5 Golden rings (5 things I enjoy)

This meme is from Bigg,


1. My cats, especially Kiddo. If I leave for work with out him knowing, he runs through the house looking for me meowing. When I come home from work he sits on my chest and nuzzles my face. He loves to be carried around like a baby and most of the time if I wake up in the middle of the night he is snuggled by my side. I truly believe he would be devastated if something were to happen to me, he keeps me keeping on. His brother Clyde has his own distinct characteristics. He loves to be papoosed in the front of your shirt and carried around. He's very quiet but sometimes when he thinks he's alone he meow/sings. After I take a shower he will follow me into the bedroom and jump on the bed and I'll stand there and he will try to put his paws around me and nuzzle my chest with his face to rescent me, sometime he will lightly bite me also.


2. Home: Even though its alot of work I enjoy our home, it keeps me busy with laundry and making meals, baking cookies and treats and gardening in the yard in the summer. It keeps me grounded.


3. New Orleans, I enjoy the atmosphere, architecture, music, people who are drunker then myself, and its old world charm. It does have its crime element but I've said it several times, that I'd rather be murdered in the streets of New Orleans tomorrow then live the rest of my life in Michigan.


4. Friends: even though they can sometimes be a pain in the ass I love em. Getting together and doing simple things like helping decorate a christmas tree, getting drunk at the St. Pats parade, or just sitting around on a Sunday during the summer and bbq'ing and having a few cocktails.


5. I enjoy my partner Scooby even though things are tough with him not working he has many great qualities. He's fluent in electrical, plumbing and carpentry and is an asset to have around. Plus he's my best friend.

Update on the other house

Well the second roomate fell through. Don't know what happened, he's a friend of ours and was suppose to move in around Nov. 1 and we never heard from him and still haven't. Being the difficult person he is he probably lost his job, but who knows.

The one guy that does live there wanted to move in one of his friends but unfort. the guy is handicapped and the house is not excessable, plus bedrooms are on the second floor. So I have offered to sell the house to him and he is interested. We are just waiting to see if he can get financing. If this pans out we are thinking about flipping another HUD home down the street. This should be enough to pay off our house and possibly build a garage too. Wish us luck..

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

We are spending Thanksgiving at my sisters and "the crush" might even tag along. :)

Drama, Drama, Drama

If I hadn't mentioned, my friend and I have made up a few weeks ago after a month hiatus. Anyway he called and left a message Sunday morning, I was still in bed but could tell by his voice that something was not right. I got up a few minutes later, made coffee and called him back and he procedes to tell me about the disturbing phone call he received the night before.

back story: after my friend broke up with his bf, said ex rented a room at the other house I bought early this year. Ex is friends with another gay man named Vince and Vince is in a relationship with mentally unstable Gerald. Well Gerald thinks something is going on between Ex and Vince and called my friend Saturday night to tell him if I don't kick Ex out of the house that him and his nephew are going to burn down my rental house, and that they already cased the place out. nice....

So I took a little trip over to the local police dept. and reported the threat. Unfort. they can't really do anything until he acts on it, but the report has been made incase anything happens. I've heard stories about how Gerald beats Vince (who's in a wheelchair) and in his last tirade this weekend distroyed Vince's walker. Its all very fucked up and I don't understand why Vince doesn't file assault charges against him and get his ass thrown in jail.

Luckily I'm very well insured.

The crush

It was Mardi Gras weekend at the campground, my other half was shit faced drunk, falling off the picnic table before the parade even started. I finally got him in the tent to sleep it off and went to join the festivities. I sampled several of the cocktails and snacks and ended up at the foam party on the dance floor. I used to love to dance but when your bf of 13 yrs doesn't dance, well it kind of falls to the wayside. That night I dance my ass off, shirtless and slick with foam. I was laughing and having the best time, when it happened, this young handsome twink grabbed my nipple and tweaked it, a little to hard since they are very hypersensitive, then winked at me and continued on. He stuck in my head.

Cut to last month

I found him on Manhunt and he lives in the area, early twenties, vers, top.... He actually hit me up and we exchanged a few emails. I told him right up front my status expecting him to disappear, never to hear from him again, like most of the online guys do. I was wrong, he was cool with it. We had lunch, he told me that he had recently heard from the health dept that someone he had been with tested poz and he was waiting for his results. We went back to his place and had HOT protected safe sex. He's got a smokin hot tight little body and well... he's bigger then me. A few days later his results came back and it wasn't good. He's handling it extremely well, and we've gotten together a second time. This time I discovered how versatile he really is.

So anyway that is what his going on in my life. I have a crush and I really don't know what to do about it. Probably nothing, people come and go and if and when this ends I will be crushed that's why its called a crush. I'm having fun, he is giving me a well deserved boost to my ego and self esteem considering he's twenty yrs younger then me.

Luckily Scooby has cut back on his drinking drastically or else this would be a no brainer. We are still bickering about his lack of employment. I told him he either needs to apply for disability or go back to work full time. He wined that filling out the application for SSD would be so stressful and I told him, "Like the stress I've been dealing with for 12yrs wondering if we are going to financially make it on my paycheck alone, join the club." That shut him up and will hopefully get him to apply. otherwise I'm going to have to tell him that he has 3 choices, A. apply for SSD, B. go back to work, or C. move into the other house. I would never leave him high and dry, I do love him but not enough to financially support him for another 12 or more yrs.. I've got to start taking care of myself and find my own happiness.

Lets end on a lighter note: This guy was born in another state but him and his mom ended up in the town I'm from and I'm dying to ask how they ended up there. If he says his mom is from there I'm gonna shit, since we are about the same age I might know her. Yikes!!

More to come....

Halloween plans

We are going to The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 7pm then off to the bar for cocktails and the Halloween costume contest. I've never seen RHPS at the theatre so I'm a virgin, hahahahahahah Haven't been able to say that in like forever....

Anyway going as one of the guests/extras, black jacket/pants, bright colored shirt and sunglasses and of course party hat and noise maker. Will have my vampire contacts in so all I'll have to do is pour some fake blood around my mouth and throw in the fangs and I'll be a vampire at the bar.

I don't know where to start

Well we ended up renting rooms at the other house. 2 rented, 1 to go. One of my very good friends has been acting very crazy lately and ended his short term relationship with his new boyfriend. The guy is very nice and when crazy kicked him out on his birthday no less, he asked if he could rent a room at the other house. I, flat ass broke and needing money, said sure. Well when I informed my good friend that his new ex was going to rent from me he ended our 20 yr. friendship. I was stunned, but what can I do. Said good friend has been a major pill lately so the break is a well deserved one. I'm thinking that its his new hiv meds thats making him so crazy, but that is just a speculation.

A month ago we were doing our weekend thing, hitting the flea market and he told me, "When I break up with ______ you can be as mean as you want to too him." This left me speechless, first I was appalled, then hurt. I can't believe that he thinks that I'm that shallow that I will be mean to another human being just because he tells me I can. The only real reason I can figure that he broke up with him is because they were not sexually compatible. The guy didn't cheat, or lie, or disappear for days on end. I just don't get it...

So far he has been the perfect tenant. Turns down the heat when he leaves for work, is neat and tiddy, pays the rent. The other guy is our old roomate from a few years ago. He should be moving in by next week. 300 each per month should pay the utilities on the house this winter with a little extra to set aside for taxes and insurance on the place. God if I can get the last room rented we should be golden.

Still here

Still working on the other house, and getting pretty tired of it. Not sure what we are doing with it once its done. Wanted to do vacation rental but was told that it was highly unlikely that we would make that fly since we are not in a resort/ big city area. Which is true and I'm sure winter would be completely dead. Unfort. I'm out of money and we need to do something fast to get some income coming in before winter. All we are getting is negative input and I'm tire of hearing that shit.....

If anyone local reads this, we are not having a halloween party, because we don't have the time/money or energy ect..

Hopefully I'll be back soon with some better news. Hoping to get house done by end of Oct. (fingers crossed). Wish us luck.....

Whats going on

We went camping last weekend for Campit's Mardi Gras theme weekend. It started torrential raining Friday night and didn't stop until 1pm on Saturday. Needless to say everything was a muddy mess. Scooby got trashed both Friday and Saturday and I ended up baby sitting him until he totally passed out. Saturday night when he came too we had it out and I made him choose alcohol or me. So we are on the wagon now. He at least we will save some money and get a lot more shit done around here.

We have decided to try to turn the other house into a vacation rental/ B&B. I really don't want to be a landlord but would love to be an innkeeper. So that's the plan. We are located right in the heart of town, walking distance to most events on the river and one of the historic areas that has lots of restaurants and bars. Also downtown has lots of little shops and one of the largest antique malls in the state. Since the house needs a little work here and there we are pricing it cheap at $50 a night with 2 night min. or $3oo for the week.

So anyway, wish us luck...

I spent this weekend cleaning the basement of the other house and ripping out some really crappy made shelves to make way for the new drain lines we are putting in. Dam pvc is expensive, spent over 500 bucks for all the new drain lines, but I guess it would be alot more if I had to pay someone else to install so we actually did save money.

We discovered today the the display screen on our camera is broken. It must of happened during our 4th of July party. I'm totally bummed, but like I've said before, I wasn't meant to have anything nice.

On an up note we are heading to Saugatuck camping this weekend. Its Campit's Mardi Gras theme weekend which is usually a blast. We are going to be there Thursday-Sunday. 30% chance of rain, wish us luck....

buzzcocks orgasm addict

Mika - Relax, Take It Easy (Official Music Video)

Relax its the weekend!

Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns

The Loose Marbles, with Meshiya Lake

My one wish, to see Meschiya Lake perform live in person before I die.

In debt up to my eyeballs

Our friend that was going to rent the house informed us yesterday that he would not be able to. Finances or lack of is the reason. So now I'm kind of stessed again. We have discussed making the place a rooming house and rent out rooms for 100 week/400 month including utilities. If all 3 bedrooms was rented that would be 1200 a month for us, which should pay the utilities and give us some extra $ to continue working on the place.

Summer taxes just came today and I'm going to owe $2200. on the place which adds to my stress since that would completely wipe me out. Not to mention I have taxes due on our house and my car insurance is going to be due about the same time. September is going to totally suck if things don't change soon. Yeehaa

Celebrity deaths

August 16, 1977
I think the first celebrity that I remember dying was Elvis Presley. I was 10 yrs old and my parents and I were visiting my brother and his family down in Livonia, MI. I was sleeping on the hide a bed in the family room and someone got up in the morning and was in the kitchen with the radio on when it was announced that Elvis had died.

June 25, 2009
Today I first heard about Michael Jackson's death on Facebook.

How times have changed. Anyway that makes three in a row, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. RIP you all...

In other news, a good friend of ours is going to rent our other house starting August 1. I'm extremely happy, I just hope we are done painting and fixing the place up in time.

We are now getting ready for 4th of July party mode. I can't believe that its little over a week away. Yikes!!

Been spending most of my time cleaning the new house and trying to get it ready to rent. Been repairing shit as well. Discovered that the house sags a bit in the middle due to someone taking out a basement supporting wall when they put the furnace in. fun fun Luckily I bought the insurance that includes preexisting conditions since there was no utilities on. Hopefully it will pay for some of the repairs, if not, guess its up to us. No worries though, its not our first time at the fair. lol

Good News, we are closing next week on the house and we don't have to drive across the state either to do it. I put in a garden on the empty lot of the new property a week ago. I've been mowing both our place and our future property and it takes about a tank and a half of gas to do it all. In the past I could get several mowings out of one tank doing our yard. Alot more work but its worth it. Not much else to report, working like a madman and tired most of the time because of it.

Hope everyone had a great Memorial weekend!!

Not much new to report. Still haven't closed on the other house, in fact we just found out that if don't want it to drag out another couple of months we are going to have to drive across the state for the closing. Apparently HUD only went through one Title and Abstract company, and its in Gaylord, way up north. The poor company has been bombarded with the entire states HUD homes and unless you drive to them its going to take awhile for them to get you our area. OIY We have been at least working on the outside of the house so when we do get it we will be ready to focus our complete attention to the inside. We also found a steel exterior door for the house at a flea market for $10. so that will save us about $160 on buying a new one.

In other news, Scooby is slowly feeling better. Happy Spring everyone!

Sound of Music | Central Station Antwerp (Belgium)

BULL FUCKIN SHIT

Scooby has been having problems with our local HIV/AIDS services. It started last year when his case worker at Family Independent Agency fucked up his paper work which ended up with him not getting health care for 2008. "BASIS" our HIV/AIDS services was in the process of being taken over by Sacred Heart, which I would guess is basically the Catholic Church. Our caseworker at BASIS never bothered to help get things figured out and Scooby just gave up.

This year our BASIS/Sacred Heart caseworker got promoted and pawned us off on a new guy. I'm familiar with the new guy because a close friend has him as a caseworker and have been warned that he's about worthless, doesn't return phone calls, ect.. So we've been trying to get a hold of him so we can get Scoobys HIV related medical bills paid, with Ryan White funds and he doesn't return our calls either. We finally did get a hold of him and he said he's waiting for a phone call. It's been months since we have done his/our applications, its shouldn't have taken this long and he shouldn't still be waiting for a phone call.

This weekend our close friend mentions to us that his caseworker fucked up his app. and now he's not going to get DAP this year. DAP= Drug Assistance Program and takes care of all medications for HIV/AIDS patients who need help, they even pay my co-pays since I'm low income. I found out today that I don't have DAP this year as well, since the cut off was April 1. I have never had a problem applying for DAP, the only thing I can figure is that our new caseworker never mailed our applications.

I just wish I new WTF was going on, and why nobody cares anymore.

Update: I got on the phone this morning with the DAP client services person and found out they never recieved our applications. Within a half hour our caseworker was calling us and reasuring us that he'd get things ironed out. Its seems that they fax'ed our applications and that it didn't actually go through, or at least that is what they are telling us now.....

Happy Zombie Jesus Day!

Plans to go to my sisters for dinner were thwarted when I woke up with pink eye today. The fun part is I have to work my full 8 hour shift tomorrow in order to get my Holiday pay for Friday. So I'll apologize ahead of time in case I contaminate anyone at work. I don't make the rules I just follow them....

Pic of the new house

Here is a pic of the house we are purchasing. The pic was taken by the bank last winter. Note the house in the distance to the right is the back of our house. Will try and take a current pic soon.

Today we noticed a truck and trailer parked at the house we are buying so we stopped in to see what was up. Apparently HUD had hired some guys to go in and clean the place up/out. This is including the dishwasher, siding that was taken off the front porch ceiling when it was repaired, a cupboard door that wasn't attached, two vinyl window sashes with broken glass ect.. We didn't care that they took the old mattresses and beds ect. but we could use the rest of the stuff. Luckily the cleaning guys were reasonable and left the stuff that could be fixed, saving us alot of money on having to replace the stuff. They weren't even informed that the house was sold. I can't believe that HUD would do this AFTER there is a contract to purchase the house. The contract did say "as is" condition...

WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!!

The real estate lady called me today to say we got the house! I can stress enough to everyone out there, THIS IS A BUYERS MARKET!! Bank/government owned houses are going as low as 11,000. Granted I'm getting ours for a little bit more than that.

This will add a 50ft wide by 100ft deep section to our backyard, plus another 50 X 100 ft lot with a four bedroom house and two car garage on it. Next to the empty lot is another empty lot that is owned part by the city and state which they are holding onto for worker access. I about peed my pants when I got the news. I go in tomorrow to do the paperwork and it will be ours in 60 days, in time for our annual 4th of July party.

Also, the cortazon shot Scooby got in his shoulder is doing a world of good as well.

EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scooby is slowly getting better. The Dr. today said it would take his shoulder a good couple of months to bounce back and also gave him a cortazone shot in it, since he can't afford physical therapy.

It other new: The house behind us went up for sale and we put a bit in on it today. We should find out by 5pm tomorrow if it was excepted. Wish us luck. If you don't remember the story, the family who lost it was horrible. A single grandmother and a bunch of unruly grandchildren the older ones bordering on thugs. Towards the end the older kids were throwing eggs across the fence splattering our deck and cars ect.. They would also hit golf ball against our fence when we tried to entertain outside. If this goes through we will fix the house and try to rent it out to some gays and take the extra 50X100 foot lot and expand our back yard with the intention of building a garage in the future. Like I said wish us luck...

Aimee Mullins: How my legs give me super powers

Again, not much new to report. Scooby spent Friday afternoon/evening at the emergency room again, this time for a sebaceous cyst. They ended up not being able to help him and because of the area its in might need to have it surgically removed. Saturday the pain was so bad he was vomiting all day/night. Luckily it popped that night and relieved some of the pain and pressure.
Other than that not much is new, just working and taking care of the bf.

Update: Scooby called the specialist Tuesday and it looks like he will not need surgery after all. YAY!!!

We spent 6 hours yesterday at the ER at St. Mary's Hospital. Scooby had been throwing up for 2-3 days and was pretty dehydrated. They did blood work, urine sample, x-ray's, and an ulrasound and found nothing. The blood work the Dr. did a week ago came back clean as well. He had another appt. at the Dr. today and they have referred him to physical therapy to see if they can get his left arm functioning again. They feel the problem with his arm is that he has favored it since the cellulitis and now the tendons/muscles ect. are sore from no use.

It turned out that cellulitis he was first dianosed with last month was a type of Staph infection. But no answers to why this is still going on. I'm tired......

Update: Scooby is feeling much better now that they put him on antibiotics again. Since the Dr. suggested physical therapy he has been exercising his left arm and it is getting better as well. He went to one therapy appt. but will probably not go back since he has no insurance.

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

Sorry I haven't much to say. Scooby has had a relapse. They did blood work on him Friday to see if they could find out why he has severe pain in his muscles and joints. He's been sleeping about 90% of the time and has been confined to the couch. Luckily this time he is still able to get up and get himself to the bathroom ect.. So basically life is just work, house work and taking care of him right now.

Update: Scooby just called me to let me know he can't get off the couch. So it looks like I'll be heading home early and probably renting a wheelchair again. This worries me alot, plus it sucks that I have to work. I really wish Johnny hadn't of died recently, he was a healthcare worker and a very dependable friend that I could have counted on....

Friday the 13th

Normally people think of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day. This Friday was just the opposite for me this year.
I went to the Habitat for Humanity resale store and found a iMac G3. I asked the store clerk if it worked. She told me that some lady dropped it off 15 minutes ago and said it works prefect. It also came with keyboard, mouse, and software. Price $20. I couldn't believe it! Money might be tight but I could pass up this super deal. I'm so hyped, I love my new iMac.

I also stopped in to my car insurance agent and was able to combine Scooby and I's car insurance and I'm saving big bucks. YAY

Friday the 13th was definitely a lucky day for me!

This weekend I actually spent a few minutes outside with out a coat. The temp was in the 40's and I swept alot of the slush and water off of the back deck. Alot of the snow melted and the dormant grass is visible almost everywhere. YAY!!!

I was told today that tomorrow is suppose to hit 50 Double YAY!!

In other happier news. Scooby bought a trumpet at a second hand/ flea market type place for 30 bucks a couple of weekends ago. I thought he would drive me crazy playing it, but he's not that bad. In fact he's getting pretty good playing "When the saints go marching in".

January

I've come to the conclusion that I hate January. My mom died January 12, 1996. Two years ago my father committed suicide January 18. And now our friend Wendy was murdered January 17.

Repose en Paix Wendy

Wendy Byrne was one of our favorite bartenders in the French Quarter. Her main place of work was at Aunt Tiki's on Decatur St., but she had also moonlighted at The Country Club, El Gato's Lair, and Startlight by the Park. We met her through our friend Darron, I think a year or two before Katrina. She was a lively spirit, a great story teller and described herself as a gay man trapped in a womans body.

A day or so after our introduction we ran into her at Voodoo at Congo Square. She came in and sat at the end of the bar and ordered a drink and we got to talking. She mentioned that she loved guys with hairy chests cuz she loved the feel of rubbing against them bare chested. I pulled up my shirt and showed my fur and said "like this", and Wendy immediately jumped off her barstool, pulled up her shirt exposing her bare breasts and ran to me shouting "Hairy chest, Hairy chest", I climbed off of my barstool and we rubbed our bare chests together until she got her fix. Being a gay man, I had never been that close to boobs in my life, Wendy was definitely a friend for life after that moment.

Sometimes we would go in and there would be a sign on the JagerMeister dispensor stating "No More for Wendy" put there by Wendy herself of course to keep her from "crossing over" while at work. This Christmas/New Year trip down there Wendy told us she had switched from Jager to Tequilla. Also this year Scooby had started ordering his shots of Jager by pronouncing it YAY GRRRR and Wendy then raised her arms above her head and said "YAY" then ducked down behind the bar and jumped up like a bear and said "GRRR".

She worked mornings/early afternoons on Decatur and once while we were out looking for lunch and not ready to drink, we tried to walk past the bar.......But Wendy saw us and yelled, "Hey!!!, where do you think your going walking past here with out stopping to say hello". We would stop in and she would whip up her special Voodoo doll bloody mary's with the okra body, green bean arms, olive hands and a cocktail onion head. And that would be the end of the day cuz we would sit and drink and visit till the end of her shift.

Our friend Darron called this morning to let us know that Wendy was shot and killed near the corner of Dauphine and Govenor Nichols in the French Quarter last night. The victim of a robbery gone horribly wrong.

I spent Sunday in a state of disbelief, Scooby cried on and off all day. Sunday night we bought some Jager and drank to Wendy. Today (monday) it has sunk in and after reading more about what happened I finally started to cry as well. It makes me sick that if the police had of done their job this could have been prevented.

We love you Wendy, I'm so sorry this happened, you will always be remembered and the French Quarter will not be the same with out you. XXXOOO

More from the Times-Picayune

Update: Teen turns himself in.

Update: 2 teens booked in FQ murder.

Update: More info. from Times-Picayune

We got back from New Orleans in one piece. Last Thursday Scooby came down with a cold or so we thought. By Sunday morning he couldn't get out of bed because of the severe pain in his right leg and ankel and left elbow. The areas were red and swollen and hot to the touch. Since he has no insurance he decided to wait till Monday and see if he could get in to his regular Dr.. He tried to get around Sunday with the crutches we have but it ended up being easier to use a desk chair with wheels to move him to the bathroom ect..

Monday I went to a local Pharmacy and rented a wheel chair to tranport him to the Dr.. The Doc thinks he has some kind of skin infection and put him on a couple of antibiotics. They seem to work since he has started to get around again and told me today that I could take the wheelchair back on Wednesday. Nothing like a health scare to start the New Year.

Oh and some words of wisdom, if your parnter becomes wheelchair bound they don't think its very funny to mention Baby Jane........

Happy New Year!

Greetings from New Orleans! We head back tomorrow and looking forward to getting home and spending some quality time with my kitties. This year has been uneventful down here in New Orleans. The gay crowds have been sufficiently smaller and the some of the bars are struggling a bit to stay afloat. Luckily Mardi Gras is coming up in a few months so that will help. The news reported that crime is up here but I don't see it. Then again I don't look like an easy target either and that helps.

The weather looks good for our trip home, so thats a good thing. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and a Happy New Year!