and then there was evans...... 

mark seib, the assistant, and myself 

Edna and the entire McNaughton family were in attendance... 

anthony, looking great as usual, and a very thin cliff 

heaven holds a sense of wonder

despite being on call Christmas and spending nearly 8 hours doing double FUPA duty, i still managed to make it out to scarietta and spend some time with the family on Christmas day. as you can see, Carter isn't sure if he really likes his new UGA hat. but i had a good time, spent some quality time with Molly-Catherine aka beatrice-elizabeth, and of course enjoyed my mom's cooking immensely. next year, i have made a promise to myself that i will not be on call, which of course means i will [hopefully] be in a new job.

tomorrow night should be big fun. johnbrown and eric are hosting a holiday cocktail party over on 5th street. only this year, i plan on walking to said event and will not make an appearance as Ptown barbie....

 

my visit with becky and her new lover, Andy, was really special. they arrived sunday night and we had drinks at my condo and exchanged gifts. i think she really liked her Borghese gift set, but i was really blown away by her present to me. It is a painting by one of her favorite artists in Charleston, Carol Mcgill. The painting is of the various bridges in Charleston, in the exact colors of orange I have in my condo. (now i have no sense of decorating, so i owe all the credit to her).

we later joined joel and brad over at the H&H ranch, where dinner featured beef tenderloin, gnocci, and joel's signature winter salad. of course, being on q2h feedings, i went back for a second helping. wine was served and we had time after dinner to really get to know Andy. of course i liked him from the beginning as he introduced himself using his first and last name, a subtle southernism that i picked up, letting me know this boy has manners. and becky is so deserving of a handsome, genuine guy in her life. i can't think of anyone more deserving. 

all about potential, dollface

yesterday's outing for wrapping paper was a success, despite all of the procrastinating last minute shoppers. i found exactly what i needed at Target, and let me tell ya, there were gaggles of queens up in there just tearin' it up on some credick cards. oh the gays....

i awoke this morning feeling slightly anxious, craving something with an "X" in it. I'm still on call, and i still have to wrap all of my gifts. plus i have company coming in a few hours so there are toilets to clean. cause' a dirty toilet just announces that you are low class.

for last minute stocking stuffers for the lady on your list , let me suggest a tub of tussy.

you were working as a waitress at a cocktail bar

it seems that the holiday season has kept diane real busy. she made all the rounds in midtown this morning. let's figure out why...

i was really looking forward to my dinner date with Dori last night (she's the incredibly beautiful woman pictured above, by the way). we worked together for years at piedmont and now she works for one of my very good friends at Abbott. after catching up chez moi, we walked over to Ecco for dinner. and after finding out the wait for a table would be well over an hour, we were lucky and grabbed a table near the bar. the food was really good, this being my first time dining at ecco. we had the tuna crudo and mussels to start. they mussels came in a cream sauce with potatoes and leeks and were simply divine. (even better than the mussels at carroll street cafe). and we split the risotto with wild mushrooms. perfect. i love the atmosphere in ecco, it's warm and cozy and very romantic, and i was with the most beautiful woman in the place.

then it was off to Blake's to meet up with friends where it seems everyone was out to celebrate. the greats, the near-greats, and the junior league were all in attendance. even the drag queens (what? at Blake's?), which still make me very nervous. (is there something fundamentally wrong with a large black man dressed in a red feather dress doing a drag number to christmas songs? let's discuss). BJ and yoga Jason (who I must say complement each other so well) were set on getting me and Dori drunk. mission accomplished. thanks.

somehow we ended up at Wetbar (without taking the shuttle) where we were joined by the Mayor and Ty. and I was soon drinking water. you see, i had to work today unlike the other drunks in that place. dori and i left at a respectable hour, walking back to my place in the light rain and crashed. i woke up to diane hitting me on me on the head with one of those plastic fisher price mallets. i left her in bed for dori to entertain.

i'm really looking forward to a quiet weekend. i have presents to wrap (yes, i finished all of my christmas shopping yesterday in less than two hours). Beck-yay comes into town on Sunday and I am looking forward to dinner with her and Andy, her new boyfriend. looking for last minute stocking stuffers, I told mom I wanted a fleshlight. though i don't think you can buy them at home depot.

somewhere along in the bitterness

geez this week seems to be flying by, and i know exactly why. as usual, i haven't finished my christmas shopping. in fact, i think i have only purchased a total of two gifts. sometimes i think i set myself up for this stress, knowing that i do operate well under a short deadline. and the fact that I am on call this entire weekend is enough to make me get this job done by friday. we shall see.

all this and work is driving me crazy. if i have to hear one more person answer a question with a question i may just go postal. I am so sick of hearing "I don't care, I will do anything my team leader tells me." give me a break, are you not an adult and entitled to having an opinion for once in your life? my thoughts of a new job are heavy on my mind, and my mom keeps asking me what i want for christmas. (i finally told her to stop buying me clothes, as she tends to buy me things that my dad would wear. very nice and quite expensive, but I am 31 not 67 and I don't usually hang out at Opus 1. but maybe i should consider it?) so i thought of a perfect gift this year..... a new interview suit. and i am not talking one of those liquidated K&G ghetto suits, I want a nice one....from bloomingdale's.

so wish me luck as i battle the traffic tomorrow afternoon and throw myself into the thick of last minute shopppers desperate to find that perfect gift. But I have an advantage.....and it comes in the form of a list and a xanax.

It's not a problem, cause it was free....

Ms. USA, Tara Conner keeps her crown!!

and i would have stayed up with you all night

I really should have gone with the boys to High Hill Lodge this weekend. shouldawouldacoulda.

Friday night was a lot of fun. after a tiring 14 hour day at work, i made it home just in time to grab my headphones and CDs and head over to Midcity Cafe. and soon enough, the place was packed with over twenty of my friends there to support me. that means so much to me.

this time, Jefferson and i took turns at the decks, each spinning about 45 minutes. he has such an impeccable taste for music, and it really is cool to be able to spin alongside someone who shares such a passion for music. we complement each other.

now what i wasn't prepared for was the telephone conversation with tim on sunday morning. talk about making a 180 degree turn in a matter of two days. here i was thinking that we were having a good time, and to be honest, it has left me very confused. and i may never fully understand. i can only wonder why he would put so much effort and time into making plans with me, texting me, etc only to withdraw completely??

joel and brad's cocktail party saturday night was big fun. the bartender poured the strongest drinks (even when I asked several times for a "light skinny"). soon enough, people were trashed including an ER physician that was giving me the creeps. but it was fun to catch up with my ptown group. and damn if yoga jason didn't look his best!

the boyscout picked me up yesterday and we met bret, trey, and Holly for a late lunch at neighbors. the weather was so incredible that we felt the need to be outside.

cut to blake's.............another story for another day.

I'll Lick your ice cream, and you can lick my lollipop

if you are a fan of Thai food like myself, then you should check out Spoon. located on Marietta Street in west midtown, this relatively new restaurant offers affordable thai cuisine in a really cute and cozy setting.

for starters, the nam tok beef salad comes on a bed of cabbage and purple onion and is really good. last night, i had the pad kraprao with beef which was a safe choice as it wasn't too hot. (i learned last time that I am not really cut out for a 3 chili pepper entree, especially on a first date. sweating at the dinner table is not pretty). if you like spicy, try the spicy mixed seafood. it is excellent but very hot.

if you know anything about house music, then you have probably heard of Sandy Rivera. This Puerto Rican born DJ who now resides in New York began playing records at the young age of 13. Sandy cites his musical influences throughout the years to come from disco, rap, hip hop, soul and pure house music. He has even released records and remixes from several different dj guises including soul vision, the committee, and Kings of Tomorrow. His hit released under the latter name KOT called "Finally" featured Julie McKnight on the vocals and was definitely an Ibiza anthem back in 2001. I even own that classic track on vinyl.

This year, Sandy returns with a new track called "Lollipop" that is nothing short of pure fun. It has that perfect "sassy black girl beat", an element that johnbrown finds essential to getting down and dirty on the dancefloor. call it the "milkshake" of 2006 if you will.

check out a sample here.

when i was a young boy i tried to listen

there are few djs that can really impress me on a regular basis. but Kaskade is definitely one of them. and last night he surely didn't disappoint. we arrived around 11pm only to find out it was the annual Santa pub crawl, and you guessed it, it culminated at Eleven50. as i entered the club i was bombarded by nearly 150 overserved santas in full costume. it reminded me of a scene (or is it nightmare) from A Christmas Story. but as chris robyler remarked, "john, these people are not in it to win". and sure enough, an hour later, me and my posse of 30+ managed to run off the drunken Santas and we took over the dancefloor.

the opening dj, Rachel, was very good, though her mixing was spotty at times. however she did end with an excellent mix of Coldplay - white shadows.

shortly after midnight, Kaskade took over the decks and for two and a half hours he played a fantastic set. it was progressive, it was funky, it was house. and the man knows how to read a crowd. he would play harder and harder, then bring it right back up by throwing in one of his signature remixes such as "everything". his passion for music and love for dj'ing is apparent in his face and the energy that he exudes. This was my 4th time hearing him out and each time has been a unique experience.

I got to spend some quality time with Arjan, and i honestly think he enjoyed the show more than he expected to. :)

best music i have heard out this year without a doubt. Excellent Job Ryan!

Here is what i remember:


Kaskade - stars align
David guetta vs. the egg - donÂ’t let me go (walking away)
Kaskade - be still
Bob Sinclair - world, hold on
Chris lake - changes (dirty south remix)
Eric prydz - proper education
Pete heller - big love (original I think, pure classic!)
Depeche mode - I just canÂ’t get enough
Kaskade - steppin out
Kaskade - in this life
Kaskade - everything (kaskade's big room anthem)
Late night alumni - empty streets (kaskade remix i believe)
Fedde le grand - put your hands up for Detroit
The creeps - freaks (vandalism remix)
Roger sanchez - lost (d. Ramirez lost in rave mix)
Kaskade - itÂ’s you, itÂ’s me (ended the night with this track)
David morales - here I am (kaskade remix)
Aaron smith feat luvli - dancing
Michael gray - borderline
Supermode - tell me why
Milk & sugar - stay around for this
Kaskade - all you (played near the end, i suspect this will be the next single to be released)
Cicada - the things you say
Evermore - itÂ’s too late (dirty south remix)
Toby neal - do you want (my love)

you must not know 'bout me

well it's that time again. the annual Piedmont Hospital kraft bazaar. This year while perusing the endless line of tables of stuff, i counted 37 christmas sweaters. and i mean all kinds, from cardigans, to sweatshirts, to even jazzy little denim dresses complete with bedazzled santas. my how the ladies love to don the holiday sweaters this time of year. i really didn't find many things of interest, except for the butch lesbian with dental caries who was selling CD wallets made out of old license plates. there i was on my hands and knees looking through boxes for a CD wallet with PAULDING county on it. no luck. and i was going to give it to Eric for 'Critmas. i did enjoy her story of spending the entire day in a junk yard yanking these license plates off of old, broken down cars.

this weekend should be big fun. the toy party on sunday is always a great event, and it's nice to see all of gay atlanta come together for a good cause. especially since it provides an opportunity to show off your newest chemise (thanks johnbrown) and jeans from the Diesel corner at Universal Queer. and they were only marked up 20%. what a deal.

y'all be good and have a coke if you're thirsty.

rattle the cage, flicker the light

a wednesday-hump-day-list-of-things-on-my-mind:

*LG - and i'm not talking about the company that makes TVs. though life is good....
*tongue scrapers - an effective treatment for thrush or just simple chronic halitosis?
*the assistant - my what a Big, er, uhm. Tree, yes, Tree you have there. just beautiful
*Dr. Boulden - my future boyfriend, i mean, cosmetic dentist......should i ever need him... *it turns out they want to use some excerpts from my tired blog in a book to be published in Japan for students of contemporary English and American cultures. My only question: Do the Japanese people know Diane???

Is that a geiger counter? Noooo, it's an ionization chamber....

temperatures in the 70's in late November? only in atlanta.

Billy's party in Kirkwood on friday night was really fun. Johnbrown and erik picked me up and we headed to the hood. erik impatiently served as the back seat driver and navigation system all packaged into one. but we did manage to make it unscathed.

His house is really beautiful, but i found the mix of people at the party to be more interesting. a pair of 6'4" gay twins that i haven't seen in years (erik immediately latched onto one of them), a Paraguayan pediatric nurse, and a brazilian spin teacher at the piedmont hospital gym. can you say SAOP mission? the most interesting guest was a pierced guy who arrived carrying a gym bag claiming he was there to "spin". I immediately thought he was my competition, only imagining him whipping out one of those IPOD mixers and a pair of headphones. instead, he was there to spin fire in the backyard. different...yes.

Saturday night, Tim and I had dinner at Mitra. not realizing it was lesbian hour, i made reservations that really weren't needed. I had the seared ahi tuna over a bed of black rice risotto. and he had the organic chicken with asparagus. mmmm......asparagus.

the play over at actor's express, Based on a totally true story, was enjoyable, but definitely not my favorite. it's the story of a playwright and comic book writer who is approached by hollywood to turn his play into a movie. and as the lead character becomes more and more involved with this project, his relationship with his boyfriend suffers. in addition, he also had to deal with his relationship with his parents and their failing marriage. you can probably finish this story....

and then there was sunday. The "gay bike group" (bret, trey, john, kevin, and I) met up in piedmont park and we set off for a spectacular ride. perfect day for one in fact. through the va highlands, over to freedom park, on to kirkwood, and finally stopping for lunch and a few beers at the Universal Joint in Oakhurst. I came home, showered, and was in bed watching Brokeback Mountain at 7:30pm. Now that sounds respectable, don't it???

Caspercorn

the play that i attended last night has had me thinking about the relationships in my own life. more importantly, i often think about my relationship with my sister, and how it has evolved and continues to change every day. growing up, we really weren't that close. she is over five years older than i am, so we really didn't have common interests as kids. (though she did influence me musically so we did share that bond). and it really wasn't until i reached adulthood that the our relationship changed and we actually became friends. now, i can see how our relationship has changed once again. sure i wish we were close like we once were twelve years ago, but our live are very different now. the things that we both once enjoyed doing together are no longer the same. and that is simply something that i have learned to accept. much like my relationship with my parents and their understanding of my sexuality.

i came across an article that my sister wrote some twelve years ago, when she was a copy editor for the local newspaper down in macon, georgia. and it brings me to tears each time i read it.


October 11, 1994

LITTLE BROTHER GROWS UP

now that it's beginning to feel like autumn, i find myself thinking about school (just like i did every fall for 16 years). More recently, my thoughts focus more and more on my little brother.

Well, I don't suppose I should call John little any more - he's at least 6 feet tall and a brand new freshman at the University of Gerogia. That's really startling.

There's this image seared on my brain of my brother when he was about 7: short, skinny, complete with missing teeth, mussed up hair and a mischievous glint in his eyes. It's hard sometimes to reconcile the young college student and the little boy I grew up with.

Suddenly I understand the shocked expression on the faces of relatives I saw only once or twice a year as a child. I know things change and grow while I'm not there to witness it, but I find my self thinking: Are you REALLY you? When did this happen?

But even stranger than that emotion is the way our relationship has evolved in the past year or so. Somewhere during that time we've advanced from the adversarial big sister/little brother
connection to an actual friendship.

I can't pinpoint when it happened, just as I can't say exactly when my parents became my friends instead of authority figures.

John's five years younger than I. When we were little, it didn't make much difference. We'd both wake up early on Christmas morning, check our stockings, then wake up Mom and Dad before checking under the tree. We repeated that ritual every year until we both knew the truth about Santa Claus. We liked catching lightning bugs in the summer and making snow angels in the occasional Stone Mountain ice storms.

Both those five years were a considerable gap once I moved into adolescence and left him in childhood. We weren't affected by the same issues; we didn't have the same concerns. We lost much of our common ground.

Once I went off to college, it seemed like every time I came home John was a different person. He gained three inches on me during the summer of 1991.

I guess it was during his senior year of high school that he first began to confide in me more, and I in him. When I'd come home for a weekend, we'd go to the mall or rent a movie, just like we'd do with our respective friends.

This past spring or summer I'm nor sure, I was home and pining to shop at the new mall in Alpharetta. To my surprise, John, not my mom, was the willing companion. Not only that, he drove. He patiently served as critic. Then, after tolerating being dragged all over the mall, he insisted on treating me to cappuccino. And over the steaming cups we sat and really talked about school, his getting ready for college, about life in general.

It was a really significant moment: On one hand, I had been looking forward to that time for almost as long as I'd waited from him to get tall enough for me to raid his closed. I'd always admired the close friendships friends enjoyed with their siblings.

On the other hand, we were talking about growing up and moving apart and the occasional yearning for the carefree days of childhood. We were close then because we lived under the same roof.

But we're close now because we want to be. So, I think about him in Athens, hanging out at placed I told him to go, studying and worrying about college things. I remember my breathless time of standing on the threshold of adult life. Then I remember how quiet it was at home with my parents about a month ago, my only trip there since John's been away.

I haven't yet been to visit him and to see how he and his roommate have customized their dorm room. But I plan to go soon.

And I hope it's another step in the process of getting to know each other outside of family parameters. Because I realize that I didn't lose a "baby brother." I just gained a lifelong friend I never realized I had.

giving thanks.

I really do love Thanksgiving. every year, my immediate and extended family gathers for a full day of drinking, eating, and catching up. this year, the festivities were held at my parents house out in scarietta. and the house was packed, as this year we welcomed 35 people. but let's talk about wednesday night first.

against my will, i joined everyone at the sharley-turnbulls for cocktails, and soon we departed for Eleven50 for the annual pre-thanksgiving-go-out-and-dance-with-your-shirt-off-amongst-the-thankful-gay-boys-night. The music was terrible as I knew it would be, but he crowd was fun and happy as it always is on holiday nights. there is something about the holidays that brings out the guys that never go out, so it truly is a lot of fun. we danced well into the morning, and i left just as the music turned into sounds, not songs.

my cousin arrived from Denver around noon on thursday, and todd and i picked her up at the MARTA station and headed north. and what a good time was had by all. 2 turkeys, 1 hams, all the yummy sides, and for dessert...... well, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and black russian kahlua cake. it really was brave of my good friend todd to accompany me to such a festive event, as it can be quite overwhelming to step into a house of 35 drunks. but he held is own very well, even becoming big buddies with my cousin Carol, who i haven't seen in over 7 years. she's a special ed teacher out in cartersville, and we appropriately named her "Thanksgiving Pat". She likes to party that one.

so now it's the weekend and i am looking forward to yes, my 3rd date tomorrow night. yikes.

pictures below tell the story....

and little Carter is growing up too. here he is at 6 weeks old. 

me and little Beatrice-Elizabeth 

The family 

It turns out, Thanksgiving Pat loves to drink white wine... 

Todd fit in well this year, though I think everyone thought he was my boyfriend.
It's fun to leave them guessing..... 

lymph brushing

so i have had two dates with the aforementioned guy i met at Amsterdam, and I must say i hope to see more of him. not only is he very handsome and charming, but he also makes me laugh which is a big plus in my book.

oh, and he is also a Methodist, which i find to be just typical.....TYPICAL!

a case of mistaken identity.......

i don't know why I find this story to be so damn funny. in fact, it is probably my favorite story at this moment. and writing about it doesn't do it any justice, but here goes...

i meet my parents at Houston's at Lenox for lunch this past saturday. we have an excellent meal (as usual) and just like clockwork, mom and dad ordered the same thing they always do. anyway, as we get ready to leave, dad insists on giving his valet ticket first, as he wanted me to see his new car. And as we were standing there waiting for our respective cars to arrive, and beautiful BMW convertible pulls up, and a very attractive african american couple step out. Being obsessed with teeth and all, i immediately recognized those shiny veneers to the ones belonging to 11Alive's Brenda Wood. And boy did she look great. so i made the comment to first my mom, and then my dad, to take note of this "celebrity sighting".

you have to understand, my parents are in their mid to late 60s, so I have found they spend more and more time watching the local news and the weather channel. and to my parents, this sighting is similar to me spotting Michael Stipe in Athens when i was in college.

so my dad gets real real excited, as Mrs. Wood is approaching and says in his Claxton southern Twang, "well, Hey There! Brenda Wood! How are ya?".

To which Brenda responds in a slightly irritated voice, "It's Amanda......" and her husband finishes with "......Davis." I was mortified, and don't know what I would have done if it had been me to actually say that out loud. But Dad quickly got over it and was eager to show me his new car.....

I mean, i didn't mean to set my dad up and just "Sweep him under the bus" as joel would say. I am the one who misidentified this local celebrity. But knowing my dad so well, i was laughing out loud in the car all the way home.

we listened to it twice, cause the DJ was asleep

last night, i went to see Regina Spektor in concert at the Roxy Theatre. Having never really heard of this talented musician other visiting her website earlier in the week, i was interested to see what the show would be like. Apparently, she has quite a big following, as the show was sold out and people were standing around outside in hopes of finding a ticket.

The crowd could be described as crunchy-hippy-lesbian-granola but obviously very loyal and long time supporters of Regina. This was obvious as the annoying girl behind us insisted on singing every song loudly in my right ear. thanks.

To say that Regina has a beautiful voice is an understatement. It's brilliant, stunning, gorgeous. i suppose you could compare her to tori amos meets bjork meets ani difranco. her songs are quirky, with poetic lyrics spread over lush piano melodies. different....yes. i'm not sure if the rest of my group enjoyed the show as much as i did, but they certainly appreciated her talent as a musician.

chili and bourbon

by the way, Su and Jill's annual "Chili and Bourbon" party this past weekend was a blast. I pretreated my self to a purple pill and avoided all of the heartburn and sour stomache that can accompany such events. The food was excellent, and it was nice to catch up with 20 of your friends around a fire in a cute bungalow in East Purnt, GA. I thought this pic of me and Bret Anne was great, especially since he is actually smiling.... 

i got all kinds of m-grams in my head...

for some reason, i have scientology on my mind today. maybe it's because i have been watchin' Betty, or maybe it's because it appears as if Tom and Katie may actually get married. and i thought they had a secret contract stating that they wouldn't, because everyone knows he is gay.

I met Robert this evening for dinner over at Dressed. The space is really cool, very minimal, with lacquered concrete floors, white walls, and artwork on the walls in the colors of green and orange. I had a grilled chicken asian salad, and Robert chose the traditional caesar salad with anchovies. Both were very tasty, and you can even build your own salad if you wish. I do hope this place does well as we were the only people dining tonight.

and so it appears that my trip to Amsterdam on Friday night may not have been a total failure. the handsome gent that i spoke to briefly that night called this afternoon, and I may have landed a date.....what's that?

there's calm inside the storm

yesterday, "Stars Align", the second single from Kaskade's new album Love Mysterious was released. What a beautiful track this is. The vocalist, Marcus Bently, sounds very much like Sting to me. The release features remixes by Andy Caldwell (part of the OM records crew and the west coast house sound) and Tom Novy.

I downloaded the entire remix package from itunes.

check out more from the vocalist for this amazing track here.

down were you before

i don't think it would be possible for this week to start out any more depressing. then i wake up this morning to a cold rain. as i lay in my bed in hopes of catching just a few more minutes of sleep, i find it utterly impossible. my mind is racing and has been for the past two days. thinking about my life, what's important to me...... my friends, my family, my health. my job, my career. what does the future hold? what will happen next? are my parents well? financial obligations and responsibilities, you know, administrations, bills, and Loans.... all of these things weigh heavy on my mind for some reason. and i am ready to clear my head and see the sun shine bright in my window.

mmmmmhellloooooo?

Lord the only thing that is gonna get me through this day is a little tish of betty. so enjoy. and if you grew up in the methodist church as I did, you may find this very funny and true.

coming soon to a pillow near you

well diane sure is enjoying this beautiful fall day. so much she won't leave. here's how she got here....

last night was friday night wine and roa't night over at johnbrown's. our core group of friends assimilated, some of us later than others, to basically eat and drink as much as possible. we were graced by an out of towner, Shawn, who I haven't seen since Ptown. and she is really a lot of fun. dinner was wonderful as usual. Roa't chicken, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and johnbrown's signature salad. the red wine was flowing, and soon we all had a nice buzz.

cut ot Midcity Cafe, where we met up with Kelli, Anthony, Holger, and soon the gays had taken over that place. Jefferson was laying down a fantastic house set, and I even got to spin a few tunes while he took a "bathroom break". and so i seized the opportunity to play chris robyler's favorite tune he appropriately named "butter".

cut to todd and brad's house for a night cap, and believe it or not, I was actually the one to leave first.

and there was diane this morning. what would a saturday be without her?

Love Mysterious

I think i was back in 2003 when my friend Brandon Sutton introduced me to Kaskade and his music. And ever since then I have been addicted. in fact, he is probably one of my favorite straight up house DJs with miguel migs coming in a close second. through the years, i have managed to incorporate at least some of his original productions or remixes into every set i spin.

besides the fact that he is incredibly cute, he is also a really nice guy. the first time i heard him spin was a few years ago on a thursday night at The Mark. The turnout was rather lame that night, and while waiting to hit the turntables, i spent a solid thirty minutes talking with him; about his upcoming studio work, remixes, and just music in general. what a thrill that was for me.

and ever since, I have been a huge fan of this very talented San Francisco DJ/producer. Most of his original work features lush guitar driven riffs and beautiful vocalists. Joslyn, one of the vocalists who has appeared on his earlier albums including "it's you, it's me", and "In the Moments", has one of the most beautiful voices i have ever heard. She has also recently released a solo album that is available on itunes and I highly recommend it.

Now Kaskade emerges with his third album titled "Love Mysterious". This time, he has left the west coast house label OM Records where all of his previous work was released and has joined with Ultra Records. The first release is a sweet vocal laden track called "be still" with remixes emerging just last month from Jay-J and Robbie Rivera. The next single that is due to be released this month is called "Stars Align".

Apparently, this album is said to have more of a "big room sound". and of course he is on tour with the new album as well, and if you have a chance, you should really check him out. The last time he came to Atlanta was back in February at Eleven50 and it was quite a show. And that is when I noticed that he did have a more progressive, big room sound, while still throwing down an excellent house set. He is the only DJ that could throw in Mylo's remix of Freeform 5 - no more conversation into a straight up house set and get away with it. and his mixing is some of the tightest i have ever heard.

Turns out, he will be back at Eleven50 on December 9th, and I plan on attending. check out his website for more info.

Touch me in the morning, and last thing at night

One of my favorite dance tracks has to be Rui Da Silva - Touch me. Originally released back in 2001, it has been featured on numerous mix compilations and has been regarded as one of the best dance songs in history, a classic. I mean it sold over 300,000 copies. Even Danny Tenaglia incorporates this song in almost every one of his sets. I can remember the first time I heard this track, the haunting vocals courtesy of Cass Fox. It gave me chills and almost brought me to tears.

There have been a few people to take a stab at remixing such a perfect track. And none have come close. Well, yesterday, the woman known as Cass Fox , who originally wrote and recorded the track with Rui Da Silva released new remixes to an already perfect song. This time the remixes come from X-press 2, Tom Neville and Spencer and Hill. And little did I know what kind of response I would receive after posting on VIP Guest List, a message board I frequent. The point I was trying to make is that even a track that one would consider flawless in its original form will eventually be remixed. and nothing may ever come close to the original, but I tell you, the spencer and hill remix would sound pretty damn good in a big room.

you touch my mind in special places

i hate to say it buy i am really glad that halloween is almost over. something about the pressure of finding the right costume that is innovative and creative and funny just makes me dread it. that and the fact that i am a procrastinator and usually score a back up costume the very day of the party. but not this year. my costume was Napoleon Dynamite, which i guess is sort of funny and practical for someone who is busy DJing a party. I didn't need to be foolin' with a mask or makeup.

friday night I intended to stay in and organize my music, but a call from 5th street summoned me out of the house, and soon i was drinking wine over at johnbrown's house. we later took a trip over to Amsterdam. We bypassed the dancefloor (which was completely empty, and made me wonder where people go to dance on a friday? heretic?) and congregated at the bar. I just don't love that place.

so i fixed breakfast for diane on saturday morning and then ran a few errands. the mayor stopped by for a quick visit and to borrow Davita's wig. He makes a beautiful Uma Thurman.

Now I thought the Halloween party on Saturday night was fun. and as expected, no one really showed up until 10pm, but they were there to have a good time. i looked up at one point and spotted a few guys dancing with their shirts off. (remember I was spinning outside under a tent in the 40 degree weather). one handsome gent named Gunther came up and entertained me with his knowledge of UK house music, only to find that i did in fact have the obscure request for Leg Soup - Wonderland. I apparently gave him and several others my phone number, but I am convinced he only wants me for my mind (or is it music) and not my body. I have, however, had calls for future gigs; a commitment ceremony (seems i am second choice next to Kimberly S) and two bat mitzvahs. nice.

the party ended rather quickly, as everyone was in a hurry to get the The Jungle. and i went too, as much as i don't love that place. it was crazy packed, and I tried to find my groove in three separate places on the dancefloor but just couldn't. plus the music started to turn into sounds not songs so i exited without giving notice. guess i am getting old.

canned heat

is it friday yet? damn this week is creeping by. i awoke this morning with some serious back pain. i quickly remembered my near fatal fall in the shower last night. it leaves me wondering if i need to install emergency pull cords and safety bars in the bathroom? at this rate, next month i will be scooting around the hospital with a walker complete with cutoff tennis balls. you might as well ship me off to the Big Gay Retirement Home. where I suppose i could spin the Sunday T-Dances, with a slip-proof dance floor and oxygen stations for those suffering from emphysema. i guess this is part of getting old, but damn i am only 30.

i'm getting a little stressed as my halloween costume is not coming together, and i spent the last couple of hours in buckhead traffic without luck. i really do like halloween, but i'm not very creative and i always seem to wait to the last minute. and the last thing i want to do is find myself standing in a long line at Costumes, etc. on saturday afternoon only hours before i have to be at a party. been there, done that, and took a xanax for it.

at night, I lock the door where no one else can see

last night i spent the better part of the evening on the innerweb. no, i wasn't cruising online, just doing a litle preparatory work for the halloween party i am spinning on saturday night. and it still amazes me what you can find out there in terms of music, new and old. it just takes patience and a little inside knowledge.

and after a couple of hours and nearly an entire bottle of cabernet, i found the little gem i was looking for. (hey red wine on a monday is heart healthy and i felt much better when johnbrown texted me shortly after 9pm to proclaim that he too was enjoying a bottle or two..) anyway, without giving too much away, it's a track that David LaSalle always plays at one of his weekly sunday night "Plastic Disco" parties at the A-House. It turns out to be the original 12" mix and I can't wait to play it on Saturday.

work was unusually slow today, so after lunch, i stopped by the CVS to purchase some Claritin-D. little did i know that now all products that contain even the smallest amount of sudafed are kept behind the counter. but it doesn't stop there. not only do they have to check you ID, but you now have to fill out forms in a notebook with your name, address, and the item you are purchasing (even going so far as putting down how many grams of sudafed are contained in the 10 tablets). geez. I felt like I was doing something illegal, as the line behind began to back up. It was more embarrassing than purchasing a twin pack of Fleet's at the local Walgreens and seeing one of your friends in line behind you. thank god my condo board banned meth labs on our balconies or i would be in trouble.

nobody needs another stalker in your life

I suppose that I may be the only one that wasn't totally impressed by the Pet Shop Boys on Thursday night. and i will admit that I am not a huge PSB fan, but i do enjoy their music. that's not to say that i didn't have a good time though. our seats were in the reserved section in the balcony, and after 14 flights of stairs, i was ready for a drink. and drink we did. and the $14 double vodka-diet cokes did the trick.

they came out shortly after 8:15, and frankly, I thought the music was a bit too loud and overpowering the vocals. the first several songs were straight from their new album (which i do not own), but the crowd was fun and gay and everyone seemed to be having a good time. i guess in retrospect i would have felt more connected to the show had I been down on the floor.

i was really surprised to hear them call for a 30 minute intermission half way through the show. What? I have never heard of that at a concert. I mean even Aretha would have stayed on stage and threw herself up on a stool.

after the show, we (8 of us total) all decided to hit Wetbar for a drink. this is where things get fuzzy. i remember seeing a mayor look-alike who was very cute and word on the street is he knows how to use those pillow lips. somehow, i talked my way into the VIP area called "Fountain", which really isn't all that. just a lot of lights on the floor and a very nice lavatory.

but it all worked out in the end, cause I didn't wake up alone. in fact, there were three of us there. diane just loves to spoon.

friday started off rocky, but i made it through the day and the call gods were good to me on that night. which is great because i was exhausted and needed some rest.

saturday brought a great visit with the parental units, a trip to my sister's house to visit with my new nephew, a mediocre lunch at a mexican strip mall, and an unpleasant tour of atlanta's first Trader Joe's. the place was crazy packed, and every N. fulton FUPA in alpharetta came to see what all the fuss was about. my dad and i were nearly run over by carts of suburbanites eager to load up on jumbo tubs of hummus and bags of frozen potstickers. perfect for throwing in your fry daddy and whipping up a perfect asian-inspired meal at the weekly neighborhood "Bunco" night. how fancy....

I resisted the temptation to go to the Eagle on saturday night and stayed in once again. nothing wrong with that right? which left me feeling a bit stir crazy by sunday afternoon, so i joined my friends for some quality beer drinking and porch time on 5th street. and what a beautiful day it was. the smell of autumn, the changing of the leaves, the crisp blue sky, the way the temperature can drop by 30 degrees with the passing of the sun. it all reminds me of why i love atlanta so much. and no sunday would be complete without a stroll through the local watering hole, blake's. and fun was had by all. sweet jeff joined us and let me tell ya, that boy has gone from sweet to sexy in a matter of months. it's funny what going through a divorce can do for you.

I think i got the most pleasure out of seeing johnbrown "flip" his own switch and chat up the cutest guy in the bar. and i hear the feeling is mutual so i do hope something comes of it, as I cannot think of anyone more deserving.....

this week i must put together a functional halloween costume, prepare for my gig on saturday night, and follow up on a potential new career opportunity.

cheers.

i'm stuck inside a hurricane

here are a few random things on my mind today:

the new employee at work is super hot and guess who was asked to train him? turns out he is straight, married, loves bluegrass music, and met his wife at a "revival" in middle tennessee. i haven't had the heart to tell him that i am gay, and i find it funny when he picks out girls at work and in hospital that I should "ask out". he is very funny, and for that he gets big points. today i told him i was a dj, and he replied, "before i really got into bluegrass music (which i equate with findin' Jesus), I was into techno music and raves. "oh really, i replied? what was your favorite song?". He comes back with, "ever heard of the funk phenomenon?" WHAT? WHAT?

the weather in atlanta is hot and cold, then rainy, hot again. everyone at work is coughing and eating up the mucinex like pez candy. thank god i TOOK a flu shot at employee health today. thankyouverymuchbetty.

maybe the old lady next door didn't die. but i was surprised to see her navy blue dodge spirit to go missing over the weekend. maybe she was getting a tune up? not so lucky. a shiny Audi A4 showed up yesterday...... along with cute little couple in their early 30s. looks i will have to turn the music down...

i finally see things coming back to life at the space across from my condo where the restaurant named the Waterhouse was set to open almost 2 years ago. i heard that one of the owners ran off with all the money, so the place has been vacant and lifeless. but i'm not one to gossip, so you didn't hear the from me.....

Pet Shop Boys.......tomorrow night. 'nuff said.

Tune of the Day: Jamiroquai - runaway. Really into Grant Nelson's remix here. it's housey, it's groovy. check it out.

come catch a fire, don't let me fade away

Me and my new nephew, Carter Douglas Dunn 

it's amazing how quickly your life can change. take my sister for example. it seems like only yesterday that she told me she was pregnant again. and here it is nine months later. that's right, yesterday morning, we welcomed my new nephew to this world. Carter Douglas Dunn. and he really is beautiful. with a head full of fine blonde hair and blue eyes. i cannot fathom how different their life will be, just as i cannot fathom the idea of ever having my own child one day.

on my drive out to kennestone hospital this evening, i was heavy in thought about this very subject. and it was with mixed emotions. part of me is filled with happiness for my family; yet part of me wonders how my life would be if i ever had a child. i have sort of come to accept that it would never happen (hell, i can't even get a boyfriend....small steps, small steps). but it also saddens me to know that I won't ever have a child of my own, to rejoice in the milestones in his/her life, to love them, know them, to see them grow up......

i'll let you whip me if i misbehave...

and i really did behave this weekend. here is what happened...

friday night, johnbrown and i attended a cocktail party over at the plaza midtown. i tell ya, just when you think you know everyone in this town, twenty more handsome men pop up. and they did. terry's condo is really beautiful. and the party was real real nice, and johnbrown was fixin my drinks real real strong. and soon i found myself talking to a handsome boy fresh out of the army. i was flattered when he told me he thought i was 21 years old, What? but soon a chicken hawk swooped in and i just wasn't up for that battle. plus, i knew i had to be up early in the am. so the voice of reason told me to leave, and we stumbled home to our respective midtown abodes in preparation for a morning cuddle with diane.

diane sure did make the drive to chattanooga unpleasant on saturday morning. but thanks to a cup of coffee and an western egg press panini compliments of the wild bean cafe on wade green road, she finally quieted down and went to sleep. we met up with todd and brad at the puzzle queens's house, then departed for a nice hike in the mountains. after a late lunch, and a stroll through "culture fest" in the park, we made our way to the entrance of the walnut street bridge. you see, we were here for Wine Over Water, an annual wine festival benefiting historic preservation in Chattanooga. 48 tents of wine and food from local restaurants, all along one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world, that goes over the tennessee river. it was a lof of fun, drinking, socializing with random people, and an excellent place to people watch. as the sun began to set, the festival came to an end, and we realized how tipsy we were. dinner at Hennen's was good, it think. the bar was cool i remember. hmm..

sunday's drive back to atlanta was fun as johnbrown and i listened to the entire Grease soundtrack. even going so far as to change the lyrics to summer lovin' to a cheeky little number about our FUN in ptown.....what?

and what a beautiful day it was in atlanta. after a 15 mile bike ride to emory and back, we had a late lunch at Moes & joes and then a little porch time at johnbrowns. bret and i might have ridden our bikes to blake's for a drink or four but i was home by 8pm. now, that sounds respectable, don't it? thanks betty.

sunset on the tennessee river 

drink much?

as the sun began to set, and the festival came to an end, the one ounce pours became eight... 

 

 

The new addition to the Hunter Museum of Modern Art 

now i just can't stand being turned on my head

i should have known that this just wouldn't be my day. my decision to pop a couple of advil pms for some minor muscle soreness brought on crazy dreams, restless sleep, and general fatigue today. why did i dream about having sex with my ex-boyfriend in the basement of someone's home with two coworkers in the adjacent room smoking pot? even worse, i am greeted by the very aforementioned coworkers upon arrival to work today.

you would think that after two weeks of vacation, i would be able to see past all the problems at work. but not on today.

the only thing that has saved this day is seeing salty mcdadderton at the gym. you know, the uber-hot-extremely-rare-second-series-limited-print-pocket-gay-artist that moved to new york and has returned to the a-t-l. with a head full of salt 'n pepper. he just makes me weak, and i could even get past the fact that he is shorter than I am. there is something about the way a man carries himself that is extremely sexy, and this one has a strut that exudes confidence. i'll take one night stand for $1000, alex....

now i am off to dinner with one of the most beautiful women i know. bye.

i went off the deep end for the weekend....over my head

so many things going on in my head today.........

i have solidified the promise to my self that I won't get into a relationship where i have to clear my every move i make with my boyfriend. there is something about losing your identity and becoming "john and _____" that just makes being single seem so much more desirable. hell, i would settle for a lousy date. boyfriend? who's talking about a relationship, i hardly know what that is.

should i make a ptown revisited cd? going through the music last night, i realize once again how many times artists, djs, and remixers sample old basslines, riffs, and melodies from old songs. take Axwell's remix of bob sinclair - world, hold on (or werque, hold on according to toddsharley), you could easily throw the acapella of Cyndi Lauper - time over time and it would become a fun mashup. would it be called, "world, hold on to your time?"

so flattering to be cruised at the CVS by the local pharmacist. you know, eye contact and all. but for him to come from behind the counter and start straightening the rows of orbit and eclipse gum, well that is plain obvious. but i ain't complainin'.

what i thought would be a quiet week without call is starting to make me nervous. birthdays, dinner parties, cocktails. a recipe for disaster cake.

i received one of the most sincere thank you cards from a dear friend today that almost made me cry. such a wonderful and charming person, i do really love him. and don't even get me started about his sense of humor......"WHAT? FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS? WHAT?"

gotta go, cause i'm damn' thirsty

I'm lost without your love

so it was a very low key weekend for me, as I was on call friday and saturday, and I have some ptown bills to pay. after a 15 hour work day on friday, i finally ventured out to a cookout on 8th street on saturday afternoon. the food was great, kelli made a fantastic guacamole and I, of course, made the frozen margaritas. we listened and (sort of)watched the UGA/Colorado game. until the 4th quarter when UGA made a big big comeback. i never saw that coming.

Sunday was all about food, friends, and family. John Brown hosted a fabulous brunch with the six guys that stayed in our house in ptown, plus the gracious hosts two doors down, joel and brad. we had scrambled eggs (what's the secret peter, mine are never that fluffy), sausage, fruit salad, cinnamon rolls, ......oh and of course, mimosas. as we sat on the porch eating breakfast with the raining coming down, we laughed and reminisced about our trip to ptown. i know i say it all the time, but i am really lucky to have such great friends in my life. It made me think about this picture that johnbrown and i saw in an art gallery up in ptown.

It read, "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves". and that couldn't be any more true for me.

i spent my saturday afternoon out in scarietta with my family. it was really nice catching up with my sister, brother-in-law, and my 5 year old niece pictured below. who by the way has lost her second tooth and she is real real proud of that. she has also given up ballet to pursue
soccer, and according to my sister, the games are a real sight. imagine 10 little girls running around the field in a huddle with a soccer ball. they finally scored a goal in last week's game.

my poor sister is pregnant and due in the next two weeks, and couldn't appear more miserable. this is their second (and probably last) child so they chose to keep the sex of the baby a secret. they have chosen the name Carter if it is a boy and Kendall if it is a girl. when I asked my niece whether she wanted a brother or sister, she replied, "I want a brother, but if it is a boy, well, I will deal with that".

mom cooked a traditional southern meal: fried chicken, green beans, butter peas, macaroni and cheese, rolls, and for dessert, chocolate cake with buttercreme icing. I left their house extremely full and with leftovers in hand.

and so a quiet weekend comes to an end.

next up: Wine over Water in Chattanooga. I hope the weather is nice.