Sick As a Dog

Our ten year old Dachshund/Boxer son, Trigger, like a supermodel, has been hungry his entire life.  For ten years he's looked up at me after his speedily eaten supper with a searching nose thinking quiet clearly: "where's the rest of the goddamn meal?"  (I don't like it when Trigger cusses, but he's hungry- so I cut him slack.)

On Monday, for the first time in his decade of living, Trigger was uninterested in food.  He didn't eat. Our household was shocked.  I ensured he was still drinking water, and then I decided to give him another day.  After all, we had an incredibly chaotic weekend with reunion-ing on Saturday and lake-ing on Sunday.  He might be exhausted.

On Tuesday, for the second time in his decade of living, Trigger was uninterested in food.  He didn't eat.  Our household went into ludicrous speed panic mode.  I force fed Trigger crackers and peanut butter.  (He cannot starve to death!  Not on my watch.) My husband flew back early. A midnight emergency vet appointment was scheduled.  We FaceTimed with my husband's surgeon father and doctor-mom mother.  After much poking of belly and rubbing of teeth, collectively we decided Trigger was in no immediate danger.  He was just ill.  The midnight emergency vet appointment was canceled.
This morning my husband took our son to the vet.  The findings: Trigger has some serious tummy issues, but it's nothing that a handful of daily pills cannot cure.  We're all relieved he's going to recover his health...and his appetite.

Change in Tone

Pope Francis on gays: `Who am I to judge?'

Reunion

Last week my hometown held its annual reunion; the event has been taking place since after the Civil War.  It's a tradition.  My husband and I joined the family on Saturday, and we chased after our nieces all night.  It was fun.

Russia the Barbarian

Sometimes I want to run for President of the U.S.A. just so I could drop all our bombs on Russia.  First, they're still illegally occupying parts of Georgia.  Second, they're evil to gay people.  Take a look at these 36 photos from Russia that everyone needs to see, via BuzzFeed.

It's 2013.  I'm tired of reading this news.  It's tremendously sad. Russia is such an antiquated barbarian.

QOTD

"As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,"

- New York Gov. Cuomo

The Luckiest Man

I spent a long birthday weekend in Philadelphia with my husband, his new friends, and one of our besties Del.  My husband even had his friend and fellow MBA-er, Tim, enlist family members to get a cake delivered to our hotel room while they were in class.  It's these actions that make me feel very loved and appreciated.  Life is good.  The treat didn't stop with the surprise (it-takes-a-village) birthday cake...

My husband's parents went to extensive trouble to purchase and then keep hidden until my birthday this beautiful Bitossi Rimini Blu planter, because they knew I had needs!

My husband allowed me to purchase my birthday present circa March 2013 because when I see a white marble table lamp 20% off he knows I have a hard time controlling myself.  This lamp is most beautiful in person- so come see it with your own eyes!

My parents let me know that the two laughing Buddhas they ordered for me (readers know I have a thing for twos) will not be delivered until August; I know you'll agree the twin Buddhas are worth the wait.  This Buddha makes me smile.

I received shirts from my uncles, cash from my grandfather (I feel 15 years old again when my grandfather hands me cash; it's the best feeling!), and numerous cards, texts, phone calls, and emails wishing me happiness on the day of my birth.  My brother and his wife said I can keep my nieces for a weekend too!  The best part was that I got to spend two whole days with my husband- 48 hours.  It's rare that we get to spend 48 hours with each other, side by side.  No work or school or life separations.  Just us.  Side by side. It's heaven.

I have an embarrassment of riches, I recognize this fact, when it comes to friends and family;  I feel so loved and appreciated most days and I hope everyone gets this feeling in life.

I am the luckiest man on this earth.  Fact.

I want to know...

...does anyone else think it's odd that while we were cruising on our American Airlines flight back to Dallas, which had WiFi capabilities, the flight attendant decided to announce the birth of William and Kate's baby boy to the whole plane?

All children are special gifts and while I wish William and Kate the very best, I don't understand the uproar in the U.S.A. over the birth of a foreign country's future king.

Is it just me?

I found this picture on the Internet- how beautiful was Diana?  She's lovely.  She also seemed to have been a good mother based on the men her boys have become, and perhaps that's the most important achievement of an individual's life- to raise honorable, happy children.  I hope to try to achieve that goal "some day."

Can we make a new rule?  All children need to be uproariously celebrated.  Is it possible for American Airlines to announce the births of all children mid-flight?!

Hooray for all babies...including future kings!

Hunting Down Damon

Readers to the blog know that while I'm in a happily married relationship with my husband, I am also in love with Matt Damon.   GGD Contributor* (the human) Dooley knows this fact and she emailed me this link to Jezebel for a story on how one girl hunted down (my) Matt Damon in Morocco.

This is required reading. Read it!

Dear Erin Faulk,

I respect you for your Matt Damon stalking skills; however, Matt Damon is in love with with me and his wife.  (In that order.)  The truth hurts.  I know.  You'll have to stalk someone else now.

Sincerely,

Me.




*Sometimes I pretend that more individuals than my mother read this blog, and I need titles like "GGD Contributor" to keep my blogging empire on track.

I want to know...

...is it wrong that when I'm sitting next to a busty female I always stare at her breast during seated spinal twist?  Last night my yoga neighbor came out of the pose early and she caught me!  I'm gay, but I'm also a man...big boobs are distracting.

QOTD

"A second study in as many weeks has found that adopted children are not impacted by the sexual orientation of their parents. Instead, what matters is how well parents support each other and how satisfied they are with the division of childcare labor."

Read more at Think Progress

Get Your Nails Did

Trigger can grow some talons on his feet.  We have to take him to get his nails trimmed, his ears cleaned, and his teeth scrubbed every now and again.  It is a torturous event for him.  He's scared and miserable when he's on the grooming table.

But his nails don't click the wooden floors for the moment.

Open Letter

Dear Mother Nature,

The weather these last two days in Dallas has been perfect; it's been cool and rainy.  It's a rare treat in July.

Thank you,

Me

Cake and Ice Cream

My parents and my husband's parents joined us for an early birthday dinner party at our house this weekend.  My mother brought her delicious pound cake and grape nut ice cream.  We cooked steaks, potatoes, mushrooms, corn tomato and avocado salad, and broccoli crunch salad.

I'm a very lucky man to have both sets of parents here to celebrate our joy!

After

Our plants have a bit of growing to do, but I think everything turned out nicely. Our neighbors have been very complimentary of the blue fountain we added to the front.  The sound of water is always soothing.  The large blue fountain is a bit phallic, I know, but that just seems appropriate, right?

You'll see the large empty blue pot, which I plan to plant with annuals at some point in the future.   I pulled the blue vintage metal chair from my stash of vintage chairs to balance out the front and to give us a place to sit.  (Yes, I have a stash of vintage metal chairs.) Landscaping really sets the tone of a house, and I like the pops of blue the fountain, vintage chair, and pot add to the front.  It's preparing our visitors for the sensational blues we have running through the inside of our home.

My goal was to create an all white garden, but I ended up with a buttery white garden.  All the whites have yellow tones.  It's the best I could do.

For the record here's what we added:

• 6 popcorn drift roses
• 3 yellow yuccas
• 3 large boulders
• 3 perennial white hibiscus (my mother always grew these when I was growing up; her blooms were as big as dinner plates)
• 1 Contorted Filbert (I've already decided this is too exotic for us, and we'll be lucky if it survives a year- it was nice knowing you Mr. Filbert)
• 1 pallet of river rocks
• 1 fountain
• 1 pretty blue pot (...to be continued)
• 1 vintage blue chair
• 2 relocated cast iron plants from the back to the front

We live on a street with alleys and rear entry garages (ha ha, I said 'rear entry'); in the past we didn't spend much time in our front yard, but this landscaping is going to put us in the front more often...we might even make friends with our neighbors.  Anything's possible. 

Let Us Rejoice

How did I miss this most spectacular news?  Rick Perry is not running for another term as governor!  I'm thrilled.  We have a state full of Republicans and our state's longest serving governor isn't as evolved as a potato peeler.  It's embarrassing.  Perhaps he wants to focus on a Presidential campaign?Good luck with that.

Now let's hope someone with half a brain steps forward to lead the greatest state in the nation!  Or at least someone who's nice to homos.  It's a lot to ask for, I know.

Chicken Spaghetti

For the meal that has staying power, which is perfect when you're working in the yard, I made chicken spaghetti for lunch.  I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe as my starting point.  The next time I make it I plan to add more chicken!

Before

As discussed previously, I had a crazy moment and we ripped out all our hedges in our front yard.  Having boxed hedges outlining your house is pretty benign; however, after 5 years in our house I grew tiresome of those things.  Today we have new plants, rocks, and a blue fountain being delivered!

Stay tuned for the after photos.

Henry!

We just spent three fun days with my husband's parents and my husband's sister and her family.  It was very exciting because it was the first time I have met our youngest nephew- Henry!  He's the happiest baby boy.  He's nothing but joy!

And Owen, who's a couple of months shy of his 5th birthday, is a great big brother.

QOTD

"But it's also true that the person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing. All we know about the future is that it will be different. But perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same, so we must celebrate the changes, because, as someone once said, everything will be all right in the end, and if it's not all right, then it's not yet the end."

-The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

America, I love you.

Today is a much needed holiday.  My last day off was Sunday, June 2; working crazy hours happens from time to time when you're in the client service industry.  It's my first day off in over a month, and my husband is away at school this week.  I'm all by my lonesome.  I was invited to a few holiday events, but I really need some quiet time to decompress.  Leading a client through the IPO process is intense, and I feel like a coiled spring- I need to release the energy so I can relax.  (Taking a deep breath.)

While I was chilling in front of the television last night I stumbled on to Saving Private Ryan playing on   HBO.  That is a spectacular film.  It makes me feel so grateful to be an American.  I'm so thankful for generations of men that fought for our freedom.

So today, July 4, 2013, I would like to say: America, I love you!

Today, I'm going to enjoy my freedom.  I'm going to yoga.  I'm taking Trigger on a walk.  I'm napping, and I just might research places where my husband and I can go and complete something we started long ago...we had a wedding in 2006...now we have the freedom to legally get married in the USA.

God bless America.

A No Hedge Household

Have you ever gotten a wild hair and spontaneously had all the tiresome boxed hedges ripped out of your front yard?  I did.  Although, perhaps I didn't think this through, because now I need to convince my husband to release funds for updated landscaping!

I want an all-white garden.  We already have the trio of natchez crepe myrtles.  Now we need dog woods, white irises, white roses, and some leafy cast iron plants.

Adam's House

The Real Estalker is reporting that Adam Levine (my husband's celebrity crush) has sold his Los Angeles home.  It appeared in Architectural Digest last year and I think it's one of the coolest houses I've seen, ever.  It has a calm masculine vibe, which is rare.

Valet

To accommodate our visiting nephews and their parents, my husband's parents are borrowing our beastly QX.  As a result, we have custody of the farm truck a.k.a. the dream truck of my youth, a 1996 navy blue Z71.  My husband's father abuses the farm truck.  Earlier this spring he flooded the cab  while backing the boat trailer into the lake.  Previously my husband's mother was surprised by a barn snake living in the cab.  It's definitely a farm truck, but I have an emotional attachment to that machine.

On Sunday my husband took our friend Binny (I got caught at the office) to a fancy schmancy dinner where he had to valet the farm truck.  Love it.  It's always important to keep it real.