HAPPY 4TH OF JULY !!!

Well here we are, the end of a really beautiful day here in Sunny Southern California. Patrick and I just finished up having a little Bar-B-Que/Cookout here at the house, just the two of us. His family is away for the weekend so we have the whole place to ourselves, which is a rarity. It has been nice. We are getting ready to watch a movie in just a little while, "Eating Out", no is it not porn!! All around us we can hear all the illegal firework going off all over our neighbor, you see, it is TOTALLY against the law to shoot fireworks in LA, BUT, you can buy them, you just can't fire them off, I have always found that to be a little interesting. Also there are many many sirens of police cars and fire trucks in the distance, I an already tell ya, this is going to be a long night!!

For those of you who do not live in Southern Cali, it really was a beautiful day. Earlier today I drove over to San Pedro to attend the ringing of the Korean Friendship Bell. I am not going to go into much about the Bell in the post, it will have one all its own very shortly, but I do want to
tell you it was a very moving experience for me. The Bell itself was a gift from the people of Korea to the US in 1976 to honor our Bicentennial. It sits on a hill over looking the Pacific Ocean
and the setting itself is breathtaking. The Bell is only ran 4 times a year, July 4th being one of them. Several years ago around Thanksgiving, Patrick took me for a drive around San Pedro and we stopped at the Bell. Ever since then I have always wanted to go to one of the times when they rang it, I really wanted to hear what it sounded like.

So we all met around 10:30 this morning, all 300 of us and the Bell. It was a foggy morning when the
program started but by the end the Sun was shining in all its glory. There were speeches and songs and flag waving. Now to be honest with you, it has been a very long time since I have
been anywhere where we said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the Star Spangle Banner, but sing we did. As the program was in progress I looked around and was watching the reaction of different people in the crowd, some of us were sitting and some were standing around the hillside. Many of the crowd were older men and woman who had served in the Armed Forces during WWII and the Koran War. Many of them were Korean Americans who had served and they came to the event proudly in their uniforms. When the time came for the presenting of the colors (the Flags), the Korean Ameicans were the first on their feet. As we said the Pledge of Alliance, there was a young man sitting close to me with his parents, and he was wearing a cap.
An older lady sitting close turned to him and asked him to please remove his hat as we said the Pledge. Another lady sitting directy in front of me kept wiping the tears from her eyes as we said the Pledge and sang the Star Spangle Banner. I was so moved. Here I was sitting in the midst of a group of people who really sacrificed parts of their lives so I could freely sit where I was this morning and celebrate the birth of America. I was sitting with a group of people who really understood what the Pledge of Allegence was all about.

Mostly these days all we hear about our Country is in what bad shape She is in. Lately all you see in the news and on TV is how people all over the world seem to hate us these days. We really hear very little about how GREAT our America is anymore. But She is STILL the greatest nation on the face of the earth. If it wasn't for the USof A, most of the countries who say they hate us, would not be as well off as they are.

So I hope you will join me, in remembering all the Great and Wonderful things there are about
our America. And when you hear all the crap that is being said about her, I hope you will just remember what an honor it is to still live "in the land of the free, and the home of the brave",

And O Yeah, the sound of the Friendship Bell ...is outstanding!!

Happy July 4th, Happy 232nd Birthday America!!

Anniversary

Today would have been my Mom and Dad's 56 Wedding Anniversary. My sister and brother and I were talking about it yesterday and we don't know exactly when they met and started dating. My sister was around 9 when they met ( my Mom had been married once before) and she remembers the first time they saw my Dad, but she can not remember when they actually started dating. She was a waitress at the Blue Bonnet Cafe and he worked in the oil field. They were married on June 25, 1952 in Silsbee, Texas at the home of her sister, Oma Capps.

In later years this day would also become the wedding day for my sister and my brother. But when it came time for my own wedding day, I was the rebel, we got marriedn in July!

My Dad passed away in 1994 and my Mom just passed away in 2006. But every year my family always celebrates their Anniversary in our own special ways.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.

Pics from Vegas!!!

Vegas Bound

So this past Friday afternoon Patrick and I headed out of town for a couple of days, our destination.......VEGAS!!! Now since we have been together we have usually been able to make it to Vegas at least a couple of times year but with me starting a new job and alot other things that happened, I had not been to Vegas in over a year! Now let me say this, to us Vegas is a fun get away, we enjoy the drive and we enjoy running around seeing the different things one can only see in Vegas, not to mention shopping, laying by the pool and we do try and see one of the shows when we can afford it. Gambling is not big on my agenda, ok, I will admitt I like to play a roll of quarters in the slots while I am there, but once that is gone, my gambling is over, really!! It is just the feel of being in Vegas we really enjoy, and if you have not been fortunate enough to visit, plan on it sometime and you will see what I mean. And remember what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas..yea well nothing has happened to us so far we can't talk about, but you never know when something will!!

Well once we got started it was easy to see we were not the only ones that decided to head down the 15 to Vegas that day....traffic was a little slow in places but once we got over the mountain pass, it went along rather nicely. We had an uneventful trip (thank goodness!) and made it to our Hotel around 11:00pm. Thanks to Patrick's cousin, we got a nice room at Harrah's and it had a pretty decent view too! On Saturday we actually slept in some and it was almost noon before we left the room. We headed over to Makino on Decatur Blvd for lunch, brunch or whatever you call it. We called it good sushi! A friend of Patrick's recommended it and we really enjoyed it

I honestly have not seen so many different kinds of sushi, and it was a buffett! I like me a buffett!! After we finished eating we went to a few different places taking in the sights.

One the we ALWAYS have to seen when we are in Vegas is the Atrium at the Bellagio. Always awesome and this time it was no different. Just beautiful. Afterwards Patrick dropped me off at the hotel so I could lounge a bit and he and his cousin went shopping, let me tell you something, those two know how to shop!!

That evening we went on over to Mandalay Bay to attend Tim McGraw's "Live Your Voice' tour concert. Now being raised in Texas everyone just assumes I have Country Music just running through my veins...WRONG! But there are several Country Artists I really do enjoy and our boy Tim is one of them. Besides having a great voice, the man is HOTT!! ok? He really did a great show, we both really enjoyed it.

After another late night on the town, ok honestly, after the concert was over at midnight, Patrick dropped me at our hotel and then went off to meet his cousins so they could gamble a little.I am not as young as I use to be and I do need my beauty rest.

On Sunday we had brunch at the Wynn and walked next door the check out the new Palazzo resort. It is huge!!... and pretty bland. We over heard one guy say "this looks like an airport"

It is big and spacious but did not do anything for us. Of course it is not completely finished yet so one can only hope they still have some color to add to it.

So it was getting late in the afternoon so reluctantly headed back to LA. We only made out

15 miles down Hwy 15 went all the traffice stopped, well all the traffic heading our way.So for the next 4 hours or so, we inched our way down the Hwy toward LA. We even stopped at the outlets at Stateline for a bit. So 4 hrs and 45 miles later (yes you read that right) we got to where the accident was. After that we sailed on down the freeway toward home, which was still another 4 hours away. Needless to say, we were tired when we got home. Thankfully I was off on Monday but my poor Patrick had to work. I drove home and he was able to get some shut eye along the way. I will not even go into how snappy two very tired people can get under search circumstances, we will just leave that alone!

But over all, we really had a nice get away, and are already thinking about when we can go back!

later kids!!

Things You May Not Know...and Really Don't Care To

I thought before I run very far with this thing, I would share some things about me that some of you may or may not know. Even thought my biological family all live in Texas (and Arkansas), my chosen family covers 9 different states, California, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming,Texas, Arkansas,Georgia, Florida and Delaware! ( I almost said 10 states but one of them just moved back to Cali from Pennsylvania) The funny thing about my chosen family, even though they are each and everyone special to me, most of them have not met each other!! Each one has shared and continues to share an important part of my journey, and I don't know what I would do without any of them!

I was born in a small East Texas town called Silsbee. If you want to find that on a map, and I am sure many of you are rushing to get your maps out already, find Houston and then go just a short distance northeast, see that really tiny dot of on the map next to Kountze and Evadale?
Yep, that's Silsbee. Not to be confused with Fred or Spurger!! My Mom's name is Christine and my Dad is Frank. EVERYONE in Silsbee knew my parents. If I had a dollar for every time someone ask me "Your Frank's boy" or "Your Christine's son" aren't you, I could take us all out for dinner.(Honestly,this happened to me last year when I went back to visit)

I have an older sister, Jean and a younger brother, Steve (or Stevie by members of the immediate family). Now for those of you who are quick to figure things out, yes, I am
the middle child, that probably answers many questions already as to why I am like I am!

I lived my entire growing up life in Silsbee, attending Kirby Elementary, Silsbee Jr High and Silsbee High School (home of the fighting Tigers). I graduated in 1971. (for those of you doing the math all I can say it was way too long ago!)

My family was very active in Calvary Missionary Baptist Church from the time I was 14, until my Mom passed away year before last at the age of 88. For several years she was the oldest member of the Church. I attended Texas Baptist Institute and Seminary for two years and hold a Bible Language Degree from there.

I was married when I was 21yrs old and we were married for 10 years. I have 3 children, one who passed away when she was 8 months old. I have son (who is 30) and a daughter (who is 28). ( ok that probably shocked alot of you since I rarely speak of them)

I lived in Wyoming for year and half before I moved to California in 1987 (sometime I will share with you how I got to Cali). I lived in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area) for almost 16 years before I moved to Los Angeles ( still a shock to many to you that I did)

I did not come out publicly as a Gay Man until I was around 33, and then as my sister told me once, "when you came out of the closest you blew the hinges right off the door!.

It was not until I was 47 that I met the love of my life, Patrick, and meeting him has totally changed my world forever. We celebrated our 8th anniversary this past April. (No the Holy Union was only 4 years ago , May 2004)

Well that is just some things I wanted to share in case some of you did not know. If at anytime
you want to know anything about something I post about, just email me, I don't mind.

Ok, kids...I will be talking to you soon, in the next post I want to share with you about this past weekend when we were in VEGAS!!

later

And So It Begins.....

Well, it's happened!! After much thinking, a little planning, and some encouragement from a good friend of mine, I have decided to start my own blog!!!!!!! I know, I know you can hardly contain your excitement, I feel the same way!! Just stay tuned as I keep you informed on what is going on with me as I live the good life here in Sunny Southern California! From time to time I will also be taking you on a little trip down my memory lane as I share different things from my past. (Now before some of you start getting really nervous, the secrets we both promised to keep to our deaths, those are completely safe here, this is not a tell all just a sharing of some things that have happened along my journey ok? now breath!)

So sit down, buckle up and get ready..........here we go...... A Texan in LA, a southern boy living

the good time in Sunny, Southern California!