It just hit me… The decade is almost over.

It’s funny to say it, but I honestly didn’t realize it. With all the hustle and bustle of daily life, I was aware a new year was upon us, but just now absorbed the reality that it was the end of an era.

I remember this period vividly from 10 years ago. I know what I was doing, where I was going, and what I had planned for my future. Now I’m left reflecting on it all. Some of it good, some of it bad, such is life. But I’m stunned.

How do you feel about it? Where has life taken you now vs. where it was going when the decade began?


He knows how I like my tea in the morning. I know he can’t go to sleep without a glass of water on the nightstand.

He knows I’m impressed when he can reference every song by Mariah. I know I can win his heart every time I quote lyrics by Kylie.

He knows every spot where I’m ticklish. I know that paybacks are a bitch.

He knows he can tell me anything and I’ll listen. I know he appreciates it when I open up and tell him my secrets.

He knows I’ll write one more blog post before going out of town. I know it will be the first thing he checks for when he gets on his computer.

He knows that I love him. I know he loves me too.


And now, a word from Black Eyed Peas…

I’ve got so much love
For you darlin’
And I
I wanna let you know how I feel

And it’s true that I love you
And it’s true
You’re the only one
And I do
I adore you
And it’s true
You make me feel alive


It’s been a day of many passionate debates due to over 1,000 e-mails that were allegedly stolen from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. [News source: CNN]

The theory/argument is that some of the top scientists have manipulated data about global warming to make it appear more urgent. A lot of questions still remain, especially the authenticity of the leaked e-mails. But news of this has caught a lot of attention.

Global warming has always been controversial. It’s easy to look outside and notice that the seasons have been warmer than they were when I was younger. I can’t help but notice the decrease in snowfall each winter too. When I was a child, we were almost guaranteed to have a white Christmas every year. Now, it’s hit or miss, and I’ve even experienced Christmas when it was warm enough to be outside without a coat.

But other experts have pointed to a natural cycle of warming trends that happen to the planet over a period of centuries. This data shows that the seasons would gradually change anyway, regardless of human contribution.

I’m not a scientist, and I haven’t read enough to get on a soapbox with very passionate arguments either way. But I will say this…

#1 - I rarely assume that a problem only comes from one source. I’ve found that life is hardly so black and white. I do believe we should reduce pollution and be more energy efficient. I also believe there could be bad consequences if we don’t. But I don’t know if I’ve ever truly believed the planet would just explode into a big fireball someday.

#2 - I think we should always keep an open mind to all arguments that surround something so serious. People get so narrow minded and just insist on sticking to their own theories. Is there really any harm in seeing multiple sides?

#3 - We once thought the world was flat. We don’t know everything, and I’d hate it if we woke up tomorrow and had nothing new to learn. Let’s stay informed and remember that we’re all citizens of this planet, so we all need to know what’s going on with it.



Nathan & Graham

Yesterday, I turned 28. While that’s not considered any particular milestone to most people, it was of significant personal importance to me.

28 was supposed to be the age when I had everything together in my life. My perception of the world is a mix of optimism, ambition, and intense determination. When I say “this is what I’m going to do and this is how it’s going to be,” I really do everything I can to succeed.

With that in mind, life did not go as planned when I was 27. Most of you know the story, and for those who don’t, I’d be happy to tell you sometime. But the bottom line is that I was thrown a huge curve ball. I had two options:

Option #1 - Give up, admit defeat, lay down and die.
Option #2 - Rebuild everything I thought my life was and define the next chapter.

During some dark moments, Option #1 really did seem like the way to go. When the rug is pulled out from under you, it’s hard to get back up. But I did. I always do, and always will have one more fight left in me.

So as I’ve crossed over to a new age, I’ve worked to understand 28 will not be the age that I have everything together. But I’m working on it… always a work in progress. I have my goals, my plans, my hopes and dreams. I do believe everything works out in the end, and that’s the eternal optimist in me.

While I work to achieve it, I know I have a great group of family and friends that love me. That helps a lot. I went out last night and had a great time. It was a fun birthday and I’m happy to have a new man by my side to help me celebrate it.

Graham and I love the photo at the top of this post. It was taken last night and it’s our favorite one. It’s silly and unusual… well, it’s us.

28 may not be what I thought it would be, but I have a feeling it’s going to be even better!


I’m really surprised that a lot of stores still use plastic bags. Not only that, but their employees don’t seem to be properly trained in reducing the number of bags they use. At some stores, they just put one or two items in each bag. I think they should try to utilize the space and fit as much as they safely can in one bag before they start on the next.

One thing I’ve tried to do to remedy this situation is bringing my own reusable bags into stores. It felt funny at first, carrying a Publix or Kroger bag into a place like Walgreens. But it always impresses the person working at the register. Actually, they’ve thanked me for doing it.

The bags are bigger, sturdier, and much easier to pack. Plus, the obvious benefit is that I’m not using plastic. People behind me notice, and I’d like to think that my actions will inspire at least one person to do what I do.

So if you want to do something friendly for the earth, pick up some reusable bags at your grocery store. They’re usually just $1 each. I always keep mine in my car so I can use them at other places too.


What a great week I have ahead!

The sun is really going to have to work hard to outshine me because I’m in a great mood all the way around. I have something fun planned for every night of the week, leading up to my birthday on Friday. Good friends, good times, and a good new man in my life.

Oh, and then the week after that is Thanksgiving. I’ll be seeing my family and meeting up with a friend I haven’t seen since 2000! Then we get into the holiday season. I’m looking forward to starting new traditions and rediscovering the season.

Life is great. I’m going to enjoy every day left in this year and I’m ready for an exciting 2010!


You know how the saying goes… The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

That’s definitely true for me! If you cook for me, I’m at your mercy.

This weekend, I was treated to a wonderful dinner by Graham. You’re going to get hungry just hearing about it.

He started with a tasty salad that had Green Goddess dressing, feta cheese that was seasoned with tomato and basil, walnuts and chickpeas. The main course was whole wheat fettucine with homemade tomato alfredo sauce. He served it with freshly baked garlic cheese bread and Pinot Grigio. Needless to say, I was in heaven.

I lit candles all over my living room and then started a fire in the fireplace for us to eat by. Of course, there had to be music too. We listened to the soulful sounds of Amy Winehouse, Adele, John Legend, Etta James, courtesy of Pandora Radio on my iPhone. One of my all-time favorite songs came on too…

    You’re just too good to be true
    Can’t take my eyes off of you
    You’d be like heaven to touch
    I wanna hold you so much

It was Lauryn Hill’s rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

After a romantic meal, we went to see Paranormal Activity. It freaked me out, but neither of us liked it as much as it had been hyped. I did jump at the very end, and he laughed about that later. Ha! What can I say? It surprised me. :D

I had a very nice weekend. The food was delicious and there were a lot of special moments… but I think the most important element is talking. Graham and I can talk for hours, and that means a lot to me. If a man doesn’t have ideas, opinions, and insights to discuss, there’s just no future. Thankfully he and I have plenty to share with each other.


Sometimes life throws you a surprise when you least expect it.

Sometimes a person can make you smile with just the sound of his voice.

Sometimes you start your day and the first thing on your mind is sending a text message to ask how he’s doing. But then you look at your phone and see he’s already done the same thing.

Sometimes you let your guard down and believe that if you fall for him, he will feel the same and you won’t be disappointed this time.

Sometimes you just can’t wait to find out what will happen next.

Sometimes it’s a person that you’ve known all along, and you never even noticed him right there in front of you.


I often think about religion, spirituality, God, and how it all relates to my life.

One of my complaints about Christianity is the fear of asking questions. I have a lot of questions and I am a very inquisitive person. Did a man really die on a cross and rise up again? Wouldn’t that make him a zombie? And why are there so many miraculous stories in the Bible, yet I never hear about people walking on water these days? Come on, this is the YouTube generation. Surely someone somewhere is performing miracles.

I dunno. I believe in God and I believe there is something larger than all of us. Don’t ask me to explain it because I can’t. I just know what I feel, and it gives me comfort. I feel good praying when I go to sleep at night.

Anyway, last month I decided to go to a church. It’s what I call a “gay church,” meaning it’s accepting of the gay community and the pastor is a lesbian. It really took a lot to get me to go. Several people have asked me to attend over the years, and I resisted quite a bit.

The pastor is a sweet woman. She talked about loving ourselves and opening up to being loved by others. Am I open to love? Am I truly willing to let someone love me back?

Hard questions nobody wants to think about. They opened up a floodgate in my soul. Before I knew it, tears were pouring out of me. I couldn’t even contain myself. I tried to pretend like I was okay, but the rain would not stop pouring.

The moral of the story was (of course) about letting God love me. Letting myself be healed and letting go of the pain. We all have pain. Maybe some of you out there are clinging to it too.

Everyone goes to church for different reasons. I’m not particularly concerned with the Bible, or anything related to religion. Instead, I look at it as an opportunity to grow emotionally. I’m not sure how it all plays out with relation to Jesus or God, but I did feel something that day. It helped.

It was the right time and the right place that day. To answer the hard questions— Am I open to love? Yes, I believe I am. I do love myself. I radiate love. I think anyone who knows me feels it.

Also, I do believe in a higher power and I believe that I can become a more enriched person through this church. I don’t agree with or believe in everything they teach, but thankfully they aren’t preachy or pushy. I appreciate that. I think it’s okay to agree with some things and disagree with others. The core message is still love and compassion. I’m all for that.

Are you open to love?