Originally JH and I had planned to go to Kings Dominion for our Monday off, but on a whim changed our plans and went up to Hershey Park instead.
It turned out to be a gorgeous day at the park, especially since there were moments where it was overcast, so it stayed cool, though it did become a disadvantage at one point.
We started off by riding Great Bear, which is one of my top rides for the day. We moved onward to Storm Runner, which was designed by the same folks who designed Kingda Ka, and it uses a similar launch system and cars. If Kingda Ka is anything like what I experienced today with Storm Runner, I'm in trouble next week at Great Adventure. The shoulder restraints sat up too high for me so I ended up banging them into the restraints, and it made me sore.
It was starting to get warm by the time we finished those two rides, so it was over to the Roller Soaker, which as it's name implies is a coaster where you will get wet. JH and I don't know if people are just inexperienced or the park is trying to save on energy costs, but their way of loading and unloading cars was very inefficient today. Imagine three cars being loaded up, then sent to the bottom of the first hill, where each one goes one at a time, and the next one doesn't go until the first one finishes...and each ride is about 1.5-2mins long. During that time the next batch of cars have been loaded, and they're waiting for the first batch to finish before they get sent to the bottom of the hill. JH said that they didn't used to do it this way, they pretty much kept the cars continuously moving as much as possible. Who knows...
After that it was a trip to the Wildcat, which was a fun wooden coaster. A ride on their Wild Mouse ride was in order before heading to the Lightning Racer, which had to be one of my favorite coasters. It's a dueling coaster, so two cars are loaded and sent out at the same time to race one another. We ended up losing when we rode Thunder, but won when we rode Lightning. It's hard to say which side I like better, Thunder has a thrilling first drop, but on Lightning you get much more air time in your seat. I guess it will depend on what kind of mood I'm in ;-)
After those rides we were going past Fahrenheit (their newest coaster) and it had been closed earlier, but the repair folks were out working on it, so JH and I stopped to watch. We couldn't have timed it better because they were finishing up their work (fixing one of the tires that moves the coaster along after the brakes are applied at the end) and after an initial test, they moved their ladder out of the way, and brought a third car onto the track. We were immediately nearby the entrance, and about 20 mins later when they cycled through the cars, they reopened Fahrenheit, so we were able to get a very front seat rather quickly :-D The ride itself was fun, though JH hated the completely vertical first hill that we had to climb.
We hit Sidewinder, which is yet another boomerang style coaster of the same design as Two-Face in Six Flags America and Flashback in Six Flags New England, but this one uses standard sit down cars rather than inverted cars. I needed the credit for my coaster count profile, so I rode it yet again.
Next was Trailblazer, which to me is the type of coaster you bring your younger kids on to introduce them to a rollercoaster. We were thinking about hitting Comet and calling it a day, but then we saw that the Sooper Dooper Looper was finally opened up (it was closed earlier in the day) so we hopped on that once since there wasn't much of a line.
Overall it was a great day at Hershey Park, and since we now possess 2-day tickets, at some point JH and I will have to make another trip up there :-D
June 30, 2008
June 29, 2008
First Video
So I finally took a video using my digital camera, since this is likely to be a once in a lifetime event ;-)
For those of you who are not familiar with Washington Nationals games, they have a race between one of the innings during each game where mascots of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt race down the field to a finish line. It varies on who wins the race, except for Roosevelt. He has never won a race since they started this tradition, so as you can imagine, he's the big time underdog.
Since it's interleague play with many MLB teams, the Baltimore Orioles are facing off against the Washington Nationals in the current series, aka "The Battle of the Beltways." During last night's game when the "Presidential Race" was held, the Orioles mascot tripped Teddy Roosevelt so he lost his lead and the race. So tonight it was decided the race would be Roosevelt vs The Bird to see who was the better racing mascot
I'll let you view the video to see who wins. Apologies for the faraway shot, we were in the upper sections of the stadium :-)
For those of you who are not familiar with Washington Nationals games, they have a race between one of the innings during each game where mascots of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt race down the field to a finish line. It varies on who wins the race, except for Roosevelt. He has never won a race since they started this tradition, so as you can imagine, he's the big time underdog.
Since it's interleague play with many MLB teams, the Baltimore Orioles are facing off against the Washington Nationals in the current series, aka "The Battle of the Beltways." During last night's game when the "Presidential Race" was held, the Orioles mascot tripped Teddy Roosevelt so he lost his lead and the race. So tonight it was decided the race would be Roosevelt vs The Bird to see who was the better racing mascot
I'll let you view the video to see who wins. Apologies for the faraway shot, we were in the upper sections of the stadium :-)
June 28, 2008
Well $*@% Me!
My first foray into fixing my car did not go over well. In a classic case of "this is what happens when things get old" I had two of the studs that hold the lugnuts onto the car snap off as I was taking the lugnuts off. Since a third one had previously snapped during a tire replacement 1.5 years ago, I was basically down to one lugnut to hold the tire on my car.
Yeah, not good.
There was no way in hell I was paying a tow truck $120+ to drive my car 3 miles, so I took a very nice and slow trip to the repair shop.
So the car is currently at the shop right now getting the studs replaced. Of course, there's more work that has to be done. It needs a brake job and the rotors have to be replaced as well, along with one of the other belts (A/c serpentine belt is ready to snap as well). Of course I'll have them replace the power steering belt that snapped and got me into this whole mess. To put it into perspective, I probably got Considering I got about 64,000 miles out of those rotors (they probably should have been done at my last tuneup but they were fine then), I really can't bitch too much. One could probably say I should have been paying attention to the belts and such, but in my defense, my car goes in for its tuneups every 30,000 miles anyway, but I don't drive as much as I used to, so the miles go up much slower. As of 1.5 years ago when I did the tuneup at 150,000 miles, all of these parts were fine.
It does mean a hit to the wallet, but it's one I can take. What I do take comfort in knowing is that all of this stuff is just what goes with owning a car, and not because I don't maintain it properly. I know that eventually I'm going to have to dump my current car for a new one, but this one hasn't breathed its last yet ;-)
Yeah, not good.
There was no way in hell I was paying a tow truck $120+ to drive my car 3 miles, so I took a very nice and slow trip to the repair shop.
So the car is currently at the shop right now getting the studs replaced. Of course, there's more work that has to be done. It needs a brake job and the rotors have to be replaced as well, along with one of the other belts (A/c serpentine belt is ready to snap as well). Of course I'll have them replace the power steering belt that snapped and got me into this whole mess. To put it into perspective, I probably got Considering I got about 64,000 miles out of those rotors (they probably should have been done at my last tuneup but they were fine then), I really can't bitch too much. One could probably say I should have been paying attention to the belts and such, but in my defense, my car goes in for its tuneups every 30,000 miles anyway, but I don't drive as much as I used to, so the miles go up much slower. As of 1.5 years ago when I did the tuneup at 150,000 miles, all of these parts were fine.
It does mean a hit to the wallet, but it's one I can take. What I do take comfort in knowing is that all of this stuff is just what goes with owning a car, and not because I don't maintain it properly. I know that eventually I'm going to have to dump my current car for a new one, but this one hasn't breathed its last yet ;-)
June 26, 2008
Well Lovely
The good stuff: I got my new glasses in today, and my tent arrived as well, so I was able to pick those up.
The bad stuff: My power steering belt on my car snapped tonight. It's still drivable, just much harder to turn.
So my weekend project will be to replace the belt. However, it means taking off the other belts to replace that one as well. I have decided that considering the age of my car that simple maintenance and replacements will be done myself. I picked up a repair manual at the auto parts store, so I know what I have to do to get to it. It just figures that the power steering was the innermost belt, so that's why the other belts have to come off, including taking off my front tire to get to the tensioner for the A/c belt.
Ahh well, it's how life goes.
The bad stuff: My power steering belt on my car snapped tonight. It's still drivable, just much harder to turn.
So my weekend project will be to replace the belt. However, it means taking off the other belts to replace that one as well. I have decided that considering the age of my car that simple maintenance and replacements will be done myself. I picked up a repair manual at the auto parts store, so I know what I have to do to get to it. It just figures that the power steering was the innermost belt, so that's why the other belts have to come off, including taking off my front tire to get to the tensioner for the A/c belt.
Ahh well, it's how life goes.
June 24, 2008
Baltimore Pride
This past weekend JH and I were up in Baltimore to celebrate Baltimore Pride. Thankfully it was as spectators and not as planners and/or volunteer staff.
Friday night was spent in Baltimore after we both got done with our respective jobs and headed to the hotel we would be staying at. We headed out to dinner at My Thai, which I will recommend going for their sushi and sashimi. JH tried their "Maryland Maki" which had crabmeat in it, but clearly it was imitation crabmeat so avoid that. You're better off sticking with their other rolls such as tuna, salmon, and shrimp. I highly recommend getting the red snapper, especially if you're not hugely into sushi. I found that eating the snapper was like eating a tender piece of beef, and JH agreed with me.
The best value is the Sushi and Sashimi combo (sushi, sashimi, and spicy tuna rolls) because you do get a variety of both for a good price, it is chefs choice, but it's definitely a good way to try out a variety of items. I never would have found out about the red snapper otherwise.
Saturday I was on my own for the morning while Joe was at work. I had breakfast at the City Cafe before I walked down to the inner harbor. I stopped into the local sports store and picked up an Orioles visor to wear. I'll be honest, I like baseball caps, but on hot days they don't vent fast enough to keep me cool, so I end up taking them off while I'm outside. A visor is a better compromise for me. I wandered around the inner harbor and got a few pictures. I also ended up stopping by the van that was selling Perfect Cupcakes and picked up a yellow cake cupcake with dark chocolate frosting. It was very good, the perfect balance of frosting and cupcake, and the cake itself was dense and moist, the way I like it. JH, for future reference the van was sitting at the inner harbor over by Pier 5, so you could stop by after making a round ;-)
I headed back up to the hotel and laid down for a nap before JH got back in. We had a late lunch and headed down to watch the Baltimore Pride parade, in all of it's 4 block glory. I didn't mind it though, we were having a good time. I was in my Nasty Pig vest and shorts, and he was in his harness, which definitely made us stand out from the usual crowd.
Right after the parade was the block party, which was my first one in Baltimore, and it was a total blast. I am so doing this again. Basically we walked around chatting with various people throughout the evening. JH and I did shots from an ice luge, and then one of the girls from the booth so liked his nipples that she ran up and did a chest bump, complete with a jump into his arms. I have photographic evidence that will soon be developed and posted ;-)
The fun thing about being at Baltimore was that people were actually coming up to talk to us while in our fetish gear. That wouldn't have happened in DC (MAL excluded). JH said that "We felt like celebrities" which is pretty much the truth. A number of people wanted pictures with us and we were getting compliments all around. Is it any wonder why I like Baltimore better than DC at times? I'll have to see if a picture of us ends up in any of the newspapers this week.
Eventually we ran into one of my friends and proceeded to get cheap strong drinks at a local bar, which was good because the drinks that the vendors were selling at pride were weak. Then it was back to the party site and socializing with more folks. If we had not been worn out we probably would have hit up Baltimore Eagle as well.
Sunday I went to the festival while JH was at work. The festival was alright, pretty standard for Baltimore. JH said to me that a lot of lesbians go to the festival, and he's right about that, there were a lot of lesbians there, along with their vendors. I stayed for about 2 hrs before taking off for Greenbelt.
Later on that night I met JH for dinner, which he surprised me with going out for steamed crabs. Hint to mom, come visit at some point and we'll take you out for fresh steamed crabs.
So that wrapped up yet another great weekend with JH. I am so visiting Baltimore Pride again next year.
Friday night was spent in Baltimore after we both got done with our respective jobs and headed to the hotel we would be staying at. We headed out to dinner at My Thai, which I will recommend going for their sushi and sashimi. JH tried their "Maryland Maki" which had crabmeat in it, but clearly it was imitation crabmeat so avoid that. You're better off sticking with their other rolls such as tuna, salmon, and shrimp. I highly recommend getting the red snapper, especially if you're not hugely into sushi. I found that eating the snapper was like eating a tender piece of beef, and JH agreed with me.
The best value is the Sushi and Sashimi combo (sushi, sashimi, and spicy tuna rolls) because you do get a variety of both for a good price, it is chefs choice, but it's definitely a good way to try out a variety of items. I never would have found out about the red snapper otherwise.
Saturday I was on my own for the morning while Joe was at work. I had breakfast at the City Cafe before I walked down to the inner harbor. I stopped into the local sports store and picked up an Orioles visor to wear. I'll be honest, I like baseball caps, but on hot days they don't vent fast enough to keep me cool, so I end up taking them off while I'm outside. A visor is a better compromise for me. I wandered around the inner harbor and got a few pictures. I also ended up stopping by the van that was selling Perfect Cupcakes and picked up a yellow cake cupcake with dark chocolate frosting. It was very good, the perfect balance of frosting and cupcake, and the cake itself was dense and moist, the way I like it. JH, for future reference the van was sitting at the inner harbor over by Pier 5, so you could stop by after making a round ;-)
I headed back up to the hotel and laid down for a nap before JH got back in. We had a late lunch and headed down to watch the Baltimore Pride parade, in all of it's 4 block glory. I didn't mind it though, we were having a good time. I was in my Nasty Pig vest and shorts, and he was in his harness, which definitely made us stand out from the usual crowd.
Right after the parade was the block party, which was my first one in Baltimore, and it was a total blast. I am so doing this again. Basically we walked around chatting with various people throughout the evening. JH and I did shots from an ice luge, and then one of the girls from the booth so liked his nipples that she ran up and did a chest bump, complete with a jump into his arms. I have photographic evidence that will soon be developed and posted ;-)
The fun thing about being at Baltimore was that people were actually coming up to talk to us while in our fetish gear. That wouldn't have happened in DC (MAL excluded). JH said that "We felt like celebrities" which is pretty much the truth. A number of people wanted pictures with us and we were getting compliments all around. Is it any wonder why I like Baltimore better than DC at times? I'll have to see if a picture of us ends up in any of the newspapers this week.
Eventually we ran into one of my friends and proceeded to get cheap strong drinks at a local bar, which was good because the drinks that the vendors were selling at pride were weak. Then it was back to the party site and socializing with more folks. If we had not been worn out we probably would have hit up Baltimore Eagle as well.
Sunday I went to the festival while JH was at work. The festival was alright, pretty standard for Baltimore. JH said to me that a lot of lesbians go to the festival, and he's right about that, there were a lot of lesbians there, along with their vendors. I stayed for about 2 hrs before taking off for Greenbelt.
Later on that night I met JH for dinner, which he surprised me with going out for steamed crabs. Hint to mom, come visit at some point and we'll take you out for fresh steamed crabs.
So that wrapped up yet another great weekend with JH. I am so visiting Baltimore Pride again next year.
June 16, 2008
Thoughts on CA
Tomorrow same-sex couples in California can get married, and same-sex couples in other states can travel there to marry as well, though their state may not recognize the marriage.
I just hope that the folks who do get married in California get married for the right reasons. Just because you're a couple who can get married doesn't mean you should. From what I am reading, things could get really messy if you end up divorcing later on, just like with straight couples, but moreso if you live in a state where same-sex marriages are not recognized. Does anyone remember the case of the Vermont lesbian couple who were in the process of dissolving their civil union when one of them ran off with their child to Virginia? That's still a whole tangled mess, especially the custody battle. Besides, if you marry and then end up divorcing soon after, the right-wingers are going to start screaming some more about how gays are evil because they can't commit...even if it is hypocritical of them to say that.
If you're going to marry your partner, whether you're a gay or straight couple, do it because you love the person and will commit to one another for life, not because your state allows you the opportunity to do so.
I just hope that the folks who do get married in California get married for the right reasons. Just because you're a couple who can get married doesn't mean you should. From what I am reading, things could get really messy if you end up divorcing later on, just like with straight couples, but moreso if you live in a state where same-sex marriages are not recognized. Does anyone remember the case of the Vermont lesbian couple who were in the process of dissolving their civil union when one of them ran off with their child to Virginia? That's still a whole tangled mess, especially the custody battle. Besides, if you marry and then end up divorcing soon after, the right-wingers are going to start screaming some more about how gays are evil because they can't commit...even if it is hypocritical of them to say that.
If you're going to marry your partner, whether you're a gay or straight couple, do it because you love the person and will commit to one another for life, not because your state allows you the opportunity to do so.
Pride Festival 2008
Simply put, working the festival was fun, it had its ups and its downs, but it ended up kicking my ass in the end.
After the parade, I spent part of the night on the festival site with JH going over setup and making sure there were no crises to deal with. Since there wasn't any major issue, JH eventually took me and another person back to the hotel where I crashed until about 5:30 AM.
Got up at that time, showered, and we were back to the festival site around 7ish, where we were then immediately working on getting things set up and delivered to places. JH was over helping with vendor check-in, I delivered radios to some folks, and we went all over the place, making sure setup was going fine, and also making sure no one was crossing over the required fire lanes.
As it got closer to the time to open, I headed over with another person to collect a few more Segways for the security people from Segs in the City, we brought those back and then I would spend the next hour driving a flat bed golf cart to get stuff delivered to places, such as drinks and ice to the beer gardens (they couldn't open unless all the non-alcoholic drinks were in place), coolers and barrels to the volunteers up front, and just getting stuff moved around.
The festival opened and so I basically spent most of the day doing roaming security and also moving supplies to places. There really isn't much to note security wise, the worst we had to deal with was one of the bible thumpers standing on a wall somewhere screaming at the crowd, but we kept an eye on him and he eventually left.
So I was basically out for the day, walking around, keeping in touch with other folks via radio, getting supplies to places. Eventually in the afternoon I grabbed some lunch and then sat in some air conditioning to try and cool off. JH told me to take breaks as much as possible, but we were kept busy enough that it wasn't happening.
Eventually it got to the end of the festival and so we started breaking things down, getting the Segways back to Segs in the City, loading up stuff, and that's the point where I just hit my limit. I had been out in the sun for about 14 hours, moving for most of that time, and I overheated. I wasn't expecting to overheat because I had been slugging down the water all afternoon, and I was pissing clear, so I should have been well hydrated. I was waiting to take the carts back, but then the headache and the nausea started, so I texted JH (since he was supposed to go with me to take the carts back) and said "Plz hurry, getting sick." He wetted down a shirt and put it over my head while going to get his car. He took me back to the hotel and dropped me off so he could head back to the site. I laid down for about an hour, got up, puked my guts out, then laid down and passed out for the rest of the night.
Like I said, the end kicked my ass, but it made for a rather intriguing perspective to see just what it takes to actually put on Pride and what is going on behind the scenes, especially when you have less than 10% of your promised volunteers actually show up. No joke, we had a list of about 400 volunteers that were supposed to show up...I hear that maybe 15 of them actually did. Seriously folks, it makes things so much harder when you put your name down to help and then pull a no-show. It's amazing how much is pulled off with so little, but the quality of Pride could be even better if people would actually commit to helping out. Perhaps I could have actually been able to stay out of the sun and not end up sick later if our volunteers were actually there :-)
Still, I'm glad I got the opportunity to do this. How many people can actually say they helped plan for and worked at one of the largest GLBT Pride festivals in the US?
Will I do it again next year? We'll see...
After the parade, I spent part of the night on the festival site with JH going over setup and making sure there were no crises to deal with. Since there wasn't any major issue, JH eventually took me and another person back to the hotel where I crashed until about 5:30 AM.
Got up at that time, showered, and we were back to the festival site around 7ish, where we were then immediately working on getting things set up and delivered to places. JH was over helping with vendor check-in, I delivered radios to some folks, and we went all over the place, making sure setup was going fine, and also making sure no one was crossing over the required fire lanes.
As it got closer to the time to open, I headed over with another person to collect a few more Segways for the security people from Segs in the City, we brought those back and then I would spend the next hour driving a flat bed golf cart to get stuff delivered to places, such as drinks and ice to the beer gardens (they couldn't open unless all the non-alcoholic drinks were in place), coolers and barrels to the volunteers up front, and just getting stuff moved around.
The festival opened and so I basically spent most of the day doing roaming security and also moving supplies to places. There really isn't much to note security wise, the worst we had to deal with was one of the bible thumpers standing on a wall somewhere screaming at the crowd, but we kept an eye on him and he eventually left.
So I was basically out for the day, walking around, keeping in touch with other folks via radio, getting supplies to places. Eventually in the afternoon I grabbed some lunch and then sat in some air conditioning to try and cool off. JH told me to take breaks as much as possible, but we were kept busy enough that it wasn't happening.
Eventually it got to the end of the festival and so we started breaking things down, getting the Segways back to Segs in the City, loading up stuff, and that's the point where I just hit my limit. I had been out in the sun for about 14 hours, moving for most of that time, and I overheated. I wasn't expecting to overheat because I had been slugging down the water all afternoon, and I was pissing clear, so I should have been well hydrated. I was waiting to take the carts back, but then the headache and the nausea started, so I texted JH (since he was supposed to go with me to take the carts back) and said "Plz hurry, getting sick." He wetted down a shirt and put it over my head while going to get his car. He took me back to the hotel and dropped me off so he could head back to the site. I laid down for about an hour, got up, puked my guts out, then laid down and passed out for the rest of the night.
Like I said, the end kicked my ass, but it made for a rather intriguing perspective to see just what it takes to actually put on Pride and what is going on behind the scenes, especially when you have less than 10% of your promised volunteers actually show up. No joke, we had a list of about 400 volunteers that were supposed to show up...I hear that maybe 15 of them actually did. Seriously folks, it makes things so much harder when you put your name down to help and then pull a no-show. It's amazing how much is pulled off with so little, but the quality of Pride could be even better if people would actually commit to helping out. Perhaps I could have actually been able to stay out of the sun and not end up sick later if our volunteers were actually there :-)
Still, I'm glad I got the opportunity to do this. How many people can actually say they helped plan for and worked at one of the largest GLBT Pride festivals in the US?
Will I do it again next year? We'll see...
Pride Parade 2008
For the second year my church participated in the Capital Pride parade, and this year ended up being a parade to remember.
I have been the one to help coordinate our involvement with the parade, so I went to some of the parade meetings, and I was the one who got information to our members. We had about 20 folks show up from St. Georges to participate in the parade, so it was a good turn-out on our end. Along with that, we had three other Episcopal churches participate with us, and the Bishop of Washington DC as well. It's nice when your church leadership has an open mind :-)
So I went to Dupont Circle to wait for some of the members to arrive via Metro, which as I would learn was a total clusterfuck on Saturday due to track problems (again!). One person did call and cancel because of how bad it was.
I'm sitting there and I eventually get a phone call, it turns out our group managed to all meet on the same train, but they went up the wrong end of the Dupont Circle station, so they found their way to St. Thomas already. I went over and met them and grabbed some food while talking with other folks from around DC. Eventually we went inside due to impending rain, and to also help make a banner for St. Georges, since our usual one had been destroyed during a thunderstorm the week before. We got the banner made, and I had my sign made as well. At the 2005 Capital Pride Parade I saw a UCC minister who carried a sign that said "Don't believe the lie, God does love you." That is something that has always stuck with me, so I have carried a sign saying that for the last two years, and it is one that is always a hit with the audience. There were a number of folks who took pictures with their cameras of it, including media folks, so perhaps it will hit the Blade or the Metro Weekly next week.
Anyway, so I headed over to the parade site with our vehicle drivers so that we could get lined up. As we got there, it turned out that one of the larger floats screwed up and went up the wrong street, so they were now blocking the entire street and no one could get through. So I stepped out to go check us in, and then get people to move out of the way (thank you Capital Pride credentials) so that the truck could pass through and then everyone else could line up. We got lined up, decorated the truck, and then waited for the parade to start. While we were waiting, the clouds started to build up again.
Right as our group was beginning to walk, they opened up. For the first time in about 10 years or so, the Capital Pride Parade was getting rained on.
We didn't care, we kept walking anyway, either with raincoats on, or under umbrellas. I walked along carrying the sign, taking some pictures, throwing a goodie or two, and spraying silly string. I saw JH briefly as he was patrolling the parade as well, and he came up and said hi to us, he seems to have freaked out Connie a bit, I don't think she had recognized him at first.
I did almost get run over at one point, a media person stopped and was recording our banner and my sign when the truck behind me bumped into me. It wasn't hard enough to make me fall, but I did bend backwards a bit, luckily there was no damage.
Despite the rain, it was still a fun experience. JH tells me about how much he enjoys going up onto the stage at the end of the festival to be thanked by all of the audience, and it's worth it to see the number of people out there. Well I love to be in the parade because I get to see all of these supportive folks out there watching and cheering us on. It's totally worth seeing.
I definitely want to be in the parade again next year, and I know St. Georges is planning on it.
I have been the one to help coordinate our involvement with the parade, so I went to some of the parade meetings, and I was the one who got information to our members. We had about 20 folks show up from St. Georges to participate in the parade, so it was a good turn-out on our end. Along with that, we had three other Episcopal churches participate with us, and the Bishop of Washington DC as well. It's nice when your church leadership has an open mind :-)
So I went to Dupont Circle to wait for some of the members to arrive via Metro, which as I would learn was a total clusterfuck on Saturday due to track problems (again!). One person did call and cancel because of how bad it was.
I'm sitting there and I eventually get a phone call, it turns out our group managed to all meet on the same train, but they went up the wrong end of the Dupont Circle station, so they found their way to St. Thomas already. I went over and met them and grabbed some food while talking with other folks from around DC. Eventually we went inside due to impending rain, and to also help make a banner for St. Georges, since our usual one had been destroyed during a thunderstorm the week before. We got the banner made, and I had my sign made as well. At the 2005 Capital Pride Parade I saw a UCC minister who carried a sign that said "Don't believe the lie, God does love you." That is something that has always stuck with me, so I have carried a sign saying that for the last two years, and it is one that is always a hit with the audience. There were a number of folks who took pictures with their cameras of it, including media folks, so perhaps it will hit the Blade or the Metro Weekly next week.
Anyway, so I headed over to the parade site with our vehicle drivers so that we could get lined up. As we got there, it turned out that one of the larger floats screwed up and went up the wrong street, so they were now blocking the entire street and no one could get through. So I stepped out to go check us in, and then get people to move out of the way (thank you Capital Pride credentials) so that the truck could pass through and then everyone else could line up. We got lined up, decorated the truck, and then waited for the parade to start. While we were waiting, the clouds started to build up again.
Right as our group was beginning to walk, they opened up. For the first time in about 10 years or so, the Capital Pride Parade was getting rained on.
We didn't care, we kept walking anyway, either with raincoats on, or under umbrellas. I walked along carrying the sign, taking some pictures, throwing a goodie or two, and spraying silly string. I saw JH briefly as he was patrolling the parade as well, and he came up and said hi to us, he seems to have freaked out Connie a bit, I don't think she had recognized him at first.
I did almost get run over at one point, a media person stopped and was recording our banner and my sign when the truck behind me bumped into me. It wasn't hard enough to make me fall, but I did bend backwards a bit, luckily there was no damage.
Despite the rain, it was still a fun experience. JH tells me about how much he enjoys going up onto the stage at the end of the festival to be thanked by all of the audience, and it's worth it to see the number of people out there. Well I love to be in the parade because I get to see all of these supportive folks out there watching and cheering us on. It's totally worth seeing.
I definitely want to be in the parade again next year, and I know St. Georges is planning on it.
Wait...what?
"There's whores standing in front of the church"
--Me, yesterday, passing by a church on the way to the festival site.
Yes, these clearly were women who were "working." I can't think of too many folks who would be standing on a corner with a tube top and booty shorts just looking around, and they weren't facing the church looking like they wanted to go inside.
--Me, yesterday, passing by a church on the way to the festival site.
Yes, these clearly were women who were "working." I can't think of too many folks who would be standing on a corner with a tube top and booty shorts just looking around, and they weren't facing the church looking like they wanted to go inside.
Week of Pride Notes
I already mentioned the kickoff party at Freddie's, so I will start with Tuesday since I missed the Town Hall on Monday.
Tuesday was the Interfaith Service at Foundry United Methodist Church. A number of folks from different groups were there to give blessings and lead the service. It was intriguing to watch all of the different groups perform their own ceremonies and blessings, along with discuss their thoughts on how we all are one. The main sermon was good as well, and there was audience participation as well. I ended up running into a friend of mine, Fritter, who haven't seen in over a year, so there was some quick catching up to do as well.
Recommendation: Attend this event.
Wednesday was the Mr. and Mrs. Capital Pride pageant. I didn't actually see a lot of this, mostly because I am not a fan of drag shows, and I got so bored that I left after half an hour. I also was questioning some of the way that the show was done. All of the Mr Capital Pride competitors were introduced one by one to the stage and they each had a bio about them read while they showed off, and then they made an opening statement to the judges. As for the Ms. Capital Pride contestants, the four "new" contestants had the same thing done, but then the last two contestants, who had been Ms. Capital Pride in the past, each came out and did a musical number instead. In my mind that made me go, "Wait, why did the former Ms. Capital Prides get to do a musical number instead of being introduced with a bio and statement like the others? Have we got some shenanigans going on here?" I asked Joe about it later, and he said that they purposely have some contestants start out with a musical number instead because it will stall the show long enough that other contestants can accomplish their costume changes. He says that the dressing area becomes a clusterfuck as it is, and it would only be worse if they ran short on time. My advice to the organizers, try not to have only former Ms. Capital Prides do their musical number in the beginning, it could look bad, especially when there's already rumors that the show is fixed.
Recommendation: Skip it, unless you're really into drag shows.
Thursday was the bachelor and bachelorette auctions. I only watched the bachelor auction because let's be honest, I'd rather see the guys ;-) I went into the event with the wrong impression that it was to auction off dates with these guys. Nope, the guys were representative of certain prizes that had been donated to the event, if you wanted a date with the guy, well that would have to be arranged between you and them :-) I handled working with getting the auction winners over to pay for their prize and hand them the prize envelope when the payment was done. There really are some fabulous prizes to bid on, such as vacations and airline tickets. Of course, there's also the eye candy. As bids go higher, clothes start coming off, at least down to underwear. There were definitely a few cuties there, but man some of them freak out too easily. I'm standing there waiting for a credit payment to go through and one of the bachelors comes up and says "Can you get out of the way so I can go get my clothes on NOW?!" Damn boy, chill the fuck out. Anyway, if you decide you want to go and bid, bring plenty of money, these boys don't come cheap ;-)
Recommendation: Go, even if it's only to ogle eye candy, be sure to at least make a donation
Friday night I missed the party at Town due to circumstances beyond mine and JH's control. I hear it went well, so it might be worth going, as long as there is a better host next year. Saturday night's party at Fur on the other hand was apparently a disaster. I'll wait to see what the report on that is, if I ever see it.
Tuesday was the Interfaith Service at Foundry United Methodist Church. A number of folks from different groups were there to give blessings and lead the service. It was intriguing to watch all of the different groups perform their own ceremonies and blessings, along with discuss their thoughts on how we all are one. The main sermon was good as well, and there was audience participation as well. I ended up running into a friend of mine, Fritter, who haven't seen in over a year, so there was some quick catching up to do as well.
Recommendation: Attend this event.
Wednesday was the Mr. and Mrs. Capital Pride pageant. I didn't actually see a lot of this, mostly because I am not a fan of drag shows, and I got so bored that I left after half an hour. I also was questioning some of the way that the show was done. All of the Mr Capital Pride competitors were introduced one by one to the stage and they each had a bio about them read while they showed off, and then they made an opening statement to the judges. As for the Ms. Capital Pride contestants, the four "new" contestants had the same thing done, but then the last two contestants, who had been Ms. Capital Pride in the past, each came out and did a musical number instead. In my mind that made me go, "Wait, why did the former Ms. Capital Prides get to do a musical number instead of being introduced with a bio and statement like the others? Have we got some shenanigans going on here?" I asked Joe about it later, and he said that they purposely have some contestants start out with a musical number instead because it will stall the show long enough that other contestants can accomplish their costume changes. He says that the dressing area becomes a clusterfuck as it is, and it would only be worse if they ran short on time. My advice to the organizers, try not to have only former Ms. Capital Prides do their musical number in the beginning, it could look bad, especially when there's already rumors that the show is fixed.
Recommendation: Skip it, unless you're really into drag shows.
Thursday was the bachelor and bachelorette auctions. I only watched the bachelor auction because let's be honest, I'd rather see the guys ;-) I went into the event with the wrong impression that it was to auction off dates with these guys. Nope, the guys were representative of certain prizes that had been donated to the event, if you wanted a date with the guy, well that would have to be arranged between you and them :-) I handled working with getting the auction winners over to pay for their prize and hand them the prize envelope when the payment was done. There really are some fabulous prizes to bid on, such as vacations and airline tickets. Of course, there's also the eye candy. As bids go higher, clothes start coming off, at least down to underwear. There were definitely a few cuties there, but man some of them freak out too easily. I'm standing there waiting for a credit payment to go through and one of the bachelors comes up and says "Can you get out of the way so I can go get my clothes on NOW?!" Damn boy, chill the fuck out. Anyway, if you decide you want to go and bid, bring plenty of money, these boys don't come cheap ;-)
Recommendation: Go, even if it's only to ogle eye candy, be sure to at least make a donation
Friday night I missed the party at Town due to circumstances beyond mine and JH's control. I hear it went well, so it might be worth going, as long as there is a better host next year. Saturday night's party at Fur on the other hand was apparently a disaster. I'll wait to see what the report on that is, if I ever see it.
June 13, 2008
Camping Anyone?
Last summer I rediscovered my love of camping...the problem was that I didn't have much equipment, my sleeping bag ended up ruined and had to be thrown away (damn cat!), and I had outgrown my tent.
Well this year I'm much better prepared. I bought a Coleman stove when it went on sale, thanks to the generosity of Brian I obtained a new sleeping bag, and in two weeks, I'll have a tent again!
When I bought my Camelbak last year at REI, I signed up to get E-mail offers. I happened to be looking through my "shopping" E-mail address this week, and their offer was to take 20% off any one item if you ordered before June 12. So I decided to take a peek at the site and see if they had any tents available that were reasonably priced anyway, and get some extra cash off.
I lucked out and found this beauty right here, 35% off already and being able to save another 20% meant that I would be really stupid not to get my hands on it now.
I can't wait to try it out, anyone else interested in a trip this summer?
Well this year I'm much better prepared. I bought a Coleman stove when it went on sale, thanks to the generosity of Brian I obtained a new sleeping bag, and in two weeks, I'll have a tent again!
When I bought my Camelbak last year at REI, I signed up to get E-mail offers. I happened to be looking through my "shopping" E-mail address this week, and their offer was to take 20% off any one item if you ordered before June 12. So I decided to take a peek at the site and see if they had any tents available that were reasonably priced anyway, and get some extra cash off.
I lucked out and found this beauty right here, 35% off already and being able to save another 20% meant that I would be really stupid not to get my hands on it now.
I can't wait to try it out, anyone else interested in a trip this summer?
Almost Done
This week has been so freaking busy, thank God I get Monday off.
Work has been me diagnosing and fixing some program issues. As usual the users find creative ways to break my stuff and then I have to fix it. However, I'll admit one was something that I should have thought about but didn't. It does make for interesting E-mails when I report back to my sponsors that the error is both a training issue and a program issue. Such is the life of a programmer.
I have also been attending the Pride events, which have led to some late evenings. Most event have been a hit, the few misses are really more about the fact that I don't care for the type of event rather than what Pride puts on. I'll have a more detailed report next week and it could also serve as a guide as to what to visit, and what to run away from.
This week though can certainly be draining, and I can tell it's having an effect on me. Well okay, it probably doesn't help that I haven't been sleeping as much as I should, but that's more my own fault. Either way, I'll correct that.
Friday night...well, that is going to get interesting. JH (and a few other folks) read my last blog on my thoughts about Christian Soriano and what I would do at the club. At first he was giving me some hell for my logic behind wearing fetish wear, but then he seemed to have changed his mind. As I found out, the reason for that is because he wants to see how people react. Some of his friends want to witness this as well, I think they just want to see if I have the balls to follow through with it. The most hilarious comment this week was after JH telling a friend of his about what I was going to wear (Nasty Pig gear) she said "If I was a guy, I'd totally have a hard-on right now." Glad to know I still got it ;-)
I look forward to Saturday and the parade. I just wish I had my sign from last year, but maybe I'll get a shot at making one again. If you're in the DC/MD/NoVA area and will be attending the pride parade, I'll be walking with St. Georges Episcopal Church. Then I'll be busy with JH and a few others setting up the festival site while y'all are sleeping. Sunday is the festival, and that should be interesting in itself. I can't wait.
Monday is recovery day for me, though if I have enough energy I'll run away to Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor as well.
Work has been me diagnosing and fixing some program issues. As usual the users find creative ways to break my stuff and then I have to fix it. However, I'll admit one was something that I should have thought about but didn't. It does make for interesting E-mails when I report back to my sponsors that the error is both a training issue and a program issue. Such is the life of a programmer.
I have also been attending the Pride events, which have led to some late evenings. Most event have been a hit, the few misses are really more about the fact that I don't care for the type of event rather than what Pride puts on. I'll have a more detailed report next week and it could also serve as a guide as to what to visit, and what to run away from.
This week though can certainly be draining, and I can tell it's having an effect on me. Well okay, it probably doesn't help that I haven't been sleeping as much as I should, but that's more my own fault. Either way, I'll correct that.
Friday night...well, that is going to get interesting. JH (and a few other folks) read my last blog on my thoughts about Christian Soriano and what I would do at the club. At first he was giving me some hell for my logic behind wearing fetish wear, but then he seemed to have changed his mind. As I found out, the reason for that is because he wants to see how people react. Some of his friends want to witness this as well, I think they just want to see if I have the balls to follow through with it. The most hilarious comment this week was after JH telling a friend of his about what I was going to wear (Nasty Pig gear) she said "If I was a guy, I'd totally have a hard-on right now." Glad to know I still got it ;-)
I look forward to Saturday and the parade. I just wish I had my sign from last year, but maybe I'll get a shot at making one again. If you're in the DC/MD/NoVA area and will be attending the pride parade, I'll be walking with St. Georges Episcopal Church. Then I'll be busy with JH and a few others setting up the festival site while y'all are sleeping. Sunday is the festival, and that should be interesting in itself. I can't wait.
Monday is recovery day for me, though if I have enough energy I'll run away to Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor as well.
June 08, 2008
A Few Notes on Pride
Pride has basically kicked off for the DC area; for the next week there will be various events going on that are focused towards the GLBT community. Since I'm working as a volunteer for pride, it means trying to make an appearance at as many events as possible before the two big ones, the parade and the street festival. So far it's been interesting, between witnessing a bit of the Mr. and Mrs. Capital Leather Pride competition and one of the kickoff parties. If you didn't attend the Pride Kickoff Party, Virginia at Freddie's Beach Bar tonight, you missed out on a great number of local acts, including Tom Goss and Rachel Panay.
As for the rest of the week, the Town Hall on Monday should be interesting because it's on Queer Economics, basically I hope to hear on how much us queer folks could fuck up a local economy if the wrong people piss us off. Then there's the Mr. and Mrs. Capital Pride competition, plus the bachelor and bachelorette auctions as well.
I'm questioning whether I will attend the mens dance party at Town on Friday evening because of who they have as the "celebrity" host. It's Christian Soriano, who was the recent winner of Project Runway. I hate, hate, hate this guy with a passion. Not only does he act like an over the top flaming homo, it's clear he's completely fake. To add to it, they're advertising that he will be going around giving out "hot fashion mess" violations to those in the club. I swear, if I get dragged into still going to this thing, I will wear my sluttiest, nastiest fetish outfit, if only to send a message that I don't give a shit about what he or anyone else at Town thinks about what I wear. Oh, and if he walks up and says "What's up trannies?" to me, I might be liable to haul off and smack him.
Saturday I will be walking in the parade with my church. I have been helping lead the organizing of folks to go and show support by walking in the parade, or just being there to cheer us on. For us it will start with a picnic at one of the nearby churches at Dupont Circle before we walk over to line up and walk in the parade. From the parade it is likely I'll be missing the Saturday night parties as I will be helping set up all of the street festival stuff for the next day. Yes folks, we work through the night so that things go smoothly on Sunday.
From there, I'll be around the festival, where I'll be at, we'll see. It's going to be a very long day for me, and for JH as well, which is why Monday will be a recovery day for the both of us.
Overall this has brought a new perspective to what it takes to put on Pride, among other things. At least it is all fun in the end :-)
As for the rest of the week, the Town Hall on Monday should be interesting because it's on Queer Economics, basically I hope to hear on how much us queer folks could fuck up a local economy if the wrong people piss us off. Then there's the Mr. and Mrs. Capital Pride competition, plus the bachelor and bachelorette auctions as well.
I'm questioning whether I will attend the mens dance party at Town on Friday evening because of who they have as the "celebrity" host. It's Christian Soriano, who was the recent winner of Project Runway. I hate, hate, hate this guy with a passion. Not only does he act like an over the top flaming homo, it's clear he's completely fake. To add to it, they're advertising that he will be going around giving out "hot fashion mess" violations to those in the club. I swear, if I get dragged into still going to this thing, I will wear my sluttiest, nastiest fetish outfit, if only to send a message that I don't give a shit about what he or anyone else at Town thinks about what I wear. Oh, and if he walks up and says "What's up trannies?" to me, I might be liable to haul off and smack him.
Saturday I will be walking in the parade with my church. I have been helping lead the organizing of folks to go and show support by walking in the parade, or just being there to cheer us on. For us it will start with a picnic at one of the nearby churches at Dupont Circle before we walk over to line up and walk in the parade. From the parade it is likely I'll be missing the Saturday night parties as I will be helping set up all of the street festival stuff for the next day. Yes folks, we work through the night so that things go smoothly on Sunday.
From there, I'll be around the festival, where I'll be at, we'll see. It's going to be a very long day for me, and for JH as well, which is why Monday will be a recovery day for the both of us.
Overall this has brought a new perspective to what it takes to put on Pride, among other things. At least it is all fun in the end :-)
A Few Milestones
This past Thursday, June 5, marks 7 months since JH and I started dating. It has been fun, and it only gets better every time. I was informed the other day just how much he and his family adore me :-)
Friday, June 6, marks 3 years since I started my job for the feds. It's hard to believe it's already been three years, and that I have made so much progress there since then. From what I hear they have nothing but praise for the work I do, which is a great thing considering the importance of the work that we do over in my division.
So technically this is my 4th summer here, and it looks like it's shaping up to be the best summer ever!
Friday, June 6, marks 3 years since I started my job for the feds. It's hard to believe it's already been three years, and that I have made so much progress there since then. From what I hear they have nothing but praise for the work I do, which is a great thing considering the importance of the work that we do over in my division.
So technically this is my 4th summer here, and it looks like it's shaping up to be the best summer ever!
June 04, 2008
Crazy Storms
So for the first time since I started working at the bureau, we actually had a call for "shelter in place" thanks to the fact that there was a tornado warning in our area this afternoon. Basically it meant we got to go sit somewhere that was away from windows and wait until they told us to go back to our offices.
I actually have a bag for when these happen, so I cranked up the radio (literally) and listened to all the craziness that was the weather today. We had several strong thunderstorms in our area, and southern Maryland seems to have gotten a few tornadoes. Basically we got to watch as it went from light to dark in a matter of minutes and then the rain just covered the windows within seconds, add on the wind on top of that and the light show, and it made for an interesting afternoon and evening. I think it's a good thing my car is not parked under a tree, but if we have another hailstorm, I'll have to check to make sure I still have a windshield.
I guess it was a good thing I didn't bike to metro, though I did want to go out biking tonight. However, it's a wee bit difficult to do that when there's a thunderstorm outside ;-)
So now to just watch and see what happens, though from what I hear, it's going to get hot and humid...just great. :-/
I actually have a bag for when these happen, so I cranked up the radio (literally) and listened to all the craziness that was the weather today. We had several strong thunderstorms in our area, and southern Maryland seems to have gotten a few tornadoes. Basically we got to watch as it went from light to dark in a matter of minutes and then the rain just covered the windows within seconds, add on the wind on top of that and the light show, and it made for an interesting afternoon and evening. I think it's a good thing my car is not parked under a tree, but if we have another hailstorm, I'll have to check to make sure I still have a windshield.
I guess it was a good thing I didn't bike to metro, though I did want to go out biking tonight. However, it's a wee bit difficult to do that when there's a thunderstorm outside ;-)
So now to just watch and see what happens, though from what I hear, it's going to get hot and humid...just great. :-/
June 02, 2008
Good News for Me
Since today was my extra day off, I did my usual thing of catching up on errands. Last month I had some bloodwork done to check my cholesterol levels, but I had not seen the results. I dropped into my doctor's office, and the person at the front told me the reason that I had not seen the results was because everything was normal, and they only get in touch with someone if things are not normal. So I'll take that as a good sign, but of course I asked for a copy of the lab results.
For those who don't know, last year when I had my cholesterol tested, I had a high level of triglycerides, and my HDL (good) cholesterol was low. That for me is a warning sign that I could develop Hyperlipidemia Type IIb and since I would not like to die of a heart attack in 30 years or less, it meant taking steps to see if I could bring the cholesterol under control. Diet and exercise changes were the big things, because as I have said before, I do not want to go on pills.
Well it looks like the lifestyle changes are working because things are more normal
Normal Ranges:
Cholesterol: 100-200
HDL: 40-59
LDL: 0-100
Triglycerides: <150
Old Results:
Cholesterol: 137
HDL: 37
LDL: 59
Triglycerides: 207
New Results:
Cholesterol: 141
HDL: 42
LDL: 71
Triglycerides: 141
So from what I can see, I dropped my triglycerides 66 points, which is great. I have raised the HDL to where it should be, and stayed within a good range for the overall cholesterol. I am thinking the LDL is a little higher than I want it to be, but that can be fixed. I know I can improve on the lifestyle stuff, and so I'll keep on doing what I am doing, and a bit more.
For those who don't know, last year when I had my cholesterol tested, I had a high level of triglycerides, and my HDL (good) cholesterol was low. That for me is a warning sign that I could develop Hyperlipidemia Type IIb and since I would not like to die of a heart attack in 30 years or less, it meant taking steps to see if I could bring the cholesterol under control. Diet and exercise changes were the big things, because as I have said before, I do not want to go on pills.
Well it looks like the lifestyle changes are working because things are more normal
Normal Ranges:
Cholesterol: 100-200
HDL: 40-59
LDL: 0-100
Triglycerides: <150
Old Results:
Cholesterol: 137
HDL: 37
LDL: 59
Triglycerides: 207
New Results:
Cholesterol: 141
HDL: 42
LDL: 71
Triglycerides: 141
So from what I can see, I dropped my triglycerides 66 points, which is great. I have raised the HDL to where it should be, and stayed within a good range for the overall cholesterol. I am thinking the LDL is a little higher than I want it to be, but that can be fixed. I know I can improve on the lifestyle stuff, and so I'll keep on doing what I am doing, and a bit more.
Waiting....Waiting
JH and I got to have a bit of a scare yesterday.
He hadn't been feeling well for part of the morning and took off from the Orioles game early, went home, had a nap, seemed to be fine. He had felt a bit of pain in his chest but it went away so it didn't seem like there was much to worry about.
However, before bed, the pains came back, and he was feeling a bit of tightness.
So we go downstairs, he talks to his parents, they all decide it might be best for him to go to the ER and get it checked out just to see what's going on.
So I drive him over to the local hospital, his mother following behind us. We get in, and he registers and is heading back there within minutes (that's triage for ya). JH's mom and I sit and wait, watching really bad late night TV. I get a text that they're taking the vitals, then another text that his blood pressure was really high and they were immediately hooking him up to an EKG. Of course I swear (right in front of his mother no less) when I see that text. I know that it's pretty routine if a patient says they're having chest pains to do an EKG to make sure nothing is seriously wrong there, but hearing EKG and high blood pressure does not sound like a good combination.
Eventually they bring him out, then he goes back in again to get a chest X-ray done. Then it's back out again to wait some more. Then it's waiting and more waiting. Finally we all get to go back to the exam room where JH throws on some scrubs and we wait for the doctor. The doc shows up and asks a few questions, takes his BP again, it's more normal this time around.
So what's the final verdict? JH had some inflammation of the cartilage in his ribs, so it was nothing too serious, plus his blood pressure had come down from the time he was first admitted. They gave him a prescription for the pain and sent us on our way. JH's mom headed home while we dropped into a local Rite Aid to get the 'scrip filled. Then it was home and bedtime.
I'm just glad he was okay and that it was nothing very serious.
I was also reminded of why I am not a big fan of the ER (sorry Mom). I don't fear them, I just hate the waiting, but I also know that it can't be helped.
He hadn't been feeling well for part of the morning and took off from the Orioles game early, went home, had a nap, seemed to be fine. He had felt a bit of pain in his chest but it went away so it didn't seem like there was much to worry about.
However, before bed, the pains came back, and he was feeling a bit of tightness.
So we go downstairs, he talks to his parents, they all decide it might be best for him to go to the ER and get it checked out just to see what's going on.
So I drive him over to the local hospital, his mother following behind us. We get in, and he registers and is heading back there within minutes (that's triage for ya). JH's mom and I sit and wait, watching really bad late night TV. I get a text that they're taking the vitals, then another text that his blood pressure was really high and they were immediately hooking him up to an EKG. Of course I swear (right in front of his mother no less) when I see that text. I know that it's pretty routine if a patient says they're having chest pains to do an EKG to make sure nothing is seriously wrong there, but hearing EKG and high blood pressure does not sound like a good combination.
Eventually they bring him out, then he goes back in again to get a chest X-ray done. Then it's back out again to wait some more. Then it's waiting and more waiting. Finally we all get to go back to the exam room where JH throws on some scrubs and we wait for the doctor. The doc shows up and asks a few questions, takes his BP again, it's more normal this time around.
So what's the final verdict? JH had some inflammation of the cartilage in his ribs, so it was nothing too serious, plus his blood pressure had come down from the time he was first admitted. They gave him a prescription for the pain and sent us on our way. JH's mom headed home while we dropped into a local Rite Aid to get the 'scrip filled. Then it was home and bedtime.
I'm just glad he was okay and that it was nothing very serious.
I was also reminded of why I am not a big fan of the ER (sorry Mom). I don't fear them, I just hate the waiting, but I also know that it can't be helped.
June 01, 2008
Wow What A Night
Last night ended up being a total blast.
"Little" JH's (Yes, it's another JH, so since he's the little bro, he'll be known as Little JH) party got going in the afternoon, with various family and friends dropping in to visit. I swear it reminds me of when I visit Connecticut and everyone is having dinner at my grandmother's house. There's about 20 different conversations going on that one is trying to keep track of, and lots of noise, laughter, and other stuff going on. I have to admit it does make for great people watching.
There was also a game of "corn hole" (I think they'll be changing that name) going on. How this game works is that there's two inclined boards placed par apart, and at the top is a hole cut into the board. It's two teams, each take turns throwing beanbags at the boards. If you get one on the board, it's 1 point, if you get it into the hole, it's 2 points. At the end of each round if you and your opponent both have beanbags that scored points, the points cancel each other out. So if I get 3 bags on the board and my opponent gets 2 on the board, I only get one point and they get zero points. The strategy is to knock your opponent's beanbags off the board so that you gain more points, along with aiming for the hole. Considering that it was my very first time playing, I didn't do too badly.
Eventually JH and I took off for his HS reunion. He had some reservations about going because he had not seen any of these people for a decade, plus he had not always felt accepted by many of them, so it made him feel a bit nervous. However, a lot of those fears would be put to rest. I met a number of the friends he had in HS, including ex-girlfriends, and they were totally cool with me. I absolutely loved his friends Ju and Je. Ju is a total anime geek, and she certainly is not as innocent as she once was in HS ;-). Je was just plain fun, including for dancing. The nice thing was that JH was able to actually introduce me as his boyfriend to most people and they were cool with it.
So we ended up there until the party ended around 10 PM, then it was back to Little JH's party to meet a number of new people who were there, shoot some pool, and just have a good time. I think JH and I crashed out around 2:30 this morning.
Fun times were to be had by all, even if the Orioles lost last night...dammit. At least the Diamondbacks spanked the Nats.
"Little" JH's (Yes, it's another JH, so since he's the little bro, he'll be known as Little JH) party got going in the afternoon, with various family and friends dropping in to visit. I swear it reminds me of when I visit Connecticut and everyone is having dinner at my grandmother's house. There's about 20 different conversations going on that one is trying to keep track of, and lots of noise, laughter, and other stuff going on. I have to admit it does make for great people watching.
There was also a game of "corn hole" (I think they'll be changing that name) going on. How this game works is that there's two inclined boards placed par apart, and at the top is a hole cut into the board. It's two teams, each take turns throwing beanbags at the boards. If you get one on the board, it's 1 point, if you get it into the hole, it's 2 points. At the end of each round if you and your opponent both have beanbags that scored points, the points cancel each other out. So if I get 3 bags on the board and my opponent gets 2 on the board, I only get one point and they get zero points. The strategy is to knock your opponent's beanbags off the board so that you gain more points, along with aiming for the hole. Considering that it was my very first time playing, I didn't do too badly.
Eventually JH and I took off for his HS reunion. He had some reservations about going because he had not seen any of these people for a decade, plus he had not always felt accepted by many of them, so it made him feel a bit nervous. However, a lot of those fears would be put to rest. I met a number of the friends he had in HS, including ex-girlfriends, and they were totally cool with me. I absolutely loved his friends Ju and Je. Ju is a total anime geek, and she certainly is not as innocent as she once was in HS ;-). Je was just plain fun, including for dancing. The nice thing was that JH was able to actually introduce me as his boyfriend to most people and they were cool with it.
So we ended up there until the party ended around 10 PM, then it was back to Little JH's party to meet a number of new people who were there, shoot some pool, and just have a good time. I think JH and I crashed out around 2:30 this morning.
Fun times were to be had by all, even if the Orioles lost last night...dammit. At least the Diamondbacks spanked the Nats.
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