Gay Knight

Raleigh MaidPro Service is not Trustworthy

2012-01-27T09:19:00.009-05:00

Seems that MaidPro in Raleigh is a poorly run division. They offered a GroupOn discount for a home cleaning, but then refuse to provide the service or even to allow for scheduling. When a purchaser of their GroupOn offer contacted them, he was told to call a "special" number to schedule those, but that number does not work, and return calls to the main number go unanswered and no call back.

Seems to me that if you sell a service, you should honor that sale. If not, it should be reported to the BBB, and have blog postings so people can evaluate them. Any company that plays ethics in this manner is not someone I would invite into my home when I am not there.

I've had maid services, been ripped off too, and that was from companies where I personally knew the franchise owners and trusted them completely. If the owners of MaidPro in Raleigh run a disreputable service, and practice avoidance of customer complaints, and do not honor their commitments, there is no way in hell I would ever trust them to enter my personal space.

Fire the Policy Makers

2011-09-23T08:37:00.003-04:00

Totaling up the market movements in my accounts this morning I discovered that I lost more money in a single day yesterday than the entire principal that I've paid on the mortgage all year long! And I pay double the mortgage minimum every month.

It is time to fire the people making economic policy decisions. Start with Bernanke. Then it should be Timmy at Treasury. Every congressman at the fed and state level that proposes more tax increases and spending boondoggles. Cap it all off with firing the president for lack of leadership.

It sucks to be anything but a ward of the state any more. Is that the plan?

EnergyWise from Progress Energy

2011-08-04T22:59:00.004-04:00

It got hot in the house today, and it's all because the power company turned off my air conditioner. When it started going over 88 I began to wonder if it was time to give them a call.

What happened is my A/C has a box on it that allows the power company to cycle it off when needed, and apparently today was a day they needed to manage their power generation a little more closely.

It's called EnergyWise and what it does is cycle the air conditioner up and down in 15 minute increments so that the total demand for power across the grid is lowered, and they don't have to fire up additional power plants or turbines or whatever to make more electricity. I get $25 a year back by allowing them to do that and so far it's worth it.

The cycling ends by 7 pm, so I just went out to dinner with friends. When I got home everything was nice and cool just the way I'm used to.

I also have the Time-Of-Use meter. Basically it records when power is used, so daytime power costs a lot more than evening and weekends. That just means running the dryer outside of peak daytime hours. That saves me $45 or so a year, and that more than paid for the dinner tonight at a nice cool restaurant.

My friend complimented me on working towards ecologically responsible use of resources. I laughed! It was more about saving money in so many ways with only minor inconveniences that it was worth it.

FWIW: I worked for Progress Energy for a grand total of 9 days and took a serious disliking to them after that. Learned a few things since then though.

Super 8

2011-07-04T17:24:00.003-04:00

Just watched Super 8 and it's really good. The writing is original campy, the kids are likable and the filming is tremendously period looking. Go see this in the theater if you get a chance because I don't think it will transfer well to digital.

Movie Page

Meetup.com's Attitude

2011-07-02T09:03:00.007-04:00

Just saw that my Meetup.com subscription has renewed on the credit card, and once again I'm reviewing why I have stayed with them and why I continue to allow them to take my money.

My general opinion of Meetup.com, the company, is that they suck. They try to strike the Apple attitude of "This is what we are giving, you are commanded to like it, and if you don't like it then you are stupid". Seriously, that is what they think.

They do not care what the paying customer has to say. For instance, they took away a feature some time back. When I sent them an email asking them about it, the reply was "We have already discussed this, we are not going to put it back, ever, you will like the new stuff we have coming soon." That was the actual reply without the flowery stuff in there.

Prior to them poisoning the well with me, I had read an interview of Meetup.com CEO in the Wall Street Journal. At that time I was pretty high on them, but after hearing his re-written history of the start of the company I started to worry. It wasn't that a few things were fudged, it was that it was downright lies about how the company came to be. I disagreed with their political birth but they had moved well beyond it by that time. So for the CEO to tell outright falsehoods told me that this was a company that was not to be trusted, they would say or do whatever got them what they wanted, and that they would hide relevant information from you and lie to your face. Danger, money will be lost if you invest in them!

And finally, why the hell is it that when I log out of Meetup.com they log me out of Facebook too? Seriously, what is that all about? Sounds like shoddy programming to me, plus the fact that it's still there after more than a year shows they don't care to fix it.

Now, what can I do about reversing / challenging that credit card billing?

Ocracoke, NC

2011-05-10T07:39:00.003-04:00

Visited Ocracoke island on the Outer Banks this past weekend. It was okay, but if I have to give it a short description it would be: Nice quiet place, but the locals do not smile much or friendly and the tourists are mostly married young couples or lesbians, each of which are in their own worlds. It's expensive beyond reasonable for a tourist town. Rating: 1 star.

However, a big bright point seems to be Manteo and area. When we drove through there a local waved and smiled at us as we passed. And kept waving and called his wife over to wave too through the rear view mirror. They want us to come visit, so I'm going back!

A Letter of Summer

2010-09-06T15:12:00.006-04:00

Hey - I tried calling but I guess everyone is out to the cookout.

Have you enjoyed your summer so far? It's still warm enough but it got cooler for us this weekend, it's been really nice. This weekend turned into yard work. The trash barrel in the picture is nothing but crabgrass, hand picked weeds from the grass. The barrel is sitting on the crabgrass side and you can see a big difference just in the color (hue, contrast, or saturation? .... it's all green color).

The wood elf that was broken has finished drying out all summer and it was time to glue him back together. Of course I googled "best ceramic glue" and the web site said to use PVA Glue. After looking *that* up it was plain old elmers glue.

I've just put the last tomato into it's last larger pot so hopefully I'll have fresh ripe fruit again in a couple months. I grew these by seeds and they are the ooogly variety. I did some plum tomatoes and they were okay for salads and diced up but for a sandwich it's got to be bigger.

Haven't done any cooking lately although did find carrot cake, a spice cake, and jam crumble bars that use protein in place of some flour. The protein has vanilla flavor but that's okay it just means it can be desserts.

All of that was just this week, always lots of stuff going on here. Couple weeks ago was the film festival, and as always had a blast. I only saw one film begin-to-end but did see almost to 15 films total. I threw together a Friday night dinner and invited along friends and producers, maybe next year I'll get a chance to ask some actors. I think I'll do the dinner again next year and see how it goes, but this first time was a lot of fun.

Did lots of hikes again this year, though didn't get too far from the region. And went camping, once down at the lake and the whirly-gig is the path, and then up in the George Washington Crabtree Falls in Virginia. And kayaking and swimming too.

Have fun and we'll talk soon.

Michael

What I want in a water shoe

2010-07-11T11:19:00.003-04:00

I want a sock that doesn't absorb any water but breathes, with a rubber shaped sole for shores and stones.

Camp at Crabtree Falls, AT and the Ridge

2010-07-06T13:01:00.017-04:00

It was a very fun weekend, three nights camping and travel. We went to the George Washington national forest and camped at the foot of Crabtree Falls. Met lots of very healthy folks, it must be the mountain air. Temps were great, upper 80's daytime and into the 60's at night.

The truck was overflowing, tents were only a tiny part of the package. We took a few coolers in what seemed perfect sizes. One was for reserved for clean ice, another had milk, butter and open condiments, and the third was dedicated to meat and nothing else. But I did learn that frozen orange juice canisters are cardboard and once defrosted make a very pretty colored ice!
Eating was not a problem, we had plenty to gorge ourselves. The first night were boho dinners, aluminum puches with cut potatoes, carrots, 'shrooms and chix breasts heavily seasoned in a garlic and herb mix and tossed into the coals to steam for 30 minutes or so. Grilled bbq chix and beef stew too. I was doing bfasts so we had sausages and eggs and silver dollar pancakes and syrup. Had the fixings for french toast but never got to it. My new griddle was really nice.

We did go up the mountain path, a 1.7 mile hike up to Crabtree Falls. It was a pretty good climb, lots of switch backs. At the top we met this group of guys and a couple of them went on with us to the top of the mountain and the Appalachian Trail. It was another two miles uphill and took quote a lot of heavy work to get to the ridge line of the mountains, but we did it.

On Sunday we just relaxed in the campground watching the comings and goings. Very relaxing July 4th celebration, though we couldn't find an open area for any fireworks. At one point the puppy and I were rock scotching across the river making our way downstream. It was a game of jumping rock to dry rock and the only way to do that is bare footed and lots of balancing.

The return route was out of the way by way of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Six hours on the parkway through to Fancy Gap because I wanted to see Pilot Mountain from the mountains like I had from I-77 for so many years. It was sort of anti-climatic :(

It was a lot of fun and a lot more happened too. More pictures on my facebook page.

Slow News Week

2010-03-03T11:19:00.003-05:00

It must be a good news week, because the Today show all week has been showing nothing but scare stories. It follows the motto No News is Good News.

Earlier in the week, the big story was how stores were putting returned clothing back on the rack, specifically underwear and swim suits. It took them until near the end to finally tell us that this is against the store policy and they will re-inform employees of this.

Then this morning it was that bath toys for kids might have germs on them. Really?!?! You put one of those crawling and walking disease factories into a tub of warm water and really expect its toys to stay sanitary? What's next, diapers are smelly?

If this is all we have to worry about, then things must be awfully good in the nation. Either that, or the network spent their wad of money on the Olympics coverage and have to tighten their belt for the rest of the year.

Bike Ride on MLK Day

2010-01-18T08:18:00.003-05:00

It's supposed to be sunny and near 60 today, perfect weather to go bike riding in shorts. I might be meeting some guys for a ride around Shelley Lake and here's the route I'm taking to get there (GMap Pedometer is great for mapping and Saving the Route). After a couple loops of Shelley its all up in the air which way to go, but I have all afternoon to discover new parts of Raleigh by bike, though probably not the 34 mile! route I did last summer.

Dates

2010-01-01T21:55:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had a date where the next day you thank god you screwed it up? Well, that was my new years date. I think someone is looking out for me.

I first chatted with Karl about a month ago, and we've talked a few time since on the phone. We decide to meet in person for some coffee on new years eve day. Show up at the coffee shop and it's closed early. Okay, so go next door to the sports pub.

We introduce ourselves and say hi and all the pleasantries. And somewhere in all that he said something referring to how I think. I said, and I'm paraphrasing here, Please stay out of my head, I don't like that. So don't you know that the rest of the night he was inside my freaking head, asking me emotions and feelings and analyzing. Like wow, that got deep real fast. (And yes, I am that shallow!)

Try changing the subject to anything but my head... Q: I like doing outdoor stuff, what do you like? Answer: Oh everything, hiking and biking and going to the beach and working in the yard to lots of stuff. Q: Oh, you like to go biking, mountain or road? A: Oh, you like being outside because you feel free? What do you think about that?

Argh!

So I went out last night all by myself. For the first time ever I really enjoyed the floor show. And the new people that I met. And I really liked the guy who came over to tell me I had the cutest ass he'd seen in a long time! Finally brunch today with some of my best friends made for a perfect holiday and the perfect start to the year.

Oh yes, 2010 is going to be a great year!

Amtrak Online Reservations

2009-09-04T20:09:00.003-04:00

So I am planning on doing some travel here soon. Well, soon the way I plan things. Took a quick look at travelocity and have a general idea of how much a plane ticket is going to run. But there are other ways of getting around the country, especially if you aren't in a big hurry and want the travel to be as much of the trip as the destination.

My choices from conventional choices are highway, bus or train. If I had a lot of time hiking might be an option, and hitch hiking if I had a death wish. Actually thats not quite right, because it seemed that hitch hiking in Hawaii was fairly common.

Something I have only experienced as a subway or roller coaster would be rail. Rail looks like it would be a lot of fun. So put amtrack into the browser address box and off I go from Google. NB, Firefox does good at that, "moviemovie" takes me right to their voting page.

Fern

2009-08-28T06:52:00.000-04:00

St. Augustine College

2009-08-24T18:39:00.003-04:00

This is the only college in the Raleigh / Durham area that offers a degree in film production.

NC Gay / Lesbian Film Festival

2009-08-13T09:15:00.006-04:00

I'm really looking forward to the 14th film festival getting started today. I am again hosting an artist, this year it is director Branden Blinn. He created the absolutely awesome short film Thirteen or So Minutes. His film Chased is being shown at this years festival, and if past is any indicator it too will be great.

There is an opening stage performance tonight with Del Shores, creator of Sordid Lives, the movie and series about white texas trash. Joining him will be Run McClanahan who most know as Blanch on Golden Girls, and Caroline Rhea who played Noletta in the series.

The Saturday night feature film will be Make The Yuletide Gay by director Rob Williams. Rob has always been a fave at our festivals, and Yuletide marks the best movie yet. It makes a great date movie which mixes romance and some strife with a happy ending. (Good date movies always have a happy ending!

Redwoods has sold out of one showing, probably because Brandan Bradley will be on stage for the show. He is just gorgeous, and local to the triangle too!

Some feature films I'd like to see again if time and tickets allow are The Art of Being Straight, Patrik Age 1.5, and practically all the shorts. Some of the films I want to see that didn't get a chance to screen are Chicos Angels, starring the Salsa Chic latina, Mr. Right because I liked the poster, Chefs Special because everyone else liked it, and Drool cuz everyone needs to watch at least one womens film.

It's going to be a fun weekend, even with all the work I'll be doing there. It's rewarding, and the gathering on Saturday at the irish pub after the last show is seated is great. Plus my own ta da moment when I introduce films in front of an audience of gay men is a rush!

See you at the movies!

Joanie Loves Chachi - at 3800 Feet

2009-07-28T17:40:00.001-04:00

Was climbing a trail, and found this park bench at its peak at around 3,800 feet. This is be where the local kids go to proclaim their 4EVER love.

Southern

2009-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

This mural is of an engine with Southern emblazoned, but I'm not sure which one it means. Norfolk Southern maybe... (where is Gail when I need her?) Taken somewhere along US-70

Tony Toy

2009-07-15T12:37:00.002-04:00

What is this toy? A co-worker (who has never been to K) has this on his desk. It looks like a top with its spinning base, but it just falls over and doesn't even come close to working. It's heavy plastic so it was never a box insert. If you know, let me know.

Jet Plane Signs

2009-07-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

I come across those little signs on top of the post all up and down the Tennessee highways. The first few times I saw it, there was a smaller sign just underneath that said "Airport". So, without looking I associated the top sign with planes.

Okay, so now try looking cross-eyed at that sign for a moment....

Does it look like it might be a puffed chested Pan Am plane as it is in flight over a city as its going to the right? The tail is sorta the nose of the plane? The body and beak are the right-side wing? Okay, fine! It's what I see, anyway.

Tipping the Scales

2009-07-12T18:59:00.003-04:00

Logged into my gym and pulled a weight chart for the past year. Since quitting smoking of tobacco 3 years ago my weight has tended upwards, exactly what this skinny boy needs. When I get a chance I'll put up the body fat chart showing 13% or less recently, plus my blood pressure coming down.

It's great being big and strong and healthy!

Jomo Lager

2009-07-11T20:43:00.004-04:00

It's a good beer. Great cold but with the right heaviness for a dark beer.

Cleaning Day

2009-07-11T11:27:00.002-04:00

It's cleaning day today and the focus is on wet stuff. Washing sheets, shower curtains, scrub brush the kitchen floor and all of the bathroom with lots of suds.

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-04T05:00:00.000-04:00

King Automotive

2009-06-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

For any automotive doohickey or Thing...
make sure you only get it from King...

Tin Man from the mountains

2009-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is a tin man I met on the way into the mountains. He didn't mention anything about trolls or gremlins ahead...

Queens Parking

2009-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Queens parking is out back...this us where the Fun People Shop!

Appalachian Trail

2009-06-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

This was out in the western part of the state and up into Tennesee. While driving on the way back we saw a sign that said "trail" and so we hit the brakes. If I had continued to follow Guinan on this trail, we would have ended up into Maine and we could also head south from here, down into Georgia. Now that is a long walk!

Liberated Gardenia

2009-06-13T13:34:00.004-04:00

I liberated this gardenia from the other house last year. It was almost dead and only 1 real branch, and now I think she likes the sun.

Real Reel

2009-06-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Saturday Matinee time!

1932 Roadside Diner

2009-06-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is along US-70, somewhere between Durham and Statesville. As always click image for a bigger version and to see the inset of the interior.

Grilled Apples

2009-06-06T18:00:00.001-04:00

Today is my first time grilling steaks on the new charcoal grill. I'm going to have some yellow squash from the garden plus tomatoes from the farmers market. I looked around the kitchen to see what could grill with the steaks and I spotted the fruit dish. What follows is how I fixed some granny smith apples using the grill. I'm writing this as I invent this dish, good or bad :)

Ingredients:
- Granny smith apples
- citric wash (1 tbsp of lemon, lime, etc juice in water)
- Oil, corn or other vegetable
- Honey or sugar
- Salt
- Pinch of cinnamon

Peel and core, slice into rings and put the apples into the citric wash. Why the citric wash? The acid in the juice will keep the apples from turning an ugly brown. Just a teaspoon to a couple cups water will leave no taste in the apples, adjust up for more lemon or lime flavor. Tip: Peel the apple, dunk in wash, core, dunk, slice, dunk. Apples: You should try granny smiths, because they will hold together under handling.

Marinate in oil and honey or sugar. So here is my logic for the oil, probably false. It will allow the apples to come to a very high temperature without burning too fast. And the honey will carmeliz along with some apple. I love carmelization, the browning of sugar with high heat, its like the absolute best sweet flavor in the world when you do it on the grill. In hindsight next time I'm going to marinate longer in the wash and skip or seriously reduce the oil.

Sprinkle a bit of salt on the apples and Grill. 2-4 minutes per side but make sure a good sear happens in the first side.

I ate about half the dish, then thought I'd try some cinnamon. Both ways were good.

PS: Carol gave me the idea to blog this after posting her recipe. Sans green peppers :)

Killians of Conover

2009-06-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

Pictured is the business of Killians. Way back when, there was a hardware store next door, and that eventually turned into...something, tire dealer I think. Supposedly one brother or another got it, and the other got this place. And even if I am on a first name basis with the Craters of Conover, I still don't know.

Anyway, it makes for an interesting picture to me. Dad refuses to do any business whatsoever with the Killians. He says they lied to him and he won't even stop to take a closer look at the plane up top or the train engine. I seem to remember this, vaguely...

I'm a Pepper Shirt

2009-06-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

Okay, is this shirt a shade of red, or is it pink? What do you think?

Here it is closer. I wore this shirt to my sisters husbands memorial weekend cookout. I like the shirt, it has a message that comes across loud and clear. Don'cha think?

Mountains

2009-05-28T06:45:00.000-04:00

Here is a collection of pictures from my excursion into the mountains.

A pleasant looking valley...

Started with the first trail that I followed into the mountain forest...

Mountain Stream...

Dark Skies...

And even darker skies...

This is why they are called the Smokies....it looks like smoke billowing out from the trees

Townies...

I was told the rhododendrums were in bloom...

Memorial Cookout

2009-05-26T14:40:00.007-04:00

It was Memorial Day, the beginning of summer, and the start of many cookouts. Rick has a cookout each year, and it looks like it just keeps getting bigger. I've posted pictures from the day complete with horseshoes and kids, dog and food over at flickr. It was a nice relaxing day, just what I needed to get away from it all for awhile.

I don't have a picture of me in any of them, that being the curse of the photographer. I was wearing a Dr. Pepper shirt that said in big ol' letters across my chest "I'm A Pepper." Now I thought the shirt was red, but mom tells me it was pink. She gets confused about things sometimes, and I aint so great with colors, so who knows? And anyway I've come to decide that I like or don't like a color based on what I see, not by the name it goes by.

The real eventfor me was finally meeting my brothers son. He is only 4 years old and already I can see a kindred spirit. I think I just might watch out for that boy, make sure he grows up to all he can be.

Just before the food was served, the girls joined in the Space Room to chat...

That was the start to me memorial day weekend. There's lots more that happened, such as being enroute into Maine, and the tin mans brother from Oz. Just keep watching here for the next few weeks.

Red Roof Inns

2009-05-24T21:29:00.003-04:00

Kinda like them, but the rooms could do with a bit more of the indirect lights. But that might be from the handicap rooms I get, with their bigger bathrooms I can use for the puppy. They really could use a lamp with a shade next to the bed, though. Even handicapped people like lamps.

This one here in Johnson City is the third Red Roof Inn I've stayed in the past year. Twice now at the Hickory one, and a really crappy one in Roanoke.

14th NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

2009-05-17T20:29:00.006-04:00

Announcing the 14th Annual North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, presented for you by the Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham, NC, August 13-16, 2009.

Every year the film festival brings to the Southeast's premiere festival the best, brightest, most diverse and truly entertaining films devoted to the LGBTIQQA community. Every year the festival continues to break records in attracting the best films, and ever increasing numbers of audience attendance.

Visit the Carolina Theatre festivals web site to explore the titles for this year Best Ever Film Festival at http://festivals. carolinatheatre. org/ncglff/ today!

=========================================================================

Okay, so this is not official anything. Some of the films I've screened so far are good, but theres no telling what will actually show. Fairly certain to get a showing is Make The Yuletide Gay with local fave Rob Williams directing. Then we get together tomorrow night to discuss what we'd like to keep and what to jetison, and I personally have enjoyed watching the shorts Thirteen or so Minutes; The Golden Pin; and Babysitting Andy. The only feature I like of those I've seen (still many to go, tho) is The New Twenty.

You Came to Mind Recently ....

2009-05-05T11:58:00.005-04:00

Just a little bit ago, I was talking with a co-worker about some problem or another and some management decision that we could expect to be seeing soon. You know, the usual stuff.

Then he mentioned he watched a food show the other day and it reminded him of me. I like to cook and experiment, so it seemed natural. Food, me, okay. But that's not where I came to mind.

He was explaining about some chef on a show who goes out and tries various types of foods. Exotic meats and veggies and just plain odd foods to the typical westerner. Things like monkey eyes. I asked "Monkey brains too" and oh yes, that too. Like I said, I like to experiment with food, and try pretty much any food at least once, so that must be when he thought of me. Nope, not yet.

He continues to tell me about the show. This episode had the chef visiting Costa Rica, going well into the non-civilized part of the country. Came to mind because of my stance on hispanics in the U.S.? Nope, not that either.

So the chef is dragged into the middle of some cave, slogged through mud and grime and wet and uncomfortable and just plum tuckered out. So he goes to sit down and rest for a moment. The guide grabs him before he can sit down and tells him, "No, there are parasites all around here. They are anal seeking parasites. You do not want to get them in you."

And THAT is when I popped into his head.

But on a positive note, Ms. California, whose religion makes her not approve of gay marriage, has photos floating around on the internet of her flinging her titties for the camera!

Found It

2009-05-03T18:34:00.002-04:00

Today was a very busy day. Went bike riding, walked the pup down to the store for treats, and watched the softball game. I think I'll root for the Flamez, since the Riders had a not so nice dog with them.

And, I found the right path, in this picture.

Apple Fan

2009-04-17T08:57:00.001-04:00

And the bumper sticker said Los Angeles

Train Trail

2009-04-14T20:49:00.000-04:00

You know I love following trails, will hit lots this summer with a tent. But a trail doesn't always have to be through the woods in state parks. In this case, it's was the railroad tracks with my whistle.

Spur line where I entered...

Bridge to go down to the greenway...

Blooms

2009-04-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

The azaleus are in full bloom right now, and they are beautiful. I wish they would look like this all summer long....

Fairy's Homes

2009-04-11T07:56:00.001-04:00

This is why I've always believed that my birthplace is a land full of fairy and elves and lots of magical creatures. Fairy-tale homes of Los Angeles.

Auto Repair by Jesus

2009-04-05T08:15:00.002-04:00

This is the pronunciation I've been using for Jesus for many years now, too.

Superman

2009-03-17T06:33:00.003-04:00

Found in the back storeroom of Father & Sons antique store

Triangle Gay Mens Chorus

2009-03-09T13:20:00.007-04:00

Went to see the Triangle Gay Mens Chorus perform in their annual fundraiser on Saturday.

It was a very good concert, and I was surprised by the number of men that I knew in the chorus.

I was also amazed by the Doris Duke Center, it is a beautiful building:

Shoes

2009-02-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

At the Paws For Cause store in Zebulon. The thrift shop is owned by a lesbian, too.

No Diet There

2009-02-26T06:26:00.000-05:00

McDonalds gets a bad rap for not being healthy, and it's mostly true. But this is the first I've seen where they advertised it.

Sugar Mountain, NC

2009-02-23T20:13:00.007-05:00

Finally made the annual ski trip. It was a beautiful day sunny and just above freezing, and I finally made it down Big Birch without stopping, pictured here about halfway down. More pics at meetup.com in the photo album.

The Bro Code

2009-02-17T07:01:00.000-05:00

Seen on the shelf at the local Books-A-Million

Bathroom Picture

2009-02-13T11:18:00.002-05:00

This was hanging in the mens bathroom at Kannons restaurant in Zebulon, NC (review to come later)

Trails, Plus Guinan

2009-01-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

Pilot Mountain Pinnacle trail

Snow!

2009-01-20T08:28:00.003-05:00

We've been going through snow withdrawal the last couple of years. So this was a pleasant surprise this morning. Especially since I can telecommute.

Desk

2009-01-17T08:21:00.000-05:00

It's part of the game and computer systems, too.

Creepy Plate

2009-01-15T11:04:00.001-05:00

This plate is just creepy. Tell me again who it is that is recruiting little boys to their lifestyle?

Virgilina, VA

2009-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, we lived in Virgilina, a small town on the border of...wait for this....Virginia and North Carolina. This was back in the early 70's., I think.

We only lived there for a very short time, and the only memories I have of it is that we were on the NC side of town. The whole county went to a single high school, and that seniors drove the buses (and I had a major crush on Elmo, our driver). Sis, who had struck out on her own, had come to visit and we got into a fight that ended with her sitting on a chiggers nest.

The town of Virgilina at that time was a single store at the crossroads, with the town sign across the street. The general store had what even then was an old fashioned gas pump. Pictured is that old store, still standing. The gas pump looks like it got taken out when the road was widened.

Funny how even in the middle of nowhere, progress continues.

Sign of the Times

2009-01-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

Looks like I waited one day too long for this sale...

In The Pitts

2009-01-06T09:45:00.001-05:00

Some days, this is where you end up.....

Newspapers

2009-01-03T09:05:00.000-05:00

Pilot Mountain

2009-01-01T09:09:00.003-05:00

Went climbing Pilot Mountain, or actually following the Ledge Spring Trail which skirts first along the top of rock cliffs, then along the bottom. All along the trail were folks rappelling the rock faces.

Most of the trail was climbing rock steps, which isn't really hiking but we enjoyed the trip, which ended up spending the night in a cheap-ass hotel in Roanoke, then down the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit, followed another road east out of the mountains and finally through Virgilina.

3D Movies

2008-12-29T08:54:00.003-05:00

Going back and forth yesterday on what movie to watch. Really wanted to see Benjamin Buttons, but almost 3 hours of melancholy just didn't sound real appealing. Then I saw my local theater has 3D movies, so there ya' go!

Bolt in 3D was a fun movie. The story was good, simple and entertaining. The effects were good, not the over the top, cross-eyed type the first generation used.

Plus the shorts leading into the movie were also in 3D, so it was a regular cartoon fest for a good 20 minutes before the movie. There might have been a trailer in there.

If you haven't been to a 3D movie lately, you are missing a lot of fun.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T20:04:00.002-05:00

Recipe: Caramel Coffee

2008-12-22T12:55:00.002-05:00

Mix in the left cup, pour over ice. No sugar allowed.

License Plate Upholstery

2008-12-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

Christmas Cards

2008-12-19T11:37:00.004-05:00

Yes, I am really late this year in getting my Christmas cards into the mail. Hopefully they will arrive in time.

I suspect that many people did not get my new address. I posted it here, but didn't quite "spell it out" The street number is pictured here and its on Apache. I also find that my list of addresses is lacking somewhat, since I would have liked to send a card to Peter with an I, except the only thing known is that he lives in Florida. Or Michigan. Or someplace.

Here is this years card, and stamp. I think the stamp kinda fits my mood this year.

Leaves

2008-12-18T21:48:00.000-05:00

Clouds

2008-12-13T21:35:00.002-05:00

The Rally

2008-11-16T18:11:00.004-05:00

The rally was much larger than I expected, though truth be told I had no idea how many people were expected to show. The estimates were around 1,400 people. This apparently was at least the same in all the other 49 state capitals on the same day. A site JoinTheImpact got things started and it took off from there in just 4 days!

I forgot my camera, but luckily A Captured Image's photos are available at Flickr, including this one with some of the many, many signs.

We gathered at the legislative building and had several speakers. The rain held out until the politician (who was it?) and then it opened up the skies. He stayed on with his speech, the rain let up and we marched around the capital and protested in front of the governors mansion.

This was the first real protest march I've been in. I did march on washington back in the 90's but that was more of a huge festival. This was local and did one thing, protest. The organizers were Wes Elliot and Tom Greene. I know of Wes through his monthly gay happy hours around town, but Tom is new to me. I suspect however that this isn't the last time we see him.

There was one identifiably feature about all of the people gathered. They were all people of pallor. When I first noticed that I took a good look around and found only one black man. I can't say that I was looking for latinos but I don't remember any. Mostly it was youth or middle class.

There were no counter protests, I guess they didn't have time to organize. Or, since all the ones we seem to get are from out of state, they had others capitals to pick from. As we rounded the capital building a white bus with darkened glass went past. How they got around with the snarled traffic I have no idea, but when we came to it again several black men were jeering out the back windows. Wes stood opposite and kept everybody moving along.

Afterwards I was supposed to meet with the ski group. But along with forgetting my camera I also forgot my wallet. So I popped home, picked them up and went back. They were meeting in the Flying Saucer, but when I spent 15 minutes at the bar trying to get his attention I finally gave up and went to the Burrough instead. This was at least an hour after the march had ended. Wes & Tom both were there along with a couple of friends / organizers getting a burger. No big party, no huge todo, they were decompressing before heading on...who knows maybe there was a party waiting for them elsewhere.

A week ago nobody was even talking about protests, and in just a few days all 50 capitals. Not too bad!

Rally to Protest Prop 8

2008-11-11T13:33:00.002-05:00

It looks like there are going to be a few protests across the country this weekend in protest to proposition 8 that passed in California. As a matter of fact, a few rally just in my neck of the woods itself.

There are two rallies, one at Duke University in Durham and another on the Capital Steps in Raleigh. I'm going to the political one in Raleigh. The dates for them are:

Captial Rally: Saturday 11/15, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
NC Capital Building, One East Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC
Equality Conference on Saturday at Duke

The Equality Conference is something already planned with several speakers at symposiums I guess. It just seems that the Capital one will have a lot more energy. Plus I don't think the University folks are really me.

Have you ever watched Queer as Folk? In season two or three there was the lesbian and gay center that really did not like Brian. They were the folks that did good thing in the commmunity. Thats just it, all good. Thats what the conference feels like. I'll join Brian and his buddies in the state capital.

This looks like the real rally across the country. Winston-Salem is getting something started. Charlotte, well....they do their own thing, not part of the state really. Initial rally attempts to rise up against the Mormon Church fizzled, thank god. We're not at war with holy people even if they are with us sometimes. I'm a karma kind of guy, it just fits.

I'll try to take pictures.

Hiking Hanging Rock Park

2008-11-10T08:49:00.010-05:00

Sunday was a day trip out to Hanging Rock State Park, just outside of Danbury, NC. It was quite a day, and I was whooped at the end, but it felt good. We came away mostly uninjured, one person came close to knee problems, another just got beat down. But the rest of us, 15 total, came through fine.

Here are a few pictures from the hike (larger resolutions on clicks). We did around 10 miles with ascents of 650' to 750'. The weather was nice though, getting to around 60 and mostly sunny. But let me tell you that it got cold when we made it to the watch tower and a cloud wafted by along with a breeze!

This is the valley looking north westerly. Off in the distance is Pilot Mountain, which for you Griffith folks you may have heard of as Mount Pilot

One of the several rock cliffs we scaled

Lunch time

The lookout tower, our final destination and the stone steps leading up to the lookout tower. We ended up only going down the steps since we came around the back way. Walking down steps is harder than you think, especially these ones....

This is most of our group, and as you can see most of the leaves are off the trees. I was hoping to catch the fall foilage but it peaked last week, dangit!

It was a fun day, and quite tiring. I can promise that dinner last night tasted especially good!

Birthday Party

2008-10-26T09:43:00.002-04:00

Went to a birthday party for Anthony last night. It was a fun evening, reminding me of what it's like to go out and enjoy myself.

Anthony has a beautiful apartment near Cameron Village. The rooms were all huge and his taste in decorating is interesting and delightful. It was almost a museum air in the decor, which made perfect for mingling.

The outdoor patio was 3 floors high, and the popping of the beer and the cap bouncing around on the pavement were perfect mood setters. There was plenty of drink and smoke going around out there. It was quite festive.

The mix was eclectic. There was the woman from downstairs who had the most wonderful idea, setting aside a day of the week for just reading. The guy who was making up some of the most ingenious crap and the ghoul who egged him on. Then there was the 20 year old who decided he wanted to explore being gay, with some of the funniest things coming out of his mouth as he flirted with the hostmaker guy.

Yep, it was a fun evening.

The Other State of Mind

2008-10-24T20:16:00.002-04:00

It's been an interesting several weeks since I last wrote something. And that was kinda bland and boring if I remember correctly.

It's not that I've not been doing stuff. I just haven't taken the time to write about it. For instance, we had our local gay pride parade end of last month. North Carolina (meaning the state, sans Charlotte) has the festival in late September. The first year they did it, something like 14 or 15 years ago in July, people passed out from the heat. So it's a nice end of summer festival. I was in the parade this year.

And last week was spent in Minneapolis. It was a week in training, but I've not been there since I was 21 years old. As a matter of fact, the diary entry took place on the eve of my leaving that fantastic city. Back then I was temp duty 6 months there, far from base. I explored Hennepin back then and all of it's dens of iniquity. I tried to do that this time, but everything moved 5 or 6 blocks east. The Eagle was fun, especially playing bingo on Thursday.

Then there is the study I volunteered for at UNC. It's an alcohol cessation study of a couple of drugs. It's double blind so I have no idea if I have the real drugs or a couple of placebos. Maybe the counseling is helping too, since it's been 3 weeks since I ventured into an adult beverage. Pretty good since it's probably never been more than 2 day ever since Minneapolis or a short bit afterward.

The old house is still out there. What are the chances it's going to sell quickly in this market? Winter is looking like a good time for some fix'it chores. That damn pool needs a new liner. The deck needs painting. But already got the roof and carpet replaced.

With my nights suddenly free, there's lots of time for activities in the evenings. I've joined a gym and manage to fit it in on 3-4 nights a week. Other nights I figure out something to do. Tonight it was a visit to the bookstore, and as soon as I find a nice coffee shop nearby I'll go there sometimes. I'm kinda setting up an alternating mind/body schedule. Tonight I enjoyed reading some of Hawkings theories on the universe. And now I'm blogging.

Did I mention that I've been nicotine free for over 2 years now? Minnesota state law doesn't allow smoking indoors, including in bars. I had been there four days and six bars or grills before discovering that. How awesome is that?!?!

I think I am making great progresss at putting myself into the other state of mind ... of health and happinesss.

NC Parks Survey

2008-10-04T08:08:00.002-04:00

The North Carolina Parks and Recreation department has a survey posted asking for input as they make plans for the coming years. It's a short survey and takes only 15 minutes or so to complete. I voted for more land acquisition plus improvements to existing parks.

The survey can be found here.....

Over the past couple of years I've become a big fan of the hiking and biking trails in the area. It started when I joined the Triangle Hiking and Outdoor Group (THOG) at Meetup.com.

I love to go hiking, and the rougher the better. Well, I say that knowing that I've not really done too many of the advanced hikes. And bike riding has also become a favorite pasttime. I've done several hundred miles of country road riding, plus the greenways here in town. A couple weeks ago I went to Crabtree trails for some mountain biking and that was fun (and I'll be going back soon!)

Next summer, I think it might be time to explore more rugged terrains, plus maybe some campovers. That will give me the opportunity to sleep under the stars.

Halloween Masks

2008-09-19T21:27:00.002-04:00

This is a very strange political season this year. I really do not know what to make of it. I think both candidates need to make some hard selling for me, cuz neither is worth the trip to the ballot.

But today I was walking around the fabric store and came across a rack of masks for halloween. The choices were - Bush, - McCain, - Hillary and - Britanny.

But no Obama.

I can only imagine why. If I were a conspiracy theorist (or ideologist) I'm sure I could come up with at least one really good one.

Do those masks even exist? But I'm too lazy to google that...

Hanna

2008-09-07T17:30:00.011-04:00

Hurricane Hanna was pretty much a non-event for Raleigh. She didn't do any real damage, though a bunch of folks in New Hanover had power outages. I did not catch the injury counts directly from the storm.

It was in nearing full swing when I got up on Saturday morning. Just before noon it passed over and we were on the wayward side of the storm. About that time crabtree creek was peaking, so I decided to go take a couple pictures.

This is the greenway next to the creek. The inset shows what it looked like once the creek was back in it's shores (as always, hi-res pictures on a photo click). And yes, that is a Biscuitville restraurant in the background. Not a bad breakfast place for less than 5 bucks.

One thing I wished I had photo'd were the bare new car lots. The lots are on either side of the creek along Wake Forest. If the creek had come up another 3 feet after it's already rising 13 feet, it would have breached it's outer banks and flooded the lot. If that had happened, we'd have a bunch of New Orleans Specials next week.

After seeing that water level, I can easily see why the greenway has so much right-of-way through the city. It runs alongside a major rainwater drainage channel.

I took the post-storm picture while taking the pup on an adventure this morning. We stopped at the bear rock cafe for the first time, I got a coffee and newspaper and we sat in the shade and watched sunday morning get started. Such a huge contrast to yesterday morning. I think we'll repeat this morning in the future.

On the final stretch of our adventure, we scaled the big new embankment from the widening project and walked along the ridge at the top. It's actually pretty far up from the road, and steep. There is a private gravel driveway going into those trees up that hill ... tiz strange. But note to me, hiking boots next hurricane.

And for those Durham ladies, wazzup? under the bridge and go left.

Sweetened Cherry Iced Tea

2008-08-31T14:00:00.019-04:00

This is an iced tea I fixed up today for while I worked on the gardening. This recipe is also featured in the Carnival of the Recipes at the Busy Family Meals web site.

It's simple, just a bit of improvising for the sweetener. I had some berry flavored tea, and I wanted to use sweet besides sugar. Cherry butter fit the bill and I even had a jar of it. You can find cherry butter earlier in the year (and canned, now) at farmers markets. It's a lot like apple butter only with, you know, cherries.

I used the coffee maker to brew the tea, when the maker is at it's hottest, right after recharge from morning coffee (it's a diner coffee maker thingy). But the filter drip needs to have been cleaned daily to keep out coffee taste.

Sweetened Cherry Iced Tea

Celestial Seasoning Black Cherry Berry tea (or any berry infused tea)
Cherry Butter, maybe 2-4 Tbsp

Brew tea, mix in enough cherry butter to the preferred sweetness. If you like really sweet tea, such as southern tea, you may want to add some sugar to keep the cherry from becoming overpowering.

Pour into your favorite tea pitcher, fill with ice and enjoy.

-------------

Bonus Recipe!!!

Tangerine Float

Try this for desert, easy as any root beer float. Take the ice cream out of the freezer just as you take your first forkful of dinner, it'll be the perfect consistency for this delight.

Vanilla Ice Cream

Tangerine Cream Soda

Put the ice cream into the glass, preferrably a coke glass shape with the narrow bottom. Add the cream soda, slurping the foam to keep it from overflowing. Take a spoonful, close eyes and just taste it cross the tongue.

Resting Day

2008-08-18T17:45:00.007-04:00

The festival always takes a lot out of me, and I just need a day of rest and relaxation. I always take one extra day off whenever I travel or go to big events like this, so to veg. Call it a mental vacation.

So today I will post pictures from this mornings walk with the pup. Much larger versions of the pictures are just a click away.

Just starting the walk and passing car dealerships. They must be really hurting if they are offering 0% financing and 42% off the price.

There is a bunch of construction going on to widen Wake Forest. This is just inside the 440 loop, up on the hill the exposed building is the Courtyard Marriot. The shopping strip center behind me is getting a major face lift.

The greenway parralels one of the creeks and or drain systems. The babbling brook is where I enter the greenway off of Wake Forest.

Today we walked to the Kiwanis park. There is a big soccer field there, and shrooms were growing quite well on it after Saturday nights rain.

And while gardening in the back woods, I came across this slug. The thing is huge.

Yes, it was a very relaxing day today.

13th NC Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

2008-08-17T07:10:00.001-04:00

It has been a very busy weekend, starting last Thursday with the opening of the 13th NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Local TV station NBC 17 did a feature, here.

I've been volunteering at the festival for several years now, starting as a ticket taker and manning the information booth. That is actually a lot of fun, because I got to look each in the eye and smile and basically get my face out there and become familiar. This year I was on the men's programming committee. I actually feel quite honored to have been asked to join.

Pictured here is the Carolina Theatre from Saturday night. This is between shows and the main features will be starting soon.

We started reviewing films in March, and had over 350 films submitted. Half of those were womens films, so they didn't need viewing by us. Well over half were shorts, but that is still some serious film watching. And trust me when I say that there is a fair share of them that just are not that good.

That explains why my Netflix activity is down to nothing lately. (If you aren't my Netflix friend, go here).

I had an absolute blast the entire 4 days. One of my responsibilities was to go onstage and introduce the film and welcome everyone to the festival. So here I get a chance to go in front of lots of gay men and talk to them. Talk about getting myself out there to be recognized! Another responsibility was to host filmmakers and others for the films. That meant getting them from/to the airport, and to the theater for their showings.

What made this a great weekend for me was how I was enjoying myself every minute. I was walking around saying hi to tons of people I knew, or even just sorta knew, or wanted to know. I also attended the reception this yea, my first time. I had no idea what to expect, and figure I'll be more prepared next year.

Meeting the various filmmakers and actors was also fun. The big name that we had was Randy Jones, the cowboy from Village People. When we were at the bar later and we talked, I think I was a giddy little school girl, which you know is not me. I think I was just enjoying the brownies and beer. There was the faintest of possibilities that Michael Emerson would be at the festival, because of his great part in Ready? Ok! Everybody quizes him about his role as Ben on Lost, but I didn't want to do that, so I tried to bone up on some of his other films. I had caught Straight Jacket where he is wonderful as a butler. I had 29th & Gay queued up, but that's when Netflix broke down last week.

The film selection this year was just awesome. We had a ton of films that covered a wide spectrum. From a silly teen sex farce to the artistic. Subtitled foreign films to spritual to wholesome to funny, we covered a lot.

Okay, I think Ive gone on enough. It really was a fun time, and initial figures show this festival to be the 2nd most successful season. And that's because it was fun!

Whatever Happened To....

2008-08-08T19:41:00.005-04:00

So, whatever happened to ??? How about Danny?

I don't remember how much of this is before or after starting the diary. Danny's last name was Groves, and he hailed from out northwest U.S. Washington or Oregon. He had mentioned one time that his dad worked in computers and that is why he was assembling a computer from blueprints. To this day I keep thinking that I will find out that his dad really is Andy Grove of Intel fame.

He knew his computers and how they worked. Or I think it would be more accurate to say he knew rules and how they applied, and computers are all about a bunch of rules tied together. When we would get together for our almost weekly D&D game, he would start quoting the rules in the dm manual. But we know now that D&D doesn't have any rules. (or maybe it was a flaw in version 1 of the rules?).

Danny knew I was gay. Thom told him, just before I got back from Eagan, MN. When he told me that, I was flattened. Here I was, afraid to let anyone know becuase I could get kicked out? And Thom goes and outs me. And outs himself too, of course! And not just to Danny, but to Bill too!

According to my diary, Danny and I didn't mix too well. Oil and vinegar. And thats what I remember. But... in one entry I tell how he and I just talked one night when I needed it about me being gay. It went pretty well apparently because I failed to note any of the details. I don't remember the talk, but I feel that it's important that I had that talk with someone.

Over time, Danny became more of a recluse. He spent all of his time in his dorm room, initially studying the D&D manuals, all of them. Who know what after those were memorized. He owned only one pair of jeans by that time. They were too long but he had walked on the heel for so long all that remained was the seam. And I'm not sure when they had last visited a washing machine.

My final thoughts about him were near the time where he should be planning on what to do next, re-up or go into private sector. And he just disappeared. Poof!

And that was Danny. One day I will discover his dad really was Andy Groves, or he himself will burst onto the world scene in the computer arena. One day.

Jon Stewart on DADT

2008-07-30T12:40:00.002-04:00

In light of what I wrote yesterday about keeping secret about being gay when I was in USAF comes this clip from the Daily Show. Jon Stewart take on the congressional hearings in his inimical style.

That is pure comedy gold!

June 7, 1983

2008-07-29T18:08:00.014-04:00

I really dont know how to really start this off. Just an impulse to start a diary set it off. I do hope that I'll keep this going for several years, and that it'll help me through some of the hard times.

Maybe I should describe myself. I'm 21 right now, and at times I feel a lot younger and a lot older, but neither really seem just right. Its probably from the way I get treated at work alot of times. Since I'm in Minnesota, working with this team, I just Happen to be the youngest. There's nothing wrong with that except that I catch a lot of flack, being “the baby” or “junior”. I'm not really all that upset, in fact, its kind of nice. Being with people that are 10 to 25 yrs. older than I am has helped me to mature a little. That seems to be what I think about the most, growing up and being a little more mature. I do hold my own, though.

Well, enough of that. Let me finish describing myself. As I said I'm 21, about 6 ft. 1, weigh about 160 pounds. I'm hoping to change that weight as soon as I get back to Montgomery though. I have a membership at a health club, and plan to make full use of it when I get back.

I'm in the Air Force, with a rank of E-2 (airman 1st class), and have been here since Feb 10, 1982, totaling 1 year and 4 month. I'll recap what happened in that year, or at least what I can remember of it.

Starting with Basic Training, I was on a plane on feb 10, and Basic started on Feb 11. It only lasted 6 weeks, or 30 actual working days, but it seemed the first 2 or 3 weeks were a long time, or so it seemed. But once I got into the groove of it, it just seemed to pass quick. I never did get lonely or homesick, though I did call home quite a bit. And then there was the time I called Jenny Toth and tried to talk her into joining the service. She didn't seem too excited about it, and now that I look back on it I feel like a fool, ah but what the hell. And then there's the day that the T.I. Told us not to do any “unauthorized” smoking breaks and then I get caught! I had to clean bird shit all morning long. And then getting arrested for deserting Dorm Guard duty! Ha – ha, it seems so funny now. But the best of all was when I found out that I was to be made into a computer programmer. I about jumped through the ceiling with joy.

And then after basic came tech-school. In Biloxi, Ms. Or all places. But then, thats where I wanted to go, just because of the beach. Oh well! But tech-school was fun. I took a detail that released me of almost all other duties. Road Guard! The only duty I had was to go to a meeting of the other Road Guards once a week, and it wasn't nothing great. And don't forget A.F.I. Painting trees, roads, basketball courts, and what-not. But there was school. I thought it was awful tough. But the day that I passed was great. Again I felt like jumping for joy. I was now a Computer Programmer!! Ah, but it's not all that its cracked up to be. It isn't bad, as a matter-of-fact, its been pretty good.

Off to Gunter I went. Down in the south. Montgomery, Al. A sleep little capital, but not too bad. I arrived after a little leave between school and there. I was moved in with John Howard. Not a bad guy, all-in-all, but strange in his own way. Falls in love with a girl that barely knows he's alive and then tries to move in. I have as yet to see anything happen with one, but I wish him all the luck in the world.

And then there Danny Groves. Danny is a good guy, but at times, he and I don't mix too well. It's rare, but when it hita, it hits hard. All the rest of the time, we get along just great. I wouldn't say that we're the best of friends, but we do get along.

And then Bill. Cant think of his ^last (later:smullen) name right off. Bills very odd. He showers daily, but for some reason, he always has B.O. I don't know what it is, but he is almost always like that. I dont like to talk about it, but its a fact. But other than that, Bill is just great. Whenever we play D and D he's the Game-Master. He has a wild imagination, and that works out great. But as far as the game goes, I don't think I'll get into it right now.

And last, but most definitely not least, is Tom Blackmon. Tom is about as tall as I am, has red hair, and I would call him my best friend. I don't know what his opinionis of me, but I imagine I'll probably find out when I get back to Gunter. As for other things about him, I'll get to that later today.

Now, as to what I'm doing here in Minnesota. After being at Gunter for about six months, Danny Nieman (my boss) asked me if I wanted to go to Minneapolis to work on the system they are buying. Of course I said ”Sure” So here I am. I feel that Ive learned quite a lot here, but not quite enough. But I keep on trying. I've been here since January 9, 1983, and will be going home to Gunter on June 19. I tell everyone here that I really don't want to go back just yet, but I guess that I've been here a little too long, and I would like to go.

Now comes the thing that find hard to say. I'm Gay. At least I think that I am. I always find myself looking at a guy I find good-looking, and just can't help myself. Its a thing I always keep secret, for fear of what would happen. I don't really know what would happen if it were known all over, but I know that not all of it would be good. First, I would be kicked out of the service, no matter how much I enjoy being there. I haven't had this good a time in my life, making friends, meeting new people, and different sorts of things. But behind it all, there is the fact that the very next day, I might be out on my own, just because I'm gay.

It really bothers me at times. I don't know if it's something that I think I am, or if I really am. I dont act like the stero-type, but then, most people that are gay, dont act like the typical image that most people think a homosexual should behave. Peer-pressure is part of it, along with “society” shunning it, but it really does bother me.

It's caused me a lot of heart-ache, making me think and do some things that I really didn't think was right or sensible. For instance, while here in Minnesota, I tried to cover my tracks, make people think that I was straight. There was this girl up here, her name's Leslie. To the best of my ability, I made it appear to everyone that her and I were a little serious. I even had her fooled. But after a couple of weeks it all went sour. You see, she had been dating another Air Force guy, but he ended up going home. So thats when I thought that I might start all of it. She had asked me if I wanted to go to a party (function) that some of the people at Sperry were throwing. I accepted. [ed: see photos at end of entry] From there, I went on with this charade, using Leslie to help me cover up what I was. Well it went sour when Don came back up here. He thought I had designs on Leslie, and I imagine his friend, Dave, told him what I'd been doing.

Well, the two broke up, and I felt that I was responsible for it. I couldn't stand to see them breaking up, not if it were my fault. Well, during this time, I had been working at night, and about the time that things were getting to a good boil, I went back to days.

All of a sudden, I was thrown into it. For some reason (I still haven't figured it out), I went into a truly super-black mood. Anything and everything made me mad. This lasted for 3 or 4 days, and I just couldn't get out of it.

Last Friday, Jo-Ann (our secretary) decided that we should all go out and get to tie-one-on. So most of us went, and after I started to buzzing pretty good, Jo-Ann asked me if there were something wrong with Don and Leslie. Thats when my black mood hit its climax.

I just started telling here everything that had been going on (except that I'm gay. must keep it a secret, now you see what I mean). I just plain unloaded on her. Told her about everything that was bothering me. It helped a lot.

The next day, I was still not in such a good mood, so I went for a walk. I ended up walking about 3 or 4 miles to the theatre, watched “Return of the Jedi” and walked back. From then on, I felt the blackness lifting. I felt awfully good, and even better when I went to Grand Old Days Sunday. Parades, parties, and bands all up and down the street.

Since then, I've been in a lot better mood. And tonight I go back on midnights. So you can see what being gay can be like, but I'm still not sure just what my feeling are. Its like some great conflict is always taking place within me. I can't help it if I find other men attractive. I've been fighting it since I was 16, but its always there. No matter what, I still turn my head when I see a good looking man.

Of course, I've been writing about the bad points. With everything people around me keep saying against gays, its a wonder I'm still sane. There are time when I feel good about it. I just hit a natural high on it, and I'm in a fantastic mood.

And good things have come from it. I met one guy that I thought I was in love with. I thought about him quite a bit. His name was Mark Love. He helped me come to grips with what I am, or at least what I think I am.

For a long time in High School, and afterwards, he and I were best of friends. We did everything together. While I was fighting against being gay, I told him that I thought I was. But his reaction was a lot different than what I expected. I thought that we would probably break away as friends, and go our own way.

But it wasn't that way at all. He just said “So am I'. I was amazed, to say the least! We went to bed several times after that, but he was just as new to all this as I was. I eventually became too possesive of him, and that was our downfall. I still think of him a lot. But from that “So am I”, I came to accept myself for what I am. I told 2 more people after that, my sister and Linda Toth. I told Linda because at that particular time, I became a little depressed (not the 1st nor the last). She ended-up telling the entire Toth family, which I didn't find out until a few trips to their house later. I love that family because they never did treat me any different after that than they did before-hand.

Kaye, my sister, just said “I kind-of thought so”, and that was that. She doesn't bring it up very often, and she doesn't disaprove or dislike it, so there isn't any worry there. But I haven't told my parents yet. I'm going to have to do it eventually, but I just don't know when or how. I think that my Dad already suspects it, but, I don 't really know.

My second lover is Tom. I said that I would tell more of him later. He's at the same point that I'm at right now. He's not too sure if he's gay and being in the service forces him to keep it secret also. He and I have gone to bed a few times, and we're learning off of each other. We're also trying to help each other come to terms with what we are.

Well, I don't know what is the real problem with me, but I working on it, which is why this diary is being written. I just hope for the best. Its time to get ready for work, so bye for now. Mike, I wish you the best of luck!!

(16 hand written pages)

	Leslie and I at the function in Minneapolis
	Talking
	Something serious?
	Tuckered out
	Dave. Yes ... Dave!

The Diaries

2008-07-28T10:37:00.004-04:00

On Sunday afternoon, in an attempt to escape the heat of summer, I decided it was finally time to start work on the office / library / data / information room. This is the room that will house the computer servers, plus information such as policies, bills, documents. It is also the room where the photo albums will be found.

While working through the various boxes and piles of folders and shoe boxes, I came across 3 spiral ring binders. These are my diaries. All three binders open with the year 1983, however the 3rd one later on has dates past 1987. I was quite prolific in the early days but apparently slowed down in that last diary.

I was 21. I was in the Air Force. I was returning to my permanent station from an extended tdy. And I was excited about being near Thom again. And of course, there is youthful angst.

I've decided to post those entries on this blog. It's not going to be particularly easy, since some of the entries are dark, embarasing or both. The entries will be as they were written, grammar, spelling and punctuation unchanged.

I am toying with the idea of putting into the comments area to the post my personal thoughts, because some things don't mesh with how I now remember things. Please let me know what you think of that idea. But the actual entries will be verbatim of what I wrote 25 years ago.

So starting tomorrow I will put up the first entry. It is long, but, to my point of view, very illuminating. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it back in the day.

Sunday

2008-07-13T19:34:00.004-04:00

It's been a particularly busy and fun Sunday this week. It started with a bikeride on the greenways. I made straight for the path where it crosses North Hills. After checking out the new breakfast menu at Wendys. The menu? Eh, nothing to be proud of, but okay. They should go bold and serve up a heaty breakfast menu, lotsa peppers, salsa and spice.

was headed towards crabtree, I'd heard there was a triathlon this weekend. Never did make it there, but got fairly close and I know the way now. Did a loop around Lake Shelley, a little rought railing, and back. During the ride I found I was missing my water bottle. Not cool, man! On the return ride I rode through the Wendys drive through and asked if I had dropped it there. Nope. Turns out it was in the parking lot of the first curb I jumped this morning. When I put it back (after several gulps) I saw the bracket was loose. Must have gotten loose during it's tune-up.

While going around the lake, I came across this man. walking on these stilt like things. These were really cool. He told me that it took him 3 months to get to where he could walk easily in them. They can't be bought in the U.S., but the can be found at XtremeSportz.com (I musta rememered wrong...but they can be seen here) Click the pic to see it larger)

The rest of the day was working in the yard at my new home. I brought several hosta from the other home and planted them. And painting the front door. It was a dreadful black, so I'm getting it to a white base so that I can choose any color I want for it.

It's been a fun weekend for me. How was yours?

Dreams

2008-07-12T20:04:00.004-04:00

I think I am going to start a new category of postings. Dreams. Yes, those weird little personal movies that are all yours. I love dreaming, they are so fantastic.

My dreams are usually from my point of view, usually from what I would see through my eyes. Occasionally in the dream I will view the scene from a 3rd view because that way makes it easiest to watch and integrate it into the whole.

About 2 years ago come August, Chantix came online to help people stop smoking. I took it, and come this August I will be smoke free (tobacco) for 2 years. Woo Hoo! Anyway, one of the side effects was an increase in dreaming. And did I ever groove into that side effect. I absolutely loved it!

Eventually I decided to keep a book on the dresser so that when I woke remembering the dream, I could write it down. I've gotten quite a few. Regrettably not all made it into the diary, as in at least one I was too embarrased or ashamed to want to record it. Man, that was a stupid thing to think. They are forever gone.

I wrote down last nights dream, as usual even before making coffee. Even before anything becuase I want to get it down before it fades. It was something about road trips, amusement parks, and bears being carried through a grand entrance and ending up in a mud puddle. And not caring.

Trust me, you had to be there!

But I Own a Weedeater

2008-07-10T09:01:00.002-04:00

Two good ol' boys from Arkansas, Jimbo and Bubba, are sitting at their favorite bar, drinking beer. Jimbo turns to Bubba and says, 'You know, I'm tired of going through life without an education. Tomorrow I think I'll go to the Community College and sign up for some classes.' Bubba thinks it's a good idea, and the two leave.

The next day, Jimbo goes down to the college and meets Dean of Admissions, who signs him up for the four basic classes: Math, English, History, and Logic.

'Logic?' Jimbo says. 'What's that?'

The dean says, 'I'll give you an example. Do you own a weed eater?'

'Yeah.'

'Then logically speaking, because you own a weed eater, I think that you would have a yard.'

'That's true, I do have a yard.'

'I'm not done,' the dean says. 'Because you have a yard, I think logically that you would have a house.'

'Yes, I do have a house.'

'And because you have a house, I think that you might logically have a family.'

'Yes, I have a family.'

'I'm not done yet. Because you have a family, then logically you must have a wife. And because you have a wife, then logic tells me you must be a heterosexual.'

'I am a heterosexual. That's amazing, you were able to find out all of that because I have a weed eater.'

Excited to take the class now, Jimbo shakes the Dean's hand and leaves to go meet Bubba at the bar. He tells Bubba about his classes, how he is signed up for Math, English, History, and Logic.

'Logic?' Bubba says, 'What's that?'

Jimbo says, 'I'll give you an example. Do you have a weed eater?'

'No.'

'Then you're a queer.'

Raleigh Dating Scene

2008-06-29T15:41:00.007-04:00

Okay, this personal ad starts on the positive:

you are the fairly hot, 30-ish married dude who cruised me at a certain raleigh gay club last night.

and goes downhill from there...

SirGayALot.com is Due To Expire

2008-06-09T10:20:00.003-04:00

Yes, I did register that domain. And yes, I did pay for 2 years of it. And then I did nothing with it.

It expires on July 21 if anyone wants it. (Did I mention that I'm unloading lots of old stuff?)

I'm way past this

2008-06-08T17:45:00.001-04:00

No More Big Screen

2008-06-07T19:10:00.003-04:00

Oh, it is a sad day today. I sold my big projector screen. MD once told me that you can't call them big screens until it can show a lifesized manly as big as a thigh. At 118" mine qualified. Here was the Craiglist ad.

I did keep the projector, it is only 6 months old. A Panasonic PT-AX200, a very bright projector. I will mount a retractable screen at the brick end of the living room, with a tube telly at the other end with all of the equipment. That way face one way for big screen movies, the other for regular watching. Life is good.

Dante's Cove @ Netflix

2008-06-04T11:26:00.006-04:00

Okay, so I am being accused of only updating this blog every 2+ months or so. Hmmph!

So how about something fun to hold you over until I find time to do some real blogging? I see that Dante's Cove, Season 3 is out on DVD now. There is a rumor that there is a plot this season. I've watched every episode very, very, very closely and almost spotted one last year!

So of course, I bring it up in Netflix. Here is the Netflix page:

Look closely at the "Enjoyed by Members Who Enjoyed" section. The list is:

Dante's Cove: Season 1 (2-Disc Series)
Babylon 5: The River of Souls
Children of Dune (2-Disc Series)
Tom and Jerry Tales: Vol. 2
Jeopardy: An Inside Look at America's Favorite Quiz Show!

Huh? I guess the people that like the show are sci-fi kids who are into quiz shows and barely concealed flesh. Or something like that.

And in case you were wondering, yes I did add it to my queue and pushed it to the top.

Liveblog Sais de Mayo

2008-05-06T13:29:00.016-04:00

7:30 - Today is the first main day for moving. I've cleared all the clothes out of the dresser, some into a box, some into my childhood dresser (pictured, I like the t-shirt). Later JD will help me move the fridge and stuff. Right now I'm starved, so going to Mc'Ds for a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit. I love those things!

8:02 - I see now that I got back from the store that the gas guy called to say he was on his way. I told him I was about 30 minutes out. Gotta get moving to meet him!

10:00 - I had to go back to Zebulon. There was no power, so the gas man would not turn it on. (He even put a lock shield onto the valve!) I've called the power company, and he said they had turned it on about 10 minutes earlier. Voted on the democratic ticket in the primaries.

10:40 - Back in Raleigh. Sent the following email:

-------- Original Message --------
From: Michael
To: jd
Subject: This Afternoon After Work
Date: Tue, 06 May 2008 10:57:44 -0400

Hey - I'm at the house waiting for the water guy and maybe the gas guy. There is power, the internet is up, and so is the phone (). I'm ready to go.

How about replying back to this, to confirm that your number is 5022.

Michael

11:30 - Just got back from Lowes to pick up a boring drill bit to make the passage for installing the water line for the ice maker.

12:30 - Gas guy came back and turned on the pilot lights for the furnace, plus confirmed the gas stove is working ( We're cooking with gas now!) The water guy also showed up, but since the valve is unscrewed he couldn't turn on the water. He called it in as an emergency to the mechanics folks.

2:30 - After 2 more trips to Lowes (any project will be 3 today) but the icemaker line is installed. It attaches at the sink, goes through the crawl (literally) space and up in the alcove. It now just needs water and a freezer to make some ice. Let me tell you something about crawl spaces...you don't want to be wearing shorts! I tied diesh towels to my knees and put on jogging pants for the crawl ... and it worked.

And theres the waterworks guy pulling up just now!

4:00 - The water is back on, so I'm back in Zebulon, throwing almost everything in the fridge into a trash bag (there is no using any of it!)

9:00 - Finished moving the few items that needed 2 people, so I am back in Zebulon again for the night. We used what I heard called the 4-armed dolly, straps that you put on your forearms and carry the fridge. Makes it much easier than a hand truck to manuever steps and turns. Pictured is JD sitting in the recliner, having a smoke.

10:30 - Showered and just finished dinner, pictured. It's smoked sausage browned in the skillet, and some potatoes tossed with some butter and tarragon and dill weed. That hit the spot tonight! Now to sit back and catch an episode of Lost.

11:59 - Good night!

RoboCalls

2008-05-04T18:06:00.003-04:00

Not too much to report on Apache this weekend. I moved the outdoor furniture this weekend, and on Tuesday Jay will be coming by to help me move the fridge, plus a couple of other large items that needs 2 people to move.

For the first time in forever, North Carolina is important in the national election. And our primary is on this coming Tuesday. So of course I am getting the RoboCalls for the candidates. Funny, the politicians made it illegal for telemarketers to call you if you tell them not to, but there is nothing to stop politicians from calling you 20 times a day!

Pictured is the caller-id for a robocall for "North Carolina For Hillary". Notice that it is coming from South Carolina? You would almost want to be insulted that she wouldn't use an office in NC if those are the votes she wants. (Actually, it is probably becuase inter-state calls are less expensive than intra-state.)

Now, who do I want to vote for?

Second Day

2008-04-27T14:00:00.006-04:00

Spent the second day at my new home. This time wasn't nearly so hectic.

I took a bunch of boxes over this time, mostly the stuff that I had already packed up, meaning not too much that would be useful. Most of it went into the spare bedroom.

Did some cooking, this time better than the absolutely awful hamburger helper. I broiled up some chicken thighs and mexicorn. A few more dishes were dirtied up this time. In the picture below, there is also the can containing the leftover grease. Earlier this year, Raleigh banned garbage disposals, saying it encouraged people to pour grease down the drain. At the time I thought it was b.s. but since it did go through my mind fleetingly, I can see their point.

Last night I lit up the living room after it had gotten dark, and I liked what I saw. Now I need to figure out what I want to do with the room. I am still at a loss, but at least I know the focal point is going to be the brick wall.

The bar is getting itself fixed up, with space for cooking books, adult beverages, and the work area. I really like that piece of furniture!

I have come to the realization that Guinan does not like to be alone in the house. I left for about an hour this morning and she had tore through a pair of blinds trying to get out the window. I think part of it is because the first time I left her there, the carpenter made a loud racket with the sawz-all. To her it was a strange place without me and loud noises.

After the second weekend I know what furniture I want to sgtart moving. Plus I measured again and my king bedroom suite will fit just fine!

My First Day

2008-04-18T22:57:00.010-04:00

Today was my first day in my new home. It started the day at my country home, sleeping in on Friday, making a date for breakfast Saturday, and then load up and get into the city.

The two guys working on the home nexy door were there working. I talked with Scott about the deal, materials and what not, and we struck a price. Equipment was hauled over, and Mitch got to work. He started by getting the outline of the alcove for the fridge marked on the wall. I ran to errands to Lowes, and when I came back, this is the hole that I found.

It did get pretty warm for this early in the year, so Mitch stripped off his shirt. I like Mitch the carpenter:

Here are a few pics as it was being built:

We had our book and media club meeting tonight, as usual I forgot the camera. I decided a nice thing would be to review a couple of movies I've watched for the film festival. One I watched and enjoyed is Ready? Go! It is an absolutely delightful film, the star of which is a 10 year old boy who wants to be a cheerleader. My favorite line is "Me? No, I'm a choreographer" and the absolute look of delight in that young boys face.

I think I need to get a handle on the spending, but I just bought a new home, and I need stuff. Like getting a new Bunn brand coffee maker. That is immediate coffee. And water filter. And a new water heater. This one isn't even hooked up to the gas line. But Scott has a plumber who can come by Monday or so. Scott I think must be a general contractor. Here are the numbers for the mailbox, plus the water hose for the fridge ice maker.

Dinner. I had dinner before going to the media gathering. The trip to the grocery store was expensive. And I brought next to no dishes, 1 each of knife, fork, spoon, glass and mug. And the pots and pans I am giving to Jim. But I am keeping them for a short time until everything moves. And I see I need to add the lid in to the mix. The hamburger helper I was fixing (ugh...inset) needed to be covered and simmered. I improvised with the big pot as the lid.

I'm trying to learn how to improvise in the kitchen. Just make do with whatever ingredients and tools happen to be in the kitchen. This got started after I started reading The Improvisational Cook. It's been a very enlightening book. For my 2nd night, I fixed up some chicken and dumplings, part from a soup can, and added chicken from a can. Not too good, but better.

After getting home tonight, I decided I need to screen a couple more movies. One that has been intriguing me was Gay Bed & Breakfast of Terror. So using a piece of plywood and the saw horses, I hade a table on the patio and spent the evening watching the campy horror flick. I fired up a candle and then giggled into my hand repeatedly. I suspect this one will make the cut, and be shown as a Saturday midnight movie.

And my final achievment today has been to write up this entry. Lo it is almost 2am and I really need to get into bed so I can go to my breakfast date tomorrow. So this is saving as draft until I get the pictures out of the camera.

It's been a fun day.

Closed

2008-04-16T19:55:00.006-04:00

Well, I closed today on my new Apache home. Per habit, the bank didn't get the figures to the lawyer until the very last minute. But they did, papers signed and checked passed around.

Straight out of the lawyers office, and I beelined to the furniture store. I have been thinking about that bar / island ever since I saw it. The store was a furniture clearance center for Home Comfort, a local furniture chain. The leaf doesn't fit properly, so it was clearanced. Fine, the leaf makes it too big for me, plus it's easily fixed. It was even delivered today. Here it is in it's new home.

Spending so many hours in the house with nothing set to do, I got to explore every part of the place. Crawling underneath in the crawlspace, and it's surprisingly free of spiders and bugs. Went into the attic, which is a real attic with a plywood floor along the entire length. Lots of storage up there. Tore out where a wisteria bush was starting to get a hold onto the fence. Those things will tear down a fence over the years.

So what was the first utility I had started? Not power or gas. Cable modem internet, of course. Which means I now have phone too. Because the cable in the house was so old, they had to run new cable from the pole to the house, and in side the house. But that also means that the big work is done if I decide on cable versus satellite high-def.

The cable guy was a little late, but that's because there was a main gas line break at the loop, and all exit traffic was canceled and even some home / businesses were evacuated. It snarled that whole area up for hours

One problem with older houses is that they are smaller. Everything was smaller back then, including refrigerators. Mine will not fit into it's spot by 1/4" ! So I am going to have an alcove put in for it. Do you see the blank wall on the right behind the bar in the pic? I am going to have an opening put into that wall and push the refrigerator through it so only the doors stick out. It will be recessed into the wall (I've measures. it'll easily fit). Once in place, I'll have the traditional 3-point kitchen triangle of sink-stove-fridge.

I need something done fairly quickly, and there were 2 guys cleaning out the house next door, so I went and asked them. They said they could do carpentry and the one guy asked all the right questions, so they are coming by on Friday to put it in for me. Tonight I called the owner of the house to get a reference, and she is an attorney who represented him in court. But she was generally supportive of him, so we will give this a go. The rule of course is to pay 1/2 up front to cover materials, then the rest when it is completed successfully.

Kitchen Bar

2008-04-07T09:41:00.004-04:00

Saturday was a very interesting day. I spent the morning purchasing firearms, and the afternoon shopping for furniture. I could have rounded it all out by going to a fund raiser, but I figure I'd already been at each end of the spectrum that day.

I visited several furniture stores, looking at the variety of choices. I have no idea what exactly I want for the living room. I have a bare idea of what I want for the dining room, which involves a table that is higher than the norm. I want a table I can stand at to eat or work, with appropriate stools or benches for seating (bistro tables?). The table pictured was an interesting triangle, but I just didn't like the color.

But one thing that I really want is some sort of a bar area between the kitchen and dining room. There is no wall between the two, so they flow together fairly easily. One store that I visited is for gaming furniture, such as pool tables, card tables, and of course, bars. But every bar that they had was huge, or at least much too big for the area I want to fill. They did have two small ones, but the only acceptable one was already sold.

But I did find this kitchen island at a clearance store. I think it will fit the bill very nicely. It's been stressed, and I like the large working area. So tonight on my way to Durham I am going to stop and take another look and measure it. I will probably put a deposit on it too, to hold it while I decide what I'm going to do.

Furniture shopping. This time I'm going to furnish my home with some style.

The Cigarette Butt

2008-04-05T19:08:00.014-04:00

One thing always leads to another. As you know, I've been making a lot of lifestyle changes. Getting out and being social is one of the major ones. But staying in and being even more social is another part of it too. And so, risks increase. I've played quite physically with a couple of adult men, some of whom I haven't know quite as well as maybe I should.

Which leads me to maybe a little paranoia on my part. A week ago I found a cigarette butt around the back of the house, Tahoe brand. It was new, not sogged from the rain a few days earlier. And considering that it is quite far from anywhere any person should be found. I got a little worried that I've had a visitor. An unknown visitor to the back of the house.

Which led me to the next step. This morning I visited the local gun shop. It's the second time I've been to that shop, and to be honest, I felt pretty intimidated the first time. I haven't touched a gun since I was 10, not even in the Air Force. This time was much easier.

I didn't really know what I wanted, just that I needed a deterant, and the last word. We told the man that I wanted personal protection, possibly for conceal carry. He showed me a couple of handguns, light and small and fits easily into pants pocket. One was a 38 I believe, something that is brand new on the market and back ordered. And then I asked to look at shotguns.

I've asked several people for a recommendation on which to buy, hand gun or shot gun. There seemed to be good reasons for or against either one. The other night I decided to talk with a friend of mine who is a marine. His immediate response was to get a shot gun. He said that cranking sound as the shell is loaded into the chamber says loud and clear that we're not funnin' around here. That pretty much set the decision.

So, thanks to a stray cigarette butt, I am now the proud owner of a Browning BPS 12 gauge shotgun. One day soon I'll be out on a shooting range getting myself familiar with it, and knowing what it will feel like when it is fired. Yea, it's funny how one thing leads to another.

Per Hour?

2008-04-01T09:36:00.000-04:00

I think I've found myself a new job!

Earth Hour

2008-03-29T19:46:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm just a little under 15 minutes until the start of Earth Hour. I'm right in the middle of watching (for my first time) Mrs. Miniver. But I'll hit the pause button, then shut off the DVD player at 8pm and proceed to shut down all of the rest of the house. Lights, fridge, heating, pool pump, computer, all off!

An hour of solitude, reading a book by candle light. How awesome is that?