Summer Begins Today

Lordy kids, I'm so sorry.  My summer has started off in a whirlwind and I don't see it changing.  I am heavily involved in a work project that takes me out of Portland for two additional days each week for the remainder of the summer....and maybe even longer.  That is in addition to my regular flying schedule.  Combine that with the fact that I have full intention each year of getting out to one of Portland's two clothing-optional beaches, and I can see that things are not going to quite go the way I'd like them to this summer.  And summer here is always relatively short anyway.  Ugh. 

My Sister is back on her flight returning to Idaho after a nice weekend here in Portland for gay Pride.  It was her first Pride ever.  She was like a kid in a candy shop!  We enjoyed being first in the parade lineup and distributed 40,000 pair of mardi gras style beads.  It was a ton of fun.  And we helped out in our company's booth at our festival.  Rained the first day.  Cloudy but no rain the second.  And then I had a friend with the audacity to tell me that he hated Pride...always has.  That there was no good reason for it.  How horrible gay people act during Pride.  How Pride does not define our lives.  Etc etc blah blah blah.  How dare he rain on anyone else's parade.  Well, of course it doesn't define our lives or who we are as gay folk.  Duh.  I'm doing my best to be open, available, and keep an open mind.  About Pride and everything else in life.  I just didn't like him spouting off on my good fortune or feelings.  I had a great weekend and we'll leave it at that. 

I have this one day to regroup, do a million loads of laundry, pack for a business trip to Seattle the next two days, and for Hubby and I to get our home back in order.  We have left Mason alone for far too many hours the last week.  I am departing July 8 for a week in Provincetown at Bear Week with a houseful of friends from years past.  And, I'm going to see the one and only Pam Ann while I'm there.  That'll be a first for me.  And today is the first day of summer.  Who knows, we may have more than one 80 degree day this year.  Yee haw. 

And So Begins June......

Summertime......ugh, maybe, wait for it, perhaps....is it here?  Perhaps.  We had two days of 80 or more over the weekend....first time since last August.  It felt quite good, the warmth on the skin.  We ventured 100 miles east of Portland up the historic Columbia River Gorge to camp for one night with our buddies who had traveled from Idaho.  They graciously opened up their fifth wheel trailer and allowed us to stay with them.  It made camping so so so much easier.  We stayed right down on the Columbia River at Maryhill State Park on the Washington side of the river.  The river is at it's peak flow right now....super high, super fast because of snow melt and spring rains.  The cliffs above the river there are sheer rock, straight up to the farm fields up on top.  I suppose they were formed a zillion years ago during an ice age sheering off of sorts or something along those lines.  Needless to say, it is some seriously amazing country to enjoy.

I had the opportunity to sit in on one of the most exciting meetings ever at work recently.  A meeting that our airline's Maintenance and Engineering Departments holds every single morning, seven days a week, at 8am.  The room was filled with about 20 folks who are in charge of our airplanes, maintenance, broken aircraft, engines, parts, mechanical issues, etc.  In addition, there were maintenance heads from all over the country on the conference call.  It was flawless, speedy, and proceeded like a well-oiled machine as they spoke about this aircraft, that broken plane, this part, that issue, this particular heavy check, etc.  I couldn't believe how hands-on and intricate they were.  Spot on.  Didn't miss a beat.  And clearly had the airline's best interest in mind -- getting the aircraft back in the air, safety and professionally.  I'm sure my head was spinning in circles as I listened and watched them.  It was so cool.


I've pissed off some very good friends of ours.  No surprise, is it....Me pissing off people??   My strong opinions and mouth to go with it don't always bode well for others.  I'm aware of that.  I own that.  I can handle that.  But, still, pissing off one's friends isn't the best thing to be doing.  It was nothing directed at them in particular but spoke to a wider audience.  I was standing up for our most junior of flight attendants and simply brought to light some issues that we have going in our work ranks right now.  I believe that speaking up for what one thinks isn't quite right -- especially for those who need to be spoken up for -- is the right thing to do.  I'm sure that the phrase "It wasn't what you said but how you said it" could easily apply here.  Point is that we are all entitled to our own opinions, viewpoints and such.  We should make those judgments professionally with a well-rounded and balanced approach.  No one else has to agree with us.  And we should feel good about that.  So now I'm moving on to my stomping out brush fires duty.  Man oh man, I've got a lot to learn. 

Next week is Portland Pride.  My sister is coming over from Idaho for it.  It will be her very first Pride ever.  And it will my very first time that my sister and I have ever marched in a Pride parade together.  Excitement mounts.  We're going to be super busy setting up our company's booth at the festival, helping organize the group marching in the parade, and all of that.  And with any luck, we won't have torrential downpours to deal with.  


Bear Week in Provincetown is coming closer, closer, closer.  I have mixed feelings about it but I am going by myself this year.  We had decided after last year's trip that we were probably not going to go -- financial, amount of time needed off, and several other reasons.  As time went on, Hubby encouraged me to feel free to go alone if I chose to.  So I am.  But I'm still wondering how it will feel to be at Bear Week all by myself without him.  I mean, I will be in a house with a bunch of our good friends .... but Hubby and I have created some great memories of our very own there.  It's just going to feel a little different than normal.  And, I have tickets to see the one and only, the world famous,  Pam Ann who will be performing at Bear Week.

The End of May

• Glee.....I could have done without it.  More and more throughout the season, I am less enamored with the little kiddie Glee clan.  Some of the scenes are so contrived and don't seem real with little rich, pretentious white kids performing them. 
• My sister is coming to Portland for Pride.  It will be her first ever Pride.  She's going to help us out in our company's booth at the festival and march in the parade with us!  I'm wondering if it will be wet or dry. 
• We're going camping for one night with some friends way out East of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge.  Out where it is sunny and dry.  (Portland averages 37.5 inches of rain per year.....The Dalles receives only 14.5 inches.....)
• I have been able to assist in the training class of brand new flight attendants.  Our first new FAs in three years.  
• I am finalizing plans to attend Bear Week in Provincetown in July.  
• I have a friend who performed CPR on an 83-year-old man on one of our flights the other night.  The flight diverted to an alternate airport.  The man passed away.  
• We have friends moving into our building today.  They have had their eye on one of the last units remaining to be sold in our condo building.  Today, it becomes theirs!
• Clear, concise communication is hard to come by.  
• Two gay men were beaten up while holding hands in downtown Portland.  Amazing, considering that it happened here.  Except for the fact that Portland pretty much welcomes all sorts of folks -- and this is the byproduct. 
• We are struggling to get more than one single day of sunshine so far this season.  Keep your fingers crossed.  We did finally break 70 degrees. 
• The cemetery next to our condo is getting all primped and trimmed for Memorial Day. 

The Longest Day

The longest day of the year is today -- at least here in the north. Solstice. What a nice reflection to consider that the the very thing that warms us is around the longest today. Well, the very thing that is supposed to be warming us, perhaps I should say. It's been the wettest June on record -- after a very wet May. No worries. It doesn't matter to me, really. Except that I would love some time on the beach.

This past weekend was Portland Pride. I'm exhausted -- in fact, I'm sick. Totally congested and feeling like an 18-wheeler hit me. For the very first time, my company sponsored a float in the Portland Pride parade and then a booth at the festival as well. Really exciting stuff! I'm very proud of the work group I spend much of my life with. We are also one of HRC's Best Companies to Work For. I was really busy talking with people, handing out free stuff, marching up the streets of downtown Portland, even seeing passengers that have been on previous flights with me! We even had two of our vice presidents attend and help us out!

My iPhone 4 order was tediously placed last week -- on the 16th (since the servers were totally whacked out on the 15th). So, it's "In Process" and not yet "Shipped." I'm waiting. Wondering. Wishing and hoping. I'm afraid that the 24th will pass me by. But, then again, it's only a phone. I need to keep on saying that.

We met Molly yesterday. And our hearts were totally stirred up. She looks strikingly like Mason. Molly and Mason. It has a nice ring to it. Except that Molly has not been taken care of. She is 8 years old, lived outside her whole life, is not potty trained, and has been under the supervision of dog breeder in southern Oregon who didn't take care of her (is it wrong to murder people?) She has a heart murmur and no teeth (which makes her tongue stick out of her mouth). We just can't do it...and, believe me, we have talked about it. But she's a doll. I think we may sponsor her "online." I think that Mason would be a very good younger brother for Molly.

It's Bustin' Out All Over.....

June is, that is. Well, I am too.....and if this tradition continues of snacking in the evenings, it's not going to be pretty. The new blog header picture has sort of become tradition around these parts. It's from my buddy Kelly's blog....Rambling Along in Life. Kelly took the pic in his neighborhood a few years back and posts it every June to celebrate PRIDE around the world. This is typically the beginning of gay Pride festivals worldwide...many during the month of June including Portland's which we'll be actively integrated in this year.

The long and winding road will be ahead of us on Thursday when we motor from Portland to Boise on one of our most favorite drives. The trip takes us down I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge, past some of the nation's largest wind turbine farms, along the same route as the settlers of old traversed on the Oregon Trail, and into my home state of Idaho. We love road trips, especially after spending much of our lives dressed up as air hostesses and playing airplane. It's my mom's 80th birthday on Friday. I told her in a card recently that I've run out of good, positive adjectives for her. She is quite the Mom. I wish I were only half the woman she is. No, seriously, even half the woman.

And so, I'm off an running today -- get the tire inflation checked on the Kia Soul Ghost, cart Mommy-Dearest-In-Law to the doctor, fly a Las Vegas turn tomorrow morning, pack, get Mason's overnight back loaded up, place my online order for our new flight attendant uniforms set to debut next January, and trim my nose and ear hairs. It's going to be a busy few days.

Get Yer Color On !!!

If THIS doesn't do it, I don't know what does. It's Undie Monday again at Idle Eyes and a Dormy -- and this week's celebration is a tribute to the rainbow flag....every color of it. It's come to be a typical gay icon...always a reminder of who we are, the brightness of our spirits (in spite of the many trials we've all come through), and the giant group of GLBT folks that we call friends and family. What a fantastic time of the year to celebrate each of us.........

I've just finished a six-day stretch of work. In spite of being able to see such amazing beauty in Sitka, Alaska, this week, I'm not feeling overly chipper this morning. Getting up at 04:00am every day can do that to a guy. I'm really looking forward to my two days off.....I do have to say that I was able to say hi to the beautiful Keri Russell yesterday. She's been working on the movie Crowley in the Portland area with Harrison Ford and Brendan Fraser. Such a gorgeous woman, she is.

The iPhone wait is in the home stretch -- The doors open at 07:00am Friday morning for those of us who pre-ordered it before last Friday. I'm wondering what time I should be there? I have no idea who many people will be in line waiting for their cult-following-technology devices. I can't wait....my hubby keeps saying that he's never seen me this excited for an Apple product before.

My brother's birthday was yesterday -- he turned 45. I thought about him a few times and wondered what he was doing. I sent a card early last week so that it would reach him in time. We're not close. He's a nice man and has a great family. But, as many can relate, since that "I'm gay" moment, things have changed. I wish it were different.

So, it's that time of year....summer is cranking up in full swing, gay Pride celebrations going on worldwide, and families are off and running to camping and holiday trips. Enjoy yourselves, boys and girls -- especially those of you who exist most of the winter months in snow and ice. You deserve it more than any of us. Have a great week, everybody.......wear your bright colors in pride and solidarity.....and especially because you look damned great in them!

With Pride on Father's Day

My good buddy Dave at Blogography has been a faithful supporter of all things gay and I want to say thanks to him today. It's Pride Sunday here in Portland. And despite the fact that hubby and me are home with his horrible sore throat and fever, the festivities do continue (albeit not half as much fun without us, I am imagining in my own mind). Dave has written several amazing posts about his support for GLBT causes and folks. So, on this Pride Day, I turn you over to Dave for a scratch-n-giggle about we gays and our agendas.

Here's a look back at my Pride Day last year here in Portland. (By the way, the Ginch Gonch skivvies have been passed on to Goodwill...they were much too, shall we say, form-fitting for this arse.)

And, who can forget Father's Day? As you're well aware from reading this series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), I was in love with my own and his impact on my own life is great. Today, I commend all of you who are fathers and I wish for happier memories for those of you who struggle with your own. And, sadly, I woke up to read of my friend Nathan and his family struggles this past week.

Stand Tall With PRIDE

My friend Kelly over at Rambling Along in Life has put forth his annual Pride Challenge.....this is a picture that he has taken and has posted on his site. He's asking for it to be spread as far and wide (keep it clean here, folks) as possible by others posting this photo and telling their coming out story. So, for today, I'll post this pic -- and in the coming weeks I promise to have my story up for the masses to laugh and giggle at -- I can't believe that I haven't shared it yet. I know you all thought that I have always been this way -- but there was a day, a lot of days, when this gay boy was awfully closeted and doing my best to be a straight-laced little church boy in Idaho. I met Kelly and his partner a year ago next week at Pride in San Francisco. What fantastic, grab-life-by-the-horns sort of guys they are. So, cheers to all of you during this month of celebration. Keep your heads held high, smiles on your face, and be proud of the man or woman you're on the road to becoming. I swear, the gays definitely celebrate and have fun far more than our straight bretheren and sisteren (English majors, leave me alone), don't we???

Pilgrim Pride

I changed out the pumpkin flag that was up for Halloween (31 trick or treaters, by the way) and put up the cornucopia for Thanksgiving this morning. I mean, you ought to see the little drawer down in our basement where we keep all of our holiday and special occasion flags--all neatly in chronological order, folded, and ready to go the next time around. Totally gay. The larger rainbow flag came to live with us this last summer after we found it at Portland Pride. It's huge, colorful, and really looks cool against the green paint on the house. I've always sworn off having one without any very good reason...but the BF wanted one and it really does look good. We try to hang it out every chance we get. But this morning, for some reason, it hit me: Do you think the Pilgrims and early settlers of the 1600-1700's could have possibly co-existed with "we alternative types" among their pioneering ranks? Reminds me of a book that my friend MJ wrote a few years back dealing with just that...naughty life in the 1700s in the hills of the Northeast US. I'm pretty sure that they didn't identified as GLBT at that point--can you imagine the Monday Night Meeting of the Plymouth Rock GLBT Pilgrims? But you know, "Pilgrim Pride" has a definite ring to it. I'll bet there were plenty of lesbians and gays, keeping all to themselves.....I mean, you can't stick ALL of the women together in their sexy, tight full-length dresses, sleeves to the wrist, and hats tied beneath their pale white chins in one village, with the guys all off to war, and expect nothing to happen. Days of Our Lives and Another World were not around yet...they had to do something all afternoon to occupy their time. (My god, does this sound sexist or what??) And what about those sexy, sinewy dudes all off to battle in the steep hills and narrow valleys--gone for long months at a time, all by themselves, no good looking wilderness chicks in sight, working together in tight quarters, sweating, bleeding from wounds, tying up each other's injuries, sacking out on the ground during very cold, wet nights around the crackling fire. Staring up into the inky black sky at night, wishing that the totally hot mountain guy in the next sleeping bag (do you suppose that Coleman sleeping bags were around then?) would scoot a little closer. Oh my gosh, it could get pretty crazy--and I'll bet it did! So, yeah, I think it's OK to fly these flags together......Co-existence rocks, doesn't it? It always has.