Han's Interview with Me

Good morning! Well it’s 6AM on Monday and I’m just about ready to head back to work, but Han’s interview with me last week was finally published late last night and I wanted to share it here. I think it came out pretty good, and I was surprised that he pretty much left in what I said verbatim during our conversation. I think it makes for a more personal feel in the interview. As I’ve said before, this is one of Han’s specialties and I’m grateful that he chose me for this one. Check it out:

Meet Y!CN Contributor John Myers

I’ll be back later with more. Stay tuned…

Oh, and have a nice day!

Song of the Day - Sky - Sonique

Today's "Song of the Day" has no video unfortunately, but it's special enough to be given the nod. The song is by singer/DJ Sonique off of her 2000 CD, "Hear My Cry." The song is a gospel/dance fusion and its message very inspirational! Great song! Enjoy!

"Ooh, ooh, I wanna touch the sky, I wanna fly so high."

February 27, 2011 - Sigh

Well, it’s Sunday, the last day of vacation and as usual I’m scrambling to get things done. I went to Splash last night and got home very late, but tried to get up early so I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I woke up around 9:30 with about 4 hour’s sleep, so I think I’ll be alright. Here are some thoughts from my brain this day:

Writing

One of my biggest regrets from the past week has been not writing enough. After scoring some big numbers in hits to my work from January to the middle of this month, I needed to get stuff out there to keep the roll going, but I didn’t. Up until Valentine’s Day, I had been getting between 1500 and 2500 hits per day, and now it’s dropped to somewhere between 300 and 500.

My plan for the day is to get at least a couple of things out there. I’ve just published a piece, the second in my series Keys to Life. This one’s called Aging Gracefully and even though I don’t really follow what I say in the piece, I hope that writing it will help me to focus more on it. Next I need to get a music piece out there. I have to write three prepaid music articles per month, and so far I’ve done only two. I’m contemplating doing a couple of articles on Diana Ross. Though the buzz around her is surely lessened since Friday’s appearance on Oprah, I know she’s got plenty of fans out there and I’m one who has a lot to say on the subject. We’ll see…

I’m also working on a book that I hope will do well and maybe even get published. It’s a collection of stuff my students have written over the years. I’ve done several pieces on YCN called “Out of the Mouths of Babes” and they are collections of various answers to journal questions I’ve posited to them as well as pieces from our yearly ESL magazine. There’s lots of good stuff there, and I’ll share more in the future, but if you want to get a taste of what it will be like, check out Out of the Mouths of Babes, Part 8.

Splash



I went to Splash last night and had another great time. It turns out that those three Asian dudes I spoke about several weeks ago are Saturday regulars and I’ve been actually having a lot of fun with them on the dance floor. I ended up meeting another guy last night by the name of Adam. He wasn’t as nice as the Colby-looking guy from the other night and my experience with him was much different.

I met Adam a little later on in the evening. The music upstairs had gotten a little too clubbish for me and so I went downstairs to see what was going on there. They were playing “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas and of course hopped on the floor to get my groove on. Within a few minutes, Adam and his friend sidled up next to me and started dancing with me, which was okay because it happens all the time. He was cute enough, but he had dragon breath! Turnoff #1! Whew, I could smell that stuff from across the room, but me being the type of guy that I am stayed with him for at least an hour on the dance floor and I didn’t say a word.

Next came turnoff #2…I was wearing a t-shirt that read “NYC 1973” on the front, and at one point Adam chose to ask me if I was around in 1973. When I told him I was, he quickly replied with a “well I wasn’t.” He never asked my age, but he told me that he was 27. It’s funny because I think I looked better than he did!

During this time, as seems to happen during the late night hours at Splash, things seemed to get a little seedy. People have already been drinking a few hours and they’ve got one thing on their mind. There was another guy, who looked very young, maybe 21, dancing nearby. I had noticed him watching me earlier when I was dancing and suddenly he was dancing right near Adam and I. That’s when things got a little ugly. The kid saddled up in front of me and started dancing up close. I had my back towards Adam at that moment and the kid and I were face to face. He made no bones about being interested in me.

As we danced to Lady GaGa, the kid was getting up close and personal, eventually reaching out and grabbing my crotch. I just turned around to face Adam, but the kid was persistent. When he reached for the top button of my jeans, that was when Adam jumped in, pushing the kid’s hand away. Luckily he got the hint and we left the dance floor without further incident.

That was when turnoff #3 hit me. I asked Adam where he lived and he told me Connecticut. He had taken the train to the club from New Haven and was stuck in the city til 5AM. When I told him I was from Long Island, he thought I said Rhode Island and I think he was expecting maybe a ride home. I mean really, who the heck would go to Splash for the evening all the way from Rhode Island?

Anyway, that was when I decided to make my exit. He walked me over to the coat check and while we waited on line I asked him if he was on Facebook. He told me that he wasn’t, but he said he wanted me to text him. I took out my phone and he gave me his number, and afterwards I mindlessly put the phone back in my pocket. He got my unintentional hint when he expressed disappointment that I didn’t text him right then and there, but I couldn’t have anyway because there’s no reception in the basement of the club.

I smiled to myself when I realized this good fortune. I had no intention of keeping in touch with Adam anyway, and I haven’t texted him since last night, nor will I. It’s funny, but throughout the time I spent with Adam I couldn’t help but miss my Sunday. I know that yesterday I mentioned anger, and it is still there, but my feelings are always running the gamut these days.

Missing You

I miss him. I’m missing him a lot today. Meeting new people makes you realize that good ones are hard to find and he was one of the good ones. This whole thing is so frustrating to me, that there’s nothing I can do about having lost him. I wonder sometimes if he still thinks of me the way he did the last time we were separated. I like to think so, but then I think of where the anger part comes in.

I know in his mind he’s keeping away because he knows it’s for my own good. After all, he’s still getting over a loss with his ex and he’s done the same with him in order to help himself. (Hopeless for me anyway, right?) Besides, he doesn’t need to be bothered with troubles over me on top of that, either. I know that it was I who first said that I needed to stay away from him because I needed the space to get over him, but what can I say? He was good for me and I will forever regret losing him from my life.

I feel angry from the callousness with which he ended contact with me. I made mistakes that last week, but if he knows me like he should, he should have known that I meant no harm by any of it. I don’t have a mean bone in my body, especially concerning someone I care for. Yet he chose not to answer my last two messages, which stings like a needle that I can’t remove. It’s changed what I now think of him, which I don’t like.

I’m happy that I’m going back to work tomorrow, to be distracted by life once again. It’s been an up and down week, in a lot of different ways, and even though I have to wake up at the crack of dawn starting tomorrow, it’ll be good for me to have my mind occupied with work. I know I'll be alright eventually and that I will continue to have these moments. It makes me sad that they'll probably be less and less with time, but eventually I'll totally be "getting myself together."

Hopefully next week I’ll be going to the club with a new friend, a young lady who was a good friend of my good friend Jorge. Jorge has moved to his native country of Chile and he left me with a new Facebook buddy, Mildred. She’s come out with Jorge a few times, so I’ve met her and liked her. We’ve been planning to hang out and she loves to dance, so it’ll be nice for a change to not go to Splash alone.

Happy, Happy Birthday Jake

Tonight I’m going to my brother’s to celebrate the birthday of my nephew Jake. Tomorrow’s the actual day, but since it’s the weekend we’re celebrating tonight. So from me to you, little buddy, Happy Birthday!


That's Jake in the middle!

Pretty Please (Love Me)

Finally, here's a song link to another one by Estelle. It's a duet between her and Cee Lo from Gnarls Barkley and it's really an awesome song, lots of fun and very remniscent of Motown. It's really too bad it wasn't released as a single because I think it would have done well. And of course that's also why the link is only an audio... Please listen and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

Song of the Day - One Love - David Guetta feat. Estelle

Today's "Song of the Day" is another one from David Guetta. This one's the title track to his most recent album and it features the wonderful Estelle on vocals. It's a great dance track and I hope you'll enjoy "One Love":

February 26, 2011 - The latest from my so-called life

Happy Saturday morning! Well, we’ve dried out a bit from yesterday’s rain and it looks like it’s going to be a nice day out today. As usual, I’ve saved all of my school work for the weekend before heading back to work, so it looks like I’ll be a busy boy for the next 48 hours or so. Here’s some of what’s been going on in my so called life:

I’m a One Car Man

Well, it finally happened! After of almost a full 4 months of owning two cars, I finally sold my Nissan Sentra yesterday. Though I didn’t get nearly what I originally wanted for it, at least I’m now able to save money on having to insure two cars instead of one. Big smiles!


My Nissan

YCN and Examiner

I haven’t done nearly as much writing this week as I would have liked. I penned one piece on YCN called Keys to Life – Key #1 – Live in the Present. It’s the first in a series revisiting, one at a time, an earlier piece I wrote called simply Keys to Life. It’s pretty good, I think. Check it out by clicking the link.



I also penned a piece on Examiner called Weekend Events in Long Island’s Wine Country. I work on the North Fork of Long Island, which is home to more than 30 world-class wineries. It’s always a lot of fun to visit them, as there are special events going on all the time and wine tasting can always be great fun. Here’s an earlier piece on Long Island’s Wine Country if you’re ever interested in visiting.

A Better Place

Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity for me from morning til night. I started off with several appointments for people to take a look at my car and once I found a buyer, it was off to the bank and the DMV to get it all done. Once I got home I thought I’d relax and take a nap so I’d be raring to go out last night, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

As soon as I got home from the DMV I saw that I had a message on my answering machine. It was from Joe. I had forgotten that he had mentioned he might stop by on Friday and that was precisely why he called. Luckily it had only been about twenty minutes since he had called, so when I called him back he was still in my area.

For the first time in a long, long time he and I had a great visit. It was the kind of visit I had always envisioned with him: a nice, normal visit between genuine friends. I know that being friends with Joe has always been a precarious thing, and things have gotten more complicated since he’s been in a relationship (He actually turned me down for the MJB concert back in October because he didn’t want to upset Brett (not his real name!), his other half. Brett was okay with him going, he said, but he still felt a little weird about it, and I totally understand.).

We discussed Brett, among many other things, and I told Joe that I would love to meet him. After all, from everything I’ve heard about him, he seems like a really great person. Joe tells me he told Brett about my visit the other day and he told Joe that he understood…after 20 years together, how could he and I not still have some sort of a connection? I couldn’t agree more and I’m truly happy that Joe’s found happiness with him.

I told him about my relationship woes and like a true friend, he listened and offered encouragement. We spoke about music, one of our favorite common interests. I gave him a whole bunch of CD’s he’d been missing, as I’ve moved on to digital music only these days. I also gave him a whole mess of his old memorabilia, cards and such that I had had here in shoeboxes. He had asked me about them a long time ago and I spent one night going through them all. Talk about emotion! That was a rough one, reading some of the many cards he used to give me when we were first going together. That was a long time ago!

All in all, I am happy with the state of our relationship. I did spend 20 years of my life with him and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. Though I’m happy that we’ve both moved on, I’m also happy that we can remain in one another’s lives in some capacity, and I genuinely hope to meet Brett one day. I think we’ll get along splendidly.

The Rest of the Evening

Even though once Joe had gone I had still planned on going out, my phone kept ringing and that would eventually tucker me out. I spoke with my mom and Rebecca, my student teacher from the fall who wanted some advice on a job she’s been offered, and my old student Max. Max was one of my very first students. He’s a Russian national who moved here from Kazakhstan (Yes, where Borat was from!).

Max and I have had a very special relationship over the years and in the past year or so we’ve stayed in contact. His parents moved from the town where I teach and whenever he’s out here he looks me up mostly because he doesn’t know too many people where they’re living now. Though it can be a bit much at times, it feels nice to have someone who still looks up to me and actually thinks I’m cool enough to hang out with.

Max came by for a little while and though he didn’t stay long, I was tired when he left. I decided to save some money and stay home. I never had the chance to take a nap like I had wanted to, so I went to sleep early for a Friday night, but I guess I needed it. I saw on Facebook that the singer Charo was at Splash last night giving a performance, which would have been cool to see. Oh well, that would’ve been cool, but…

Getting Better

As for my state of mind, I’m following my own advice and taking it one day at a time…living in the present. Selling my car yesterday was a big boost, and so were my visits with Joe and Max and the phone calls, as well. My life isn’t so bad, after all! I’ve got to learn more to appreciate what I have and not muddle in what I don’t. Of course, he lingers on in my mind, but I think I’ve become more accepting of the situation.

I think like before, anger has replaced sadness and I’m feeling like maybe I wasn’t so crazy through this after all. I’m mature and intelligent, and my perceptions and feelings were valid enough that they deserved more consideration than they got. For a little while, I was still hoping for some sort of reconciliation, but I see now that that’s improbable. I feel like I’ve been completely erased and that’s probably better for me in the long run. As always, I have to keep on keeping on…

As always, thanks for listening…

Song of the Day - Missing You by Diana Ross

Yesterday, Diana Ross made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. It was the first time in a long time that she's been in public and of course I had to DVR it. Diana Ross was my first "diva" and she was there through those crucial times in my life when I was discovering who I was.

Back in 1980, I bought her "diana" album, which contained the then current hits "Upside Down" and "I'm Coming Out." I remember spending hours upon hours listening to it in my room. I credit the album for making me dance for the first time in my life, an activity that you all know is one of my favorite things to do to this day.

Throughout the years, thee have been many fond memories associated with Diana's music. One of my first loves, Kevin, was a huge Diana Ross fan and we shared many hours together listening to even her most obscure stuff. When I first met Joe, he and I had already had tickets to see Diana at Jones Beach a couple of weeks later, and though we didn't go together, we did get to see each other at the concert. Of course, over the years we'd see her a few times, once even with Kevin!

Alas, in recent years Ms. Ross has faded from public view and even to me she's faded into the past. Every once in awhile though, like now, she makes an appearance and I find myself once again reliving memories through her music. Since she's made such an impact on my life I'd like to pay homage to her with a "Song of the Day" nod.

Though her vast catalog of music spans five decades now, much of her greatest stuff was created before the video age and so there aren't many songs to choose from. Yes there are videos of live performances, but having been a Diana Ross fan since the late 70's, I've seen her many times and I've always been disappointed in many of those performnces because she often changes the melodies around somewhat. As I searched through the "Diana Ross" playlist in my iTunes library, I came across one of my favorites: "Missing You."

The song was recorded in 1984 for Diana's "Swept Away" album and was written by Lionel Ritchie in tribute to the recently slain Marvin Gaye. Diana and Marvin were close friends, having both started out with Motown during the 60's. They recorded a lot of music together, including one of my favorites, "You Are Everything." This one reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Charts in early 1985 and is beautifully written and performed. Though the song was written or a specific purpose, I believe most anyone who's ever lost someone in their lives can relate to it. So, enjoy the beautiful and tender "Missing You," by my 1st Diva, Ms. Diana Ross:



Missing You

Since you've been away
I've been down and lonely
Since you've been away
I've been thinking of you
Trying to understand
The reason you left me
What were you going through?

I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns

As I look around
I see things that remind me
Just to see you smile
Made my heart fill with joy
I'll still recall
All those dreams we shared together
Where did you run to, boy?

I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns

Sometimes I've wondered
I didn't understand
Just where you were trying to go
Only you knew the plan
And I tried to be there
But you wouldn't let me in

But now you've gone away boy
I feel so broken hearted
I knew the day we started
That we were meant to be
If only you'd let me!
I've cried so many tears
Gotta face now all my fears
We let time slip away
I need you boy
Here today!

There was so much you gave me
To my heart
To my soul
There was so much of your dreams
That were never told
You had so much hope
For a brighter day
Why were you my flower
Plucked away

I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns

February 25, 2011 - getting out; Splash; a crisis alleviated?

Good morning! Today is Friday and the last official day off from work. I have to say up front that even though it wasn’t a great week, it was much better than Christmas break. I’m trying to make the best use of my last day to get some stuff done, like selling my car. I’ve got a couple of people coming to look at it and it would absolutely make my day if I could finally be rid of it and all the extra expense it’s cost me. Keep your fingers crossed.

Last night I had dinner with a good friend of mine. Although I’ve pretty much kept to myself lately, I knew I needed to get out there and have some kind of interaction with somebody and the experience helped! Thanks Nancy Lou!

Dancing Machine!

Well, last night marked the 4th time I’ve gone out since vacation started and I have to say that I’ve been having lots of fun, although the drive into the city is starting to wear on me a bit. It never ceases to amaze me how packed Splash gets any night of the week. I guess I’m lucky that I work because I’d be one tired person if I didn’t.

I actually met someone last night. As usual, it started on the dance floor. I was dancing around as I always do and suddenly I’m face to face with this dude who was absolutely gorgeous. He kind of reminded me of Colby from Survivor. We danced for a couple of hours and had a great time together, and we almost left the bar together…almost! Two more nights and I’m done for a week, at least!



Colby - Survivor

Crisis Alleviated?

I got a very unusual message in my inbox at YCN this morning. It was from a fellow writer who I’ve known for a very long time. I’m not going to share her name here for privacy’s sake, but she had a terrible tragedy strike last night and she was at a loss and reached out to me. Late last night, her younger sister died from a drug overdose. It was the third of her four siblings to die an early death and apparently it was not pretty. She’d been up all night and had nowhere to turn so she sent me the message.

I didn’t know how to answer her. After a lot of thinking, I finally responded and gave her my number if she needed to talk. We’d never met before in person, so the whole thing was a little strange. Sure enough, within twenty minutes or so my phone rang. The conversation was a little weird because we spoke as if we’d spoken before…not like I ever envisioned a first conversation with a fellow writing buddy, but under the circumstances I guess it was alright. I only hope I helped!

There’ll be more to come later, I’m sure! Once again, thanks for reading!

Song of the Day - Madonna's "Rain"

Well it's a rainy Friday here on Long Island and I figured I'd find a song with "rain" in the title for today's "Song of the Day." Believe it or not, there were many songs to choose from, like Terence Trent Darby's "Rain" (a good one!), Milli Vanilli's "Blame it on the Rain", Oran Juice Jone's "The Rain", Blind Melon's "No Rain" and many, many more. Of course, the best "rain" song to me is the one by Madonna. It was the 5th single off her great "Erotica" CD. The song is beautiful and the video is visually stunning. So enjoy today's "Song of the Day", "Rain":

Song of the Day - Who's That Chick? - David Guetta f/Rihanna

Today's "Song of the Day" is a collaboration between hot producer David Guetta and Rihanna. Guetta's 2010 album "One Love" was full of great dance/club collaborations with a wide array of guest singers, including Kelly Rowland, Fergie and will.i.am, Akon, Estelle and more, and this one's as infectuous and catchy as those. Enjoy "Who's that Chick?"





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Seeking Solace in Gnarls

Well the roller coaster just keeps going downhill! Without getting into too much, the tax man had some pretty grim news for me today and I think I’ve completely lost it. The news came as a shock and now I have a lot of lot of thinking to do…

This works out just great with all of the other things that have been going on in my life lately and I find myself in the lowest of places. Once again I've turned to music to seek comfort in my desolation through the words of others.

At the moment I’m listening to Gnarls Barkley, a group whose music I’ve been a fan of for a long time. When I first discovered them, after their song “Crazy” became so popular, I found the lyrical content of the majority of their stuff dark and attractive. Many of these songs spoke to me in one way or another, and they telll me that I'm not always alone in the way I'm feeling.

Though afterwards I learned to like their more up tempo stuff just as much, the darker songs are ones which I can identify with during times like these. Here’s some of what I’m talking about:

Crazy

I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?

This song has always been a work of pure genius to me. I think we all think we're a little crazy sometimes and as long as we accept that, we're ok!



Just a Thought

Here’s one that got me the first time I ever heard it. The song’s called “Just a Thought”, and it’s about something I think we all go through in our minds when things aren't looking so good. Read on and take a listen below:

All I want is your understanding
As in the small act of affection
"Why is this my life?"
Is almost everybody's question

And I've tried
Everything but suicide
But it's crossed my mind

I prefer peace
Wouldn't have to have one worldly possession
But essentially I'm an animal
So just what do I do with all the aggression?

Well I've tried
Everything but suicide
But it's crossed my mind

Life is a one-way street, and if you could paint it
I'd draw myself going in the right direction
So I go all the way - like I really really know -
But the truth is I'm only guessin'

Well I've tried
Everything but suicide
But it's crossed my mind

It's even dark in the daytime
It's not just good - it's +Great Depression+
When I was lost I even found myself
Looking in the gun's direction

Well I've tried
Everything but suicide
But it's crossed my mind



This is some powerful and dark stuff, huh? I couldn’t help but hear it in my head as I left the tax man’s office today, as this newest bad news hit me like a ton of bricks. “What else can happen to me?” I think to myself, and yes, the chorus runs through my head over and over. But like they say in the song, it’s “just a thought.”

Who’s Gonna Save My Soul



Woof! I just saw this video for the first time and I couldn’t help but relate to it big time. Though the video pokes fun at breakups, the song itself is soulful, deep, and very sad. I think it just may make it to my “Favorite Slow Songs” list, although I'd better not listen to it too often if you know what I mean. Check out the lyrics and the video below:

I got some bad news this morning
Which in turn made my day
When this someone spoke I listened
All of a sudden, has less and less to say
Ohhhhhh how could this be?
All this time, I've lived vicariously
Who's gonna save my soul now?
Who's gonna save my soul now?
How will my story ever be told now?
How will my story be told now?

Made me feel like somebody
Hmmm, like somebody else
Although he was imitated often
It felt like I was bein myself
Is it a shame that someone else's song
Was totally and completely dependent on
Who's gonna save my soul now?
Who's gonna save my soul now?
I wonder if I'll live to grow old now
Gettin high cause I feel so low down

And maybe it's a little selfish
All I have is the memory
Yet I never stopped to wonder-ahhhhh
Was it possible you were hurtin worse than me
Still my hunger turns to greeeeed
Cause what about what I neeeeeed?!
And OHHHH~! Who's gonna save my soul now?
Who's gonna save my soul now?
Ohhhh I know I'm out of control now
Oooh-oooh, tired enough to lay my own soul down


Gnarls Barkley - "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"
Uploaded by DowntownMusic. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

These are just a few of the Gnarls Barkley songs that have spoken to me in times of sorrow and worry. There are others, but for me these three songs tell the story of my life in the present, and so these are all I’ll share for now. If you don’t know the music of Gnarls Barkley, then you’re really missing out on something. Though they’ve never been too mainstream, other than the smash “Crazy”, I think their music is relevant, poignant, and somehow strangely comforting.

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February 23, 2011 - The "D" Word?

Good morning all. Well, today is tax day, the moment of truth. As always, my refund is going to get another hit this year because I actually made enough money from my writing to get a 1099 in the mail and another 1099 was sent to me by the flower shop because for some reason they decided to pay me as an independent contractor again. Ugh, and the money from this year’s refund is going to go to my summer fund. Fingers crossed anyway!

Life’s Roller Coaster



Anyone who knows me know how much I love roller coasters, but this roller coaster of life is a whole other story. It seems I can never have two good days in a row lately, and I’ve got to figure out something that will break me from all of this. I know that time helps, but I’m starting to realize that it’s not just him that’s causing me grief, and all the time in the world isn’t going to help with that.

I know I probably brought this all on myself, but maybe I needed a reminder that there are a lot of things I still need to work on before I can really get a move on with my life. After my dentist appointment yesterday, I did a little shopping near the Smithaven Mall and afterwards I found myself going to visit Joe at his job. I hadn’t spoken to him since Christmas Eve and I haven’t seen him since August. I don’t know, I just felt a need to see him.

Our visit was short and pleasant, as it usually is with him. I saw a couple of his friends who I’d known when we were together and had a chance to catch up with them a bit before Joe walked in. He’d been on a house call when I got there, but he showed up in no time, really. I don’t know, I think he was happy to see me. My first trepidation at making the visit was his reaction to my appearance.

Like my friends Grazyna and Rich before, Joe seemed shocked that I had lost so much weight. “You need to go eat a cheeseburger,” he kept telling me.

“I’m 170 pounds. That’s just right for me.”

“Where are you 170 pounds? I can see it in your face,” he answered disapprovingly.
I asked him if I looked sick and he told me no, but I can’t help but wonder about that. I mean, I don’t feel sick, but like my mom I often worry about things like that. Deep down I know it’s my eating habits, and I’ve been trying to eat more lately, but I’m still afraid to gain weight.

We spoke of our lives and how they were going. Throughout the conversation I kept thinking to myself how happy he seems with his life. I feel like I’m still in some sort of purgatory. No matter what I do, I still can’t seem to get things right with my life and I don’t know how to fix it.

I thought about him most of the day afterwards. I thought about all of the memories we shared, the happy times together. I kept asking myself “what happened?” and the sadness at our ending came back to me. I know that when we broke up it was how it had to be, though, because just like with Sunday, I know it takes two to make a relationship and if one is not right with it there’s nothing else that can be done about it.

On my way home from the club last night I listened to my “Favorite Slow Songs” folder on my iPod. Though I knew it would only make me sadder, I couldn’t help it. Aside from being slow and sometimes sad, they’re all great songs that I love to sing along to. There was MJB’s “Each Tear”, Pink’s “Glitter in the Air”, some gut-wrenching Adele, and some more Mary. By the time the list reached around the 10th song I lost it. The song was Sade’s “By Your Side.” It had been Joe’s and my song and for the first time ever it made me cry.

I cried not for Joe or for Sunday, but for me. I don’t know, but right now I can’t help but relate the two relationships and I’m just feeling sorry for myself. With Joe, I had it all, everything one could ask for in a life partner, but I wasn’t satisfied with the downside of our relationship. With him, I believed I just may have found the next love of my life, but ultimately fate dealt its hand against my favor once again.

So where to go from here? That’s a good question, one which I don’t have an easy answer to. I’m feeling much better today, but I know it won’t last too long. I just have to make a conscious effort to hang on to it as long as I can, and figure out a way to make it all better. We’ll have to see!



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Song of the Day - "Dynamite" Taio Cruz

Today's "Song of the Day" is one of my favorite songs from last year. Everything about it is fun and it's pure joy to dance to! Enjoy!

"I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, singing 'ay yo, baby let's go'"



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February 22, 2010 - Scoring an Interview; Luca, Luca, Luca; My Latest on AC; Fellow YCN Writers on My Work

Luca!

Happy Tuesday! It looks like a nice day outside and since I have a dentist appointment later, I think I’ll finally be getting out there soon enough. I stayed in all day yesterday and did a lot of writing, which is a good thing, but I think I need to take a break from it today, at least for a little while.

You Never Know

Last night I was going through some old pieces I had written for AC and I came across one that I love. It’s called Keys to Life and it was my adaptation of a similar list written by Michael Thomas Ford in his book, “My Big Fat Queer Life.” I posted it to Facebook hoping to get some fresh interest in the piece and within a few minutes I got a comment from a friend of my sisters. She said that she read the piece and loved it, which came as quite a surprise. I never realized that she read the things I wrote and posted.

A little over a month ago, fellow writer Michele Starkey made several comments on a couple of pieces I had written about my estrangement from him. She was probably the one person who had been rooting for a reunion the whole time and she mentioned often that “you never know who’s reading you.” She was right, for he had been reading my pieces and even made a couple of anonymous comments on them. Though the final result has been a complete disaster, those pieces did lead to a brief reconciliation. I don’t think he follows me anymore.

The comment last night reminded me that Michele was right in what she said. You never know who is reading what you write. After all, I sit here alone in my office, typing away and speaking to no one in particular with my words, yet I seem to forget that there are plenty of people following me through this blog and on YCN. I put out a thank you on FB after I got the complement from her, and I’m saying it here again, too! Thank you!

Yesterday’s Articles

Yesterday I started off with my piece on foreign language songs, which is under review at the moment. Once it’s published I’ll share the link. I also did a humorous piece that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time on spam emails. It’s called Spam a Lot? and so far it’s gotten good reactions from readers. Finally I did my weekly Pop Music News, with coverage of the Brit Awards, new songs by Lady GaGa, Adele’s record breaking week and the new Radiohead album. Though I think the items I include in this series are all good, they’re not getting the hits I think they should. Is it the title? I wonder…

Luca, Luca, Luca

In the spirit of my foreign language song article, I’m posting a video here that I absolutely love. Though this foreign language song never hit here in the US, it’s one of my favorites. It’s by dreamy Italian singer Luca Dirisio, and I saw it on MTV Europe when I was in Italy a few years back. Aside from being mesmerized by the singer’s looks, I found the song to be catchy and fun, even though I have no idea what he’s saying. The song is called “Calma e Sangue Freddo”, and loosely translated it means “calm and cool blood” (?). I found this translation in a forum somewhere in case you were interested in the lyrics. Anyway, check it out:


Isn't he beautiful?

An Interview with Han

Yesterday afternoon I was posting comments on some articles by fellow readers and I came across an interview by long time friend and fellow writer Han Van Meegerin. Han is a prolific writer who’s well known for his interviews. The subject of this particular interview was none other than one of my favorite YCN writers, Nancy Canfield. Nancy is one of the funniest writers I’ve ever read, almost always giving me big belly laughs with her words, something that’s hard to do! I enjoyed the interview and commented on it.

About an hour or so later, I got an email from Han thanking me for the comment and asking if I’d like to be the subject of his next interview. I’ve been interviewed before, but like I said Han is well known for his interviews and so I immediately responded with a yes. We agreed to do it live via instant messenger, which was a first for me. The thought of it made me a little nervous because I’d have to be quick with my answers and write them well.

As agreed, we ‘met’ online around 10PM and did the interview, which went splendidly. As I expected, this one was different than the others and most all of the questions were thought provoking. The piece should be out later on today, so stay tuned…

Speaking of …

As always, I am humbled whenever I’m recognized by my peers for what I do on YCN. Here are some links to past interviews and pieces on me that I’m very proud of:

May 6, 2009 – Who in the World is John Myers?, by Sabah Karimi

Sabah is one of YCN’s most successful writers and she used to run a blog called the “AC Weekly.” She was one of the first people to approach me about my work and she published a piece on me for the site. Thanks Sabah!

July 8, 2009 – An Interview with John Myers: A Must Read, by Ana Maria Alvarez

This was the first time I’d been interviewed by another writer. Ana had been a fan of my work and especially loved my pieces on homosexuality, my Aunt Vi, and my dad’s death. She’d started off with a marriage proposal, which I had to turn down, and the rest was just as fun. Ana has since stopped writing for YCN, but I still keep in contact with her through Facebook. She’s got quite a talent for poetry, so if that’s your thing, be sure to check her out here, and the interview as well!

July 20, 2009 – Why John Myers Deserves the Best of AC Nomination, by Kayla Wardlow (now known as Marie Page)

Kayla is another foregone writer at AC/YCN who I still keep in contact with through Facebook. She penned this one without me knowing and made a great case for me winning a monthly award for the best in music writing. I lost the contest, but to me the article was enough of a reward! Check out Kayla’s page here.

October 26, 2009 – AC’s Sexiest Men of 2009, by Jennifer Wagner

Jenny is an absolute hoot! Way back in October of 2009, she published this piece that went absolutely viral on AC, garnering 114 comments. Being included on the list was fun, but reading the comments was even better!

January 29, 2010 – AC Writer’s Showcase: Lending a Helping Hand, by Abby Greenhill

Abby is one of those people whose inner light shines through in her writing. She is a widely beloved contributor at YCN who used to write regular pieces to help out her favorite writers. This one included me! Thanks Abby!

October 15, 2010 – John Myers Writes About Prejudice and Tolerance for Gays, by Pat Bartels

This was another one of those pleasant surprises I didn’t see coming. During my earlier days at Associated Content, I wrote extensively about my personal life as a gay man, and those pieces got me a lot of fans, including Pat. This one was a great affirmation of what I do and I owe Pat a debt of gratitude.

December 11, 2010 – The Most Intriguing Yahoo/AC Music Writer for 2010 is John Myers, by Charlotte Kuchinsky

This was the most recent recognition that I’ve gotten and I’ve blogged about it a couple of times.

Well, I think I’ve written enough for you to read by now. As always, I’m forever grateful for your readership. Until next time…

Song of the Day - Adele - Someone Like You

Today marks the long awaited release of Adele's "21", (I am downloading it as we speak!) and so I had to honor the occassion with a "Song of the Day" nod. Though I posted it on Facebook just yesterday, this newest single is so good it's worthy of posting a second straight day. "Someone Like You" is currently at the #1 spot on the UK Charts, propelled there by her performance at the Brit Awards last Tuesday.

In his introduction to the performance, the host of the show spelled out Adele's gift of song beautifully:

"There's nothing quite like the feeling when you're listening to a song written by someone you don't know, who you never met, who somehow manages to describe exactly how you felt at a particular moment in your life. This next artist is able to do that time after time...if you've ever had a broken heart you're about to remember it now..."

So without further adieu, take a look at Adele performing "Someone Like You" at the Brit Awards:



Someone Like You

I heard
That you're settled down
That you
Found a girl
And you're
Married now

I heard
That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Old friend
Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

You know how
The time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over, yeah.

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
And memories made.
Who would have known
How bittersweet
This would taste?

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me I beg
I remember you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

For really cool pictures...

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a National Geographic site called "Visions of Earth." It is a monthly slideshow of fantastic images done in typical National Geographic style. Since the site was so cool, I wanted to share it with you, so please check it out: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions-of-earth/visions-earth-2011

Just scroll through the various months to be treated to all kinds of wonderfull photos like the one below.

February 21, 2011

Today is Monday, the first official day off from work for the week. After a not so great day yesterday, I feel refreshed and ready to go today. I just finished and submitted a piece on foreign language songs that I think is pretty good. The song “No Speak Americano” inspired me to write it and I surprisingly found enough songs out there to make up a whole article. Stay tuned…

Happy Birthday to You

Where to begin??? The same question I asked yesterday, only this time I’m ready to answer. I got invited to my friend Vera’s house for birthday cake for her son Frankie on Saturday night. In my own dizziness, I set out to buy a card for him Saturday afternoon, but for some reason I had Vera on my mind. Her birthday was a week before his and I’d already bought her a card. So what did I do? Instead of buying a card for Frankie, I bought another one for Vera. Duh! At least one of them was generic enough to give to the little guy.



As sometimes happens with Vera, the plans got a little changed and I ended up going to her mom’s house instead. Now I’ve known Vera since I was in my early twenties and we’ve been through a lot together. I’ve spent a lot of time with her family back in the day and I feel as comfortable with them as I do with my own family, so I really didn’t mind swinging by there. Vera’s family reminds me a lot of my own. I don’t know if it’s an Italian American or a Bronx thing, but both of our families are a little on the wacky side.


Me and Vera's family

Without saying anything that might get me into trouble, it was a good time. I think I finally made some inroads with Frankie, who actually sat on my lap for the first time and even gave me a hug and a kiss goodbye. Happy birthday Frankie!



Splash, Redux

After the birthday cake, I headed out once again for the city. As before, it’s those days when I have no work that I’m left to nothing but the thoughts in my own head and I need to get out for some dance therapy. Since I’m on vacation, I plan on going out whenever I can, and since there’s no longer any places to go during the week here on Long Island, it’s Splash to the rescue.

Once again, I had a great time. For the second night in a row, the music was awesome and I danced my ass off, so much so that I had to take off my shirt (which I don’t normally like to do!) because it was soaking wet from the sweat. The dancing did its thing and kept my mind occupied throughout the very late night. I only wish I could have that all the time!

On a side note, I want to add that sometimes I just hate people from Long Island. Every once in awhile I will see people from the bars out here at Splash, and I did on Saturday. As is often the case, these idiots don’t seem to know who I am outside of their normal realm of the Bunk House and Fire Island. Two guys that I’ve seen and known for years walked right up beside me and pretended as if they didn’t know me. WTF?



Anyway, that’s all I have for now. It snowed overnight and so it’s a little easier for me to be cooped up inside and getting to work. Here’s a video for one of my favorite foreign language songs. It’s called “Dragonsta din Tei” and it’s sung in Romanian by a boy band called O-Zone. I have no idea what they’re singing about, but I think the song is great fun. Take a listen:

Song of the Day - Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black"

Today's "Song of the Day" is one of my favorite tracks off of Amy Winehouse's great album of the same name. The song is typical of Amy's style, very remniscent of the sixties, yet with a modern feel. The lyrics are gut-wrenching and work well to feed your sorrows after any breakup. Just check out the chorus:

We only said good-bye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her
And I go back to black

Woof! Awesome tune!

February 20, 2011 - A Whole Lotta Nothing!

Where to begin? My mind has been a maze of crazy thoughts today and I just can’t seem to get going. I’ve got writer’s block pretty bad as a result and that’s not a good thing, especially now that I’ve got all this time to catch up on my writing. I guess I’m feeling a little lonely today and I feel trapped in my house…I don’t know…

At the moment I’m not even sure I have much I want to say here, except that I didn’t want to go another day between posts. I’m just off of two straight nights of going out, and last night I got home pretty late, even for me. So even though it’s only 9PM, I’m already tired and I think I’m just going to go to sleep and hope for a fresh start tomorrow. G’night!

Song(s) of the Day - Robyn's Best at Radio City

Last night I was in my car listening to my "Favorites" playlist on my iPod and Robyn came on. When the tracks reached "Stars 4 Ever", I said to myself that I would post it on FB in the morning, so that's just what I did. There's no video for the tune, but there is an audio track set to a photo of Robyn which is usually fine for FB.

To my surprise, however, there were plenty of videos of concert footage featuring Robyn singing the song. I scrolled around a bit and voila! There she was singing it at Radio City, the show I had seen. As I watched and listened, I saw that there were other videos of the concert and since it is Sunday, I figured I'd post some of them here as multiple "Songs of the Day."

As I noted previously here and in my article, which I'll link below, the concert was awesome, simply for the great music and mutual admiration between Robyn and her fans. No matter the circumstances surrounding the show for me, it was a night worth remembering and these scenes bring me back to that great show. I hope you'll watch a couple to see what I mean. Enjoy!

Time Machine

This is the opening of the concert, and one of my new favorite Robyn songs!

"Hey what did I do?
Can't believe the fit I just threw.
Stupid
Wanted the reaction...

I remember the words
How I said them so they would hurt
but then, I regret my actions.

If I could press rewind
Rewind the take
Redefine the line
We make mistakes,
take it back in time
Just one day...hey!

So all I need is a time machine
A one way track
cause I'm taking it back, taking it back..."



Dancing On My Own

This was one of the best songs of the show! It's the first Robyn song from "Body Talk" that I loved and it was clear that this Grammy nominated song was a favorite of the audience members, too, as you can hear them singing along. Ah, goosebumps!



Stars 4 Ever

"You and me on the hood of my car, Saturday night, watching the stars."

This was a great sing along!



Konichiwa Bitches

Nuthin but fun!



Hang With Me

The sound on this on is not so great, but the video is closer up than the others, so that's why I chose it!

"...and if you do me right, I'm gonna do right by you..." :-\



Indestructible

Simply awesome! Great video, bad singing by a nearby fan!



Get Myself Together

For some reason there are only two videos of this one and neither of them start at the beginning???



Here are a couple of Yahoo featured articles by me on Yahoo Contributor Network:

New Music Releases for September

This was the article in which I first reported the release of Body Talk. Part 2. The piece inspired me to buy the album and the rest is history!

Robyn's "Body Talk" Trilogy Scores Big with Fans and Critics Alike

Soundtrack of a Relationship

For awhile I got to share my passion for Robyn and her music!

Robyn at Radio City Music Hall: Pure Energy, Great Music and Lots of Fun

The title says it all!

February 19, 2011 - Catching Up

Happy Saturday everyone! Today is the first day of a much needed 9-day vacation. As many of you know, the last vacation I had was probably among my all time worst, so I really want to make up for it this time and I got off to a great start yesterday. Here’s the latest on my so called life:

Dating…Um, I Dunno…



You know how similar things all seem to happen in bunches? Like when there’s a plane crash or something…there could have been none in years and then all of a sudden there are two or three in the span of a couple of weeks. Well, that happened to me yesterday. I’ve been single now for the better part of three years and no one has ever tried to set me up before…that is until now, and the potential blind dates were almost plural.

I don’t know, maybe it’s because of my recent breakup that people are thinking I need to meet somebody new to get over it, but that’s really not the case. It all started several weeks ago when a coworker mentioned setting me up on a date with a Spanish teacher from a neighboring school district (see Daily Ramblings, January 22nd). At the time I just listened to her and smiled, not really giving much thought to the matter. I hadn’t really come up again until Thursday, when she showed me his picture in the newspaper (it was a local newspaper about his school’s trip to Argentina). Then it came up again when I got to work yesterday:

“Oh John, there you are. I’ve been looking for you all morning. I finally spoke to him last night. I told him all about you. We’re going to be Facebook friends and so he can look at your page and you can see his…”

“Oh…” was all I could say.

“He asked a lot of questions, and don’t worry, I played you all up. I told him all about your writing and your awards. Oh, he was so cute. You’re so cute. I think you guys would be so perfect together. I’m so excited.”

She could have gone on and on, but thankfully we both had to be at a meeting, so we were cut short. She tentatively mentioned that he and I would meet for coffee when he gets back from his trip. At least I’ve got some time to think more about it!

Then yesterday afternoon I spent time with another friend, Laura Kim. In recent months, she’s expanded her “gay” horizons by befriending her makeup artist and his partner. I think his name is Michael. Anyway, for months she’d been spending a lot of time with Michael and his boyfriend and just recently, around Christmastime, the two of them broke up (you see what I’m saying, I know of at least three other couples that ended relationships around the same time!).

She really hadn’t mentioned Michael too much to me until yesterday. She went to Florida last night for her vacation and Michael is going to be taking care of her birds (she’s got four of them!) while she’s gone. He had been over her house the night before. She told me that he asked her if she would set him up with me. Obviously she’s told him a lot about me since she and I are such good friends. She told me this after I had told her about the other potential blind date.

“You see, I would never do that,” she said. “Michael asked me to introduce you guys, but I know both of you and I know that you wouldn’t work. You’re not each other’s type.”

She went on to tell me that Michael, being a makeup artist, is very flamboyant. She knows me well enough to know that’s not my type at all. “She makes Joe look like a truck driver!” she quipped. (Joe was not flamboyant at all, but it wasn’t ever that hard to figure out he was gay, if you know what I mean.)



I appreciated that. In fact, I had been wondering since she first told me of Michael’s breakup if she was going to suggest just that. Now I knew why she hadn’t, thankfully. At least that’s one of two I don’t have to worry about.

The truth of the matter is I’m still smarting and I really have no interest in men at all. I wish it were different, but at the moment that’s how I feel. Even though I haven’t seen or heard from him in awhile, I still think about him a lot and I’m still missing him. I can’t help but harbor a lot of those ‘what if’s’ in my head, wishing that I could go back and right all of the wrongs that I did to make him disappear from my life. I know they say time heals all wounds and eventually it will get better, but right now I guess I’m just going to have to keep feeling this way until that day comes.

I guess love comes around when you least expect it to, and true feelings cannot be wiped away just because your mind wants them to. I told my friend Laura Kim yesterday that I wish I’d just never met him. That way I wouldn’t have had to go through all of this hurt over these past several months and I’d just be my normal self like I had been before. She responded by reminding me how happy I was when I was with him. I don’t know…is it really better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? I was very happy then, but that’s why I’m so unhappy now, so I can’t answer that question with any real honesty.



I’m dealing with things in the best way I know how. Sometimes I’m feeling really good about myself and other days he just lingers in my mind. It’s not as bad as it had been the first go around, just different. I’d like to think he’s smarting from missing me, too, but I just don’t know, nor will I ever probably. I’m guessing it’s been a lot easier for him to stay away from me, considering how angry he was the last time I heard from him. If only he truly saw things from my perspective, maybe he would’ve understood and not been so angry. In the meantime I just need to go about my business and get my mind right.

Splish Splash on a Friday Night

Even though I said I wouldn’t go to Splash anymore on Friday nights, I went last night. After all, it was the beginning of vacation and it does me good to get out and let loose for awhile. I’m really glad I did because I had a great time. For the first time since I’ve been going there I didn’t just wear a t-shirt and jeans. I got a little dressed up, with a beautiful black, button down shirt and some nice jeans. I looked good if I say so myself!

The music was awesome, and I danced all night with a lot of people. Several guys approached me throughout the night and that’s probably one of the reasons I like going out: because it feeds my self-esteem. Though I never try to pursue anything with anyone, it’s still nice to be playful and it’s fun to dance.

Sometimes I wish my friends would come with me…I hate going it alone all the time, and it would be nice not to have to deal with some of the creepers who approach me either! Maybe one day…

On a musical aside, the deejay played an awesome mix of three songs, one which I’d never heard before, but it worked perfectly. The songs included in the mix were Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” (check out the video below!), LaRoux’s “Bulletproof” and Robyn’s “Indestructible.” Now there have been plenty of times when I’ve heard two songs mixed together, but rarely have I heard three, and it was so hot! Last night was also the first time I heard “Born this Way” in a club, and they followed it up with Madonna’s “Express Yourself.” Believe it or not, the dance floor was fuller for Madonna! You go Mo! Still the Queen!



Recent Yahoo Contributor Network Articles

Here are links to some recent pieces I’ve published on YCN:

Concert Tours Hitting the US in Spring/Summer 2011

There are lots of concert tours coming this way this summer, and there’s plenty I want to see. I actually think I’ll be going to see Lady GaGa in April at Nassau Coliseum and I’m definitely going to see Kylie in May. Rihanna and Sade are also on my wish list. I’d better get to writing so I’ll be able to afford the tickets!

Collected Works: The Misadventures of Johnny Driver, Season 2

I finally put all of the Johnny Driver Season 2 installments all in one place. Though I was sporadic in publishing the season’s episodes and readership has been down, I think my writing got a lot better this go around and the storylines were more involved. Check em out, please!

Great Advice for Online Writers from a fellow YCN Contributor

It’s been a slow week for writing as these two have been it for me. There’s another piece that I came across by fellow writer Lyn Lomasi that I want to share. It’s another one of her many great pieces of advice for online writers and I think it’s one of her best. Check it out:

10 Things Every Web Writer Should Know

A Short Spring Preview

The last two days were spectacular, weather-wise. Well, the temperature was anyway. The temps reached all the way into the 50’s and it was nice to be able to roll the windows down and not wear a jacket after the bitter winter we’ve had so far. But, never fear, Mother Nature is reminding us today that it’s still February…the wind is absolutely howling at the moment and the temperature is supposed to drop to 18 degrees tonight. Oh well, it IS February, after all. It was just nice to get those two days as a preview and the cold is not supposed to stay too long anyway.

Well, I think I’ve written enough for one day. I really need to stop skipping days because then I give you readers too much to read, lol. I think it’s time to get to work on writing that I get paid to do. The mouth is healing nicely, by the way. As always, thanks for reading and enjoy Whitney!

Whitney Houston - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"

Song of the Day - "Hey Hey" by Dennis Ferrer

Today's "Song of the Day" is one of my favorite club songs from last year. Since today is the first day of my vacation and I plan spending a lot of it doing my favorite thing, dancing, it is highly appropriate that I start off with a great dance song. So to any of you dance/club fans out there, I invite you to enjoy "Hey Hey."

Song of the Day - California Gurls Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg

Since we've had spring-like weather the past couple of days, I've had warm weather daydreams on the mind. The warm sun, open windows, the beach, barbecues and Fire Island...all of those wonderful things we enjoy during the warm weather.

So what's a better song to listen to today than one of the biggest summer hits of 2010? This one was everywhere last summer and it's great fun, plain and simple! Enjoi!

February 17, 2011 - Daily - beauty in the world: has spring sprung?

Well it’s 5PM and I want to go to sleep! After being out sick yesterday and sleeping late, I had trouble going to sleep last night and ended up getting only about 4 hours worth. So I’m tired, but I think it’s a little too late for a nappy, otherwise I’ll be in the same situation tomorrow. Besides, I stopped off for one of my DD hot chocolate/coffee combos (), and so I’ll force myself not to go to sleep.

Today was a great day! Smiles all around for beautiful weather hitting our area today! I’ve actually had the windows open in my classroom all day and now in my house because it actually feels like spring outside. Good weather and bright moods are just around the corner, I can feel it!

Frittata

This morning I became somewhat of a Home Ec teacher. My beginner ESL class has been learning kitchen verbs and I borrowed the Home Ec room to make a recipe with them so that they could act out the verbs they learned. Since it was morning, I looked for a breakfast recipe that had a lot of tasks involved and I came up with a frittata. If you don’t know what a frittata is, it’s an traditional Italian breakfast dish in which leftover ingredients are combined with eggs to make a pie-like meal. Check out the recipe for frittatas that I wrote here.

I came in this morning with all of the ingredients we would need. The kids were excited to be doing something different that they could do besides sit at a desk and take notes, and so they were raring to go. Once we got into the kitchen, however, things got a little on the crazy side. Suddenly no one remembered what their assigned task was and they weren’t following the recipe as we had written it. We made it through okay, though, and had a lot of fun doing it. One thing’s for sure after that lesson: I think I’ll stick to teaching ESL from now on!











Healing

My mouth is feeling all right, except when I have to eat. Even though I’m eating only soft things for a couple more days, I can’t seem to keep whatever I put into my mouth on the good side of my mouth. When the food goes over to the other side, I have to move it back with my tongue and I can feel the stitches…ewww! Now that grosses me out!



Having had such a good day today caused me to smile a lot, which wasn’t exactly a good thing. In the afternoon I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time and when I first saw her I couldn’t help but smile big and boy did that hurt! Oh well, I guess it was to be expected. It’ll be better in no time and then I can smile all I want and eat that hamburger I’ve been craving since Tuesday.



Writer’s Block and a Plea for Ideas

Well, there’s not much more going on today. I’m battling a little bit of the writer’s block, which couldn’t have come at a worse time. With Valentine’s Day being over, my daily hits have dropped the past couple of days and the only way to get them back up is to publish. The trouble is, I don’t know what to write about!?!? I’m still pondering those music pieces and I’ve got several titles in mind. If you think any of them might be better than the others, please let me know either here, through email or on my Facebook page (see below and to the right for the link!). Here are my ideas:

(Untitled) A piece on the widespread use of the word “f**k” in music today.

The Best of Sade; The Best of Love – I love Sade and since she’s got an upcoming tour, I thought I might do a piece on her best songs.

Top Ten Foreign Language Songs – With that song, “No Speak Americano”, playing on the radio these days, I thought I’d take a look back at some other songs sung in a foreign language to hit the airwaves.

(Untitled) I’ve been thinking of doing a couple of pieces on Prince and his influence on music. After posting “When Doves Cry” as “Song of the Day” I’ve been thinking a lot about his music. There are so many great tunes in his catalog; it’d have to be a top twenty, for sure. Also, another piece would talk about his wide-reaching influence on other acts in the 80’s, including Vanity 6, The Time, Sheila E, Janet Jackson, and more…

I’ve only got to do two more pieces this month and I’d really appreciate any input you’d want to give.

Finally, in honor of this lovely day of weather, I present one of Macy Gray’s latest tunes “Beauty in the World.” Though I’ve posted it before, I just think it’s sunshiny enough to listen to on this wonderful, spring-like day. Besides, we all need the reminder to appreciate what we do have once in awhile. Enjoy the song and thanks for reading…