Damn I have lots of changes going on right now. I gotta tell ya, I am anxious about many things for some freakin’ reason but still trying to dismiss them is well….it sure is rough at times.

What am I anxious about?

1. Moving – That’s right! In a mere FIVE weeks I am leaving behind everything I have known for the last ten years and moving 2000 miles across the country. Now don’t get me wrong this is REALLY exciting. I have been trying to get to Vegas for over a decade but things have happened to delay it. Now, it’s time.
2. Changing  jobs – Notice I said “job” and not career. I am going to school in Vegas to get into a career as a sommelier.The job thing is just a means to an end. I’m not totally leaving djing behind mind you, but I will no longer be in the clubs. Yeah, it’s been fun but 15 years of nightlife is a looooong time. I have something completely different lined up to get me through but still, changing jobs is stressful. Not to mention that giving my 2 weeks at the club I could just get “the boot”. Hey that’s not unheard of in the club business.
3. Money – This kind of rolls in with the last one but it still causes anxiety for me. Hell, it does for everyone. Firstly money to move and get started is gonna be TIGHT. But, I’ll do what I always do… make do. Secondly,  I am taking a bit of a hit to the wallet with the job change and all. Maybe I’ll have to suck it up and work more. Man, I hate to HAVE to work. Geez!!!
4. Relationship – No, I’m not anxious about moving closer to her. Hell, I’m excited about it. I think the thing I’m really anxious about is the new feelings of jealousy that creep up from time to time. Now it’s never really an intense, big deal type thing, it’s usually just small. It’s just that this is a new emotion to me. I know it stems from some in security that is more than likely a byproduct of my ex’s infidelity and I try to remember that whenever it rears it’s ugly head. Now I know women like “some” jealousy but overdoing it is a relationship killer so dialing it in to where it’s enough for my girl to feel wanted (although I do my damnedest to make sure she knows that in other ways) but not so much as to drive me ape shit. This one is just driving me nuts as jealousy is fucking useless. People will do what they do. I just trust them to do what is the “right thing”. I can’t control that and that’s okay but damn, this one will just drive you insane. Jealousy, Grrr.

Well, there you have it. That’s what I’m anxious about right now. Not much, right? Well like Tommy says, “You just gotta bury the shoulder and power though.” Amen, Brother.

My heart broke a little bit more this past weekend. Yeah it was fun to see my friends and family but it was a horror to leave my dogs with my sister for a stretch. I know I’ll get them back once I’m settled in my new life in Vegas which is obviously why I left them with her but being without them just plain sucks! The house is too quiet. All I have are my thoughts about how I told them how I’d never abandon them like others have. (Yeah, you know who I mean.) It’s just driving me crazy. I miss them far too much for it to only have been a few days. I know I’m anthropomorphizing them but I just can’t help but feel that they, well… feel like you and me. I hope they can forgive me. I hope I can. I know this is the best thing for them and me but dammit, I miss my dogs.

My Boy!!!

My Pretty Girl

US

Could someone PLEASE pull that knife out?!?

Okay, there’s not really a knife in my back but I’m just getting aggravated that people just can’t stand up. If you’ve been following me either here or my other online outlets you know I’ve been doing a bit of traveling. Now being a DJ helps because as long as my shift is covered in the club, it’s all good with them. Now I ALWAYS do this and I do it RIGHT! I get things covered BEFORE I make plans. I go to the other night guy and ask if it’s cool if we switch shifts. He has EVERY opportunity so say no. I’d either reschedule my plans or find another replacement but since he thinks it HAS to be him or the place will fall apart he ALWAYS says yes. That should be it. All should be well. Am I wrong?

Apparently I’m not. It appears that he is bitching and moaning to everyone else but me that I take too much time off and he gets STUCK working. Now did you read the above? If so, you know THAT’S not the case. This kind of gets my cackles up a bit. That said, that’s why I’m venting here at good ol’ US instead of going to him so I’ll suck it up a while longer mainly because I know something they don’t.

But seriously people, grow a spine. Stand up or shut up!

US

Well here it is after a couple of days off. We’re taking a look back at my Sunday in NYC! We started our day with an awesome bike tour around Manhattan and Central Park.

Starting our Sunday morning bike tour!

I gotta tell you THIS was cool. A little rough at times (Hey! Central Park is HILLY!) but we stopped enough times as a group to not get too tired.. It was reall cool going up and down the streets of NYC in a long line of bicycles. You hear about all of these very cool landmarks but seeing them in person, there’s just no substitute. We saw the Onasis Pond, Central Park itself was just astounding, a spire actually brought from Egypt and near the end of the tour was this…

John Lennon's memorial in Strawberry Fields.

How cool is that? We saw many more things on this tour but to be honest, it was a lot to take in.

After our bike tour my girl and I found this nifty little diner for some grub and then back to the apartment for….. a bit. (Dirty minds, people!!!)

After a brief respite we went back out into the city down to Soho. (The real one not this mock SoHo in Tampa.) To show you how cool my girl is again, she took me to MoCCA. That’s right! She took me too the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art!!! Talk about a rockin’ chick! After spending some time there we went tramping around Soho doing a little shopping and such. From there we went to the world famous Gray’s Papaya for a New York Dog and then more sight seeing in The Village. I really dug the village. Much more of a open vibe that most free spirits like. While in The Village we picked up some tasty concoctions for the apartment…

Nom Nom Nom!

(Yeah, the obligatory food pic.)

After walking and riding bikes ALL DAY it was time to chill someplace cool so we went down on Times Square to check out a movie. We went in and found a corner so we could get “comfortable”. We apparently got too comfy because she fell asleep. C’est La Vie.

Come back soon! I still have a day and a half to tell you about!!!

US

P.S. Make sure you check out more pics on Flickr.

Here we are on my Saturday in NYC. This was an excellent day!!! My S.O. still had a half day of conference left so I went about my way and headed to the southern most point of Manhattan. Started my AM just chilling out in Battery Park looking out at the ocean and proceeded to go take a tour. Maybe you know what this is…

Yup, that’s right. I had to see the quintessential symbol of freedom given to us by our friends in France. (What? You didn’t know? Read a history book!!! Sheesh!!!) I have to say that floating up to the island on the ferry, the sight of Lady Liberty is quite impressive. She definitely puts a lump in your throat.

After leaving the Statue I hung out in Battery Park now that it was later in the day the street vendors and performers were out. I got caught up in a little “positivity”.

The Positive Bros.

These guys were a ton of fun. I didn’t take that video but I sure wish I would have gone back with my video camera. There was just never enough time in this city.

After this, I trekked back to the apartment and met my girl there. After kicking back for a few we went for lunch at a small train station the locals call “Grand Central” before heading back to get ready for our night out.

Now it’s Saturday eve and can you say BROADWAY?!?! I sure can. This night brought my first Broadway musical and can I say just how much I LOVED…

In The Heights!!!! This one great show. It made laugh, cry, groove in my little theater seat. One of the coolest things EVER!!! If it tours and comes near you…. SEE IT!!!

Our night still wasn’t done after the movie. Now it’s time for…

Okay, now the night is done!

See you tomorrow with more!

US

Oh yeah!!!! Now going back a week to day 2 of my NYC trip. My S.O. had a conference all day so I got to tramp around to a couple of museums. Unfortunately this was the bad weather day of the trip so I ended up soaked to the bone but does someone such as I let that stop me??? NOOOOOOOO!

My first museum of the day was the Guggenheim. This building was super cool. Just the architecture itself was stunning. Right not there is a huge Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit happening commemorating the museums 50 year anniversary. There are also many other exhibits including the Kandinsky Gallery, The Thannhauser Collection and an AWESOME exhibit called The Year In Children 2009 in which the museum send out teaching artists into the school of the 5 boroughs and work with kidas nd then the best of that art goes on exhibit. VERY cool. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed so go check out their website.

Next up was The Metropolitan Museum of Art which was luckily right down the street. Talk about MASSIVE! This place was just super huge. You could literally take days in this place. My favorite part of this museum, that I made it to that is, is probably the Asian history area. I guess it’s just the Zen in me.

You can check out more pics over at my Flickr page. Keep checking as I will be putting more pics in this folder over the next months as I am already getting close to my limit. Grrrr! Also go check out the Met’s site. support the arts, go to a museum!!!

See you tomorrow with more!!!

US

Last week I did something new EVERY FRIGGN” DAY and I thought I’d share it with you.

Last week I took a trip with my S.O. to New York City, my first trip there, and my I say WOW! What an awesome time even thought in 5 days we barely scratched the surface.

Any way the first day we made it to JFK around 3 PM and made it to the apartment we rented. Killer little place with a great view of the Chrysler Building. (I’ll find a pic of the view for next time. Unfortunately we didn’t chronicle the apartment.) No worries, though. It was a one bedroom apartment of about 600 sqr. ft. Parkay flooring and modern furnishings. This place just rocked.

We then made it out to check our surrounding neighborhood and get some eats. We happened into this little Italian place about a block away and munched on some very nice pizza. Had to, we were in NYC after all. Afterwards we made it here:

Top of the Empire State Building

That’s right! Checking out the views from the top of NYC! You can check out more pics from the top on my flickr page.

Be back tomorrow for all kinds of fun museum stuff!

US

Alright people summer is almost here!!! Time to get your butt out of the house and do something fun. You just gotta do it. You have the power to change your life and it’s small things that can roll over into big changes. I tend to be a nighttime kind of guy but not this past weekend. Check out some of these pics from hiking this weekend.

The coast of Egmont Key

Into the heart of the Key

Me surviving the ferry. Ferry my ass, it was a pontoon!!!

Okay it may be tolerated a little. I’ve been away for a bit, sans yesterday of course. Hey it’s my blog and I’ll post when I want to. Actually, I want to a lot but I just don’t. Sometimes the muse hits me away from the keyboard and then when I get to it, I can’t get my mojo workin’. This blog was to be an exercise in me finding my way back to what I want to be and hopefully helping you along the way but if I don’t put it down, it can’t go around. I have many reasons/excuses as to my lack of posting. Suffice to say, life just got in the way. Part of being a better me involves have better time management and the resolve to keep things up on my end. I shall strive to be better but I rely on my friends to kick me in the ass from time to time. Hey, it’s how I get by.

Before you start, I know it’s been a while and for that I apologize. I’ve had much going on in my life that I’ve wanted to bring to you but because of the subject matter I’ve been keeping under wraps. Don’t worry I’ll bring you all up to speed later. Now for the Feature Presentation…

As for the cracks in the armor, what I mean is how long into a new relationship do you show your insecurities? For me, I think they are part and parcel intrinsic to my being, along with my many strengths. (Yeah, I like myself.) I know many schools of thought on being a man say that you keep it zipped. Never be “weak”. When a woman sees weakness she loses interest. That may well be although I like to hope not. I’m a pretty strong guy physically and emotionally. I’m just as comfortable with teaching someone a lesson as I am with lifting the weight of my own, or a loved ones, personal world. But I do have a soft side that I’m never afraid to express. That’s just the way I am. If someone is turned off by it, NMP! Then they’re not the one for me.

The reason I bring this subject up is that I know a lot of people getting out of a long relationship want to feel loved, to feel worth or they just may be tired of being alone.   I’m not lonely and know I’m worth everything this life has to offer. It took me a while to get here but here I am. Now I’m in a new relationship (SPOILER!!!) and have already shown a crack or two (Even jealousy. That’s a new one for me.) and I’m good with that. I’m pretty sure she is too. Here’s to hoping anyway!

That said what do you think? When is it good, if ever, to show those “cracks in your armor”?