Patrick

Above: Patrick and Me in Boston 2005.

Our friend from Boston, Patrick, came to visit us recently in San Francisco. This would be Patrick's first time to the West Coast and I believe only his second time on an airplane. We were both excited for Patrick to get out of Boston and see the world, this would be the furthest he had ever been away from Boston in the 40-something years on this planet. Needless to say, I was happy that Paul and I were a part of this life changing experience for Patrick.

Going back a bit, I met Patrick in the summer of 2004 - he was advertising his photography business and I was looking to get some photos taken of myself. I had turned 30 and wanted to remember, what was then my favorite age, myself with some photos. I went to Patrick's studio and I immediately connected with him. We both had similar interested and had this inner level of shyness and insecurities that stemmed back to our childhood. I just bonded with him and got to know him.

Above: Game Night Crew! December 2004.

Upon meeting, I just knew his life had not been easy being gay - he was overweight but attractive - I just knew that people, especially gay men, had been judging him on his weight his entire life. It pissed me off. Throughout most of my teens and 20s I was not very attractive and quite awkward and I knew what it was like to be judged on ones exterior rather than what's inside. By some grace of God, I evolved into something I never thought I would be - an attractive person. I had recently moved to Boston and still had no friends, every time I tried to make a friend the guy would usually want to have sex and never would want to get to know me for who I was. I felt like Patrick and I was exactly at the same place in our lives - we were lacking true friends. I wanted this not only for me, but for Patrick as well - but I was still trying to figure out how to make friends, so how on Earth was I going to help Patrick make friends?

I kept in touch with Patrick after the photo shoot and decided that I would just be completely honest and real with people and figure out a way for both of us to get out into the social world in Boston. I placed an ad on Craiglist that basically said: " Hosting a game night at my apartment on Friday nights." I received several responses that were sexually charged and weeded through them to find ones that I felt were genuine. I had amassed eight responses that I felt comfortable with and I set up the first game night including Patrick. Patrick was hesitant and trying to figure out a way to make excuses not to come to game night, but I wasn't taking no for an answer. I wanted people to see what I saw in him - someone that was kind, funny and talented - I also wanted people to see that in me too.

Above: Patrick and Me in Boston 2006.

Game night had arrived and everyone showed up including Patrick - the group was awkward at first, but every Friday night we would meet and get more comfortable with each other. The group was so diverse from age, race and personal backgrounds. The game night eventually evolved, when I met Paul he was invited and so were several of his friends. It continued to grow from there and it became a hit in the South End of Boston as the "it" place to go as an alternative to the bar scene. It didn't all go smoothly at first, people were hesitant to get to know me thinking I was a snob or superficial and people were also hesitant to get to know Patrick as well because he didn't fit the "the Boston gay look."

I also had decided to join the Boston Softball League through Paul and that led to meeting many more friends. I also told Patrick about the league and he started off coming to our softball games taking pictures of my team - that led to him taking pictures of the entire BSL.

Above: Patrick in San Francisco 2009.

Three years ago I left Boston and by that point both Patrick and I had become friends with many wonderful people. Game night and softball had been the perfect launch pad for both of us to make new friends. Currently, Patrick is still taking pictures for the softball league and he received a special award from the BSL thanking him. Patrick and I both grew together in many ways - we both broke out of the shells we were in at the time that we met and we branched out into the world. Patrick will always be special to me - I am so glad he embarked on the journey of coming out to San Francisco. I hope it's just the beginning of his travels:-)

Kylie Minogue Rocks the USA

I have to admit that I am not a huge Kylie Minogue fan – I was first introduced to her when I was 13 years old and heard her remake of the song “Loco-motion” on the radio – it was very catchy and I investigated the singer and thought she was young and fresh, but not very original. Her next single, “I Should Be So Lucky” also clicked with me and I bought her first album titled - Kylie. After that, there were too many other artists I was fascinated with at the time (Madonna, Whitney, George Michael, Heart U2) just to name a few and Kylie slipped through the cracks, she also failed to strike a cord after her first album in the United States and continued a pretty successful career everywhere else in the world BUT the States.

In 2001, Kylie released the album “Fever” her 8^th studio album and it was a huge success in the United States largely part to her first single of the disc, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” The single was a smash hit and I rediscovered Kylie a bit and truly enjoyed the entire album, but still, it wasn’t enough for me to become a die-hard fan like I had become with so many other artists, which appeared to also be the case with the States – her next several albums failed to match the success of “Fever” in the US.

My friends Jimmy and Ryan are huge fans and have been geared up to see Kylie in concert (both their first times) – Kylie was finally coming to the US for the first time ever in her extensive 20 year career. I had no interest in going to see her and even when my friend Ryan asked me to go with him I almost said, “Nah” – but decided to go along for the show. The concert was in a renovated theater that was quite stunning, it was mainly standing room only and it was filled with hundreds of eager gay men waiting the see the Australian diva. I was still not super excited as I had been in the past with other popular musical acts that I had seen in concert.

Above: A picture I took on my iPhone of Kylie's entrance!

The show started and Kylie descended from the ceiling from a platinum skull in a futuristic costume that looked very Lady Gaga like, making me realize that Kylie has probably inspired many of Ms. GaGa’s famous fashion statements. The stage, dancers and Kylie were very engaging, energetic and eager to show the US what Kylie is made of and oh how she did! First of all, I was blown away by Kylie’s beauty, I always knew she was a beautiful woman, but seeing her so close in person confirmed how stunning and youthful she really is! Kylie is 41 years old and looks better than most popular young female singers today (Christina, Britney, Pink).

The majority of the concert was high energy, pumping beats that made you want to dance and catchy songs that even the several I wasn’t familiar with, I could easily sing along to. I finally understand the draw to Ms. Minouge – she has amazing stage presence and can actually sing quite well. Her fun loving, playful and down-to-earth interaction with the audience seeming most genuine and touching at times as she appeared amazed at the overwhelming reception form the Cali fans. Kylie, you won me over and I no longer think of you as second rate Madonna wanna-be (although it was very apparent that Madonna has been a huge inspiration for her). I have been buying up her albums on iTunes all morning. I know I am late in the game, in the gay world, at becoming a Kylie fan, but for those of you, like me, who are late at discovering Kylie’s music I highly recommend these songs below:

1. I Believe in You

2. Love at First Sight

3. Slow

4. The One

5. Come into my World

6. Spinning Round

7. Wow

8. In Your Arms

9. In Your Eyes

10. I Should Be So Lucky

* Note: Can’t Get you Out of My Head & Loco-Motion were huge hits and are songs everyone should have heard by now.

A Spider Named Tina

Outside of our home we have had this large spider making a web in the same spot for the past few months. The spider will come and go but it always makes a web in the same spot right under our kitchen window. Everyday we see this spider during our comings and goings and Zach has decided to name the spider, Tina. He said "The Spider has teenie eyes so I will name him Tina." A boy spider named Tina! Love it.




Note - this spider is lives outside - if this spider were to get into the house I would not sleep at night!

Above: Zach and his pet spider, Tina, right above his head!

$1,000 Weekend!

Above: Me wearing my new glasses in a picture taken by my new camera.

This has been an expensive weekend - my camera that I adored - broke a few months ago and I was hoping that it could be fixed for a reasonable cost. Sadly, it was going to cost over $300.00 just to fix the camera so I decided to just buy a brand new one, with an extended warrantee, which came in over $700! I love taking pictures! The camera will be used often and I am glad I purchases a new camera - I have been missing out on some great photos and I am looking forward to getting back into the world of taking great photos of San Francisco, friends and most importantly Zach and Paul!

Above: Me and Zach.

I also had to get new glasses this weekend. My eyes are not the best, my eye doctor recommended me wearing Progressive lenses since my eye muscles are getting very weak. So I got some cool designer glasses that are reminiscent of the 1940s/1950s. I love them! It's amazing how a pair of glasses can completely change your look. The glasses were worth the $300.00.

Now I have to start repairing my bank account!

Off to Kindergarten!

Apologizes for those of you following my blog, it's been try of anything insightful. I am going to try to post more posts!

Hard to believe but Zachary is off to Kindergarten! It's truly amazing that I have seen this little guy grow up from a tiny baby with a pacifier in his mouth to a beautiful young boy with a smile that melts my heart. On September 3rd, I will watch Zach enter the word of education and be introduced to a new world of learning. I know I will be emotional, I am an emotional person to begin with, but I love milestones in people's lives. I love seeing people grow, thrive, learn and accomplish things in life and this is one of the many milestones that I will hopefully witness in Zach's life.

I want to see him move into his teen years when he graduates from 8th grade - when he turns into a man and graduates high-school - as he enters adulthood graduating college and when he gets married and has his own children. I want to be there for that. I want to watch him be the best student, the best son, the best friend, the best worker, the best husband and the best father. Ok, let's get back to Kindergarten now:-) I don't want to rush his life away.

It has been interesting watching Zach grow at the pre-school he has been at -his teachers have been amazing and he has made some close friends that won't be moving on with him into Kindergarten, but we will be sure to keep in touch with the great friends he has made. I loved Kindergarten and my early grades in elementary school. I lost touch with the close friends I made during those years - but thanks to Facebook - I reconnected with most of them - which has been interesting for sure. It's been amazing to see those "kids" I grew up and hoe their lives turned out.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in all of ours lives as Zach enters the world of education. I am looking forward to all the homework, school events and the new friends Zach will make along the way.

Whitney Houston "I Look To You" Album Review!

I have been waiting forever for a new album from Whitney and the time is finally here! Whitney's first album in seven years is available for purchase on August 31st! You can stream the album now online at whitneyhouston.com

I have been a huge fan of Whitney since she first came out in 1985 - in my opinion she has one of the best female voices of all-time. Here's my review of the eleven songs features on I Look to You.

1. Million Dollar Bill - Hands down the best song on the CD. Written by the amazing Alicia Keys, this song is so funky and upbeat, probably the most upbeat song since Whitney recorded I Want to Dance with Somebody. The song does remind me of a song from the late 70s but it also has a fresh feel to it on top of the classic vibe. Whitney sounds great on this track - her vocals are strong and solid, Keys offers her amazing voice on the background vocals giving this song exactly what it needs. I do wish Houston and Keys would do an entire album together. I am hoping this single brings Houston back on the music charts this year.

2. Nothin' But Love - This song has a nice feel to it - reminds me of classic Whitney. I like how Whitney is thanking all the people that stood by her through the good and bad times. Her vocas are great on this track. It's a nice "thank you" track.

3. Call You Tonight - I really like this feel good song, again, reminds me of old school Whitney. I really think her voice sounds super crisp on this song - the lyrics are great. An age appropritae song for Houston to sing.

4. I Look To You - A strong ballad. When I first this song I was not overly crazy for it, but after several listens - it's a really great song. Whintey sounds good, I feel she is holding back a bit. The bridge of the song could have been a bit stronger with the vocals but all in all - great ballad from Whitney written by R. Kelly.

5. Like I Never Left - This song is in the same feel, sound and vide from the rest of the album to this point. It's an interesting duet with Akon - I think it should have been someone like Ne-Yo but all in all - it's an ok song, not one of my faves on this album.

6. A Song For You - Whitney needs to release this song as a single - it gave me chills listening to the amazing Houston singing with just the piano in the background at the beginning of the song. Damn - she can still sing!! I love love love this song! Really great vocal performance. I love how it speeds up and Whitney is almost asking for forgiveness for her past mistakes - great song.

7. I Didn't Know My Own Strength - The lyrics to his song really hit my heard - I can relate to the words to this song and every time I hear it reminds me of my own strength and battles I had to overcome. Great ballad - happy to hear Whitney sing it and mean it.

8. Worth It - Slow, smooth jam...old school Whitney for sure. After a few listens I like it - reminds me of the Whitney from back in the day.

9. For the Lovers - I like this song - probably the most modern song on the disc. Houston's voice sounds muffled and deep but I think that's the sound they were going for on this song. 

10. I Got You - Akon is introduced in this song - not crazy about it. Wish she didn't more with Alicia Keys than Akon. Whitney sounds great though.

11. Salute - This is along the same lines as Beyonce's song Halo, but this song is stronger. It's a song about leaving a love and moving on. A great way for Whintey to close this album. I think this is a great fuck you to Bobby Brown.

All in all it's a strong effort for a 46 year old Whitney Houston who was pretty much written off for not being able to sing anymore. The album is strong and should return Whitney to the R&B charts - the only single on here that I can see going on the mainstream Hot 100 charts is Million Dollar Bill - it should go Top 10. I am hoping this CD is just a warmup to the next album Whitney is going to release in the near future.

Muir Woods

Above: (left to right) Me, Shayne, Ryan, Paul, Will & Turner.

This past weekend Paul and I went to Muir Woods in Matrin, just north of San Francisco. We had yet t go there since we have been living here and our friend Ryan lead the charge in getting us and our friends up and out of the city. It was a great time and the woods re truly amazing, I'd loike to go again and explore a bit more.

Above: (left to right) Paul, Turner, Will, Ryan and Shayne.

Above: The entrance to Muir Woods.

Above: Shayne, Paul & Ryan.

Above: (left to right) Me, Shayne, Ryan, Paul, Will & Turner.

Above: (left to right) Paul, Turner, Will, Ryan and Shayne.

Above: Clovers.

Happy 4th of July in Boston!

Above: Me on the Cape, photo taken by Zach's Nanny Lois aka Button.

It's the last day of our 10 day trip in Boston and I am ready to go back to San Fran! I do have to say I did have a blast in Boston, but I don't miss living here at all!!

Above: Boston

We arrived in Boston last week and we were at Paul's nephews wedding, pictures of the wedding can be found below. The we had a family gathering the day after the wedding which was nice and we also saw some old friends. It was great to see everyone, I miss our old Boston brood - but it seems like more and more of our Boston friends are leaving Boston as well.

Above: Me, Patrick and Paul - we had a great visit with our friends Patrick and Frank.

Above: Paul, me and Frank in Cambridge Mass.

Above: Boston Boys! (from left to right) Jim, Charlie, Me, Paul, Kevin & Jack.

Above: Me and Kevin.

Above: Kevin, Me, Jim, Charlie and Paul at Flashes in Boston.

We then headed to my cousin's house in Western Mass. My cousin and family had not yet met Zachary yet so I was excited for them to meet him. We had so much fun at my cousins house, I really enjoy being with my cousin, her family and my aunt and uncle. Great people!

Above: My cousin Nic and Me.

Above: Me and Zach taking a dip in my cousins pool.

Above: Chicken Fights!!!

Above: Zach having fun with my cousins children, Duffy and Cooper.

Above: My Aunt Laurie and my Uncle Bernie playing a game of golf.

We then headed to the cape with Zach and spent a few days there with Zach's mom Carrie and her family, again another great few days of rest and relaxation - truly a wonderful time.

Above: The beautiful Cape house we stayed at.

Above: The Cape Clan - Ciara, Me, Paul, Zach, Carrie, Button and Iggy.

Above: Beautiful Zachary!

Above: An inviting pool at the Cape House.

Above: Like father, like son...

Above: Me at the Cape.

We then ended our trip with an awesome 4th of July cookout at Paul's family's house. It was a great time in Boston and I am sure we will be back in a few months!! Enjoy the photos!

Above: The Johnsons and the Sarsfields.

Above: Me and Paul's niece Hailey enjoying our Friendly's ice cream!!

Above: Zach and Paul eating their sundaes!

Above: Zach waiting patiently for the duck boat tour to start.

Whitney Houston - I Didn't Know My Own Strength - New single

Whitney Houston is my favorite singer of all time. She is hands down one of the best singers ever. I have always been a fan of hers and really have been rooting for her to have a major comeback - well it is here. Her new single from is called "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" leaked on the web and I am pleasantly surprised. The song is an old school ballad that could have easily been on anyone of her albums from the 80s or 90s. The lyrics really are a great way for Whitney to express where she has been and where she is going. It's a very inspirational song and for a woman that has been in the industry a long time it's nice to see her not using cheap lyrics and a slutty image to sell record. for instance, Mariah Carey who is 40 has a new album and song coming out a week before Whitney and Mariah's album cover looks like she is on the street corner and the lyrics to her new song sound like it was written by Hannah Montana. Mariah has nothing on Whitney - Whitney is in a league of her own and Mariah will never be in the same class - ever.

Above: The trash bag that is Mariah Carey can be seen on her forthcoming album cover above - yikes! Bad photo shop job.

The big question has been can Whitney still sing? Yes, she can but the voice that made her a phenomenon is gone, forever. Her voice is deeper, raspier and not as crisp BUT Whitney is 45 years old (46 in August) and like any great singer (Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews) the voice does age as well. Even if Whitney had taken care of her voice as well as other divas it would have aged. For instance, Whitney's cousin Dionne Warwick had a very clean crisp voice when she came out in the early 1960s, when Dionne had a huge comeback in the 80s her voice was much deeper and raspier. Now, if you listen to Whitney's new song, her voice is still better than most female artists on the radio today, there are only a few that can sing better right now (Leona Lewis, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys & Celine Dion). Whitney can still sing and she sounds great, she just has a more mature voice.

Above: Whitney Houston recently in LA preparing for her long-awaited comeback!

Whitney's new album, I Look to You, drops on September 1st and I am looking forward to buying it. I am hoping it's a solid album and does well for Whit. I am praying for a major Whitney Houston comeback!! Take a listen to her new single below. It should be on iTunes in a few weeks.

Michael Jackson

Above: Michael Jackson before and after. He looks great on the right - what happened!?!?

I am sure about everyone who has a blog has blogged about the death of Michael Jackson. I never would have thought one of my biggest idols growing up would die at such a young age.

Paul and I were on an airplane flying to Boston when it happened. The first headline we saw was that MJ had a heart attack - my first thought was he is faking or it isn't as serious as the media is trying to say it is. Then it said he was in a coma and then I was like - ok MJ maybe you took too many meds and then the news reported he had died. WHAT!?!?! I know many people are saying that its not shock - but it was a shock to me. I mean he was only 50 and even thought he was on a ton of meds so are more than half of Americans. I was totally floored by his death.

Above: Best selling album off all-time.

I do think it's a shame the way his life ended up with all the accusations of abuse, his strange transformation from a black man into a white woman and his lack of anything music worthy in over 10 years.

Above: At his peak.

At any rate - I will say that he is the most important male musical artist of my generation. He is the Elvis of my time and I am still in shock over it. I remember I first started getting into Michael Jackson at the age of 8 when the Thriller album came out - I wore it out. I would roller skate in my basement to his songs. I had posters, jackets, puzzles -- you name it if it was MJ I had it.

Above: Legacy.

I am hoping Jackson is remembered for his artistry and not his weirdness. He was one of the most talented artists ever.

My top ten fave Michael Jackson Songs:

He was one of my fave pop artists and I am not ashamed to admit I had all of his albums mostly in vinyl! As corny as this is - here are my top ten fave MJ songs:

1. Man in the Mirror (1988) - The words to this song are powerful and moving and i still love this song today - in my opinion the best MJ song. It made you look at yourself and see what little thing you could do to change the world. Make that change!

2. Ain't No Sunshine (1972) - It's hard to believe MJ sang this song with so much emotion and passion at the age of 13 - he may of not been the first artist to record it, but he sang it the best.

3. Rock with You (1979) - Such a great feel good end of the disco-era song. Just a taste of things to come when he released this song.

4. Wanna Be Startin' Someting (1983) - "Mama say mama sa ma ma coo saw." I remember when this song came out my two brothers and I would laugh ourselves silly listening to that verse and jump on our beds having pillow fights. So much fun - a moment in my life I'd love to rewind to.

5. Billie Jean (1983) - Probably one of the best songs of the 80s and it really started my fandom of MJ at the age of nine.

6. Black or White (1991) - I like this song, but I laugh thinking about it now - especially when a born black MJ turned white is singing "It don't matter if your Black or White" --- apparently it did matter...

7. Smooth Criminal (1988) - I used to love this song, still do, great dance song - would love to just rock it out to this song right now.

8. Thriller (1984) - Just for the historical video alone.

9. Beat it (1983) - Moonwalk.

10. You are Not Alone (1995) - This is probably the last song that Michael recorded that was good, after this song he really didn't record anything worth listening to.

Wedding Photos

Above: Me, Paul and Zach at the wedding. My new favorite picture:-)

This past Friday Paul's nephew got married - it was an amazing wedding. Zach was asked to be the ring bearer in the wedding it - this was Zach's first wedding. He was so damn cute in the wedding!!! Anyway, I wish the bridge and groom, Ashley and Andrew, all the happiness in the world. I took over 300 photos - half of them are on Facebook BUT I selected my top 20 photos I took at the wedding. Enjoy:-)

Above: This is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. I couldn't have planned this picture.

Above: A beautiful shot of the bride and groom.

Above: I was watching the wedding party walk away and though - no one ever takes a photo of the wedding party from the rear view - I love the look of this photo.

Above: Zach in a tux was priceless - he looked like a little man.

Above: Bride Ashley talking to Zach - love the candid moment.

Above: My favorite wedding party photo.

Above: The groom and the bride entering the sea of guests.

Above: Three beautiful ladies!

Above: Me and Zach dancing - he's a great dancer!

Above: Zach hated the tight collar and his cousin Jake was trying to ease his discomfort.

Above: Such a beautiful photo.

Above: I love photographing Zach - his face is so amazing.

Above: Me and Paul:-)

Above: Everyone looked amazing.

Above: Zach taking the time out to wave to the camera.

Above: Stunning.

Above: Paying tribute to Michael Jackson.

Above: Growing up too fast!

Above: Again, growing up too fast - before we know it - it will be cousin/niece Hailey's wedding!

Boycott Perez Hilton - Support Dustin Lance Black

Above: Perez and Me back in 2008.

Ok - it's about time that Perez Hilton's 15 minutes of fame were up. Recently, Perez Hilton felt the need to bring down a positive gay role model and drag him through the mud. Dustin Lance Black is an openly gay male who won an Oscar for best screenplay this past year for his story on Harvey Milk. Dustin is not only an inspiration for the gay community by bringing the story of Harvey Milk to life, but he's also an inspiration for being an openly gay male that won and Oscar. I am inspired by Dustin for bringing to life an amazing story about a gay hero! Dustin has been an inspiration to the entire gay community young and old.

Above: Dustin Lance Black

So why would Perez choose to exploit nude pictures of Dustin having sex with an old boyfriend? Why would he choose to glorify it and drag a gay role model through the mud when the gay community is lacking role models?? Because frankly, Perez Hilton, is a piece of shit. He's a miserable human being that could only wish he was having the hot sex that was depicted in the pictures of Dustin Lance Black. Perez's miserable existence is exactly why he chose to lash out at Dustin. Think about it, who would have sex with Piggy Perez?? NO ONE! Perez may be rich and famous, BUT he doesn’t have what money can’t buy and that's love and respect.



Perez has dragged Dustin through the mud, and he blames it on the fact that Dustin never should have taken sex photos, - who the fuck cares!! Most people have sex Perez -- we know your not having it but exploring sex with your husband, wife, partner or whatever is a fun thing to do. Many couples gay and straight have fun taking nude pictures or sex videos of each other - it's sexual exploration that is encouraged to spice up a couple's sex life or just to increase the enjoyment of it. It's encouraged and millions of people have done it. This is something you don't understand because you have never had it - I often wonder if you have even ever had sex.


I am asking everyone to boycott anything related to Perez "Piggy" Hilton. Don't buy his crap, don’t go to his pathetic blog, and don’t support anything he does. He's worthless and there is no reason to support his hatred. Why do so many losers who don't have a life (i.e. S.J.) feel the need to drag people that do have a life through the mud - plain and simple they are jealous of that life they wish they were living!

Videos Clips from Paris!

Check out some video highlights from our trip to Paris!

Paris

Above: My favorite picture of the entire trip - this picture sums up Paris.

Here are a few photos of us when we were in Paris last month. I wish we had a bit more time to explore Paris - it was beautiful!!! More photos can be found on facebook.

Above: Me awake for 24 hours and still going!

Above: Booksellers

Above: An amazing piece of architecture.

Above: A street in Paris.

Above: Paul in front of a store names "Paul" - they sell perfume I think.

Above: Notre Dame Church

Above: Beautiful view.

Above: Stormy skies were a brewing.

Above: Entrance to the park and marketplace.

Above: The Louvre

Above: Entering The Louvre.

Above: My favorite statue outside of the Louvre

More Photos from Greece

Above: Me and Paul enjoying a brewski in Greece.

We took so many photos of Greece I couldn't possibly put them all up on the blog. I selected some of my fave -- you can see more on my Facebook profile. Was a trip I will remember forever.

Above: The most southern tip of Athens.

Above: This is me looking into the Mediterranean Ocean before I am about to dive into the amazing clear blue water.

Above: A shot of what the many outdoor dining places look like in Greece.

Above: Paul next the an enormous flower pot!
Above: Me hamming it up with the mannequins.

Above: A cute photo of Paul waiting for our beer and food.

Above: Enjoying a huge stein of Heineken.

Above: A view of the Temple of Hephaestus.

Above: The amazing Temple of Hephaestus.

Above: A line of ancient statues inside the Stoa of Attalos.

Above: An amazing statue, even though it's hundreds of years old it looks alive to me.

Above: One of my favorite shots I took on the trip - The Pillars of the Stoa of Attalos.

Above: Me next to a statue of Aphrodite.

Above: Me admiring the amazing view.

Above: Peace.

Above: One of the statues into the entrance of the ancient marketplace.

Above: Me getting some rays inside of Hadrian's Library.

Above: Paul inside Hadrian's Library under an impressive archway.

Ancient Greece

Above: Me in front of the Parthenon.

Paul and I are still in Greece, I wanted to post some photos on here. We have ben in Greece for almost a week now and it's truly an amazing place. Just walking around the city and and exploring the ancient city and realizing all the history that this great city holds.

Above: An amazing view of the Acropolis from the city of Athens.

Above: At the Acropolis, this is the Stoa of Eumenes.

Above: The entrance to the Acropolis, Propylaea.

Above: Another shot of the full entrance to the Acropolis, Propylaea

Paul and I went to the Acropolis and viewed the ancient ruins and just marveled at the amazing artistry that went into these fine pieces of architecture. it's funny to compare what the Greeks were doing hundreds of years before Christ and what the Indians were doing around that time as well...no comparison and even as years went on the Indians still had the primitve teepee and totum poles and here the Greeks and Romans were producing these outstanding pieces of work and several are still standing tall today.

Above: The amazing Parthenon.

Above: Side-view of the Parthenon.

Above: Paul at the Parthenon.

Above: Paul admiring the Parthenon.

It's really been a trip of a lifetime and has opened my eyes even more to different cultures and ways of life. Enjoy a fraction of the photos we took - there are more on my facebook page if you are a friend of mine, you can view them. I will be posting more photos on the blog shortly.

Above: My favorite - The Old Temple of Athena on the right and the left part is the Erechtheum.

Above: These beautiful pillars decorate the porch of the Old Temple of Athena.

Above: The amazing Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Above: Entrance to the Temple of Zeus, Hardin's Gate.

Above: A view from the Acropolis looking down at the Temple of Zeus.

Above: Temple of Zeus with the fortress Acropolis in back of it.

Above: Look at how grand the Temple of Zeus is! I look so tiny next to it.

Above: A fallen pillar at the Temple of Zeus.

Above: A view of the city of Athens from the Acropolis.

98th Bay to Breakers San Francisco 2009

Turner & Paul celebrating finishing the race!

Paul ran in his first Bay to Breakers today with temps already in the 80s by the time the race started at 8am - heatwave in SF right now! Zach and I went to watch our first Bay to Breakers - we missed seeing Paul run in the race by seconds but Zach and I still had a blast watching the wild people run the race in costumes, masks and naked! Only in San Francisco! Check out some of the pictures from the event.

Above: Zach at Bay to Breakers.

Athens, Greece

Well, it looks like Paul and I are off to Greece in two weeks!!! I am so excited. I have never been out of North America so going to Greece in a few weeks is going to be an amazing adventure that I am going to never forget! I really never thought I'd make it to Europe before the of 50, glad I am doing it while I am in my 30s. Growing up I loved geography, still do, and I did a report on Greece once and ever since then it was the place I wanted to go to the most all my life. My mother was the same way - she always told me she wanted to go there more than anywhere else and that if I ever went to send her something from Greece. I may just send her something with no explanation to see if she remembers our talks many many years ago about Greece and that report I did ( with her) that we had so much fun doing together.



It's going to be such an amazing adventure and I know I will be overwhelmed with the whole trip. I will be taking pictures and video from the trip non-stop so I will be posting many updates from the trip here. So stay tuned.

I really would love to go to Europe with Zach someday when he is a little older - I'd love to see him explore the countries and really get into it. Someday!:-)

Stinson Beach

Above: A picture I shot while driving of Stinson Beach.

This past Saturday Paul, Zach and I went to Stinson Beach in Marin County. I have been wanting to go to this beach for a long time now and we finally made our way to the beach that everyone has been recommending we go to. Zach has been there before with his mom and grandparents so he was familiar with all it's beauty.

Above: Stinson Beach from afar.

Above: A rocky view of Stinson Beach.

The trek out to the beach was about an hour - lots of traffic and the long windy road to get there was unlike any road I have driven on. It had so many twists and turns in it I really thought we were going to go over the edge! There were very few guardrails and the drop was a straight drop right off the cliffs - pretty scary.

Above: The long windy road we took to get to Stinson Beach.

Once we arrived at the beach Zach said he wanted to go home and Paul was already grumbling because he hates the beach - but I was determined to get everyone in great spirits and loving the beach on such a beautiful day!

Above: Peaceful.

Above: Zach excited to be at the beach!

Above: Me trying to get Zach into his swimsuit.

Above: Zach.

Above: Zach is all smiles.

It worked! We all had an awesome time at the beach and it was the most beautiful beach that I have been to so far. The water was ice cold but we all managed to get a little wet. The beach to me is such a relaxing and surreal place for me. I could spend hours on the beach just listening to the water and running my feet through the sand. I am not a sun worshiper and I do wear SPF 70 when I go out in the sun, not because I burn - I do tan but I don't want to look like a piece of leather. I lathered up Zach with SPF 70 too and told him he will thank me someday for having nice skin when he is older:-) hee hee!

Above: Zach and me testing out the cold water.

Above: My favorite picture from our beach trip - Zach and Paul running away from the icy waves.

Check out the amazing pictures from our day at the beach. For those of you on Facebook, there are many more pictures to view.

Facebook is a Blog Clog

I love looking back on my blog posts over the past 2 plus years + of blogging, but I have noticed that I am blogging much less and I blame Facebook for that. Facebook, in essence, is one big blog but you reach more people and interact with people more instantly, unlike a blog where people have to take the time to research and read it.

I love Facebook, I have reconnected with some people from my past that I never imagined I would be in touch with. People from elementary school, lost family members, high school bullies, you name it I have reconnected with them. These people have now become a part of my daily life and no my every walking move on Facebook. Good or bad? I still have not decided. Has Facebook messed with the future? Was I really suppossed to reconnect with my 1st grade crush?

I am going to try to blog more since I find blogging more as a scrapbook of my life and Facebook as more of the now, living in the moment.

So I am blaming Facebook for my lack of blogging:-)

Britney Spears - Circus

Last Sunday night, I was taken to the Britney Spears "Circus" concert by one of my best friends Ryan. We went with two more of our close friends Will and Evan to San Jose and were all pumped to see Ms. Spears. On our way there, we talked about what Britney songs and albums we like. I am not a huge Britney fan, I was in my early 20s when she first hit the pop music scene and I really liked her when she first came out. She was energetic, perky, had great dance moves and was wholesome....well maybe not so wholesome...

Above: Britney in her early days - before the madness started.

The show opened with the glorified stripper group, The Pussycat Dolls. They were pretty good, the lead singer could sing and they were entertaining. After they were done the stage needed to be assembled for Britney's arrival and we decided to get some grub at the concert. The people at this concert were mostly young girls between the ages of 18-30. Some of these girls were "raised" with Britney and it showed, for the most part the girls looked trashy, overdone and sloppy. It was kind of scary to visually see the sea of what Britney had inspired. Not good. NOT good.

Britney's "circus" was about to begin and I have to say, I was really excited to see the troubled pop star in all her glory. I am a huge fan of celebrities and we had great seats so I was cheering and clapping. Then from the ceiling comes Brit herself looking as beautiful as ever with long blond locks, an amazing figure that I am sure she worked hard to get back and a perfectly made up face. She looked amazing!

Above: A shot I took from the show.

After her first few songs, I realize that she was lip syncing, which was upsetting since her vocals are not great to begin with - I figured she should be able to sing live for some of her songs. Nope. She lip synced the entire show. Oye! Not only did she lip sync but she seemed a bit lost on stage and not fully into it. Her amazing dancing days were gone - her feet never really moved from the ground and most of her movements were her upper body and hands/arms swaying around. The flips, kicks, squats and twirls were no where to be seen, that's I wanted to see - her "Hit me Baby One More Time" days are gone.

Above: Brit when she lost her mind and shaved her head. I like the look - I have thought of doing the same thing!

The show was entertaining but I couldn't help feel a bit of sadness when leaving the show. I feel bad for Brit in a way....ten years ago a young girl hit the pop scene and became an overnight sensation. I feel it never should have happened or maybe it should have stopped after her first CD. I don't feel Brit is living the life she wants to live even though she is rolling in the dough. She seems lost, scared and still spiraling out of control even underneath all her newly in-shape self.

Time will only tell what will be in store for Brit - I will go out on a limb an predict that she will not be where Madonna is today at 50.

Getting Married

All my life I never understood why people spend thousands of dollars on a wedding, I always thought it made more sense to have a low-key wedding somewhere that was affordable and take all those thousands of dollars on the wedding you were going to spend and invest it in a house. I still agree with this theory.

Getting married is something that has never crossed my mind. Growing up gay the thought of two men marrying was not even a thought. Even with all the gay marriage scandal going on now - I still don't think or feel the need to marry Paul. We have a great relationship, the best relationship I have ever had - I don't feel that marriage will benefit or detract from our relationship.


Yesterday, out of the blue, Zachary asked me, "Are you going to get married?" I chuckled and wondered where this conversation was going to go. I said, "No, I don't think so" and I asked "Who would I marry!? He looked at me and said "You could marry Daddy!?" I was floored and then he went on to say that a woman can marry a man but a man can marry another man too. Paul and I looked at each other and couldn't believe this was coming from a five year old. It wasn't coming from "a" five year old it was coming from an incredibly smart, in-tune, sensitive and observant 5-year old - Zachary. He's an amazing kid!

I then asked him if Mommy and Iggy should get married and he said " Oh yes, they will get married" :-) He said it very matter of factly!


Paul and I had talked about when Zach gets older if he will accept us and our lifestyle. I have no doubt that Zach will, even before he educated us on another man being able to marry another man. It truly is amazing to have a child in your life - Zach has taught me more about myself and helped me grow more than any professor, teacher or book could. He has taught me more about myself than any person I have met in my life. All this at the age of five! Who knew!?!

Boston comes to San Francisco

Above: Korland, Will & Michael at Dolores Park in SF.

Last weekend we had a few friends come in from Boston & Seattle and it was great seeing them. A few of them had never been to SF before so we were excited to show them the place we now call home. It's funny -- after you're living somewhere for a period of time you can take your surroundings for granted and forget the beauty around you - I try not to do that, but the hustle and bustle of life and work can cloud your vision.

Above: Me & Paul at Lands End.

This weekend with our friends in town confirmed for me how much I love this city and all it's beauty. There's no place like it and I can't imagine living anywhere else again. Remind you, I said I would never leave Massachusetts just two short years ago.

Above: Me in Paul's tattoo, "The man in the maze of life."

Having our friends in town also reminded me that as I get older how much I am valuing friendships, true friendships. We all talked about how we first met and how me orchestrating a small game night back in Boston when I was friendless helped bring so many people together - including the three friends that were with us this past weekend.

Above: One of the most beautiful bridges in the world, Golden Gate Bridge.

We bonded with our friends even more and I know that Korland, Will and Michael will be our friends for life. It's fun to look back on the journey's we have with our friends. I look forward to the journey's we will have in the future.

Above: Me with the boys.

Above: Paul with the boys.

Disturbia: Rihanna & Chris Brown

Above: Rihanna after she was physicllly assaulted by Chris Brown.

The Rihanna and Chris Brown incident happened about a month ago now - I haven't posted anything about it - the whole incident made me very angry and I was curious how the incident would play out. I feel like I can comment on this issue for a number of reasons:

1. I am a huge fan of Rihanna, I think she is the modern day Madonna, her music is fun, unique and I love her image and unique sense of style. Rihanna already has five number one singles under her umbrella and she is only 21 years old.

2. I am also a fan of Chris Brown's music, he is a very talented artist, can dance his ass off and his music is a positive change to the negative and degrading r&b/rap that we have heard in he past. He has an amazing year in 2008 and was labeled by Billboard magazine as artist of the year ( ironically Rihanna was the #2 artist of 2008).

3. I was in an abusive relationship for many years and the issue of domestic violence really hits home to me on many levels.

Above: Me when I got involved in my first relationship.

This issue with Rihanna brought me back to when I was young, naive and in love. My first love was someone much older than me and I thought he was the best thing ever inside and out. I remember the first physical incident that had happened to me when I was with "Danny." I was sixteen years old and living with "Danny" and attending high school at the time. We had been together for several months now, our apartment was a 15 minute walk from my school. A male friend of mine, that I had known since elementary school, saw me walking and asked me if I wanted a ride, I accepted. He dropped me off in front of my apartment, but before I went upstairs I chatted outside the car with my friend. When I finished chatting I went upstairs and I saw "Danny" sitting on the couch very silent and starring at the wall. I didn't pay too much attention to it and started to take my school books out of my backpack to do my homework.

I heard "Danny" ask me who the guy was that dropped me off and I didn't think much of it and said " Just a guy friend." The next thing I knew, Danny grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and picked me up in the air. I remember my feet were dangling in the air and I was in shock at what was going on. Danny said to me "Don't you ever let me catch you with a another guy in a car again!" and he threw me into the corner of the living room into a hanging shelf. My body hit the shelf and wall and I crumbled to the ground. I couldn't believe what was happening, this wasn't "Danny." I started to get up from the ground and as I did I said to him "What the hell do you think you're doing!" He came to me all wild eyed grabbed my homework paper I was working on and shoved it into my mouth saying "Don't you EVER raise your voice to me again!" and continued to shove the paper down my throat.

I was crying as I spit the pieces of paper out of my mouth. I was in shock and still a bit out of breath from being thrown against the wall. That night when he fell asleep, I left the apartment and walked to my mothers house. I knew I could climb through the window of my old bedroom - I had only been away from the home that I grew up in for about 5 months. I crawled into the window and my room was still pretty close to how I had left it. I locked the window once I was inside and I crawled under the covers and cried myself to sleep.

After that incident, I snuck into my mom's house from time to time, since I really wasn't welcomed there since I came out about my sexuality, and I stayed at friends houses until Danny was waiting for me after school one day with gifts and saying how sorry he was and how much he loved me and how he would never hurt me again. I believed him.....that relationship latest 10 years...10 years of living in an abusive relationship feeling I was not good enough for anything better, believing that the man I loved would never hurt me again, believing he would change, believing the abuse would end. It never did...it ended with me almost dead. The pictures below are of me from 2000, the year I left "Danny" - these pictures were taken one week after I was brutally beaten, these photos are after one full week of healing.

Above: I am glad I still have this photo - reminds me how thankful I am I got out of a terrible situation.
This photo was a week after I was brutally beaten.

So, back to Rihanna -- as Oprah said "HE WILL HIT YOU AGAIN!" I have no doubt about it. I really hope she takes this incident and turn it into something she can educate young adults on. This is a serious issue in society and it needs to be addressed. I mean it's still a huge issue with women being abused maybe someday people will take awareness that it does happen in gay relationships as well.

Above: This photo shows the back of my head, notice the right side of my head in back of my ear how swollen it is. I have permanent hearing damage in my right ear.

So to all the Rihanna's (female and male) out there that think they are stuck and have no way out of an abusive relationship - there's hope - I am celebrating my 8th year of being out of an abusive relationship and have been in a happy, healthy and loving relationship for 4 1/2 years now. There is hope, help and no one - NO ONE - deserves to be beaten or hit in a relationship of any kind. No excuses.

Sushi

Above: Best Sushi place in San Francisco, Warakabune.

I never had Sushi until I moved to San Francisco - I was always scared of it. When I moved to SF, Paul was hooked on Sushi so I decided to try it. Paul tried to get me to eat these massive pieces of raw fish and I gagged - I couldn't do it -- then I discovered "Sushi" - the items on the menu that are cooked or all vegetables and I loved it!:-)


Another person who shares the same passion for"Sushi" as I does is Zach. No most 5 year olds would run away at the sight of Sushi -- can you imagine a young Paul Johnson eating Sushi - I think not! Carrie takes Zach to eat Sushi from time to time and so does Paul and I. He loves it. We recently took him to our favorite Sushi place in SF - Warakabune where you sit at the Sushi bar and watch the boats of Sushi travel around the bar and you grab the tiny Sushi plates you like.

Above: Giving the camera his Sushi eye.

Check out Zach eating at the Sushi bar - photos are a bit blurry taken with my iPhone. Also, check out the Sushi Zach made himself in school! Pretty creative huh!?

Above: Zach made a sushi roll out of foam and paper.

Above: Dipping the sushi...

...going in for he kill...

...YUMMMMM!