December 31, 2010 - The End......

Ahhhhhh!  The smell of the new year is in the air and I cannot wait to see what it has to offer!  I've made pork and sauerkraut, a few snack foods, and sandwich items for friends to eat while stopping by.  I'm sitting here in the living room waiting on James to get home.  He had to drop off his mom and stop at his house.  I have the Bubbies here with me however, they are waiting on their cans of food that their dad forgot to bring over :)  Tee hee.

I think that my two cats and his two dogs are getting along much better now.  At first it was quite strange for all parties involved but now it's all good.  Kodi (Bubbies #1) is a Chow mix, Gizmo (Bubbies #2) is a Shih tzu and then we have Fiddos (the woman of the house) my cat and Jackie Doo Butt Stick (the little man) also my cat.  Gizmo has a little peeing problem that we've run into once or twice because he's a little spoiled man and likes to pee on things without repercussions.  So I did have to make a trip over to James' house to pick up the rug scrubber for the floor near the corner of the guest room bed.  What he was doing in there I'm not quite sure, but he must have enjoyed it.

Today, I met James and his mom for lunch at Rotelli's Italian Restaurant.  We ordered two pizzas because they were buy one get one free!   Then, this boy I know was working there, Bob, and he gave us some fried ravioli as well!  It was very nice of him.  During lunch, James' mom was telling me about her trip to Germany to see James while he was in the Army.  You see, his mom Ana grew up in Puerto Rico and ended up quitting school very early in order to take care of her brothers and sisters.  So to this day she cannot read or write (either English or Spanish) and talks pretty broken English yet fluent Spanish.  So she was telling me how she missed her flight from New York to Germany to see him.  That she ended up getting another flight with a connection and ended up getting lost in Germany.  She's so funny.  And when you think about it, not only would it be hard to get around in an unfamiliar airport but then throw in that you cannot read or wright or barely speak English and no German.... That would be pretty scary!  However she wasn't scared.  She said the airport was filled with military men walking up and down the hallways with machine guns and here she comes with a bag of rice and beans and pastelles. LOL  ( If you ever get a chance to try Puerto Rican rice and beans with pastelles I HIGHLY recommend it!)  :)  

So anyway, Happy New Year to all of those who may come across my page.  I wish you all the best in the new  year!  Take it easy and take care!

((HUGS))

December 28, 2010 - Stupid, Ignorant People.........

So why do people feel so entitled?  It drives me absolutely crazy! Today I went to the grocery store to pick up the traditional pork ribs and sauerkraut for New Years Eve.  While pulling into the parking lot to find a parking place you have to drive in front of the store to go back the aisles of parking places.  An elderly couple with a buggy stopped directly in the middle of the crosswalk from the store to the parking area, are just stopped talking and talking and talking to another older lady.  Now really?  Get a grip people!  YOU are not the only people on the planet!  All of the other cars are squeezing around them to get by and the three of them are absolutely clueless of what is going on around them!  So annoying.

I go into the store to pick up my items and yet another elderly lady.  This one obviously somewhat underprivileged with her brown and tan coat, ratted hair, brown orthopedic shoes and her grocery list with a running total of how much she was spending.  For a moment I thought, HOW COOL!  She's keeping track of what she's spending so she doesn't go over her budget!  Very good idea!  However, that idea went right out the window as I pull up behind her as she was sitting in the middle of the aisle adding up her list.  Really?  Do you honestly think that by sitting with your buggy in the middle of the aisle that you will not be inconveniencing anyone that is behind you?  Grrrr!  Drives me crazy!  I try very hard to get out of the way of traffic when I'm out in public.  Meaning that if I am out in a grocery store and I need to text or look something up, I'd pull over to the side of the aisle out of the way of people.  Apparently I'm of rare kind!  Thank you to my mom for raising me correctly!  :)

December 27, 2010 - New Year Resolution - Operation Declutter 2011

What a constructive day!  James stopped by here after he got done work today to pick me up and take me to Home Depot to get the new pantry cabinet I wanted.  We got it hauled back here and I built it.  I wouldn't have asked him to stay here and help me because a. he had to get home to feed the Bubbies, and b. because he had just worked all day.  It wasn't so hard anyway to get it put together.  Let me tell you though!  I'm absolutely delighted it's all up and ready to use!  I guess I should tell you the story.


I decided that for my New Year Resolution this year I'm taking on "Operation Declutter 2011"!  Hell, I've even just created a Facebook page for others to join and exchange tips and chronicle our milestone achievements.  I think it's going to be great!  And if we talk about it we may be able to make sure that we keep on it.  I'm also hoping that by decluttering and organizing my home more, that it might spill over into my life as well.  Perhaps I can get more organized when it comes to eating right and exercising too.


So, I've started cleaning out my closets, and no not the proverbial one!  And this pantry is going to be wonderful!  It will make shopping much easier because I'll be able to see what I do and do not have.  Hopefully save me some money because I've now realized that I have 4 entire bags of powdered sugar.  Now really, what does one person need with 4 bags of powdered sugar?  Ha!  However, organizing the kitchen cupboards with only the items that are opened and currently being used I think is a great idea!  Well if anyone is reading this and would like to share ideas on organizing and decluttering, by all means please feel free to comment and let me know! :)

December 26, 2010

Wow!  What an amazing holiday.  Christmas eve proved to be stress as I had anticipated it to be.  James had to work till 5 however, he didn't get out till 5:30.  He got home a little after 6 which put us at my sisters house at 7.  We went in and there were kids running around everywhere.  I can't believe how quickly they grow up.  It was nice to see everyone.  We walked in the door and the entire kitchen was filled with food.  All of the traditional favorites.  James and I made a plate and went in and sat down with the rest of the family, who had already eaten, opened gifts and were relaxing between my sisters' living room and game rooms.  We ate and opened our gifts.  Everyone kept stopping by to say hello and see how we were.  After eating you could literally see that mom was tired, from her recent brain surgery to remove another tumor.  She gets tired so quickly now.  Mom and Dad decided they were going to head home so I walked them out to the truck and they drove back up the hill to their house.  Dad takes mom in the truck so she doesn't risk falling in the driveway from their house to my sisters'.  We left shortly after to head back up to James' house.


The next morning James and I woke up and had our coffee and watched some TV.  We left to go to my house to feed the kids and depart down to Lisbon to my parent's house again.  On the way there I stopped by my friend Mandy's moms house.  I knew she was home from Sandusky and I could give her a great big hug.  It was real nice to see them all.  Mandy and Lee live in Sandusky near Cedar Point, and her mom and dad still live there in Lisbon where we grew up.  Jen (Mandy's mom) was real happy to see me I think.  She just smiled and hugged me.  I love them all so much.  Mandy is one of the most pure, wonderful people on this Earth.  She is truly a good person and I'm lucky to call her my friend.  


We got to my mom's house by 11 am.  The food was all cooking and smelled delicious.  I helped mom make these tortilla roll up things and the deviled eggs.  We then ate and opened up our presents.  My dad was so excited because he handmade James a hammer like Thor's.  Ha ha ha  You see, James is sort of a comic book fanatic!  He loves them.  He was telling us a long time ago he needed wood to make a hammer like Thor's, so my dad made it for him.  After leaving my parents we drove 40 minutes back to James' house so we could let the Bubbies (His kids Kody and Gizmo) out to go potty.


We arrived at his mothers house at about 3:15.  His mom Ana, his brother Denny, and nephew Vinnie were there having dinner.  His mom quickly got us plates to eat the more traditionally Puerto Rican Christmas meal.  Ham, red rice & beans, salad, pastelles, and mashed potatoes and gravy.  It was DELICIOUS!  I love the rice & beans and pastelles.  Denny and Vinny left so we went into her living room that she had decorated the prior evening, to open up gifts and have cookies.  James and his mom hand made me 4 pillows for my couch and loveseat.  I thought that was so nice.  They are so damn cute too!  We then sat around the table and played a couple hands of dominos and left to be back to his house by 6.  


We got back to his house and fed the kids and FINALLY sat down to relax and open the gifts that we got each other.  I love hanging out with him.  It's so comfortable and just seems right. My best friend Rusty then texts me and says that he and his boyfriend Joel are on their way over to exchange gifts as well.  LOL  Never a dull moment!   All and all it has been such a wonderful holiday.  I couldn't have asked for more than to be with my family including James and being with his family as well.  His mom even "officially" gave me one of the turtle doves off of her tree!  She did it just like they did in Home Alone 2, too!  LOL  She's so goofy.


On a very happy note.  This past Wednesday President Obama signed the bill to eliminate Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT)!!  I posted, on my Facebook status, that I was very happy and proud of our government for finally taking care of this absolutely stupid law.  My sister's boyfriend / faïence Jimmy replied to it asking why I was so happy because all "they" had to do was keep their mouth shut about it and it wasn't an issue.  Jimmy is in the army and served a couple times in Iraq.  I don't think that's homophobic in any way I just don't think that he understood the reasoning that the law should have been repealed.  I told him that over 12500 service members have been discharged since the start of DADT.  He seemed to think that if you wanted to be in the service bad enough you would do whatever it took to get in and to stay in.  I get his point, however he should see that discriminating against people who are gay just isn't right and it was a HUGE victory for us having this repealed.


P.S.  My friend Julie just filled me in on something!  143 ...  Do you know what that is?  I sure didn't.  It means I love you!  How cute!  She said she always sends that to her daughters and i'm like her kid so she sent it to me.  1 = 1 letter I, 4 = four letters LOVE, 3 = 3 letters YOU.  Cute right?!?!  She wants me to move close to her so we can hang out more.  She's in love with my macaw Lilly and we always have a nice time hanging out.   

December 24, 2010

Today is Christmas Eve.  I've made the homemade noodles, got the packages ready and in the car.  I've boxed up cookies and candies to give to my parents and to James' mom.  Now just waiting.  James always seems to have to work afternoon during the most inopportune times.  He get's off work at 5 and the party starts at 5 as well.  Hopefully we'll get there by 6:30.


I have two cats, Fiddos (the rotund older female), Jackie Doo Butt Stink (my adoptee, rescued from the shelter), a few fish in the tank, and Lilly my 2 year old macaw.  They are all my kids and I had to make sure that they all had their Christmas presents for Christmas morning.  For the kitties I got them plenty of treats, toys and canned food.  As for Lilly, I got her one of those iPod port radios.  I want to make sure that she doesn't feel lonely when I leave for work and stuff.


So here shortly we'll all gather around to a big dinner, discuss stories of what's happing in our lives and exchange gifts that we bought for each other in our gift exchange.  I hope that you all have a very lovely holiday today and tomorrow.  I wish you all the very best.  

December 23, 2010

Hello everyone!  Welcome to The Day In The Life Of A Typical Fag.  This is my first attempt ever at blogging and my goal of this whole thing is to hopefully clear up some of the "stigma" of the "typical fags".  We're ordinary people, that just want to be happy in the world in which we inhabit.  


Let me first start by telling you that my name is Terry, and I'm a 32 year old gay man from Ohio.  I grew up in a small town south of Youngstown and can't wait to tell you all about my experiences with all of that.  Since then I've now moved to a bigger city, where being a "fag" is somewhat ok.  I've lived here now for about 7 years and love it.  


So today is Christmas Eve Eve :)  December 23.  I've been baking cakes and cookies and stressing on what I'll forget to make and remember to take tomorrow to meet with my family as we do every year.  Our family is somewhat funny when it comes to gatherings.  Half of us are from Ohio and the other half is from West Virginia.  Mom always brings baked beans, I always make homemade noodles, my Aunt Kay usually potato salad, Aunt Alice, cheesecake (my Uncle Jim's favorite dish) etc.  It's amazing how traditions set in and we all follow along like we always have.  It's very nice to see everyone on our Christmas Eve dinner, however we've all grown so much, our families have changed, and we, ourselves have changed too!  Sometimes I find myself just sitting back and watching over the room at the kids tearing into the Christmas wrap with eager eyes, waiting to see what they've gotten.  Looking at the little "cliques" among the family that haven't changed in years.  How the smokers migrate to one area and the "men" veg out in front of the TV.  It brings a smile to my face knowing that we will all be together again tomorrow.  This year is especially exciting because James, my boyfriend of almost three years, will be coming as well.  My family is very accepting of me and him both.  My parents just love him.  He treats me good and I completely adore him.


I have to say, sometimes it is a little awkward being around your family and friends and leaving yourself completely open with your partner in front of them.  It's almost like opening yourself up completely and just hoping not to be judged for it.  You never know how people truly feel about you being gay, you just hope that they are honest when they say they love you unconditionally.  I can honestly say I've been so lucky when it comes to my family.  I remember when I told my mom I was gay.  Me making a HUGE deal about it.  We were both sitting on my bed and I needed to tell her because I met a man that I liked.  I felt horrible lying to her everyday on where I was going.  I would always say that I was doing school work or study groups.  I hated lying.  I had to tell her.  So, both of us sitting on my bed I start by saying.


Me:  Mom, I have something to tell you..........
Mom:  What?
Me:  Common'.... Don't you know?  You don't have a clue?
Mom:  No?  What's wrong?  Why are you crying?
Me:  I met someone!!!
Mom: Then why are you crying???
Me:  You don't know.... Honestly?????  You have no clue???


I was just hoping for her to say ... Yes I know your gay and it's ok!  But that never happened.


Mom: No I don't know.......
Me: (more tears, practically bawiling) I met someone and it's a guy!  (bawiling)
Mom:  Oh... Is that it?!?!?
Me:  YES!
Mom:  Well I have gay friends, and it's ok!  I love you anyway for whoever you are!


I just love my mom!  She is probably the most important person in my whole life.  I respect her so much, she is my hero, she is so strong,  and such a wonderful person!  I love her with all of my heart!  Thanks for being there for me mom!  (((HUGS)))


So, moving forward with this blog my goal is to share my life, past and present, with you.  Feel free to comment anytime.  I have many stories about life that you will find hysterical I'm sure!  Please stay tuned for those, and check back frequently!   Thanks for reading!