Today is Thursday, September 1st and the summer is winding down to just a measly four days. It’s been an interesting summer at that: beautiful weather, clubbing on Fire Island and the city, hanging out with friends, dinners, lunches, doctors appointments and colonoscopies, etc., etc., etc. I’ve had a great time, mostly, but I think it is finally time to get off this ride…







The Grove with Reet



My good friend and fellow teacher Rita has been asking to go to Cherry Grove for awhile and yesterday was finally the day. She’d never been there before, at least as far as she could remember, and I was only too happy to take her. Ever since the hurricane/tropical storm on Monday, the weather has been picture perfect, almost fall-like, so it was a great day for a visit to the Grove.







There wasn’t a lot of activity over there, I guess because of the recent Irene visit, but you could sense the slowly building re-population leading up to the big weekend. Damage was really non-existent as far as we could tell. The only signs that Irene had come through were the buried fences around the sand dunes and a boarded up Jumping Jacks. Other than that and the small crowd, you’d never have known a hurricane had passed.







Rita and I had a nice day, walking around, having lunch, and of course having a drink or two at Cherry’s. Margarita’s was the drink of choice. Yum! In all, we spent about four hours in the sun, and really enjoyed a lazy, relaxing day in a beautiful place!







Time to get off this ride



Last night was the last time I would be going to Circus for awhile and in a way I’m glad. I’d planned on partying it up this last week and by the way things worked out last night, I’m going to follow through on those plans, but I definitely need a break after Sunday.



Rita, who’s had a newfound freedom these past couple of weeks, was ready to continue the party by joining me at Circus last night. Ozzie was going to be there as Ozzie, not Ruby, and it turned out he was one of no less than five people I’ve been connected with in recent months. Not a good thing!



I won’t go into the sordid details, but there were plenty of uncomfortable moments and by the time the drag show had ended I was done, mentally exhausted and I couldn’t wait to get home. I’m glad I’m going to Splash tonight because at least there I won’t know anybody…I hope!







Odds N Ends



I want to give a special shout-out to my friend Ivan, who I met in the city the other night for some dancing. Ivan is such a good guy and I’m so happy that he and I have remained friends. I had a blast with him and I hope he did too!



I just got off the phone with my ex, Joe. It’s funny because I was thinking about him a lot yesterday and viola, he called. Every once in awhile I get to missing him and even though our life together was a lifetime ago, I still feel like I need to connect with him sometimes. He’s still a great guy and I do miss having him around in my life, and even though I may not show it to him, I still get a little sad when we talk and I have to hear about his wonderful life with his new partner. Sigh!



I got a call from Arnoldo yesterday. He’s out of the hospital again! Let’s hope this time its permanent.



Writing Wednesday



Well, even though it’s Thursday, I’m going to post “Writing Wednesday” today since I missed it yesterday. Here’s what I’ve been up to…



Gather



Hurricane Irene weakens as it slams New York



New Music Releases for the week of August 29th



Lots of good stuff this week!



Y!CN



Though I missed a paid assignment on this topic for Y!CN, I still put a couple of articles up before, during and after Irene:



Waiting on Irene



A Not So Welcome Irene



The Cleanup



I also posted one assignment:



Twitter for iPhone



Examiner



Fun Stuff on Long Island this Labor Day Weekend





Can anybody say Elton John?



Of course, all of these articles are on top of the great stuff I've written here, lol. I wanted to mention also that I've got a couple of new sponsors for the site. I only choose places that I think are valuable and where I shop, so please feel free to click on any of the links below or anywhere else on this blog for great deals on cool stuff! As always, thanks for reading and have a great day!















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Happy Hump Day everyone! It’s yet another beautiful summer day on Long Island and here I sit in my office, in the middle of the day, typing away, lol. This is my last bit of writing for the day, thankfully, and then I can get on with doing stuff I should be doing…outside! Here’s the latest from my so called life…





Photo Source: cbs news



Come on Irene!



For the first time in a long time, we here in the northeast are under watch for the latest hurricane, Irene, which seems to be heading in our direction. We’ve had these types of warnings many times in the past and a lot of them turned out to be nothing more than some rain and a little wind, and I hope that’s the case this time, too. They’re saying Sunday, so anything can happen between now and then. We haven’t had one since I bought my house in 98 and I shudder to think about one hitting here full force because I have a lot of trees in my yard. Fingers crossed and stay tuned…





Photo Source: Watt's Up With That?



Earthquake? What Earthquake?



I think I am probably the only person I know who didn’t feel the Earth trembling at yesterday’s earthquake, which struck in Virginia but was felt all over the Eastern Seaboard. I spoke to a couple of people who felt it around 2PM, but I didn’t even know about it until much later. They say it’s the strongest earthquake to ever hit the area at 5.6 on the Richter, and of course the end-of-the-worlders are out in full force. Gimme a break!







Opening up



As I told you the other day, I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the things I put on this blog. It all started when I got a nasty and derogatory email from a reader that made me do a lot of thinking. More than a week has passed now and several friends have given me cause to keep doing what I’m doing and not be affected by such malicious nonsense. After all, this is my space and if anyone doesn’t want to read it, they don’t have to.



Though I have no idea specifically what the emailer was referring to in his rant, I had removed a piece I thought he might have been responding to, a poem about my recent face to face encounter with him. At the moment I have no plans to republish it in full, but here’s an abridged version of the original that I had penned a week ago Sunday:



Yet another regretful episode in this muddled story

A chance meeting unforeseen

At almost the very spot where we first met

We’d both imagined this in our minds

Yet neither could know what really to expect



It all happened so suddenly

I looked up with disbelieving eyes into your face

And saw you looking into mine

And in a flash, all I could think of to do was turn and run

But you saw me as I saw you and called to me from behind



At that point, the deed was done

The circumstance of our encounter was settled

You were excited and I was terrified

My reaction dampened your evening and mine

The latest in a series of miscommunications between us



Running away was not the mature thing to do

Yet it was an impulse borne out of months of despair

And yes, anger, at the very thought of you

I regret the action and wish I could take it back

But what’s done cannot be undone



I don’t know how you expected me to react

With a smile and a hug, perhaps

Some genuine catching up of old friends

I laid it all out for you the last time

In a way I believed to be noble and complete



Whatever happens from here forth

Please understand that there were reasons for my action

Perhaps a little subconscious hurt thrown your way

In return for the hurt I’d endured

A little bit of karma in action



I know you couldn’t see

Through all of the discomfort between us

That deep down it was nice to see you again

In the flesh

The same person I so cared for once upon a time



So take good care of yourself

I’m happy to hear you’re in a better place these days

Should there be a next time, don’t worry

I promise not to turn my back again

Next time I’ll flash you a brilliant smile, I promise!



Reading this over once again, I don’t think there's anything about it I need to feel bad about writing, either on myself or on him. It's just the openness and feeling that I always express in my writing, no matter the subject. Yes, my experiences with him were some tough moments in my life and even though I’m in a good place now, contact of any sort inevitably brings back memories, bad and good. So I make no apologies for penning the piece, and I’m glad to share it once again with you.



It’s funny, but things have taken a sad turn even since I wrote the piece. After not having seen him for seven months, I ran into him three straight times at Splash, the last time being last night. Though I meant what I said in the last stanza, things haven’t gone exactly that way in subsequent encounters. There’s kind of a distant iciness there now, like we're both sort of pretending not to see each other while we’re standing just a few feet away. It's weird and uncomfortable, and no fun at all. I guess the circumstances from that night have brought us to this, starting with my reaction almost two weeks ago.



It’s a little unnerving and sad, but I guess that’s just the way it’s going to be. At least there’s just one more week of Splash Tuesdays and/or Thursdays for me, and so I’ll return to going there on Saturdays again afterwards and these random contacts shouldn’t happen anymore anyway.



Related post: Untitled



Writing Wednesdays



Well, I already missed the second week of Writing Wednesdays, and so here are links to some of the pieces I’ve been up to…



Gather



Amy Winehouse Tributes by Green Day, Coldplay and at the VMAs



Gaga’s “You and I” exemplifies her musical versatility



Spotlight on new music releases for the week of August 22nd



Preview of the 2011 VMAs



Yahoo Contributor Network



Elton John's Top Twenty Songs



Pesto: Easy, Delicious and Versatile



Volunteer's Corner: Working to Protect and Preserve the Environment of Long Island and Beyond



What Are You Listening To? Summer 2011



Examiner



Fun outdoor activities on Long Island this weekend



H is for "High Rise"



During my "Song of the Day" posting in dedication to Nick Ashford, who passed away yesterday, I mentioned another of Ashford and Simpson songs that I loved whose title just happens to start with the letter "H," the next letter in our Z-A Blogger's Challenge. Bonus! The vid's a little grainy, but the song is oh so sweet sounding! Enjoy!











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Since I first started this blog as a means to promote my writing elsewhere, I've been somewhat remiss in doing so as this blog has takenn a new life of its own in recent months. Nevertheless, I am still writing for other websites and that's where I get paid, so I decided to do a new feature called Wednesday's Writing Recap. It is aimed at promoting all of the articles I've written (choice ones, anyway) during the past week, and so in our first installment, we have a little more than a week's worth to catch up on. Please feel free to click on any of the titles that might be of interest as it would help me greatly!



Gather



Gather is the newest site that I write for and even after three months I'm still learning the ropes. They are search engine driven, and as such my articles there only stay up for about a month's time. Unfortunately I don't get paid for anything I write there until I reach 150 page views and some of the articles below are close, so please do some clicking...



Missy Elliot comeback begins with new Katy Perry remixThe top ten videos of the '80s, chosen by the fans



I've always loved Missy Elliot and finally, after six long years on hiatus, she is back with some new projects and her upcoming 7th studio album, "Block Party."



David Guetta's Hot, New "Nothing But The Beat" Coming in August



Writing this one revved me upp for this album, the long-awaited follow up to the deejay/producer's smash "One Love" CD.



MTV VMA's first three performers announced



The VMA's are coming and they're always quite a spectacle. With the announcement of these artists to the performers list, this year should be no different. (*Mental note - Need to do a follow-up on this one!)



Amy Winehouse's music sure to follow trend in posthumous album sales



This one's all about how music artists' music after their death sometimes becomes more popular than before. Amy Winehouse has a lot of unreleased stuff that's sure to make waves once it hits the airwaves.



What to expect from Madonna's new album



Yes, as of July 4th, Mo is back in the sstudio. It's been a long time and any Madonna fan is super excited at the prospect of a new one from the Queen.



Fallon and Timberlake's 'History of Rap' proves genre's staying power



Recently Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake did another mash-up tribute to some of raps greats. There's a video linkk in this one, so be sure to check it out.



Yahoo Contributor Network



A Teacher's Unforgettable First Day at School



This was an assignment for Y!CN writers about best and worst memories of the first day at school. Since I'm a teacher, I shared memories of a day I'll never forget as a teacher.



Crossroads: A New and Unfortunate Direction



The latest and most unhappy turn of events in this real-life series....stay tuned...



Thank You for Being a Friend



A drag performance of the Golden Girls theme inspired this one!



Music Suggestions for a Gay Wedding in New York



This one was meant to be funny...lol



Amy's Legacy



My own personal tribute to Amy Winehouse.



Examiner



Keep cool this weekend at LI Theaters



Some really good stuff happening this weekend at theaters around Long Island.



The Coasters of Six Flags Great Adventure



This one's been updated to include the new Green Lantern coaster.



Five Guys Burgers n Fries



I've discovered a great new burger joint!



LI Catering Venues get in on Gay Wedding Market



You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?



Ascension Beach Party Weekend at Fire Island Pines



I soooo want to go! Kristine W, Alexis Jordan and Crystal Waters will be performing.



LIGALY's "Refresh Everything" proposal to fight anti-gay bullying on LI



LIGALY is always fighting the good fight, so get out there and help them win this grant.



Circus Wednesdays at Lizard Lounge



My new favorite Long Island gay bar!



Well, that's all she (or rather he) wrote! As always, a great big hearty thankk you to all of you who check in with John's World regularly. I truly appreciate your readership. Have a great day!



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