Separate Lives

Well, that happened. Here's a video of Lesley and me singing "Separate Lives" last night at the Brit Inn in Shorewood. Barbie was the videographer. Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin we're not. Nevertheless, it was a fun evening.

Latest Abby photos

Here's Abby and me on Saturday. She is so cute!

Steven Rosengard wrote back to me!

Steven Rosengard wrote back to me! Of course, he rejected me, but I'm used that. At least now I can say that I've been denied by a minor celebrity as opposed to the usual guys here in Milwaukee. Here's Steven's message:

steve, thanks so much for writing--it's good to know i've got local support! you're sweet to ask me out, but i just started seeing a really sweet guy that makes me laugh--and these days, laughing is golden. s

Project Runway

ANDY WROTE:

Alright, I just watched Project Tim Gunnway...

I like the Nathan Lane cream puff guy. Because how can you not like a guy who's like Nathan Lane but with more cream puffery.

I like Kit Pistol because her name is Kit Pistol.

I like that earthy girl who rubbed her fabric into the grass. She might appear spacey, but she's smart enough to know you'll never get kicked out of the early rounds if you create over-the-top, outrageous designs. The judges and producers will keep you around just to see what you attempt next.

And I like Tim Gunn.

I hate Christian and his new wave do and his weak, lazy voice and his "I'm a pretty big deal" attitude.

I hate that Ricky guy with the lingerie background. There's no crying before a competition has even happened. Three or four competitions into the season, sure, maybe shed a few tears. But crying during the get-to-know-me interview? And then he designs a boring dress? Just go home already.

I hate the heterosexual designer dude. Okay, we get it, you're not gay, which means you probably are. Nice Joey Fatone beard.

The jury's still out on all the rest. Maybe I hate Sweet P because she cried at her own creation while it moved down the runway. I bet Steven's favorite contestant is Steven from Chicago because his name is Steven and he's from nearby. Little does he realize Steven from Chicago is really a head-shaven French Stewart.

Okay, that's all I got.

Klum day to you.


MY RESPONSE TO ANDY:

As much as it pains me to say it, you're absolutely right that Steven from Chicago is my favorite designer. You know me too well. Check out my blog for an entry about Steven that I posted about 15 minutes ago:

http://obscurityknocks-steve.blogspot.com/2007/11/im-in-love-with-steven-rosengard.html

I'm SO in love with Steven Rosengard. I want to marry him. I want to have a big gay wedding with him. He's so cute and handsome and dreamy and classy and quiet and intelligent and his hair is so short and Yves St. Laurent is his favorite designer and he says that he spends lots of money on swimming suits and underwear. What's not to love?

I'm worried that Steven's intelligence and quietness will mean that he doesn't make it to the top three, because you know that the producers want crazy people (aka Jeffrey Sebelia) to be in the top three because the crazy ones bring higher ratings.

A co-worker and I were talking about the show this morning, and we agree about the token heterosexual designer. They must have let him in for affirmative action reasons because they need at least one straight guy. He won't last long.

You're right - the reason that the earthy yoga girl didn't get kicked off last night is because she knows how to play the game with the producers. She brings the crazy, the producers see higher ratings as a result.

It took me about 20 minutes to figure out if Christian was a guy or girl. I'm still not sure, but they claim that he's a guy. But remember that he's only 21, and I shudder at the thought of my 21 year old self appearing on national television.

I figured you'd be all about Kit Pistol. But my question is why you're all about Kit Pistol but you shun Sweet P. I don't care for either one of them.

We need another 'mo to win. And it might as well be Steven Rosengard.

I'm in love with Steven Rosengard

I'm in love with Steven Rosengard from the new season of "Project Runway." What's not to love? He's 30, lives in Chicago (just 75 miles away), has really short hair, hot chest hair (see photo), and is incredibly talented. His designs are classic, elegant, and flawless.

I got my hands on an email address for him and sent him the following message:

"Hello Steven, I have no idea if you'll actually read this message, but it's worth a shot. When the cast for "Project Runway" was announced, I knew that you'd be my favorite designer as soon as I saw your photo. I could tell that you were intelligent, kind, and classy. That was borne out on last night's episode. There's no question that your dress was the most beautiful. Your sensibility is flawless, and I look forward to seeing what you do in the weeks ahead. In any event, I wanted to say hello and let you know that you have a fan here in Milwaukee. You seem like a great person; someone worth getting to know. If it wouldn't seem pretentious or like I was trying to hit on a celebrity, I'd ask you out. You seem like great boyfriend material! Hope that this note finds you well. Take care, Steve from Milwaukee."

END OF EMAIL

I hope that he writes back! Regardless, he's amazing. Go Steven!

Farewell to Chris B's blog

Chris over at boysbriefs has decided to hang it up and stop adding new entries to his blog. I started reading Chris' blog in 2004 when he posted some hot photos of swimmer Michael Phelps. I got hooked on reading Chris' blog, and have been a regular reader ever since. It was interesting to read his perspective as someone who, unlike me, went to gay circuit parties and did drugs. I was aware of that aspect of gay culture, but I've never been to a circuit party nor have I ever done illegal drugs. I think that the queens who run circuit parties would take one look at me and deny me entrance because I'm not attractive enough (in spite of the fact that I regularly run 28 miles or more per week and swim laps 4 or 5 times each week). And I guess the "Just Say No" message I grew up with during the 80s had some effect on me, because I've always been fine using alcohol rather than illegal drugs to improve my mood and lower my inhibitions.

In any event, it was interesting to keep track of Chris on his journey from a hot, yet not very nice, circuit boy to the still hot, now very nice, married man that he is today. We actually have more in common than I originally thought. We're close in age; he's a year older than me. He trained for and ran the Chicago Marathon as a way to become more disciplined and to meet guys; I've finished four marathons in the past three years and hope to meet a guy running. We both think that The Cure's "Disintegration" is one of the greatest albums ever made. We've both been known to enjoy DVDs from Falcon Studios.

Chris eventually realized that he wanted to settle down and marry the right guy; that is my primary goal in life. Fortunately for Chris, he met Michael, and they were married this fall. I must confess that I'm green with envy. Sure, I'm pleased as punch for Chris and Michael. But I'm also jealous that they've found love and not me. And this begs the proverbial question that I wrestle with constantly: what's wrong with me that I can't find a boyfriend?

Will I ever find a boyfriend? Am I doomed to be lonely, becoming more cynical and bitter each year, for the rest of my life? How do other guys find boyfriends? Are there any good guys left in Milwaukee, or are all the good ones already in relationships? Should I leave Milwaukee, my friends and family, to move somewhere where it's more likely that I'll find a husband?

In any event, au revoir Chris, and best wishes on your marriage.

When I started my blog, Chris and I had the following email exchange:


Steve: BTW - I first found your blog in 2004 when I did a Google search for "Michael Phelps"+gay. I know he's not gay, but you had a post about him and that's how I came to follow your life these past years.


Chris: It's kinda funny that you found my blog that way... I was quite enamored with Michael Phelps for a while. Now that I'm more interested in writing stories, I probably wouldn't post half-naked pics of a hot swimmer... but it's good to know some of those people continued reading my blog. :)

Chris and I also had a very gay email exchange years ago regarding chest hair:

Steve: I see from your desert race photos that you are shaving your chest again. Interesting.

Chris: Interesting good? Or interesting bad?

Steve: Humm, just interesting. On the one hand, you embrace your "gayness" when you shave your chest. On the other hand, we are in our 30s, and having hair on our chests can be pretty sexy. The photo on your blog of you dancing in Nashville where you have hair on your chest is quite hot (apart from the goatee, which I'm glad is gone). I can appreciate your shaving your chest before the race in order to stay cooler in the desert heat. But don't be afraid to let it grow out because it's sexy to have chest hair. What does your boyfriend think of it? He seems like he isn't as hairy as you, although he seems like the type who would also shave. All this said, I do shave/trim mine from time to time, so who the hell knows.

Chris: You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you? ;) I agree with most everything you say. I like chest hair on a guy because I tend to like men and loathe "boys." But I also like really clean cut, preppy guys so it can't be too much hair... it's gotta be neat. Truthfully, the reason I do it has less to do with embracing my gayness.... and more because I'm really skinny, which is something I'm quite self-conscious about, so removing the hair makes it appear as if I have a bit of definition. Also, I don't actually shave, I just trim... shaving is way too much trouble, and it leaves burns and bumps. As for Michael, he's a triathlete and he swims nearly every day... so he shaves EVERYTHING.-chris

Steve: Right you are.

song for this week

"And So It Goes" by Billy Joel is my song for the week.

What I said to J

What I said to J. Nate will likely say that I'm back to my bridge-burning ways, but I have a responsibility to be true to myself and say what I'm feeling.

Hello J,

Thanks for your message. First, let me say that I think that you’re a great person. You are seriously one of the nicest people that I have ever met in my life. And I would not just say that about anyone. You have such a positive outlook on life and you’re so friendly. It’s been great getting to know you over these past months, and the more I get to know you, the more I realize that you’re a great guy. So those are just some of the reasons why I was hoping that we could date and perhaps have a relationship.

This is probably unfair for me to say without hearing the story that “you’ll have to update me on sometime.” But I’m thinking that you are likely in the closet due to issues with your parents, their expectations for you, and your desire to please them. That’s unfortunate, but it’s your decision to live life in the closet. And you have to make your own decisions. Part of me feels bad for you that you choose to live your life more for your parents than for yourself, but it’s your decision, and you’re almost 36 years old, so you must know what you’re doing. I wish that you could be honest with yourself and with your parents, but again, that’s your decision to make, not mine. Speaking generally, it’s unfortunate in 2007 that someone in his mid-30s would have to live life in the closet because of his parents, but such is life. And I live mine doing what’s best for me, not for my parents.

I don’t mean for this to sound bad or negative, but it’s your loss that you are unwilling to have a romantic relationship with me (or anyone else for that matter). I think that I have a lot to offer in a relationship, and I believe that we could make a great couple.

Those things said, I want you to know that I respect your honesty and the fact that you are going to live your life the way that you want to live it. It’s certainly not what would work for me, but everyone has to find their own way.

Sure, we can be friends. I don’t know if you’ll be willing to do that after reading this message and knowing how I feel, but I feel a strong responsibility to myself to be upfront and honest, even if the message I’m delivering is not fun for you to hear.

Steve

J clarity aka another one bites the dust

Here's an edited version of J's response to my email:

"Hi Steve,
Last night was a blast and so much fun! You are awesome to go shopping with and I love the sweater you got. Guess where all my stuff that I bought is? Yup, still sitting in the bag at the bottom of my closet where I'm sure it'll stay for a long time.

Thanks for the awesome comments about the good Samantha qualities! That was very flattering and so kind of you to say. Hopefully we can keep hanging out and keep it as just friends (long story that I'll have to update you on sometime). You are so awesome to hang out with and great company and I always look forward to spending time together.

Have an awesome night and I promise to make you some CDs soon, I just have to remember to get them out of my car first ;) Take care and talk to you soon!
John"

END OF EMAIL

Oh well. This is par for the course for me, and this news is hardly a surprise. We've been "dating" (I guess I should say "hanging out") since August, and nothing physical ever happened. So the quest continues for a boyfriend.

As Lesley would say, "Well, that happened."

date with J

I had a date with J last night. We went to dinner, had a great conversation, and shared a dessert. After dinner, at J's suggestion, we shopped at H&M, Banana Republic, and the Gap. I bought a sweater and he bought a sweater and some waffle knit shirts at the Gap. It was a fun evening, and the more I get to know him, the more I like him. J is always so upbeat, friendly, and kind. It would be great to have a romantic relationship with him. I'm attracted to his personality and I'm attracted to him physically. He's so handsome!

Unfortunately, the evening didn't end in a blaze of torrid passion, but I had a great time regardless. So much so that I sent him a message with the following:

"So picking up on our 'Sex and the City' discussion, I’m trying to decide if I think you’re a Samantha. On the one hand, you are because you’re fun, bubbly, gregarious, and outgoing. On the other hand, if you were *really* a Samantha, you would have invited me up to your apartment for some making out tonight. And I would have gladly accepted the invitation! The Miranda in me wants to make a move to kiss you, but worries about rejection…"

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Photo: Carrie, Mary, and Laura Ingalls in the 1870s.

Speaking of sentimental, this summer I read all of the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was first introduced to the Little House series in third grade when our teacher read "On the Banks of Plumb Creek" to our class. I remember many of the girls in my class getting into the whole series, but I didn't catch Little House fever as a kid.

Fortunately, Kristina at work recommended reading the Little House series, and I'm glad that she did. I would have to rank these books right up there with the Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia series. To my thinking, those are three sets of books that are at the pinnacle of children's literature.

What really struck me when reading Little House books was the fact that Laura Ingalls basically wrote about her life. Yes, I know that the books are classified as fiction, but just about everything she wrote about actually happened. Laura, who I'm proud to say was born in Wisconsin, and her family traveled from Wisconsin to what is now Kansas, back to Wisconsin, then to Minnesota, and ultimately to De Smet, South Dakota.

The books are far superior to the television show starring Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon from the late 70s and early 80s. The books document true pioneer life in the late 19th century, while the television program is the work of some not-very-talented screenwriters who never set foot on a farm.

In any event, I could not imagine living Laura's life. I get awfully cold outside in the winter even when wearing a 21st century coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. Laura and her family had to endure the brutal and incessant winds of the South Dakota prairie without the benefit of today's warm clothing. You had to literally build your own house. And to think of the chores: the cows had to be milked every day, the horses fed and watered, and other animals cared for. No days off, no vacations. They had to butcher their own meat, grow most of their food, and live hoping that the weather or grasshoppers wouldn't destroy that year's crops.

Yet Ingalls and her daughter Rose, who was her editor, are masterful at portraying a family full of love and kindness that appreciated life. In today's world of information overload, it was interesting to read about how Laura and her family had to ration their books and newspapers, reading just a little bit each day so as not to run out of new material quickly. And how Caroline's greatest wish was that her girls could go to school. And how they had to work so hard to build a church, and Laura's reaction at seeing her first Christmas tree.

Laura and Rose create a world that becomes so real to the reader. You feel Laura's excitement when Pa asks her to bring him his fiddle, even though you can't hear the music. You get scared when Almanzo gets shoe polish on his mother's dining room wallpaper in "Farmer Boy," and you're relieved when his sister is able to cover up his transgression. You can imagine running outside on the prairie and seeing the wildflowers. You can almost taste Ma's freshly baked bread and home made jam. You experience Laura's nervousness when she has to give a presentation about the first part of United States history in front of the whole town. You get hungry when you read about how the town of De Smet almost starved to death in "The Long Winter," even though we probably have no idea of the real hunger experienced by the people on the prairie. You almost feel like you're falling in love with Almanzo when Laura does.

What makes the books particularly meaningful to me, I think, is the fact that my maternal grandparents grew up on homesteads in Roberts County, South Dakota. Grandpa was born in 1920 and Grandma was born in 1922. They lived on homesteads in the hills of northeastern South Dakota with no electricity, no running water, no indoor plumbing, no heat other than from a stove or fireplace, no air conditioning, and no refrigerator or washing machine or vacuum cleaner. So the experiences of my grandparents weren't too far removed from those of Laura Ingalls. My grandparents didn't experience electricity or any other modern conveniences until Grandpa joined the army in 1942. After Grandpa met the pretty red-haired girl from down the road, they were married in 1943, and lived in town after Grandpa was discharged from the army following World War II in 1946. But for their entire childhoods, my grandparents' lives were similar to Laura's.

I look forward to reading these books with Abby when she gets older. I hope that she will love them as much as I do. It's rare for me to be affected this much by books, and I'm grateful for the gift of Laura Ingalls' writing.

I Remember Mama

This month Turner Classic Movies is featuring different celebrities who get to select the programming for an evening. Jerry Stiller was Robert Osborne's celebrity guest on Friday, and Jerry's top selection was "I Remember Mama," a George Stevens film from 1948. I hadn't seem this movie, and I was intrigued since it's about Norwegian immigrants (my mom is 100% Norwegian). The movie stars Irene Dunne as the mother. Dunne won the Oscar for her performance. Barbara Bel Geddes, better known to most of my readers as Miss Ellie on "Dallas," plays the daughter telling the story. Yes, the film is incredibly sentimental, syrupy, and dated. But it's also touching and earnest. True, most families probably have more in common with "Long Day's Journey Into Night" than with "I Remember Mama," but it was nice to watch this good story about my Norwegian forebears. The characters are all the kind of people you wish you knew. While it's been said that nostalgia is the rust of our memory, this movie makes me glad that my memory is a bit rusty. 4 stars.

The Darjeeling Limited

I saw "The Darjeeling Limited" recently. I have mixed feelings about Wes Anderson films. On the one hand, I loved "The Royal Tennenbaums," but on the other hand, I couldn't stand either "Rushmore" or "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou." I did like "Darjeeling" quite a bit. The whole spiritual journey and personal growth aspect was interesting, and I appreciated how Anderson allowed the three brothers to grow as a result of their trip to India. Still, it was a bit too obvious that they literally "left their baggage behind" in India and didn't run away from real emotions like their mother chose to do. Speaking of luggage, I would do just about anything to have the Louis Vuitton duffel bag designed by Marc Jacobs that Adrien Brody's character carried in the film. Unfortunately, the Marc Jacobs designed Louis Vuitton luggage for this movie is not being mass produced, and the only set was sold at a charity auction in New York.

Yes, "Darjeeling" is way too self-referential and yes, Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzmann think they're much, much cooler than they really are. But Adrien Brody delivered an excellent performance and he's amazingly handsome. He would be such a dreamy boyfriend, and he looked incredibly hot in those pink boxer shorts and his sexy chest hair. The art direction is sublime; the film definitely deserves to be nominated for the best art direction Oscar. Overall, it was an interesting and fun movie.

A short talk I gave at church recently

I wish that was my hand

Sweet Lurline! Where can I find this guy?

Melissa Manchester - twice in 2007!

My love of Melissa Manchester has been well-documented on this blog (here, here, and here).

It turned out that Melissa was performing with the Jacksonville Symphony the same weekend I was going there for a visit. So of course we had to go see her show. It was, of course, a great show, and it was interesting to hear many of her songs performed with orchestral accompaniment. Unfortunately, the average age of the audience was at least 70, if not 75, so there were quite a few people who did not appreciate the amazing talent of Ms. Manchester. She was her usual vibrant, bubbly, wonderful self regardless of the lack of devotion and appreciation from many in the audience. I got more and more incensed throughout the evening that she was not getting the proper respect and adulation from the audience. I think that’s because this was a regular subscription series concert for the Jacksonville Symphony Pops, meaning that many of the people there didn’t know Melissa from a hole in the ground. And the over-70 set found her music too edgy - if it's even possible for Melissa Manchester to be considered hard-edged.

Before her encore, a group of about 20 elderly people rushed for the exits and moved faster than they had since the 1970s. One old women tripped, and in the process of falling down, she brought two other old ladies down with her. So there were three old women on the floor of the concert hall before Melissa performed her encore numbers. I figured these women got what they deserved; you don't leave a Melissa Manchester concert before it's over.

She performed "Midnight Blue," "Through the Eyes of Love (Theme From Ice Castles)," "Don’t Cry Out Loud," and "Whenever I Call You Friend."

Unfortunately, she did not perform "You Should Hear How She Talks About You," "Just Too Many People," or "Just You and I."

It was great to see La Manchester a second time in 2007. She's a remarkable singer, songwriter, and performer.

Abby is 9 months old

Abby is now 9 months old. She's eating "big people" food now such as bread, cheese, yogurt, blueberries, bananas, and applesauce. I gave her the hat she's wearing in this photo; light blue seems to be her signature color.

Cutest Halloween costume

Abby, my niece, had the cutest Halloween costume ever.

Florida, part 2

So what would a visit to my aunt and uncle's house be without going to a community dinner theatre? Figuring that they'd better make their gay nephew's visit as gay as possible, Bill and Mary Ellen took me to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Jacksonville's Alhambra Dinner Theatre. I had never seen "Joseph" before, and I don't feel like my life has been enriched now that I have seen it. I'm not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Weber, so I wasn't surprised that I didn't enjoy it. Plus it was community dinner theatre, so you go in with fairly low expectations. It was an amusing way to spend a couple of hours, but I'm glad that I don't have to see the show a second time.

Oh, the second photo is me with Bill and Mary Ellen's dog, Morgen.

Trip to Jacksonville

Last weekend I went to Jacksonville (actually Ponte Vedra Beach) to visit Mary Ellen and Bill, my aunt and uncle. I hadn't been there in almost three years. They're great people, and we had a nice visit. Here are a few photos. Mary Ellen made snickerdoodles, which are one of my favorites. I'm pointing to her Minnesota wild rice chicken salad, which she made knowing that I enjoy it. For some reason my cousin Andy (her son) calls this "cold dinner." So he'll say, "we're having cold dinner tonight." The reason that I'm holding a huge-ass Sonic cup is because Mary Ellen likes to get their cherry limeade, so we had to do that. The weather was perfect down there, so we were able to take a nice walk on the beach, plus I had great weather for running.

Suggestion for Lesley's wig for next year

I told Lesley that she can re-use her Shari Lewis wig next year to be Barbra Streisand from the early 80s.

My favorite Halloween costume of 2007

My favorite Halloween costume this year was Lesley's interpretation of Shari Lewis and Lampchop. It's spot-on. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Lesley's Halloween genius in person because she stayed in Los Angeles this year. The story of her costume and Lambchop's journey from the mountains of North Carolina to LA is well-documented on Lesley's blog. Genius!

Barbie's Halloween party, part 2

Some more photos from Barbie's Halloween party.

1. Ruben, me, and Mark.

2. Me, Michelle, and John M. as Scooby Doo.

3. Lynn as Amy Winehouse.

4. Gilligan and Amy Winehouse.

5. Kim dressed up as a cop giving me well-deserved punishment with her night stick. I love the bemused look she has on her face - like this is something she does all the time.

Barbie's Halloween Party

This was my seventh consecutive year of attending Barbie's annual Halloween bash. As usual, it was a fun event. Barbie outdid herself this year with the spread of food. She had grilled shrimp, crab cakes, artichoke dip, and a range of desserts. It was excellent. Here are some photos from the bash. Thanks, Barbie, for being such a superb hostess.

1. Barbie and Chad as Gomez and Morticia Adams.

2. Jennifer E as the Devil in Disguise and me as Gilligan.

3. Barbie and me.

4. Michelle as a Swatch watch.

5. Mark as Ty Pennington from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," and Ruben as a monk. Mark's costume was too funny, especially since he, Ruben, and I typically watch "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" with glasses of red wine since it comes on just before "Desperate Housewives." Mark had Ty's fake tan, megaphone, and crazy hair. It was great.

Dave and Sara's pumpkin carving party

Dave and Sara (my brother and sister-in-law) had their fifth annual pumpkin carving party a few weeks ago. My pumkin carving talents are rather limited. My goal each year is to not get last place in the voting. This year I decided to carve my niece's name into my pumpkin. I got second-last place, so I was pleased with my performance. Pictured below my rather weak effort is T, who took home the 2007 title with his flaming tiki pumpkin.

Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon photos

Here are some photos from the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon. My cousin Andy took them; he was visiting Milwaukee that weekend. It was awfully hot and humid to run 26.2 miles, but it was a good day, and I'm still rather pleased about running my personal best time.

survey from Ruben

1. A is for age. 34.

2. B is for beer of choice. Heineken Premium Light.

3. C is for career right now. Administrator at university.

4. D is for your dogs name. I don't have any pets, but like to visit my friends' pets from time-to-time.

5. E is for essential item you use everyday. My iPod Nano that I use while running.

6. F is for favorite TV show at the moment. Either "Scrubs" or "Grey's Anatomy."

7. G is for favorite game. Both are card games that I should blog about in separate entires: whist and Shanghai (aka May I?).

8. H is for Home town. New Berlin, WI.

9. I is for Insturment you have played. Piano, xylophone, marimba, timpani.

10. J is for favorite juice. Orange with no pulp.

11. K is for whose butt youd like to kick. No one really comes to mind at the moment, but my nemesis at work is SLQ.

12. L is for last place you ate. Subway (veggie sub).

13. M is for marriage. No, but wish that I was married to a great guy.

14. N is for your name. Steve

15. O is for overnight hospital stays. None since I was a newborn baby.

16. P is for people you were with today. All co-workers: JoAnn, Bob, Kristina. Also saw advisees Cristal, Nick, and Courtney. Also saw John Mo in my building.

17. Q is for quote. "Don't f**k with me fellas, this ain't my first time at the rodeo," aye Dunaway portraying Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest."

18. R is for biggest regret. Not traveling more than I have. How I have treated some friends and family members curelly, particularly in my 20s. The mistakes I made that led to my only long-term relationship ending.

19. S is for status. Single and looking for a great guy.

20. T is for time you woke up today. 6:00 a.m.

21. U is for color underwear you have on now. Green plaid boxers.

22. V is for vegetable you love. Eggplant.

23. W is for worst habit. Being too hard on people.

24. X is for x-rays you've had. Mainly on my teeth at the dentist's office.

25. Y is for yummy food you ate today. Subway veggie sub.

26. Z is for the zodiac sign. Virgo.