.So then it was the holidays...
So I have been pretty awful about posting. It's already the end of the year.
Random musings.
Dominican Republic
So, I have been dating. As in, I have gone on dates. Non-committal, but fun. For example, I asked a lovely man named Tom out to dinner from my "Broadway in Aurora" group after we hit it off in the group one evening. After that date, a week later he told me he had an extra ticket to an all-expense paid trip to the Dominican Republic for a friend's 40th birthday with 20+ friends of his. I surprised myself by saying "oh sure why not." Because I'm learning to say yes, goddammit, even if it was just after a single date. We have a lot of mutual friends and Tom is simply lovely person. Plus all I had to do was pay the change fee on the extra ticket (and he even offered to cover that!).
So off I went to hang out with him and his pretty fun friends for 9 days under the sun in Punta Cana at all all-inclusive resort.
The group.
I still have it when it comes to colorful shirts. :D
I am clearly that scrawny guy in the back that does not go to the gym or lift weights on a regular basis. You cannot tell it, but I DID get an awesome tan.
I'm just gonna put it out there - in the decade I was with my ex-partner, he never took me anywhere except to his cabin. To be fair, I loved going there on a regular basis. But if we wanted to go somewhere else, I was always the guy that had to make it happen and get the tickets and hotel. He'd sometimes chip in, and he was never a mooch. But he never once did he ever take me anywhere (other than his cabin), not even a simple overnight. My ex just was not the guy who would put himself out there to do that for his partner, even after being together a decade. And I never really questioned that while we were together.
One of many beautiful sunrises. Perfect weather all 9 days.
Me and Tom getting dinner.
I had a really lovely time in Punta Cana. I have a hard time accepting kind things from others, so having someone take me - after one dinner date - on an all-inclusive 9-day trip to the D.R. was something I could not have said "yes" too all that long ago. But I did. We had a great time, Tom set no expectations, and he was just a generous and sweet person the entire trip in the best way. His friends all pretty much confirmed that about him, although that was readily apparent from his kind behavior. I am not sure if we are in spaces where things will progress or stay where they are, but I hope he had as good of time on the trip as I did. Lovely all around.
Thanksgiving 2019.
So a couple weeks after the Punta Cana trip it was Thanksgiving. Ever since I put Boomer down in 2013, I have moved away from driving to flying for vacations and holidays. Well, having adopted Guster, it was back to the old methods of driving and road trips for holidays. Except Guster isn't Boomer. Boomer was pretty much unflappable on these trips. Boomer was 100% housebroken and trained no matter where we were or what we were doing. She loved the car. She behaved perfectly no matter how off routine we were from being home in Chicago. Boomer was a refined lady of a canine.
Guster is none of those things. He's really a bro dog. [laughs]
The weather was bad, Guster and I drove Tuesday night to Milwaukee. Got dinner with a friend and then worked until 2am on various emergencies that had come up in the evening. Guster was agitated in the car, and whining all night. He could smell the other dogs at the pet-friendly hotel and every time a door opened or closed outside our room, he would whine or quietly bark. The next day, there was a blizzard and he was stuck in the car for 7 hours for what should have been a 4.5 drive. We made it to my friend Dan's home, where he promptly went into the basement and peed and pooped on his rug. Thankfully, Guster got along with Dan's dogs pretty well.
Things did get better. The next day, Thanksgiving, we visited my nephew and sister and traveled around the Twin Cities. We moved to another friend's house and Guster got to hang out with my friend Mike's cat, Milo. After another day, we drove back to Chicago in a blizzard and ice storm and almost spun out on the highway. Everything ended up fine, and Guster did not get sick in the car. Whirlwind trip, but all good. I was so proud of the little monster - Guster was getting much more acclimated to travel by the last few days we were gone. And honestly, everyone LOVED Guster. He's just a really sweet guy.
Me, Guster, Diesel and Peanut.
Dan giving all the puppers some treats.
My nephew and sister meet Guster!
Guster with Mike; Guster is great with curious cats like Milo!
Guster was quite over the trip home to Chicago, which was dark and full of terrors. And accidents. And spinouts.
December 2019
Guster gets all the love
Holiday Spirit
So I threw my annual holiday brunch last weekend. To compare, last year I did an open house. It lasted 10 hours. I had easily over 50 people show up during the day; probably closer to 75-80 people. I loved it. I was exhausted. This year I just had 15 people over and I loved it and I was only kind of tired when it was over. Guster was supposed to help but as you can see from this photo.... he just was the belle of the ball.
And as you can see, I also got another live tree and set up some decorations. Festive festive. So far Guster has not eaten or peed on the tree. Fingers. Crossed.
I'm walking and talking!
As a 47th birthday gift in August, I also stopped coloring my hair after about a decade. It's starting to get very very white as the coloring comes out. I don't care. It's been lovely and I like it.
Good morning
And I am still taking occasional photographs. I need to dust off the SLR and maybe have a photo weekend or something like that.
I have to say... I am pretty content these days.
Random musings.
Dominican Republic
So, I have been dating. As in, I have gone on dates. Non-committal, but fun. For example, I asked a lovely man named Tom out to dinner from my "Broadway in Aurora" group after we hit it off in the group one evening. After that date, a week later he told me he had an extra ticket to an all-expense paid trip to the Dominican Republic for a friend's 40th birthday with 20+ friends of his. I surprised myself by saying "oh sure why not." Because I'm learning to say yes, goddammit, even if it was just after a single date. We have a lot of mutual friends and Tom is simply lovely person. Plus all I had to do was pay the change fee on the extra ticket (and he even offered to cover that!).
So off I went to hang out with him and his pretty fun friends for 9 days under the sun in Punta Cana at all all-inclusive resort.
The group.
I still have it when it comes to colorful shirts. :D
I am clearly that scrawny guy in the back that does not go to the gym or lift weights on a regular basis. You cannot tell it, but I DID get an awesome tan.
I'm just gonna put it out there - in the decade I was with my ex-partner, he never took me anywhere except to his cabin. To be fair, I loved going there on a regular basis. But if we wanted to go somewhere else, I was always the guy that had to make it happen and get the tickets and hotel. He'd sometimes chip in, and he was never a mooch. But he never once did he ever take me anywhere (other than his cabin), not even a simple overnight. My ex just was not the guy who would put himself out there to do that for his partner, even after being together a decade. And I never really questioned that while we were together.
One of many beautiful sunrises. Perfect weather all 9 days.
Me and Tom getting dinner.
I had a really lovely time in Punta Cana. I have a hard time accepting kind things from others, so having someone take me - after one dinner date - on an all-inclusive 9-day trip to the D.R. was something I could not have said "yes" too all that long ago. But I did. We had a great time, Tom set no expectations, and he was just a generous and sweet person the entire trip in the best way. His friends all pretty much confirmed that about him, although that was readily apparent from his kind behavior. I am not sure if we are in spaces where things will progress or stay where they are, but I hope he had as good of time on the trip as I did. Lovely all around.
Thanksgiving 2019.
So a couple weeks after the Punta Cana trip it was Thanksgiving. Ever since I put Boomer down in 2013, I have moved away from driving to flying for vacations and holidays. Well, having adopted Guster, it was back to the old methods of driving and road trips for holidays. Except Guster isn't Boomer. Boomer was pretty much unflappable on these trips. Boomer was 100% housebroken and trained no matter where we were or what we were doing. She loved the car. She behaved perfectly no matter how off routine we were from being home in Chicago. Boomer was a refined lady of a canine.
Guster is none of those things. He's really a bro dog. [laughs]
The weather was bad, Guster and I drove Tuesday night to Milwaukee. Got dinner with a friend and then worked until 2am on various emergencies that had come up in the evening. Guster was agitated in the car, and whining all night. He could smell the other dogs at the pet-friendly hotel and every time a door opened or closed outside our room, he would whine or quietly bark. The next day, there was a blizzard and he was stuck in the car for 7 hours for what should have been a 4.5 drive. We made it to my friend Dan's home, where he promptly went into the basement and peed and pooped on his rug. Thankfully, Guster got along with Dan's dogs pretty well.
Things did get better. The next day, Thanksgiving, we visited my nephew and sister and traveled around the Twin Cities. We moved to another friend's house and Guster got to hang out with my friend Mike's cat, Milo. After another day, we drove back to Chicago in a blizzard and ice storm and almost spun out on the highway. Everything ended up fine, and Guster did not get sick in the car. Whirlwind trip, but all good. I was so proud of the little monster - Guster was getting much more acclimated to travel by the last few days we were gone. And honestly, everyone LOVED Guster. He's just a really sweet guy.
Me, Guster, Diesel and Peanut.
Dan giving all the puppers some treats.
My nephew and sister meet Guster!
Guster with Mike; Guster is great with curious cats like Milo!
Guster was quite over the trip home to Chicago, which was dark and full of terrors. And accidents. And spinouts.
December 2019
Guster gets all the love
Holiday Spirit
So I threw my annual holiday brunch last weekend. To compare, last year I did an open house. It lasted 10 hours. I had easily over 50 people show up during the day; probably closer to 75-80 people. I loved it. I was exhausted. This year I just had 15 people over and I loved it and I was only kind of tired when it was over. Guster was supposed to help but as you can see from this photo.... he just was the belle of the ball.
And as you can see, I also got another live tree and set up some decorations. Festive festive. So far Guster has not eaten or peed on the tree. Fingers. Crossed.
I'm walking and talking!
As a 47th birthday gift in August, I also stopped coloring my hair after about a decade. It's starting to get very very white as the coloring comes out. I don't care. It's been lovely and I like it.
Good morning
And I am still taking occasional photographs. I need to dust off the SLR and maybe have a photo weekend or something like that.
I have to say... I am pretty content these days.