Yearly Archives: 2014

Guest “Cop”

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On Saturday, I was at my mother-in-law’s house. She lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA. I did a lot of maintenance work on her house and landscaping. I tell ya, manually trimming 50 shrubs is no fun, but alas, it got done.

By late afternoon, my chores were completed and I was in her kitchen preparing dinner. Oh — that too. My MIL does not cook any more.

While we were eating, my cell phone rang. I immediately jumped because I remain worried about my spouse, so I thought my brother was calling to report something had gone wrong back home. Nope — instead, it was a sergeant, a motor officer, from the local PD.

“Hey, you want to join me to ride escort tonight?”
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Blog Milestone: 2000

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Post2000According to a behind-the-blog statistical program, this is blog post 2,000. Wow… who woulda thunk that I could have written so much for so long — since January 2008.

MCbootsThis blog chronicles my life and its growth and change with age, as well as the relationship with the man who is my better half — the man I have loved and who I live to celebrate for over 21 years. The blog has described my interest and avocation with boots of many styles, shapes, heights, colors, and designs and how I wear them each day and every day for all activities in which I engage — professional job, home, motorcycling, work and construction, and so forth.

Handsrings01The blog on occasion relays stories about how I feel as a gay man. Not “that gay guy,” but “the colleague, friend, helper, or community leader who just happens to be gay and his spouse is a man.” Our society in the United States as a whole has changed so rapidly, my head spins sometimes… just to think, I’m married. To my man! 20 years ago, today was never.

Read more of my thoughts and feelings about this blog and its topic areas.
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Suited and Booted

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I mentioned in a previous post that my boss and I had a “big deal” briefing to give in downtown Washington, DC, recently. We were presenting to very high-ranking public officials. I am deliberately not saying who we saw or what we were presenting about because internet search engines might pick up on that and drive visitors to this blog, which is not about those issues.

Anyway, it was a unique “Washington-only” opportunity. It required dressing up. Suit, tie, and shiny boots. However, that morning, I rode my Harley to the office. I have frequently blogged about not wearing smooth-soled dress cowboy boots while operating a motorcycle. So how was I dressed and what boots did I wear?
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Accepting That I Can’t Do It All

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I was raised to be self-reliant and independent, confident and secure in knowing what to do. I am a pretty good handyman, and even built (most of) the house in which I live. I cared for two elderly relatives through the respective winters of their lives, one of them quite intensely as she developed, declined, and passed away due to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Over the years, I have accumulated a group of “senior pals” who I look after by doing minor home repairs and taking a few of them grocery shopping each week. This minor form of caregiving is something I enjoy and lifts my spirits.

But in all of my experience in caring for others, nothing really prepared me for what I am dealing with now.
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Headed Back

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Hi, this is BHD’s twin brother J.

As you have been reading between the lines on this blog, my brother’s husband has taken a serious turn for the worse. On Saturday morning while my brother was involved in a community event that he could not cancel, our sister was staying with his husband “just in case.” We are very glad she was there, because by noon, she couldn’t rouse him, then when he finally came to, he could not move. Literally paralyzed.

Our sister called for an ambulance and then called my brother. My brother immediately drove home and met the ambulance as it was arriving. The medics who knew my brother strongly recommended that his husband go to the hospital, because his condition was more than symptoms of his persistent illness. They were worried that it would affect his ability to keep breathing.

With my brother and sister behind them, lights and sirens blaring, they went to their closest hospital. As my sister was driving, my brother called me and broke down, literally. I could hear him yelling at traffic, “we’re with that ambulance! Get out of the way!”

I was glad our sister was there to drive him, because he was not in shape to drive himself. The call ended quickly. I asked him to call me back once he knew what was going on.

I hugged my wife and said, “you know [BHD] would be here if you were in that serious condition, so I am going back home to be with him and try to help out. Allow my brother to get some rest and even go to work, since he can’t take too much time off or risk losing a job that he loves.”

As you read this, I am on a plane somewhere between Rome and Dulles Airport. I was lucky to grab the last seat on a non-stop flight. Another sister will meet me and take me wherever I need to be — either at the hospital or at my brother’s house provided his husband is stable and back at home.

Man, it’s been so rough for my brother-in-law and his very worried, yet patient caregiver husband, my brother. Pray for peaceful recovery.

As my brother would say, “life is short — show those you love how you love them. Be there!”

Job Hunting: Getting Past the Gatekeeper

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For some reason, three people searched this blog recently for information about job hunting, career, and interviewing. Having had experience with job searches, being interviewed, interviewing others, and getting hired for positions for which I have applied, I thought I would write a bit about what I have learned.

First: getting past the gatekeepers, otherwise known as “Human Resources.”
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Romance Remains

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A friend posted a photo on Facebook of some wildflowers that his boyfriend surprised him with. I remarked, “even after 21 years, my spouse still brings me flowers for no specific reason.” I mentioned that to my spouse, and what did I find when I arrived home from work yesterday?
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