Photo Shoot with Freddy (Modern Roman series)

Had the opportunity tonight to shoot my pal and fellow artist (an amazingly talented illustrator), Freddy. What started out as a possible leather shoot rapidly evolved into a whole other thing when Freddy told me he had a leather gladiator kilt. After pulling out a few pieces I had in my wardrobe/costume storage, a new series was born; Modern Romans. As Freddy said, "Now you can build yourself your own army."
In exchange for getting Freiddy to pose for me I agreed I would do a sitting for him. After seeing his book, with incredibly vibrant erotic images, I am totally excited at the prospect.

I want me a Freddy Pena original!

Photo Shoot with Giancarlo

I had the pleasure of doing a photoshoot with a very sweet man, Giancarlo. Although he's originally from Panama, he lived a number of years in Mexico City, which is where I first saw photos of him. He moved to NYC a couple years back which made doing a shoot with him possible. When he arrived at the door I was transfixed with the beautiful color of his eyes and the clarity of his face - of course it was these features that predominated the images I captured.

Photo Shoot with Chris

I'm proud to call this beautiful man one of my friends. I met Chris a couple of years a go and from the first moment that I saw the cross on his back I wanted to photograph it. After much convincing, and the addition of an equally impressive serpent and the forbidden fruit tattoo on his arm, he finally consented. We didn't have much time as Chris was packing to leave for Puerto Rico the next day, but I think he was pleased enough with the end result that we will do another shoot some day soon. Or at least I'm hoping.

Photo Shoot with Josh

New York with Curry

..................... The New York Erotic Art Fair .........................

I attended the Tom of Finland New York Erotic Art Fair today with my pal and very talented artist, Curry Mendes, who I met last year at the fair when he was exhibiting his provocative and stunning artwork (click the link on his name to see his illustrations). Although somewhat disappointed by the Fair -- both the attendance and the number of exhibitors (it looked like a very slow year)-- I enjoyed my time with Curry immensely. How can you not like a guy who likes Starbucks as much as I do! After checking out the show and chatting with several acquaintances, we headed over to B&H Photo so Curry could look into buying a lighting kit. He decided not to purchase one in lieu of going to the Dugout for the Sunday afternoon beer blast. After a couple of beers and a lot of beef, we strolled down Christopher Street to Rafaella's for dinner where talked art, models, men and retail therapy.

The Three Bears; Papa bear, Mama bear and Curry.

Today I visited Calgary, Montreal and New York City

Left Edmonton this morning and flew to Calgary then Montreal and finally NYC. I arrived to all the commotion and chaos you'd expect from NYC on a Saturday night. I didn't go out anywhere I just stayed around the apartment and caught up with my roommate and dear friend, Eva.


No, it's not snow. It's the clouds over Calgary


Artwork by Eric Wesselow in Trudeau airport, Montreal


NYC skyline as the plane landed on the runway at LaGuardia airport


My roommate Eva (aka Evil) - whee, whee, whee

Doesn't it make you crazy when ....

It makes me crazy when you ask someone "What time is it?"
and they reply with "right now?"
No dimwit what time is it about half an hour from now.
Geesh.

And those that want to be comedians make me crazy too.
Q: "Do you know what time it is?"
A: "Yes."
And thinking about it, maybe I'll up the comedy ante from now on with:
"So do I, it's time for you to find a new joke, that one's tired."
Smirk.

Nation of Assholes

If this song doesn't just sum it all up, I don't know what does!
In honour of my return to the US of A this weekend, I give you;
NATION OF ASSHOLES

Words to live by

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”
Anais Nin

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember this anecdote.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. Once again, they agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar! The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -- your family, your children, your health, your friends and your passions -- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand represents everything else -- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Take someone you love out to dinner. Play with the children. Make time for a medical check-up. Sit down and listen to your favourite song. Stop and smell the roses. There will always be time to clean the house or take out the garbage. Take care of the things that really matter. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee."

It's Official

Well it's a done deal now; Dustin and I signed the lease on our new one-bedroom apartment at the El Mirador this afternoon. We take possession on Thursday, June 1st, so to all my dear friends out there in the big ol' world, you have a place to stay whenever you visit the booming metropolis of Edmonton. Ha ha ha.

Home Again - Home Again

photo of Manhattan skyline by jacksonphotografix.com 2002 

Booked my flight today back to NYC today. Will arrive there Saturday, May 20 at 9pm. Now I'll start emailing roommates, friends and clients to let everyone know. Unfortunately, I will only be there until Thursday, June 1st as I need to be back in Edmonton as Dustin and I are making it official and moving in together that day. We have leased an apartment in the El Mirador (I know how ironic a spanish named building - meaning "The Window" which refers to the view) where I used to live many, many sleeps ago in two different apartments over the years. In addition, I have been booked to shoot a private event on Saturday, June 3rd which is encouraging as it suggests work will finally start to materialize here in Edmonton. If anyone is looking at having photos done while I'm in NYC, please contact me as soon as possible as my time will be extremely limited.

How do you say S C A M

Althought I have received countless versions of this same type of internet fraud, this one gets points for creativity -- exotic destinations, murder, intrique and of course, a honorable, vulnerable tragic hero. And this made-for-TV-movie, can be yours by merely sending all your bank information to the link provided so that the sender can empty out your account and move on to his next online victim. Sounds reasonable enough, right?

Anywho, I post this for your reading enjoyment (come on, Oliver even called me "Dearest One" - gosh) and because I can't possibly believe there is anyone stooopid enough left out there in internetland that would fall for something this ridiculous.

THOUGHT: maybe everyone should send an email to Mr. Buntu with all kinds of requests for donations for charities and personal home projects -- hell he's a millionaire, why not?

DEAREST ONE

I AM OLIVER BUNTU, THE ONLY SON OF LATE MR AND MRS.SAMUEL BUNTU. MY FATHER WAS A VERY WEALTHY COCOA MERCHANT BASED IN ABIDJAN, THE ECONOMIC CAPITAL OF IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSS ON A BUSINESS. WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 1986, MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPECIAL BECAUSE I WAS MOTHERLESS

BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 29TH JUNE 2003 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN ABIDJAN. HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A SUM OF US$5,500,000 (FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND, UNITED STATES DOLLARS) LEFT IN A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN, HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH THAT HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER THIS MONEY,AFTER THE BOX IS RELEASE FROM SECURITY COMPANY AND USE IT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE FOR MY FUTURE SIR, I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS. 1)TO SERVE AS THE FOREING PARTNER OF MY FATHER SINCE I AM A BOY OF 20 YEARS AND INEXPRENCE FOR INVESTMENT 2)TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT OF MY TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY AFTER THE CONSINGMENT HAVE BEEN CLEARED FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY SIR, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 15% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL PROCESS ANTICAIPTING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON. PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH THIS (oliver_buntu202@yahoo.fr) TO SHOW YOUR KIND INTEREST TO HELP ME

THANKS AND GOD BLESS
OLIVER BUNTU

Photo Shoot with Mat

After months and months of talking (I met Mat just before Christmas when I was at Buddy's shooting for Outlooks Magazine, see photo below), we finally managed to get together and do a shoot.
He was my model of choice for a cover shoot we were supposed to do for the March issue of Outlooks, however the publisher postponed that shoot and to date, I still haven't shot a cover for them. So it was a damn good thing we did do photos today as Mat leaves for Vancouver at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning. Definitely Edmonton's loss as there aren't many young men this fine in river city.

Dining Out for Life

If you like to eat at restaurants, today is the day to do it. Not only will you enjoy a great meal but a portion of the total amount of your check will be donated by the restaurant to a worthy AIDS charity, in Edmonton that charity is Living Positive. The fundraising idea is an annual event called Dining Out For Life and it's happening today. Dustin and I will be having lunch at Cafe Select Southside and then the staff of Buddy's will be having dinner at the Blue Plate Diner - both are participating restaurants.


my dinner campanions at the Blue Plate Diner;
Buddy's staff - Sean, Lizzie, Jeff and Chris 

I'm an Orange

After taking this test, it appears that my true color is Orange!

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

NOTE: Do be careful with the Tickle Test (link from above) site, after taking the test they make you go through a list of special offers (answer NO to everything or you'll be innundated with junk mail) and require you to enter friends names from one of your address books that you'd want to send the test to (specify only ONE person and you'll still get your results). It's annoying but what do you expect -- it's the internet.

Angie

Dustin's sister, Angie, wanted some photos done after she saw the shots I did of Dustin. The shot above really appealed to me, in a fine art sense. Somewhat reminiscent of the Memoirs of a Geisha image, either that or a refracted memory of a photo/illustration from some softcore porn magazine I must have seen. As Angie herself would say "ambient porn star".

Quote of the Day

I read this profound little quotation online today and absolutely loved it so ... I pass it on to you.

"Books are carefully folded forests,
void of autumn, bound from the sun"

Saul Williams,
Said the shotgun to the head

I think this weekend I will make a trip to the local bookstore to check out this poet's work -- his book is supposed to be brilliant.

Easter Lily

I like the ethereal quality of this photo, created by overexposing the flower petals, it's as if Jesus himself could step out of the light (or do I have it confused with Groundhog Day?)

Happy Easter from the killer pink bunny

Friendship

After countless friendship emails with photos of cute puppy dogs, cuddly kittens and comedic cartoons and the subsequent endless requests to return the said heart-felt/deeply meaningful poem to its sender and then virtually every other computer owner on the planet, this is perhaps the best friendship email I have received. Thanx Daryn, you are truly a good friend and more importantly a twisted bitch. And for every other true friend that I have out there:
"Real friends don't forward friends friendship emails!"

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.

When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

When you are confused -- I will use little words.

When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

Now send this to 10 of your closest friends, then get depressed because you can only think of 3.

Useless Trivia

76% of the world's serial killers are American.

Outlooks Magazine - Focus

Here is the page from Outlooks Magazine's April 2006 issue which showcased my photography. To see the rest of the issue, including my shots from events in Edmonton (see Out & About in Edmonton - page 8) click on this or go to www.outlooksmagazine.ca

Happy Birthday Linda!

On March 31, forty-one years ago, my parents brought home my baby sister, Linda, in the back of their green Rambler. I remember clearly how fascinated I was by the quiet, wiggling, little bundle and how my mother explained that she was dreaming while sound to sleep. The tiny person that was placed in a beautiful pink basinette that day would later become one of my truest confidantes and best friends. What is wonderful is that I don't only love my sister, I really like her too. Happy Birthday kiddo, may this be one of the happiest years ever for you, and may the future hold many, many more.

(The three photos are what I am giving her as a birthday present, all in one vertical frame.)

Six Months

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
Proust

Useless Trivia

Barbie is sold in 150 countries around the world at a rate of 2 per minute. How's that for scary!

Good News from Seattle

The Seattle Erotic Arts Festival opened last night with my photograph "Wings of Desire" included in this year's exhibition. Last year I had two pieces in the show and both sold and this is year is no different. I got the following email this morning (which was a great way to wake up):

We sold Wings of Desire and would like to sell additional editions of the piece. With your permission, we'll put out a sign that says they are available. If they sell, we'll hook you up with the purchaser for shipping arrangements. The purchaser will pay for framed work (just like the work here). When the purchaser recieves the piece from you, we will pay you.

Sound ok?

Needless to say I told them to "Go for it!"

I Heart NY

Fireworks, Gay Pride 2005 -- 14 Street & 8 Avenue

OK watching CSI NY last night and all the arial skyline shots made me real homesick for NYC. It also didn't hurt that in the episode there was a scene of an art class sketching male nudes with a live model. That's my New York.

World Trade Towers, NYC 1994

Spring?!?

If yesterday was the first day of spring, why do I still see this:

$$$$$

I felt bad today. I received an email from Hebert, who I mentioned extensively in blog entries/postings when I was in Queretaro last November/December. He was John's sweet Mexican roommate, but when John relocated to San Miguel de Allende, Hebert moved to his sister's in D.F. (Mexico City). And now his dream of moving to America is about to come true. I guess he's making the jump to the US on April 1st and he doesn't have enough money. He asked me to loan him $500 but I honestly don't have any cash to spare. Having been away from NYC (and subsequently away from most of my work) I have just enough to get by -- and at some point buy my return plane ticket. I explained it all to him (in both spanish and english). I hope he understands. I know to these Mexican boys, visitors like myself from the North appear to have an endless supply of cash when we are in their country but as anyone who knows me well, I live very close to the bone. A good life but certainly not an extravagant one. It's times like this that I wish I was independently wealthy and could help out someone as deserving and as honorable as Hebert.

A Mad Hatter's Ball

The Mad Hatter's Ball (featuring members of Edmonton's Imperial Sovereign Court) -- an apropos metaphor for my weekend! 

Had a rather busy weekend working Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights at Buddy's doing Security (which will now be the shifts I regularly work at the bar until I head back to NYC) and then on Saturday I went and shot the Pride Centre's MAD HATTER'S BALL for Outlooks. I was also going to shoot two other events over the weekend but since we had major snow storms on both Friday and Saturday, the attendance at each of these was so pathetic there was virtually no one for me to photograph.

The highlights of the weekend have to go to the drunk people I encountered while working at the bar. Thursday, a guy, out of breath and grinding his teeth as if there was no tomorrow (hello can everyone say "cocaine"), came flying in the doors to announce to me that his car had just been jacked (stolen). At that point he found it quite amusing and proceeded to tell me that he met some other gay guy who was travelling with a woman out in the parking lot and since it was cold he invited them to get into his car to stay warm (he didn't say it but I could tell he was interested in the guy -- typical male letting his pants do the thinking). They then proceeded to do some drugs (why he was telling me -- Security -- this, I'll never know) and when the driver said he had to jump out to go pee, he thought it was ok to leave the car running with the keys in the ignition. Well ... needless to say, when he came back from around the building the car and his two new friends were gone. Still laughing about the unreality of it, I suggested that perhaps he call the police. This brought his mood crashing down. Then trying to be the eternal optimist he said "Well at least I have insurance" and then a second later, "Oh man, I don't know if I'm covered for theft, the insurance isn't in my name". Then to compound the matter, he realized he didn't even know his license plate number. But that wasn't the worst of it, his attitude took the ultimate dive when he realized that he was down to his last cigarette and the new pack he had just bought was in the console of his car. At this point, he finally did call the police. Over the course of the evening, I would be told this very same story about a dozen times more, sometimes not directly to me but I somehow always managed to be within earshot. As you can imagine, the police gave this guy a really hard time -- it was so completely obvious he was high -- he replied to the police officers "Judge on, judge on" but by the end of the night the cops had recovered his vehicle. Seems the gay guy's woman jumped into the driver's seat when the opportunity afforded itself and when the chick finally pulled over the guy called the cops because he didn't want anything to do with the theft. So the bad girl was charged and the oh-so-intelligent owner of the vehicle was later heard happily announcing that he and the car thief's gay friend were going on a date the next night. Isn't it lovely how things work out!

That was Thursday, Friday was St. Patrick's Day! So you can well imagine the completely drunk idiots I dealt with that night. And on top of being liquored, it was a betting crowd as well:
"I bet you get sick of some of these really stupid people."
"I bet you get tired of drunks."
"I bet you get hit on a lot."
and my personal fave, "I bet you've seen just about everything working here." to which I replied, "No, not really, you guys aren't all that interesting." (evil smirk) Do I sound jaded or what!
Also on Friday, some drunk asshole purposely tried to burn my face with a cigarette when I wouldn't let him back into the bar after kicking him out for passing out on the table. Needless to say he's now banned.

My weekend ended Sunday night, with a maximum of about 30 people that braved the elements to come see the Drag Show that night. Of those 20 some odd (and I don't use the term lightly) patrons, we had to cut off 8 of them from drinking because they were too far gone. That sort of tells you what kind of night it was.

I so much prefer being a photographer. Ha ha. But then again being a bouncer does provide me with a perspective of how very, very good my personal life really is compared to these people (and it does give me the occasional humorous anecdote).

If you're having a rough day ...

click here and type your name!

self portrait for Outlooks.

I took an old self-portrait shot in Chicago in 2003 and worked it over in Photoshop and got the following:




















As the general consensus on the photo in my last post was that it wasn't an ideal shot in that it wasn't as creative or as interesting as I am capable of, I'm hoping one of these new images will work.

My personal preference is the black and grey version. (I think)

A Good NEGATIVE

Happy to report that my test results came back and I continue to be HIV negative. It doesn't seem to matter how safe I stay/play, these yearly check ups always seem to rattle my cage. I guess that's bound to always be the case.

in Focus

Roy Heale, the publisher/editor of Outlooks Magazine, asked me today if I would be the featured artist for the Focus section of the next issue. So watch for the April issue (it is distributed nationally in Canada) which will feature a full page of my photography (approximately 8 to 12 shots). Now my dilemma is whether or not to include a photo of myself with my biography which will also appear on the page. Below is the shot I was considering. Is it too candid? Not creative enough considering that I am photographer? Any feedback?

Test shoot with Dominic

After having a great lunch with one of my dearest and best friends, Debra Bachman-Smith (an incredibly talented graphic designer and artist), I went to meet a potential model who I had just recently met working at Buddy's. His name is Dominic Green, he's a hot young guy, good physique (he was waitering with no shirt on) with some nice ink and I definitely want to do a shoot with him. He drove to a park along Whitemud Drive to show me where he had done a previous photo shoot. The location is absolutely perfect (although it was a little too cold today to do nudes)-- very scenic and relatively isolated so as not to be bothered other than the ocassional cross-country skier. I'm looking forward to working with Dom - apart from being a handsome guy, he's very personable too. Here's a couple test shots from the afternoon.

What's On TV

Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada


I've had a lazy few days, what with the snow and all, and have been putting in my time in front of the "boob tube." But who said TV is useless, here's some of what I learned over the past couple days:

rapture is a term used by religious believers that when a person is so good God takes them (to heaven) before they die;

Paul & Linda McCartney only spent 11 days apart in their entire relationship;

Al Lewis (Grandpa from the Munsters) died February 3rd in NYC at the age of 95 or 72;

Darren McGavin star of Kolchak, The Nightstalker - one of my favorite TV series when I was a teenager, who also appeared in the sleeper hit, A Christmas Story, died this past Saturday, Feb. 25;

one of my new favorite TV series, The Comeback has been cancelled;

William Shatner (Captain Kirk from Star Trek) and Pamela Anderson (Baywatch and upcoming host of the 2006 Juno Awards) were born Canadians;

another Canadian, the mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan, is a quadriplegic and made our country look like a very progressive nation when he accepted the Olympic Flag for the 2010 games;

Judy Garland attempted suicide more than 30 times;

and you cannot get a cold by catching "cold" or a chill, you must come in contact with a person who has the virus -- usually the most infective in the first few days.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Although I'm not really a TV junkie, (give me a movie any day -- especially a foreign/art/independent film) over the years here's what I've liked to watch:

Six Feet Under - concluded but probably one of the best series ever

Deadwood - would have never believed anyone that would have said I'd watch a western series

Carnivale - cancelled after 2 seasons but was a unique spin on the supernatural

Dead Like Me - cancelled after 2 seasons but was incredible black comedy (first season was far superior)

The Comeback - cancelled after 1 season but Lisa Kudrow like you've never seen her

Friends - concluded (favorite episode was Season 7, The One With Joey's New Brain)

Fat Actress - Kirstie Alley is hilarious ... and fat

Sex and the City - classic NYC regardless of your gender

Sopranos - Mafia reality TV

CSI, Law & Order (doon doon), Third Watch - totally hooked on these late night reruns

ER - great work from head writer/producer John Wells

Prison Break - good for network TV but can't touch OZ

Oz - the original prison series

Threshold - cancelled after 9 episodes

Monty Python's Flying Circus - one of the funniest sketch comedy series ever

Moonlighting - acerbic, clever and witty comedy TV series with Cybil Sheppard and Bruce Willis

Night Gallery - creepy, definitely gave me some sleepless nights as a youngster

American Bandstand - loved it during the whole disco era (that's where I first heard Sister Sledge's We Are Family)

Kolchak, The Night Stalker

Flipper - and ocean version of "animals are our friends TV" like

Gentle Ben or Skippy The Bush Kangaroo

I Love Lucy - the original sitcom

Roller Derby - Stampede Wrestling on wheels (Anyone else remember Skinny Minnie Miller?)

The Wonderful World of Disney - a Sunday night staple when I was a kid, great animation and all those movies of lovable critters (that in real life would bite your head off)

David Letterman - only the early years when he was twisted and funny, then he became a prick

never really a fan of soap operas (exception was Dynasty), reality TV (sure I've watched a few episodes of Survivor, Amazing Race, Manhunt, Top Model, Project Runway or American Idol, but I lose interest quickly) or game shows (exceptions; Match Game and The Gong Show)

Shows that I absolutely hate: Airline (I'll never fly Southwest), Love Boat, Little House on the Prairie, Jerry Springer (who took schlock talk TV to a whole new level), Geraldo (even though I was on one episode), and the sophomoric do-gooder Montel.

February 28th

Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.
William Wordsworth,
ODE: INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY FROM RECOLLECTIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
1803-6

Today marks the First Communion of my youngest nephew and namesake, Jackson -- YES, I was in an actual Catholic Church and NO, the roof didn't fall on me nor was I struck by a lightning bolt. The day also happily marks five months that Dustin and I have been together.

Jackson and the priest

Let No One Sleep

Listening to Luciano Pavarotti sing Nessun Dorma at the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics not only brought me to tears but, made me desperately want to see this 70 year-old tenor live as he will now begin his farewell tour.

I also realized today how hopelessly in love I am with Dustin, each day just seems to bring on a new depth and intensity. I am so happy it actually hurts. As I said to him, I wish there was something I could say or do to show him how much I love him. Words fall short.

On the Move

After a week of moving: first Dustin into his new place on Wednesday; then his roommate, Pheonix, on Friday; and if that wasn't enough Dustin and I helped my pal, Ian, move his stuff from Edmonton to Calgary at 9am Saturday. We arrived in Calgary that afternoon at PJ (who I've photographed several times see portrait below) & his partner, Pete's, house and helped unload Ian into their basement suite. Then one of my best friends in the whole world, Jenny, came and picked us up. I finally got to see her new home, which was so nice and girl had the place hooked up with all new everything. That night Dustin and I headed out to one of the clubs, Twisted Element, but we never went in. After standing in line waiting for about half an hour, just as we got to the front of the line, Ian and his pal, Richie, were on their way out and said they were heading to Boystown. We were more than happy to join them since the place looked very young and very twink especially the screeching, squealing queens that were in line behind us. Had a fun Saturday night (our predesignated date night) with Dustin. Actually, I had a wonderful weekend with Dustin -- he was beyond affectionate and sweet. And Dustin said I could say that "the sex was great" but no details. Ha ha ha.

Second Photo Shoot with Rob

In the Shadows

Useless Trivia

Dextrocardia (heart on the right side) occurs in .01% of the population (1 in 10,000).

I know where my heart is (and he's one in a million!)