Did I deserve this?

A bittersweet day.

It all revolves around a phone call from my son and the events which transpired after. He calls me almost every day at 4:00 p.m. to let me know he's home safe. Today, he told me suddenly that he had an orchestral concert tonight at his school. He seemed reticent to have me there, but decided that I should come if I could. His explanation was that he was nervous and he didn't know if he wanted family around.

After getting reassurance from him that it was okay, I drove the half hour up there. My ex-wife was already seated, so I walked over to her. She asked me to sit three seats down in order to save the seats in between us for parents of Matthew's best friend. When I returned from the bathroom, the couple had arrived and were seated in between us. Shortly thereafter her parents showed up. I was furious! Matthew was nervous about playing in front of family, she had not mentioned the concert, yet her parents were there?! To make matters worse, she did not ask to rearrange the seats to that I would at least be sitting closer to her or her parents. I was stuck with people I barely knew.

I am also hurt and angry that it wasn't important enough to her or my son that I have enough time to perhaps call my mother and invite her. I'm sure she would've enjoyed the concert. Am I overreacting?

I admit I was very cold to them. If she confronts me on it, I'm ready with a response: "It appears that you wished to treat me somewhat as a stranger. Should you therefore expect any different from me?"

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I've got my son for the weekend, so my spirits should improve.

That and a nickel...

...used to get you a cup of coffee, or so the saying goes.

Well, it's official. I'm off on another business trip. This time I'm headed for 3 days to Des Moines, Iowa. I suppose that is a step livelier than Owensboro, KY...but the proof will be in the pudding, or so the saying goes.

I left work a few minutes early today to meet a friend for dinner. He and I have been friends for 8-9 years now. He had an hour to kill before he had to leave, so he and I made plans to grab a quick bite to eat. It had been a while since we last sat down, but it seemed like it was only yesterday, or so the saying goes.

Naturally we caught up on things since our last time together. Things with him and his partner are fine. He is having parenting issues, and so we discussed our respective children. He asked why I was still single, and I told him the truth...I'm not ready to put my heart on the line. Yes, it's a comfort zone issue. We both agreed that I can't let my fears control me. Naturally, the hour flew by (or so the saying goes), and we soon had to leave.

Since I only managed about 6 hours sleep last night, I'll be hitting the sack early...or so the saying goes.

Another fantastic show!

The "Broadway Series" in Cincinnati has provided us with yet another great evening of entertainment. Tonight, Mom and I saw the return of the travelling company of "Riverdance". Talk about electric! Although you could tell that the cast wasn't "perfect", their dancing rhythm and cadence was about as close to perfect as I've seen.

When I was in college, I became enamored with Celtic music. A girl I dated and I drove 50 miles to Dayton, Ohio to see a Celtic group called "De Danaan". Tonight's performance brought back some of those old memories. The woman playing the fiddle was as breathtakingly beautiful as I've seen in quite a while. The singing was extraordinary, particularly a cute 19 year old soloist named George Komsky. Boy, could he sing! Probably the most entertaining act was a "tap contest" between the Irish dancers and an African-American jazz tap duo. The audience was whooping it up!

We're scheduled to see "Miss Saigon" a week from tonight; however, I may have to forego that, as I was informed I may be going on a 3 day business trip right before Thanksgiving. WHY DO I GET SENT TO THE CITIES WHICH HAVE ONLY 3-5 GAY INHABITANTS?!?!

More on that trip (if I end up going) later this week. Until then, time to clog off to bed!

Reverse Psychology

Shhh...don't tell anyone, this is gonna be our little secret!

Who am I kidding, I doubt more than 6 people read this journal anyway....

Much has been said about my marital state (or lack thereof). Most of my friends are involved in committed relationships, yet I stand alone. Part of that is my fault, because I'm a picky person when it comes to potential boyfriends. Still, if I can't get "any" in Vegas, of all places, something is wrong.

I think the answer lies in the fact that I look my relationship status. Regarding the luck of having a partner, they say "when you stop looking, it'll come to you". Yeah, right. I've pretty much given up hope, and will likely depart this earth a lonely old man.

However, I'm not one to quit a game until the last card is played. So, I have come up with a new plan. As of this very moment, I have taken a vow of chastity. No more guys in my bed. The train has left the station. If a guy asks, I'll tell him that the waterbed has seen the last wave made by two people.

Kinda funny that this is a "win/win" situation. If no one comes into my life, my vow has succeeded. On the other hand, if reverse psychology works, and they think they can "break" my vow, then someone will have found me.

I knew that that Psych 101 class would come in handy someday....

Spirit

You can tell that Halloween is over. How? I don't know who your cable subscription is with, but I have Time Warner, including the music channels. One channel they provide is called "Sounds of the Season". Guess what is playing? Christmas. Yes, you read right...Christmas.

Usually, when evidence of Yuletide pops up this early, I'm a little perplexed. I mean, do companies like Time Warner get kickbacks from area department stores, thinking that hearing music almost two months before the blessed day will increase store sales?

As ironic as it sounds, I'm already in the Christmas mood. I'm planning how to decorate the house. I'm making plans for holiday gatherings with family. I'm sure I'll have a get together with a few close friends. I may not have a significant other to share the season with, but I do have my son...and that provides me with more joy than anything I could experience. Sure, it would be nice to share it with that "special someone". Until that "special someone" is here to share it with me, I will revel in sharing it with those who are in the here and now.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

What happens in Vegas...

Well, kids...I'm back from my excursion to Las Vegas. I've discovered that the ad line used in the commercials is true, for the most part anyway. You know the one I'm talking about, where they say, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!"? It's at least the truth when it comes to money laid on a bet!

I arrived at the airport to be met by my sister, who had arrived about 3 hours before me. We headed to the Excalibur Hotel and checked in, and then immediately headed to the casino. Games of choice? For me it was slots. For my sister, it was roulette. I know, I know...two of the worst odds to play. But we were there to have fun, right? Each of us went with the idea that we were bound to lose $100 a day. More on the results later. Most of Saturday was spent in the casino.

On Sunday we had a buffet breakfast and had the only real disagreement the entire weekend (albeit a small one). I paid, and asked for smoking...but the room was a little too smoky for my sis, so she convinced me to move. My little huff aside, we gambled most of the day, saw a magic show, and gambled more (and drank quite a bit). Then it was off to Bellagio to watch "O", the Cirque du Soleil show done with water. Sis treated, as she had been wanting to see it from the outset of the trip. Can I say "fabulous" enough? It truly was spectacular. The contortionists boggled the mind, the high dives into a narrow pool were breathtaking, and the guys weren't bad to look at either.

Monday morning we spent recovering from Sunday night. We then did a walking tour of most of the hotels, with a goal to gamble a little at each one we hit and have at least one drink while there. The drink part failed miserably, particularly before the end of the day...when we were starting to feel the effects of such a walk. We hit Luxor, Mandalay Bay, New York New York, MGM, Aladdin, Paris Las Vegas, Caesar's Palace, and Monte Carlo before arriving back at the hotel to freshen up before seeing "Thunder From Down Under". That is the Australian Male Revue. I gotta admit those "straight Aussies" were gorgeous. The first dancer came into the audience and walked right over to our table. He asked both of us if one of us wanted to go up on stage! Seeing as how I was only one of four guys there (including the manager and two guys with their girlfriends), I pointed at my sister, who was escorted up on the stage for a "private" dance. It was SIDESPLITTING! I haven't cheered, yelled, and laughed that much in quite a while. Sis was gracious about it...even flushed! Afterwards, we got a picture of us with the troupe...Sis on one guy's lap, I on another guy's lap. The look in the picture of the face of the guy supporting me was priceless...he looked like he was scared sh*tless! The crowd got a big kick out of it.

Tuesday was back to the casino for more. This time I still played slots, and Sis still played roulette. However, I decided to try my hand at craps, and did fairly well. Over 3-4 hours I won about $170! We ended the day with a wonderful Italian dinner, and then spent the evening divided between gaming and watching the election results unfold. HOW DEPRESSING! Sis then caught her shuttle at 9:15 p.m. Las Vegas time, and I was by myself. I should've seen some of the "gay" nightlife, but I was too exhausted, and fell asleep by 11:30 p.m.

Wednesday morning I checked out...and, while waiting for the shuttle, gambled a little more. Lost $50 on the craps table (they must've wanted their money back). Then I walked up to a slot machine I wanted to play. It was playing music. I sat down, and realized that someone had been playing it and left it ON THE BONUS ROUND. I waited and waited, but no one showed up. So, I played the bonus round which paid off $15. I waited around another 5-10 minutes, but still no one to claim the money...so an unexpected bonus.

Our results? Sis did as expected, losing $100 a day (plus $100 extra that she had taken "just in case"). As for me, the hotel "comp"ed my room, food, and the show. I returned home with only $100 less than I had taken. When you include in that airport parking, shuttles and their tips, tips for the servers, and $30 for the pics at the "Thunder" show (buying a pic for each of us), I'd say that the net on the gambling was about even.

I still have $300 in "comp" dollars left for my next trip there. You can "bet" that the next time I go, I'll spend more time at the craps tables and enjoying the male scenery!