Return T’werk

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I took another day off on Sunday … almost. I began the day with a warm snuggle with my hunky partner, and thanked him again for everything he did to make me feel comfortable on Saturday. I got dressed, and because it was cold, I wore full leather — leather jeans, long-sleeved shirt, and Chippewa Hi-Shine boots. Just because I felt like it.

I prepared a great home-made waffle breakfast with all the trimmings for my wonderful man. I still wasn’t very hungry, so I just had some orange juice and a little bit of waffle.

After breakfast, I headed over to my aunt’s home to pay some bills for her. She asked me to take her to the Italian store to get some canoli that she wanted on a whim. I really didn’t want her to sit in the truck with me while I am still coughing and sneezing, and I didn’t really feel up to driving 10 miles just for some canoli. I told her that I would make her some home-made canoli later this week, and she said that she could wait.

I then did our weekly grocery shopping with my partner. My partner suggested that we ask the store’s bakery specialist for some canoli, and I was pleased that she was able to make some for us on-demand. Saved me a lot of time and trouble, though I would have been happy to do that when I was feeling better.

After dropping the canoli off to my aunt and enjoying making her happy and bringing a smile to her face, we came back home. We unloaded our stuff, and I prepared a light lunch for my partner. I still wasn’t hungry, so I had some juice.

After that, I piddled around. I began doing tax work, sending out 1099-MISC forms to private contractors who have done work for various organizations and companies for which I am responsible. I visited a neighbor’s home who is the Treasurer of our homeowner’s association, but other than that, remained inside the rest of the day.

While I was “piddling,” I made some yeast-raised focaccia. After it raised naturally for a couple hours, we applied toppings onto it and baked it. My partner loves his covered with all sorts of fresh veggies. I like mine with just a little cheese, and that’s it. After it’s baked in our very hot bread oven, it comes out crispy, much like a pizza, but without the oil and fat. It made a great dinner. We accompanied it with a small green salad. Nice, light meal, and I was finally hungry enough to eat.

Oh, and did I say that I went to my aunt’s, the grocery store, and my neighbor’s dressed in full leather and tall boots? Do you think anyone said anything? Nope, not a word. Honestly, nobody really cares. One clerk at the store who knows that I ride a Harley asked me if I were riding today, and when I said that it was too cold, she just said, “okay.” … well, anyway, it’s common for me to go around in full leather, and not hear anyone say anything about what I’m wearing.

I return to work today… I think I’ll be up to it. My cold is pretty much gone.

Life is short: wear your boots and leather!

What I Would Like To See At the Inaugural

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Lots of fellow gay bloggers have posted their rants about the choice that our President-Elect made for the clergymember who will give the opening prayer at the swearing-in ceremony.

While looking for an image on the ‘net, I stumbled upon this one. It says it all much better than I could say in actual words. (Courtesy of the Illinois Republicans!)

Lightening the Load

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Upon return from my recent business trip, my cold wasn’t any better. I walked in my door this morning at 12:45am. My partner was waiting up for me. He took my bag, walked me up the stairs, and tucked me into bed.

About 8:00am, he came to me because he heard me coughing. He brought me some cold medicine. He had a pad and pen in his hand. He said, “you always have things planned for the weekend. What do you have to do, and how can I help you lighten the load?”

What a treasure I have in my man. He knows me. He can read me like a book. He definitely can read my mind.

His concern was that I am not over my cold yet, and I have to take a day completely “off.” I had to stay home, rest, and not run myself ragged in doing the things that I do, and also not expose myself to wet and cold weather which could prolong my illness.

I rattled off my list of “gotta do’s.” He took notes. He called a few people and put some things in motion. That’s a big deal — my partner detests the phone, but if it will ease my load…. He took my aunt to the grocery store, which is something he really doesn’t like to do, but if it will ease my load….

My cop tenant took an elderly friend to a doctor’s appointment, where someone strong had to be able to help by lifting my friend into and out of a vehicle, and provide physical assistance in getting to the specialist’s hard-to-reach location. He had planned to do something else, but if it will ease my load….

My sister came over to drop off some (more) chicken soup, and pick up some maps on which I had made painstaking notations. She brought them over to the guy who I am mentoring to take over my position in 2010 so he can “lead the charge” on a current development project discussion that was to be held this afternoon. My sister had planned to spend time with her daughter, but if it will ease my load….

When my partner returned, he made me lunch, and then suggested I relax in our basement. He set up the CD player to play lots of my old favorites, from The Eagles to REO Speedwagon to Steve Wariner to Linda Ronstadt to Anne Murray and more. He turned the lights down low, and got out the afghan that my Mom spent a year making for me, and covered me with it.

I heard the doorbell ring a few times. Some of my “elder buds” brought over a casserole for dinner, plus some treats including cookies and nutless brownies. This was their way to show that they care, and lighten my load a bit — as otherwise, I would fret about preparing dinner.

I could hear water running now-and-then. When I went upstairs later, I saw that my partner had unloaded my luggage, washed all of my clothes, and put everything away.

I have often said, “show those you love that you love them,” and also, “love is something that you get more of the more you give it away.”

I am humbled and very appreciative. I love my friends, my family, and most of all, my man. He shows his love each and every moment of every day. I am so blessed. My load is lightened. I am feeling better — if perhaps not from the cold symptoms, at least from being relieved of some duties that I wasn’t really up to doing.

Traveling with a Code

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Yeah, unfortunately, when my partner came down with a cold earlier this week, I knew that it would be a matter of time before I came down with it, too. Starting Tuesday night, it began. Even though I had a huge bowl of my famous chicken soup, I knew I was “in for it” on Wednesday morning when I awoke completely stuffed up and my eyes were rheumy. By Thursday, it was prime-time. Friday I was a little bit better.

Meanwhile, this blog was set up for auto-posting. That is, I wrote all of my blog posts that you have read on Tuesday through Thursday of this week and scheduled them for future posting, one-a-day. I did that on Tuesday morning. This post was written on Thursday night and scheduled for posting on Saturday morning.

I flew to New Orleans on Wednesday to facilitate a meeting. Facilitation is something I love to do, and have been told I’m rather good at it. However, when you’re all stuffed up, words come out sounding odd, like: “I have a code.” Fortunately, the meeting participants were quite forgiving and understood when I declined to shake their hand — lest I share this cold with them, too.

Fortunately, the OTC meds I took helped, and while I was weak and tired, I was able to function. I was also able to sleep well. The hotel in which I stayed was very comfortable and quiet.

I didn’t go out at night while I was in the French Quarter of the Crescent City. I was just too tired, and I am not a night-owl anyway. That, and the kind of food that New Orleans is known for doesn’t agree with me. I think it is great and well-prepared, and deserving of its international recognition. It just doesn’t agree with me ever since I donated my kidney to my sister and my gallbladder and appendix to (wherever they take those things when they’re removed.)

Since those surgeries, I can’t eat diddly-squat. Especially if it’s spicy, has mustard or alkyloids in it, or has yogurt culture. Or is green, yellow, white, or orange and made of vegetable matter. Or coffee or tea. or CORN — don’t get me anywhere near corn! Popped, fried, boiled, grilled, or raw — corn sends me running. Unfortunately, not much is tolerable these days, especially when I travel. Seems like travel compounds the problems.

One good thing about serving my mother-in-law during her Christmas visit, or coming down with a cold — I lost my appetite, and thus I lost ten pounds without even trying over the last two weeks. I have returned to swimming regularly at the University, which will help me keep the weight off and maybe lose some more. (And don’t lecture me about “healthy eating”: the foods that are healthy cause me to, um, “lose them.” My diet is under a nutritionist’s supervision, so I don’t really need more advice on that front.)

I am practicing better portion control of the foods that I prepare for myself and my partner. I don’t eat out. I pack a lunch every day. I never was one to “go for coffee” at the stiff-the-yuppies shops like Starsucks. I have (so far so good) cut out snacking and my weakness, Coca-cola. Yeah, (R), that high fructose corn syrup isn’t good for me, has made me gain weight, and you’ll be happy to know that my liquid intake has changed in 2009 to water, water, water, and a glass of 1% milk for dinner. And more water. Lots of water. Fortunately, our tap water is pretty good. I’ve got lots of it bottled and drink it all day.

When this is posted, I should be safely back home, nestled in my own bed, snuggled next to my hunky partner, and returning to a routine which will ease me back to good health and eating “normally” again — but with portion control, no snacking, and water instead of Cokes. Let’s see how this goes. Wish me well!

MAL Weather Forecast

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Time is approaching for Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (MAL): January 16 – 19, 2009, in Washington, DC.

Will it rain? Will it snow? Will it be icy? Will the sun shine on MAL and the Presidential Inaugural on January 20?

I’m watching the long-range forecasts. I post an updated “MAL Weather Forecast” on my website, and try to update it daily. Weather during past MAL events has ranged from warm and sunny to wet, icy, and snowy. It really varies.

Typical of the inter-regional climate zone where we are located, tempered by the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic ocean, the Appalachian hills, and the terrain in general — we frequently experience all sorts of weather, and some of it at the same time. It is quite common to have snow in one place, freezing rain a few miles away, and no precipitation just around the corner. Especially during winter. Even though Kansans and Missourans like to claim that they invented the phrase, “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes,” that phrase is applicable in the DC Metro area, too.

My partner and I are considering going to the Hotboots party on Saturday, January 17, from 2 – 4pm at the Green Lantern. Our decision, however, will be last-minute and weather-dependent. If there is anything frozen falling from the sky or on the streets, we’re not going. My partner can’t walk on that stuff, and I don’t want to deal with it. Yeah, okay, call me a “weather wuss,” but I’d rather be safe, warm, and happy instead of cold and wet, and have my partner risk slipping on an icy sidewalk while walking from the Metro station to the bar.

Should the weather be decent, then we will be guided by news reports about crowds. It is very hard to discern between media hype and reality. Though in the nature of my job, I am aware of some of the reality for inaugural event planning; nonetheless, the crowd estimates at any given time of day and on the weekend leading up to the inaugural ceremony are a crap-shoot. Nobody really knows how many people will be in DC during that time until they actually materialize. (Hmmm, now that sounds like Scotty is beaming them over using the Transporter, or that they’re coming from Mars. Well, could be, could be…. Most locals with a lick-o-sense are staying home on Inauguration Day and away from the city for the whole weekend, leaving the crowd-fending to the visitors.)

IF we go to the Hotboots party, that’s the only MAL-related event that we will attend that weekend. We’re kinda “over” attending fetish events, about which I have blogged in the past. Been there, done that, got the t-shirts, the boots shined, and suffered the rants of enough closeted once-a-year leather fetish queens to last a lifetime.

Meanwhile, if you are planning to attend MAL this year, Read my forecast. It may help you in planning, knowing that MAL is right before the Inaugural, where zillions of gape-jawed visitors will be descending on the city. It will be amusing to watch the leather dudes interact with the throngs of other tourists, but that’s for another blog post later.

Uncomfortable Security Uptick

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As I got off the Metro train recently, I observed three young guys in navy blue BDUs carrying rifles watching people as they got off the train.

In the run-up to anticipated crowds before the Presidential Inaugural ceremony on January 20, I knew that there will be increased security throughout Washington, DC, and in public venues like our Metro transit system.

But seeing these guys with their rifles joking with each other, while watching people dash to and from the subway, just made me feel uneasy. I know they are doing their job — and one half of me is glad that they’re there, and the other half of me is uncomfortable. Am I alone in having divided feelings?

I’ve seen men like this before when I have traveled, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In those places, seeing men in uniforms carrying rifles is commonplace. But not here…

I guess I just long for the “good ol’ days” of my childhood, when I remember that you could walk up the front steps of the U.S. Capitol building and go right into it, accompanying visitors from far away places and give a “tour by wandering.” Or go fly a kite on the grounds of the Washington Monument in Springtime. Or, speaking of the Monument, bring coolers and portable grills to the Mall and have a grand picnic on the Fourth of July. (Nowadays, you have to go through a metal detector at designated bottlenecked “check points” and leave the grills and coolers at home.)

Alas, those carefree days are gone, left now with everyone looking over his shoulder for the next bad guy. And the DHS folks are taking credit for the fact that we haven’t had another attack since Sept. 11, 2001. Perhaps so, but I feel now that with all the barriers, protections, and security in place, the bad guys won after all.

WYSIWYG and Confidence

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“WYSIWYG” is an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get.” I was sharing this with a buddy via email yesterday when we were exchanging thoughts about self-confidence.

So what you see in this picture is what you get, or would have gotten (or seen) if you trailed me around on Sunday when I was going about activities in the community. I went to one elderly man’s home to replace a hallway lighting fixture so that it can accommodate a much brighter bulb, so he can see better. I went to another elderly woman’s to replace a hinge on a door that had broken and was preventing the door from closing. I went to a third home to install a grab-bar in the bathtub/shower, so the woman could be safer as she entered and exited to bathe.

And I was wearing Wesco harness boots and a leather shirt. Why? Comfort. Preference. That’s it. (I wore the jeans over the boots. Wearing jeans inside my boots while visiting older folks’ homes to do repairs is a bit “much.” I also didn’t don the Muir Cap. Even this Bootman/Leatherman knows his limits.)

My friend with whom I have been exchanging email further said this: Although the journey of self-discovery never ends, perhaps our confidence in ourselves grows as we age to the point where we care little about attempting to be something that we’re not.

He was referencing how he is feeling about mingling with other gay men, and feeling more confident in coming out as a gay man. I understand that, and appreciate his insights. You know, it’s interesting, but another confident, masculine gay man from the same state has characterized himself as “WYSIWYG” — and he is wonderful to behold. Truthfully, to me, the “what-you-see” stuff is related to outward appearance of self-confidence. (Perhaps boots improve that? I’m not sure, but many feel that a man wearing boots exudes a confident appearance.)

For me, I give a huge tribute to my parents, who encouraged me to be a confident person, starting back in grade school where I was narrator in the second-grade play, in junior high school when I gave a speech to our state’s General Assembly about an issue about which my peers and I were concerned, and in high school when I ran — and lost — then ran again the next year to win a student government position. Same is true through college where I ran and won positions on various student organizations. Continuing to this day, where I serve in various public service positions.

It all comes down to self-confidence. I was a confident guy long before I knew what “gay” meant. I thank my parents and my siblings for instilling that in me. (Guess it’s one good thing about being among the youngest in the family — you have to learn how to stand up for yourself!)

I no longer give a darn about what other people may think about my physique or looks. All that is outside stuff. I am who I am. My parents, family, and true friends taught me that what’s on the inside is what counts most. Further, I see being confident and being gay as independent things, and I am both.

My inside is confident. My outside, is, well: WYSIWYG!

Cure for the Common Cold

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My partner has a bad cold. Poor fella. He’s always washing his hands and following standard procedures of good hygiene to minimize exposure to germs. Nonetheless, he and his mother who was visiting during the holidays both have a cold. I guess they were exposed when they went to the movies.

Sunday afternoon, Guido (our chef) and I spent several hours making our Italian chicken soup — guaranteed to cure everything, including the common cold. Well, I believe that, anyway. Even if a cold isn’t “cured,” the soup sure makes you feel better.

We follow my Nonna’s (grandmother’s) recipe, and Guido posted it on his website, here. Mangi e goda!

Cookin’ Italian

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When it’s cold out and I can’t ride my Harley or spend much time outdoors without freezing my buns off, I like to spend time in my kitchen with my partner and “batch cook.” That is, in anticipation of a busy week ahead, I cook foods that can keep well frozen or refrigerated for the upcoming week. That way, when I get home from work, I can just pop something in the oven to heat up, toss a salad, set the table, and we’re ready to dine well.

Today, my partner and I made home-made ravioli. The photo shows me running the pasta through a roller connected to our KitchenAid mixer. The roller is a special attachment that you can get for the mixer. It works great!

We made three batches of ravioli which freeze really well, and also a lasagna layered with home-made noodles that I had made last week. I made a great cheese mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, asagio, parmesan, and romano cheeses which we used for the ravioli. I had a lot of it left over after making the ravioli, so I thought that we could use the rest of it in a “small” lasagna. The lasagna will make two meals for both of us.

All together, the cost of the ingredients — flour, eggs, cheeses, spices — was less than US$10. For five filling main course dishes for two people, that’s pretty good!

We don’t eat out — not (necessarily) because we’re cheap or because my partner doesn’t like to be around people — but because we prefer to eat in the home we built, and enjoy my creations. I also have a rather strict diet. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that I can’t eat without getting sick. Thus, by cooking my own meals, I can ensure that nothing goes into the food I eat that will make me ill.

The ability to cook was inherited in my Italian blood, and borne out by watching my Nonna (Italian grandmother) and my Mom cook over the years. My Mom’s spirit was with me, too. I say that because every time I see a rainbow cast from a Native American “suncatcher” that my Mom gave to me for good luck in our new house, I think it is my Mom visiting us. Today as I was rolling pasta though the press, my partner noticed a rainbow from the suncatcher on my boots. Thanks, Mom, for visiting, and sharing joy with us in our kitchen as we cooked, laughed, talked, and enjoyed several pleasant hours.

Life is short: wear your boots while you cook!

Vintage Frye Boot Catalogs

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I was going through some drawers yesterday and came across two catalogs for Frye boots. The catalogs were undated, but in doing some research, I found one catalog was produced about 1973 and another in 1975. I scanned the pages from these catalogs and posted them on my website. The company sure could produce a great catalog back in the day!

Vintage Frye boots are really cool. I wore them all the time in high school and college, and still wear them frequently to this day. There’s nothing quite like the original Frye boots.

I learned in my research that the John A. Frye Shoe Company was founded in 1863 in Marlborough (or Marlboro), Massachusetts, and continued to produce their shoes and boots until the company was purchased by Reebok, International, in 1987.

Reebok held the company only for two years. In 1989, they sold it to a British holding company by the name of Hanson Industries. Hanson licensed the Frye name to the Jimlar Corporation, based in Great Neck, New York in 1993. Jimlar bought the Frye company name and assets from Hanson outright in 1998. Boots continued to be made under the Frye name in Massachusetts until 2003, when Jimlar closed the plant, and outsourced bootmaking to China.

Since the manufacture of Frye boots was moved to China, it is my opinion that materials and workmanship have suffered. If you want real honest-to-goodness Frye boots, search using the keywords “vintage Frye boots” on eBay.

Meanwhile, have a look at my old catalogs. Enjoy!