Saturday, June 27, 2009

Sam Bought a Condo!!!

My sister Samantha just bought a condo!!! As in, this very moment!!! She beat me to it!!!

I'm so happy for her! Now she will have a cat kingdom for Trubs and Patches!

Ok, off to Chile I go! -P

Year 25: In Review

Today I head to Chile for a week with my friend Matt (see the blog “Matt’s Waste of Your Time”). For many years now, many of my friends have urged me to see the world, and finally, I have been blessed with both the opportunity and smarts to actually do it. Over the next month, I will not only be seeing Chile, but thanks to my wonderful sister Tara, will also be going to Spain and France-- also with Matt. I am really, really, looking forward to these trips, and I expect you all to be super-envious of me— except for maybe you, Matt. ;-)

Therefore, this will be my last post for at least a week and as my birthday falls within that time, I thought this would be a good opportunity to assess my year and maybe set some goals for next year. This has truly been a life-transforming year for me, and well, I feel truly fortunate; frankly, to borrow a quote from Lou Gehrig, I feel like I am the luckiest man in the world. By almost every objective measure I can think of, year 25 has been the best year of my life.

As some of you know, I wrote a letter back in November or so, which detailed some of the internal problems I had. In retrospect, I think the letter was a little unfair to some of my friends, because it was unexpectedly springing a whole lot of emotion on them at once, which can really be quite draining. However, in many ways, it was probably the best thing I have ever done. I’ve not had a panic attack in over two years now, and only by my own personally harsh standards would I still consider myself even a little homophobic. And seriously, I feel so ridiculously loose. I just feel much more free, like I have gotten this amazing load off of my chest, and yeah, it’s hard to describe, I haven’t had insomnia, even when rather negative things happen to me I don’t get down as much, it’s like I’ve been blessed with a much more positive way of looking at the world (and at myself). Personally, I’ve always struggled with my maturity (am I a boy or a man), and if I’m not a man yet, in my opinion, I would say I’m pretty darn close.

I truly believe in God. I don’t know how to best defend this, so I’ll just say that things have happened to me this year, coincidences some may call them, but so many of them, and at perfect moments, that well, I feel I owe very little to how great this year went to myself, but rather to a divine power... it’s just that things have really gone my way. Frankly, I’m too stupid to make the best choices for myself (this much I know), so things like these trips, with just how busy and wonderful my schedule has been.... it’s just been very fortuitous. Even in this past month, two, objectively, rather unfortunate things happened to me, but I know in my heart that both were for the best, and I guess I’ve known this for a while now— really, I’m fortunate both happened to me. Even in misfortune, I’ve been fortunate... for what I already have, really, I am so incredibly blessed.

Just last night, I got a birthday letter from my friend Sarah. She is pregnant and I expect that little Dahlia will be coming along soon... most likely on my birthday. ;-) One day, Dahlia will likely be a great musician... the female Mozart--- except better than him! I speak so fondly about lots of people on my blog, but the fact is that there are so many people out there who are better than me— better in that they just have this wonderful light that shines upon me, and well, it’s their grace that I find so compelling— perhaps they are no “better”, but in their own ways, they are the best people for me... truly great people. These are people I am blessed to have in my life... many of them I have already posted about their greatness— but at the end of the day, I think that’s what life is about: family, friends, and what one contributes to make one’s life and others’ lives more filled with love. On that matter, I am very proud of this blog, it has already helped at least one person very important to me, and well, it’s also been really fun to express my creativity— even the somewhat raunchy stuff. ;-)

Today, and later this month, I will achieve one of my life goals of seeing parts of the world (thanks Matt and Lil’ Uno). Throughout the year, I’ve also been blessed to see many different parts of the country (as I said, I am really, very lucky). As for goals this upcoming year:

1) As long as Elizabeth is up for the task, I would really like to produce a book of animal poetry. I find this to be fun and a cool way to spend some of my free time. By this time next year, I hope to have written at least 50 animal poems— at least 5 of which are of quality. ;-) If you have the time, and enjoy this sort of stuff, please post comments! :-)

2) As a longer term (maybe 3 year) goal, I would really like to write a Broadway musical. I may be a dreamer (in more ways than one), but I really believe I have the talent to write a great musical, and God-willing, I hope to put it together. Of course, the problem will be setting it to music, but I feel like this is something that if I write it, the music will come (thanks Kevin Costner). My musical will be about love, breaking down the fakeness/fears of society, and will, of course, also be damn funny. Seriously, if I could write a good musical that also helped people, well, I would be very happy.

3) I want to take on more responsibility— both in my career and in my personal life. I have thought about maybe buying a house and, well, this takes that darn word “responsibility”... ugh! :-P

4) I love my sisters... I have to let them know it every day. And I love some of my friends too... if I let them know it, they’d probably feel awkward. ;-) And I love my parents too, even if their politics are whack!

5) I need to smile at least one thousand times every day- for those who know me, you know that’s a pretty good estimate. :-) I sometimes think about falling in love again, but really, I’m just a goof ball. If love happens, God-willing, may the insanity be good to me. :-P

Thanks for reading, and if you have ever been kind or good to me, thanks a lot, I hope to return the favor. These are my goals... maybe around New Years or next birthday I’ll reassess how I’ve done. Most importantly, I'll just have to remember who and what is important, and stick to them/that--- the rest will come. :-P

Saturday Musical Poetry--- "Last of the Mohicans"

For all those who speak for the right things: who put the beauty of nature, life, and people above all else, I think of this song--- "Promontory" by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman from "The Last of the Mohicans":

Hippopotamus: Animal Poem #16

So you want to be
A hip hippopotamus
Then you better know how to dance
This is a must!
For the hippos dance off the river floor
We’ve never learned how to swim
What a bore!

So just move your hips
And do the hippo dip
Meaning dip your butt to the floor!
And then get it back up
And shake it again
And then dip it down low some more!

For if you want to be hip
In hip hippo town
Then you have to learn how to dance
This is a must!
For the only rhyme
In hip hippo time
Is the splash of the booty’s sound
So bring it down!

Get hip
Get hip hippo down!
Get hip
Swing those hips around!
Get hip
Bring your buns low down!
For there’s no one as hip
Or likes to take a dip
As much as we
In hip hippo town!

Get hip
Make the music proud!
Get hip
Shake that butt around!
Get hip
Shake it while you go down!
For there’s no one as hip
Or likes to take a dip
As much as we
In hip hippo town!

So if you want to dance
Give yourself half a chance
And dance like a hippo knows
For the hip hippo goes
Like a song no one knows
We are booties without control

So as you dance
Upon the great dance floor
Don’t be a stick in mud
No... let it go!
For the dance that’s in
Is the dance within!
Just shake your booty without control!

And get hip
Get hip hippo down
Get hip
Shake it all around!
Get hip
Make we hippos proud!
For no one’s as hip
Or likes to take a dip
As much as we
In hip hippo town!

Orangutan: Animal Poem #15

Who da’ man?
The orangutan!
Who da’ man?
The orangutan!
Who da’ man?
The orangutan!
So you better be a fan
Of the orangutan!

In all the animal kingdom
We are the best and brightest
We use our brainy minds
To produce even these words you find
For do not overlook
That the author of this book
Is a brilliant orangutan
See, this rhyme has the best hook!

For the smartest and the brightest
Are those who have red heads
It’s only fools who say the brightest
Are those silly blondes or those brunettes
For if you ever see a red head
Especially an orangutan
You better call him “Da’ Man”
Or if a woman then “Da’ Woman!”

Who da’ woman?
The orangutan!
Who da’ woman?
The orangutan!
Who da’ woman?
The orangutan!
So you better be a fan
Of the orangutan!

So if you ever want to hang
With an orangutan
You have to bring all of your respect
For we are the tree-top swingers
The animal kingdom’s ringers
And all we expect
From our human subjects
Is that you call us by our proper names:

That be the red-hair, fair, and beyond compare
Beautiful orangutan:
Also known in this or any land
As “Da’ Woman” or “Da’ Man”.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Happy Birthday Clarice!!!

Today is Clarice's Birthday...

For those who don't know her, her blog is 2nLNwChrist on the right of my page over there. Anyway, I am very fortunate to have been blessed to meet Clarice. She is a person who brings amazing joy, positive energy, happiness, and a slice of "special" every day. The poem below is a re-post, but I know that Clarice reads my blog now, and maybe she didn't see this before... happy birthday Clarice!!!

Anyway, this is my poem for Clarice: a truly good person, for whom, if there's a heaven, and angels like myself could bet on humans like at a race track, I would give her really, really good odds! :-P

For the Princess

Some believe that there’s a heaven up above
I believe it’s any place you find her love
Because with a personality lined with fleece
And with words that comfort like a glove
She’s a walking model of youth and art
To be painted as generosity flowing from a heart
But what such canvass could never describe
Is the amount of good she has bundled inside
The way she gives not just of money
But her smiles, laughs, and sweeping curves
On her cheeks, on the intonations of her voice waves
That can make any dark-room suddenly sunny
Whereas many are busy gathering their piece
Tethered to magazines, to stocks, to familial hopes
She dreams of God, of love, of understanding, of family, of friends,
In short, she lives the salvation of love,
And it’s this pureness of heart that makes me think
That few I know have found a greater peace
Than the one we call our Princess: Clarice.

Birthday Musical Poetry--- "Special"

In honor of Clarice's Birthday: this is a song that some of us can relate to more than others... particularly we "special" ones... this is "Brass In Pocket" by the Pretenders: