funky town

After the official job offer arrived on Friday, I spent the better part of the weekend deciding what to do. Though the position out in California is a great opportunity and a stepping stone into the medical device industry, it does require a relocation to a city that is known to be one of the most expensive places in the country to live. And to be honest, I am just not ready to make that jump. My decision was solidified today when I received a voice message from my 4 year old niece telling me that "Mommy has a little baby in her tummy that will arrive in October". Great news indeed.

Diane

you know it has been nearly two weeks since i have seen the likes of her, but damn if she didn't show up this morning unannounced. let's see if i can piece it all together....

last night i dragged Heyward over to the grand opening of The Glenn boutique hotel. it was a Jezebel event, so everyone was out sporting the most fabulous spring fashions. and porcelain veneers of course. the space is really beautiful and made me feel like i was in south beach except for the 40 degree weather outside. and the real lion sprawled out on the fiery red stage. i thought the circus was last week? the bar was open and pouring on the house, and dj scott anthony threw down some downright groovy beats, thanks to his skills of course and my powered Mackie monitors I let him borrow.

after being bumped into one too many times, we took a tour of BED and then rode the elevator to the top floor to check out the rooftop deck. The bar isn't finished yet, but the panoramic view of the atlanta skyline is breathtaking. The Jezebel suite is gorgeous, and the other rooms weren't too shabby. i really hope this hotel will bring some life to downtown, and i can easily picture spinning an Out & About event this summer on da roof...

after dinner, we rallied Heyward's roommate to join us for drinks at Halo, where I managed to score the newest Brandon Sutton CD. and catch up with dougneal and chrisheard. i guess people just don't go out during the week as the place wasn't too crowded. the music was great as usual, and several overpriced cocktails later, we departed. only to pop over to teen night at wetbar. and let me tell ya, it was like being in alice in wonderland. clans of pocket gays lined the front bar, and dj greg dean was busy in heavy diva mode in the booth. always nice to see a few queens out fiercing on the dancefloor on a thursday night. thankyoudeborahcox.

this morning i woke up sans diane only to hear the toilet flush and see her smiling face appear in the doorway. thank god i am not working today.

Moving into Light

And to think this could be my view.....everyday...


To say that I am glad to be home is an understatement. I have spent the last six days living out of a suitcase in various hotels, apartments, and country inns, and I was very happy to get off the MARTA train at the midtown station last night. until i realized it was raining and I was without an umbrella. plus, my keyfob was buried deep in my suitcase. oh, and I was out of toilet paper. neat.

The trip to California was nice. After a grueling 8 hour interview on Friday, I sped up US 101 North in my metallic blue Pontiac Vibe to the beautiful city of San Francisco. Friday night featured a nice meal at Lavende Lounge on Mission Street. Such a hip and trendy place, complete with a dj spinnin' downtempo lounge music and some of the best lamb burgers I have ever had. It was so nice catching up with Beaux, and meeting his boyfriend Bob that I have heard so much about.

Saturday morning, Beaux and I hit the Castro for brunch and shopping. The weather was cold and rainy, with bursts of sun dispersed throughout the day. I finally found the new Saint Etienne CD I have heard so much about, and even picked up a DVD of the Delta Heavy tour from 2003 featuring Sasha, John Digweed, and Jimmy Van M. We laughed and cruised just about every single guy on the block, including the hotty McHot german guy in the boutique.

We opted for a movie on Saturday night instead of going to "Dirty" at Stud Bar. I can't deny that I was sort of hoping for a night of dancing, but with the early flight it was probably better to have a quiet evening. We saw the new Woody Allen "matchpoint" which was a thriller about love, passion, and betrayal. It was very good.

The early part of this week was spent in Winston-Salem, NC for a training class. I learned a lot, and they took very good care of us, but sometimes you miss the comfort of your own bed. I arrived home last night only to get a message from California. They are ready to give me an offer on the job.......and I have no idea what to do.........

Stars Above Us

Well I am finally back from rainy California. Seems we had identical weather back in Atlanta. Now it is off to Greensboro tomorrow for a training class. Let's talk later this week. There is much to discuss.... 

Now you've lit my fuse

I have never cared for Valentine's Day. all the pink and red felt, balloons, lace doilies, and cheesy cards just make me want to vomick. and why put someone through all of this? i guess some women do find it romantic, but that is beyond me. and then you are chastised should you show up without flowers or a card in hand. I don't know why I feel this way, maybe because the only Valentine's day I can remember was about three years ago and it marked the beginning of the end of my relationship.

so I planned on a quiet night at home. until my cute coworker Jason informed me that he would rather not spend his night at home in Kansas.... I mean Canton. I could only picture him curled up in bed watching Women's entertainment and polishing off a magnum of Yellow Tail. I suggested we grab a bite to eat after work...

So we drove around midtown trying to think of a suitable place to grab dinner, as he was wearing a baseball cap and a t-shirt. we decided to try Atlantic Station, though I insisted that we avoid Copeland Cheesecake crap. we settled for a glass of wine at the bar at CPK. Which was just fine by me as they pour J. Lohr, one of my favorite everyday cabernets. turns out, the majority of the staff at this location are gay, and Bruce and Charles took a likin' to us. So we continued to smile and drink and eat and smile and drink and soon we were full and tipsy. So nice when the bill arrived and it was only $50.

I think one of them told me they used to perform in drag shows at Backstreet under the name "Gender Snap". Then he also told us he hadn't slept the night before and was wondering what we were doing later. That was our cue to leave.

next up: an interview in Santa Clara and a weekend with Beaux in San Francisco.

The city feels clean this time of night

It was so calming to wake up this morning to see the light dusting of snow scattered along the streets of midtown. It sure beats the dreary cold rain any day. And what a great weekend it was. celebrating life with you friends and family is a good thing.

Friday night, an attempt to have dinner over at Atlantic Station ended with a delivery from Domino's. We were hoping to try the new mexican restaurant, Rosa Mexicano, only to find there wait was almost two hours and they do not take reservations. I was a little hesitant to have mexican food so soon after my bad case of "STOMACH" on thursday, but I figured quesadillas were a safe choice. Instead, we stopped by Lobby for a cocktail. I must say it is a nice space but entirely too crowded. and then there was the crowd....diverse indeed. I cannot imagine being a resident at Twelve and having to weave my way though all the people just to get to my condo.

I met the entire family for lunch on Saturday. It was Mom's birthday, as she turned 62 on Friday. I just love seeing my niece, Molly Catherine, grow up. She will be 5 in May and gets cuter every time I see her. It funny, as she now has this shy act when I am around her. So different from the chatty two year old I remember. As I was I trying to make her laugh when she remarks, "Uncle John, you are embarrassing me!"

I managed to have a short nap on Saturday in preparation for Anthony and CQ's birthday celebration that night. The gang gathered at Bazaaar for drinks then on to Eleven50 for Kaskade. I was very excited for this night as he put on such a great "concert" the last time he was in Atlanta. And what a perfect night of music it was. Housey, groovy, with only a hint of progressiveness. The crowd was hot and I really find that Saturday nights at Eleven50 are becoming more and more mixed. He managed to play some of his own production work such as "Steppin Out", "Everything", and "It's You, It's Me" (Thanks to CQ for that request). The highlight for me was Ryan breaking out Freeform 5 - No more conversation. I was floored. Other notable tracks included Soul Central - "Need you now" and ending his set with the Aurora remix of Late night Alumni - "Empty Streets". pure class.

The after party at Springforth was fun. J-Luv threw down a nice progressive-tinged house set and I must say that it wasn't nearly as sketch as some of the gay parties I have attended. In fact, I can report that a certain DJ from Halo might have been getting his groove on into the early morning hours.

Sunday featured a late lunch at Vickery's and several $2 PBR's on tap. Signature time indeed.

Lips like Sugar

I honestly cannot remember a more exhausting week. We have been slammed at work, helping all the Paulding and Putnam county specials with their heart conditions only to have them eat, drink, and smoke themselves into the grave. Thankless work after you spend 50+ hours with the hopes that maybe, just maybe, someone will take some responsibility. I guess you could call it job security...

I did manage to find some time to forget about the moist FUPAs and dental caries. Tuesday night featured a nice dinner with a real cute boy from South Khak-a-Lhaki and Wednesday night I caught up with BJ for dinner at Eats. It was my first experience at this restaurant that I have passed countless number of times on Ponce. I wasn't really impressed, but the lima beans and macaroni were tasty.

Then came another busy day on Thursday. One of the sales reps at work catered lunch from some god awful mexican restaurant and shortly after consuming the beef tacos and refried beans I was ill.... first a continuous heartburn followed by waves of nausea that extended into the evening hours. At one point, I contemplated calling Ardell at Paulding County 911 as I was convinced I was having a cardiac event. On top of that my throat was becoming sore, and I was fearful that I was getting sick. So I jumped into bed and 9.5 hours of sleep later, I felt like a new man.

All I can say is that I am glad the weekend as arrived.