Reflections on my 26th Year

Yes I know it has been well over a month since I turned 27, humor me.  This is also post number 500, woohoo!

Another year is down already? Where the hell did it go? It certainly has been a busy year for me, but I think that because I was having so much fun with it, time just flew by.

Some highlights from the last year:

• Parents came to visit and I took them to their first NFL game.
• I wrote a paper that was accepted for publishing and presentation at an international software users conference.
• I rode my 100th roller coaster in the world at Carowinds in Charlotte, NC on July 3, with a ride on Thunder Road (North Carolina).
• Nearly went to Europe because of the aforementioned paper, but had my body decide to stop me from going (appendicitis).
• Put myself on the waiting list to become a season ticket owner for the Baltimore Ravens, and switched my license plates to Ravens plates.
• Visited Las Vegas for the first time in my life.
• Logged lots of miles in the car traveling to various amusement parks and camping.

On the dating front, I was with TB for a few months, but ultimately that didn't work out due to schedule conflicts and life changes.  I used the rest of the year to stay single and learn more about just what it was I liked and what I wanted.  It also was a summer of drama for some of the couples that I knew, so it just gave me incentive to stay single.  I started to ease back into dating in the late fall, but it's still staying very casual.

I've come to realize that I am a person that tends to march to the beat of a different drum.  It took me an entire summer of hitting my head against the wall to figure that out, but that's no surprise because of my innate stubbornness.  I am attracted to a certain type of guy, and that kind of guy tends to be what is known as a "cub" which is part of the "bear" community.  Of course, the bears and cubs tend to hang out together, so if I want to find one, I head to where they hang out.  Here's the thing though, I came to realize that most of them are very vested in the bear community and tend to only stick with that.  I got bored with that rather quickly, yet I kept on trying, just to see if I could find anyone who wanted a bit more than just going to the same bars every week and always hanging out with the same people.  It turned out that the answer was no, so I finally had to admit to myself that I just didn't fit in with them and had to move onward.

I am also beginning to think that when it comes to some folks, I am too steady for them, and they tend to take advantage of that, whether they realize it or not.  I'm loyal to my friends, almost to a fault at times.  If I make plans with someone, I will stick to them, I rarely break them unless I absolutely have to.  I am also usually the one that can head out there and meet up with folks.  I think that because I am so steady and don't just flake, people will forget that they can call me up to hang out.  Usually in order to hang out with them, I have to be the one to call them, every...single...time.  It gets old after a while.  With some I have hit the point where I'm just not bothering to call them anymore just to see if they ever bother to call me or what.  So far I have been proven correct that I have had to be the aggressor, because they certainly haven't been calling me.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.

I am looking forward to the next year because I think it is going to be exciting.  I plan to continue with my having fun and going for new opportunities as they come along.  I think with a bit of work I could crack 150 coasters, especially when I take advantage of the free trip I earned from Southwest earlier this year.  I am thinking of going to California and hitting some of the parks there, but also going to San Francisco since the last time I was there, I was 10.

27 should be an exciting year for me, I had an exciting 26th, and I plan to keep it up.

Birthday Drama

I turned 27 last Thursday.  Did I do anything to celebrate it?  Not really.  A Thursday night sucks for going out to celebrate, and because it was hell week for my play, I had rehearsal.  However, I always manage to have some sort of adventure, even when I don't plan for it.

So I was supposed to get to rehearsal by 7, but I needed to pick up a prop for the show (thank you Amazon Prime!) so the plan was to drive from work to the UPS store to pick up the package and then drive to rehearsal.  Well I leave work and I notice one of my headlights is out. Eh, it happens, I'll just fix it when I have time Saturday morning.  I drive to the UPS store, get my package, and I am about to leave when I notice something isn't quite right...

My other headlight had gone out as well.

What the fuck? I have had a headlight burn out, but never had the other one burn out within an hour!

I had no low-beams, only high-beams, and the nearest auto parts store was about 3 miles down the road, so not a snowballs chance in hell that I could walk there. So my options were to: 

A) Drive to rehearsal with high-beams only (illegal)
B) Drive to rehearsal with only parking lights and pray I don't get pulled over (highly illegal)
C) Call for a ride

So I went with option C, called EH (the director) to let her know I was stuck and needed a ride, she responded by sending her partner CR out to come get me. So of course I get a phone call from "R's Rescue Service" and give her directions, she arrives and picks me up. I have her take me to an auto parts store and I get bulbs for the car.  Then she gets me over to rehearsal, only about 30-40 mins late.

The nice surprise though when I got there was that CR had baked vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting for me in honor of my birthday, so I got to enjoy that.  I must get the recipe for how she makes her frosting.

So we had rehearsal and managed to wrap it up around 10 (should have finished before 9). Then once that was done, EH drove me back to my car, and so I got my bulbs installed.  If you're on Facebook, there is a picture of me doing this.

So that was how I got to start out being 27, but believe me, it could have been worse.  If I had not stopped at the UPS store, then they would have burned out after rehearsal, when all the auto parts shops were closed.  I would have had no time to buy new bulbs either as performance was the next night.  In fact, since no headlights render my car undriveable after 6 PM, I would have had to be picked up via Metro to get me to the first night of performance.  Also, this mini-crisis comes nowhere near the hell that my 22nd birthday started off as, so I can't really bitch.

There will be a proper celebration later on, likely after I finish my show next weekend.

Birthday Activities

Except for talking about recent news issues, I have been pretty silent about what I have been up to lately.

My actual birthday was spent at Guys Night Out, put on by the Washington Wizards.  I got a $102 seat, a free drink, and a picture with some of the Wizard Girls for only $55, what a deal!  The arena was crowded with fans watching the game, and I was in a pretty good seat, lower level towards the corner, could see a decent view of the court.  I have to admit that the arena looks way different for a Wizards game vs watching a Capitals game.  I got to see the different seating configurations that they have.

The game itself was fun to watch, and the Wizards ultimately ended up winning against the Jazz, 95-87, their first win of the year.  I think I might go hit another Guys Night Out later this year, besides watching and cheering on Phoenix when they come to visit.

I set up a dinner for Saturday night and was joined by Brian and James at Momiji Japanese Bar and Grill in Chinatown.  It was a new place that I had run across an ad for in the city paper, and the menu looked good with reasonable prices, so I decided to try it out.  We got there a little after 6:30 and the place was packed since AC/DC was going to be playing nearby at the Verizon center.  Luckily because I made reservations, we didn't have to wait too long.  We were seated and the hostess brought around some tea as we looked over the menu.  

James had some Miso Soup while Brian and I each had some Gyoza to start.  All of us got different kinds of sushi rolls, one of which would be the subject of many a joke that night.  One of the rolls was called the Happy Santa, and to top it off, it was served on a long oval plate.  All I could say to that it was one very happy Santa.  I had the capital roll and the rainbow roll, both of which were great.  All of us enjoyed our dinner, and we are in agreement that it was a worthwhile place to go.  I will definitely have to go back again.

After Momiji we went over to Cobalt for some drinks.  That place has dramatically changed since I was there about a month ago.  Now there are more couches and a new paint job, the place seems to be trying to look more chic.  At least the drink deals are still the same.  One of the discussions that did come up was that it seems that gay bars really like to pour on the alcohol, to the point where the mixer is just enough to give it some color and make it a not quite straight shot of booze.  It is a matter of whether or not you really desire lots of alcohol or not, because sometimes you don't want to taste the alcohol.  I guess it's all about what you want.

After Cobalt it was Larrys Lounge for a couple of beers, where we ended up staying out way late, I didn't get home until 2 in the morning, it was totally worth it.

Monday I went and had lunch with Dan and Chandra over at The Barking Dog.  I have met up with them for lunch there a few times before, and it's always good.  There was a bit of an issue with our server that day, I hope next time we get Danielle.  Otherwise the conversation was great as usual, it's always good to see them.

I find this is a great way to spend my birthday, meeting up with friends and having a day or night out with them, even if it is not on the actual day.  It's totally worthwhile.

Reflections on Turning 26

It's November 12, and that means that twenty-six years ago today, I was born.

What a year it has been since I hit the quarter century mark a year ago. At that time, I was just two months into my apartment and still settling into my space. I was in the middle of a fight with Pepco over my final bill over at the old place, because despite the notes that I did not have to pay that amount because it was in dispute, I was still being threatened with collections. On the social side, I had reconnected with a few friends, and started dating JH, which while it was fun, it ultimately didn't work out.

So what the heck did I learn this past year? I learned that there are a lot of destinations within reach for me to drive to, or at least find a cheap Southwest flight. I traveled to Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Georgia, and Arizona. Many of those trips were to go hit various amusement parks and ride lots of new coasters. I am now up to 97 coasters ridden, and I will break 100 next year. Considering there's Florida parks to visit, and I have a brother down in the area where I could crash, maybe I can cross 150 if I work at it. Besides that, I did visit my parents as well, which was sorely needed.

I got a bit more into acting again with performances in "Free to Be You and Me" and "Children of Eden." Even though performing Children of Eden kicked my ass, it also expanded my vocal range back to where it was in college, if not further. I really enjoyed that play overall and I made a few good friends out of it. We'll see if I do the next show, depending on what it is. I find I enjoy acting because despite the difficulties, the work becomes worth it when you see the audience get into it.

I also got a bit more in touch with the sports nut side of me with the number of games I attended in the past year, mostly baseball games. I did get to attend my first live NFL game, and I already went to another one this year and will be going to another one next month. One of my friends has also gotten me into hockey as well. Here's the way I see it though, I prefer sports where there's lots of action going on and you're not looking like a complete and utter prick if you're doing a bit of yelling as it happens. Between the four well-known sports in America, this is the order in which I would watch games:

1. Football
2. Hockey
3. Basketball
4. Baseball

Basketball might rank higher, except that I'm a Phoenix Suns fan so I don't get to see too many games out here ;-) I find that I am more willing to watch baseball if I want to relax, but I kind of prefer to get my blood pumping.

Over the last few weeks I am learning just how deep my inner strengths and talents go. Along with that is more confidence. I still have a ways to go, but I am finding that a lot of my old fears are vanishing, and I am becoming a bit bolder about stepping forward and taking charge. That's fine by me because I am maneuvering to take on more of a leadership position at work. It can only help me to be a leader at work if I am a leader in other parts of my life. I am taking full charge and I like it that way.

The other thing as of late is that my independence streak has come back, and not a moment too soon. I find that I am having a very enjoyable time doing my own thing whenever I want. There was a time period where I felt kind of awkward going somewhere completely on my own without anyone I knew going with me. Now I have no problem going out on my own, and there have been times where I feel like just being by myself anyway. Just yesterday I had lunch at a restaurant in Silver Spring I heard about but had not gone into, and I had no problem asking for a table for one. My general attitude as of now is that if you don't want to go with me, I'll go by myself. Whenever the next boyfriend comes around, he'd better be aware of that. If I decide I want to do something on my own, I will, and I don't need your permission or your approval to go do it on my own.

Speaking of work, I have been taking on more responsibilities as it is, and it has been paying off in big ways. Apparently my name is coming up among the higher ups for good things, and that will help me later on. I also pulled off some work that was nothing short of amazing, especially during an unexpected change of plans. Beside that, one of the projects that I have worked on since starting my career finally went into production, and it was one of the smoothest transitions we have ever seen when making a switchover. I am quite proud of that.

So it has been another productive year of growth and discovery. Despite any of the dramas that may have occurred, this year was better than last year, and from here it can only get better. I like where I am at now. I have my family, I have my friends, I have my health, and I have my independence. I am going to continue enjoying all of these things throughout the next year, and I can't wait to see where it leads next.

Birthday with CD

A friend I made from the Capital Pride Committee through JH was celebrating her birthday this weekend. I wasn't able to make the Friday night events because they were way out in Clarendon and I did not have my car. However, I did make it out to her birthday dinner Saturday night. It was a night complete with what has to be a gold mine for people watchers and sociologists.

We all met at Amer's Cafe, which is a cafe that serves many Mediterranean dishes along with other favorites. The owners are Egyptian, so they know what they're doing. CD knows the owners quite well so that meant plenty of teasing from them of course. I also got to meet a number of CD's friends, and as it turned out, I was the youngest one at the table, but that was alright. We had fun throughout the night.

The thing about Amer's is that if you're ordering takeout from them, you're a damn fool because there is so much you will miss out on. There was a belly dancer that evening who would come out and dance for folks, including bringing some of the customers up to dance as well. CD and her friend J did dance with the dancer as well. Also, there is a woman there who does Tarot for a small fee. CD had her cards read, some of her friends had their cards read, and I had my cards read as well. I'm not giving details of my reading, but based on what I know about Tarot, this woman knows what she is doing and she doesn't bullshit you.

So anyway, consider Amer's if you're in the northern Baltimore area and dine in!

After that we went to 70's night at the Bayou Cafe. We weren't there for more than about 1/2 an hour not necessarily because the club was dead or anything like that. Their A/c was broken so it was frigging hot in there! However, 70's night is a freaking sociologist's wet dream because it's basically folks who were young in the 70's trying to recapture their youth. Plenty of disco music playing and people doing bad dancing. It was complete with some guys who clearly had bad 70's hair. Seriously, I walked by these two guys and it was like "OMG!" So I pointed them out to CD, she shows her friend B, and he is just doubled over laughing at those guys. I gotta also say that if you're into cougars, there were plenty of them there.

Eventually we couldn't take the heat in there (it was probably close to 90 inside) so we took off and went to her friend J's house (which has an A/c thank god!) where I got to meet their dogs, who are so very friendly. I think they could tell I was a dog person so they kept coming to me for attention. Around 1:00 CD, her friend B, and I all decided it was time to take off since we had about an hour ride ahead of us. I got home, showered to get all that sweat from the club off, and then headed to bed.

Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday, which means that there will be an entry coming reflecting on the year, but first it is time to record all that went on.

Basically it was a lazy do what I want day for me. First I was woken up by my parents, so I got to finally open the boxes that have been sitting in my hall for about 2 weeks. I received two sets of Fiesta dishes in the color I had been asking for, which was awesome. I also received a towel with the logo from the recent Broadway production of The Ritz. I played the Wii most of the morning, finally beating Super Paper Mario. Did some surfing on the Internet, randomly decided to check
Ikea to see if maybe the desk chair I wanted in blue-green was in stock, and it turned out it was. After two months of waiting, I finally got the chair I wanted on my birthday, there must have been some luck going on.

So after doing a bit of cleaning and organizing around the apartment, I headed to Ikea and got the chair, then stopped at the UPS store to pick up a package that was waiting for me. I decided to treat myself to lunch at a local Pho place. The Pho was good as usual, I then moved on to the Cold Stone Creamery next door and had dessert.

I came home and chilled a bit before heading to RedRocks for dinner. There I was joined by Brian, Moose, Joe, and Joshua. It was nice to just sit back and chat with friends, enjoy a beer and have some pizza. While the pizza wasn't quite something to write home about, it was decent tasting. I think I kind of like Ella's wood-fired pizza better. The funniest moment came when Joe showed up, he was wearing the exact same shirt that I was. Of course everyone thinks that we planned this, but I swear we didn't!

Dinner ended, and I was given a ride home by Joe, where I ended the night by just chilling out before heading to bed.

All in all it was a great birthday, I got to see some great friends and enjoy some good food as well, and pretty much do what the hell I wanted.

Birthday Plans

Yes, this is last-minute since I procrastinate on making birthday plans for myself.

My birthday is on Monday and it's the big 25. I'd like to meet at Red Rocks Pizzeria in DC for dinner around 6:30, where we go from there, who knows :-) I'm in the mood for pizza and beer, why not indulge it eh? I haven't been to Red Rocks, but I have been curious about it, and the reviews look good.

I'll throw out an Evite later, but I'm putting it here as well just in case I manage to forget someone or I don't have their E-mail address.

Your presence and a sense of humor are required. Formal-wear and presents are not required.