Wander Fever

 Y'know, it's been a minute since I've been to either Disney World or Land. I think cause World was my first Disney Amusement Park, I prefer it over Land. Well what ya know? Something I don't like about Southern California. Hmph. Go fig.

Anyway, I'm hoping to take my nephew and godson next year, Summer 2014. By then I think they should be enough enough to appreciate it. Children (and sometimes adults) need a little wonderment to keep the spirit fresh. Does Disney still do Gay Days? If so, Darryl and I might take that adventure to the Magic Kingdom on our own.

In an LAX State o' Mind

This picture reminds me of flying out of LAX. I don't know why. Maybe because most departing flights leave over the Pacific and circle back around. Hm. Me thinks I'm just a tad homesick for LA, but are no plans to be out on the Coast in the immediate future. Pity, most of my cool peeps live in Southern California.

It's funny. I really hate flying, but I don't mind the five hour flight to Los Angeles. Actually, I'm good until about halfway through, then I just wanna get off and stretch my legs. I always have a nice fuzzy feeling arriving at LAX. I know one of friends will be waiting at the terminal and adventures and good times are minutes away....

Never say never though. Despite having a booked summer schedule already and little or no vacay time to use, I might manage to eek out a small 4-day weekend  trip to La-la-land in June. Hey, the skies the limit.

Christmas Day 2012

What a wonderful site to see; President (44!) and Mrs Obama in front of the White House Christmas.

Christmas indeed arrived in early November this year...but I digress.

Merry Christmas to anyone stopping by today. I hope your family celebrations and traditions are filled with as much love, joy, and spirit that the season has to offer.

I get sentimental at Christmas. You know that old time tradition where the family gathers to open gift, share stories of yesteryear, and then feast like kings. Throw in a few sporting events, a drunken Aunt, cousin or two, and you have the perfect holiday! LOL.

Seriously though, today will be spent traveling across the Keystone state visiting various relatives who couldn't come to my house this year. I'm looking forward to a pleasant day. What bites is I have to go to work tomorrow, but I'm not gonna think about the negative. Nope. I will embrace with family that good fortune all got another year to bask in each others' company.

So whatever your plans today, I bid you all the best that the Holidays have to offer.

Merry Christmas!
-Ian

Hey! Wassup?

You'll pardon my brief absence from blogging, please. Yours truly has been caught up and otherwise detained most of January. And here I thought the new year would usher in changes, yet it seems like old habits (and situations) indeed die hard. No worries. I'm regrouping.

So. 2012. Are you feelin' it yet? I'm still encouraged by what the year has to offer. I'm already plotting my next big adventure and as a suggestion from Wonder Man, Hawaii seems like the destination! My only fear is that's a long as plane ride. But if I can board and fly to LA, whats another few hours to Paradise, eh?

As far as my progress with my weight loss. I've successfully lost 25 lbs since starting, but it hasn't been easy. My next step is joining a gym later this month, but I will admit much trepidation due to irrational fears & insecurities. However, the good thing is I have a buddy system and three of my fellows have dedicated themselves to going with me. OK, good deal. So no mo' excuses, right Ian? Well now there's always room for procrastination! LOL

Kidding, but much like Jean Grey and the Phoenix, I'm taking time to come back and recreate myself as many times as it takes until I get what I want...

WCP: Flying The Friendly Skies

Part One to The West Perspective Series:

Papa Red Bear’s gotta laugh at himself with this one! Sure do. LOL. Up until recently a few years ago, yours truly hadn’t foot on an airplane prior to 9/11/11. I never enjoyed flying and avoided it at all cost. Call me crazy, but I think it’s a control thang. Between getting caught up in the aerodynamics of what’s really holding that vessel aloft, incessant ear popping, uncomfortable seats, and obnoxious flight attendants, it was just too much.

Pilots are another entity all together. Please, let that person not be drunk, too tired, or just plain in a pissy mood, so s/he gets me safely to my destination. I rest my faith in your (hopefully!) capable hands. Combine all these factors and you have a passenger that sits quietly in his seat before and during flight. I only get up when time to disembark. Yeah, I know, “¡Vaya con Dios!” Still…

Anyhoo, since my first sojourn a few years ago, I’ve become a pro at traveling now. I have my crazy rituals, but I get by. Would you believe each flight I do my best to spot the Air Marshall? There’s comfort. Once I think I’ve ascertained the official, I ease back in my seat and enjoy the ride.

I’ll be the first person to admit I perpetually run on CP time. Again, laughing at myself, when I fly I tend to step out this tardiness and be as prompt as possible. Rest is almost out of the question. This last trip I was up until three hours before I had to get up to get ready to go to the airport. I don’t know anyone who’s fond of security at airports, but I want the experience over ASAP. When they first started doing the full body screening at my local airport, I said screw it. If I can go faster to the get to my boarding gate, y’all can have as much free peeps as needed. Just get me to the gate on time!

The last few times I flew to Cali, like Ms. Badu, I’ve chosen a window. Seeing the plane take off, watching the clouds around actually brings out the lil kid in me and I’ve learned to relax much more. Take off still grips by the short hair, by it's all good. That sudden lift off the ground makes me giddy and still nervous, but I’m cool with it now. I'm learning to live with the exhilaration or it all.

By far, United Airlines is my favorite carrier. I’ve gotten a tad spoiled because I think I addicted to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue while hearing the in the event of emergency instructions. However this last time I flew Continental which was a better experience! The seats were wider. I had more leg room. And I’ll be damned, I event enjoy the in-flight movie (they showed the Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey. Not bad).

I have to admit each time I fly into Los Angeles, I get a bit mystified. Seeing the sprawling expanse is still strange. I mean, yeah, we got big cities on the East Coast, but generally everything just looks like an urban jungle to me. La La Land seems surreal. Again, the impressionable child in me, still gets awestruck.

My boy Jay was waiting for me when I got to LAX this trip. After getting my eat-on, my only agenda was to get to the beach, which we did. We ended up in Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. Cool, though I still hadn't been to Long Beach and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I got there eventually, just not the day I landed.

After that we caught up with brother-in-blogging, Wonder Man, and hung out a bit. Some how every time I meet up with Wonder Man I always ended up on Rodeo Drive! LOL. Maybe it's that Louis Vuitton influence that he's a compelling spell over me. But Rodeo was a trip 'n a half. I longer feel like a tourist when I can laugh at other folks posin' and primpin' in front of the high-end shops.

Later, we left that scene to party at a BBQ at another friend’s house. That was some interesting shizz there and is worthy of it's own post.

Definitely a great start to a wonderful vacay….

In Joy and Hope,
-Ian

West Coas Perspective: (Prelude) Fear

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

Yes! I'm Wearing Area 51

On my last trip to Angel City, as it always seems, I also managed to be in Vegas. On the way back from our sojourn, Mom and Pops Royal called Pharaoh and requested a favor requiring us to make a stop in Baker, California.

Ah, Baker. Now what words come to mind besides small? Um...Tourist Trap. Desolate? Um, God-forsaken maybe??? The scariest part of the drive from LA to Vegas is that stretch of nothingness in the dessert. No lights. Just Road. And perhaps the aliens being held at Area 51 (rumored to be in the vicinity).

So back while Pharaoh is his handling business, I had a chance to peruse one of the gift shoppe and spotted a T-shirt advertising that Area 51 is the Secret Suburb Of Las Vegas. It's for the Vacation you'll never forget (scratch that) REMEMBER! Chuckling, I picked one up for myself, checked out, and we were back on the road to LA. Now fast forward when I hit home a few days later. Stupid Ian realizes he purchased a size too small. Grrr. Oh well.

Happily, I'm glad to report I slipped on that T-shirt this week and the bad boy was loooooose. To quote Shangela, "Halleloo!" I must be doing something right with this weight loss thang. I still have a long way to go, but I'll take a victory where I can.

Why Resolve? Just Procrastinate!

So I'm sitting here, indecisive as ever, wrestling with which ticket to purchase for my trip. I think by now I'd be used to the whole flying process. I've already decide to go through the scanners, I mean really if they that desperate to see my fatness, go on. When did flying because such an ordeal though? I wish my next trip was more pleasure, less business, but in the end if it brings me money...a little inconvenience will be worth it.

Sitting at my desk this afternoon, I stared at the window, internal strife raging. One situation, I was grateful that at the eleventh hour last month we got the reprieve from lay-offs in my department. The other hemisphere was cursing the day I set foot in that office and wishing I could make a break for it and run from the Plantation, head north to freedom, like other before... ::sigh:: Yeah I know I need to be grateful I have a job. Midlife crisis wander lust is setting in again. Maybe it's the January Blues taking root, but everywhere I look, I see room for improvement. Just bored with situations as normal, you know?

The other tasks at hand is attempting get back on the wagon with losing weight and quitting smoking. I quit cold turkey New Year's Day with the cigs. Don't know how much longer my will power is gonna last with that. My natural inclination is to turn to food, but then I keeping about flying and Lord know I don't wanna be like Kevin Smith and his sitch with Southwest Air. LOL. I laugh, but dude, seriously. Ian has packed on some pounds over the holidays. It ain't cute. I might resort to some drastic measures here in minute. Anybody remember Tammy, circa The Real World: Los Angeles 1992? When when she wired her mouth shut just to lose weight? Hm, that's an option, heh.

All kidding a side. I'm tempting to start a health journal, but the humiliation of it all... would that work? Shame can be a powerful motivator. Who knows? But I'll be 41 in less than two months, so I need to take my life seriously. Stop procrastinating and act like life is the real deal. After all, I only got one chance....

Go West!

The Pet Shop Boy's remake of the Village People's classic hit has always been one of my personal favorite gay anthems. After Erasure's "A Little Respect," it's one song I can listen to over and over. Not sure what's comforting about the song, just gives me peace. And as I said in a previous post, I listen to all genres of music. Even some country, just don't tell any of my boys, LOL.

When I hear Go West, I think of visiting California. Unfortunately, I'm terrified once I set foot in the California Republic, the long overdue "great one" is gonna hit, and I'll be one of the casualties. Nah, I have family living in San Fran and after hearing about how wonderful the city is, I think an adventure will be in store once I get my health and act together.

Yes, I'm heading West! And East! And South! And points in-between! Two years has been a long time to live with unsatisfied wanderlust....

Let's Get Lifted!

I forget how old my granddaddy, my father's father's father, was when he came to the United States, but I certainly wish the Old Man had lived to see the day relations between his Homeland and The US started to ease.

Making good on his campaign promise, "Forty-Four" has begun the process to lift travel restrictions for Cuban Americans to return to see relatives back in Cuba. Thank you President Obama.

Unfortunately, I'm not Cuban-American enough to qualify to travel to Cuba...too much other ethnicity swimming in my gene pool. Plus, I wouldn't know if any of my granddaddy's people are still alive in Cuba or not, but I live in hopes some day I might be able to visit Granddad's home country of Cuba...see the street where he played, where his parents worked, glance upon "the land of beauty" as he always told me it was.

Someday. The current measure is a foot in the door for the eventuality all Americans might have better relations with our Spanish speaking-neighbors to the South. I, for one, will smile a smile for Issy Sr, my granddaddy...