On My Dark Days

Sadness overcomes me
A veil of darkness
A well of tears
The ache of heart
Emptiness.

Will no one notice me?
Will no one care?
Will no one hear me cry?
Invisible.

Everything is wrong with me
Nothing is wrong with me
Insecurity.

O'Reilly Says Arianna Huffington No Different Than Nazis/KKK

All I could do was laugh after seeing this last night. They actually pay this guy for comments like that? I guess we shouldn’t go off and form a lynching party for him just yet; as he said Arianna Huffington was no different than a Nazi instead of just calling her one.

Bill, you’re no different than an ass hole!

Tax time again

2007

Tom: Daryl, why don’t you let me do your taxes? I already have Turbo Tax loaded on the computer.

Daryl: I have done my own taxes for years. I’m perfectly capable of doing them myself.

Tom: OK, I just thought it would be much easier if I just did them.

2008

This year Daryl used TaxAct instead of doing them himself using the tax books. I guess we know where his 2008 tax rebate check is going.

MadTV - Wizard of Oz (Alternate Ending)

"Are you out of your F****** Mind?!"

Dreaming Of Remodeling

I love the Drake lighting fixture from Rejuvenation. I wish we had a place for it. On their web site, they have a section on customer idea and advice that you can go to, and watch videos and see photos that people have sent in about what they have done with some of the lighting fixtures and house parts. I would love to remodel our bathroom and turn it back to the style that the house had 93 years ago. The claw foot tub would be awesome!

Our house was built in 1915 and has the Arts and Crafts elements. I fell in love with the woodwork when I looked at the house. The fireplace and built in buffet and cabinets made my heart flutter. I overlooked the amount of work it takes to keep an old house together. We spend money every year to maintain and fix problems. Most of the major things we have done are on the exterior of the house. We put in fencing, a retaining wall, and patio and painted the house and garage. We have done some things on the inside like painting and refinishing the hardwood floors, but the major remodeling hasn’t been done. The kitchen and bathroom need to be remodeled. They are livable and will probably stay the way they are for a while.

We sometimes bat around the idea of finding something different, that doesn’t require as much work. The longer we stay in the house the more comfortable I get living here. I’m fairly sure that we will stay here until we retire and then hopefully move to a milder climate. For the time being we will continue to improve and do what we can afford.

"Welcome to my house! Enter freely, Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring." - Count Dracula

I would like to have that stenciled on the wall in our entry way. I think it would be a hoot!

Latter Days vid - Everything

I'm feeling a little romantic this morning. This is such a great movie!

Blood Drive at Work

I can't give blood today because of who I sleep with. This really kind of bugs me. I understood the rule 20 years ago when they didn’t know as much about HIV, but today I think it’s a rule that should be changed. I guess they don’t believe that straight people can be infected with HIV?

The Red Cross is at work today because the blood banks are running low. It would be nice to help out. I don't think a person has to "Out" themselves because the want to give blood. Really, think of all the straight men and women that have sex with tons of people. I think a good old fashioned slut is just as much of a risk as any gay man. Maybe they should have that question on the form. How many people have you slept with? That way they could determine if you’re at a larger risk. You’re a whore; we don’t want your blood!

I guess I had to give up donating blood for sex. The choice was really pretty easy.

Cruelty By The Weak

I thought only happy cows came from California? This company didn’t care about the animals or our food supply. Got Mad Cow?

California packer makes largest U.S. beef recall

Snowing again

1:30 pm

I have the first round of snow shoveling finished and it doesn't look like I did a thing as it's snowing like a bitch outside. The snow is so wet and heavy and I'm glad I have some of it finished as it would really be bad if I let it wait.

Jeff and Kerry just called. They are starting out from Kansas City. They were going to stay over, but changed their minds and thought they would give it a try since it has stopped there. They are hoping that they can at least make it to Des Moines.

We had house guest again last night. Daryl's Daughter-in-law Charlene and her mother Marilyn. They both work at Cottage Grove with Daryl. I'm sure they will stay tonight as they won’t want to drive back to Keystone tonight.

I started to make a pot of bean soup. I always think that soup and a sandwich is a great meal on a cold snowy day.

One spoiled cat

Jeff had to go to Kansas City for some continuing education classes and I was asked to check in on their baby while they were gone. Colby is supposed to be on a diet. Jeff claims that he has lost a couple of pounds. I'm not seeing it.

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!


Last night Daryl had a Candle-lite party at our house. Surprisingly, 26 people showed up and purchased over $1100 worth of products.

I was thinking that the caramel apple martinis he made may have helped the sales numbers. People left feeling pretty happy.

It was nice waking up this morning in a house that smelled like a candle store.

Just thinking

I made a mistake today and looked at my 401k retirement savings today. How depressing it is when the market is down. It seems that it takes forever for your money to grow but overnight you lose a bunch. I guess that's how the game is played, you can'tbe up all the time. I have to consider that I'm buying at a lower price and it will all balance out in the long run. At least that's what they say.

It would be nice once in a while to know your getting smarter as you get older. I just feel I’m getting more and more confused.

Who's tired of the snow?

Free Souvenir

I'm a matchbook hoarder. Everywhere we go I have to pick up matchbooks. It upsets me when a bar or restaurant doesn't have them. I started doing this about 10 years ago. I have a jar stuffed with matchbooks from all over the place. It's a souvenir for me and they come in handy when the lights go out. I'm just worried with all the smoking bans going on all over the country that it will kill the matchbook advertising business. I have sympathy for anyone that has to work in a smoking environment. I wouldn’t want to work in smoke either, it would really suck. But I would hate to have to stop collecting too. What's a guy to do?

13

13 inches is a lot of snow! I stayed working until around 6 yesterday. Rockwell had the snow policy in effect, which means they have work if you can make it in, but it doesn't count against you if you don't show up. In the afternoon a lot of people headed home. I figured that I was at work, so I might as well stay. It sure would have been nice if they had told us that BEFORE we came to work.

The snow sure is pretty if you don't have to go anywhere. I am getting tired of digging out. Sounds like more snow to come today. That f**king groundhog!

Weekend in Chicago

My best friend Jeff's wanted to ride the train into Chicago for his birthday, so he invited four of us to go along with him and Kerry to celebrate. The train really isn't the most efficient way for us to get to the windy city on a normal day because we had to drive south an hour and ½ out of the way to Mt. Pleasant to board. The funny part is, with the bad weather, we may have canceled or plans if we hadn’t taken the train. Even though the train ran late, I still think we wouldn’t have gotten there that much faster driving. I’m sure no one would have wanted to drive that distance with the weather being bad.

We stayed at The City Center downtown. After arriving we had a few hours to relax before us heading out to dinner at 9 pm at The Raw Bar. It was one of those nights that everything fell into place. The food, entertainment, service and company made it a night that I will never forget. Later we all went our separate ways, some went back to the hotel, some dancing and Daryl and I ended up at the John Hancock building having a couple martinis’ on the 96th floor.

Sunday morning we went to the House of Blues before checking out of the hotel and heading for the train station. Every Sunday they feature live gospel music and an all-you-can-eat southern style buffet. We got a little Jesus and had our fill of great food.

Of course the weather turned bad again on the way home. It was a little scary driving home from the train station, but Kerry handled it well and we made it home at around 9 pm on Sunday night. What a wonderful weekend we had!

The train station at Mt. Pleasant.

Mary

Cedar Rapids is getting a Hamburger Mary's. Will this work here? We can barely keep a gay bar open.