I recieved the nicest, most romantic gift yesterday. A big ol' bag of compost and manure. Someone knows me, that's for sure.

I am planning the garden and planting, I am doing a combination of fragrant lavenders mixed with purple and white flowers. I just want to be certain that even from the street people can identify my house as that of a homo.

Heroes was on again last night, after an annoying hiatus. I remember when shows ran through the entire season, the there was summer and reruns. Those were the days, Love Boat, Mork & Mindy, Dynasty...tv was special then.

I continue to fall in love with the puppy. She is so dear, and smart!

Another beautiful day and the first day that the dogwalker is responsible to getting butters out, fed and walked.

So, of course, I am a nervous wreck.

It is wonderful having a dog in the house. The cats continue to taunt and tease her, They are getting a little closer which is cool. It is very funny to watch them get used to each other. It is going to be a glorious weekend here in Minneapolis, sunny and in the 70's. This is when we forget January and February.

My dear friend Brian's mother had a stroke. If praying is your thing, please say some prayers for her. She is a very sweet lady, was always great to Brian and all of his gay boy friend, different of course from his gay boyfriends. Hopefully she is comfortable and will remain comfortable and peaceful whatever is in front of her.

Going to a movie tonight, no idea what, any suggestions?

The stars in heaven are burning a little brighter today. Miss Kitty Carlisle Hart passed away. A wonderful performer and wife to Moss Hart, she will be mourned by queens and elderly women around the globe. I am certain that Moss and Cole Porter greeted her at the pearly gates.

The puppy is very willful, the cats are starting to adjust, with great reluctance. All will be good.

The weather is finally turning nice here, time to take the shorts out of mothballs. Doe anyone ever use mothballs?

I have been too busy with work to sit down and blog for a few months now. I am not even sure if anyone still checks this, but since I started doing this for myself anyway...

So I am on the brink of adopting the above pictured doggie. A rescued lab/spaniel mix, I immediately fell in love with her. They are currently calling her Kiera, but her name would be Butters, because she is the color of butter and makes me melt. Her nickname would be Patty ( get it...patty...pat..pat of butter)

Life over he past couple of months has been crazy, work has had me travelling around the country, fun but but wears you out after a while. Mom had an accident at home that caused a broken leg, followed by a short hospital and nursing home stay before returning home. Dad really struggled with being alone, the first time i his entire life he has lived alone, so he is delighted to have Mom home.

I was in LA recently and aside from hanging out with some friends I love, I was able to meet a new friend. Julie's baby Evelyn was born in Feb and she loved kickin' it with her Uncle Jim. Babies rock, although Butters is pretty darned close.

I am planning on posting a little more often, so Don can keep updated on my life, but we all know how plans change.

This has been a busy week, lots of people making spectacles of themselves over the holidays equals lots of work for Jim.

I have had an opprotunity, workwise, that would move me out of Minnesota. The change would be a few months off, but it is something to think about.

Busy holiday season.

I hope everyone is having a great year end and has something enjoyable planned for the extended weekend. I am enjoying a traditional Jewish Christmas this year, chinese food and a movie, this year it is Dreamgirls.

I try to not make a huge deal out of holidays, I find it only leads to heightened expectations and then resentments. So I like the low key approach.

Kel tagged me the other day, don't worry I will get around to posting my reply.

Best celeb spottings in NYC over the past week,

Kate Winslet
Susan Lucci
Doris Roberts
Gloria Stienem
Laney Kazan

Celeb that I may claim to see even though I know for sure that it wasn't her

Barara Walters.

I had a very nice time with my friend Tim. A disturbing meal with a high school friend and his "master". Went to a great meeting in Hell's Kitchen.

Came home to find that poor Frank's urinary infection was back, that made me sad.

Had a very interesting job offer.

Remember people lost today.

Love the people who are here.

I actually know the hottie posted above, and that is not a good picture of him.

I have started listening to Christmas music, to put myself in a festive mood. It is not really working, but I am hopeful.
This year I am asking Santa for patience, I wonder what type of box that comes in.

Frank seems to be feeling better, he is very calm when I give him his oral antibiotics and he is becoming more affectionate. He still is straining to empty his already empty baldder, but it is getting better.

It is only Wednesday and yet it feels like it should be Friday.

I had take Frank to the Kitty ER last night. There was blood in his pee and I had to be a good dad. Even though it cost me a frickin' pair of good shoes to take him there. I mean for what they charged I could have bought some very nice things, I am not talking Kenneth Coles, but Prada. Damn responsibility.

My friend lost his dad last night, it was a short but serious illness. It was great that he was able to walk through the process sober. I know that he was wonderful support for his mother and dad. He is in my prayers.

It has been a while since I posted, my apologies to everyone who reads this blog, both of you.

So what is new? I had a very nice thanksgiving holiday, quiet and filled with food, just the way I like it.

I went to see Stranger Than Fiction thanksgiving night. Will Ferrell is the next Tom Hanks, you heard it here first( eat that Perez!) A really entertaining movie. Go see it. Saturday I saw the Fountain, really beautiful, I would like someone to go see and than call and explain it to me.

I ran into an old friend and former co-worker relapsing on Thanksgiving night, sitting by himself in a Gameworks drinking a beer, listening to a MP# player and fingering the bruises on his arms created by shooting up. Really made me miss the fun days of using. It was pathetic. I sat with him for a while, and the newcomer who had come to the movie with me, lsitening to him blather on about how different he was and how no one could understand. I tried to get him to come to the movie with us, but John Barleycorn was more convincing as the Big Book says. Well the rest of my sober evening was a great movie, coffee with a new friend and going to bed in my big ol' comfortable bed with the cats. My relapsing friend however, who kept insisting that his life was awesome, continued to drink, was mugged and pistol whipped(I was shocked to find out that people are actually pistol whipped) and ended up in the hospital getting 4 staples and many stiches in his head. I would love to try and help him, but his cell was turned off on Saturday.

Another one for the prayers.

Make sure you vote today!

I was terribly sick last week. I actually went home from work on Tuesday, crawled into bed and except for a few hours on Saturday stayed in bed until Monday morning. Ugh, I felt like crap. Today I feel better for the first time. I actually think I am going to get a flu shot, I am travelling so much for work these days that I think it is really in my best interests.

I received an e-mail from my dear old friend Libby yesterday. She is living in Germany, but jet setting all around Europe from the sound of her note. I could not have been happier to hear from her, I really cannot think of anyone that I would have been more delighted to reconnect with. The internet is truly a wonderful thing. Thank you Al Gore for inventing it.

Well my desk is piled high with a weeks worth of work, and it does not seem to be taking care of itself so I better get to it.

Remember...VOTE! It is not only your right it is your responsibility!

I stayed in a hotel right on Union Square, really couldn't ask for a better location. This was a work trip, but I managed to get a little sightseeing in, golden gate of course, the castro, chinatown(where those rascals knocking off marc jacobs and chloe), gumps, I had a great time. Went to Scoma(spelling?) on tuesday night down on Fisherman's wharf, the food was as good as the company.

Thursday I went down to LA for the weekend. This was a trip with great highs and equally great lows. The highs first:

- celeb spottings- Uma Thurman, Karen Black, Robert from Project Runway, Jai from Queer Eye, Joachim Phoenix, the hot doctor for ER with the goatee, Jack Plotnck from Girls will be Girls, the woman who played the lesbian dog trainer in Best of Show.
- shopping- fabulous Prada boots
- food- great meals
- seeing my friend Julie and touring the Getty
- spending time with my dear friend Patrick
- hanging with frind and co-worker Mike, including a meeting and fellowship with some terribly buff boys.
-some great AA, I heard a wonderful story Sunday night before I left.

The low points were pretty low. I planned this trip primarially to see my friend Dustin. Dusty and I have a long history, dating and loving each other for 10 years now. We do not see each other often, but talk on the phone a few times a month, usually weekly. He had failed to mention to me that he has developed quite the drug habit. I Spent two night with him before I had to leave and find another place to stay. It was horrible and he has moved way up the list on my prayers.

I really hate drugs.

All things being what they are though, I did come to a shocking decision. I could see myself moving to LA. The weather was perfection, the people were alarmingly attractive and still incredibly friendly, the recovery I saw was excellent.

So there it is, something I never thought I would say.

It is good to be home, I am looking forward to sleeping in my bed.

OK, so I am sure that by now Laura has been offered some position with Calvin Klien or Ralph Lauren in their eveningwear design office, so I am ok with that. Frankly, while her collection was flawlessly executed it did not have the range of the other collections.

There, I have said it.

And Micheal, Micheal, Micheal...what was up there?

While I felt that Uli's clothes were far more wearable than anything that Jeffrey put on the runway, certainly his designs should the most vision. The right person won Project Runway this year.

Anyone else notice Santino's absence from the audience?

There is a very good editors column in this months Vanity Fair, pretty much condeming the current administration.