Monthly Archives: April 2008

My guy won!

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It was a close race, but my guy won the primary election yesterday. Pictured, there I am at the victory party looking at election returns on the web.

A lot of volunteers put in many hours of hard work, which paid off. My guy won out over special interest funding that attempted, but didn’t succeed, in buying the position.

I’m very happy, though very tired today. I was out until 10:00 last night! That’s very late for me. I turn into a pumpkin usually by 8:30 or 9.

Tonight will again be a late one — I have the pleasure of attending a national awards dinner where my dear friend who was in a county elected position and who died on Feb. 1 will receive a big award being bestowed up her posthumously. I am driving her family to the event tonight and celebrating with them. Her husband is the one who won the primary election yesterday to carry out the term and fulfill the vision of what us community activists wanted our elected leader to accomplish.

Hmmm… perhaps I can go to bed early tomorrow night. I sure hope so. I’m draggin’.

Boots on the Ground

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These boots have hit the ground runnin’ already this morning. Today is the day of a primary special election, to select the Democratic and Resnubrikan candidate for a local county commissioner seat. Very sadly, a dear friend who was in that position died on February 1, and now they have to have an election in our district to fill the position. She can never be replaced, but hopefully, her husband on whose campaign I have been working so hard will win the primary. He will see through the work she promised us would be done this term. (The R-people have no chance to win the election; they’re outnumbered about ten to one, so the D who wins the primary will will then general election which will be held in four weeks.)

I really debated what boots to wear. I’ll be on my feet most of the day while electioneering and escorting seniors to the polls. So, these are they! Chippewa Engineer Boots, all cleaned up. (They had encountered some mud a few weeks ago, oops.) I have on two pairs of socks for add to the comfort these boots already provide. Jeans over, though. While I am a proud Bootman, I don’t stick ’em in people’s faces. Wish us luck!

Weekend snugglin’

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Friday night, my partner turned off his TV, I turned off my computer, and we just cuddled quietly in our basement. It’s nice sometimes to sit in peace and enjoy each other.

I’ve been so busy lately with the final sprint to election day on Tuesday (I’m working a lot on a friend’s campaign) that I’ve hardly been home or had time to reconnect with my partner. That’s why Friday night was so much needed — for both of us.

Saturday morning, we awoke at sunrise, and snuggled some more before we began our day. We had a really busy day, and our work made us really tired. But once again, we just snuggled some more for a while before going to bed. This is important time for us, and is a way we demonstrate how much we care for one another.

Sunday morning, we awoke once more at dawn. We marveled at the trees outside our bedroom window, whose leaves are emerging. The window was slightly open, so we heard the birds singing sweetly as well. It was special just to hold one another while listening to the morning’s symphony before getting up.

Life is short, wear your boots! Hold those you love close.

Small town feeling in rambling ‘burbs

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I live in a rather densely populated suburban area. I live in a county and there really aren’t that many incorporated cities, towns, or ‘burgs where I live. Thus, I’m just part of the rambling sprawl that typically happens outside the core of any major city anywhere in the world.

I’ve blogged before about having friends who I have met on-line, but I haven’t mentioned the friends I grew up with. You see, even though I live in a sprawling suburban area where anonymity is more the rule than the exception, I still keep in touch with many dozen friends I have known since I was a kid. Many of them settled right here, and now have families of their own. I’ve also maintained close friendships with some people with whom I went to college and served together on campus activities. In adulthood, I expanded my network of friends through all of the community activism that I do, boards on which I serve, people I help out from time to time in a neighboring retirement community, and other activities.

Being one person in a county with almost 1,000,000 residents can seem daunting, distant, and make one feel isolated. However in my case, that really isn’t the story. I know hundreds of people. I see them on the street, in local stores, and while I’m riding my Harley. A friendly wave, a phone call, an email, … they’re there, I’m there, and we’re in this together. I feel that my large sprawling community is much like a small town in many ways with the degree in which we’re connected.

I am truly blessed by having many friends — some for as long as 47 years, and many for as long as 40 years, avg (and I’m “only” 50). Much like friendships that develop in small towns. People you know and remain close to for a long, long time. What a treasure.

Life is short: wear your boots. Love your friends.

The Mind Is The Second Thing To Go

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And I won’t say what the first thing is that goes as one ages. I forgot.

No, seriously, I just had a very amusing moment. I’m sitting at my computer typing away, answering email after email. I feel the boots on my feet, the shafts on my legs. Well, being a Bootman, that’s not unexpected.

However, as the view of my feet is blocked by my keyboard, I couldn’t remember what boots I had on my feet. I remembered going into my boot closet this morning and getting out a pair of boots that I haven’t worn in a while. I remember walking to the office from the subway and thinking to myself, “nice boots, they’re comfortable.”

But I’ll be ding-danged if I can remember what boots I’m wearing. Hmmm, blue shirt, black pants. So I must have on black (or grey) boots. That narrows down the 127 pairs to about 70. And I remembered that I picked out today’s footwear from the cowboy boot closet, so I’m narrowed down to about 40 pairs.

But that’s it; that’s as far as my memory takes me. I just don’t know what friggin’ boots I have on my feet.

Oh heck, it’s no fun getting old. If [ahem] is the first thing to go, and the mind is the second, I’m really worried what the third might be!

Oh well, Life is short, wear your boots! (even if you can’t remember which pair they are!)

Boot Beauty

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While stock Dehner cop boots are not very good (the quality of the plastic material from which they are made is crap), I still admire how gorgeous they look. I see a pair of talk black beauties like these on a leatheman or a bike cop and just can’t quit staring. I booted up in these tall black stock Dehner boots that have taps on the foot and heels recently, and just admired the view. A few raindrops beading up on the waxed calf, ummmmmm. What a nice sight to behold.

Joy II

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I write today again about joy, and the joy that sincere friendship brings to me. How I am enlightened, learn, and laugh with a great friend who I met through “Boots On Line” (a website where guys who are into boots like me exchange messages and share non-risque photos.)

This friend is a very warm-hearted soul, and smart as the dickens. He is a CPA by profession, and a well-rounded, well-read man by practice. I have learned a lot from him and look forward to many more regular exchanges (mostly by email) in the years to come.

What I treasure about this friend is that he is nonjudgmental, very willing to share his knowledge and expertise about things that I love to learn about, and that he’s dependable, reliable, and exceptionally trustworthy. I know, it sounds like I’m describing the proverbial Boy Scout. My friend wouldn’t be accepted by the Scouts because he’s gay; but that’s another story.

I value most that my friend has had a partner for some 20 years, and he, like me, is faithful and monogamous with the man in his life. It is quite possible to have friends and admire them deeply, yet not compromise your commitment to your partner. My friend does that, and respects that I do that too.

What joy, what blessings, what great treasure I have. Now, I’m humming in my head, the tune by Andrew Gold, Thank you for Being a Friend. (This friend in particular is musically-oriented, so it’s quite appropriate now that I close with this tune in my mind).

Life is short, wear your boots, but most of all, love your friends!

Joy

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I realize that I am truly blessed. I have a wonderful, steady, reliable, and best friend in my partner. I have a great family, the huge raucous bazillion of ’em. What blesses me more is having a few but truly great friends.

Pictured with me here is my buddy, close friend, and gorgeous man, AZLeatherExplorer. He has some pics posted on my website, at his request and my delight.

This man is such a wonderful human being. He has a terrific sense of humor, warm empathy, and is so honest that the vast majority of others can learn from his integrity. What I love most about this man is his heart. He cares so deeply about his family, and goes to great lengths and expense to show it. He demonstrates his love in many ways to many others. I am truly blessed to have him as one of my closest, dearest, friends. What a treasure it is to know someone so special. God has brought us someone who lives in His light, and who shares the joys and pleasures of His love with us through all that my buddy does for me, for his family, and for everyone he encounters.

Harness Boots Rule!

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I just spent a few days in Pittsburgh for a meeting at which a number of bikers attended. It was interesting, with about 600 men and about 100 women in attendance. They came from the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S.

Half the men wore sneakers. Yuck. About 10% wore shoes. Yuck. The remaining men wore boots — and almost without exception, they were wearing black harness boots. Most of the boots were of the Harley brand, but there were others in the mix as well.

Of course, there were leather vests with pins and patches galore, myself included. No other leather anywhere to be seen.

We stayed at my partner’s mother’s home. My partner is hanging on for a few more days while I got a ride back in a car with some friends. I didn’t ride my Harley up there — the weather was unsuitable and the ride a bit too long for me. Plus, my partner can’t ride as my passenger at the moment, so it was just as well that I got a ride up there with him in his car. I’m glad to be back home.

No Bull!

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I have found that Nocona cowboy boots are equally as comfortable as Dan Post boots, so while figuring out how to use an expiring coupon at BootBarn, I picked up these Nocona Bullhide Cowboy Boots. Bullhide is a really rough leather, and can take abuse if encountered. These are just plain ol’ cowboy boots that I’ll wear for just knock-about wear. The leather upper is soft calfskin, and while you can’t see it, the shaft has a deep dip scallop, which feels nice on my legs.