More rugby photos

I could tell you about my day at work, but it was much like yesterday (worse, actually), and telling you about it would just be depressing. So let's just enjoy more rugby photos, shall we?




















Aren't they a cute couple?

And yes, I'm not kidding (and they weren't goofing around). Those guys in the last shot are a couple. That's the best part of this--it's a gay rugby team. A few of the players are straight, but the vast majority are boys who like boys, and we like that! :)

The silver lining

(More rugby photos in a day or two, but I have to write about something else today... something more important.)

I can't say this is a happy story. It was a "black cloud" day at work. What comfort I can take comes from having been part of what silver lining there may have been in all of it.

Today, we laid off everyone in one of our departments. The hospital is fighting to pull out of a fiscal dive, and outsourcing this particular department is going to save a lot of money. For the people charged with managing the hospital through these tough times and making sure it survives and thrives, this was the right decision.

The problem is that such actions have a human cost. There are a couple of people we laid off today who have worked for the hospital for over 40 years. Many others had 10, 20 or 30 years' service.

Being in Human Resources, I took part in this. The nice part--the silver lining, as it were--is that HR (where I work at least) is there to help. We take everyone, after they get the bad news from the operations people, and explain severance payments they'll get. We also help them make benefits arrangements, and we had an outplacement firm there to explain the program they'll be able to access.

So I think we made things better. A number of the veteran employees came over to shake my hand and thank me. The members of my staff got thanks, too. Still, these are the kinds of days I could live without. These people did nothing wrong--in fact, there will be aftershocks from this throughout the hospital, because, as a group, they were well liked and respected. It was a financial decision to help the hospital survive, but there's nothing pleasant about it. I just hope I (and my people) really did make things a little easier for everyone.

I've kept you waiting long enough

Time to start sharing some rugby photos from the past two weekends. The ones from three days ago aren't ready to post yet. Instead, I'll start sharing some of the ones from ten days ago, when our Gotham Knights played Old Blue Rugby.

So let's start the show...

















Okay. I'll stop there. There are plenty more, but let's make them last!

Now, for something entirely different, let's take a look at a Bernice photo. She didn't get a photo the other day when Mandy and Dodger were on here. Also, if anyone's wondering how she's healing (very well), now you can see. The area that was shaved, operated on and stitched is somewhat visible in this photo. It's behind her right eye.


Isn't she pretty?

We're so glad everything turned out well. We want our pups to be healthy!

Still life

Rugby photos are in the works. In the meantime, I thought you might like to see a photo I did for Marc's current (soon to be former) job. They need to make a holiday poster, and Marc knew what he had in mind. He just needed someone to create the photo.

So he brought home the elements he wanted in the photo, and I got out my equipment and went to work. As I said, the original will be used in poster size, but I thought you might like to see a smaller version here...



BTW, PatCHy, since we recently talked about the multiple remote flash units, yes, in case you're wondering, I did make use of them for this shot. Remember, lessons are available for a fee (and I don't mean cash). ;)

Kiefer Sutherland and dogs

Working in Manhattan, one treat can be encountering famous people. I tend to leave them alone--I'm not so into such things--but it's still neat to see such folks. So today I went to lunch with a co-worker at the Village Den, a diner-esque restaurant in Greenwich Village. Some other colleagues were sitting at the next table.

Later in the day, I got a call from one of my colleagues. He said that, right after I left, my place was taken by Kiefer Sutherland. Yeah, I know. Big deal. Well, it's still kinda neat.

Okay, now the dogs part of the post. Nothing special to report. Just a couple of snapshots for no particular reason...





By the way, I did take rugby photos last weekend, but I've just been too busy to go through them and get them posted. I'll get to it!

Also, there's more rugby tomorrow. So maybe I'll do a few days of photos. Just give me some time to get them posted. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Do you watch House?

I like the show House. It's one of the few TV shows I watch.

If I remember correctly, last season ended with Dr. House having been shot. He was being taken to surgery and had asked for an alternative approach to anesthesia that might have had a positive side effect on his bad leg.

This season, it's like none of that happened. Now, much of the end of last season dealt with Dr. House's hubris. Without getting into too much detail, he was going through some self-realization regarding how he behaves with other people.

Now I'm wondering if the new season so far is some kind of dream sequence while he's in surgery. He's still limping around, using a cane and being an arrogant, if brilliant, pain in the ass. The cop who is out to teach him a lesson fits nicely into the lesson he was learning last season.

So did I miss something at the start of the season? Did he get surgery and things are status quo ante? What's the deal?

BTW, the guy playing the cop (I think his name is David Morse, but I'm blogging from my Palm Treo, so I can't type this and check his name at the same time) is a good actor. He's been around for a long time, and I also think he's kinda hot.

But I digress. Can someone who watches the show tell me if I missed an episode or something?

Hope for the future

This evening, as I was walking away from my former junior high school (now my polling place), an older couple with a small boy was walking out near me. The woman was telling this small boy that Republicans are the best. Then she told the boy to yell, "Democrats suck!"

Fortunately, this child of single-digit age was a lot smarter than that. He kept refusing to cooperate. Then, as they moved off toward their car and were about 30 feet from me, the kid apparently decided he'd had enough. I heard him yell, at the top of his lungs, "Grandma sucks!" This he gleefully repeated a few more times.

I can only gather he was reprimanded, because he then switched to yelling, "Grandma stinks!"

I like that kid, although I was hoping for something more like, "Grandma is a right-wing, bigoted, sick, evil bitch who is twisted enough to try to get a small child to do her asshole GOP bidding!"

Bwahahaha

I know what I'm hoping for in tomorrow's various races, but I don't discount the Democrats' ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. ;) That, or they may win and then mess up so badly for two years that the GOP will keep control of the White House in 2008.

With that said, I loved the news that the GOP gubernatorial candidate in Florida ran away from W today. See for yourself.

As Knotty would say, quoting a certain great humanitarian, "Fly, fly, fly, little Starling... fly, fly, fly!"

:)

Unrequited lust

I know, you find it hard to believe I'd even post something about lust. "What? Jess having lustful thoughts? Impossible. He's as pure as the driven snow!" :)

Okay, so what causes me to share this particular object of my lust? Well, I just got a combo VCR/DVD burner. So I was burning an old porn tape to DVD (I mean, I would have been, if I ever owned porn, which I don't--nope, never even saw any). ;) It's a noble cause, because I'm preserving the image of one of the most beautiful men ever to walk to earth (before my videotape is completely shot). Smitten? Me? Yeah, maybe a bit.

He went by "Lance." His real name was David Alan Reis. Whatever his name, he wasn't in a huge number of porn films, but he was quite notable. Aside from meeting certain key porn requirements (size, build, etc.), he was quite simply gorgeous.

I couldn't find a shot of him online that really did him justice. Actually, there are very few photos of him around, since he only made a handful of films and that was a couple of decades ago. So here's a shot, for those of you who don't know who he is...



Sadly, he's no longer among the living. Yes, you know why. The same horrible fate that befell many gay men in the 80s and 90s (and still does, though, thankfully, the odds are better now). But his memory lives on--and he keeps giving some of us pleasure, if only in fantasies.

A tree says so much

Last Sunday, our local library had their annual concert in memory of my Mom. This is the second annual concert in her memory. They hold it during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, since she died of breast cancer.

In addition to the concert, this year brought something she would have loved. Earlier this year, with our encouragement, they planted a Kwanzan Cherry Tree. Mom loved trees, and I'm sure she would have loved this.

They also had a brass plaque made and placed it in front of the tree. I love it. When I drive by the library, I can read her name on the plaque from the car. It's a wonderful tribute to all of the years she ran the community services area of the library.

Before the concert last Sunday, they formally dedicated the tree. Nothing can bring back my Mom, but at least these little remembrances help keep her memory alive for all of the people she helped.

Doogie's gay?

I had heard speculation about Neil Patrick Harris being gay, but I expected the standard denials or no comments. Instead, he has come out.

I know I'm not the first blogger--nor will I be the last--to mention this. I comment on it first to compliment Mr. Harris (because I'm sure he reads my blog) on standing up for who he is, and, second, I again feel happy that it's getting safer every day to come out.

Yes, we still have a long way to go, but things are getting better. I really believe it.

Welcome!

To anyone new visiting this blog, welcome! I know I just got mentioned somewhere else (thanks, BGB), and that may drive some extra visits.

Some of our favorite things are rugby (and you can count on some nice photos here), dogs and travel.

I say "our," because my partner will influence what I put on here at times, although he does have his own blog.

You won't usually find gratuitous hottie shots, although lots of the rugby shots are easy on the eyes. Okay, sometimes a little skin makes it in...


Isn't Chad cute?

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy your visit, and I hope you keep coming back!

Be warned!

If you take Byrne shopping, depending upon what he finds in the store, this is what can happen...


Byrne and friend, as seen through the cell phone camera

Feel free to caption the photo as you see fit. :)

Do I tell them?

This morning, I was telling one of our veteran OR people about my cousin's death (at another hospital). He listened to me and, without missing a beat, said, "So they misdiagnosed her, and she exsanguinated." (I think that's how that's spelled.) Exsanguinated is a fancy word for "bled out."

As far as I know, my cousins now see their mother's death as an unavoidable event. They're not angry at anyone over it.

Financially, they're fine, so it's not like they lost their financial support. They're adults, well educated and employed, and there even should be a good size inheritance (I believe). So it's not like a lawsuit would be necessary to keep someone from being destitute.

The question then is simply what's the right thing to do in terms of justice for my late cousin and what's best for her sons.

This may occur to them anyhow, but I think they're better off not walking around with the burden of, "They killed my mom!"

My inclination is to say nothing. Or is it wrong to keep this to myself?

This has to stop!

I'm running out of relatives!

Two days ago, my cousin Barbara called one of her sons to say she needed an ambulance. I'm not sure why she didn't just call 911, but maybe she wanted his help, too. Or maybe, at some level, she felt that she should have him around while she could. Besides, he immediately called one, so it probably didn't matter. [Addendum: I now understand that she may have called an ambulance and then called her son. Again, not that it matters, but that makes more sense.]

They did emergency surgery. I don't know all of the details yet, but it's clear things didn't go well. By yesterday afternoon, she was comatose and on a respirator. Last night, she died.

There are relatives you deal with because you have to. Then there are ones you really want to see. The ones who are nice, smart, interesting... Barbara fell into that latter group.

She was very smart and fun to talk to. She went to Radcliffe and Yale and earned a PhD in an era when few women did such things.

Degrees aren't everything. She was an author and editor. More importantly, she was a great person. She was fun. She loved her dogs (always a plus in my book).

It may seem strange to paraphrase a movie line, but one in particular comes to mind: the world was more interesting with her in it.

It's called Daylight Saving (not Savings!) Time

One more for the list of things that may eventually send me over the edge: people who say "Daylight Savings Time."

Not Savings. Saving! There's no s on the end of it. Is this so tough?

I can deal with regular folks saying it, but the newscasters and their ilk should know better. Of course, these same people tend to be literacy-challenged in general, so there's no reason this should surprise me!

Good for Stella McCartney!

A British publication called The Independent is reporting that Stella McCartney, daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, recently expressed her opinion of Sir Paul's soon-to-be ex-wife. In response to a report that Heather Mills-McCartney had accused Sir Paul of hitting Stella's mother, Linda, during their marriage, Stella is said to have screamed, "I'll kill the bitch." She's alleged to have added, "I told you she was a bitch. Why did you marry her? She's been a manipulative cow from day one. The cow won't be happy until she destroys all of us ­and our memories of our mother."

Obviously, I have no personal knowledge of this situation, but I think my reaction would be much the same in her place. I also like her for the exchange Kathy Griffin reported having with her, where she clearly was self-assured and demonstrated a self-deprecating sense of humor. If you wish, you can read the full article here.

In other news, bravo to David Letterman! Letterman had Bill O'Reilly on his show and apparently let him have it. As reported in The Huffington Post:

Bill O'Reilly clashed with David Letterman during his appearance on The Late Show Friday night. Letterman took O'Reilly to task for his over-simplified views and "bonehead" remarks.

O'Reilly tried to reduce the Iraq war at one point, saying "Do you want the United States to win in Iraq? It's an easy question," to which Letterman replied, "It's not easy for me because I'm thoughtful."

Letterman also told O'Reilly, "You're putting words in my mouth, just the way you put artificial facts in your head."

If anyone deserves to be blasted, it's that arrogant bastard (along with that stupid bastard, Rush Limbaugh). Can't help but love it!

YES! YES! YES!

Based on what the veterinarian had said, I really thought our Bernice was facing a battle with cancer. Today, we found out that she's okay. The growth was benign.

The vet had said it didn't look like what he was hoping for. He was hoping to find a cyst, but the fluid he drew last week looked wrong for that and yielded inconclusive lab results with the lab saying they saw some suspect cells. Then when he did the surgery, removing the growth and a small bump she's had by her right eyebrow for ages, he said the growth looked "ugly."

He said we shouldn't panic yet, but his tone was clearly, this doesn't look good. He was saying that we'd see what the lab results say, and then, "maybe we just watch her, maybe we do chemo..."

He said there was a chance it was benign, but he clearly was worried that it wasn't. Thankfully, the results we got today said it was benign.

The lab couldn't say exactly what it was (or what caused it). They offered three possibilities: a vaccination reaction, a bug bite or some trauma.

She hadn't had any vaccinations recently (and, besides, they don't put them in her head!), so it couldn't be that. A bug bite could have happened, I suppose. And there's always the chance she hit her head on something that caused whatever this thing was.

Well, whatever it was, our baby is okay. That's what matters! We're so relieved!

Hmmm

Sitting near me on the train this morning: a man with a laptop, working on a Word document called, "Space Novel.doc." I can see that the screen abounds with proper names beginning with the letter Q and replete with apostrophes, as all good sci-fi novels must, because alien planets tend to be overrun with Qs and apostrophes. That's how you know it's realistic writing!

This makes me wonder if he's:

1) A fabulously wealthy sci-fi novelist.

2) A wingnut who'll never get anything of his read, let alone published, and who secretly fantasizes about using his phaser to vaporize the M20 bus.

3) Either way, doing better than the nearby guy in the leather jacket who's using his time to type this blog entry! :-)

Okay, I have to fess up. I'm the one who wants to vaporize that always-late M20, but that's another story.

Happy Friday, everyone!

I've hit the big time now!

A while back, I was contacted by the owner of Best Gay Blogs and told that I'd been listed on part of the site. Specifically, this blog was listed under "Gay Blogs Just Found."

Now this blog has been moved under the heading "Great Gay Blogs." I'm not sure if it comes with a seven-figure award, like the Nobel Prize, but I'm still honored by the listing!

I never could have done it without you, my legion of fans! ;)