Slow News Week

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

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

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

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

St. Augustine College

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

NC Gay / Lesbian Film Festival

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cleaning Day

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!