Category Archives: The Basics

It was about 100 degrees yesterday afternoon. When we got home from work, Ray shook up some Cosmopolitans and I hopped in the pool.

Bisbee Pride has come and gone for another year. The play was well received but I’m glad it’s over. I’m also glad the Relay For Life is over as well. I am so relieved that I no longer have mid-week meetings and rehearsals. Now I can enjoy the rest of the summer. It’s supposed to be in the triple digits for the next week. Soon the rains will come and it will cool down a bit. The only bummer is that motorcycle riding and swimming are subject to massive thunderstorms so I’m trying to get as much of that in as I can.

I have been really bummed since my digital SLR crapped out on me. This is the time of year when I like to photograph lightning storms and meteor showers. Kinda hard to do that with a teeny tiny point and shoot. After spending a bundle on the bike, I just can’t justify more money on a new camera outfit.

I have a wish. I’m going to make my wish right now. I read The Secret! Yeah, it’s a silly little book but the overall idea of positive thinking and asking the Universe for things is something I believe in…so here goes.

I would like to not have to work. There, I said it—go ahead and laugh. It’s my wish and I’ll be damned to deny myself the satisfaction of daydreaming how cool it would be to somehow have enough money to live comfortably off the interest. No need to be wealthy, I just want to be able to purchase high-end video and still camera equipment so that I can write music all day and create cool little movies and submit them to small film festivals. Our friend Terry likes to watch Current on TV. (You make the news they put it on television.) Every time it’s on, Terry turns to me and says, “You could do this.”

I could totally do it.

The only problem is having to go be a webmaster all week.  Sorta gets in the way. 

I have the recording equipment and software for audio/video editing.  I just need this:

Canon XL H1S HD camcorder

…and this too:

Nikon D200 (Shoots Timelapse)

Who knows what the future has in store for me?  Maybe I’ll win the lotto or…or…I don’t know.  Many people dream big and somehow make it happen.  Even if it doesn’t happen, it’s fun to daydream about it. . .

Lights.  Camera.  Action!

Bisbee Pride is this weekend.  Our local paper has been giving it some positive press coverage.  Since it’s online, people can comment on the articles.  As one might imagine, there are several comments about how “the gays” are so immoral and it’s disgusting for our children to see men dressed up in women’s clothing.

Milton Berle was disgusting?

Actually, Milty was pretty ugly in drag but I digress. 

Reading the comments made me angry.  It’s amazing to find out what people really think.  It’s also amazing how candid a person is with their opinion when the can be anonymous.  For some reason, it annoyed me all day.  Then, I woke up this morning to find a snarky comment in my moderation queue (it’s on my last post).  I approved it because I believe people should be entitled to express their own opinion (and because it wasn’t completly hateful).  I also wanted to make a point:

If you don’t like what you’re reading online, click something else.
If you don’t like what’s on television, change the channel.
If you don’t like Anne Coulter…well, nobody likes her.

<<Engage Patriotic Mode>>  This is a great country.  Why?  Because we have the freedom to say what we want.  We also have the freedom to focus our attention elsewhere if we don’t like what we’re hearing.  I loathe Anne Coulter because she’s a vile hateful cunt–had to go there with the “C” word with Ms. Cunter–Coulter.  At the same time, I applaud Anne.  She’s the embodiment of the American Dream.  She’s actually found a way to make millions by being such a cunt.  Good for her!  When she starts in with her verbal diarrhea, I turn her off.  Ahhh, no more Anne.  It’s that simple. 

I do love this country.  I just hate the double standard.  Freedom and justice for all–as long as you’re one of us and Christian. 

Jesus loves me this I know
If you’re white and hetero…

The double standard has turned me into a people-separatist.  There’s a reason I left crowded noisy urban Chicago to live on 16 acres in rural Arizona.  I didn’t like things so I changed them.  Am I a whiny crybaby?  It depends on what day it is.  That being said, I reserve the right to be whatever I want to be and if you don’t like it, click here.

Nine years ago, I bought the top of the line Apple Macintosh.  I was going to school for design and everyone used Macs so I figured I had to get the best one on the market.  I assumed it would last a long time since I was buying the Grand Poo-bah of computers.

CPU…………..$6000.00
Monitor……..$2000.00
Video Card…..$900.00
Audio Card…..$700.00

Total………….$9600.00

Add all the sound, video, image editing software and, as a college student, I’d spent well over 10K. 

10-fucking-K!! 

The Mac drove my entire multimedia workstation.  It was configured to work with my music and video editing hardware–which costs a bundle as well.  A short time after that, Apple unveiled its new operating system, OS10.  Soon they changed all the plugs on the newer models.  Eventually (after 6 years) my Mac crapped out on me.  I looked into getting a new one but they had changed everything so my other hardware would no longer plug into my computer.  The OS was totally different too so my current software would no longer function on it so I’d have to upgrade all that too.  If I bought a new Mac, I’d have to buy a new music studio.  I just didn’t have another 10 grand to spend so I ended up buying the same old used Mac on eBay for $83.00.

Eighty…three…dollars…

I was infuriated by Apple.  I thought they were supposed to be the cool people.  The antithesis of Microsoft.  I vowed never to buy another Apple product again.  Then the iPhone came out. 

Apple makes a good product–in China.  They are great at interface design.  Microsoft finally ripped off the apple look and feel horribly–it’s called Vista.  I decided to mend my rift between Apple and myself.

After waiting a really long time and making sure that I could afford it, I finally bought the 16-gigabyte iPhone.  After all the tax and fees, it was over $550.00.  That’s a lot of money for me to spend but I figured it was well worth it.

Today Steve Jobs and Apple announced the new better faster 16-gigabyte version will cost $299.

Fuck you Apple and fuck you too Steve Jobs.

Fuck, fuck you.

Went on a 120 mile bike ride today.  I’ve only had the thing for a little over a week and it’s already got about 500 miles on it. 

I love my bike and I promise not to have a photo of me on it every other post.  Maybe every third post? 

 After a long ride, two hard workouts, lots of sun and sangria…I am wiped out.  So much going on in such a short period.  I just love this time of year.  The days are long, the pool is warm and it’s not quite buggy yet.  Monsoon is still a few weeks away (that’s when the bugs come).  Thank goodness for my neti pot.  I have managed to keep my sinuses in check this season.  Usually, with all the dust, I’m fighting off a sinus infection–until monsoon.  Then all the dust gets matted down and the air gets some moisture in it. 

So while I was riding and thinking of my workout program, I decided that I…uh…think I’m finally going to get…

a tattoo!

I’ve put it off for years.  Just never felt worthy of tattoo-dom.  Until now.  I don’t know what did it.  The bike?  The results from working out?  My mid-life crisis?  All of the above?

I’m not getting any younger.  The shelf life of attractiveness for a gay man is very short so I’m making a valiant effort to work on my D.I.T.  (daddy in training) status.  Daddy types are hot.  Actually, any stubble-faced tattooed in shape motorcycle-riding man over 40 is hot to me.  Think Sam Elliott:

 
OK, so this is an old photo of Sam. 

Not so old photo…

OK, recent photo but he still looks hot to me.

I want to age like Sam.  He’s my role model–my template.  I think I could pull it off if I start speaking with a deep voice, marry Katharine Ross and wake up from my daydream that Sam and I could possibly be in the same category…but I digress.

I definitely don’t want an off the shelf tattoo.  I have something in mind that I’m going to design and then ask my friend Sally to illustrate.  If it comes out the way I envision, it’ll be really cool–especially if she does it. 

On the other hand, I may change my mind tomorrow.  I still have a long way to go before I get a permanent marking on my arms. 

Oh my God!  I’m so tired.  Enough of this self absorbed petty bullshit.  Off to bed for me.

G’night Sam…I’m such a dork. 

• The stock market plummeted today
• Oil prices skyrocketed
• Unemployment is at an all-time high
• The dollar is becoming worthless
• We’re at war
• There are over a million homes in foreclosure
• Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…

After Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Barack Obama said: 

“I insist on being optimistic about how it is going to turn out.”

I insist on being optimistic.  Not I am or will be.  Insist!  Optimism doesn’t just happen.  You have to make it happen and Obama subtly exemplifies that in his words. 

Now that’s leadership.  I want that guy to run the country.

I insist on being optimistic that our country can pull its head out of the sand and get back on track.  No matter how bad it gets, I’m going to insist that I appreciate the beautiful Arizona sunsets and be thankful for what I have every fucking day.  Forget about what you don’t have and appreciate what you do (he says after finally getting an iPhone). 

Remember the 60’s?  A lot of people are comparing 2008 to 1968.  There is only one thing different.  Nobody is speaking out.  Where are the protest songs?  Where are the chants?  Hell No We Won’t Go!  All You Need Is Love!  Give Peace A Chance!

Paging Joni Mitchel!!  Lennon!  Mr. John Lennon, please pick up the white courtesy telephone.  Your party is trying to reach you.

Oh yeah, he’s dead.  Some asshole murdered him. 

We’re in control of our own destiny.  Let’s insist on changing the world!  Let’s insist on making this a better place for everyone.  Let’s stop reaching for something outside of ourselves and start looking within.  That’s where all the good stuff is. 

I did it.  I finally did it.  Someone–out of nowhere–found out that I was interested in selling my Suzuki Katana and bought it on the spot.  Got enough money for a down-payment on a new bike.  I decided to go with a Honda because I wanted something affordable and reliable for my first official big-boy-all-growed-up motorcycle. 

Ray and I drove out to the big Honda motorcycle dealership near Tucson.  I took my riding classes there and figured they were all official and corporate and would take care of me.  I was wrong. 

After finally wrangling a salesman, I knew we were in trouble when he told us his name was Lumpy.  He handed me his card.

“Lumpy Lumpkin”

I shit you not.  Lumpy-fucking-Lumpkin.  I was interested in the Shadow Aero but Lumpy wasn’t making the deal I wanted so I started looking at the Shadow Spirit.  It’s a small step down from the Aero.  I was sitting on the Spirit basically telling Lumpy that I wanted the bike.  He started mumbling about being short staffed and the finance people were busy or something.  Basically, he wouldn’t sell me the bike.  I was flabbergasted.  Bitch slapped as it were. 

On the way back home, I decided to go to Cochise Motorsports here in Sierra Vista where I bought my chaps, jacket and helmet.  They had excellent customer service.  Shamefully, I didn’t go there first because they weren’t a big chain.  My bad. 

I called them and spoke to Stephen.  He had an 07 Honda Shadow Aero and he offered me a great deal over the phone.  I figured it had been there sitting on the showroom floor collecting dust.  It probably had a few miles on it too.  I was wrong.  This is what it looked like:

It was still in the crate!  A 2007 Titanium Shadow Aero VT750C!!  Now this is not a big old fancy schmansy bike.  It’s kind of on the lower end…but it’s all I could afford. I really liked its hint of classic styling.  I originally wanted the red and white one but Ray suggested that the Titanium was more handsome.  He was right.  It sparkles in the sun.

We did all the paperwork while the shop guys assembled my bike.  It sounds so nice saying that.  My. Bike. 

I guess the coolest thing was walking out and seeing the bike all shiny and put together just waiting for me.  I’m its daddy.  No one has ever touched it before me (and the guys that put it together). 

It rode like a dream.  Purred like a kitten.  A big kitten.  I’m not sure what to name it.  I’m sure I’ll come up with something clever. 

I bought it Wednesday evening and I already have 85 miles on it.  Ray said that he may be interested in learning how to ride.  That would be awesome.  This is one of the best areas to ride a bike.  Lots of open road and it’s warm.  I have a feeling I’ll be riding more now with this bike than I did with my old crotch rocket.  Man, that thing was a bitch to maneuver. 

Lesson learned; When you don’t get what you want, when you want it, there’s something better around the corner.  If you don’t see it right away, keep looking.  The universe has been very good to me and I am very, very grateful. 

Me and my Shadow on the road to my house. 
Who could ask for anything more?