iReally can't believe it

So... I lost my new iPhone on Friday night. Yes. Lost. I was at Marcello's having a slice and it must have slipped out of my hoodie pocket. It wasn't more than 5 minutes after I lost it that I realized it and scurried back to Marcello's. No luck. Gone.

So I started sending text messages to my iPhone hoping that someone would read it and return it. It is Xmas, right? Season of good will? Kindness to strangers?

So at 8am the next day, no phone calls so I was at Best Buy purchasing my THIRD iPhone. Ugh. We were driving to Palm Springs and I didn't want to be away without a phone. So I dropped another $450 (had to get the $30 rubber case).

Well, at about 11am, while driving down Highway 5, Wilma's phone rings and it's someone from Marcello's Pizza. My iPhone was returned. How AWESOME. So now I'm off to Best Buy to return the new one. I have to pay a $40 restocking fee, but hey...I'll just consider it a rental fee for using this new iPhone for 3 days.

Lesson for everyone... there still ARE nice people out there. Pay it forward. Do something nice for someone. Happy Holidays.

Pimpin' it Sinatra-style in the desert

With our office shutdown for the week, I headed south for the break to hang with my peeps in LA. Wilma and Andrew were up from LA in the Bay Area for the holidays and they were sweet enough to drive with me back to SoCal. But we had to make a little detour first, in Palm Springs.

Our dear friend, Kev Stern (aka Stella) was turning 50 and his partner threw him a surprise party. So we figured it would be great to swing by Palm Springs on our way to LA. So glad we did. We ended up staying at the Riviera Resort. It has recently gone through a 2-year renovation and just reopened in October. It's GORGINA. The decor is retro-fabulous. Take a look at the lobby! Wilma and I checked in but our room wasn't ready so they gave us a complimentary martini in the lobby while we waited. We were home ;-) We got dressed up and headed out for a nice steak dinner before joining the big surprise. After messing up a big Rib-Eye and another martini, we headed over to Stella's.

The plan was for us all to gather out in front of his house. Stella and others were inside the house having dinner. His sisters brought him to the back of the house to distract him. We all then piled into the house so when he came back down the hallway - there we all were! SURPRISE! He certainly was.

After a few hours at the party, Wilma and I started to fade. We'd driven all day, and started to peter out. So we headed back to the Riviera. On our way towards the room, we ran into a friend from SF so we stopped and chatted for a while. Then, as we walked towards our room, we passed the hotel bar. We decided to pop in just to see the decor. And as we waltz in, we ran into our good friends, Jason and Michael. Such a small world. They were having a drink with other friends they happen to run into while window-shopping earlier that day. So we sat and had a martini with them. Notice a pattern?


After sleeping in one of THE most comfortable beds ever crafted by man, we took off to meet more dear friends, Todd and Tracy, who were in town dog-sitting for a friend on vacation. but before we left the room, we decided to have some fun. The bathroom has this totally glamorous bathtub, so I decided to pretend to be Joan Crawford and be luxurious.

A Merry Day

Christmas Day actually turned out pretty fun. Once my brother came with his family, we got down to business - opening gifts - and that started off the day because we got to watch my nieces open presents. That's always fun.

I gave my nieces two gifts - the first one was tickets to see "Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience" which I was all excited about. The second gift was giving them my old iPod - you know - the big white one with the classic Apple font on grey screen. They FREAKED over getting the used iPod! LOL. Nice - next year I'm scrounging around my house for used kithcen appliances to give them.

The funniest part of the gift-giving ceremony was that my brother/sister-in-law (Tom/Aurea) and I never discussed previously what we were each going to get my parents for Christmas... in fact, this was the first year we didn't shared lists. Well - it happened. We both got my parents the EXACT SAME THING, a digital picture frame. Their gifts turned out a bit better because they actually loaded the frame with 300 pictures of my nieces from birth to now. But turns out they want to keep both, and they'll now be able to erect shrines to my nieces in various locations of the house.

My parents were very generous this year. I received a new 16G iPod Nano (gunmetal grey - so sexy), sports-grade headphones, and a complete car detailing certificate. Nice. So after we were all done opening gifts, we retired to the family room and broke out Guitar Hero 3 and American Idol Karaoke. No...not mine - my nieces'. I didn't know they were gonna bring it - or I would've brought another microphone and guitar... they only have one of each. Amateurs.

My Dad has a super fancy home entertainment system - yet - because it's so complicated, we couldn't get the microphone to calibrate with the game so when you sang, there was a delay until your voice came out of the speakers. So annoying. So we switched to GH3. And we all took turns. Everyone. We even made my Mom try. She HATES video games and has very poor hand-eye coordination. We used to make her try and play our first generation Atari game... you remember... that super complicated joystick and red button ;-) well she couldn't handle that when she was young. And now we were throwing her in the fire at 63 to play Guitar Hero! LOL...



Then... I was mulling around the kitchen for something to drink. And there he was. My dreams had come true. I had finally found HIM. The one. He was big and strapping. Thick neck, big barrell chest. Ahh...it was the Christmas gift I hadn't realized I wanted so bad. Gordon. Ah, Gordon. Ok - so not the best vodka...but it was the ONLY vodka in the house. I ran over to Aurea and whispered in her ear, "Will you have a cocktail if I make it?" She grins wide, and nods her head. So I run back and find a few fresh cans of Club Soda, and a can of Kerns Apricot Nectar, and 2 big red plastic party cups...I had all I needed.

Well, as I was pouring, I realized that this marked the FIRST time in my life that I'd made a cocktail in my parents' house for me to drink. True story. My family is NOT a big drinking family. A bottle of booze will last a lifetime in their house. We do drink wine with dinner....and an occasional beer here or there. But NEVER hard liquor. But as I finished my third large-scale, party-tumbler cocktail I had discovered my new Christmas tradition. My sister-n-law and I kept looking at each and mouthing the words "Ooooh, that's good!" or "Mmmmm, smooooth!" LOL. We kept playing GH3 for a while. I jammed on it with a buzz and actually did awesome. And my brother, being a guitar player, was able to kick out some EXPERT level playing. Pretty impressive.

My friend Marilyn showed up, a friend of mine for about 16 years, whose been coming to my family's house for Xmas soon after we met. We did another small gift exchange with her and then we all headed into the dining for an amazing meal. My Mom sure knows how to put out a nice dinner. Giant pork chops, mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, broccoli casserole, and homemade applesauce. The meal was so filling that it completely erased my buzz. I turned to red wine with the meal but I could never recapture my lovely holiday glow.

We all collapsed in the living room to digest. To kill the time, we were playing this Christmas Trivia game - similar in design to Trivial Pursuit, but all about Xmas. I swear, on every card, there was a question about this Christmas movie with Bob Hope called "The Lemon Drop Kid". It became the joke of the game - when another question would come up - we'd just give "the look" and everyone would say together "THE LEMON DROP KID!" lol...

We dragged our fat asses back to the dining room table for desert. Aurea makes an amazing Chocolate Kahlua Cake that makes you wanna drop jiz right there at the table. So good. So I stuffed a piece of that in my mouth with some coffee. Then I just beached myself on the living room floor next to my 13-yr old niece to talk about her and her boyfriend, Ian. Turns out Ian got her a few things for Christmas but she hasn't given him a gift yet. So we brainstormed good gifts that, as she put it, "Personal enough but don't send the wrong the message." LOL!! So funny to hear her talk like that - but I'm really excited that she's comfortable enough with me to share. We had a cute moment.

Anyway - all in all - it was a really great day. I know I was a bit of a poubty-puss in my Xmas Eve blog entry. But I still think I'd rather be with friends on Xmas Eve and family on Xmas. I think it could just be the best of both worlds.

Breaking a Sweat for Baby Jesus

So first off - Merry Christmas! The morning has been pretty mellow, coffee and breakfast, wrapping up last minute gifts, watching "Miracle on 34th Street" and helping my Mom get the house ready for dinner.

But as I walked down the hallway to take my Christmas shower - the clip below shows the scene of what I ran into...my Dad doing his "jazzercise" video tape and using the hallway as his running track. My grandma, the ballbuster, is making fun of him by running behind him... And I LOVE that my Dad is wearing a sweatband around his head...as if he's actually going to break a sweat shuffling down the hallway. Classic!

Oh - and on a funny side note, a TV commercial came on for a fancy new sports bra and my grandma says "I think it's disgraceful how they show women in bras on television today!" I said, "Well that's kinda prudish for someone with a giant porno collection." To which she replied, without missing a beat, "That's private! And stay out of my drawers!" HAHAHAHA luv it...

Oy to the World

So here it is. Christmas Eve. It's just as it's been for quite some time now. At my parents', eating our traditional anchovy pasta dinner (fish only on Xmas Eve) and then it's a movie marathon watching "It's a Wonderful Life", "The Bell's of St. Mary's", and "A Christmas Carol".

I'm not as much in the Christmas spirit this year as I usually am, but I was hoping that a touch of tradition - as lame and trivial as it is - would feel good. It actually is making me sadder. Because it's so familiar and so routine, it's actually boring and there's nothing to say/react to. We're all being drones watching this movie, we ate dinner quickly, not much conversation, and the little convo we did have was sadly about people I don't know. My mother is compelled to share stories of people in their parish that I've never met. They are sad, dreary stories always involving some illness, death, or tragedy. My mom works for her church and I swear it sounds SO depressing all the time.

I think I've come to realize that I don't think I'm really getting what I need from my family and I really do prefer the company of my friends. I think because my parents really don't "engage" me in my life as a gay man - never ask me questions about my personal life "Are you seeing anyone?" "Is there anyone special in your life?", or "Gone on any dates lately?" Nothing. So I come here and it seems to be just more of the same. More of nothing.

I once was telling my friends that I believe we actually build the family that we need - in the moment of our lives when we need them. And right now, my friends are my family and the support group - the close nest of smiles and hearts - that I need today way more than my biological family. I hear people always say "Oh, it was sooo great to be with my family." I have to say I haven't felt that in a long time. I usually feel "Oh, it was sooo great to be with my friends."

It sounds so mean and selfish to say it outloud - to actually put that into print. But whether I write it or not - it doesn't make it any less true. During this holiday season - there is nowhere more I'd rather be than in my house, filled with my friends, laughing aloud and being merry. That is the Xmas Eve that I wish for. That is the holiday that I'd like experience. That is the tradition that I'd like to look forward to each and every year. But the world has built-in the requirement that we must/should be with our biological families during these times.

The funny part is - I REALLY love Christmas. I love the lights. The decorations. The music. The tree. The clay-mation shows from the 70s. Maybe... just maybe... next year I'll throw a Christmas Eve party of my own. I like that idea. I'm smiling now thinking about that. Yay! :-)

Unfortunate

Probably not the best message for a pharmacy to convey... ya think?

It's coursing through my veins! Get it OUT!

Here's a glimpse of the DNA that I have running through me. I was hanging out at my parent's house while my Grandma is visiting for Xmas...and I was using the main hall bathroom to get dressed. My Grandma is currently using this bathroom during her stay.

Take a look at the anal retentiveness that consumes the members of my family. So paranoid NOT to make any mess or leave any trace, my Grandma lines the drawer with a piece of aluminum foil to rest her plastic bottles on... What in GOD's name could possibly mess up the drawer when everything is sealed in bottles. Oh - and notice how she stores her toothpaste tube IN the original box. No, that isn't a brand new tube...her used tube is safe and sound inside its protective cardboard home. Doesn't everybody do that? LOL. Oh - and note the symmetry too. You should see her pantry, linen closet, and refrigerator at home - everything is lined up and facing front. Ask Gabe Zichermann - he's witnessed it - and he may have even taken a picture inside her refrigerator...

You'd think she was a military woman. Nope! Just New Jersey Italian. Gotta luv her!

The cat's out of the fag

Well... she knows. My 13-yr old niece now knows that her Uncle Dave is a big mo. So last night we were at my parents' house for my brother's birthday dinner, and after we were done eating, and clearing the table, it happened to just be me, my brother, and my sister-in-law in the dining room and my sis says, "Oh, your niece asked me if you were doing 'Day Without a Gay'?"

My jaw dropped.

She looked at me funny and said, "Oh, wait, did we forgot to tell you that we told her you're gay?"

Um...yeah...minor detail ya left out. LOL.

Turns out during a long wait for a Mocha Frapuccino at Starbucks, my brother was bored, looked over at my niece and said "By the way, you know how you're always asking why Uncle Dave doesn't have a wife? It's cuz he's gay."

And what was her response? "Oh, that makes sense."

I love it. So turns out she's totally cool with it. I didn't get a chance to acknowledge to her that I know that she knows. But I'll get a chance to do it soon. I'm just glad she was really mature about it and has no problem. I can't wait to start dishing on boys with her... problem is...she is too mature for me now. I mean, she's 13, and most gay men are more like 12-yr old girls. I hope she'll hang out with me at recess still.

They decided to hold off on telling my 8-yr old niece for a while. Turns out the 13-yr old doesn't think the young one can "handle" it. Perfect!

Here's a pic from Saturday. They were both in a community production of the Nutcracker. They did awesome. Of course. So weird to see them wearing makeup. They grow up so fast.

Cold but so worth it

A nice group of guys went on a hike today up to Caslte Rock State Park along Skyline Drive way above Los Gatos. We all met up at the park at around 10am and it was COLD - like 40 degrees. We were all bundled up and with anticipation of a big storm coming in, we were expecting to get soaked.

The hike was about 3 miles long - and it took us about 3 hours. Although the fog killed any chances of scenic views, it really created a cool mystical mood all to itself. The air was misty and it drizzled a little bit but all in all we made it through the hike unscathed from real rain or mud.

Some of the rock formations at Castle Rock were pretty amazing - creating a natural "honeycomb" or swiss cheese effect. The trees were covered with moss which also really was really pretty.
One of the neatest things was coming upon this tree below. With the fog and the mist - this tree had all the makings of Sleepy Hollow or the Womping Willow of Hogwarts. I wish I could've gotten the whole tree in my camera but this is as good as I could get. Still impressive.

We rewarded our efforts afterwards with a burger feast at Kirk's Steakburger. Damn that was one great hamburger! We sat and chatted for about an hour after we ate - talking geek stuff about the first computers back in the 70s, Dungeons and Dragons, how electricity works (transisters, capacitors, and transformers) and other techno stuff. I couldn't contribute to any of it but it was sure interesting listening to people who do. All in all - great way to finish the weekend.

This kinda thing gives me a RAGING hard on!

Holy shit! This is so god-damn exciting I can barely stand it... BUILD IT, BUILD IT, BUILD IT!!!

Traveled down the road and back again...

Saw the Drag Golden Girls show last night - it was really great. There was a group of 14 of us - and we decided to all dine at the fancy food court at the San Francisco Centre - which is always yummy. We then trekked to James' new 2-story luxo bachelor condo for a quick cocktail before taking over a few rows of the theater with our group.

We then, in the rain, waltzed over to Marlena's (Gee, Thanks, Mr. Duke) in Hayes Valley. What a WEIRD bar. It was theme night "Trailer-trash Christmas" so people were dressed in pajamas and other mid-west inspired garb. There was a bad drag show going on and it was SO crowded. The entire place was decorated in, not joking, like 2,000 Santa Claus dolls and figurines. This picture - although just looks like a mess of stuff is actually just one showcase fist-packed with Santa Clauses. Look closely. Now multiply that by EVERY SQUARE INCH of the bar. Hi, Creepy.

So Andy, Shannon, Chad, and I took off for the Castro. But when we got to Chad's car, his passenger window had been smashed in - just like my car a few weeks ago - and his camera bag filled with his iPod, GPS, checkbook, etc. was stolen. Poor guy. We sent him off to get his car home and out of the rain and the 3 of us went to the Castro for one beer - and then home. Got word from Chad today that his window has been replaced so that's great - but still feel bad that so much stuff was stolen.

Sniffle

I'm blowing the lid on the underground world of male behavior in public bathrooms. I've been in them enough to know that it's not a coincidence. It's a fact. And I'm gonna expose it. Here... in a public forum. It's not Earth-shattering... it's just funny.

Men who are sitting in a stall in a public bathroom will "sniffle" when another man walks into the bathroom as if to say "hey buddy, i'm in here. Don't try to come into this stall AND don't do anything weird cuz you think you're alone...cuz you're NOT."

It's true. I stumbled upon this little ditty a long time ago. And I've been collecting data points EVERY time I enter a bathroom and there's a sole soul in the john.

I think it's fascinating. It's primordial. And it's hilarious. Along with all of the other unspoken law that occurs in the boy's room - this one isn't something that's been discussed. Well, I've never heard guys talk about it.

Give it a try. Listen for the sniff. It's so male...and it's so funny.