My New Years Resolution

My New Year's resolution this year is not going to be to get in awesome shape, eat better, drink less or to floss more. I never seem to keep those New Year's resolutions, maybe because I don't take them too seriously. This year I am going to take my New Year's resolution pretty seriously because I feel like I have something not only to prove to myself, but also to share with many people. I am writing my life story and my goal is to have it completed this year and have it in a place to shop around to publishers by the end of 2009. I realized that I have an interesting story to tell, actually it's quite amazing. I recently have told some people a small portion of my story and people seem genuinely inspired by it... I am inspired by it. When I talk about some of the things I have been through, where I have come from and where I am, I can hardly believe it's me - my life.

So, I am taking a break from doing a lot of things to focus on what will be literally another chapter in my life. As I am writing my book this year, I am going to post about how it's going with the writing process and talk about some portions of what I am writing about. You won’t get the full story - just bits and pieces to keep you interested and guessing until the book comes out:-)

I have already started writing my book and the picture that introduces this post above is of a bus station in Springfield, Massachusetts that I ended up at in November 2000 at the age of 26 years old. When Paul and I drove by that bus stop recently while I was in Western Massachusetts, I felt a lump in my throat and felt my eyes start to water as I took that picture. That bus stop was a huge turning point in my life. I was at that bus stop on a cold November night with nothing but a wad of money in my pocket and the clothes on my back. I hopped aboard a bus, headed to Boston and never looked back. That bus ride would change my life in so many ways, but it would be a long journey for me once I arrived in Boston. A journey that would be the most challenging thing I would ever have to go through...

Boston Bar Crawl

Above: Me, Jon, Kevin & Paul.

While Paul and I were in Boston we were looking forward to seeing our friends in Boston. We saw MOST of them but not all. Really wish I could have seen Patrick, Frank, Jeff and many others but we did see a lot of people! We headed to our favorite Boston gay bars, oh wait there are only like 4 or 5 bars in Boston, so we headed to some of the only gay bars in Boston like Fritz, Club Cafe and Paradise.

Above: Me and Jack! Love ya Jack!

Above: Me, Bucca and Paul.

Above: Me and Andrew.

Above: Jim Kevin and Paul.

It was so good to see friends that we have known since we started dating - Kevin and Jon being our oldest friends and closest. It was so good to see Jon and Kevin talk about some of the memories we had from years past. Jack and Charlie our also two of our good friends who I love spending time with and I am hoping Jack decides to move out to SF someday!:-) Also, we had not seen a friend of ours, Mike, in almost 2 years so that was a pleasant surprise. I have to say that I am so thankful for these friends and I hope they are all a part of my life until we are all old and gray and laugh together about all he great times we shared. I miss hanging with you guys and hope you all can make it out at some point in 2009!!

Above: LOVE these guys! Korland, Me, Will and his boyfriend Michael!

Above: Andrew and Paul.

Above: Kevin and his appropriate shirt.

Above: Love ya Josh! Josh and Mike.

Above: Me and my Joan friend Chris from NY!

Boston Science Museum

Above: Zach and Hailey.

The Boston Science Museum is a great place to take kids on a rainy December day and that's just what we did with Zach and Hailey. There was so much to see, do and explore. My only gripe about the whole experience was that they charge $19.00 for adults and $16.00 for kids - highway robbery! Enjoy our journey though the museum photos!

Above: Zach the Scientist.

Above: Paul is about to get his head squeezed like a grape!

Above: Like father like son!

Above: They all marvel that the world is round!

Above: Me and Zach.

Above: Cute picture of Paul and a bear.

Above: Good ole fashion bear hug.

Above: Paul hamming it up in front of a Moose.

Above: Again, father like son.

Above: Zach standing next to a dinosaur print.

Above: Grasshopper!

Above: Zach exploring.

Above: Zach racing with a skeleton.

Above: Zach unsure how he feels about the skulls.

Above: Can you guess which one is having a fit that we were getting ready to leave....

Happy Holidays 2008

Above: I took this picture on our way into Boston a few days before Christmas.

The Holidays were a great!! Christmas Day was spent at Paul's moms with his entire family, he has a large family and it was chaotic, but that's what the holidays are all about! The food was great and fun was had by all. The Yankee Swap this year was not as exciting as last years when I won $500, I did get scratch tickets in the swap but only won 4.00 and I got a great male grooming kit!

Above: Zach and Me at the dinner table.

Above: Paul and Zach opening gifts!

Above: Zach trying to figure out one of his new toys.

I got a great new camera zoom lens from Paul along with some great clothes! I got Paul a GPS for our car and some other small trinkets. Zach got so much that he has not played with every thing yet. I think his fave toys are the digital camera, police racing helmet, castle and the car that drives on the wall and the ceiling! He has yet to crack into so many other gifts.

Above: A look of surprise!

Above: A look of wonder.

Above: Zach trying out his new digital camera.

The holidays were even better with the snow, it really felt like the holidays. The day after Christmas we had a great dinner with Zach's cousin Hailey and her mom and husband up in there amazing house in Lawrence Mass. It was a blast!

Above: Jody, Hailey and Chris.

Above: Zach's cousin Hailey, aunt Marlene, cousin Andrew and uncle Mike.

Above: The entire brood eating the Christmas feast!

Above: A winter wonderland!

Stone "Cold" Zoo

Above: Me, Paul and Zach at the Stone Zoo.

We went to the Stone Zoo in Stoneham Massachusetts right before Christmas. It was an outdoor zoo and park for all ages decorated in a festival holiday theme. So we all went with Zach's uncle and cousins to this Stone Zoo and it was a blast except it felt like it was 2 degrees out. I think it was about 10 degrees not including the wind chill. I don't think Zach remembered cold like that and after a while he was not having it. The best line Zach said was, "I am so cold my hands feel like nothing!' HA!

Above: Zach trying to stay warm!

Above: The beautiful snow castle.

Above: Me trying tor keep Zach warm.

We all were troopers and went through the entire Zoo even though it was so cold. To understand how cold it was they had a sign saying the Snow Leopard exhibit was closed today! It was too cold for the Snow Leopard to be outside! So we all decided to warm up with the friend dough and free hot chocolate. I was so exited for the hot chocolate. To my dismay, the hot chocolate was frozen!! And right after the fried dough was taken out of the fryer and hit the cold air it was like eating cold ice chips. It was all pretty comical.

Above: It was too cold to see the snow leopard!!

Above: Too damn cold!

Check out the ass freezing pictures of all of us!:-)

Above: Beautiful shot of a snow covered tree.

Above: Love this Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

Above: The brood all trying to stay warm!

Above: Snow carousel

Above: Zach not too happy his ass is frozen to the horse.

Above: Zach riding the snow train with cousin Hailey.

Above: Farewell Stone Zoo!