I wear boots every day — to work, at home, in the community. Here are the boots that I wore during the past week:
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Monthly Archives: May 2014
Wish for Aggressive Pakistani Vendors
My personal wish for visitors to my website from Pakistani vendors is…
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Boot Sizing
Chippewa Hi-Shine boots with added mid-sole and lug sole
Their questions have asked,…
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Bad-Ass and No-Boot Brainless
This past weekend was Memorial Day, a holiday in the U.S. to recognize those who have died while serving in the military and to decorate their graves — thus the earlier holiday name of “Decoration Day.” It goes back to the U.S. Civil War.
It is also a weekend when hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists put on their leather vests depicting their affiliation, club, military, or veteran’s organization and descend on Washington, DC,…
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A dopo, mio fratello
Yesterday, Monday, I had the sad experience of driving my twin brother back to the airport for a long flight for him to return to his home in Italy. He has been here for one week … and, as usual, I could not have survived without him.
Words cannot express…
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Guest “Cop”
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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Boots of the Past Week
Following is a chronicle of the boots I wore during the last week. That’s me — always booted, even when briefing high muckity-mucks!
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Blog Milestone: 2000
According 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.
This 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.
The 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
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
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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