6 Months Until the Big 4-0

Actually, it is less now.  Yesterday, November 17th, is technically my half birthday, and frankly, any other year the date has passed without much notice at all.  It is probably the next frontier for Hallmark cards, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter all that much.  However, since I'm reaching a milestone birthday, the date is taking on a little more importance.

40 is one of those weird ages, especially in the gay community.  I have friend's in their 20s who constantly dread and think their lives will end at 30.  I've always been of the mind that the 20s were pretty horrible and my 30s have been great.  I've certainly done a lot in my 30s from finally getting to New York to being the head of a large metropolitan area Pride organization, but 40 is quite the enigma for me.  I don't have any sort of dread about reaching middle age.  There is very little I would change up to this point.  Do I really know where I want to be in the next 5, 10, or 20 years.  No, not really, but I don't see that as a bad thing.

How did I celebrate my 39.5 birthday?  Well, I stayed home from work, and then I went to my CrossFit class where we were doing 1 rep maxes for dead lift.  I've been having a mental block with it of late, after having a pretty early success lifting 420 pounds probably close to a year ago.  I have no doubt I am strong, but something in my brain was psyching myself out whenever dead lifts would pop up on the schedule.  This coupled with inconsistent visits through the summer basically lead me to believe that I was a weakling who couldn't lift that much anymore.  Well, I powered through, and I bested my max by 25 pounds (445).  I'm pretty proud of myself, and if I can keep this up, I might actually be in better shape when I turn 40 than I was when when I turned 30!

December Resolutions

Unlike the usual way, I have gotten into the habit of developing December Resolutions, instead of New Years Resolutions. It is normally some sort of fitness goal, and I find the "24 Days of Christmas" to be a pretty good way of doing things.  Plus, it just makes me feel better about all of the caloric transgressions I will be making at Christmas.

This year has been a bit of a let down for me physically.  I started the year developing a case of tendonitis in my right arm, which made it difficult to do some of the weight exercises that I enjoy, and in the gym, I am very much a typical male, meaning weights over cardio.   I've always had much more satisfaction doing that, but it has also lead to me being "beefy," where no matter how much I workout, I still have a gut.

I had long ago resigned myself to the fact that I would never have abs.  It is too much a case of good

genetics in being able to obtain them to stress too much about not having them.  Even when I got into my best of shape in my early 30s, I still had a bit of a gut.  However, with the tendonitis causing problems, I started doing more in the cardio department, specifically a class at the gym called BodyPump, which is basically a high energy mix of dance music and weight lifting.  While you might not be lifting heavy weights, you certainly feel the burn.  My tendonitis even started to clear up, and I decided I was going to attempt to do the Couch to 5K routine to try to incorporate some running into my workout.

While I am not an outwardly grunting type of fitness guy, I am competitive, which I think is one of the reasons I never took to running.  I want to sprint not jog, and sprinting makes me very tired.  Couch to 5K is pretty brilliant because it is an app on your phone, and it tells you when to run, walk, and stop.  It analytically made me slow down and work on achieving goals, and I liked it!  I would get up in the morning and run on the Canal here in Indy, and I was really thinking I could get to a point where I could run an 5K.  Then in late July, I was running on a Saturday, and when I thought I had clicked on the wrong routine, I started to merge over to the side to sit down.  Well, I got wrapped up in my laces and took a tumble on the Canal, and I scrapped up my right knee and hands.  I caught myself from injuring my left ankle, which has been something that has always given me trouble.

Then, not a week later, I roll my left ankle.  It was the first real fitness injury, or really any type, that I have ever endured, and it hurt like hell.  I had to limp back to the fitness center, gather my things, limp to the car, get to Walgreens to buy ice, and somehow make it up three flights of stairs to my apartment.  It was terrible, and I eventually dragged myself down the stairs again to go get crutches and other accoutrements.  Luckily, it was broken, and it healed in about a month.  I took that opportunity to not workout and eat whatever I wanted.  NOT GOOD!

Around that time, I saw a Groupon for a CrossFit box, and I decided to give it a try.  I was interested in it, but after seeing how much it was going to cost, I never wanted to really wanted to commit without trying it first.  So, I ordered up 24 sessions, and off I went.   It is extremely challenging, but it appears to be what I need to get out of my rut.  I am cancelling my gym membership, so that I can justify more of the CrossFit expense, and I am utilizing the free equipment in my building's weight room for cardio and such.  I am still doing the "24 Days of Christmas," even though I have already missed a couple days.  I am doing two-a-days to catch up with it.   I feel like I am making major progress.  We shall see if I'm feeling fitter by New Years...

Shaking Off the Lazy...

The first four months of the year I totally kicked ass in the fitness department.   I was easily reaching my goal of physical activity on 50% of the days, and I was happily weighing myself on my Wii Fit every morning.  While the weight wasn't going down as quickly as I would have liked, my  body was shifting and my firming up again.  I was in a pretty good place.

Then May hit, and I don't know what happened.   Major malaise and being too busy to care set in, and I've only gone to the gym twice since.  There was no riding of the bike either, which I do enjoy.   Granted, for a while there it seemed like it was raining every single day, which really does just suck my will to live, but I really have no excuses for being such a schlub.   The fact that I'm feeling bulbous again sucks, too (though I am rather thrilled that a friend who is visiting town and hasn't seen me since last year didn't comment on my weight...like he did everyone else.  Yes, evil, I know).

Anyway, so yesterday I started to kick off the cobwebs.  After coming home and plopping on the couch, I talked myself into going for a run, which is essentially punishment because I hate running with a purple passion.  Plus, it was hot and humid yesterday, which really doesn't help anything at all.   Now, I certainly didn't run that far, but I did better than I had planned.  So, I think that did the trick to shaking off the lazy, and even though I went out last night and stayed out later than planned, I was up at 4:45 this morning to lift weights at my gym.  It was great to be back, and while I don't know if I'll be there tomorrow morning, I do plan on keeping up the activity.

The way I see it is I have a month until Market Days in Chicago, and then another month until my trip to New Orleans.  I might as well make an effort to not feel so bulbous.  Then if I can just stick with it through dinner, I'll be in good shape for my *gulp* 35th birthday next May.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night....

I've started two blogs each morning of the last two days, and both days, I've been prevented finishing them. It is kind of ironic that both of them were about how busy I've been lately, and how I made my calendar out for May and almost wept. Ah well... I vow to finish this one today.

So, anyone who knows me knows I've been on a fitness kick lately, which is due mainly to the fact that I got into the best shape of my life a couple of years ago and wrecked it all in 2008. I've been using my Wii Fit to track my weight, though even though I've been hitting the gym hard since January, I've really only lost about 6 pounds, which still puts me in the obese section of the (stupid) BMI. Let me tell you, waking up every morning only to hear a child's voice say "That's Obese," well, there are worse motivators.

Anyway, I've done a lot of weight work in the past four months, and my arms and chest have firmed up pretty well. I'm still, agonizingly, bulbous in the belly area, but it is going down a bit. Since I've changed my workout every two months, I've decided I'm going to focus on cardio for the month of May. I'm still going to lift, but I'm not going to be doing it three times a week like I have been. Since I'm not really a big fan of running and you can only do so much stationary bike, I will be attempting to take a variety of classes that they have at the gym. First up, was BOSU Conditioning.

BOSU stands for "both sides utilized," and it mainly has to do with a lot of balancing on what is essentially a exercise ball with a base.  It is apparently all the rage, but I looked at it wearily.  My feet and ankles have always been a bother to me, so the thought of my balancing on this ball was a little intimidating, but I have to say I was pretty surprised at how well I took to it.  I really do think some of the work I've done with the Wii Fit has helped me with my balance, and I'm using my experience in BOSU class to prove it.  I think the instructor was pretty surprised, too, because I was able to do some stuff that she even professed she couldn't do yet.   So, I felt pretty good.   I also sweat like a whore in church.  At one point, we had to lay on the ground, put our feed on the ball, and thrust our hips into the air (oh...dirty...).  We were doing this on the track at the gym, and it was so funny that when got up after the set, there was a very defined outline of my head, back, and arms on the track from where my sweat soaked in.   It was like a gym version of the Shroud of Turin.

I will definitely do BOSU again, and I think I'll be getting up early tomorrow to do the BodyPump class.   I really wanted to go to BootCamp tonight, but unfortunately, I have a Pride meeting at 7.   

I'm looking forward to this month, and I'm looking even more forward to hearing "That's Overweight" very soon!

Wednesday, January 7th - Hodge Podge

I don't really have a narrative for today. So, I'm just going to throw out my bullet lists of musings.

• I'm in Love with Expresso Bikes - No, they aren't some sort of bike that has a coffee IV (though...hmmm, I may be on to something there), but they are these new bikes that they have at my gym. Not only are they internet enabled so that you can track your progress on a website, but they have a screen attached to them that runs a video game of various environments that you can bike through. It's basically a graphical user interface that is much more interesting that watching that LED indicator show you how the resistance is changing. Also, the handle bars swivel so you can steer around corners and such, and you can change gears. I make no bones about the fact that I hate cardio, and I have to say, if I can get one one of these bikes a few times a week, I'll be a skinny minni in no time!
• Christmas is Over: Anne Coulter's Jaw is No Longer Wired Shut - It was with great disdain that I got home from the gym today to hear that Anne Coulter is rearing her ugly head again. God, what a bitch, and I won't even dignify her with anymore space - other than she talked longer on the Today show than it took me to take my Wii Fit Body Test for the day. boo!
• This Is the Funniest Story of the Year (so far):
  While I can certainly feel sorry for this guy for falling off the ski lift and dangling pantless for 7 minutes, I really can't stop laughing at this particular case of schadenfreude. I know how difficult the ski lifts are, and I am thankful this has never happened to me. Sure, I've ran into ski instructors and taken out whole lines of people on the bunny slope, but this is just wrong. For the best write up (and photo attribution) go over to Dlisted.
• TV, My Love, You Return to Me: It's been a barren few weeks of TV repeats for me, which has made me listless and cranky (no, not really), but it has put me into a sense of mourning for the shows going away that I hardly knew (sniff, Pushing Daisies), but now, in the first few weeks of a burgeoning new year and new dawn in Washington, I am getting fresh episodes of Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Brother's & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice, along with the return of Damages, Battlestar Galactica (sniff...the last episodes), American Idol, Burn Notice, and even Nip/Tuck, that I will give another "try" to until they have another storyline with a girl on laxatives lets it all go in a hot tub. It is good to be a couch potato. Though, my new workout schedule is going to severely hamper my viewing time. I am a happy camper!
• No Words:

Wednesday, October 1st - Here I Go Again...

I had started September with every intention of hitting the gym or riding my bike as much as possible, and for the first two weeks, I was ahead of my pace to do something active for more than 50% of the month. Then, the creeping cud that knocked me out for two + weeks hit with the addition of being busy with Pride, the fish fry, and various other sundry activities, and needless to say, my little calendar log saw nary a red sharpie mark for the rest of the month. And damnation, I didn't even lose any "sickness" weight!

So, now, with it being the first day of October, I am ready to redouble my efforts. It has been no secret that I've not been happy with my weight this year, and the fact that I was pretty good about working out during the Mean Girls Biggest Loser and didn't see any weight results,well, that just made me ever more frustrated. When I was working with a trainer when I was 28-29, I guess I was working myself harder twice a week than I was at 3-4, because I saw amazing rewards in about 9 months, but I think a lot of my current problem has to do with being over 30, because a lot changes with the bod then, and since I've been busy, stressed, and generally malaised, I have lost my body because of it.

When I was working out for MGBL, I did see body changes, but the weight stayed the same. I don't mind being 200 and beefy muscular, but I definitely don't want to be 220 or 225 and solid beef. So, obviously, I have to hit cardio harder, and I plan on doing at least 20 minutes a day, which shouldn't be too hard now that it is turning cold. As long as I get my ass to the gym, which is always difficult in winter, but I just have to keep thinking, "If I hated how I looked in my summer clothes, imagine what I'm going to think when I get out my crappy winter clothing." If that is not motivation, I do not know what is.

So, I'm hitting the protein hard, and I am trying a new supplement, with the hopes that I can kick start my metabolism. The good part is I've giving myself until May 1st, a full 8 months, to work on this, and if I can just work through the 12 week program I have selected, I think I will be on a good path to be presentable for the pool next summer. So, this is my 34th birthday present to myself, and I would like every single one of you to keep me honest and motivated! If I continue my current work schedule of 7-3, I really have no excuses for not hitting the gym, even if I have something going on in the evening -- especially because I will drive to the gym instead of the added time to bike.

So, I'm getting off my fat ass and getting to work. Bring IT ON!

Friday, April 25th - Friday Diagnosis and Hodgepodge

Since the end of the Pennsylvania Primary cycle and the beginning of the Indiana one, it has been interesting to me how much the belligerent Obama fans have begun to visit my blog with their advanced cases of Clinton Derangement Syndrome (CDS).

Symptoms:

• Irrational fear that Bill, Hillary, or even Chelsea is waiting around the corner ready to jump out and scream "Oooga Booga"
• Thoughts that "Clinton" and "Satan" are interchangeable words
• Prone to making absurd assumptions and proclamations based on the above symptoms

I appreciate all your efforts to try and infect me with CDS, but I have to tell you. I've seen and heard everything you can throw at me, and I appear to be immune. So, welcome to the blog, rational discourse is always welcome, but you're wasting your breath if you think I'm going to have some sort of deathbed conversion towards St. Barack.

Moving along to non-political stuff...

• Fitness - I am into the second week of my new routine, and I have to say I'm enjoying it as much as the first one. Since there are more sets and no wiggle room on the number of reps, I spent the first week with lower weights to make sure I could get through the entire routine. So, this week I have been adding in more weight where I can, and even though I have two more days, I am very happy with what I have been able to accomplish. I'm firming up pretty well, and it might just be time to break out some sleeveless shirts soon. We'll see. I am still disappointed with the weight loss aspect of my endeavor, but I know I have to be patient. As long as I feel better in my clothes, I know I am doing well. I'm just not going to win Mean Girls Biggest Loser.
• Dining Out for Life - Last night the Mean Girls (Romeo, Blanche, Maestro, and myself) met up with Mom for Dining Out for Life (or Dining out for Live, as the typo on the donation envelope indicated). Dining Out for Life is a nationwide program where restaurants will donate a portion of their profits for the day to a local HIV/AIDS charity, which in this case is The Damien Center in Indianapolis. It's probably one of the easiest ways to be philanthropic, and we aim to do it every year. We went to The Adobo Grill, which is a new restaurant in Indy. They were the only one giving 50% of their food and alcohol profits to the cause. Silly people....we could drink The Damien Center into permanant solvancy! The food and drink was great, and when I get some time this weekend, I plan to do a review over at the Mean Girls Blog.
• Family - I have my neice's First Communion on Sunday, which means counting Christmas, I will actually be setting foot in a church twice in the calendar year of 2008. If you feel a rumble and a peel of thunder, you'll know I've been smoten. (wow, that actually passed spell check)

I think that's all for now. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I plan on doing some gardening tomorrow. I still need to plan my offensive in the War with the Neighbors.

Tuesday, April 15th - Deadline Day

I won't be doing a full blown post today because I am on a deadline for my final quarterly report. Thank Gods! So, I'm just going to do some quick bullets of what is going through my mind right now.

• Politics: How interesting that the latest Survey USA poll for Indiana shows Hillary with a 16 point lead over Obama? The trend all this cycle has been a wide margin by Clinton getting slowly whittled away as we draw closer to the primary date. Granted, there is still three weeks to go, and once Pennsylvania is out of the way next week, everything will be ramped up. However, Obama has been running commercials incessantly for two weeks now. Could it be that it has been overkill for a state that has barely seen any presidential commercials for 40 years? A troubling thing for Obama should be that Hillary went from 13 points behind in Indianapolis, to 1 point ahead. This is significant because the 7th District, which compromises most of Indy, went for John Kerry in 2004. I figured this would be a slam dunk for him, and he would make up some of the delegate math if Hillary still won the state. Obviously, a lot can happen, but it is certainly interesting! (Survey USA has been the most reliable polling firm this cycle, so while there is still no real baseline in Indiana, this is at least a quality snapshot)
  
• American Idol: Does anyone else think that an all Mariah Carey show is going to be hell on earth?
• Battlestar Galactica: Since I finally got to watch Friday's episode last night, I am still basking in the glow of how great this s how is. I am so sad that there are only 18 more episodes left. However, since the Cylon stuff was a bit more interesting than the rest, it made me intrigued with the notion of a movie or mini-series telling the same story from the point of view of the Cylons. It might just be a geek-gasm on my part, but I think it could be pretty darn great.
• Fitness: Day two of the new workout kicked my ass, or rather, my arms, and this was with taking down the weight so that I could do all the sets and required reps. The good think about this routine is that they don't give me a range. In my old one, each exercise gave something like 6-10 reps, and I would alway shoot for 8. In this one, I have to do all 10 or 12. It means I have to check my ego a little because I like the fact I can use the big boy weights. Ah well, it'll be worth it.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Tuesday, April 8th - Pain in the Neck

I think yesterday was a cosmic correction day, where I thought I was doing so well, but the universe decided it was time to smack me down a little. Work wasn't so bad, and I actually got a lot done. I also ended up registering a total of 10 people to vote, including a resident in the shelter, which warms the cockles of my heart (yes, I actually do have one...somewhere). So, I leave work with the grand plan of riding my bike down to the Government Center - South, and then over to the gym. Since I was let go from the State (for party affiliation...not under-performance), it is always pretty odd for me to go back in there, especially because that building is so insecure. If I were more of a sociopath, I could probably make an incredible statement on the profundity of the current administration, but luckily, I just have an over active, Ally McBeal-sized imagination. It was just weird that I actually interviewed with the Election Commission before I eventually got a job with another agency, and it made me think for a minute how different my life would have been if I had gotten that job. I would have been much more of a professional political animal, which probably would have either left me totally burned out or quite possibly high up in the Democratic Party. Ah...weirdness...

I drop off the registrations, and I get on my bike to head across downtown to my gym. I've never actually made this trip because I am usually either biking directly to the gym or just around the canal, and since it was the height of rush hour, I decided it would be safer to ride on the sidewalks because Indiana drivers are absolutely, bat shit crazy. Since I was safely ensconced on the sidewalk, it meant that I only *almost* got hit a couple of times.

By the time I reached the gym, it was pretty packed, with the usually preening middle aged men who think they can actually lift weights, but really just sit on the bench for two hours and struggle. Surprisingly, there were a couple hotties there, which is always a pleasant respite from the old people, and I was in a good mood. I was happy where my workouts were going, with me adding weight continually through the four weeks I've been hard training, and then BAM, I don't know what happened. I struggled through my bench and incline press, and the rest of the workout was fairly lackluster. By the time I reached the crunches portion of the proceedings, I was just ready for it to be over. Then, while I was doing some dips, I moved my neck forward a little, and I felt this pull about a quarter way down my back followed by pain whenever I tried to turn my head. Not Good!

I didn't get a very good night's sleep because there was really no good way to place my head, and I'm pretty sure my cat was about ready to claw my eyes out if I didn't stop moving. And now, I kind of have to move my entire torso to move my head around, just to avoid the pain. I'm hoping against all hope that it is just a little strain, and that it will be back to normal soon. Though, secretly, I think it would be funny to have a neck brace. I kid...I kid..

Anyway, since I was downloading music from iTunes like a maniac last night, I thought it would be fun to do some music videos today.

First up, is Goldfrapp's "A&E". I love love love the song, but the video is a bit weird.



Next up is PJ Harvey's "The Letter"




Finally, something fun, Jupiter Rising's "Electropop"

Monday, April 7th - Weekend Crumbs

I'm sitting here eating my spinach and cheese omelet contemplating the fact that I am still a little drunk from last night. Also, I think I may have revealed too much via text message to someone I just started talking to online. Hmmm...um...gotta love that.

After the extremely busy few days I had starting a week ago Friday and ending last Wednesday, I was ready to not do all that much this weekend. Blanche and I contemplated going out Friday night, but we ended up just bagging it. I got a chance to immerse myself in the Battlestar Galactica universe again. Holy Frak! I love this show. I know a lot of people figure it to be some lame brain sci-fi show, but the fact of the matter is that it is really one of the (if not the) best written and acted shows on television. With the series anchored by Edward James Almos (Miami Vice) and Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves) as Admiral Adama and President Laura Roslin, the story of the ragtag remains of the human race on the run from the Cylons is grounded in real life stories that are pretty blatantly allegorical to present times. While you would be pretty lost to pick it up now in its fourth and final season, I do encourage everyone to pick it up on DVD. If you don't get hooked by the pilot miniseries, then you're a lost cause!

After getting a pretty good nights sleep, I plotted out a pretty busy Saturday. I did laundry, went to Old Navy (four shirts...work and otherwise), Target (groceries and a new pair of gym shorts), and Costco (all my bulk food). When I got home, I got out the bike and headed to the gym for my leg workout, which was good, and when I bike before and after it, I really do not get the tightness the day after. So, thank the gods for spring! I kinda felt like I wanted to go out, but after getting no's or non-committal responses from the Mean Girls, we decided to stay in again, but go out to Olly's on Sunday night.

On Sunday, my one and only plan (outside of going out) was to get a good bike ride in on the Monon Trail. I'm pretty sure I blogged about the Trail before, but I'm too lazy to look up the link right now. Anyway, the Monon Trail used to be an inter-urban rail line which has been paved over from 10th Street downtown all the way up to 146th street in Carmel (a burb of Indy). There are talks of extending it in both directions, but we'll see if that happens. Anyway, I got on the Monon on 22nd Street, and I rode it all the way up to 96th. I was thinking about going further, but my legs were getting tired. Of course, when I turned around, I realized the wind was coming more from the south, which only made the trip home all the more difficult. It was a good ride though, about 23 miles.

After I got home, I set out to make some dinner and my breakfast and lunch for Monday, and in the process, I felt like I could really use a nap. So, after making the food but before eating it, I dropped off for a quick hour long power nap. It was a good thing, because it allowed me to down copious levels of alcohol with Romeo, Blanche, and Rockstar. It was a good time, AND to show that I'm not just a gluttonous alcoholic, since the deadline to register to vote in Indiana, I took forms with me to the bar, and I emailed everyone at work. So, I felt I have done my part to swell the voter rolls in Indiana, and plus, I'll get to bike them down to the government center before I go to the gym this afternoon. Say it with me folks, "I LOVE SPRING."

I've reached the point where I'm finally starting to feel like I've made progress in the old fitness routine. The arms and chest are really almost back to form, but the weight loss is still lagging behind. I'm hoping that I am not just converting everything to muscle, because I am seriously not wanting to bulk up that way either, but I suppose there are worse things than being a muscle god. I'm hoping that my biking will help this along a bit, though it is more for pleasure than cycling like a maniac. I'm contemplating changing out my current lifting routine because I feel like my bod is used to it, but I enjoy it so much. I'll probably stick with it through the next 4 weeks.

I think that's all for now. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Monday, March 31st - Monday Musings

I have a lot to write today, but I will be breaking it up into separate posts. I'll have another edition of Adventures in Hillaryland, from a campaign stop that Hillary made in Indianapolis on Saturday, and if I have time, I'll be reviewing a mystery dinner theater show we went to on Friday. Additionally, I went to a Pride of Indy band concert on Sunday. So, there was a lot going on.

Friday, I left work early to get to the gym, since I had snoozed it through my normal morning time to workout. Since that was the last time I managed to get to the gym all weekend and including this morning's workout, I was able to get to the gym and/or ride my bike 23 out of 31 days in march. I think after slacking off for most of February, that certainly makes up for something, but I still have a ways to go. The weight can start falling off now. Thank you, very much.

I then met with the Mean Girls at Olly's for some pre-dinner drinks, and then we went off to the Milano Inn for a mystery dinner theater show, for which we got comp tickets. Like I said, I will write a review of that whole experience for the Mean Girls blog, but I have to say I had a very good time. The food was so-so, but I thought the entertainment was more than just diverting. Of course, I was drunk and had to play a character called Dr. Pill. It was fun.

After going back to Olly's and then Greg's for a hot minute, I went home and went to bed, because I was going to meet Blanche at 7am out at Ben Davis High School for the town hall with Hillary. I was amazed at how many people were waiting in line in the cold, and while it was not God/Obama sized crowds, I was happy to see that many Hoosiers participating in the process. I am absolutely giddy with this stuff, and I'll be writing an entry about it with pictures later on today.

After the rally, I ran some errands and went back home to clean the apartment for a game/movie night I was hosting. The Mean Girls plus Xena all arrived around dinner time, and we played some rousing bouts of Super Smash Brothers Brawl on the Wii. We then watched one of the darkest/weirdest movies I've ever seen, called Jawbreaker. Hmmm, since I watched that and Eating Out 2 on Saturday, maybe I will do a review blog entry tomorrow or something. We'll see!

Sunday found Romeo, Mom, and I going to Southport High School to see Maestro and the Big Gay Band perform. The Pride of Indy Band is a group of band enthusiests who just love to play. While the level of talent varies from person to person, they put on a pretty good show, with the caveat that they were a bit too ambitous with some of their song choice. A couple of those peices were Divistion 1 level difficult, and I remember playing them in high school. It is one thing to take a class everyday and working out the kinks in the music, but it is entirely different to practice weekly or the weekend before for a concert like this. After the concert, we all went back to Olly's, where Blanche met up with us, and we drank and ate into the evening. I was home by 9:30, and then I pretty much passed right out, either from alcohol, tiredness, or both!

I love being busy, but man, I need another weekend to survive my weekend!

Thursday, March 27th - Nothing to See Here

I don't really have much to report from yesterday. It has been slow at work, but that will all change on Tuesday when I have monthly and quarterly reports to deal with. I did take the opportunity to clean my office, well, to at least get rid of the excess clutter. My office will never be clean in the traditional sense because I am stuck with some of the IT storage in here, but at least I can now see my desk.

I think my little modification in my diet may do the trick. It was pretty simple to do, and I feel stupid for not thinking of it earlier. I just ended up feeling a bit more hungry than I have been, which could lead to splurging, but I think I'll be able to figure out a way to alleviate that. I still have a way to go before I make my run for The Mean Girls Biggest Loser, but I fully intend to be a contender.

I've blogged about my improved financial status recently, and since I am settling into the VERY good feeling of not living paycheck to paycheck, I am contemplating switching banks, which is kind of scary with all the changes I'll need to make for direct deposits and autopayments. I'm lucking out and getting more money than I had intended from the St. Patrick's Day folks for doing their website. So, I am going to use that money to setup a brokerage account at Charles Schwab, and then I will setup their high interest rate checking account. I figure opening it with that money, and then getting everything switched over will alleviate any headaches. It also helps that my sister works for Schwab, so I get treated to some of the employee level benefits for being immediate family. The cool thing about the checking account is that on top of the 3% interest rate (which is actually a billion times better than my current savings account) they also charge no ATM fees and reimburse you on the fees you incur at other ATMs. For someone who never really carries around cash and is extremely stingy with paying ATM fees, this is a pretty awesome option. Plus, when I'm ready to make some investments later on in the year, I will already have the brokerage account ready to go. I think it's a good move, and if anyone out there already has a Schwab account, I would be interested in hearing any feedback.

Finally, American Idol. I got two of the three bottom dwellers right, and I am just all the more annoyed at the little girls for coddling Ramiele. She is this season's Sanjaya! While Chikeze had a rough night on Tuesday, he has shown a lot more talent that her. Ugh...this is where I get annoyed at having both her and Kristie Lee still around.

Wednesday, March 26th - Ugh...Can't Come Up with a Title

Since I did three posts yesterday, I'm a bit tapped out for pithy titles. If you missed those, I have Adventures in Hillaryland, American Idol - Top 10 - Live Blog, and Can we Swap Kristie Lee Cook for her?

A few musings for the day, and my American Idol rankings...

• Gimme a B - I've never been so proud of my alma mater of Butler University after the story broke that a student asked Chelsea Clinton about the impact of the Monica Lewinsky scandal on her mother's bid for the presidency. Seriously, what an awful thing to do. I know Chelsea is an adult now, and I am sure she has processed her feelings about the whole thing, but for someone to think that it would be OK to ask her about that in an open setting, well, it just goes to show that not everyone was raised as well as Chelsea. She handled it forcefully and well, and I commend her for it. I am also happy that the press never showed the person who asked the question. They were making a bid for fame, and I hope to never see their mug on TV. Go Bulldogs!
  
• Where in the World is Barack Obama? - One of the stories starting to flow under the radar in Indiana is the fact that Hillary was here last Thursday, Bill and Chelsea criss-crossed the state on Monday and Tuesday, and Hillary will be traveling around again on Friday. Barack Obama has only held one event nearly two weeks ago, and it was five minutes from the airport so he could get in and get out. Now, I am not going to begrudge anyone some vacation time, because lord knows Hillary and Barack have been going non-stop for almost a year now, but when you have favorable stories on local media about the Clintons making an honest push for the state interspersed with pictures of Obama laying on the beach, well, I have to imagine it will not sit well with the average Hoosier. Hillary took some time off at her home in New York, out of the eye of the media. Little things like this matter to the average voter, especially when it seems George W. spent more time in Crawford that the White House. At least send some surrogates, Barack, or as the political reporter from the Indianapolis Star said, Indiana is going to start looking like Clinton Country (which, of course, I'm okay with).
• Fitness Woes - Well, as a whole, I am pretty happy with the diet I am on, though I am not realizing the loss in pounds that I had hoped. I am in the third full week, and I have to say my weight has not fluctuated much at all. I am going to start modifying something today, to see if I can lower my caloric intake. The good news is that I am finally becoming one with the gym. If things go as planned, I will have worked out over 20 days this month. After three solid weeks, I have recaptured the strength gains that I had achieved before my illness plagued February. Now, if I could just start losing some poundage, I would be much happier with my overall progress.
• Gym Peeves - Back in January, I did a blog about gym etiquette, and I am ready to add another entry - The Napoleonic Overachiever. Since I've been going religiously in the morning, I have noticed this gentleman there just as much as me. He's a short and portly African American man, who was probably in great shape 10 years ago, but now, he has no idea how to get back into shape other than the workout he did when he was in shape. So, you see him struggling to do one pull up, and for some unknown reason, he insists on doing one handed pushups like he's Jack Palance or something. The trouble is he can't do them. He just kind of pivots his head down as one rep. He ends up looking like the Drinking Bird. On top of that, he kind of struts around like he's some cock on a rock, which is just so laughable. Sure, I know that it affects the manly ego to actually use lower weights, but why sacrifice your form and your dignity just so you can struggle through one or two reps. You're wasting your time, but you're making me laugh. So, keep it up, Napoleon!

American Idol Rankings:

Since you can read my basic impression on the live blog, I am not going to go into great detail.

The Top 3

• David Cook - Officially, the one to beat. Unless he gets complacent...
• Sayesha - She continues to improve, but I am not sold on her consistency yet.
• Michael Johns - Yeah, I am just as surprised as you by putting him here, but he was good last night. He just doesn't really have much going for him other than rock. So, let's see what he does for Dolly next week.

The Meh-iddle

• Brooke White - She's becoming a bit one note, too. She has shown us she can strip down a song into just a piano and her, but she won't be able to do that forever.
• Kristie Lee Cook - It pains me to say she was good last night, but she was very shrewd in picking "Proud to be an American." It was a good song for her, even though it made me want to puke. She should survive this week, and with Dolly next week, she's going to be around for a while. Ugh
• David Archuleta - Wow, how quickly he has dropped. He still has enough screaming women and gay men to vote for him, but he's starting to look like the Adult Contemporary Idol.
• Carly Smithson - During the live blog, I really loved her rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart," but absense is not making the heart grow fonder. Michael Slezak from EW before last nights show basically said that this is the one song Carly should not have picked because it is impossible to condense into 1:30. I agree. It was still good though, and I am hoping after the bottom 3 scare last week, her fans mobilized for her.

The Bottom 3

• Jason Castro - I just don't get his popularity other than he's kinda dreamy cute (without the dreads). He very well might not be in the bottom 3, but he should be.
• Chikezie - He is probably one of the best vocalists in the competition, but he just doesn't seem to always pick the right material. I don't expect him to go home, but he needs to step it up.
• Ramiele - Sorry, girl. Your rendition of "Alone" was terrible, and the fact that you shouldn't be in the top 10 just makes it harder that you are still there. I expect that to be taken care of tonight. Bubye!
  

Monday, March 24th - Weekend Hangover

This was a very busy weekend pretty much from start to finish. Since work was pretty dead on Friday, I left a little early to hit the gym. I have typically been going to the gym in the mornings, but I just couldn't muster the energy on Friday morning, especially because it was legs and by far the longest workout of the week for me. The unknown benefit was that it was nice enough to bike to the gym in the afternoon. So, I think it all worked out for the best.

After I got home from the gym around 4:30, I decided to go ahead and go to Costco and pick up the bulk stuff for my diet. I normally do this on Saturday or Sunday, but since I had other plans on Saturday that took me south and Costco is on the northside, I figured it made more sense to do it on Friday. After that, my extremely exciting Friday pretty much came to a close. I think if I hadn't actually forced myself to stay up later, I probably would have been in bed by 8:30. The overall lameness of that was the only thing that prevented me from doing so. This getting up early and not drinking coffee is really catching up with me.

Saturday, I got up around 8, and I went to the gym to do my cardio. After that, I came home and passed out on the couch for a couple hours. Then after seeing that the leftover money from my debt reduction payment had registered in my account, I decided to drive down to Edinburgh to the outlet mall because I was in desperate need for new workout shoes, and daddy don't like paying full price. I've blogged about my abhorrence for shoes and shoe shopping, and I will generally wear shoes until they just aren't presentable anymore. I don't buy shoes for fun or for every occasion. I generally have one pair of black, brown, and tennis shoes, with various options from the past available if they still have a sole on them. After I picked out my shoes, walked around the mall, and picked up two pairs of jeans for $10 apiece (!), I headed back towards Indianapolis, with a stop off at SuperTarget to get the rest of my groceries.

I was home by 4:30 or 5:00, which really didn't give me a whole lot time to put away my groceries, fix dinner, and get ready to leave at 6:45 to go north to Kokomo with the Mean Girls, Mom, RockStar, and Summer Clearance (yes, that'll be his name). Kokomo is about an hour north of Indy, and before I moved to Indy, it was the "big city" we always went to when we needed something my hometown didn't have. It's a very industrial and infuriating city due to the stop lights on US 31, and it is not exactly the place you would assume would have a great gay bar. Luckily, Blue Bar is small and doesn't try to be anything more than it is, and it also helps that I know the owner (who happens to be quite hot). He and I have a history that is not worth repeating here, but it's looking like he and I will be going out on a date soon. So, more on that when it develops.

The occasion for going to Bar Blue was their pageant to crown Miss Blue. It was a lot of fun, and all the contestants were pretty good, though only 2 were actually from Indiana. I don't know what makes a drag queen come to podunk Indiana to compete, but I suppose the $6,500 in cash and prizes to the winner helped. I was pretty drunk (shock) and reveling in the fact that Mom was driving, and after a stop at IHOP for a somewhat healthy snack, we were home by 4:30. Somewhere along the way, I got a bruise on my thigh, but I'm going to hope I didn't pill a Romeo and fell down the stairs.

I got up at 8:00 on Sunday and spent most of the day with my parent's for Easter. It was kind of weird because my sister and her kids were not there, but we made the most of it. I got home around 4, made my food for Monday, and then I laid down on the couch and tried not to fall asleep. I was in bed by 10.

Some observations about shopping to close out the blog:

• Why the hell are my new tennis shoes 13 and a 1/2. It is irritating enough to have to find 13s, but this just makes it all the worse. I realize that shoe sizes vary, but dammit, that's annoying!
• Did the world really need a Crocs outlet store?
• Is Sag Harbor really the good name for a store and clothing line catering to women of a certain age?
  

Thursday, March 20th - Thursday Musings

This is an odd week. After the festivities of Monday night, drinking away most of the day on Tuesday (but staying solidly on diet....well, except for the alcohol), and then tending to my apartment yesterday, I am finally ready for a normal day at work, just in time for the weekend!

• The Speech - Yes, I've been avoiding the "MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE" that Barack Obama gave on Tuesday mainly because I think it has been well covered by other people. I will say I am annoyed that we kept getting inundated with news of the "MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE." When was the last time a politically expedient stump speech was given this much hype? And yes, while I agree race in America is a conversation worth having, the fact of the matter is that Barack Obama would not have given the "MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE" if the videos of the good Reverend Wright hadn't been released and not fallen out of the news cycle as David Axelrod assumed they would. I will give him props for the sentiment, but it would have been a lot more meaningful if it was not an avenue to staunch the bloodletting of Wright. Additionally, if I stood up and delivered a wonderfully nuanced speech defending Don Imus (assuming I had listened to him for 20 years), would I be considered a visionary leader?
• Hillary in Indiana - Hillary Clinton is stumping in Indiana today, and I have to say I'm excited just that she is here. I was on the bike at the gym today at 5:45 am, and the news was broadcasting live from the Saratoga Restaurant in Terre Haute, where Hillary will be at 10:30 today. There was already a very long line outside nearly 5 hours before the event. It is exciting to see Hoosier's involved in the process, and I hope this means we will see an uptick in turnout come May 6th. As I expected, Hillary's first visits in the state are in mostly white, blue collar areas, such as, Terre Haute, Anderson, and Evansville. While I hoped she would stop in Indianapolis, so I could see her, the fact of the matter is that the 7th District, which covers most of Indy and just elected Andre Carson to fill out the term of his grandmother, went for John Kerry in 2004, and I would expect will be a heavily favoring Obama. I'll have to see what I can do about that...
  
• Fitness - In the past 16 days, I have worked out 13 of them, and despite being a bit tired from getting up early to do it, I have to say I feel pretty good. While I have not started to shed the pounds that I hoped I would on the Metabolism Advantage diet, I have started to feel that initial shift in the body composition that comes from eating well and working out. It would be nice to see some weight loss though and my clothes fitting better, but I just need to be patient and continue to hit the gym. I want to keep this torrid pace up until my birthday on May 17th.
  
• American Idol - I am beside myself pissed at all the little girls across this country. I am not going to say Amanda Overmeyer is the best singer in the world, but at least she brought something different to the competition, and to think that Carly Smithson, who is by far the best vocalist in the competition, was in the bottom three, well, it just makes me wonder why I actually get excited for this infuriating show every season. Ugh!
• Beefcake of the Week - Robert Buckley. This, my friends, is really the only reason I watch Lipstick Jungle, though I do have to say that Kim Raver is pretty fierce as the older woman getting schtuped by this hottie. Go her!
  

Well there you have my scattershot musings of the week...

Monday, March 17th - Erin Go Blah

Happy St. Patrick's Day, ya'll. I hope you're wearing your green. Thankfully, since my last name is unmistakably Irish (even though most of that blood is out of my genetics), I have a pretty good excuse not to wear green. Plus, it's not a good color on me.

This was a pretty eventful weekend, yet it was ultimately pretty low key. I finally got Super Smash Brother's Brawl in the mail. I had pre-ordered it back at Christmas when I ordered some gifts for my nieces, and I was ready for a new game for my Wii. It's a fun game one-on-one, but I'm looking forward to having the group over for a game night. It should be pretty hilarious partially or completely drunk. Of course, my sister and now my parents have a Wii, too. So, maybe I can get a little network gaming action going on.

I spent most of the night Friday playing Brawl, catching up on TV and breaking up with Tyler. Can that comment be more matter-of-fact? I'm not going to do a gigantic blog relationship autopsy because there really isn't all that much to say. I still care for him deeply, but we just have zero time to spend together. I'm never going to be one of those needy types who needs a 24/7 relationship, but it would be nice to see my boyfriend for more than a couple hours a week. So, I am back in the single world, which doesn't really feel all that different from the couple world except for the fact that I can flirt. Big Deal....nothing more to say and absolutely no sadness on my part.

Saturday was my usual laundry/errands day, but Saturday night was the biggest fundraiser of the year for my job. It's one of those Gala's that are $100 a ticket with a silent auction and usually a band that is on the same quality as those that play weddings. Last year was the nadir of the event when they had a Broadway theme, and quite frankly, it was terrible. When the high school swing choir came out, I was really praying for the sweet release of death. So, they really had no other way to go than up, and this year was a marked improvement. The band still sucked, but the whole process was a lot smoother. Shockingly, the food was pretty damn good, too, and it seemed straight out of my diet cookbook (except for the cheesecake, but we won't talk about that).

Since I was all dressed up and nowhere to go, I gathered Romeo and Blanche to go to Olly's for drinks. They were all atwitter with the Bag Lady show which is tonight, but it was just really fun to go out with the boys and be single again. It wasn't like I was flirting much at all, but I just seemed to be having a better time than I have had in quite some time. We ended up going to Greg's where they had a porn star/stripper laconically dancing. Admittedly, he had an awesome body (though chicken legs, which seemed to really bother Blanche), but that probably just means he's straight -- gay men know how important it is to workout the legs.

Speaking of fitness, I survived the first week of the new diet without packing on any pounds, which was a big concern because of the major shift in my food intake. I suppose my optimistic side was hoping to see a couple of pounds shaved off this week, but I need to be more patient. It took a year for me to gain the weight I want to lose, and it is going to take a while to get rid of it. I am happy to say that I was able to get out of the grocery store for only $50, which is much more manageable than last week. So, hopefully, I can find an affordable level to maintain this diet. I also got to the gym 6 times last week, which left me pretty wiped out by Sunday, but I was back at the gym again today at 5:30am.

I should have a lot to report tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be funny! Plus, after Barack Obama was in Plainfield on Saturday, Bill Clinton is going to be in Fort Wayne tomorrow, and Hillary will be touring the state on Thursday. It is so odd to hear Indiana mentioned in political analysis. It is exciting though!

Tuesday, March 11th - Tuesday Musings - Hot Flash Edition

Well, I survived the first full day of the Metabolism Advantage diet, and I have to say it wasn't too terrible, though I did end up leaving the book at home which lead to me eating a meal out of place. For that, I blame Romeo who passed out drunk on my couch Sunday night and interfered with my morning routine. I think it is because he is winning The Mean Girls Biggest Loser, and he doesn't want me to be Hillary to his Barack! Anyway, I am a bit appalled at the sheer volume of food consumed, and I understand that is something I just need to adjust to. However, I know something is wonky with their serving sizes when you start out with a pound of ground beef and add copious other ingredients for a meat loaf, and that is two servings. Now, I'm a big guy, and there was no way I was going to be able to pack away half a meatloaf. It was good though. I honestly can't remember the last time I consumed red meat. Oh, life without coffee in favor of green tea is so not working for me. I feel like a zombie today...

I think the easiest way for me to continue this diet is repetition, which I do not have a problem with. I could see myself making a big batch of the bean salad and eating that as part of my lunch everyday. I could also see going back to chicken for lunch, and then just varying the dinner with more fish and red meat. What I really need to do is just plan on eating more and more veggies, and then, of course, probably investing in the company that makes Beano, which is all I'm going to say about that.

One side effect of all this is the hot flashes. At least I hope it is a side effect and not that I am going through menopause. You know how sometimes after you eat you feel all warm and ready for a nap? Well, multiply that by eating 6 times a day with foods specifically chosen to boost your metabolism. I was sitting on the couch last night with the heat off, ceiling fan on, feeling like I was about to spontaneously combust. Now, I am generally a warm person. I usually do not sleep with any blankets, until maybe the middle of the night when I get a chill and pull a sheet over me, but wow, it certainly was an intense warming.

I was planning on doing some bullet musings today, but I think I'll hold off on that. Tomorrow, I will probably try to figure out a way to comment on the Mississippi Primary and a American Idol review. How's that for a broad range!

In closing, the Beefcake of the Week: Daniel Conn - an Australian Rugby Player (Are we seeing a trend here?)

With Shirt

Without Shirt (and buzzed head...I started a trend)

Monday, March 10th - Starting that Diet Tomorrow

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for a 21 day trial of a book from Men's Health called The Metabolism Advantage, and it came in the mail last Thursday. I'm not a big fan of structured diets, because I think they often limit you, deprive you, or are so expensive to maintain that you're probably going flip it off and eat a Ho-Ho anyway. When I first dropped my weight and got into shape, the Atkins Diet was the really popular thing at the time, but I really wasn't interested in a life without carbs. So, I devised a plan for myself that was very high in protein, which lead to lower intake of carbs in pursuit of attaining my goal of 250 grams of protein a day. Yeah, that's a lot, and when you have to reach that goal, you naturally avoid things with a lot of carbs.

I stayed on that plan for quite some time, dutifully eating probably enough boneless, skinless chicken breast to make those fowl shake with fear if I ever bothered to go into the Chicken Barn at the State Fair. I really had no problem with the repetition because you can pretty much flavor chicken anyway you want (mmmm...tastes like chicken), but it seemed that whenever I tried to deviate off the plan, I would instantaneously gain. It really sucked, and when I began the downward spiral to where I am now, I pretty much completely chucked the things that worked for the tried and true (and complete failure inducing) method of eating less, which I think really did a number on my metabolism, because I actually continued to gain while eating less. Figure that frustrating tidbit out....

So anyway, back to The Metabolism Advantage. I had actually flirted with a Men's Health program before called The Abs Diet, and when I started packing on the pounds after a week, I quickly went off of that one. So, I was a bit leery about this new one. I figured I could take a look at it, and then if I didn't think it was possible, at least I wouldn't be stuck with the book after 21 days. The good thing about it is that my current routine (when I'm doing it) wasn't really too far from what the plan asks you to do. Obviously, my slackerness at the gym had to stop, which is why I got 4 days in last week and why I was up at 5am today. I also needed to stop being a typical male who avoids cardio, or using the excuse, "Well, once it gets warm I'll ride my bike" (which is true, but that doesn't mean I can't fight instinct to insulate in the winter). As for the food, it is structured, with you pretty much eating every two hours, but I wasn't too far off that to begin with. It is also A LOT more food than I normally eat. So, I'm hoping it works as it is intended.

This week I am following the plan to the letter, even down to the recipes that they suggest. My main point in doing this is to get a look at the plan from the inside out, and then see if there are ways I can save money through bulk purchases or just cheaper alternatives. I spent most of the day on Saturday tracking down all of the ingredients on the list provided in the book, and lets just say I spent exponentially more than what I normally spend at the store. I actually spent more in a week than I would on a normal two weeks on my old plan. That is obviously not something I can maintain, and thankfully, I can already see ways to save. Really, the big difference from what I had been doing is that I wasn't getting nearly enough vegetables and fruit in my diet. That is something I can change pretty easily. Though, I have to say my midmorning snack is staring at my on my desk, and I'm just not sure how it is going to be. While I had a nice spinach, olive, and goat cheese omelet and oatmeal with mixed berries for breakfast (more carbs after your workout than at dinner...flip that if you workout in the evening), this shake is made up of protein powder, fat free yogurt, oats, flax seed, one entire apple, and mixed nuts. Oh, and I threw some spinach in there, because the recipe called for a product called Green+, which is like a protein powder but only it is vegetables. I ordered it from Amazon this weekend, and since I didn't have it, I figured I needed to replace the veggies with something. Sound appetizing? Well...let's take the plunge....hmmm....surprisingly good. It kinda tastes like apple sauce. I think I'll add more cinnamon next time...

While there are some weird things that I would probably never buy normally (oat bran, wheat bran, quinoa, and OLIVES [bleh]), I can't say that a lot of the additions seem unreasonable. I'm just not going to be able to afford to follow the recipes they outline without looking at some alternatives, specifically making large batches at a time. The shakes are by far the biggest addition that I will not be able to deviate from much, and I'm okay with that, as long as I get a chance to make them the day before.

Wish me luck! I'm two months out from my birthday, and I really want to be looking better than I do now. Luckily, the plan is 8 weeks. So, I'll hopefully see some good results by then.

Oh, if anyone has a coupon for Fish Oil tablets, please mail it to me. You have to pop those like you're Courtney Love on a bender.

Monday, March 3nd - Spring for a Day

Ah, finally! A glimpse of spring. Even though it looks like weather is going to dip down below freezing tonight and for the rest of the week, just having Sunday, which ended up getting into the mid 60s, was enough to get me out of my doldrums.

On Saturday, it was still pretty cold, but I still got my bike out and rode around the downtown canal. I had been wanting to get down there for a while to check it out, because they recently drained it to clean all of the algae and gunk that has accumulated over 10 or so years. I had meant to get some pictures, but I didn't feel like lugging my gigantor camera with me. The first thing that struck me was just how deep the canal is, and how disconcerting it is to bike around it when you could just fall to your death at any moment (okay, not really). It will be nice once they get it all cleaned up, but considering the new deadline was the end of February, I don't think it is going to be up and going anytime soon, which puts the annual Greening of the Canal in jeopardy for St. Patrick's Day (shameless plug: I do their website). Anyway, I only rode about 5 or so miles on Saturday, but my body was really feeling it. It is amazing how quickly you get out of shape for a specific activity.

On Sunday, after an aborted Thelma and Louise style middle of the night roadtrip with Blanche to see Hillary in Columbus, Ohio, I got up and watched the political talking heads and promptly fell asleep until about 2:00. Then I pulled myself off the couch, got into some sweats and a long tshirt, and started to head towards the Monon Trail for a very long bike ride. I didn't realize just how warm it was outside, and I think I could have gotten away with shorts and a tshirt. Ah well, it was SO beautiful, and the Trail was really packed with others trying to shake off the winter malaise. I am so looking forward to doing this regularly. Ahhh...Spring, get the hell here for good!

I ended up riding all the way up to 82nd Street (starting at 22nd), and it was probably not the best idea in the world. I was getting pretty tired towards the end of the northward trip, and then when I turned around to head back downtown, I realized I had been enjoying a very nice Southerly wind at my back that was now pounding me in the face. Not Good! By the time I got south of the State Fair Grounds, I was really hurting, but I kept it up. I got home around 4:30, which isn't bad for a 20 mile ride. I love biking. It is like my mind clears, and I get so much thinking done. I also came up with a great idea for Tyler's Birthday, which is today. Happy Birthday, cutie! ;)

All in all, it was a great weekend. I went out with the Mean Girls on Saturday, and we had a good time, though the drag fundraiser we went to was horrendous. Trust me, I've seen bad drag in my day....this was nigh on terrible.

Oh, and since it was time to trim my hair, I decided to go full on Cooper:

Friday, February 29th - Leap Day Musings!

Happy Leap Day! I set my alarm this morning to go the gym, and yet again, I skipped out on it, but since I opted to just come into work, the goal is to get there this afternoon. This has been a pretty rough couple of weeks for me and my gym time, but I am hoping that I am coming to the end of my winter doldrums. I honestly think there is something to this whole Seasonal Affective Disorder. Because ever since I was sick for about a week, it has been impossible for me to get up in the morning and go to the gym. With the coming of Daylight Savings Time next weekend, I'm praying that a little more light in the morning will get my mojo going again. The exciting thing for me is that I should be able to get my bike out this weekend. It is supposed to be up in the 50s on Sunday. So, here's to hoping!

On to the bullets!

• Getting It Honestly: I realized this morning while reading Str8 Up With a Twist's recounting of a Hillary Clinton rally in Houston with Bill, that it has been over 12 years now since I interned with the Democratic National Committee during the general election to re-elect Bill in 1996. Ugh, that makes me feel old. Of course, then I had to take it even further and realize that it has been 15 years (almost exactly) since my first fateful trip to DC for Presidential Classroom during my senior year of high school, which coincidentally was right after Clinton's first inaugural. Looking at that website.....ugh, I feel even older. Those kids are so young! But anyway, I just want you all to see that this political obsession of mine isn't a passing fancy. It has been a part of me.
• American Idol: I am so ready for the Top 12. Even though it was only 4 hours of my time this week (as opposed to the 5 last week), I just tire of this process. Plus, I am not liking them starting in on the theme nights already. Jeesh, the vast majority of these "kids" were not even alive in the 70's let alone the 60's. How are we supposed to get an idea of how they are as an artist if they cannot be themselves before the Top 12. That being said, even though she destroyed a Doobie Brother's song and has no chance in hell of winning this thing, I am rooting for Amanda O. (the rocker chick nurse). Not only is she from Indiana, but she almost got killed in my home town. If that isn't a connection, I don't know what is.
• Project Runway: I really like both Chris and Rami (though I'd only have a fantasy tryst with one of them...guess which one! lol), it is obvious that Rami was destined to be in the final 3 all season. I have to say I am a bit quesy with him because he is already a semi-successful designer. It is kind of the same way that I feel about Michael Johns and Carly Smithson on AI having had record contracts already. It just seems to give them a slight leg up. Anyway, I have to say I was digging Chris' designs, even with the human hair attached. I would so hang out with Chris, and I am still shocked that that Lesbian Cockatoo (Christian) won most popular. I figured Chris was a shoe-in.
• LOST: Last night's episode confused the hell out of me. Then again, I was drunk, which obviously, didn't help.
  
• The March to Spring: In a sign that winter is ending, March is shaping up to be the busiest month of the year, so far. Tyler's bday on March 3rd, kicks off the cavalcade of birthdays I have to soldier through over the next few months, and since my mother's is on March 4th, it is the beginning of massive family obligations through June. In March, I have the aforementioned birthdays, St. Patrick's Day (for which I do the website for Indy's celebration....nothing fancy, because they don't pay me enough for that!), St. Patrick's Day bag lady show for Blanche and Romeo, big Gala at work, and Easter. As for family stuff (all of this before June), Mom's bday, Easter, Sister's bday in April, Mother's Day, My bday in May, my niece's bday, and a First Communion thrown in there, too. By the time June rolls around with Pride events and stuff, I am going to be SO ready for the July trip to Vegas
  

Well, folks, I think that is enough for now (unless I get all politically blustery again...which is possible). I hope you have a great weekend!