An Experience to Remember!

This is the t-shirt I got myself

This Weekend I went to Vancouver with my sweetheart and a small group of friends to see Roger Waters: The Wall LIVE!

WOW! It was amazing. Our tickets for the show were $170 just for level two. I can only imagine the price some people paid for on the floor/level one area. The place was packed. It was intense. You could feel the vibe in the place. People were waiting for the show to start. Everyone in my group was sitting on the edge of their seats hoping for it to start soon. They had high hopes for this concert and I can say with complete certainty that they were not disappointed!

To be honest I really didn't want to go to the concert. The tickets were pricey and as much as I enjoy Pink Floyd music it is not the style of music I prefer. Dan was so excited about going and having me there with him that I relented and said yes. He quickly phoned his sister to get a ticket for me as well. Pink Floyd/Roger Waters is Dan's kind of music. He was introduced to it at a younger age via his brother-in-law and it had always resonated with him. He also finds that the music is one of the best ways for him to relax after a stressful day. He owns most of the CDs and knows pretty much all the songs off by heart.

The night before we left I worked an afternoon shift. I was done by 11pm and home by midnight. It was a busy shift so a co-worker and I went for drinks at a pub down the street from home. The pub closed at 12am so I was home 5 minutes later. Before I popped into bed I still had to set out some clothes for the trip; I had not even packed yet. The next morning I was up at 7am to get ready. Our plan was to pick up our friends and be at the ferry terminal for the 11am sailing. Because I had not packed anything yet I made sure I was awake early enough to pick out what I wanted for the weekend in Vancouver. I packed only the essentials as there would be five of us in the car and only so  much trunk space to hold all our bags, plus were only there for 3 days. I think all of us kept that in mind when we prepped for the time away as each of us only brought one pack and the trunk fit them all. The ferry trip over was like any other trip across that I have made; one and half hours long and boring.

Once over there we wandered around downtown and had lunch. Dan and I are addicted to Shawarmas. They are a pita wrap type sandwich that has marinated chicken, hummus, tzatziki, tomatoes, lettuce and a little bit of tabbouleh. Sometimes hot sauce as well. They are so tasty and satisfying that whenever we go to Vancouver we have to stop by the "Falafel King" to get one to serve our addiction! So after a lunch of shawarmas we checkout some of the local shops. The 'straight' couple in the group had this need to stop by every sex shop in the area to check out ways to spice up their lives! It was fun at first but got quickly boring after the third one and by the time they had made it to the 5th one I was outside window shopping elsewhere.

Before the show we all congregated at the hotel in the largest suite we had booked for some drinks and socializing. We all needed the time to get mentally ready for a show that we were hoping would blow our minds. Believe me it did!

The line ups at the arena/stadium were long for everything and the prices were high!! A bottle of water (500ml) cost me $4.50 and the other beverages/food cost even more! Thankfully we ate a light dinner before hand. The t-shirt I bought myself I got at a local Rock 'N' Roll shop for $30. The shirts at the concert started at 40 dollars! I was so thirsty that I got myself a bottle of water and just refilled it in the bathroom when necessary.

The place was packed. At one point during the intermission the line up for the men's washroom was 4x longer than the ladies! I was amazed. That to me is a rare occurrence! Of course us being guys we were in/out of the washroom much faster than the ladies.

The show went from 9:30pm to 12 midnight and it was all Roger Waters and the Wall! No opening acts of any kind! The show was intense for me. So much to see and take in. For someone like me who is not overly familiar with Roger Waters/Pink Floyd there was a lot of subtext that I was missing. I am not one for subtly or subtext. I am a straightforward up front kind of person. If you are not blunt with me then I often don't get it. I am tend to be oblivious to the subtle stuff.  Over all I did understand that much of what he was singing had strong political messages. The images definitely had that message. What was amazing to me as well is the fact that much of what he sang was his old material expressing his 'views' from back in the earlier time of his music career but it all could that easily fit the political arena of today. Much of the images he used were made to invoke such thoughts.

One image that I found interesting was one of planes dropping bombs but instead of actual bombs the planes were dropping symbols that are easily recognizable in today's culture. Symbols that brought to mind religion and faith, money and corporate America, wars and civil unrest and so much more. He was showing us images of what he believes is contributing to the destruction of our societies. Things that Pink Floyd was singing about 30 years ago; things that today still make sense. I was definitely not expecting the strong political undertone. It did not stop me from enjoying the show and the music.

Below are some pictures showing what I experienced before, during and after the wall was built and then knocked down. If you ever get the chance to see Pink Floyd or Roger Waters in concert then you should go. It is worth it!

Food: My first true love.

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
A quote by the well known playwright George Bernard Shaw. This is one quote that I truly like as it is one about food; a quote that I can wholeheartedly endorse as my love of food is sincere indeed.

It is a known fact that we cannot survive for long without nutrition of some kind. For me I suffer when I go without food for more than 3-4 hours. My stomach grumbles & rumbles, gives me aches & pains of various kinds and feels hollow when I have not had something to ingest after three to four hours.

Being of Italian descent I was never allowed to go hungry especially when at my Zia (italian for aunt) or Nonna's (italian for grandmother) place. If my brother, my cousins or any of us kids even hinted that we wanted something to eat my relatives would be jumping to make sure our food needs were met. Sometimes a quiet little rumble of my belly would have my Nonna or Zia making their way to the kitchen to whip up something. They were even known to anticipate our needs by routinely offering us food every couple hours. Even if a main meal was soon to be served we would be offered a snack to keep us settled until the food was on the table. I am often amazed that I am not 300 pounds with all the food I was fed as a child. Even today when I go visit my Italian branch of the family I am often offered munchies within minutes of walking in the door.

Something that is common with people of European cultures is you will be asked 3 times if you want something. If you truly do not want what is offered you have to decline each time, and you have to be polite and firm when you say no. If you even slightly waiver in any way you have just accepted the offer and cannot say no after that. As a child I have no problem with accepting any and all food offers. As a growing child I could eat someone's cupboards bare with my appetite. My family loved me because of that. To them the phrase "Food is love. Love is food." means everything. Food often equated to love and they showed their love A LOT!

Growing up the word 'moderation' was not part of my vocabulary. I was allowed and encouraged to always eat my fill. Having second or third helpings at any meal was considered the norm for us. Even my mother who could not afford to truly raise her boys on her own would make enough to feed a small army so we could have our fill. She would always make sure we didn't go hungry.  As a grown man I still eat a fair amount. Moderation is a word I know and I do my best to eat in a healthy moderate way. It is just difficult when I was not taught to eat that way. Impulse eating and stuffing myself till I am full is such a deep ingrained habit that it is something I fight daily. I win some battles and I lose others.

I have been fortunate that I have kept my weight under 200lbs, just! There was a short period when I was at the 200lbs limit. I was not a happy man during that time frame. For me I usually stay around 180. I just need to tone up and lose my food gut. Besides my lack of moderation at times it is also my lack of physical activity that conspires against me. I like to sit and read a lot. I am on my feet all day at work so when I come home I don't want to exercise. I wanna be lazy and read my book or surf online while munching on some good food. My boyfriend does his best to 'encourage' me to be more active but he can be a slug sometimes too so that doesn't work too well!

It is so hard when you love food as much as I do. If I could I would eat all the time. Eating is more than just a necessity of life for me. I find that eating is an activity to enjoy and relish at anytime, anywhere with anyone. Food is one of the few things in life that all of us human beings share besides the need to breathe, sleep, drink and love.

In the end it all comes back to the Love!

My volunteer work

Back in December 2008 I was in my Nursing program at Camosun College. For my first practicum I was placed in a community setting. I was assigned to AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI) for 3 weeks. As part of my introduction to AVI I had to sign up as a volunteer. For my practicum I had to acquire 90 hours of experience working with the clientele the AVI works with, many whom are homeless, fighting addiction, and/or dealing with AIDS & other STI's (sexually transmitted infections).

I really didn't know what I was getting involved in when I first arrived. I was nervous. My fellow classmate who had been assigned with me was also nervous. I at least had had some exposure to AIDS and the people living with it as I have had many friends in my life who became infected. As a gay man it is something that I think about often. My classmate was a young lady from another country and her exposure had been limited to that point. The two of us had a great deal of fun during our 3 weeks. The staff and volunteers at AVI were amazing.

I had enjoyed myself so much while there that when my practicum ended I decided to stick around and continue with the volunteering. I just felt like the right thing for me to do.

In the past I have been a volunteer for a few other organizations and have always had fun. I used to help out at the Boys & Girls club, I was a telephone counselor for People In Need crisis line, did fundraisers for local churches, Blood drives for the Red Cross, and worked with children with disabilities in an integrated daycare. Volunteer work has always been important to me.

Thanks to my nursing program I became involved with a great organization that has been wonderful to me and for me since the day I started. AVI is an organization that depends on its volunteers so they know how to show their appreciation.

During my practicum I had a project that I was required to do. I had to come up with something for the community that was outreach based and provided education. The program leader for the SOS (Street Outreach Services) helped me set up an event for their clientele. I set up a "Chili and a Movie" night during my last week there. They had been looking to set up a regular program that would help them to expand their outreach. So we organized an evening with food, a thought provoking video, had nurses on hand (if anyone needed testing, medical checkups, or had health questions), and encourage everyone to socialize and have fun. It went well. We ran out of food by filling every one's bellies and put smiles on many faces. The nurses were a great help as well. When my instructor saw my project and how things were going she gave me a very good grade. I got an A.

My project also had the effect of creating a monthly program that served dinner, entertained and provided other health services for all that attended. It evolved into "Breakfast for Dinner". Many of the clientele stated that chili is great during the winter but what they really craved was bacon & eggs. It has become a very popular event for AVI. Since then I have helped with several different aspects of the programs with AVI. I have enjoyed things a great deal and will continue as I am able in the foreseeable future.

Recently I was invited to help out with a men's group to see how we can reach out to men in a fun and entertaining way while helping them to become better informed about their health and to encourage a healthier attitude. I look forward to helping out and seeing what we can accomplish.

If you want to know more about AIDS Vancouver Island, I encourage you to go to www.avi.org for more information!

The Internet is for Porn!

Avenue Q

 Now that I have your attention! LOL

The title of my little blog entry today is a line from a song created for and performed in the Broadway musical "Avenue Q". I had the opportunity (but didn't take it) while in New York to go see it. My travelling companion (sister of my heart) Nicole was not interested in seeing it. Being someone of Faith she felt that it was not an appropriate type of play for her. Because the trip to NY was her dream and planned by her, she got to call the shots on many things we did. I could have gone on my own but getting tickets were not too easy as it was/is a popular play. The trip to NY was a blast and it is something that I would love to do again some day. There are a few things that I would like to do again and some that I haven't done yet. One of those would be to go to a performance of Avenue Q. I like to call it "Sesame Street for Adults".

This is the link for a YouTube bit from the play with the characters singing The Internet is for Porn. If you want to know more about Avenue Q then click HERE

$5 per pic

Here is a picture of me in Battery Park, NY with a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty. We had fun that day. We were a bit late to take the ferry to Liberty Island to see the real statue but this was good enough! hehee

I had so much fun while there. We stayed in a nice boutique style hotel; our Concierge was awesome! He was so nice and fixed any problem we had instantly. He was also a great source of information if we wanted to do anything.

We toured the shopping areas, the World Trade Centre memorial, Times Square, rode the subway, shopped at Macy's, enjoyed a performance by an award winning choir in Brooklyn, saw two great Broadway plays, checked out landmarks made famous in several movies, rode the Staten Island ferry, did a carriage ride tour of Central Park and watched the St. Patty's day parade. I took almost a thousand pictures during my week there. So much to see and do that we wanted to stay much longer. It is a place worth going to visit. I will go back one day.

Me with my new jacket I bought the day before!

On our way home we stopped in Chicago for a couple days. It was fun too. We woke up the morning after our arrival to a snow storm. Being Canadian the snow didn't bother us at all. I think we had some subliminal  inclination that it might get cold because the two of us went shopping and bought ourselves new winter jackets that came in handy the next day!

While in Chicago we did the Lincoln Park Zoo, drinks at a Blues club, dinner at Carmine's (they had a wall of photos showing the famous people who have dined there through the years), and spent a day at the Navy pier in the amusement park. The rides were shut down due to the snow but the interior area was huge and had a lot to see and do for families. We had the opportunity to go to a jousting show at Medieval Times. The food wasn't that great but the show was fun.

We were only in Chicago for 3 days but we did a lot! We had wanted to visit the Oprah show and Harpo Studios but we arrived during a long weekend and they were closed so no tours or shows being done.

One day soon I want to take my partner to NY and a few of the other places I have traveled. He has not done any travelling outside of Canada. I have been from coast to coast in North America and there is much to see and enjoy.

Looking forward to the next trip!

Drinking: been there, done that.

One of my mothers many vices and bad habits was drinking. I never thought she was an alcoholic when I was younger but she admitted to me once that she believed she was. She wasn't the only drinker in the family either, my grandfather and one of my uncles, on my mother's side, also enjoyed their frothy beverages at the end of a long day. My father's parents and siblings, being Italian, drank a bottle of homemade wine with dinner every night; wine with dinner was part of the cultural norm for them.

As a child you see your parents or other members of the family drink beers and the odd wine or spirits and think nothing of it because you don't know any different. My mom and her friends liked to party it up a bit once in awhile and they always seemed to have a lot of fun. I always figured that was the way things were done. It was considered a normal part of life. As a child I was sometimes allowed little sips of the beer or wine. At dinner with my Italian family I occasionally was given a small glass of homemade wine mixed with 7-Up. I know that many children of my generation experienced similar scenarios as they grew.

I was never a big fan of beer as a child. There was just something about the taste that I did not like. I didn't mind wine but I preferred white wines as they tasted better and didn't make me feel sick. I discovered later on that I am sensitive to the tannins in red wine which make me feel ill. When I was in my pre-teen and teen years my mother would take us to Sunday brunch at Pizza Patio. As part of the brunch you would get a glass of champagne cocktail which is pretty much just white wine with orange juice. I liked that. As I got older my mother would allow us to enjoy alcohol a little more. She was a smart parent and didn't flat out refuse us knowing that if she said NO we would do it anyway. She would engineer the situation so that if we were drinking anything alcoholic there was always a responsible adult around to watch us and keep us safe. It worked well until I turned 19 and moved out.

Once I was legal age I enjoyed going out with friends to the bars and clubs. In my early twenties I really got into the swing of the weekends cruising the clubs with my friends and drinking a fair amount. I was a shy young man back then and due to my introverted nature I needed the alcohol to loosen my up so I could enjoy the music, the dancing, and the atmosphere. It was the only way I thought I could enjoy myself. I was also coming out of the closet at that time and that made it harder for me to feel like I fit in anywhere. Alcohol for me was the great problem solver.

I never drank during the week, only on weekends. After a long week working I did what most any young man of time would do, I went out partying with my friends, got drunk and had a blast! I was one of the lucky ones I think. I was always a happy drunk, I never had any serious hangovers, and I remembered most of what I said and did through the night. It definitely saved my ass a few times. I never got into any fights, I never called in sick from work due to a hangover and I was never embarrassed by anyone because of something I said or did and then forgot because of a drunken haze. I am not saying I didn't do stupid stuff. I was like most any drunk young man out there. I said and did many stupid things but because I could remember it I was able to apologize the next day and make it all better.

My 24th birthday was the peak of my drunken days. I recall having a drink for every year I was old. I started around 8pm and kept going until the bar closed around 2am. I even went home with a six pack as one of my presents. I was so drunk that even with my glasses on I could not see more than a foot or two in front of my face with any kind of clarity. A guy that my BFF was interested in helped me home that night. If it wasn't for him I probably would have stumbled home. At the time I did not live too far and at the best of times could walk the distance in 20 minutes. As drunk as I was it most likely would have taken me at least an hour and it would also be questionable as to whether I would make it home at all. My friend's were rightfully worried that I would fall down somewhere passed out till morning or the police found me. It was summer time so being passed out on someone's lawn would not have harmed me much. Thanks to my BFF and her love interest I made it home safely and into bed. I slept all of 2-3 hours that night. I woke up feeling good and able to manage my day. Like I mentioned before, I rarely had hangovers.

After that night I came to the conclusion that I really didn't want to drink like that again. I felt that if I continued I would end up an alcohol like some of my family members; I enjoyed drinking too much. Around that time I was starting to learn who I was inside and I put a lot of my energy towards discovering the real me and learning to like and love that person. Coming out of the closet and being honest about my sexuality with myself and those around me was very freeing. That process helped me to realized that I did not need substances like alcohol to be free, to be the person I wanted to be in every day life. Something as simple as personal honesty does amazing things for you.

As my 20's progressed I cut back on my consumption of alcohol. By the time I was 30 I rarely drank and if I did I limited myself to 4 or less. My usual limit was 2. I used to drink white wine mostly but stopped when I started reacting to it and getting sick. I found that beer, wine and most liquor made me sick. I can drink wines if I mix it with fruit and juice, sort of like a simple Sangria but I usually ended up sticking to Vodka, it being my spirit of choice. Vodka doesn't make me sick. I also found that if I wanted to loosen up a bit then I would have a drink or two and switch to pop afterwards. The alcohol would start the good times a rolling and I could maintain it with the caffeine and sugars of the pop. By the time the night was over I was pretty much sober and when the sugar & caffeine rush ended I would crash and sleep was not a problem. It worked for me and to this day still does.

I went from hardcore borderline alcoholic to a social drinker. Now that I am in my 40's I have cut back even more. I am not a teetotaler, someone who abstains from alcohol, but someone that likes to go out a couple times a month to enjoy the company of my friends and drink a glass or two in moderation. These days it is all about moderation. Now if only I could moderate my food consumption in the same manner. That is a future blog entry.

Alcohol is a big problem in this world and I was fortunate enough that it didn't become a big problem in my life.