Author Archives: Robert

Ray and I are off to Chicago today and will be there for the rest of the week.  I’m going to bring the laptop and attempt to blog remotely. 

I totally can’t wait to see old friends, eat good food and party.  There is a group in particular that I used to work with at an Internet consulting firm called Zefer back in the old dot-com heyday.  I am always especially excited to see the Zefer peeps.  One of them–Kerry, who is Welsh (what is it with me and cute Welsh men?)–created this great site called ClubFly. 

ClubFly is a free beta web-based application that helps you to find gay venues by entering a zip code or city name and getting the results fast in a mapping format. Tags help to categorize the venue and users can add their reviews.

You can even get driving directions!

This is perfect for someone like me going back to Chicago because I’ve not been there for over three years and have no idea where the new gay bars and clubs are.  It’s also great for traveling to a new destination.

Thanks Kerry!

Ray had a couple of appointments this morning so I rode my bike to work.  It was awesome driving in but even better going home.  I took the long way home over the Hereford Road bridge.  The sun was low, the shadows long and the road had nice curves on it.  This is definitely a great place to ride.  I only saw one other car on the road. 

I ride a 1988 Suzuki Katana 1100.  It weights about 550 pounds and can go up to 150 MPH–not that I ever go that fast.  I’d like to get a street cruiser someday as opposed to the *crotch rocket I have.  It’s a little tiresome on the wrists leaning forward for a long time.  Not that I’m complaining.  This bike does just fine.  🙂

*In Latin terms: Crotchus Rocketus.

Labor Day usually signifies the end of the summer season.  It did in Chicago anyway.  The lifeguard stations along the lake shore would close up the following Tuesday and the leaves would start turning justlikethat.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the Mexican Generals would attempt to take over Stolen Horseshoe (as evidenced in the photo on the right).  This is our sign that summer is coming to an end.  The other obvious clue is a lack of clouds.  The Monsoon is now a thing of the past and all the green grasses will quickly become gold.  At least here it’s a gradual process as opposed to the Midwest where the season changes as fast as you can turn on an air conditioner.

Ray and I had a nice holiday with the exception of receiving news that my uncle has been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and has been informed to make arrangements. 

Make arrangements?  How do you pack for a trip like that?

It’s hard to see your elder loved ones get old and face the inevitable.  Hearing my mother’s stoic voice over the phone as she was about to lose another one of her siblings is just a reminder that life is something that should be savored and respected. 

My uncle smoked until the heart attack a few years back.  I smoked too.  It makes me wonder what sort of damage I’ve done that I can look forward to in my later years–my later years that seem to be careening towards me at an accelerated rate.

My uncle Bob had has a nice life.  He got to see his children grow up, and a few years back, he became a great grandfather.  He celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary and made it to the family reunion last July.  His spirit and character will continue to live on through his children. 

The mesquite trees have brilliant red seed pods this year.  Ray said he did not recall them being so colorful, like shiny ornaments on a Christmas tree.  The pods also signify the end of summer, but they are a reminder that life is indeed cyclical and before you know it, the days will be getting longer again. 

The ultimate realization that everything in life has a cycle is a gentle reminder that helps me deal with saying goodbye to my uncle.  The sun sets and rises.  The leaves fall and the seeds grow.  When I think of losing my uncle, I take comfort in knowing that someday our paths will cross again.

Huw and Eric came down to visit from Phoenix.  We had a fabulous time eating delicious treats and drinking Cosmopolitans while splashing around in the pool.  It was fun showing the guys around Bisbee and the weather was in full cooperation. 

Huw is Welsh and has a great accent that I have to bite my tongue to keep from imitating.  Eric is American and charmingly droll.  We spent hours conversing about everything under the sun and laughing at Eric’s stories–mostly the ones involving his sister. 

The guys frequently travel to London and since international travel is not in my near future, it’s my surrogate experience to hear their stories of where they’ve been and friends they’d visited.  As our conversations continued, I sort of realized my life has indeed slowed down as a result of leaving Chicago.  Ray and I don’t just jet off anymore.  It’s not that easy.  For a split second, there was a pang of sadness.  It quickly subsided when I realized, we live here at Stolen Horseshoe and were getting our euro-travel fix through our guests.  I had forgotten how much I missed fellowship with other gay men until a couple of them showed up at my doorstep.

We had a fun time visiting with Huw and Eric and look forward to seeing them again.

Something has breached my bio security system.  It started two days ago.  Crampy sour stomach, major muscle ache and chills.  Slept all afternoon yesterday.  I think I’m on the mend.  I hate feeling sick. (Who doesn’t?)

Going to force myself to jog and go to work.

At least it seems to be going away whatever it is.
__________________________________

Just got back from my jog.  Was running past a neighbor’s house.  He was out having coffee with his dogs in the yard.  One of them came running at me across the road while I was jogging.  It was barking and nipping at my ankles while I was trying not to trample over it.  I looked up at the neighbor and he was chuckling saying “He he he…sorry.” 

What an asshole.

Ray told me that the guy is frequently out there and the dog does that all the time.  Next time I’m running and I accidentally stomp on little the dog’s neck I’ll say the same thing.
__________________________________

On a positive note: It’s the Friday before a three-day weekend!!  Ray and I are going to have some visitors from Phoenix and I’m really looking forward to pool lounging, good food and adult beverages.  Where’s my camera?

Owen Wilson tried to kill himself and the public is up in arms.  Why would a rich talented successful man do that?  I’ll tell you why; he’s probably a freak. 

I performed grunt work doing mostly accounting in film & television for years.  I have been on projects with Uma, Winona, Gwyneth, Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller and I gotta tell ya–freaks.  Borderline personality disorder freaks.  When Ms. Winona got busted for shoplifting several years ago I screamed out “I told you!”

Ray sums it up best; I was telling him how strange Winona was on the set of The Crucible and how I was disappointed because she seemed so cool and down-to-earth in interviews.  Ray just simply said “They’re actors.”

I admit, I’m not one to talk.  I’m a recovering actor myself.  I fell off the wagon a few months ago and emceed a live charity event but I’m better now.  One day at a time.

Yesterday USA Today ran an article about Damage Control for Fallen Stars.  Not only is the media constantly reporting on the bad behavior of marginally talented people, they’re summarizing it in a comprehensive full-paged article with photos and graphs.  This is our news?!  Who ever got the idea the public gives a shit about these D-list Hollywood personalities?

I read there was some concern that Owen’s suicide attempt may prompt others to make copycat attempts.  I think that’s a great idea.  Seriously, has anyone seen anything about Anna Nicole Smith since she popped just one pill too many?  It’s like she magically went away.  The kid is with her biological father and free from growing up with a whack-nut drugged out mother flopping it around like some accessory.

Here is a list of entertainers who should go away:

Britney Spears (Just think how much better off the kids will be.)
Isaiah Washington (I don’t care if he called someone a faggot, he just wouldn’t shut up about it.)
Lindsey Lohan (Do we need a reason?)
Paris Hilton (She’s off the list.  Looks like she’s been humbled by a stint in the slammer.)
Nicole Ritchie (OK, she’s preggers.  Have the kid and then split.  Remember, think of the kids.)
Ann Coulter (Hey, why not?)
Michael Jackson (Do you want the whole list or just the top ten?)
Tom Cruise (I was surprised how long he held it together before he cracked.)

In some ways I have to give these people wiggle room.  I can’t fully blame them for their over exposure.  In typical American fashion, we took something good like the news and capitalized on it creating a demand for a constant feed that grew so big the actual news itself wasn’t happening as fast as Bitney’s dog could shit on a $6000 dress.

It’s completely out of character for me to wish bad on anyone but I am so sick of hearing about these people.  You see a lot of interviews where celebs whine about “the pressure” and how it’s hard to be in their shoes.  Actually, I’m sure it is–but that’s why they get paid big bucks and get to be idolized by millions.  It pisses me off that we all have to behave but Ms. Spears and be a total freak and still be in the spotlight.   If I were gorgeous, rich and famous, I would be so thankful to the Universe and terrified that any bad behavior would come back and bite my Karmic ass.  Let’s make nice-nice so it all keeps coming.

On a lighter note, an untimely death is just the thing to reinvigorate a fading career.  Britney could release a retrospective of her greatest hit.  Lifetime television could run Isaiah Washington’s one guest starring episode of Touched by an Angel in heavy rotation and perhaps then we could all get back to the real news; Leona Helmsley’s dog inherits 12 million bucks.