Tom Hardy

The whole gay side of the Internets is excited because of the amazingly (surprisingly) honest comments from Inception's Tom Hardy. In an interview Tom openly admits to having sexual relations with men in his past. When asked if he ever had sexual relations with men he replied: "As a boy? Of course I have. I'm an actor for fuck's sake. I've played with everything and everyone. I love the form and the physicality, but now that I'm in my thirties, it doesn't do it for me. I'm done experimenting but there's plenty of stuff in a relationship with another men, especially gay men, that I need in my life..."

This is interesting because Tom is a Hollywood hunk, who is engaged to a woman, has a child from a former girlfriend, and is comfortable enough with himself (and his career) to freely discuss the fact that he's had sex with men. In our society it's still taboo for straight men to discuss such things. Go Tom.

Tom's comment emphasizes the very important fact: homosexuality is not something you do, it's who you are. For example, Tom's sexual relations with men in his youth does not make him homosexual any more than my sexual relations with women in my youth makes me heterosexual. I point this out, because the Bible beaters that were protesting us this past June at Los Angeles' gay pride parade said homosexuality is a choice. Anyone that makes those ignorant comments claiming homosexuality is a choice does not understand that homosexuality is not something you do, it's who you are.

Already?

Yesterday was July 27 and yesterday I was surprised to see it's already time to hear the "back-to-school" message. Bed Bath and Beyond mailed us a colorful mini catalog, which was devoted to the back to school savings message, and yesterday I noticed our Super Target was already decked out with its school supplies aisles. It's still July, which was supposed to be the one month left on the calendar that had nothing to do with school. I really do feel sorry for kids these days, because it seems like the summers are just 8 short weeks. When I was in elementary school I can remember thinking summers were epic, and when I returned to school in the fall I can also remember looking feeling like everyone had changed over the summer.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga was in Dallas last week performing two sold out shows at the American Airlines Center on Thursday and Friday nights. She had the whole city buzzing with excitement, and all the cool kids went to her show. We would have loved to have seen that show, but the tickets were very pricey, and we both would rather not see a show than watch it from the rafters of the AAC. However, here's my Lady Gaga story from last week...

Our Bikram Yoga studio received a phone call on Wednesday morning from a hotel concierge. The concierge said he had an individual who wanted a private Bikram yoga class at noon. Our studio said they had a public class at noon, and they were more than welcome to join the class. The concierge asked our studio to cancel the public noon class, and instead hold a private class for his A-list celebrity guest. Again, our studio refused to cancel the public noon class; however, they could host a private a 2:oo PM class before the next regularly scheduled 4:30PM class. The concierge agreed.

Last Wednesday at 2:00 PM Lady Gaga and her peeps had a private yoga class in our studio. My new claim to fame is that Lady Gaga and I have sweated in the same yoga studio.

Caterpillars

In life, when given the opportunity, we must always take time to stop and watch the caterpillars inch along the parsley leaves...

Yum Yum

Up until now, I never understood the appeal of Edible Arrangements; who wants to get a bouquet of fruit shaped to look like flowers? It seemed like more of a novelty idea that didn't have staying power. However, I am a now a fan of Edible Arrangements because Anne and Mike sent me a box of chocolate covered strawberries and apples to my office. For a brief moment- while I still had uneaten chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered apples- I was the office M.V.P. They were delicious. Thanks Anne and Mike!!

Hooray for the three Oh!

Hooray for me! I have arrived at my thirtieth birthday, ALIVE, AWAKE, ALERT, ENTHUSIASTIC!

Yesterday I received an email from Anne: "So what are you going to do on the last day of your twenties? You should probably try to do something really immature and thoughtless. 'Cause as of tomorrow, you're an adult and there are no more excuses for that kind of behavior." Later in the day Missy sent me this text message: "Last day as twentysomething!! Live it up friend!" Several of the women at my office were giving me a hard time yesterday too- my last day of 29 years old.

According to my friends I'm supposed to be sad about turning 30? I'm supposed to be sad about leaving behind my twenties?

I know I'm in the minority, but I am really excited about turning 30 years old, because I am really excited about having lived another year on earth. I keep thinking about my friends Kent and Andy and Cody who didn't make it to their 30th birthday, which means I feel like the luckiest guy on earth to have lived for 30 years...and I hope to live many more!

However, I will admit that the zero birthdays give us a great chance to pause and reflect on life. Last night my husband and I sat around the living room talking about my first thirty years, and of all the great things in my life (remember it's great to be me) the one thing that gives me the most joy, pleasure, satisfaction, and pride is my relationship with my husband. I love that man so very much!

So, today I'm celebrating my first thirty years of life! I really do feel like I live a charmed life. I have amazing friends, family, and forever man!

Inception

We contributed $26 to the $60,400,000 opening weekend box office total for Inception. This movie is as intense as it is intelligent. I do enjoy a smart film. Both the husband and I really enjoyed this film, and we really want to go watch it again, immediately. You need to hurry up and go see this film, because the world will be talking about this great movie and you'll want to be able to contribute to the discussion.

Why yes I will.

I can't get enough of Carole King and James Taylor's duet version of Will You Love Me Tomorrow, which is the eighth track on their Live At the Troubadour album.

Rabbit

Can you see the bunny rabbit in this photo? This rabbit lives at my husband's parents' house. She is often seen scampering around the garden, and when she is chased by Beau she escapes to safety beneath the deck.

I love Argentina!

Argentina's Senate narrowly approved a law authorizing same-sex marriage making Argentina the first country in Latin America to allow gay couples to wed. After hearing the good news from Argentina Nate Silver wrote: "There are now about 250 million people worldwide living in jurisdictions which provide for marriage equity, as this colorful chart will help to demonstrate."

This gives me great hope that one day my husband and I will be able to legally marry in our home state of Texas! Of course as this New York Times article points out the Roman Catholic Church fought hard against Argentina's vote in support of same-sex marriage. What the Catholic church is missing is that more and more people in the world don't see gay marriage as a religious issue they see it as a human rights issue. Why shouldn't I have the same freedom and right to marry the person I love?

One Day

I don't read books- too many words. But I love a good book. I used to buy books on tape, and then I bought books on CD, and now I buy books on iTunes. My mother is the queen of the written word. She reads books- too many to remember. And my father and my mother like to read aloud to each other; in the car or in the home my parents will always find time to read together. I think it's mostly my mother reading aloud to my father, but it's a cute little thing they do together.

So my mother and father finished reading One Day by David Nicholls, and my mother and I spent at least thirty minutes on the phone discussing this book, which I have not read. I love it when my mom is so excited to share a new book that she tells me all about it, and we have a book club moment on the phone together.

According to my mother's spoken review, which was the topic of conversation at our spontaneous virtual book club meeting, One Day is a book that we all need to read.

Sittin' Pretty

Martha Fauker wanted to test out our newest chair.

My birthday isn't until next week, but the birthday present from my parents (Eames Molded Plastic Armchair (in white with the Eiffel base)) arrived early. It's great to be me! In the spring we found a large round table with a granite top in a consignment store in Dallas. I've wanted a table just like this for some time, but I couldn't afford a new one...but we could afford the used one in the consignment store. The table was my early birthday present from my husband. Again, it's great to be me.

I love the Eames Molded Plastic Armchair so very much. And interesting enough: my husband's grandmother bought six Eames chairs (3 butter yellow, 3 avocado green) in the early 1960's for her round white table. My husband's uncle still has the set. They aren't cheap, but they last...

Iced Tea

I'm an iced tea drinker. I've found a pleasing combination; I use two family size Lipton tea bags and eight Plantation Mint normal size tea bags to make my tea. It makes some delicious iced tea. And the secret to clear tea (my mom taught me this trick) pour the tea mixture into a pitcher of water. We call this the "pour the tea into the water, not the water in the tea" rule.

Jan's Story

A few weeks ago I watched a segment on CBS Sunday Morning on the new book Jan's Story.

I've been thinking about Jan and her husband Barry ever since.

Here's the product description from Amazon:

"Imagine hearing these words: "She has Alzheimer's." Now imagine that "she" is vibrant, active, loving, healthy...and just 55. Acclaimed CBS News reporter Barry Petersen, writes about hearing the unimaginable: what it meant, what it still means, what he did--and didn't do--and how this beautiful love story needs to be read by the thousands of families who have already heard that same devastating diagnosis...EARLY ONSET ALZHEIMER'S. Jan's Story is a full, rich story of two people--and thousands like them--for whom "forever" suddenly and terrifyingly has an expiration date."

CBS Sunday Morning showed Barry visiting Jan and she didn't know him- the love of her life. This made me cry.

What does it mean when your mind is gone? Are you still here? Clearly there is a person still living on earth, but is it you? If my mind goes with the terrible disease that is Alzheimer's, then I will consider myself gone, and I hope my husband will take me to an assisted living facility far, far away in China or New Zealand and pretend that I'm already gone and forget about my living body. Without my mind I am already gone. Without my mind I am no longer me, and I want my husband to remember me with my mind in all my glory.

Skillet Berry Cake

We had lots of fresh blueberries and blackberries in our kitchen. So I made this berry skillet cake recipe for the first time and it is both easy and delicious. My husband liked it too. I love the flavor of blackberries and lime. The cake part of this recipe has the zest of one lime, but I added a little bit more. I think this will also be perfect the next time I host brunch.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup sugar
grated zest of one lime
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 to 3 cups sliced seasonal fruit
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the grated lime zest and mix, and then add the eggs, and vanilla, stirring each to combine. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the batter into skillet that has been heated and then buttered. Top with the fresh fruit. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle the mixture on top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned

They're HERE!

My latest eBay win (Pyrex Cinderella Mixing Bowls in the Friendship pattern) has arrived at our home. I'm very excited about this purchase. I don't know why, but I get really excited about incredible mixing bowls. These mixing bowls are incredible. Score!

Perfection

I always thought Zac Efron was a cute kid in 17 Again and Hairspray. I never considered him anything more than a kid. However, something has happened in the last few years because Zac has morphed from a teenybopper into a MAN. Have you seen the cover of last week's People magazine?! It's out on our ottoman and I have to pause and stare at the cover every time I walk bye. His body is perfection. He could be the modern day version of Michelangelo's David.

Excuse me while I find another excuse to walk bye our ottoman...

Sleeping Beauty

Martha Fauker is our 13-year-old French Bulldog, and for the first time she is starting to show her age. She can't hear very well any more, and it takes effort for her to get around the house. The hot Texas summers have always been hard on her, and I've always said if we make it through the summers we're fine for another year. However, my husband is starting to coach me through the reality that our daughter is getting old, and I think it's sweet that he's anticipating the crisis...I like to think Martha Fauker will live forever.

High Kick

I came across this photo of Joel Bowden an AFL player. Since I've started my Bikram yoga journey I can really appreciate the athletic skill it takes to be able to punt the ball. His left leg is pretty much straight and look at how high it is kicked in the air. Impressive.

JGL

Ever since I watched (500) Days of Summer I have been in the Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan club. I think he needs to become a huge A-list super star in Hollywood, because he's incredibly talented...and he's also a handsome man! I was happy to see him on the current cover of Details.

Islamic Republic of Iran

I cannot stop reading about the 42 year old mother of two who is scheduled to be stoned to death in Iran. It is disturbing.