Finally catching up!

RULES - Post rules before giving the facts - Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves - People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules - At the end of the your blog you need to tag three people and list their names - Leave them a comment on their blog, telling them they have been tagged and not to forget to read your blog.

1-I never have seen an ocean. Yes, this is sad. Even more sad is the fact that I am going to need one of my besties to be there with me when I finally do see one because I most likely am going to lose it. Seriously. That much openness and space... It truly will be overwhelming.

2-I hate tomatoes, but I used to love them. I don't remember this, of course, but my mother tells me that when I was a wee young lad of 4, we went to the Mississippi River on a hot summer day, and I ate more than my fair share of cherry tomatoes. To the point that I threw up. She tells me that since that day, I have refused to eat them. The only single exception that I can think of is the time that my good friend James, who is a chef, cooked a very nice meal for the two of us, but one of the first courses was a tomato/fresh mozzerrela plate... It looked so good, and he definitely had brushed off his French knife skills, so I felt obligated to eat it. And let me tell you, it was a chore... It's a shame that it looked SO GOOD!

3-I love to be naked in the dark and in water. I don't care if it's skinny dipping in a lake or river or just showering in the dark, it's amazing. This is aided by the fact that our bathroom is without windows, so I can be in complete darkness in the water every single day - and I am at least 4 mornings a week. (I shower every day, bitches, I just don't always do it in the dark... It ruins how special the moment is if you do it every day!)

4-I’m the oldest child among my blood-related siblings, and it shows. It's amazing, though, that my best friend in the world is the youngest of her siblings. I thought we weren't supposed to get along! Nonetheless, phone calls to her mother have been made at 2 in the a.m. just to proclaim our love for her!

5-I only have one gay friend that I can trust who loves me totally and completely. Don't get me wrong... I have a LOT of gay male friends; however, I only trust one of them to love me and be there for me no matter what. I don't think he reads this, though. Thank God I shared this fact with him Friday night. I am trying with all my might to love and trust a handful of others, but I am having a hard time convincing myself that I am worthy of having their friendship.

6-Watching Elijah boast about the fact that I taught him some batting tips between games during a baseball tournament over the weekend that paid off (he went 3-for-4 with 4 total RBIs after I talked to him!) was one of the single greatest moments of my life.

7- I have absolutely no desire to live past the age of 50... Which means that I have a little more 18 years to cram as much living into my life as I can!

8-I have lost nearly 90 lbs. The fact that my ex-wife shared pictures with me over the weekend convinced me to be proud of this. I saw myself cutting Elijah's umbilical cord, and it blew me away. I kept asking myself, "Who is that fat man with my baby?"

OK, now... I actually am going to call out 4 people for this one... DJB, JF, ES and CM, get your asses in gear and share with the world!

Finally

I've been able to get some sleep the last couple nights, thank God. Actual restful sleep, at that.

I also was fortunate enough over the weekend to host for a couple days a young friend who only recently came out, though not yet to his family. It was great being able to introduce him to some of my friends in hope that they could be positive gay role models. And from what he said, that is exactly what happened.

Anyhow, on the whole, it was a great couple of days.

Suck it, Fred Phelps

The Westboro Baptist Church, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to travel to Australia to picket Heath Ledger's funeral. Now, I'm not saying anything should happen to their church while they are gone or that the plane they're all on should plunge mysteriously into the Pacific, but if either of those things WERE to happen, I wouldn't be sad.

On Heath Ledger

I'm saddened by the death today of actor Heath Ledger.

For one, he was a great performer who didn't allow Hollywood to simply turn him into a product. In today's consume-everything world, that's really saying something.

No reports right now really link him to any substance abuse problems, so the fact that he was found with several over-the-counter sleeping pills near his bed seems to indicate either suicide or an accidental overdose; police do not suspect foul play.

It's my hope that the latter theory proves to be correct. I would hate to think that an actor who did so many wonderful things for the gay community with his performance in "Brokeback Mountain" would take his own life.

This news certainly will cast a pall over the July release of "The Dark Knight," which I was (and still am) eagerly anticipating.

With love, from Arkansas

So Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor turned viable president candidate, has taken up the mantle of those who believe we should amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. Only this nutjob now is equating gay marriage to bestiality.

Yes, I am gay, and yes, I believe I should be afforded the same legal rights as anyone else in this country. Do I believe it has to be called marriage? No. Do I believe churches should be forced to recognize it? Hell no.

But I do think it's time that we stop talking about homosexuality as if it is an illness. I think it's time we stop letting liberal be a dirty word. I think it's time we are able to say that we are religious, god-fearing people, too, and I certainly think it's time that we stand up and not let idiots like Huckabee control the conversation in this country.