Impatiently Waiting....

A Seductive Working Relationship
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

I’m an impatient person. I’ll admit it, I am. If there’s something I want, want to get done, or need….it’s got to be done right away. I hate to wait. I don’t really care for lines either. Things like waiting in line at the Post Office, a Restaurant, or even an Amusement Park are things that I just don’t care to do. I’m an instant gratification kinda guy. Lines do nothing but delay the inevitable…and quite frankly, annoy the living hell out of me. BUT, I do know that waiting does have it’s purpose and patience is a virtue…yadda yadda yadda.

So, you can imagine how frustrating it has been waiting for Tim to come out to Phoenix this weekend. It’s been a little over 2 weeks since I last saw him in Cleveland. We’ve been planning his trip out to Phoenix for over a month now, and it seems like it has been taking an eternity for it to arrive. Well, today is the day and the waiting is over. He arrives tonight on a Continental Airlines non-stop flight this evening! I’m really looking forward to spending quality time with my guy and having a fun weekend. More importantly, I’m looking forward to introducing him to my core group of friends this week as well. This is very important to me, as I truly value the opinion of my friends. I have a feeling they are going to really enjoy him and vice versa. I can definitely say I have taken a huge step up with Tim. Time goes by so fast when you really are with someone you enjoy and have fun with.

Speaking of time, I am also on the hunt for a new alarm clock. I have this oversized box of an alarm clock that I bought back in 1996. It was all the rage back in ’96. It even had a “compact disc” player in it. (Oooooo….nice!!!) Well, now it’s 10 years old and it’s starting to go. Aside from the scratchy radio reception, the skipping CD player, the miniscule clock display, and the nuclear war deaf tone alarm, it’s a pretty good clock. It’s always gotten me up and done it’s job. We’ve had a good working relationship, my clock and me. I often find the snooze button to be the most seductive feature in all of machines. You seem to always want to “touch” it. (You know you want to….just touch it one more time…..) But now that I am in my 30’s I’m finding that my eyes are starting to go. (I say this as if 32 means 89 years old…which really isn’t that old, but would someone please tell my eyes that…). So essentially, I cannot ready the display at night and that is a problem for me.

So that’s my current issue, trying to find a BIG display, small box, radio alarm clock. (Preferably in a blue display…..where’s a minimalist designer when you need one?) I can ditch the CD player as I never used the one in the old clock. Anyway, I’m on the hunt for my new alarm clock, my new bedside friend, my new working relationship. And If I’m lucky, it’ll have a seductive snooze button as well. (I’m all about being seduced.) More to come as time ticks away….

Oh (NO) Canada!

Leave it to the crazy right-wingers to potentially screw up a beautiful and inclusive country like our neighbors to the North. It appears that the conservative party is taking control of the government of Canada. Albeit, the current liberal government is speckled with scandal, but yet knowing that Canadian rights are at risk now is a crying shame.

I’ve always loved Canada. I used to travel to Toronto all the time when I lived in Cleveland. It was a quick 4-hour drive and made for great roadtrips. I’d spend wonderful weekends up in that great city and marvel at the gay scene on Church Street. I always found the people up there to be incredibly friendly. It really is a beautiful country. (Not to mention most of the men are way hot….must be something in the water…) Unfortunately, due to a couple people screwing things up with the Liberal Party, the Conservatives have moved in like a pack of wolves to a heard of sheep. Now, things like a woman’s right to choose, handgun law, and gay marriage are all at risk. (Hmmm....sounds strangely like a country I live in....odd...isn't it? Hmmm...)

Now, I’m no expert on Canadian politics, and I do not claim to be, but from what I read, it is a sad day in Canada. I’ve read a lot of sites: MSNBC.com, CBC.ca, BBC.com to get a holistic view on the state of affairs. All of those news sites give the same message: “Improved relations with the United States.” Um, excuse me, but aren’t we getting along pretty good, considering every other country HATES US!!?? It’s a sad day when another country has to please another country (via it's own elections) to keep good relations.

Whatever the outcome will be, I hope that the social progress that Canada has made will not take a reverse direction. Canada will survive, as most of the people are cultured, inclusive, proud, and educated. (Except for the people who voted otherwise.)

msnbc.com
cbc.ca
bbc.com

The Year of Yes.

The Year of Yes.
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

Can you imagine saying “yes” to everyone who ever asked you out on a date for one year? (Honestly, yes, because no one ever directly asks me out on a date…not that I have to worry about it now…) But, seriously….what a crazy thought, huh? Well, that’s exactly what Maria Dahvana Headley did in her new memoir. I was getting ready to go to work this morning watching my Today Show family Katie, Matt, Al, and Ann when they did a segment on a new book called “A Year of Yes”. When I heard the premise, I HAD to watch the segment. Katie, being her plucky self, asked a ton of obvious questions. “Why did you do it?” “What was your craziest date?” “Did you wear clean underwear?” But the real fun was listening to all the dates Maria went on. Everything from a famous rock star to a (literally) bum on the street. I was absolutely enthralled with her adventures. Unfortunately, they ruined the segment by having the CEO of match.com commenting on how wonderful her experiences were. (For someone running a dating site, she totally needs a stylist, as she looked like a soccer mom….and do you want dating advice from a soccer mom? Not so much.)

So after the segment I immediately logged onto amazon.com to get the skinny on the book. After reading the reviews, I had to get the book. Click. Sold. I’m now patiently awaiting the book and to read the adventures Maria had. Here’s an excerpt from the Editorial Review:

“It sounds disastrous, even scary, though she chose to exclude the drunk, the drugged, the violent, and cheating husbands. The first date was the Puerto Rican handyman who came to fix the toilet with his daughter in tow, the second a 40-year-old who spoke only Polish. One took her to a strip joint, one wanted his penis bitten, one was a woman and one asked her to marry him on the first date. One of the nicest turned out to be the 70-year-old Latino who made obscene sucking noises and claimed to have 11 children. The one Headley got a crush on turned out to be "mostly gay." And then what happened? Believe it or not—true love.”

How fun is THAT!!?? Anyway, should be a fun casual read. Now for a couple updates. First, thanks everyone for the email and comments on the Podcast….it was a great time and I hope to have another one out soon. I’ve already mentally picked out the next guest…which hopefully will agree to be recorded….keep your fingers crossed, as they are some funny peeps!

The Bank One trial is coming to a close. We’re in the process of settling. My counterclaim got their attention. I could go ahead and pursue the counterclaim, but honestly, it’s not worth the stress and headache. I win some, they win some, I loose some they loose some. It’s worth the nominal price to get it settled, and I at least don’t have to pay anywhere near the original $3900. Augh…I know what you are all thinking. But, I’m so over it. In protest, I suggest you close all your accounts with J.P. Morgan Chase or Chase Bank. They suck.

On the love front, things with Tim are going well. He’s coming out next weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m trying to figure out a clever way to greet him at the airport. He’s also put in for a transfer to Phoenix. (What??? What’s that you say?) Yes, he’s decided to move on out here. And I feel great about it. We’ve talked it through and we both want to pursue it. What have I got to loose? It feels right. In February it will be 2 months. And that’s about the time he’ll be moving to PHX. I’m really excited and for once, someone makes me feel great through and through. More to come…..

A Voice with the Face.

Chris, Me & Travis after my 1st Podcast.
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

Well, I finally did it and figured out how to Podcast. I enlisted my friends Travis and Chris to help me out, and I think we did a pretty good job. I don’t plan on doing a lot of these…but you definitely will see these in the future. Today’s podcast we’ll be discussing the following topics:

• New Year’s Resolutions
• American Idol
• Howard Stern
• Apple Phenomenon
• Husband Hunting

Let me know what you think! More to come!!!

TRUE STORIES…. PODCAST #1


(1/16/06: Ok, should be working perfectly now.....click on the above link and try it...bugs should be worked out. Still keep an eye for iTunes version!!!.)

Batting Near 6000

On The Radio
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

Wow, look at that hit counter go…and go….and go! Who would of though that many people would be viewing my blog. Well, it’s not like Amazon.com or anything, but yet, it makes me feel good. Thanks for all the comments over the months. I think over the next couple months, I’ll dabble into the podcasting…just need to find some time to do it. I got a lot to say, and actually did a radio show back in college. Gosh, that sure was fun, doing a radio show on 1030AM at Kent State University. I used to have a ton of people call in which was nice considering it was a closed circuit radio station on campus. I’d get some crazy calls, and play some even crazier music. (Sigh, the memories.).

Speaking of radio shows….you ever listen to the Delilah Radio Show? I know she’s syndicated in almost every city in the country. Now, let me just say, that is just one corny radio show. She get’s a little preachy now and then, but I crack myself up everytime I listen to her. (which means I usually listen to her when I’m flipping through the stations…I’m not a fan…but sometimes I need a good laugh.) Anyway, the people that call into that show are total Jerry Springer types. Which is sad because for the 1 or 2 people that are actually serious “love” calls, they end up being grouped into the trailer trash types. (No offense to anyone living in a trailer…but you know who I am talking about.) So here’s a sample of her show and my comments (or should I say “thoughts” of what is going through my mind.):

Delilah: “Hello caller, who’s this?” (Like she cares)
Caller: “Um yea this is Shirley.” (Like that is her real name.)
Delilah: “Hi Shirley, what a wonderful name…” (What? Oh she soo lying! As she takes a drag of her 20th cigarette and swigs a bottle of whiskey.)
Caller: “ Well, um I have this guy I’ve fallen in luv with, and he’s been called to active duty in Iraq, and sometimes it’s so hard to be without him.” (Which essentaially means she’s got extra room in the trailer and she’s been getting nailed by his cousin Bobby Joe or something.)
Delilah: “Wow, that’s so hard. When is he coming back?” (She let’s out a huge yawn)
Caller: “I just don’t have any idear.” (She could care less, she’s getting some from Bobby Joe.)
Delilah: “So what can I play for you?” (Pours another cup of whiskey, scratches her ass.)
Caller: “Hows about All By Myself by Celine Dion?” (As she breaks out her own bottle of whiskey)
Delilah: “Anything for your Shirley, and God bless.” (She does a line of coke, and takes another swig of whiskey.)

Of course, you NEVER hear a love request from a gay guy or lesbian. Although I have this strange feeling that when “Pat” dedicates a song to “Chris”, they are both actually women. I’d love to call in as Chaniqua and make a love song request for something by Luther Vandross, and dedicate it to my sweet sistah Keisha from East Cleveland. (Ooooo child, I knows dat be a goo one.) I wonder what would happen if her show was all of a sudden inundated with gay love requests, how she would handle it. You have to admit, it would be pretty funny hearing her reactions. She’d probably all damn us to hell or something…she sounds like a bible beater to me.

Delilah: “Hello caller, who is this?”
Caller: “Hey girlfriend, this is SSsssteve!”
Delilah: (pause) “Um hello Steve, what’s on your mind tonight?”
Caller: “(Sigh), It’s Ronald…he’s SUCH a bitch!”
Delilah: “Oh really? Now, now, we’re on the air..be nice.”
Caller: “Augh, I know…but he sooo is. He’s been deployed to Ibiza.”
Delilah: “In the Middle East? I didn’t know we had troops there!”
Caller: “Augh no ssssilly! He’s been deployed with a circuit party promoter to be a go-go- boy!”
Delilah: (pause) “A go-go boy?”
Caller: “Well, duh, he’s hot AND hung! Anyway, can you play ANYTHING by Erasure? They are so fab!”
Delilah: “Don’t know if I have anything by Erasure.”
Caller: “Pet Shop Boys?”
Delilah: “Nope…don’t think I have that either. How about Melissa Etheridge?”
Caller: “Augh do I even SOUND like a lesbian?”
Delilah: “No, but…”
Caller: “Whatever!” (click)


This is what goes through my head when I listen to that damn show. Gay, ghetto, gay and ghetto, white trash….all the stereotypes.….it goes through my mind. Makes the show so much more fun to listen too. Anyway, if you happen to listen to the show…think of me.

Gate C-24

Blowing Leaves. (Cause he knows I'm on the phone)
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

Well, it’s been awhile since I posted last, and that’s because there is so much going on right now. It’s been a whirlwind kinda month so far for January. You name it, it’s happening right now. And, most of it isn’t that bad actually. But first, let me tell you about a couple of observations I have made about leaf blowers.

Leaf Blowers? (Yes, leaf blowers.) It never fails that when I need to be on the phone, there is a landscaper with a leaf blower near by. It’s like some unspoken rule of leaf blowers, that if they see, or even think that someone is on the phone, they immediately flip the blower on high and blow dust right near the window or area you are in. It’s annoying. I have the same problem with buses when I am outside on my cell phone. Never fails. I’ll be making a call and the biggest diesel clanking bus will be driving by just as I’m about to say “hello”. Carpool my ass….the bus does nothing but annoy me. Anyway, onto some updates:

Monday I filed the counterclaim against Bank One/J.P. Morgan Chase in Ohio. It felt good. Tim went with me. When I filed the papers they asked me if I wanted them “served” to Bank One (which essentially means they are delivered by a cop or some other form of “official uh oh you’re in deep shit now buddy” kinda way.) You bet your ass I did. It felt good. So, now it’s a waiting game to see how they react. Here’s what I am now suing THEM for:
• Constructive Termination
• Unfair Treatment under the Bank One/J.P. Morgan Chase severance plan.
• Breach of Offer of Promotion and implied contracts.
• Harassment by management actions and sexual orientation.

Yes, I threw in the “sexual orientation” piece because it’s a known fact that my boss at the time did not like gay men. Even though it cannot be legally enforced (blame the Bush Administration), I could prove that they broke their own rules and policies on sexual orientation, which in effect could be tried as unfair treatment. Eh, only time will tell. Keep me in your thoughts.

On the love life front…..it couldn’t be better. I snuck away to Cleveland on Friday and called in sick on Monday. I used one of those $400 travel vouchers and jet-setted my ass to Cleveland for some luvin’. Tim and I had a great weekend. Tim is an amazing guy. We have this awesome connection. I know a lot of people will think that I’m totally infatuated with this guy, and to some extent that is true. But, I’ve been infatuated with a lot of guys and none of them seem to be quite like Tim. He’s a very genuine guy. From the moment I stepped off that plane to the second I left, it felt great. It felt right. We talked a lot about how we felt and where we want to go with this. I can’t believe it’s been a month now since we met. So, we both agreed we really want to make this work and pursue each other. So we’re currently looking at ways to make this happen.

You know, it’s funny. I never expected to meet someone like Tim. But it just happened. I’m at that stage where I have a billion things going through my mind right now. All good. We have great communication, we laugh a lot, and I just absolutely love being with him. We have a lot of fun, but we’re both serious about this too. I still can’t believe that he grew up no more than a mile from where I grew up…..yet we never met until now. Kinda makes you think about that “fate” thing.

So as I waited for my flight back to Phoenix, I sat at the gate feeling a little depressed about the upcoming time away from him. Yea, sure, he’s coming out to visit PHX in 2 and a half weeks, but when you feel this way it seems like an eternity. As I was pondering the depressing thoughts, I got a text message from Tim. “Look inside your large carry-on.” So, I flipped over my carry-on bag, unzipped it, and found a small stuffed animal (a monkey), and a card. My heart was racing from the romantic gesture. I opened the card and it said: (cover) “And now for an update..” On the inside it said “I’m still Crazy about you.” Signed Tim. That’s when it hit. Wow, this guy is special…..this guy is for me. My eyes watered up and I felt like a big sissy at Gate C24 at Cleveland Hopkins International (they fly to London…one flight makes the airport “international”) Airport.. It’s stuff like that that gets to your heart. It’s the little things not the big ones that can ultimately lead one to the big “L’ word. More updates to come….

I’s got me some Bluetoofus

Wireless Wonder!
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

God, I love Bluetooth Technology. A world without wires. Freedom from the tangled web of cords. I never though much about the technology, but now I feel like it’s becoming something I got to have. For example, I have a Bluetooth phone (A Treo 650), which connects into my car, which has Bluetooth handsfree (05’ Acura TL). It works so seamlessly and effortlessly. My Powerbook has Bluetooth, which connects into my phone and printer. I even have a Bluetooth headset for my iPod, which brings the experience to a whole new level (no white cords here!). Let’s not forget my Bluetooth wireless keyboard and Bluetooth mouse. Bluetooth, Bluetooth, Bluetooth….it’s a wireless wonder. I see a bunch of people wandering around with Bluetooth earpieces for cellular phones. That’s where it’s going a little too far for me. All those people with pieces of plastic and metal with little blinking blue lights. Sorta reminds me of the Borg from Star Trek (resistance is futile).

If only life could be as easy as Bluetooth. Unfortunately they have not come out with the “Bluetooth Do It All” device. You know, something that could wash your clothes, make you dinner and vacuum your carpet. (Well, I’m sure we’ll see a Bluetooth Roomba vacuum soon…. You know, that creepy little round disk that roves around your floor and supposedly cleans it, all along the while scaring the shit out of your cat or dog.).

Now for some updates. The Bank One trial continues. I am now going to be filing a counterclaim on Monday suing them essentially for constructive termination and unfair treatment. I never wanted to play the “sue” game, but after repeated attempts to settle this case in the last week, and no response from their attorneys, I have no other choice. So I am filing a counterclaim and demanding damages well over the $3,900 they originally filed. Let’s just say this you need to multiply that number by 19. Yea, it’s a lot more money. Hopefully that will get their attention, and push this case to settlement. At this point, I’m getting angry and want this over with. Wish me luck.

As for things back in Ohio, I am looking forward to using one of my travel vouchers to see Tim this weekend. We’ve talked everyday since I returned home to Phoenix last week. He’s turning out to be an awesome guy. For some reason my heart races when I talk to him….must be because I really like this guy. As a lot of my friends can tell, I’m pretty smitten with him. I’m looking forward to introducing him to everyone here in PHX when he comes out to visit at the end of the month. He’s picking me up at the airport tomorrow night. I can’t wait. A little fact about Tim: He’s a competitive volleyball player. I have yet to see him play, but I hope to very soon. (You have to admit, volleyball players are sexy…very sexy.)

The weather here has been insanely beautiful. Mid 70’s and clear as a bell. We haven’t had measurable rain since October 17th. Now, if I could just somehow bring the warm weather with me to Cleveland….