Obscurity Knocks

Earnest, empathetic, industrious, unpretentious, gay Virgo in Milwaukee with a great life, amazing friends, and a wonderful family.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Clutch those pearls


I'm heading over to Ruben and Mark's house shortly to watch Desperate Housewives. I know it's cliche and trashy, but that's what makes it so much fun. DHW is best enjoyed with friends by your side and a glass of wine in your hand. That's how Ruben, Mark, and I prefer to watch the show. Tonight I'm bringing the wine and some chocolate chip cookies. When one of those soap opera *shocking* moments occur, we gasp in unison and exclaim "ooooh!" Mark calls those "pearl clutching moments," since a proper woman would clutch her pearls upon hearing such improper words.

Gabrielle has had some of the best lines so far this season. We loved it when, after finding out that her husband cheated on her with the maid who was also their surrogate, Gabrielle told the maid that four hours after she had the baby, she'd be back in China on all fours in a rice paddy. We also loved it when she said "this dress looks like something Ike Turner would hit." Our favorite character, however, is Edie. She had a classic line recently when she told Susan that she had eleven condoms but could only account for eight of them. And it was fantastic when she told Julie Mayer that she was behaving like a good girl just before she became a bad girl. DHW always seems better when the three of us watch it together.

As an aside, I think it would be quite nice if Austin Britt played by Josh Henderson had a fling with Andrew Van de Kemp played by Shawn Pyfrom.

My second Swatch



My parents went to Germany in 1986. I think it was the first time either of them left the United States. They brought me this Swatch (the Sir Swatch model) as a souvenir. My brother received the Emerald Diver. It was cool because no one in Wisconsin had these Swatches yet. The new models were released in Germany months before they arrived here in the USA. Of the Swatches I had, I probably wore Sir Swatch the most. 20 years later, it looks a bit obnoxious with the bright red and green band. Emerald Diver still looks like a fine timepiece.

Madonna: The Confessions Tour

Like any good gay boy, I watched "Madonna: The Confessions Tour" on NBC a few days ago. One of the best concerts I ever attended was Madonna's "Reinvention" tour at the United Center in 2004. In any event, Madonna is still, without question, an amazing performer.

"Future Lovers" - The concert seemed to start off a big sluggish with this song.
"Get Together" - My fears that this might not be a good show were alleviated here. There's no question that she keeps getting better as her career progresses. Once again she creates an almost overwhelming visual experience with video and her dancers.
"Jump" - The dancing was impressive with lots of acrobatics. Madonna is so intense. You can tell she's a perfectionist and a hard worker. Even when she smiles during the show, it's probably planned. She definitely wants those attending to have a mind-blowing experience, and she delivers.
"Live To Tell" - This has always been one of my favorite Madonna songs since it's so full of emotion, so I was glad that she included it on this tour. Even though she's no longer a Roman Catholic, her upbringing in that tradition is still with her. She put a crown of thorns on her own head during this song, which reminded me of the "Like a Prayer" video. It was interesting how she used "Live To Tell" to bring attention to the 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa. Even though she doesn't profess Christianity anymore, Madonna is nevertheless a good Christian in her charity work on behalf of African children. I liked how she used Matthew Chapter 25 as a call for people to help African children.
"Forbidden Love" - The imagery of the gay couple, one Jewish and one Muslim, was interesting. The dancing here reminded me of New Order's "True Faith" video.
"Isaac" - This song doesn't do much for me, but it was interesting to see it performed live.
"Sorry" - In the long line of female power Madonna songs. It had more intensity live than on the album.
"Like It Or Not" - This was a good Peggy Lee-inspired torch song, a moment that the many gay guys in the audience seemed to appreciate. Excellent.
"I Love New York" - This song is dumb. Madonna's jacket was fabulous. Her guitar playing and the dancing were an extravaganza for the senses.
"Ray of Light" - She had a fairly up-tempo new interpretation for this song. As you expect from Madonna, the dancing was innovative.
"Let It Will Be" - Was great, but the NBC telecast was over-edited during this song.
"Music" - It was fun how she led into "Music" with a cover of the Trammps "Disco Inferno" and a short version of her own "Where's The Party." I loved her white bell bottoms.
"Erotica/You Thrill Me" - A great combination of songs. It's always nice to hear "Erotica."
"La Isla Bonita" - I'm not positive, but this song has probably been in more of her tours over the years than almost any other. A nice blast from the past.
"Hung Up" - It was cool how "Lucky Star" was sampled at the beginning. She is so amazing, particularly when you remember that she's 48. As I wrote earlier, she just keeps getting better and better. This song in particular reminds me (not that I need reminding) that Madonna is f*cking fabulous.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

My first Swatch


I bought my first Swatch in 1986. It was the Mezza Luna model, pictured above.
I saved my babysitting money for the $35 expense. I bought it at Boston Store at the Port Plaza Mall in Green Bay. I was quite pleased with my purchase. I remember sitting in my 7th grade classes staring at the raised face. The Mezza Luna was a bit boring in terms of color, which is part of the reason why my collection grew in subsequent years.

Trader Joe's

Mandy and I checked out the new Trader Joe's last week. We've been waiting to get one here in Wisconsin for years. Good things come to those who wait, and now there's a Trader Joe's at Bayshore Town Center. As a single person who doesn't care much for cooking, TJ's works well for me since they have a lot of meals that you just need to heat - no preparation required. Most of their food is fairly healthy and much of it is organic. Plus it's less expensive than Whole Foods. We've had a grocery store renaissance these past few years here in Milwaukee. I can now choose from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Sendik's, and the

For Your Consideration

Dave and I went to see "For Your Consideration" this afternoon. I usually enjoy Christopher Guest films, particularly the hilarious "Best in Show" and the folk music send-up "A Mighty Wind." Unfortunately, neither Dave nor I cared for "For Your Consideration." It just wasn't funny. Yes, it has the usual group of Christopher Guest actors. However, the story never gains much traction. I smiled a few times, but no laughs like I experience in his other films. I don't recommend this one.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Bigmouth Strikes Again

I could (and may) write many posts about The Smiths, one of my all-time favorite bands. For now I'll focus on one particular Smiths song, "Bigmouth Strikes Again." It's impossible to select a favorite Smiths song, but "Bigmouth" would be right up there for me. It played on XM Channel 44 on my way back to Milwaukee from my parents' house this afternoon. I turned the volume way up and sang along with Morrissey. I love Johnny Marr's acoustic 12-string guitar in this song. Marr's music has a driving intensity that gets my adrenaline flowing. Morrissey's lyrics are full of cynical and unapologetic anger, yet there is an underlying humorous tone throughout the song. When I saw Morrissey most recently in 2004, he performed "Bigmouth" and substituted "iPod" for "Walkman" in the lyrics to update the song for the 21st century.

Qdoba

I just walked over to Qdoba for a vegetarian burrito. Since Qdoba (formerly Z-Teca) opened here on the East Side of Milwaukee in 1998, I've eaten hundreds of burritos there. I typically eat at the Q at least once a week. I figure it's better than Taco Bell and most other chains. In any event, tonight there were five other guys eating alone at the Prospect Avenue Qdoba. None of them were wearing a wedding ring (I tend to notice these things). All of them were around my age and attractive. My perennial quandary: how do I know if a guy is gay or straight? Since the whole meterosexual craze a number of years ago, my gaydar is nonexistent. I could just take a chance and give a guy my phone number. Here on the East Side, it's fairly safe to do that even if the guy is straight. Maybe I need to start carrying a pen and paper so I can start doing that. After all, I'd be excited if any of those guys had given me his phone number.

Brownies never let me down



Quite a few guys have let me down over the years. I'm not bitter, just realistic. I'm better off without those guys in my life. While men have let me down repeatedly, brownies have never let me down. As my friends know, I enjoy brownies, cookies, and ice cream. When some people are feeling blue, they have trouble eating. I'm the opposite. If I'm feeling down, I know that whipping up a batch of brownies will always make me feel better. Now if only I could find a guy who would enjoy eating brownies with me. That would be rather nice.

In these photos, I'm eating brownies that Nate made using his grandma's recipe.

Jason Workman


Back in the late 80s there was a magazine called MGF, which stood for "Men's Guide to Fashion." MGF is now defunct; it was similar to Details and Men's Health. I used to buy MGF from time to time at B. Dalton or Waldenbooks at Southridge Mall. As a gay boy, I was particularly interested in MGF's annual swimsuit issue. The 1988 edition featured a model named Jason Workman. He appeared in quite a few photographs throughout the magazine, including one in bright-colored swimming trunks. My favorite, however, was one of Jason wearing a speedo. Those photos of Jason provided me with hours of  amusement and entertainment when I was in high school. I couldn't imagine a better looking or more interesting guy than Jason.

My family went to New York for the first time when I was a junior in high school, circa April 1990. One of the Broadway plays we saw on that trip was Meet Me in St. Louis at the Gershwin Theatre. I have a vivid memory of reading the Playbill before the show began. As I was looking at the names and photographs of the cast members, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that Jason Workman was in the cast playing John Truitt. Could this be the same speedo-wearing Jason Workman from MGF? It looked like it was. What were the chances that the man I had spent countless hours fantasizing about was in the same theater as me? I couldn't believe it. My face flushed and I had butterflies in my stomach. My legs started shaking. I worried that my mom might wonder what was wrong. When Jason made his entrance, I knew that it was indeed the same guy from MGF. For the next two hours, my eyes never left Jason when he was on the stage. He was so handsome. He had such a clear and lovely singing voice. He seemed to radiate energy. It was like a dream come true for me. And then it was over. If only I could have met him. But what would I say? At the time I was a somewhat awkward 16 year-old.

After seeing Jason in person, I got quite a bit more usage out of the MGF magazine and the Playbill. Unfortunately, the MGF didn't survive one of my many moves in college or graduate school. I'd pay a rather hefty sum to have it back. After all these years, I still think about Jason with some frequency. So far as I can determine from the Internet, it looks like he's still acting, most recently playing Radames in "AIDA" somewhere in Michigan. After "Meet Me in St. Louis," he was in a mid-90s revival of "Damn Yankees" on Broadway. Jason also had a couple of guest spots on TV programs and soap operas.

Jason, if you should happen to read this, please know that you have a long-time fan in Milwaukee. I'm 33 now and would welcome the opportunity to buy you dinner. I hope to hear from you!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Evening with Barbie

Barbie and I went to the new Bayshore Town Center two weeks ago tonight. It's amazing how different that area of Glendale looks now with the new shopping center. There are some cool new stores and the landscaping is aesthetically pleasing. However, the architecture is pretty fake. I mean, it's a mall, not a "town center," as the developer would like you to think. In addition, the stores are all national chains, so it's hardly anything innovative. Nevertheless, it's a good place to go for shopping and/or a meal. Hopefully the opening of the new Bayshore will alleviate some of the crowds from Mayfair. Barbie loves California Pizza Kitchen, so we ate there the night CPK opened. It's the first CPK in Wisconsin. We're glad to have one in our state; now we don't have to drive to Old Orchard for our CPK fix. Our meal was good, although they took Barbie's favorite pizza off the menu. Of course, we had dessert to make the evening complete. Then we did a little shopping and Barbie convinced me to buy a new sweater at H&M.

My pretend boyfriend, Part 2


Blogger only lets you upload 5 photos in one post, so here is the 6th and final photo of my pretend boyfriend.

My pretend boyfriend






This is my pretend boyfriend. Nate and I saw him in 2005 the day before we ran the San Francisco Marathon. I had to stop to admire (drool over) him. I think he's perfect: cute face, reddish-colored short hair, fair skin, in-shape but not a weightlifter, and just the right amount of chest hair. In my imagination he's 32, a second grade teacher, and has two sisters who want him to settle down with a nice guy who just happens to live in Milwaukee. I have no idea what his name is, but I want him to marry me. Where are you, hot guy? Does anyone know who he is? If yes, set me up with him!

Thursday, November 16, 2006

HM The Queen is coming to the USA

It would be very cool to be able to see Her Majesty when she visits the USA next May.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

RIO, the Musical

Introducing RIO, the Musical.

conceived by Ruben and LS (Steve).
Based on the music of Duran Duran

RUBEN: Rio is about a poor Mexican girl (Rio) who goes through a series of adventures and misadventures in her search for true love and identity. She journeys to America and gets mixed up with the wrong crowd (Wild Boys) who sell her on the street (Skin Trade) and eventually moves into making XXX movies (Girls on Film) and becomes an overnight megastar (Notorious). (1)* Desperate to break out into something more respectable she wonders where she went wrong and what she can do to escape her plight (Is There Something I Should Know). (2)* She turns her back on her sordid past (I Don't Want Your Love) and wakes up the next day with a plan (New Moon On Monday). She parlays her fame into a musical career and debuts her new alter ego (Electric Barbarella). She is insatiable in her quest for world domination (All She Wants Is) and her fame culminates in the fastest selling single in pop history (The Reflex). Her record label starts pocketing more and more of her money (Union of the Snake) and the tabloids spread lie after lie about her (Too Much Information) and finally she cracks under the pressure (Come Undone). In rehab, she finds spirituality (Save A Prayer) and a man who is crazy for her (Hungry Like The Wolf). Everything is better and they live happily ever after (Thank You).

LS: Notes from LS to improve Ruben's original concept:
*(1) When she becomes a high-priced call girl, there is a very steamy and seductive scene in a limousine (The Chauffeur).
*(2) While trying to escape her role as a prostitute, her former pimp pursues her (A View to a Kill). Fortunately, she escapes and finishes her pimp off.

RUBEN: Ruben's response: LS! I love it - *especially* the "View To A Kill" scene - I'm embarrassed that I could have left out a detail so lurid and gratuitous and therefore necessary!! I also thought there was too much of a skip in the narrative at that point. Maybe we could have her kill the pimp by pushing him off the Eiffel Tower, in a reverse Grace Jones manoeuvre.

CASTING
Groupie #1 (lesbian): Barbie


Record Executive: Ruben

Adult Movie Director: LS

Tabloid Journalist: Michelle

Rio: Jennifer E.

Andy Roddick is so hot





Andy Roddick is so hot. He's also my favorite tennis player. I was optimistic that Andy would win the US Open, but he couldn't stop Roger Federer. Yes, Federer is the best player in the world right now, but Andy is more charismatic and more fun to watch. Plus he looks so sexy wearing his Lacoste tennis gear.

JDate



My friend Lesley is Jewish. However, she doesn't usually want to date Jewish guys; she prefers Gentiles. Some of Lesley's many relatives try to persuade her to use JDate to find a boyfriend. She typically deflects the suggestion, as a good Virgo is apt to do. Sometimes Lesley jokes about how she might have to resort to using JDate, although I don't think she's serious. When I was in New York this past weekend, I saw two JDate billboards, and couldn't resist taking these photos in honor of Lesley. Lesley, maybe both of us should try JDate. Do you think that there are any gay Jewish guys on JDate who would be interested in me -- a Gentile who is half Norwegian, 1/4 Irish, and 1/4 German?

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Comment from Ruben about my finding a husband

To: Ruben
From: Steve

I’m hoping that some guy will come across my blog, be intrigued, and ask me out.

To: Steve
From: Ruben

Good! Relying on gay.com and yahoo personals exclusively is so 2003.
A blog is a must for any modern 'mo in hot pursuit of an LTR.

Your writing thus far is very blogworthy, and I think it will be a good tool to add to your arsenal of husband-hunting gadgetry.

Note from Steve: I still use yahoo personals, match.com, and sometimes gay.com. None of them have borne any fruit thus far, but hope springs eternal. I was, however, a bit depressed earlier today when I checked yahoo personals and found that the only guy who had checked out my profile recently is 56.

New photos



These were taken on Saturday.

Wisconsin election - 1 week later

The constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage AND civil unions in Wisconsin passed one week ago. I haven't had the stomach to post anything about it until today. Here's a message that Ruben sent me last Wednesday and my reply:

From: Ruben
To: Steve
LS:
How are you doing?
I don't know, I'm feeling depressed, devastated, and apathetic all at the same time. Who cares, we knew it was going to pass, right?
I don't understand how the majority of offices in the state *overwhelmingly* went to Democrats, and yet voters went all conservative on the two referendums (the second was advisory to the legislature and recommends reinstating the death penalty in Wisconsin). It shows that they were very obviously *not* partisan issues.
Trying to stay busy with my job today.

TO: Ruben
FROM: Steve
JRP,
I'm OK. I think that I'm feeling many of the same emotions you are: depressed, knocked down, insulted, and apathetic all at once. It's really sad to me that we live in a state with so many bigoted and hard-hearted people. And that's what they are: bigoted people. People who want to deny civil and human rights to their fellow citizens.
Like you, I'm amazed that so many Democrats in Wisconsin evidently voted yes on both referenda. It seems counter-intuitive to me, but that's what the bigoted people did.
Wisconsin had a long and proud history as a progressive state. That reputation for progressivism has now been thrown out the window with the mean-spirited and bigoted referenda. I used to be proud to say that I lived in Wisconsin. Not anymore.
It's mildly helpful for me to recall that even when slavery was legal in the United States, that did not make it right. Even when women were denied the right to vote, that did not make it right. When Jim Crow laws denied African Americans civil and human rights, that did not make it right. Now the Wisconsin Constitution will deny same sex and non-married couples civil and human rights. But that does not make it right. This long struggle for civil and human rights will continue. I take some comfort in the fact that Massachusetts has gay marriage. And Vermont and Connecticut have civil unions. And soon New Jersey and Arizona will have civil unions. Perhaps more states will be added to the list in the years ahead. And at least now there is no chance of a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage being enacted since it could not pass either house of Congress. I'll be occupied the rest of the day with meetings, which is good. Hang in there,
LS

Monday, November 13, 2006

more postings to come

I was out of town and am now really swamped at work, hence my lack of posts. I've made a list of topics to write about, so there's more to come. Stay tuned...

XM Radio

The XM Radio in my car stopped working in late August. I had numerous telephone conversations with the people at XM (who most definitely reside outside of the USA), who repeatedly told me that it was not their issue, it was a Volkswagen issue. At the same time, Volkswagen told me that it was an XM issue, not a Volkswagen issue. After finally tiring of this back-and-forth, I brought the car to the good people at Concours Volkswagen, and they fixed it. While it was a hassle, at least the repair was under warranty. Thank goodness my XM is back, because Milwaukee radio is the absolute worst. With all of the awful music and mind-numbing commercials, it was starting to wear on me. The one exception is 89.7 WUWM, my home for National Public Radio. BTW: my favorite XM channels are 8, 9 (when the song is 1994 or earlier), 26, 44, 45, and 75.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Mynxxx


My Felix post reminds me of when Jennifer E. was the mynxxx. A mynxxx, for those not in the know, is sort of like a vixen (or vixxxen, if you will): a woman who is beautiful, seductive, and self-assured. A mynxxx doesn't take sh*t from anyone, especially a man or any woman who goes after her man. A mynxxx will also use men for her own pleasure. Jennifer E. used to be a mynxxx, but she's now settled down with Pat. Here's a fabulous photo of Jennifer E. at the height of her mynxxx powers.

New York art scene mainstay Felix



One night last year at Mad Planet, my friend Mark dressed up as "Felix," a New York art scene mainstay. He was so made up that I had absolutely no idea that Felix was really Mark. Using a fake voice, he came up to me and was hitting on me. I tried being polite, thanking Felix for his interest, but saying that I didn't think we'd be a good match. He was incredibly persistent, wouldn't give up, and was invading my personal space. I naturally got uncomfortable and wondered why this odd-looking guy was so into me. After a few minutes of making me nervous, our friend Andy couldn't keep a straight face and revealed the whole thing. It was quite funny. Love ya, Mark aka Felix!

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Well Girl, We Did It.


I love this photo of Lesley and Mikel, two of my friends who live in Los Angeles. I'm a bit envious of Mikel's t-shirt that Lesley made for him. In fact, I'm considering getting a similar one, although Mikel probably wouldn't like that. I think that the first comma, while grammatically correct, is unnecessary. If I get one for myself, it will say "Well Girl, we did it." BTW: Lesley's decolletage is looking quite nice and rather ample in this photo. Way to show it off, Lesley!

Nice Limbo


I just realized that I wasn't linked to Mikel's blog. That has now been rectified. Here's a photo of Lesley, Mikel, me, and Nate.

A face without freckles is like a night without stars


My post about being a redhead reminds me that I also used to hate my freckles. Like my red hair, I'm fine with them now. When my mom was a little girl, some of her relatives used to tease her by saying that she must have stood in front of a rusty screen door during a rain storm. She said that she cried when they said that to her. In fourth grade, a fifth grader called me "Howdy Doody" because of my freckles. So it was a special moment when my mom gave me a little plaque that says "A face without freckles is like a night without stars." I certainly agree!

Proud to be a redhead

My Grandma Edna was a redhead. Of her 7 children, my mom is the only one who has red hair. Of Grandma Edna's 17 grandchildren, only my brother and me have red hair; our 15 cousins on my mom's side of the family all have brown or blond hair. I used to hate my red hair when I was a kid. I remember old ladies coming up to Dave and me making a big deal about our red hair, touching it, and pinching our cheeks. That got old fast. And when I went to school, I was usually the only redhead in my class, so that was always fodder for potential teasing, particularly in junior high when kids are at their meanest. Then in college I decided to be happy about who I was, so I grew to be proud of my red hair. While Grandma Edna loved all 17 of her grandchildren, I think that she had an extra-special place in her heart for Dave and me because we had red hair like her. And that was pretty cool. Grandma Edna passed away in 2002. I'm going to be an uncle for the first time in early February. I'm optimistic that the baby will have red hair and continue the line from Grandma Edna. At least I hope that he or she will be a redhead. I've even been asking Grandma Edna to use any influence she might have in heaven to see to it. I'll find out soon enough. If the baby has red hair, Uncle Steve will be smiling. And I suspect that Grandma Edna will be, as well.

Harajuku Girls


Well before Gwen Stefani made Harajuku a household name (at least with teenage girls and gay men), I visited Harajuku. Here's a photo of me with some Harajuku Girls, circa 2000.

Friends



I've already mentioned that I met Nate during freshman orientation at Marquette University in August 1991. I thought I'd post the first photo of us I could find. It was taken in my parents' kitchen on Weatherstone Boulevard in the spring of 1993. From left to right are college classmates and friends Jeet, Paul, Nate, and me. A more recent photo from ealrier this year is included, as well. Here's to you, Nate!

Nate


Nate called to chastise me for not mentioning the role he played in my marathon running. So this post aims to rectify that omission. Kim was the one who got me started running back in 1999. However, Nate was indeed the person who convinced me to train for and run my first marathon. I was going through a rough patch in the spring of 2005. By that time, Nate had already run the Columbus Marathon, and he was ready to run his second. So he convinced me to do the training and then meet him in San Francisco where we ran and finished that city's marathon on August 1, 2005. It was a great experience -- one that I'll never forget.

Post overload

After posting so much yesterday, I'm a bit burned out today. More later.

Oh my, now Nate has a blog!

I was talking on the phone with Nate earlier this evening. He couldn't believe that I was tech-savvy enough to create a blog. Well, neither can I, but strange things sometimes happen. So now Nate created his own blog since he likes to emulate me. I met Nate in August 1991 at freshman orientation at Marquette University. And the rest, as they say, is history. Welcome to the blogosphere, Nate!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Genius: Andrew Wyeth



I think that Andrew Wyeth is one of the greatest American painters. Most art critics disagree; they don't think much of him. Even though it's one of their most popular paintings, The Museum of Modern Art doesn't include Wyeth's "Christina's World" in their MoMA Highlights book. Wyeth's paintings have a transcendent quality that I admire. Here is "Christina's World" and "Winter." "Winter" reminds me of my Grandpa Landmark, who grew up on a homestead in Northeastern South Dakota. The area where Grandpa Landmark grew up looks almost exactly like Wyeth's painting.

Swing Out Sister

"Breakout" by Swing Out Sister just played on my iTunes. I'ts one of Nate's favorite songs. Here's to you Nate, livin' it up in the O.C.

I have a sweet tooth.

Gay running club in Milwaukee?



Chris was fortunate enough to find his husband. When he was single, he tried finding a husband at a gay running club in Atlanta. So far as I know, there isn't a gay running club here in Milwaukee. I wish that there was since that might be a good place to meet a boyfriend. I became an avid runner in 1999 thanks to my friend Kim. I've run three marathons in the past two years and average about 25 miles per week when I'm not training for a marathon. I've ran a few times with the Badgerland Striders, but haven't found any eligible gay guys there. If any eligible gay runners in Milwaukee are reading this, get in touch with me!

Here's a couple of photos of my brother Dave and me running the 2006 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. I'm on the left.

Brian J. Forster, Jr., where are you now?

Another person I wonder about is Brian J. Forster, Jr. We went to college together at Marquette between 1991 and 1995. Brian was an English major and we had quite a few classes together. He had fair skin, a cute face with some freckles, and thick rust-colored hair. I can remember him wearing low-slung Levi's jeans. He played hacky sack quite a bit. I remember right before graduation he was playing hacky sack with his shirt off, and I was captivated by his thin build and hairy chest. We weren't really friends, but were acquaintances and sometimes ended up at the same parties. Last I heard, Brian was a tennis pro somewhere in Chicago. I always wondered if he was gay, but am not really sure. Brian, if you see this let me know what's up. It would be great to hear from you.

The Ocean Blue

I've already mentioned that the Trash Can Sinatras are one of my all-time favorite bands. Another all-time favorite is The Ocean Blue. Here's their story. I discovered The Ocean Blue while in high school working at my first job circa 1990-1992 at The Gap #2902 in Southridge Mall, Greendale, Wisconsin. I was exposed to a lot of excellent music at The Gap in the early 90s. Back then, the store received a new 4-hour tape each month. That's how I learned about The Ocean Blue. Their first two albums are particularly good. 1989's self-titled debut contains two songs I really love, "Beetween Something and Nothing" and "Drifting, Falling." 1991's Cerulean has the beautiful "Ballerina Out of Control." I used to have bumper sticker on my car that said "The Ocean Blue." I remember being very excited when I received a note in the mail from bassist BobbyMittan after I wrote in for fan club information in 1992. Michelle, Kim and I had the plesure of seeing The Ocean Blue in Milwaukee at The Rave in 1993.

Paul Defnet, where are you now?

Do you ever wonder what happened to people you knew when you were growing up? I wonder whatever happened to Paul Defnet. Paul and I went to school together from about 4th through 8th grades when we both lived in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. We were friends, but not particularly close. I think the reason Paul sticks in my mind is because we had gym class together in 7th and 8th grades. When we went swimming in gym, Paul was one of the only guys who wore a speedo. I can remember taking long looks at Paul in his speedo. At the time I didn't know I was gay, but I knew that I wanted to do forbidden things with Paul. His gym locker was down the row from mine, and it always turned me on to watch him pull that speedo on before we swam and peel it off before taking a shower. Paul was very fashionable -- I remember him having quite a few Lacoste shirts. He had feathered dark hair (it was the mid 80s) and was rather soft-spoken. Paul, if you're out there, let me know what's going on in your life.

Today in the Sky

When I have time, I like to read Ben Mutzabaugh's blog, Today in the Sky. Ben is a reporter for USA Today The airline news can be interesting, plus I think that Ben is quite handsome. If I lived in Washington D.C., I'd ask him out. Ben, are you willing to relocate to Milwaukee?

I'm "shocked" at this news

Neil Patrick Harris admitted he's gay. What a huge *shock.* Almost as *shocking* as when TR Knight and Lance Bass came out earlier this year.

Obscurity Knocks

You might wonder where the title of my blog comes from. It's the name of one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands, the Trash Can Sinatras. "Obscurity Knocks" is from TCS's debut album, Cake. I first heard the Trash Cans at Club Marilyn, a now-closed dance club in downtown Milwaukee, in early 1991 with my friends Brad and Dave. Cake is one of the albums I would most certainly put on my top 10 list. It was a real thrill to see the Trash Cans when they played in Milwaukee in May 2005 in support of their more mature and mellow album, Weightlifting. Weightlifting is also an excellenct album, but nothing beats Cake. I have fond memories of listening to "Obscurity Knocks" and another great song from Cake, "Only Tongue Can Tell" with Paul, Kim, and Michelle in the early 90s.

More Barbie's Halloween party 2006 photos




Michelle was a paper doll. Pat was Velma and Jennifer E. was Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

Barbie's Halloween Party 2006





Each year my fabulous friend Barbie has a huge Halloween party at her house in Shorewood. This year's blowout was lots of fun. Here are some photos. Barbie was a skanky southside Dairy Queen employee. Sarah French was Jeffrey Sebalia from Project Runway. Mandy was a "sexy tuberculosis patient" as opposed to a "sexy nurse." I was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Ruben and Mark were Eddy Monsoon and Patsy Stone from Absolutely Fabulous.

Requiem

Last night Barbie and I had a fabulous evening. First we went to dinner at the Hi Hat on Brady Street. Barbie had a rhubarb martini and I had a metropolitan. When the waitress brought our food, she asked if we wanted another drink. Barbie, of course, didn't hesitate to say yes. So we each had two martinis. Fortunately, Barbie was driving because I was rather buzzed by the time we left Hi Hat. At first we wondered if our waitress was either a drag queen or a trannie. However, we used our powers of deduction to determine that she was indeed a woman who just happened to have a deep voice and lots of hair extensions. Then we went to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert. They performed Mozart's Requiem, which is one of our favorite pieces. I had never heard it performed live before, so that was a treat.

A possible outcome of writing this blog?

I'm 33 years old. And I'm a 'mo. And I'm trying to find a husband. However, that has been a difficult proposition here in Milwaukee. Somehow Chris found himself a husband, so maybe I can, as well. Hope springs eternal. I'm willing to be set up. So if you know of any single gay guys in Southeastern Wisconsin, let me know.

This is me.

Welcome to Obscurity Knocks!

Welcome to Obscurity Knocks, the new blog of Steve, aka LS aka Little Steven. My friends Ruben and Michelle keep telling me I should start a blog. I'm going to try to see if I'm tech-savvy enough to do this. This will hopefully be my first post.