Looking Glass Lives

Catching Up

2006-04-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

True, it has been awhile since I have posted, but so much has been going on in my life. I don't know where to start. I suppose I should start at the beginning. As of the end of January I have moved to Jacksonville with my best friend SCL. The move went well, but the job search is now whipping my ass. It is true that I currently am a substitute teacher for Duval County, but that isn't very stable and assignements right now are hit or miss. I've gotten another job with Pearson Educational Measurement, but that is only temporary, lasting until sometime in June. So major stress levels in that department. Which of course is hindering my attempt to quit smoking.

On the love front, nothing different. I'm still single, but no longer alone. One of the best things to come out of my move to Jacksonville was this great group of friends that I have met. We hang out almost every weekend and certain days during the week, depending on what is going on. It's like our own little Broken Hearts Club. I haven't been this happy in a long time. I love these guys. You should take a look at some of the pictures from our fun times together.

Now, if I could only get this job situation figured out, I'd have it made. . .for once in my life. I'll keep you posted.

Photo Friday: Blur

2006-02-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

Brokeback Mountain, Top Ten

2006-01-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

This was so funny that I just had to post it. Seems David Letterman did a Top 10 concerning Brokeback Mountain. So here it is. . .

Top 10 Signs You Are a Gay Cowboy

10. Your saddle is Versace.
9. Instead of Home on the Range, you sing It's Raining Men
8. You enjoy ridin', ropin' and redecoratin'.
7. Sold your livestock to buy tickets to Mamma Mia!
6. After watching reruns of Gunsmoke, you have to take a cold shower.
5. Native Americans refer to you as Dances With Men.
4. You've been lassoed more times than most steers.
3. You're wearing chaps, yet your "ranch" is in Chelsea.
2. Instead of a saloon, you prefer a salon.
1. You love riding, but you don't have a horse.

New Year, New Adventures

2006-01-13T15:59:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't written in awhile and since truthfully I don't know if people even read this or not (and if they do, then by golly they should leave more comments), I've not been in any hurry to update. But a lot has happened since the New Year, so I thought I should share some of the latest updates.

The biggest update is my upcoming move. It's been a couple months in the planning, but the actual day is coming fast. Come the end of January I shall be moving to Jacksonville. Once in JAX, I have also decided that I will most likely go back to school to become a Massage Therapist. I've always been told I have a gift with my hands, and after two years of MT Instructors telling my that I should go into Massage Therapy, I think I'm finally ready to take the plunge.

Tell you the truth, I'm scared shitless. I'm one of those people that get comfortable in a place, in a situation, and find it tough to change. This move, even though it's only two hours away, is rather big for me. It's definitely a new adventure in my life. But I believe that it's a path I should have taken long ago. We shall see.

Christmas Memories

2005-12-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

As Christmas inches closer, I can't help but think back over the memories of Christams past that I hold close to my heart. Upon hanging ornaments on the tree, I hang the ornaments that I made as a five-year old kid, placing plastic dixie cups on a cookie sheet and watching them melt down into cool shapes. Small discs of green, red, and blue, catching the lights from the tree, a prism of color upon the wall. Then of course, memories of other ornaments, and the meanings attached come flooding through, each bringing a small smile to my face. Then of course see the presents under the tree, I remember the year I received an Atari. (Aging myself, I know.) I woke up real early in the morning, maybe 3 or 4, and everyone asleep in the house. I creep downstairs, and lay upon the couch facing the Christmas tree. I cover myself with an afghan, peering out upon the tree from the tiny holes. I, of course, was hoping I could see Santa Claus. Though from my secretive perch I see may parents creep down and hide the gifts that couldn't be wrapped under the tree. When the time came for everyone to wake up in the pre-dawn light, I could be found, until I started giggling. Memories truly do make the holidays bright. As I look forward to the new year ahead of us, I also look to the new adventure that I am about to partake, the new chapter of my life, and all the Christmas memories yet to come.

Around the World

2005-12-20T14:31:00.000-05:00

Saturday, SCL and I went to EPCOT. We spent most of the day in the World Showcase. It was mainly a day to relax, get some pictures, and fool around since neither of us know when we'd be able to ever go again. As is always the case when the two of us go out, the day consisted of steady drinking. I had cider in UK, plum wine in Japan, and wine in Italy. In fact we never really made it much past Italy. We ended up finding this really cute Italian boy. SCL and I flirted with him, he in turn flirted with us. He even spent a good portion of his break with us just talking. I definitely felt my heart beat fast around this one, but then again I have a real weakness for European men. *fans self* After dinner in Morocco, we headed back to Italy for more wine. We ended up staying there the rest of the evening, watching the fireworks that capped off the day. It was a wonderful day all around. Christmastime memories that will last a lifetime.

I Got Tagged

2005-12-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it. I've been tagged for a meme!! Never in my wildest dreams would I think this could happen. But after you've been in the blogdom for a while, it's bound to happen. I suppose I should thank yaniboy, and try my best at it.
The rules for this particular meme are as follows:

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:

1. scott
2. nathan
3. eddy
4. yaniboy
5. greer

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to so they can do this meme, like so: Okay, I really don't know how many people actually read my blog, so I really don't know if the people I tag will actually do it, but here goes nothing.

1. Fire-Eyes
2. Curtis
3. David
4. JJD
5. Do you really think I could come up with FIVE

Here we go...

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Hmm. . .well I would have been a senior in college, so packing up to leave the dorm and heading home for Christmas (a whole whopping 15 minutes across town. LOL)

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Sitting at the same desk I am now.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Pretzels
2. Pumpkin Seeds
3. Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate
4. Almonds
5. Pringles

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
Hey I'm Gay, what can I say
1. Seasons of Love (from Rent)
2. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (from Les Miserables)
3. Leavin' on a Jet Plane - Peter, Paul, and Mary
4. Gypsy Rover - Folk Song
5. Tom's Diner - Suzanne Vega

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Move to London and use it as my base to hike Europe
2. Buy a Loft Apartment
3. Start a college fund for my Nephew
4. Invest some of it
5. Get a personal trainer and/or a home gym This is a good idea yani!!!

Five bad habits:
1. Biting my nails
2. Smoking
3. Blabbering on and on and on and on and, well you get the picture
4. Keeping in touch with friends
5. Procrastination

Five things you like doing:
1. Photography
2. Hiking
3. Cooking
4. Going to the movies
5. Reading

Five things you would never wear again:
1. Cumberbums
2. Tightie Whities
3. Hawaiian shirts
4. Leather pants
5.

Five favorite toys:
1. Digital camera
2. iPod (I so want one!)
3. My laptop
4.
5.

Okay. . .there it is. I know I've left some blank, but then again my mind went blank on those. Enjoy!!

Return to the Runway

2005-12-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

Last night marked the return of Project Runway to Bravo. While I don't know much about the world of fashion. I somehow managed to watch last season, and got hooked. The challenges are exciting and the personalities are outrageous. (It also helps that I think a couple of the designers are yummy.) The two episodes last night were no exception. Brilliant television!! This season looks like it could be as good, if not better than last season. I definitely will keep watching.

The Holiday Ten

2005-12-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

Christmas is one of my most favorite times of year. The decorations, the music, the feeling of togetherness with family and friends. In my blogdom journeys, I've come across this wonderous meme from LargeTony. He is a great and wonderful person. His blogs are filled with a raw emotion that I find refreshing, and a writing style that is so enlightening that I find myself a little bit jealous that I can't write that way. This meme is entitled The Holiday Ten.

The Holiday Ten

Instructions: Copy and paste the questions to your blog (with your answers, not mine).

One. What is your favorite holiday movie?

Love Actually. Many might not think it a holiday movie, but the entire film is set during the Christmas Season. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy.

Two. What is your favorite holiday song (title and artist)?

Carol of the Bells.

Three. What’s the best holiday gift you were ever given, and why?

Tickets to see Seussical: The Musical. Just because I'm a musical theatre nut.

Four. Do you have a special someone to kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s?

NO. NO. NO. *sad face*

Five. Name of your favorite reindeer?

Vixen. I imagine he's the hot, adonis reindeer.

Six. Favorite Holiday food?

Well that would have to be my family's homemade Carrot Pudding. (It's a bread pudding really, but it's an old old family recipe, and that's what it was called back then.)

Seven. Snow day — cuddle by the fire, or hand me a snowball?

Why cuddle by the fire of course, with a good wine, candlelight, and my love. (That's all I want for Christmas.)

Eight. What was your New Year’s resolution for this year? Did you stick to it?

I can never stick to resolutions.

Nine. Is there really a Santa Claus?

Jolly ol' St. Nick. Father Christmas is always alive in my heart.

Ten. Present, or stocking stuffer?

Stocking stuffers. . .the smallest gifts always mean the most.

No Day But Today

2005-11-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

Critics be damned!! This past weeekend I finally saw RENT in the theatres and I was pleased beyond belief. Many movie critics decided to pan the movie version saying it lacked the style and emotional impact of the Tony-award winning Broadway musical. I must say that I disagree with each and every one of them. I believe that comparing the movie to the musical is like comparing apples to oranges. They are two totally different formats, and because of that format difference, the movie can't help but be different from the musical. In the movie, more was able to be accomplished in the telling of the story especially through cinematography. The movie in turn increases the audience for the story of RENT, many more people now can experience it's magic and emotion. From the opening sequence until the closing credits, I had goose-bumps. And as is typical with me, I cried through most of it. The movie, in my opinion, increased the emotional impact. I plan on seeing it again and again while in theatres, and most definitely on my "must buy" list when it's finally released on DVD. Truly, when watching this film, there is "no day but today"!

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T09:12:00.000-05:00

Today is the day that we give thanks. A time to spend with family and friends. Of course stuffing ourselves silly on turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and assorted other gastronomical delights. My question today though is what are you thankful for? I am thankful that I am healthy. I am thankful for my family, their love and support, care and concern. But this year I am mostly thankful for the family that one creates, which this year includes my best friend SCL, and his boyfriend. This year, the three of us have a small, intimate dinner planned. These are memories, and friendships that can last a lifetime. Take some time, ponder, reflect, and let's hear what you are thankful for this year.

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

2005-11-17T15:07:00.000-05:00

I took this quiz a couple months ago on a forum that I am a member of and recently have come across it again. I thought I would take it a second time to see if perchance my results have changed. They have not. I am still the god of Dreams, and what a glorious god to be.

Morpheus

?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla

My Heart is Green

2005-11-14T19:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, when I'm bored I end up just hitting "Next Blog" and seeing what comes up. In the eternal search for something better to do I found this neat little quiz. Something cute, and something to do during the last couple of minutes of a fruitless day at work. Who can ask for anything more? Though I would have thought my heart would have been blue, who knew.

Your Heart Is Green

Love completes you, but that doesn't mean you seek it out.
When love comes your way, you integrate it peacefully into the rest of you life.

Your flirting style: Laid back

Your lucky first date: Walking around aimlessly and talking

Your dream lover: Is both enthusiastic and calm

What you bring to relationships: Balance

What Color Heart Do You Have?

Monster Mash

2005-11-07T12:38:00.000-05:00

For the monster in us all!!!

From the blog of yaniboy.

Dreams of JAX

2005-11-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

My friend SCL tells me not to think about it. Not to ruin my weekend because of it. He understands that feeling bad because he is going away this weekend, and I'm not, is justifiable, but in the end will only serve to bring me down. Well yeah, of course it's going to bring me down. And while he's spending time in Jacksonville with his boyfriend, I am, well, sitting in Orlando twiddling my thumbs. We are both suppose to be moving to Jacksonville in January, I have come to love the city as much as he does, but because he has a boyfriend up there and I don't, well I'm stuck here because I didn't want to feel like the "third wheel" during the weekend he wants to just spend some "alone" time with his boyfriend. But the thing is, he's going out with friends tonight because his boyfriend is working, a couple of which have started to become my friends too in the past couple of months. He'll probably be partying with them tomorrow as well, because one of them is leaving. Hell, SCL and his boyfriend probably won't get alone time until Sunday. These are things I want to do as well, but instead I stay home, prepare myself for the move, and dream of JAX. So if I pine for the fun he's having, I pine. Tells me not to think about it, I'm preparing myself for a move to a place he's having fun in while I'm, well, not having fun, and I'm not suppose to think about it?!?! Wish I could say I feel happy for him, but in honesty, I'm still a little jealous, and always will be I suppose. SCL's had nine months, I've only had a couple visits true, but Jacksonville is now my dream as well, but until I find someone as well, I'll always be that "third wheel" just hanging along for the ride. And well, it sucks!

Greer Needs. . .

2005-10-27T08:09:00.000-05:00

Okay this is a highly amusing and weird meme that I picked up on from yaniboy. When you actually follow the rules and look through the hits, it's weird to see some of the "needs" especially since my nickname shares itself with a highly despised judge in Florida. You be the judge.

I actually like the last three. LOL

This is how the meme works. You type your name and the word "needs" into google to find what you need. It works best if you put the whole thing in quotes.

And my list includes:

Greer needs to start looking for a new career.
Greer needs is for anyone with a brain to run the other way when he approaches with his spiel.
Greer needs a serious wake-up call.
Greer needs to update his presentation.
Greer needs to be impeached for murder.
Greer "needs armed bodyguards" for protection.
Greer needs to think again.
Greer needs to be made available to others.
Greer needs to be a great place to live, work and play.
Greer needs to be a bedroom community.

En Autumnum

2005-10-25T08:42:00.000-05:00

Wilma has come and gone. Here in Central Florida we received merely wind and rain, nothing major. However, Wilma brought with her a welcome and pleasant surprise, Autumn has finally arrived in Central Florida. Autumn is my favorite time of year, mild days, crisp chilly evenings with a lovely breeze. I love to just stand outside and smell the cool air, smiling all the while. Though in Florida, Autumn comes late, last only a few weeks and then fades into a balmy winter. Florida really has but one season, HOT. The few times of year, like now, when it get's cold enough for a light sweater and hot chocolate, I treasure. I just wish it would last longer, and it's times like this I wish I were further north, where the real seasons lie, watching the leaves turn and fall, and pumpkins dot the landscape. One day that will be true, but now, I treasure my Autumn day until the weekend when we warm up again.

Retro

2005-10-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

This week's Photo Friday challenge, Retro.

Midnight Rendezvous

2005-10-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

I am not one for one-night stands or just hooking-up. However, every once in awhile my hormones get the best of me and I end up thinking with the other head. Last night ended up being one of those nights. Sitting alone in the dark, whiling away the hours in a chatroom, I find myself talking with an individual that peaked my interest, in more ways than one. Before long I'm talking to him on the phone, then 'lo and behold I find myself at his door. Needless to say we all know what happened after that, twice! But we also talked, for awhile, I ended up spending nearly two hours with this guy last night. I found him attractive, both inside and out. I told myself I would know what I want when I found it. This guy is what I want. Unfortunately, as with everything in my life, there's a catch. He has a boyfriend, a boyfriend he hasn't seen in months due to travel schedules, but a boyfriend nonetheless. As is my luck, the good ones are either straight, or taken. And truthfully I never could wrap my though processes around the concept of an "open relationship." Now, though, I find myself in a quandry. The possibility is there of meeting again, repeating the events of last night (or rather early this morning). I don't know if I want to open that door, invest energy in something that I could regret at a later date. Should I persue a friendship, with benefits, or should I just walk away, leave it be. I still haven't learned I suppose to just treat sex as sex, to me it's always something more. In the end, I guess that's my biggest problem, and why I infrequently get laid to begin with. Ugh!

Divergence

2005-10-19T14:12:00.000-05:00

Physically I'm here, mentally I'm somewhere else. My life seems to follow divergent paths, where I am, and where I want to be. I begin to wonder where the divergence occurred, when did my two selves separate. I am not where I envisioned myself 5 or even 10 years ago. So many life changes, so many decisions made and lost. So many dreams and aspirations, gone. Is the real me actually out there? Having the life I've wanted for so long? Sometimes I feel like a shadow, looking in from the outside, never really a part even of my own life. Currently I am attempting to bring things into focus, to create a convergence, but things seem to be taking their sweet time. Life moves at a snail's pace. Lately it just feels like I'm disjointed. I'm neither depressed nor happy, I just am. Day to day living has become routine, a rut that sometimes I feel has become too deep to escape from. Six feet under, with nowhere to go. I know though that the dirge has yet to be written. Change is on the wind, I just wish the wind would pick up a little, it's getting a little stuffy down here.

Drunken Antics

2005-10-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

My weekends have never been the same since I met SCL. He's become an important part of my life. Better than a boyfriend, he's my BEST friend. And I couldn't ask for any better than him. Again this weeekend, we hung out, drank, and just had loads of fun. Sometimes our weekends are filled with, for lack of a better term, "drunken antics." This weekend was no different. Friday night we started out after work with our usual fare, drinks and dinner. We puttered around online for a bit, then decided to go out. We made it as far as the corner store before turning back. He was in no condition to drive, and, well, I can't drive a stick. So on the way back to his place we ran over a tree. Well more like a bush. . .more specifically a Crape Myrtle. Since his top was down, I got brunt of the tree across my front. Needless to say we spent the rest of the weekend cleaning out tree parts from the car. We still laugh and shake our heads when we pass by the tiny stump that was left. Well we behave ourselves more in the future? . . .in moderation, in moderation. LOL

Conspicuous

2005-10-14T08:11:00.000-05:00

I always like to try something different. I found out about Photo Friday through one of the blogs I regularly read. This week's challenge was "Conspicuous" and I believe this lovely yellow cactus flower is definitely noticable amongst the ochre tones of Petrified Forest National Park. So did I meet the challenge?

Coming Out

2005-10-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today is National Coming Out Day. This year's theme is "Talk About It." So in celebration I decided that I would share my coming out story. I know I touched on it some back in when I was talking about looking for my Prince Charming, but I feel I didn't do it much justice. I was a sophmore in college, almost 12 years ago now, and I had just started working as a Peer Writing Consultant. We were required to keep journals of kind in order to help focus our writing, and I had come upon two enteries from a previous consultant who had worked in the writing center a few years before. I had always, I guess, known that I was different. I had girlfriends in high school, but in the end they just ended up being girls who were friends, I never really felt attracted to them. In college, my attraction toward men became more in focus, and then I found myself reading V's own coming out story. Sitting there on the couch, suddenly all the feelings that I had kept bottled up started coming to the surface. I was seeing myself through the eyes of another, another person who felt the same things I was feeling and had gone through the same emotions. I admitted then, for the first time, I was gay. I broke down, crying on the couch, while everything washed over me. I don't remember much more about that day, but I remember that in the next couple of weeks I started coming out to friends at school. The funny thing, most of them already knew, they were just waiting for me to "know." Well 12 years later, it is still a struggle. Some people are freed upon coming out, I was freed, yet still burdened. I live openly, but often feel that I have been discriminated against because of it. People would never admit it out loud, but I know it's there. And that is why coming out is so important. The more people the come out, the more society sees that we are human, we are just like them in many ways, we just love differently. That love is not wrong, but should be cherished as all love is cherished. Sometimes it's difficult, but in the end, change is always for the better, even if we don't see it at the time. If you only come out to one person, in the end, coming out to the one person, makes the burden easier, and coming out as a whole so much easier to bear.

Swearing Off Men

2005-10-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm swearing off men. Sounds easier than it looks though. Unlike bisexuals, I am 100% gay, I have no fall back position when it comes to sex besides the right hand. Seriously, the thought of sex with women (shudders), I came out of one of those at birth and I ain't going back in! So even though bisexuals have their choice between men and women, personally I think they're just plain greedy, I love men and it is men for which I am swearing off. Men, for all intent and purposes, are pigs. There never is a good man around when you need one. And when one does show up, they are either straight, in a relationship, or in the end, a jerk. I shall henceforth (or at least for the next couple months, until after I move) become celibate. Of course I'm going to need the constitution of a saint to pull this one off. Which then gets me to thinking saint = Catholic = priest = sexually repressed = ah hell, I'm screwed. I know my limbido will get the best of me in the end. After all, I am only human. But at least I can try and put in a good show and attempt to swear off men.

Banned Book Week

2005-09-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

You know, this week has come and gone, and I'd almost forgotten about it. I'm just a bad librarian. Yes, I am a librarian. In fact I am a liberal librarian. Is there any other kind you ask, unfortunately yes, our First Lady is a librarian is she not? I do not believe in filtering, and despise censorship in any form. So why I forgot about Banned Book Week I shall never know. The American Library Association, of which I am a proud member, has posted the 100 most banned books, a list which upon gazing I find quite illuminating. I myself have read several books on this list (over 10%):

3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
28. The New Joy of Gay Sexby Charles Siverstein
37. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

I challenge you! Read a Banned Book Today!!