The Homo-ignorant

I mentioned on this blog that a guy in a group who went with me on a group motorcycle ride on Sunday made a comment about my tall boots and leathers, asking if I were trying to be a fashion statement. I told him, “I am very comfortable.” He said, “okay” and didn’t say anything else… at that moment.

But later at another stop on the ride, he couldn’t let it go. He made several “homo-ignorant” statements…
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Longest Ride of the Season

Posted: 6:00pm Sunday, September 15, 2013.

All week, I worked to clear my Sunday to be totally free of chores and other things I do to look after my senior pals. I did my visits, trips to the grocery stores, and worked on home maintenance all week, including all day yesterday.

Today (Sunday) I pulled on my biker leathers, tall boots, and gave myself a treat —
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Pay Stub: Married

I continue to see changes occur due to my relationship status change to “married”. My pay stub (actually, a “pay advice statement” indicating what I was paid in salary and what was taken for deductions before the pittance of a remainder is direct-deposited into my bank accounts) now says, “Status: Married.”

Woo-wee! My withholding for Federal and State taxes actually went down, too, making my take-home pay a bit larger. I now am considering how to reallocate what’s left over to various deposit accounts. But first, pay ME!
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Most Uncomfortable Biker Boots

DoubleHHarnessbrown03Readers of this blog and my website know that I have a rather large collection of boots. I wear boots every day, sometimes several pairs each day, depending on where I am going, what I am doing, and what mode of transportation I will use to get there. I am a strong believer in motorcyclists wearing appropriate BOOTS while operating a motorcycle.

In my decades of boot-wearing, I have tried and have worn many dozen, if not hundreds, of different brands and styles of motorcycle boots. For the most part, boots are boots and if fitted properly, are generally comfortable enough to wear while out on the bike.

However, there is one particular brand/style of boots that, in my opinion, are awful. I mean, a-w-f-u-l — as far as comfort goes.
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Benefits of Backyard Sanctuary

PondspouseI have mentioned on this blog that my spouse and I worked for eight weeks to build a waterfall, pond, and patio in our back yard forest retreat this summer. This was a labor of love that I wanted to see happen for my spouse, who so enjoys sitting quietly in the forest while watching the birds, squirrels, rabbits, and now frogs… sing, scamper, jump, and swim/hop.

And in so doing, we saved at least US$7,000, I lost 16 pounds, and both of us achieved nirvana. Here’s how we did it.
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Sage Advice to a Cop Coming Out

This is the last of a three-part series about a cop and his firefighter boyfriend who want to be more open about their relationship and sexual orientation, but have concerns considering the male-dominated paramilitary professions each of them have chosen and work in.

In case you missed the previous posts, read:

So what words of sage advice did I give these guys?
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Then and Now

Building on my post from yesterday, “Being Gay in a Masculine Profession,” I was asked for advice about how to reveal one’s sexual orientation with co-workers who are in a job that is ordinarily considered hierarchical and where male bravado, dominance, and position in relationship to the perceived Alpha Male social norms of the working environment are the custom.

Tom, a motorcop, and Chad, his firefighter boyfriend, are in their mid-30s. They were introduced to me by a friend of mine who thought that since I am gay and am comfortable about being out at home and at work (heck, I’m married after all!) that I could give advice to these guys.

I began with “then and now.”
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