Monday, October 31, 2005

I hung up on you

I really love three day weekends. Even when they arrive unplanned and unexpected. So Thursday night was Supposed to be a quiet evening, you know, the Trevor Project event then maybe a drink at Halo. But when you go out with YogaJason, things can change....very quickly. Back to the Trevor Project. It was a nice crowd (cute and all) but I really expected a higher turnout. By Design is a nice space, but the different rooms provide for a party that is too spread out. I didn't even realize they had started the raffle until half way into it. But the reason we were there is a good one. Teen suicide. One of the speakers shared his experience about coming out in high school and the ridicule he faced. He befriended a girl who turned out to be a lesbian, then years later he finds out that shortly after high school she had committed suicide. Now I don't know what it is like for the kids these days, but growing up in South Georgia, I know it would have been tough for me back then. And many of the schools do not support the Trevor Project, so we must spread the word to kids across the nation that help is there 24 hours a day.

We went by JohnCasey's house for a quick drink then it was off to the opening of the new WetBar. It's real real nice, complete with two revolving dancefloors and a beautiful outdoor patio and garden. It should be nice as we have been waiting for almost 2 years for this transformation. Well, wouldn't you know that I lost track of time and the next thing you know it is 1:30am. Seeing as I was to work early, I made the executive and irrational decision that I would not go to work on Friday. I allot myself one of those "call in sick days" a year, and I hadn't used mine thus far. Let me remind you that Diane loves when you call in sick. So, once I put that behind me, it was off to The Assistant's for a libation or two.

Friday night, I stopped by Jody's for a celebratory glass of champagne. He closed on his new condo at Spire, and I must say that the building is quite beautiful. And I am not jealous...well, maybe just a little. I was sad to hear that a water pipe burst on the 12th floor ruining several units.

I met ChrisHeard, Kelli, and Holger for drinks at Midcity Cafe. Such a hidden gem this place is, and on Friday nights, my friend Jefferson spins house music. This place has sort of become our friday night spot, and we have become friends with some of the regulars in the place. Such a nice mix of straight and gay, and when I say straight....I mean metrosexual and hot. Jefferson's set was nearly perfect, so he invites us over to a house party he was spinning in the Fourth Ward, and we obliged. What a good time. I managed to chat with just about the cutest straight boy who shares almost identical tastes in music as I do. We talked, I smiled, I flirted, and he liked it.

And then there was Saturday. Bret came over sometime after 8pm in a white wedding dress, and I was his date in a lovely blue Tuxedo with ruffles, you know, Italian Wedding Style. The Halloween party was much fun. We met up with Erik, little john, johnbrown, and hottie mcLegs for a little dancin in the schoolhouse. My favorite track at the party had to be "Do I look Like a Slut", and I thoroughly enjoyed dancing to this song with none other than P-Town Barbie. She was wearing a lovely new hair piece. It was a blonde afro with a pretty White bow up on it. Klassy gal she is.

Then we all went back to WetBar to dance a little more. Though the place wasn't crowded, it was real real cute. And when I say cute, I am talking about the boys and not the decor. The highlight was joining Erik and P-Town Barbie on the revolving dancefloor with the extremely hot Italian sailor. Then we all took turns going to the middle to show off our signature move. I somehow forgot to perform "the worm". As I was telling Erik yesterday, Saturday night was nothing but fun.

I avoided all the calls on Sunday to go down to East Purnt' for a Chili and Bourbon party. Honestly, I couldn't think of anything more caustic to put down my esophagus. I mean that is a great set up for a commercial about heartburn. or erosive esophagitis. or whatever. no, I spent the day inside (though it was quite beautiful out). Feelin' a little antsy, I did make it over to The Mayor's for a salad and pizza.

The more I hear the new track by Madonna, "hung up", the more it is growing on me. Sure, people are going to like it simply because it is Madonna, but I really think this album has the potential to score high in the Billboard Charts. Only 15 days and counting.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

My House on the Nile that's right

It never fails that when the seasons change, so do my tastes in music. And with all of the new house music coming out these days, it had me thinking today about my passion of music and exactly where that comes from. Of course, during the summer when the weather is warm and bright, I tend to go for more vocal summery songs, perfect for playing while sitting out by the pool You know, that warm Ibiza feel, with drums and horns and a certain latin flare. I have even become quite fond of Missy Elliot's production work, and there is no doubt that her music is influenced by early rap and hip hop. Then, as the days get cooler, I find myself listening to more progressive house tunes, with driving basslines and beautiful melodies.

Today I was thinking about my breakdancing birthday party I had as a child growing up in Valdosta, Georgia. For such a young age, I was fairly advanced in my drive and passion for music. I mean, how many people did you know growing up that had a party complete with a Jambox birthday cake, professional breakdancers, and groups of young kids dressed up in parachute pants waiting to break out their signature move on the piece of linoleum purchased from Color Tile. As I was flipping through the pictures (I am bringing one in to put on the board at work where you try to guess who the person is), I must have laughed for almost 10 minutes. As completely foolish as it looks, it was pretty damn cool at the same time. Here are a few pictures from that special day.....

Me and my gang from the neighborhood Posted by Picasa

my Jambox cake Posted by Picasa

Me doing "the worm" Posted by Picasa

Monday, October 24, 2005

I ain't afraid of no ghost

Ahh....the weekend. It comes and goes so quickly. Here is what happened....

Friday evening, I joined the group over at Brad and Joel's for a delightful dinner consisting of pork tenderloin, salad courtesy of the Sharley-Turnbulls, and potatoes. Well, I guess they were really big fries so to speak, in both the regular i-da-ho and sweet varieties. Baked of course. The downpour of rain kept us out of the pool and on the porch, but that was fine because I knew that cool weather was on the way. I am with LittleJohn on this one in that I love the cool, crisp, autumn air. Reminds me of my days back at UGA drinkin' Jack and Cokes at 11am at the ATO house on game days. good times indeed.

After dinner, I dropped by LittleJohn's and joined Erik, the Mayor, and HM for a little porch gathering. or was it voyeurism? Not sure, but entertaining nonetheless.

The better part of Saturday was spent on the couch. It was one of those cloudy fall afternoons that made me feel quite lazy. I did manage to watch the GA-Arkansas game and catch up on the usual Superstation 80's films.

Saturday night, I helped Brandon with an event he was producing at Compound. The Coca-Cola company rented out this once scene-and-be-seen nightclub to celebrate the new Aluminum bottle beverage that unfortunately, will not be available in the United States. Makes perfect sense to me, but I'm just saying. Meredith and I worked the "trendsetter VIP list" which was a lot of fun except that the hot security guys could not seem to get the outdoor heaters to work. Luckily, I was dressed appropriately. The front room featured one of the DJs from Hed Kandi so I did have a chance to hear some quality house. Shortly after 10pm, however, things changed very quickly. As we say in health care, "things took a turn for the worse". The music changed to hip hop, the 95.5 the Beat van showed up, and gaggles of overweight girls from Lilburn donning acid washed Palmettos and Nextel two-way radio cell phones strapped to their belts formed long lines to come in and party. I think I may have even seen some flashing necklaces purchased at Spencers gifts as well. I managed to spend some time with Yoga Jason and The Assistant, who was busy hammin' it up on the dancefloor with the girls from the office.

And then there was Sunday. Bret, Klyph, Trey, and I went for a long bike ride down the Silver Comet trail. 20 miles later, were were ready for some food and a beer. We had a pit stop by Bret's for one of his signature Brownies cooked in his new stainless steel oven. Then it was off to Joe's to mingle with the gays. And there were out in full force. Table upon table of them. Every shape and size. The Assistant was in a particularly sassy mood, even going so far as to strut the porch at Joe's as if he were trying out for America's next Top Model. We ate, we drank, and we laughed incessantly, thanks to the brownies of course. At one point I was in tears. Klyph and I decided that a stroll through Blake's was in order, seeing as it was still early and all. And that was real fun. Though I started pounding the Skinnys like they were water and flirting with Daddy McDadderton who I later thought would be fun to hook up with as he is old enough to be my father. Then things get a bit blurry. I remember placing a call to 4th Street with no answer, and finally realized it was time to go. It is always a good feeling to wake up on your couch fully clothed with a half eaten triscuit sitting on your chest. neat. but 11 hours of sleep = no Diane.

Friday, October 21, 2005

And now, for your Friday viewing Pleasure....


Jamie Posted by Picasa
Young Jamie from Survivor: Guatemala. yummy....

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Never a Dull Moment

The past two days at work have been much more than interesting. Very high tooth-to-tattoo ratio in terms of the patients I have treated, fixed, repaired, saved, only to have them mess it up all over again. Quite frustrating, but then again, I guess it is just job security for me.

Yesterday morning brought us 65 year-old Betty Jo from Douglas County. You see, Betty Jo was taken to Wellstar Douglas hospital when she began actin' funny at home, and her astute husband, thought that she might be having a stroke. The CT scan was negative for a stroke, but the ER nurse thought the patients just wasn't acting right. Upon obtaining a more detailed history, brother boy admitted to giving momma some pain pills for a backache. yes, she was simply sedated. Urine tox screen in the ER showed Betty Jo testing positive for amphetamines, barbituates, and opiates. I just love a grandma who likes to party.

Today brought us yet another Paulding County special. Young 41 year-old Christopher is a brittle diabetic with an extensive cardiac and drug history. He suffered his first heart attack at the age of 37 and just didn't see the need in follow up or preventative medicine. He lives with his brother and does not work. He is only able to afford his medicines part of the time, with some help from his family. But he can afford his cigarettes and heroin. He has chronic back pain because he hasn't seen his pain specialist in quite some time. Christopher is still waiting for his disability check. He is also looking for someone to pay for his coronary bypass operation so let me know if you want to make a donation to his fund.

This keeps me asking, "Where do you find these people?"

Monday, October 17, 2005

Have a very blessed Day.....

....as heard from none other than Dorothy Huggins, the Piedmont Hospital cafeteria cashier. And I did have a blessed day, thankyouverymuch. And i am happy to report that there are still no signs of Diane. I think she may be over at Erik's.....just a hunch.

The weather in Atlanta this weekend was simply beautiful. It really reminded me of P-Town. After spending almost 5 hours helping Joel transfer his important files from his desktop to his shiny new laptop, I met Anthony and Kelli at Midcity Cafe. What a little hidden gem this place is. Like a tiny Halo, with very expensive drinks in small glasses with a lot of ice. But the scenery is great, and I mean great. My buddy Jefferson was spinning some house tunes and I was not disappointed.

Dori and I rode our bikes over to Atlantic Station on Saturday to check out the matinee. I was surprised to find that nearly all of the stores are open; Banana Republic, West Elm, Dillards.... And there was no one there.

Saturday night, I went with the Mayor and a few others to the Fancy Pants party. Turns out, the pants I borrowed from johnbrown were a hit. I received many compliments, and the matching shoes and jacket worked perfectly. I think I may have concocted this idea from Stiles Caldwell......

Sunday morning was the AIDS walk brunch at Laslie-Williams. Though the turnout was not as large as in previous years, it seems that everyone had a great time and we still managed to raise over $3000. The rest of the afternoon involved party hopping: Todd's, Hank's house for Tea, then Blake's where the line was out da door. We passed and went to Red Chair which was completely dead. Home in bed by 10pm, unlike some of my friends....

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

I put my hand upon your hip

6:30 came very early this morning as I realized that I had a Nurse Practice Council meeting at 7am. i had to be there, as I am newly appointed to this position and have missed the past two meetings. for good reason, of course, we are simply too short staffed. so i arrived today in the foundation boardroom only to be greeted to about 20 estrogen-infused women. yes sir, i am the only male on this council. and about two hours into the meeting, I realized why it takes such a long time to change any of our policies, procedures, or standards of practice. they simply cannot make a decision....and so they send the issue at hand to these little sub-committees that only meet on the second thursday of the fifth month on even years. jeesh. talk about going in circles. it was exhausting. i got bored and started counting wedding bands, trying to determine exactly which girls had fallen victim to the "single nurse syndrome". was it the 300lb woman to my left in the homemade scrubs who was sweating the entire time? or the cutesy nursing administration gal to my right with the plaid wool sweater complete with matching tights and a full set of veneers? i give up.

on the music front, word is that the "Dub" of Madonna's new track called "Hung Up" is floating away. that is just what I heard. Next gig: Laslie-Williams AIDS walk brunch.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

This Little Light of Mine

This past weekend, I decided to make the long overdue trip to Charleston to visit Becky. I left behind the barbecues and hot tubs, the Greek Festival, and even Wendell's 40th Birthday party that I heard featured several members of the varsity squad as well as a few still in "try outs". It was my first time in Charleston, and I was real real excited. Everyone I talked to in the weeks leading up to this trip had such wonderful things to say about this city. Well, they were right.

The drive up on Friday afternoon was less than fun. It took me well over an hour to make it out to God's country in Conyers. You know, out amongst the enormous strip mall religious institutions that feature slogans such as "God in the Now". Five hours later I pulled into Becky's driveway on James Island. A qwik change later, and me and 5 girls headed to dinner at Blossom. I had the seared tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. After dinner, we had drinks at The pavilion Hotel on the rooftop bar. I felt like I was at a middle aged wedding reception as all the women were real drunk and dancing....very badly. a couple of skinnys later and we called it a night.

Saturday morning we had brunch at Sweetwater and then headed downtown to shop. It was then that I realized what a beautiful city Charleston really is. The architecture, the boys in uniform, the restaurants, the boys in uniform, the shopping, the boys in uniform. you get the picture. We stopped by the Coach store to check out the latest selection of purses when Edward McCuterton helped me decide that I really did need a coach wallet. he was tall and handsome so it was an easy sell. and I am not disappointed.

After a stop by Publix for game day essentials, we came home to watch the Bulldawgs beat Tennessee. A couple of Citadel boys that Becky knows stopped by to watch the game with us and that was just fine by me. Oh if only to be that young again..

Many beers later, we headed out for drinks. funny how that happens. First, we went to Henri's where the guido factor was a bit much so we retreated upstairs to lounge on the plush couches and listen to some live music. I vaguely remember making out with Becky's roommate Amy, shagging with Becky, and thinking that the half eaten plate of hot wings sitting on the table next to me would taste really good right about now. We were later joined by Edward McCuterton and decided that we needed to get our dance on at the gay bar. so we stopped the next random car coming down the street, and the driver, Pat, allowed the five of us to pile into his Accord. Pat was new to town having just moved from Boston. He was real cute and nice, so we invited him to join us for a cocktail at Club Pantheon. and he did.

For the next two hours we danced. Well, some of us kissed. I remember looking over at Amy on the dancefloor as she was "lip locked" with a certain "straight mortgage broker" who just happened to have gone to the gay dance club. Acting as a lady should, Amy didn't ask for his number, but he did enter her info into his Blackberry that was strapped to his hip. neat.

Sunday found us at Mimi's Creekside for a little lunch before I was to head back to Atlanta. The crabcake sandwich was very good but not greasy enough to scare away Diane. So, I made room for her in my car and we rode back to Atlanta together. This time, however, I made the trip in just over four hours.

Monday, October 10, 2005


Becky really enjoyed my definition of "Buford Highway". Posted by Picasa

9 beers during the Georiga - Tennessee game and I still manage to hold it together. Posted by Picasa

The "Piggly Wiggly" family house. Notice statues Posted by Picasa

Becky and Molly Shannon...I mean Amy. Posted by Picasa

Me and Beckyeah Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Love is Gonna Save the Day

The more I hear the productions and remixes put out by the Soul Avengerz, the more I realize their true love of house music. Having been placed in the subcategory of "funky house", this DJ duo out of London has been on the scene for over a decade. It wasn't until recently that their music really caught my ear. Now, they have remixed Georgia Porgies classic house tune "Love is Gonna Save the Day". Though I still prefer some of the earlier remixes of this track, they still manage to incorporate what I call the Soul Avengerz sound. Other remixes I am feeling include the Lisa Stansfield tune "Little Love", Kaskade - Steppin Out, and the now very popular tune by Sex on Monday titled "Bring back the Love". Quality house music in my book. Check out their website.

And now, a few hump day noticements.....

  1. Bravo's new show "Great Things About Being...." has me laughing. Last night it was "Great Things about Being Queer". I particularly liked the top gay bar names. You know, the double entendre names that can be quite catchy. They included The Manhole, Swinging Richards, and Squirt.
  2. Speaking of Swinging Richards, I am digging the new Friendster website. Now you can add up to 25 pictures, and even see exactly who has viewed your profile. Turns out, of the 3 people that have viewed my profile, one included a dayncer from none other than the Northside Ballet.
  3. Three days and counting until I leave for Charleston. Coming back on Sunday, I just wonder if there is a T-Dance, you know, being Columbus day and all on Monday........
  4. Fall weather is on the way and I am more than ready.

Monday, October 03, 2005

I Was Attacked by a Farting FUPA

After reading Erik's blog title today, I found it necessary to share a little story with you. In fact, this story didn't involve a certain patient from Paulding county (where we get most of our bizness', but the cultural elite county of Douglas. Yes sir, out in Douglas County, you see, they can make smoking cigarettes a full time job. They have to because most of these people are "disabled" from their Dyabeetees, or high sugar as some would call it. Others claim they have really bad backs, so they simply cannot work, but they can easily hop over to the procedure table without even a grimace. (they probably don't grimace because they are fully loaded up on Loratabs and oxycontin, but that is another story in itself). Last week, a real real special 'gal from Douglas County came in for a procedure. Now, I couldn't really do a thorough history on her as she was sedated and on a ventilator, so I am not sure of her story. But upon inspection, she had all the signs of a girl who likes to party: badly bleached hair with 2" roots, nicotine stains between her fingers, and a fairly sizeable FUPA. For all the lay folk out there, a FUPA is a term used loosely to describe the area on a woman just below the belly button, but above the vaginal area. It Stands for Fat Upper Pussy Area. This woman had a very large FUPA, in fact, it was so large that the physician had ordered a sonogram earlier in the day just to make sure it wasn't some sort of malignant mass spreading its tentacles throughout her body. As I scrubbed in to prep the patient's groin (where we gain access to the artery in her leg and pass catheters up to her heart), I kindly asked my fellow coworker to tape back her stomach and FUPA. We like to call it a modified "Tummy Tuck". After the FUPA and fat rolls were properly secured, I went about my usual routine of prepping and draping the patient in the usual sterile fashion. `Just to make sure she was draped correctly, I reached down, with double gloves of course, to feel for her pulse in the groin. It was at that moment that the tape holding her FUPA out of the sterile field gave way, and a loud sound resembling someone passing a fair amount of flatus echoed throughout the procedure room. I jumped, turned my head of course as I hadn't properly donned all of my Personal Protective Equipment, ie eye protection, and the large FUPA fell back into its usual resting state. Thankfully, the patient has no recollection of this event as we laughed for several minutes. Only in healthcare I tell you.

Oh, the weekend. What beautiful weather we had. Friday night, Robert and I had wine on my balcony, and then headed over to a gathering in the North Tower of my condo building to celebrate Darrin's new job. It was Friday that I realized that my key fob works in the north tower and I had no idea. The gathering turned into a party, and I was happy because there were cute boys and my CDs were playing in the background. So reminiscent of P-Town I tell you. Somewhere around 1am, Jason, Robert, and I decided to walk down to Blake's for one last cocktail. With only 3 people inside (where was everyone?), we opted for Gilbert's where we ran into Duncan who was real busy chatting up some blond gal. I cruised the token straight guy, but my senses tell me he may go both ways.

With Diane in tow, I dragged Bret with me to lunch with my family at Houston's on Saturday afternoon. I was very excited as I hadn't seen my parents in a couple of months, and was pleased that my sister and niece came along as well. Molly Catherine acted all coy, and I was surprised she wasn't her usual talkative self. I attribute this to Bret being with me. I sometimes wonder if she knows that I am gay. You know, kids know a lot more than they are given credit for.

Saturday night, (Tr)Ashley came over for a drink and we made plans to go to dinner shortly afterward. Well, we decided to dine on wine and skip the big meal. Ty joined us as well as Cliff and Steve after returning from the Elton John concert. We stopped by MJQ for a quick minute where they we playing some funky deep house. The place was empty except for about 5 cute straight Georgia Tech boys. I danced for a minute then we moved on to Blake's where the same tired drag show was taking place. And crowded....we moved upstairs. Ashley, who will go up and talk to anyone, found it necessary to tell my secret crush (and I mean from the Backstreet Days) that I thought he was hot. neat. then I am beckoned over to have a conversation with him....thanks. He was nice enough, and fairly engaging.

Sunday was spent on the couch eating pizza and watching old movies. I got wrapped up in watching "Mystic Pizza" and had forgotten that Ben Affleck was in that film.

Tune of the Day: Ian Pooley - Samo Iluzija (pooleys new mix). This new funky house tune is very reminiscent of Inland Knights and I am loving it.