My first post here was on December 9, 2001.

You can find the first post in the list, if you'd like to look at it.

So now I begin my fifth year of this journal. I find it hard to believe that I have continued this for this long!

I've told lots of stories over the years and included a lot of pictures. A few of you have made comments here and there but not that many of you. Still, I know that quite a few people read this...

I used to worry about how many people read my journal, but after a while I got over that; I know that the people who I like read it and that's enough. The most important thing for me, personally, is that I keep doing it. This is my thing and I am proud of it.

Happy Holidays to all of you who visit here!

Make a comment, I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks and love,

durlx

I read Annie Proulx's short story two nights ago. You can find the whole short story in The New Yorker magazine archives, Story here..

I encourage you to read the story. It's amazing and terribly bleak. And so heart breakingly sad.
As I read the story, I kept thinking, "Well, if they just moved somewhere else together, like Chicago or even Des Moines or Kansas City, well then they might have been O.K." But for them it would have been as likely as getting a flight to the moon or Mars. They only knew what they knew.
The thing that is most important about this film is that it shows love between two men who have no real options, no freedom to express their emotional commitment to each other; time and circumstance simply and totally confound them.
Gay men in many parts of the U.S. have a lot more freedom to express their love for each other these days, but this sort of love story still likely happens every day somewhere in this country.
I think that it's important to remember that whatever love we make is hard won no matter how intense and light and wonderful it is when we chance to make it.

Some other blogs that I like...

"What!", I can hear you saying, "There are other blogs? I thought that The Journal was the only one!"

Well, my dears, there are some other blogs that I like right now:

Towleroad There's always some juicy bits here.

Queerty Again, a lot of juicy bits.

Pink Is the New Blog "Fingers Frimly On The Pulse" they say. Lot's of juicy gossip and humor.

The Malcontent This guy is pretty interesting and there are lots of sometimes astonishing video clips to go along with the various entries.

PerezHilton.com "Hollywood's Most Hated Web Site!" Lots of gossip with attitude, lots of attitude...

These are not the only blogs that I like, just the latest ones that I have found during this period of relative inactivity. Remember to click on the name of the blog to go to it... Enjoy!

a lil X-mas weekend in San Antonio...





I drove down to San Antonio on Friday to be Sue's date for her law firm's yearly Holiday party which was held at a very nice venue on the north side of S.A. We had a good time, the food was pretty good for that sort of party and I met a few people that were interesting. On the way back into town, we got lost and ended up driving by the huge new Mormon temple that was just recently finished in S.A. way up on this hill; they totally picked one of the most dramatic spots for it, very impressive. There was a cute young Mormon laywer at the party earlier and I wanted to ask him about his special underwear, (they have special underwear, don't you know!) and Sue was just as curious as I was about it, but we decided that it probably wasn't wise to bring this up during the party.

The next day we went out for breakfast at Hoover's and then downtown. We stopped by a craft show at the Guatamalan center and I saw a piece that I wanted, but I didn't get it; I just have this hesitancy about buying things right now for my place.

Next we went to the Institute for Texan Culture, which is this place that is all about how Texans are from all over the world. There are all these artifacts and displays and huge wall paintings depicting early and later life in the region. One of the wall size paintings of early native life was especially interesting; whoever painted this thing obviously thought that the mens back then were really hot.

Then we went downtown and started having martinis. We started at a few of the old hotel bars, really lovely and the martinis were really cheap! Belvedere and Absolute both nine bucks! Then we walked through some of the Riverwalk, which you can see in the pics above; it was really pretty.

Here's a movie: Here

I really like the Riverwalk! We ate dinner at a place there and then headed back up to street level. Went to a place called "Zinc" a wine and spirits bar that was very nice; I had a glass of 20 year port that was delish! We had creme brulee and coffee at another place and then stopped at two more really wonderful bars before we hailed a cab and went home.

San Antonio has a lot more night life than you would think... and it's all so open and sparkly. I think you'd be surprised by how much fun there is there! I know I was.

We didn't go to any of the gay bars; Sue doesn't know much about the scene there and neither do I at this point. But next time, I think I'll check that out.

This last week, I had dinner with some of my old co-workers from New Orleans and they pumped me a bit. "Was I coming back? Would I? Would I?" ("Hare-lip, hare-lip! hehe!)" I just don't see a permanent return to N.O. in my future, although I may have to go there for a few weeks to settle some things. My return-to-work date might be settled in the next two weeks, or maybe not, it's complicated. I still have to have surgery to have the screws removed and when that will happen is not yet determined... In the meantime there are some interesting positions coming up here and there.

The uncertainty has made for some uneasyness; I'm fine financially but it's strange not knowing what my actual job will be this next year. I know it will work out. I just don't know how it will work out. In the meantime, I do have some mentoring to do; there are some people that I have been bringing along and the storm really interupted the process. I am going to honor my commitments to these people if I have to pay some out of my own pocket to do it. You just do this, you know; it's good kharma. And I totally embrace the concept; I've seen way too much not to.

I got the picture CD's from luca and pebs this week. Many of the pictures are the same since we were there at the same time and place, but it's astounding how many pics are different; it's wonderful traveling with two other intelligent and inquisitive men all with digital cameras! And it was nice to see a few pics of me; I almost never take any of myself.

Here's a good one of me and Pebs.


It's really sweet having friends like these guys. Many of you might think that's imposible to meet people through the internet and most of you might think it improbable, but you would be wrong. The thing is that no one that I've gotten to know through the message boards was just looking to "hook up" for an evening. Instead, we talk about what trip were going to do next year ot the year after that and what we might all be doing together when we don't have to go to work everyday anymore...

That's nice.


durlx