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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Melrose Place Rocks My Socks

I never pause a good show just to blog, but how much are you loving the doctor turned escort on Melrose Place? I could give a shit about the rest of them, save the Syd flashbacks, but her story is sooooooo good. That little speech to her john was fantastic. She totally flipped the switch like a pro. I LOVE IT.

You Can't See Tits On the Radio......

I know...I know....I'm a horrible person for not actually blogging yesterday. I spent the entire day playing catch-up with all of the things I've left neglected around here lately. I didn't even get the list nearly finished either. Boo. I suppose I'll have to try to get more done today.
First and foremost, let's talk about the VMA's on Sunday night. Holy Shit. Not only did we get to see some amazing performances, but we got to view, yet again, the douchebaggery that is Kanye West snubbing Taylor Swift.
Seriously, who in the fuck does he think he is? Now, I know he has written the rhymes for a great deal of hip-hop's heavy-weights over the years, including my boy, Twista, but really? I remember back in college when he dropped his first LP, it was inspired, it was bare-bones. It reminded me of the start of hip-hop and I could only think that he was a fresh new voice on the scene. He was the lyricist turned rapper and I was happy for something different. However, that elation has crumbled to nothing over the years. He has proven himself over and over again to be a complete idiot with absolutely no couthe. That ego is apalling on anyone. Then, he feels the need to jump up on stage during Taylor Swift's first VMA acceptance speech and say that Beyonce's video was the best video of all time? Like Beyonce needs her ego stroked any more than it already has been? Don't get me wrong, I like Beyonce, but I think she's past the point where we need to reassure her of her talent. Not only is she one of the highest selling musical artists, but she has movies, clothes (hideous little frocks her mother makes), a fragrance line....the list goes on. Not to mention she hit a dick with a lottery ticket attached, you feel me?
Poor little Taylor Swift, her moment was ruined. She seems like such a sweet, genuine, talented girl. She's redefining country music. (I know this is true since I have both of her CDs on my iPod and I'm firmly against country music.)
It was wonderful and very classy of Beyonce to give away her acceptance speech for video of the year so that Taylor could regain the stage and make her speech. Beyonce was right, she did get her fiorst VMA when she was 16 with Destiny's Child, so I'm glad she took the perspective and made right by Taylor, especially since Kanye apparently thought he took the stage to save her reputation or something.
So, I say everyone should do what I did a couple of years ago. Ban Kanye West from your music library. Just stop listening to his shit. Frankly, I like to know who I'm listening to. I like to agree with their perspective and feel that they have some soul. Kanye West is simply nouveau riche. He's tacky. He's trashy. He's classless. Frankky, he's an idiot. Seriously, google some of his quotes. At times, he puts George W. Bush to shame (a feat a know).

Ok, let's talk about some of the other highlights. Yes, Taylor Swift's subway performance was very cute. Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes turned it out as well. I loved their pairing. They are two of the most talented artists out there. The combination of J's hip-hop stlying and Alicia's R&B was flawless.
Everyone knows the best performance of the night, however, was Lady Gaga. I love that bitch. I love her sense of theater just as much as her music. I loved her costume changes throughout the entire show. I loved that she accepted her award with lace over her face. Her performance absolutely gave me chills from beginning to end. She's going to be the next huge thing, mark my words. She's classically trained, she writes her own music, she's theatrical, and she thinks outside the box. Of course, sex appeal never hurts either. Love Love Love that ho. "For God and the Gays!" At least she gave a shout out to her biggest fan base! God knows, I spread the word about her to everyone that would listen last year.
How awful was Madonna's Michael Jackson tribute speech? Chelsea Handler had me rolling last night when she showed a clip she put together of all the times she managed to say "I" in her speech. I mean seriously. I should probably explain my relationship with Madonna;
I must admit that I loved her growing up. She was edgy. She was contantly evolving. She had amazing sex appeal. However, it's been these last several years that I've come to view her as a deranged freak show. I will admit, Confessions from the Dance Floor was an amazing CD, but it should have been her last. Or at least the last of that nature. Hard Candy was an atrocious LP. I knew she was done in my eyes when I saw her in thigh-high lace-up hooker boots dancing on a car with Justin Timberlake in 4 Minutes to Save the World. She's my mother's age! No really. My mother is almost 6 months older to the day. I would know as my birthday is 6 months apart from my mother's and Madonna's birthday is the day before mine.
I totally respect her for keeping relevant all of these years. However, she could have taken the Tina Turner/ Cher route and kept it classy past a certain point. Nobody wants to fuck someone that could be a grandmother. When it gets to the point where you try everything to stay young, whether it be jewish mysticism (you're an Italian Catholic, Madonna, own it. I do.), sleeping in suran wrap, cutting EVERYTHING worth living for out of your diet, or sleeping with a 20 year old Brazillian underwear model, it's time to roll in the carpet and call it a show. So, Madonna, I implore you to step aside for the Lady Gagas of the world and let them take over and show us what they got. At least when we see them do the splits in their hooker boots, we don't mentally hear bones popping and worry that they just broke something.
On another side note, Leighton Meester was looking fierce at the VMA's. She projects such a badass persona outside of Gossip Girl, I love it. Not to say Blair Waldorf isn't a bad ass. There's just a large difference between Upper East Side Badass and a Texas girl with a drug smuggling family. She kind of looked like she was going to kick jack Black's ass a few times. LOVE IT.

Which brings me to my next topic, GOSSIP GIRL. This show has been my obsession over the last two years. It premiered just as I moved to Canada and nothing got me through that lonely winter like the catty debauchery of the GG gang. It's like my weekly dose of my own snobbish private school upbringing. Unsurprisingly, when I caught back up with our very own Mean Girl this summer, she revealed that she, too, was a huge fan. We agreed that Chuck and Blair steal the show. We love their naughty, combative attitudes, all wrapped up in perfection and class. They aren't the villians of the show. They are the archangels, always leading the characters to the truth and throwing down their wrath whenever a job needs done.
I am so happy they are finally an official couple this season, even cohobitating. I really hope Chuck can stay faithful this time....I'm thinking he might. I think Blair is his ultimate prize. She's his match and she can challenge and keep up with him mentally, which is what is lacking in all the other girls he toys with. Word is he's going to have a man-on-man makeout session this season. HOLLA. How cute are the little sexual role-playing games that Chuck and Blair play, though? Now, that's the relationship I've always wanted to have. I've always longed for my true match, my partner in crime. Nathan is the Yang to my Yin, I get that. He possesses all of the qualities and interests that I don't, which makes us a formidable couple to say the least, but Chuck and Blair are of one mind. I've only had that with one person in my life, my best friend, Cortez. No wonder people used to think we were together.
I can't wait to see what shit little Jenny Humphrey gets her self into with her new status and money. She was such a badass last season, the only thing that held her back was that she was "Jenny from the block", the middle-class girl thrown into the world of the wealthy elite. Now, with her rock star father, and her upper-class socialite step-mother, I can only imagine what trouble she'll get herself into.
I do wonder what's the deal with Serena. I love her character as well, the reformed bad girl. However, I like her best when she regresses to her old ways. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of that to come to, as she's hooked up with a bad boy over the summer. I am a bit perturbed by her lost little "Daddy doesn't love me" act, though. It's no surprise that I like strong female characters. Meet my mother, you'll get it.
The Humphry's long lost brother has come into the picture this season. How soap-opera. The legitimate child of Lily and Rufus, given up for adoption and now, assumed dead, has appeared undercover as a "friend" or more to Jessica, attempting to infiltrate the family from within. What's his motivation? Why would he try to introduce himself through beguiled efforts? Wouldn't you just introduce yourself as the long-lost heir to the throne and take what's rightfully yours? What's his angle? He is cute, though. They need to do an end of the summer pool party on the show so we can see all of the actors half-naked for an hour. Give the public what they want, dammit!
I can't wait for the next episode. The previews show the return of Georgina, whom I LOVE. Michelle Trachtenberg, a throw-back to the Buffy days of old, plays Serena's archnemesis, Georgina Sparks. Thus far, they have only used her in the previous two season to drop into town and stir up trouble for sweep's week, but now she's going to be a regular charachter. Hooray! I love her character because she is the quintessential bad girl. She uses her money and guile to get whatever she wants...usually revenge. She's unapologetic and quite crafty. Her duplicitious nature is exactly what the show needs.
Has anyone else noticed how the CW LOVES to recycle actors and actresses? If one show doesn't work, or if the character doesn't work on the show, they just stick them in another world and another time slot. Joanna Garcia is definintely a veteran of this. She came to fame in Reba, playing Cheyenne. When that show ended, she was given Privledged, which I loved but which received lackluster ratings and was canned. Well, to my elation, she's now on the GG scene as Bree Buckley, the latest love interest of Chace Crawford's character, Nate. It should be interesting as their characters grandfathers are political enemies.
Another CW show-hopper is Robert Buckley. This man-candy first appeared to us in the short-lived yet critically-acclaimed Lipstick Jungle. His abs kept me coming back again and again, as he played the boy toy on the side to one of the leading cougars. Then, the CW picked him up to play on Privledged, alongside Joanna Garcia as a final attempt to breathe a little life into the quickly-dying show. Now, he comes back in the picture with the CW's epic One Tree Hill, as a sports agent with a past. At least we know he won't get cancelled anytime soon.
Which brings me to my NEXT topic. One Tree Hill. Ok, so I was never a huge fan of the show. It was just another high school drama like any other. I would watch it when I caught it on, but I never got too involved. It was when they skipped 5 years that I got interested. Instead of doing the typical, "College Years", they bypassed it altogether to see the characters as adults. All still friends, but with careers and pasts outside of the teenage realm.
This season's opener was a little lack-luster for me. No new good gossip. They introduced a few new characters, as mentioned. It ended in news of a possible sex scandal between the married NBA player and some slut, but we all know that Jaime and Nathan's relationship is too perfect and Nathan's character is too nauseatingly altruistic to have ever cheated. Nice try, CW! What we all really want to know is WHERE IN THE FUCK ARE LUCAS AND PEYTON?!?!?!? I'm sorry, if they want me to keep watching, they are going to have to tell me what happened to them after the last season ended in Peyston lying in a blood-soaked wedding dress, having apparently lost their baby. Other than a few vague references to them in this episode, they shed no light on their outcome. I can only assume that Peyton didn't die, as Brooke (my fav) called her "stupid" or to some affect. Stop pulling our legs and give us the goods, dammit.

I'll have to give my notes about the season finale of True Blood later. That's a whole other hour of blogging and I have to get to my laundry list of chores and errands.

Holla.

My song of the day is Tits on the Radio by The Scissor Sisters....Only because this week in television has reminded me that there is life beyond music. HOLLA

Monday, September 14, 2009

Just another Manic Monday

So, I'm so not to the bloggin point right now, but wanted to share the ONE thing that's givin me the LOLs this morning. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPOiqtf2FTE

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Life Upon the Wicked Stage.....


The drive back wasn't bad at all. We got back in to LV around 9:30PM, where I promptly dropped The Kid off, went home, unloaded the car, got right back in the car, and headed to Escape Lounge to meet Brent.
It was actually kind of fun....and different. Instead of the usual large group dynamic, it was just the two of us and we sat around, drank, and shot the shit for a few hours. It's fun to have in-depth conversation outside of a phone call to the midwest, for a change.
Of course, I had to stay up and watch the Project Runway that I'd missed from Thursday night, when I got home. I don't know what to say about the new season. So far, it lacks the shine of the previous seasons. I'm not in love with any of the contestants yet. There are a couple of cute guys in it, but I'm not choosing any signs yet. More people need to be eliminated before I cast my vote. As always, I love the broken English that pours from Heidi's mouth. She could read the phone book to me and I would probably just die of laughter.
Today, we woke up and got our asses in gear. Running late, as always, we met Laura, Brent, and The Kid for brunch at Firefly. I love going there on Sundays. It's usually not too crowded and the food and atmosphere is great. I'm kind of a foodie, but not a big eater, so, I usually like to dine in restaurants with small portions and mind-blowing food. Plus, you really can't knock their signature drinks either. Today, I forwent my usual Sparkling Sangria (You know if it contains champagne, I'm down) and went for a Blood Orange Mojito. Started the buzz off right.
We all then split with the intention to meet up for Lena's play at 2. Not wanting to go home in between, Nate and I went to Escape and grabbed a couple more drinks. Somehow, we ended up in conversation with the day bartender, whom I, surprisingly, didn't recognize. He was on about Alaska, Sarah Palin, and other cold extremeties. Apparently, he moved here from Anchorage.
We arrived at the theatre shortly before 2, however, Brent and Laura didn't make it. They tried to run all the way back out to Henderson on a Wal-Mart run, then home to unpack and let the dog out, before driving back to the other side of the Strip to see the show. I told them it wouldn't happen, but they're still used to the lack of traffic back home. Lame.
The Kid did show and we wouldn't have been late to the show, had the ticket agent not taken forever to get through the line. We walked in late, right in the middle of Lena's opening monologue.
The show was called Recent Tragic Events. I have to say I was was rather impressed. It was a bare-bones production, but the dark comedy did stir up some old memories. It centered around the days following the 9/11 attacks. Of course, the subject has been brought up countless times over the last few days, as the anniversary was on Friday. In fact, Nate, The Kid, and I discussed it before going out on Friday night. We were watching a special on television as we were getting ready. I found the conversation somewhat intriguing. The perspectives were all so different, I hadn't given a thought to what the event had meant to different people.
I had said, as I have before, that I consider 9/11 to be our generation's equivalent to the Kennedy Assasination. Everyone always remembers where they were when they heard. Nathan said that he was a sophomore in University and a rather flamboyant girl came down the hall of his apartment building to tell everyone of it. Initially, they didn't believe her, but finally turned on the TV to find it to be true. It made me wonder what Canadian undergrad students might have thought about the events unfolding. Given my time in Canada, I can imagine a sort of distanced intrigue. Anti-American sentiment is alive and well throughout the country, so I can only imagine the muted false sympathy they might have felt. Their world wasn't in danger of coming to an end, ours was.
The Kid shocked me the most by stating that it didn't affect him. It was just another current event that he heard about with some morbid fascination. True, he was 13 at the time, so not quite involved with the goings on of the times, but it still sort of shook me. Hell, I remember when I was 13, hearing of Princess Diana's death while in the bath tub...and watching her funeral alone, live on TV one very early morning after my parents had left on some business trip of sorts.
Maybe it's me. Maybe I see the world differently. I can't help but stare at CNN obsessively when these horrible events happen, trying to make sense of it all within my own world.
When I heard of the attacks, I was in between my U.S. History class and my Government class during my Senior Year of high school. I remember leaving that classroom and hearing the news pass from student to student hurriedly. No one was panicked yet. Some didn't even believe that it was actually happening. Some didn't care at all at that point. For all we knew, a plane had gone off course and had crashed into one of the towers.
As for my government class, we had already been worrying for weeks about our first big test of the semester that was to be that day. We had heard all throughout high school that that class was the most difficult class required to graduate. The teacher was a real fear-monger and few of us even expected to pass the class.
The room was abuzz with talk as we sat down, whereupon the teacher said something to the effects of "Now, I know you all care about what's going on in New York City, but it's just another accident. We're still taking the test, so quiet down. I'm going to leave the TV up here on mute just so we know what's going on, but that shouldn't affect our school day." Begrudgingly, we all got to the task at hand. I'll never forget glancing up at one point to watch the second plane collide with the second tower live on CNN.
Other students must have noticed my reaction because one after one, the entire class dropped their pencils and stared at the silent screen. It took the teacher a while to even realize what was going on. She still made us finish our tests, however. Needless to say, none of us did very well on that first test.
I think the thing that rocked me the most about that day was that it was the end of our innocence, in a way. There we were, a bunch of 18 year old private school kids who's biggest worry was some idiotic test and all of the sudden, we knew life as we knew it was over.
Every school in the state went on lockdown. Every class, every period was spent watching CNN and discussing everything that was going on. At that point, the worst event at the school had been an Anthrax threat during my Freshman year, so I don't think the faculty knew quite how to respond. Parents were calling the school non-stop trying to get ahold of their children but being denied by the office. We weren't allowed to go anywhere, we weren't allowed to leave and all of our cell phones were stashed in our cars per school rules. It was utterly frightening to watch it all unfold. None of us knew who we might have known that could have been involved in any of it. Most of us couldn't even understand why someone or some group would want to hurt us. I suppose money can either shelter or expose.
When they finally let us get out of school, I remember driving to the gas station to buy a pack of cigarettes, only to find the lines at the pumps went around the block. It was sheer pandamonium. The radio was on the AM frequency in everyone's cars for a change and I could hear the voices of hundreds of reporters all talking over one another...only adding to the panick.
In a move quite unlike me, I drove to a blood bank where I had donated before. A large line was already forming and I asked the staff what I could do. I set out folding chairs, organized lists, handed out donated refreshments from Donato's and helped any way I could (including giving blood) until my parents insisted that I come home, around 11PM.
The thing that really kills me to this day was the sense of togetherness that we had as a country that day and the days following. Suddenly we weren't all competitors in a rat race, we were all one unit just trying to survive, leaning on eachother as we tried to make sense of the tragedy.
Unfortunately, that sense of togetherness led us to retaliation and war, where we only lost more of our own, but had it not evolved to that point, I wonder what that kind of unity could have done for the country.
In short, I will always remember that day in my life. It rocked everything that we held true as a country. We weren't safe anymore. Nobody was. Every empire must fall and ours, too, could be on the verge at any moment. I don't think any foreigner can truly know what that day felt like to us. I was to graduate later that year and go out into uncertain times to start an uncertain life. Perhaps it's yet another reason why my generation is without a cause and horribly disjointed.

Anyway, off to do a little housework, the gym, and maybe go rock out some karaoke later tonight.

Song of the Day: When Doves Cry by Prince

Saturday, September 12, 2009

FUCK OFF, FATASS.


Ok, so it really pisses me off that I feel the need to write this from the car on my way back from out of town, but I suppose that's what wireless cards are for.
As previously mentioned, there has been all this shit about me on craigslist lately. Well, just a few days ago, somebody posted the address to this blog and my Twitter account on there. That was totally not called for. These are personal accounts. I reveal personal information on them. Do I care if the public takes interest? Not really. But do I want a lot of skeezers from Craigslist looking it up simply because somebody somewhere saw me at the gym or shopping for groceries and thought I was hot? Not at all. I don't try to be a sex symbol, nor do I like the idea of being considered one. I'm actually a human being with a broad range of interests and a highly functioning mind. I would rather be known for those attributes.
Well, I found out who had leaked my information. It's just an ex-friend who has beef with me. It's stupid, it's childish and he should really act his age....which is a fair bit older than even my own. When friends started telling me that there was an ad or two on there about me, I'll admit, I thought it was kind of cool. However, when some guy asked the forum if anyone knew my name, I started to feel a little freaked out. Vegas' gay community is not all that big. I mean, seriously, when I get a text or a phone call every time something vague about me is posted on the internet, you know it's small. So, I knew someone would know me that saw those ads and would probably release my personal information out of spite.....for whatever reason.
Then, when some of my info was leaked, I was super freaked out. Now, just today there is a whole new slew of posts about me in response to one in particular. I won't post it on here because it's idiotic, untrue, and very offensive. However, I will tell you that it was that same "ex-friend" who posted it. Or so the phone call I just received inform me. Apparently, when you act an asshole and go blabbing about it, people repeat what you say...because it definitely got back to one of my real friends.
So let me clear up a few things mentioned in that post and in following ones;

1. First and foremost, I did not post a single one of the ads on their myself. What would my motivation be? I've been married to the same guy for 2.5 years. If they were implying that I did it to boost my Blog audience or my Twitter followers, they are sorely mistaken. It's not like I get paid for this, people. I don't know what evidence he's suggesting, but I keep ONE e-mail account and have not posted anything on the craigslist for a long long time and that was a Rideshare one. I might look at Missed Connections every 4 or 5 months but other than that, I'm on their to shop jobs or sale items, not dick. The very reason I haven't posted ANYTHING on there since that last time is because I got crazy ass e-mail responses to my ONE e-mail account for months. Not to mention, all my e-mails come through on my Blackberry. I don't need to waste my time out and about looking at e-mails from crazies.

2. It was suggested that the linguistics of all of the e-mails are similar. Read my writing on here, are they at all the same? I just reviewed the ones I had previously posted on here. I know I'm not Albert Einstein but I was a Creative Writing Major once upon a time. Give me a break. Sorry to all of the guys that really did post nice things, but the writing in those posts was that of a 10th grader.

3. To all those that try and insult my appearance? What are you basing that on? The one picture on here? I don't think it's a bad pic. The best? No. I could really give a shit either way. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The only person I care about finds me attractive. That's good for me.
Thanks to that last poster who actually defended me, though. You are absolutely correct, if they're on that site trolling for dick, they must not be all that attractive themselves. Afterall, it's not like they posted their pictures with their anonymous posts. Oh...and let's not even talk about the person that posted these allegations. There's a reason he's never had an LTR at his age....just sayin.

4. The ad says I have way too much time on my hands and that's why I would post my own ads? I think you have way too much time if, in fact, you did attempt to "investigate" all of this. Let alone, if you're responding to ANYTHING posted on there or even read it. Whatever "evidence" you have is completely unfounded. My husband can attest to that fact. He's a computer geek and maintenances all my systems. He has access to every account I have anywhere. In fact, it was he who saw this nonsensical ad post on his phone when I was driving earlier today. Yeah, now he's checking it because he's been worried for my safety since my info was leaked. In fact, he's even contacted a lawyer to discuss options. I had told him that it would all die down and it's no big deal, but now I'm reconsidering. Slander, alone, has it's consequences, people.

5. I have jumped on craiglist to flag ONE ad. The one that disclosed my addresses and account information, naturally. That IS a prohibited post.

6. The name Devin Danger was not invented by me, it was invented by my eldest niece and her friends when they were 13...4 years ago. It became my Myspace name as a joke for them and it stuck accordingly back in my hometown when Myspace was so popular, most people only knew you from the bars and on my account. Most people can't remember my real last name, but "Danger" they remembered. Probably something about the illiteration. So, I've used it for several years now as a more anonymous online name ONLY. I actually get annoyed when people call me that in person. Afterall, I don't live my life online.

7. I don't really like attention in that way from the gay community. I basically left my home town because I wanted anonymity for the first time in my life. This is why I've lived in Vegas for 1+ years and most of you have probably NEVER seen me out. Ok, yeah, I have some distinguishing features, but should I really try to assimilate and fade into the background?

In short, I want all of you to just fuck off. I appreciate the KIND words that were said, thanks. I never responded when I heard of those ads because, as I said, I am married and, frankly, even if I weren't, I would never go online to find men to date. I never had any probably meeting them in real life. Hell, I met my husband in line at a Subway Sandwich of all places.
That said, if I hear of anymore of my personal information being posted on that site, I've been advised to call the police and inform them so that they can get their Internet Crimes Division on it.
So, Love, Peace, and Afrogrease,
DD

Party in a Box; Just Add Alcohol


Last night was a good time. I love going out in random cities, mainly because you can act a fool and know that you'll never run into those people again. We went to Toucan's in Palm Springs around 11. The Kid was so visibly nervous about going out for a few reasons;
1. He doesn't ever go to bars.
2. He never goes dancing.
3. He doesn't drink.
4. He had never been to a gay club.
So, of course, I made it my mission to change all that.
It's been said before (countless times) that I'm a bad influence. So, of course, I run across someone so green and I simply have to season him a little.
The Kid is a sugar addict, so I got him an Appletini as soon as we got to the bar. He was zipped up tighter than Lil Kim....in anything with a zipper. Shoulders hunched, arms across his chest, eyes darting around. You would think the Taliban was hiding behind every corner. He drank that martini down in about 10 minutes saying it was good, but it"burned a little" going down.
I got him some water, as I continued to down my drink of choice, Ketel One and Tonic. I then got him a Kamikaze, again, because it was sweet and light. He drank this one a fair bit slower, alternating with bottled water.
About ten minutes later, I got him on the dance floor. And it was all over from there. Apparently the alcohol had done him in because he went nuts. It was so funny. We danced until the Ugly lights came on and the bar was shutting down. He was all over that floor. My favorite moment was when he went to go to the bathroom and heard the beginning beats of I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas.
Somehow The Kid went from scared of clubs to repeatedly saying that we need to go to Pirahna next weekend. All and all, the night was a success. I feel accomplished. It's like I'm ushering in the next generation of little twinks to take my old reigns. The Kid has no idea what's in store for him coming of age in Vegas, but I can pretty much guarantee that it's going to be a wild ride. It's his first time on his own, living on his own, hundreds of miles away from his family, and he's just getting around to coming out. Just thinking of it all makes me want to go back to my younger, more naive, wilder days. I'm going to have to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't spin out of control.
So far today has gone as scheduled. Got up around 8:30AM, grabbed some eats in the lobby, hit the gym for a couple of hours, and am now chilling out for a bit in the suite. I might go take a dip in the pool before I shower and pack up. We have to check out by 2. We're hitting Ikea on our way back, in West Covina. I need light fixtures for my never ending redecorating project.
Back to life, back to reality. Tomorrow's plan is brunch at 11, then hitting Lena's play at 2. I'm excited to see it. She's been working really hard on it which is admirable considering she's not getting paid for it.
Devin Danger signing off from Palm Springs, CA. 115 F.

Song of the day goes out to The Kid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMxASjxRk1w

Friday, September 11, 2009

Houston, we have a problem.

So, today has been long already. Woke up, went to the hotel gym, worked it out, showered, packed, and started the long tedious drive to Palm Springs. At first, the GPS took us for a joyride through long beach for a while, until I pulled over and spent a half-hour reprogramming it, then, we were finally on our way. Other than some horrific traffic getting out of L.A. and the GPS continuously falling down from the windshield, I was an uneventful trip. The Kid and I got a chance to rifle through eachother's iPods...so the road tunes were good.
The drive was actually very pretty. I love desert landscapes. Also, living in the midwest for so long, I love seeing the windmills. I suppose they sort of remind me of Don Quixote. On this drive, there are hundreds of them surrounding the interstate, combine that with the backdrop of the mountains and it was a little unreal.
I even got a little alone time when The Kid and Chompers took a nap together. Have I not mentioned Chompers? He's my black chihuahua, running buddy, and travel companion. Normally I'm a big dog kind of person, but Chompers can get on a plane with me and I can sneak him into anywhere (including the hotel I write this from.)
When we finally got to Palm Springs, we checked into the hotel and ran out to get sushi since we haven't eaten all day. It was delicious. I'm never sure if it's the sushi I love or the Sapporo and Sake, but it always seems to cure whatever ails me.
Now, we're trying to decide where we're going tonight. The Kid's first gay bar was The Escape Lounge the other night, apparently, so we're out to pop his cherry. Hopefully, stories to come!

P.S. Song of the day: Ampersand by Amanda Palmer.
P.P.S. Quote of the day (thus far): "The good news? We're almost there. The bad new? THe GPS just fell down again, hit something on the dash and we just lost all electrical. Oh....and we're going 75 during rush hour."


280 Blog Hits, 350 miles later.....

Alright, so all you perves still logging ont0 my blog out of curiosity about that idiotic craigslist posting...you should be sooooo happy to know that this blog received about 280 hits since it was posted.
I hope you have severely enjoyed the "lurking" because I'm over the sketched out part. If you're all so desperate and lonely that you feel the need to log into craigslist in hopes that some stranger has a crush on you, I'm sure you're bored enough to read my blog. So, please....keep reading. I'm happy to provide an entertainment service for those who so desperately need it. Just please, don't take the stalking past this point. I've filed enough restraining orders in my life, I don't need any more.
So I dragged the new kid along with me to L.A. tonight. Despite my GPS attempting to take me the most fucked up paths here and having to reroute ourselves a couple of time, we made it with surprising ease. Nothing like a 5-hour car ride to get to know a virtual stranger. I can totally deal with his taste in music too...which is rare, especially in one so young. Driving at night is a fav of mine as well. Empty roads, too many cigarettes, Red Bull and my tunes usually carry me through "The Drive", but, for once, it was nice to have the company.
Right now he's asleep on the floor besides my King-Sized bed because he was too shy to share it. Cute kid. Thankfully, we have a suite in Palm Spring tomorrow night, so I won't have to feel guilty about him sleeping on the floor. Though, he did admit to being some percentage Asian tonight, and they sleep in drawers, right? So, it can't be so bad. JKJKJKJK
He's so new to the game, it's kind of refreshing. I miss contantly feeling the unbelievably invigorating feeling of doing anything I haven't before. Now, I have to chase that feeling with all my might. When did I get so old that I feel like everything is so old that I'm over it? So many experiences have turned into mundane, stale moments when I can do nothing but yawn and roll my eyes. Some times I wish I was younger, sometimes I wish I was less intelligent, and sometimes I wish I hadn't been around the block quite so many times. Probably why I get a kick out of hanging with the Z Generation. That's right, I'm coining the phrase right here and now. They say Gen X ranges from 1961-1982. They say, that I'm of the Generation Y. Which has been coined as a term but of which dates have not been defined. Well, I'm here to define them; Gen Y:1983-1987. We are the kids of the "baby boom echo". Things change in society so much more rapidly these days thanks to the global market place and the prevalence of technology and internet, that it only makes sense that "generations" would decrease in size significantly.
Gen Z , which I'll estimate as kids born 1988-1994, just for argument's sake, they fascinate me. My niece will turn 17 this week and is firmly part of that generation.....17, or in The Kid's sake, 21.....absolutely no difference in interests, fads, or general life outlook. Hell, maybe I like the Kid because he reminds me of my niece but he can go to the bars with me? Not that he drinks...yet (yeah, that fresh).
Oh well, I'll elaborate on the subject later, as it's nearly 3:30 AM here. Tenative plan for the morning; Wake up, Go to gym, Go for a swim (weather is fan-fuckin-tastic here), Get Ready, Lunch, WeHo for a minute maybe, then driving to Palm Springs for the night for the hell of it. Drive back Saturday after a quick, long-overdue trip to Ikea (I need light fixtures. lol)

So, Love, Peace, and Afrogrease Motherfuckaaaaaaaaaaaaas. Goodnight ;)

P.S. Remember, every time you masturbate, God kills a kitten. Please! Think of the kittens. ;)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home By Now

As I was driving through the senseless rush-hour traffic on an even more senseless errand, I got to thinking. People always ask why I would want to live in Central Vegas and not in the suburbs (usually with an air of distaste). I'll tell you why; I like living close to the action.
Those same people are the ones who find a reason to have to drive into my area of town nearly every day. So, they get to put up with the bullshit traffic and THEN drive all the way out to their homes at the end of the earth on top of it.
I like that anything I could possibly want is within a mile radius of my house. I like that if I happen to drink too much, it's a $5 cab ride home and not a $60 ride. I like that I'm readily available to all my tourist friends who come into town and I get get to the airport in 15 minutes, or to the Strip in 3. I like that I can get any kind of ethnic food delivered to my door morning, noon, and night.
I'm not trying to raise a family here, people. I'm trying to live a life. So, suburbanites, FUCK OFF. I'm a city boy, always have been and always will be. ;)

Stalkers....

So Laura just called to inform me that someone found my blog and my Twitter and posted them on Craigslist. Is this not getting a little insane? On one hand, it's a little flattering. On the other, it's kind of scary. I'm going to have to up the security on all my accounts now. Wonderful.

I only photograph my facinations....til the stress of the flash...makes them fade....

I'm going to make this a short one, since I should have gotten up early, gotten my shit done and have already been out the door and on my way to L.A. Thakfully, Dakota already said she was busy tonight with work, so there will be no let down there. I should really call my family in WeHo but, considering it's a one-night limited engagment, I think I'll pass. So much driving to do, so little time.

So, I lied. I went back to the ghetto gym yesterday. It's just so much closer. That.....and it deflects my craigslist stalkers. It was a good workout. I love my new shoes. I totally reccomend the Nike Free line to all the gym-bunnies out there. They are so light! I really bought them for the flexible sole. SInce I usually run for an hour and a half, my feet tend to cramp when they are stuck in one position, but since they were now free to move naturally, I had none of that. Check it out, bitches.

After the gym, I met up with Laura and Brent at The Joyful House. I love that damn restaurant. It's a bit off the beaten path, but it's the best Chinese food in town. I read about it in Details Magazine shortly after I arrived in town, and decided to hit it up. For some reason, it's hard to find good Chinese here. Thai? No problem. Chinese is just touch and go. Plus, they are open until 3AM....so even those with the Vegas schedule can hit it up.

They along a friend, visiting from their hometown. They were right, Erie, PA must be a god-awful depressing place. No wonder they moved. I also invited along a kid I'd met through my adventures online. I won't name him yet, let's see if he sticks around. He's a nice kid. Only 21, moved here two weeks ago for school, doesn't really know anyone yet and was getting homesick, so I invited him along to meet the other newbies to hang out. He was so quiet, but I probably would have been too, considering we were complete strangers and all at least 5 years older.

After dinner, Laura dropped their friend off at Bally's and Brent, the kid, and myself went over to Escape Lounge...again. Laura met back up with us shortly thereafter. It was the same old Escape Lounge. Although the kid was trying to test my music knowledge and failed miserably. Everyone always makes fun of the fact that I know most music...and usually can name the band, song title, and year of release without batting an eye.

It was a good night, in all. It was fun meeting someone new and Laura and Brent are quickly turning into besties. I have a fondness for picking up strays. Thankfully, Vegas is full of them. It can be a tough town to make friends in, at first. The most important thing for any Vegas Newbie to know is to diversify. It's too easy to get all caught up in one group of friends when there are so many different kinds of people out there.

I went home and watched Glee on DVR. I was right with my initial impression. It kind of sucks. I can't even remember what the storyline was about last night. Just not a grabber. The gays and teeny-boppers better get on this one fast before the rating throw it off the air.
I forgot to DVR the season finale of Leverage. FUCK. Now, I'm going to have to wait a few days to view it OnDemand. I love that show, although, mostly for Parker. She cracks me up. She has the best one-liners!

Ok, sorry to keep it brief but I have to get truckin'. I'll try to update from L.A. later tonight. I'll attempt to post a vid I made loosely based on characters here. Enjoy!

Here's the link anyway. I'm too hurried to bother figuring it out.
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090904220426323

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Crosswords are the Most Fun You Can Have Without Passing Out

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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Wasting Time....

I've put entirely too much time and energy into creating this blog today. Between the blog, the profile, etc...I've wasted about 4 hours. Way to go! Of course, I just realized it was four hours, so apparently, I was captivated. I call moments like these my OCD moments. I get started on a project and I just won't stop until it's done...and to my satisfaction. Being the tough boss that I am, sometimes it's time-consuming.
I woke up at 8AM. My head was still whirling with thoughts of the needless drama of the past couple of days. When my mind starts working that early, there's no point in trying to quiet it, so I took to the day at hand.
First, I started by texting with Dallas. That went back and forth like a ping pong ball until the information we were trying to convey called for an actual voice conversation. It's funny that in this day and age, unless it's horribly complicated or important, we rarely pick up the phone any more to make a call. We've all gone to texting and e-mailing instead of real human interaction. I can't decide if the technological simplification of the world is making us more efficient or more stupid. How can we come down on slang, ebonics, etc. in this country when we, ourselves, abbreviate everything through our writing? No wonder kids aren't strong spellers and our illiteracy rate is so high. Why spell it out when you can abbrievate? Why not watch a podcast instead of reading a book? Why not get on youtube.com and watch a tutorial on a how-to instead of simply reading and following the directions?
Anyway.....excuse the tangent....
I called Dallas to talk. It was around 11AM her time and she had just woken up and was in the middle of her cereal. We chatted about a great number of things; gossip from here in Vegas, how her new life was going, how her man was treating her, etc etc etc. What should have been a 10 minute phone call ended up being a 2.5 hour long meeting of minds.
We talked about growing up mostly. Not as children, but now as adults. They say that they 30s are the new 20s. I certainly hope so. I feel like I grow up more every day. I'm not a huge fan of stability, obviously, but I do look forward to that point in life when I can stop questioning everything so furvently. So many unanswered queries about life, love, friendship, death, and happiness remain. I just pray that I live to have them answered. I understand that life is a mystery, I wouldn't take that away from it for anything, that's half the fun, but wouldn't it be nice to at least get the outline of the puzzle?
She did repeat a few things offhandedly that a non-friend had said about me in the past. Normally, I might have been mad or offended but hearing those words did seal the decision I made last night to further my distance from this person. I suppose that's the downfall you face when you befriend someone in Vegas. There's always the chance that their friendship is really that gold paint and neon lights and underneath, it's something really ugly. I suppose that's true of anywhere really, but Vegas is prone to the duplicitous, no surprise there. He was born and raised here, so I suppose it's fitting that he be one of the worst culprits.
The older I get, the less time I can stand to waste on ingenuine people. Authenticity is a big thing with me. Raised in the enviroment in which I was, I grew up with lies and fronts, and gossip and I really used to be able to play along when I was younger. However, I've lost all taste for the subterfuge and I'm much more rigid about letting it anywhere near me. I like drama on my television, not in my life.
My decision to distance myself from this person was not made in a single wrongful act, mind you. It was a slow accumulation of many things since I first arrived in town. I don't throw people out of my life on a whim. I've just seen too many glimpses of what hides behind his facade; to see what kind of person he really is. It's funny, now that I've taken all this time to consider it and plan my course of action, mutual friends come forward to tell of all that has happened when my back's been turned. Again, somehow not hurtful, but encouraging of my intuition.
Last night, some of us were discussing the meaning of friendship. I find it a bit sad that it's a topic that requires debate. We all agreed, however, that friendship shouldn't involve any drama. There should be no jealousies, no "popularity contests", no stabbed backs, or boyfriends stolen. It should just be about commaraderie and fun. We should all love eachother for who we are and not try to assimilate everyone, nor should there be any politics or chain of command. I don't even have a steady job and I'm still too busy to play these games. I really don't know how one would work full time, attend school part time, and still find the time to play World of Warcraft against his friends.
But...alas....I just take a deep breath and keep on truckin'. Ain't never gonna stop me. Ain't nothin gonna hold me down.
I should really get to the gym. It's much later than I had originally planned to go. I'll get there right around the busiest time of day at this point. I'm sure it will be twice as busy considering it's the first day coming out of a holiday weekend. Those who overindulged will be lined up for machines to work off their sins. Me included, I suppose.
It really was a wonderful weekend. The ending was a bit marred due to the drama but I suppose I should have forseen it coming, as the drama was officially back in town from LA. The highlight of the weekend, of course, being the Foam Party at Krave on Sunday night. I hadn't been to a Foam Party since I was barely of age and it happened to coincide with one of my favorite nights to go out; the night before Labor Day. Everyone of any importance came, save Michael who was visiting family back in Michigan.
It was slick, it was soapy, it was slippery and it was SCANDALOUS. I should have known it would be simply from the attire I had chosen. All I had on were flip-flops, a green Diesel tank, and a tiny pair of JM black square cuts. Right around the time a married friend of mine saw a horny little twink unabashedly cop a nice long feel on my package, I knew it was a night to go down in the history books. Laura and Brent were especially enthralled as it was their very first Foam Party and still so new to Vegas and its nightly debauchery. I haven't had that much fun since I was a kid. We danced so long, we closed the club down. Next thing I knew, I was driving by the Palms at 4AM, still soaking wet and sticky, and glanced in the rearview mirror. My blond mohawk clung in wet chunks across my head like a white, wet mop. The dark and glittery eyeliner I was wearing ran in trickles down my face. I looked like the lost member of The Joy Division. When I got home, I was still so wired that I didn't get to bed until nearly 7AM.
It's nights like these that bring me back to reality. I've already lived enough for a lifetime, so I have a hard time remembering that I'm only 26 and I still have plenty of wild nights and early mornings ahead of me.
Yesterday was mostly uneventful. I got up late (obviously), around 1, and did a few things around the house, ran to the market, made a giant fruit salad (one of the great advantages of living in the west this time of year. Awesome produce.), then got ready. I dropped Nathan at the airport for his business trip, then went to a couple's house out in Henderson for a cookout/pool party.
I hadn't been to the house before but I was impressed by the decorating and the eclectic taste of the home. The house actually ended up proving me wrong and Nathan right (he's been trying to convince me that we need to buy a place with a private pool.) The weather was absolutely divine, so it was quite comfortable outside.
I did have a brief yet comforting conversation with one of my friends, though. He's a recent inductee to this group of friends and I don't know him all that well but he does have a nice vibe about him. We got into the conversation about being married. As the only other gay, married male I've had any length of discussion with in a while, his views piqued my interest. It was really about how marriage is never perfect. One falls in and out of love with their spouse over and over like a broken record as the years go by. There are good times, there are bad times, and then there are the comatose "zombie" times. It's all about sticking with it and riding out the storms until the next happy time.
I think we were all programmed with those damnable fairy tales as a child. Somehow, instead of any idea of hope and romance, as intended, we got these unrealistic views about how love, romance, and marriage are supposed be. We were supposed to grow up, meet a nice guy/girl/whatev and fall madly in love and get married and live happily ever after. I suppose that's why they are fairy tales....they never tell you about what happens after the marriage...all the trials and tribulations that marriage can put you through....all of the compromises and sleepless nights...all of the responsibilities that come with taking on a lover as a constant companion to row through life with.
Yes, there have been hard times in my marriage. My mother once told me that the first 7 years are the hardest. Silly me! I'd always heard that the first year was supposed to be! Honestly, I don't see the hard times ever ending completely and that's alright..I'll stick around and weather it all. My husband and I were talking, just the other day, about those moments when we think of how ideal being single again would be. Then, we agreed that any further thinking into the subject ruled it out. It's those little things you think of....laughing as he attempts to help me make dinner......crawling into bed at night and drawing his body close for the warmth and comfort.....trying a new Thai place and discovering as he realizes a "10" is really a "10" and watching his eyes water.....the way he puts his hand on yours in the darkened movie theater.....or even the way that he agrees with you even when you may be wrong (wow, that totally explains my in-laws marriage). It's all those little things that get me from one day to another.
I put the top of my convertible down as I left their house. It really was the perfect night out. It was warm and breezy with perfectly clear sky. I could see stars even above the Vegas lights. I listened to Sheryl Crow tell me about how she "dropped acid on a saturday night" as I pulled into Freezone. Monday nights are karaoke nights there and it's been a long-standing tradition to attend.
I never used to sing these nights. I never wanted to. Maybe the living in Canada paralyzed my voice for a while. Sure, I still get a little nervous, especially since I never do the same song twice, but I've started getting up there several times a night when we've gone these past few months. I forgot how good singing feels. When it's right, it strips through all the bullshit and you feel all the sorrow and pain leave you with those lyrics. If only I could use my own lyrics, right? I desperately wanted to sing Bad Reputation by Joan Jett but alas, it was not on the menu. I settled for Maps by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Fast Car by Tracey Chapman. Fast Car always reminds me of my sister, we used to love that song as I was growing up.
It was a good night, despite the passive-agressive drama and the "Tale of Two Cities" atmosphere that occured between the seperation of the two tables. Jay-Z said it best, "Niggaz is crazy baby, don't forget that boy told you/Get, that, dirt off your shoulder"

Well, I'm off to the gym....and the crazy stalkers who post shit about me on crigslist, I suppose.

A Quick Reference Guide to the Life of Devin Danger

So, I decided to start this blog, whether anyone will actually read it or not is besides the point. I just thought it would be good to journal some of my thoughts, so why not share with those interested?

Life is a messed up crazy thing. I've been a lot of different people. I've worked a lot of different jobs. I've had a lot of different friends. The only constant I have is change.
Now, for some people, change is a bad thing. It's easy to stick with the comfortable. When I get comfortable, I get itchy. It usually means it's time to switch it up, meet new people, move somewhere new, get a new job.....whatever it is that I feel I need to change....and I usually do quite rashly and without very much thought. I like it. I find it empowering to control, change, and alter my life. It's enthralling. I'm not one to simply take the status quo and deal with it. I do what I want and it's extremely important to prove that to myself on a daily basis. I am the only person who can take charge of my life.
Perhaps my biggest "rash" change I've made in my lifetime was my decision to elope with my husband, Nathan, over two years ago. Not only was it split-second decision-making, but, considering that we lived in different countries and were two gay men, it called for a major lifestyle change. Previously, I had been a somewhat notorious party kid in Indianapolis. I lived in my own place alone downtown. I went out 7 nights a week. I had hundreds of friends all over the globe. I was finishing up school. Life was my oyster. I was extremely independent and loved every second of it.

When Nathan came along, he hit me like a wet bag of cement. I didn't mean to fall in love, it was just inevitable with him. He was and is my polar opposite. Don't get me wrong, he has a total bad boy side to him, but if you only judge a book by the cover, he's conservative, quiet, sweet, thoughtful, anall-aorund nice guy. Oh.....and Canadian. When we got engaged, I don't think I ever thought it was real until we were married. I suppose, being an American, I had never fully conceptualized the thought of legal gay marriage.
We eloped on June 30th 2007 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was a brave rash decision. We got up that Saturday morning, called a B&B around the corner, grabbed a couple witnesses, had a few drinks and got married under an arbor in a graden around sunset. We wore jeans and promised eachother that we would spend the rest of our life together. Although, we destroyed all the wedding pictures because they turned out horrible, I'll always keep a picture of this day in my mind. Two crazy-in-love kids locking lips feeling nothing but pure unrestrained love. It's the hard times that I try to remember them, they were an AWESOME couple.
Shortly after, I moved to Canada. That's when things started to get rough. All my life, things have come easily to me. I always knew if I wanted it bad enough, I would find a way to make it happen. Guile and brains go a long way if used properly. I endured one year of the following:
*Learning how to be married
*Learning how to share EVERYTHING
*First fights
*Socializing with his friends who didn't accept me and saw me as an outsider.
*Anti-American sentiment from nearly everyone I met.
*The worst winter Ontario had seen in 36 years.
*Loneliness; not only had I left everyone that I'd known behind for Nate, but he travelled for work 45 out of the 52 weeks of the year.
*A lot of second-guessing myself and everything that I'd known to be true.
*Learning how to be domestic.
*Learning the art of doing nothing....couldn't legally work or attend school.
*Learning how to live without a car and horrible public transportation.
*Learning how to deal with in-laws who didn't like or accept me or our marriage.
*Due to long distance fees, a lot of isolation. If I could figure out how to talk to even one of my best friends for a half hour on the phone, it made my week.

In short, it was a miserable year and a truly humbling experience. I still can't listen to a song I liked then without shuddering and changing it. Too many bad memories and heart ache. I lost touch with myself to a great degree. Slowly, I saw myself becoming someone I wasn't. Someone I didn't like. So common-place and boring. It was like all the fire that had always shined straight out of me was dampened.
Forget whatever fairtales you may have of marriage because it's HARD. It's WORK. After that wonderful intial honest loves simmers to a soft flicker, there is a whole lot of bullshit and compromise to deal with. I could probably fight both sides of the "single" or "married" argument equally. Although, most days, I'd take the grass is always greener approach and scream "RUN!" to anyone with an engagement ring on his/her finger.
Towards the end of my year there, I knew it was time for another change. I hated Canada and I knew that I needed to get back to the US to get myself back. I put it to Nathan like this; "I'm not happy. I don't like who I'm turning into. So, either you find a way to get a work visa and we move to the US, we win the lottery, you find some AMAZING job here or I'm leaving and moving back down." I never put it down like I was leaving him, I just simply said we could go back to long distance.
Apparently, the gods gave me a break, and a little over a month later, Nathan was offered a better job with his company and a relocation to the Southwest. We discussed where we wanted to live;

L.A.? Too smoggy. Horrible traffic. Horrific cost of living. Too congested in general.
San Diego? Gorgeous but HORRIBLY expensive.
Phoenix? Yuck.
Palm Springs? Too many old monied gay guys. It's not like we were looking for daddies.

So, we came upon Las Vegas, which I had visited semi-regularly in the past and which I liked. It was equi-distance from everywhere Nathan had to travel to....and frankly, I think he would have done anything to keep me at that point, so it was settled.
We moved down to Las Vegas on July 31st, 2008. It was the fresh start we needed. The desert heat evaporated every lingering ounce of cold from that past horrible winter and painfully humid summer. We were new again. We were in love again. It was the start of our "real" life together. Everything seemed just perfect. Well.....almost everything.
I was anxious to get back to work. I had just taken an imposed year off of work and I was ready to find a good company to really throw my all in. However, the economy took a sharp nose-dive right around then and Vegas was hit HARD. Still, to this day, I've found nothing worth doing here. I've heard the words, "Over-Qualified", at least one hundred times. It seems a bit ridiculous to have to dumb-down your resume in order to get employment, does it not?
So, in my constant search, I joined a gym and went along like I had been. Corporate housewife. Trophy husband. Whatever you want to call it.
Mostly, I was just looking forward to getting back out in the world, meeting people, interacting, feeling alive again. I threw myself out there to see what could come of it. It's been over a year now and I've made a lot of observations about the unique nature of this city.
On the surface, Las Vegas is a friendly town. Extremely transient, so I still feel like Nathan and I both fit in. We're life-long nomads, so the smaller, tightly-knit towns are a bit more difficult to infiltrate for us. People tend to cling to one another here. Nobody is here for long. It's almost like a never-ending waiting room in a way. It's nobody's final destination, but it's nice to find friends to pass the time with.
In the past year, I can honestly say I've gotten back to my old self. Sure, I made some compromises. I am no longer the party kid I once was, going out every night, but I've scaled it back to a few nights a week. The one thing I learned in Ottawa was how to truly enjoy time alone to myself to think, to write, to dream, to be creative. I'm thankful for the ability to just coast and let life happen.
I'm thankful that I'm now in the position to tell the world to fuck off. It's just me and Nathan against the world. We have obligations to no one but ourselves. Not working, I have the luxury to do what I want to do when I want to do it. I don't wear normal clothes or have conservative hair. I wear eyeliner because it's fun. I don't have to play into other people's selfish petty drama, politics, or credos. Life is good and full of change, excitement, intrigue, happiness, pain.........the whole mix and it's just how I like it. I know I belong here right now. Forever? That can never be sure.
I've met a lot of people in my short time in Vegas.I'm sure you'll hear about a few of them in blogs to come. I'm not going to name names in this blog, but I'll make up a few pseudonyms and overviews for reference purposes;

Dallas: Female, 23, blond/blue,caucasian, 5'5" 140. Hometown:San Antonio, TX.
Laid-off bank teller turned stripper and insta-BFF. Got swept off her feet by one of the guys she met in the club and recently moved to Detroit to be with him, marry him, live happily ever after. I miss her but I can't knock her choices. Afterall, I once chased that same fairy tale.

Chun Li- Female, 26,Black/brown, asian, 5', 110. Hometown:Honolulu
Came out here for college and never left. Bank Teller by day and black jack dealer by night. A very sweet, very secretive girl sort of riding the wave of life until something sticks. She's friendly, socially versatile, and loves to laugh. An all-around great running buddy. She's the type of person that you can run errands with, go to the gym, then meet back up to go clubbing later. We've become better friends in the last 6 months.

Mr. Wang: Male, 29, black/brown, asian/caucasian mix, 5'9", 180. Hometown: ???, North Dakota
Came down here from North Dakota with brother, with whom he currently resides, as well as young niece. Makeup Artist, esthetician, retail. Quirky, fun, lively, HUGE HEART. He couldn't hurt, let alone kill a fly. He likes to go out, extremely social.....but bakes on his nights off. He's down for whatever as long as a few laughs are involved.

Bob: Male, 24, black/brown, mexican/caucasian mix, 6'2", ???. Hometown: Hidden Hills, CA
Interior Designer. A really sweet guy. Funny, sarcastic, kind of goofy. Big guy. Reminds me of a gay, less experienced version of my late BFF Brett. Just now learning about how the gay scene works. Learning the pleasures and perils of having gay friends. Won't sleep with a guy before 90 confirmed days of dating have passed. Cautious, conservative, reliable, and generally honest. This early in the game, he could go like the flip of a coin. We'll have to wait and see how this one turns out.

Lena: Female,22, Black/green, caucasian, 5'4", 130. Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia/Las Vegas, NV
Barista/college student/ aspiring actress. Goofy, silly, energetic. The kind of person you can say anything to. Easily interested and easily entertained. She'll go wherever and do whatever. Alternative chick. Swings both ways. Young enough to still get excited at the prospect of a dinner invitation.

Michael: Male, 30, black/green, caucasian/mexican mix, 5'8", 180. Hometown: Detroit, MI
Manger of some sort at The Gap. Fun-loving, easily-entertained, good heart. I was a little hard on him from the start and I regret it because he really is just a nice guy. He always wants to help the world and pass on his love and excitement. Still has that youthful energy about him. Loves Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. He's looking for "the one" and turning every stone searching for him. Even after the painful breakup of his long term relationship, he still has the youthful ideals of what he thinks the perfect relationship is and is convinced he's out there somewhere. It's almost inspiring.

Charly: Female, 24, blond/blue, caucasion, 5'6", 130. Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
In school for Sports Marketing/ currently does office work for Daddy's company. Fun, neurotic, talker. Never does the gay bars. Enjoys being a girl but will kick your ass if you say anything against her football team. Has a boyfriend of nearly a year.

Paul: Male, 30, blond/blue, caucasian (very), 6', 200. Hometown:Bunkerville, NV
Massage Therapis/Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! Sweet lovable guy years behind his age in energy and spirit. Raised Mormon. Previously resided in Las Vegas but had to move back to his home town out of economy-driven lack of work. Eccentricity is definitely one of his trademark characteristics. Has a great heart and is definitely a forgotten member of The Lost Boys. He and Peter Pan are tight. He may never grow up, but you'll never guess his age either. He has a strongely veiled inner-self. I know he's got a lot of pain in there somewhere, but it rarely comes out and never in full form.

Now, for a few on their way in...............

Laura: 35, brown/blue, caucasian, 5'10" 140. Hometown: Erie, PA
Online English Professor. Fun young woman, recently single and currently divorcing ex-douchbag husband. Decided to move to Vegas on a whim with her gay best friend. High-energy (for the most part), newly rediscovered joie de vivre, loving her new life and gobbling it up.

Brent: 26, brown/blue, causcasian, 5'5" 140. Hometown: Erie, PA
Cash and Go Clerk....or something to that effect. Total pocket-gay. Just moved to Vegas with his best friend, Laura (see above). He, too, is enjoying his new life but is quickly realizing all is not what it seems. Vegas has a tendency to throw a coat of gold paint over the ugly and cover it in distracting neon lights. Fun guy to hang out with. Has been dating around. Currently just started dating Bob.....we'll see. Still early yet.

Lissa: 25, blond/brown, caucasian, 5'5" 140. Hometown: Spokane, WA
Barista. Met her through Lena, they work together. This girl is a wild time. Also recently single after a misguided relationship with an older man. Back on the scene and loving it. Shakes her ass to any beat. Positive, happy, and care-free. If only she knew how to drive, we could end up besties.

Old Friends and Reoccuring guest appearances by:

Cortez: Male, 25, black/brown, African-American, 6'3" 150 Hometown: Indianapolis, IN Currently Resides In: Indianapolis, IN
Best friend since Freshman Year of high school. Housekeeping supervisor for large upscale boutique hotel. Funny, OCD, extremely neat. To the point, very quick, very intuitive. My flame burns bright...us together? It's an uncontrollable wildfire. Loves to laugh and can find humor in just about any situation. Loves cars, cell phones, rap, and running shoes (although I've never seen him run in over 10 years). He's my diary. He knows everything there is to know about me.

Roxy: Female, 25, ?/ brown, Caucasian, 5'10" 150 Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Currently Resides: Indianapolis, IN
Hair Stylist/ Makeup Artist. Met her when I was 19. She was a friend's college roommate. She's funny, neurotic, laid-back, free-flowing, free-thinking. Has a great heart and the ability to look way beyond the surface. Always up for an adventure. Has giant dreams and her biggest fear is that none of them are to be attained. One never knows what she'll be wearing or which color or colors her hair will be. She longs to leave Indianapolis and start anew, but keeps letting life hold her back.

Dakota: Female, 27, brown/brown, caucasion, 5'10" 130 Hometown:Indianapolis, IN
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Assistant/Talent Management. Our fathers are best friends. We became friends out of commaraderie as much as anything. Former party girl. Has turned classic LA, and by this I mean, hippyish yet materialistic, sarcastic veiled with false optimism, go-with-the-flow yet surprisingly rigid, an open book although highly secretive. You never know what might come out of her mouth or what she'll do next but she is a good friend and her heart is in the right place.

Aaron: Male, 27, brown/hazel, caucasian, 6', 160 Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Currently Resides: St. Petersberg, FL
Hotel Manager. Met in Freshman year of high school, he was a sophomore at the time. Had a brief (9 month) fling during final years of college. Dated (officially) exactly 2 weeks, broke up....and he won't let me go. Insists that we still be friends despite all our drama from when we dated. Love him. Hate him. Can't live without him. Scarcastic bitchy nature coupled by a natural charm, making a dangerous nature. Continuously on dating misadventures. Needy, pesky, addictive. Always has my back when the dramz comes down and vice versa.

And, of course, the husband:

Nathan: 27, blond/gray, caucasian, 5'8" 160. Hometown: Hong Kong, China/ Halifax, Nova Scotia/ Vancouver, Island, British Columbia/ Ottawa, Ontario
Sales Business Manager. Met him out of the blue on day when he happened to be working on a job in Indianapolis. He pursued me for a few months until I agreed to a date. Been together ever since. Generally, easy-going, go-with-the-flow, happy, easily-entertained. Has a lot of disassociation with the human race. Not lacking in social skills, but conversation rarely trails from the surface. When his attention is on me, I feel like I have everything I need in the world. That said, workaholic, constantly stressed, insanely focused. Great at his job because he knows the technology and numbers so well that clients love him. Very non-salesy salesperson. Loves food and will do anything for a home-cooked meal.
In the past year, especially, we've gone through a lot of changes personally, which has put a strain on our relationship but we're working on it. He has the ability to frustrate me, annoy me, anger me, sadden me, and make me cry.....so it must be great love. Nobody that can affect me in those ways.....many of which occur simultaneously.....is a very present occupant of my heart. He can also make me laugh, enthrall me, spoil me, and my heart still skips a beat when he puts his hand on mine. I'm the creative, he's the technical. I read between the lines, he counts the words. I'm the agressor, he's the passive. My flame burns bright, he's content with his flickering glow. Polar opposites but somehow we start where the other ends. We're in this for our all. We're all eachother has. And anybody or anything that tries to get between us is exterminated quickly.

There are many characters not listed here. You'll have to get to know them as they come up. Not to say they haven't played important roles in my time here, but some people are just blips in my lifetime. In the long-run, they barely show as a point in my timeline. I read in a magazine once, years ago, that you can classify all people/relationships as the following; The Reason, The Season, and the Life-longer. In the end, I've been able to put about every friendship, relationship, etc into one of those boxes. The best life-longers are not necessarily always right there with me but play a starring guest role in and out of my life over it's duration.

So, there's the set up, folks! Questions? Comments? Feel Free. Happy blogging!