So as you may have already guessed this weekend was ACL. I must say it almost lived up to the Dust-bowl of 2005...and overall I would have to give it a 8 out of 10 compared to the past 3 years I have gone. That being said it was not without it's great fun and music!
Friday - Day 1:
1. Asleep at the Wheel - a blues band, not too shabby.
2. What Made Milwaukee Famous - a sort-of rock band. not all that impressive.
3. Yeasayer - not all that impressive.
4. Vampire Weekend - This band was great! Seemed like a fun group with a pretty exciting show and decent playlist.
5. Patty Griffin - a country artist. I'm not a huge fan
6. Jenny Lewis - kinda of folk-rock. Great, I mean she had such a fun show. Good lyrics, nice mix of songs.
7. The Swell Season - These guys were pretty good. The sort of thing I would put on for a relaxing mood.
8. The Mars Volta - boo, I was not impressed. Very much a 1970's throwback kinda feel
9. Manu Chao - This seemed to be an interesting mix of spanish/rock kindof music. He was ok.
After the bands, later that night I met up with Eric at Anthony's place then went home with him only to have him hug the toilet all night :(... That crazy kid needs to watch his drinking.
Saturday - Day 2:
1. The Fritellis - typical rock band. they were ok.
2. Jose Gonzales - nothing really sticks out about this one. it was ok.
3. The Driveby Truckers - I thought these guys were pretty good. Had kind of a folkish-rock feel
4. Band of Heathens - meh
5. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Wow, She was so much fun!! got an audience member up on stage to dance with! lol definately a jazzy Amy Winehouse feel to it.
6. City and Colour - rock band from Canada. I thought he was great! awesome show, good commentary.
7. MGMT - these guys were ok.
8. John Fogerty - He was a Creedeance Clearwater revival. Pretty good show! I liked it.
9. Iron and Wine - boo...I was pretty dissapointed.
10. Robert Plant and Allison Krause - This x-led Zeplin member with the singer/songwriter from O' Brother Where Art Though made an interesting combination. I liked it.
11. Beck - Great, as was expected
Saturday night I had a bunch of friends over for an after party. No one stayed too long (which was good b/c I was sooo tired), but we had some beers and chilled. Eric backed out b/c he was sick, and I was a bit disappointed over that too. The dust was pretty aweful today. couldn't see very far and I could just taste the grittiness.
Sunday - Day 3:
1. Belleville Outfit - my friend Sam is dating the lead singer. They were playing when we came in and sounded pretty good and fun.
2. Octopus Project - LMAO! these guys were...different...had the Austin High band play a few songs at the beggning with them. totally instrumental group, no vocals.
3. Adelle - following in the footsteps of Amy Winehouse two years ago, and Buffy last year...she pulled a no show...BITCH!
4. Massacoustics - Awesome band. the drummer was also a back-up singer and bass player...at the same time...literally
5. Stars - these guys were ok...nothing to write home about... (lol, ironic that I would write that as I'm writting about them).
6. Against Me - meh
7. Xavier Rudd - This guy was pretty cool. Played a dijery doo (spelling?) and was a great band.
8. Neko Case - Country, not my thing but not bad
9. The Heartless Bastards - these guys weren't too bad...
10. Blues Travelor - I liked this group. Fun to listen to.
11. White Denim - meh
12. South Austin Jug Band - these guys were ok. very much folk music.
13. Gnarles Barkely - he was ok. Don't know if I could listen to his whole concert though.
14. Galactic - great Jazz group from New Orleans!
15. Band of Horses - meh
So today wasn't my favorite. We bounced back and forth between a lot of groups and only heard a few songs from most of them. I really did like massacoustics and Galactic. Octopus project was fun too. one highlight of the day was this couple during White Denim that was arguing in front of us. The girl kept yelling and shoving the guy! then they stormed off and met up again later and cried. We also saw a guy in a knitted one-piece bell-bottomed outfit that he wore last year (I remember because it was just so odd).
The weekend was definitely fun. As always (with one exception) the food was AMAZING! and the boys...or lawdy lawd...there were just oh so many half-naked boys.....dear god it was like I had died and gone to hell...(they were almost all straight) lol...but it was such a wonderfully scenic hell.
The dust this year was also really bad. I work up every morning sneezing black goo and coughing up dirt...I'm sure tomorrow morning will be the worst yet as today was the worst for dust.
My next mission will be of course to start the downloading extravaganza...got to support those artists I liked and get copies of their albums :) Anyway I can't wait to see what next year has in store...here's hoping for a Regina Spektor encore and maybe Incubus?!?!? lol
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Feeling a bit like an outcast
So today I have once again felt the blow of homosexuality. For the most part life for me as a homosexual has not been difficult thus far. I have only been met with prejudices a few times, so experiences like today's are luckily few and far between.
Freescale is sponsoring a bone marrow donor registration drive this week, and as leader for the Awareness and Communications team for EHS, I was responsible for overseeing the awareness piece for this event. I created posters and emails advertising that the blood and tissue center would be on-site for the next three days taking mouth swabs and registering people on the marrow donor list.
I decided that I would stop by on my way out today to see how things were going and take a look at registration requirements. I have been turned down to donate blood before because, yes, I have had sex with another male since 1977. Much to my dismay there was a qualifier on the front page of the pamphlet that said, "if you answer yes to any of the following questions you are ineligible to register at this time." Among these questions were IV drug usage, and a question about if you thought you were at risk for HIV.
I know for a fact that I am clean based on the myriad of tests I do each year to verify just that; however, the final question was asking if I have had sex with another male in the past five years. I shrugged it off and told the representative from the tissue center that I had an important meeting and would be back tomorrow to register (not wanting to divulge in-front of the line of people waiting to signup that I was ineligible based on the questions on the front of the form).
I decided to go home and do a little research to find out exactly how much more at risk homosexuals are for HIV/AIDS. Negating the fact that we only account for ~10% of the population, we contribute to just under half of HIV/AIDS cases in the US, Canada, and Europe. As you may have guessed nearly 75% of cases are in Africa. I'm just puzzled by this. The FDA claims that it's original intent behind amending the Code of Federal Regulations (§ 21 CFR Parts 210, 211, 820, and 1271) was to account for the "window" period of transmission. You know, the whole thing about the disease not being detected for up to 6 months after transmission...
Oddly enough every major blood donor center in the US has urged the FDA to change this restriction to homosexuals who have participated in unprotected sex in the past year. Essentially new testing technologies are not only cheap, but can detect the virus as early as 10-21 days after transmission; hence a year would be more than sufficient. They also argue that blood transfusions require so much prep work, testing, and re-testing that the risk of getting HIV/AIDS is virtually zero.
In 2007, the FDA brought the issue to the table only to eventually decide to uphold the original ruling on the justification that homosexuals are more likely to carry the virus. You know, I really would like to see the statistic on how many of those people contracted it from sexual intercourse or from drug use. I'd bet you would see that homosexual intercourse is not as big a factor as once suspected. It is estimated that the blood/tissue centers lose out on more than 16,000 donations per year due to this rule, imagine how many lives that could save!!
I was very put-off today by this whole thing, the fact that I would spend my time at work to help with this effort (not part of my job description, just out of my own free will), and then be denied registration like that is insulting, and disturbing to think that our own FDA is still so naive and set in their ways. I suppose this is just another indication of how "in the stone-age" our Code of Federal Regulations really are, and how homophobic those that maintain/write them are as well.
As an interesting side note, Gay men are also not allowed to donate sperm...who knew. I just want to be able to tell my coworkers that I donated blood, instead of being asked why I didn't and having to make up an excuse.
Anyway I'm just wondering how many of you would donate blood if this ban was lifted?
Freescale is sponsoring a bone marrow donor registration drive this week, and as leader for the Awareness and Communications team for EHS, I was responsible for overseeing the awareness piece for this event. I created posters and emails advertising that the blood and tissue center would be on-site for the next three days taking mouth swabs and registering people on the marrow donor list.
I decided that I would stop by on my way out today to see how things were going and take a look at registration requirements. I have been turned down to donate blood before because, yes, I have had sex with another male since 1977. Much to my dismay there was a qualifier on the front page of the pamphlet that said, "if you answer yes to any of the following questions you are ineligible to register at this time." Among these questions were IV drug usage, and a question about if you thought you were at risk for HIV.
I know for a fact that I am clean based on the myriad of tests I do each year to verify just that; however, the final question was asking if I have had sex with another male in the past five years. I shrugged it off and told the representative from the tissue center that I had an important meeting and would be back tomorrow to register (not wanting to divulge in-front of the line of people waiting to signup that I was ineligible based on the questions on the front of the form).
I decided to go home and do a little research to find out exactly how much more at risk homosexuals are for HIV/AIDS. Negating the fact that we only account for ~10% of the population, we contribute to just under half of HIV/AIDS cases in the US, Canada, and Europe. As you may have guessed nearly 75% of cases are in Africa. I'm just puzzled by this. The FDA claims that it's original intent behind amending the Code of Federal Regulations (§ 21 CFR Parts 210, 211, 820, and 1271) was to account for the "window" period of transmission. You know, the whole thing about the disease not being detected for up to 6 months after transmission...
Oddly enough every major blood donor center in the US has urged the FDA to change this restriction to homosexuals who have participated in unprotected sex in the past year. Essentially new testing technologies are not only cheap, but can detect the virus as early as 10-21 days after transmission; hence a year would be more than sufficient. They also argue that blood transfusions require so much prep work, testing, and re-testing that the risk of getting HIV/AIDS is virtually zero.
In 2007, the FDA brought the issue to the table only to eventually decide to uphold the original ruling on the justification that homosexuals are more likely to carry the virus. You know, I really would like to see the statistic on how many of those people contracted it from sexual intercourse or from drug use. I'd bet you would see that homosexual intercourse is not as big a factor as once suspected. It is estimated that the blood/tissue centers lose out on more than 16,000 donations per year due to this rule, imagine how many lives that could save!!
I was very put-off today by this whole thing, the fact that I would spend my time at work to help with this effort (not part of my job description, just out of my own free will), and then be denied registration like that is insulting, and disturbing to think that our own FDA is still so naive and set in their ways. I suppose this is just another indication of how "in the stone-age" our Code of Federal Regulations really are, and how homophobic those that maintain/write them are as well.
As an interesting side note, Gay men are also not allowed to donate sperm...who knew. I just want to be able to tell my coworkers that I donated blood, instead of being asked why I didn't and having to make up an excuse.
Anyway I'm just wondering how many of you would donate blood if this ban was lifted?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Helpless and Humbled
I know this is a few days late but I just wanted to take some time to tell everyone about my day on Friday.
12:00 am
The day so far seemed to be going quite well. I was at the club with my boyfriend (wow it feels so weird to say that), and we were dancing and having a good time. He seemed to have a really rough day on thursday so I was glad to be there and see him smile. I could tell he really needed someone. The poor guy works so so so much and goes to school. The stress is really getting to him and it sucks, because I have been there and feel so helpless to do anything for him. Things that evening were going well until Eric's friend began being a drama queen and was pissing off the guy he's dating (Steven). I could see that even Eric was getting pissed and after taking everyone home Eric told me that he really just wanted to be alone. I must admit this was pretty upsetting because I really wanted to be there for him but he didn't want me there. I wasn't mad at him by any stretch, just frustrated and feeling helpless just isn't my cup of tea. Either way it didn't matter so I went home and went to bed.
6:00 am
Wow waking up for work was difficult! I really need to quit going out and drinking on weeknights lol. I'm thinking about going to 4-10's next year where I would work 4-10 hour days Mon - Thurs, while then having every Friday off.
7:30 am
So I got to work and the day was going well (minus the hangover). My day was just booked full of meetings which is always difficult, and at
9:00 am
I had a meeting to discuss the design plans for our new waste chemical collection system and I didn't realize there would be so many cross-functional groups represented. I felt a little embarrassed because my hair was such a mess haha, but by and by I chimed in and made sure that my concerns were captured in the design.
10:00 am
After the meeting I went back to my desk to check email and I saw and email from a colleague in Arizona talking about the pollution control tax deductions project I was working on. It seems that capital spent on pollution control equipment is exemptible from our property taxes. The email went on to congratulate me for achieving a $250,000 per year savings that will continue for as long as we operate in Austin!!! That's a fuck ton of money!! lol After reading the email I looked up to see who else was on the recipient list...it included my boss, the Austin Site Services manager, the Global Site Services Director, the Global EHS manager, the Global head of Finance (who is our openly gay executive that I have met on several occasions), and someone pretty high up in the manufacturing organization. I must say I felt pretty humbled when I received congratulations from many of these people in followup emails (and frankly very excited that people that high up in the company now know me and this HUGE project I did). I did notice though that someone that did a lot of work preparing lists of company assets for me to scour over (over 10,000 line items long) to find pollution control property. I made sure to forward the email to her and thank her and apologize that she was not mentioned in the original email. I also copied her boss and a few others up the ladder.
11:00 am
So the rest of the day was filled with lunch for a coworker's birthday and more meetings. I also went to a happy hour and in general spent some time relaxing at home after that.
I guess sometimes the good outweighs the bad so overall Friday was a very good day. I only hope over time Eric realizes he has me as a crutch and I really want to be there for him, especially when he's having a rough day. Sometimes it's when you want to be alone that you need someone the most. I for one have come to learn that when I feel like being alone all it does it make it worse when I am. Luckily Eric came over last night and was in a much better mood. He stayed the night and we got up and made breakfast this morning. He left for work and I went and cut the grass and now I'm getting ready to take the rest of the day to relax as much as possible. Hopefully you will do the same!
12:00 am
The day so far seemed to be going quite well. I was at the club with my boyfriend (wow it feels so weird to say that), and we were dancing and having a good time. He seemed to have a really rough day on thursday so I was glad to be there and see him smile. I could tell he really needed someone. The poor guy works so so so much and goes to school. The stress is really getting to him and it sucks, because I have been there and feel so helpless to do anything for him. Things that evening were going well until Eric's friend began being a drama queen and was pissing off the guy he's dating (Steven). I could see that even Eric was getting pissed and after taking everyone home Eric told me that he really just wanted to be alone. I must admit this was pretty upsetting because I really wanted to be there for him but he didn't want me there. I wasn't mad at him by any stretch, just frustrated and feeling helpless just isn't my cup of tea. Either way it didn't matter so I went home and went to bed.
6:00 am
Wow waking up for work was difficult! I really need to quit going out and drinking on weeknights lol. I'm thinking about going to 4-10's next year where I would work 4-10 hour days Mon - Thurs, while then having every Friday off.
7:30 am
So I got to work and the day was going well (minus the hangover). My day was just booked full of meetings which is always difficult, and at
9:00 am
I had a meeting to discuss the design plans for our new waste chemical collection system and I didn't realize there would be so many cross-functional groups represented. I felt a little embarrassed because my hair was such a mess haha, but by and by I chimed in and made sure that my concerns were captured in the design.
10:00 am
After the meeting I went back to my desk to check email and I saw and email from a colleague in Arizona talking about the pollution control tax deductions project I was working on. It seems that capital spent on pollution control equipment is exemptible from our property taxes. The email went on to congratulate me for achieving a $250,000 per year savings that will continue for as long as we operate in Austin!!! That's a fuck ton of money!! lol After reading the email I looked up to see who else was on the recipient list...it included my boss, the Austin Site Services manager, the Global Site Services Director, the Global EHS manager, the Global head of Finance (who is our openly gay executive that I have met on several occasions), and someone pretty high up in the manufacturing organization. I must say I felt pretty humbled when I received congratulations from many of these people in followup emails (and frankly very excited that people that high up in the company now know me and this HUGE project I did). I did notice though that someone that did a lot of work preparing lists of company assets for me to scour over (over 10,000 line items long) to find pollution control property. I made sure to forward the email to her and thank her and apologize that she was not mentioned in the original email. I also copied her boss and a few others up the ladder.
11:00 am
So the rest of the day was filled with lunch for a coworker's birthday and more meetings. I also went to a happy hour and in general spent some time relaxing at home after that.
I guess sometimes the good outweighs the bad so overall Friday was a very good day. I only hope over time Eric realizes he has me as a crutch and I really want to be there for him, especially when he's having a rough day. Sometimes it's when you want to be alone that you need someone the most. I for one have come to learn that when I feel like being alone all it does it make it worse when I am. Luckily Eric came over last night and was in a much better mood. He stayed the night and we got up and made breakfast this morning. He left for work and I went and cut the grass and now I'm getting ready to take the rest of the day to relax as much as possible. Hopefully you will do the same!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
New Developments
So I'm sure most of you have heard the news but I figure I would at least right it down. As much for myself as anything else.
Last Thursday night I had plans to hang out with Eric. I had been at a conference all day in Round Rock, and rather than having to drive all the way back up there for the friday portion of the conference, I asked if I could stay with Eric instead so the drive would be shorter. He agreed and after he was off from work I met him at his house. We invited a few friends over and had a few drinks and just sat around and hung out. Late that night when we were going to bed, I leaned over and asked him, "Hey Eric, what would you say if I asked you to be my boyfriend?" He responded with, "Of course!" I must say it wasn't very romantic or anything but that's ok, it was the perfect end to a really fun night. So at long last, after 1 year and 9 months of being single I am officially taken, and I couldn't be happier.
That morning I went back to the conference and met up with some friends for dinner, then visited Eric at the Domain prior to driving home in an effort to avoid traffic. This weekend has been fun, but tough as Eric has been working and studying for an exam he has Tuesday so I haven't seen much of him. Luckily tonight I am meeting him for coffee and I am going to work while he studies, but at least we will get to see each other.
Interestingly enough I am Eric's first boyfriend so I think he is equally excited about everything, and as I said I couldn't be happier and I'm anxious to see how things pan out.
Last Thursday night I had plans to hang out with Eric. I had been at a conference all day in Round Rock, and rather than having to drive all the way back up there for the friday portion of the conference, I asked if I could stay with Eric instead so the drive would be shorter. He agreed and after he was off from work I met him at his house. We invited a few friends over and had a few drinks and just sat around and hung out. Late that night when we were going to bed, I leaned over and asked him, "Hey Eric, what would you say if I asked you to be my boyfriend?" He responded with, "Of course!" I must say it wasn't very romantic or anything but that's ok, it was the perfect end to a really fun night. So at long last, after 1 year and 9 months of being single I am officially taken, and I couldn't be happier.
That morning I went back to the conference and met up with some friends for dinner, then visited Eric at the Domain prior to driving home in an effort to avoid traffic. This weekend has been fun, but tough as Eric has been working and studying for an exam he has Tuesday so I haven't seen much of him. Luckily tonight I am meeting him for coffee and I am going to work while he studies, but at least we will get to see each other.
Interestingly enough I am Eric's first boyfriend so I think he is equally excited about everything, and as I said I couldn't be happier and I'm anxious to see how things pan out.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
How to deal
So today was one of those rare days where I was able to spend a lot of time to myself. I worked later than usual but came home to a quiet and empty house. I put on some music and made dinner. After dinner I watered the grass and gave the downstairs a good thorough cleaning. All of this stuff may sound mundane, but it really gave me some much needed alone time.
The past however long has been difficult for me. I really can't explain why, or even how long ago it started. I've been increasingly antisocial, easy to anger, and somewhat selfish. Whether it stems from the constant disappointments I've faced trying to find the right guy, or the fact that I'm officially in the working adult world I can't say. One thing I have discovered though is that we are only here for a relatively short amount of time and life is much too short to spend it as I had been.
It's safe to say the catalyst in all of this has been Eric, but it could have just as easily been someone else. I've felt like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders when we kissed for the first time, and since then I have been able to see things much clearer now. One thing I hope to take away from wherever things with Eric are headed is how to deal.
In my earlier college years I was faced with stress that at the time seemed unimaginable. I was working two jobs, playing in the Longhorn Band, taking 17 hours per semester, and not to mention commuting 45 minutes each way to and from campus every day while living with my parents. It was sometime early on during my sophomore year that everything came crashing down and I just broke down at home crying. My parents were out of town and I was alone, no one around and no one to talk to, the weight of being in the closet and wishing so hard to be straight didn't help either. Coming home every night after 10 pm to heat leftovers in the microwave and go to bed, only to wake up at 6 a.m. and do it all over again...it was no wonder things weren't going so well. All of this led to me finding ways to relieve stress at small increments throughout the week as opposed to letting it build up until I exploded. I would catch short cat-naps in the music building and dream to the collage of sounds creating a symphony around me from nearby rehearsals. I would sneak off or skip a class from time to time and find a piano somewhere to pound out some aggression. Needless to say I no longer have those luxuries.
I think I have finally figured out how to adjust to losing my usual outlets. To many it would seem quite obvious, but it simply wasn't until today that I realized it. Friends. DUH!
I must admit that yesterday was a very rough day, this whole week really has been pretty hectic. I was really upset over a lot of things (mostly work related), and I really needed a break from everything. Eric called at just the right moment it seemed and invited me over. I honestly didn't feel too keen on driving up to see him, but I did anyway and once I saw his adorable post-wisdom teeth surgery swollen face everything else just seemed to float away.
I guess today though is when I realized it isn't necessarily just Eric. Countless times others have provided the same escape (mainly Nathan but many others), and it became obvious that I really need to be there for my friends more. I have spent the past god knows how long systematically distancing myself from my friends because I felt as though my life was becoming stagnant and I wasn't meeting anyone new or doing anything new. This has obviously backfired, and I now know never to try that one again. Eric said to me today (and I won't go into the back story) that friends are one of the most important things to him and he holds them as one of his top priorities. I used to be that way, and I am definitely going to re-align things to be that way again.
So that being said, how to deal with life's problems, challenges, disappointments, and stresses is to grab those close to you and hold on like it's a airplane plummeting out of control, because in the end it's those we love that matter most and everything else ceases to matter.
The past however long has been difficult for me. I really can't explain why, or even how long ago it started. I've been increasingly antisocial, easy to anger, and somewhat selfish. Whether it stems from the constant disappointments I've faced trying to find the right guy, or the fact that I'm officially in the working adult world I can't say. One thing I have discovered though is that we are only here for a relatively short amount of time and life is much too short to spend it as I had been.
It's safe to say the catalyst in all of this has been Eric, but it could have just as easily been someone else. I've felt like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders when we kissed for the first time, and since then I have been able to see things much clearer now. One thing I hope to take away from wherever things with Eric are headed is how to deal.
In my earlier college years I was faced with stress that at the time seemed unimaginable. I was working two jobs, playing in the Longhorn Band, taking 17 hours per semester, and not to mention commuting 45 minutes each way to and from campus every day while living with my parents. It was sometime early on during my sophomore year that everything came crashing down and I just broke down at home crying. My parents were out of town and I was alone, no one around and no one to talk to, the weight of being in the closet and wishing so hard to be straight didn't help either. Coming home every night after 10 pm to heat leftovers in the microwave and go to bed, only to wake up at 6 a.m. and do it all over again...it was no wonder things weren't going so well. All of this led to me finding ways to relieve stress at small increments throughout the week as opposed to letting it build up until I exploded. I would catch short cat-naps in the music building and dream to the collage of sounds creating a symphony around me from nearby rehearsals. I would sneak off or skip a class from time to time and find a piano somewhere to pound out some aggression. Needless to say I no longer have those luxuries.
I think I have finally figured out how to adjust to losing my usual outlets. To many it would seem quite obvious, but it simply wasn't until today that I realized it. Friends. DUH!
I must admit that yesterday was a very rough day, this whole week really has been pretty hectic. I was really upset over a lot of things (mostly work related), and I really needed a break from everything. Eric called at just the right moment it seemed and invited me over. I honestly didn't feel too keen on driving up to see him, but I did anyway and once I saw his adorable post-wisdom teeth surgery swollen face everything else just seemed to float away.
I guess today though is when I realized it isn't necessarily just Eric. Countless times others have provided the same escape (mainly Nathan but many others), and it became obvious that I really need to be there for my friends more. I have spent the past god knows how long systematically distancing myself from my friends because I felt as though my life was becoming stagnant and I wasn't meeting anyone new or doing anything new. This has obviously backfired, and I now know never to try that one again. Eric said to me today (and I won't go into the back story) that friends are one of the most important things to him and he holds them as one of his top priorities. I used to be that way, and I am definitely going to re-align things to be that way again.
So that being said, how to deal with life's problems, challenges, disappointments, and stresses is to grab those close to you and hold on like it's a airplane plummeting out of control, because in the end it's those we love that matter most and everything else ceases to matter.
Monday, September 01, 2008
There's something in the water
I don't know what happened, nor do I know why. It seems as though suddenly everything has been turned upside-down this weekend, and I definitely do NOT mean that in a bad way.
Earlier this week I got a friend request on Facebook from someone that I had seen a few times out and about. I must admit I already knew his name through a mutual friend and thought he was just the cutest thing since puppies were invented. My first thought was...wow, what have I done to suddenly warrant getting attention from this guy? Come to find out we had apparently met. Let me start by saying I don't actually remember this, but apparently a few weeks back at the club I was incredibly drunk and went up to him and his group of friends, put my arm around them and said, "HEY WHAT HAVE Y'ALL BEEN UP....oh wait, I don't know you...hi I'm Rob."
Anyway a few short conversations were had over this past week and thursday night I saw him and his friends out at the club. Introducing myself for real we talked a bit but I am like a ping pong ball at the club, there's always so many people there that I know I bounce around and am never in one group for very long. At one point during the evening I jokingly, when offered a drag of his cigarette, suggested a shot gun. We laughed about it but nothing came of it. We exchanged numbers that evening and I went home to get some sleep before work.
The next day at work was fun. Laura had her birthday lunch at Hula Hut and I took off early to get a haircut at my fav salon with my fav stylist. I now remember why I pay her $45 a cut! she's AMAZING!!!!! Overall it had been a great two days. I had one of those rare nights out where the club was enjoyable and things seemed to be shaping up.
That evening after my haircut I met up with Nathan and had lunch with a great group of friends. One of which I will miss terribly when he moves to Seattle. I wish him the best of luck in his new adventure! After dinner we made the trek back down south and spent some time at Alex's place listening to music and just hanging out. It was around 10:30 when Eric called wanting to go get coffee, I must admit it wasn't a difficult decision...and it turned out to be the best date I've been on, albeit completely impromptu. After the date he sent a text saying, "I still owe you that shotgun." I laughed and complained that I had missed a great opportunity and he assured me that saturday would be another chance.
I spent saturday out on the lake for Splash with Jack and some friends. It was a lot of fun but the akward flirty attitude my ex boy friend showed toward me had me confused and a little put off. Needless to say it was still fun despite that and the day wasn't over yet. After the lake I went home and napped, called Eric, and asked him to Carter's party with me. We arrived and it was nothing short of an amazing time. At first I was reluctant to go but Carter really out-did himself and threw one hell of a shindig this time around. It was about half-way through the evening when suddenly I found myself in a small group talking to people and next thing I know, Eric and I are looking at each other and then we kissed. After a while I began to feel as though an audience had formed and amidst the laughing the pointing We stopped and looked at each other and laughed as well.
After the party I walked him to his car and we talked a bit more. He said he couldn't make the lake on sunday and had to go home to San Antonio after work for their family BBQ. We decided another date was in order and that monday when he gets back to town we are going out for dinner and a movie. I'm so very excited.
I simply don't know how this weekend could get any better. There was a brief sad moment when I found out that my roommate and his boy friend are splitting up. I was so upset that I almost cried because I really truly love both of them. After finding out they would remain friends I smiled and told Austin I was relieved. He seemed at least content with the situation, but I'm sure it must hurt. I'm just glad they are going to stay friends (or at least try) and I will still get to hang out with James, because frankly I think he's just awesome.
I don't want to get too much into this because I don't want to jinx anything but tonight my bestest friend Nathan seemed to have a really great night and I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.
All I can say is I'm looking forward to tomorrow right now. My ENTIRE mother's side of the family is in-town because of Hurricane Gustav so I am going home to visit and give my mom and dad their birthday presents. It's funny I had five birthdays in four days to celebrate between my parents and coworkers...lol. Before that I hope to go have breakfast with Nathan and some other friends at Alex's house, and then it's date time and I'm really hoping this one goes as well as the other's have...although frankly at this point, my weekend couldn't possibly be any better.
Goodnight everyone.
Earlier this week I got a friend request on Facebook from someone that I had seen a few times out and about. I must admit I already knew his name through a mutual friend and thought he was just the cutest thing since puppies were invented. My first thought was...wow, what have I done to suddenly warrant getting attention from this guy? Come to find out we had apparently met. Let me start by saying I don't actually remember this, but apparently a few weeks back at the club I was incredibly drunk and went up to him and his group of friends, put my arm around them and said, "HEY WHAT HAVE Y'ALL BEEN UP....oh wait, I don't know you...hi I'm Rob."
Anyway a few short conversations were had over this past week and thursday night I saw him and his friends out at the club. Introducing myself for real we talked a bit but I am like a ping pong ball at the club, there's always so many people there that I know I bounce around and am never in one group for very long. At one point during the evening I jokingly, when offered a drag of his cigarette, suggested a shot gun. We laughed about it but nothing came of it. We exchanged numbers that evening and I went home to get some sleep before work.
The next day at work was fun. Laura had her birthday lunch at Hula Hut and I took off early to get a haircut at my fav salon with my fav stylist. I now remember why I pay her $45 a cut! she's AMAZING!!!!! Overall it had been a great two days. I had one of those rare nights out where the club was enjoyable and things seemed to be shaping up.
That evening after my haircut I met up with Nathan and had lunch with a great group of friends. One of which I will miss terribly when he moves to Seattle. I wish him the best of luck in his new adventure! After dinner we made the trek back down south and spent some time at Alex's place listening to music and just hanging out. It was around 10:30 when Eric called wanting to go get coffee, I must admit it wasn't a difficult decision...and it turned out to be the best date I've been on, albeit completely impromptu. After the date he sent a text saying, "I still owe you that shotgun." I laughed and complained that I had missed a great opportunity and he assured me that saturday would be another chance.
I spent saturday out on the lake for Splash with Jack and some friends. It was a lot of fun but the akward flirty attitude my ex boy friend showed toward me had me confused and a little put off. Needless to say it was still fun despite that and the day wasn't over yet. After the lake I went home and napped, called Eric, and asked him to Carter's party with me. We arrived and it was nothing short of an amazing time. At first I was reluctant to go but Carter really out-did himself and threw one hell of a shindig this time around. It was about half-way through the evening when suddenly I found myself in a small group talking to people and next thing I know, Eric and I are looking at each other and then we kissed. After a while I began to feel as though an audience had formed and amidst the laughing the pointing We stopped and looked at each other and laughed as well.
After the party I walked him to his car and we talked a bit more. He said he couldn't make the lake on sunday and had to go home to San Antonio after work for their family BBQ. We decided another date was in order and that monday when he gets back to town we are going out for dinner and a movie. I'm so very excited.
I simply don't know how this weekend could get any better. There was a brief sad moment when I found out that my roommate and his boy friend are splitting up. I was so upset that I almost cried because I really truly love both of them. After finding out they would remain friends I smiled and told Austin I was relieved. He seemed at least content with the situation, but I'm sure it must hurt. I'm just glad they are going to stay friends (or at least try) and I will still get to hang out with James, because frankly I think he's just awesome.
I don't want to get too much into this because I don't want to jinx anything but tonight my bestest friend Nathan seemed to have a really great night and I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.
All I can say is I'm looking forward to tomorrow right now. My ENTIRE mother's side of the family is in-town because of Hurricane Gustav so I am going home to visit and give my mom and dad their birthday presents. It's funny I had five birthdays in four days to celebrate between my parents and coworkers...lol. Before that I hope to go have breakfast with Nathan and some other friends at Alex's house, and then it's date time and I'm really hoping this one goes as well as the other's have...although frankly at this point, my weekend couldn't possibly be any better.
Goodnight everyone.
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