Ready? Here we go!
What's On Top Of My Mind:
Getting through another summer of heat and humidity here at Casa Tipton-Kelly in southern coastal Delaware. Every year gets tougher. I love to work in my backyard sanctuary but the heat and humidity severely affect how long I can be outside. The last few weeks the temperatures have reached the low 90's with humidity also in the 90's. I can't stay out longer than five or ten minutes before I get woozy. Last week I had to have my landscaper Jose mow my lawn two weeks in a row. Usually I mow my own lawn (almost one acre) every other week because I like to ride my John Deere tractor and keep my mowing expenses (Jose charges sixty dollars a mow). However, with the heat dome weather we've been having I have no choice but to ask Jose to do another mow. I look forward to the fall when I can mow my lawn every week.
Where I've Been:
The Habitat For Humanity Thrift store "Restore". I go every week, sometimes twice. The volunteers at Restore all know me. I'm a regular. Yesterday I brought two books. A biography of George Washington and "The President Is At Camp David", a behind the scenes look at different presidents making momentous decisions. I read a lot. I can never get enough books. I have such a backlog, I'm pretty sure I'll never read them all before my demise but I get comfort knowing "my friends" are there when I want to escape from the horrid realities of our world today. I know I said I went to the Restore thrift store last week. These days I basically only go to three places. Food Lion, Pepper's Greenhouse and Restore. So there.
Where I'm Going:
The Delaware DMV on Thursday. I need to have my 2010 Subaru Forrester inspect ed and renew my registration. I dread this, visiting the DMV but I have to admit the Delaware DMV is a LOT MORE efficient than Pennsylvania's. Pennsylvania was an absolute nightmare. This registration will be for two years. Probably my last registration. Either I'll have somebody (Pat) driving me by them or I'll be dead. Truth be told, I don't expect to be here two years from now.
What I'm Watching:
You Tube videos Growing Up Gay.
I stumbled across this channel while cruising through my You Tube account because my Netflix account doesn't have much choice of shows anymore. I'm considering cancelling my Netflix account ($17.99 a month) because lack of content. What they do have is ridiculous and I'm tired of watching Korean content and other foreign shows. But this is a subject for another blog. Returning to my Growing Up Gay. I find these videos fascinating. So fascinating that I'm going to contact the producers of those videos and volunteer to be interviewed about MY experiences growing up gay. And boy do I have experiences. I've always been concerned that when I die all these unique memories growing up gay would disappear with my dead body. I always meant to write a book but I don't think anyone would be interested in it and besides it takes a lot of discipline to write a book and I'm lazy. An interview will work. Don't worry folks, anyone who is still alive and family members of those who have passed, I will not use names. But I will tell the truth. We all have our own stories growing up, gay or straight but especially gay and all the challenges that condition engendered. Fasten your seatbelts folks if I'm accepted for an interview.
What I'm Reading:
"Who Knew?" by Barry Diller.
Barry Diller was one of America's most successful businessmen. He was the originator of "Movie of the Week" in early television and later involved in all kinds of media exploits. I just happened to catch his interview with Bill Maher when Bill referenced that Barry "came out." I thought he was joking but no, he wasn't. Barry Diller is the same age as I am. Intrigued I ordered the book from Amazon (this is not one of my fifty-cent books from the Restore Thrift Store). I was pleasantly surprised to find this book extremely well written, interesting and honest. I was even more impressed that Barry wrote the book himself, no "with" (help, who actually writes the book like all of Donald Trump's books and other celebrity memoirs). Barry stayed in the closet most of his life until he just retired. I came out as soon as I got out of the Army in January of 1963 at twenty-one years of age and have been out ever since. I suspect if Barry had come out when I did he probably wouldn't have been as successful in business. But then maybe he would, look at David Geffen. But I have noticed that when anybody gay is successful the media almost always prefaces the fact that that person is gay. Do they feel the need to say that about straight people? Of course not. Anyway, this book is a good read. I only read books in my bed before I take my afternoon nap and at night time. This one will take me a couple weeks. My other reading of newspaper and magazines is done over my meals that I eat alone. That's the way I prefer to dine, alone with the TV on as background and a magazine or newspaper spread out to my right. I try to keep food from splashing on the pages. I'm not always successful.
What I'm eating:
I'm still chomping away on those cheesy beef burritos. I'm so proud of myself that I can make a burrito roll!
Who Needs A Good Slap:
This is almost too easy and I could do it every week.
Donald Trump deploying National Guard to Griffith Park in downtown Los Angeles. WTF?
What the hell is this? An occupying force? Trump and his enablers are trying to provoke violence so they can implement marital law and suspend future presidential elections. Make no mistake about it, this is the ultimate goal of Trump. The vile Stephen Miller is behind this and Trump just goes along for the ride. Five slaps for Stephen Miller.
Who Get's a Fist Bump:
The Veteran's Administration. I just put in a request to make my hearing aid appointments reauthorized. I put that request in two days ago and yesterday I received an e-mail from them that it was reauthorized. I've been using the VA for my health benefits since 1994.
Me waiting for appointment at the A Outpatient Clinic in Georgetown, DE
They have been taking care of me ever since and Bill. Without the VA I probably wouldn't be here today. I do know they saved Bill's life back in 2021 when Bill had a series of strokes. They moved Heaven and earth for Bill to give him the best care. I will be forever grateful to them for giving me those three years that I could care give for Bill. Those three years confirmed how much Bill and I loved each other. It was my privilege to care for Bill. I continue to miss him terribly but those last three years with him, forever grateful and the VA was a big part of that. Now they're taking care of me.
What I'm Planning:
Getting myself set up for an interview with the aforementioned Growing Up Gay You Tube interview. I have to get my thoughts in order, remember names and places and, of course, get those photos! So many memories!
 |
| 2009 Gay March in Washington DC - I was also at the 1979 Gay March in Washington DC but I didn't take my camera with me because I expected to be beaten and arrested for marching. Different times then in 1979. This march was a celebration. I would like to go to another march but with my mobility problems now I would probably have to be in a wheelchair. By the way, the man in the orange next to me, also my age, has since passed away. Ted Wilson. The man in blue lost his long time partner a few years ago. I saw him once in the supermarket and haven't seen him since. |
What's Making Me Smile:
Memories of Bill. That's it, memories of Bill. A lifetime of memories of Bill.
