Hello, Betty Ford Center?

I need a vacation. In fact the bf and I both need one. So after our Halloween party tonight we're off to Maui for a few days R & R. While I was busy with movers, packers, lawyers, and real estate agents in TN the bf was working around the clock on the final reworks for the film in LA. I decided to ship my car to LA instead of driving out since he wasn't able to make the road trip with me and flew back Friday.

Both of us totally exhausted, we headed to Yamashiro, our local hang out, for sushi and sake. Waiting for our table we sat in the garden room and ordered martinis. Big mistake. We were both so tired we got gassed on two each and the next thing I knew we were playing Godzilla & Godzukki because the room looks just like Tokyo and speaking ”engrish” to the not so amused waiters.



Saturday we got up, hiked the canyon and then went to Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the Dia de los Muertos celebrations. The altars and decorations were spectacular. The food offerings made us hungry for Mexican food so we headed to Marix. It was as crowded as Yamasiro’s had been and we had to wait in the bar and order margaritas. Big mistake. One pitcher of the killer Super margaritas and we forgot all about eating. We headed home and started carving pumpkins for our party. Sunday morning I was still picking pumpkin seeds and innards out of the bed.



We had another Halloween party to go to Sunday. We decided to just do face makeup instead of a whole costume. We had a few glasses of wine while we were getting made up. Big mistake. And the next thing we knew we were an hour and a half late arriving at the party. And I don’t think we will ever be able to wash the makeup out of those sheets.



Today D is running errands while I am waiting for the caterer, bartenders, valet parker, and decorating the house. I’ll post pics of the party later. After a night of green apple martinis with gummi bear worms garnish I’ll be ready for that Hawaii vacation … and a few of those drinks with the cute umbrellas in them.

When we get back we can go into detox.

letting go

It is a quiet day here in the country. All hell breaks out tomorrow when the movers and packers arrive. But I have done these kinds of moves so many times I’m not stressing at all. In fact, I seem oddly detached today. It’s like I’m seeing familiar things and surroundings through someone else’s eyes. I’m not connected. I think it’s because I have detached and let go of this place in my head.

I remember finding this spot all those years ago. The rolling hills of the Cumberland Plateau are beautiful. The views were spectacular. We thought this would be the perfect spot to build our last house. We would finally have our dream house and well deserved time alone together. We spent so many years working hard and moving as jobs dictated. At last we would be able to enjoy ourselves.

We built our perfect house and began to transform ourselves from uber driven type A professionals into retired rural gay couple hood. ... And then BC died. I retreated here to lick my wounds and try to heal. I tried to sell the place last year but I wasn’t ready to let go. This time it was easy.

I will miss it here but it is time for someone else to enjoy it. I hope they have a longer and happier time here than we did. I am leaving them a bit of us but they won’t know it. Many years ago, BC started a tradition of bringing home a rock from the places we visited or lived. We were going to build a rock memory garden but never got around to it. So this week I took all the rocks and set then into the path of the garden that GB built this summer. They need to stay.

My last day here I will walk the grounds and say my good byes. I won’t be sad. Then I’ll catch my plane to LA and Dark.

making way for the new

We flew to TN Friday to begin packing up the house. Dark decided to come and help despite his film schedule. I love this man. I took him on a tour of the house from attic to basement wine cellar. He may have had second thoughts about a relationship with me after the tour. Even I was staggered by the amount of crap beloved possessions I have accumulated over the years.

For instance, in the attic there are boxes and boxes of various styles/themes/ages of Christmas ornaments. You want a tree with hand made traditional ornaments? I have them. How about ornate beaded or sequined ones? I have enough to satisfy any drag queen person that likes fancy ones. Then there are the Russian, Ukrainian, Javanese, German, Indian, or vintage Scandinavian ones. I’m not talking about a few of each. I’m talking about enough of each kind to decorate a large tree. I have stock piled useless stuff collectibles like this for ages and lugged it all over the world. One of the reasons BC and I built this house was to house all the junk treasures we collected through the years. Hanging on a wall in the attic is a stuffed moose head. Why did I think I had to have that? And worse, why do I still have it? Looking around the attic I decided then and there to get rid of nearly everything. Besides Dark’s favorite holiday is Halloween. He told me on the flight that he wants a Halloween theme Christmas tree this year. You might know that is the one type of decoration you won’t find in this attic.

crisis averted

Me: Hey, where did you put those sembei rice crackers?
D: I think I ate the last of them last night.
Me: (staring)
D: I’ll pick up some more tomorrow.
Me: But ... I want some now. If you loved me you would go now.
D: Well, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’m not driving all the way to Little Tokyo tonight.
Me: That’s very thoughtless and selfish of you, eating the last of them. Why am I just finding out about this serious character flaw now? I drove all the way to Little Tokyo especially to buy those crackers.
D: Liar. You did not. My office building is in Little Tokyo. You were driving there anyway for a nooner.
Me: Totally not true. I only drove there to buy those crackers. Since I was in the neighbourhood I just decided to drop in and give you a mercy hump. You’ve been working so hard on the film. I felt sorry for you.
D: Oh, ok. Well, thanks. You can do that again anytime. hmm ... I should be really working hard about 1:00 tomorrow ...
Me: Too bad. I’ll be busy buying rice crackers at that time.
D: So, 1:30 then?
Me: 1:30 then. Lucky for you I am such a humanitarian.
D: Buy the seaweed/plum and teriyaki kinds tomorrow, Mother Theresa.

Please don't wake me

If I am dreaming I hope it never ends. But things are getting eerie. Signs of the impending apocalypse are everywhere.

I called my realtor last week and put my house in TN on the market again. She called, waking me this morning, with an offer for full list price. Looks like I will be headed back to TN to pack things up and ship them out here. I was going to get my cousin to ship my car here but now I can drive it out myself. It’s all too smooth and easy. Where are the months of open houses and offers for less than I want?

Last Saturday after the beach, Dark noticed two small kittens in a storm drain looking like they had been abandoned. The big hearted lug scooped them up and we brought them home. I predicted disaster because the one thing that drives Sam crazy is a cat. When we got them home; Sam sniffed at them, and then licked them. What the hell? I thought for sure they would be kitty pate by now. Yet I found them snuggled up next to Sam this morning.

After the year I’ve had all this harmony and happiness is welcome but it is getting a little scary. With all this good news can the big quake, the one that dumps CA into the Pacific, be far behind? I’m going to quit worrying about it and just enjoy things. I think as soon as I get my car here I’m trading it for a convertible. If that doesn't trigger a monsoon then maybe my luck has finally changed.

"10"

Saturday at the beach as I watched him walk from the water to our blanket I had the strangest thought - if I was straight Bolero should be playing. Damn, I’m glad I’m gay.