Journal

I didn’t take dinner over to Willie last night. It was so nice out, we decided to walk over to Jine’s for dinner instead. I think he’s feeling less discouraged about his thesis. But it’s still a big job. That may be part of it. I’ve found the old advice to break a large projcet down into smaller ones works. Of course, for me, it’s easier to stay focused on smaller bits.

Interesting day at work today. The new manager started yesterday. But it was a full day of orientation, so we didn’t meet him until today. Tall, cute and I’d guess around 30 to 32. I’ll have to check for a ring.

And the new co-op student started today as a web developer. Very cute twink. And he’s never used FrontPage before. Poor thing. Maybe I’ll get a chance to show him a tip, or the whole thing! J No, he’s a little too young, and I don’t date people I work with anyway.

But between the two of them, the scenery in the data center has definitely improved!

Tons of e-mail to go out too. Other than that, same ol’ same ol’. Some interesting stuff happening on other guys’ sites. But I e-mail about that.

I finished Airframe at lunch today. I'm out of books. So I stopped on the way home tonight and bought five new ones. I’m still deciding which to start at home tonight, and which to start at lunch tomorrow.

I finished Harlan’s Race last night. I cried a lot through that book. A lot. So much of it hit so close to home. The first and last chapters take place in the early 90s. The rest is an extended reminisce, picking up in the late 70s where The Front Runner left off, continuing into the early 80s. So much changed during those years. And in the ten years that followed.

In the last chapter, Harlan thinks about all the people he’s personally known who have died of AIDS. He guesses at about 250. I’d have to guess it’s between 80 and 100 for me. It’s always a pleasant surprise though to run into someone from the old days again. If you don’t see or hear of them in ten or fifteen years, it’s easy to assume they’ve died and you just didn’t check the obits that day.

Ran into two people like that last weekend. Bar friends from the old days, never really close. Did as much catching up as you can do on a weekend night at a dance club. But still, it’s nice.

Made my reservations for Toronto. It’s been three months since I’ve been there. I need a fix! But negotiating several people’s schedules so we could go together, and getting my sisters-in-law to commit to dates for my nieces’ birthdays has been a nightmare. So I’ll leave right from work on Friday the 20^th. That’ll put me on Church St by 8:00 or 8:30. Then I’ll stay over ‘til Sunday morning, and catch my brother’s hockey game in Buffalo on the way back Sunday afternoon. Busy weekend.

As for the gay.net mail, well, sorry. Replies have gone out. I’ll remember to check it more often. And of course, the AOL address is used only for the personal ads I have out there, and spam.

Got a real nice note from Carlos today. Carlos, I hope you do a web site. Don’t let the "journal phenomenon" and the associated comments put you off. There’s a need for more of us out there. (By he way Scott, he found my site from yours. Thanks again for the link!)

So, did we act on breaking the shyness with the guys we’ve been checking out at Muther’s tonight? No. I played to the predictable safe havens. Saw Vince-the-ex as soon as I walked in. (By the way Marianne and Jennifer, he told me you both read the site. No more lurking for you!! Write, okay?) After spending some time with Vince, I hung out with Jeff, cook and webmaster for Muther’s. He has visions of becoming an ISP. I have a feeling he wants to host my site. But with only a single T-1 connected to another ISP (that’s as slow as molasses running uphill in January) it probably won’t happen.

Then I chatted with Tony a while, and Johnny came in, and Carl, (he’s such a hoot!) and finally Michael-the-ex. Michael, by the way, says he’s over the bashing from a couple of weeks ago. He’s cut back on the vodka, and it shows, so maybe he is. Hell of a way to learn a lesson though.

I asked Vince, Johnny, Tony and Michael to join me in Toronto next weekend. They all said they’d think about it. Don’t just think, act! It’ll be a blast.

You know, a lot of people think it’s strange, but I still love my exes dearly, and would do anything for them. We can’t LIVE together, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad people or that we can’t still be friends. (BTW Vince, I straightened things out with Tony for you.)

But hunnylemmetellya, I thought all the cuties were supposed to go to Fort Ladeedah for spring break. Muther’s was never filled with such cuteness as tonight. My tongue was hanging out so far, I can tell you what the floor tasted like! (Not good.) Well they’re certainly something to look at, but I’m still looking for someone a bit more mature. And on that subject, Mark from West Bumfuck has been working out lately, and he’s moved from hot to hot-plus. Hmmm. Good job, nice house, and a hot-tub. Says he needs at least seven. I measure up.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade marks the beginning of the parade season here in Rahchacha. The staging area for all of Rochester’s parades (except, interestingly, the Pride Parade) is the street behind my apartment. I can look out over the roof of our ramp garage and see ‘em all right from my window, (I’m not opening it to listen today!) I’m watching it now. Floats, bands, marchers, balloons, parents pulling kids in wagons, politicians, lots of green of course, and a new twist, stock-cars.

The Pride Parade in July runs a different route every year. Last year it went right past my building. I couldn’t decide whether to march with The Lambda Network from Kodak, join my "sister" Mark on the official Ellenwood Electric float, (his truck) or park my lawnchair at the curb. I left work early, and took a little nap while I decided. I missed most of the parade. I awoke to the bands going by, and got to see the last half of the parade go by. The post-parade bash and Pride Weekend kick-off was two blocks down the street. And since I was rested and refreshed, I had a great time.

I can’t wait for festival season to get underway. (Mmmmm, deep-fried cholesterol-laden finger foods!) The Lilac Festival, which runs for a full week in May, starts the season. There’s some kind of festival every weekend through the summer. As a minor patron of the arts, my favorites are the Corn Hill Arts Festival, the Park Ave Arts Festival and the Clothesline Arts Festival.

The Park Ave and Clothesline fests are each only a block from where I live, (different directions though). I spent a fortune on paintings and sculptures last year. No doubt because it’s easy to haul the stuff home! The Park Ave fest is my favorite because it’s the only one with live music on multiple stages all weekend. Dancing in the streets, heluvagood time!