Happy birthday Marvin!

It hardly seems possible, but a year ago this week we brought Marvin Parker home to join our family.  The time has passed so quickly!  Since we don't know Marvin's birthday, we are celebrating his adoption day as his birthday.

It has been a wonderful year.  Marvin quickly adjusted to us, and we to him.  He goes right into his "house" (crate) without coaxing when both Spouse & I are going to be out of the house.  He's very smart and knows the difference between his toys.  If I ask him "Where's your rope?" he will bring me the rope, NOT a different toy.

He loves it when we play 'tug of war' with his knotted rope.  If I stop tugging, he will drop the rope in my lap.  When I go to pick it up, he quickly grabs it and playfully growls at me.

He also loves playing fetch.  I will throw his knotted rope from the sofa in the TV room into the foyer and Marvin tears off like a bolt of lightening to retrieve it.  We could repeat this 100 times before he'd tire of it.  

If I pretend to ignore him, Marvin will poke me with a paw as if to say "Hey Dad, I'm here - ready to play!"

He has brought immeasurable love and laughter to our lives and I look forward to many more years to come.

Just because

Thanks to BosGuy for today's 'Just Because' man.

Keys

The best part of my job is accompanying happy clients to the settlement table.

This is not always the case.  I've had 1 or 2 settlements where the buyers and sellers were not exactly happy with each other, which makes for a tense settlement.  But most of the time my clients are happy and excited.

Today my clients Rich & Danielle were buying their 1st home.  The home was well-cared for by its former owner, an older woman who passed away.  Her son kept the lawn mowed and even mulched the beds for the new owners.

I took Rich & Dani to their new home for the pre-settlement walk-thru and their excitement about the potential of their new home made me smile.  I was truly happy for them.  As we walked from room to room they pointed out where they'd place furniture and what colors they had in mind.

Then we went to the attorney's office for the settlement and as we walked in I joked with them about how I hoped they had been doing their hand exercises in preparation for all the signing and initialling they were about to do.  The settlement was over in record time and with much happiness I handed them the keys to their new home.

As we walked out to our cars Rich said "We're gonna have some dinner and a drink to celebrate.  Wanna come with us?"  I happily accepted and we enjoyed a cheerful, hopeful evening together.  Days like this make all the work and stress to get there worth it.

Small world

Last night I went to sing karaoke at the Blue Moon, as I often due on Thurs nights.

The mistress of karaoke, Mona Lotts, introduced me to a guy named Scott who was visiting from Phoenix.  Just to kind of 'make conversation' with this visitor who didn't know anyone, I casually said that I went to high school with a guy who now lives in Phoenix and works as a bartender at a gay bar.  I knew this from his facebook posts.

Scott asked the name of the bar and I said it had the work "pump" in it.  Scott immediately said "Oh, the Pumphouse", to which I said "Yes, that's it."

Scott explained that the Pumphouse had closed down a little while back but said he knew many of the guys who worked there.  He asked my old high school friend's name so I told him.  Lo and behold, he said he was very good friends with my old high school friend!  Today I sent my friend a message through facebook and told him about meeting Scott the night before.  

Small world...

Later that same night, a very nice 'mature' gentleman and his boyfriend/spouse/husband complimented me on my singing, so we got into a brief conversation.  I asked them where they were from and the 'mature' gentleman said they lived in DC, but that he was originally from Cumberland.  I asked if he meant Cumberland, MD and he said yes.  

I told him that my grandparents lived in Cumberland their entire lives (they lived to be 77 and 81) and that I spent many a summer there.  My parents would spend a weekend with my grandparents and leave me there for a week or 2, then come spend another weekend with my grandparents and take me home.  It was great because I was raised in the suburbs but my grandparents lived in the country.  They had a huge vegetable garden and a creek in their back yard that my cousins and I would swim in.  I told him my grandfather sold insurance until he retired, and then worked part-time at an orchard.

The 'mature' man asked my last name and when I told him, he said "Oh, that sounds very familiar.  I'm sure our families know each other somewhere along the line."  What a funny coincidence to run into someone who knew Cumberland so well, visiting Rehoboth Beach!  

Small world...

Beardy boy

Follow up

You may recall that about a month ago I had a physical, my 1st in about 4-5 years.  The results were not what I was expecting.

So after a month of modifying my diet somewhat and increasing my exercise a bit, I went for a follow up visit and to talk with my doctor more about what I need/should do going forward.

The good news is that my blood pressure was lower than last time, although still higher than it should be.  He said that if I continued watching my diet and exercising, it may be in the normal range in 6 months, so I will go for another follow up visit then.

We also reviewed my blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight again.  He said my blood sugar level was 'borderline', and that if I continued to watch my diet, it would likely stay in that safe range.  My cholesterol number was also just slightly above normal, so he will check that again in 6 months when I return.  Again, better dietary choices will likely keep that in check.  

Then there's my weight.  While not "obese" in most people's eyes, according to that ridiculous chart I am technically 30 lbs overweight.  I told the doctor I have not been that target weight in 20 years!  He suggested that make a real effort to incorporate cardio exercise into my life routine.  Walking or running 3 times a week is my goal.  So far I am lucky to get 1 brisk walk in each week, but now that the weather is more pleasant I should be able to increase that.

So the good news is that my levels have improved since my last visit, and should improve even more if I don't get lazy.  The bad news is that every time I think about exercise it is followed by the thought of walking to Dairy Queen.

Just because

Mother's Day weekend

Since I make up the schedule at work, I scheduled myself off this past weekend so Spouse & I could spend the weekend in VA with our family.

We arrived at Spouse's mom's house shortly after noon on Sat to find Spouse's sister and 2 of her kids there.  We sat and visited for a little while before heading out to have lunch together.  We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with them and even took Marvin for a nice long walk.

That evening Spouse, his mother, and I picked up my Aunt Mary and the 4 of us went to dinner.  Since Sun was Mother's Day we mistakenly thought the restaurants that are normally crowded on a Sat night might not be so crowded, as folks would be taking their moms out on Sun instead.  Boy were we WRONG.  There was a 75 minute wait to get a table, and since the parking had been so tricky we decided not to leave and look for another place with a possibly shorter wait.  But we had a wonderful dinner at Coastal Flats, and our waiter was really cute too.  He was slightly flirty but then mentioned his girlfriend later on.  But we had a great meal and plenty of time to visit with my aunt and my mother-in-law.

Cantina Mexicana owners Gloria & Juan

Sun morning Spouse & I had coffee and toast with his mom and relaxed while she got ready and went to church.  While she was gone we showered, got dressed, and walked Marvin.  After church Spouse's sister and her family came over for a quick visit, and then we all went for an early Mother's Day dinner at Cantina Mexicana (aka Taco House).  This has been a Mother's Day tradition for us for many years.  We had terrific food in a fun, lively atmosphere.  Just as we were about to leave, our good friend and part owner Gloria walked in and we received sincere hugs and kisses from her.  We were afraid we were going to miss seeing her.

Afterward we packed up our gear and put Marvin in the car and headed back to DE.  It was a great weekend that passed all too quickly.

Beardy boy

Close

Just because

We did it!!

Just after 5pm today, the Senate PASSED HB75 granting marriage equality to same-sex couples in Delaware!  Gov Jack Markell wasted no time and signed the legislation immediately.

Delaware is now the 11th state (plus the District of Columbia) to offer marriage equality.  Let's hope there are even more to come!

Cinco de Mayo

Last evening we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Steven & Thad and Joe P at Dos Locos.

Their large margaritas were only $3.50 so of course I had to have 2.  The food was terrific as usual and we had a lot of fun.

Just because

 

Thanks to BosGuy for this healthy specimen.

Beardy boy

May day

Wait... ooops!  Not that May Day.  Happy May Day everyone!

Just 1 more step

Today the Senate Executive Committee voted HB75 (the marriage equality bill) out of committee and onto the Senate floor!  

This means there is just 1 more step to go: a vote by the Senate which is expected next week.  If you are a Delaware resident, please click here to urge your Senator to vote 'Yes' next week.  As you might imagine, I have sent numerous emails to my Senator and have encouraged my friends to do the same.

Many thanks to Equality Delaware for doing such a great job of energizing the public, urging contact with Senators, and keeping everyone informed.

Weekend highlights

Sat evening Spouse & I met up with our friends Vic & Mike for dinner.  We ate at Saketumi.

Vic & Mike live in the same city in VA where Spouse & I used to live, and ironically, they live in the same neighborhood too, although they moved there after we'd moved away.  We met Vic when he was with Dawson and lived elsewhere in that town.  Vic & Mike moved into a house just 3 streets over from mine & Spouse's 1st house.

Vic & Mike bought a condo here at the beach about 2 years ago and we've gotten together with them a few times.  They are very nice guys, and they have 2 miniature dachshunds so our conversations over dinner included lots of dog stories.  They had never eaten at Saketumi before so we were happy to introduce them to 1 of our favorite places to eat.

Sun afternoon Kerry & Hugh stopped in for a visit.  They had been to Ocean City to open up their condo for the upcoming rental season, and stopped here before heading home.  The weather was nice so we wound up visiting on the back porch for a while, and then went for a late lunch/early dinner at Pickled Pig Pub.  It was really nice to visit with them, as always.

That evening we went to Steven & Thad's for a small cook-out.  Spouse made potato salad and Steven grilled burgers, Italian sausage, hotdogs, and pork chops on the grill.  Joe P & 1 of the Bobs came too.  We had a tasty dinner and lively conversations.

Friday

Its Friday!  I hope you have a relaxing weekend.

Virus

Ugh... last night my laptop got infected with a virus.  

I was poking around the internet and all the sudden a weird screen flashed on for a mili-second, and then I got this bogus screen saying something about the FBI was watching my computer because of possible copyright infringement, child pornography, or some other fake reasons.  

I pressed the escape key and every other key in an effort to free up my computer but it didn't work.  I couldn't reboot, restart, or even power down the normal way.  I pushed and held the power button until the laptop shut off.  When I restarted it I got the same bogus FBI screen.

So I had to take it to the repair shop today.  I begged and pleaded with them to rush it since the thought of being without a computer at home is frightening to me in all honesty, but from my explanation of the issue they doubted they would have it done today.

So I will cross my fingers they will be able to fix it tomorrow and that it won't cost too much.

Just because

Going green

I've written several times about easy ways of 'going green'.  "Reuse, reduce, recycle" is my mantra.

From reusing construction materials, to cleaner alternative energy sources, to recycling everything the City will allow, I believe it is all worthwhile, even if some of it takes a little extra time or effort.

My latest 'green' technique involves how I take my lunch to work.  Since I usually make a sandwich, I used to put it into a name-brand plastic bag that zipped closed.  I started to feel guilty throwing the bag away each day after eating the sandwich.  For a while I washed the bag out, left it to dry, and reused it again the next day, but this became more and more inconvenient as there was no 'good' way to dry the bag.  It was becoming quite labor-intensive.

So I switched to a smaller, thinner plastic bag that not only used less plastic, but also cost less.  This worked well and I felt less guilty throwing away the smaller, thinner plastic bag knowing it took less to create it.  Still I wanted to find an easy, convenient way to produce even less trash for the landfill.

Then I discovered this:

Its a square plastic, resealable, reusable sandwich storage box.  It is extremely easy to wipe the inside of the box with a damp sponge and dry it with a dish towel in just seconds.  Once a week I toss it in the dishwasher to sanitize it.  It keeps my sandwich (or left overs from dinner) fresh and creates NO trash going into the landfill.

I love that I have eliminated roughly 22 plastic bags from going into the landfill every month, and that the effort to do so was minimal.  

Reusing, reducing, and recycling are a way of thinking as much as a way of behaving.

Swimming pool

If you didn't eve realize there was a swimming pool in this photo, you might be gay.

4-letter word

There are 3 outlet centers near us which contain designer factory stores like Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, etc.  Spouse & I usually stop in our favorites once a month to scavenge the clearance racks for incredible finds.  Sometimes we walk about carrying a bag or 2, while others times we're empty-handed.  Its all good.

Yesterday evening we stopped in at the Kenneth Cole factory store and saw they were having a store closing sale!  The young lady working the store told us they are planning to reopen in a smaller store when one becomes available.  But for now they are liquidating everything.

My favorite 4-letter word is SALE!!  We never pay full price for anything and actually enjoy purchases even more when we get them at deep discounts, so this sale had our names written all over it.

Everything in the store was at least 50% off the lowest ticket price.  The clearance items (orange tickets) were 75% off.  If the store wasn't already more than 1/2 empty we probably would have done a lot more damage!

Spouse got 3 pairs of dress shoes and a leather satchal.  I got 1 pair of dress shoes and a leather wallet.  

Ticket prices of everything we got:  $524.  

Amount we paid:  $202.

Beardy boy

Marriage equality in DE???

In 2011 Delaware enacted legislation for civil unions to begin in 2012.  While I believe full marriage equality is better, civil unions do provide the same rights are marriage in the state of DE, and it was thought that if civil unions were adopted, it might pave the way for full marriage equality. DE has a wonderfully supportive Governor in Jack Markell.  Over and over he has voiced his support for equality for all Delawareans.

True to his words, last Wed Gov Markell announced that he would introduce marriage equality legislation (HB75) to the Delaware General Assembly that day.  This is step #2 of the process.

Today, 1 week later, HB75 passed by a vote of 4-1 and is out of committee and goes to the House floor!  My friend and fellow blogger Ron gave testimony to the committee about his 49-year relationship which deserves to be legally recognized as a marriage.  That was step #3.

Ron of "Retired in Delaware" talks to the committee

The House is scheduled to vote on HB75 next Tues, 4/23 and the Senate shortly thereafeter, I think.   This is step #4.  If the bill passes, the only remaining step would be Gov Markell's signature, which will make it law.  This would make Delaware the 11th state to grant marriage equality to its citizens. 

Although Spouse & I have a civil union, I believe it will automatically 'convert' to a marriage in Delaware, as has been the case in many other states that started with civil unions before marriage.  I wonder if we will get a new marriage certificate in place of our civil union license?  

My sincere thanks go out to Equality Delaware for all their hard work and communication on this issue.  Stay tuned for more!

Let's Get (a) Physical

So yesterday I went to the doctor for a physical.  The last time I had a physical was probably about 4-5

years ago, with my old doctor who left his practice to work at a hospital.

Last week I'd stopped at the lab so they could withdraw some blood so the results would be in my doctor's office in time for my physical yesterday.  I expected this physical to go pretty much like my last physical, with a pat on the back and a clean bill of health.

Instead, my doctor said my blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, my sugar level was high, and my weight was high.

Record scratch.

Wha?????  How could this be?  I don't smoke, I don't drink too much, I don't take recreational drugs, and I don't take any medication on a regular basis.  I'm healthy, dammit!!

While its true that I don't smoke, drink too much or use drugs, I also don't exercise or pay good attention to my diet.  And even if I did, I can't help my genetic predisposition.  Both my parents (ages 77 and 80) have had heart conditions, as did both my grandparents on my father's side.

I think I was in shock for several minutes in the doctor's office.  Then I started to freak out a little.  Just 4 or 5 years ago I was perfectly healthy and now that I'm pushing 50, I'm falling apart at the seams.  What a slap in the face!

But at least its 'fixable'.  I mean, its not like I have terminal cancer or an inoperable tumor.  Perspective.

My doctor talked to me about treatment options like blood pressure and cholesterol medications, as well as diet modification, exercise, and weight loss.  He wanted to start me on the medications immediately but I told him I was committed to diet modification, exercise and weight loss which should reduce my blood pressure and cholesterol naturally.  We agreed to follow up in a month to see if those efforts reduced my levels enough to not need the medication.

Its not that I'm against medication.  I just feel that if I can reduce my levels sufficiently in a natural way I'd prefer to do that over having to take pills the rest of my life.

Today I'm over the shock and have begun sharing this 'news' with some of my friends.  Some confessed that they are taking blood pressure and/or cholesterol medicines already, while another is trying exercise and weight loss first like me.

Now comes the hard part:  reducing or eliminating all the delicious and tasty foods that have contributed to my high blood pressure and cholesterol, which is basically everything that is worth eating.  Anybody have any heart-healthy recipes to share?

And then comes the exercise.  Time to dust off that gym membership.

Just because

Scruff in advertising

Have you noticed (as I have) that nearly every commercial nowadays has scruffy-faced men?

Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  I love me a man with some scruff.  But I am literally seeing scruffy men in commercials for nearly every product you can imagine.  Just 15 years ago it was totally opposite.  All men in commercials were clean-shaven.

Remember the iconic Diet Coke construction worker commercial from the 90s?

Sure, the guy has some chest hair, but his face is clean-shaven.

Then there's the current Diet Coke commercial.

Same song, but this guy's got a scruffy face.

Not convinced yet?  Then how about Subaru.

Here's a Subaru commercial from the 90s.

Hot guy for back in the day, with a clean-shaven face.

Then there's the current Subaru commercial.

This guy's a dad and not even trying to be hot, but he's got a nice scruff going on.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.  Scruff is in!

Beardy boy

Thanks to Damian from 2 Cents Worth Down Under for this stunning specimen!