Get Ready For 2009

File Under: A Proper Farewell to 2008

A New Year. New Beginnings. I’m ready for a new year, are you?

As a whole, this has been a really great year. At the beginning of the year, I was looking forward to my 26th Go-Go’s concert, in Chicago. My good friend John attended with me and we went backstage and met the band. I enjoyed being able to share the experience with my friend and I know he appreciated it.

"The Collective" began planning what turned out to be a really fantastic adventure for all of us, in celebration of my best friend Dan’s 40th birthday. Luis had a vision of what he wanted to have happen and I think we accomplished our goal. It started with a fantastic backyard party and ended with fireworks in Florida. Oh wait...and a hurricane. :)

Street festivals were alive and well in Chicago, the most memorable was Andersonville’s Midsommerfest, practically in my back yard. As always, it was a big bunch of fun. Not to mention booze.

Dan and Luis bought their home together and already it has been the site of many great gatherings, from Dan’s birthday, to Halloween on the porch, to our Christmas gathering, just to name a few.

My family, while small, is close and we actually enjoy being around one another. My mom still gets around and always has an entertaining quip or two when she returns from her outings. She has her issues but she’s handling them. My sister is around when she can be but she’s got her hands full with my 19-year old nephew who, with the exception of having some ADHD issues, is a good kid.

I have the most incredible group of friends. I must sound like a broken record because I mention them a lot. Dan and Luis, Denise, Tina and Polo are like family to me. Vahona is someone with whom I’m joined at the brain – we share similar thoughts much of the time and laugh at things that others just would not understand. There are many others, those who aren’t mentioned don’t mean any less to me than those who are mentioned.

My online friends are worthy of a mention of their own. QTS is the message board I belong to and I feel as close to that group of friends as I do to the ones that I get to see on a regular basis. There are a couple overlaps. Both Vahona and my friend Anthony are on the board, too.

I am employed. I have a job that I like and that I do well. I am proud of the job I do. I complain on the days when employeees call about stupid things or I have to drive back and forth between buildings when the weather is bad, but overall, I’m happy. I have some really great coworkers and we have fun.

So I had a couple of events that were downers. The optimist in me looks at those as opportunites to grow and try new things. I’m a believer in Karma, we’ll leave it at that. :)

The door to 2008 is closing, we’re about to step into 2009. We’ve got a new President coming into office. I’m excited about that, and it gives me hope for the new year.

On that note, I wish all of you a very Happy New Year. Here’s to a year filled with good health, prosperity, generosity, laughter and hope. Cheers!

XO

Jim

Fa La La

File Under: 'Tis the season

The holidays are happening in my house. The tree is up and is in the process of being decorated. Packages are being prepped for mailing. Calendars are being coordinated with all of the parties and activities.

I actually began putting ornaments on the tree earlier this week. I came home yesterday to find that most of them had been removed because Z decided I was doing it wrong. Smaller ornaments need to first be placed INSIDE the tree so that there's depth. I'd have done that, but I was putting some of the big fancy glass ones on, just because I like hanging those better. When it's done, I'll post pictures and you will see what I mean. The tree is really quite spectacular when it's finished.

This is the first holiday season that I can recall where I've actually had to compare calendars with someone and see what time we'll have together and what parties we'll attend together. Matthew won't be attending my work holiday party because of a work obligation. I'm sad, I was so excited to bring him with me and introduce him to my coworkers. I'm blessed that I work with a very welcoming group of people, many of whom are gay and bring dates to work events. I had hoped it would be my turn to do the same. Oh well. I'm more excited though about the fact that we WILL be attending a couple get togethers with the bunch known as "The Collective" (that would be Dan, Luis, Polo, Denise and Tina - the term "The Collective" came about when all of us were planning Dan's 40th birthday party...so I guess that means that Dan isn't part of the collective...but maybe he is now, since we've passed the big 40). I want them to get to know Matthew and for him to get to know them better.

Today, I need to run some errands. I have to grocery shop because the weather's just a bit too treacherous for my mom to venture out to the store. I need to visit The Container Store and the gym. I'll also continue to work on making my place more festive for the holidays. Pictures will be posted when it's all done. That's a given.

The Collective...UPDATE

Dan has now received 1/8 of his envelopes. Envelope # 5 arrived at the office this afternoon, delivered by a friend/former coworker of Denise. Those of you who don't know, Denise and Dan have been friends for about 20 years and for two years now have worked in the same showroom.

Envelope 2 arrived with flowers.
Envelope 3 was delivered by me, I met him at work for lunch.
Envelope 4 was also delivered by me, I handed it to him after lunch.

More to come...


p.s. Two more days until Belinda Carlisle's 50th birthday!

Viva La Collective

File Under: Good morning, Dan!

(l-r: Polo, Tina, Luis, Denise, Jim)

Wow…check us out! This picture was taken Thursday August 14, 2008 at 7:00 pm. Cute, huh? We think so. Let me introduce you to The Collective (not The Covenant or The Cohorts).

Our mission is to help Dan celebrate his 40th Birthday in style and promote fun and festiveness (is that a word?) along the way.

Over the course of the next four days, Dan will be receiving envelopes. 40, to be exact. Each envelope will provide him with instructions or send him to do specific tasks. He will moan and gripe about it but The Collective is a powerful force and he will find that it is in his best interest to comply. Plus he may have some fun along the way. And that is what we’re all about, right?

The mission started this morning, Dan has received his first envelope about an hour ago. It read:

Good Morning, Dan!

Over the course of the next 4 days, you will receive 40 envelopes. YOUR mission, should you choose to accept (and you really don’t have a choice), will be to:
a) Follow the directions of every envelope
b) Ask no questions
c) Text The Collective should you find yourself at a destination with no envelope.

Love,
The Collective

So, stay tuned as I will do my best to provide updates as they happen.

And yes, this is why I blogged about envelopes. Did you really think that I had such a fascination with them? Who do I look like, Martha Stewart? Okay, perhaps a little.

Here’s to you, Dan. Have fun. I love you.