Another Die Hard

I have been a fan of the Die Hard movies from day one. After the third one, I wasn't so sure that this one was going to be any good. Then again, they had 12 years to develop it, so just maybe...

Let me just say, Bruce Willis just gets hotter and hotter the older he gets. The writing was pretty good, the acting was great, and the action, although unbelievable (it is a Die Hard movie after all) was incredible. Justin Long got to play the "sidekick" in this one. I was impressed with how well he and Bruce played off each other - they had great chemistry and timing.

The villain was played by Timothy Olyphant, whom I adore. I first really took notice of him in Deadwood, and have since been a fan. He's an amazing actor and pretty damn hot to boot.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good action movie. This is the first movie of it's kind I've seen in awhile that's actually lived up to the hype. It made me want to run out and get the other Die Hard movies and have a marathon. Hmmm....maybe this weekend I'll take them to the ranch. It's supposed to rain all weekend anyway....I'll have to check with Mark and see what he thinks.

B-52's

Last night Mark, Brian, and I headed out to see the B-52's - one of my all-time favorites! None of us had ever been to the new House of Blues here. It opened just a couple of months ago and this was our first opportunity. What a way to break it in!

I have loved the B-52's ever since I first heard them. I think I'm one of two people who own Fred Schneider's solo album. I just love everything about them. They, of course, have aged quite a bit, but you wouldn't know that from their performance. We were front and center which allowed me to get some great pictures.

They only played for an 1 hour 15 minutes which really sucked. I could've watched, listened, and sung along all night. They ended the show with Love Shack (video). The video is a bit shaky - I'd had a few drinks and was dancing along a bit, but I tried my best to keep it steady. The quality isn't the greatest, but it's still fun.

They had one encore - Planet Claire and Rock Lobster. I was sad to see it end, but I guess all things do. While I was watching them from just a few feet away I thought it would be so much fun to have them play at my birthday party sometime (hint, hint). This is a very disjointed post and I apologize - I'm a little hungover.

Police Report

(No cameras allowed, you'll have to settle for a pic of my t-shirt)

OH - MY - GAWD! Let me just say - I have waited for this night for what seems like a hundred years. The Police have not performed in Dallas in 25 years, so really I never had a chance to see them, but spent most of my 31 years listening to them and loving them. I never believed I would get the chance to see them in person - I mean, did anyone, really?

They came out and, immediately, I had goosebumps. I leaned over to Mark and all I could say was "this is just surreal." It really was. After spending my life listening to these songs it was just bizarre seing the three of them in front of me actually singing and playing. Not only that, but they were amazing! These men are just amazing artists to watch. It doesn't hurt that Sting is still hot as hell!

They played all of their hits, of course, and threw in a few of the more obscure ones. But it really surprised me how many hits they had. Everytime they would start playing one I would think, "oh yeah! I forgot about that one!" They were pretty successful in their brief 6-year run. I won't spoil anything with rehashing the sequence of the concert. However, I will tell you - wonderful set and lights, 3 encores, and a 10-minute version of Roxanne. That's all I'm sayin!

Wednesday night? B-52's!!!!

The Police

Well, I lucked into The Police tickets this weekend. Tonight is the concert - I can't wait! I'm not writing much today. It's been a rough week and it's only Tuesday morning. Nothing in particular - just extreme depression. I think my meds need to be adjusted a bit. Thank jeebus I have a doctor's appointment on Monday. I just wish it was today.

True Colors

Hot, hot, hot boy Andy

Let me just start by saying, in Dallas we don't celebrate Pride at the end of June like the rest of the country. We celebrate in September to commemorate a court ruling overturning the Texas Sodomy Laws (which was, itself, later overturned). This year we were able to get a little taste of Pride along with everyone around the country thanks to Cyndi Lauper. Her "True Colors Tour" arrived in Dallas this past Saturday, and like every gay man in Dallas, we attended.

Saturday was a lot of fun, although exhausting. Mark, Brian, and I went to breakfast at Mama's Daughters' Diner for a little bear watching. Around 1pm we went to a pre-concert pool party at Jeff and Rusty's. It was a small, but good gathering of guys. I indulged in a few cups of trash can punch (a few too many) and floated around the pool - that is, until the swimsuits started coming off.

I got a chance to meet Andy, from Austin and his boyfriend Jeff. I used to chat with Andy awhile back so it was nice to finally meet him in person. He's a very sweet and funny guy who also happens to be extremely hot! Shortly after the swimsuits came off we realized there were only a couple of hours before the concert. We went home to nap before heading out.

The concert was great (most of it.) Jim met us at the gate and we headed inside while the Dresden Dolls were on stage. Luckily they were finishing up their set as we were sitting down. Margaret Cho came out and was hilarious as usual, followed by the legendary Debbie Harry. However, some legends should stay legends. She was unable to do any Blondie material, so it was all her solo stuff. I love her, but she didn't put on the greatest show.

She was followed by Erasure. I have to admit I had chills through most of it and teared up a lot during their time on stage. I have waited 20 years to see them live and in December the friend of mine who introduced me to them and was obsessed with them, died of cancer. So, I was crying for her as well as just the fact that I was standing in the same air with them. They were by far the highlight of the evening.

Cyndi came out shortly after. I love Cyndi Lauper, I really do. I just have to say, by this point in the concert we were pretty beat. She was a lot of fun, but dammit, she rearranged or did alternate versions of her hits which, at a concert like this, can get a little annoying. After she was done, they all came out and sang "Take a Chance on Me" and "True Colors." Overall, it was a great evening, but I was ready to go home - except that I was pretty damn hungry.

We decided to go to Cuquita's (Brian and Mama are obsessed with this place). I had never been and since Mark wasn't very hungry (he hates it) we decided it was a good time to go. All I'm going to say is that I don't see what all the fuss is about and leave it at that.

For pictures I'm sending you to Mark. His camera is much better than mine and was able to get much clearer pictures.

TFGIFF

Thank Fucking God It's Fucking Friday!!

Last night was great. I went over to Mark and Brian's (surprise!) for dinner with them and Mama. Mark made his mom's salisbury steak. It was more like Chicken Fried Steak to me, but either way it was scrumptious. In addition to the steak he made rosemary mashed potatoes (YUM) and Mama made a broccoli/cole slaw hybrid that was delicious.

I don't know why, but I decided to share a fantasy over dinner which is very unlike me. I don't usually share any fantasy with anyone. I don't know - I guess the Merlot was stronger than I thought. Anyway, it led to some interesting dinner conversation.

After dinner, we watched a little TV, then put in All About Eve. Brian had never seen it so we had to expand his horizons. He loved it - and why wouldn't he? It's one of the best movies ever. (Of course, not according to AFI - they rated it #28. I disagree.) So, the Classic Movie Night idea continues.

I have no idea what, if anything, we'll be doing tonight. Tomorrow, however, we have the True Colors Tour in the evening. However, before that there is a Pre-Concert Pool Party. Of course. It's summer. It's Saturday. We're gay. It's what we do.

Darwin Awards and Shopping Addictions

OK, two posts in one. I just had to share this story of a naked couple that died while having sex. They were in their early 20's. How did they die? They fell off the roof of a 5-story building. Apparently they were having sex on the roof and went over the edge. This is by far the Darwin Award winner for the month in my book.

On another note, it seems one addiction has been traded for another. (I don't want any self-righteous, preachy comments on this.) I counted last night and I have 23 pairs of shoes, 10 of which are Kenneth Cole. I bought two pairs this week alone. Sunday, I bought a pair of fun sneakers. (Instead of the black inset parts, mine have gray plaid - very cute.) Then these boots which I've had my eye on since they came out. I almost paid full price, but I guess patience does pay off sometimes. I got them for $80.

You may be asking, "So, where's the addiction?" It all has to do with how I feel when I make a purchase (especially Kenneth Cole.) Sunday, before buying the shoes, I had butterflies in my stomach. I was so excited. Afterward, I got a big boost of energy and was ready to do more shopping. Not to mention I really wanted somewhere to go so I could wear my new shoes.

Same thing with the boots. When Mark told me about the sale I almost wet my pants. I'd wanted those boots for so long and now they were more than half off! I was so excited about the prospect of having them that I went in to work a little late so I could go buy them this morning. I planned my wardrobe ahead of time so that I could wear them as soon as I bought them.

This is sad. I'm pathetic. Shopping shouldn't make me feel this good. And I guess it's more of a Kenneth Cole addiction really. I get excited by other purchases, sure, but not like with KC. My heart races and I get giddy...I need serious help. But hey - at least I'm not doing drugs anymore!

(OH, and it's the first day of Summer officially - the longest day of the year!)

Walking Dead

I'm living proof that zombies exist. I am officially walking dead. I noticed last night I'm doing a lot of sitting and staring or walking aimlessly. I think a month or more of long weekends has finally caught up with me.

There was Rainbow Ranch Round Up, New York, New Orleans, Ranch, Homer's Visit. This coming weekend is the True Colors concert with a Pre-Concert pool party. Then the following Tuesday is "The Police" concert followed by "B-52s" the next evening. If that weren't enough, that weekend we'll be going back to the ranch. By July my brain might just be a puddle of gray goo.

OH - I have spent the past couple of nights catching up on my cable shows (The Tudors, The Sopranos, Big Love). The Tudors finished its first season successfully. I can't wait until next season - unfortunately that means waiting a year. Big Love began the season strong. I'm so glad it's back. This is one that I hope HBO keeps around for awhile.

Now then - last night I finally finished The Sopranos. What the fuck???? I think Tony is dead, but who the hell knows? I'd heard that the ending was abrupt, but come on! There wasn't even music during the final credits - just silence (which is one reason I think he's dead).

Well, I should probably try to at least look like I'm doing some work.

Lazy Slacker

I'm such a slacker. It is Tuesday evening and I'm just now starting to write about this weekend. And actually, I'm not really going to write about it. Not only am I a slacker, but I'm lazy too. I'll refer you to Mark and Homer for details. I will give you a few pics though...

Homer's Visit Pictures

For reasons I don't really want to go into I'm a little emotionally drained and really just want some time to myself. Luckily my ex has spent the past 2 nights out and is spending tonight away as well. It's nice to have my own space for right now.

I came to the realization that I am in no position emotionally or mentally, nor do I have the inclination to, get involved with anyone. I think it's time to look into monastic life again (yes, I have before), but that involves that little "faith" thing. Maybe I'll start a monastery for gay non-believers...then again that would require motivation and organization - two things I don't have right now. I need to sleep.

Homer's in town

Yesterday I finally got to meet Homer. He's spending the weekend in Dallas and staying with Mark and Brian. He's much cuter in person - not that he isn't cute in his pictures too. So anyway, we went to Uncle Julio's for dinner - yum! We had a hot little waiter with a great ass. Homer kept catching me staring at the guy - after a couple of margaritas I don't really try to conceal much.

After dinner, we went back to the house and watched Adam & Steve. I'd seen it before, but I think I enjoyed more this time. At least, I heard myself laughing more. Could've been the margaritas...

Anywho, tonight we're going out to the bars to properly welcome Homer to Dallas. We'll probably do The Round-Up and possibly a drag show - drag in Dallas is different from anywhere else. Some of the best call Dallas home.

Tomorrow will be filled with pool parties and such. Sunday I have Father's Day stuff to do with my dad, but will probably come back in time for dinner with the boys. All in all, I'm looking forward to a great weekend!

Morons Ruin Everything

I'm so pissed right now! I've been working on a huge project with a designer that I was starting to get really excited about. We were working on a residential mid-rise in St. Louis. Then someone had to go and throw Molotov Cocktails into it. The building was only 30% complete, so it's possible it will be continued once the insurance mess is cleared up. I'm hoping...it would have been a nice sale.

Stupid Fucking Moron Kills My Job

...and here's the video

Sacred Space

I came to the realization last night that I am extremely protective of my home. It's not because I own priceless objects d'art, but it's because I allow very few people that close to me. I'm a very private person in general and don't like other people in my space. It's not that I'm anti-social, I just like having my space.

Temporarily I've offered to let Matt (my ex) stay with me while he tries to figure out what he's doing with his life. Temporarily = a couple of months. I'm already usually on edge because of the fact that I'm never alone, but with him coming back into my daily life, the old emotions of frustration, annoyance, and guilt came back too.

Last night, after leaving Mark's place, Matt texted me, asking if I could grab him something to eat on the way home (I'd offered earlier). I walked in the door and to my surprise his "friend" Steve was over watching Basketball. I looked around and there were a couple of empty beer bottles, and empty juice bottle, and a couple of empty packages laying on the counter. The trash was full enough that the lid wouldn't close.

Instead of taking out the trash and throwing away all of the empties, Matt decided to sit on the couch with his friend and watch a game. I took Abby out, along with the trash, and sent Matt a text message to meet me outside. I wasn't about to have this conversation in front of someone else (etiquette). I told him that his friend had to go.

It's not so much that he had someone there as I didn't know about it. He sent me several text messages through the evening, not one mentioned Steve. When I get home I usually want peace and quiet to unwind - that has been difficult in general lately, but was impossible last night. There was a stranger in my house - someone I hadn't invited - sitting there, watching my tv (sports at that - I wanted to watch Will & Grace like I do every night about that time).

I felt uncomfortable in my own home. I told Matt that it's the one place I expect to always be able to be myself 100% and that I can't do that with him bringing strangers into my home. I spent the next hour just picking up the place. I couldn't stop to relax. I had to work through my anger and keep moving. Matt knew I was upset - how could he not - so I don't expect that it'll be happening again. Now I just have to help him find his own home...

Ummmmmm

Last night I went over to Mark's (shocker). We decided to watch Hush, Hush...Sweet Charlotte. I had never seen it before, but had always wanted to. Bette Davis is so much fun to watch in crazy roles - love her. It made me realize how much I miss watching classic movies.

Mark has started buying more and more classic movies. I think it might be time to start a weekly tradition of watching classic films. There are so many that I haven't seen, but have always wanted to...

OK, this is such a fucking boring post. I think I might just stop it right there. I just couldn't think of a goddamned thing to write about today. I really enjoyed the movie last night though - it just seemed to be the one thing that was sticking out in my mind...but on second thought, it wasn't a very interesting topic. I'll try again tomorrow...

Volleyball at the Ranch

Me being accosted by Rose at the Ranch.

Compared to the previous two weekends, this one was pretty quiet. Mark, Brian, Steve (Mark's friend), and I went to the ranch to get away. I was expecting it to be an "off weekend" but it wasn't. Saturday was a Volleyball tournament. Mark played while Brian played net judge and Steve and I sat in the shade and watched. After volleyball, everyone went to the pool to hang out all afternoon. I went back to the trailer and laid down for a few hours in the dark, cool quiet.

Around 6, we decided to go into town to a little diner for dinner. The poor waitress was very easily confused and was having a lot of difficulty that day, but the food was good. As we were finishing up, in walks a group of 4 beautiful men. Our jaws dropped as we hoped they were a group of bears stopping in before heading to the ranch. Unfortunately, after eavesdropping a bit we realized they were hopelessly straight.

After staring for a bit and acting like a group of High School girls, we decided it was time to head out before we were lynched. That night was spent in the golf cart convoy. About 8 golf carts got together and just rode around...and around...and around - for hours. After getting to bed about 4:30am, yesterday was a recovery day.

It was a lot of fun and very mild given my past history at the ranch, which was great. I told Mark last night I would like to go up there on an "off weekend" sometime soon. I really would like a weekend where nothing is going on to just sit around and relax. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Thank You

OK, so I know I said I would write about the wedding this past weekend, but I have to take a moment to say a little public thank you to Mark and Brian. I have recently taken in my ex who is going through a real rough patch. I couldn't let him go homeless, so he is staying with me temporarily. However, this has put a major strain on me financially.

It's not that it's so expensive having him live there, it's just that I've had a hard time compensating for it. I had trips planned long before he moved in with me and I couldn't cancel them, so basically I'm a little strapped. Mark and I went to dinner last night and before taking me back home I needed to stop by the store for a few things (I also haven't gotten used to a second mouth to feed.)

As I was about to pay I realized I was short money. I was mortified. I haven't been in this dire a financial position in a long time. Mark reached over and paid for my groceries. I'm not joking when I say I teared up and almost broke into tears right there. It wasn't that it was a lot of money or anything, but it was completely unexpected.

Awhile after I got home, Mark called and said that Brian wanted to know if I wanted to go to the ranch this weekend. He said that they knew I needed to get away and have a nice quiet weekend. Brian has been wanting to go to the ranch alone with Mark for months now. They were planning to do that this weekend. I told Mark "no" a few times because they needed this weekend, but after his insisting, I gave in. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to be going, I'm just a little humbled I guess.

Mark and Brian are amazing, caring, loving guys. I was amazingly fortunate to find Mark. He is the best man I know and I'm incredibly happy that I can call him my best friend. Mark would've been enough, but to get Brian along with him is more than I ever expected. I just hope that I'm able to return the favor someday.

An Anniversary

I've been writing the date a lot at work today and couldn't figure out why it was striking me as significant. I finally decided it was because Janet's birthday is exactly one month from today and she hasn't let anyone forget. Then it hit me like a brick wall.

Fourteen years ago today, Cari was found murdered. I had always hoped it would get easier with time. I don't know that it does. I think the only thing that makes it seem easier is that memories fade. When I sit down and focus on them though, they come flooding back and are filled with just as much emotion as 14 years ago.

Her death was a major turning point in my life. To have your best friend murdered at the age of 17 is devastating. Rather than focus on her death as so many articles have done recently with the execution of her murderer, I want to focus on her life. I will have to spend the next year purging courtroom images out of my head and replace them with happy memories. I've spent so many years focused on her death and its impact on my life, that I've buried many of the positive and wonderful things about her.

I promised her I would never forget her and that's exactly what I've done. I've spent a lot of time and energy focusing on anything but Cari. It's time for a change. By the 15th anniversary next year I will be able to write a fitting tribute and do justice to the memory of an incredible person - I'm determined.

Goodbye Margot!

So - the falling out. I will change the names to protect the guilty from further embarrassment. Margot (because she's as big a mess, if not bigger than, Margot Kidder) has been in my life in some form or fashion for 22 years. She is one of those friends who's always been around. Throughout High School she was the one to organize everyone's birthday parties, she was at every event, big and small.

She has lived all over creation, sometimes for a few years at a time. Her major in college changed a dozen or so times as well. The one thing that never changed was her reliability. I guess you could rely on her unreliability. She was always late to everything - I'm not talking 15 minutes or so. She would be an hour late - a HUGE pet peeve of mine. She also has a bit of a temper that goes well with her martyrdom. I've seen her snap at the slightest thing. She's like a volcano - she will sit silent for a long time and then explode.

The volcano erupted Saturday night in New Orleans. The four of us (Stacie, Pedro, Margot, and me) were leaving the hotel for the wedding. After an unexpected stop in the gift shop for Pedro and Margot to wrap a present, we headed for the car. Margot asked Pedro if he needed to stop at an ATM for cash. Hearing this, Stacie (tired of repeated delays by the two of them) asked, "Do you really need to stop by an ATM before the wedding?"

Margot's head spun a few times, her eyes turned red, and at the top of her lungs she yelled, "Mind your own FU**ING business!" We were stunned into silence as everyone in the lobby stopped what they were doing. (OK, so her head didn't spin and her eyes didn't light up, but the rest is true.) We decided to go ahead with them to the wedding, but at this point I had decided that I was done with Margot.

We all avoided each other at the wedding and even did ok making very small talk on the way back to the hotel (it was a free ride at this point - don't judge.) When we were a few blocks from the hotel, Margot said that she hoped Stacie wasn't mad at her. Stacie told her that all she wanted was an apology, she felt she deserved that much. With that, Margot said, "Lots of people feel they deserve an apology when they really don't." If I wasn't done with her before, I was now. It was my turn to explode.

This may not seem like too big a deal to a lot of people, but we're Texans. You don't say these kinds of things to friends, no matter how mad you get. She could've said, "Don't worry about it," or "We need to tip the Valet" instead of "Mind your own fu**ing business." As angry as I've ever been with people, I've never spoken like that to a friend that I wanted to keep. There's a reason that we were the last two of Margot's friends from childhood/adolescence that would speak to her.

Needless to say the last few blocks of the drive were a bit loud. I haven't yelled like that in a long time, but it felt good to get it out after all of those years. She started cataloging all of the ways we'd wronged her, especially that weekend such as: walking too fast, excluding her, picking at her, making fun of her, making fun of her husband (he has one leg), etc. She was on an entirely different trip than Stacie and I were. Until this point, we thought the trip was going really well. Of course we were annoyed with Margot, but that's nothing new.

So, I've said my good-bye to her. I have no desire or intention of speaking to her again. I won't avoid, because I enjoy this kind of confrontation, but I won't seek her out. If she seeks me out, I'll just reinforce the fact that we are no longer friends. After the outburst and getting back to my room, I felt so relieved - a huge weight had been lifted.

Again, this might not seem like enough to end a 22 year friendship, but this was just the final straw. I've actually spent the past few years trying to stay friends with her, but she makes it very difficult. I just couldn't do it anymore, it was way too draining. It is hard to convey the dynamics of the relationship in a single post, but I've decided I won't write about it again, so this will have to suffice.

Ahhh, New Orleans

There's so much to write about I don't even know where to start. I think I may break this up into separate posts, we'll see how it goes. This was a crazy weekend - not only because it was my first trip to New Orleans, but there was also a wedding and a huge falling out with a friend of 20 or so years (not Stacie). I won't be mentioning her in this post even though she was a part of some of the activities. She will get a whole post dedicated to her. So, that sounds like 3 posts to me - NOLA, Wedding, Falling out.

Friday, Stacie and I got in to New Orleans about 3:30. After checking in we decided to take a quick nap to recharge knowing it was going to be a long evening. I awoke refreshed and ready for a Hurricane (the drink, not the storm.) We headed to Pat O'Brien's for their world-famous drinks and patio. I had a Hurricane and a new drink called a Category5 which is basically a margarita/Hurricane hybrid. YUM!!

We wandered aimlessly up and down Bourbon before stopping to get a Hand Grenade. Drinks in hand, we continued down the street, stopping in the little shops here and there. The more I drank, the more I wanted to try things on like pimp hats and boas. Luckily, I was the only one with a camera, so there is no evidence.

We ventured off Bourbon and headed for Cafe du Monde. I've heard about their beignets for years now and had to have them. When the waitress brought them over, the plate looked like it was piled high with cocaine. I love powdered sugar, but this was ridiculous! After overdosing on sugar it was time for bed.

The next morning we went to Cafe Beignet for breakfast. I have to say I had the BEST cinnamon roll I've ever eaten! Sweet, but not too sweet. It was perfect. We headed out to do a little shopping. Stacie remembered a lapidary she loved, New Orleans Gem and Lapidary, but didn't remember exactly where it was. She knew it was in the French Quarter, but that was about it. After hours and hours of wandering aimlessly, we found it - and I'm glad we did. They had all kinds of things priced very well. We each bought a few things and we headed out.

We decided to stop by the Bourbon Pub on the way back to the hotel. It was hot and I felt the need for another Hurricane. Since we didn't get a chance to stop by a gay bar the night before, I felt the need to be around my people. We had our drinks and stopped by Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo to pick up a couple of t-shirts and voodoo dolls. We grabbed some pizza and another hurricane on the way back to the hotel for another nap. We had a wedding to attend.

That evening, after the wedding and the falling out, Stacie and I headed to Lafitte's for drinks and to unwind after such a long day. It was down Bourbon a little ways, away from the insanity and was pleasantly quiet with great music. We were even treated to some gay porn while we were sitting on the balcony (the apartment across the street had their windows wide open and a big screen tv.) We grabbed a bite at the Clover Grill, a great little diner across the street with a lot of personality. Then it was time for bed.

The next day was very low-key as we prepared to go home. We got to the airport about 1:00 for our 3:00 flight. Unfortunately, storms in Dallas caused delays at the airports. We didn't get out of there for another couple of hours. Once on the plane, I passed out and awoke as we were passing over the Dallas skyline. I loved New Orleans, but it was good to be home! Oh yeah - Pictures!

NOLA Here I Come!!!

I feel like such a jet setter! Last weekend, NY. This weekend New Orleans. I've lived in TX most of my life and have somehow never made it to NOLA. Stacie and I are going down there for a wedding on Saturday, but we decided to go down a day early and stay a day late to spend as much time as we can.

We are staying at Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. After making reservations, my mom informed me that this is the same hotel my granddaddy stayed in every time he was in New Orleans. The coincidences with him continue...

So, I'm traveling with Stacie - this means everything must fit in carry-on luggage. UGH!! I know that clothes for 2 days should be able to fit into a carry-on, but I tend to go through a lot of outfits. There are travel clothes, shopping clothes, wedding (in this case), going out clothes, and an additional change of clothes just in case I'm in a mood. Basically I pack about 4 different things to wear per day. I don't like to limit myself.

All of this was a pain in the ass, but I figured it out. I packed about half of the clothes I would normally take. I'm not really happy about it, but I've dealt with it. The difficult part was toiletries. When I check my baggage, I don't even have to think about it. Last night I laid everything out on my kitchen island and basically had to pick and choose what I wanted to take. Not a lot fits in a 1 Quart Ziploc bag! So, I've left half of my normal toiletries at home. I figure the hotel will have some of the things I need/want. I just wish I'd thought about it enough in advance and I would've gotten samples of my cologne.

I know this is a lot of bitching about nothing really. I am excited to be going no matter how unprepared I may be. I've waited my entire life to get there, I just wish I was able to see it Pre-Katrina. I promise to come back with plenty of pics and hopefully a couple of interesting stories!