Damn Breeders

This makes me glad I am gay and ashamed to be from Arkansas.

The Unexpected

This week has been a roller coaster of sorts. Monday I was off work because I wanted an extra day to recuperate from my travels over the weekend (I'll post more on that later). So back to work on Tuesday and I was feeling the effects of taking a day off from work. I was so busy I had to remind myself to breathe sometimes.

About 11:30 Tuesday morning, my cell phone rang. It was my sister, but I didn't answer because I was trying to get caught up. Immediately after she called, she sent a text message that said "Call ASAP". I had just enough time to look her number up before my phone died. I dialed her number from the work phone, but there was no answer. I redialed. Still no answer. So I called my mother at work and found out what was so important. My mother had gone to the ER for chest pains.

I looked up my brother-in-laws work number on the internet so that I could call my sister back. He gave me a bit more information and I called my sister. My mother was being transported to another hospital out of town. She was being put in ICU.

I kept myself busy the rest of the day so as not the think about it too much. Once I got home, I was calling my sister and step-dad to get information. At 6 pm, I made the decision to drive home to be with my mother. I arrived in town about 10:30 and my sister got there about 11. We were able to go in and see my mother in ICU. My mother was in good spirits, but they were having a hard time keeping her heart rate regulated. She has always had a history of high blood pressure (I think she is on at least 3 medications to control it). While we were in the room with my mom, she had another bout of chest pains. She was given some morphine and a Xanex to combat it.

On Wednesday, she had a heart catheter scheduled. She went in around 10 am for that. The good news is that there was no significant blockages found. During this whole time in ICU she was experiencing atrial flutter. That is basically when he top portion of the heart is in a constant spasm. The top portion of the heart was beating about 4 times to every 1 beat of the lower portion of the heart.

Once we received the report from the heart catheter, the next objective for the doctors was to convert her back to a normal heart rhythm. They decided to wait until today to do that. My sister and I felt that she was better so we decided to leave on Wednesday to go back to our homes.

I received a call today around 11 from my step-dad that they had converted mom's heart beat back to a normal rhythm. She will be able to go home tomorrow.

It's no secret that I am a momma's boy. Although, I never let my emotions get the best of me at work, I lost it once I got home. I cried most of the trip to the hospital. But I am so relieved that she is better now.

Saying Goodbye Part 2

Last Thursday was kind of a going away party for one of my friends. In a previous post, I mentioned that she was moving due to her job.

The five of us met at Outback Steakhouse for drinks and dinner. We all had a great time. There were a few tears shed, but much more laughter.

Here is a picture of us while waiting for the table.

Saying Goodbye

Tomorrow is going to be a trying time for myself and several of my friends. Tomorrow we will say goodbye to a friend. In the 8 to 10 months that I have gotten to know her, we have become great friends. I have felt more comfortable around her than most of my other female friends. For that matter, I can include most of my male friends in the mix too.

When I first moved into the apartment complex, "T" and I nicknamed her Gossip Neighbor. She knew the scoop on everyone in the apartment complex. If someone moved in, she would know their names, jobs, and usually something fairly juicy about the person within a week. She is just one of those types of people that you can open up to immediately.

She quickly became an integral part of my circle of friends because she is one of the most accepting, loving, and thoughtful people that I know.

When the decision was made that she was moving (due to her job), we were all supportive. "T", "M", "J", and myself all told her to take us out of the equation. We told her that she had to do what was best for her. Although we will all miss her dearly, we knew that we could not hold her back.

Writing this it is finally starting to hit home that tomorrow will be the last night we all will spend together here. We have a dinner planned as a going away for her.

I will miss her.

Gays Around the World

Last Friday on Oprah, the topic was Gays Around the World. Her guests included an Indian man who was a prince in his country, a woman from Jamaica who fled her country to New York City because of persecution, and an ex-NBA star.

Each of the guest had a very different story to tell. The woman from Jamaica by far had the most traumatic story to tell. Her story involved being shoved into a restroom at a restaurant and being assaulted by a group of young men because they were going to show her what a "real man" was like.

Although, I am very happy that we (the gay community) had the opportunity to be featured positively on one of the highest rated talk shows on the air, I still feel a little let down by the whole show. All three guests were of foreign decent. I get that the show was title "Gays Around the World", but I we as Americans are part of the world too. I also feel less than impressed by the fact that the two male guests were in higher positions of power. I mean how many of us can relate to a prince and an NBA player. I know that I should look at any positive exposure as a good thing, I just can't. I think that had Oprah included more "regular" gay people on the show, it would have helped our image on main-stream America. On the same note, I think that had there been at least one American guest, it would have helped with our image also.

About the only thing noteworthy that I took from the episode, was a fact that was said as the show was going to commercial. In Arkansas there is not a discrimination law on the books that prevents an employer from firing an employee because of their sexual orientation. Kinda scary for me here in Arkansas.

Ugh...Dance Music

Back several months ago, when I was talking to "G", I started listening to more and more dance music and remixed songs. I consider that few months my party boy phase.

Now that I'm not going out like I was when I was talking to "G", the dance music is getting on my nerves. I hear one good song and then its some song by an artist that I've never heard of with a heavy bass line and a synthesized melody.

The easiest thing would be to just delete the music from my computer, but that is just sac religious. I can't get rid of it. I'll just have to wade through all the dance music to hear something decent.

Response to Sorted's "Tell Me Tuesday"

Sorted posted a "Tell Me Tuesday" asking about gas prices. His question was: How much are you paying for a gallon of gas at the gas station you frequent?

Check out the comparable prices per gallon of things we frequently use. This is from an email chain letter I received.

Diet Snapple - 16 oz. - $1.29 = $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Iced Tea - 16 oz. - $1.19 = $9.52 per gallon
Gatorade - 20 oz. - $1.59 = $10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray - 20 oz. - $1.25 = $10.00 per gallon
Brake Fluid - 12 oz. - $3.15 = $33.60 per gallon
NyQuil - 6 oz. - $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol - 4 oz. - $3.85 - $123.20 per gallon
Whiteout - 7 oz. - $1.39 = 25.42 per gallon
Scope - 1.5 oz. - $0.99 = $84.48 per gallon
Evian water - 9 oz. - $1.49 - $21.19 per gallon

Ever wonder why computer printers are so cheap? The ink is estimated to cost $5,200 per gallon.

I thought it was interesting.