The muscle in my shoulder where I got my tetanus shot yesterday is really sore today. The nurse who gave me the shot yesterday told me to rub it and it would feel better. Instead of rubbing that muscle, I surfed over to bj's gay porno-crazed ramblings, downloaded the latest porn clip he posted, and rubbed a different muscle to feel better. I'm feeling much better now. 😉
Author: Paul
Let’s Get Physical
No, not that kind. The medical kind. I went for my physical today. Since I'm with Kaiser, I never keep a doctor for very long. They always move on. I met my current doctor just a few months ago when I had that little wart. That's when he told me to come in for my physical around my birthday. Before meeting with my doctor the nurse took my vitals, weighed me (their scale is SO off), measured my height, and to my surprise, hooked me up to an EKG machine. I hadn't had an EKG before. I was a little nervous but it was fine. Then she showed me to his office.
After the hellos, he asked me some family questions, medical history, etc. Then he asked me if I was single. I said yes. He then asked if I had a girlfriend. Without even hesitating I said, no, I'm gay. And he, without skipping a beat, asks if I have a partner. I say no. I thought that was very cool of him. You never know how doctors will react. This one reacted well.
Then we go to the examining room and I strip down to my boxer briefs and he starts doing all his things. Touching here, listening there. Then he tells me to lay down and pull the boxer briefs down. He asks if it's okay to check the testicles and I say sure. Now here's one thing to remember when you are having a physical. Don't shave or trim your balls a few days before a doctor will be rolling them between his fingers. He didn't say anything but I did notice a look on his face. Besides his hands being a little chilly, the exam went fine. No testicular cancer. I was wondering when he might tell me to get on my knees for the finger. I didn't have to worry long. He said no prostate exam until I'm 50. Yeah! Even though I'm not a bottom, I wouldn't have minded the finger for medical reasons. He tells me to get dressed and I do. Then he asks when I last had a tetanus shot. I have no idea and can't tell him. So he says I have to have one. He says the nurse will be in to give me the shot. A few minutes later I'm getting jabbed by a sharp needle. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it might. The nurse said it will hurt more in the morning. Then I returned to his office to hear about my test results.
Turns out I am completely healthy. All my test results came back normal. My cholesterol is 178. However, my HDL is a little low and my LDL is a little high. Nothing to be concerned with though. My doctor said to keep exercising. My glucose was normal. My liver function was normal. The EKG was normal as well. Everything is in the normal range. And I'm HIV negative. So everything is good. . . for another 5 years.
Playing With iTunes
For the last few hours I've been playing with iTunes. I downloaded a whole bunch of music on Saturday. I used the iTunes gift certificate that Shawn gave me for my birthday.
So I burned several mixed CD's. iTunes makes it so easy. And it let's you print a jewel case insert that shows the song titles as well as the album art for all the albums included on the CD you just burned.
One thing I learned today is that if you don't already have the album art for the CD (if you didn't download it from iTunes but you imported your own CD) you can add the album art manually. So I did a search at Tower Records.com for each CD I didn't have the art for and simply dragged the same size picture into the iTunes library for all the songs for that CD. Now it will print all the album art when I print a jewel case for each CD that I burn. Very cool. Some of you may already know about this and might not think it's a big deal but I thought it was pretty cool. Check it out sometime.
Odds and Ends
Yesterday Shawn called to wish me a Happy Birthday. That was very sweet of him. We had a nice conversation. I could talk to him forever if he’d let me. Man, I love that guy.
Even though it was my birthday, I spent the majority of the day doing laundry, cleaning my house, running the dishwasher, and stuff around the house. Typical Saturday or Sunday chores.
Last night my good friend David took me out to dinner for my birthday. We went to The Cheesecake Factory. The meal was more then filling. I had to bring half of it home and ate it this evening for dinner. There was some nice eye candy to look at while waiting for our food. Cute young guys. We were going to have dessert but we were just too stuffed. We had a great time. David also gave me a generous gift card to Pottery Barn. I plan on going there tomorrow to find something. There are some many nice things there. It might be hard to choose. Thanks David!
Today I tried sleeping late but Michael called. I didn’t answer the phone because I was half asleep and didn’t get it in time. He left a message. I called him back once I was up and moving around. Just chit chat.
This is the second day of my 4 day weekend. I took Tuesday off to go to the doctor. I have a physical scheduled. When I saw my doctor in March he made me schedule a physical around my birthday. I haven’t had one since I was 35 so it’s time I guess. Last weekend I went in and had a ton of blood drawn for all the tests they run for being 40. Once I have the appointment and find out just how healthy or unhealthy I am, I’ll post it.
Friday evening I finished reading Trouble Boy. It was a good book. Especially if you like a book about a 20-something screenplay writer living in Manhatton trying to get his screenplay produced. Throw in more gay boys, lots of bar drinking, restaurants, night life, sex, and celebrities and you have a fast moving story. As usual, it doesn’t end the way I like books to end. I like books to finiish up the story in a nice neat package. But this one, like man others, leaves you thinking there will be another book to find out what happened with the trial (there’s a car accident and Toby is a witness) and if he ever got his screenplay produced. I’ll wait for the next edtion. It’s a quick read if you make the time to read it.
Now I’m reading The Night We Met by Rob Byrnes who, by the way, has his own blog that I read regularly. From reading the jacket cover, it sounds like a pretty good story. Of course I’ll write something up when I finish it. I need to make more time for reading. Once school is out, I’ll have more time to devote to my reading. Anyway, sounds like I’ll enjoy the story. Rob Byrnes has a new book out called Trust Fund Boys. You can read about it on his site. I might end up getting it if I enjoy the first one. Check out Rob’s blog sometime.
Tomorrow I’m off to help mom with more things around her condo. I’ll talk her into taking me to lunch and maybe some shopping at Pottery Barn.
Only two more days off then it’s back to work! But there’s only 13 more school days and I’m off for the summer. I have signed up for two short classes this summer. That will keep me busy I’m sure.
May 29th In History
1736 – Born this day, Patrick Henry, American revolutionary patriot.
1790 – Rhode Island became the 13th state of the United States, the last of the original colonies to ratify the constitution.
1848 – Wisconsin became the 30th state of the United States following approval by the territory's citizens.
1903 – Born this day, Bob Hope
1917 – Born this day, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th president of the United States, was born.
1942Â – Jews in Paris are forced to sew a yellow star on their coats
1951Â – Fanny Brice dies
1953 – Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Everest and plant 4 flags at it's peak
1957 – Born this day, LaToya Jackson
1958 – Born this day, Annette Bening
1964 – I was born.
1978 – The 13-cent postage stamp became the 15-cent postage stamp when new US rates to mail letters went into effect.
1979 – Died this day, Mary Pickford, actress, in Santa Monica, California. She was 87.
1988Â – Reagan arrives in Moscow for summit talks
1992 – On this day in 1992, Apple unveiled a concept model of the ill-fated Newton handheld computer.
On May 29, 1964 at 11:50 AM at the US Army Hospital in Seine, France I was born. My twin brother was born first. I have always told him that I came out second because I needed more womb. I am the sixth of seven children. My mother is a saint and my father is broke.
I realize in my 40 years of life that I've had it pretty easy. Elementary school was easy. High school was easy. College was easy. Getting a job was easy. Being successful at my job has been easy. I've made great friends, have great memories, and enjoy most of the small things in life. I don't have any coming out horror stories. When I came out to my family and friends in college I didn't have anyone reject me. They all said I was still me and they would continue to love me like they always had. I've had a pretty good 40 years.
Looking at my life right now, I have it pretty good. I have a nice place to live. I can afford the mortgage. I have all the materialistic items anyone could want. I have a great job that I love and plan to continue until retirement. I have a nice retirement package. I have a great family. I have great friends. I haven't had any hardships in my life except for one.
I haven't been successful in relationships. They never last. I'd be willing to give up some of the easy things to have a successful relationship. It's the only thing that has eluded me in my life. Is it too late at 40? I thought 30 was gay death. If so, what is turning 40? It's not that I haven't found love, I have. But it never seems to last. Or something else gets in the way like a new job or a move or another guy. One thing I have learned is that it takes me a long time to get over love. Sometimes years.
Even though I've had my relationship challenges, I am optimistic that at some point in the future I will find the happiness that comes with a successful, loving relationship. I will be patient. Until that time comes, I will enjoy spending time with friends, reading books while sipping a glass of wine, watching endless hours of reality television. . .doing the things I enjoy.
So as of this minute I am 40 years old.