Family Time

On Wednesday I traveled to Connecticut on business. This involved flying from DFW to LaGuardia, and then driving to Norwalk, CT to stay. Thursday morning we had to meet with (and terminate) an employee who had been falsifying her expenses. Yeah I don't tolerate people shopping at Nordstrom for "office supplies".

I took a vacation day today so that I could drive over to see my parents while in the area. Dad's condition has worsened since Christmas so I am glad I made this choice. Every day counts. Tomorrow I drive back to the airport for my flight back to DFW! Steve is very generously picking me up at the airport.

I AM NOT A NUMBER, I AM A FREE MAN!

Rest in peace, Patrick McGoohan. The star of the thought-provoking series The Prisoner died on 14 January at age 80.

How Did I Miss This?

On a recent trip to downtown Fort Worth, Steve and I discovered we were next door to an urban marvel: the Fort Worth water gardens. Built in 1974 by Philip Johnson, this is an urban space that people actually USE, rather than abandon. Filled with interesting spaces, concrete shapes perfect for climbing up and down, and impressive water features, this park would NEVER be built today. Interestingly, scenes from the sci-fi classic movie Logan's Run were filmed here. Being Texas, skyscrapers are nearby.


This vortex of water is at first ominous for its sense of danger. In fact, three people died here in 1994 when a child jumped into the water (then 9 feet deep - now reduced to 2) and two others jumped to their deaths in attempts to save the child. Thankfully the water depth has been revised to protect children and their inattentive parents. There is only one way in and out of the center area, inviting Fort Worth citizens to interact as they pass on the narrow walk, and reinforcing a shared sense of destiny as members of the broader community.

Heading Home

It's been a big week here at Disney. There has been a nice blend of work and play at the national meeting...we've had a couple of incredible parties, and I had the chance yesterday to visit the Epcot Center park, which was a lot of fun. I rode several rides, including Mission: Space and Soarin'. The Space ride was a little too intense for me, since it simulates the g-forces and rotations of a rocket ride to the moon. I think Soarin' is a must-see attraction at Disney.

Anyway, tomorrow is the day to head home. I am ready to get on that airplane after a long week!

Hey Mickey

I'm in Florida this week for a business meeting at Walt Disney World. It's our national sales meeting to kick off the new year. So I'll be here for work until Friday. That also means I'll be missing rugby practice this week, which is a bummer but can't be avoided.

I got to play for about 20 minutes in this week's rugby game against the Griffins. We played fiercely and well in a hard fought game that ended in a tie. I am enjoying learning about rugby and becoming a player. It is a nice way to spend time with Steve, too.

As Seen on TV

Tonight my extra-special boyfriend Steve and I were browsing our local Fry's Superstore when we encountered an incredible impulse buy: The Snuggie.


Even more impressive was the aggressive $14.99 price point. Apparently the staff of Fry's watch as much TV as I do, because we overheard them say "Yeah, on TV it's $19.99!!" Being the sweet guy that he is, Steve bought each of us a Snuggie. Thanks, honey! Now, for that storage ottoman to keep our Snuggies in!!!!

A New Day

So today was the first day back to work after the holiday break. Although it was hectic, it was good to be back in the saddle. Steve and I have been spending a lot of time together, which is good. We both like to read. Steve is a big fan of comics and picks up his every week at Zeus Comics on Lemmon Ave in Dallas. As you can see from the pic of my coffee table, we're both backed up on reading material.

Rugby practice was cancelled tonight on account of the crappy weather here in the D/FW area. While I normally find it laughable when two snowflakes shut down this entire region, freezing rain and ice are another story. Despite my snow-country upbringing, stopping a vehicle on ice is pretty much impossible.

2009

Hey everybody...it's January 2009 and thank you to everyone who has read & contributed to this blog over the past year. Wow - talk about change! New job...new home...new bf (that's him in the picture)...while still keeping things going with some incredibly great friends from NJ. I'm grateful for all of you.

Christmas break has been fun so far. I'm off work until Monday, so I still have a few more days to go! I went back to New York State to visit with my parents. Christmas wasn't a bright shiny holiday for me this year, as I was dealing with the news that my Dad's cancer has returned and become even more aggressive. I'll post more about this as I learn more but at this point good thoughts and prayers are welcome and are the best I can do. Spending time with my parents and sister was lot of fun though, and Santa was good to us all.

After Christmas I met up with my best friend Rob and we drove together to Washington, DC in his new car. We stayed in DC for two nights and enjoyed seeing the sights, such as going to the National Mall and the Jefferson Memorial. While there I also met up with my new boyfriend Steve who was visiting family in Maryland. The three of us went out on the town around Dupont Circle on Saturday night. While I enjoyed spending time with two of the most important people in my life, it was not an easy interaction and the visit in DC was really destroyed for me since neither of them were happy with me. I felt like an asshole for several days even though I still don't understand what I did wrong. I don't feel the need to return to DC anytime soon. After DC, Rob and I drove down to Charlotte and had a nice visit. Rob's new apartment is very nice and I love the Southpark area of Charlotte where he lives. We went to eat at a fabulous restaurant called Bricktop's which is my new fave CLT eatery! On Tuesday morning I flew back home to DFW and have been enjoying some R&R time.

Pink - So What

Guess what
I'm havin' more fun
And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm allright
I'm just fine
And you're a tool
So so what?