Good Karma

Instructions for Life

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's: >Respect for Self, >Respect for others and >Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Don't let a little dispute insure a great friendship.
6. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Be good to one another!

Where in the world is Little Johnny?

Can you pick out little Johnny in this picture? When you do, try not to bust a gut!

what the *bleep*?!

uh, hi, give me a flippin' break! are you kidding me? did anyone watch this show this week? the final decision was announced on wednesday evening, and you guessed it....emmitt won! i was a little confused when he beat joey out, but to actually win in the finals.......WHAAAAAAAAT!
i've even talked with a few of my friends that have a dancing background and they are just as confused. his style was half that of mario and way too simple.

the only thing that was great about the show was to see how pissed karina was that mario lost. she had such a sour face and looked like she wanted to scratch someone's eyes out...........she knew! she worked very hard with mario and knew she was robbed.

there are rumors that mario and karina are a couple, or at least schmeking with each other. could there be photos?

anyways, this may not have been a presidential vote, but it truly does show how your vote counts. rock the vote! lol

be good to one another....

Lube Sham!

okay, i know enough about cars to maybe be a little dangerous, but i still rely on auto experts for oil changes and other expertise when it comes to my car.

when i do have to have an oil change, 9 times out of 10 i usually take it to my local jiffy lube that is next door to my work. after watching this extremely convincing video, i am now changing my oil change venue. watch this video and i think you'll change your mind as well.......

Lube Sham Video

be good to one another......

special delivery

one of my best friends from college called to tell me they had their second child. allow me to help introduce to the world, jaron shane simler! now, jaron was a special delivery because he was adopted by my best friend and his wife. they were fortunate enough to find a young woman who chose them to be her baby's adopted parents. so, my friend, jeremy, and his wife were present in the delivery room to witness the birth of their son.

i got a chance to talk to jeremy about the whole experience. he shared with me the whole process and gave me a testimony about the biological birth mother and how she came into their lives. it was truly a blessing and they believe it is by grace alone that they now have a brother for their daughter, karis.

jeremy and kristalyn are home with their new son and enjoying all of the joys of being new parents all over again.

families come in all shapes and sizes. this is just another shining example that all that a family needs is love. it doesn't matter how the child came into the family, what their age or nationality is........or who their parents are.......be they male/female, male/male, female/female....or a single parent. all that is needed is pure love for that of a child. poof! you have a family!

my best wishes to jeremy and his family. i pray for your sleep! here are my best wishes, also, to those that are contemplating becoming a family...however that may be.

be good to each other......

i oughta be in pictures!

i was involved in a video shoot here at marriott international that was recently posted on youtube.com. the video is announcing a new competition that our associates can get involved with that promotes our spirit to serve our guests strategy. for a small low budget film, it's pretty cute!

you barely see me, but i'm the one in the black tux with the white painted face. i was supposed to be a "ghostly butler" who was the spirit who serves our guests. yah, big role!

my friend, claudia, that some of you know has a huge cameo as fish face. you'll definitely see her in the video. soo.......check it out, it's quick and funny!

Marriott International on YouTube.com

feel free to post any comments that you have on youtube about the video, and please share with your friends!

be good to each other!

gotta love the girls

i've never understood those people that have seen a certain band or singer perform "X" amount of times in concert. i mean, i guess i could see someone seeing a performer a couple of times over their lifetime, but thought it ridiculous when someone would say, "i've seen U2 perform like 34 times." well, now i have to throw myself in that damn bucket that i never use to understand.

monday marked the 7th time that i have seen the indigo girls perform live. i never thought i would see them this many time, but here i am and i love every concert that i attend.

i have been a fan of the indigo girls since 1990 when i got into college. so, it's been 16 years of fervent following of the girls. now, i don't travel all over the country to see their concerts, but i have seen them in different states....just depending upon where i am living.

if you have never listened to the indigo girls, you are missing some beautiful music. 20 years after they began releasing records as indigo girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have politely declined the opportunity to mellow with age. you could just say it's just not in their constitution. devoted environmental and social justice activists and lifelong music-industry mavericks, the girls have spent their entire career pushing boundaries on a variety of fronts.

the girls seem to come to the washington area every year....usually to wolf trap or merryweather. the next time they come into town, feel free to join me in hearing them in their element....outside, with their acoustic guitars in hand, and harmonizing with the stars.

be good to each other!

35 and counting!

sometimes birthdays come and go without a trace. and yet sometimes birthdays come that will be burned into your memory......whether good or bad.

this past weekend i was blessed to celebrate my 35th birthday, and some definite memories were created. some even captured on film!

the weekend actually started out with a dinner at guapo's in tenley town with my former work team. my old boss was visiting from the uk, so we all got together for old time's sake and downed some 5 pitchers of margaritas. what a great way to start things off!

i then made my way home to be welcomed by brad who was there waiting with a room full of balloons, a cake, a bouquet of flowers, and many many presents. i was treated so special and it was a perfect way to end the evening.

brad and i woke up the next morning and were invited to a dear friend's house for lunch. rolando had made us a very special lunch consisting of tomato basil bisque, and a chicken pesto pasta dish. all accompanied by wine, bread and followed by tarimisu. we were stuffed! thanks, rolo, for such a wonderful birthday treat!

saturday evening, i went to dinner with a small group at one of my favorite restaurants in dc, thai-tanic! yes, the name is funny, but the food is amazing and cheap and the drinks are tall and strong. it was probably a good think that we went to dinner and started with a full stomach, because little did i know how much i would actually drink before the night was over. if you've never been to thai-tanic, try it! it's on 14th street in logan circle. i highly recommend the panang and you can't go wrong with their pad thai. YUM!

we then strolled over to halo where i was met by many friends who came to celebrate the evening with me. halo is a great space and is known for it's fabulous drinks. i think at one point i was drinking a cocktail with two others on deck. thanks friends!!!! all in all, i believe i had 5 cocktails at halo in addition to the two we had started out with at thai-tanic. then came the shots! yes, my friends, what would a birthday be without shots? we made our way upstairs in halo and i had two shots, almost one right after the other. at this point, i'm a little fuzzy on who actually purchased them, but i just remember there was a group of us all enjoying them. whew!
so, now if you're counting, that was 7 cocktails and 2 shots. so what's next? yup, you guessed it, FOOD!

a small group of us made are our way to the diner in adams morgan. at this point, i'm not really sure what i ordered, but it did come with fries and i remember ripping into those. with all the hustle and bustle in the diner (that place hops), the conversations were lively and the laughter was strong......as you can tell by this picture. at some point, we decided to leave and brad drove us home since he had just joined us at halo after the completion of his performances at the kennedy center.

the next day, brad and i joined another group of friends for brunch at rosemary thyme's in dupont. it was a gorgeous day and brunch (including bloodys) was just delicious! it could have stopped there, but oh no. then 6 of us decided to head to g'town to go see jackass 2. this movie is a whole other blog unto itself....go see this movie.

after laughing for about 2 hours, it was off to chorus rehearsal and then after rehearsal drinks at halo once again. funnny how things come full circle.

we concluded by going to dinner at the melting pot in dc last night (monday) and celebrated birthdays for me, brad and tom qualey. bick's birthday is coming up in 2 weeks, so it'll be time to whoop it up again!

so, thank you all for making my birthday weekend so memorable!!!! it was truly amazing and just another reminder of what special friends that i have in my life. i truly count my blessings every day and thank you so much for your friendship.

be good to each other!

a chance to give

i had the pleasure of volunteering again last night at Food & Friends in washington dc. i volunteered there last year with my company during a community outreach day and have wanted to volunteer there again because i enjoyed it so much.

most people in the washington area have heard of food and friends(FAF), but are not 100% sure of the extent for which they exist. along with nutrition counseling, FAF prepares, packages and delivers meals and groceries to more than 1,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses throughout washington, dc, 7 counties of maryland and 7 counties and 6 independent cities in virginia. since 1988, FAF has provided food and companionship to our clients, their loved ones and caregivers. it's truly amazing! so not only do they provide all the meals needed for the day, they will also provide those same meals to the rest of the family that may depend on person.

FAF survives by depending upon the volunteering of time from members of the community. they have a new facility in upper NE dc that they purchased in 2002. it is a wonderful building that helps them to provide for the 1000+ clients today, but has the potential to hopefully serve 3000+ clients in the future.

they have different ways to volunteer....either with groups or as an individual. i am currently volunteering with the chorus and have found it as a great outlet to get to know other members. the work is so easy and the staff is so appreciative of your help. they show you what to do and have you working within minutes of your time there. you leave the building with a great sense of accomplisment.

so, if you're looking for that chance to give of yourself, especially time, FAF is a wonderful opportunity for you!!! you can find out more information about FAF and their mission and volunteer program on their info-filled website at www.foodandfriends.org

be good to each other!

Ugly.........the new black

okay, if you didn't catch the series premiere of ugly betty last night, you missed out! what a damn cute show. it is on thursday nights at 8pm right before grey's anatomy.

if you took a moment to get to know betty suarez, you'd see how sweet, intelligent and hard-working she is. but few people do, because in the world of high fashion betty is the oversized peg in the petite round hole. when publishing mogul bradford meade hands the reigns of Mode, the bible of the fashion industry, over to this son, daniel, he specifically hires betty as his son's new assistant – mostly because she's the only woman in nyc daniel won't sleep with. though this "player" is reluctant to accept her at first, betty's indomitable spirit and bright ideas will eventually win him over. neither of them really knows the ins and outs of the fashion world, but the two are a formidable team against those who will do anything to see them fall.

based on "Yo Soy Betty La Fea," the groundbreaking colombian telenovela that became an international phenomenon, "Ugly Betty" is from touchstone television. academy award nominee and emmy award winner Salma Hayek is executive producer, along with Silvio Horta ("Urban Legends"), Ben Silverman, ("The Office"), Jose Tamez ("The Maldonado Miracle"), James Parriott ("Grey's Anatomy") and James Hayman ("Joan of Arcadia").

the show is gay gay gay, but is mucho enjoyable for all audiences. check out the website at http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/index.html you can even watch the premiere episode right on the site. well worth it!

ugly........the new black this season!

update on julie

some of you have greatfully inquired how my sister-in-law, julie, is doing with her battle against cancer. i thought i would take the time to update all of you and share with other who don't know the situation with my family.

i'll start with the quick and dirty. julie is married to my oldest brother brian and is 45 years old. she has been battling a fight against breast cancer for the last 7 years that has attacked her breasts, her breast bone, her brain, and now most recently her lymph system, pelvis and arm.
it's been a long battle and it seems with every victory of either finishing a round of chemo or radiation and getting great results, she gets knocked back down with the news that the cancer has appeared somewhere else.

currently, julie remains strong. i talked with her last week because she's having a rough time being home by herself now because her two children are in school all day. she has trouble getting around due to the loss of mobility in her right leg, so her days are challenged and often filled with time sitting alone in her house.

although she is doing okay, i can just tell that something is not right....she's not the same person. she has difficulty expressing her thoughts and sometimes has trouble finishing them by saying, "now where was i going with this?" he speech is just a little slower and often delayed. that's the best way to discribe it. i'm sure i would be the same way if i've had years of "poison" circulating through my blood and radiation directed at my brain for months. through it all though, she remains positive.

she has just completed her 5th out of 10 rounds of chemo. she's a little worried because the last round caused a migraine headache that almost put her down. she hasn't had one in almost 20 years and now she's worried if the next rounds will bring about the same results. it's hard for her to go back knowing what is to come, but still....she fights.

i called her last week to share with her that a friend of mine from portland had called be he and another friend (involved in a prayer group) had inquired about her status. i just called to let her know that there were people she doesn't even know praying for her. she took comfort in that and i could tell that it really meant a lot to her.

i thank you for those that have inquired about julie. most of you know how hard it is for me to be this far away from her and my family and we battle this together. i am just counting the days until the christmas holiday when i get to go home for about 10 days a be with my family. i look forward to spending some quality time with julie.

count your blessings every day that you have your health. sometimes we take it for granted, but being healthy is such a blessing than the alternative that many people must combat each day of their lives.

be good to each other!

raising the bar

now, most of you know that i enjoy the cocktail. in fact, enjoy might not even capture the true essence of the relationship that i share with the cocktail. so, when i find cool things that revolve around the subject of the cocktail...i am just compelled to share them.

thus, i now bring you to the point of this entry. i am excited to see a funky cool new site called thebar.com. it's a fabulous interactive website revolving all around the cocktail. you can search on recipes, the best drinks to go with what menu, and even suggestions by brand of booze. it's actually a pretty cool site....and the virtual bartender, jack, is kind of cool in his own right.

so, check it out at www.thebar.com and raise your bar to a whole new level!

enjoy,
brad - shaken, not stirred

A thought of loving inspiration

this is an email that i received from a friend. she describes an email she sent to a friend of hers that is a priest. she then shares her friend's response. it is wonderful to know that there are actually people in the ministry that truly believe and practice that love that God tought. i hope you find inspiration from this email............

This is one of the reasons I love my church in Michigan and haven't found
one around here that lives up to it. I recently went on a rant about the
way the Methodist church was putting their own minister on trial, despite the
extreme love and support of her congregation because she was honest and told
them she was gay. I was so angry at the level of hypocrisy and needed to
vent. So I sent an email to my minister in Michigan, raving like a
maniac. Just between us, here is her response. I thought you would
appreciate it. I know I did.

"In any event - to get to your concerns. I feel your
disappointment in your church. It does seem so inconsistent to welcome
people in with one hand and push them away with the other. Those of us who
cherish our friendships with those who are being pushed away are angry and
frustrated. I'm hoping that the outcome of the particular case in
Washington is at least some comfort to you. Unfortunately, this will
continue to be a dividing issue in the United Methodist Church for some time to
come. I'm not sure why - but it will be. One thing that I believe
your Dad would agree with is that for those of us who are willing to read the
Bible with a consciousness of its historical setting and perspective will almost
always see things like this issue differently from those who are not willing to
do so. I was talking to my Mom last night on the phone. She lives in
Wenatchee - so she is aware of what is happening even though she's
Presbyterian. I know the church she attends has an anti-homosexual
stance. She wouldn't say that - she says "they" are welcome, just can't
teach Sunday School or hold leadership positions. Yeah! Like that
would make me feel welcome. I asked her what she thought, and she said,
"Well, the Bible says..." Well, the Bible does say - but it also says that
its ok to own slaves and to stone your children to death for being
disrespectful. All this is to say, I can't figure it out either.
Keep on loving. That's the best thing we can do. Thanks for trusting
me enough to share your feelings with me. I miss your Dad. I know
you do to. Keep in touch. Love, Jeanne"

Keep on believing in people and keep on loving!!!!
Brad

a friend's last words

as many of you know, my friend, jayne, moved back to portland this weekend. for the last couple of weeks, jayne had been in transition mode getting ready for the move. she and cyrus plotted their trip across the country and prepared for an early sunday morning departure on the 17th.

festivities were planned for the night before to have a big send off for jayne. four of us went to dinner at thai-tanic, her first restaurant she ate in when she moved here, and then we joined the rest of the gang at halo. many of jayne's friends and co-workers showed up for a fun evening of cocktails and memories.

the next morning was a slower start than planned. brad and i shared some sofa cushions on the living room floor while jayne and cyrus got some much needed rest in the bedroom. coffee was made, showers were taken, and some last minute packing was done. then, the hard part came...........

jayne and i said our initial good-byes in the apartment. we hugged each other tightly and held on to the memories we have created over the last couple of months. we know they have been added to a treasure trove of them since we met way back in college. we may not always live near each other, but we remain best of friends. we both know there will be more memories yet to come!

earlier, i had some quiet time with joe, jayne's cat......and our other roommate. although i always pretended i was trying to stick joe into the oven, i really loved this cat.....and jayne knew it too. so while packing was going on and people were getting ready, i had walked into my room to find joe oblivious to what was happening, and he had curled up on my bed for a last nap in the house. i curled up beside him on the bed and jut layed there for a couple of minutes to say my good-byes to joe. he closed his eyes and purred and allowed me to give him kisses. it was a sweet moment i will remember.

back to jayne. after the tears, we all walked outside and packed the car. there were more hugs and then cyrus, jayne and joe hopped into the car. i look at my friend outside of her car door and flashed back on all the memories once more. this was the end of our morning coffees. this was the conclusion of the thunderdome wars. this halted the daily commutes to work. so many things were ending at this moment...........but not the strength of our friendship.

i love jayne, and as i looked at her through teary eyes, all i could feel was pride and happiness. my friend was following her heart and heading back home to start a new adventure both personally and professionally. i am so proud of her strength and determination and i wished her the best of luck on her journey.

brad and i stood on the sidewalk as jayne started the car and prepared to pullout onto the street heading the other way. as she whipped around across the lanes of traffic, tears still welling in my eyes, she leaned out the window to leave me with her last words..........."Thorry, DeeDee!" Most of you will not know what that means, but it was precious to me and put a smile right back on my face. it was classic jayne. it will be a memory i will have for a lifetime. my roommate, my buddy, my friend. i love you jayne!

A Dash is a pretty big deal

sometimes inspiration is found in all shapes and sizes. whether it comes from a friend, a card, a book, someone on tv........we all like to be inspired....and we are all inspired by different things. i'm not big on forwarding out emails to my friends when i get "those kind of emails" that have been forwarded the world over.....half the time i don't read them. sorry.

what i am going to provide is a website. this website contains an inspirational poem presentation set to music and beautiful imagery. it takes a minute to go through it and the message is pretty powerful.

from reading it, i am now inspired to lengthen and stregthen my dash.....i have been reminded of its importance. if you would like to be inspired and relook at your dash, view the following website: www.thedashmovie.com

be thankful everyday and be kind to one another.......

Which Superhero are you most like?

find out at www.thesuperheroquiz.com

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 80% The Flash 80% Iron Man 70% Robin 68% Green Lantern 50% Supergirl 48% Wonder Woman 48% Spider-Man 45% Hulk 35% Catwoman 25% Batman 20%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Brad's Pissed

okay, here's my new thing. public bathrooms are gross enough as it is....they don't need help being that way. so, guys, why must you pee on the seat? i don't get it.........does it just come down to pure laziness or is it some type of target practice for you to try and see if you can pee through the seat?

i just have to wonder. not that i use the actual toilet for doing the nasty duty in a public restroom all the time, but sometimes it is just unavoidable. the last thing you want to have to do is wipe some yahoo's pee off the seat with some toilet paper and then cover it with a seat cover........the whole time instead of concentrating on the job at hand.....you're thinking about whether the pee remnants are now soaking through the seat protector and absorbing into your butt flesh. ewwwwwwwww!

guys, if you must use the toilet to pee in, please lift the damn seat or either sit down to pee. if you don't like touching the toilet seat, use your damn foot.

bathrooms are not meant for target practice!

GMCW Photo

This is the photograph that appeared in the Washington Post the following day of the concert at the Kennedy Center. The article gave a great description of our performance along with a lot of praise for both the chorus and Barbara Cook, our special guest.

This is also the first photo of the debut of our new look! We have abandoned the traditional bow tie and have now adopted a silver neck tie to go along with our silver anniversary of 25 years. The look is fabulous and fresh.....just like our group! 6/26/2006

GMCW at the Kennedy Center

there are times in your life when you know a moment of time will burn deep into your memory. i have now experienced this with the gay mens chorus of washington dc for the second time on June 25, 2006.
the first time was singing at the GALA festival in montreal in 2004 with our newly commissioned piece, changing hearts. it was truly amazing............but just as amazing was our performance at the kennedy center for our 25th anniversary concert.
for a raving article on the concert in the washington post, please visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/25/AR2006062500882.html?sub=AR
i am so blessed to be singing again, and singing in a group that makes such beautiful music. how many people can say they have sung at the kennedy center to a packed audience? AND, how many more of those people can say they backed up a broadway ledgend? not many, but i am one of those people along with about 200 others.
for those of you that have not had the pleasure of experiencing a chorus performance, i would love for you to join us in december for our holiday concerts. you can find more information about our concerts at http://www.gmcw.org

A trip to Hell!
okay, not really, but i have been enjoying watching the show Hell's Kitchen on monday nights on fox. if you haven't seen it, the concept is that new chefs are competing against each other with world famous chef, gordon ramsey. he puts these chefs to the test with constant lashings of his acid tongue. it's like watching boot camp!
it's very raw, but it's almost funny what he does and says to these people. check it out: http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/index.htm

we can all do something. i have recently learned that my sister-in-law's battle with breast cancer is continuing. she has been fighting the fight now for over 5 years, and this time the cancer is back with a vengence.
although she is not thrilled with continuing this battle, but she is ready to hit this thing again head-on. however, people in this position need our help. they need words of inspiration, they need support, they need money raised for research. no matter what you do, every bit helps.
being far away from my sister-in-law is hard for me when she is going through all this, but i try to do my part. that is why i support those fund raising efforts that i my friends are doing all across the country. whether it's with a local organization or a national one.........the fight is still the same and so are the costs. the easiest thing you can do is pledge $25 to these efforts. right now that's roughly equal to a tank of gas.........but the benefits are so much greater.
chances are you probably know someone in your family that has been touched by cancer........you can probably count several others that you know of in your daily lives. this evil disease affects way too many people.........help to bring a cure. find a way to contribute........

Podfitness!
want a personal trainer but don't want to spend the money? i have discoverd podfitness.com! this is an online personal trainer that you download to your ipod and it plays from your playlists. it's in its beta stage now, but so far i like it, and it's only $20 a month. so much more affordable than a real trainer.

here's the deal:
you tell podfitness your fitness goals
you say what exercise equipment you have available to you
you pick your own personal trainer from a list of 50
BOOM! you're on your way with a daily workout built just for you....with your tunes!

i have been using it for 3 days now and i like it. nothing beats the real thing, but i also like more money in my pocket.

Waiting for the Wardrobe! if you missed your chance to see the chronicles of narnia: the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe in the theaters, then you better race out to get the dvd now. this movie was one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best for me ever. it was pure entertainment!

i took my niece and nephew to see this movie while i was home in spokane, wa for christmas. i knew i wanted to see it, but didn't know i would thoroughly enjoy every inch of the movie. it was quite an experience. and, isn't that what we want from the movies now a days since we pay almost $10 for a movie? the acting, the special effects, the costumes, and the storyline.....fantastic! although this not a new story, it was fresh and done very well.

i am not a person to buy dvd's.......however, this will be one dvd that will be a prize in my small collection.