Its my first time posting from my shiny new phone so excuse any odd typos. I haven't quite gotten the hang of the touchscreen keyboard yet, but I'm improving. It does a pretty good job of autocorrecting most of the time though.
I've spent the last week recovering from my surgery. Pretty painful procedure, worse than when I had my wisdoms taken out. I foolishly thought I might be able to go back to work after the procedure. That went out the door when the doc said to get my pain killers immediately after or I'd be in tears of pain when the novacaine wore off. I didn't make it in time. I thought I'd go to walmart to save a few bucks which was an idiot move. It took them two hours to fill the prescription. Now I generally have a pretty high pain tolerance, but after 20 minutes of waiting the novo wore off. Doc wasn't kidding. I called my brothers in hopes they would have something more potent than tylenol since they lived little more than a mile away. 10 minutes later my big brother rolled up in his new snazzy ride and took me away to apply ice packs and ibuprofen. I am eternally grateful.
(off the phone, back to the computer now)
Eventually, the pills were ready, so my nephew carted me back to Wal-Mart and then to home. Suffice to say, I did not go to work that night. I conked out at home and feasted on way overcooked macaroni and cheese.
Now, a week later, I'm feeling much better in general, though guffaws and laughter are still kind of rough. It would figure that I'd stumble across some of the most amusing YouTube videos would appear this week, too, including the Muppets newest foray into Internet videos:
Or this news clip of John McCain knocking over a grocery shelf full of applesauce:
--
Finally, my formerly broken arm has been perking up and asking for attention again. Jealous of the teeth, I guess. It started swelling up last night and just standard motions, like picking up a glass, are oddly painful. I'm calling my ortho in the AM to see if he can fit me in. At my last visit back in November, he mentioned that there was a possibility that the screws holding the metal plates in place could come loose... which would require another surgery to removed them. Ick. Let's hope it's just internal scar tissue acting up because of the recent rain storms.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
i did it...
I yielded to temptation. Six and a half hours waiting in in line...and honestly?
TOTALLY worth it. What a great little piece of machinery! Can't wait to show it off to everyone. It meant switching over to AT&T from T-Mobile and losing my old NYC phone number I've had for five years... but it was time to give up the ghost. I'm now an Atlanta local... whether I like it or not! Tomorrow begins the process of notifying everyone of the new line before cutting off the old one.
I'm quite proud of myself for a minor accomplishment that got acknowledged today -- I've been working over the last few years on correcting my credit. AT&T has been doing credit checks lately and requiring some pretty large deposits (up to $1,000) if you're not up to snuff. There's a lot of buzz on the web about that. They ran my credit, and came back clean enough for me to walk out without having to put down a deposit. Not perfect, but a great improvement! Five years ago I'd have been in that top tier of "must pay" people.
Waiting on that line also gave me a minute to think that if this whole career path I'm on right now goes off the rails at some point in the future (don't read into that, everything is fine) perhaps managing an Apple Store would be a direction to head in. Apple pays fairly well, offers good perks, and would be a product I could get behind easily. Plus, the air of excitement and anticipation while we waited in that line made it very fun. The kid who took care of me had been run ragged for six hours and looked like he was having the time of his life.
--
And to follow up on the dentist thing, I went on Thursday morning, and I like her alright. It was a fairly short visit and she didn't really *do* anything but take an x-ray and diagnose the problem. I have to go to an oral surgeon on Monday to correct my root canal, which has gotten itself a little infected. Need to cut open the gum to do that, so there ya go. Ugh.
TOTALLY worth it. What a great little piece of machinery! Can't wait to show it off to everyone. It meant switching over to AT&T from T-Mobile and losing my old NYC phone number I've had for five years... but it was time to give up the ghost. I'm now an Atlanta local... whether I like it or not! Tomorrow begins the process of notifying everyone of the new line before cutting off the old one.
I'm quite proud of myself for a minor accomplishment that got acknowledged today -- I've been working over the last few years on correcting my credit. AT&T has been doing credit checks lately and requiring some pretty large deposits (up to $1,000) if you're not up to snuff. There's a lot of buzz on the web about that. They ran my credit, and came back clean enough for me to walk out without having to put down a deposit. Not perfect, but a great improvement! Five years ago I'd have been in that top tier of "must pay" people.
Waiting on that line also gave me a minute to think that if this whole career path I'm on right now goes off the rails at some point in the future (don't read into that, everything is fine) perhaps managing an Apple Store would be a direction to head in. Apple pays fairly well, offers good perks, and would be a product I could get behind easily. Plus, the air of excitement and anticipation while we waited in that line made it very fun. The kid who took care of me had been run ragged for six hours and looked like he was having the time of his life.
--
And to follow up on the dentist thing, I went on Thursday morning, and I like her alright. It was a fairly short visit and she didn't really *do* anything but take an x-ray and diagnose the problem. I have to go to an oral surgeon on Monday to correct my root canal, which has gotten itself a little infected. Need to cut open the gum to do that, so there ya go. Ugh.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
temptation
One result of last year's big bike crash was that I broke my two front teeth in half. I lisped for a week before I got seen by a dentist. I lucked out and found an extraordinary technician who took me on at a moment's notice, and a few weeks later I was fitted with some of the best, most natural looking and feeling crowns a person could hope for. In October, his practice opted out of my insurance network, and I had to find someone new.
The problem was, there wasn't anyone else who was any good in my network. I do my homework through sites like Kudzu, Yelp, and Citysearch. After my amazing dentist opted out, I was reassigned to "Great Expressions" and through a cursory glance through my review sites, found they were rated one star out of five across all three. Horror stories of surly staff, dirty offices, and incomplete dental work pervaded. Some of the alternatives to Great Expressions weren't much better, including one tale of a dentist who pumped a patient full of novocaine, left the room and didn't come back for ninety minutes. I didn't have any problems so I let it be for the time.
A few days ago, though, my crowns started hurting, and my gums started swelling. I've had to wear a scowl for the past three days because it hurt to smile. I dug through my list again and couldn't find anyone I felt comfortable entrusting my teeth to. Finally, on the recommendation of a co-worker, I found one in network that's fairly accesible by MARTA. No reviews on the Internet, so I really don't know what I'm getting into here... but tomorrow morning I'm in for my first visit, and I hope it's a good one that doesn't eat away at my bank account too much, because...
I need a new phone. My BlackBerry has been slowly losing bits of functionality... endless hourglass spins, broken trackball that won't go left for some reason, poor reception... frustrating, since I only just got it six months ago. If I'm going to have a phone, though, I need one that *works* and does what I want/need it to do.
Of course, this would HAVE to happen the week after the new iPhone 3G comes out. I'm fighting the temptation to wait three hours in line to get one, but after playing with one at the Apple Store earlier this week, I think it's right for me. I know a lot of people who have the original and every one of them says it's the best phone they've ever had. The service plan is only a few bucks more a month than what I'm currently paying, and the phone itself is cheaper than what my crumbling BlackBerry cost six months ago. It just might be worth it.
What's that old Oscar Wilde saying? The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it...
The problem was, there wasn't anyone else who was any good in my network. I do my homework through sites like Kudzu, Yelp, and Citysearch. After my amazing dentist opted out, I was reassigned to "Great Expressions" and through a cursory glance through my review sites, found they were rated one star out of five across all three. Horror stories of surly staff, dirty offices, and incomplete dental work pervaded. Some of the alternatives to Great Expressions weren't much better, including one tale of a dentist who pumped a patient full of novocaine, left the room and didn't come back for ninety minutes. I didn't have any problems so I let it be for the time.
A few days ago, though, my crowns started hurting, and my gums started swelling. I've had to wear a scowl for the past three days because it hurt to smile. I dug through my list again and couldn't find anyone I felt comfortable entrusting my teeth to. Finally, on the recommendation of a co-worker, I found one in network that's fairly accesible by MARTA. No reviews on the Internet, so I really don't know what I'm getting into here... but tomorrow morning I'm in for my first visit, and I hope it's a good one that doesn't eat away at my bank account too much, because...
I need a new phone. My BlackBerry has been slowly losing bits of functionality... endless hourglass spins, broken trackball that won't go left for some reason, poor reception... frustrating, since I only just got it six months ago. If I'm going to have a phone, though, I need one that *works* and does what I want/need it to do.
Of course, this would HAVE to happen the week after the new iPhone 3G comes out. I'm fighting the temptation to wait three hours in line to get one, but after playing with one at the Apple Store earlier this week, I think it's right for me. I know a lot of people who have the original and every one of them says it's the best phone they've ever had. The service plan is only a few bucks more a month than what I'm currently paying, and the phone itself is cheaper than what my crumbling BlackBerry cost six months ago. It just might be worth it.
What's that old Oscar Wilde saying? The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it...
Friday, July 4, 2008
tough things to say out loud
I started this last week, but only just getting around to finishing it. Busy, busy! Excuse the dated references, so to speak...
---
It's the waning hours of July 4th, a day where we all stop and acknowledge our appreciation of our country's history and freedoms by shooting off big zoomy things that fly up into the sky and go boom. Eat your heart out, Guy Fawkes!
In Atlanta, July 4th this year also marks the kickoff of Gay Pride weekend, a little late this time around thanks to the drought shutting down Piedmont Park. Pride is always an enjoyable time for me -- aside from the eye candy that flies in from all over the southeast, there's a wonderful sense of camaraderie and community that often lacks other times of the year.
The story that follows isn't the one a couple of my siblings tell -- theirs are embellished for effect, I think.
My being gay has never been a source of shame or angst for me. I was lucky to grow up in the times I did. During high school, Ellen came out on national TV, Tallahassee got its first gay bar, and the fall after my graduation, Will and Grace debuted on NBC.
I remember watching The Puppy Episode of Ellen (for the uninitiated, that's the coming out episode) in 1997 with my mother. After it was over, she said (more to herself than me, I think) "That takes such courage. Good for her." I was still on the journey of self-discovery (though pretty certain at that point) and hearing her say that eased any queasiness I may have had. A few months later, when I'd finally figured it out, I nonchalantly mentioned it to my parents at breakfast one day.
Unknown to me at the time, I apparently set off a private firestorm with my parents, who fretted and worried quietly. My dad talked to me a bit about it a few days later. I realized it wasn't easy for him to comprehend, so I put it the only way I knew how: "Why would I wake up one day and choose to be a social pariah? I know what I'm getting into, but I can't really help it."
And that was it, on my end. I didn't find it important to have a big coming out episode or announcement... if it happened to come up in the course of conversation, I didn't lie. But it was amusing to me how people would sometimes delicately dance around the topic but never outright ask.
Finally, my sister did over lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I'd asked her for advice on how to handle telling my parents I was moving to NYC. We chatted for a good long while about that, shifted gears a few times to other subjects, and then out of nowhere...
"By the way, are you gay?"
*pause*
"Uh...yes. Pass the nachos!"
And that was that. Word spread around the rest of the family, confirming that which they were already aware of. Some took more time to adjust than others. In my adult life, I've never once felt ashamed of who I am because of the love and acceptance my family and the gay community gave me. I own myself, and I'm proud of it.
--
Recently, this all came right back into sharper focus. I finally had my moment. I understood what all that fear and apprehension that gets attached to coming out of the closet was all about. I learned something about myself that was terrifying and difficult. I couldn't come to terms with it by myself. I needed to talk.
It's the reason why I moved to a new blog space. Everything shifted for me at the end of November, 2007... but I haven't written it down in words for people to see. It's time, though. I have to take my ownership back.
I am HIV-positive.
I'm getting to be OK with that.
Own it, JR. Own it.
---
It's the waning hours of July 4th, a day where we all stop and acknowledge our appreciation of our country's history and freedoms by shooting off big zoomy things that fly up into the sky and go boom. Eat your heart out, Guy Fawkes!
In Atlanta, July 4th this year also marks the kickoff of Gay Pride weekend, a little late this time around thanks to the drought shutting down Piedmont Park. Pride is always an enjoyable time for me -- aside from the eye candy that flies in from all over the southeast, there's a wonderful sense of camaraderie and community that often lacks other times of the year.
The story that follows isn't the one a couple of my siblings tell -- theirs are embellished for effect, I think.
My being gay has never been a source of shame or angst for me. I was lucky to grow up in the times I did. During high school, Ellen came out on national TV, Tallahassee got its first gay bar, and the fall after my graduation, Will and Grace debuted on NBC.
I remember watching The Puppy Episode of Ellen (for the uninitiated, that's the coming out episode) in 1997 with my mother. After it was over, she said (more to herself than me, I think) "That takes such courage. Good for her." I was still on the journey of self-discovery (though pretty certain at that point) and hearing her say that eased any queasiness I may have had. A few months later, when I'd finally figured it out, I nonchalantly mentioned it to my parents at breakfast one day.
Unknown to me at the time, I apparently set off a private firestorm with my parents, who fretted and worried quietly. My dad talked to me a bit about it a few days later. I realized it wasn't easy for him to comprehend, so I put it the only way I knew how: "Why would I wake up one day and choose to be a social pariah? I know what I'm getting into, but I can't really help it."
And that was it, on my end. I didn't find it important to have a big coming out episode or announcement... if it happened to come up in the course of conversation, I didn't lie. But it was amusing to me how people would sometimes delicately dance around the topic but never outright ask.
Finally, my sister did over lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I'd asked her for advice on how to handle telling my parents I was moving to NYC. We chatted for a good long while about that, shifted gears a few times to other subjects, and then out of nowhere...
"By the way, are you gay?"
*pause*
"Uh...yes. Pass the nachos!"
And that was that. Word spread around the rest of the family, confirming that which they were already aware of. Some took more time to adjust than others. In my adult life, I've never once felt ashamed of who I am because of the love and acceptance my family and the gay community gave me. I own myself, and I'm proud of it.
--
Recently, this all came right back into sharper focus. I finally had my moment. I understood what all that fear and apprehension that gets attached to coming out of the closet was all about. I learned something about myself that was terrifying and difficult. I couldn't come to terms with it by myself. I needed to talk.
It's the reason why I moved to a new blog space. Everything shifted for me at the end of November, 2007... but I haven't written it down in words for people to see. It's time, though. I have to take my ownership back.
I am HIV-positive.
I'm getting to be OK with that.
Own it, JR. Own it.
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