"You're a dreamer, dreaming's what you do"

So, before I update you all on my life in general...I want to tell you about my accident.

You see, I was downloading music and I accidentally downloaded "Sorry's Not Good Enough" by McFly. I've never heard any of McFly's music before, although I've heard of the bad.
As it turns out, I love it.

So, that's my accident.

So, the weekend I was predicting turned out to be a little more out-of-the ordinary than I thought it would.
So, Thursday morning Kat, Katie, and I went to Philly to pick up Katie's sister. Then, it was off to NYC to pick up more of her family. We met with Kat's boss at Punchline Magazine, an enterprise which I think has officially made her the most successful (career-wise) of my college friends to date. I mean, she just graduated and she has two paying gigs for e-zines. Bravo, bravo! (If you want to read her latest article, an interview with Jon Reep, you can see it here.)

Following that, we split up. Katie and Kat headed off to see the Colbert Report, for which they had V.I.P tickets. I headed off across Central Park to meet up with my friends Chris and David. We went to get coffee, and while we did that David got a phone call about a party that night. He asked if he could bring friends and they told him he could.
We'd all just been invited to an exclusive party by OUT Magazine at Saks Fifth Ave. THE Saks Fifth Avenue ON Fifth Ave!!!
When we got off the elevator to the men's department, we were immediately greeted by two beautiful swimwear models. One handed us keychains (which I collect, so that won me over instantly!) and explained that on each keychain there was a combination and if that combination opened the lock on any of the boxes placed randomly throughout the store, you got all of the merchandise that was in the box. We tried all the boxes, but, alas, we did not manage to open any of them.
Chris and I, having been caught totally surprise and not having come straight from a job on Wallstreet (like David had) were terribly underdressed and despite our usual self-confidence I we were a little self-conscious around all of the beautiful models that were wandering around. I thought I was Jonathan Vargas (who seems to have dropped off the face of the earth) as we were leaving, I didn't say anything to him though.
Anyways, that was quite possibly the most exciting thing ever. EVER. I can't wait to do it again.

I met up with Kat, Katie, and Katie's family later that night. We finally made it back to Pennsylvania around 2 in the morning. I woke up, went to Physical Therapy, came back and went to packing.
Downside? I'd been left alone with Katie's crazy religious-nutcase uncle. There aren't any experiences more awkward than that -- especially since I'd asked that he not be in the apartment as much as possible but, uhm, I don't know what happened to that but it's over so whatevs.

Moving on...Friday night, Cody swung by and picked me up. We headed down to Brendan's place and once we got there, it wasn't long before Brendan took Cody, Adam, Jeff, Jason, and I to see the house he's getting and moving to. It's GORGEOUS and I'm totally doing all my laundry there. (Sorry, Brendan, you don't get any say in this matter. The Fates and I have decided without you. :P)
So, then we went back to Brendan's to meet up with the other Jeff and then it was down to Town. Town wasn't anything unusual except that I knew more people as I'd met so many people last weekend. I had a blast. Well before I was ready (but ain't that how it always goes? I say the clubs should all close at 5 am :P), we headed out.

I woke up bright and early, got dressed, and headed over to campus for the graduation ceremony. I watched with Stephan, and then I went back to the apartment to finish packing. Cody, bless him, came over and helped me move things over to the storage unit.
Katie and I went to the diner one last time together. The food was delicious, the ranch dressing was addictive, it was pretty much the usual.
I went out with my straight guy friends and Crystal one more time before Crystal truly departed for the cruel, harsh world of post-college life.

The next day I drove home to Rhode Island in driving rain all day. Nobody in the country knows how to drive in rain, so it was an especially miserable day. When I arrived at my parents' house, my elbow hurt and it was bright red. I paid no attention.

The next day, I woke up and went to my class. The professor informed us that, despite this being Chem 101, it was equivalent to an AP course and was designed for majors. I was all "Crap! I had to get this course pre-approved!" Long story of agonizing self-doubt cut short, I ended up dropping the course and adding a Biology to my fall schedule. No biggie. (Actually, huge biggie, but I'm trying not to think about it. :P)

Tuesday night, all of that school stuff behind me, Grace and I went out to karaoke, which was a blast. She and my friend Francis were the most popular singers there (which was cool, although other people who are not as naturally blessed in the vocal department and who were trying really hard and having a really good time were also really well received). It was generally awesome. And, of course, I got to see a bunch of my friends I hadn't seen yet.
It was the sort of night that a night out in Providence should be like, and I was psyched that I was home.

So, of course, I woke up the next morning with a fever of 102 degrees. My left arm was entirely swollen and bright red -- but I had sleeves on so we didn't know this yet. Still, we suspected my elbow was somehow infected.
So, off we went to the walk-in clinic down the street. And lo and behold, my elbow was infected. They took off the steri-strips, which were still on me because the nurse who had put them on had told me they would come off on their own and not to worry, giving me no time frame and no idea that I could take them off myself. And under these steri-strips; the source of my infection. That self-same nurse had left in a stitch! (Even though I'd asked her to double-check about that....stupid incompetent little bitch...)
So, I was put on antibiotics, including a burn cream (antibiotics that absorb through the skin). I've been holed up all week trying to get better so I can go out and do stuff. Now, I finally feel good again! But I still have a very splotchy, red arm.

Anyways, I should be able to go out again by Tuesday night. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because there is nothing like being stuck in my parents' house with no way out to drive me totally INSANE, right? :P

Oh, but we rented 27 Dresses from the Red Box. I've seen it before, but Mom and Grandma hadn't. They loved it, of course. Cause I've got good taste. I'm trying to decide what I want to get from the Red Box next, but there's so many good choices!

Monday Memories: Closets are for Clothes

In honor of my friend Johnna's friend, the Mad Brown Samosa, who just came out and is having kind of a rough time of it...I'm going to share my coming out story. Those of you who are 'mos and are out are welcome and even encouraged to share your coming out stories in the comments. Those of you who are not are welcome and encouraged to comment as well, because comments make me happy.

I had been "questioning" (GLBTQ) for a few months, and I had started dating my first boyfriend. My parents knew none of this, since I was starting college. I decided I had to come out to them, for my boyfriend's sake.
I went home for Thanksgiving break, determined that I would do it in person. I went home with resolve. I knew I couldn't do it at Thanksgiving dinner -- how melodramatic! So I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And stayed up the last night of that break to write a very nice letter about how appreciative I was of college. I threw in "And I've discovered that I'm attracted to men!" in there, and then continued going on and on about how much I love college. I left it on a table as I ran out the door to get the train station. Totally chickened out of that one.

I am on the train from Philly to school, when my cell phone rings. I look at the Caller ID.

"Home" it says ominously. I swallowed hard and answered.

"Hello?" I said in my best innocent voice.

"Hi Gray!" Mom said -- Gray is my family's nickname for me, no one else uses it nor is anyone else allowed to. I won't answer, I promise you. "I got your note!"

"Oh," I said.

"And I showed it to your dad."

"Oh."

"And your grandmother."

"Oh, what did she say?"

"Well, none of us were surprised."

Thanks, ma. Nobody coulda clued me in??? I am always the last to know these things, right?

So we started to discuss everyone's reactions. "I'm okay," she said, "But I'm sad because it's so much harder for people who aren't straight to lead happy lives."
Way to slap me in the face, Ma.

"Your dad said he was okay with it, but...."

It's at this point that I remember something: Dad may be an actor but he's also a Republican. We don't discuss politics in my family for this exact reason, and that lack of discussion is what made me forget!

"...but, he says he doesn't agree with it, politically."

I kind of exploded. On the one hand, Dad had correctly figured out that this hadn't changed anything -- I still didn't want to have kids and I still wanted to get married. On the other hand, Dad had also realized his political party didn't support me -- and he was choosing them. "But it's not a political issue when your son is--" I stopped. I was on a train and I seriously didn't want to get lynched.

Mom interrupted me though, so it was okay. "And I showed your letter your grandmother."

"And...?"

"Oh, she wasn't surprised."

I have this image of my grandmother reading it and going "Yeah, and...?" This is the woman who saw my "An awkward meaning beats a boring night" shirt and giggling and nodding. Nothing phases her, I'm not even kidding. So I reply, "Good. Okay."

"Your father and I started talking about the gay people that we know," Mom continues. She starts to describe how she and my dad were, basically, arguing over who knew more gay people and whether or not the gay people they knew were happy. My parents frequently disagree but I have never really seen them argue, so this really got me spooked.

All in all though, my coming out was a pretty decent experience. I'm one of the lucky ones.

"Come on before we crack!"

So, I was supposed to go out tonight. Well, I hadn't really told anyone except myself, but still.

Unfortunately, I've been distracted, it started to rain, and now I just can't get the motivation to leave my bedroom. Except, I might go to the kitchen to eat something in a little bit.

Anyways, I was going to talk about something today, but I can no longer recall what it was. This is not a good day for me thinking-wise either, but being that I'm on vacation I can hardly not blog today, I have no excuse not to!

Today was nice. Mom woke me up (she always does, I can't stand it...I'm on vacation, it's my perogative if I want to sleep all day!) and then I had breakfast and took my grandmother out. We went to this quaint little bakery (part of chain, as it turns out) and we each bought a dessert. I got a cannoli (explaining the picture above) and she got an eccles cake (that's below) I paid, as it is her birthday tomorrow. Then she and I went grocery shopping.

As someone who works in retail, and has been having a miserable past couple of days doing so, it's quite incredible the shift in personality here. People are jerks when buying gifts, but cheery, joyful, and kind when they are shopping for food, for a celebration. It's incredible. Why can't people have that mood all of the time? Life would be so much better.

I was going to have a whole discussion on that, but I am so unmotivated to put any energy into anything right now. Ew, I hate when I feel like this. I'm gonna go on a scavenger hunt to find my motivation. I should never have let it out of its cage. :-P

A little geekery for ya...today, I canceled my subscription to The Sims Online. I haven't played it in forever, though I had the best times when I used to. No one I played with has played it in at least a year, it's been months since the last update, and there's not even a development team anymore just a development guy. Poor, lonely dev. guy. Anyways, that was very sad too, marking the end of an era, but it needed to be done.