Tag: friends

all about me, friends, school

two down, two to go… time to celebrate!

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Time to celebrate!!Yesterday, I finished my second final of my second semester of nursing school. As many of you know, this summer has been a whirlwind of a semester, and it has been more than trying at times. However, I worked my ass off, and studied hard, and all my hard work paid off; another semester is complete, and I have officially made it through two semesters of nursing school.

A (VERY) nice bottle of champagne, and a delightful afternoon with some of my fellow nursing student friends was a great ending to a hellish summer semester. We all deserved it, and I had a blast yesterday! Now, a couple of weeks of R&R, and I want to knock these other two semesters out of the park as well. I’m well on my way!!

"pointless", all about me, blog on blog, five song friday, friends, home improvement

*cricket cricket*

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Yeah, I know I didn’t post a 5SF for this week… but with good reason!!! I was looking for a pool all day, and as such, was pretty quiet on the internet. Then yesterday, I was busy most of the day with house stuff, and a party. Today, more house work.

So we’ll just have to wait and see what greatness I can come up with next week to make it up to you, okay? I hope everyone has had a great weekend, and wish me luck as I go and rent a tiller to level the backyard for my pool today!!

flickr, friends, photography

a burst of creative energy

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…and maybe even a well needed kick in the butt. This weekend, I managed to hang some kitchen things we bought at IKEA (one of which has been in the cabinet for well over a year!), and did a little tidying up around the house; both of which were much to James’ surprise. It was also a surprise to me, because I have been overwhelmed with apathy lately (see, it’s going on in many, many aspects of my life… not just the blog!). Well, the best part, was that I kept that momentum going, and ended up going for a long overdue, much needed photo stroll with Brody and Broderick (my “Bros”… Come on, I thought it was funny… HA!) in Little Five Points.
fierceness, you're doing it right.
I had an awesome time hanging with those guys, and managed to get more than a few pictures that I consider to be pretty darn good. I went with only my 10-22mm lens, because even though it is my favorite, I don’t feel like I use it enough, and I need practice with it. I am glad that they set it up, because I have been neglecting my camera and photography for months now, and while it has been largely because of my apathy, sometimes little steps like this are monumental for me. I hope that it signals an upswing of photography, and potentially, other hobbies of mine to take more time in my life. I do know that I mentioned to Brody that we should make this a regular thing, and I have to say, that I believe that to be a great idea indeed… so where do we go next?!

all about me, friends, get involved, show the love

dining out for a cause

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Last night, I participated in the Atlanta Dining Out event, and I was pretty moved by how many people were present at the participating restaurant we were at. We went to Stella Trattoria, which is near the scene of the crime that the event was held to fund a larger reward for, and it was PACKED. Our wait time was about an hour and a half, but I had plenty of great company with great friends, and a few delicious peach bellinis while we waited. Overall, my dining experience was great, and it was amazing to see so many people coming out to make a statement against crime in Atlanta. I hope that the city and the police force will take notice that we are not going to stop talking about this, and that the horrible murder of John Henderson was the last straw. We want change, and we are going to get it.

Things have to change, and it felt good to be at least a small part of that momentum. I hope that things get better soon, and I really hope that they catch the horrible people who killed John. I want my community to be the safe place that it can be, because it’s long overdue.

flickr, friends, near and dear, photography

mingafred/bobaling wedding

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However you want to call it, mingafred or bobaling (the combining of mingaling and bobafred), two of my close friends, Lori and Brian got hitched this weekend. It was an intimate, and beautiful ceremony. They had their own flair, and added a crazy tradition (which was effin’ cool) or two, which made the ceremony both enjoyable, and lovely. After the ceremony, we all ate a gourmet dinner, and after dinner, there was dancing and fun; everyone seemed to have an amazing time. They also had a photo booth at the reception, which was such a great idea, and provided for lots of fun, and I am sure, some amazing memories.
the send off
I wish these two the utmost luck and congratulations… I love you guys, and thanks for inviting us along for your special day! Oh, and Lori… I will be definitely requesting some of your services for our wedding; you have got some mad craft skills!!

There are a ton of photos up on flickr, and by clicking on the one above, you can go there and check them out for yourself.

all about me, friends

we’re back!!!

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Thanks to a well placed government holiday, I have all day to relax after our wonderful cruise to the Bahamas.

A great time was had by all, and the consensus is that we must DEFINITELY do future cruises. It is so nice not to have to worry about a thing, other than, “what am I going to eat… since there are so many choices!?!?!”. The only thing I didn’t like about the cruise (other than having to drive/ride 8 hours to the port from ATL), was the Bahamas itself. It is definitely a very poor area that has been consumed, and the culture has been completely displaced to make way for touristy trinkets and duty free shops. It was kind of sad to see, so I don’t know if I would want to cruise back to the same destination.

We did learn that gambling doesn’t really pay… however, I only lost about $200, so it wasn’t TOO bad. Needless to say, that will not be the activity I will use to pass time and have fun with in the future.

All in all, we had a blast, and can’t wait to go on another cruise. Let’s hope the next one doesn’t include the first day at sea being turbulent, and causing all of us to feel very dizzy and disoriented. Thank goodness it was calm for the rest of the trip. I hope everyone had a great weekend, and remember, the 5 song Friday will be back this week, so stay tuned!!! I will also eventually get around to posting the few pictures that I took on the trip… stay tuned for that as well.

all about me, friends, school

sunburned

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James and I were invited to go see the Tech game this weekend with the lovely Mr. Pbody and hakeber, and after sitting in the direct sun for a few hours, my head is BURNED.

The worst, is that I cut my hear very short (buzzed), and as a result, my actual scalp is burnt. Since we are going on a cruise later on this week, I am going to be sure to pack two things indeed; sun screen and hats. Lots of hats.

Ouch!

In school related rants, I am half way into this Microbiology class, and I am more than over it! The questions on the most recent test were so detailed, and the amount of information required for the test was staggering to say the least. I will be happy when I have this one behind me for sure. The lab midterm is this week, and I hope that I do really well on it; especially considering it is 50% of my grade. Why do they have to do that in these classes? I mean, if you want me to LEARN it, why make it so I have to cram, and am more likely than not, most likely to forget most it? I don’t get it. I am still waiting to hear about nursing school at Kennesaw, so I want to be sure and do well in this class; but I don’t see an A in my foreseeable future, which does stress me out.

concerts, friends, music musings

the presets/cut copy @ masquerade 9-27-08

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dance
Last night, we went to see The Presets and Cut Copy at the Masquerade. Both acts were amazing, and it was a fantastic show. I was more excited to see the Presets, because I have really been enjoying their record for many months now. They totally deliver live, and I was very pleased with their show. The lighting was especially amazing.

I wasn’t really that interested in Cut Copy initially, because for whatever reason, their record just hadn’t meshed with me, but I can say that after last night, I will be spending a little more time with it. They were great in their own right, even though they really didn’t harness the lighting to move the crowd as much as the Presets did. I did state several times during their act that they were much better than their record let on, however, so I was pleased to find them great in concert.

Both acts were fantastic, and the vibe at the Masquerade was awesome. People were dancing, and the floor was literally pulsating from the bodies and energy. It was a great concert, and a great night with friends.

flickr, friends, happenings, hotness, movie musings

weekend recap

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Well this weekend was a lot of fun.

A lot of drunken fun (Friday night at least).

John, Michael, Justin, and I decided to get shitty and head out to the local gay watering hole, Mary’s for ManShaft. It proved to be a night of drunken debauchery, however, being the modest one that I am (no seriously), I managed to maintain my composure enough to stay fully clothed; even though my fellow friends didn’t always manage to do the same (it was all fun though… I mean, no one got nude or anything!). There were sweaty, hot, mostly naked men, and needless to say, it was a FANTASTIC night. I love nights out like that… we closed down the bar, and had a lot of fun.

One “highlight” of the evening for me, was seeing my ex out, and the interchange that we had. As he was walking by in the crowded bar, I poked him on the shoulder, and he leaned in to me and said, “hey… do I know you?”. LOL! Well, I knew that I looked different, but not that different! My response to him was, “well, you should, since we dated for a year and a half”. Needless to say, he had a little egg on his face at the moment, but it made me laugh. I mean seriously. However, he seems to think that we only dated for 11 months, which I was quick to correct… the last 6 months of our relationship were definitely something I won’t forget (not in the good way), so let’s not make light of them, alright?

Either way, the night was fun, as was the rest of the weekend. We ended up going over to Rich and Darron’s for horrible movie night, where we were exposed to the absolute horror that is Xanadu. Wow, movies that bad really shouldn’t be allowed onto DVD, but alas, I am sure there are those out there that love it. It was really, really bad. However, one thing I did learn from watching it, is that Gene Kelly is one handsome man! I mean seriously, he was really hot for an older man in that film, and looking back, he is quite the looker. I have added some old musicals to my netflix so I can see him in all his glory. I guess it is fitting that a horrible “musical” could open my interests to older, more well praised musicals, right? Either way… Gene Kelly, hot; Xanadu, not.

After all of the excitement Friday, I am glad that Saturday night was tame, and that Sunday was even tamer. The new counter tops are being installed tomorrow, so expect me to squeal like mad over them for the rest of this week… seriously, I have wanted new counter tops since day one of moving into this house, so I couldn’t be more thrilled. Stay tuned for pictures!

How was everyone else’s weekend?

all about me, friends, happenings, mixed media, near and dear, photography, show the love, that is so gay, venting

new york city: the trip, the story, the post that follows

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As I mentioned in my previous two posts, we went to NYC for a little vacation, and despite a horrible 10+ hour delay in LaGuardia, we are back. Fun was had, sweat was shed, feet were hurt, subways were ridden, food was eaten, money was spent, and all of that made for some great stories and good times. I have decided to give you a list of the highlights of the trip, so here we go:

downtown

  • I got engaged. James proposed to me on the top of the 30 Rockefeller building, also known as the “Top of the Rock”. It was amazing being up there, and seeing all of NYC, and then being surprised by a beautiful ring (which I picked out), from a beautiful man. I don’t know when the date is going to be set, but I need to ask him in return, so I need to come up with something as romantic as his proposal (which was uber sweet).
  • When I say above that sweat was shed, I meant it. NYC is fucking HOT in the summer. Top all that heat off with the lack of A/C in a lot of places meant that I took no less than 3 showers a day, and changed clothes at least 2 times as well. All in all, we started to acclimate by the end, but that was pretty much pointless, as we were headed back to ATL at that point. I would like to go back to NYC in the fall next time; I have only ever been when it is scorching hot, or freezing cold… I would like to see it during a happy medium.
  • When we got to our hotel, I committed a bit of a gay snafu, if you will. Upon arrival, we checked in at the desk, and I needed to ask the clerk something, so I addressed her by name; or so I thought. Her name was Liza, and I thought, “it can’t be pronounced Lie-za, it just can’t be”, so I called her Lee-za. The best part, was that she corrected me by saying, “no no, honey. It’s Liza. With a Z.” Needless to say, we got a big laugh out of that one, even though I probably lost a few gay points for not knowing the correct way to pronounce Liza.
  • As a result this trip, I’ve pretty much given James and ultimatum; the beard has got to go back down to a van dyke. The reason being, that while we were in NYC, almost every place we went, people asked us if we were twins. Now let that sink in for just a second; not just brothers, but twins!?! I know that we are both guys with beards, but seriously, twins?? I don’t see it. Either way, I don’t want to look just like my lover, so I want him back in the goatee ASAP, so we can curb this “brother” nonsense.
  • We saw two shows while in NYC: Legally Blonde the Musical, and RENT. First of all, Legally Blonde was AMAZING. It met and greatly exceeded my expectations. I saw it on MTV last fall when they broadcast a performance of the show, and when I found out that Laura Bell Bundy was still in the show on Broadway, I HAD to see it. SHE. WAS. AMAZING. If you like the movie, you owe it to yourself to see the musical; it is just as fun, and the songs are delightful. I am so happy I got to see this show with the original cast. Also, we saw RENT, which I have loved for many, many years, but I had never seen on Broadway. As with all traveling shows, they just don’t compare to the Broadway version, and as such, I had to see RENT before it ends on September 7th. RENT was one of the first musicals that I got into, and it was great to see it on Broadway. It too, was excellent.
  • As I mentioned before, walking around really was painful on the old feet. I realized that I need to get back in shape, and I am committed to doing so; especially after suffering during the trip. I hope that I can make a permanent foray back into working out regularly; and if anything good comes out of our trip, that would definitely be a great one.
  • While there, I got to hang with one of my best friends, Steve Yockey, which was awesome. I also got to meet a fellow flickr friend, Michael, for the first time, who accompanied us to a sunny afternoon on the pier, followed by dinner. I wish I could have spent more time with each of them, but time didn’t permit.
  • Overall, the trip was awesome. John was great, and a lot of fun to hang out with. We got to see pretty much everything we wanted to, and felt like we saw it all (even though we really didn’t). It was awesome seeing such spots as the Stonewall Inn and the Brooklyn Bridge, and took a lot of pictures (expect them to trickle onto flickr in the coming days!). I had a lot of fun in NYC, but I am so glad to be home; it was a great vacation, however, I need a vacation because my vacation tired me out so much! Oh well, that’s how it happens, right?