my second birthday at swinging richards...

haha. why is it that girls (sometimes) have all the fun? more on that later.

so it's a few days before my birthday and leah was in town so we went out to dinner, then i promised to take her to her first gay bar. then... her cousin adrian was with us... we started talking about swinging richards. she said i must take leah.

then leah screwed up. she told me her boyfriend said no.

ha.

so, as i pulled into the parking lot... haha. i warned leah about the strong drinks but it was alright since we were only having one. i won last week at family feud at blake's and had to go back to defend my title -- we lost.

but anyway, back to richards... at the time we walked in, all the horses -ahem- were on the stage. wow. leah was floored. haha. so was i.

so, we wandered to the opposite side of the stage, she with her crown and coke and me with my budweiser and found a table. front and center. i made her sit in front.

slyly, i asked her to pick out her favorite (i had a plan for later). she did, which so happended to be my favorite, too. guess we have good taste. also, i had cash on the table, which i kept giving her to stuff in their bands... i didn't tell her to hold a conversation with this guy.

anyway, i told him -- oh, yeah... i tipped too. -- that i needed a dance for my sister. anything for her, he said.

and what a dance it was. we had to move to the back of the room - some new rule i guess. so, leah plops onto a bar stool, he stands in front and i move over to the side. we talk until the end of the song... he wants to dance to another one and the full length, he said.

i understand now why we went to the back of the room.

i gave leah her space but snuck a peak from time-to-time, especially when i saw the tails of her blouse being bounced up by his... he was erect! that never happens to me! and it was my birthday.

again! this year.

oh well. she had fun and so did i.

and her boyfriend can kiss my ass.

tomorrow is the fourth...

has it ever occurred to you that we celebrate holidays... the whole nation shuts down... and we really don't even celebrate - or sometimes know - the true meaning of the holiday?

as for the fourth, of course it's independance day. but we've been independent for so long i can see why the true meaning is left adrift in the smoke pouring from backyard grills and in the suds of beer spilling around the pool.

now that i think of it, how could we better celebrate our independence? perhaps a little humbleness... thankfulness. maybe giving up a 'right' for a day just to learn appreciation.

alright... i'm off that soap box.

my friend kelley - the one who took me to meet pink, see american idol finals live - has struck again. with her five little fingers, she's the speed-dial queen of the world! this time it's an exclusive q-100 atlanta party for just 150 people atop b.e.d. atlanta by centennial park for the fireworks show tomorrow night.

that's my plans.

i've been good lately, i think, about keeping in touch with folks. there are still some left on the agenda but i talked to ben the other day as well as some folks from the ship, my sister, my mom, adam - although he's still the same - even joe from way back. probably more to come about him. we'll see.

i'm still loving my job. in fact, i am a trainer and a closer so i've been working with management on re-vamping the duties of servers. should make things a bit easier although it's truly the easiest place i've ever worked.

and - we serve the best food! if you haven't been, you need to make reservations (make sure i'm working...). www.fifthgroup.com... ecco.

alright. i'm about to go grill pork chops. and smoke away some independence early.

surprise!

i am, in fact, still alive. doing well, actually, too...

i have been settling back into atlanta life and work life and personal life and all the things that take time, energy and emotion. it's not taken it's toll but it has been a bit rough around the edges at times.

let's see... i've dated and broke up. i've not been to a braves game in way-too-long. i've been practically stalked by a psycho.

yet... i've moved into a very comfortable place. i love my roommate. i've met many interesting friends. i've had closure with those who need it and made the effort to contact those which i'd lost touch. i've attempted to become a better friend to those closest to me.

i'm working on my being a responsible person. talking to my mom more, although that's still the shaky thing it's always been. i'm paying my bills. doing what it takes to get into school, which still means about $700 more in student loans, not to count what it will take for the first semester (may be spring before i can swing it... but not losing hope at all).

i'm evolving or growing up or morphing or something.

and i am gonna try to post more. stay tuned.