Tribute to the North Woods Guys

I find it really sad: a series of events that have lead to a blog being removed from the blogosphere with no forwarding address.

Some of you are familiar with Warren and Steve of the “North Woods Guys.” Just some average guys who live in northern Minnesota and use the blog as a chronicle of their lives. Like most average guys, their lives were pretty average. They were not running around picking up guys for one nighters nor were they having three-ways with married men. They were just going about life and blogging about it in their own comfortable way.

Some have called Warren the Ned Flanders of the gay blogoshpere. I think it was meant as an insult but is it really? Who would you rather have as a neighbor: Ned Flanders or Homer Simpson? We may make fun of Ned Flanders, but he would make a good neighbor. And I think the blogosphere was a better place with Warren in it.

I know that at one point North Woods Guys was being lampooned (an not too nicely) by other gay bloggers. I also know that Warren has gotten some not so kind comments on his blog. I just think it is sad that we as a world cannot stand to have just nice people around. We cannot stand for just nice people to stay just nice. I should think we would be happy and allow the people to be. We may even strive to have a life like theirs. Even if we don’t want a life like theirs, we don’t need to attack it. That is like the het’s attacking us because we want to get married. If they don’t want to marry someone of their own gender, that is ok, just don’t stop us from doing it. If people don’t want a quiet life, that is ok, just don’t malign those who do.

North Woods Guys, you will be missed.

Anniversary Season

Nick and I decided we don’t really have an Anniversary so much as we have an Anniversary Season. And today would be the most likely candidate for the ender of the season. The season starts back in August when I first visited Nick’s church and would end today with the anniversary of my abomination.

Yes, a year ago, today, in front of the fire, in the fireplace, in my living room, Nick had his way with me.

Now, to make this sound like I was a passive participant in this event would be totally wrong, I am not really sure who did the seducing. Actually, Nick could probably truthfully argue that it was me that seduced him. (Having condoms and lube in the drawer of the TV stand was probably a give away. Also the empty enema box probably gave a clue. OH! I almost forgot the “Nut Cracker” underwear I was wearing.)

Nick knew about the whole “Page 13” thing and was not about to force me into something that I was not ready for or that I was going to regret. Well, I just kind of charged forward and haven’t been sad yet!

Granted, sometimes I would like parts of my world to go back to “Pre-Abomination” status, but not really. The positives have far outweighed the negatives.

So, as the season of Advent begins, the season of Anniversary ends.

Happy Anniversary, Nick, I love you!

pond water fungus calamari

This is one of the Google searches that brought someone to my blog. I have to wonder about someone who would group pound water fungus and calamari together. Calamari and fungus are not the same thing! (They aren't, are they? If they are, I'm not ordering calamari anymore!)

Very Cool!

I love flying kits but I could never get mine to do this.

Hey Episcopals! Look!

Uh, Remember me?

The weekend

The past weekend was pretty good. I met "The In-Laws" and it went well. Actually, Nick's family is less screwed-up than mine so it was nice to be able to kick back and not have to worry about the "family games."

Nick's mom is great (I guess she would have to be to produce such a great guy!) and I enjoyed talking with her. She even invited me to come for Christmas.

Nick and I hit the orgy of consumerism that is the Friday after Thanksgiving and Nick found a great coat at a great deal. 60% is pretty good in my book! I didn't find much, but actually I am hoping to make a bunch of gifts this year. (Bunch? Well, I am going to try to make some for co-workers so I guess that is a bunch. I am making a window for my parents but they won't be getting it until I return to the homelands.) The model for Abercrombie & Fitch wasn't around this year, darn...

Nick and I then went to Saugatuck/Douglas on Saturday. It is Michigan's answer to P-Town. It was nice to be someplace where being gay was not a big deal. A lot of the stuff I couldn't afford, but looking is still free. There was some nice eye-candy and some very frightening heterosexuals!

The choir at church is going to sing next week whether we like it or not. I think it will be good. Nothing splashy, just people sharing their gifts. That is what Advent is about, isn't it?

Nick and I came back to my place last night (Sunday) and started to decorate the house. I was thinking that this may be the last Christmas in this house. I hope not because I love my house. But what happens is in many ways beyond my control.

I did get a letter from the Episcopals telling me all the information is in. I emailed them asking what I need to do next and if there was a time frame? My mortgage company would like to know.

I had to come in an hour early for work because we were expecting a big influx of calls, but it never happened. So I get an extra hour, that will be good.

I guess that is it for now. Hope all the US folks had a good Thanksgiving and I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Did you feel it?

I think Hell must have froze over. Something I never though I would see has occurred. At one time, there were two men, two cats, and one dog, in the same room. Wow, the family is starting to come together.

It was quite amazing. Claudia, the cat that doesn't like anyone, came walking into the room where Nick and I were watching TV with my other cat Madeline, and Nick's dog, Amber. Now it was weird enough to have Claudia walk in, but then she stood there and allowed Nick to pet her! She actually meowed when Nick stopped so he started to pet her again.

Hopefully this is the start of some good things.

What Would You Do?

My friend, Ur-Spo over at Spo-Reflections does a weekly feature called, "How Does This Make You Feel." Well, I have a variation on this for today. It is

WHAT WOULD YOU DO NOW!

Ok...So, as a Christmas present to your guy, you got a tongue piercing because you have heard that a blow-job with a tongue piercing is just mind-blowing. And as a Christmas present to you he got a PA because he heard that the feel of the metal in one's nether regions is incredible.

In celebration of all your newly acquired jewelry, you immediately drop to your knees and take the newly PA'd penis into your mouth. You are rubbing the end of your new tongue piercing on the underside of your partner's penis when suddnely you partner makes a yelp of pain and you realize something is very wrong...

THE END OF YOUR TONGUE RING IS CAUGHT IN HIS PA!

What Would You Do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a cog in the unfair wheel

Ok, I don’t get companies. Maybe if I worked there I would be as jaded too. But why do they have to treat their people like criminals?

I called my mortgage company to discuss plans to get past this “bump” in my life. I get a person on the phone who takes a condescending tone in her voice and tells me that at my current income there is no way I will ever be able to pay it back. I asked her to please not get snippy with me and she says that is the way she talks to all of her customers.

I had a letter from the company saying they have done their part in lending me the money, now it is time for me to keep my end of the deal and pay them back. WITH WHAT? Again, it is not like I am sitting on a pot of gold and am just spending all the mortgage money on “Champagne Dreams and Caviar Wishes.” I know this will be temporary but they really don’t want to talk to me or work with me.

It would be easy again to fall back into the pity pit of “If I had only stayed in the closet.” It is also hard to not get angry because if I were a heterosexual, this would probably not be happening. The unfairness about this whole thing just gets to me.

Punk Cows?

When Nick told me about this, I wanted to see for myself. It was not that I didn't believe him, I just couldn't believe we were allowing people too stupid to know a cow from a deer to run around with guns.

Lansing Electric Parade While Drunk

Actually, I wasn't drunk, but with the camera and darkness and time exploser, this is the way the whole thing would look.

Alphabet Meme from Steves Whirley World

A is for age: 42
B is for beer of choice: Sam Adams
C is for career: Supposedly Pastor, right now, Help Desk Operator
D is for favorite Drink: Diet Pepsi
E is for essential item you use everyday: Toothbrush
F is for favorite song at the moment: I don’t know the name of it but they use it on the Zales ads.
G is for favorite games: Spider Solitaire
H is for hometown: Dubuque, IA (You saw it in the movie “Field of Dreams”
I is for instruments you play: Guitar, African drums, Hammered Dulcimer, piano, skin flute
J is for favorite juice: orange
K is for kids: I have two fur balls but no offspring.
L is for last kiss: Last Monday
M is for marriage: Nope, almost, but nope.
N is for name of your best friend: Nick, Anna (that is pronounced Ahnah), Doug, Beth, Chris
O is for overnight hospital stays: Back in 8th grade, I fell on the ice and screwed up my back.
P is for phobias: I am developing one to flying and have a full fledged one to dentists.
Q is for quote: Be the change you want to see.
R is for biggest regret: I didn’t come out sooner.
S is for self confidence: It varies.
T is for time you wake up: 6:30 – 7:30 depends on the day.
U is for underwear: Mostly boxers. Sometimes bikinis. Jock straps when I am feeling feisty!
V is for vegetable you love: Peas, corn, carrots cooked on a roast.
W is for worst habit: Just setting stuff down.
X is for x-rays you have had: ankle
Y is for yummy food you make: Make? What’s that?
Z is for zodiac sign: Scales

Let's Put An End To Tolerance

Laurie R. King is one of my favorite authors. A friend told me about this post and now I want to pass it on to you.

I didn't even hear about the two Americans. How can we just stand by and let things like this happen?

Pluto? It isn't even a planet anymore!

You Are From Pluto

You are a dark, mysterious soul, full of magic and the secrets of the universe. You can get the scoop on anything, but you keep your own secrets locked in your heart. You love change and you use it to your advantage, whether by choice or chance. You don't like to compromise, to the point of being self-destructive with your stubborness. Live life with love, and your deep powers will open the world to you.

What Planet Are You From?

Hummm

Freudian Inventory Results

Oral (50%) you appear to have a good balance of independence and interdependence knowing when to accept help and when to do things on your own. Anal (23%) you appear to be overly lacking in self control and organization, and possibly have a compulsive need to defy authority. If you are too scatterbrained, you will not develop much as a person as you will habitually switch paths before you ever learn anything. Phallic (66%) you appear to have issues with controlling your sexual desires and possibly fidelity. Latency (56%) you appear to have a good balance of abstract knowledge seeking and practicality, dealing with real world responsibilities while still cultivating your abstract and creative faculties and interests. Genital (73%) you appear to have a progressive and openminded outlook on life unbeholden to regressive forces like traditional authority and convention.

Take Free Freudian Inventory Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

We "House" Fans Know

Riding on the Roller Coaster

This seems to be a perennial theme in my blog lately: The emotional roller coaster that has been my life as of late.

What frustrates me is the whole (childish) feeling of "I'm doing what I should be doing. Why aren't things happening?" I am trying to play by the rules. I am watching my (already not so great) credit-rating go plummeting. I could almost convince myself that I am such an important person with the amount of registered mail I am getting.

I am frustrated! I hear about all the need for clergy and here I sit answering phones and answering computer questions. The religious bodies aren't even putting me to use doing supply.

I feel so sorry for Nick. He has been dealing with problems like this for so long and does it so well. He gets frustrated, but not devastated. Then he gets me getting a little bump just crumbling. I am thankful he doesn't just say, "You wimp, get over it."

This has got to come to an end somehow.

We All Knew It Was Going On...

Dedicated to Nick

A Flash Back for Y'all