definitely interested in checking out. The previews look like it may kick ass.
  • Reaper — Tuesday at 9. I really loved (and miss) Dead Like Me, and this could potentially be a good take on it. Also, I love Missy Peregrym, which only adds to me wanting to check this out. I hope it lives up to the hype.
  • Big Shots — Thursday at 10. I will be checking this out just because it has Michael Vartan in it. Seriously. That’s my draw.
  • The Big Bang Theory — It would be nice to check out this show, but it conflicts with others (Monday at 8:30), so unless Chuck sucks, it’s going to have to wait. (seriously, why don’t the spread them out over the week?)

Whew! That’s a list of shows! Damn! I can’t believe that there are so many… and this isn’t even counting the mid-season shows! Well, I am going to get to setting my tivo for some maximum TV viewing, and get to checking out my old favorites, and the new offerings.

What will you be watching? Are there any of these that seem interesting to you??? Tell me what you are looking forward to in your Fall TV schedule!

weekend in Helen



candied apples, originally uploaded by duanemoodydotcom.

This weekend, James and I joined some friends for a weekend getaway to Helen, GA. We stayed at a great cabin in the woods, and had a fantastic time.

It was nice to get away for the weekend, as well as having the time to spend with friends.

Here’s hoping that we can do something like that again soon!

I do wish it were still weekend though, because getting back to work is never fun! Hope everyone is dealing well with their Monday.

Also, James is going out of town this weekend, so if anyone is up for doing something, make sure you let me know!

checking in….

It has been a few days since I have posted; and not without good reason. I am BUSY!! School is continuing to flex its muscles; seriously, this statistics course is acting like a grad level course. I wonder if the professor knows it is supposed to be intro? Either way, I just hope I can make it out of the class with a good grade. Also, my first anatomy test is this week, and I am studying like mad to make the best grade possible… here’s hoping for an A on the first test.

Other than that, I got more tattoo on my ankle yesterday, and it looks so much better. While I liked just the flowers, I thought it was rather plan, and Malia agreed, so she added some waves and rocks to make it more of a “piece”. I think it looks amazing, even though it hurts like crazy, and I will try to get some pictures up soon… as soon as I am finished with my anatomy test!

Wish me luck!

Hope everyone is having a great week… I know that I have been enjoying this much cooler weather; I have even been kind of cold riding into work these past few days, as I have been riding with all of the windows down and the sunroof open. MAN, I love fall!!! Bring on the fleece!!!