Easter on Parade... On Richmond Virginia's historic Monument Avenue is a sight to behold. I made the mistake of asking someone "Where do all these people go when the parade starts?" The Monument Avenue resident replied "Honey... what are you talking about? The people ARE the parade"...

The day was glorious, sunny but not too hot, just enough new foliage on the trees to filter the warm spring sun, and the Dogwoods were in full bloom everywhere. I have never seen anything quite like this before. There were people dressed to the nines, and there were hundreds of dogs with and without their Easter bonnets... The homes along the avenue were all bustling with their owners preparing the Easter feasts and parade parties. Wow!!!

I can't believe I have been in Richmond for over six years and had never been to this event... Don't miss out if you are like me. Do it next year, you won't regret it...

Happy Easter and Passover Everyone...

I had a great time at the Strawberry Hill Races out at Colonial Downs yesterday... We (my new friend and I) ended up in a skybox with the Irish American group... It was nice to have our own bathroom, and place to put our cooler, but all the action was down around the track. There are like 800 reserved tailgating spots wrapped around the outside of the turf track. The theme of this year's race was "Colts, Kilts, and Celts" honoring the horses, the Irish and the Scottish. There were an awful lot of men walking around in skirts... Some actually looked mighty fine!

I received a call last night at about 11:30. I was asleep but kinda watching the news, was tired, and had a little sunburn... The caller ID on the phone said "Hollybriar House" so I assumed the worse and immediately thought something had happened to one of the kids or my wife. It was, in fact, my wife. She just wanted to call and tell me she was watching the Ten Commandments and was thinking about me and how we used to watch it together. I did not expect her to be so pleasant. She has not been very nice these past six months. It was refreshing to hear her old voice again, the one that was not filled with hate and spite. It reminded me of all the reasons I love her, and always will...

Today is the Easter Parade on Monument Avenue... I am looking forward to see that for the first time... I hear it can be quite entertaining... More about that later.

Enjoy your Holiday

My goodness... It seems I just can't write enough about my life for some people. Crystal, this is for you...

I am off for the next several days and I plan to read, sun, and spend some time with my new friend. He and I had lunch last Sunday, drinks after work on Tuesday, and then lunch today. I do like spending time together, I hope he does too.

Crystal is one the gals that work in the office at Value City. It turns out, she and my daughter know each other, what a small world... She let me know that she had seen my daughter's Senior pictures (which I haven't seen yet). Don't forget to bring them in Crystal!!

Happy Passover and Easter to all, until I write again...

Howdy y'all... Here's an interesting twist on things...

I met a really cool guy this past Sunday. We had a "date" of sorts and had lunch... No more (I know that disappoints some of you) but I was perfectly fine with that...

We met again last night for drinks and had the 2nd "date"... No more...

I kinda like this guy. He is not your run of the mill guy, that you might run into in the regular places. He could be someone special... he isn't comfortable (normally) in the "gay club" or bar... but seems to like me and my cart of baggage...

Whew... 2 dates and we haven't seen each other under our shirts (let alone our pants)? Oh my lord... I like this already... I have never dated a Jewish man, yet it seems I now am... Not odd for a Catholic man... but certainly different... I asked him to dinner on Friday, he told me he may have some odd meal requirements, and suggeted he bring the "meal", I liked the thought, as I would not know what to serve for Passover...

I watched parts of the new version of the Ten Commandments, and was semi-impressed... Charlton Heston makes a much more convincing Moses, than the new guy does... What's his name? hehehe

I was more impressed that my daughter stopped by today to see me. She was with a friend that she had abandoned a few years ago (at her Mother's and my request)... Both looked marvelous and happy. My daughter seemed happy to see me too, which I loved... Her friend looked great, and substantially less confused/intimidating than I once thought...

I am so happy that my daughter is happy... I wish nothing more than the best for her and all my children, regardless of their father's choice to "come out"...

LIFE GOES ON.... not a bad thing...

LIFE GOES ON...

Another weekend comes and goes in Richmond Virginia... and on the West Wing, Leo died and Matt Santos was elected the new president LIFE GOES ON...

I went out last night to Z2, Barcode, and finally Fieldens, met some friends, had a few drinks, and played some pool... I do so miss the friend I used to make the rounds with. Things just didn't work out as either of us had hoped or planned. LIFE GOES ON...

It's hard to be around the people we were around and not be reminded of our times together. LIFE GOES ON...

I have been re-reading the Four Agreements to remind myself that I should not take things personally. That in fact, those things that are directed at me and intended to hurt my feelings are the sender's problem, not mine. As the sender has no way of feeling what I feel, and no way of seeing what I see... Don't Take Anything Personally...

LIFE GOES ON...

Can you tell there's not much happening?

Work has been keeping me busy for the most part. I did take part in a Focus Group the other night that was really interesting. We were given information about an announcement made about global warming, and were asked to discuss the information and how we would react to it the way that it was presented. We were then given additional information and asked to comment, and so on... It was enlightening.

The Equality Virginia dinner is tonight... I am not going. I volunteer for them but signed up too late to help at the dinner, and $100 wasn't in my budget. The gay.com Richmond chat room dinner is tonight... I will not be going to that either. While I have met people from cyber-space before, I am just not sure if I want to socialize and have dinner with these guys...

Spring in Richmond is exciting. Next weekend are the Strawberry Hill Races out at Colonial Downs, and then the Monument Avenue Easter Parade, which is not so much a parade as it is a glorified dog walk. Apparently everyone dresses up, and dresses up their dogs, and walks up and down the avenue... I can hardly wait for this, as I have never been. The flowers and trees are all blooming and putting on their spring wardrobes... After several months of fall and winter, you forget how beautiful they can be.

Enjoy your Spring, wherever you are!

Without alot going on, there is little to say...

The past few days have been unremarkable. I worked, I slept, and I read. I am currently reading Dan Brown's DIGITAL FORTRESS and it is quite good.

I went out on Sunday night to Barcode for "Scary-o-kee", had a few beers and came home, no real excitement. Yesterday I came home early and started spring cleaning. I emptied my closet and filled two pillowcases with clothes and linens for Diversity Thrift. I never realized what a collection I had amassed. Today is laundry and housekeeping. We'll see what else it brings.

Oh... I did ride home from work yesterday with the top down again.. Thank goodness I put it up before those nasty storms came through last night... Talk about SCARY!!!

Til next we meet...